The world looks a bit different and all the same at once, doesn't it? I can't seem to get away from all the news about the virus but I am amusing myself. I don't mean that in a smarmy way. I spent Saturday watching vlogs as various ones stocked up. Seriously...some people have no clue. There seems to be two camps: buy ALL the things regardless because the apocalypse has arrived and the opposite camp that buys just enough food to feed two for two days and consider themselves well done.
One girl only stocked up two cans each of their favorite canned vegetables (a total of 8), and a pound of ground beef but bought enough snacks to last them for weeks. Another who is a self proclaimed germophobe didn't even buy food. She bought only antibacterial stuff. This is a girl who has also said she doesn't keep a stockpile of food on hand and only bought enough for a week at a time in a normal week. This week she skipped food entirely in favor of the soaps and stuff. Uhmmm...those babies can't eat that soap...and if this does turn into a thing, as it has in other countries and you don't want to leave home, I don't expect the children will much care that they have clean hands if they are hungry. The only ones not panicking or acting foolishly are those who typically keep a good stockpile anyway. The difference between experience and none.
There was one vlogger who had a good stockpile at home. I know this because she just shared it this week, showing her freezers and pantries. Her state has had NO reported cases of the virus at all. So she went out to look for things mostly because she'd heard rumors that some items weren't available and then she apparently got caught up in the fear/anxiety and bought up the remnants of things even though she had tons of the same items at home. I should have thought, having a good supply at home, she might have left that for someone who has nothing. But that's me being judgy...
I won't kid you. I don't know what to think. Thus far I haven't heard of any reports of outages in any of the stores where we normally shop. I did note no green beans at Aldi at the beginning of the month, but as John pointed out, "Who knows but what that's just a typical Aldi outage anyway?" He's right. There were loads of other canned vegetables on the shelves that day and fruits, too. Katie didn't remark on anything unusual when she shopped this week.
My own mind's response is to wonder at all the apparent panic even in states that have NO known cases and wonder if I'm missing something. It's a bit like I feel about everyone else raving over Disney World. I.just.don't.get.it. On the other hand there's a part of my brain that says, "Golly gee...Maybe you ARE missing something, go buy things..." Well, no, I won't. Number one I don't need anything. I truly don't. And number two, you can never be prepared for all things. I've loads of stuff that is edible, plenty of soap and tissue and we're not likely to miss anything much except fresh foods if it does all go kaplooey. Number three, I live in the country and I'm accustomed to NOT running to the store every day or even every other day and making do until I'd normally go to the store. It's merely an anxiety reaction which is no good.
On happier notes: the first iris bloomed. It is a white one, given to me by a friend/sister in EMS and they came from her great grandmother's garden, which means the plant has added value to me, because it's heirloom and has history even if it's not my personal history. There's also one of the golden yellow ones I got from Grandmother's house that spring when I finished clearing up her old house. I hadn't meant to get the rhizome. I was only going to break off the bloom and bring it home to put in a vase but the ground was just damp enough that when I bent the stem the whole thing came out of the ground. So I brought it home and planted it and it's multiplied in the most lovely way. Grandmother wasn't one to buy a plant. Her's were always passalong plants and so this one likely has a long history, too though I don't know it.
I like plants with memories attached...I think of Debbie and her great grandmother each time I see that white iris and I think of my grandmother when the yellow iris stand so tall (far taller than all the other iris) and I think of Granny's Mrs. Butler when the two toned purple iris bloom...It's a lovely way to come into spring with a bit of memory of people long gone.
The peach trees are blooming. I think they are a little late here. It's generally nearer February when they begin to bloom but it's only been in the past week or so that they really started showing out. Happily the news for this year's crop is good. There have been plenty of cold hours to produce peaches! You all know that is good news indeed as far as I'm concerned. I guess I'd better start putting a little money aside now so I'll have a budget for fresh peaches from the packing shed this summer!
Josh is home from school until ??? They were simply told the schools were closed indefinitely. I expect this week Sam will push hard to begin that playground he's meant to make for the boys. John will likely be called upon to help with that.
