A New Normal: COVID 19
It feels a bit strange and unsettling to try to order items from Amazon.com, things I order all the time like toilet paper and paper towels, and nothing is there. Even worse, you get this: We don’t when or if we’ll have this item back in stock.
Such is the world right now.
One of my dear readers I’ve known for a long time sent me a graphic that said something like: Gardening Has Not Been Cancelled. That made me smile.
Thank goodness for that good news! I don’t know about shopping at the garden center. But I’ll start looking at seed companies online.
I have chives growing and the mints and lemon balm are multiplying by the hour it seems. We’ve had lots of rain here.
I need to get outside and prune the rose bush and rosemary. I wanted to take the white clematis and move it to a bigger pot. But last weekend I tried to dig what was already in the big pot out in order to put the clematis in.
But the ornamental grass that was in the pot last year is proving quite difficult to dig out. I wanted that particular pot because it was next to the clematis and I wouldn’t have to lift to move it far.
All my patio furniture and my garden bench is still in the middle of the patio. I still don’t know what’s going to happen around here. But I don’t know that I want to move everything back and then move it again.
The maintenance man assures me that nothing is wrong. The company is not insolvent. There is a sign now at the front that says they will have renovated apartments for lease soon.
That would be ones someone has moved out of. So that’s reassuring.
My daughter came over yesterday and worked on the backsplash. The first time didn’t prove that difficult. But she had to take it off and start again. And this time she had such difficulty she said she never wanted to hear the words “peel and stick tile” again.
She told me if she’d known it would be this aggravating she’d have had her tile guy come over and tile the darned thing.
But she had had a hard few days and I think that was getting her down. She pretty much finished it and will come back and touch up paint and caulk. She said it certainly is not perfect. And I told her I didn’t expect it to be.
She nearly did her back in trying to lean over the counter for five hours. She is only 5’3. I hope my paying her and having her lay down on my back stretcher eased the pain a bit.
Now she can go buy the lamps she’s been eyeing for her living room.
I mentioned yesterday that her plumber let her know yesterday morning that he was at the hospital. He did not think just coming home from a cruise was reason enough to worry about contamination.
She spent a whole day with him early last week before he inexplicably got a strange rash all over his body. She is furious with him for not being more responsible.
Someone here commented that I shouldn’t have her come over because if he had the virus I would then be exposed.
But it was too late. I spent most of the day with her one day last week after her day spent with the plumber.
She told me that there is someone needing her round the clock. People selling houses. People buying houses. People buying her flip houses. People renting her houses.
Not to mention raising a teenage boy and 11 year old daughter.
There’s always something to be done and she seems overwhelmed right now.
I felt a little guilty that my life is really pretty simple. I don’t have to deal with people every day. I write this little blog and spend most of my days at home.
She said she’d give anything to just have some time to herself.
I am truly grateful for what I do. There is no way I could begin to handle what she does. I think the top of my head would blow off like you see in a cartoon.
No matter what is going on, I am grateful for my little apartment. For my two beloved pets. For the books I read free and the TV shows (Netflix, BritBox and AcornTV) that I watch at night.
I do worry about my Charlie boy. He has such a hard time coughing and getting his breath sometimes. I just try my best to calm him and help him through this.
And Ivy of course entertains me. Yesterday my daughter would stop and look around when there was a loud noise.
I kept telling her it was just Ivy jumping into empty boxes with her toys. She loves to jump from box to box and drop her toys inside.
I am doing a lot of cleaning. I put my Etsy shop and Poshmark on vacation, which means no extra income for a while. I had groceries delivered yesterday, but didn’t get a lot of what I needed. I feel lucky because I don’t have a family to support and I don’t have to go out. I worry about my daughters and grandchildren. We don’t ever stop worrying about out children no matter how old they are. xo Laura
My 76th birthday today but very low-key. My daughter who lives an hour away was planning to come with her family to help me celebrate but we decided it best to keep whatever germs we have separate and minimize the risk of introducing the virus to each other. We’ll get together sometime after this has all passed. I was very tired today anyway as I hadn’t slept last night so I wasn’t up for much of a celebration. Then my neighbor who I walk with surprised me by bringing me supper and a birthday cake. That was very nice. So all in all it was an okay day. I can’t believe that I’m so old though!
i feel for your daughter being stretched so thin. I hope she doesn’t wear herself down to the point that she gets sick. And you’re right–we moms never stop being concerned and worrying about our kids, even when they aren’t kids anymore. It’s just the nature of the job.
