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Too Much Doom and Gloom... Name one positive outcome!

 
pollinator
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CHALLENGE:  Name at least one POSITIVE outcome from the inevitable social distancing and self-isolation...GO!
 
pollinator
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I'll finally get my garden properly sorted out!
 
pollinator
Posts: 3827
Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat
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Being closer and spending more time with love ones.
Working remotely
 
pollinator
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I might not get the virus and be triaged into a corner to die due to a lack of hospital resources?
 
Posts: 672
Location: St. George, UT. Zone 8a Dry/arid. 8" of rain in a good year.
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Being a "hermit" is considered the right thing to be right now!  All my years of training are paying off, I knew it would be useful for something!  
 
Posts: 350
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Time to recharge!  I am a contented semi recluse, in harmony with myself (spiritually focused) and I love solitude....the space/freedom to do what you want, how you want to in your own abode.  It helps if you are creative but also this self isolation period could be used constructively e.g. to tackle clutter, backlog jobs/repairs, find a new interest e.g. painting, read a book (for a change!), try out a new recipe....endless possibilities if your mind is open....

🌈
 
pollinator
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As an introvert, the utter joy of canceling plans! Usually, in addition to work, I’m tasked with taking the kids to dance and soccer plus various school events and birthday parties. But now I’M FREE!!! yippeeee!🥳🤪
 
pollinator
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Life has been cruel to me lately. I needed a time-out. Frankly, I made a personal request in my prayers :)
 
gardener
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Other people get to experience the fun that is working from a home office (my daily reality: I am a big fan.)! And also maybe get the point that it is not all cookies and cat videos all day, and a bit of respect.

 
gardener
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From the good news network
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/10-positive-updates-on-the-covid-19-outbreaks-from-around-the-world/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=18-03-2020
 
Amy Francis
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Sonja Draven wrote:From the good news network
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/10-positive-updates-on-the-covid-19-outbreaks-from-around-the-world/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=18-03-2020


Thanks so much for this welcome antidote to all the current stress and upheaval.

I thought of 2 others...

The flight cancellations will have a beneficial effect on slowing down the climate change emergency.

Less traffic = less air pollution

Plus just heard about this!
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-industry-news-march-17-2020-stories-1806426
 
pollinator
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People working together. From companies to communities. People are stepping up. I am impressed by our small mountain community. Thankful to be in the hills. =)

Less pollution! It will be interesting if Venice embraces the wildlife's return. What a great opportunity.
 
gardener
Posts: 1958
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People will be able to see the value in having local food sources. I see an uprise in the permaculture world!  
 
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one word---introspect
 
pollinator
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Ashley Cottonwood wrote:People will be able to see the value in having local food sources. I see an uprise in the permaculture world!  



Around here the farms are sold out, demand hugely spiked. The question is, will these people stick around, if/when this blows over...

We grow so little food here that even a small shift would be massive; ie, if 2% of the populace started caring a lot about local food, that would more than double the market for local farmers.


I wonder if there will be impacts on regulations. Probably too much to hope for, but ran through a train of thought where I thought of three in a row, reasonable, practical, permie-style responses to shortages, and realized each was not able to be done legally..



Peace and quiet, is a definite upside, for those who live somewhere that this is available while in isolation. I spoke with a friend who is highly socially attractive; everyone wants her advice and time, and she is a very generous person... but also quite introverted and chronically overwhelmed. She's having the time of her life!
 
D Nikolls
pollinator
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And, the more cynical, morbid upside!

...there are going to be a lot of great deals to be found at garage sales and thrift stores when this blows over.
 
master steward
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Hi D Nikolis

Indeed.  I am monitoring the, prices on several pieces of equipment.  It is my bet that retail prices for non essential items will go down.
 
pollinator
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Location: New Brunswick, Canada
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My daughter said that gas is around 75c/L in SE Ontario.  Still 20c/L higher in New Brunswick...

 
gardener
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After years of meaning to and of getting distracted by other things,  I've finally gotten my raspberry patch in!!
 
D Nikolls
pollinator
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John F Dean wrote:Hi D Nikolis

Indeed.  I am monitoring the, prices on several pieces of equipment.  It is my bet that retail prices for non essential items will go down.



I am unfortunately on the wrong side of it, being abruptly strapped for cash. I can practically *taste* the liquidations coming... but I will be lucky to keep what I have now. I think prices are going to go down a *lot*.

Fuel is a nice example, seems pretty clear that there is suddenly a glut... which are likely followed by serious production cuts, which then... but, being a consumable, it's a bit different than say heavy equipment, which can become a deadweight in the right market..
 
D Nikolls
pollinator
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James Landreth wrote:After years of meaning to and of getting distracted by other things,  I've finally gotten my raspberry patch in!!



Ya, this... last years garden was satisfying, productive, but mostly a footnote. This years is getting a *lot* more attention, between not having to cash to work on planned larger projects, and having an acute interest in eating for the rest of the year.. I am highly motivated!
 
pollinator
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I've been working from home for the past 18 months. With little kids running around, it has been a challenge to find a quiet time for conference calls. Now, since everyone that can work from home is, kids screaming in the background of a call is practically expected. It's a little thing that makes me quite happy.
 
steward
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People will eat out less and maybe start to cook food themselves.  Maybe from ingredients instead of a package.
 
