Persistence

Persistence and patience are needed these days. This fellow certainly exemplifies both. He sits on the step beneath the suet feeder and leaps up, flapping his wings wildly long enough to keep him aloft until he grabs a mouthful.Then he drops back down to the step to eat his bite and recover before leaping up again. 

We all seem to be having to use a combination of persistence and patience to acquire necessities from 'outside' these days. I used to plan menus and shop once a week when our children were small because it was much easier for one of us to go while the other stayed home with the kids. It's been years since I did that and over the last decade or so, we have lapsed into more of a once every day or two sort of routine. This might be why John has a tendency to ask what's for dinner at 7:30 in the morning, a time when I usually don't want to think about anything but coffee.

Now we need to learn exactly how much food we need so that we don't stockpile food, but also don't run out. Making out a shopping list of enough things to last ten days or two weeks is a whole new effort. I can understand that the impulse to hoard is motivated by the fact that it is one of the few things we have some control over these days, but also because a lot of us just don't usually shop this way. I can understand why certain things like pasta and beans are sold out, but toilet paper is a mystery. I would think that the amount of toilet paper stores sell in a given week is pretty consistent so stores don't have to keep a lot of back stock. (It does take up a lot of space)...there can't be a lack of supply but it disappears from the shelves within just a few minutes of being restocked. Where are people keeping it?

 We are fortunate to have three Blue Apron meals delivered every week. I raced out the front door to catch the delivery guy today and give him $20. He has been delivering meals to our front door for years. Today he was wearing a mask and what looked like gardening gloves. He was very grateful, as am I. 

We did pretty well on the food shopping John did a week ago at 6am. We might have some strange meals, but should be able to last another week.

The wine, however, is another story. Considering the fact that we are literally surrounded by vineyards, we should be able to figure out how to acquire wine without going into a grocery store. I may have to hit the 20 year old bottle of Bruichladdich we have stashed in the back of the liquor cabinet. Better than an ancient bottle of port, which I hate....I'd rather drink hand sanitizer....although considering what it is doing to my hands, I suspect that would be ill advised....

Stay well.