July 25, 2022 Monday--6pm

Good evening!  

Yes, I decided to wait until after I got back from the eye doctor so as not to leave you all hanging for a week--LOL!  And it is nice to have good news to share.  No glaucoma (runs in the family, as you know) and the twinkling light arcs in my eyes are probably aural migraines and shouldn't be any real problem--just disruptive and annoying.  Usually are without pain and last under half an hour.  Mine have been just a few minutes, so I am lucky.  My eyes are still dilated, so this will be written in segments of time.

I am really glad to have positive news since I had the twinkling, pixelated, light arc on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday.  Didn't last but a few minutes.  I shut the blinds, laid back, closed my eyes (can still see it with your eyes closed), rested, and it would be gone in a few minutes.  I was afraid of a tear or rip somewhere, but he didn't see any at all.  Whew! 

Other news:

My sister, Renee, stayed in the hospital because she needed surgery on the wound on her back she got from lying in the shower for a couple of days.  That surgery went well and last I heard she has been waiting for them to find a rehab facility for her to be transferred to.

We had a thunderstorm and rain a couple of times, but not a ton.

I got the trash out, baked chicken & some keto brownies, did laundry, and the laptop table came on Thursday.

I got it out of the box but that was as far as I got--LOL!  

I worked on the Christmas card fronts off and on.  By this weekend I finished the green bulbs!

On Sunday Leah popped over to put together my laptop table for me!  Life is feeling more normal day by day--LOL!

As you can see in the background of the above picture--I have my cart filled up with Annie things to go to the garage.  Haven't made it out there yet.

Dagan might come over this week to help me with moving things to the garage and with cleaning out the big kitty litter tub.  I'm obviously in no hurry.

Oh, and the getting emails with more than one blog post link so that I am behind....try 16-28 links at once!!!  I've gotten three in that range the last week or so.  I thought getting 3-5 at a time was bad--LOL!  So if you haven't seen me commenting for quite a while...could be why.  I really need to try other ways of following now that I got a laptop table back.

Oh and also--I wouldn't be able to foster cats here.  I really only had permission to have Karma.  They even wanted a photo of her way back when the building was new.  I never told the office about getting Annie from Dagan and Leah after Karma died.  (Annie immediately hid so they never knew if my cat was calico or black--lol!)  I had to have a form filled out by a doctor or counselor or somebody official to have a cat as a "companion animal" in the first place.  Only allowed one cat--declawed.  And yet there are so many people living here who have cats and small dogs!?  They certainly don't seem to be very strict with that rule--so if I decide to get another cat one day I will just do it and not tell them.

But they can be real sticklers when they want to be...even when it is not your fault.  Remember they tried to tell me I hadn't returned the annual paperwork?  Next thing there were some more forms in an envelope clipped outside my door--that I hadn't see for days.  I don't go out to check the mail every day like I used to since covid and cancer.  Apparently they had clipped this smaller pack of forms to my door on like Thursday before last.  Well, I didn't find it till Saturday or Sunday.  I filled it all out but was feeling on the crummy side (weird leg wise) so didn't walk it down last Monday.  

Tuesday--I honestly forgot all about it.  I missed a call from the office and got a voice message--saying my paperwork was due the beginning of the month and she was afraid some other lady was going to give me notices of infractions.  Huh?  They were the ones who didn't get the paperwork to me in the first place until after it was due.  *sigh*  She said I could just clip it outside my door and let her know so she could come down and pick it up if I wanted to.  So, I chose to text back that I hung it outside the door because I found the voicemail at midnight and my days and nights have been flipped basically for some time so I'm asleep all morning.

But when I check the next afternoon--still hanging there!  I walk it down...no one in the office at 2pm.  A lady told me she just went to lunch.  I slide it under the door and think that is finally done with.  

Meanwhile, I am wondering why in the world I never heard the phone ring.  Remembered this happened to me once last year and Leah found out I had somehow put the phone on "do not disturb"!  How I managed to do that is beyond me--but I finally found it and--yes--I had done it again.  I think in holding the phone my thumb may have touched the do not disturb when I used the flashlight on the phone one night.  That's my guess.

