The other day I mentioned that Liz had gotten a text message indicating that it was week 2 of confinement. She also got a second text, this one less light-hearted.

Someone we know has tested positive for Covid-19. Not someone in our immediate, day-to-day circle or even that lives particularly close, but someone close nonetheless.

What’s more, in the little Over and Above village where I house-sit from time to time, a senior citizen care home has had several confirmed cases.

Little by little, it is hitting closer to home. Am I afraid? Nervous? Rattled? No. Concerned for those in question? Sure. Worried for us? No. We do what we can in terms of social distancing and remember that our lives are in God’s hands… he is an anchor for our soul.

Let’s move on to…

Until this evening, it had been 9 days since I’d left the yard and almost as long since the car had gone out (Liz went out to get groceries last week).

Getting out was one of…

This morning Liz got a text notification from one of the French news sites she follows:

(imagine her perky voice reading it)

“So, here we are in week two of confinement.”

The phrasing was such, in French, that there was an air of (honestly) welcome air of lightness about the statement. Otherwise, coverage is “all grave, all the time.”

So with a similar perky tone, despite a very grave reality, here are…

There’s an expression I love in French:

“Je me coucherai moins bête ce soir.”
(I’ll go to bed less dumb tonight)

That was me last night, and it’s one of …

Little by little things are settling into a new groove and the neighbours are taking full advantage of fine weather (Today I heard I don’t know how many lawnmowers, roto-tillers, hedgetrimmers, whipper-snippers, etc.

I’d say 2020 is going to be a blue ribbon year in terms of French gardens if things keep up. But enough about that… here are…

There’s a run on pasta!

So apparently some pasta makers have sold as much pasta in the last few days as they sold during the entirety of 2019. Some individual stores are reporting more than 500% increase and photos abound of empty store shelves.

Yesterday, the news was reporting that one of the concerns here among stay-at-home parents (virtually ALL parents now) was having to prepare 3 meals per day and being short not only on supplies… but ideas.

Pretty much all schools (daycare, elementary, middle & senior high) serve unbelievably low-priced & highly nutritious lunches (nutritionist approved appetizer, meat/veg, cheese & dessert), so it’s actually fairly uncommon for parents to have to cook noon-time family meals once their children are in school.

Who’d’ve thought!?

Anyway, here are…

Day three of quasi-lockdown and some of my introverted tendencies are pretty much OK with social distancing. A break in rhythm may well open up creative doors to take certain things in a new direction.

(more on that in future posts)

For now though, here are…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

As of about an hour ago, we now have to complete a government issued form, and carry it with us, if we want to leave the house. It makes allowances for things like dog-walking & getting out as a family… but we still need to fill out the form.

(Incidentally, I tried to access the site earlier & it was crashed due to heavy traffic… here we go! 🙂 )

Aside from dog walking it limits outings to only urgent local travel, work (where ‘work-from-home’ isn’t possible), or groceries. So it does make allowances for everyday life…. but again, you still need to carry the form or face possible fines.

Strange times… but despite them, here are…