It will be certainly interesting to see how this pandemic all plays out. It’s a real shift in reality for most of us who take it seriously, restricting our movement and staying mostly at home. Doesn’t bother me as I am a homebody anyway, like you, Brenda. Although I already miss going thrift shopping!
Take care and stay well, the three of you.
Fellow Okie here. I’ve read for years and commented from time to time. I love your blog… seeing your cute apartment, your darling pets and of course all of the patio pictures! Just wanted to say hi!
We have listened to quite a few personal reports online about having this virus…strange thing is, each person had a different experience…I wonder too if it is not airborne more than they think…but we are continuing to deal with things here at our place, the best we can. I am still hopeful that I have some immunity from the awful flu I had at age 9…read some online that says they think it may well have been a similar kind of virus. Because it too was like the 1918 flu…maybe not in how many died, but in how sick folks were. No one could fully have prepared for this…so we just need to do what we can and help others if we can…and hope for the best. Glad your daughter has mostly finished up your kitchen…it is indeed hard for single moms…our daughter here struggles too…right now, she does not want us to go over and help out…due to hoping we will be able to stay well enough…but working from home with 2 active primary aged kids is not easy. I tell her, many others are in the same boat and not to worry. Business will have to slow down some for awhile. Other events in history slowed down life for a time, and somehow here we all are…life on earth did not cease. I do think one good result is a bit of an impact on family relationships…my son texted with me last week, the longest time ever…and we rarely hear from him…sad it takes something like this to be the reason…but nonetheless we moms always keep a small door of hope open with our kids, don’t we?
We surely do. I just read that it can be airborne around 3 hours.
Your daughter sounds like a terrific lady. I am glad she was able to help you. How fortunate you are to have your life pared down to such an enjoyable state.
Yes indeed I truly am fortunate!
My dentist just called and cancelled my appt tomorrow. They said they are to close for two weeks except emergencies. I was supposed to see my reg de for a ck up but I think those appts have been put off which is fine. Our grocery stores out here in So Cal are crazy.
I saw my primary doctor yesterday for my twice a year appointment. She ordered a bone density test but I had already had my morning vitamin D and they wouldn’t do it. That’s okay. I’ll do it when life isn’t so crazy.
My daughters have 2 and 4 children the one with 4 lives near us and it’s different having to help 4 with school work but she’s pushing through it and the other daughter has 2 young children 2 1/2 and 5 both out of school too but not so much work for them thank goodness my daughter was assigned to work from home I’m hoping this all gets better soon I have lots of pets outside but hubby takes care of them I think they know life is different right now you take care Brenda! Love your posts
Our pets will likely pick up on our anxieties.
