WE HAVE FLOUR
Saturday morning – I simply do not understand why there is a run on flour – it started way before the Shelter at Home order. Are all these people baking?
They must be I suppose.
But how does a big company like Bob’s Mill who say they mill local wheat – how do they run out of flour so fast and we have not. They are a huge conglomerate- with massive mills and I would imagine a huge supply of wheat. America grows lots of wheat. In fact America grows lots of food – the virus has not affected that – so what is going on.
At Janie’s Mill we turn out freshly milled flour every day. We have flour. There is a space for notes in your order form so do tell me it is you so I can expedite your order.
We are running out of everything but we are getting flour out. Tape. Boxes. Bags. All on back order but we stream along!
Anyway – as you can see my time is consumed by the mill. I have a huge retail order to bag and box and get out today then tomorrow I hope to have my first Sunday off in ages. I don’t even know how long it has been since I had a day off.
I will start late today so I hope to take some photos for you before I go in. Maybe I will get some dough started and bake tonight. Though the sooner I go in to work the sooner I will be back. One of my families is holed up at a beach in New Zealand 
Sunday: Are you all safe in your houses? Tell me how you are doing – talk amongst yourselves until I am done. I want to know from as many countries as possible so we can all get a big view. Everyone on lock down dims the big picture.
This picture is from my son in Canada. He said since the ski fields are closed and the people were forced to stay away – the animals are out in droves. I feel awful that I cannot get to my children if I need to.
In NZ, anyone coming into the country must self isolate for 14 days, plus NZ is on full lock down now – the borders are closed. And the plane journey would be deadly. That knowledge is making me fractious and anxious. I can go home but I choose not to, in case I bring illness to my families.
Best to stay in my own mill to home to mill bubble. We really cannot be complacent. 
Tuesday evening : Take care now – chin up – hold the line. This is new territory for us all.
We shipped 217 boxes today. A new record!
Wednesday morning already? I fell asleep last night with you on my hand.
Good morning!
Talk amongst yourselves- I will be back in a few hours I hope!
Lots of love
Cecilia
86 Comments on “WE HAVE FLOUR”
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As I sit here in London (England) bored to my back teeth maybe I should envy your busyness and sense of purpose. At the moment my only purpose in life seems to be not to get ill and put a strain on the health service. Oh dear, that sounds rather gloomy but really, I’m OK. Freezer and kitchen cupboards stocked to bursting, TV with plenty of channels, and internet. Video calls have to replace actual physical contact.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Caz – what would we do without the internet!
i think people are stocking up with the essentials for the long haul. as a kindy teacher, i can tell you that parents are also buying lots of flour for art projects/playdough –
Oh no! I never thought of play dough ! Evening Eth!
I suspect that some people are hoarding flour who have never baked a loaf or cooked a cake in their lives, in case they are forced to learn how to do so when they’ve run out of other food! It’s very annoying for those of us who always cook things from scratch. I can’t eat shop-bought bread, as most of it has soya flour in it, which I can’t eat.
I hate shop bought flour! I never realized it had soya in it! Take care Sarah!
Here in the Carolinas, we are either under shelter in place orders, or all non-essential businesses have closed, depending on the state. For us on the farm, life proceeds much as usual with chores and projects. Perhaps we were isolated before all this? Never have I been more grateful for a work from home job and land to roam after work though.
Everyone, now is as good a time as any to start indoor plants or get garden seeds ready.
Also grateful to have land to roam in, in Normandy in France. The whole country is in lockdown, but we breed horses, and the mares are still foaling, keeping us really busy. We just haven’t been anywhere, and not seeing friends etc. No shortages of food here, and most things can be delivered. Missing my children and grandchildren in Greece, but they’re safe, so that’s ok. Thank god for FaceTime! Strange days indeed….
It is true that those of us who farm are much more accustomed to staying round home. And I agree about getting the gardens in this year!
Greetings from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Trying my hand at baking beyond bread with the likes of croissants and brioche. Great time to learn new to me skills. Just wish I had family around to help me enjoy these lovely creations.
Take Care All!
Brioche!!! Yum. And – yes – that’s the thing with baking – you need so end to help you eat it!
