Saturday 18 July 2020

Living through the Pandemic




Everything arrives at my front door, heavies like sacks of bird feed, garden supplies like grit, potting compost, horticultural sand, fertilisers; not so heavies like groceries for me and friends who cannot get their own delivery service going, small parcels, large parcels, desperately needed parcels as well as a few - a very few - treats. None of the delivery men/women ring the door bell, apart from the groceries everything is left either on the doorstep or on the bench in the ever open shed door.

No problem, as the front door is totally secure; the only time I get cross is when there are parcels of plants left withering in the sun. They are usually baby seedlings, hardly able to survive without instant attention.

Deliveries have taken off in a huge way, this business is one of the few profitable ones. I always say a heartfelt thank you when I catch the drivers, for making my life easier. All those essential services I didn’t even think about before the pandemic, suddenly assume giant proportions.

In spite of existing restrictions I am still relatively contented. I am not even keen on going back to the local café; a friend rang to invite me to meet there but I turned her down. The German Conversation group has invited itself to a meeting at my house; I have insisted that we can only meet in the garden, not indoors. If it rains, well, then I hope they bring brollies! Or have the sense not to turn up. The more I read about the long term after-effects of Covid-19, not to mention the severity of the illness for oldies with pre-existing health issues, the less I feel tempted to socialise on any but the smallest scale. Just think how much wiping and disinfecting I’d have to do before and after the event!

Having said that, I do go and see, or welcome, a friend or two at a time. Yesterday we had coffee in Wendy’s garden, three of us sitting and nattering for two hours solid. Politics, gardening, music, the meagre repeat fare available on TV, gossip about all the silly people who ignore Covid19 rules - we had a lovely time, hardly wanting to stop.

I am more careful about restrictions than is laid down at the moment. We are governed by such an incompetent bunch of liars and morons it is as well to make up one's own mind about staying safe. The science says that a second wave of infections is more than likely during the coming winter, at the same time as the flu season arrives.

My son came for two days earlier in the week, “for a working visit”. And work he did. I was amazed at how he got through the tasks, never imagining that he would indeed see off such jobs as taking eight huge builders’ bags of green waste, several heavy windows, half the junk in the garage, a broken down bird table on legs and a dozen or more large plastic bags of weeds, collected over the whole of the spring, to the dump. It took six separate trips! I had spent weeks worrying how I was going to get rid of the stuff. A very useful chap to have around, I am glad to say.

Gardening is still my main occupation, WW and HH have both come up trumps and, although they certainly don’t give their services for free, they are getting through all those long neglected jobs, allowing me to realise that I am catching up with myself. I have almost reached the stage where I can finally relax and think about replanting.

More of that anon. Paul has done me a favour by dumping me.





34 comments:

  1. I am so glad that WW and HH have come up trumps (a phrase I use sparingly at the moment) and that replanting is on your mind.
    In my city/state restrictions are being eased. I am reluctant to dive back in and am being very, very careful.
    Stay well, stay safe - and happy gardening.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I live in Arizona, USA, and your words could be mine - how you stay in, how you socialize, who governs you! Good thing we know how to make sensible decisions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So good to have a good son to help you. My concerns are same as yours. We are being governed by abunch of bickering babies, and hubby and I have decided to look out for our own well being, wear a mask and steer clear of crowds. We must be in charge when no one esle seems to be. Glad you have a graden to keep you busy. Mine received five inches of rain and drowned all my plants. Then I broke my ankle, so my little flower circle is nothing but weedsa at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for this dispatch from your portion of the front. I have to say I'm on your page as usual in terms of all the maintaining safety and waving off anything else. I am scheduled to have my teeth cleaned next week and feel as if I should have my Will in order before I do so. We feel incredibly lucky to be in Hawaii, though once The Maniacs from the other US states get here I fear what we may face. There's very real talk about transitioning to something other than so much tourism! So I guess good comes through everything. Glad you are well; always a pleasure to see you posting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am venturing out now into the local small town, but don't want to go further. I don't believe anything the government says either.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "WW and HH have come up trumps." I live in Michigan U.S.A. and I don't have the foggiest idea that that mean! I'm not a gardener either so maybe that accounts for my ignorance more than my country of originate. Let's hope.

    I get a lot of deliveries too but here we at least get an email as soon as something was dropped off and often that email comes with a photo of the package. I don't know if you have package tracking there but if not, it's a wonderful thing. You can watch it's progress across the country and know exactly when to expect stuff.

