It was all a bit depressing actually. Michael Hill Jeweller had closed down which was mentioned on the news ....
...all the tables and chairs in the food hall were cordoned off but the cafes were still selling take away coffee and food to the very few customers.
The CEO had been to lots of supermarkets in town looking for pearl barley for me as I asked him to get me some when he was out yesterday but I didn't expect him to go on a search mission but he returned empty handed. However, I was fortunate to see some in Woolworths today and there was no limit on the amount I could buy but I think three packets will last me for a while. I had previously asked a young man in another Woolworths if they had any and he had never heard of it before. I add it to soups which I have already started making as it has now cooled down here.
I also went into a bag shop to see if they could advise me on how to sanitise a leather handbag but I am not sure that the answer to perhaps spray some Glen 20 on it is advisable. I am still to solve that problem. Anyway the salesgirl and I got talking about the closures and she said that Millers and Rockmans staff had been stood down and she had received an email herself telling her that she was also out of a job. I read later that Rivers and NoniB had also closed their doors. I really am not sure how these shopping centres will be able to stay open but the supermarkets will definitely have to.
I am sure some of you are shaking your heads and asking yourselves why is that woman going to shopping centres at all and is not house bound. Well it is like this...before all the Corona virus panic started my independent 83 year old sister was booked in to have two skin cancer procedures over three days and one of them was for the removal of a melanoma on her leg which would require her to keep her leg elevated for two weeks afterwards. That meant she couldn't drive so, as I am the only family member here in town who could help, I was the one to take her to and from the doctor's surgery.
However, the week of the surgery we had a family crisis which I was handling in between taking her to have the surgery done and then picking her up afterwards. The surgery was done but she had a lot of problems including bleeding which meant extra visits to the doctor and that was just the start. Then she had a fall and fractured her coccyx which meant that once the two weeks of having her leg elevated had passed she still couldn't drive so, while it would have been preferable to not be out and about and be hunkered down at home instead, it just wasn't possible.
Over a period of three weeks I took her to the doctor twelve times, visited the chemist four times and the XRay rooms once. Sometimes you just do what you have to do and try not to sit or walk too close to someone who might start coughing. In circumstances like we have been through you can't just ring a health provider and ask them to be on call in case my sister needs to see a doctor in a hurry.
Also with a lot of people her age they pay their bills by cheque or at the Post Office so she was stressed that she wouldn't be able to pay her bills on time. Today I rang her to see if she was alright and she said she was at the Post Office. I asked her what on earth she was doing there and why was she driving and she said that she had to pay a bill! She would have been in pain while driving but was determined to pay her bill. So while it would be nice to have everyone safe and sound at home sometimes an individual's situation is complicated.
I took a couple of photos of the dahlias that have appeared after the recent rain. Last year we had hardly any flowers but this year they have sprung up once again. It is amazing what rain does!
I hope everyone is keeping safe and well and has plenty of toilet paper. LOL! The CEO spent days trying to find some for my sister but eventually was rewarded for his persistence.
What a time your sister (and you) have had, Chel. Not to mention the CEO that's been running around trying to find basics. I have been doing the grocery shop for my elderly mother-in-law so that she doesn't have to go out but, as you say, not everyone shares the same circumstances or support network. I truly worry about those who don't have family or friends to help them.
ReplyDeleteLove your dahlias. How very beautiful!
Meg:)
Yes Meg, while it would be ideal to be able to stay home it is not always possible for caregivers. Eventually I might have to talk my sister into letting me do home delivery for her through Woolies or Coles.
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteJust a thought on the bag. Maybe wipe it over with a soapy cloth then rinse/wipe off and allow to dry. I have been reading soap dissolves the fat that holds the virus together and maybe gentler than other chemicals. This is why washing hands with soap is the best method.
I enjoy your blog and wish you continuing good health.
Bernie
Hi Bernie, I will give that a try as the bag is often out on a chair or on the floor if I have a coffee in a shopping centre and I would like to give it a good clean without damaging the leather.
DeleteSorry I forgot to mention I use a leather conditioner afterwards. I have a couple of leather bags and one after 12 years seems fine. The conditioner gives the leather a waterproof protection making subsequent cleaning easy.
DeleteI too have a chronically ill sister with leukaemia and this crisis certainly makes routine trips an interesting experience. I am glad you can't absorb the alcohol in hand sanitizer or I would be a hopeless alcoholic.
Bernie, I am just using soap at home to wash my hands and am saving the hand sanitizer for when I am out ...if I have to be. I do have the leather conditioner so will apply some after cleaning my bag. Thanks for the tip.
DeleteGood on you for helping your sister. We have a relative who is blind and only does phone banking. It is hard for people like these!
ReplyDeleteYes it is. My sister has no idea how to use a computer and isn't interested in learning and is used to just driving to the PO to pay her bills. I want her to stay as independent as she can but things will have to change as she gets older and can no longer drive. Some older people are really going to be in trouble during this pandemic I feel.
ReplyDeleteMy Mother doesn't have online banking or pay her bills that way so usually has to be taken to the bank/post office etc. These are challenging and strange times however the elderly are more vulnerable due to their age/ however as mentioned the way they normally would run their lives offline adds more challenging situations. Stay safe. Kathy, Brisbane
ReplyDeleteKathy it certainly is a problem at times like this. I am not sure what to do about my sister as she is so independent. I don't want her going out to,pay bills but I also don't want to be out all the time either and wouldn't ask anyone else to do it in case they got sick. This could go on for many months to come.
ReplyDeleteDoes your sister have a credit card that she can call up Energex or the phone company and pay over the phone. I'm sure they still take payment without having to go to the post office or if she doesn't could you pay it and then get the money off her to pay your card every 3 weeks so no interest...surely they can pay over the phone. Kathy [ps thanks for leaving your comment on my blog too]
DeleteI think she still has her credit card, Kathy. She will never change her routine though so I may have to take over if this crisis is prolonged. I haven't had to ask her about hiw she pays her bills before as she has always been so mobile and looked after everything herself.
DeleteOh dear Chel. It is hard to be a caretaker in a normal time, and it’s thousand times harder now. Can your sister mail the check without going to to the post office? When I used checks to pay bills, I put it in my mailbox.
ReplyDeleteI always wash my handbags with soap and water, but they are not leather.
Nil, no she would still need to find an Australia Post post box and I don't think there are any near her. I am surprised that she is still able to get cheques from her bank as I was under the impression they are being phased out in Australia.
DeleteWe too had to go out last week for medical reasons but I hoping we can hunker down now. Maybe talk to your sister about keeping all of the bills for the month together then paying with just one trip to the post office and at the same time picking up her monthly medications at the chemists.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad the drought broke before this - it is such a balm for the eyes.
It's great you can be there to help your sister. I fall on that cusp where I started paying my bills at the Post Office, and grew very accustomed to it. But eventually was able to transition to online payments, and use that exclusively now.
ReplyDeleteRegarding sanitising your bag, you may be able to steam clean it. Purchase a steam cleaner online, if you don't already have one. The compact ones are relatively cheap nowadays. And a lot of electronic stores, are doing click and collect services now. Where you don't have to pay, until you go to the store and collect your order.
I'm actually having fun at the moment, trying to get an updated medical certificate for my licence. It's not as easy as visiting in person. As my normal review clinic wants to do a telephone consultation. So I have to chase up all the evidence from my different specialists, so they can forward me a report, which I then forward to the clinic. Oy Vey!