bushfires – Mummy To Twins Plus One

The world has gone to shit lately and every night I go to bed hoping that I wake to discover it is a dream. Or at the very least that there has been a miracle discovery and there is a vaccine available and safe for everyone to have.

Sadly this new world that I thought I might wake to find has not occurred and each day things seem to get worse. I do fear they will get worse to crazier before they get better.

I hope we have a cure for COVID-19 Soon - Let's hope we can punch it in the face soon! — I hope we have a cure for COVID-19 Soon – Let’s hope we can punch it in the face soon!

There are new restrictions on what you can buy at the shops and that is if the items you did want to get are in stock, and on the shelves. With panic buying, many have been left without and going to multiple shops in the hope to get toilet paper, meat or even other food and essential items.

There have been new restrictions on how many people can gather in one place.

“If your indoor space is 100 metres square, for example, 10 metres by 10 metres, you can only have 25 people in it. If your space is 400 metres square, you can have 100 people in it.

The rule banning non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 or more people remains in place.” (https://www.abc.net.au)

I know I am not the only one that feels upset, frustrated and annoyed at the current climate. I do understand that it is not anyone in particular that has done this, but due to a virus that we have never had before. That said, we as a community have already been going through a lot already.

Not only did we have the bushfires for about six months, evacuations, road closures and constant stress due to checking the Fires Near Me App, then we had an eerie Christmas all still with the bushfires surrounding us.

You might think that is not great but livable (We did live with constant smoke, sirens and more for ages), well it was liveable and we were grateful that we were safe and didn’t lose our home.

This is not to mention hubby ending his contract in November last year, and spending our savings to survive all with the belief that the new year will bring better opportunities.

We then had non stop rain for weeks and weeks that caused flooding and damage (thankfully not to our place but has affected many), then now where are in the grips of a pandemic due to COVID-19.

Both of us were applying like mad for all positions that we can do regardless of travel, however, no one is hiring due to the current health crisis. Many employers are gearing up for remote work if they haven’t done so already, and a couple of the responses from recruiters is that there is an employment freeze until the issue with coronavirus improves.

If we cannot work how do we pay our bills? How do we pay for our electricity, food, petrol, and more? We like others have children and need to ensure that they are cared for.

I must say that the banks have been very helpful about putting loans on hold and helping us out and I’m sure that this is happening for many others at the moment. If you are struggling at the moment, make sure to tell the bank and seek help. The bank can put your mortgage or loans on hold due to financial difficulty.

I feel like I’m living in constant stress and on the edge all the time. I just want it all to stop and to finally relax, rather than be constantly worried about everything.

I know we will be fine if we just don’t go anywhere and make sure we are washing our hands and taking care. We haven’t been overseas and are not going anywhere other than school, daycare, the shops, and our house. The only concern I have is at any of these places we frequent we could potentially come into contact with anyone that could have the virus and this is out of our control.

Currently, schools and daycare are still open and we are sending the kids but worried. Both hubby and I are using our time to ensure we are earning to provide for our kids. I am fearful that if they do close schools it will make working harder. However, every day they do go to school I am concerned about their health and the families. Staying home might be better to control the worry and the possibility of getting infected. We are all fine currently and wish to stay that way!

Everywhere we are going I make sure that we are all washing our hands and not touching our faces. I admit this is hard to do with three kids.

We are well and safe and that is all that I can hope for at the moment.

However, when the government says just work from home this is all great for people currently employed. If you are like us and have been looking for work since before Christmas how does this help us?

Our world has changed.

We are doing jobs for friends this is a win for them and for us. I for one have been lucky to pick up a writing job and one that I feel is very exciting. I am also working on other business ideas to help contribute to the family and obviously being super creative with meals for the family.

I must say that if we were flush with cash and we didn’t have this worldwide health crisis our plans were to take the family to Japan this year. I wanted to take the twins to Japan for their 12th birthday instead of a party we would save for a wonderful family experience. The plan was to see Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Osaka, visit Disneyland in Tokyo and see the sights of a different country, experience the culture and food. However, due to no money and the fact that travelling is dangerous at the moment, we are homebound for the foreseeable future.

I still want to travel, I’m lusting after a magical getaway on an island that we are all taken care of and safe from everything. Also on this island mummy would be pampered and get served drinks, have a complimentary massage daily and the kids will be looked after with a multitude of fun activities. Doesn’t this sound perfect at the moment?

If we had money who’s to say that we wouldn’t be stuck in Japan or ill with the virus? Maybe this has saved our family? Its the only way I can look at it at the moment. We were planning on travelling in September so if we had purchased tickets we would have not been able to travel due to the travel bans. So in a way, it is a win, although I still want to see Japan.

