Groceries and more during this pandemic!
Who knew that buying groceries would become so tiresome? With this period in our lives of Coronavirus, many stores are closed and everyone is ordered to stay at home.
I never really liked to grocery shop anyway. I never really had to, since grocery stores were my family’s livelihood. My grandfather and grandmother opened grocery stores in the 1920s and this continued with my father and his siblings.
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| Victory Market, my grandparents' store in the 1930s |
They even delivered all over the county in those days--they would be shocked to hear how delivering has come full circle.
Therefore, I never had to grocery shop until I got married. I never grew to like it but I managed. I generally purchase the same things each week so it is relatively simple. I would get upset when stores remodeled and moved items around. I couldn’t make my usual dash and run through the store.
But now grocery shopping has been taken to a new level. Empty shelves often prevail and staples cannot be found each week. For some reason, toilet paper sold out immediately after the pandemic hit--I bought some at a gas/convenience store. That was a first for me. A few weeks later, we can now purchase the necessity but only in limited numbers.
What makes this shopping so different? We have to stay six feet away from any other human being. That sounds simple but often it isn’t. The aisles aren’t very wide so if you get two buggies going in opposite directions that will gum it up.
Therefore, I never had to grocery shop until I got married. I never grew to like it but I managed. I generally purchase the same things each week so it is relatively simple. I would get upset when stores remodeled and moved items around. I couldn’t make my usual dash and run through the store.
But now grocery shopping has been taken to a new level. Empty shelves often prevail and staples cannot be found each week. For some reason, toilet paper sold out immediately after the pandemic hit--I bought some at a gas/convenience store. That was a first for me. A few weeks later, we can now purchase the necessity but only in limited numbers.
What makes this shopping so different? We have to stay six feet away from any other human being. That sounds simple but often it isn’t. The aisles aren’t very wide so if you get two buggies going in opposite directions that will gum it up.
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| Fellow shopper, Pete. |
We have started wearing masks and gloves while clutching sanitary wipes as we shop. Cashiers are behind plastic shields which protects them as well as the customers.
I can’t do my usual shopping since for some reason there seems to be people who don’t know what they want or where it is located. Fresh fruits seem to be very difficult for some people--I want to scream “Grab a container and move on.” But I don’t. There really is very little choice since most fruits are packaged. You may think you found a good one but there is always one or two inside that aren’t so good.
Also, the less touching the better since no one knows for sure about the transmission of the virus so grab it and go. Getting all the items you need for a week or more can be very taxing while you distance yourself and try to navigate around the slackers.
Then getting the groceries home is another creative operation. I leave them outside or in another room beside the kitchen since the virus may last 24 hours on some surfaces. Refrigerated goods can be difficult since you have to put them in the fridge. I go over them with antiseptic wipes and put them inside clean plastic bags for at least a day.
I can’t do my usual shopping since for some reason there seems to be people who don’t know what they want or where it is located. Fresh fruits seem to be very difficult for some people--I want to scream “Grab a container and move on.” But I don’t. There really is very little choice since most fruits are packaged. You may think you found a good one but there is always one or two inside that aren’t so good.
Also, the less touching the better since no one knows for sure about the transmission of the virus so grab it and go. Getting all the items you need for a week or more can be very taxing while you distance yourself and try to navigate around the slackers.
Then getting the groceries home is another creative operation. I leave them outside or in another room beside the kitchen since the virus may last 24 hours on some surfaces. Refrigerated goods can be difficult since you have to put them in the fridge. I go over them with antiseptic wipes and put them inside clean plastic bags for at least a day.
The dry goods stay out of the kitchen and pantry at least 24 hours and then get a wiping down before allowed in the pantry. Experts say to be careful not to get the wipes inside the packaging.
It is exhausting! We managed this week to get a goodly amount so we don’t have to go back for a week or more. My husband helped so we divided and somewhat conquered.
I am considering delivery but I would still have to go through the ritual of putting the items away safely.
This has been a surreal experience with the measures we are using to stay as safe as we can. We really don’t mind as we watch news reports of people who don’t’ survive and the medical workers who are stretched beyond belief.
It has been hard not seeing the family so FaceTime has been a blessing.
It is exhausting! We managed this week to get a goodly amount so we don’t have to go back for a week or more. My husband helped so we divided and somewhat conquered.
I am considering delivery but I would still have to go through the ritual of putting the items away safely.
This has been a surreal experience with the measures we are using to stay as safe as we can. We really don’t mind as we watch news reports of people who don’t’ survive and the medical workers who are stretched beyond belief.
It has been hard not seeing the family so FaceTime has been a blessing.
Another aspect of surviving this virus is washing hands. A friend of the Three Savvy Broads, Mary Froehlich shares her thoughts below on washing up which is crucial:
"Who knew that soap would become so important? Some time ago I purchased several bars of lemon-scented soap at a gift shop in Williamsburg as inexpensive gifts for friends. I kept one for myself and unwrapped it to enjoy the scent in a dish in my master bath. At the beginning of our stay at home time, I realized my pump container of creamy hand soap in the master bath was almost empty, and I was so distressed to realize I did not have a large refill bottle in the cabinet.
"I began using the lemon-scented bar of soap to wash my hands frequently. It created such a rich lather! What a delightful fragrance! My hands are so soft in spite of repeated washings. Alas, the bar now is diminished to just a sliver of precious product. That is a measure of how long we have been at home. I will need to refill that empty container with the product I use in the hall bath. It is okay--just not special. The stay at home time and subsequent hand washing ritual will not be the same for me.
"The hall bath pump soap has a generous bottle of refill and I have already refilled it once. The kitchen pump soap and the small bottle of dish detergent have been refilled twice. I have my fingers crossed about the laundry detergent.
"I think it is time to inventory the linen closet to see if I have stashed away any bars of soap from our travels. Since we are not going anywhere, maybe I can find a soap from a faraway place to bring me joy at hand washing time throughout the day. Hey, I know I have a bar of Greek soap made with olive oil! I hope it will produce a good lather."
So please everyone, stay safe, stay at home, social distance, and wash, wash, wash hands.
"The hall bath pump soap has a generous bottle of refill and I have already refilled it once. The kitchen pump soap and the small bottle of dish detergent have been refilled twice. I have my fingers crossed about the laundry detergent.
"I think it is time to inventory the linen closet to see if I have stashed away any bars of soap from our travels. Since we are not going anywhere, maybe I can find a soap from a faraway place to bring me joy at hand washing time throughout the day. Hey, I know I have a bar of Greek soap made with olive oil! I hope it will produce a good lather."
So please everyone, stay safe, stay at home, social distance, and wash, wash, wash hands.
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