Good to hear from you Julia , Sorry to hear though that the surgery for your hubby is on hold .Seems everything is on hold because of this virus . I cannot believe that the governments (yours and ours) dropped the ball so badly on this one . Of course now they are trying to make it look like they are so wonderful with the financial aid packages etc. when in truth if they had acted earlier that may not have been necessary . A case of closing the barn door after the horse go out .

Anyway seems Covid 19 is here to stay for a while so I am glad to have my gardens to spend all my time in right now . I won't be going anywhere /seeing anyone ........will be just me and my plants ..

We have experienced the same kind of panic buying here in Canada as well . Again not sure what the stores were thinking when people were buying carts full of toilet paper . I guess all they could see was dollar signs.

I had to laugh the other day I went to the grocery store to get milk and bread ( boy that was a mistake !) and while standing in line for the checkout ( It went 3/4 of the way around the outside perimeter of the inside of the store ) I overheard a woman say . "So what is with everyone buying all the toilet paper ? It is a respiratory disease not an asspiratory disease ! " Cracked up just about everyone within hearing range in the line and cut through some tension that you could see was building while everyone waited to get to the cash.

Sounds like we are going to get the same weather as you . 60 on Friday and 0 on Saturday . I am still trying to start to clean out beds .......I don't do it in the fall ........but the winds on a few days recently have blown the stuff right back into the gardens I have just raked out . ARGH ! so frustrating . Still spring is on its way and can't get here fast enough for me !

Hope you and your hubby stay clear of the virus and get to clearing your gardens soon

My family is doing fine, it appears the situation is similar no matter where you are. We have experienced all of the things I read above. It was warm enough here to do more yard cleanup yesterday and like most of you the rain and cooler weather is coming. Another hour or so on a warmer day and the beds will be done. My daffodils are growing and about half of my daylilies are waking up. We will be staying at home, getting an occasional takeout most likely, want to keep our favorite restaurants going. We did leave the house to vote yesterday, went at 2:30, was pretty quiet then.

Sherry

Brad, I love your picture of Gollum!

We are fine here. Bob is recovering from some sort of flu and our daughter has a sinus infection, but other than that, we are fine.

Panic buying is going on here too. I went to the store this morning for rolled outs (I am close to being out and I make granola), but all the rolled oats were gone. The store is limiting quantities on some goods. It's too bad they didn't do that at the start and maybe the shelves wouldn't be so empty.

The restaurants and bars in our state have all been closed except for takeout. Our son manages a coffee shop in St. Louis and they are anticipating closing down any day. It's really tough on those hourly and tip dependent workers. Many of them have second jobs, but in the same industry so they essentially lose two jobs. Our son is worried that this young company will not be able to weather the down turn and will have to permanently close.

The college where Bob works has gone to online learning but the staff still has to report to work.

Our weather is up and down. Yesterday was a decent day and I got some things done. Today is rainy. We are expecting a cold spell in a couple of days.

On the bright side, we are crossing the daylilies in the greenhouse and we are still planting seeds. Many seedlings are up and are looking great. Our daylilies are all coming up. They are all looking great including the southern ones. Hopefully we won't have many more hard freezes. I noticed some forsythia beginning to bloom around town. We have daffodil buds coming up and the buds are swelling on the flowering quince. Spring is on the way. Maybe the warmer weather will chase the corona virus away.

Nancy

Brad, I cant tell what I am looking at in your first image nor could I read the text . I even copied the image and enlarged it in Irfanview but I am still not seeing what I am supposed to be seeing ? I am guessing it is humourous based on the second image of gollum but can you clarify for me please. Help

Heather, I could not see it very well on my phone, and at first could not figure it out when I switched to the computer, but judging by the 2nd part, I am assuming it is toilet paper :)

I keep meaning to take pictures of my daffs, hellebores, snow drops blooming, but seems to be raining everytime I am at home to do it.

I have not posted in several days because I do most of my online stuff on my phone, don't have actual internet these days. Since Houzz updated, I cannot post with my phone, unless I want to post 1 word per post. Words just disappear as soon as I space.

There are shortages of everything here in the grocery stores - especially toilet paper, paper towels and bread. We've had lots of rain the past two weeks, but there were a few dry days when I weeded and put compost on my seedling beds and one other bed. The lawn needs to be mowed, but we won't get a dry day till the end of the week. I've got a low grade fever and I'm coughing, but I don't think it's Covid-19. Take care everyone. These are scary times.

Debra

I am so sorry about your husband's surgery being put off. That happened to my daughter this week too. I think the stores are about the same everywhere. The latest thing to be in short (or zero) supply is chicken. plenty of beef or pork. We are fine now but had a really mean stomach virus that kept us both down for the last week. It is supposed to be 80 today, and the sun is out (finally) so I have been in the yard finishing weeding the front. At least the weeds come up very easily due to all the rain, but rain is coming back either tomorrow or Friday.

kay

Julia: So sorry to hear about the postponement for surgery. It may be a blessing in disguise with the hospitals packed with Coronavirus patients (or not)....... Debra: I hope you get well quickly and if in doubt have yourself tested. I read today that Tom Hanks said that all he feels from having the virus is kind of "blah". Hopefully that's all anyone will feel if they contract it...........Brad: What a hoot on "stalking the wild toilet paper roll". Nan: May everyone recover and your son's business weather the storm. It's absolutely crazy to see what's happened in the blink of an eye. Why people bought up all the toilet paper for a virus that is respiratory in nature caught me off guard. This isn't the green apple two step flu.........I was just bringing out my small pots of daylilies I've overwintered in the garage, when they said we will have a low Friday night of 28. Yo Yo weather indeed.......
BTW. We are like everyone else on supplies. I'm wondering where my Sears & Roebuck catalog might be.............Maryl

MaryL .is that what that first image from Brad was LOL ! Thanks for clearling that up ! LOL on the Sears Roebuck catalog ........been a few years since that has been around .

Heather, I enlarged it all. The text is for the first 4 pics.

OMG Hilarious Brad , Your sense of humor is priceless ! I just showed my hubby and he is just about rolling on the floor ! Thanks for enlarging !!!!!

Julia, I know after all you guys have been through, this situation feels like a setback but Maryl’s comment about being for the best might be right on target.

I am trying to keep my husband sheltered in place as he has had a year of compromising illness leaving him with weakened immunity. However, with schools being closed, and being an “old” teacher, I am homeschooling grandchildren. That has been interesting and we have had to establish new ground rules!

I just read where many people are putting up the twinkling lights to make them feel better so don’t be surprised to see Christmas trees reappear!! Haha!!

I have personally witnessed some pretty amazing acts of kindness and sincerely hope that will continue-wishing good health and safety for everyone

Heather, you ought to download the pictures so you can show them to others!

Brad

I always believe in fate. I guess fate is saying my husband needs to wait and that is fine with me.

Many of the grocery stores in our area are now setting days and times that seniors (over 60) can shop early in the morning.I assume this is because the stores will have been cleaned and restocked before they open.

I got many of the dead scapes out yesterday from the back gardens but still leaving the dead foliage for the next couple of days as our temps will be hitting near freezing again.

I noticed that daylily Jamie Dockery has a lot of yellow tips on the new emerging foliage. Hope it doesn't have a set back this year.

Brad: Love the pics. So funny.

Take care all. I'll be online more now that we are in a holding pattern.

Julia

Julia, remember this old song by the Byrds based on scripture?

It seems to fit!

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

Brad

Yup, I remember. :)