{ Staying in and plodding along }

Hello everyone, how are you all doing in your little corners of the world?

Are you self isolating, under quarantine, feeling ok with what is going on or beside yourself with worry?

I have family in friends, spread out all over the world, and there seems to be a bit of a mixture of feelings going on.  Some are feeling extremely anxious and worried.  Some are apprehensive but trying to keep things as normal as possible, and a very few think it's all being too much and exaggerated.

Me?

I am a Christian and while I am aware and staying informed, I am also calm and trusting that God has this battle under control.  I'm not wishing and praying that I don't get the virus, but simply asking God to let whatever is meant to happen, happen.

In the meantime, we are self isolating as much as possible, considering that our area has had no infections or suspected infections at all, so business continues as usual.  Both Curt and Jasmine are still working full time, although Jasmine's work has cut down their store hours.

Isolating for us, means Nick and I stay put, unless I'm getting in my car to drive Jasmine to work and pick up, which means a lot of hand sanitizing on car doors and before she steps into the car and after as well.

Weekends are spent inside, there are no trips downtown, no going to the stores just to look around and definitely no fast food at all.  I don't know why but I'm even more put off by drive thrus at the moment, rather fix my food at home and know exactly that it is clean and no chance of contamination.

For me as a homebody, this means spending a lot of time indoors where I am most happier.  I've finished two books, have caught up on some shows, have been pottering around the house, baking and cooking and so on.

Nick's school has been closed until April 6th, and though the kids are not expected to do any work, the lessons are still available for them.  We are choosing to go ahead and push through with as much work as we can, of course taking days off here and there too.  Would rather stay ahead and not fall too behind, right before the end of the school year.

We've also had an abundance of rain the past week and a half and more on the way.

Curt and I have gone to the store and bought a few things, but I'm keeping it very simple and not overdoing it.  We got some toilet paper, just small packs as that was all that we could find, and then a few staples that will help with filling, easy meals should the need arise.

As I mentioned above, we are not under quarantine yet but we are doing our best to prepare for whatever may come our way.

Along with doing more indoor activities, I have also been outside on the property, with my camera in hand, just walking around, watching Spring coming to life.

This little one has been building a nest on one of my hanging planters.  I couldn't understand what he was doing in there are first, then saw him with a twig or whatever it was in his beak.

We are all in a state of limbo but I truly believe that this is happening for a reason, to bring us all together, to make people stop, to relax, to spend more time with their families.

To stop and smell the flowers, literally, take walks in the woods or even just spend time out in the backyard.

I've found a renewed love for photographing the birds in my yard, and get especially giddy when the red cardinals come around.  I have quite a few around my house.

The time I also didn't seem to ever have, for reading, has been reclaimed and I've finished two books the past 2 weeks.

The Light Changes Everything, which was amazing, as always.  Just love Nancy E. Turner.

Also received, and read within an hour, one of my Paperbackswap books, Rutka's Notebook.

Oh my word, I don't even know what to say.  It was very short, just a few pages of Rutka's journal entries between January and April of 1943.  How a 14 year old girl living in the Bedzin Ghetto in Poland, felt about the atrocities she witnessed inflicted on her Jewish community, while still trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and talking about boys and who she liked and friend troubles and the usual things a teenager focuses on.

It is worth a read and definitely worth a watch, if you have the time.

The book is Rutka's Notebook, and you can watch a fantastic documentary on it, on Youtube here.

I have one more review book that I've finished and am just waiting for the date to review, and then I have all my Carolly Erickson Henry VIII series books that came in from Paperbackswap.  So excited to read those, and am starting the first today:

 

In the meantime, I am so taking time to rearrange, organize and go through some boxes.  As I was cleaning, I came across this picture frame with our photos from our trip to Tombstone in 2011.  What wonderful memories from that trip, I hope we're able to return one day.

My laptop battery is starting to die, so I need to get this plugged in and charging.  I'm going to head to the kitchen, check on tonight's dinner which is in the slow cooker.  I am making Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

I also made my Irish Soda Bread with Raisins, the recipe is on the food blog if you want to try.  It's so good, I try to make it at least once a year, around St. Patrick's Day.

Well friends, I hope you all stay well, stay indoors as much as you can and that you hold fast to the Lord's hand.  He will see us through these uncertain times.

In the meantime, now is the perfect time to get back onto blogging, maybe share our daily activities during these imposed quarantines.  May just be the revival of blogging again, wouldn't that be wonderful?