Hello from tropical north Queensland. I can buy fresh food (except eggs) but not store cupboard items like flour and sugar and pasta and rice. Never mind. I have a few kilos of bread flour, some pasta flour, some self-raising cake flour, so I can carry on baking if I want to. I’m self-isolating because my post-chemo immune system is not very robust and I get every chest infection going. It’s not very different at all from my daily life, except that I don’t just nip out for some thread, or a haircut, or coffee with a friend, and most of my limited social life is now conducted on Skype, FaceTime and Zoom! So, everyone, S3: Stay home, stay safe, stay well.
Yes! Plus you have so many colorful projects on the go!
Morning, here in north central Ontario isolation is a way of life. No one is frantic yet but somewhat worried about the upcoming spring and summer season. We are in cottage country and rely heavily on just two months of the year to make a living. I’m fine at my bakery although it is very quiet and I’ve done little baking. It’s been a strange year for me even without this emergency and now my place is sold and I’m preparing to move onto a new adventure. The new young couple that have bought the place are going to do something interesting; establishing a center for birds of prey : http://theeyrie.ca
I continue to experiment with youtube videos as Bakerpete and hope to document what I do over the next couple of years. I will establish a new bakery but it will likely be a couple of years before I open; have to build a place first. I’ll be fine, I’m more worried about my son and his girlfriend, they live in Toronto. They both have somewhat compromised health, he has asthma, but they are sheltered in place and have money to keep them going for a while. Still, they both work as stage technicians and there’s no events happening for the foreseeable future. Stay safe everyone and I hope this emergency has some permanent good changes like relocalization.
You have wonderful plans!!and like some of the rest of us being a little remote anyway makes it easier.
People are also buying up baby chicks too and planting seeds! We wanted new chicks this year and the clerk told me that they are gone the first hour they come in! I was very shocked. And I thought the same thing about the flour, the people who don’t know how to cook must be buying up all the meat and flour. But probably storing it not actually using it.
I forgot to say, I work part-time at Walmart, which is now considered a dangerous job. And can you post a link to your mill? Thanks!
Never mind I see the link….
Glad you found us. I am worried about the sheer volume of what people are buying / our flour needs to be stored cold – if it is warm for too long it will go off – that’s why I advise people to only buy what they can fit in the fridge.
Hi from Midcoast Maine! Being retired, our lives have been impacted most by not being able to have our grandson visit and have overnights, but Facetime and Zoom are helping us along! Missing friends and worrying about family who are working in hot spots. Cooking, baking, spinning and knitting are keeping me busy as usual. As Sourwood Hill noted, we are very grateful for lots of land to roam and help keep us sane.
Plus as well as being able to get outside we all have lots of food! No need to to the shops.
Here in Chicago the streets are very quiet and it happened so quickly I am sure most of us did not prepare like we might have for a blizzard with the necessary supplies. The fear of not knowing how long this would last sent many running to the store. Also the idea that we many not have any income for an unknown time created some binge buying. Recently at the store I noticed the bread aisle still had lots of product, the baking supplies aisle was empty of all but some spices. Much of it must be all the small children now home with very little to do, so it becomes those projects put on the back burner until we have time and now is the time. Here come those Christmas cookies we did not make this year. Best wishes to all of you and remember to wash your hands always.
It is lovely to think about lots of children baking!
The Isle of Man, has closed it Boprder. The last passengers arrived on the
night ferry from Heysham, Lancster ,last Friday. Only passengers allowed now
require must hold an authorisation issued by the Chief Secretary to confirm that
the passenger is a person who is required to perform specific essential work on the Isle of Man.
Wow. That should do it!
Washington state, what was once the epicenter of the outbreak in the USA. I feel we have fallen into a rhythm at this point, although too many people are still choosing to ignore the isolation and stay at home orders. I work in healthcare. It is just as bad as you read or see on the news and policies change from day to day because no one was prepared for this.
Take care Miss C, and everyone around the world who reads this.
💚
Working in healthcare is a dangerous job now – you take care too!
I’m from Southern Ontario Canada, an hour from Toronto. There is not an egg, let alone flour at our local supermarket. Like most, we are in lockdown.
I worry about my son who is a doctor in a big hospital in Brisbane and his wife a pharmacist. They are certainly in the front lines. He reassures he takes all the necessary precautions but you know moms.
I do know Moms. I totally get that. I hate being so far from my children at this time .
I saw a story about an army of ducks used for pest control in a vineyard – that I thought you might like it.
I saw that story before…very interesting…also is the fact that they have geese in the role of duck protector. I have a goose and she seems to protect my chickens as well.
