21 February 2021
Arienne has a book by Eric Carle called The Mixed Up Chameleon. Basically the chameleon tries to be all sorts of animals and can’t catch a fly because he’s not himself anymore. I feel like Covid-19 has forced us all to be super adaptable to rapidly changing circumstances and while I have no interest in chomping flies, sometimes it’s a good thing to be reminded of what I really enjoy doing. In January I had undertaken to focus on my health a bit more and decided to partake in Dry January. Little did I know that Uncle Cyril would implement an alcohol ban until mid-February! This weekend we had planned to be on a camping adventure. On Thursday morning that plan changed when Arienne developed a cold.
The thought of trying to keep a mask over a snot fountain and trying to be a barrier between a walking mermaid and a swimming pool led to a quick decision to postpone. A friend of mine is getting married in Namibia in April and all was looking positive to hop on a plane and share in her special day. Then the school holidays changed and I’ll still be at work for most of April. Having something to look forward to (like the sloshing of some pinotage into a wine glass) keeps us all sane. And it’s starting to feel like Corona sits plotting ways to suck the sanity out of most aspects of daily life.
So what can we do? What do we have control over? My new motto is to only plan six hours in advance. Or, to plan ahead, but be adaptable and have a plan B, C, D ready as backups...
The first day of work this year was not the usual gathering of big staff meetings, greeting my speech therapy kiddos with big hugs in the bustling corridors, or catching up with colleagues about December travel adventures. It was weeks of admin and planning and a new routine with a later start time. The later start time meant that Marijke and I could get some early morning sisterly bonding time with walks through our neighbourhood. We inevitably got caught in the rain each time (because apparently Corona controls the weather now too, and nearly every weather report has been inaccurate!), but were rewarded with a hot cup of coffee provided by Mombles (Celia) with our soggy return.
Plans to launch our Rooted Herbivores dungarees fell by the wayside with the boom of ourtomato harvest. It was a case of harvest or let it rot and many an hour was spent harvesting, cleaning, chopping, roasting and bottling our delicious passata sauce, ready to be slathered over pizza bases and dribbled liberally over pasta. The Davels were tormented with the delicious smells coming out of the Herbinator oven each week and had to be satisfied with testers here and there. While not entirely part of the plan or in order of the to-do list, getting my gumboots good and muddy and cooking excellent food mere metres from where it was grown has been extremely fulfilling.
Realising the daunting task of harvesting the cabbages before the snails got them all (when you don’t pour poisonous pesticides all over your food, you have to be willing to share a bit of the harvest), I needed another pair of hands on the Rooted Herbivores team. We turned to CNN (Celia’s News Network) to find the ideal candidate. We have been truly blessed with the addition of Siza to our team. I have never met a more energetic, dedicated, dynamic hard-working powerhouse! This lady made short work of our cabbages and we now have sauerkraut to add to our list of offerings. Great for your gut, only home grown cabbages and salt, packaged in our glass jars which are eligible for discount when you return them; you really couldn’t find a healthier side dish, for your tummy AND the planet.
Now that school is back in full swing, and I get to see my speech therapy kiddos again, I’m starting to see past the sanitiser, masks and shields and I’m reminded again that this is what I love to do. The extra precautions bog us down and we can’t plan sporting events or outings for the kids and we start to feel stuck.
I’m starting to realise however, that the real joy is in the day to day. Hearing a sentence from a child who was only using single words, seeing a lightbulb come on for a child who struggles with reading, laughing out loud when a child who can’t speak uses a device to tease me... These are the things that make it worthwhile.
I am a planner. I like to schedule events to look forward to. Perhaps Corona has come along to teach me to stop looking forward and appreciate the now. The garden waits for no (wo)man. When it’s time to plant, you better get out there and plant and when it’s time to harvest, you only have a short window to reap what you’ve sown or it rots or gets eaten by the garden ecosystem. Now is the time for us to plant garlic, and if all goes well, we’ll be offering garlic in a few months and including our own garlic in our passata sauce. Now we’re building up stock of our cordials, preserves and sauces. Maybe in the future, weekend markets will open again and we’ll be able to offer our wares on more than an order-based platform. Maybe, who knows? The point is, we’re here, in the now. We’re growing and we’re always ready to bake fresh and offer our preserves to order.
So, what are you waiting for? Place your order NOW and schedule a time to collect or arrange a delivery with us. As for me, I’d better get into the garden before it gets too hot to work on the weeds and prep those garlic beds!
Claire
CALENDAR INCINERATOR
PIZZA ADDICT
WANNABE CHAMELEON