Last updated on July 5th, 2020
Hi friends! Today marks four (or is it five?) weeks that we’ve been under quarantine. I hope you are all okay, I hope your family and friends are safe and well, and I hope you’re finding ways to muddle through this maddening time.
I’m grateful for the medical, grocery, sanitation, transit and delivery workers who risk their lives each day to keep our country running. These front-line workers are saints.
Here at Clover Hill, we’re doing exactly what you are doing: adapting to change. One big shift has been the way we manage grocery shopping. We’re using InstaCart to order food and sundries from local markets. Because the delivery service isn’t available each day, we plan our shopping a week in advance. And even then, we rarely receive all that we order. I’ve learned to make substitutions. I’ve learned to “make do.” I refuse to complain.
Avery is adjusting to a new routine as well. Since our town’s dog park is now closed (it’s part of larger park which includes an also-closed playground and soccer field), Avery and I drive some 25 minutes to a dog park in a different town. (Avery is an excellent driver.) This particular park is open only because it is not part of a larger public space. There, a sign on the gate reads “Covid-19 Rule: Only Six People At A Time.” So far we’ve not encountered more than one or two other people (and their dogs) at the park. And we, the pet parents, maintain terrific space from each other.
I’ll admit that my work schedule hasn’t changed in any dramatic way. I’m still spending most of my waking hours working on this here website. As you may have noticed, I’ve been filming — rather than merely photographing — most of the site’s cooking content. For some reason that I can’t explain, sharing on “live” video seems the right thing to do at this time.
Last Sunday, Fox and I celebrated Easter at home. I cooked a small roast and some vegetables. Then I lit a fire, and set the table for two. ‘Twas the smallest Easter crowd I’ve ever hosted, but I was not sad. Clean up was a breeze!
I do feel sad for the state of our nation just now. I grieve for the lives that have been needlessly lost. I ache for the doctors, nurses, janitors, and other hospital staff who must report to work each day without the protective gear they need. I hope a vaccine is developed in record time.
Thanks for listening! In the comments field below, let me know what adjustments you’ve had to make during these difficult times. Meanwhile, I look forward to sharing more recipes, gardening, and lifestyle bits here on the blog. Heck, maybe I’ll even play the piano for you. So please stay home, stay safe, and stay tuned! xKevin
Sharon says
I made your hamburger buns the other day. Delicious! I’m going to try to reshape some of them into hotdog rolls too.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sharon – I’m so pleased!
Amy from the Upper Peninsula says
Aw, Kevin, this brought tears to my eyes. You’re such a touchstone of happiness – gardens, cooking, dogs and cats, decorating. You’re a reminder of those things that make us happiest and your sense of humor gives me such a lift. Thank you for continuing to blog/video and share your life with us! It helps to know that kindred souls are still out there, even though we’re all learning to deal with these challenges.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Thank you, Amy!
Trish Stover says
Hi Kevin. Thanks for being there.
AnnB says
Thanks for the update, Kevin. I work in a doctor’s office and am grateful to still be able to go in every day. My winter sowing is doing great, saw some tiny marigolds the other day!
MaryAnn says
Thanks for you life update. I especially like the part of ‘make due’ and not complain – very important.
I am grateful for having a paycheck. I’m a healthcare nurse working in a retirement home. No cases in our facility – fingers crossed.
Thankfully!
Christina says
I made your pate brisee sucre and was 200% impressed by the result. I’ve always been intimidated by anything requiring a rolling pin, but this was a breeze- no more frozen dough for me.
Otherwise I’m struggling. Waves of grief wash over me unexpectedly. For people who are sick and dying; for our country that is so stupid and has been conned willingly by our president, and even for myself, an owner of 2 small businesses both of which are closed. One of which has delivered our work for the year to clients, who are now refusing to pay.
Christa Fraser says
Glad to hear you are doing well. This post was so uplifting, thank you! Looking forward to hearing you play the piano. I listen to music everyday. Music soothes the soul. Stay safe and well, Kevin.
Colleen Carroll- Nisbett says
Hi Kevin,
I recently found an old recipe from a church cook book from 1950. It is very simple! (I love simple recipes) I thought I would share.
