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
14 comments:
My comment to get your wonderful comments! :)
Hi Rita. I enjoyed this post. I can totally see how that woman's loud, obnoxious music would be so annoying. When we lived in Arizona, our next door neighbors would have very loud pool parties almost every weekend. It really got to be an annoyance as our houses were very close together and the loud parties went on until well after midnight. Glad to be in a more quiet neighborhood now. That is so cool that you get to read to your grandsons on a video call. I love those old books. That is so neat you have one of your mom's book from 1929. What a treasure! Glad Leah will be making you some face masks. I have been making some for friends and family here as well. Great post. Always nice to see what is going on with you. Take care.
I learned to read with those Dick and Jane books and remember Run Spot Run. That is nice you are connecting with Ian with books and technology; before this crisis I had no interest in Zoom, but I like it now.
Yes, Rita, I learned to read from that very Dick and Jane book. I think the first thing I ever read was the phrase, "Run Spot Run." And I am definitely having a heck of a time remembering what day it is! I always enjoy your posts and hope the loud annoying person gets yelled at. Sheesh! Some people have no sense.
Hi Rita, I can only imagine how annoying the lady with the loud boom box must be if it even bothers the ducks and Annie and was wondering if management could somehow be alerted and ask her to tone it down? Looks like you got a good delivery and nice that you and Leah could trade off. Those classic books have stood the test of time and nice that you are now sharing with Liam and Ian.
Things are getting better here as barbers and hair salons will be able to reopen by next week with guidelines like distancing and mask wearing. Also restaurants can offer outdoor dining within a couple of weeks and already a couple have set up tables outside, spaced apart.
I sure do remember the Dick and Jane books! You were smart to grab one when you found it because they are very expensive these days. Sorry about the lady with the loud music. I bet if it was mentioned to the management they would say something to her. I love that you still have Gramma Day every Saturday using technology! It is also a great way to get Liam used to Gramma Day without leaving home.
You and Annie take care!
Yes see Dick see Jane that was my first book in 1st grade! Was the cat named Fluffy? I recall Spot! Yes your Gov wasn't in the Stay at Home groove like ours...our numbers are rising everyday. We will stay at home a good long time yet.
So you have a rapper jogger...I suppose she is home with her kids or is a babysitter??
Hope you have a good week, we don't have that stimulus check yet:(
Hi Rita - Dick and Jane, the entire set, were my readers (lived way out in the country, bussed to school and in snow weather a Bombardier was the bus (snow on the praries was deep, roads where not plowed ...) - Dick and Jane brought back some memories today. I have a complete set, collected over the years. Great that all the things you were needing were delivered. Hope that noise is lowered - do the owners of the housing have an on-site manager? You have had a very busy week - and zooming with your grands is wonderful.
Hugs.
Joy
The woman and her daughters seem to have found a strange place to play. Where do you think they have come from? Are they with someone who is visiting maybe? Whatever and wherever, I hope they are stopped soon! I love that you can read to the boys at night! Oh yes, Run, Spot , Run and Dick and Jane books were popular here too! Was there a Dora too? Seeing your packages 'resting' - the most time taking task at the moment is wiping down food packaging - dry stuff can wait but the things for the fridge need to be dealt with straight away! Wishing you a good week! Hugs, Chrisx
I love loud music but not overly loud, too loud is too much also can't see the point of sonds full of foul language but I am old fashion
I hate when other people are playing loud music! It's so distracting and my brain likes quiet.
It's a shame the community powers-that-be won't make her stop. I'm guessing there've been complaints.
The mallard family was a sweet visit :) Packages are always an exciting part of my day, even if what I get is some boring something lol If it was worth ordering, it's worth getting excited about :) I used Dick and Jane in school. What fun to see them now.
Our county is opening up gradually, with restaurants and hair salons open with limitations. I'm nowhere near ready to dine in at a restaurant!
Cute shots. But how very unthoughtful of the mum to blast her music.
Dear Rita, at St. Mary's Grade School in Independence, Missouri, in 1942, we had the Dick and Jane and Spot ( I think that is the dog's name) books. That, and the books Mom read to me at home when I was younger led to my life-long love of reading. Ian and Liam must be so happy that you read to them and this is a way of your touching their lives forever. Peace.
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