LOCKDOWN DIARY ~ DAYS 4&5

March 30
LOCKDOWN DAY 4 - Not much help from my son today, which kind of put today into a little bit of a slump for me, so I can't report much in the way of special moments about today, but I still kept busy and even planted some green Romanesco cauliflower seedlings out which felt GOOD.  Getting close and connected to mother earth is always special. Hopefully we will get more done together tomorrow. (The saying once again comes to mind… “feeling very lonely in the crowd”…)
 
March 31
LOCKDOWN DAY 5 ~ So today was a better day, I got a lot done which always feels great. A sudden change in the weather… cold and cloudy, so I went into the garden and planted out some more Romanesco cauliflower, red onion and variety-coloured tomato seedlings (my son brought home the fancy seeds from the hardware store he was working at as a Mother’s Day gift for me this year.) I also picked some egg fruit and we had that with lunch today and for tomorrow as well.
 
Bad news… we’re not making time to exercise… but I will count the gardening today as exercise… my son helped by chopping off all the overgrown mint so that I can wash and dry it… it was getting a bit long and when that happens it’s time to chop off close to the soil level, top up the pot with potting soil, water well and give it a chance to grow again. Dried mint in the house is wonderful to use in all sorts of meals. I love it!  We would love to have space to move more. There is a lovely grass area at the one end of the complex... and I'm sure we could send a message to the people in the complex that we are going to walk there at a certain time and let others walk there at different times... but I believe it's not allowed, HUMPH!... such a waste of a good area to exercise in.
 
A friend requested to know how I dry my mint so I’m sharing.
(most importantly… only grow mint in a large plastic bath or in a pot, and NOT in the ground.  It will take over if grown in the ground and cause huge problems as time goes on, because it will grow among the roots of other plants and trees and will then be almost impossible to remove and will compromise the growth of your other plants)
 
How to dry mint (and other vegetables such as green peppers, parcel, other herbs, sliced garlic, etc.)
-Pick off all the brown ugly leaves from your freshly picked mint.
-After thorough washing... dab dry the mint on the stalks between two towels...
-Put a dry towel on a large tray and cover with a smooth cloth (something like sheeting material).
-Lie the mint on the smooth cloth.  It's a big pile when the leaves are fresh and still full of water, so the sticks help to keep the leaves apart for the initial drying stages, so that air can circulate through and around the leaves.
-Then I put the fan full blast blowing close to the leaves to fan-dry them. (I've found fan-drying to be the most successful way which also helps them to keep a good green colour… (Oven drying, even on the lowest heat can make the leaves turn a brownish colour and messes a bit with the flavour… sometimes the drying vegetables start to ferment/rot in the oven before they have a chance to dry… so fan-drying is best!)
-Fan-dry in a room where the wind from the fan won't worry you.
-Face the fan blowing directly on the leaves, close enough that it won't blow the leaves off of the tray. (To help with this, I lie a net cloth loosely over the top of the mint and tuck it in under the tray.)
 
An exercise I tried on Facebook and found very inspiring
(It was so interesting to see how many of the other peoples’ shares from their books ended up with such real meaning for each of us at this exact time… it was really  quite uncanny how well it worked… I guess one can place meaning anywhere that they look for it… I found this so inspiring)

What I found in my nearest book when I did this makes me really think, because I've cried many tears for those less fortunate than myself already over the last week, and have realised I just can't let myself go there anymore... it's too painful and I must protect my own sanity at this stage if I am to get through... and all I can do now is to pray and keep a prayer in my heart for all those less fortunate than myself.
 
Below are the words that I saw on the 4th line When I opened the book as instructed above
 
"... good fortune that cares little for the plight of need of others, that we witness all around us?" (Shantall, 2020, p.18) ~ The Life-changing Impact of Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy (an incredible, must-have book not yet available in South Africa)
 
This has inspired me to share the following Logotherapy quotes
 
“We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement. When we are no longer able to change a situation—we are challenged to change ourselves.” (Frankl, 2008, p.116) ~ Man’s Search for Meaning
 
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts
comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” (Frankl, 2008, p.75) ~ Man’s Search for Meaning
 
“SELF-TRANSCENDENCE – Being human basically means relating and being directed, to something other than oneself.  Self-transcendence, therefore, is the ability to look away from the self, from one’s own pain, one’s own circumstances, suffering, or grief.  It is the ability 1. To reach out to someone else or 2. To realise and ideal, or fulfil a task, and 3. To reach out to a Higher Being, to God, and in this process one forgets about oneself.” (Havenga Coetzer, 2003, p.p. 88-89) ~ Viktor Frankl’s Avenues to Meaning
 
I know I write a lot and tend to babble on a bit more than I should, and therefore, I just want those who take the time to read my posts and share in my life journey, to know that I am so grateful for your presence here.  Thank you! 
 
~ Panayiota