Sometimes it is really hard to predict how things will develop. That's not only true about viruses, but also tulips. Would you have guessed it's the same bouquet of tulips in both photos above? It is! Six days ago when I bought them they were pink, with an interesting greenish edge to the petals. Now they're purple or violet and look almost like a totally different kind of flower!
Whether people are still going bananas in the supermarket and keep stock-piling toilet paper, I don't know. (Maybe I'll find out next week when it's time for my next online shopping.) However, one thing that's hard to stock-pile at home for two weeks is bananas; and today my desire for bananas made me break my self-isolation for a brief visit to my local convenience store. (I know they usually have fresh bananas for the weekend.)
What's usually routine, now feels a bit like acting in some kind of ridiculous theatrical drama.
1. Watching from across the street for a while, trying to guess if the shop is full of people or not.
2. When it seems safe, going in, and going straight for the item I'm after (no random browsing - and keeping my gloves on!).
3. Making sure to keep my distance to anyone else who was already in there. There was one other customer before me at the cash desk... I stayed well behind until they were all done.
4. Until now, I've nearly always payed cash in this shop. Now I asked if I could 'blip my card' instead (= contactless payment, see last week's tulip post). Turned out I can. So that will probably change my habit for the foreseeable future ...
5. Deep breath outside, hoping no virus had time to attach itself to me. (I probably wasn't in there more than 3 minutes, but who knows...)
10 comments:
I feel your pain, I did the same thing except here there were so many people and I had to go in. everyone has gone crazy. no one is buying just what they need for a couple of weeks. I thought I would be smart and get around the empathy shelves, there is literally nothing left in our stores that is edible, or paper goods either. I just checked Amazon before coming her and they have no foods available, it all says currently unavailable, food to TP.... they have potato chips and cookies and things that are considered junk food. not even any cereals left. I just read your five points to bob and he is laughing his head off. we have all gone a little nuts. this was a fun post. stay safe and I hope no germs found you in your 3 minute foray
forgot. it is hard to believe those are the same flowers. AMAZING
I'm glad you're being so careful. Us too. In fact, there are so many steps for going into a store and buying something that it is getting harder to keep track of them and not forgetting anything. When to take your gloves off, the bags harbor the germs, so washing up after you touch them. Putting the purchases somewhere and not touching them for a couple days. The flower change is amazing!! I love the purple that they turned into, so much more gorgeous than the pink!
Lovely flowers and can't do without fruit like bananas. Luckily I haven't been working for the last few weeks and cos we're moving next week I've been able to stay at home and be safe quite easily.
How your tulips have changed so completely is really weird! I wonder if it is a certain mineral (or lack of it) in your tap water that brings the colour change about.
No toilet paper at my nearest Aldi; good job I don't need any at the moment. There was plenty of fruit and veg to be had, and the shelves with dairy products and eggs are well stocked, too - not to mention sweet and savoury snacks such as chocolate, crisps/chips and so on.
There are notices up at the shop, politely asking people to pay cash-less, but nobody is turned away when they insist on cash.
I did a bit of shopping yesterday for my 88-year-old neighbour (the one whose garden I see from my kitchen window and am often posting pictures of). Before I took her items over to her, I washed and disinfected my hands very carefully.
Sandra, I decided that going to the big supermarket for just bananas would not be worth the risk (a lot more people, and I'd have to spend more time in there as well, even if I only wanted one thing). But in the small local shop it would be a very quick visit.
The change in the tulips over a week was a big surprise. It took place gradually of course. At the end of the week I had to go back to the first photos to be sure I really remembered it right what the looked like originally!
Ginny, I'm glad you're being careful too! :)
Amy, I eat a lot of fruit and usually at least one banana per day... Luckily there has been no lack of imported fruit and vegetables in the shops so far. (Makes one realize how spoiled we really are nowadays.)
Meike, the tulips changing colour that much was a surprise to me, but as they were 'locally' grown on the west coast of Sweden I doubt it's to do with the water. I haven't investigated, though! - So thoughtful of you to go shopping for your elderly neighbour. There have been quite a lot of initiatives of that kind in Sweden too lately - some good news reported in among all the bad!
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