Stitching during lockdown

Hello world! How is everybody today? I want to say thank you to everyone who left a comment on my last entry, it was so good to hear that you are all doing well and safe! I'm sorry I haven't answered you yet, but my mind has been all over the place and I'm having trouble concentrating beyond work. Things are moving so fast over here. In the space of only one week, there have been so many changes:

• Spain has closed its terrestrial borders and is in full lockdown
• The European Union has closed its borders to non-EU residents
• Here in Spain, the number of infections has jumped to 14.000 and nearly 700 dead
• There are now lines to get into supermarkets

It just feels like we're living in a dystopia. I have never lived in a country with closed borders, a country where the police can stop you on the street to ask why you're there. I've never lived in a Europe with restricted freedom of movement within member states. And I've never had to wear gloves and mask into a supermarket, or wait in line to get in. I understand that all these measures are for our own safety and I respect them. It just feels a bit scary and larger than life. 

I've been keeping in touch with my parents in Belgium and my brother in Barcelona. My mom's upset to be locked outside of her own country (Belgium is also on lockdown), and my brother went five days without being able to find any food in supermarkets in his neighborhood or online. He's also lost his job (he's a cook) and since this lockdown will last until after spring break, he's a bit worried. My husband and I are lucky, because most of my work is online, and his academy switched to online work as soon as the lockdown hit. 

It's not all scary and negative, though. There are lots of viral videos going around of whole apartment blocks playing games together like "I spy", or a fitness instructor giving an aerobic lesson to an entire building complex. There are people clapping from their balconies as a sign of appreciation for our doctors, and funny memes of inventive things people are doing at home. So the general feeling for those of us who are just waiting it out is a nervous resignation with a touch of humor, edged with the hope that we or a family member doesn't get seriously sick.

As for stitching, I've been doing plenty of that with all the extra time spent at home, and it has been a real comfort! I'm nearly done with White Clover, just the beading left to do. Here is a preview:

I love those laces on her legs! 

I have also made some extra needle minders, so my collection is growing... I actually made them for my mom, because we were supposed to go for a visit during spring break, but that's not happening so I'll be using them for now:

And some Aida fabric has arrived, and I now have a respectable collection of different colors:

So that's all very exciting! I'll post my finished White Clover in a couple of days hopefully, and in the meantime: stay safe, stay indoors (if you can!) and happy stitching :)