Really, I feel like that’s what we’re doing. We stay fairly prepared but there are thing we never thought about so we’re scrambling to get a few things done.
We’ve had a couple of rainy days and the grass/weeds have grown like crazy. It was really too wet to cut the grass but I’m sure snakes are starting to emerge and Rita doesn’t like tall grass so Vince cut the grass around the house this morning. Vince gut the grass and bagged it so it wouldn’t mat up and choke out the other grass.
In one chicken area, we have 5 hens and 1 rooster and they have a smaller “yard”. In the other group of chickens, we have 19 hens and 1 rooster and they’re in the orchard and have about 1-1/2 acres.
The fence for the chickens in the smaller yard is not in great shape, and not terribly secure. I’d like to combine them with the orchard chickens but one of the roosters would have to go and I don’t want to do that. Wilbur, the rooster in the orchard is elderly and may not be around long but I like him a lot.
Anyway, the small group of chickens found a hole and when I went out this morning, there were chickens running around all over the place. They were having fun so we left them out, fixed the hole and will get them back in the fence later.
They have a little “porch” outside their coop and it needs cleaning often so Vince used the pressure sprayer and cleaned it this morning, sprayed it all down with bleach.
I’ve worked in the sewing room most of the morning trying to get things organized in there. Anything that doesn’t have a place in the house seems to end up in the sewing room and it can become a mess really fast.
All arriving packages now get sprayed down with bleach water, maybe more than once. If it’s a sunny day, they sit out for at least two days; if it’s a cloudy day, they sit out for at least three days. Unless it’s something we need now, and I’m not sure anything like that is arriving, they go into the shop and will sit there til needed. We’re writing on the outside of the box what’s in each package so we can go right to it when we need it. This particular package has fertilizer for the garden and won’t be needed for at least a month.
I was telling a friend this morning . . I get up each day with a determination to get things done, check on an elderly neighbor, stay busy and keep the TV off. About the middle of the day, I start thinking . . I can’t believe this is happening in the U. S. and then by dark, I’m fighting tears. I’m not scared or upset for myself but I hate that so many lives are being changed. I’m so happy to see Governors making bold calls and closing businesses. I wish it was on a national level and each state wasn’t having to make the tough decisions on their own.
I’m sad for businesses, especially small businesses. It’s going to be tough on them and their employees but sounds like there’s going to be some aid for them.
Vince talked to his brother this morning and he said he spent several hours looking for toilet paper yesterday and couldn’t find any. His son lives near them and said he has plenty . . he’ll bring some over. He’s 90+ years old in New York. He doesn’t need to be out looking for toilet paper. Can you imagine being that age and going from store to store to store and not finding anything?
Addie’s school is closed and they could really use my help but we don’t feel like we should be traveling anywhere. I’m sad that older folks are probably scared and some live where they don’t have a good support system.
I think about 9/11 and I think about how, for so long, life was defined as “before 9/11” and “after 9/11”. I think we’re facing another defining time in our lives.
I get through the day better when I stay busy and I think that’s why I’ve been making bread and cake and cooking big pots of soup! I should probably direct some of this energy towards cleaning the house! 🙂
Dorothy Matheson says
Yes I am also staying busy and not watching the news hardly at all. My grandkids are out of school well they are my great grands. goodness I have messed that up. Some of the Moms are full time stay at home and one (in Oregon) is not.
I called a Dr office to cancel a Wed. appointment for my 94 year old Mom and the person said a good idea.
Laura says
Last Thursday i went to my dental appt only to find I was a week early. The parking lot was full, that’s unusual. I walked back in the lobby to study the Directory listing the businesses in that Medical building. there were about fourteen dental-type businesses, several doctors who specialize in types of senior medical needs, and three medical labs. Nope, there’s no reason strong enough for me to be in the midst of that the next week.
Today i called the dental office to postpone my cleaning and filling replacement. The gal tried to convince me to still come in Thursday. Nope! The middle of June is the first available time slot long enough. Fine with me. Within in an hour or so, the office sent out an email explaining how extra sterile their procedures are… they should still be that wonderfully sterile in June, or August, or so.
Judy Laquidara says
I did hear a doctor on TV recommending cancelling all routine appointments, including dental appointments. Vince has an appointment to get a wisdom tooth extracted soon and he just cancelled that.
Helen B says
These truly are troubling times, Judy. Here in Ohio, our Governor DeWine has done a great job at closing schools, restaurants (they are permitted to do carry out, but the dining rooms are closed), bowling alleys, recreation centers, gyms, indoor water parks, trampoline parks and probably a lot of other places that I can’t think about. He has said that if you have little ones in day care centers, try to make other arrangements for them as soon as possible as he is going to need to close them, too.
Every Monday evening, my siblings and their spouses go to dinner. Tonight we are going to my sister and brother-in-law’s home. We are picking up pizza, my sister is making salad and soup and we have a pie to take. I guess this will be happening in each other’s homes for a while. It’s not bad staying in, but it’s scary to not know how things will be for our nation and world once this virus is wiped out.
We have now become the elderly that folks look in on! We have some younger friends (our daughters’ age) and they don’t live too far from us. I just got a text from them asking how we were doing and if we need anything. I have to laugh, as I don’t feel elderly, but I just turned 70 and Rick is now 75. Time flies.
I had to laugh a little at your packages that come to your house and your spraying them with bleach and letting them sit out in the sun. I sure hope you’re not ordering ice cream!!
Take care of yourselves.