The weather has warmed up enough that I felt compelled to push the AC temperature two degrees higher. We'd kept it at about 73 all winter, so when it was heavily humid it would come on, but now that we're heading into warm weather I felt it was time to start easing it up. John prefers 75F for summer, but I find as the heat increases that 78F is often quite comfortable. I won't tell you that if I'm working I'll stay cool because truth is I'll glisten and drip glistenings everywhere if I'm working hard...but that's normal for warmer days anyway. Cool drinks and lighter clothing will help.
I could chatter on and on...But it's time to get down to planning the week ahead!
Work this week:
I need to get all my genealogy stuff together. I have a pile of notebooks in one spot and some books in another and pictures in another area and yesterday while cleaning the guest room I realized that I had an old leather legal folder filled with paperwork that my dad used in doing his research. I have a bin in the pantry closet that is barely being used and another with room to spare, so I'll combine the two and then use one of the bins for the stuff. It isn't going to be a hard job. It's going to be a tedious one only in that I must find all the things to put them together in one place and then I must find a place to store that bin of files.
Getting the genealogy stuff together will likely mean I have room for more of my books on the shelves, so I'll be shifting those around too...
Dusting. Because all this moving things about is bound to stir it up and it's time to do it again anyway. Dusting is my second least favorite job. My first? Ironing! Do you have any least favorite jobs? I once offered to swap with a girlfriend and clean her bathrooms if she'd come dust for me.
Paint the planter. I have the paint! It's a deep pink. I bought it last week. Ears be darned, I'm going outdoors to get the thing painted at long last. I bought a very good quality all weather paint.
While I'm outside, finish weeding the flower bed between the deck and patio.
Spend a day with Mama.
Josh is out of school indefinitely, so I am going to try to have the boys here at least one morning...I think. I mentioned it to John, but I'm not sure if he was listening, lol.
I never did get around to taking my photos of the inside of the house so that I could 'spot' jobs that I have missed. I'll do that this week.
I want to clean the laundry deeply. Our dryer has always let lint fly. No clue why but it's done it for 24 years, since we bought it and it tends to build up on the floor behind the washer and dryer. I discovered last year that I could use my blower to blow the lint out of the area into the back entry and clean it up more easily. I'll wipe down walls and shelves, etc. I mean to do a proper cleaning job on that space.
Meals this week:
Leftovers - we had quite a few leftovers from the week past, so I decided in the interest of easy weekend meals we'd use some of those for Saturday's meals. We had enough for two meals so no need for me to cook at all today besides making toast for my breakfast and using the microwave to reheat leftovers.
Gramma's Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Steamed Broccoli, Rolls - We'll run by the grocery and get fried chicken and rolls...I might pick up a gallon of milk just to have on hand. I don't really need to worry about buying a lot and since the grocery money is spent, I really don't want to spend on anything unnecessary.
Is Fried Chicken necessary? Only in Taylor's world. Coming to Gramma's house on Sunday visits and having fried chicken is part of the normal she looks forward to in her weekends with her mom...So yes, it's a necessity if only for her peace of mind before she goes back to her daddy.
Lentil Tacos, Yellow Rice - I haven't made lentil tacos in a while and we do enjoy them. Leftovers can be used during the week as lunches. I have tomatoes, green onions and loads of lettuce and cheese. I feel I should add another side even with lettuce and tomato and rice but really do we need more? I mean essentially our taco filling is a vegetable anyway...
Corned Venison, Cabbage, Potatoes, Irish Soda Bread - Sam corned this venison and I had kept putting off cooking it for some reason. I have soaked it several times to reduce the saltiness of it.
The first family history I ever heard in my life was from my granddaddy. He was my father's dad and my maiden name is Irish, as is our history. Truth is, this grandfather was a johnny come lately sort to America, arriving in the 1830's when the rest of my family members were here from the 1600's or might have been natives (jury out on that one but rumors abound)...However, it was Felix's history I first heard and was the most often repeated family story shared. In honor of our Irish heritage, I skip the green beer and crazy parades but we always have a corned beef dinner on St. Patrick's Day.