Geese have traditionally be used as guards, being an alternative to or in conjunction with dogs. Some drakes can be a pretty good burglar alarm too!
Geese scare me ! They are so big. I love that duck story – I want that many ducks !
I could just see them all out in your fields!
Hi Celi, Toronto here, also in lock down. Tomorrow or the next day we shall hear of more essential services being closed. I hope it’s not the LCBO! We try to shop only every two weeks but I couldn’t get eggs last week so we will try again tomorrow. I took the last flour from the shelves. Other than that, they are restocking every day.
The best thing we’ve done is had some virtual video cocktail parties, helps make things feel normal. Take care of yourself and John. Thinking of you. XOXO
I’ve just been to my local supermarket, where you have to stand in the queue 6ft apart, then it’s one out then one in, so it’s nice inside, everyone can keep their distance. I’m just going once a week. I haven’t seen my daughters or grandchildren for about 3 weeks now even though I’m lucky they all live near. So yes we are using Zoom. Tomorrow though will be different, as I have to look after my eldest daughters little girl, as my daughter is going in for a C section tomorrow. Her partner is only allowed in for the operation, then he has to leave. So my babysitting duties will not be for long, hopefully.
The plus side to this is the quiet, it’s quite noisy where we are, we are near the M25 and Heathrow, so the lack of traffic and planes is a big bonus! Silver lining. Keep safe everyone.
My husband had to go to the store a few days ago and admitted that it was quite possibly the nicest grocery shopping experience of his life (minus the mask and gloves.) It was quiet, the store had never been cleaner, and while some odd items were missing from the shelves, we’re fortunate to have a strong local grocery chain in Texas that is keeping most everything stocked and ready.
Best of luck to your daughter and family tomorrow!
The lack of traffic will make a world wide impact on our air quality- funny really when you think about it.
Yes I think it will make people think, especially round here. I hope so anyway. The extra Heathrow runway has been binned. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Thank you so much. Keep well.
Hi all, here in rural North Central Arkansas things are pretty much normal, but restaurants and nonessential businesses are mostly closed. We have an older population here and many are staying home. My hubby and I are fortunate to have a small farm and some forested land to roam. Our emphasis has been our garden for the last month, and it is 3/4s planted. So that’s exciting. Lots to do and we are accomplishing much now that we are self isolating. Sending well wishes out to the Fellowship of the Farmy!!!
I actually long to self isolate but it feels good to get flour out to people too. Then I read about people staying home to bake and do their gardens and I want to do that so much! And feel safe.
So good to hear/see from you. (The Canada image looks like the reports from family in CO – with the tourist gone, the world belongs to the wild ones)
Here on the TX gulf coast in our small town between city by sea and the mega metro we had a heat wave (95F), then now a cool-ish front so the weather is back to normal and nice now for dog walks. Dog walkers are social distancing and waving at a distance, but the dogs are tired of being indoors, missing socialization and desperate – they have started sitting down when they spot a dog friend and refusing to move…bad when in the middle of the street. But we are fine so far – staying in with curb pick up groceries. (People are baking more now – maybe this is one good thing – people will rediscover cooking real foods and eating with family. Eggs are the big shortage here.) We have 46 confirmed cases in our little town ( but commuters travel both directions, so not closely isolated. Over 1200 cases in the big city – several nursing homes have been hit badly despite their precautions. This stuff is airborne, stay 23+ feet apart if possible – that is the infection/sneeze travel zone, wash hand and don’t touch stuff and stay away from people period if you can. ).
My niece who is a nurse in CO mts resort area ( tourists gone except the ones in ICU) was sick early on (caught from ski tourists) has recovered and says the ski town is eerie but beautiful now. Thankfully my daughter is home with her newborn daughter (the hospital felt scary and dangerous) and is on leave luckily – she’s a doctor and very worried. Her med school friends now docs are sending the most horrifying reports – on is in Northern Italy and as sending alerts to his friend in the US in January. People are not taking this seriously.
I have to go outside in our little yard – been pulling weeds – I NEVER pull grass weeds, but it’s mindless and productive-ish HAHA
Take care, Ci. Will keep you and yours in our thoughts and prayers
I have started pulling grass weeds myself. I’ve deemed it “Playing Godzilla “ to entice my young children to help. It is lovely how mindless it is.