    I'm glad you are enjoying your garden and being safe. We are all in for the long haul until a vaccine is developed and proven safe.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I shop online as well. Some items are spur of the moment which means I spend more money than intended. My daughter shops for groceries.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So glad that your two gentlemens' efforts have given you the urge to garden again - and your son was a real trojan clearing all that stuff.
    I have visions of a group of people sitting under umbrellas in your garden, sonversing at a social distance as the rain drums down....hope they bring their hearing aids.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sounds like you're weathering the storm quite successfully ... and socializing in exactly the right way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dear Friko, we are living the same careful life as you. What isn’t delivered to my door, is picked up. We order and are given a time to be at the store. When we get there, we call the store, pop the trunk, and our groceries are put in the trunk by a friendly masked person. We just might continue this when/if this virus is ever over. We only see people in our garden where the chairs are placed apart. It is so good to be around others and talk, even if it is at a distance.

    I don’t really fear death, but I fear Covid.

    How wonderful for your son to come and get all that work done. It must have been a relief to have all that stuff gone.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I agree that we must not depend on the governing forces to tell us how to stay safe. We need to do what we know is sensible during this pandemic. IMO that is sheltering at home, wearing a mask, and social distancing. We don’t do takeout and we don’t visit with anyone... not even in the garden.Many do and that is fine... but we’ve chosen to play it as safe as possible. We may still get the virus (or could be a-symptomatic ) but at least we know we did our best... to stay safe and keep others safe. Happy to hear that you are well!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Friko - so pleased things are working out ... yes - seedlings are precious and don't need (even our) full summer sun - but wonderful to read the garden news. Also as you mention your son has apparently done wonders - good news too.

    Then meeting up with a few friends safely and having that 'wonderful conversation' about all kinds of subjects ... I hope it'll happen again soon for you. I too hope it doesn't rain for your German group ...

    I've kept being sensible - a couple of friends have asked me and I've enjoyed the short visits, as well as meeting friends in the street ... stay safe and keep positive ... enjoying the garden and watching it grow, as too the 'clearer, cleaner' garden ... with thoughts - Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Friko, fellow reader of Cro's blog 🙂
    Times are strange. Our gardens save us, pity those that haven't even a window box.
    We are glad that we live in Scotland. Even so, we are being careful about where we go and who we meet.

    ReplyDelete
  14. All very positive. Good. The people who deliver to you are probably very badly paid. I am not suggesting you tip, but in your country people should be properly paid as staff and not as the 'gig economy', hungry for a few pounds.

    Your son must really care about you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. For the first time in my life I have a flourishing garden and enjoy working in it. I had boxes built which really helps. For months we only had 100 cases of COVID but now we are up to 700 and I am getting more careful.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Am delighted that your son has proven to be such a comfort. And those two guys seem to really put Paul to shame. You are right, losing Paul was a blessing.
    Arkansas has just made wearing a mask in public a state mandate. Amen. Seat belts aren't optional and neither should face masks be.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love this post, Friko. It sounds as though you have found your path through this horrible virus and that staying with it isn't too burdensome. I think we are much the same in that way. (Although I did post about my first big meltdown last week! But I bounced back.) I'm quite comfortable with a more quiet life and that means a safer one. I know the people I can let into my area (at distance, outside) and am fine with masks and space. There is plenty to keep me busy and content. I do miss a few things but not a lot.

    I'm so glad you had a good visit with your son and such a productive one, too! That's some heavy lifting he did! And I'll have to remember the phrase "come up trumps!" That's excellent. Says it all and well! Please continue taking care, as I know you will! It's so good to see this post.

    ReplyDelete
  18. your moron can't be worse than our moron who has decided that he's tired of the whole thing, it's bringing him down. so everybody just go back to school and work and make me look good. and my governor, at least he had the sense to backtrack a little though fat lot of good it has done as the cows are already out of the barn.

    too hot to garden here or even be outside except in the early morning or evening but glad to hear you're getting some good help.

    we socialize very little but then we socialized very little before this all started though I did have a nice long visit with my neighbors at the other end of the street last evening, sitting on their porch, when I walked the dog.

    ReplyDelete
  19. So glad your son came to help you so much and the new gardeners are working out so well. Staying safe here, too. When you hear about people being horribly ill for months (whether they eventually live or die) and how bad off some of the survivors are for all these months later and possibly forever...I fear covid, too. Staying safe...one must protect oneself as best one can. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I too am always happy to see a post from you, and especially one that shows that things are going well in your little universe. It must feel wonderful to have all the junk gone. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Good to hear from you, friend Friko :) "knuddels and purrs" c.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Continuing a cautious lifestyle is encouraged here, even as things open up a bit more. My husband has gone to work every day during the pandemic, and I was back at school in a very limited fashion (just 6 students in my classroom) during June. I don't know what the autumn return to class will look like. It's my last year of teaching and a rather weird way to end my career.
    What wonderful help you've had in clearing out garden and household junk. Yay for strong men!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm thrilled to pieces to hear that the new gardeners are working out, and that you're feeling satisfied with the progress being made. I smiled at your comment about so much 'stuff' being carted out. I can't tell you how many people I know who've decided that this silly Covid business is the perfect time to finally clean the closet, the drawers, the boxes of photos, and so on. I've even done a little bit of it myself, and I'm going to do a bit more.