Anyways, two days later I get a call from the office wanting that paperwork.  I said I slid it under the office door two days ago.  And she told me texting doesn't work...but I told her I saw it written on my screen?  *sigh*  Then she finds it on the computer or somewhere that they had gotten that clump of paperwork...BUT THEN she tells me there is one more form I need to sign that isn't there yet.  (I'm thinking OMG!  Can they be any more disorganized?!)  She says she will call and let me know when it comes and I can either leave it outside my door and let her know to come and get it or we could do a quick signing together.  Okay.

That was last Thursday, I think.  Got a call today--but I had just gotten out of the shower so I told her to clip it outside the door.  Later when I was dressed and human--it was outside my door.  I signed it, walked it down, and no one was in the office.  Slipped it under the door and I pray that is the end of this craziness.  No wonder Goldmark has such a bad reputation in town here.  There were people who quite literally moved out of here when they learned Goldmark was taking over property management.  They go through employees pretty rapidly.  I am just glad we've had the same nice maintenance guy since I moved in.  (But they used to have more and I think he might be the only one I have seen since covid, really.)

So, that's the latest apartment drama--ROFL!  I basically ignore everything outside my door.  Even more so since covid.  Nobody here ever wanted to wear masks.  Some of them did for a while the first year after several people ended up in the hospital--that I know of--and I was avoiding everybody so I only heard what was going on mostly in my building (one of three connected buildings).  So I know probably not a fraction of what happened by any means.  Back then I did see the ambulance here a few times--and I was only out TO see that side of the buildings when I went to the dumpster.  So, that's like ten minutes every week or so...when I was still well enough to bring out my own trash--LOL!

Nobody here wears masks anymore.  I see one other woman who walks her dog that wears a mask when she's inside the building.  Nobody had a mask on at the eye doctor's.  But covid isn't quite finished with us yet...and I am still one of the vulnerable. 

Dagan's stepbrother and family didn't make it last week for the annual get together.  Their oldest got covid right before they were going to leave--like a day or so before?  Thank goodness, in a way--or they would have probably given it to everybody.  The rest of their family came down with it last week, of course.  We've still been lucky.  Neither McFamily or myself have had it.

Knock on wood!

Well, that's about it from here.  It is really weird to be blogging this late in the evening.  Better late than never, eh?  It's been cooler.  Still a bit sticky, but it is marvelous to be able to open the place for part of the day, at least.  Already time for my next infusion this Friday again--so I'll get to spend a little time with Leah.  :)  Tomorrow I need to go out and do some deadheading work on the planters.  I just started coloring the blue Christmas bulbs.  Can only do so many at a time due to eye strain with the macular puckers--and Dr. Dye gave me an animated "Good!" when I told him that I stop when I feel the pressure in my temples.  That applies to being online, crafts, reading, writing...you name it.  I have grown more cautious since having the macular puckers now in both eyes because I can end up with a whopping headache that will teach even a stubborn old Swede to pay attention--LOL!  

Till next week, my friends!  Be well.  Be safe.  Be content.  And don't ever be afraid to be silly!

 

July 18, 2022 Monday--12:30pm

Good afternoon!

Not all the cottontails have been poisoned.  I still have seen some stopping by.  Not that I have been looking much this week.

Was a quiet, numb week.  Many of you know what it is like after saying goodbye to a furry family member.  This was a week of adjustment and allowing myself to feel sad and blah.

Renee was transferred to Abbott Hospital.  They put her on steroids to shrink the tumor and scheduled surgery for Friday morning. 

