respublica

Weekly shopping update

I'm getting kind of weary of writing about my weekly trip to the grocery store, but I'm also tired of being in a place with other people and not knowing if there are virus germs all over. Not just people germs, but may be germs on every product I buy.

Anyway, I decided to try the Dierbergs old people time from today. This store opens for us oldsters at 8 instead of the Schnucks 6 a.m. My thought was to see what Dierbergs had in stock compared to what I don't see in Schnucks. And that today was meat. At 6 in the morning Schnucks meat cases are pretty empty but I was glad to see Dierbergs had a lot of meat of all kinds. So I got brats, a pork butt for making pulled pork, a couple beef tenderloin steaks (so tender), and ground beef. Not a ton, but enough for a number of meals. We don't eat meat every night, we do a lot of pasta and egg dishes as well.

What did bother me though, was the paper goods aisle was empty. No toilet paper or paper towels or dish soap. We aren't quite at the point where we need these things, but getting close. Do people just buy toilet paper and paper towels even if they don't need it just because it's there? Is that why it goes so fast? I bet there are many families with a basement full of toilet paper and paper towels.

But it's over for another week. Came home and wiped every can, bottle, and package off with disinfecting wipes. Washed my hands about 50 times and now I"m done. Going to check the garden where there isn't any germy things, but dirt.

Nothing stops these things from falling off vehicles

It's still happening folks, even with so many people not having to drive into work.

Mattresses 33

Ladders

Nothing stops these things from falling off vehicles

It's still happening folks, even with so many people not having to drive into work.

Mattresses 33

Ladders

Nothing stops these things from falling off vehicles

It's still happening folks, even with so many people not having to drive into work.

Mattresses 33

Ladders

And now it's meat

Americans have been buying up things like there is no tomorrow lately. First was toilet paper, sanitizer, paper towels, flower plants, vegetable plants, dirt, snack food, liquor etc etc. Oh, and, flour and yeast. How did so many people decide all at the same time to run out and buy pounds of flour and yeast when they heard they would have to stay at home? I never gave that a thought.

People are shopping for something to do and buying everything. Today I read that Cascade dishwasher pods can't be found as well as liquid dish soap. And worse is the new story on people beginning to hoard meat. One butcher in Chicago said, "Pretty much working like mad men, we are almost doubling our business every day so that's kind of interesting. It's harder to keep up. We have people standing outside the door yesterday pretty much from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and even after 4 p.m."

I rather believe similar things are happening around here because since the virus shut down, people are buying more and more meat and stocking up. Which means, they're hoarding, especially beef and pork.

I'm always too late to the stocking up game, by the time I need or want something it's already gone or almost gone. Shopping is the new recreation.

Sitting through Call Day

This year's Call Day service at the seminary was unusual because of the virus shut down. No one was able to attend in person and the service was shown online. However, it turned out to be beautiful and emotionally affecting. We watched in our living room chairs, each holding a laptop. Dale actually watched on two devices, his laptop and his iPad. He was really emotionally drained by the end.

The day was warm and sunny and everyone was out, those families waiting to see where they were going were walking or sitting outside all day long.

Alarik Morris, a Holy Cross field worker, started the day by turning the fountain pond green, one of the school colors. Alarik learned he will be vicaring in Houston, Texas at St. Mark's.

It was a gorgeous day, even with the empty, silent chapel which would normally have been filled with singing, laughter, talk.

We also had our annual spring flower delivery and our maintenance guys were nice enough to help unload them.

All in all, the virtual call day service was amazingly beautiful. Hopefully there will be good memories for all concerned.

It's getting on to bug biting season

Beginning sometime in May and continuing into June, the small biting bugs come out of their winter hatcheries and begin their fierce biting. The itch from these tiny monsters are vicious. So, it's time for us to be on the lookout for Vanilla Body Spray. We learned from a visitor to our campus three years ago about the effectiveness of this spray to keep those bites away.

We were skeptical at first, but oh, boy, does it work. So, I'm advising anyone who plans to be outside in the coming months, to get some before it's sold out. And it will sell out. But one bottle will last all summer. You can get it at many places- Dollar stores, Walmart, Walgreens, Target etc. I haven't seen it in grocery stores though. And, be advised, it's only the Vanilla body spray that works for some reason. Don't be talked into any of the others.

Our seminary grounds and other outdoor workers swear by this now and keep a bottle in their gators.

 

Simpler days

Someone wrote today, "I remember when we were terrified of Romaine lettuce."

I remember this too. Those were the days. We could easily avoid lettuce.

More clever people

Yesterday I posted some examples of how the creativity or humor gene has taken over many people during this secluded time. Here is another example and this is so true.

Spring things

The flowering trees have been beautiful this year, a gift during the long hours and days at home. We have also been picking our first batch of radishes I planted around St. Patrick's day.

This will be the week we bring in Tiny Town. It's been a nice addition to the homebound scenery, but the grass needs to be cut.