Godzilla – that’s perfect Thanks for the laugh
(And reminds me of the natural science museum guy dressed up in one of those T-Rex suits going through the museum exhibits and giving “lessons” on line. Gotta find reasons to smile!)
John refuses to take it seriously and is a bit of a liability actually. So I try to keep my distance from him as well as others at work – we talk from corners of the rooms keeping our distance.
Ignorance is bliss? So often people don’t see until it actually touches their lives. Our friend in Dallas, infectious diseases expert/dr. in mid Jan. said she thought the media was overblowing the whole thing…two weeks later it was OMG – “get ready, it’s coming. Prepare to isolate (As we are older).” Currently she is dealing with patients of several other nasty infectious ( people forget there are others present diseases) and she has no masks, gloves, protective gear.
Use the “6 foot – 6 second rule
“: If you have to get within 6 feet range of someone – like to pay for food or something – try to get back within 6 seconds. 25 feet away is the distance for safety from coughs, breathing, simply talking. …this is airborne and it survives too long on surfaces.
But the good thing is outdoors is much safer!
The world has a changed. A very sci-fi feel now….that pioneer spirit always helped the characters of Sci-fi manage to find a way in those shows, right?
(51 cases today in our little town. If we can make it through the next 2-3 weeks…mabe. And now they admit masks should be worn…Much was known in Jan yet “softer” information was given to the general public – to prevent panic or hoarding or keep people buying and going out to places?)
You would have gotten a smile from some teens in the neighborhood yesterday. One had pulled out a Halloween costume of a T-Rex and was standing in the drive holding out a sign for those walking dogs and passing by: “Extinction sucks. Stay home!” Wish I had gotten a pix of that one!
Take care Ci. We’ll hold you and yours in our thoughts
I have been telling people the 6 foot rule but not 6 foot for 6 seconds. That is a really good really easy one to remember.
I live here in rural northwestern Wisconsin. In some ways things are not that different than normal–the farmers are still out, there is never much traffic anyway, we have seeds sprouting in the basement for planting in a few weeks, that sort of thing. In some ways things are very different–schools are closed so I have been teaching my daughter every day and my husband has been working for home so we get so see him a lot more. I am so grateful that we have space outside for the kids to run and play–I can’t imagine if we lived in a city or an apartment and had to keep the kids and ourselves inside all day everyday.
One thing that I am not used to is the low-level fear/worry at all times–even the grocery store is worry-inducing, plus there is the concern for older family members. My father is a veterinarian and so is still out and about seeing clients and caring for animals, and my father-in-law is in such terrible health that catching the virus is almost assuredly a death sentence.
On a community-building note, if anyone is looking for something to do while they are self-isolating I am hosting a community poetry project on my blog to hopefully give people a creative outlet and some sense of community during this time of fear and isolation. If anyone wants to join (it is open to anyone and everyone who wants to join in with their own poems or just by reading and commenting on the work of others), please come join us here:
https://classroomandkitchen.wordpress.com/2020/03/18/calling-poets-parents-and-all-others-self-isolating/
There are four poems up so far with another one posting tomorrow:
https://classroomandkitchen.wordpress.com
Be well everyone.
Here in the Sierra foothills of Northern California our day-to-day life on our ranch doesn’t feel much different from usual. Our days are full of the usual feeding the horses, donkeys, goats and chickens. I might ride one of the horses (fortunate to have them on our own property as people with horses in boarding stables cannot go there and ride) or work in my garden or bake. Flour disappeared here as well, as did eggs. Fortunately we have chickens and they are laying enough that we can share with our neighbors. Our grocery store carries Bob’s flour normally but if there is a bag of flour in the aisle, its generic. I’m guessing Bob’s Mills ran out because they distribute all across the country, in the big markets. I do leave the ranch once a week to go to the market, but that is it. We really miss having the library. Initially, we were downloading library books to our Kindles but now all the ebooks at the library are taken. It’s frustrating. Stay well everyone. All the posts from around the world were great fun and interesting to read. Which reminds me, we also had to cancel our WWOOFers for April and May. June is on hold. Most of them were coming from Europe so of course that is impossible.
Oh yes! I have crossed out all the days in my Airbnb too. No visitors allowed except people picking up eggs.
I read somewhere all the stats about how the earth is recovering while we shelter at home–air and water pollution is dramatically down, animals are freer to roam and find food. So maybe we are the virus! Maybe COVID 19, as terrible as it is for humans, will help rebalance things in favor of the earth. But only if we change our behaviors when this is over and not try to go back to business as usual, which simply isn’t sustainable.
