As I write this, we were supposed to be on a bus from the Montego Bay airport to our beautiful resort on the Jamaican coast. A few short weeks ago, I was so excited at the prospect of the warm Jamaican sun, relaxing music, amazing food, lying on the beach in the shade of palm trees... Less than a month ago, I was planning what to pack, and debating whether to kennel the dog or try to find a house sitter. Only just over 2 weeks ago, we decided to cancel our trip "just in case"...
Now, all flights to Jamaica in the next several weeks have been canceled, and the resorts are officially closed until May.
How quickly things can change, and how drastically a tiny virus can change the lives of millions of people...
For years, people have given me weird looks when they hear that we can our own food from the garden, or how much time I spend harvesting and preserving vegetables every summer and fall.
Now, it's not so funny. Grocery shelves are sparsely stocked in many areas, and people are afraid to leave their homes. My husband's multiple weekly shopping trips have diminished to less than one. Fortunately, there is little that we actually need to buy. Last week, we prepared all of our meals for the week without going grocery shopping at all!
This is the time of coronavirus - a time when homesteading doesn't look so crazy after all...
Now, all flights to Jamaica in the next several weeks have been canceled, and the resorts are officially closed until May.
How quickly things can change, and how drastically a tiny virus can change the lives of millions of people...
For years, people have given me weird looks when they hear that we can our own food from the garden, or how much time I spend harvesting and preserving vegetables every summer and fall.
Now, it's not so funny. Grocery shelves are sparsely stocked in many areas, and people are afraid to leave their homes. My husband's multiple weekly shopping trips have diminished to less than one. Fortunately, there is little that we actually need to buy. Last week, we prepared all of our meals for the week without going grocery shopping at all!
This is the time of coronavirus - a time when homesteading doesn't look so crazy after all...
Having never experienced anything like this before in my lifetime, it is interesting to me how differently people react to this situation. My husband is anxious and stressed out every time he has to leave the house. I, on the other hand, LOVE it when I have an excuse to go somewhere! Getting out of the house gives me a tiny sense of normalcy - at least briefly.
Then, I notice how empty the streets are. How few cars are in the parking lots. How quiet it seems driving through town with all the businesses shut down, windows dark - almost like a ghost town in some areas. My office building is deserted, hallways dark and empty, parking lot bare of cars. (As an "essential" business, we remain open, but most of us are working from home most days.)
Although I keep my distance from people when out and about, I don't feel particularly anxious about it. My response is, instead, one of sadness. There are days when I feel very lonely, isolated, and depressed. It's a bit odd, since we don't particularly have a terribly active social life most of the time, and I've always been a bit of a loner anyway, but as soon as I am told to stay away from people, I suddenly miss them terribly!
While I used to love my rare opportunities to work from home, now I long for the day-to-day busyness of the office - for the chatting, joking, and even annoyances of my co-workers and friends. Although I can accomplish a lot from the quiet of the home office, and I get to sleep in and don't have to waste time on the commute, I often feel bored and isolated, and end the day feeling down and tired.
But I am especially depressed at the thought of all the business owners and employees that are losing their jobs and livelihoods. Businesses that we depend on and love, like our locally-owned restaurants, bars, and breweries. Those who feed us and entertain us and give us places to gather and socialize with those we love. Those who educate us and provide us with goods that make our lives easier, safer, healthier, or more fun. I am sad for them, and for the thought of a future without some or perhaps many of these businesses and the hard-working, creative, entrepreneuring people who created them and gave so much of themselves to bring them to fruition and make our lives better.
But for now, I am learning to cope. Slowly, staying home is starting to feel more normal. I am getting into a daily routine (though I still have a hard time keeping the days straight), and trying to keep in touch with friends and family via phone more than usual. I have learned to avoid almost all news - both online and on TV - and only get a little daily dose for about half an hour in the evening on Comedy Central.
The fact that it is spring also helps a bit, as it has been warm and the flowers are blooming beautifully everywhere, and despite my frozen shoulder, I have been able to get out in the garden just a little so far (in between the nearly constant flooding rains). Sometimes, when I'm working outside, I almost forget about COVID-19 for a few minutes... Until I see a neighbor across the street and think of going over to say Hi, and then realize I probably shouldn't...
But I try to focus on the good things. Like brilliant daffodils and grape hyacinths and budding lilacs and gooseberries. Like choruses of frogs and birds and daylight until 8:00pm. Like rain on the metal roof and our lovely new screen door that keeps the mosquitoes out but lets the warm evening air and frog song in.
I planted wildflower seeds last week, and potatoes this weekend. Garden seeds and raspberry plants have been ordered, and we picked out which breeds of chicks we want to order, so I have been dreaming of chickens all week! :-) We are finally painting the dining room, and making plans for our summer homesteading projects. And I am blogging, catching up on some marketing training, and preparing for tax season, while enjoying the extra time with our sweet Molly Brown.
