Friday, March 27, 2020

During the "Wait and See" Time

Everyone I know is doing the best they can during these days of unease.  We're not suffering personally, but I know others are.  There's definitely been a sense of pulling together, sharing and caring exhibited in our little community and for that I'm all the more thankful than ever for where we live.

Yesterday daughter and I decided to combine our grocery orders thinking it would be easier on those wonderful people manning our stores still open for food distribution.  The public is no longer allowed within the stores, but they are taking orders by phone or e-mail, and then calling when an order is ready to be picked up.  I gave dear daughter my list and she engineered everything.  All concerned couldn't have been more pleasant, all went very smoothly and only a couple items were not available.

Papa Pea and I have been doing a bit of cleaning, sorting and organizing and had a large amount of old cardboard boxes that needed to go to our Recycling Center.  He had heard a rumor the center was closed, but after I made a couple phone calls late Wednesday afternoon, a really pleasant guy I spoke with said the center was open, but I should probably get there soon as things were changing day-to-day.  So we loaded up our Suburban early yesterday (Thursday) with all our recyclable goods, made a town run to get gas in the truck, put some things in the mailbox outside the Post Office and take our load to recycling.  All went well until we were unable to turn into the Recycling Center area.  The entry was cordoned off with a sign that said they were closed until further notice.


Although I haven't made much quilting time for myself, this spring wall hanging now needs only the final outer boarder on the one side before it can be sandwiched and quilted.  Even though the center flowers turned out to be a piecing nightmare, I think I'll be happy when it's all done.  I also know it would have gone better if I had taken the time to stick with the cutting and piecing of all those little pieces in the right order rather than doing it with a start-and-stop, ten minutes here, twenty minutes there approach. 


Since I always seem to need to have a pair of socks on my needles, this great variegated red yarn is the start of another pair for my daughter.  I just gave her a super-soft, blue striped pair which was a hit.  (Forgot to take a photo to show you.)


If I don't feel like knitting when couch times rolls around last thing at night, I'm paging through one of my much-used cookbooks looking for new and interesting meals to put on the table.  We all need to keep our immune systems nourished and strong now more than ever. 


In our ongoing search for the best possible diet for our bodies, Papa Pea has been reading aloud to us for a short period each day from this book he's come across.


For my book to read together, I'm concentrating on keeping our heads on the right track.  With luck, both books and the info contained within will bring benefits.

Stay well and safe, everyone.

14 comments:

wisps of words said...

Ohhhhh, books by Elaine St. James!!!!!!

I love everyone of them. All those wonderful "little" in size books!!!!!!!!! Have you read them all???????? I so wish she was still writing them! Think the last I learned, is that she was doing a newspaper column somewhere.

Something for me to do!!!!!!! FIND Elaine St.James!!!!!!!!!

🌸Gentle hugs🌸

wisps of words said...

Love the order-on-line (or phone for you) and pick up outside store. We had it, but the store had to stop, for some reason. But an area Dairy delivers once a week. And has more than just dairy! So happy my Dear Daughter in Law, found this!!!!!

And of course, she is our Angel. If we need, she gets. Not that we over use this!!!! Just that it is such a wonderful thing to have, right next door. Her LOVE envelopes, both houses.

Oh oh, the Recycling Rules had changed, quickly. Here we are lucky, to have both garbage and recycling pick up, which we pay for of course.

A photo, showing a bit of your kitchen!!! This is now the 3rd blog, I have visited this morning, with some sort of kitchen pics in it!!!!!! I love it!!!! What says HOME better, than our kitchens????

Reading to each other! What a delightful habit.

Please don't forget to look for more books by Elaine St.James. -smile- She is a gem of an author.

🌸Gentle hugs🌸

Mama Pea said...

wisps of words - I have two of her books but now I shall go look for a list of all that she has published. Lots of words of wisdom in her writings!

Michelle said...

As of yesterday, grocery stores here are still letting people in. Other than some space on shelves us Americans are not used to seeing, the only change is tape on the floor marking 6' spacing for people to wait safely in line - oh, and the clerks wear gloves. Everyone is pleasant; smiles like flowers widely seen. We get free recycling pick-up with our once-a-month trash pick-up, but I do have a bin of glass to drop off at the recycling center. I'd better check to see if it's open!