    What really made me laugh was your comment that Paul did you a favor by dumping you. Years and years ago, I was dumped by a fellow, too -- and it was the best thing that ever happened to me! Even my friends said so, but only after the fact!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nice to read that you can finally relax, Friko. Your son is so great fellow, he did all the necessary work, and I am glad that you have new assistants in the garden.
    I liked the way you write:'We are governed by such an incompetent bunch of liars and morons'. I think WHO is not always right in its recommendations.
    The delivery of groceries and essentials is very convenient, especially in a pandemic. But here it is not a cheap pleasure.
    Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lovely to have a son who helps you so much; that was a great “working visit.” (I wish I could borrow him -:) As for gardening here in Nashville, since I don’t have a real garden, there’s no worry to find helpers. I just have to water the newly planted trees – but that is a chore like yesterday when the weather was 103 F (39.4 C) with great humidity. I’d love to have an English garden… Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I've been away for over a week; I was glad to see you posting and get your updates.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Friko
    I'm glad things have taken a turn for the better and you're getting the support you need. You have had your share of COVID struggles and now you can enjoy the respite.
    Supermarket shopping online and delivery to my door has been a huge relief, but since the second wave in Victoria, Coles has changed it's policies. Drivers may choose whether to bring my shopping up to the first floor in the lift. If they leave it in the foyer downstairs without sending an SMS it is very likely to be stolen before I realize it's there. Living on a piece of private land and being able to step outside your door into your garden has some enviable advantages. Hope it doesn't rain on your German conversation group meetup. It sounds so enjoyable. And yes, I think we must take responsibility for our own safety, given the incompetence of our leaders and the growing numbers of COVID deniers. All the best.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hooray for the good things happening. We really have to keep our eyes, on the good things, during this "unbelievable" time.

    Thank~you~much, for your comment on my blog, also.

    I'm usually a home-body, so not being able to mingle, mingle, mingle isn't hard on me. And we do use our masks and social distancing, when we have to do some food shopping.

    Enjoy the rest of summer... Although I am ready for some signs of Autumn.

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a good time for your son to visit...glad he got all the odd jobs done. We get deliveries almost daily...today it was lotion , face cream and printer ink:) Stay safe!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Aren't young people amazing in how hard and fast they can work, and how much they accomplish? I get grocery delivery to my door once a week or so, and am so happy the drivers do that for me. I pay online and give them a 15 percent tip, they earn it.

    ReplyDelete
  31. You sum it up perfectly, and particularly pertinent for where we are is this: "I am more careful about restrictions than is laid down at the moment. We are governed by such an incompetent bunch of liars and morons it is as well to make up one's own mind about staying safe" (though it is true New York is a bright spot, there are nonetheless a lot of dim covidiots around). We feel lucky to have such a pretty place to be cloistered in, though I miss the bustle and cultural offerings New York City had (all shuttered now, and not sure when that can or will change). We have become quite adept at finding online treat emporiums and that gives us quite a lift, though not so good for the waistline--the one thing we excel at is eating all too well. Anyway, it's nice to see what you are up to, and may we all stay well and safe.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Glad you're able to get the help you need. Ive been reluctant to have people in given the virus situation. An interior helper I hired had second thoughts and decided to not work for now. My gardeners still come which i appreciate. Stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  33. That's nice about your son coming to help.

    We are governed by the biggest fool of all, and our COVID rates are terifying.

    ReplyDelete
  34. It's such a wonderful feeling to have so much done at once. I am in a similar situation, having a lot of house and garden that needs maintenance, cleaning, repair, and being the only one to do it or arrange for it. All the handymen and construction workers are swamped with work right now so it's hard to find helpers. If a few days go by without my spending some hours on various tasks, I get more and more behind. It's very discouraging.

    My son is coming, too!! He will be here in September and I bet he'll do an amazing amount of stuff. I remember when he was a boy and I was teaching him how not to be daunted by a huge task, but to break it into parts or steps, and start on one of them. Now I am the beneficiary of his hardworking self. He knows this place so well, he sees things that need doing and just begins.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are good, I like to know what you think of my posts. I know you'll keep it civil.