Rhubarb Custard Pie
3 cups rhubarb, cut
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup light cream
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Mix rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and flour. Put into unbaked pie crust. Mix together 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar,salt, cream and vanilla. Pour over rhubarb. Cover with top crust.
Bake 15 min at 450° then 30 min at 350°
The recipe was signed by two ladies from the church.
I remember having this pie growing up! (I’m 71)
Take care and stay safe!!
Colleen
heather bondy says
i for one am all in for the piano recital–can not wait to hear you play!! keep safe –you and yours– we are hold out in az and so far no coivd-19 where i am employed as a cna at a nursing home!! pray it stays that way!! love your shows and blog so keep up the great work!! 🙂 <3 from az.
Janis says
Amen, Kevin. With you in spirit and like-mindedness.
Honeybee says
PLEASE play the piano for us. I would love that.
Kristi says
We are fortunate that we are able to be home and have not lost our income stream. That’s a lot to be thankful for. We have also been able to cross a lot of projects off of our lists. Our weather has been somewhat of a challenge for being outside.
I guess the biggest loss to me is that I am not able to visit with my hospital therapy dog and don’t foresee that changing any time soon. It would be too risky until there is a vaccine. So I will need to find another outlet to volunteer. First world problem.
Thank you for providing me with a diversion. Another first world problem.
Candace Geary says
We, too, were an Easter of two. We only live a few miles from our daughter and her family but they been around other people and we are taking the quarantine more seriously. I am a heart patient and had extensive colon/small intestine surgery last fall. I am in a few of the high risk categories. Our son stayed in TX because of none of us knowing if any of us might be positive and don’t know. It’s the first time in 35 years, that it was just the two of us. Yesterday, I had a phone checkup with my surgeon and tomorrow I have a phone appointment with my cardiologist. Such strange times! We are safe and healthy and have a full.pantry and freezer. We are extremely fortunate in these times
Annie B says
You such a good person, Kevin. Good wishes to you and your family.
Susan says
Hi Kevin! Thank you for sharing, love the videos too! Reading and getting a jump on Spring cleaning. Biggest challenge, going to the laundromat. Perk is having the time to create nice things for dinner. To read obsessively and remind myself there is still some more cleaning. An occasional walk, weather permitting and, yoga when not. Naps are nice too. Your videos are just like having a friend come to visit. Thank you again. Stay safe over there!
shirley welch says
From Swan Lake in Tulsa Oklahoma, we are staying in and being safe. My granddaughter who attends University is here at home doing her classes online (so I have to remember when not to vacuum)!! I have cleaned my basement, cleaned the large screened in back porch, painted the windows on the same back porch and worked in the garden. Oh, guess I cook our dinner every evening (just two of us) and sometimes have to work with what I have in the cupboard as many items are not in the stores. What a story my granddaughter will have someday when she has her own family went through this in the year of 2020 with her grandmother in their little bungalow at Swan Lake. Thank you to all of the medical providers, hospital staff, cashiers, and delivery people and so many others who keep us all supplied and cared for, they are the Hero’s! Stay safe everyone and yes Kevin please play the piano for us, maybe Avery can help !
lise says
hi Kevin, well i love to cook, my wife has been working from home, and
i enjoy cooking for her , lunch and supper! It gives me great pleasure preparing meals for her. Also i have found a trail that i take my dog Brodie daily, he loves it! I have tended to the garden . I don’t know if you had that terrible rain that we had the other day, near Northampton, but just before, i put around all my plants, some wonderful fertizer. ;o) and i know they will grow ! I try to stay inside, my kids especially one living in Canada, is always checking up on us and how we are.
Merry Mindy says
Good morning, Kevin. Your posts are like much needed sunshine during this dark time. Baking helps fight stress, so today it’s our family’s chocolate chip cookies or peach pie or both.
Merry Mindy says
Good morning, Kevin. Your posts are like much needed sunshine during this dark time. Baking helps fight stress, so today it’s our family’s chocolate chip cookies or peach pie or both. Looking forward to your piano repertoire.
Audrey says
Good Morning Kevin,
I stumbled on your site last spring while exploring advice on how to eradicate weeds with vinegar…oh my what a find you were!
Since then have had fun with your recipes and gardening tips (all fabulous) and these past few weeks of confinement your videos have brightened our days as we explore new ideas.