I have seen the list of symptoms for COVID-19 many many times since the disease first hit China and a rash is not one of them. Of course it’s still possible that he caught the novel coronavirus but as far as I’ve read of the symptoms, it would not cause a rash, that sounds like something else or possibly nerves – these are certainly times to stress anybody out and test their nerves! We are creatures of habit, all of us, and now our normal routines, the normalness of everyday life and a certain “craziness” in it that we’ve all gotten used to has been disrupted and we’ve been thrown off our normal rhythms, in some cities and areas much more than others. We are all connected one way or another though, even if it’s only by watching the news every evening or seeing breaking stories online. I’m the only one retired in my family and I have the luxury of time to keep up with all the news. I do reports daily to my family on FB so they can keep up. We’ve never had so much communication amongst ourselves from all around the country except when our mom was very ill and now, as we deal with these trying times. Sometime after I visited the supermarket I go to every few days, I was there on Thursday and everything was still well stocked – toilet paper and paper towel shelves filled to the brim with goods, by Sunday when I visited again the paper towels and toilet paper and for some reason, just about all of the frozen vegetables, were stripped bare! There were reports from across the city – all at once it seemed people were going gaga! I went to the store again today as part of my usual routine to pick up my usual things and for the life of me I can’t figure out why the store would now be totally out of Sweet n’ Low, LOL! Sugar, yes, I could understand that because that’s used for baking and a lot of cooking, but Sweet n’ Low? That’s the only artificial sweetener I use for my one cup of day coffee, so I guess I’ll switch over to sugar in about 3 weeks when the rest of my box of Sweet n’ Low runs out. Geez Louise! On Sunday the mac n’ cheese section and one box meals were still well stocked. Today – empty shelves where the mac ‘n cheese and one box meals were, also the instant boxed mashed potatoes and specialty potatoes were wiped out, most of the dried pasta was gone but not the egg noodles (I prefer egg noodles anyway, for some dishes), most of the jars of various flavors of tomato and cheese sauces, most of the canned soups, most of the canned veggies, and no toilet paper or paper towels stocked either, but they did get in a new shipment of disinfectant Wet Ones so I picked up another pack and will have plenty to use as wipes when I’m taking the bus to and from wherever I need to go. People are going bonkers right now, and that kind of “fire” just feeds itself. Eventually everyone will calm back down and stores will have a chance to get restocked. I’m not counting that it’s sooner than later, though. Hope I’m wrong.
This morning I placed a Shipt order with my local grocery store. I’m sure they’ll be calling me telling me that much of my order can’t be filled. But I know a lot of people are ordering because the earliest time for delivery was 5 p.m. Wouldn’t it be ironic if this thing, which puts necessary distance between us, actually brings families closer together?
Don’t worry about your daughter. She is an adult, and has made her life, you are not responsible.
Sorry, but it’s true.
Moms never stop worrying. Sorry, that’s true.
That’s what I was going to write. No matter how old they are, and she’s 45, you never stop worrying.
Amen to that!!
Absolutely, you never stop worrying about your children or grandchildren !
it is a fact
There is definitely a new normal now, it feels very strange because for many they are staying inside voluntarily and doing their best to stay safe and keep others safe. Then you have an element of society that is just ignoring all warnings. IT is also confusing because there is a huge difference between quarantine and social distancing.
This is a small moment in time and I am sure that for however long it takes we can all do our part to keep one another safe.
Yes, there will always be those that just don’t want to do what they should do and then endanger others. Of course they’re out there and most of us are inside so hopefully their poor choices won’t affect us. I’m wondering about Charlie’s acupuncture appt this Thursday…
Hi Brenda, I love staying home. It’s been my fav thing since I quit my job in va and then we moved to NC to take care of motherinlaw. She passed away in June 2017. We had some fun times together before she passed. I, now, stay at home with our three dogs and, basically, do what I want except on Thurs. and Fri. which are cleaning days. Half one day and half the next. Not that we have a big ol’ house, we live in a very nice mobile home with a big backyard for the dogs and my main flowerbed. It has not gotten warm (I like it Hot!) enough for me to get out and do some work, although, I did give it a shot one day last week and next day back hurt (daily pain anyway so what the heck!)
I really like Your “beverage” center or “stop” with silverware, coffee machine, etc. It does look very charming. And I enjoy very much hearing about Miss Ivy’s antics. She is possibly the most clever cat I have ever come across. 🙂 Have a great day and let’s celebrate the “New” Norm, which for us has been an enjoyable norm before anyone else got wind of it!!! b
Like you, my little world has not changed all that much aside from trying to order things online that are sold out and typically are not. If I didn’t like in tornado alley OK I would love to live in a mobile home in the country. I’m happy at home. Of course I’m worried about my family and all of you. Stay safe.
Yes, a new normal. My last task was to buy and take a bunch of cat and dog food to the local pet shelter. Now, I’m not going anywhere. Let’s pray that everyone takes this seriously enough. I’m lucky I’m alone. I have a leak in my kitchen sink, but I’m not calling a plumber. I’ll try and fix it myself.
Well aren’t you a wonderful and thoughtful citizen for doing that! I wish I’d thought of that. If I can order some online maybe I will have my daughter take some to ours.
Rather than burden your daughter, you can have the food delivered to the shelter rather than to your home.