5-25-2020 Monday-12:15pm

Good afternoon, everybody!

I've been rather off this past week.  Having pretty bad allergies this year and it is wearing me down (not that it takes much to wear me down--lol!).  Plus I got some bad news about my BFF from high school...and now there are four more employees and four more residents at my mom's apartment complex who have the virus (total of 22 as of last Monday--but Mom's doing fine).  Just was a rougher week.  One to do what I had to do and spend the rest of the time curled up with my Puffs and a good show.  ;)

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On a brighter note--it was Leah's birthday on Thursday.  She was doing a video call with her sister, Michal, and her BFF so she and I had our call on Wednesday night.  Have you heard of the new thing where you pick one other family or household or person that you can visit and spend time with--called a double-bubble, covid-pod, covid-bubble, or quaranteam?  You have to make sure they are on the same page as you are as far as isolation goes with their exposure and precautions because you will all be at risk once you join together.  Both Leah and her sister both look like this when they go grocery shopping.  ;)

Anyways, Leah and Michal (who has not been sick after those couple of days or anyone else in the family so she probably didn't get it) are thinking of doing a double-bubble after a couple more weeks here to be extra cautious.  Chuck and Michal are both teachers so they are home all the time, too.  The boys would LOVE having their cousins over to play with or going over to their house.  Four boys under seven, I believe.  That would be so nice--for all of them!  They'll see how the next couple weeks goes and decide.  Fingers crossed!  :)

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Meanwhile--Annie remains one happy camper in quarantine.  Doesn't want to change a thing.

 Still enjoying her CatTV shows.

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My goal this week was to switch the winter and summer clothes.  It took a few days.  I did finish but...

...this is as far as the winter stuff got.  Still haven't made it out to the garage yet and doubt I will today, either--LOL! 

Oh well.  It's not going anywhere.

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We've had some warmer days in the 70s.  I put the bird water dish out. 

Had Gramma Day on Saturday.  Ian and I started The Shy Stegosaurus book.  Quite a fun story.  And we had a couple Frog and Toad stories at bedtime, too.
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  That's about it for my week.  
*she says sneezing three times in a row*

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I keep forgetting to show Leah's before and after pictures!  

She looks so good and feels so much better.  Dagan has lost enough for it to show on him, too.  :)

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Ian was disappointed Mama hadn't sent the video of him learning to go around in circles in the church parking lot behind their house.  He is so excited about his new pedal bike.

He still needs help starting (holding him up while he gets his feet on the pedals and a little push) but he is learning fast about turning, coasting, recovering, and stopping.  In fact, he might do them all flawlessly by now.  ;)  The church parking lot is conveniently empty lately because of the virus so he has lots of room to practice.

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A few more pictures from Leah.
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  Now THAT is a bubble machine!!  Never have seen anything like it!

An entertaining way to social distance from the neighbors--LOL!

The boys have Mama's sun sensitive skin so they often wear sun hats when they are going to be outside for a while.  Ian is still as silly as ever, I see.

Two cool dudes in their shades resting on the car hood.

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Ian's preschool had a drive-by teacher appreciation day so Ian and Mama made up signs for their car.

I'm sure the boys were just plain excited to be IN the car after a couple of months--LOL!
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Well, that's about it from here for this week.  This has been my worst spring allergy bout for years--been in full swing for a couple of weeks now.  Should subside pretty soon.  At least it's not Covid.  I am thankful for that...in great measure.  I already can barely breathe through my nose--LOL!  Take care.  Stay safe and well.  That's always my wish for everyone these days.  :) :)
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"Set wide the window.
Let me drink in the day."
Edith Wharton
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Note:  Love the quote today because under the pollen circumstances it really made me laugh!  ;)

5-18-2020 Monday 12:45pm

Good afternoon!  

And what a beautiful afternoon it is at 72 degrees and sun shining.  We suddenly went from chilly to the 70s.  If I weren't scared of the unpredictability of the weather up here I'd be tempted to do some planting when I hear we're supposed to be in the 70s for the next week.  My marigolds are too little, as you can see (top row). 

