One month into 2021 and I've been having a recurring dream. Not quite on the Martin Luther King Jr scale, but one I'm struggling to ignore. Last year during the first lockdown I wrote a blog ('Noted' for the curious amongst you). It was work related and started out as a weekly reflection of the impact of Covid on Music Education (amongst other things) and although I really enjoyed the writing - it quite quickly transformed into something of an outpouring of emotions, opinions and the occasional rant (ahem!).
As a full-time parent and part-time music teacher - and not always in that order - safe to say, it has been a somewhat challenging and tumultuous 935628 months*. So after a brief/long/indeterminate** hiatus (and after being approached by an organisation to write another one) I have come to the conclusion that writing a blog could be good idea, but that perhaps going for a personal rather than a professional perspective might be the way forward.
So back to the dream. It's like one of those nightmares where you're fairly sure it's real but can't entirely tell. It's not complicated, I'm at a cinema (remember those?) with my family; there are overpriced beverages and oversized actors and there isn't a passive aggressive distancing sign, hand gel dispenser or face-covering in sight. I'm surrounded by the beaming faces of my husband and children. It's joyous.
At this point that I realise there is no chance this is real. Not because I can't remember anymore what a cinema looks/feels/sounds or even smells like, or the lack of COVID deterring accessories anywhere in sight. It's simply that the people I live with are all enjoying the same film. As this is so far from anything resembling a likely scenario, I realise it must be a fictional event.
Even knowing this, every time, I'm surprised at how I feel when I wake up. Initially all aglow, relaxed, and smiley but then suddenly deeply sad, weighed down with disappointment almost to the point of tears. I emerge then from my bed, dry mouthed, foul tempered and strongly desirous of carbs and caffeine. It appears that along with my support crew, I'm not alone in this sub-conscious yearning for a half-forgotten fantasy past. Obviously, we’re all on board with, adhere to, and fully endorse, all things hands/face/space. But we’ve also reached a point where fantasising about and even mourning for pre-COVID life experiences, that we once took utterly for granted, on pretty much a daily or nightly basis has become the new normal.
So before we all slip into a "do you remember-fest" memory wormhole, on to the point of the blog. I am hoping to write once a month to lift us slightly out of the gloom, provide a brief 10 minutes*** of respite, raise a smile. It's primarily a forum to share a few tips, ideas and recommendations for Whatever It Takes to get through the times that lie ahead. Whilst I'm sure it won't appeal to all, hopefully it might brighten the days of a few and I'd love to hear what people are doing to mostly live, sort of thrive and hopefully survive just now, so please feel free to contact me on Instagram or Twitter with any contributions, thoughts, comments, or feedback.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Read
The book I'm recommending this month is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. A beautifully crafted gem of a book which was truly absorbing and poignantly relatable in the current times...
A snippet of the review from Goodreads.com below:
A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humour, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose
You can order your very own copy from the fabulous Little Apple Bookshop - a splendid opportunity to support a small business and not make a billionaire any richer.
The Happy Newspaper
This is truly joyous, it's described as 'a colourful, 32 page newspaper celebrating only good news!' and 'a little piece of sunshine through your letterbox four times a year'. Sure sounds like something we could all do with right now. You can follow creator Emily Coxhead on Instagram all details of how to subscribe to this regular bundle of positivity can be found here
Some stuff you might want to know about the newspaper:
– Suitable and loved by all ages
– Features news from all over the world
– No boring adverts
– We ship worldwide
– Stitched and trimmed which makes it easier for the young and elderly as it doesn’t fall apart
– Colourful and illustrated
– 26.5 x 34 cm
– 54 GSM recycled blend stock (basically not grey newsprint which only lasts 24 hours – we want The Happy Newspaper to be able to be shared around)
– Published and posted every three months
Do
There is little doubt that being active and getting outdoors if you can is an all round good idea in terms of generally improving mood and wellbeing. I am never keen on the idea of it really and in my previous blog I regularly mentioned my attempts and forays into exercise. It became clear last year that I was not alone in this and was just one of many many others trying to maintain shreds of sanity and fend off the inevitable multi-lockdown weight gain.
To help keep me focused, I enlisted a friend and decided that we would be best served by following a no nonsense programme that neither of us could cheat our way to finishing! So began our attempt to complete the NHS Couch to 5K programme..
This was quite the journey and not at all a straight road/field/path/cycle track for either of us, however, I am surprised and delighted to announce we did make it to the final week! Hurrah! Get us! We were the most surprised by the achievement, make no mistake.
We had very incompatible schedules and so didn't get together to run, instead we used Strava to document our various attempts to get out and about. The photo-collage depicts the views we were lucky enough to have seen along the journey and serves as a reminder of what we achieved.