You are right – it is not sustainable – and the air being cleaner is great!
Upstate NY here, live alone and feeling very lonely. Lots of land to wander, but still alone. I recently threw away some flower and veggies seeds, thinking that at my age (almost 70) I won’t be gardening anymore, there are roadside veggie stands aplenty. Then last night while I was not sleeping, remembered those seeds and how important they could be. Rummaged through my kitchen garbage can this morning and LO! They were there! Planning on a garden now! I am also cooking and preparing perishables and freezing them into portions. Am starting to ration my food now, as they extend the quarantine. I am very afraid to go to a store. So worried for my adult daughter who has asthma and her husband HAS to go to work. Wondering when I will see them and my 9 year old grandson again. Scary, scary times…
Forgot to mention, I ordered a couple bags of flour from your mill, thank you so much for posting a link!
Can you order groceries for delivery? I did so for my 91 year old grandma with a few weeks’ supply. She sprayed down the bags and then washed each item before putting it away. I, too, was scared for her to go to a store.
That is the funniest story!! Hunting in the rubbish for your seeds / abs gm finding them!!!
Here in a suburb of San Francisco, I’m seeing some good come from this social distancing. Many more people- than the dog-walkers I already know- are out everyday getting their exercise. People wave, and eventually stop to chat across the street. My hope is that we will all be more ‘neighborly’ as we get back to normal.
Fortunately my horse is boarded at a very quiet facility where I can visit once a week.
We have also done a ‘ceiling to under furniture’ thorough house cleaning!!! AND have started working through our large cache of jigsaw puzzles.
You folks might like this girl; she posts videos quite frequently and is very honest. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmVMNXTsmxr1wkaQ5sExJ9A
Things are pretty much no different than usual here. We normally shop twice a month, however now we’ll wear masks when we go. As someone who has difficulty walking, I don’t go out much at all so the stay-at-home business is no trouble at all. We don’t have any flour, but don’t bake anyway. Eggs may well be off the menu for awhile. I wanted a couple chickens but the landlord said no. Both my spouse and I are probably high-risk, but I’m not going to worry or stress, if we get the virus we’ll just have to manage. My spouse’s children and grand-children are all well and dealing with the confinement without too much trouble. Everyone stay safe and try to be patient.
Greetings from north west lower Michigan ( 2 parts in Michigan) – starting to look like spring !! I can deal with being isolated if I can get outside- my spring bulbs have popped waiting for the blooms! So happy you are getting some rest Sunday , Cecilia. The unknown of this mess is hard to deal with- how long is it going to last and the concern for our families.I hope that the US will realize the importance of making and selling our own products in the US . Who knows but I am grateful I live where I do in the woods near a beautiful little river. My heart goes out to city dwellers. Stay safe Cecilia and have a good day off❤️
Hi C! Don’t wear yourself out! We live in East Vancouver Washington and are very lucky to be in our cozy home with our kitty. We’ve been over 2 weeks now in our house. No illness thank goodness. We have a full larder…no hoarding here thank you! By chance I had just filled up my freezer prior with on sale meats etc. Just finished baking 2 batches of my Banana Coconut Lemon muffins. Now I have to figure out how I can give them our neighbors who all are 2 weeks plus in their homes. Any suggestions anyone? Perhaps I can place them in new little sandwich bags? Oh and I am also participating in the
2020 A to Z Challenge….so that keeps me busy too. Here’s the link if you would like to follow me! My theme is A Bird a Day! https://katheatoz.blogspot.com/ Cheers and stay happy healthy and well!
Perhaps on paper towels? Then the neighbor can lift them off the paper towel into their own dish without touching it (like they would to open the bag.)
Well, here I am, a little late in the day though. It’s me, Sunny, in the foothills of the Sierra near Yosemite, California. We’re home-bound for two reasons – the virus, of course, but my hub had a heart attack mid-March. He was released from hospital just before it closed its doors to all visitors. He’s been home for a week, our daughter came straight from a Laughlin, Nev. business trip to help us get settled with home care, etc. She’s been doing our shopping since we are compromised and elderly. Now she’s wondering if she can get home to her 13-y/o son in Anaheim. We have 3 1/2 acres for roaming, the hens are laying abundantly, and the cats are a wild source of entertainment, as are our board games, etc. It was weird watching a basketball game and a car race. with NO ONE in the stands!
