It’s depressingly quiet out there. Very little traffic on the main roads and highways, a restaurant with only three tables in it last night, empty school grounds, and all events cancelled. Including the craft markets, which are my main source of income. Fun times.
I have no time for people who panic and, even if I was selfish enough to want to stockpile toilet paper and tins of sweetcorn, I wouldn’t have room for it all – my fabric and sewing stuff will always have priority. The regulations in South Africa about what to do and not do are very clear, and are in line with international best practice. If everyone accepts them for the time being, that’s the best we can hope for right now. I also have no time for conspiracy mongers or prophets of doom.
Talking about doom….I spotted these in the gift section of my local nursery last week. Rather ironic and incongruous items to have displayed on the shelves, I thought. And no, they didn’t come home with me.
Take care, everyone. And if you feel like watching President Cyril Ramaphosa demonstrate the elbow greeting, have a squizz here or here.
Nice piece of work 
Sad times indeed. Maybe visit KM for a while, we could sew and chat together.
A little trip would be wonderful, hopefully sooner rather than later
Difficult days indeed. I noticed how quiet it was here yesterday. The school opposite shut on Wednesday night- no bells, doors closing, children playing, no smell from the school dinners, no cars on the roads, one lawnmower briefly, just the birds and the frogs going about their Spring business. I hope all these measures work and enable the human race to heal.
When I said good bye to my fellow library volunteers on Monday we did the elbow bump.
I can’t say I mind the peace and quiet ;)
I’m dying to emulate President Ramaphosa and bump elbows, but so far I haven’t been far enough from the house to meet anyone bumpworthy! I know it’s Saturday today, but it does strike me that the uproar of line trimmers and lawnmowers is somewhat greater than usual. I think the front and backyards around here are going to reap the benefit of everyone staying home… Stay well, Jill. One day soon, all of this is going to be over. It’ll be interesting to see how much of our everyday life has changed for good.
Certain changes to everyday life may well be welcome, but I think the overall damage to the world’s economy is going to be phenomenally horrendous . (I know that makes me sound very knowledgeable about these things, which I certainly am not).
Vulnerable communities are at dreadful risk, as well.
A tricky time for you; at least I suppose you can build up your stock. I am at home and it is normally fairly quiet where I live so I haven’t noticed much difference.
Hope you can manage ok without your craft markets. Are you selling online?
Here, whilst the world seems to be acting bonkers, it’s pretty normal – I always work from home anyway and I always have plenty of supplies in because I hate going shopping, so always buy in bulk. Jon is around, which is unusual, but fortunately we like each other, so that’s ok. The dogs think it’s heaven because they are getting so much attention.
Anyway, take care and enjoy your sewing time.
Thanks, Jan. Online sales form a very small part of my business – postage costs from South Africa are exorbitant :( But we’ll make a plan…. Take care.
Oh, I hope you manage to cope ok x
This whole thing makes me sad and anxious. But I’m not going to let it keep me from enjoying my crochet and creating. I wish you well and I know this whole thing will be over soon. Love and Hugs, Tamara
I’m sure you’re right, and maybe I should look at it as a time to change tactics and/or come up with new ideas. xxx
Oh goodness, Jill! I was thinking about you this week and wondered how this was affecting you. It’s hurting so many independent workers. The little guys get hurt the most. I’ll keep hoping you find a resolution and a way to get through. Keep us posted.
Thanks, Marlene, will do. I work with an NGO (privately run charity) in town and will be going through today with masses of donations of soap and take-away containers that neighbours have dropped off at my house over the weekend. The homeless are in an extremely precarious situation, for obvious reasons. They will need to find a way of providing food on a daily basis to fast-increasing numbers of adults and children who are hungry, so I’ll do what I can to help (although it’s hardly anything right now).
And YOU take care xxx
Hi, Jill; so good to hear from you again. I’m sorry that this situation is impacting you, but of course that’s true for so many around the world. I expect you are taking good care of yourself and getting in lots of creative time.
I was so pleased to see here that some people deliberately bought up tonnes of things like toilet paper, then turned around and donated to care homes, elders living on their own and so on . . . Don’t know if you’ve heard the term yet, but it’s increasingly being called “CareMongering”, which I love.
I haven’t posted for months, due to plenty of changes in my own life. I’ve moved back to Edmonton, Alberta, where I lived with my Mum and (part-time toward the end of her life) one of Mum’s older sisters. I’m now staying with my youngest sister and her family and for the most part it’s working out ok. I still plan to return to BC, of course, as that will always be ‘home’. So still looking for a place, hopefully something small and run-down that I could buy. We’ll see . . .
I was so glad to see you beginning to post again. I know that was a very hard time for you and was glad you took time for yourself, even though I missed your posts.
I am so grateful for the internet just now; I can watch films on netflix (I’m mostly in the basement, where I sleep and there’s a large flat-screen tv right by the futon bed), or email family and friends.
You know, I grew up in the country over 60 years ago (am almost 74 now). For my first years, we lived in small shacks built by my Dad, his father and one of his brothers. One room shacks, even when we had four kids and another on the way! No electricity, no running water, no laundry, a wood-burning stove for cooking and heat (and heating water for laundry and baths once a week), no indoor toilet, and so on . . .
As a young adult, I and my own family mostly lived in much the same way, sometimes in a one-room shack, for a few years in a hand-built squared log house, and so on. I was lucky to have the skills I did, really.
I had a great preparation for these times and I’ve always been so grateful that I was born when I was and into that family. We were always prepared for hard times; saving things, mending things, you know how it is, I’m sure. And food on hand for preparing basic meals, too. I’ve been beyond lucky, in spite of having lived through my share of challenges.
Anyway, here I am in a totally different situation, but managing ok. I hope you are managing well, also.
Take care of yourself, Jill. I think the world is going to come out ahead after this is over, and that we (collectively) shall have learned more about what’s really important in life.
Much Love and Light to you,
Linne
(A Random Harvest blog)
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Hi Linne, will reply privately xx
Tough times 🙈
Yes, very. Hope you are doing okay, wherever you are? :)
I’m fine, thanks for asking. Hope you are too! 💖