This post has been reposted from my other blog Tracking Down The Family. I don’t usually share posts, between the blogs but when I do, there’s a good reason to do so. It’s not just to fill space. I feel that this meme would be of interest to my blogging friends here and not just those involved in genealogy. We are all affected by the pandemic and from the many blogs that I’ve been reading,it’s clear that many of us are concerned to record our experiences.

My blogger friend, Pauleen, from, Cassmob Family History published a post that grabbed my attention immediately. The title was Crazy Month of May 2020 -Pandemic Experiences. I do love a meme, and I particularly love a Geneameme, so I couldn’t resist participating.

Pauleen’s introduction: “It occurred to me that perhaps we should have a meme which captures our response to the hopefully-once-in-a-lifetime May, that we’ve just navigated….it might be a way to preserve the tip of our experiences. Remember that many blogs are being archived in Pandora so perhaps this is a way for our descendants to learn about our experiences during the covid-19 crisis.”

I do agree with Pauleen that this is a great way to record our pandemic experiences for those who come after us. This  blog is archived in Pandora, so will be available for my descendants, who are interested enough to wonder what life was life in the Pandemic of 2020. Also, meme’s are fun, so I can’t possiby resist. Thanks Pauleen, for coming up with this idea.

What are you most grateful for during this covid-19 crisis?
I feel extremely grateful to have good health and to have avoided Covid-19. I’m also grateful that my family have remained safe from the virus.

What have you missed most during the full or partial lock-down?
I have missed being able to sit quietly in my local bakery with coffee and a book. I have missed catching up with friends, my monthly book club meetings, and being able to go to the library. Even though cafes and restaurants have opened up for indoor dining, I plan to stay at home for longer, just to be sure there isn’t going to be another wave.I have missed lap swimming at my local swimming pool.

Has your hobby sustained you during this time?
I have been in self isolation, and not working for six weeks, so have had more time than usual to spend on genealogy and gardening.

What changes have you seen in your life over May 2020?
I’ve had later starts to my days and leisurely breakfasts. When working I usually had early starts, often before 6am, which didn’t leave time for breakfast. I would usually race out the door early with a coffee, to drink in the car on the way to work

Have you been exercising more or less?
I’ve been walking and going into the gym most days. My walks have been only about 5k due to injury recovery which was happening before the virus. I have my own home gym, so isolation hasn’t affected my gym at all.

Has the refrigerator been your friend or foe?
I have definitely been eating more than usual, mainly due to having more time at home. I do need to take that in hand

Have you been participating in virtual gatherings with friends or family?
I have begged off virtual gatherings with friends. This is mainly because since being in isolation I have been feeling slightly anti social and feel that I need time to myself. Also, as we live in an isolated area, our internet isn’t perfect.

Have you taken up new hobbies during the lockdowns?
I haven’t taken up any new hobbies, but have been spending more time on hobbies that I had before the pandemic.

Are you cooking or gardening more?
I am definitely spending more time on gardening. Gardening was a big hobby previous to the pandemic, and I’ve enjoyed being able to devote more time to it. Our vegie garden is looking fantastic. I am cooking more. I’m not really being more adventurous in my cooking, but making meals that I didn’t have time to prepare when working.

Have you shopped more or less? Online or offline?
I have definitely done less shopping, and no online shopping at all. I have been buying groceries and shopping at Bunnings for the garden. I haven’t lingered at all when shopping.

What have you found to be the strangest change to your life?
Not working and being at home all day has been very strange, but I’ve loved it

Have you found the changes and experience stressful/anxious/worrying?
I have had to limit my watching of the news as I was finding it a bit stressful. I’ve been worried about how the virus was spreading, but not at all worried for myself, as I have self isolated most of the time.

How have the closures affected your local community?
I have noticed the streets are quieter and many shops are closed. The parks are not as busy now that playgrounds are closed and there are no bootcamps being held there. Community meetings have been cancelled.

Have in-person meetings been replaced with virtual meetings via Zoom, Skype etc?
Meetings that I’m involved with have been held virtually via Zoom, but I’ve chosen not to be involved. I decided that having to self isolate was an opportunity to stand back from my responsibilities to enable me to rethink how busy my life has become. Also, Zoom meetings can be a problem for us, because we have unreliable internet service that can drop out at any time.

Do you enjoy the virtual meeting format?
I can’t say as I haven’t participated in any meetings. But I have participated in two virtual all day genealogy conferences. I really enjoyed them but they weren’t at all interactive.

Are you working from home instead of in your usual place of work?
No, I’m not able to work from home, so I’m taking time out from work.

Have your habits changed over the past months?
I am staying at home, unless I need to go out for groceries. I have noticed a few lazy habits have crept in. My life isn’t as rushed as usual. I’m waking later than usual.

Have you had to cancel travel plans for pleasure or family?
For the past few years, we have been to Port Fairy, with friends, on this weekend coming. We have had to cancel for this year. In August, we were going to Bali with those same friends, and have also cancelled that holiday.

Do you think you’ll be able to travel in 2020?
We intend to lay low for a while and not travel at all in 2020.

Have you/others been wearing masks when out and about in your area?
We haven’t been wearing masks and I have noticed only a few people wearing them in our area.

Will you change your lifestyle after this experience?
We have decided that we won’t be travelling overseas in the near future. We also don’t intend to eat out as much as we did in pre pandemic. We will be holiday in our local area and around our state. Perhaps in the future, if there is a vaccine, these plans might change.

How has your pandemic experience been? I’d love to hear your thoughts and promise to reply to all comments.

Feel free to join in with this meme. Firstly visit Pauleen’s page in the link at the top and copy and paste the questions. I’d love you to let her know in the comments that you are planning to participate.

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