I teach yoga in a lovely area of East Toronto, and now am delivering classes online! Loving it – was very apprehensive at first, but it is going very very well indeed. I also had one of the studios agree to offer free Meditation on our online platform at 8am (20-30 mins) so it became my Karma project and a rotation of our super teachers rotate with me to give our clients a grounding and centred start to their day.
I’ve joined three virtual weekly Knit-A-Longs, two with a fabulous yarn shop in Waterbury, Vt. (been vacationing in your beautiful Vermont since the ’90s) and one here in East Toronto (the yarn shop just opened last October – happy to support them in my small way)…so Hubby has a brand new spring sweater, I’m halfway through a shawl for me and have just cast on for a lace summer dress!
ITCHING to get in the garden – we’re just getting decently warm here to play outside, so plenty to do there in coming days.
Right darling, I popped on your site for some sexy breakfast ideas so off I go to have a wee scroll.
Thank you for ALL that you do. You brighten many many otherwise bleak days – bless you for sharing your talents and sweet soul so beautifully.
Kevin, I’ll be dedicating my practice this morning to you.
In gratitude,
Audrey xxx
Georgeann Brown says
Our neighbors have been a true joy, announcing by text when one is going grocery shopping, and send your list to them. Also we all have been cleaning out our pantries. A fun game of who has the oldest baking powder, cake flour etc. Luckily I have not “won”, we all laugh.
Jeanette Liberty-Duns says
Dear Kevin,
I look forward to your weekly blog. I enjoy your recipes and pictures of your beautiful home and garden. When I cook or bake something my husband often says, “is that a Kevin recipe?” He actually does most of the cooking which allows me to garden and sew. We live in Canada and do go buy groceries about every 10 days. We do go for our daily walk even if we would rather stay home and read. I take pictures of an interesting garden or flowers in bloom and post them on Facebook so It is a way for my friends
and relatives to keep on touch.
I also am so thankful for all of our frontline workers in hospitals, nursing homes and grocery stores. I wonder if our world will be different when this is over.
Stay well.
Jeanette Liberty-Duns
Pat Greenleaf says
Good Morning Kevin,
Thanks for sharing. We are all in this together.
I have been gardening. I’m in 9b SoCal and other than the much needed rain, I have escaped to my backyard daily. My yard is almost weed free. The new tomato garden has been turned and planted. I know there are few things I could use for the yard, but I’m trying really hard not to zip over to the Lowe’s store.
We have made “thank you” signs for all the warriors who are out there keeping life going on.
Today I’m making your zucchini fritters. I have last year’s zukes already shredded in my freezer. Love your recipe.
Stay safe and thanks for cheering us up.
Merry says
Kevin: I look forward to reading your yummy recipes each week, and today’s essay was inspirational. We all can benefit from being grateful for those whose lives are on the front line, grieve those lost (I now know someone who lost his mother to COVID-19), and celebrate that as Americans, we will not only beat this enemy but thrive when our country can reopen. Thank you for all you do to help.
Sarah of Colorado says
Hello Kevin! My hubby was wondering what I was laughing while reading . I enjoy the respite your blog provides and the humorous part of Your story about Avery driving to the dog park. I enjoy reading about your life; the home renovations, decor, gardening and recipes. PLAY THE PIANO! Love the picture of Avery. Keep on sharing!
Cathie Wagner says
Hello Kevin. I am writing with tears in my eyes. Your compassion, kindness, love of people and keen understanding of what is truly important in life deeply touched me. I have many blessings in my life and I count you among them. I have never met you but sense your intrinsic goodness.
God bless you and those you hold dear with continued good health.
Lee says
Hi Kevin, I look forward every week to your Sunday posts.
I have made many of your recipes and used many of your
tips !!!! Let’s hope our recovery goes well and life improves.
Please do play your piano, maybe one piece every Sunday.
Much love to you from Hollywood Florida.
Lois says
Good morning, Kevin!
