Week Six
SURVIVING IN THE BUBBLE
Where to begin…
This sixth week of lockdown has been the hardest for me to deal with so far, for a variety of reasons…and as a result I have been procrastinating. Not for lack of content but more from not being able to focus because of discomfort and pain.
I generally try to maintain a positive outlook on life, not grumble or let things get me down…and believe me, life has thrown a few punches my way. But the inherited genes of my forebears mean that I tend to pick myself up and soldier on. But this week I reached breaking point and cracked. I ended up having a good old cry. The last time I bawled like that was nearly two years ago when my cat died.
Don’t get me wrong, this was not a bad thing. Amanda (bless her), provided a shoulder to cry on and it was a release of sorts and rather cathartic, so I embraced it and let it all out. There is no point letting things bottle up and fester.
In retrospect there had been a number of things preying on my subconscious mind and that while it is fine to be brave, it is absolutely okay to be vulnerable and admit to being scared, needing help or simply having a bad day, or in my case, a bad week.
Over the last little while I had been experiencing some minor niggly health issues.
In March last year I fell heavily onto my right knee (partly due to centrifugal forces after losing my boobs). Thankfully my knee (and balance) has improved heaps since then but now and again I get the odd twinge. In this instance the twinge had gotten rather painful and had spread up into my groin, making walking problematic.
Like any well-oiled machine, when something is out of whack, something else goes out of alignment. That something else was my neck and back and it all came to a head on Monday morning. I was very fortunate to find a chiropractor who was prepared to treat me. I’m still a bit tender but a lot better than I was.
Matters weren’t helped by the fact that in the weeks prior I had an eye infection and a sore tooth. Thankfully both of these have cleared up. But if felt like one thing after another was happening and it got on top of me. I was quite upset that my body was not playing ball especially when I was doing what I could to look after it.
As well as the physical ailments, I was experiencing some inner turmoil and feeling a little emotional. The property where I am staying is lovely but rather small. We had also had a few days of inclement weather so I was probably suffering from a bit of cabin fever from being so confined. Plus not used to being hamstrung, I was disappointed that my plans for the remainder of the year had been scuppered.
Right now I should have been house-sitting in Auckland. Then at the end of May I was going to return to Wellington for a week, fly to Christchurch for a meeting in early June, then spend a few days with family in Auckland before I headed to Bali for two months to escape the winter. Then I was going to return to NZ in time to start the tourist season again.
First world problems I know!
I am not alone in this. Many people have had travel plans disrupted or lost their jobs and now face an uncertain future. Admittedly it is scary stuff, especially when you are of no fixed abode and your work has come to a grinding halt. I am aware that I need to face reality soon and make some decisions about the next step.
Plus it raises a few questions: Do I stay in Nelson or do I go? If I go, where do I go? My caravan in Wellington over the winter is not ideal! What work will I be able to find moving forward? Will there be work for me next summer with domestic tourists wanting a driver/guide? Will our borders ever open again for international visitors? And if so when? Maybe I should look to become a full-time paid writer?
It helps to have a purpose in life. To have a reason to wake up in the morning and get out of bed. I guess for a brief moment I felt like I was floundering. But I remain optimistic and philosophical about my circumstances. I can’t change these world events…it is what it is. I remind myself that things happen for a reason and look for the silver lining because when one door closes, usually another better one opens. So I am excited to see what new opportunities may present themselves.
I can imagine that many Kiwi’s might also be feeling frustrated at this stage of the national lock-down. Having been constrained for a number of weeks now people may be getting impatient or fed up, and just want life to get back to normal….or at least a semblance of normality. All I can say to that is roll on Lockdown Level 2.
But it has not surprised me that many in the general populace are now turning around and criticizing the Government for the way they handled Covid-19, saying they over-reacted. Plus fear-mongering with the projected forecasts about mental health, unemployment and the economy etc.
I think people should stop trying to crucify our PM. I believe Jacinda Ardern acted with the best intentions, to protect our country and ensure the safety of its citizens, based on information she had at the time. What if the government had not reacted as they did? Imagine if this virus had spread through our populace with devastating consequences. People would be attacking them for not acting as they did.
While I appreciate businesses are suffering financially, I don’t understand why the powers that be did not press a giant “pause” button to freeze everything for the duration of the lockdown, with no rent, mortgage, or utility payments etc, the only expense being food. Then after three months hit “re-start”. I wonder if this action would have made a difference to peoples livelihoods? Idealistic, I know!
But despite any financial hardships people may have suffered over these times, I hope that people are grateful for the gift we were given to take some time out from our “busy-ness” to appreciate and re-evaluate our lives. And I truly hope that the human race is learning some lessons about what is important in life to make positive changes to the way they live.
You might find these final words of Steve Jobs quite inspiring:
This article also tickled my fancy:
Also, we should not be too complacent about this corona-virus. This account from a survivor shows just how vulnerable we still may be moving into the next level:
On a brighter note, another talented friend of mine, Wellington artist Liam Barr, was featured on One News. I am lucky enough to have a couple of his stunning pieces in my art collection.
