March 16, 2020
Life is Terrifying…Here’s a Puppy
To quote Thomas Paine, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Middle TN can’t catch a break. As our cities continue to recover from tornado destruction, COVID-19 has become a national crisis. Meetings, schools, concerts, sports, vacations and book tours have been cancelled. Churches have made the move to stream services online. Bars are being ordered to close, and restaurants are asked to keep their numbers low, or provide takeout and delivery. Grocery stores have been ransacked. We all know about the TP hoarding, but there’s also no milk at my local Kroger or Publix. I found ONE half gallon at the gas station down the road. It cost me $5. A couple of weeks ago, lots of people were making light of the situation. Nothing about Coronavirus is funny anymore. I feel like I’m in a Stephen King novel. The status of this health crisis is changing by the hour. I’ve already had to update this blog post since I began writing it this morning. Small businesses around the country are going to take massive hits financially; this is an undeniable fact. Some may never recover. I work in the garden industry. We are a small family-owned business that relies on the 3 months of spring sales to stay afloat. Though our environment is open-air and low-risk, we are scrambling to make a contingency plan in case most of our spring shoppers decided to stay home. If you are able, PLEASE consider helping out your local small businesses. Buy gift cards to use later when shopping in public isn’t as risky. Here’s my first suggestion: https://www.batesnursery.com/gift-cards/
I try to put a positive spin on all of life’s complications, but to say I’m struggling is an understatement. Real talk, I am terrified. That rosy glow I had when I returned from sabbatical is a distant memory. March has been a cruel mistress. Somehow, I’ve managed to come up with a list. I hope it can give some of you a ray of sunshine. Make good choices and stay healthy, friends.
Puppy visitors- A coworker’s brother got a new beagle puppy, and she was dying to see it. Rachel asked if he’d bring it by the greenhouse, so we all got a little dose of cuteness on our dreary Saturday.
Flowering trees- I know those cursed Bradford pears are making everyone sneeze their heads off, but more desirable flowering trees are really putting on a show this year; in particular, Yoshino cherries and tulip magnolias. They make my work commute along the scenic route that much more pleasant.
Remodeled pantry- For reasons I can’t explain, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my pantry. Maybe because it reminds me of cooking, which I LOATHE. Even after the washer and dryer were moved out and into our new laundry room, I couldn’t come up with a plan for the new space that I really loved. This room has caused me nothing but stress, which has frustrated my husband to no end, since we seemed to have different ideas. We’ve just now begun working on the pantry and Tim asked my opinion on shelving. I just told him to do what he wants and I’ll live with it. It’s obviously not finished, but after digging through boxes for months, seeing all of my pantry items neat and organized is SO satisfying.
New books- With small businesses struggling from lost sales due to shoppers’ fears of exposure to this virus, and authors that have had to cancel book tours for their new releases, I popped into Parnassus on Sunday to get a copy of Glennon Doyle’s new book, Untamed. This other book looked so festive and was recommended by Jen Hatmaker, so I picked it up as well. Even though I don’t have much time in the spring to read, at least I’ll have these cheery book covers to look at in my TBR pile.
Mardi Gras French Toast- For the last several years, Tim and I have had a standing date night on Sundays. After a 6-day work week, I can barely muster the energy to go out. I suggested we have breakfast/brunch instead. Yesterday, we ate at Ruby Sunshine in downtown Franklin. Before you throw spears at me for dining out in public during the current health crisis, let me say that we were one of only 5 occupied tables, and mandates about restaurants had yet to be made. I ordered their seasonal stuffed French toast, and it arrived covered in Mardi Gras sprinkles. Festive, no?
Saturday steak night- Another tradition Tim and I have is Saturday steak night. Not every Saturday, but if we’re going to have steaks, it’s most likely on the weekend. This past Saturday was gray and chilly. After work on a slower-than-usual Saturday, I came home cold and defeated. After a shower, I walked into the kitchen where Tim was preparing dinner. He handed me a glass of wine then brought me a plate. How fortunate I am that I have a husband who cooks. If dinner had been up to me that night, I’d have been ordering pizza.
Garden displays- A coworker put this little display together, and I can’t get over how cute it is.
Fresh Flowers (again)- I know I put this on last week’s list, but I bought flowers at Trader Joe’s this week, and they are GORGEOUS.
Gerber daisies- Last week, we received our for shipment of gerber daisies. I can’t grow them for love nor money, but I admire the flowers anyway. They remind me of my sister, since gerber daisies were her favorite flower.
Fiddleheads- The ostrich ferns that were delivered dormant are starting to emerge, and the fiddleheads are adorable.
