Hi All,

We at the BWC can never be accused of not getting into the swing of things and being resilient, so I welcome you to our little Webpage Diary. We thought this could be a fun way to keep in touch with each other during this challenging time.

Firstly, I just wanted to check in with you all to make sure everyone was healthy and well. As we are all self-isolating, it’s very easy to feel alone and isolated if you don’t have family nearby to call on so don’t be a stranger and let us know how you are. We have a wonderful community within our Club so we must continue to pull together and keep everyone’s spirits up. We haven’t known life to be so uncertain since war time and I know that some of us remember this more than others! Of course, I am fortunate enough to only imagine the despair during that time from listening to my grandparents‘ accounts.

It’s extremely humbling that so many members are keeping in touch through telephone and email and that these long-lasting friendships are so evident. Everyone is encouraged to stay in contact during this time and I’m always available anytime for a chat.

What is everyone doing to keep themselves occupied during this time?

Just as all the madness broke, we had just returned from our holiday (in the nick of time) and the first few days of resting were very welcome. As hubby had a bit of a cold, he was advised not to go into work and we were extra careful due to the symptoms. You just never know.

We relaxed over the weekend and by the Monday, Mark was feeling 100% better. Over the first few days, we had very quickly grown bored of Netflix and snacking. Resisting the urge to eat every hour is remarkably difficult during quarantine! Even the daily G&T’s were losing their novelty! We couldn’t go on like this for the next three weeks….or possibly longer! Our isolation snacks were supposed to last us three weeks, not three days! At this rate, we would be watching re-runs of Little House on the Prairie and eating our way through the dusty old tins at the back of the pantry! So, we gave ourselves a stiff talking to, a sound thrashing and pulled ourselves together, venturing out into the sunshine. Our first outing for groceries involved a quick ‘supermarket sweep’ in the hunt for healthy fruit and vegetables, chicken, fish and lentils so we could focus on our usual healthy eating and not this constant grazing on yummy goodies during the day due to boredom. If we were going to survive, we would have to be quick and stealth like. Bear Grylls, eat your heart out!

The ‘smash and grab’ shopping wasn’t too bad and I managed to keep the allocated social distance between the other adventurers and myself for fear of catching this new and unknown lurgy. I have to admit though, as soon as you find out that touching certain surfaces, including your face, is something that you SHOULDN’T do, you discover just how much you DO IT! Why am I so touchy, feely with that packet of ham, that jar of olives or that extra-large bottle of Sekt? It’s not cashmere! Surely, I’m not the only person struggling with this? I had to consciously keep my hands on the (potentially infected) handle of my shopping cart, my elbows in and eyes front!

My trolley dash was pretty successful and I was able to slip in and out of the supermarket, not unnoticed (due to all those extra snacks) but as a self-confessed shopaholic, I set a personal best that day. Unfortunately, my concerted efforts to find flour, toilet-roll and pasta were unsuccessful, along with the rest of the world! Believe me, I understand the shortage of provisions and ingredients to add to basic recipes, but what’s the obsession with toilet roll?? Has the world gone completely mad! Those people who were talked into adding a useless bidet to their bathrooms have been living for this moment! I may even invest in bidet shares in the future! A new venture maybe? I’ll need to add risks of Armageddon, zombie apocalypse and coronavirus to my sales pitch…

On the bright side, all of our rainy days have arrived at once! We suddenly all have some extra time on our hands. My house has never been so tidy. I’m clearing out those cupboards and drawers that have been driving me mad all year and I’ve downloaded all those new books I’ve wanted to read but, on the downside, I may not have enough loo paper….

Seriously though, it feels very strange that life is so quiet and that my calendar is completely free for the next six weeks. Our Club normally has so many wonderful events happening that it has highlighted how much we do in BWC. We can either see this crisis as a complete waste of time or seize the opportunity to steer away from our everyday life and do something a bit different. We will try new ideas over the next few weeks, including this little blog, and we will try and keep you constantly updated with different things happening. We have a few things in store so watch this space! Ideas also welcome!

To start with, here are a few websites listed below in case anyone is having trouble with certain items of food and non-food items, I have added a list below.
https://shop.rewe.de/
//www.flaschenpost.de
https://www.amazon.de/s?k=amazon+pantry+produkte&crid=3SYRMFMWJCCWN&sprefix=amazon+pant%2Caps%2C169&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11
Ad·www.lieferando.de/Food/DeliveryLieferando.de – Food Delivery Near Me – Hungry? No problem
https://www.foodora.deOnline Essen bestellen – foodora ist jetzt Lieferando.de
https://www.edeka.de/services/online-supermarkt/bringmeister.jsp

Let us know how you’re coping with all this by writing a little something and send to Sandra.

Thinking of you all at this time.

Hugs,

Alison