It’s hard to believe that everyone is hoarding toilet paper like the end of the world is coming. I was talking to my daughter Shelley who lives in Port Carling, Ont. which is between Huntsville and Bracebridge and she told me that there’s no toilet paper to be had anywhere in the area. She and her husband Carl didn’t run out and hoard a bunch but now they have none left for the family and asked me to bring her some when Theresa and I go down this week.

Seriously people, the government is asking us to be quiet and stay at home for just two weeks not two years so what is with the hoarding of all the toilet paper. I can see you hoarding soup and canned goods but toilet paper is ridiculous. When was toilet paper invented? In the year 1857. So, what did they do before that?

I want to wish the following people a very happy birthday: my wonderful grandson Tao Davidson, who turns a sweet 16 today, March 18, to Raymond Pilon and Robert Larivière also on March 18, to Tracy Frost, Joey Pare, Tianna Bertrand, Lauren Kluke and Ricky Crawford, all on March 19, to Mike Stanton on March 20, to Thomas O’Brien and Phyllis Sloan both on March 21 and to Mary Lynn Lepack on March 24.

Saint Patrick’s Day was not the crazy, fun event that it usually is due to the coronavirus. The schools, bars, daycares and most public places where crowds can accumulate have been closed for the next few weeks. If everyone does their due diligence and stays at home to try to stop the spread of this disease, we will overcome it. Try not to panic, just think about it as an extended two week holidays and enjoy time with your families. Take out those board games and enjoy the rest of the winter. Make your last snowman of the year and enjoy the great outdoors.

I saw some great videos of people who are trapped in their apartments but are making music on their balconies and serenading each other. Others have done a community exercise, with one guy exercising on the roof and those in the apartments following his lead. I also saw an elderly couple who were supposed to be taking a cruise ship but it got cancelled, so they turned on the TV to a water scene and pretended they were on the ship. You might as well enjoy and make light of the situation, instead of feeling depressed and trapped. If you do that, you will get through these next couple of weeks.

I’m keeping busy this week making turkey pot pies, beans and sea pie, to bring down to my family this week. It’s Tao’s sweet 16th birthday so we’re going down to help him celebrate. I promised him I’d make him a black forest cake when I got there and he’s looking forward to that. Theresa is going to make her famous soup and bring down her little stash of goodies too. No wonder those kids are always happy to see us. The Galloping Granny’s are to the rescue once again.

Here’s hoping that no one in the Pontiac or anywhere else for that matter gets this virus and I hope that we all can keep well.