I talked with her on Thursday on the phone and she was in good spirits.  She had a large meningioma in the front of her head (they're benign and grow between skull and brain).  Her surgery went well!  She has been sitting up, eating, and chatting.  I believe they might be transferring her to a rehab center today.  Thanks for all the prayers and good wishes.  :)

I spent most of the week in pajamas to be honest--with the blinds closed and the AC on.  (Been quite hot with heat warnings.)  Did what I had to do--laundry, cooking, cleaning.  Got dressed to water the patio planters and get mail a few times.  Gradually went through the apartment and gathered up Annie stuff--toys, beds, etc.--and have piled them in the pantry.  I'll get everything out to the garage eventually.  There's no point in me even thinking about another cat (but it would be an adult rescue if the time should come) until I am finally cancer free--so I would likely be around for the rest of their life.  Wouldn't be fair to the poor cat, you know?

On Friday my rolling laptop table made a popping noise and was drooping way down and wobbly.  Saturday--final exploding crack and the entire top fell off.  (Scared the hell out of me!)

Luckily I caught and balanced it on my foot just long enough to remove my laptop and the wooden tray filled with writing supplies before it hit the floor.

It had snapped apart where it had been welded together...so a total goner.

It wasn't expensive and yet it lasted over five years...so I ordered another similar inexpensive one from Amazon (didn't carry the same one anymore) that is supposed to be here on Friday.  

Therefore...my normal daily routine has another huge glitch.  No cat routine.  No internet routine.  (I don't do well trying to type on my lap and that also prevents me from being able to do two things at once--LOL!)  So, not online as much.  Not that that is a bad thing--LOL!  

Meanwhile, I do need to learn different routines as to how to follow blogs.  I don't get as many notices via email--and often I might not get a notice until they have more than one link--sometimes as much as links to the past five blog posts!?  Follow By Email isn't even an option on Blogger anymore.  It's probably amazing I get any notices via email at all right now.  (And they are few.)  This old dog needs to learn new tricks.  Probably checking my actual following list on Blogger?  But that won't happen until I have a laptop table again--LOL!

As you can see--no photos really this week.  Just been a comfy chair potato watching really good shows and writing letters and missing Annie.  I watched Trapped S1 & S2 on Prime (Icelandic with subtitles); The Responder S1 (new BritBox original with Martin Freeman); Grantchester S7 on PBS Passport; London Kills S3 (Acorn TV original); Silent Witness S24 (S25 is being shown right now in weekly installments so I'll wait till it's all there so I can binge watch); Ordinary Love 2019 with Liam Neeson & The Courier 2021 with Benedict Cumberbatch both movies were Netflix DVD rentals; plus watched the YT channels I follow and some other stuff.  I was obviously using the screen for self-soothing escape this past week--LOL!  Good escape, I must say.  

Oh, and almost forgot--for a change of pace I watched S1 of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch (investigating UFOs and paranormal activity in Utah) and am now slowly watching Tiny House Nation and S7 of Stargate:SG-1--all on Netflix streaming.  I am not sure I will ever finish Stargate since I have been watching it here and there (when I remember and Netflix has it available) for over a decade--LOL!  

McFamily left on Saturday for a week for the McGregor annual gathering.  They rent a large place in Minnesota.  Dagan's dad & stepmother, stepbrother & family, and half-brother & family come from all over.  Nice for them to all have time to visit--Ian and Liam get to see other cousins, too.  Been a while.  

I've had a lot of trouble sleeping this past week.  Just on crazy hours where I am up all night and sometimes only catching naps.  I'm sure it will straighten out.  It always does.  :) 

I'm not feeling really down or too sad or anything.  I've said goodbye to many dear pets over my lifetime.  Just need a little time to adjust and allow myself to miss her, you know?  I'm already extra tired and listless all the time anyways--so I just leaned into it, I guess.  Was hot and we had a thunderstorm.  So glad I have such a good AC.  Was 93 yesterday and supposed to be 98 today.  We've had heat warnings.  But I've had to turn my AC off now and again because I got chilly.  Small apartment.  First floor.  Facing southeast.  Easy to cool down.  What a blessing!  So the heat is no excuse for my being unable to sleep--LOL!

