Shielded Homestead Life

Our little homestead has been my salvation during lockdown. Shielding from everyone including family and friends and not venturing outside my front door would be unbearable we’re it not for our wonderful garden homesteads outside space and the joy of planting and harvesting.

This month we’ve been harvesting peas, beans, kale, lettuce, radishes, strawberries,  raspberries, many many different herbs, lemon balm, mint and fennel teas are wonderful and the early potatoes, garlic, and onions are coming on a treat. 

I’ve begun preserving fruit - apple sauce and raspberry jam made and marmalade on the agenda!

Covid, Confinement, and Creativity

My painting of a fox using Derwent Inktense pencils.

This last few months have been hard. As someone who is classed as a 'vulnerable' individual due to a medication induced lowered immune system, chronic rheumatoid arthritis and chronic asthma, I have been 'shielded' at home for the last 4 months. That's rather crap in itself, but when you take into account that I also care for my husband (also shielded due to an incurable lung condition necessitating 24 hour oxygen therapy) and we have not seen any of our family, including our heavily pregnant daughter, grandson, and youngest daughter, since February then, to say things are 'hard' is a massive understatement. 

The fact that I am a natural creative, an introvert and have a decent outside space has somewhat mitigated what would otherwise be a virtually unbearable situation.  It has been difficult for me to write, as this takes a degree of immersion which I can no longer commit to. However, I have occupied myself with numerous other activities such as drawing, painting, sketching, crocheting, cooking, and working in my garden homestead. This has been my salvation.  

Home grown fruit and vegetables.

I have become convinced that the chances of food shortages due to Covid-19 and/or the Brexit fiasco are high, and so I have been busily 'prepping' and attempting to grow enough food to be able to support myself and my husband should those shortages materialise. I don't know if I would have coped if I had not had this outside space and my heart goes out to those in a similar position to myself who live in high rise flats or institutions. 

I have decided to resume this blog as an online journal in which I can share my experiences with others and maybe help them realise that they are not alone and there are many people like myself who are almost completely isolated from the outside world. Technology is a blessing in this situation as it enables a degree of social interaction that at the moment I cannot experience any other way.

I will be sharing my daily activities, my thoughts, my worries and also my strategies for coping under this high level of adversity.  The development of a high level of resilience is my ultimate aim, for resilience is what will get us through this Covid-19 pandemic and the climate disaster looming on the horizon.

Keep safe.

Homemade preserves & our homestead.