THE NEW NORMAL
Things have been different for the last few months. In mid-February the world was turned upside down. People called on their imagination to help family, friends and community make it through those (dare I say it) unprecedented times.
From the cities of Europe most affected by the Covid pandemic came images such as these.
People shared, in the ways they best could, to help others.
And friends here in Perth were no different. They shared too, and their own answers to Covid helped others.
THE NAME'S BOND. JAMES BOND
Marie got with the whole teddy bear in the window thing, going one better. Each day - every day - she dressed Ted in a different outfit. A soldier commemorated Anzac Day and a nurse acknowledged our health care workers. Stay-at-home footballers were not overlooked, either: what would NicNat make of this, I wonder?
Marie's creativity lessened the burden of social distancing for her grandchildren as they played on the front lawn and waved through the window. The teddy bear dress-ups entertained neighbours out for a walk. My personal favourite is Marilyn Monroe. A little glamour is so-o-o-o important.
And let's not forget Dom, who put the Covid close-down to good use by working on his herb and veggie garden. He preserved olives - delicious, better than any you can buy - and made his own ricotta. I want that recipe!
Dom's success lit my green thumb spark. Gloved and masked, I lined up with the two-metre-per-person queue outside Bunnings to prowl through their veggie section. I'll just say this: the tomato plant has been a total underachiever.
The mint doesn't know when to stop growing. Snails like rocket as much as I do. But I've had some luck. From little things big things grew ...
Friends have taken to their laptops and i-pads to send and forward jokes and videos. Humour and information have flowed freely, with people turning to the virtual world as the physical world locked down. My email inbox has never been so full, my phone never rung so often. Jenny put away her chain saw and maintained a constant supply of online jokes and videos to friends, bringing chuckles to people all around Australia. From her dozens of contributions, I went with a pet theme and chose these as my favourites.
And this one, because it's my all-time favourite and brings a smile to my face each time I see it.
The worst appears to be over, and we're on the path back to something resembling normal. I'm grateful to everyone who kept me safe during Covid by following the restrictions. To friends who stayed in touch and kept me and others entertained. I'm thankful that our governments, both state and federal, showed leadership and resolve. I'm grateful to our essential workers who put others first, and to the media who kept up the flow of information. At the risk of repeating what has become a cliche, it really did seem that we were all in it together.
SO NOW IT'S SMILE TIME!
