I see the finish line!

Our last day of quarantine looms ahead. In some way, it's been like a vacation. Or a stay-cation, and there is a part of me that didn't want it to end. I wonder how our outgoing friends are doing, and whether they snuck out early. Probably.
We biked up a lonely country road this morning, battling the ever-present wind on our way home. We counted beer and soda cans along the route. One must have a challenge, you know.  

We also made up a grocery list. Remember when I told you we could live until last summer on our pantry items? Yes, it's true, but after a while, one gets a craving for something uncooked. I thought we had no fresh veggies in the house, only to discover hubby has finely shredded the last of the cabbage and been sneaking it into everything from frittatas to soup. Sneaky.

This morning, after our western sandwich with cabbage for brekkie, we reorganized our grocery list into two categories. One for the things I will get, and the other for hubs. He wants to get all the sale items. It's a thing he does to make him feel better. I get to pick up the Poise liners. Apparently, hubs didn't want to do that. 
 
We played our daily game of crib. Hubby decided to concede to the greater player, but I reminded him that he didn't give me the game, I took it, fair and square. Yes, I won. Gracefully.

Tomorrow is our first day of freedom and it will be my last blog entry in this series. I thought I could pull off a funny post each day, but while I haven't had any difficulty, it hasn't always been funny. I've had to cancel my trip to visit my kids, commiserated with others who had wonderful plans, prayed for those whose health is not good, all these things, and more. I've napped while 'reading' my Bible, and I exercised to dance videos. I still want to finish the proposal for my novel, a painting I need to do, and some weaving that I started. 

But as I watch the world go into lockdown, I wonder if I will get it all done.

Day 7-12

Okay is Day 7. I think. The days run together. It might be later, but it doesn't matter because I'm combining the next five days into one boring blog. 

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Each day was a repeat of a repeat. We got up, we ate breakfast, we dug through the freezer to pick something out for supper, we went for a walk, we came home, we ate leftovers for lunch, we exercised, read, showered, watched the news, had supper, watched TV and went to bed. 

Even to an introvert like me, who thinks of this isolation as a balm, found the routine a bit much. 

Then something happened.

The two neighbouring provinces shut down. Yes. We cannot go into Nova Scotia nor can we go to Prince Edward Island. 

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To put it into perspective to you south of us, it's like you live in a rural area and must cross the state line to get groceries and medicine, but they just stopped you. Your doctor and pharmacy are just a few miles away and you're not allowed to get there and your prescriptions are running low. 

We spent the morning on the phone trying to sort things out. 

I know this blog is supposed to lift you up, but I can't lie and say it wasn't tense for a bit. We had planned to get some groceries, too. Man cannot live on lentils alone. At least the man in my house can't. Believe me, it's hard to live with him with all those lentils in his system. 
That reminds me. Add Beano to the list. 

 

One last thing. 
I was scheduled to go out west on April first. I have had to cancel it. It breaks my heart not to see the kids and grandkids, but I can't risk giving them the virus (from the airplane, cus I am sure I have safe right now). Or worse, bringing it home. 

So that was our life in the last few days. 

One more day. Just one more day.
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Rediscovering the world around you

Day 5

I have finished my income tax, edited my proposal, lost some weight, drank enough water to fill a bathtub and cleaned my house. In fact, my house has never been this clean. The day is clear and sunny. Outside beckons me.

We're going for a walk, my hubby announces. Now, I need to preface this. We live in a rural area. There are more cows and cats than people. So, it's not hard to go for a walk and not meet another living soul.

But that wasn't the case today. As we headed out past the end of our very lonely road, we did meet another living, breathing creature.

A dog, at the end of our road at a very quiet farm. The farmer was nowhere in sight, but the dog trotted out, tail wagging, acting as if she was thankful the world had not gone to pot.

 

We didn't break the news to her. And she happily chose to accompany us on the trip. 

The world beyond the road is only just starting to awaken from winter. The top layer of snow had melted and was hard enough for us to walk with ease across the fields. The channels cut through the bulrushes on the marsh are still frozen, allowing us an easy path to follow. We watched a pair of mated eagles build a nest. 

 

Can you see the eagle to the right of the nest?

When we got within a few hundred yards of them, one wisely moved away from the nest, while keeping its eagle eyes on us. 

And a bonus in the walk!  Hubby found three buckets! I'm thrilled beyond measure. Wow! Buckets!

Still, the day is good. The dog continues to walk with us, just happy to check out her world with humans. Hubby and I clocked 10,000 steps on our Fitbits and incredibly, we found a single footprint on the channel. Who made it, we wonder?


 

So, our day ends with us thankful. We still have loads of food, a house and home, and our health.

He's Starting to Pace

Day 4

He's starting to pace. Hubby is getting a fever. Cabin fever. 

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I have, however, a treatment. Not a cure, but something to stop him from peering over my shoulder as I do my income tax.
I smile up at him. "Honey, why don't you try your hand at making pasta? Like the stuff we had the first night home?"
I then frown with concern. "I wonder how you make bean pasta. Oh, nevermind. It's probably too hard."
His eyebrows shoot up. A challenge?
I hold my breath until he trots off into the office.
First some research on the internet. (one hour of peace because it's easy to get distracted) 
then finding the ingredients (ten minutes) 
then discussing with me (who wasn't really listening) the best types of flour to use (ten minutes) 
then rechecking the internet in case he can make substitutions (another hour, damn those distractions), 
then making the product (ten minutes) and finally, the end result!

