The unexpected experiences we have had to endure these past years have impacted all of us. The pandemic has forced us to learn to adjust. Although it has been hard, it has also allowed time for creativity and innovation. The time spent in our homes with our immediate family while in quarantine and lockdowns provided an opportunity for many people to learn new skills or take on projects they have not had time to tackle.
Even through I have continued working in public health throughout the pandemic, the time I was at home because no places were opened or we preferred to follow the recommendations and not gather in groups was a perfect opportunity to learn something new. You Tube became a great source of learning as well as many other online resources. Many instagram posts were about purchasing plants and gardening and it started to interest me. I never thought of myself as a gardener… I don’t like bugs, lizards or getting dirty and I had never been able to keep a plant alive. The more I watched videos about gardening, the more I learned and the more I was intrigued about my ability to be able to grow our food.
I found online some great grow boxes and ordered them. They took a while to arrive because of the pandemic. Once they arrived, I started my new adventure. I planted green peppers, tomatoes and lettuce. I wasn’t the only one excited, my grandchildren joined the fun. The green peppers were a success, tomatoes were a little more challenging to take care of because of the bugs and the lettuce tasted bitter. I was so excited, to see the flowers start to peek and seeing the baby peppers and tomatoes filled me with joy. In my book, that is a successful harvest. Last fall, I also enjoyed a bountiful broccoli harvest.
Anything we put our heart to we can do, even more with a little guidance from those that have done it before us. Learn from others! Share what we learn, even if we are just starting. Teach others!
Take advantage of those who are willing to learn, like the little ones. My grandchildren are so eager to help and learn. There are no special instructions or a costly school we need to send them to learn. Our homes are the perfect laboratory for these active and curious little humans.