But did you notice some itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny coleus sprouts peeking out of two peat pots in the center row!  

I most certainly didn't get fresh seeds through Amazon.  I have 18 marigolds (2 still questionable survival) out of 60 seeds and now 6 coleus from a double planting of about 50 seeds.  Not very good odds.  They may have been old seeds.  You never know what you're going to get.  But if these coleus do manage to survive I plan to keep these as indoor plants.

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I also planted Annie a small container of cat grass.   

Spring fever must have gotten ahold of Annie.  She's been racing through the apartment like a kitten, following me everywhere (if she's awake)...just plain restless or exhausted from the exertion of said restlessness--LOL! 

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I got a long letter from Ian!  Took him weeks to write he told me. 

It's all about the Easter Bunny coming while they were taking a bath in the morning and the hunting of Easter eggs. 

I think his printing was improving by the end.  He did miss copying the "...ys" in our "Love always and forever" but he really did well.

This time he had to look at what Mama printed and then copy it on his own.  No highlighter. 

If Gramma can read it right off the bat...he did quite well, I think.  :)

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Mama put a note on the back.  "Ian left this out and Liam cut it with his scissors". 

Leah saves the washi tape I put on letters to her and reuses them back on letters to me.  This time they went on Ian's letter.

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Plus--those of you who have been around for a long time may remember my bookcards.  When I was talking about making a book for Ian I was wishing I had some of my handmade paper left for a cover.  Well, Leah dismantled a bookcard I had sent her and included this handmade paper cover in with Ian's letter! 

Can you see the holes down the center fold where I stitched the bookcard together?

My bookcards only have a single 3-5 page signature--so 12-20 small pages.  I have been thinking about making bookcards again this summer to use for letter writing.  Even if I don't use handmade paper for covers, I have used printed scrapbook paper, too.  They are fun to write in for a change.  

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Sure!  Let's add that to my endless list of projects--ROFL!  Be much easier if I use pretty paper for covers.  Regardless, I am thrilled to send Ian a little book with a handmade paper cover.  :)

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This is what was left of the cat grass after 24 hours with Annie!

Looks like a grass explosion!  LOL!

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Leah went on huge grocery shopping trips to CashWise and Costco on Wednesday and then went again on Thursday because of the limitations on some items.  So Wednesday was spent cleaning and repackaging two hauls Leah dropped off for me...and then she came with another smaller haul on Thursday (some things were back in stock, too!).  We are hoping to be able to go another two months again!  Whoohoo!  :)

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At Costco Leah picked up some starter plants for me!! 

I have coleus, red geraniums, and some kind of light green draping type of plant.  I never thought--there might be a label stick in there....YES!  Lysimachia/Goldilocks it says.  Perfect!

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They are doing well.  I set them up under the window in the studio.  All the calligraphy supplies are gone and flowers have taken over.  :)

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The marigolds look pretty tiny under the bedroom window, but they are hanging in there. 

 After I took this picture I decided to move all the empty pots to one tray and the pots with something in them to the other tray.  Easier to water.  

Turns out I have 13 peat pots with 18 marigold plants and the 2 peat pots with the teeny coleus...and 13 empty peat pots where nothing came up.  I'll leave them for a few days and see if any latecomers arrive.  

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Regardless of my meager harvest in the seeding department...I will have lots of plants out on the patio thanks to Leah and Costco...and probably some marigolds!  

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Leah and I had a short video call on Thursday night--we were both really tired, but satisfied.  We got just about everything on our lists.  I know my frig, freezer, and pantry are packed full--nice!  

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Funny--someone asked Leah if she was going to the lake.  So many people have lake cabins in Minnesota...and ND, too, apparently.  They thought she was stocking up for the summer, I suppose--LOL!