Amy Francis
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bruce Fine wrote:one word---introspect


Yes - a good time to reflect and appraise your life thus far e.g. for directions/improvements.
 
John Wolfram
pollinator
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One more thing (since I'm full of hope and good cheer), next week I will be closing on the refinance of my house that was made possible by all the doom and gloom. I'm sure I can find a good use for that $3.90 a day I won't be paying in mortgage interest.
 
pollinator
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No more baby showers.

Or gender reveal parties.

Or wedding showers.

 
Amy Francis
Posts: 350
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Here are some solutions...
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/home-and-garden/24-things-you-can-do-while-staying-at-home/ss-BB11pLlW?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=mailsignout
 
John F Dean
master steward
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Our kitchen and study ( yes, I have real books) are finally getting reorganized.  I still hold out no hope for the sewing room.
 
Amy Francis
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John F Dean wrote:Our kitchen and study ( yes, I have real books) are finally getting reorganized.  I still hold out no hope for the sewing room.


See if you can't be tempted by the many sewing hacks on youtube - here's just one of them!  Really useful!

 
gardener
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The flight cancellations will have a beneficial effect on slowing down the climate change emergency.

Less traffic = less air pollution  

I see this whole situation as a massive opportunity for the globe to reassess it's economy, the reliance on intense transportation networks and it's focus on polluting in particular.  The skies have cleared over Wuhan and Northern Italy, and many other places due to the need to socially isolate or shut factories down.  If the planet took a moment now to have an aha moment, we might consider that we can recover from a massive shift in personal lifestyle and national economics, and maybe, just maybe, we can let go of the fear and embrace a real effective climate action plan and kick start a new green economy.  Here is the Green Party of Canada's plan:  Mission Possible  and here is the wiki for the U.S.'s  Green New Deal  
 
pollinator
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Location: South West France
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Mother Nature having a rest:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/20/nature-is-taking-back-venice-wildlife-returns-to-tourist-free-city
 
Posts: 525
Location: Northern Germany (Zone 8a)
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sorting out kitchen cabinets (better reduce shopping for groceries ....)

thinking about what to cook with all the amaranth I found ...

eating more sprouts ...

planning to build round-wood toilet paper holder (well i did think about it before, but for the larger kitchen cleaning tissue) ... i should do wood burning into the TP holder: Corona 2020 .... or something like that

 
Lorinne Anderson
pollinator
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Stole this from another site...go safari, on line, with wildlife cams around the world:  wildlife web cams  Museums even zoo's (okay, ugh, but, sometimes anything to entertain the kiddo's).

Wild Earth:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV6HJBZD_hZcIX9JVJ3dCXQ

Painted Dog TV -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2P9wURjFXsOSzFbR0hnYag

Painted Dog TV Live Bush Cams
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTxSFYCDRGytKYRPKrrJ23Q

Explore.Org  live animal cams from all over the world. Bears catching salmon, birds of prey raising their young and a variety of African landscapes.
https://explore.org/livecams

Africam is a website where you will find 7 different wildlife cams at watering holes throughout Africa.
http://www.africam.com/wildlife/index.php

Museums -
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/75809/12-world-class-museums-you-can-visit-online

Museum tours, Graffiti tours, Nature Walks and other adventures
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/03/9576127/free-virtual-tours-online
 
Sonja Draven
gardener
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I have a data cap and I can't go to the library because it's closed. So no new books or videos. No Netflix downloads. No browsing the magazines.

l'm finding myself writing more and reading more actual books. Serious books that require work to absorb.

I'm working outside in the evenings after working all day even when I come home tired.

It's getting me out of my comfort zone in a lot of ways so there's part of me that doesn't like it. But there's also the part that is noticing how I'm living closer to the authentic life I actually want.

Library will be closed for at least ten more days. I feel a sea change coming for me.
 
Lorinne Anderson
pollinator
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I am in Canada, on the Wet Coast. Most of our cable providers have "added" extra free channels (primarily news and kids); most of the Internet providers have REMOVED data caps. I am not on NetFlicks or other such providers, but have heard they are also doing some offers.  
 
pollinator
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Time to pray, meditate, break away from the money race and actually savor life.
 
Mike Haasl
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A lack of toilet paper may inspire greater use of bidets.  As this gentleman demonstrates:
https://redd.it/fmqd3j
 
Roberto pokachinni
gardener
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I went snowshoeing today with 3 others, mapping out a possible new mountain bike trail route with my GPS.  

Great to get out in the forest.  We harvested some chaga and had great conversations, keeping our physical distance.  

We couldn't carpool at all, but that was the only real down part of the excursion.

 
Chris Watson
pollinator
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Mike Haasl wrote:A lack of toilet paper may inspire greater use of bidets.  As this gentleman demonstrates:
https://redd.it/fmqd3j


And yet, the uncertainty of my job situation is making me very circumspect about where I choose to drop a Grand.
 
John F Dean
master steward
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Hi Amy

I should mention that the sewing room is my wife's realm in which I am not permitted to enter .... however, I can stand by the door and laugh.  I have found that pieces of cloth does no damage to me. So until she figures out how to cut off the end of knitting needle and use them as a blow gun with spare sewing machine needles, I am safe.
 
Your mind is under my control .... your will is now mine .... read this tiny ad
A PDC for cold climate homesteaders
http://permaculture-design-course.com
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