Violet, I quite agree with you! Things will never go back to the way they were in ANY country!! I hope we come out of this as a wiser, gentler world of people!
Be safe, be well, be happy! We’ll get through this!
Sunny
As you said, here in NZ we are in total lockdown, with only essential services still running. We are only meant to leave our houses to buy groceries or to take a walk in our local neighbourhood, so I have been taking advantage of the nice weather to get out of the house for a quick walk each day. The lockdown happened so fast, we only had a couple of days to prepare, I wish I could have got some more craft supplies in to keep me busy, we were told originally that online shopping would still be available but now it’s only for essential items. Never mind, there’s still plenty of other things to do. We have had to cancel our May wedding, and don’t know when to reschedule, who knows when this madness will be over. We will probably just have a quiet ceremony somewhere with immediate family, once they can travel again. The government is telling people not to hoard, but the queues to get into the supermarkets are so ridiculously long, that once you get in you buy as much as you can, so you don’t have to do it again for as long as possible. But I am grateful to have a roof over my head, and the government is paying those of us who are out of work a small weekly income, and we have some savings, so I think we will be all right.
I just ordered! That order from Arlington Virginia will be mine. I can’t get flour anymore and I’m usually pretty well stocked, but when you bake all the time…Now if I could just find a small toilet paper producer to order from…Seriously, if I like this flour, I’ll be back!
Hi, from Austin, Texas! My family started isolating three weeks ago. My husband had been tracking the news on the virus since the New Year and wanted to be extra cautious. School closed and then the cities and counties around us followed all in the next little bit.
I’ve made a few new garden beds, my first successful sourdough loaf!, and we’re getting outside as much as we can between spring thunderstorms before the heat settles in for the summer.
It’s my son’s fourth birthday today and while he wished he could have a party and see his grandparents in person, he got a lot of birthday wishes via videos and we still had party hats, noise-makers, streamers, etc from past parties so all was made special. We’ll plan to do similarly in another four weeks for our daughter’s birthday.
I live close to Miss C. I work for the post office. We are all still working. We have a sneeze guard on our counter now and masks came yesterday. So far I haven’t worn the mask but this COVID virus is sneaking into our county so even small rural communities are not totally safe. I usually help other offices but that has stopped until May 1..then I will review the state of this thing and decide if I want to venture out again..my sisters grandson and wife live in ny city. She is a nurse at mount Sinai hospital. They have watched the tent go up in Central Park. She has seen things I can’t even begin to comprehend. May 1 can’t come soon enough.
Here in east central Wisconsin my life isn’t too terribly different than normal but the whole state has closed all non essential businesses. Here, too, it seems flour is the coveted item, I managed to get one of the last two bags on the shelf today. I have been making masks, a granddaughter is a nurse at the large teaching hospital here and requested some. I was in the Galapagos and returned March 6th just before everything hit the fan, I am grateful for that! While the virus for the vulnerable is frightening I believe the general slow down is a good thing.
Here is Australia NSW has just announced our lockdown will run for 90 days, ending on 30 June, I imagine the other states will follow suit. The message is stay at home except for essentials like food shopping, medical, work if necessary and exercise but limit to gatherings of 1 other person and social distance of minimum 1.5 m or 4 sqm person. At risk groups told to isolate at home. Despite many businesses being closed or trading constrained and other measures to add in uptake of the restrictions some people have been slow to accept the message so fines of $11000 and 6 months in prison applicable for non-compliance. The Covid19 numbers are at present flattening but the scope of testing has been widened and it’s quite possible there will be a second wave, hence the extension. Personally, out here in the village we’re fine, day-to-day life is pretty much normal, we always have spare supplies on hand in case of emergency, flood, bushfire, had done our big grocery shop beforehand, and the G.O. at the moment is doing a weekly shop for and visit to his 86 year old mum in town. But that’s it, we’re at home and not accepting visitors. Keeping busy with study, projects, garden and keeping ourselves well fed and healthy, and exercise with an active dog. Take care. Be well.
Dale, you posted whilst I wrote ! Agree with all 100% but agree with our Police Minister the fines have to be far more stiff . . . Ha! NO !! As for the backpackers who will never be brought to account on Bondi Beach !! A totally sexist comment I do not normally make – thank the blessed Lord the housekeeping is being done by the distaff side !! Both gals are working their bloody butts off . . . thank you !!