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Speaking of summer...my summer clothes bins only got moved into my bedroom.  Since it has gotten quite a bit warmer (LOVE having the place wide open!) I will have to start purging, washing, folding, hanging, packing, sorting--so that I can do the switcheroo this week.

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In other not-so-good news, my brother forwarded the letter from Mom's residence again.  The week before you may recall it was 1 employee and 2 residents.  Last week it was 5 employees and 9 residents.  So it went from 3 to 14 in a week.  They've been so very diligent in their covid battle that the staff has to be so terribly disappointed.  Fingers crossed and say a prayer for my mom...and all the seniors who live there.  

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 Saturday was Gramma Day.  Leah knew I was pretty shot from two days of sorting groceries, setting up the plants, and doing a load of laundry, too, so she suggested Ian and I synch up a nature show so we could watch together and still be on a video call at the same time so we could see each other and make comments to each other while we watched.  It was almost like our Gramma Days here watching shows together! So cool!

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Then Dagan took a video call outside later so Ian could show me his rocket launcher (burst of air with a foot pedal).  Plus, there was a quick Toad and Frog bedtime story that night, too. 

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Annie is sleeping in her chair next to me.  As soon as I took the cell phone up to take a picture...eyes popped open--LOL!

Used to be Miss Karma's spot.

I still miss Karma, but Annie has become a good companion and shown more of her personality as time goes by.  She was meant to be an old lady's cat...and Man, O'Man...does she ever love isolation.  She thinks it is the perfect life.  No visitors at all make Annie one happy girl--LOL!  Total introvert!!

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Well, another week starting.  Every week I keep hoping I'll get so much more done, but I guess I did okay.  I'm surprised at how fast the days fly by in isolation.  Today is day 68 and I think another week will fly by so quickly.  Maybe they go so fast because I am always thinking I'll get more done--and...poof!...the week is over--LOL!

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I worked a lot on letters this past week.  Was quite behind but am slowly getting caught up.  (When I am doing so much more physical stuff I have very few spoons left over for much of anything but chair vegging with a good show.)  I may be slow by I am a faithful pen pal.  ;)

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Been exploring BritBox...watching Prime, Netflix, and Acorn.  Have had less noise from the lady and her kids so they must be going elsewhere now that things have opened up in ND.  We now have this sunbather lady and sometimes her hubby is with her--but silence!  She wears ear buds!!

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Anyways, I'm curious.  Are some of you venturing out and about with the loosening of the rules or are you staying put?  We are staying put.  Dagan's working from home and the company said that will continue until the end of June.  We're very, very happy about that.  I'm still using a mask and hand scrubbing whenever I go to the mail, dumpster, or garage...but the one place I won't will be my little patio.  :)

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That's it for this time.  

See you next Monday! 

Stay safe and well.

Virtual hugs!!!  :) :)

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"The flower is always the buds undoing.  Let go then.  Step into the river lean into the wind let the strength of the earth rise through you.  Watch your fingertips burst into bloom."

Pavithra K. Mehta

5-11-2020 Monday 3:15pm

Good afternoon!

This time I am writing a bit later just because I slept late and already had a video call with Ian.  Leah is planing on going grocery shopping for us on Wednesday and he wanted to know if I could send his acrylic paints with Mama.  I will make up a satchel filled with his paints and supplies...absolutely!

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Anyways, big excitement for Ian this past week!  He got his first real pedal bicycle!  You may remember he had a little balance bike without pedals first so he really seems to have learned how to ride this bike quickly.  :)

He has to wait until there aren't people on the sidewalks and he can also go practice in the empty church parking lot behind their house.  I remember how exciting it was to get a bike and learn how to ride!

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Leah sent me some pictures.  I love this one where they both have matching "best brother" pajamas--LOL!

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I just asked him what this picture was Mama had sent and I think I have forgotten one already--LOL!  

He said it was a transporter machine and an underwater fort and something else.  (Senior moment or fibro brain--take your pick.)  Just a blanket and some pillows on the couch to hold it up.  Creative.

