Sarah McDonnell, Editor

Re-reading … My Life in France by Julia Child … an evocative, food-fuelled journey through Paris, Marseille and the Cote d’Azur. Need to watch the ultimate comfort movie? Julie & Julia is on Netflix .. the story of a young writer who embarks on an ambitious cooking project – to master the art of French cooking, using Child’s book of the same name (only ever made her ridiculously cheesy cheese gougeres!) Check out the Irish Instagram account @the_julie_and_julia_project – its author plans to complete 524 recipes in 365 days … nothing fancy, just nice everyday fare. The rise of the amateur Insta chef continues apace – every day I see a familiar face looking efficient in an apron – sometimes with her head cut off … no need to fuss over make-up then!

Downloading … Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette by American writer Sena Jeter Naslund … sticking with the severed head and French theme, I am interested to read this fictionalised account of M-A’s life, from being matched (at age 14) with the future king of France (then 15), all the way through reign to revolution … Reminds me to re-watch Sofia Coppola’s featherlight 2006 Marie-Antoinette, for an eye candy feast, as I try to keep away from the actual Easter candy. Though I am morally conflicted about the whole Kindle / Amazon thing … I’m really not sure I should support Jeff Bezos and his sly pandemic profiteering … Always try to buy books locally in normal circumstances of course – but next week need to do a library-thinning exercise. 

Making An Effort … to make this Easter weekend special at a social distance which means delivering to cocooners, or packaging up some seeds for friends, family to plant over the weekend (do read The Tonic of Gardening in Quarantine on thenewyorker.com) and setting a pretty Easter table with tips from our Style Editor Aislinn Coffey –  if she told me to wrap my dining table in clingfilm and wear a clingfilm dress (perish the thought), I would probably do it. Planting some Aldi sweetpea too – high up so the hens don’t eat it. 

Booking … theatre seats for a post-pandemic treat: just scored seat for The Mousetrap at the Gaiety, for September. I’ve never seen this Agatha Christie classic and can’t wait. Well, actually, I can, we are all getting very good at waiting. But lovely to have something to look forward to … have a browse on Ticketmaster – Irish theatres (and actors) will need our support when all this is over …

Spotting … Over-70s. Taking our daily 4k constitutional – there and back along a river, or cycling in a crazy, lazy 2k loop, it’s not teens we see gathering in groups but septugenarians and octogenarians “disguised” as younger persons, out walking. Their modes of dress are designed to evade detection but no one is fooled. Several have invested in ski gear (can anyone even wear skiwear without shame or irony these days?), donning puffer jackets, snoods and salopettes, garb suggestive of life lived at altitude, while baseball cap, Helly Hensen jacket with upturned collar and jeans evoke a nautical bent, with days, other  than these, spent on the ocean wave. It’s tough enough being isolated, without having to come up with a costume every day. 

Sarah Halliwell, Beauty Editor

Listening to … A 92 year old lady I usually visit each week via Alone, an organisation that supports older people living by themselves. We talk a few times on the phone each week and she is truly experiencing cabin fever, too worried and frail to go for a walk, and with no smartphone or tech know-how to do anything beyond a phone call –?forget Zoom, FaceTime or being online in any way. She’s scared for her health,?especially since all she has to do at the moment is watch constant news. And yet she is brilliant at telling stories, loves to chat and is as sharp as a pin – I learn a lot from talking with her and she always makes me laugh. Previously, many of us would avoid actually speaking on the phone, just firing off a text or email, but during these past few weeks, a phone call has become a vital way of connecting for many people, especially older ones. Alone always welcome new volunteers: in usual times, you visit an older person at their home for one hour a week, which isn’t much but can make a big difference to someone who lives by themselves. www.alone.ie 

Reading and looking … A tiny booklet about Sargy Mann, a British painter who lost his sight at the age of 50 and continued to paint, through perception and experience rather than vision; he died in April five years ago. My artist friend sent me a tiny book (from spbooks.org) about him which led me to look up Mann’s beautiful vibrant paintings. Paintings can be a brilliant way of bringing the outside world in, with uplifting colour and energy. This seascape is by my artist friend Alison Critchlow, based on the Solway coast, www.alisoncritchlow.co.uk. She is a wonderful painter of the sea, and has also worked with the Wordsworth Trust in Cumbria, producing extravagantly coloured paintings and sketches of the poet’s gardens at Dove Cottage. See some of her work via Instagram @alcritchlow

Eating … We’ve booked our first lockdown takeaway for this weekend, from the unassuming yet brilliant Indian restaurant 3 Leaves in Blackrock Market, and it’s a very exciting prospect. Anyone who’s experienced Santosh’s incredibly flavoursome and creative cooking and Milie’s warm hospitality will be glad to hear that they are (on a small, safe scale) back in business. 3 Leaves are offering a pre-order and collect service via their website www.3leaves.ie from Thursday to Saturday 5-8pm, for a limited number of meals per day. Don’t miss the chaat.  