Hanging in over in central NY! Very early, planned a large Easter gathering, including new-to-me floral china bought piece-by-piece on eBay. Instead, delivered Easter dinner to three other households. The biggest stress is working from home because my job as a school social worker does not easily translate to distance and airwaves, and oh, how I fret that all are OK; but I’m “making do” and doing my best to support others, including teaching staff. And adapting: this year, I hoped to grow as many fragrant flowers as possible to enjoy with my young granddaughter. Now I am plotting how I can grow as many edibles as possible to share with neighbors, friends, and loved ones. Not to worry; there will STILL be plenty of flowers! Otherwise, ditto to all you said. Thank you for continuing to do what you do so well!
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
We are hanging in there. We feel blessed to have a backyard and gardens where food can be grown. We long to see a flattened curve on the TV graph. We REALLY miss the local library. In the winter sowing jugs, exuberant borage has pushed off the hinged top, demanding to be planted immediately, which it was. Thanks for your reliably upbeat blog installments.
gloria says
Good Morning All!
Thank You for sharing the many wonderful activities that have become your new paths-We are full of gratitude for life!
The garden is my passion and now I am so busy starting seeds and repotting plants in my green house that there is no other world-
Our grocery store packs up the food and places the order in our car-
We have finished one and are starting another 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
Raking and mulching on nice days. Zoom Breathing and Yoga stretching class.
So everyone- Play the piano, make delicious Kevin recipes, show care for your neighbors and distant families and find joy in solitude- As someone once said- Embrace the sacred chaos of life-We may all look back on this time as something very precious in learning life’s lessons and focusing on what is really important.
Thank You Kevin for sharing your world and ideas and bringing together a very strong sharing community.
Martey says
Hey Kevin!
Greetings from Niskayuna! I wanted to ask, does your local grocery store have bread flour? We’re wiped out up here, and I could do a lonely and appropriately masked field trip if I thought that there was bread flour…
We’re doing well, planning our garden, baking, and settling into our new (to us) home. My lettuce box has lettuces (!) and radishes up, and I started other seeds this week. Stay safe!
Joani Younger says
Will be trying the Strawberry Jam Twist today. Sounds delish! I look forward to your email, videos, etc. Glad Avery is a good driver and you made it safely to the dog park! Thanks for sharing your home and valuable information.
Loie Sayers says
Thank you for the uplifting and humorous videos. I’ll be making the orange rolls. They looked delicious.
Sherri Gallant says
Well, your blog has just made me smile as it always does, but the comments from your loving followers have warmed me too. Thank you for being – and sharing – yourself with us ❤️ My husband, daughter and I are working from home (I’m about to start week 6) and we are fortunate to still have our jobs. And plentiful supplies. We focus on gratitude every day and try to get our (varied!) emotions out on the table and release them. In my 61 years, this is the most significant historical event that I can recall. I see so much goodness rising up through the cloud of fear and uncertainty. Bless you and your family, Kevin. You are one of my bright and happy places to go – and when I drop in to see what you’re up to, I never leave empty-handed. Stay well.
Katheryn Osborne says
I made some of your lovely hamburger buns last week and shared them with a friend who also made some and posted her results on her web page…..They freeze very well and defrost quickly and taste just wonderful…they will become a kitchen staple for us….stay safe and stay well !
June says
I really enjoy your web site and have made many of your recipes. One of our favorites is Fast Food My Way. You have also helped me tremendously with my African violets! I would love to hear you play! Wishing you and Mr. Fox the best.
Nancy Jalaty ☮️ says
Hi. You always make Sunday’s fun! Our children do our shopping for us. We have a big yard so there is always something to do. I try to make a short list of a few things I want to do each day. Zoom yoga three times a week. We made pizza dough for the first time last week. It was great! My tomato seeds are sprouting and will be in the garden soon. Take care and yes to the piano! Cheers!
Suzanne Allen says
Hello, Kevin, Q lovely post and wonderful, calming, positive comments. You are a ray of sunshine to youe fans. Be well and please give us a concert!!
Kathy says
Hi, Kevin. Here in the Boise area, we have such lovely weather that it helps me stay at home contentedly. I’ve started seeds for aboout 25 different veggies and my yard has never looked so good!! Also just painted trim on our 1925 Craftsman. Not sure what project to come up with next…
I always look forward to your posts–they make me smile. Thanks for all your recipes and tips.
Jacqueline Guest says
Hi Kevin,
Still looking at four feet of snow. (It snowed again last night. Sigh.)