True story: due to his Irish heritage my daddy insisted we have potatoes with every dinner we ever ate. So if we had spaghetti or lasagna or pizza we had french fries on the side. The only exception was the night's Mama made rice to go with dinner and then daddy complained long and loud. This occurred once a week...The other six nights we had potatoes in one form or another with absolutely every single meal regardless of what it was!
Homemade Pizza, Salad - Bell peppers, onions, sun dried tomatoes, olives, turkey pepperoni, possibly a smidge of turkey sausage...This will be a hearty pizza. I don't know why not having mushrooms on hand suddenly seems to make pizza not quite the vegetable heavy thing I like. Anyone else feel mushroom-less pizza is only just barely worthwhile? I'll survive, lol.
Sausage and Farro Parmesan, Green Salad, Garlic Toast - I keep Farro on hand because we like the soup from Publix Apron Recipes, Kale and Farro Soup...BUT as the weather warms up I'm less likely to use the farro. I decided that this recipe sounded pretty good and made good use of a seldom used ingredient that I have on hand. I'll likely half the recipe because John and I don't need loads of food. I have chicken sausages (tomato and basil) but I think they will work as well as Italian sausage in this dish.
Whole Roasted Chicken, Wild Rice, Broccoli and Apple Salad - I really debated about making this meal, since it's a second 'big' piece of meat in a week's time and as a rule I try to keep it balanced. BUT...Chicken is still the least expensive meat you can buy even though I get the Aldi "Never Any" which is an organic brand. It costs $1.49 per pound and generally these hens run around 5 pounds minimum. We have gotten them as large as 10 pounds! I don't know at present exactly what this one weighs but I'll guess at least 6 pounds based on size. My reason for baking it today is that I think it will do us for meals all weekend long and quite possibly make sandwiches for a picnic lunch on Monday. We'll see...I do know it will feed us all weekend long because we generally split a breast, will eat thighs for another meal, the legs and wings generally make a meal portion for us, as well, so it does prove to be fairly economical overall
16 comments:
Hi Terri,
I had to laugh at myself. When you mentioned having an empty bin in the pantry, I just assumed you put your genealogy materials in the pantry! Out of sight, all together, and easily retrievable. Have a great week.
Another fantastic post, Terri! I don’t think you did it intentionally but I noted that your observations of the erratic buying patterns brought on by this present concern were followed with references to lasting things: ‘inherited’ bulbs still providing joy and beauty; stories of your grandparents. You clearly are saying, subconsciously or not, “This, too, shall pass...”
I SO appreciate your sharing your life with us. Of all the blogs I read, I truly feel as if you have invited me into your home for a lovely visit.
The subjects discussed, as in all good visits, range from serious to mundane, but the overall result is the deep satisfaction of being understood and valued! Much gratitude!
With our daughter's family in Germany and another young woman who is like a daughter to us whose family is in Poland I am saying STAY HOME!! This is unfolding here exactly like in Europe and they are now completely confined to home by law. No one can go in or out of our daughter's city. Our daughter's family can go to the store on the corner but no further. Poland has closed their borders and they cannot go out of their homes. This is way more serious than Americans think and the only way we can stop the spread is to stay home! Just because it is not being reported does not mean it is not out there!
I agree with you, Lana. My brother is a doctor and far from an alarmist but he agrees that this is very serious.
I've found it interesting to observe the panic buying. I think part of it can be attributed to the fact a lot of people don't keep more than a couple of days worth of food on hand. We see this behavior every time snow or ice is predicted and the stores are wiped out of milk, eggs and bread. They hear that they may have to stay home for two weeks and know they don't have enough on hand for that long. But since they aren't used to buying for longer periods of time they somehow lose sense about how much is truly needed.
And then there is the phenomenon of "fear contagion". People are stressed and fearful, they see others buying up certain items so they figure they need to do the same or they may lose the opportunity.
Like you, Terri, I live in the country. The nearest grocery store is about 20 minutes away so I don't just run to town for a single item. You learn to substitute or do without until the next shopping trip. And all it takes is a week-long ice storm with no electricity to learn that it's smart to keep a good stock of essentials at all times.