Síomha Connolly, Digital Editor

Reading … my concentration has been a bit lacking this week so I didn’t get into The Water Dancer as I’d hoped I would. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying it after a few chapters, but I find that I need different types of books depending on my mood and I didn’t have the headspace for it this week. Instead, I downloaded Irish author Caroline O’Donoghue’s Pretty Young Women to my Kindle and read it in a day. Plan to give The Water Dancer another go next week.

Listening … to The High Low, journalists Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton’s podcast which has just returned for a new season. I love the conversational format of The High Low and the mix of subjects. I also find I have very similar taste in books to Pandora so always look forward to her recommendations.

Making … an Easter tree for this weekend’s (quiet) festivities. I’m lucky enough to have the Phoenix Park within my 2km radius so I found this lovely branch on one of my evening walks this week. I used leftover scrap fabric (from making face masks since HSE advice changed this week and recommended we all wear them when outside) to make the bows, and plan to dye some eggs today to add to the branches. It will be a strange Easter without my family, despite not being religious, Easter was always an occasion for us – my dad loves any excuse to get the family together for a Sunday roast. But staying apart for now means we’ll get to be back together sooner so instead it will be dinner at home for two and a lot of Cadburys eggs to make up for it! 

Wearing … a nice Easter dress. While I haven’t succumbed to the loungewear WFH uniform, I’ve been sticking to a basic roster of Levi jeans and jumpers, so for the long weekend I plan to dress up a bit more in a favourite dress that hasn’t been getting much air time as of late. I’m taking this midi dress by Three Graces London as my inspiration; something light, airy and comfortable for a day at home cooking and eating – getting dressed up is a nice reminder of better days (and social engagements!) to come …

Penny McCormick, Deputy Editor

Reading … Poetry. My GLOSS colleague Mary Dowey included me in an online Poetry Exchange this week and I’ve really enjoyed getting poems, rather than press releases, in my Inbox. It’s made me reread some favourite anthologies by Elizabeth Jennings, Edna St Vincent Millay and Seamus Heaney and I intend to continue this until Poetry Day Ireland on Thursday, April 30. Do check the website for further inspiration where you’ll find this year’s theme “There Will Be Time” so very appropriate; www.poetryireland.ie.

Setting … a dinner tray or pretty table each evening and #makingamealofit, as per Irish party planner Fiona Leahy’s recommendation. As a solo diner (and luncher and breakfaster) I’ve found it’s a fun way to transition from day chores to evening relaxation, flex some dubious styling muscle as well as create a (non-food) mess in the kitchen! @fionaleahydesign

Threading … a needle and trying to create a cross stitch Easter card for my parents. It’s been years since I got out my embroidery basket, much less attempt a tulip design. I’ve found it a mindful activity (confirming my eyesight is not what it once was) and hope to improve on these juvenile trials before Sunday’s visit. Once I get into the groove I may attempt something more challenging. I recommend Irish designer Lou Brennan’s daily embroidery lessons on Instagram covering split, satin, stem and outline stitching and beyond; @loubrennandesign.

And … Bridget Jones has sprung to mind on several occasions this week, as my productivity and concentration has dwindled. As in: Banana bread baked … Zero; Joe Wicks sessions … None; Essential Shopping Trips … 2; Writing the novel we all have in us … Not yet; Sleepless nights … 5 (I blame the pink ‘super moon’); WhatsApp messages … 746; Chocolate eggs eaten …  Not Saying. You get the picture. There’s no blueprint for coping with a pandemic, but it helps knowing other friends have confessed to similar dips in energy and spikes of anxiety. Let’s hope the holiday spirit this weekend (and its chocolate high) gives us all renewed emotional and physical resilience. Happy Easter!