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But the project I was soooo impressed by that they worked on this week was the cardboard kitchen!!   

Mama helped, of course.  But this is just made from boxes, masking tape, scissors, and markers.  There's an oven on the left side with a rack inside, a sink with a faucet in the middle, and a dishwasher on the right hand side.

That's a square saucepan with a handle on the stove.  There's rags in the sink that represent foods and various other items.  And even a blender made from an egg carton and a really large plastic cup on the right. 

They even decided they needed a trash can--so that is what is on the end there. 

On a video call they also showed me a round saucepan, plates, and Ian was cutting out cookies, bacon, brats, hotdogs...and there was a baking tray, too, that fit in the oven.  Can you see the burners drawn on the stove?  

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What fun to make and they are having a lot of fun playing with it.  Ian keeps coming up with more items they should figure out how to create.  Last I heard was they needed a ketchup bottle.  Gramma is thoroughly impressed!!

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Here at my place...my excitement was Amazon boxes coming day after day with all the cleaning supplies and other necessities.  :)  Every three days I opened boxes as they came out of quarantine and set things all over the kitchen counter for another day.  (This is only a fraction!)

 Then little by little I worked at reorganizing one side under my kitchen sink...

 ...and under the middle of the bathroom sink. (Amazon boxes come in handy for other things, too--LOL!)

I would get so far every day and have to leave it because my back would say--enough already. 

Was a lot of bending, hauling, and climbing stools so I had to spread it out over the week.  I was shocked that the majority of the Amazon packages came a day earlier than they said!  Wow!  I only have one left to arrive--a watering can.  I've been using old pop bottles for years.  About time.

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I didn't do all the stocking up due to the virus.  I did it because I'm on a very limited budget and to someone basically pretty poor like me...well, having extra toothpaste and laundry soap makes me feel like Scrooge McDuck counting my gold coins--ROFL!  It's a feeling of security.  Can't explain it very well, but makes me so very happy.

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We had drizzly rain for a couple of days and the grass greened right up!  

It was warmer (60s) so Annie and I were thrilled to have the place opened up for a few days.

I have shut down the Critter Cafe, though, and Annie seems to wonder where the birds have gone. 

When it gets warmer I will put out the bird water dish...and I have been known to toss food out in the grass on occasion.  ;)

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I finally got things put away up over the washer and dryer, too. 

I have other areas I want to purge and reorganize...but nothing is a big hurry with that.  I did bring in more things from the garage last week.  The pot I use to keep the hose in on the patio, a tall fan, the bird water dish (sitting on the as yet unopened new humidifier below), and the three bins of summer clothes...that only made it this far--LOL!

I really need to do a better job Maria Kondoing this year.  I never got around to going through the clothes last fall and here I am again making the seasonal switch.  So, this year I do plan on taking my time and going through everything...so you know that could take me weeks.  But since it has been cold enough to snow again, doesn't seem like there's a real rush.  I think it's supposed to get down to 27 degrees tonight (-3 C). 

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Called my mom for Mother's Day yesterday.  She's doing fine.  More adjusted to this temporary new life, I guess.   There has been one employee and two residents with the virus in her building.  Didn't sound like anyone new infected in two weeks, so maybe they caught it early?  They've been very strict there--not even letting family in to visit.  (Unless it is an end of life situation, but that's in another building--they have independent, assisted living, and nursing home kind of strung together--huge place--so don't know which area the infected people were from.)  Mom does get assistance now since lockdown, so fingers crossed.  They wear masks and such.  Mom seemed in pretty good spirits and we had a nice long chat.

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 My marigolds--the ones who did show up--are growing pretty well.  

Quite a few empty peat pots and I put three seeds in each one.  Not great results, but I do have some plants coming along.