Since I live and work in the wild woods of the Kananaskis of Alberta, Canada, life is proceeding much the same. I guess I’ve been self isolating for years and didn’t know it!
Thank you for your humour and wonderful tips on life, love and ‘making do’.
Stay warm; Stay well!
(What’s this about a private, friends only, exclusive piano recital for all your peeps???)
Liliana says
Hi Kevin,
Reading about your Instacart orders and how “you cannot always get what you want” (sorry, the phrase just popped up in my mind!), really brought me closer to you, in a very COVID-safe way.
I have been going through the same, and I realize how good it feels to know that I am not alone in this. Even if it is something as silly as groceries!
I am working from home, getting used to the new routine, that in Canada -at least here in Ottawa- is very similar to yours.
Thank you for being there, and for keeping us positive. Stay safe!
Liliana
Phyll says
Good “sunny” Sunday morning. Finally the sun is coming our way. I enjoy your blogs immensely, you always put a smile on my face and your thoughts warm my soul. I wake up each and every morning being grateful for everything. My prayers go out to all those fighting this “demon” on behalf of us. Please, please play the piano for us: music is so soothing especially at this time. Take care, be safe and healthy.. May God bless you, Mr. Fox and Avery AND all of us. Thank you.
I have been spending my time planting lots of flower and veggie seeds. Refiguring my veggie garden, again.
Laura says
Kevin,
We are just south of Atlanta. I have kept busy raising 4 baby chicks – new experience for me – and planting my garden. Most of it is planted. It takes me awhile. At age 78 my energy lasts about 2 hours. That is not all productive time. I get lots of exercise going back and forth to find the tool or seeds I left somewhere! I also have raised beds, and can sit and plant instead of bending over. Not opposed to sitting in the dirt either. So far this year,I have eaten Swiss chard from the garden. Looking forward to the fresh broccoli, my French beans and of course my heirloom tomatoes. I rue the day I cannot dig in the dirt!
I dId not realize I was Social – until I could not Social!
Shelli DuBoff says
I am so excited when I see one of your blogs coming up on my computer. I really feel as if I know you personally so thank you for being there for all of us. I’m very fortunate to live in rural Vermont so social distancing is not very difficult. My life has not been shaken up too much. In the morning I take care of the horses. Actually the horse chores go on all day. I spend lots of time in my studio painting. The pandemic has given me the gift of time. I can spend all day in my studio if I wanted too without any other obligations pressing on me. My husband retired just before everything shut down so we are getting to know each other again. It’s very nice. My biggest worry is for my daughter. She is an RN at a nursing facility. So hearing how so many nursing homes across the country are experiencing so much tragedy keeps me up nights. I miss dinners out with friends. Most of all I miss hugging my daughter. Thank you Kevin for letting us share our thoughts. Please everyone stay healthy and safe
Judy says
I am watching spring unfold here in north Texas in much greater detail than ever before!
Thank you, Kevin, for your wonderful sense of humor, your delicious recipes, the tours of your delightful house, and for sharing your pup with us.
Lisa Millimet says
Thank you endlessly, Kevin. You are kind and sweet, and how we need that right now. We are three high risk elders in Maine, with a son managing a grocery on 3rd Avenue and 33rd St in New York City. His partner is a nurse in the ICU unit now of a Brooklyn hospital. So times are extra rough. We skype with the grandchildren, 3 and 1, the eldest falling on the floor upset every time we begin. Then he says, “Nan, you want to come in to my room?” And my heart breaks. We have lost 3 family members in the past month, none to the virus, but very hard timing. We can’t now attend the burial of our Korean war hero in Arlington National Cemetery. As you say, we can’t complain. We here in Maine have fabulous farmers and coops and they are taking excellent care of us, foodwise. But there is something we must do. We must cry and grieve. And somehow stay connected. You are part of that and I thank you for your kindness and generosity. And endless inclusion into your life. And for everyone else here who is reaching out. Thank you.
Mary says
Hi Kevin, I love your website. It is my Sunday morning ritual.
A cup of coffee, lots of cream, and peaceful reading.
Nature has become a new interest in our neighborhood.
I am looking forward to your musical video.
Stay well and keep sharing. Give Avery a hug.
Mary
Sandy says
Our Easter was just the two of us, too. Made your cinnamon rolls which we had for breakfast and lunch! Made our day feel special.
