What to do while quarantined?

 I am sure people all around the World are asking themselves "What do I do while quarantined?"  We are severely restricted here, with a curfew every night, and restrictions about leaving our homes, and restrictions on who can come to our homes (almost nobody).  Most of the stores are closed, and the rules about which ones are exceptions seem vague.  For example grocery stores and pharmacies are a clear exception and that is logical.  Children's clothing stores don't seem obvious exceptions, but schools are re-opening for the first 3 grades this week, so maybe that one works.  But then there are the real questionable ones such as perfume shops and makeup salons.  How do those qualify as essential services?  Perhaps I would know if I were female.  Home Centers are half open - because you have to have a Tax ID to buy things like light bulbs and 2X4s.  It happens that the Church has a Tax ID, so I can go to the Home Depot-like stores here.  Earthquakes are not common here, but they have been lately, so that is definitely a good idea.

So I try to get to the grocery store a couple of times per week, more for the outing than for the groceries.  And we search for ways to help the young missionaries.  Liz is the medical advisor to them, so she was reading up on COVID and came across some suggestions for boosting our immune systems.  As a result, she suggested that they all take Vitamin D3, and Vitamin C.  We had complaints from the missionaries that vitamins are either hard to find, or expensive.  So I took it upon myself to obtain vitamins for the missionaries in Slovenia.

Missionary immune-boosting vitamins

I found bulk bottles of vitamins on Amazon.DE (the German Amazon system) at a very good price.  I counted out 100 for each missionary and bagged them up.  We had transfers Monday, so I had the sisters take all these bottles and bags down to Ljubljana where the transfers took place and make sure each missionary got one.

Liz and I also take a Zinc tablet every other day, but it is possible to get too much of that one and cause other problems, so it was determined by the mission doctor to depend on the missionaries' youth and vitality, and skip Zinc.

Speaking of Amazon.DE, it seems to be much more limited than Amazon in the USA.  Sometimes I can get the things we desire and sometimes not.  Some things we miss from the USA are available but for vastly inflated prices, so we pass on them.  For example, a 2 Kg (about 4 pounds) of chocolate chips goes for about 30 Euros!  That's about $37.  Sam's Club and Costco have 5 lbs. bags for less than $10.

A 12-pack of 12 ounce cans of Dr. Pepper can be had for 28 Euros, or you can get 24 1/2 liter plastic bottles for 36 Euros.  They are heavy, though, so shipping will be about another 20 Euros, and it will take about 2 weeks to cross the border into Slovenia.

But, in keeping with my desire to end on a positive note.  Coke Zero, Pepsi zero, Snickers bars, and M&Ms are readily available in all the grocery stores at reasonable prices.  Almonds and cashews are easy to find, but generally are sold raw and unsalted.  I have learned how to soak them in salt-water and roast them myself.  They are delicious.  All kinds of produce is abundant and very good.    So, Life is good!