Every Day Feels Like Sunday

....but without Landline (ABC TV)  at lunchtime.

We are well into week three of self isolation and every day is like Sunday.
With no structure to my weeks, library volunteering, visiting elderly friends, shopping, meeting friends for coffee, and visitors, each day flows into the next. As a self confessed introvert I'm rather enjoying it.
We're both busy with our work here on the farm,  and never before in my sixty four years have I valued our lifestyle, growing our food, as we do right now.
 Brian is finding isolation more difficult than I am, which is to be expected.  Just three months into "retirement" and transitioning from his previous sociable work life to this one.
And what a transition it must be!
Into this new territory that is affecting the global population in ways we could never imagine.

However, we are counting our blessings. There is so much for which to be thankful.

Never before have we felt this intense value of all that surrounds us, the ability to live well for as long as it takes without the need to buy anything from a shop.

With well stocked pantry, cellar and freezers there was no need to go into a state of panic bulk buying when I last did my fortnightly shopping. I did buy an extra packet of tea and ground coffee though.
Now into week three; the packet of potato crisps, the bag of mixed nuts, the Aldi block of chocolate and the tub of icecream are memories of the past.
All luxury items that we can well do without. However we are not feeling deprived of anything - the wine cellar is well stocked - and with this challenge we're probably eating better than ever, to be perfectly honest.

 Garden pickings for our daily juice. Necessary to maintain immunity.

Daily routines for healthy mind, body and soul.

This morning I was able to gift some butter to one of my young friends who is five months pregnant. She is finding it difficult to find butter in the shops, along with all the other shortages.
 The round of cheddar remains maturing in the fridge.

 My days are busier now that I'm using all of my homesteading skills to produce all that we eat from scratch. 

Making our ice-cream was one of those jobs that slipped off my schedule these past couple of years. The flavour is far superior to the shop bought stuff because I'm using our own cream, milk, honey and eggs.

My ice-cream recipe would probably read something like this;

First milk your cow,

Put milk through the separator.

Chill cream whilst washing all thirty something parts of the separator, feeding the poultry  and collecting the eggs.

 The Barossa Valley has been locked down since last week owing to a spike in Covid-19 cases. All tourist related, and some community cases as a result. 

All non-essential travel between the towns of Angaston, Nuriootpa, Tanunda and Greenock has been discouraged.

With this in mind it was an easy decision to close the Farmgate Stall. Our last day of trade on Monday was a record breaker as I had notified our supporters via the Facebook page giving them one final day's notice in order to stock up on our produce and honey. I was kept busy all day restocking the shelves and pouring honey into more tubs and jars.

Closing up this funny little stall at the end of day was sad, but it's just for awhile.  However, I felt a new calm, less anxiety and an acceptance of this quiet time ahead, just Brian and I, comfortable and deeply grateful to have all that we need to survive the duration.

Eating well with what we grow. 

Eggs, milk, honey...

Bread and Butter Pudding baked in the wood oven and served with baked apples from our abundant harvest. 

We don't know when we will enter a shop again so I'm using my most frugal living skills to stretch  out shop bought supplies to last as long as possible. 

Used tea bags can be used a second time to make a pot of chai for two.

Ginger, turmeric, cloves and a cardamom leaf. 

If you don't grow cardamom a couple of pods will do. I keep ginger and turmeric (from our garden) in the freezer and scrape off what I need with a knife. 

Simmer spices in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk with 2 used teabags (for two cups of chai) allow flavours to infuse for five minutes before straining into cups. Stir in honey or sweetener of choice.
Save the spices in the pot, and keep in the fridge.  You will get another two lots of chai before the flavours become too weak. Replace teabags with another used tea-bag or two for each batch of chai.

Without focusing too much on Covid-19, (I'm becoming information fatigued are you?) I think it's really useful to document our experiences during this surreal time.
I hope to spend a bit more time writing and sharing some of the frugal things we're doing with a positive outlook.
Not only is it allowing us to stay away from shops and people, we're not spending any money either.
As self funded retirees, too young to get aged pension and not eligible for a pension when we are old enough, our superannuations have taken a severe hit. Fortunately we were prepared for a financial down time and we're confident the stock market will come back eventually. We don't qualify for any of the stimulus packages and government assistance. We will be living close to the bone for the foreseeable future and all I can see are the positive challenges ahead.

"Fear is contagious, but so are faith, hope and love"

Take care. Stay home. Be kind.

Sally XX