Feest Isolation Days – 17 March 2020
Some days are better than others! Naomi, Terry’s daughter, my step daughter, has to self isolate with her family for fourteen days as she has a wheezy chest and the GP says that’s what needs to happen. Where are the tests? Wouldn’t that help make things easier for everyone? I don’t understand.
I had a phone call from an old friend who we hadn’t yet had time to catch up with and I was delighted to hear his voice as I had been thinking of them. His wife had died the day before following the return of her cancer. My tears clearly told him how I felt about his sad news. She was a wonderful lively woman and there can’t be any sort of memorial service. They were one of those couples who were meant to be together. They adored each other and cared for each other over the years. As he is in the group of people who will need to self isolate I was bereft for him. He will have to do that on his own. Terry and I held each other close when the phone call ended. We promised our friend we would keep in touch and indeed we will, albeit remotely.
Keeping in touch – now there’s a sentiment we use all the time and for now one
thing we cannot do is physically touch.
We are limited to virtual touching only.
And touching is something we all need.
Not just want or desire but need! According to an article in Psychology
Today, (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201303/the-power-touch) If there’s a most appropriate time to communicate via touch, it’s
probably when someone needs consoling. Research shows that touch is the best
way to comfort. If you ask people how
they’d comfort someone in a given situation, they tend to list pats, hugs, kisses
and different kinds of touch behaviors more than anything else.
We all need consoling right now. So here at the very least is a BIG kiss from me! And a Valentines Story about making contact even when it wasn’t possible to touch…..
Several years ago, I woke in the night with the most awful pain in my right side and was writhing around on the bed drawing my knees up then turning onto my stomach and drawing my knees up. Professor Feest recognized it accurately as gall stones. The day I was operated on was Valentine’s Day. Having enough pain relief to cope, my playful side emerged. I got Terry to write on my stomach Happy Valentine’s Day with my lipstick and to add a few kisses and hugs. Xoxoxoxox. I said nothing when I was in pre-op and when I woke up I had a dressing that was appropriately signed in ink that said: SWALK! We heard later from the Surgeon that the team had a great laugh and photos were taken. Apparently, my greeting has also caused hoots of laughter at several medical meetings. Do what you can! And Keep smiling.
Love,
Kathy xxx
Well lovely to hear about your life and isolation times. Sounds very interesting and fun. My semi-isolation is just beginning as I started a new job on Tuesday and began working from home today before I know the team or much about the project and its not quite so easy learning names and how to progresst from an online meeting for one hour. Apart from that, no pub, no forthcoming holiday, just working alone …. but am I downhearted ……. nahhh!!! I’ll make the most of it, a bit of exercise in the living room, a walk round The Downs and I might even venture out on my bike. XXX Rita
Hi Rita,
Good luck with all of it…enjoy the humour – there’s a good one on day six!
Kathyx
That is a very unusual answer to the question ‘how did you meet your partner?’ And you must have a very beautiful stomach. If anyone reading this is on their own, can you look for a teddy bear or a pillow to hug? Not the same I know, but thanks for the blog Kathy.
Anne,
Please tell me I can post your picture to share…its a hoot!
Kathyx
Dearest Kathy
How wonderful for you to start a blog . Thank goodness we have technology that can enable us to keep in touch during these isolating times .
I am in voluntary isolation at the moment , having arrived back in NZ from Sydney about 8 hours before the official curfew ! I was midway through a small group tour to the Sydney Biennale and dramatically it had to be cut short .
Luckily , wonderful neighbours and friends are letting me know when they are going to the supermarket and so can drop supplies at the front door . There are going to be some plus’s as well as negatives from this world upheaval. I was interested to read that the Venice canals are beginning to clear . Good news but feel so sorry for anyone involved in the tourism business , and others that will inevitably be affected . Imagine a world with no planes flying .
Anyway …. all good wishes and love to your wide circle of friends and especially to you both .
Rosemarie xx
Hi Rosemarie,
You did figure out how to post and it’s possible to read so all good! Well done you. I will still respond to all emails.
Big hugs.
Kathyx
Digihugs to you both. Bright work to get the blog started Terry. We haven’t hunkered down here yet. I’m writing from a cafe still full of morning coffee-takers, confidence bolstered by no community transmission yet, although confirmed cases had reached 20 yesterday. All travel returnees. Border control seems to be working with three newly-arrived travellers supposedly being deported for not going straight into self-isolation.
I’ve continued going to the gym this week, wiping, wiping all the way, but how will I feel after next week’s glorious isolation at Matapouri Beach? 90-year-old granny is determined to come there then fly back to England as planned and not stay on in NZ. She says if it gets her, what better send-off could she have had?! Everyone going up there has agreed not to talk about Coronavirus for the week, being depressing and already starting to become boring. Even before it has hit us properly.
Keep up your spirits, kia kaha,
Chris
Best for a brilliant party and a bit of time to escape from the world… stay safe.
Love
Kathy x