For both of us!
I had two and a half hours of peace.

And thus ended Day 4 of self isolation.

It's You, Again?

Day 3

We've settled into a routine. Hubby has even called his mother every day.

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We've done our chores in the morning and exercised and napped in the afternoon. I napped on the chaise, lulled to snoozing by my Bible app. If I didn't know what happened with Joshua at Jericho, I'd have to listen to it again.
SPOILER ALERT! He wins. Jericho falls.

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But, the horrors of quarantine!  Bad news on the horizon!

Hubby has decided generic coffee whitener is unacceptable!

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To combat such a terrible affliction, we ordered some groceries. Hubby's brother delivered them, sneaking them onto our back deck before texting us to alert us to their presence. We crack open the door and snatch the bags up.

Thank God, the cream has arrived!

And life goes on. Our daily pattern of life continues and day 3 winds down.

Day 2 Does anyone really know why?

It's Day 2. So far, so good. 

Okay, the first day was busy and full and we were practically enjoying ourselves. The quiet is resounding. We looked at the freezer with satisfaction and the larder with joy. 
We're set for self-isolation. 
As a result, Day 2 was fine. We slept in, we relaxed with coffee and the news, and the paper came as expected. Self-Isolation isn't so bad.
Then came word that toilet paper was being hoarded. I'm not sure of the reason, but I can only think of one thing. 
People are mistaking it for food. 
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It has to be that, 'cus it's not that kind of bug, folks. 
But, just in case, my husband has started a list of supplies we will need when certain people I know give up on the racketeering prices they're asking for toilet paper. 
Me, I need nothing.
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DAY 1 OF SELF ISOLATION

Day 1

(Some of the links below may earn me revenue. You may find you would like to buy them. Click on them at your own peril!!)

My traveling companions, who love social interaction of all kinds, think it's Day 2. They are including the day we landed. I'm not. I'm going to milk this for all it's worth.
Today, we unpacked only to discover that we had so much laundry, I didn't have enough laundry detergent.
I can't get out to the stores! 

No problem for this isolationist. She's going to make her own detergent. 

Wait!  Aren't we suppose to have fun with this self-isolation? Isn't this blog supposed to be uplifting? Isn't this supposed to be amusing?

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Doing laundry isn't uplifting, nor is it amusing, but hey, it does add steps to my Fitbit.

So, to that end, we're gonna have fun. We're gonna make our own laundry detergent. Okay, yes, I realize that you'll need to purchase some items, but you can either ask a friend to deliver them, and e-transfer the money, or you can order online.

You'll need a bar of cheap laundry soap like this:

(the US link.)
https://amzn.to/38VL6Cv

or this:
(the UK link)
https://amzn.to/38VL6Cv

Preferably it should be blue glycerine, like this,

https://amzn.to/2IP4c2r

 

Blue soap is preferable because the slight blue tint helps to keep whites looking whiter. But you may want to search around for a good price. Even though the bar will last you ages and ages, and you're only doing this to alleviate boredom, you will still want to save as much money as you can.
You'll need washing soda, which I have discovered is only available around here at a hardware store.  

Stuff like this:
https://amzn.to/3a9Movb

 

 

















 (the UK link) https://amzn.to/3b0J4SX

 Here's what we have to start with.

Grate out one-half cup of the blue soap. You don't need anything special. Your cheese grater is fine. Just wash it before and after, please! No soapy lasagna!
Then measure out one-half cup of washing soda. Mix them into a litre of warm water. This is what it will look like.

 
 Pour into an empty laundry detergent jug, and you're set. Just use the same about of this mixture as you would the store-bought variety. One small warning. It's messy to pour out with the dispensing lid and leaves a dried powdery spot on the floor, but it's super easy to wipe up and won't hurt anything. I measure it out over the laundry sink. But it works out to be about 5 cents per load, and that works for me!
There! We have helped take another dozen plastic bottles out of the environment, and we saved money. All that's left is to do the laundry. Are we having fun yet?
 
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Just as an aside, you may want to try soap nuts. A friend of mine has been using them for six months and loves them, even with three kids and a busy husband. But if I just focused on them, (which is fine) I wouldn't have the fun of telling you all about making your own detergent, would I?

(the UK link)
https://amzn.to/2QiEhV9

(the US link)
https://amzn.to/2Wkfgwq

 

Our local bulk food store stocks them, and I hear they are much cheaper. 

Well, that filled Day 1. Time to relax and get caught up with my Netflix streaming.

Self Isolation? Bring it on!

Okay, in the coming days I am going to discuss my self-isolation. You see, we went on a cruise and returned to a Canada that was asking us to self-isolate.
My friends' reaction? 
Oh no!
My reaction?

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Okay, first up, I want you to know that I am NOT making light of the seriousness of this situation, but rather, lightening the attitude. We have all seen the local and national news, we all know that our friends like Poppy Harlow are very serious, but we need to counter the dread and smile on. 

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These next few posts are my attempts to show you that we can still smile. 
Enjoy them!