Tuesday, St Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2020
I had intended all along to not make a big deal out of my 65th birthday. Originally, a birthday dinner with Our Kathleen on the preceding Saturday when she was down here had been planned and then a nice dinner at the Depot Restaurant on the actual day. None of that happened because of Covid-19. As of yesterday, I was looking forward to having a day off and had imagined just how it would feel to start weeding the garden, which sorely needs it. But anxiety about the news inspired me to schedule a work day instead to get things done.
I woke early on much too little sleep with anxiety over having only enough groceries for one month. Allan and I had decided to do one more shopping trip to the local market, Sid’s in Seaview. The prospect worried me as I want to avoid indoor spaces other than my house but it must be done. Unable to sleep anyway, we did the shopping trip before work. The bread shelf was almost bare. You could tell what kind of bread people don’t like: mostly rye. Unfortunately, I also do not like rye. I wanted some beans on toast bread, but it doesn’t matter because in the bean aisle, the plain sort of new some wants for that (ideally Heinz in tomato sauce) were gone. I checked into buying the correct bean online. Looks like there is some price gouging going on. Never mind!
We had disinfected our hands thoroughly after leaving the store and we left all but the perishables in the garage to not be touched for four days. It is like an airlock now. There’s mail in the garage unread, even including a birthday card. Then, on to work. Almost all photos by Allan today. Seeds take all my concentration.
Diane’s garden
I planted sweet peas and California poppies along the roadside garden…
…while Allan weeded the septic vault garden…
…where I later planted seeds of some poppies, bachelor buttons, and night scented stock …
while Allan shifted to some weeding in the front garden.
As we weeded and mulched a bed along the house…
…we had an audience.
Our canine friend Holly was not home but a friend from next door got a treat.
The Red Barn
Our weeding had held up well. I planted some red poppy seeds.
We noted that the Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ is showing some weird internal growth that I have seen on that plant in other gardens.
Boreas Inn
I planted sweet peas in four areas, one of which is a new extension of a bed and needed considerable clearing. Meanwhile, Allan hoiked out some sad old daisies and I continued on with the planting of poppy seeds in the west beds.
At home
Just as we had not been able to have a restaurant meal to celebrate finishing the beach approach, there was no birthday dining out. Allan made a delicious dinner of chicken and veg with jellied cranberry sauce, the kind I like best.
I had gifts to open, including a cute mug from Marlene with the inscription “one cat short of crazy” and an apocalyptic gift from Jenna, who had texted me a photo of herself leaving the gift bag at our door earlier in the day.
It is a good thing I was not home as I would have had to ask her darling self to step back six feet.
The gift made me laugh…
Later she wanted me to send her a photo of me in the crown…but I touch everything incoming with gloves on, then discard the gloves, and then leave things in the garage for four days before I can bring them into the house.
Our Kathleen gave me a perfectly safe and virus free gift, since we were not able to see each other last weekend, an online gift certificate to Plant Delights Nursery.
Montana Mary’s present had arrived a week ago and so was safely in the house already. It was also perfect for the apocalypse, including mysteries to read and some food!
You’ll see Allan’s present in a couple of days at it is out in the garden. He also found me a copy of the rare Isherwood and Bachardy diary collaboration, October, which will be my next rainy day reading. It is an illustrated diary of one month. And an illustrated book about storybook style cottages.
Yesterday, he had baked a cake while I pretended not to notice the chocolate aroma. As I switched off the battery candle, I think you can guess what I wished for. It was a wish for all of us.
A birthday you will never forget. Happy, happy despite it all! That meal looks scrummy, and I love all the thoughtful gifts, especially the crown and the toilet paper. Your description of going shopping perfectly captures the fear and exhausting work of just getting basic things. We use cloth gloves and have a series of them so that they can set before we wear them again. Supposedly after a few days, the virus is gone. So far, so good. Stay safe, be well!
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Thank you, Laurie!
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As Laurie says above, a birthday to remember! I’m going through similar thoughts on my own special day. But the bright side is, I’ve heard it’s a rule that under circumstances like this, you get a free do-over on any day of your choosing. So happy birthday . . . whenever you celebrate!
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Yay for do overs.
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The black cat in the window with the intense stare made me laugh. So did the toilet paper! Alan was so sweet to make you a delicious favorite dinner, plus a chocolate cake. Thank you for making a wish for all of us. I will have to start leaving my non-perishables in the garage for four days. That makes sense.
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Thank you!
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Happy birthday, Skyler! Yes, a birthday to remember with all the unusual things going on everywhere. Keeping you and Allan and the kitties in our thoughts and prayers.
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Thank you!
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I love that toilet paper crown.–What a terrific and thoughtful gift. As to the bread shortage, while I realize you don’t cook, Allan does. Could he make homemade cornbread or biscuits or maybe some Irish soda bread?–All very simple, healthy (no preservatives) and delicious in my opinion. You can also used canned evaporated milk and/or oil for butter in many of these recipes, and you won’t notice the difference.. An aside: I wonder if UV rays (aka our sun) have an effect on this virus? When I worked in a chemistry lab, we “cleaned” the safety glasses by using a UV light. Anyway, Happy Belated Birthday!
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Some speculate sunlight might help as it did help with the 1918 flu, and some scientists say there is no proof of that yet and that it might not.
Allan cooks but does not love to cook, and we have no yeast, but we do have flour. And baking soda. So there is hope. I have noted he does like baking things.
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Oops! Meant to type “affect” not “effect”….
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Happy Birthday (belated) to you. March 17th is also my husband’s (Barry Patrick Griffin) birthday and we, too, had to celebrate at home and forego our $15 off birthday coupon from 42nd Street Bistro. Seriously hoping all this will be a distant bad memory when my birthday rolls around in October, and hope we are both here to celebrate that!
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Happy birthday to Barry, very belatedly as have been so obsessed with the local ness that i have fallen behind on reading blog comments! Here is to delicious future meals at 42nd Street, which has the very best birthday sparkler.
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Despite everything it looks like you had a dandy birthday. I am so glad. I’m sure you will look very fine in your crown. I hope we see you wearing it when it passes through quarantine. ;—) Take good care.
PS. That cake looks really yummy.
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Thank you. It was unquarantined today. I just might wear it in the garden! Or while reading a book.
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A belated happy birthday, Skylar! And thank you for wishing for us all as you “blew” out your candle. On my dad’s and mum’s first date (in England, with rationing still in place) they had a magnificent meal of baked beans on toast, so I’ve always had a soft spot for them. If I find any Heinz baked beans I will scoop up a few cans for your back-stock, though I have no idea when I would get them to you. So glad you are planting sweet peas, and I look forward to seeing the blooms on your blog later this year.
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Thank you! I hope the sweet peas germinate ok as I was not back to water them and it has not rained since then. But it should rain tonight.
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Happy birthday, Skyler (if I may take the liberty of addressing you by name). All things considered, it seems to have gone very well.
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Thank you, Tom, and you may 🙂
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Happy Birthday again – and I like the idea mentioned by Mary Rose for a do over.
The last stockup we made, only the s/o went, all clothes immediately in the machine, everything that could be swabbed with lysol wipes was, and then all hard goods quarantined for a week. We hope not to go out again for 2-3 months.
Love the toilet paper crown!
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Good idea about the clothes. I had not thought of til recently.
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Thank you for the wish; and Happy Birthday.
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