So we are trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, even as it seems society as we know it is crumbling all around us...
Who knows what the future holds? But I shall ready our homestead to welcome some new baby chicks, and plant a garden to feed us this summer (and winter), and smell the flowers and the rain and smile at the peepers singing.
And maybe this year's garden will be the best one yet, and maybe we'll have our own fresh eggs by winter, and maybe we'll go to Jamaica next spring and I'll get to lie under a palm tree with an icy glass in my hand and think back to the time of coronavirus and it will seem like a far away dream and I will be thankful for this time. For the time that I had to think about how important the people we love and depend on really are. For the realization that, as flawed as we are as a species, there is so much to love and appreciate about us as well.
I hope that we survive this and come out the other side stronger and more united. I hope that the realization of how much we depend on and need each other - regardless of our differences or political beliefs - is a reminder that stays with us. I hope that you, dear reader, are safe, healthy, and well!
Please feel free to reach out anytime, or join the community on our Facebook page! Remember that we are all in this together, even though we may be physically separated for a while.
Stay healthy and safe!
Rose.
Then, I notice how empty the streets are. How few cars are in the parking lots. How quiet it seems driving through town with all the businesses shut down, windows dark - almost like a ghost town in some areas. My office building is deserted, hallways dark and empty, parking lot bare of cars. (As an "essential" business, we remain open, but most of us are working from home most days.)
Although I keep my distance from people when out and about, I don't feel particularly anxious about it. My response is, instead, one of sadness. There are days when I feel very lonely, isolated, and depressed. It's a bit odd, since we don't particularly have a terribly active social life most of the time, and I've always been a bit of a loner anyway, but as soon as I am told to stay away from people, I suddenly miss them terribly!
While I used to love my rare opportunities to work from home, now I long for the day-to-day busyness of the office - for the chatting, joking, and even annoyances of my co-workers and friends. Although I can accomplish a lot from the quiet of the home office, and I get to sleep in and don't have to waste time on the commute, I often feel bored and isolated, and end the day feeling down and tired.
But I am especially depressed at the thought of all the business owners and employees that are losing their jobs and livelihoods. Businesses that we depend on and love, like our locally-owned restaurants, bars, and breweries. Those who feed us and entertain us and give us places to gather and socialize with those we love. Those who educate us and provide us with goods that make our lives easier, safer, healthier, or more fun. I am sad for them, and for the thought of a future without some or perhaps many of these businesses and the hard-working, creative, entrepreneuring people who created them and gave so much of themselves to bring them to fruition and make our lives better.
But for now, I am learning to cope. Slowly, staying home is starting to feel more normal. I am getting into a daily routine (though I still have a hard time keeping the days straight), and trying to keep in touch with friends and family via phone more than usual. I have learned to avoid almost all news - both online and on TV - and only get a little daily dose for about half an hour in the evening on Comedy Central.
The fact that it is spring also helps a bit, as it has been warm and the flowers are blooming beautifully everywhere, and despite my frozen shoulder, I have been able to get out in the garden just a little so far (in between the nearly constant flooding rains). Sometimes, when I'm working outside, I almost forget about COVID-19 for a few minutes... Until I see a neighbor across the street and think of going over to say Hi, and then realize I probably shouldn't...
But I try to focus on the good things. Like brilliant daffodils and grape hyacinths and budding lilacs and gooseberries. Like choruses of frogs and birds and daylight until 8:00pm. Like rain on the metal roof and our lovely new screen door that keeps the mosquitoes out but lets the warm evening air and frog song in.
I planted wildflower seeds last week, and potatoes this weekend. Garden seeds and raspberry plants have been ordered, and we picked out which breeds of chicks we want to order, so I have been dreaming of chickens all week! :-) We are finally painting the dining room, and making plans for our summer homesteading projects. And I am blogging, catching up on some marketing training, and preparing for tax season, while enjoying the extra time with our sweet Molly Brown.
So we are trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, even as it seems society as we know it is crumbling all around us...
Who knows what the future holds? But I shall ready our homestead to welcome some new baby chicks, and plant a garden to feed us this summer (and winter), and smell the flowers and the rain and smile at the peepers singing.
And maybe this year's garden will be the best one yet, and maybe we'll have our own fresh eggs by winter, and maybe we'll go to Jamaica next spring and I'll get to lie under a palm tree with an icy glass in my hand and think back to the time of coronavirus and it will seem like a far away dream and I will be thankful for this time. For the time that I had to think about how important the people we love and depend on really are. For the realization that, as flawed as we are as a species, there is so much to love and appreciate about us as well.
I hope that we survive this and come out the other side stronger and more united. I hope that the realization of how much we depend on and need each other - regardless of our differences or political beliefs - is a reminder that stays with us. I hope that you, dear reader, are safe, healthy, and well!
Please feel free to reach out anytime, or join the community on our Facebook page! Remember that we are all in this together, even though we may be physically separated for a while.
Stay healthy and safe!
Rose.
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