Home Sweet Home - Happy to Have One (March 2 - 22, 2020)

It's been 3 weeks since my last blog and based on the number of pictures, one would think not much has happened. In practice I've been driving to work and coming home, looking forward to seeing what Scott has done during the day and surprisingly to what he has cooked for dinner. Neither of us have been very inventive or overly keen on cooking but with me working we've been planning meals more and enjoying the results.  From Chicken Cordon Bleu to Quinoa Lasagna it's been a tasty few weeks. We tried quinoa a couple of years ago and didn't like it too much however we've had more success this time and found many ways to use it. 
I'm loving not having to think about dinner too much while I get used to this new routine.

Very yummy Quinoa Lasagna

Snow is starting to melt and we've had everything from frozen mud to a mud bog on the driveway. One morning there was a gorgeous icy pattern on the car windshield.

Beauty on the windshield

Sunrise on the way to work

With the time change I've been seeing the sunrise on the way to work and stopped one morning to take the shot above.

Scott has been home alone so much he even offered to do the grocery shopping once... looking for specific ingredients and maybe to see some other people for a change.

Mainly, on the house front he's finished putting drywall up upstairs with two bedrooms and the hallway now defined. One guest room has been painted and I'm totally in love with the yellow we painted it (Pittsburgh Paints Hearth). Wonderful compliment for the curtain material I have.

Tomorrow the 3rd and final bedroom will get a light sanding before priming and painting.

I toyed with the idea of not mentioning what has consumed the world and us for most of the past 3 weeks ... figured some of you might wonder how isolated PEI really is... LOL!!

But really it's been so all consuming I didn't really want to state the obvious. On the other hand, this blog is both for us to stay connected with friends and family as well as keep somewhat of a log of life for ourselves. No such log would be complete without mention of the Coronavirus and how it is impacting and effecting us personally.

We've seen the same information and sweeping changes as everyone else.  PEI to date has 2 confirmed cases, both in people who were away on vacation. Hospitals are discharging as many people as possible gearing up for more cases. Provincial liquor stores closed this past Thursday though some agency stores are open. All non-essential stores and services are closed.  Hairdressers included - I was very lucky and thankful to have my haircut on Wednesday at lunch before they closed. Visions of Scott cutting my hair were more than mildly disturbing so hopefully it doesn't come to that. Restaurants and bars (outside of drive-thru and some takeout options) are closed.

Wednesday morning listening to the radio on the way in, I was very surprised to hear that hardware stores are considered essential. It makes sense to be available for emergencies such as broken toilets or water heaters and maybe even to help the some construction keep going. Home Hardware in Montague is accepting phone orders and will bring orders to your car however you can't go into the store.  Kents to date has remained open and on Friday was trying to restrict people to essentials only and actively discouraging browsing. Come in, get what you need and leave. Sadly some people just don't get it. I was shocked to see a couple well into their 80's come in and state they just wanted to browse, ignore the suggestions of 2 of us that browsing was not being encouraged, and spend at least 20 minutes picking out seeds. There was also the person who absolutely needed a command hook and the one who came in to check out any paint mis-tints we had. WOW!! 

Meanwhile, although I'm not overly afraid of getting the virus myself, (hopefully not naively) Scott has asthma and we can't go near his mother who is of course in a high-risk category.  I'm still working because I appreciate the job but I'm hoping the store restrictions become much more restrictive this week and would really prefer to be working on the multitude of projects we have at home while self-isolating.  The financial impact on the markets (and us) is very concerning but we are not freaking out. We'll deal with whatever comes even if it means homesteading here if the world really stays upside down. Several times over the winter we (Scott in particular) has lamented buying this house and wished we were just on the road. We've done a 360 turnabout and are happy we have a home rather than being south of the border wondering where we can park our motorhome in Canada while the weather warms up. We would have managed no doubt but it's been a lot less stressful.

Waiting for takeout from the Home Plate in the car Friday night - Support Local

The Home Plate is a small local Murray River restaurant who's owner has already to a big risk by committing to stay open throughout the winter while most in the area are only open for the summer.  The dining room is now closed but you can order and have car delivery. Small business owners everywhere are feeling the pinch. Support local whenever you can.

Driveway maintenance

The driveway has been getting extremely muddy with the thaw this week and difficult to drive on. Scott went out to smooth is out and help get the water flowing off it a bit with the tractor yesterday. It's all frozen again today and a lot smoother today.  Here's hoping it's not too wet of a spring.

Thinking of you all and wishing everyone health and a safe haven.