Plague, Plants and Pickles

2020 is the most surreal thing ever due to the extreme weirdness of everything that is unfolding. Had someone said at the end of 2019 that this year would unfold as it is now, I would have laughed. Who would have ever thought, life as we knew it would be so different than it was previously?

What we are experiencing is impacting people in different ways. I think some people are coping. However, for the most part, I think, most people are NOT ok, and it is quite understandable. The people that I believe to be coping best are those that are introverts and comfortable with their own company. However, some of them are also starting to struggle a bit. Those that I believe aren’t doing so well are the extroverts. Folks that need constant interaction and social connections are struggling with being quarantined. These are the people that are experiencing “quarantine fatigue.” That segment of the population is the ones that are throwing caution to the wind, venturing out, and ignoring precautions.

In addition to quarantine fatigue, I think some people are just quite unaccustomed to sitting still and staying home. I am lucky that I recognized my sitting still issue and addressed it before this plague, or I could have been struggling in this area. I worked on quite a few things in 2019 and early 2020, which have helped me tremendously during this plague.

Last year I was challenged to indulge in self-care. After being asked and coming up short about what I do for self-care, I made a conscious effort to shift my thoughts and actions. That involved me self analyzing, and the result was recognizing how much I use to do for others and how little I did for myself. It was at that point that I vowed to change and focus more on myself. I admit it was very hard at first, but the more I did it, the more I enjoyed it. So here I am, all wallowing in self-care and loving every minute of it. It’s not that I don’t think about others. I just put myself first, and I do so religiously for the first time in my life. That shift has been essential in helping me to cope during this plague.

Way back in the day, I use to grow vegetables in my very own little garden. It was something that I learned by watching my grandmother. I actually would even grow vegetables for her once she got too old to garden herself. I stopped when my schedule just became too busy to dedicate the time needed.

Early on in the quarantine process, I realized that we could have food chain supply issues. I also thought since our agricultural system was driven by those that so graciously came to the country to work these jobs, we could run into issues. Those issues would impact my ability to get fresh vegetables. Additionally, I got tired of the romaine lettuce problems that the country seemed to run into often. Multiple times I was left with crappy iceberg lettuce as an option. I mean, WHO eats iceberg lettuce? Iceberg is like the chitlins of the vegetable world. So needless to say, it seemed a perfect time to grow my own.

Growing my own little container vegetable garden has been the best thing ever for me. It’s just the most magical thing to take a seed, plant it, and then have food. I mean like real deal food that has no chemicals, hasn’t been shipped across the country or some underpaid and under-appreciated laborer hasn’t slaved away to provide for a country that holds them in disdain.

So I got my second batch of cucumbers from my super small container garden, and I am about to make my second canning of cucumbers.

Planting and pickles during this plague have been one of the things that have helped me focus on something other than the entire world going mad. I don’t know if gardening and canning vegetables are right for everyone, but it has been great for me. Recipe below:

What are you doing to help you cope with all of the craziness that is happening all around us? Are you gardening? If so, what are you growing?

I would love to know what you’re growing and your thoughts on coping in our new normal. Reach out, let’s chat on FB, IG, and Twitter. Until then, Be STRONG, Be SAFE, practice social distancing, WEAR A MASK, and/or STAY HOME!

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