I Got Excited Over Toilet Paper And Packets Of Yeast

The COVID-19 has effected the entire world. It is hitting our state of Connecticut hard all the way around. It has altered our everyday life. Non-essential businesses are closed. Kids are out of school. Events have been canceled. Face masks are going to be mandatory soon. So many people are out of work. Grocery stores and other essential retail locations are only allowing a certain amount of people in at a time. The list goes on and on and on...

This is definitely a moment in history that will never be forgotten.

Years from now when we're sharing this moment in history with our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., we're not going to recite the statistics, the abundance of fake news, the constant updates that were plastered on social media and news sites, and the science surrounding this pandemic. 

I think we're going to be sharing stories of personal hardships, the whacky things we did while quarantined, the neighbors who put on shows in their driveways, birthday parades, the creative ways high schools honored their seniors, and everything between.

If Lisa and I had human kids, two of the stories we'd share with our grandchildren and great-grandchildren would fall into the bucket of "never in a million years did we think we'd have to..."

These two stories would revolve around toilet paper and yeast. 

During the first week of March, there wasn't a single roll of toilet paper to be found. That's the first thing that went missing from the store shelves.

At the time, we had a big package of toilet paper, but I was seriously putting together some backup plans just in case we ran out in the form of paper towels, tissues, or even cut up old towels. 

Don't judge. What do you think they used during the Laura Ingalls Wilder era?

During that time, I called my Mom. She lives in New Hampshire. The pandemonium hadn't hit her area yet. I explained the toilet paper shortage and asked if she could possibly send us some. We'd be more than happy to reimburse all expenses. 

She said we didn't have to worry about sending her money. I told her she could consider it our house warming gift. 

The conversation ended shortly after.

A few minutes later I sent her a thank you text.

Her reply was, "I've never been asked for toilet paper as a house warming gift."

I replied, "I never thought in a million years I'd have to ask my Mom to send us toilet paper."

About a month later, in the here and now, yeast has disappeared from the store shelves just like the toilet paper and hand sanitizer and most paper products last month. It appears that now making homemade bread and bagels is cool and because people are quarantined, they have the time to learn this skill.

Or maybe, everyone is anticipating a bread and baked good shortage in the near future because it's getting hard to find other items I bake with.

As of this week, I have half of a jar left. That's not a lot considering that I make homemade sandwich rolls for Lisa's lunches. I also make other homemade bread products like bagels, pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, etc.

Last weekend, while Lisa was talking with her Mom, she mentioned our yeast crisis. 

Today, we received a small package in the mail from Lisa's parents. Yeast packets. Enough to last a couple of months. 

I 'bout near did cartwheels through our house.

Never in a million years did I think I'd ever get so excited about packets of yeast.

But, here we are.