Hello from the Southern Highlands south of Sydney, Australia ! So glad you are busy but coping ! Posts like yours will be part of modern history for many centuries ! Glad your microcosm works !! Having been totally but happily encompassed by the on-line shopping experience for some twenty years I find the current almost non-productive, experience totally weird but trying to manage ! At the moment I live courtesy of a food delivery service awaiting from a major retailer allowing me to pass an eighty dollar order for a ‘care’ package’ to stay afloat . . . to each their own . . .
Hi Cecilia. All well here except somewhat lonely. But we have refound facetime, messenger, zoom et al. And G & T helps move on the day.
Take care. Stay home and keep safe. New Zealand will still be here when you are ready to come home again.
Hi. We are off grid in the gulf islands off the west coast of Canada. There aren’t many of us but those who are here are taking it very seriously and staying on their properties. If someone is going to town for groceries they pick up items for their neighbours. The bags are left on boats for pick up.
I
Miss my kids but like everyone, so glad they are all staying home and safe.
Crazy times….
Fascinating to read all the comments and where everyone is from. I am from Alberta Canada and we too are in lockdown. I am still working in my office though because I am an insurance broker and deemed essential. Soon I will be working from home as soon as tech issues are worked out. People here are indeed taking this seriously as they should. I find the hardest is to convince my 91 year old mom not to go buy groceries and have them delivered! For her she loves to go buy groceries and be social with the clerks. She has now agreed to order them instead thank goodness! It is very quiet and still winters here. I am looking forward to spring and being able to get outside and ride my bike for exercise. All the gyms are closed here. Every thing is closed except grocery stores and pharmacies. I think the run on essentials like flour is because people are cooking at home instead of going out to eat. Stay home everyone and together we can beat this.
Hi C, there are so many things one can’t buy……… that’s ok we make do and grow what I can.
I was hoping this year would be an improvement on the last. We were menaced by a bushfire for 8 weeks the size of a small country, then the largest flood since the 1980s and now isolation.
In between these events, I passed my final exam hurdle and graduated in March one of a select group of 8. The best part was my best friend flew over from Amsterdam to be with me on my graduation day.
Dear Cecilia, thank you so much for the link to the Mill. Have ordered some flour. We are doing well here in northern CA. Worried about family and friends like everyone.
Being older we find that we resent not being able to help out more. Worked in the medical field and husband a retired fireman. So many heroes out there. Have always raised all our food. Have enjoyed your blog for many years. We celebrate our 59th wedding anniversary this month. We are counting our blessings.and there are many. To everyone out there, stay safe. Thank you Cecilia for all that you do! There is so much love and kindness all around us. Thankful for being able to communicate so easily in this day and age!
Hi, again. Forgot, If you have space in your freezer you can freeze flour. Double wrap in plastic bag to keep moisture out.
I work for an essential business and since they’ve laid off nearly everyone, those who are left are run off our legs doing all the things. Its strange. We’ve lost 90 percent of the business due to the virus but we can’t just shut down for the duration because what’s left is the essential part.
I continually check and no there is no flour anywhere to be had. I would like some to try to make some proper bread.
While I am in lockdown in inner city Melbourne, Australia, I have a garden to give me space outside, and a wetland area that is great for my daily exercise. I am finally settling into a quarantine routine, but it has taken time to quieten my jumpy mind. Now I am able to carry on with some of my creative projects, and I have begun to sew masks. I am intrigued by the way that people are coping, and how businesses are being flexible. I am having both yoga and ciliates classes via Zoom, and my partner is having physio and dietician appointments over the phone.
Stay well everyone!
That’s a good question-where is all the flour? I ventured into our local grocers last week and was very surprised at the empty shelves that normally hold flour. I need only sugar, and was a bit lucky there too. A young man asked me if I knew where the flour was in the store..I unfortunately had to point to the empty shelves. It’s weird.
Where are you??? I’m worried since it’s been almost 2 weeks. Please say you didn’t go down in a heap.
I feel like going down in a heap at the end of every day lately! But still
Toddling along
I was so glad to see yesterday’s post. I am so sorry for the loss of sweet Tane and understand how that hurts. Be careful with that feeling of going down in a heap. If you push too far, it’s entirely possible. Please take care of yourself!