Trying to find our way through the pandemic

23 April 2020

R. Linda:

983

Life on the frontier be a challenge. We might as well be hewing logs and building our own shelter. The kiddos (just for a distraction) have set up outdoor tents in the living room and slept in there for a lark. What be so appealing about sleeping on the floor instead of a nice comfy bed was lost on me until I discovered it was TV all night long. 

We have made our own bread (see below), and have an order in at the farm store for chickens so we will have our own eggs and chicken meat, Mam volunteered to wield the axe. The kiddos are learning the way to hold one's nose and swallow powdered milk, and basically how to be unsociable and perfect the art of the pugilists. 

Mam's homemade honey white bread

Arguing and emotional fits have taken us to new heights in the psychology department. As well as me trying to instruct three different age groups in mathematics that I do not recognise. Even the teacher among us finds it hard to teach her own kiddos without patience creeping off into a corner as she tries to fend off frustration. 

This begs the question of how we are going to get through this long haul before one of us locks ourselves in a room, or decides to leave home, or which one of us will be the first to end up in a psych unit.

There be no sign of other life but we seem to be on our own little planet. No, no waving to neighbours (because we can’t see them, everyone lives on at least 5 or more acres with woods in-between). There are no Amazon trucks tooling down the driveway, and no family visiting, it is like living on the moon, because we are in a way and in our minds, the last people on earth. 

All is silent outside, only the wind in the trees, happy birds chirping, no traffic (which we don’t have much of and don’t hear anyway), no sounds of neighbours out and about, just us and nature. No barking now that the dog died and Mam is convinced she died from the virus. I have to wonder because it was sudden. 

Tonya’s sister-in-law in New Jersey has the virus. She had a high fever, went to hospital, it broke, and she was sent home. Two days later she was confused, couldn’t walk, was very tired, slurred her speech and ended up in hospital again, this time testing positive, for pneumonia and stroke. Luckily the stroke was recoverable, but a day later she was sent home. A fellow teacher of Tonya’s in Massachusetts was found unconscious on the floor in her kitchen. She was put on oxygen and tested positive. She was sent home the same day she came off the oxygen to recover.

The virus thus, for us, be very real. So far the only one in the family to be tested was Tonya. Turns out she may have had norovirus (see her covid19 test below). She’s fine now, so we’ve had our scare and can’t think where she would catch norovirus but at the post office, her one and only trip out. There she was masked and gloved as suggested and there was an old geezer in shorts on a cool day, looking like he just got off a cruise ship (maybe he did), and instead of social distancing, he fills out whatever form it was he was filling out, and instead of going behind Tonya, crosses in front of her, hits her elbow as he passes and stands right behind her. She got testy and said, “OH GEEZ!” and he looked insulted but did not step back. There are those among us . . . 

THE test

The youngest (thanks to the oldest) has FaceTime or Skype set up with of all people — the Weasil. If I had known I’d have made sure THAT didn’t happen. But the youngest be having trouble with his spelling (and to be honest I think the words are too big for Kindergarten) so, the oldest who does have a running commentary with Uncle Weaz told him of this problem and Uncle Weaz offered his services. So now the child is spelling the word SURE like Weasil spells it SHURE! WHEN is WEN, and WHAT is WOT, and then there be all the British ‘U’s that are inserted in words that do well in Britain, but not here. If that was done here, damn I could have taught him. As if teaching wasn’t bad enough now we have to reteach, and of course, we don't teach as "funner" as Uncle Weaz and get yelled at by the wee one for being too serious. Oi!

With so much together time, the oldest used to like getting out for walks with the late crazy setter and the "woof, woof", he misses in greeting every morning. So we have had the sad demeanour going and honestly, I was feeling good about not being jumped by said setter every time she saw me, but I do miss her. I don't want another setter EVER. I recently was having computer problems and saw a follower of mine had emailed me, so on the off chance he was still online I emailed him quickly and he was still there. We set up IMs and in the small talk, after he helped with me computer woe, I told him of the demise of me boy's best friend. He told me his dog be having puppies in late summer and he'd give us one in September when they will be ready for new homes. The eldest was very pleased to know this. Of course, I haven't broken the news that we aren't getting a hyperactive crazy setter but a mellow, gentle collie! Yes-ah, Lassie.

I have consoled meself in this way:

R. Linda, I know you will get the joke!

And I do understand we all need some space, but I find like me wife, even when I think I be alone, I'm not. Just last week I was running down the centre line of a road not far away, in the very early morn, when I had a large truck (which be not allowed by the by) bearing down on me. The driver thought he could save time by taking unpatrolled backroads and there was ME taking a jog. We talked a wee bit from a safe distance, but just when one be alone with their thoughts and the quiet and beauty of nature, one be interrupted by big trucks!

The last run

Gabe

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