I keep on seeing events getting cancelled and one that I was desperate to see in April have cancelled again (This was the 2nd attempt to see this show due to the fact that it was cancelled in January this year – I just hope that when they reschedule for the 3rd time I have money available to see them).

Events are being canceled due to COVID-19 — Events are being cancelled due to COVID-19

I know that cancelling events is the safest thing to do, but I like many are rather down about it all, as I was very excited and really looking forward to this event. I am sure that you all are having events that you were keen to see and go to cancel, and are upset as well. I’m not alone in this.

On the TV the graphs behind the Prime Minster said August 2020 and some reports are saying that we need to be prepared for 18 months of this health crisis. It is also similar to the Spanish Flu in 1918 which was another terrible pandemic that killed a lot of people. And experts have said that we are in another 100 year pandemic with COVID-19.

The shocking news from the past is that the Spanish flu lasted from “January 1918 through December 1920, it infected 500 million people—about a quarter of the world’s population”

This is 2 years of dealing with this illness…. geez I hope this doesn’t happen now. If this is correct for our current pandemic it could last until 2022! Maybe in 2020, we have better health care and scientists working around the clock will come up with a solution to this health disaster.

Let’s hope that there is a solution soon that helps us be safe from this virus. I don’t think we can deal with this for another 18 months.

I hope you are all safe and well.

Here is the Australian Government Department of Health’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Let’s hope people don’t go too crazy and the scientists find a solution soon.

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Note: We have now since returned home, and did so on the 24th of Oct. House is fine, no sign of fire and we are all safe. I thank you all for checking up on me and my family and for following us in this stressful situation. Love to you all.

Today is the day fire fighters have predicted will be hell. Extreme weather was predicted for the Blue Mountains. Forecasters said we would have a hot day, with 40-50km winds with 80-100km wind gusts. Not good as this is no help putting out the fires. At 6am this morning the wind gusts were over 70km per hour and had knocked me over a couple of times while packing up.

We did have some rain yesterday but it was not enough and did not help the effort to rid us all of the fires. More rain was to come after 11pm last night. A thunderstorm was here, will it give us more rain? No! It lasted 15mins and then ended. Oh well I think I thought the idea of pouring rain might happen, but the weather experts said no. I was hoping they were wrong. Not to be.

Before the thunderstorm I attended the Katoomba community meeting about the fires, and was captured on television looking a bit vague and out of it. If you did see me I was looking at the big screen and concentrating on the person speaking. The meeting did not really help me much as the fire fighters cannot tell if there will be a fire where you are, it might happen or it could not. It really depends on the weather. Luck of the gods type thing.

So no answers here… The 2nd in charge of Katoomba/Leura Brigade asked the group several questions:

If you stayed would you be able to do the following?

If an ember was in your roof, would you be able to climb up in the roof and put it out?
Would you be able to defend your property?
Would you cope with 35 plus degree heat, and having to wear heavy clothing to protect yourself from the fire? (The firefighters said that if you pant while jogging in 35 degree heat with full clothes on, you will not cope)
Could you put all embers out on walls, windows, roof, and elsewhere?
Would you be able to risk your loved ones and yourself to protect your house?

One question I thought of is, “How do I defend the house while looking after two kids?” “How do I manage to do things on my own?” My hubby is in Brisbane on business and my house guest will be at work. So it will just be me and the kids.

I answered no to a lot of these questions. So I thought my decision was made. We will leave the house and make our way down the mountain. I was packing things since Monday but thought it might not eventuate in leaving.

I got up early and the kids and I hit the road and went to a relatives for a couple of nights. I am glad we are safe and we made the decision. As I write this Springwood and Faulconbridge have been emergency warnings and I think they have been asked to evacuate.

Me and the girls leaving the house. Car packed up and ready to leave.

Some articles from the Herald:

Sydney’s red October brings unprecedented weather
This time last year. My post from the 12th of October, Snow Fun

This time last year. 12th of October 2012

I was amazed at how easy it is to realise what items are more important than others. What was the criteria to come in the car? Well things that we needed and could not live without and things that cannot be replaced. Most of the items were documents, photos and things that the kids have done in their five years on this planet. I packed their stuff that I got from hospital when I had them, and also made sure that we had birth certificates and the like. The other major thing that we packed in the car was ourselves.

The kids and I are now waiting for dinner and they are giggling in their pre dinner bath. I am tired and have a headache but think that is due to the extra stress and long day.

Have you had to pack up in an emergency? What did you take with you? Did you find it a bit stressful leaving? I did have a bit of a cry on the M4 at one stage but snapped out of it for the good of the kids.