The Upside of Quarantine

The Doc and I are in quarantine. No we do not have COVID 19. Yes we have travelled; and because we had to leave the Atlantic Bubble, which Nova Scotia is part of, we had to quarantine upon returning home.

We weren’t being flippant or self righteous, we were saying our final goodbyes to The Doc’s mum who passed away a few months ago. We waited and waited while the rest of the T family waited and waited for the opportunity for us to be able to make the journey. Well no time is ever the right time and once the date was set, the second wave exploded in Ontario and Quebec, even though in Nova Scotia the numbers were minimal and often zero. Yet we were going. This was not something we wanted to miss.

And so on October 8th, a beautiful fall day, the T family gathered at the graveyard in Markham for a masked, socially-distanced goodbye while Mum T’s ashes were placed in the ground. She meant a lot to us and will be missed. She was also a very realistic person who didn’t believe in wallowing and wasting time or a good opportunity. So we took advantage of our trip outside the bubble to visit family including sons JT and M, daughter-in-law S and grandkids that we haven’t seen in almost a year. Well worth having to quarantine.

Also well worth having to quarantine for is the turkey served to us by family in Newmarket, the Chinese food ordered from Cynthia’s in Newmarket, the second turkey served to us by M and daughter-in-law S in Huntsville. The homemade pancakes and burgers also prepared for us in Huntsville, The Indian food eaten with JT. The delicious duck (stuffed with oranges and garlic) prepared by JT in Hamilton and the bagel eggs and homemade gourmet burgers also served during our stay there. We are a family who loves good food, and I have to admit that the only thing I cooked during that entire week was the sausage stuffing to go alongside the duck. I love having people cook for me; and that, along with spending the Thanksgiving holiday with family, was certainly worth 14 days in lockdown. Another upside, believe it or not, is that my pants still fit.

The Fall colours were stunning in Ontario this year. We enjoyed them while driving to visit family members in small safe groups. On the way home we stopped in Cornwall Ontario (outside any COVID red-zones) and loaded up the cooler with perishables before making the drive back to Nova Scotia. Prior to that, I shopped the day before leaving for Ontario, filling the freezer and the cupboards with enough food to last several weeks. Plus, there is wine in the house, and beer for The Doc.

As introverts, The Doc and I are used to staying home and the upside to that is that we live in a beautiful place to stay while in quarantine. We can kayak and putt around our yard without coming near anyone else. We can cook scrumptious meals and snack on nice crackers paired with tasty cheeses. Oh yes we purchased tasty cheeses. We have hobbies to keep us from getting antsy and Netflix for our evenings. I am confident that we will get through this without any issues.

We wouldn’t have gone if not for Mum T, but we are glad we did. The entire trip was one big upside. We feel invigorated, our endorphins are high right now. High in a way that only time spent with family that you love can induce. And just yesterday I discovered an upside that I fully intend to enjoy: I don’t have to wear a mask or a bra for two whole weeks! You can’t beat that.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this, feel free to share.

Photos by Jenn Stone & The Doc

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