Kelly Handverger says
Kevin, I’m glad you and the Fox are staying safe and sane right now. This is a strange time. I’m an ICU nurse, and I’m currently home with possible covid symptoms – so I’m going a bit stir crazy, myself! Please keep being a ray of sunshine for us. 🙂 I can’t wait to see how your garden develops this spring – it’s something I look forward to every year. (With some major life changes on the way, I won’t be able to do a TON with mine, so I’ll live vicariously through you ’til next year.)
Joanne in Zone 6b says
Thank you, Kevin, for all of the help and joy you share, and for the lovely community you have created. I was thinking about washing my windows and wanted to use your fabulous cleaning recipe, but now that isopropyl alcohol is unavailable (and needed for more critical purposes), I wondered, would cheap gin suffice? Or better to use the recipe with no alcohol? Hope you and your readers will advise! Please stay safe, stay home, and contribute what we can to the food banks and essential workers whose worries make me embarrassed that my windows are a concern.
Stephanie says
These are indeed strange times. My heart aches for lost lives, the stress and worry of getting sick at this time, the front line workers who continue to put their lives at risk for the rest of us, and the people who have lost their jobs. Our family has been fortunate and adapting well. We are working from home and homeschooling our kids. I am an introvert and have actually been enjoying all our extra time at home together. For the first time this year we have been winter sowing, planting an herb garden, planting a vegetable garden in raised beds, and (trying to) propagate our boxwoods using Kevin’s method. We are so grateful to you, Kevin, for this amazing content which allows us to make our lives at home better and more fulfilling.
Mary Jo says
So good to hear from you Kevin! Yes, challenging times all around. From the Sunday NY Times a quote lifted from the Travel section,
“I wish you a creative and enlightening quarantine.”
Elaine Wilmes-Pandolfo says
Thanks for your thoughtful post. My husband and I are well. Our grand daughters are in ME. so we use Zoom to visit with them and to help the first grader with her distance learning assignments. Spring is my favorite season so the spring flowers, birdsong and peepers are delightful. I’m an introvert so I got this! (Joe is teaching his Tai Chi via Zoom so he got this too).
Take care , you two.
Elaine
Jenn says
We are here in Alexandria, VA, outside of DC, thankful to have jobs we can do from home and a yard where we can garden and spend time outside. We just adopted an 8 week old puppy yesterday, so our focus is completely on snuggles and house-training right now, which is a wonderful mental break from the anxiety of the situation.
We try to order curbside pickup from local restaurants every couple of days to support them, and do one nice thing per week to pay it forward. This week we ordered Emergen-C packets for a homeless shelter to distribute, last week we donated meals to restaurant workers who are out of work through a local restaurant. We are baking each week and mailing care packages to my parents, sister, and friends.
We just did our first Amazon/Whole Foods delivery and they doubled our order of kale, both lacinato and regular, so we had what felt like a giant bush of kale that barely fit into our refrigerator. We made your kale pesto to keep the nutrition and reduce the volume. We served some on pasta the other night, tonight we will toss tiny new potatoes and green beans with it, and we are keeping the rest in a jar with some olive oil on top in the fridge for future meals. Thanks for making this a place of cooking and gardening inspiration and good vibes!
Marsha says
Darling Cheerful Kevin,
I always enjoy your emails of your news, recipes, & photos. You are certainly a bright spot in my & many of your Reader’s days! I was just looking at your pic again of your Easter dinner. Your antiques are beautiful. Is your soup tourine a family heirloom by any chance? It’s so pretty! My best to you, Fox, & Avery! Hugs, marsha marsha marsha
Frieda Hickman says
Thankfully weather is warming up at night so I can quit taking new plants in and out of garage. I would love to hear you playing the piano. PLEASE!!
Nancy says
Would love to hear you play the piano Kevin. Thank-you for your very informative and upbeat blog, I always look forward to it. You and Mr. Fox stay safe.
