March 2020

Hallo Every-one, rather over-due for an update methinks.

So the whole world is in the grip of a pandemic, a virus named Corona Virus or Covid-19. It can be fatal for more vulnerable members of society so several entire countries are in lock-down...ie stay at home unless you are in an essential job, need to shop for food or medications. These strategies have come gradually as the virus spreads rapidly and people are still socializing despite being told to keep 1.5 to 2 metres away from non-family members. Restaurants, bars, cinemas closed last week and we are restricted to 20 minute visits to nursing homes. Any-one returning from overseas must self-isolate for 2 weeks and there are some big fines for any-one not complying with this law.

Today our schools have closed for teaching, they remain open to supervise students whose parents are working. My daughter has been home-schooling since the start of the year as they prepare for their bus trip, Jess's school closed 2 weeks ago and Charlie has been kept at home to avoid infection. Cody is doing his TAFE work from home at Grandad's...not an ideal situation for a young man to be so isolated but at least he is safe and has a roof over his head.

Which brings me to Dad(86 yrs) who has been in a nursing home for 25 days now and is very unhappy...he cannot understand why he is there with all those 'old people' but he truly could not live at home any longer as he needs constant care which we are not able to provide. He blames me for his 'incarceration' although the hospital doctors told us it would be unsafe for him to go home, his short term memory is awful but the cancer still hasn't manifested itself with any pain etc. I do hope he'll settle soon, he's also fallen 4 times since he went in.

Joe and I have stayed at home for almost 3 weeks now, I shopped carefully before we started this and was also very grateful for our small stock-pile which I learned about from Rhonda's blog and the forum when it was running. I've been out twice for fresh fruit and vegies which are now running low so I am trying to order on-line from Woolworths but they are so busy that I can't place my order.

https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-simple-art-of-stockpiling.html

Joe usually stays at home so this doesn't mean much change to him but I am enjoying the time to actually rest and also to catch up things such as de-cluttering our clothes, pruning shrubs outdoors, growing lettuce, silverbeet and lots of fresh herbs...even having time to sweep regularly makes such a difference. I have cut up old clothes to make toilet wipes (google family wipes) as toilet paper of all things was the first thing to disappear off the supermarket shelves when panic buying began about 3 weeks ago!

I'd been to library and borrowed 8 novels before they closed for the duration so I am reading them now.Foxtel have given us free documentaries, I am really enjoying that...Alaska is now on my bucket list.
 I'd also bought lots of yarn from Spotlight while it was on special and have been making these basic small blankets from them....250 sts of 8ply on a 4mm circular needle and then alternating the colours and using a wide variety of stitches in bands of 12 rows

This one is plain garter stitch but there's nothing plain about really and it's so simple I can knit it anywhere...a lot was done while Dad was in hospital for 11 weeks before he moved to the Aged Care home...

Dinner tonight will be pasta with a sauce cobbled together left-over roast chicken, frozen red capsicum and some rather watery bolognaise sauce I'd made and frozen...will boost it with chili, anchovies and olives .

I am so very grateful for so many things these days, our home is comfortable, we have power and running water and plenty to eat. Our families are safe too and that means more than anything.

How are you managing? Are you locked down where you live? Do you have any tips for easy meals or simple pastimes for children?

Big love, stay safe
Sue