The coleus seeds.  Not a single seedling.  I put some more seeds in the empty pots, but I have little hope of anything emerging.  So, when Leah goes grocery shopping she will look at Costco to see what they have, if anything.  We have bought starter plants from Costco before.  Maybe they'll have some coleus and/or geraniums.  Those all do well for me here with only about 6 inches of soil depth.  My planters are shallow.  Whenever I am able to replace these I hope to get deeper ones--but they are pretty expensive (been peeking).  Meanwhile--I have my terra cotta colored duct tape for this year to mend cracks and holes--LOL!

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Oh, this Gramma Day (Sat) Ian read to me!!  He read me two books all by himself.  Afterwards, we figured out (with Leah's help) how he could show me a bit of his new favorite show Octonauts on YouTube sharing the screen.  Then I read him the rest of Comet in Moominland.  When he gets all the paint supplies we can do a video call while he paints one afternoon.  Be the closest thing we can get to a Gramma Craft Day.  ;)

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Well, that was another week in isolation.  Day 61 for McFamily and me.  Leah's sister may have the virus.  She's only been grocery shopping and wears a mask, as far as I know.  Mild case if she has it but she had shortness of breath, splitting headache--even if it didn't seem to last long.  No testing if you aren't sick enough.  She's self-isolating, of course--but with her husband and two little boys.  I hope she and her family will all be well. 

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Oh, and this crazy morning for me.  I woke up about 9am but was so comfortable that I didn't want to move.  Me--comfortable!  Felt almost pain free (after all I've been doing the past few weeks it was heaven not to feel sharp back pain)...so I thought I would just lie there for a little bit longer...but slept till 11:45am!!  Good grief--I went to bed at 11pm!!  

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Annie never cries or bothers me to wake up.  She does start crying for her wet/canned food and follow me around as soon as I am up, but she has never once tried to wake me up.  But there she was--crying almost right in my face this morning--LOL!  I never sleep that long.  Maybe she thought something was really wrong with me?  So funny!  She seemed absolutely delighted to see me rise up from my nearly comatose state of peace--ROFL!  And my back doesn't hurt so bad today.  Whoohoo!!  Happy dance!

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Meanwhile--now she's conked out in her chair next to me.  Do you think I should wake her up?  LOL!  Not fair as cats so rarely seem to be fully asleep.

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Well, another week has flown by.  It's sunny but chilly today.  As usual, I have lots of projects lined up.  Always have many more than I can manage to finish even in a week...or a month, for that matter--LOL!  Keeps me busy and out of trouble.  Stay safe everyone!!  :)

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"Listen to your life.  See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.  In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness...because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace."

Frederick Buechner

5-4-2020 Monday 1:30pm

Good afternoon!

Yes, I forgot it was Monday for quite a while here--LOL!  They started mowing outside and I thought..."huh? Isn't it Sunday?"  I'm sure I'm not the only one with the problem of not always knowing what day it is.

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My biggest annoyance this week...and the week before...has been this.  This woman and her kids look innocent enough in this photo while they are being quiet...

 ...but they have been disturbing every nice afternoon we've had.  The kids ride their bikes all around and make a lot of kid squealing and shouting noise, but that's not the issue.  It's their mother.  She blasts rap-type music while she exercises up and down between the garages.  She appears to be a bit on the exhibitionist side.  She races, jogs in place, trots, and does random handstands.  

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The music was so loud the first time I heard it that I honestly thought there was a high school band marching nearby and was totally baffled as to how they could be practicing with the schools closed.  Nope--it was her boom box blasting, beating and pounding away.  I can't understand most of the words but I did recognize "b*tch" loud and clear.  (Not the music I'd play around my young daughters.)  All I could think of was..."b*tch, you need ear buds!"  She could tuck a phone into the waist of her leggings and it would be unable to move--even during a handstand.  Ear buds, woman...please--LOL!

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I had a mallard couple visiting for a couple of days.  They came the day I had just decided to close up the Critter Cafe after sweeping off the patio and had tossed seed for one last time out on the grass. 

I didn't know ducks ate regular bird seed but they searched and searched the grass for two days.  Also saw the dreaded vole.  No picture of that fast little critter, though. 

Annie loved all the sunny days... 

