Day 20: Stay Dirty

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Day 20 of Quarantine: Stay Dirty

Total cases (US): 311357

Total deaths(US): 8452 Wow! It's day 20! I feel like we should be celebrating or something.

Yesterday was a very productive day. We were outside for most of the morning moving dirt and rocks (which sounds very boring and laborious). This consisted of Dad driving the tractor, Reed and I riding on the back, and Huck chasing us. We worked for a while and it was nice to work in the dust and get dirty. Reed and I ordered a composter a few days ago and we have been doing a lot of research about the process of decomposition. We took a wagon around and collected dead leaves and old grass. As we walked around, on a hunt for dead plants, we concluded that composting is not only a win, win but a win, win, win. First, you are eliminating household waste by using it in your composter. Second, you are cleaning up yard scraps and making your lawn and garden look better. Third, you are making rich soil to use in your garden. You can't afford not to! 😛 I really enjoy gardening because it is an escape from the clean, spotless, and manufactured world.

Later in the evening, we took a "field trip" to Walmart! I thought it would be eventful to leave the house after 3 weeks of isolation but it was not. The roads were pretty empty and nothing exciting happened. 🤷🏼‍♀️ We had ordered groceries the day before and the groceries were loaded right into the car and we immediately drove back home to disinfect. The kitchen became an operating room with a "dirty side" for unwashed groceries and a "clean side" for the sanitized items. (here are some pictures but keep reading below)

We have been ordering a lot of takeouts recently to support local restaurants. After watching a CNN special on ordering takeout, I learned a lot more about the possible dangers and benefits. With everyone at home, restaurants are struggling to stay open so ordering takeout is a great way to support local restaurants. When bringing your food home, it is best to get rid of the containers right away and to be extra careful, wipe down all surfaces where the food was handled. Food safety specialist, Benjamin Chapman explains that even if a takeout package may carry the virus, the chances you`ll get infected by that is really, really low. Because of this, people should not worry about getting takeout as long as they are careful. It is important to support local restaurants as each business connects to a community’s economy.

Anyway, I would recommend gardening as a hobby to pursue during "coronacation." It is meditative and can help get your mind off of everything.

Stay dirty,

Ava