Pandemic here! The meats gone, breads sold out, stores closed or limited hours. A war; to stay away from each other. Social distancing. Something we are very used to doing in our home. As a caregiver, to a veteran with PTSD and TBI we already practice this by only leaving for needs, appointments, and school.
Well we are 100 lock down here now. It started this week with just going to school until Friday. The city is where most of the cases are showing positive, being a 4 hour drive away we still were following the safety guidelines.
Sunday :
Afternoon: I went to our closes grocery store Tops. The parking lot was full. A store that is rarely shopped at. The major stores are all just 2 street lights away. My anxiety heightened as I had all 3 kids with me. We came to get our weekly milk trip. Some days the chocolate milk is the only soothing thing for Jr to sleep so we cannot go without it. I made the decision,to have the kids sit in the car. Something I've done before for quick trips so this made more sense. I grabbed my hand sanitizer and my purse to face the other shoppers. Made it halfway to the door, to look up to the wall with the reusable bag. That reminds me, of A new ban that started not allowing any plastic grocery bags for shopping. So I turn around, for the reusable bag. Return to the Suv, trunk full of the collection of every store we have ever been to version of a reusable bag. Grab 2 normal size and a big canvas bag. Head back towards the door. Walking in the store, the air seems like everyone is sucking it in faster than I can. All of the checkouts were open with younger employees as always on the weekend. Although the people everywhere looking just as confused as I was feeling. I go get a shopping cart, immediate left to Dairy for milk. The dairy section is fully stocked. Things are not seeming any different. I got cheese, milk, but no eggs they were there just not the only one WIC would approve. Next is bread, gone. This is where things are starting to show as I further into the depleted store. Each isle is looking like the walking dead TV show made scavenging seem. The cleaning products are closed off completely with the wet floor signs showing it so empty. Everyone in the lines have toilet paper, anything else paper, and meat. Just stock piling the things that wont go bad. This is 2:30 pm no where did I think it was going to be empty already. I made it up to the checkout line, where the most people are and we have been told to stay away from everyone. I take a deep breath which is maybe why it felt so hard to breath walking in everyone was doing the same to proceed to that checkout line; where one cough out of someone could be the reason your whole family becomes sick. There were 4 people in front of me at least no matter what line. So I went 2nd closes to the door I walked in on. As I wait my turn, I look around as paranoid as I can be. Thinking just everyone in the room could be infected. The lane next to me I notice this younger female cashier is Lysol wiping in between each customer not mine though. Really wishing I went to her line. Well i'm next no point to leave now. I set my reusable bags on the convener belt and proceed with my mainly dairy products and some fresh fruit for the kids. Pay with the credit card machine that I am now staring at like its going to burn me every time I touch it but have no choice to pay. Throw my own food in my bags while I wait for the receipt to print. Just as fast as I get it I whoosh out the door. Going back to the car. The first thing I do is grab my sanitize and use it. No clue why it took until now to use it.
Dinner: This became a eat your feelings and baking helps the kids and I bond so we made coconut macrons and brownies. Well, the eggs got broke even before the start. The whole carton to last us the pandemic. Luckily the coconut macrons only need egg whites and we salvaged enough, while just using the yolk for the brownies. It came out perfect flaky coconut with crisp moist. The brownies could tell were denser. Kids ended up with cheese and strawberries for dinner which is what they actually eat so a success.
As night approached: I faced the dilemma of even sending my children to school. It became an option from the mayor, to have until the end of the week for schooling as long as the county did not have a case reported. This being for in order for the schools to get a distance learning approach, childcare, and food. The biggest need, was how do the low income children who rely daily for the free provided breakfast and lunch get that service. My gut feeling was lock down the house, but the eldest needed to get her Chromebook knowing this would be vital to the google classroom she already uses. So I allowed Monday, with her to know that no matter what; I am not comfortable with her going to school for the remainder of the week. So if she didn't bring it home that day oh well. Our preschool Jr. was a no questions asked being kept home. The prior school day the "pick up complaint" of the day was JR. was licking the tables and desks because they learned about germs. So he was a added germ risk already. Definitely a no go.
My husband and I are running this witness together and bringing community's alive to the hive.
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