Bauernhof Farm COVID-19 Update

I thought I would take a moment, both for the sake of the people who read my Blog and for posterity's sake, to update all of you on our life, one month into this pandemic.

John and Work in the ER
John continues to work his regular shifts at the ER and serve as the co-director there as well. Things there are very tense and stressful at work. He has always loved his job, but the pace and vibe is quite different during all of this. Wearing all the protective gear is exhausting and changes the "mood" of the workplace. In addition, John has had his salary cut and witnessed a decrease in hours and jobs among his staff. People aren't using the ER unless they absolutely have to or unless there is a COVID situation. The ER is truly, now, a last resort. (It does make you wonder what people are usually doing that keeps the ER so busy at other times.)

The Wipedown
When he comes home from work, we have a whole system in place, which, to be honest, has become a bit more ordinary than I ever thought it would. John goes into our bathroom through a side door, gets into the shower, and throws his clothes directly into the washing machine. He used to get groceries after work, but we've removed that job for him and have found a friend to help bring us groceries once a week! (What a GIFT that is to all of of us!!)

Do we know that he isn't bringing something home? No. However, we do think that the chances are about as good as they are coming home from someone who has been at the grocery store. Nothing is fool proof at this time. 

Extended Family
John's parents continue to live in their tiny place on the property. Dad handles all of the "wiping down" of mail and groceries because he is the most Type-A in that regard. He is very protective as both he and mom are over 65, and my mother-in-law has secondary concerns that would make this virus extra worrisome if she were to get it. 

John's brother, Ray, and his two children: Grace (17) and Nate (14) have been with us since this all began. They came to the farm for Spring Break and have not been able to go home. The reasons they have chosen to stay are multi-faceted, but the bottom line is: Ray works for himself doing electrical/contracting work and with things the way they are, there is no work in Nashville. Their family has already had a year from you-know-where, and now to have this upon them truly feels like more than a person should have to bear. However, here, Ray can do some work on the farm for us and have family support. The three of them are staying at Dad and Mom's house and spilling over into our camper which is parked outside of the grandparent's house. 

While there was a little bit of a learning curve incorporating another family into our life here, we did it relatively smoothly in the way we usually do: being very honest, open, and direct. We also quickly taught Ray's kids how "being a farm kid" works here at the Bauernhof. City kids take a bit of breaking-in, but they've broken-in quite nicely. :) Grace is an absolute sweetheart, and she is greatly grieving the loss of her junior year and all the summer plans she had with kids from church. But she's a trooper. Nate enjoys playing with my boys and has been really helping a lot on the farm as of late.

Wwoofers
We have two wwoofers here right now as well. Jacob (32) has been with us off and on for three years, and is a regular feature here on the farm. Another wwoofer, Jake (26), had arrived about a month before all this started. He hoped to leave sometime this month to return home, but has made the decision that this is the best place for him right now. They are both fantastic guys who work very hard to help us keep the place going and are very easy to have around. They are staying in the garage bedrooms and do their meals over here at the house. My kiddos LOVE Mr. Jacob (especially Hannah!) and they are all warming up to Jake now too. Both of these men are VERY trustworthy and next to Tijmen, we couldn't trust two male wwoofers more than these guys.

Homeschooling
We are continuing to homeschool with the Kotysnki family who lives just a few minutes away. Hannah Grace and I have tried to continually evaluate and balance the best way to take care of and educate our children during this time. 

Mostly we have decided to "go light." While this isn't a summer break, it feels like one, and the kids feel the stress that we are all feeling. We are treading carefully in completely uncharted waters, keeping Christ at the forefront and our kids' best interests at heart. 

We have allowed the oldest, Gabe, to spend more time working the farm and helping his Grandpa with projects back at his house. (Hannah's parents are renting a small trailer across the street from them so that they can be here to help with the baby.) We are allowing Ana more time to dance and frolic. Kari more time to draw. Sidge more time out in nature. Isaac free time to research roller coasters and Hotwheels cars. Abigail has grace to ride the wind to what is bringing her joy on any given day. While Eoin and Genevieve seem to be part-for-the-course, my Hannah often expresses sadness about being "stuck" here on the farm. 

Quarantining with MANY
Our two families do a good job communicating and making sure we are all doing things the same way in order to protect our most vulnerable members. If something comes up and someone needs to leave the "quarantine rules" we will give each other a call and discuss. In addition to worrying about my mother-in-law, Hannah Kotynski, is ready to deliver a baby boy any day now. We also have my Isaac who has asthma so we have many high-risk people to be concerned for.

A Voice of Reason
John has continued to update people on Facebook regularly about "arguments" he is seeing regarding this virus. I see him as such a steady, calm, intelligent voice of reason. He has no reason to be anything but honest when it comes to this pandemic. With his background in wilderness and disaster medicine and the fact that he has "planned" for the potential of a pandemic on our farm for years, he is a good person to listen to right now. There is nothing in it for him any which way this goes, but he has found it very important to keep people from listening to bad voices.

Wendi
Wendi -- the writer of this Blog -- is doing well. I am doing a virtual Couch-to-5K with my ballet/homeschool friend Kristin. I am maintaining a Facebook group called "Homeschool Hugs" which is putting out information for people all of a sudden knee-deep in home education. I still farm. I am doing a lot of "Marco Polo" (iphone app.) with friends to stay-in-touch. I am also trying to read as many books during this pandemic as I can. Maintaining 13 people here (and 10 more if we combine the Kotynski's) isn't always easy, but I try to do the best I can in sharing this life. 


What I Miss Most
I miss Sundays with Anni here on the farm. I miss my ballet "dates" with girlfriends or just walking around the downtown to get some exercise. I don't like the stress and worry attached to what my husband is doing. Our friend, Danny, getting sick with COVID-19, scared me silly. I am trying to trust the Lord, but it's hard when another doctor is down with something that could hit your own spouse. I miss the "freedom" to do what I want to do. However, mostly, my life is very similar to what it was, and we are doing really, really well.