Much love from Kent, Ohio
Linda B says
I completely agree with you, Judy. This is a very scary time for the whole world. I got a few packages the other day. Hadn’t opened them yet, just sitting in a corner of the front entry. My husband asked me this morning if the packages are in quarantine. I told him yes they are.
Liz says
I have a few packages coming but hadn’t thought about quarantining them. Hmm…
I avoided the craziness this weekend but ventured out this afternoon. CVS – lots of stuff, no waiting, note on the door about being a possible drive thru testing site. The one frustrating point is that I discovered that my cvs thermometer had a dead battery – no battery until Friday and no extra thermometer in the store. But, everyone I encountered were nice and we joked about bumping into each other.
Cruised over to a Neighborhood Market (Walmart) – busy, but not crazy. The fresh stuff was good and well stocked. Meats were ok – I found some lamb and pork tenderloins which will go into the freezer. The inner aisles were pretty thin. But, that was not the stuff I wanted or needed. But, people were helping everyone. I was reaching up trying to find some yeast. A lady told her husband to get the jar for me. We all laughed when I thanked them for helping a shortie.
In the cleaning goods aisle, no bleach but someone was looking at a container of bleach tablets and asked if I ever used them.. We looked at the details and decided that getting a container was a good deal for a backup plan. $3 for 32 tabs which make 32 gallons of bleach. That was a no brainer. Once I finish up the current gallon of bleach, I’ll try the tabs and stash the extra in the old jug. Recycle!
I noticed that Walmart was still doing the online shopping with pickup. So I need to write the list of common things to be prepared. I might need it in the future.
Liz says
OK – my physician is having a hard time this week – she is on vacation with her children but she is worried about those she left in OKC. But, we talk via email…. I sent her a couple links about zinc and quinine being useful in dealing with Covid-19. She sent this out to her patients….
“So, there are some compelling studies regarding zinc disrupting viral replication. The caveat is that these are mostly petri dish studies. There are old-time physicians who do “prescribe” zinc at the first sign of colds and patients who swear it works. Below is one of the recommendations:
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At the first sign of symptoms:
-Take ZINC GLUCONATE (best tolerated/absorbed orally) – comes in 30mg/50mg tablets
-Take 2 tabs every 1 – 2 hours as tolerated with a bite of food (side effect is nausea)
-Objective is to get about 200mg per day
So – basically – you take Zinc Gluconate 50mg: 2 tabs twice per day at the first sign of symptoms. You take that through symptoms and up to 1- 2 days afterwards. The goal is to take it EARLY at the very first sign of symptoms or the very suspicion of exposure to disruption viral replication.
Zinc has been known to disrupt viral replication in HSV, rhinovirus, HIV, vaccinia virus, polio virus and corona virus in the petri dish. Zinc toxicity is rare but if you are only taking it when you are having viral symptoms, shouldn’t happen – and it is usually gastrointestinal distress.”
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Talk with your doctor about this option as a backup. This is very important – everyone is different.
You may be taking some meds which are not compatible with taking zinc. My doctor was not telling us to do this – it’s just an option. I got the zinc at CVS where it was BOGO, so 200 tabs for $6.00. I now have a supply, but I’ll certainly email/call my doctor if I am feeling iffy so she can ok the use. But,we also have to be aware that our doctors may get sick or need to tend to family members. A backup plan is always good.
Judy – you may delete this if you do not like the information…..My doctor also mentioned that she takes elderberry that has extra zinc and something else. So, she does follow what she suggests to patients.
Judy Laquidara says
Great info, Liz. Thanks for sharing. That’s our plan and we have the Zinc with Gluconate in our “war chest”.
Liz says
A final thought for the evening – my doctor is planning to switch to video consultation as well as doing the phone calls and emails. So she asked for help from her hi-tech savvy patients for the wide variety of apps, watches, etc. I sent her an email about the low-tech options.
“The low tech idea – a journal. Each day, I can record my temp (3 times per day) in order to check the baseline temp. I can also record my BP, pulse, O2.
Perhaps I can also record how I am feeling (physically & mentally) on a scale of 1-10. And, I’ll note where I have been – indoors, walking to get some exercise & sun, what stores, etc. I’m including the traveling so I don’t have to remember where I’ve been. But, they may stop doing contact tracking if it goes too wild. And, I could also record weight and what I am eating (to get me back on W30).
Then, if I start feeling bad, I can summarize the trend in an email or on a spreadsheet to send. Or, I can just take the journal to the ER.
You may want to suggest a car kit – Kleenex, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, hand lotion, plastic gloves, plastic bags. If one goes out, then you can clean hands and then toss the wipes in the bag and then it goes to the trash when you leave the car. I still take the newspaper and they always have plastic sleeves on them. I’ll save them for a small trash bag.”
The doc liked the ideas and will use them in a future email. I ended up ordering a pulse oximeter. 97% O2 is good. Your doctor can tell you what % is cause for a ER visit. From what I’ve read, the virus can cause major symptoms or very minor symptoms. The fever spike may be short lived. Keeping a journal of how you are feeling may help the doctors. Remember, your doctor may become sick so be prepared to talk with someone
else.
danielle says
Talked to our oldest daughter last night. She and her husband are both police officers. They are talking about possibly having to go 12 hrs on/12hrs off which will mess up their child care. And her MIL is in her 80’s and has hx of hodgekin’s. Usually we would step in and help with child care. She could bring the boys here but their dog kennel is closed so nowhere to put the dogs. But I don’t know in this day and age. Worse case scenario husband will go up there and I will stay here.