Day two in the Home School/WFH Harriet and Rose House...

Day two in the home school/working from home set up.

First things first, day -1 was brutal. I was working from home after a morning of deliveries anticipating the schools closing, wiping my bottom with leaves, and feeling hugely out of control. I’m not a fan of being out of control. I wouldn’t say that I’m a control freak, but, I’m a control freak. Essentially, I got myself in a bit of a stress. Sky news alerts were pinging up on my phone every half hour, (I don’t know if anyone else has seen a startling similarity between their sound alert to the Hunger Games? I felt like every time my phone buzzed, a tribute’s death was being announced), within a few hours of this I turned off my alerts. We know - we don’t need the phone to constantly remind us - these are era defining times.

So, I did what any self-respecting person would do… I ate all the carbs. I’m not proud. I couldn’t even be bothered to reheat the lasagne from the night before, I ate it cold. With my hands. I wish I was joking. (Washed hands of course, give me some credit). When that was done, I roamed the kitchen for more food, and chanced upon the bread bin. Two slices of banana bread* later, and I sat with a mug of peppermint tea (to aid digestion of carbohydrates, I may have been in a carbohydrate coma, but I still have strong middle-class credentials). As I sat sipping, visions of my future working-from-home self-popped into my head, my new self having to spread across two chairs instead of one. And then I got a grip and stepped away from the comfort food.

Well until dinner time when we all had sausage and mash. Turns out a global crisis and pandemic really does have you craving comfort foods… who knew!

*cake, it’s not bread, it’s cake.

But what does this new normal mean? Well, it means my working day has started with half an hour of maths games (turns out my 12 times tables are super rusty, and I’ve just been thrashed by a ten-year-old… give me a few weeks though and she’ll be up against some real competition). This blog is of course part of my website. It’s meant to promote my business and tell you all about the small sellers and businesses that that supports. But in this current climate, it’s not that it feels pointless - I’ve already posted my Mother’s Day card back as it’s never felt more important - it just feels a bit odd. No one wants to read about my workday to day life, about me wittering on about all our excellent products. You know where the site is if you need it… what I think people want to hear about is my carb overload! They want to read about how swimmingly day two of home schooling is, but revel in the disaster of day 4 with me (when the teenager arrives… because that’s’ happening on Sunday too, Happy Mother’s Day! You now officially have a teenager in the house! And yes, her birthday is all but cancelled!).

Without wanting to go all dramatic - there’s plenty of drama already - I have already found that things have changed for us as a family. I have also realised that they probably won’t go back to ‘normal’ ever. And in the most part - loo roll shortages and people being selfish idiots aside - I think that’s a good thing.

So, what has changed by day 2… (be interesting to see where this goes over the coming months?)

• Waste

I wouldn’t say that I’ve ever wasted a lot, but already I’m wasting less. Cooking up meals with veg that have ‘gone over’, we had a raspberry (frozen ones that had been hanging around for about 2 years) and pear (bashed up as no one eats them except me) crumble. It was delicious. I hope that home cooking is going to get more interesting/imaginative.

• Reusables

We used reusable nappies with the almost-teenager. Not recently I hasten to add, she’s been out of them for a full decade, but for those first three years I was reusable virtue incarnate. Before it was trendy. This was mostly because someone told us that there’s no way we’d do it rather than because of my environmental credentials, but, you know, same positive impact on landfill whether it’s because you are bloody minded or conscientious. There’s a definite stubborn streak in me, and so we did it. We didn’t when #2 came along, mostly because #1 was still in them, and I already did 403 loads of washing a day.

Roughly.

But I’ve just ordered reusable face wipes from Katie’s Shed (a lovely local business who we don’t stock, but are happy to shop from), some reusable pads from @wearemout, and a mooncup. Nothing like empty supermarket shelves to make you go, yup, I want to not be relying on disposable stuff anymore. That’s the last period chat for this post I promise.

• Shopping local

We’ve been getting a box of fruit and veg delivered for about 6 weeks now, and I love it. I’ve asked for a different selection each week as I love the variety that comes with the season, and I love a ‘guess the veg’ challenge (thank God we still have google).

I think that we’re also going to be buying more locally generally. Really embracing the produce that we have here, in the island. The veg, the dairy, the fish. We’ve got amazing resources right here… perhaps now we’ll really start to enjoy them rather than getting niche veg flown in at great cost. Don’t get me wrong, I love a pomegrante or avocado as much as the next person (I’d say Millennial but I’m a 1980 child, and we’ve been given our own sub-category between Gen X and Millennial so I feel that would be unfair - and rather kind to my age - to call myself one), but maybe we just don’t need to eat them. Apparently there is an egg shortage in the UK at the moment. Not here in Jersey. Always eggs on the shelves as we have a whole load of chickens in this Island (though fewer feral ones). I’m going to take care of our three too, and plant potatoes for the first time as well in some trugs (should they arrive). I think we may all err towards being a little more self-sufficient

• Rediscovering letter writing

So, I know that emails are easy. And I know that WhatsApp’s are even easier… but I’ve sent more cards in the last week than I have in most of my life. True story. If people are stuck at home, then make them something and pop it in the post (so long as the postal service is still running). Send a postcard! Send something the kids have drawn or made. Seriously, it never got easier to ‘offload’ those pictures that your child doesn’t let you put in the recycling bin. But to look thoughtful at the same time.

• PICK UP THE PHONE

Speak face to face via WhatsApp, or Zoom, or whatever you use. If I think I’m going stir crazy (I’m not actually), then think of those who are literally stuck indoors with no Netflix or Amazon Prime (and that’s a lot of people in their 70s). The notion of getting through this without a boxset library to choose from is worrying indeed.

• Walk more. I know in Jersey we’re completely spoiled… but we take it for granted. Get out. Clear your head. Self-isolation means not coming into contact with anyone. It doesn’t - unless you’ve been advised - mean not leaving the house. Drive to the north coast if you’re in a built-up area. Having just come back from a run (aka the new PE lesson), there were hardly any people walking. And when we came across them, we kept our distance but smiled and said hello.

• Smile and say hello! I know, simple right? My Mum is legendary in this area… whenever we pick her up from the airport the kids always mutter ‘I wonder who she’s made friends with on this trip.’ And lo and behold, before I’ve even paid for the ticket for the carpark, she’s regaling stories about her latest friends, their daughter, their hip operation, or their favourite place to eat. MI5 could do with her on their team. Just saying. Perhaps it’s because I’m from London/Kent (it’s controversial), but I’m more of an eyes down sort of person. NEVER make eye contact on public transport, and certainly do not make casual conversation. Since moving to Jersey, I’ve changed. For the better I think. I engage more, I smile at strangers, and today, during the aforementioned PE lesson, I said hi and smiled at everyone. They nearly all smiled back. Except one grumpy man with a large dog who looked at me like I’d just taken the last pack of loo roll, but, you know, there’s not pleasing everyone…

• Loo roll memes. Who knew three weeks ago they’d just be the gif(t) that keeps on giving?

I’m going to be blogging here for sanity rather than business purposes over the coming weeks (and possibly months… if I’m still finding humour in loo roll memes and carbohydrates much after that, you’ll need to winch me out). So pop here for the chat rather than for the gifts. Though feel free to buy them too. Or - if they aren’t for you - from another small local business. We’re literally all in this together.