I first met Liam back in the 1980’s when we worked together in Perth. If you haven’t discovered his work yet, then go check out his website here:
Coming back to me and my bubble with Amanda, life is still pleasantly harmonious. The only chink has been that the chiropractor (who also practices Kinesiology) gave me a friendly reminder that I should be observing a gluten and dairy free diet, so no more cheese or baked goods (with gluten) for me!
As I mentioned, we had a few cooler wet days (with some fresh snow on the surrounding mountains) so Amanda was unable to potter in her garden. Instead she turned her attentions to stripping wallpaper in the hallway and working on some photo books from some of her international holidays.
With the inclement weather I caught up on some TV shows on demand and made more Feijoa Chutney, so yum. Then once the sun came back out I headed out to Rabbit Island to meet Jackie for a walk (more like a hobble) along the beach and a picnic lunch.
Amanda, match-maker that she is, has also made me, or should I say persuaded me to set up an online dating profile. She says that it is high time I met someone and wants me to find love in lockdown, so watch this space people!
Mark is now back at work so that meant he was able to send a few care packages our way. Amanda received some paints to decorate her pieces of driftwood and create rock cactii. And thanks to a combined effort from Ken who rummaged in my caravan and Wayne who couriered to Mark, I have now added my dressing gown, slippers, tracksuit, beanie and a warm pair of socks to my limited wardrobe!
Mark is now back at work so that meant he was able to send a few care packages our way. Amanda received some paints to decorate her pieces of driftwood and create rock cactii. And thanks to a combined effort from Ken who rummaged in my caravan and Wayne who couriered to Mark, I have now added my dressing gown, slippers, tracksuit, beanie and a warm pair of socks to my limited wardrobe!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but these Feijoa and Coconut Balls sound delicious:
Or try making this Feijoa Fizz with left-over Feijoa skins. Thanks Jude for the recipes:
Feijoa Fermented Fizzy drink!
This simple recipe uses what would otherwise be a waste product and turns it into a delicious, refreshing beverage. It has a low sugar content but tastes great.
Once you have scooped out the feijoa flesh to use in your favourite feijoa recipe (or as we sometimes do - blend and freeze in ice cube trays, so they are free flow and can be used in porridge, baking, desserts and smoothies) give the skins a quick rinse.
Once you have scooped out the feijoa flesh to use in your favourite feijoa recipe (or as we sometimes do - blend and freeze in ice cube trays, so they are free flow and can be used in porridge, baking, desserts and smoothies) give the skins a quick rinse.
Loosely fill a 1 Litre sized jar with feijoa skins. Add 1 TB of sugar and cover with water. Leave covered (we just did loosely) on bench for 2-3 days. After that strain, and pop your feijoa skins into the compost. Add a further 1 TB of sugar and top up with water. Leave for a further day then chill, drink and enjoy 
(y) Cool fact - The fermenting process removes some of the sugar as the sugar feeds the natural yeasts from the feijoa skins. Tip 1 - For the second ferment if you seal it, it will get nice and bubbly. Tip 2 - We just used a tomato passata jar for second ferment, but if you get flip top bottles you will likely get a better fizz. Happy fermenting 
:)
(y) Cool fact - The fermenting process removes some of the sugar as the sugar feeds the natural yeasts from the feijoa skins. Tip 1 - For the second ferment if you seal it, it will get nice and bubbly. Tip 2 - We just used a tomato passata jar for second ferment, but if you get flip top bottles you will likely get a better fizz. Happy fermenting :)
Edited to add: The water really needs to cover the feijoa skins to create an anaerobic environment. If your feijoas go mouldy, you need to discard and try again. You can sterilise the jar in a hot oven and ensure the sugary water solution, comes up over the feijoas. This is an easy entry into fermenting and if you continue on with other ferments, you will learn as you go along. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
The first ferment (aerobic) is unlikely to yield a alcohol content of more then 0.5% (some juices contain more then this) and the second ferment (anaerobic) would increase this somewhat which is why the sugar content is kept low and time short.
OR
Feijoa fizz
Loosely fill a 1L jar with feijoa skins.
Add 2T white sugar.
Cover with water.
Leave (covered) in hot water cupboard two days.
Transfer liquid to a 750mL plastic bottle, discard skins.
Add 1T brown sugar.
Top up with tap water.
Return to hot water cupboard 1 day.
Chill then drink.
With thanks to Nourishing Revolution.
The yeasts naturally present on the skin ferment the added sugar and turn it all into an incredibly amazing drink :-)
Loosely fill a 1L jar with feijoa skins.
Add 2T white sugar.
Cover with water.
Leave (covered) in hot water cupboard two days.
Transfer liquid to a 750mL plastic bottle, discard skins.
Add 1T brown sugar.
Top up with tap water.
Return to hot water cupboard 1 day.
Chill then drink.
With thanks to Nourishing Revolution.
The yeasts naturally present on the skin ferment the added sugar and turn it all into an incredibly amazing drink :-)
I can totally recommend this chocolate brownie too. Thanks Jolie for putting me onto this one:
I have also been having fun communicating with my niece Stella on Kids Messenger:
Here is my pick of funny stuff on social media this week:
And some of the autumn colours and topiary skills of the gardeners in the neighbourhood:
And that's it from me for this week.
Thanks for tuning in to surviving in the bubble.
onepurplefish
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