I have bought toilet paper by the case from Amazon for many years now. Initially it was because there was no place in our small town that sold any sort of eco-friendly version. But I quickly learned how nice it is to never worry about running out. I currently have 4 full 12-packs plus a few rolls from an opened package. My husband used to tease me about those cases of toilet paper being delivered but now he thinks I'm a genius.
I've bought a few items I don't generally buy such as a few cans of soup in case I get ill and my husband needs to fix a meal. We were pretty well-stocked on cold/flu remedies because my husband had a bad case of the flu last winter and I stocked up then. Tylenol/acetaminophen is the only pain reliever/fever reducer I'm not allergic to and we only had half a bottle so I bought one more.
I think what bothers me most is hearing that people are buying huge quantities and clearing out the last of certain items. I was always taught to leave some for others whether it is a casserole at a church potluck or in demand items at the grocery store. I don't like selfishness and that's what this is.
On the other hand, I've seen people in our community offering on Facebook to pick up prescriptions or groceries for elderly folks or people who are immunocompromised. I'm hoping to see more examples of our better nature in the weeks to come.
Deanna, I am glad to hear that a doctor is saying the same. And I agree with your take on the hoarding.
On a lighter note, I figure if I'm staying home for weeks I am going to be comfortable so I got on Amazon and ordered some sport bras! We have plenty of everything else!
All this hoopla about the Pandemic reminded me of The Orson Wells Radio broadcast.. War of the Worlds... and the panic that set off..
If you haven't heard it, I will post the You Tube link to it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7tN7MhQ4I
Lana, your comment about ordering sports bras cracked me up!
I can’t get my head around this at all!!! I keep asking myself what are they not telling us?? There’s been flu/ respiratory illness before and as always the same groups are more at risk.. we are told to wash hands etc but that’s about all and then they are grounding planes, banning sporting events.... it’s really alarming.
I like to keep a large stock of non perishables on hand and was due to restock my toilet rolls and yep you guessed it.... empty!!!! Oh I’ve got enough here but nowhere near what I normally have....
I stocked up extra when I went grocery shopping buying 2 weeks worth and will hopefully do the same this end of week coming - although I don’t hold out much hope listening to local FB.... I have now taken a break from Instagram and Fb as I simply can bear it any longer ( not burying head) but I can’t do any more than I’m doing.... we have cases local to ( 2 miles down the road).
I’m more worried about the economy, family’s jobs going forward as I’m fairly sure ( pray to God) that healthwise we should weather this....
I’m loving the subtle nod to Spring too... I noticed buds on my oak trees and a few spring flowers peeking thru and thought out of all of this... life goes on and strangely felt somewhat comforted and reassured that Mother Nature knows that ‘this too will pass’ eventually.... it’s just the lack of morals further up I worry about...keep safe lovely .... I so look forward to your posts even though I don’t always comment
Karen
When I read in the NYTimes about that guy who had purchased stockpiles of hand sanitizer and then was selling $1 and $2 dollar bottles of it for $50 plus, and then had the nerve to say he was doing a public service by getting the sanitizer out to folks who could not get it in their stores (because of people like him!!) I wanted a return to public shaming and flogging. And I very happy to read that Amazon and other platforms have blocked him and others of his ilk, and he now has 17,700 bottles of sanitizer in his garage and can't offload it. And the Attorneys Generals of some states are looking at criminal and civil sanctions for people who raise the price of necessities during pandemics. And if you were such a lowlife as this guy, why on earth would you have your name and picture in such a widely circulated paper. I know they don't pay people for these interviews.
Anyway, since I have a huge garden every summer and freeze, can and dehydrate anything that moves in late August, we are very well placed. I went out and bought 20 pounds of flour and 10 pounds of sugar and some salt. I am not Mormon, but I have always thought their emphasis on having a year's stockpile just for these sorts of situations was very wise. Every shop I buy something for our store cupboard, beyond what we need and so over the years I have enough to hold us for six months at least. The worst time is June, when we have yet to see any vegetables or fruits reach maturity and last winter's stocks are down. That is when we buy the most from grocery stores, in terms of fresh items.