Anonymous said...
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Mama Pea said...

Michelle - According to what I've been reading, more restrictions will take place tomorrow night, Saturday. What they will mean for our different areas in the country remains to be seen. For instance, we have a nice sized hardware store in town that handles a bit of everything from gardening supplies to household necessities to started plants in the spring to paints to the regular nuts and bolts. They also have gas pumps outside. Right now the store part is open (with 6' distancing, of course) but there's been some speculation that although the gas pumps will remain open, you will only be able to pay at the pumps with a credit card and no longer be able to access the merchandise inside.

linnellnickerson@gmail.com said...

We still have the transfer station open, but not sure for ho long. All stores are closed except for groceries stores and pharmacies. You can get take out at certain resturants and gas stations are open! Other than that everyone is to stay home and schools are closed til May fifth. It's a wait and see! Everyone out there take super care and stay healthy and safe!! xo Sure is a sad state of affairs!

Nancy In Boise said...

So your grocery stores are actually closed? Bars are all open here and they all have an hour per day for more vulnerable elderly shoppers. It's minimizing their exposure. It's good at least they're taking orders! I'm going to start working from home probably next week. I would have this week but it turned out my internet was too slow so we change companies and are upgrading this afternoon. I think few temporary work-from-home Arrangement May last a lot longer than anybody thinks. Time will tell. I read a lot of her books on voluntary simplicity and are thinking about other simple living ideas myself as well to help me stay calm. I'm concentrating on planting more food and getting some chicks in another month or two. Hang in there!

Nancy In Boise said...

I meant to say ours are open

Mama Pea said...

linnellnickerson - Sounds as though much of the nation is about the same. At least for now. We're all getting used to the new normal while at the same time hoping it doesn't have to last too long. Be careful and safe.

Nancy - Yes, we can't go into the physical stores but thankfully we can still get groceries although the selection isn't necessarily what we're used to. All three of our grocery stores in town have been having record days and this is usually the slowest time of year for them. A lot of stress involved with the owners, workers and, of course, all the suppliers of food. There are shortages because of people buying more than usual . . . while they can.

Cockeyed Jo said...

We started week 2 of county lockdown and now they are predicting the end of April instead of Easter. Still, it's no skin off our noses on the homestead. We're getting ready to plant. We've got to-do lists upon to-do lists.

wisps of words said...

Dare I say, you toooooo, got one of those nasty Anon. comments???
So, you Join The Club!!!! -grin-

Faith and I keep getting them. Faith got fed up, and replied. :-) I a non nasty way! You know, like an adult.

I KNOW we are not supposed to give a Troll, any attention. I know this, from wayyyyyyyy back. But sometimes, for a person's own peace of mind, they might just need to. -smile-

🌸Gentle hugs🌸

Lisa said...

Enjoyed reading your post and seeing what you guys are up to.... particularly your lovely spring wall hanging. Love your fabric choices particularly with the green 'shadow' effect.

Here things are pretty much the same.... no 'orders' to stay home, just requesting. But the city, county & state are slowly but surely beginning to close other things like parks... cannot believe barbershops and beauty salons are still operating, but they are. Hardware stores, gas stations and grocery stores still open. Interesting yours are not allowing folks inside.... that's actually very smart to be so safe in that way. I placed my first 'Pick Up' order at my local WalMart today. So cool... everything was done electronically and I drove over and met the sweetest associate outside... never got out of my car, never touched anything... she loaded the groceries and off I went back home. Your read alouds sound very interesting and quite timely. Be safe!! Hugs!!

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - Oh my, you still have many places open that we up here in the boonies don't! Curious how one place differs from the other. Papa Pea and I are such homebodies that we aren't having days too much different than usual. I told him today I didn't realize how much I miss grocery shopping, walking down the aisles, seeing what's available and getting ideas for meals. (Although I never go without my list of "must haves!") This real desire to go grocery shopping is curious because I'm not a "shopper" for anything else. Go, get in, get what I need and get out. Someone sitting across from me at the dinner table tonight (that would be my better half) suggested I love grocery shopping because I love to eat. Ahem. :o) Take care of yourself, my friend, and keep that sewing machine well-oiled and humming away. Hugs.