Busy Bomber Finds Her ‘Covid-Normal’
By Kate Taylor
She’s one of the biggest fans that the Essendon Football Club has, and Margaret Willems Van Dyk is still managing to kick goals during the global pandemic.
Sure, some of her favourite things have been curtailed a bit – her love of going out for a meal, as an example, was put on hold for a while there.
But in the meantime, Margaret has set her mind – and hands – to knitting a massive number of beautiful squares that her sisters, whom she is very close to, can sew together into blankets and give to family members.
“I have done 641, just this year,” Margaret proudly explained. “I love it.”
Her gorgeous hobby has helped keep Margaret distracted from a bit of a disappointment, too, because she missed out on seeing her mighty bombers play a few months ago.
“I was going to go to Essendon’s home ground this year - we usually go to the footy every year, with staff and with club mates, but we couldn’t go this year because of COVID-19.”
Margaret lives in Warragul – in Supported Independent Living she has her own one-bedroom unit in a cluster of five. There’s a courtyard with a grand old elm tree where now, with social distancing easy in the relaxing outside space, she and her fellow residents sing karaoke-style to a playlist of 50s and 60s songs.
It's been a pretty good way to pass the time during restrictions.
“It does drag but I don’t sort of mind it, I just keep myself busy. I still go out for coffees on Wednesday nights, and on the weekends. You have to wear a mask, because of COVID-19, but I still love my coffee.”
