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...