We were supposed to take a weekend trip this weekend, across the state to meet our newest grandson. Out of precaution for them and us, our hotel reservation was cancelled and they were called to tell them we love them, want pictures of all of their children, and we would reschedule when it is safe to do so.
This is the second event we have had to cancel reservations on and postpone, the first an event with our other 3 grandchildren.
As we stay at home avoiding other people, cancelling opportunities to see our children and grandchildren, people with nationally known names are posting “that this is a ploy to disrupt capitalism,” “if you are healthy, go to your local pub,” “it’s just the flu,” and other statements and tweets to try to diminish the severity of the situation.
My extended family has many folks with underlying health conditions, compromised immune systems. My sibs, cousins, hubby, hubby’s sister, and I are over 60, several over 70. We are the folks that the CDC is most worried about.
We can hope for a vaccine, but if like the flu vaccine, they aren’t fully effective for several weeks after it is given. We can hope for coming to spring will cause it to die out. But what we can do, is stay apart, whether you are healthy or not so that you don’t spread it unknowingly. Stay apart if you have any illness symptoms whether they are COVID-19 or not. Check on each other by phone, text, or other media.
We are on a track that mirrors Italy and that is frightening. Be safe, practice safe habits. I want hugs from everyone when it is over. In the meantime, I love you children, grandchildren, sibs, cousins, BE SAFE.
I hope this nation learns from this the importance of vaccines for communicable illness where there is a vaccine; the importance of self distancing when you are ill with a cold, flu, chicken pox, measles, or whatever; the realization that it isn’t about you.
Will live a few miles from West Virginia in SW Virginia in regions that have no REPORTED cases of COVID-19. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t cases. It means that they haven’t been tested or they are walking around with no symptoms, or “just a cold,” and possibly spreading it throughout the community that will suddenly show a handful of cases, then double that, then double it again in a few short days.
The schools in Virginia have all been closed for at least 2 weeks to try to flatten the spike, try to slow this health disaster before there are so many ill the hospitals have to make decisions on who to treat and who might die like they have done in Italy.
Yesterday, my social media feeds were full of “What time do you want us over?” “We will meet you at…” Pictures of local music venues where you were eating, drinking, and jamming. That is not social distancing. Maybe the person next to you is an UNREPORTED case. That doesn’t mean they don’t have it and aren’t spreading it, it means they have not been tested. You might get sick, you might heal, you might spread it to a child in fragile health who won’t survive it, or a senior citizen in the grocer who had no choice but to shop for sustenance, one whose immune system isn’t as strong and may not survive.
If we can’t self police, the next step will be total isolation like Spain, France, and Italy. They have had it for a couple of weeks longer and it spread.
I would love to have weekend time with my grand children and children. Love to have hugs. Love to go to my social places, but I can’t risk it, I am one of those senior citizens and I know that my immunity isn’t as strong as it was, my hubby’s either.
It isn’t about you. Think of others. If you miss a few weeks or months of being in groups, you will get over it. If you give this devastating virus to a sick child or immune suppressed adult, they may not get over it.
If you have to go to work, wash your hands often. Don’t hug or shake hands. Stand at least 3 feet apart. If you are trying to support a local venue, buy a gift certificate so they have cash now and use it when and if this passes us by.
As we made our last purchases of an extra bag of dog food, and extra sack of chicken layer pellets, and headed home to distance ourselves to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19, we heard that all public K-12 schools in Virginia were closing for 2 weeks. I suspect it will end up longer. It is going to be tough on working families. Our daughter who is local to us has an 8 year old and a 13 year old. Normally we chip in to help out when they need coverage, but daughter realizes the potential impact on us as we are both beyond 70 years old. Last night we wrote the kids an email and told them that we would miss the hugs and kisses until it is deemed safe for seniors to be around potential vectors. On our way back to the farm, I said to hubby, that I hoped we didn’t start sniping at each other. We are rarely apart, but we do go out. The house is large, the property is 30 acres, we live on a rural gravel road, it is getting to be garden season, so we can seperate from each other if we need to, we can still get fresh air. Nearby, only a few miles is a part of the National Forest with walking trails that are not heavily travelled, so occasional walks may be made there. We have self isolated for now. We purchased extra groceries and will refrain from eating lunches and a weekly dinner out. This is a change in our habits, lunches will be sandwiches or left overs.
Our local grocer has the program where you can order and pay online and pick up in the parking lot. When we run low I guess that is the route we will take and avoid purchasing fresh produce from the grocer. Though I hate the idea of not going to our local Farmers’ Market, it is often very crowded. Some of the vendors are offering local delivery. I don’t usually grow salad greens and other salad vegetables other than cucumbers and tomatoes, which are still months off, I purchased lettuce and radish seed this year. I plan to sow a half barrel of salad greens and radishes close to the house and divide it into quarters, planting a quarter a week to spread out the harvest. Years ago, I kept a jar of sprouts germinating in the house but drifted away from doing so when I could readily get microgreens at the Farmers’ Market. Yesterday I started a jar of small spicy greens and this morning, a jar of crunchy beans.
They can be added to sandwiches, salads, or stir fry to add some fresh vegetables.
The seeds started for the garden are sprouting. The growlight down close to the lid to keep them from getting too leggy. The peppers haven’t sprouted yet, but tomatoes and Chinese cabbages are up as are the Calendula flowers. The coneflowers not yet.
The cabbages are a bit leggy, I am hoping that they will make it, if not, I will direct sow a few when it warms a bit more.
Once in a while, you see suggestions to resprout the bottom of the celery head. I had two celery hearts that were getting beyond prime, so I sliced the celery and froze it to use in soups and put the two stalk ends in water as suggested to see if I can at least sprout some celery leaves to use.
It has only been a couple of days, but the centers are swelling, so they must be uptaking water. We will see if this experiment works.
Of course, I can knit and spin to pass the time. I have several books and subscribed to the library app, so I can check out ebooks to read. I made laundry detergent and dishwasher tabs as both were low. I have soap to make for a B&B I supply, but am awaiting Shea Butter in the mail and if this goes on for very long, they may not need a big shipment.
It is going to be a lifestyle change, probably harder for hubby than for me, I could easily become a hermit here, but know that socializing is important too. For now we will avoid and hope that this virus dissipates and doesn’t devastate our country causing small businesses to struggle or fail. I hope that people are responsibly. Watching the news last evening, seeing Florida cancelling spring break gatherings and asking people to be responsible, one young woman interviewed said she would ignore that. She may become ill and being young will likely recover, but will she infect others in the community who are not healthy or young who might not. We must all take this seriously and be responsible. Let’s hope for a vaccine or for the warmer weather to hopefully cause it to subside.