Nancy
badger gardener says
Glad you are all staying safe and helping to flatten the curve. I normally work as a PT but since much of that work was put on hold are hospital system offered us the opportunity to work in a variety of assistive roles at the hospital. I have found it interesting how quickly our brains can adapt to new realities because it just feels like my job. Basically we do anything with in the scope of our licensure to help out the frontline. A few times I’ve been placed in housekeeping and I actually love to clean but the experience of doing it fully donned in PPE is a different experience to say the least! The shortage of PPE is certainly not ideal and there have been some interesting strategies to conserve. The other night in Emergency Dept we had industrial disposable painters coverall in lieu of isolation gowns. For me not normally being stationed at the hospital it has been interesting . While the rest of the word is socially isolating I get to meet new people every day. The other side of my life is making sure my 7th and 9th graders keep up with their school work. Oy ve’ is all I will say about that.
Connie says
Your house looks gorgeous outside and in. Such green!! Hope you are well and stay that way.
GrammaTer says
My husband and I are both retired teachers so our daily schedule hasn’t changed that much. I am just so thankful for my kids, my friends, texting, my greenhouse, my sewing machine, and my Kindle. I finished a quilt top yesterday and am starting another. People laugh at our fabric stashes but now they know why we keep adding to them. HA! My greenhouse is full of geraniums, coleus, tomatoes and peppers ready to set outside when the temps warm a bit. I have about 30 gallon jugs with flowers sprouting thanks to winter sowing. Your blog and all these comments made my day. Make do and stay safe (and apparently make hamburger buns! )
Linda Carlson says
Hi Kevin! I live alone in the country, so I have lots to do and lots of wildlife to see looking out my window. I am filling my days with sewing, which I love. Making Face Masks for friends and relatives. Cooking for one is a challenge, but whatever I cook I get to enjoy it more than once. The other day I made Chicken & Mushrooms in Tarragon sauce. I used only one rather large chicken breast and a full amount of the other ingredients. I even found some Vermouth in the cupboard! It was fantastic! I just wanted you to know, and thank you for the great recipes.
mlaiuppa says
Surprising little has changed for me.
I do not go to my pool class at the gym twice a week. I could certainly use it but have been keeping active in the yard and so far the back is OK.
I do not go to my watercolor class at the senior center so my trips to my parents’ house are now down to once a week. I do still go on Saturdays to do a “wellness check”, carry up laundry and help make the bed, repair any small odd jobs that aren’t getting done, have dinner and watch TV. Diana pawPrints also gets to have a romp with her buddy Dolly.
But otherwise I am home. I am mostly working in the yard and catching up on shows and movies. I have been cooking more than normal. And cleaning albeit not as much. The weather has been wonderful for outdoor work so I have been weeding and planting. I’m currently working on a Victory Garden for the front yard that has been in the planning stages for years. This was finally the year. We had a wet winter so between each rain storm I have been turning dirt and pulling weeds and grass, front and back. But it has allowed me to really take a cultivator to the front where I am clearing the entire space for four, large raised beds. My house is 1922 and I think a front yard garden is perfect for the house. I also hate lawn. There are now materials out making it easier than ever. There are corner blocks you can slide 2×6 boards of any length in to and using rebar for stability you can stack the blocks up to four high. That would be 24 inches. Too tall for me but three stacks is perfect as I can also put boards along the top to make a bench to sit on as I work. I figure when I am done I’ll have about 160 sq ft of garden. Some for me and some for the bees and butterflies. Once I put stepping stones and gravel between the beds I’ll have a reasonably maintenance free yard. It gets me out of the house but I am still safely isolated. Diana is loving all this time I’m spending with her in the yard. It is so easy for me to stay home that it is going to be difficult to motivate me to get back to my old routine once it is safe to do so.
Linda A says
Hi Kevin,
I would love to listen to more of your piano playing. I’m sure many others would enjoy
it as well. You have a wonderful talent. And, I love listening to those piano keys.
I noticed the pink blossoms on my chives that are growing like crazy and remembered
your chive blossom vinegar idea and the chive pesto, both of which I hadn’t yet tried.
Oh wow! The chive pesto was delicious (thought it was even better the next day after the
flavors blended). I used it on a baked potato and on crackers while sipping wine. Delish!
The vinegar is doing it’s thing in the cupboard. I look forward to trying it. Thank you for the great ideas!
Sherilyn Peters says
I love your website and You Tube posts. I recently discovered you and have been busy watching. You give inspiration to cook and garden at this crazy time.