I read something in another blog that resonated with my feelings: we will never know how much the government's suggestion about how to deal with the virus in terms of social distancing has worked. If few die, we may be tempted to say that it was all hype for nothing, but who knows how much that hype prevented deaths? The writer said it is like anti-terrorism activities---if they do their jobs well, and there are not attacks, the public may well wonder what we are paying all these people for when obviously there have been no attacks. Yet who knows what would have happened without them? There was an article by a guy from Italy warning Americans, saying they did not take it seriously either and then BOOM! their daily lives fell apart. I feel for the low wage waitresses and kitchen workers who may lose their jobs when many already live paycheck to paycheck. Our governor has closed all schools until at least April and I am pleased to say that within hours there were posts on FB and that night on the news and in the paper, telling families where their kids who depend on schools for breakfast and lunch can go to pick up sack lunches to tide them over during these closures.
I thought it was sad that the national and local news carried pieces on what to do to occupy yourself and your kids while they are at home. I'm talking about a list that said things like: puzzles, read to them, color with them do a craft project, make cookies (how about teach them how to make real foods??). Have we devolved so far, that parents can't think of things to do as simple as reading to your kids? Now that is frightening!
Terri, a pink color sounds wonderful for your potting thing. I look forward to seeing it. My husband just told me how nice the blue garden bench that I painted last fall looked after being out all winter. That’s the 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of paint for you!
We have a few cases in our county and more in our state every day now so people started to panic buy and things are out around here. I am a bit lower on tp and tissue than I would like, but we should be ok. We are nicely stocked on everything else. A heartbreaking part of the virus restrictions is that we cannot visit my dear FIL in the nursing home for a while. We aren’t sure that he has two months left to live. It’s quite sad, but I know others are in the same boat. My FIL had recently lost his sight due to a stroke and he is hard of hearing anyway, so he just sits there in silence. He really appreciated the visits from his family.
I am sending another care package out to my son in Seattle. I’m glad that he has been able to work from home at least a few days a week. He works in IT at a hospital so does have to take public transport in a few days a week. Now if I could just convince my 19 yo in Nebraska to NOT fly home next week and to drive instead! But grown sons don’t like to listen to mothers very often!
Well, I will get more things done at home since I don’t have to drive my youngest to his classes. I am making good progress on the kitchen and should be able to get to the pantry by next week. I planted most of my seed starts yesterday. That’s always a happy day as I know that spring is really coming! It must be nice to have things blooming by you already. I really do get tired of winter in March. I also shall get a few batches of soap in and some body butter made. Well, I must get going as I have some cooking to do today. I did do several things this morning before I sat down for coffee so at least I’m not behind! Love and hugs to you Terri!
We have over 50 positive and I lost count of the amount still in testing. My own doctor has asked me to shelter in place and not go anywhere even though I am not sick, he feels with no immunity and heart failure ....
Hubby stopped at 3-4 stores to get milk... he finally found some at CVS when he was getting meds. Forget Toilet paper, cleaners, meat of any kind pretty much gone.
The govt has acknowledged they are taking the lead from Italy of what was done right to slow it down. Restaurants are closed for in dining. They can do take out or drive thru. Bars the same. Schools closed and our govt said they wouldn't be surprised if they don't reopen this year. School is now on line. Libraries, gyms, etc closed. Gatherings outside of church, wedding or funerals over 10 are banned.
I love the idea that Taylor looks forward to her chicken supper every Sunday. Especially in these uncertain times, routine and normalcy are priceless. Giving the children a sense of security is incredibly important now! I hate to mop floors, so I’ve probably purchased every floor gadget on the market. Found out that I actually have to ‘use’ them, they don’t work alone lol! The easiest one I’ve found for my hardwood is a Bissell that is a steamer, and vacuumed at the same time. I usually have a pretty good stockpile of items we use, and the panic buying seems to be settling down here in New York. Still can’t find , but I should be fine for a bit. Stay well!
Hello y'all..I've been reading comments and working away here at home today. John was called in to work for EMS again as they were short of help. I kind of worried about that but they never got a call for anything except a car accident. I think folks are taking the 'stay home and stay safe' thing seriously!
Juls, Yes, I would imagine anyone with chronic health issues would and should stay home. It does help that you're accustomed to pretty much doing that anyway!
