I hope this post finds you well. If you are like me, you are navigating your way through this crazy time as best you can. Kids are home from school, family members are not working, so much uncertainty yet I've seen such wonderful things going on in my neighborhood. Friends have been providing food and treats to another friend ,who along with her husband and parents ,were all diagnosed with the virus. People are doing their part, trying to stay home except for necessary shopping and we are all trying hard to support our local small businesses. Here is a bit of what has been going on around here...
At first, I was concerned my children would be out of sorts with the schools,playgrounds,malls and other favorite places shutting down, but I am happy and proud to say that they have adjusted well. Schoolwork is getting done, we are doing a lot of reading, movie watching ,gardening ,baking and cooking and it has actually been very nice to just pause and enjoy each other. As many of you know, my son Mikey has autism, and having local swings and shops shut down hasn't been easy, but we are managing,and for that,I am grateful. We've taken a lot of walks in empty parks and preserves,doing our best to remain socially distant.
My son Timmy loves to garden with me , so when all this began, I ordered some
organic soil from Amazon and we started out tomato plants indoors. We planted 26 varieties of
heirloom tomatoes,two of each for a total of 46,because we always like to give plants away to friends in early summer. I also ordered biodegradable
pots,but have not yet received them, so we used plastic cup, cut a few drainage holes in them, and that was that. He has also been taking his college courses online,and so far, that is going well. This is a great project for those of you interested in gardening and looking for something constructive to do,especially with the kids.
We've also kept ourselves busy with lots of cooking and baking. Everything from chicken cutlets, pastas, BBQ to cookies, nut cups and brownies. Just an example of the love in the community....I mentioned on facebook that I was running low on flour. The next day, a neighbor left 5 pounds of flour( and my favorite Cadbury creme eggs) on my porch. The day after that, another friend left 10 lbs. of flour. The day after that, the 12 lb bag I ordered arrived. I now have 27 lbs of flour and am prepared to share with anyone who may need it.
Another wonderful thing that has been happening is that local florists have been giving away flowers that were slated to be used for events that have now been cancelled due to the virus. One florist stood in the street handing out roses to passersby. Another gave away gorgeous plants so they wouldn't die,and I was given this beautiful peace lily. When another local shop was offering flowers, I stopped in and was given an enormous amount of gorgeous blooms. Rather than keep any, I put together 15 bouquets and delivered them(with gloves on and a quick drop off on porches) to some deserving ladies around town. I hope that they were able to smile and enjoy this simple act of kindness that was meant to lift their spirits. A very big thank you to all the local florists that so generously donated their flowers.
My friend sent me a pic of the roses I dropped off for her.
These were donated by Dalsimer Florist!
This lily was given to me..it's simply beautiful! Thank you Masters & Co Florist!
Thank you Art Flower & Gift Shop!
In our town, one woman has collected funds and has been ordering from local small food businesses and providing meals to hospital workers, EMTs, police and fire depts, utility workers and many other essential workers who are so selflessly going out everyday to save lives,help people and hopefully, help us see an end to this trying time. This is helpful to both the businesses and the workers.
I also had to make a trip to the local Costco and was so impressed by their organization,efficiency and kindness. It was a relief to be able to get some of the supplies we needed. Plenty of social distancing, updates on product availability and very well stocked.
I hope, that wherever you are, you are well, staying safe at home and that we are all able to get back to our normal lives as soon as possible. Until then, be sure to check in on friends and neighbors, help when and where you can, and follow the guidelines we are being given to conquer Corona once and for all. Be well!