Home Court is a really fun app recommended by a colleague this week. It's designed to help basketball players practice at home but would appeal to anyone! I'm in no way able to fully engage with this as I'm recovering from minor surgery but the younger generation of the household have been ferocious in their battles and therefore a million percent more active than at any time over the previous month!
Watch
The Great Pottery Showdown
Showing on real live TV on Channel 4 and available on demand on All 4. This is the epitome of winter comfort viewing. It is like the cuddly cardigan that you can snuggle into as we hunker down AT HOME OF COURSE during these seemingly endless winter evenings. I don't know about you, but I watch every episode with a huge smile and a feeling of admiration and joy. Plus the addition of Siobhán McSweeney as co-presenter for this series has taken the enjoyment to a whole new level!
If clay creations and oxide glazes aren't your thing (I mean WHY wouldn't they be!?) you could always head over to BBCiplayer for your evening dose of escapism. As is probably the case trans-globally, there is a division in terms of preferences within the household (see above reference to imagined cinema scenario) so the 'essential viewing' choices range from David Attenborough's Planet Earth to Ru Paul's Drag Race with a few classic episodes of The Thick of It sandwiched in the middle. I'll leave you to work out who's watching what...
If none of that is up your street then I challenge you not to enjoy this incredible video from the NASA Youtube channel. Ever wonder what it’s like to see our planet from space? NASA’s astronauts will take you on a journey to the International Space Station, exploring the life-changing experience of an orbital perspective. View Earth as you’ve never seen it before: through the eyes of an astronaut. Absolutely astounding.
Listen
Having rediscovered and utterly fallen in love with Podcasts during the last year, it will be a struggle to recommend just one or two every month as I listen to hours of them. I think it's probably because I love talking so much AND I MISS PHYSICALLY BEING WITH, AND TALKING TO, MY FRIENDS. Podcasts can sometimes feel a bit like a sort of replacement "chat" that you are legitimately eavesdropping on! It's not the same I know but it's kind of similar-ish...
A firm favourite is Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed which has actually had me crying with laughter as well as cringing and also shrieking at certain points. It's hugely funny, honest and fairly shocking in parts - best to have the headphones in for this one...
The only way Rosie and Chris Ramsey can have a conversation without being interrupted by a toddler or ending up staring at their phones is by doing a podcast. They’ll be chatting all about life, relationships, arguments, annoyances, parenting, growing up and everything in between. Each week they will answer questions from the public and a secret celebrity.
I've also really enjoyed the Louis Theroux series Grounded and the now (sadly retired) The High/Low (classic episodes available).
Visit (Virtually)
I was reminded recently that it really is ok not be to ‘ok’, and it’s also ok to admit that. In recognition of that for myself, I relinquished some responsibilities last year and made some changes to work patterns where I could. I am supremely lucky to have the support of a network of extraordinary friends and colleagues, amazing people who help me get through this relentless struggle and all the ongoing challenges.
‘It’s ok not to be ok’ is also the superb strap-line of the FrazzledCafe which is a brilliant and massively empowering online support group. Check them out if you prefer virtual interaction or if you feel you might be in danger of overusing your friends ears and/or shoulders…
It goes without saying that I (as we all are) am hugely missing my regularly scheduled interactions with my support crew, and I referred in previous "Noted" posts to the concept of us all fundamentally being creatures of habit. Although often misattributed to Aristotle, it was actually the 20th Century philosopher Will Durant who famously said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” With that in mind, it’s been really insightful to carve my own pattern and routines (or lack of) over the past year, and to try not to predict how and what will unfold ahead. The second half of the Durant quote, “Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” is a phrase educators everywhere can more than relate to.
Finally, for a little lift why not tune in every Saturday to see Jessa Liversidge do her weekly "Field Sing" Jessa has been doing this (whatever the weather) as well as her other extraordinary online singing activities throughout most of last year.
Recently it was announced that she has just been shortlisted for TWO 2021 Music & Drama Education Awards! This is such brilliant and well-deserved recognition for Jessa who has been a beacon of musical joy during the last year.
She has been shortlisted for the 'Francesca Hanley Inspiration Award' which honours an individual music teacher or performer who has had a significant positive impact on students of any age in their music-making. In addition to this, she is one of only six outstanding U.K. music teachers to be shortlisted for the #Goldstars Award for music or drama teachers who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic. Enormous luck to Jessa, winners are announced in March.
So, that's it. Until next month, do get in touch if you'd like to contribute or comment on anything. Keep going and just do Whatever It Takes.
Quote of the month
““If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
Dolly Parton
* Approximate estimate
** Have lost all track of time
*** Unless you click all the links and watch all the videos - then you'll be here for hours...