On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around the new reality. It’s one thing to read of business closures, it’s another to actually see them. As I mentally planned a grocery run this morning, I weighed whether I should shop today or Sunday on the way home from church. Reality washed over me. Church is cancelled. Later, I was thinking about whether I needed to wash my hair tonight for church tomorrow. But wait church is cancelled.
My husband and I decided to make the food run today and pick up some medications. For his safety, I left my husband in the truck at the Winn-Dixie which had advertised beef roasts on sale. I didn’t get a shopping cart to reduce contamination and I made sure to keep my hands to myself. There were no beef roasts, or any meat except shellfish and fish.
I kid my husband about having a toilet paper obsession. He had it before Coronavirus. I am collecting the emptied rolls and plan to keep count of how close we came to running out. I discovered I have my own obsession…Duke’s Mayonnaise. I thought I was down to one extra jar and began to have anxiety. I had attempted to purchase some last week but Publix grocery was out. On our rounds we went to Target and I was able to get a jar. It’s not that I am picky. It’s that Duke’s has no sugar added and we don’t do sugar. When I went to put the prize in the pantry, I discovered two jars there. I think I may be an accidental hoarder.
Our last stop was at Aldi. Once again I didn’t use a shopping cart. I slipped my items into a canvas shopping bag. Their meat section was pretty bare as well, but had more than Winn-Dixie. I had hoped to get some chicken but no luck. Interesting that the meat available was primarily cuts of steak. Since we eat Keto, this was a good choice for us. Most people seemed to be maintaining distance and we lucked out with no check out line. I think we are set for the week for food.
Kindness is flourishing. One of our local restaurants, Cracker Barrel is offering milk and produce to those who need it and eggs, 30 for $3.00. Walt Disney World donated all of their food to the local food bank. A friend found a brown bag on her porch with toilet paper, a cookie, a bar of soap, and this sweet note. I love that parents are using this crisis to teach sharing and compassion.
Oh, I forgot to mention this! As we walked to our truck in the Aldi car park, my daughter and I spied a small plastic laundry basket on top of a car backing out of it’s space. The basket fell off and we weren’t able to retrieve it before the car drove off. I picked up the basket and placed in on the grass next to a hydrant. My husband pointed out that someone else had used the space for another item. On top of the hydrant is a pair of glasses.
With all the closures and shortages it was good to see an old friend still in stock. Sigh… we can’t eat them any longer, except one on our birthday or a trip to Gatlinburg, Tn. I hear they are having a sale. Two dozen donuts for $15.00
I hope you are staying healthy, have all you need and are blessed with peace in the midst of the chaos. Let’s pray for the sick and those who care for them. Thank the cashier at the store, the one serving and delivering food. Tip generously according to your means. Give thanks to the Lord for His mercies endure forever.
Old Things R New 
Overall, 36% of Americans say the coronavirus outbreak is a major threat to day-to-day life in their community, according to a new survey conducted as part of Pew Research Center’s Election News Pathways project .
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I wonder when the survey was conducted. I live in a small town and it surely has changed our day-to-day life this week.
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This is a great series!
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