I think of the many apartments I have lived in where I was lucky if it was 10 degrees cooler inside running the AC full blast 24/7 and you'd be all sweaty just sitting still...and, of course, the landlords refused to fix or replace.   Even my last apartment.  When I complained they just cleaned the dust out of it or replace the AC with another one from the building that didn't work any better--LOL!  I do love this little apartment.  It is a wonderful place to veg out, stare at the tube, and miss your cat--LOL!

I'll have to get off my be-hind this week and haul trash to the dumpster and cat stuff to the garage.  I totally fell off the coloring track for cards.  I need to get myself back in gear.  So--till next week, my people...stay well.  :)  

July 11, 2022 Monday--2:45am

Since I am still awake and can't sleep I figured I might as well at least start the blog.  I may finish.  I may not.  It has been such a week.  I may as well go chronologically and work up to the past couple days.

Monday

Did laundry that I never got put away till...

Tuesday

Hotter weather.  Enough to have to close it up and put the AC on every day.  

Wednesday

The plastic bird bath arrived.  Annie was curious.

I tried several times to screw it together straighter, but seems that was the best I could manage with the plastic parts.

I'm holding up the plastic cover that goes over this base to show you where they suggest you can fill it with rocks to weigh it down.  (Wanted send a picture to show Leah--who said she had some small landscaping rocks that would work.)

Was sooo excited to see a partridge family come to visit near my patio!

Tried to get pictures but they had moved over by the sidewalk...

...and I could barely see the tiny babies in the grass.

So I decided to take a video.  Was so funny to see the one parent spot something in the grass and try frantically to get at it with beak and feet...the other parent joined in too for a bit.  But then a lady and her dog came walking down the sidewalk!  The parents went into a panic!  Called the alarm for the babies to hide, raced around the lady and dog...please excuse my terrible camera work.

I thought I was going to tell the lady that they were acting so strange because they had babies with them...but by the time I stopped the video and went to open the patio door the lady was being almost dragged down the sidewalk by her dog who was excited to try to catch the running birds.  It reminded me of killdeer--only they weren't pretending they had broken wings to divert danger--LOL!  They just ran in front of the lady and dog for as far as I could watch them.

I was looking for the babies, but their defense is to crouch way down and freeze.  Finally I saw the parents flying back and landing on the sidewalk nearby--so I grabbed the cell phone camera again.    

I know zero about editing.  I only know how to point and shoot...and the camera wanted to focus on the patio door screen--LOL!  But you do get a glimpse of the eight babies!  As soon as the parents called for them the family was reunited.  You may remember last year a family came around for a few days but that family was wiped out in a matter of about three days.  I hope these babies are luckier.  Haven't seen them since, but it has been quite crazy around here.

I went to bring out the bird bath--even though it didn't have any rocks to weigh it down yet.  And what did I find on the grass but a dead baby bunny.

Poor little thing.  Didn't look injured by a cat, dog or hawk so I wondered what happened to it.

There was also a long since dead bird (grackle, I think) underneath the bush there beside my patio.  Leah saw it when they were tipping the planters to put the boards under them.  I had forgotten about it till a few days before and just hadn't gotten up the nerve to go out and remove the bird.  Kept debating if I should call the office about the dead bird.  Well, now there was a baby bunny, too--right out on the grass.  It was a sign. I figured, that I had to make a decision.  Just didn't want to do it, to be honest.  The office was closed so I figured I'd call the next morning.

Since it is so windy here I propped the two small tables I have out there kind of around the bird bath in that front corner and am crossing my fingers.  It may get knocked about but it shouldn't blow down the block, I wouldn't think.  I also put the old water dish on the cement for the bunnies.

The grackles seem to prefer the one on the ground.

Annie had fun watching them drink and bathe...but mostly squabble and splash.

I had a video call that night with the grandboys over dinner.  They heard about the dead bunny and all about the partridge family drama.  Sent Leah the pics and videos to show them.

