Discombobulated

[HomesteaderWife]

Some thoughts/experiences on what’s been happening:
Gas is anywhere from $1.25 to $1.71 around here lately. Wonder if it will drop to under a dollar- last time I saw that was probably 14 years ago passing through North Carolina on a trip.
We noticed a huge uptick in my husband’s online sales for video games when this started and almost completely are sold out. A lot of people are buying consoles and games as they stay at home. He wasn’t expecting people to be spending like that, but I told him ahead of time I thought it would all go fast because people would be at home all the time (most of the games were “retro” so a lot of nostalgia players I assume). Etsy has been a lot slower. Gardening supplies are going fast- we sold our old PTO tiller within maybe a day of having it listed.
Trips to the store are finding the oddest things out of stock for the past few months that still aren’t on the shelves. Certain paints and paint rollers are one thing. Still the same amount of people if not more you see parked at these places. Saw steak going for $15 a pound the other day.
I can’t imagine those with loved ones in nursing homes or who were hospitalized during this time, unable to see them. Funerals, births, graduations, marriages all disrupted.
How do kids feel? Little ones probably don’t understand the disruption and want to see their elementary pals. Teenagers are mostly glued to a phone or game. I hope parents are encouraging some one on one time and maybe some nature walks (distance in mind) and taking time to educate them about important and useful things. Then again, no children for us right now so I can’t say how parents are taking it. They may be pulling their hair out?

I don’t know what to think of it all to be honest. Thankful to be mostly secluded and if the need to barter for necessities arises, we have means to. Here’s hoping the rest of you are well and prepared.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

My ex's aunt passed suddenly on Sunday. Massive Stroke which took her immediately. Shocking to the entire family cus there was nothing wrong with her at 85 yrs old. Now we all can't go up to Seattle to share grief with the extended family.

 

[catjac1975]

My ex's aunt passed suddenly on Sunday. Massive Stroke which took her immediately. Shocking to the entire family cus there was nothing wrong with her at 85 yrs old. Now we all can't go up to Seattle to share grief with the extended family.

That is the best and worst way to die. I think we would all like to say our good-byes. But seeing a few long, slow, painful deaths, the quick nearly painless way would be my personal choice. So sorry for you loss. I am sure she new how greatly loved she is.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Difficult to get behind this PC because of all the wires and the limits that I can stretch them out. I think that 3 months would be much better than 12 but have you cleaned behind the PC, including its vents, in the last 12 months?

Steve

I better get to cleaning.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Progress! It can be a Sight for Sore Eyes!

Steve

I think the British meaning makes no sense. I use the phrase sight for sore eyes now and then. Today, I was reading to DS something on Facebook of how to pick a ripe watermelon and thumping them for the hollow sounds was not in the list, so he said I guess thumping them is useless then. I said it might be an old wive's tale and he said you mean wise tale. LOL. He had to look it up to see if I was right. I was talking to my son-in-law about potty training the baby and how I did DD. I used the word stool and he said to me, you talk like a southern hillbilly. I said well what do you call it and he said toilet. I said when I was little my dad called it the jo-good-gee. I do not know how to spell it, but it was an Indian word. He lived with a family of Indians for a while in Oklahoma.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

On this day in 1955,

Albert Einstein died.

Steve

Eight days later I was born.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

This whole virus experience has been mostly confusion to me. People saying open the state and others saying don't open and how dangerous. We have hardly had any cases here. Wear a mask, not wear a mask? I know these cloth homemade masks are really for protection of others. If a sick person wears a mask then others will be protected, but if you are well and a sick person does not have a mask then it is not protecting you. I have DD pregnant, DS going to work, DB going to work and me being in the dangerous protect the old person age. I think this virus came through here in December or January, but no proof. I am for churches being open and all that, but I have said from the beginning they are dangerous. I hear people saying they are trying to take our rights away and close churches for all kinds of bad reasons, but I think there is something to close quarters, talking and singing and not just passing on a sidewalk or in a grocery store. DH and DD caught pneumonia in 2010. They were in the choir and most of the choir caught pneumonia that year. I think it had something to do with inhaling deeply while singing. DD and family are back in church. I have not gone back yet. I will be preaching to DD if I see a rise in cases in this area for her to stay home. She is due June 29 to have this baby. I worry what fall will bring and I hope it just goes away. It is hard to know what to believe. The biggest change it has caused me is buying clothes. You cannot try them on and DD is having trouble finding pregnancy tops. I make clothes for Evelyn but just for fun things. I have made a few shirts for myself and I am seriously thinking of getting better at this and make more tops for myself. I wish I could cut hair. A lot of women have cut their husbands and sons hair over the years and it is a good skill to know in hard times. DS looked like a shaggy dog. His will have stories to tell his kids someday of waiting in line 2 different days to get a haircut with the wind blowing and rain. I remember all the Depression stories from my parents and cringe at being wasteful.

 

[digitS']

DH and DD caught pneumonia in 2010. They were in the choir and most of the choir caught pneumonia that year

Here's an example from 10 March with a choir at a Presbyterian church in western Washington State, story from March:

"each singer used their own sheet music, and they avoided shaking hands or hugging. And yet, within a week, three-quarters of the choir would report feeling sick." This was 3/4 of about 60 choir members during the very early days of public awareness of the pandemic

Story from Seattle television

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Here's an example from 10 March with a choir at a Presbyterian church in western Washington State, story from March:

"each singer used their own sheet music, and they avoided shaking hands or hugging. And yet, within a week, three-quarters of the choir would report feeling sick." This was 3/4 of about 60 choir members during the very early days of public awareness of the pandemic

Story from Seattle television

Steve

I have read several stories and in other countries were the choir members were all sick and some died.

 

[flowerbug]

Here's an example from 10 March with a choir at a Presbyterian church in western Washington State, story from March:

"each singer used their own sheet music, and they avoided shaking hands or hugging. And yet, within a week, three-quarters of the choir would report feeling sick." This was 3/4 of about 60 choir members during the very early days of public awareness of the pandemic

Story from Seattle television

Steve

yes, i read up on that recently. close quarters for any length of time with very infectious people and you are asking for it. that is a clear demonstration of how infectious this virus is.

i.e. church, singing, just asking for trouble IMO.

if you can get a gathering outside in a stadium or baseball field and have people keep to their own groups far enough apart, but you can still see each other and listen to a sermon/etc.

as far as masks, i think even a homemade one out of flimsy fabric is better than nothing, the main benefit is to remind you to not stick your fingers in your mouth or nose or eyes. i also would keep wearing gloves and remove them before getting into the car, and take multiple pairs so you can wash them and not reuse them until they've been washed.

so far three friends of family or friends have had this, nobody else has and one friend lost their Mom to this disease. i prefer to not lose my Mom so i try to keep washing the hands, being careful after going out and coming home (once in several months). getting Mom to remember what she needs to do is a challenge. today she wanted to get some things to eat from the store so when she got back i asked her if she had changed her gloves after getting in to the car. no, so i made sure to wash my hands after putting things away. i always remind her to wash her hands several times during the whole process too, including me turning on the hot water when she comes in the door so it is hot by the time she needs to wash her hands.