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bamboo

By Bamboo

London, United Kingdom

How's everyone coping with our changed lives due to this virus?

I hope we will all keep well and manage to avoid getting it, and now, more than ever, being able to get out in the garden is desperately important, even if its only for a little potter....maybe a lot more gardening will get done cos we've got time! Otherwise, keep calm and carry on and remember, this too shall pass... eventually.

Wishing everyone the best




Answers

 

Wise words Bamboo. If we all behave sensibly we will get through this dreadful episode. There are lots of stories of good neighbouring happening to counteract the greedy panic of some others. I went out to get bread on Monday but in shop after shop the news was repeated that the shelves were being cleared as soon as the staff managed to fill them up. I did get four wholemeal subs but no loaves. I bought two packets of bread mix. I have used them before and they are good quality. They make a nice cob style loaf. OH was happy to hear on Tuesday that his necessary operation would go ahead on 1st April. Today a phone call broke the news that it has been postponed. His problem is not life threatening and we are just grateful that he can do his bit to allow the NHS to cope. We are in no doubt that life will never be the same again and there will have to be a rethink on what happens after the crisis passes. Stay safe and enjoy your garden.

20 Mar, 2020

 

Hi Bamboo, I think it's all a bit o t t to be honest, I am over 70, but other than my usual pain problems, I feel as fit as the proverbial dog, so I don't see why I'm being told to 'self isolate', so I will continue as normal, for 1 thing, if I did self isolate, who is going to know that I'm doing that, you're not allowed to ring 111, secondly who is going to get my weekly shopping, that is if they could find a shop which hadn't already sold out of bread, milk, eggs, pasta, etc, not to mention toilet rolls, I think the whole country must be having toilet roll and chips for every meal, this panic buying is causing non existent shortages of most essential foodstuffs, considering that running to the toilet every few minutes, is not even a symptom of coronavirus, I don't understand the panic buying of these, on a brighter note, Tesco has a special offer on famous grouse at £16 per litre, and they seemed to have quite a stock of it, so I thought I would get a couple of litres, before that goes onto the PANIC LIST, Derek.

20 Mar, 2020

 

Some of us can remember the Flu epidemic of the late 1950's. I watched my class get fewer and fewer in numbers as they caught the virus. We got down from 33 to 9 before I got it. Typical. BUT we survived it without as much fuss as they are making now.
As we are in the 'at risk' group (wife has Diabetes and high blood pressure and both well over 70) we are taking things carefully. Trouble is that we need to buy fresh produce and that does mean shopping.
Hands have never been so clean.
Good job we have the garden to amuse ourselves in and family don't visit that much in any case.
Problem here is that all our immediate neighbours are as old or older than we are.

20 Mar, 2020

 

I've done lots of gardening and our very elderly neighbours will get some help from me too. I also have my sewing and hubby and I will be going out for motor bike rides up to the moors for a picnic. Last week before sanctions were imposed we were the only ones there with lots of sheep. We are social distancing and obviously only going out in the vain hope of getting food.

20 Mar, 2020

 

Well I;m in the vulnerable group because of asthma/bronchitic chest problems, so having to isolate. Derek: I too think its a bit draconian to tell people over 70 - there are over 70s who haven no other co morbidities, but don't forget, over 65's have reduced lung capacity, and it continues to reduce the older you get, so maybe that's a factor.

As for the panic buying, well, dunno what to say, I mean I sort of get the panic, but honestly, the only reason we now can't get various things is BECAUSE of panic buying. Seems to be an every man for himself mentality, rather than we're all in this together,which is disappointing. I did hear about one woman last week who went back to Morrisons with about 12 packs of toilet rolls (half her panic buying the week before) and shamefacedly asked for a refund so they could sell it to other people. They refused... but I don't get why supermarkets didn't restrict certain items a week or two ago, why wait till now when we're already short of lots of things...

20 Mar, 2020

 

The joy of the garden has got to be the best tonic for everyone, I spend all my life gardening I always remember a lovely old dear saying to me, Julien the most beautiful place to be is in the garden it’s whats real and she was right, I have made a huge decision this year and it’s something I have been toying with for years and that is to never drive again, every March I plod nearly a £1000 quid into keeping my van on the road and that coupled with the drudgery of being stuck in endless traffic that will only get worse made me realise I had to get rid, we have no vehicles so we are adjusting, for me I have many clients, which I visit on my pushbike or my cargo bike, I carry most of my tools mainly the wolf tools with me, and since February that’s what I have done, gone like a millstone round my neck all that stress of owning a vehicle, life feels great, at the moment I am re developing my allotment topiary plot, into a veg plot and later in the year I want to build a Tudor looking shed on the cottage garden plot, next week the grand kids are going to help me so hopefully I can get them interested in gardening, the whole place round derby is a ghost town and even the allotments are very quite, stay safe everyone and happy gardening.

20 Mar, 2020

 

So far Pembrokeshire only has two or three cases but the shelves are emptying like everywhere else. A friend thinks a lot of people are having toilet paper and chips for every meal... I had a bad chest over the weekend through working in the garden in a cold wind and it wasn't helped by having to go out again today. Still we hang on in there. It was good to hear Bamboo is soldiering on - stay warm please! I've been thinking about you.
But even when the weather is cold and windy its good to look out of the window and see the Magnolia in full flower, and carpets of primroses. The tulips are very early - at this rate there will be no flowers left to bloom in May!