Thursday

I called the office.  The young girl said the maintenance man was there on the grounds that day and would be by later.  I did tell her I was concerned about them mowing over the poor thing.  About 3pm she called back and said the maintenance guy was swamped that day and probably couldn't make it till tomorrow...but she didn't want to wait that long and said she'd come herself.  (Bravo!)

So the brave girl showed up with gloves on, carrying trash bags, and I walked her through my apartment to my patio.  She told me there had been another bunny that wasn't dead yet outside the third building just recently that she had to deal with.  Because it was still alive she had to call animal rescue or rehab or something like that.  It had been bleeding from the mouth...so they wondered if someone was poisoning them.  That would make sense as to there not being any injuries on them and neither of them looking malnourished or anything.

I left her to it because she said she wouldn't come back through my apartment--she just needed to find where the bunny was.  She also took the dead bird (been there a long time as she said she could see the skull) and some cardboard trash that had blown in from a storm a while back. 

Not half an hour later the mowing company arrived to zip around on their big mowers.  Perfect timing!  Whew!

Friday

Had two appointments.  At 11am I had to be to the one clinic for bloodwork and my infusion.  No doctor appointment this time so it was a little faster.  My ANC was up to 2.3--whoohoo!  That was exciting to hear.

We got done at 1pm and had my regular doctor (Kessler) at 2pm at another clinic.  So we drove over and sat and chatted in the parking lot there for a while before I had to go in.  

Okay--I had a spot show up on my cheek under my eye that I mentioned to them at the infusion center.  I had one just like it show up under my nose before that and it never went totally away.  Started out like a tiny mole or bump (not a pimple), got more red, scabbed over, and then just left a little red mark.  Because of my having cancer in my body and them making me promise to tell them anything new or different (although I forgot about the first one which was maybe a 5-6 weeks ago--or longer)...they suggested maybe I needed to see a dermatologist and told me to tell Kessler and show her.  

Well, Kessler thought the same thing.  Set me up with a dermatologist appointment on September 1st.  (Also had me set up my annual physical on October 14th.)  I don't think the skin thing is anything but to be on the safe side they want it checked out to make sure it's not skin cancer.

On the way home Leah and I stopped for food  at the Hardee's drive thru.  Leah dropped me off at home.  Later she came over with foods for me and the rocks for the bird bath.  She filled the base up...but seemed doubtful this light thing could withstand the winds we get here--LOL!  Time will tell.

I usually sleep shortly after getting home on infusion days--and I even had another appointment afterwards so I was pretty well shot.  But I needed to stay awake--Leah was coming back and I also needed to get my lists ready for the next day's grocery run and pickup.  I stayed up too long.  Has that happened to you?  Are overtired, but get past a point and then are just up anyways?  Hard to describe if you haven't done it, I think.

Saturday

Anyways, Leah and her brother, Aaron, made their trip to Target and Costco...and Leah dropped off my stuff here.  I meet her in the parking lot with my trusty cart. 

Meanwhile...Annie didn't eat all her food Thursday night...less than half.  Same thing Friday morning and by Friday night she wasn't touching her food.  By Saturday she was moving slower and sleeping more than usual--not eating at all, only drinking some water--sleeping a lot.  I had told Leah about all that--and that I would keep her informed.

And then right before Leah was coming to drop off the groceries in the late afternoon there was a family email from my brother, Blaine, that my sister, Renee, was in the hospital (down in Minneapolis).  She had collapsed and not been found for about a day or so--has a large brain tumor and needs surgery.  So I told Leah about that and to have Dagan check his email when she got home.

Sunday

Annie really went downhill overnight.  Still not eating--going off to lay down places (but not near me at all)--looking exhausted and weak.  I saw her come out from the pantry and get hit with cramps by the apartment door (which is right next to the pantry door)...and she had a small amount of diarrhea.  Bloody.  Headed slowly down the hallway to go back and lay down in the bedroom--got hit again with cramping.  Tiny bit of bloody diarrhea that time--well, she hadn't eaten really for a couple of days.  I cleaned it all up and got ahold of Leah and told her the bad news--it was time.

