Wednesday Writing

[Ramblinrose]

Back from running errands. After 10 weeks I finally was able to buy flour... what’s up with that??? Guess people were afraid they might need to start making bread when the virus hit. There weren’t many people in the store and neither Sweetie or I wore a mask.

I have weird feet and I learned long ago that fresh shoes were a must. When I find a pair that fit I’ve been known to buy two... one black, one white in the summer and one black and one brown in the winter. Plus I usually put ortho pads in my shoes. For me that’s what makes a difference so once I feel the shoe is beginning to wear, I replace the inner sole.

The inner pads in my athletic shoes wear out much faster than the shoe itself, so after 4-6 months of wearing them to the gym and my walking, I change them.

Bought a cooked chicken while at the store so that plus some rice and steamed veggies will be dinner. Still need to fold some more laundry so I guess that’s next.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Rosie: We had multiple reasons for no flour. First all the warehoused flour sold out because of the breadmaking and baking that people anticipated doing. By March 13 it was sold out almost everywhere. Secondly, in February, the indigenous people blockaded our rail lines in Canada and stopped the movement of grain to the processors and shippers for that going overseas. So the flour mills had no grain to produce more flour. Finally, once they had milled more flour, the demand was so much for flour that the mills ran out of sacks to put it in! They ended up using plain brown ones, instead of their recognizable packaging.

I'm not sure if your flour is milled here, or milled in the US but from Canadian grain, but if either is true, that's why you have shortages still.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Family dinner went well. Ds was able to join us and ended up eating on the back deck so the dog could have some freedom before being locked up for the night. He's on an overnight shift.

After dinner, we called back to the grands and did music with them for a bit.

Then I picked out 10 tunes for our next song-set. That isn't until the 25th but there are 4 tunes we don't know so we need time to learn them.

I still have to finish tidying the kitchen but it is about 75% done.

[Harriet]

lucylee, how long did the gastroenterologist want you to continue taking the fiber supplement? If your goal is to cut down the amount of supplementation you are doing, that might be one you could quit. Add fibrous natural foods that you like until you find that they have taken the supplement's place. Fiber supplements often need to be taken more than once a day and not with certain foods, etc., so more complicated than other supplements.

A new game - a mine craft one - is delayed for release because of the virus and other situations, but it's what DangerBoy really wanted for his birthday. So I sent him a rather deep paleontology book he also wants along with one I think he would like about Mary Anning herself. The note will tell him we hope to send the game in about 10 more days. Dd40 thinks I spoil him, but I remember what it was like to have to wait for something fun to happen.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dh and I walked to the grocery store. It was 8:30 at night so was almost empty. We bought as much as we could carry home. To be exact, dh carried all of it except a large bag of chips since I was being mindful of my back.

I used the self checkout so as I came in I was making not of everything I touched until I washed my hands. Then I wiped down my phone (because I used it in the store) and dh did his keyboard because he forgot and checked email first. As my girlfriend (a nurse) said today, you can touch spit from a Covid patient but once you wash your hands, you are Covid free. You just have to be aware of what you are touching before handwashing. In my case, the risk was low but still I'm much more aware of it now than usual.

The best part was we headed for a walk, then I asked if we could go get the pickles (thanks for the reminder, Cathy!) and dh went back up to get the backpack. We started walking and I said, "I don't have a mask" and he said, "yes, you do." He remembered to pick up both our masks before coming. I'm so glad he's come around on the masks and is thinking about it enough to remember to bring them when it was a spontaneous idea.

Mask usage in the store was low, probably only 20% which was disappointing.

[Harmony]

People are getting tired of wearing the masks. I was annoyed at the hot breath and foggy glasses, but I wore it.

Dinner was great for a change. Kitchen cleanup was a bunch of work, ran dishwasher and emptied. DH helped a little, took garbage out, and mentioned twice that dinner was good. It makes such a difference to be appreciated.

I'm sure that was part of my problem around here. For some reason I was just burned out with all the work I've been doing...that plus not being able to get out to do anything stress-relieving. And I guess the feeling that all this work is expected. I have to retrain the husband.