...but was disturbed by both the ducks or the loud music.  (Notice I said "or" because even the ducks and birds stayed away while the music blasted.)

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Thursday night Leah and I had our gab session.  Love our time together--even on video calls.  :)

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I finally hemmed the two pair of pants and went through all the fabric boxes.

Leah came over on Friday and we did a trade.  She took all these sewing supplies with her and dropped off a few groceries for me from the ones that her sister picked up earlier in the week.  (We're trying to last till mid May for our big grocery haul.)

So, Leah will be making the face masks and she'll be cutting out the pad and panty liner pieces that I will sew together later.  Nice to have that sent over.  :)

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My relief money came on Wednesday and packages started coming by Friday.  I piled them in the pantry for 2-3 days of quarantine.  

Someone left everybody MayDay treats outside out apartments.  That was also in isolation. 

I don't think anyone has been so excited over shampoo, tub & tile cleaner, and scratch pads--LOL!  I have some bigger items, too--like ink for my printer, a larger humidifier, a 3 quart casserole dish with lid, and a new electric razor to replace a one that won't keep a charge for more than a few minutes anymore.  Not so sure replacing the scale that broke when I moved 5 years ago was a good idea but that came, too--LOL!  And of course I am thrilled to be stocked up on a few kinds of writing tablets, envelopes, and postal stamps!!  Nothing I ordered was what you'd call exciting to anybody else.  Really all necessities...but they are such a deep comfort to me.  (If there had been paper goods available I would have stocked up a bit on those, too--LOL!)  Definitely my "relief" check.  ;)

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 Saturday was Gramma Day and we had our usual three video calls.  First one is while the boys eat lunch.  Second one is my time with Ian while Liam naps.  And the last one is a bedtime story with the two boys.  Makes for a full day.  :)

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We're basically reading the Frog and Toad stories at bedtime.  I'm reading Ian the Comet in Moominland book or this book that was my Mom's when she was little--The Seventeen Little Bears (copyright 1929--year she was born).

I showed Ian books over a video call that were in the box of books from the garage and the next longer book he wants me to read is this one I got in 5th or 6th grade...The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek. 

The other book on the back burner that I want to show him and see if he can read some of it is the book I had in first grade.

No, this wasn't my own actual book as our books belonged to the church school.  I did find this mangled and scribbled upon copy somewhere along the line many years ago--in a used book store or a garage sale.  Not sure.  But I hung on to it for nostalgia's sake.  It's the "Run, Spot, run" book with Dick and Jane.  Did anyone else use this book when you started school?

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I just need to figure out how I can show it to Ian and have him read it at the same time.  I have to be able to see it, too.  Might not work for video calls.  But Leah helped us to be able to watch videos together on youtube!   Can't remember how we got there but I was telling Ian how cute baby goats are bouncing around--and lamented how before we would have found a video I could show him.  Leah overheard and told me how to be able to show him what I'm looking at on my laptop.  I can't see Ian, but I was able to show him baby goats being silly...and we can still hear each other.  I said how those farm goats must be related to mountain goats...Ian wanted to see mountain goats, of course...so next thing we were looking at videos of amazing mountain goat climbing!  It was like old times.  Or as close to old times as we can get.  :) :)

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Anyways, I sure hope everyone is feeling well and not going stir crazy.  Some states are opening up to one degree or another.  North Dakota never had a stay at home edict, but kind of a partial close.  Apparently it is supposed to be opened up a lot as of May 1st.  We aren't changing anything.  We are still in stay-at-home mode.  I absolutely did my bit for the economy by stocking up on many, many months worth of boring but practical purchases--LOL!   

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So that's it for this week, my friends.  Stay safe everybody.  Enjoy your change in the seasons.  See you next week...if I don't forget what day it is--ROFL!  ;)

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"Times of scarcity need to be met with generosity, times of fear with comfort, times of uncertainty with presence.  When we care for those around us, we create a field of love."

Thomas Hubl