Leah and the boys were at her grandparents where she was helping with a TV issue, Dagan was off golfing, and a thunderstorm was on the way.  The boys didn't want to go with after she explained the situation to them (don't blame them) and since Annie is terrified of thunder--definitely wanted to wait until the storm passed anyways.

I wanted to go and cuddle her and have her close before we had to say goodbye...but that wouldn't work well with Annie.  Doing anything different or out of the usual routine always threw her off and made her nervous and scared.  So I had to just let her do her thing--wandering from one spot to doze off to another.  She was a little restless. Either could sense something different with me or probably just because she felt awful.  She laid in the bedroom, by the patio door, in the studio, and had headed off to the bedroom again.  

By that time Dagan got home, the thunder was gone, and Leah said she was on her way.   I needed to get Annie into her carrier.  She had been out like a light in the bedroom closet.  You know you don't usually have to call out a cat's name to wake them up.  Annie was not doing well at all.  Was so warm/hot when I picked her up...yet she immediately purred.  But she started to cry when I put her in the carrier and zipped it closed.  Leah was here quickly after that.

We went to a brand new emergency vet place that was really close by.  You may remember we did not like the vets at Two Rivers because of how they were with my Karma and McFamily's Sammy (Annie's partner from all the way back to the rescue center).  This place was 180 degrees better!  Leah and I were brought to a room with Annie in her carrier.  They took her back to get the IV in her leg and brought her back all wrapped in a big soft blanket and left us alone for a while to say goodbye.  We had a button thingie to push when we were ready.  

Annie never was a lap-cat.  Even after she finally bonded with me she was always beside me on the arm of the chair to my left or lying on the footrest between my legs.  Every once in a while after she jumped up beside me on the arm of the chair I would scoop her up for a little cuddle--she would be purring like crazy but really stressed by all the stimulation so she would bury her head in the crook of my elbow.  I would only do that for like 15-20 seconds because she needed to leave...my shy autistic cat.  She usually stayed on the chair unless I held her just a couple seconds too long.  Could only be a very short cuddle.

So, of course, Annie was wanting off my lap in short order.  I moved her, inside of the blanket, over to my left side--"her side" she's used to from my chair at home.  But she did let me cuddle with her!  She buried her head many times like she would have done in my elbow at home...but she let me sweet talk with her and keep her calm.  Lots of neck and head scratching (her favorite).  When she was getting a bit restless (if she hadn't been in such bad shape she would never have sat that long with me like that, I know)...Leah pushed the button. 

A girl stuck her head quietly in the door and explained it would be a little while and apologized.  They were really so very nice.  Annie was too sick and exhausted to fight me to get off the bench--even though she wanted to for just a little bit.  She settled back into our side-cuddle and we had our time to say a longer goodbye with furry head kisses.  I told her she would go to a place where she would feel safe all the time and could kill all the thirteen striped ground squirrels and birds she wanted.

Then the last lady came in--the one with the needles.  She gave her a sedative first right there beside me.  Annie never had the chance to get scared.  Then the final shot and she was gone.  Sweet Annie will never be scared again.

Everyone was so gentle and kind and understanding.  We would not ever hesitate to go there again.

Leah even came in afterwards (we had our masks on--although I took mine off when I was saying goodbye to Annie).  She took the extra raw cat food--and even fried me up some ground turkey.  More to keep me company for a little while than anything, I think.  :)  

And--more information about my sister had been coming here and there.  She was coherent mostly and getting pain and anti-seizure medication.  Ate a meal and could have visitors though she was still in the emergency room.  

Then we heard she was being transferred to Abbott either Sunday night or Monday morning and would have surgery shortly after but they didn't think she had a good chance of surviving the surgery and people were encouraged to come and visit her.

Then last night (all this has been emails from my brother) there's some kind of website her DIL made for information on Renee (Caring Bridge?).  That is where we can go to find out what is happening, I guess.  Blaine said they are now thinking they might try to take a while to try to shrink the tumor some before they operate.  Could be a week before any decisions are made on surgery now.  