Well done Julien - that was a brave move.I'd heard the virus was bad round Derby - stay safe!

20 Mar, 2020

 

I plan to spend the whole week in the garden though the garden supply stores have been ordered to close up shop. I have read that the UK has requested 65k physicians and nurses to come out of retirement to help with this situation so if the same request is made on this side of the pond I will come out of mothballs, dust myself off and get back to it.

20 Mar, 2020

 

I don't do much socialising anyway so won't see much difference, except that I am now on my own in the house, which doesn't feel nice, and that's why I am looking forward to being able to spend some time in the garden.

21 Mar, 2020

 

Loosestrife: I hope the situation regarding personal protective clothing is better in the States than here - our medical staff are having to work without it, which is appalling. We lose more daily because they have to self isolate with an illness, but don't know if they have this infection or something else because they;re not being tested, again appalling. Were I a retired medical worker, yea, I'd agree to come back, but only if they supplied the right protective clothing , specially as older people are in the more vulnerable group; that's just common sense really.

Hywel - I too spend a lot of time alone, so its not too bad to get used to, but not being able to go out at all is difficult. My balcony's never had so much attention!

21 Mar, 2020

 

The situation here in the USA is bad. The N95 masks are in very short supply. Many healthcare workers are resorting to making their own facemasks using diapers, maxi pads and cotton bandannas. To fill in the void right now prison industries are switching from making socks and underware to producing cloth washable facemasks. In total this is a disgrace and I am as mad as hell about it because many HCW’s are being trashed and thrown under the bus to die. I’ll go, there will be many of my fallen colleagues to replace.

21 Mar, 2020

 

I have to say I'm no less pleased about the situation here than you are about yours over there. Its dreadful that health care workers, who put themselves on the front line for the rest of us, can't even get tested and don't have the right protective kit... and its still early days here (and over there), its gonna get much worse before it gets better, and we've already run out of PPC... I just hope steps are being taken to correct the situation.

21 Mar, 2020

 

It's dreadful and the mass hysteria being stirred up by the media is not helping. I know it's a boon for them to have something to report, but did they have to send people out to stand in front of hospitals in the early days, let along fly them off somewhere?
I'm like Hywel and don't socialise much anyway so shan't miss that at all. OH is still having to go to work, but is cutting down the number of days he has to do that. He does say that the number of people who are just swinging the lead and self isolating without reason is disgusting, on a par with panic buying I suppose, you will always get that sort. On a less serious note - who is going to compensate the burglars for their loss of income when everyone is staying at home?
I did go out to the local garden nursery to buy some bare-rooted and earlier potted trees before they were all gone, loads of people keeping their distance, so it looks as if the gardens are going to be the things that will benefit from the enforced staying in.
As an over 70 female, who is going to dare ask me how old I am and if I am allowed out?
Keep well everyone and keep in touch on here too so no-one feels isolated.

21 Mar, 2020

 

Well, I don’t know where to start..... my head is still spinning from all the changes affecting our everyday lives. 🙄 I work in a school where here was a confirmed case here in Shropshire. We were sent home last Thursday but are expected back in on Monday to look after ‘key worker’ kids. How long that will last I have no idea. But of course I am at increased risk being exposed to so many people and kids at my school. Both my boys were due to sit GCSE and A-levels this year, so from studying for their exams to having nothing to do is heart breaking. My oldest has just today got himself a job in local SPA in our village on a temporary basis and instead of going to the gym to get himself fit for Airforce I have kindly turned my Summerhouse into a gym for all of us to use! The future of my sons is now uncertain but we will make the best of it. My husband is a pilot in RAF and will undoubtably be immobilised at some stage, again what, where & when - I have no idea. I realise we are not badly affected financially but have had to make a few changes and my heart goes out to people who suddenly have no income, job or childcare. I shall be using my garden as a retreat to shut myself off from the Corona hiatus and keep on top of garden jobs. The garden is the only steady thing that delivers without fail...

21 Mar, 2020

 

As I have some cardiac problems, along with Diabetes Type 2, husband and I are taking a 30 minute walk, early morning, and then home for the rest of the day. I did some gardening today which took my mind off the problems in the world for a while!

My son works for the Police and is classed as a key worker, but for the school to take his seven year old daughter, his wife needs to be a key worker too. Sadly, she is not, so has agreed with her employer to work from home with a laptop, 3 hours a day for 5 hours, therefore still doing her 15 hours which is normally over two and a half days.

The school have given out 2 weeks of home learning but it's going to be difficult times for working Mums!

21 Mar, 2020

 

When you think about it we could all do the dig for victory thing like they did in the war and grow our own veg, now I’m not saying we should dig up our gardens but even those short of space can still grow some veg in containers etc and with the kids off school then it’s a great chance to get them interested in gardening, growing veg is a great introduction for them whether they are toddlers or turbulent grumpy teenagers and they can be the future generations of gardeners which is vitally important, and with some folk laid off then what a great way to break the boredom and do something constructive and rewarding which I think everyone will enjoy especially the family bonding aspect to it.

21 Mar, 2020

 

Well said Julien, we might all be grateful for the fresh food if the shops cannot supply us with fresh veg or cut flowers in the coming months. I went to a rural school where the boys in Primaries six and seven were tasked with growing all the fresh veg used in school dinners. It was started during the war and continued for years afterwards. These are the men who are still gardening and winning prizes at their local shows. Gardening skills are a skill for life and well worth promoting.

22 Mar, 2020

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