Mable, that man you mentioned had the attorney general come down on him, has faced all sorts of threats of death and harm...and both eBay and Amazon have dropped him as a client. I don't for one minute buy his "I didn't know...."
I finally found the local news on facebook but the most helpful thing I've found thus far is the CDC.org website which came courtesy a notice from my health insurance.
Terri, I am a longtime reader but this is the first time I have commented. I guess I wanted to share what it is like to live in the Seattle area, near the nursing home epicenter and what my life is like at the present time. The coronavirus is definitely real and serious stuff to all of us here. At this point I doubt there is anyone around here who does not know or know of someone who has either tested positive or has all the symptoms that would confirm it (tests are still not very available yet). Most do not end up in the hospital but it is a very hard flu to cope with and the scariest part is how contagious it is and how fast people tend to get very sick. I keep hearing stories where someone feels perfectly fine and then within hours feels terribly ill. As I listen it seems the flu can commonly start with a headache, a temperature averaging 101 to start and potentially a sore throat, a cough appears with deep congestion that can quickly turn to pneumonia.
Our K-12 schools and colleges are closed in the State of Washington, as in many places in the country now. It is St. Patrick's Day and strange with all of our bars and restaurants closed with restaurants only offering takeout and delivery to try to stay afloat. Canlis, our city's fanciest restaurant (dinner for 2 can easily be $300) now has resorted to a drive through for bagels for breakfast and burgers for lunch which is really strange. Our gyms, movie theatres, barbers and hair salons are also closed with many other retailers closed or closing. Many people are working from home and many others are joining the ranks of the unemployed daily. A bright spot for many of those losing jobs has been the grocery stores, delivery services and Amazon are trying to temporarily hire as many people as they can. Our grocery stores are starting to end 24 hour service so they can restock at night since they usually end up pretty empty (probably like many places in the country with scared people buying everything). I have found that visiting in the early morning gives me enough of a selection of produce and dairy products but other items are not quite as reliable.
My husband and I work for companies where we are still required to arrive to the workplace. My husband wears gloves and is careful on a fairly empty commuter train and practices required social distancing at a large aerospace subcontractor to Boeing. My usual more than 1 hour commute is now quiet and it takes me 35 minutes to get to work where we have to check our temperatures upon arrival, wear masks and visit hand sanitizer stations when we change rooms and even though it sounds like it, we are not a healthcare business.
I have always been a home cook and because of a busy life I really don't like to shop often so my stock of food and other items are better than most leaving me comfortable I don't have to join the grocery store frenzy for anything other than my interest in fresh foods for as long as I can get them. Spending more time at home with most everything cancelled or closed has allowed me to work on getting my house more organized and other projects but I miss my life that seems much different now than only a few weeks ago and continues to change. I miss my Wednesday night knitting group at the yarn shop that is temporarily closed, I miss Sunday church services, I miss seeing my parents who cannot leave or accept visitors at their assisted living facility, I miss a monthly craft gathering of 6 because 2 would most assuredly be of high risk, I miss the occasional Starbucks coffee with a friend, any shopping that is not online and most of all my regular routine and choices I no longer have because of closures. I have my husband and contact with others by phone or online but I really worry about those who are alone because this only makes that worse.
If this virus comes your way please take all the precautions you can. It's a tough one.
Anonymous, thank you for this insight into your world at present. I am following the news in our state and so far...I think because we are largely rural it's centered around the metro area and the one other area with high rate of infection was due to a visitor from the metro area. However, I have a penpal in Australia who has shared, have watched as a missionary in Chinese documents their families experience with being isolated in their neighborhood. I do think there is a great deal we don't know at this time, perhaps because officials don't know either. I am cautious...Truly I am. I am not one to brush things off immediately but wonder why the extreme precautions if it's 'just the flu'...Again thank you for sharing. Please, if you do comment again, share your name with us.
Anonymous,
I want to thank you too for your perspective in Seattle. My oldest son lives in Lynnwood and works at a hospital in Seattle. I am a bit worried and sons don’t always tell their moms everything, so I appreciate your post. Please take care and I will keep you in my prayers!
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