So, that is all happening 250+ miles away, too.  Any prayers, healing energy, or good thoughts would be appreciated.

Well, I made it to the end.  I think I needed to get all that out before I could sleep.  It is now almost 6am.  I am physically and emotionally exhausted...or shattered as the British say.  I feel like I could sleep till Wednesday!  Whew!  I keep expecting to see Annie...think I see her out of the corner of my eye or think I hear her quiet crys as she sits by the gallon jug with the best water in the world so that she won't drink out of her bowl or the shower anymore--LOL!  I am so glad I did spoil her silly self rotten topping off that jug with little bits of water all day long.

I miss her.

Okay--maybe I will sleep--maybe I won't.  I'm in a strange state of partial unreality.  I'll feel better once I have slept, I think...whenever that is.  No alarm.  No cat to want to be fed or have special water.  What a week...

I hope it is a good week for each and every one of you.  Life is so precious.  We just never know what a day can bring...or one moment.  Love.  Hug.  Appreciate.  Have a great day!  Till next week...

July 4, 2022 Monday--noon

Good afternoon!

Was such nice weather this week.  Annie and I both appreciate it when we can have the patio door open most of the day.

Monday

Did laundry.  Still doing the wash more often because only doing one load at a time is working well for me so far.  I vacuumed, finished watching Murdoch Mysteries, and had a brief eye light thing again.  I shut the blinds, got off the laptop, and waited till it passed.  No bad headache with it.

Yes, I have an appointment with my eye doctor, Dr. Dye, but not till July 25th.  This light arch only lasted less than five minutes.  Maybe even only a couple minutes.  Yes, seems to happen when I am on my laptop.  Eye strain?  

Tuesday

Monday night was one of those nights I couldn't sleep at all.  Was awake till morning, napped three hours, and was awake all day and still up late.  No logic to it.

McFamily popped by to put the boards under the planters in the late afternoon. 

They're up a good half an inch off the ground now and dry faster.

Wednesday

Katie called.  She got another job somewhere else, too, like Caroline did.  I hope she is as happy with her new job as Caroline is.  Since they don't have a lot of employees still since covid hit, I'll probably be turned back over to the county and they will try to find another company for me.  So, I may or may not end up with cleaning help anymore.  We'll see.

I can totally understand why people wouldn't want to work cleaning other people's homes with covid around.  There are a lot of jobs that have been hard to fill since the pandemic.  

Thursday

I was quite shocked when somebody was opening my door that morning while I was so sound asleep that I hadn't even heard them knocking.  Apparently they had put a notice on my door the day before that we were having apartment inspections.  That is not much notice!  I don't always even go down to check my mail every day since cancer and being so tired and all.  So I laid here in my chair with my blankie as they quickly went around and made the fire alarms go off, tested the faucets, and turned the stove burners on.  In and out in five minutes--kept their distance because they didn't have masks with them--and locked the door on their way out.  An unexpected start to my day!

My social security check was in the bank early again.  On June 30th?  Mine is supposed to come on the 3rd every month but has been there around the first now for a few months.  Is this happening to anyone else?

Anyways, I was able to order cat food early--LOL!  And I ordered some inexpensive embroidery threads.  I knew I was getting low and have all those bookcards to sew together soon so I checked on Amazon...and they sell some really cheap sets of colors for making friendship bracelets mostly it looks like.  I realized I don't need the top quality embroidery thread for sewing bookcards together so I ordered a couple variety packs. 

I started to watch the final season of Better Call Saul--feeling quite behind--but after a couple of episodes I heard that only half the season is actually out so far.  The second half will be playing in July and August...so I decided to wait.  I am so spoiled being able to binge-watch.  I like knowing the entire season is there to watch whenever I want.  I am not used to waiting anymore...especially when it's a really good show!  I guess after decades and decades of waiting to see a program every week at a certain time (no way to record back when) I guess I am glad I don't have to do that anymore--LOL!  Anyone else feel like that? 

