Good day to you and I hope this finds you well! I am writing this on a cold, rainy day in NYC - thankful in a way it isn't sunny as we still cannot go out yet.  But also missing the warmth and light of the sun.

First I want to share with you a physical update.  Everyone has been so kind with their comments and prayers and I want to continue sharing our journey with the Covid virus - if only that it may bring you some answers and comfort in your own quarantine journey.

Today marks our 6th week of having Covid19 in our home and we are still experiencing symptoms.  They are mild, but very random.  This morning I made my usual cup of coffee in my usual carafe and it tasted like chemicals.  Odd as it was - I knew it could be a symptom.  So I remade my coffee, but with a different bean entirely - and still again - it tasted like a chemical.  So strange!  This was the only thing so far today that was off.  We have all been suffering from the running nose, although this could be exacerbated by allergies.  My husband is much better and has had the occasional sore throat and body aches since I last wrote.  So far so good.  We are all strong, fever free and looking forward to this being 100 percent gone.  Our Dr. has advised that these symptoms could be present as long as 8 weeks. 

Although we still have yet to have a test for COVID19, the antibody one is available.  The FDA approved version has arrived here and we hope to get tested next week. In the interim I have been busy attending virtual conferences and lectures along with grocery shopping.  Grocery shopping in NYC is a full time job now and wildly unpredictable.  We are experiencing the shortages everyone else is with toilet paper and paper towels, but also staples like flour, butter and baking needs.  Last week I paid $12.99 for 4 sticks of butter and it wasn't organic!  There are many reasons for this and they are not due to price gauging.  There is currently a very serious issue with food production, worker safety and the lack of management of it all.  You can read more here.

Given all of this, I thought it was time to honor my Grandparents farm and create my own Victory Garden.  Many of us are familiar with Victory Gardens from World War II and now they are back in popularity during these challenging times.  Not so much to help those working, but as an important action we can take for our health, our community's and the planet's. One of the virtual conferences I had the pleasure of attending was "Blessed Unrest".  This  was a two day lecture on the importance of biodiversity and also took inspiration from the book of the same name by Paul Hawkins. By planting organic heirloom seeds and using our front lawns, yards and terraces for growing and helping pollinators - instead of landscaping - we can make a huge difference in our climate. I look forward to sharing pictures of my humble city garden as things develop and I would love if you would share yours.  I am sure many readers are avid gardeners and it would be great to share our sources below in the comments.  Especially since everyone seems to be sold out of seeds because - everyone is gardening!  Amazing! I know it is a challenge every single day and even if you have no interest in gardening, consider giving it a try.  It is not just good for the earth, but studies have shown it reduces PTSD, depression and increases our health - there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. This essay by Oliver Sacks beautifully supports this.

Thank you for reading and for your wonderful comments and support.  I can't tell you how much it means to me.  From my Good Home to yours - blessings and be well - xo Christine

Resources

https://slowfoodusa.org/

https://hudsonvalleyseed.com/

https://squarefootgardening.org/