Friday

Did my banking early for the month.  Walked my rent check down to the office rent box.  Had two movies that came (Netflix DVDs): House of Gucci and The Northman.  I didn't know anything about the Gucci family so that was quite interesting.  What a family!  Then--a old tale from my Swedish/Scandinavian ancestors...OMGoodness!  I came from a violent, unforgiving lot--LOL!  I found that quite interesting in a completely different way.  (Completely forgot that Nicole Kidman had a small part.) 

Saturday

The embroidery thread and cat food came already!  Shock!  Usually these days no Amazon order comes in two days anymore.   

I reorganized.  Got all the embroidery threads and thin yarns that I use for sewing bookcards together into the same container.

Plenty to play with now.  I have wanted to try some hand sewing on card fronts, too.  No excuse of not enough thread--LOL!

I got the coloring sample done for the Christmas card fronts.  Sent Leah this picture so we could consult.  I thought I needed to do a green bulb in the far upper left hand corner to balance it out more.

Anyways, I taped it up next to my chair on my washi tape holder.

Then I started the assembly-line coloring...with green.  Taped that guide over the main finished one.

So I am all set up to color in my chair.  This will take a loooong time.  The stack I need to color is there on top of the washi tape container.  No matter how hard I try some colors of markers just streak more than others.  Oh well--proves they are hand-made, right?

Saturday

Earlier in the week I saw a baby bunny over chewing on my planter again.  So I decided to put the water dish down on the ground.  Didn't stop it--saw it again--when the planter box was dry!  The birds don't like to come down there to take baths, I guess, either.  

So I was thinking that maybe if I used the ceramic dish for seed the bunnies might chew on that instead.

But then--I wanted to have water out for the birds to drink and bathe...so I thought I should try to find another saucer dish so I would have two.  That sent me down an Amazon rabbit hole.  I ended up ordering a cheap plastic pedestal bird bath--LOL!  Supposed to arrive Thursday.  Leah says she has small rocks and sand I can use to fill the base of the pedestal to hold it down.  With the wind here I already planned to prop it up also in the corner with the two small tables out there.  Hope it works.

Meanwhile--the grackles found the dish of seed and proceeded to squabble and jump at each other, as they do--knocking seed all over the place--LOL!  I knew they'd be overly excited with the newly found treasure--and they certainly were.  If they calm down knowing there will be seed out there maybe they won't make such a mess?  We'll see.  This is an experiment.  A test.  

Annie is loving it.

A total mess...but easy to sweep up when it's not winter...??

Entertaining...but I'm not sure about this.  Was so funny watching the "baby" grackles that were same size as the parents flapping and begging for seed right next to the parents--ROFL!  But will the mess drive me crazy in the summer?  Will there be less mess if they settle down?  Could put a lot less seed in the dish.  Will the bunnies nibble on the seed vs the planters?  Hummm...?

Annie votes to feed the birds.

I am not convinced--LOL!  I do feed them from fall till spring, after all.  Leah suggested making up a water and cayenne pepper liquid to spray the planters to try to keep the bunnies away.  I might try that, too.

Sunday

Dagan popped by to pick up a few things for Leah and he brought out my trash for me.  I was not up to it last week so I had two weeks worth in the cart.  Just wasn't sure I could heave the heavier bags up into the dumpster when feeling generally a bit more weak and tired for some reason.  I am so grateful to him for that.

I did a load of laundry again.  This time I still have to put it all away today.  I had a really bad IBS day yesterday.  All it takes is eating something different sometimes.  Messes with your plans--and I used up my few spoons I had left coloring Christmas bulbs--LOL!  That's my life.  :)

Right now the lone partridge, several grackles, and a mourning dove are eating on the patio.  They are forced to go through all the mess of scattered seeds on the cement now because the dish is almost empty--LOL!  Happy birds.  Happy Annie.  I have such a good life.  (Even the occasional bout of diarrhea can't put a damper on it--lol!)  I hope you all appreciate every moment of your precious days.  Till next week...