Hey

Glad you got your errands done, Tillie, and SubC I concur it's good to have a strategy in place for bridge work and hopefully you won't get flooding but always "Turn around don't drown!". When my roommate was coming back from getting her 2nd shot she saw a bunch of fire & rescue trucks on the bridge and we were concerned someone was drowned in the river. Turned out to be a training exercise. Whew!

I'm sure you have good sense about all that. ;) I had a momentary mental image of you putting the doggy on a little inflatable boat like the one I used to take to the lake going camping with my cousins.

We had rain predicted for here last night. I think it missed us. Also for the weekend but it was taken off the forecast. Just hot days ahead. Roommate has left for the kennel with her dog.

I have had dreams sleeping on the couch, but nothing bad, and my anxiety has diminished. Kind of resigned, and more able to Let Go and Let God about this crazy world. Nothing I can do anyway. Idiots gonna idiot. Oh, and kitty did stay on the couch with me last night, bless him. He is better than xanax!

So we're getting close to being ready. I'm doing laundry. Need to get a list and schedule made of all kitty, bunny, fish, etc. tasks. Also any radioactivity things to remember. Need to sweep leaves out of the back of the van.

Yesterday I offloaded a few items from the van into storage so I can drive my roommate and she can be on the stow and go seat in back coming back. We should be far enough apart that way.

The storage unit is a disaster. I will have to address that. Do some soul searching and, when weather permits, some of the things I had planned pre-Covid. Sigh. So many things came screeching to a halt. And in many ways it has been a blessing to step off my personal rat treadmill. But problems don't magically vanish in the meantime.

I can't dwell on it now though, or I'll be on overload. Must get through this immediate situation.

Good Morning Anybody

The rain didn't last long but was wonderful.
Made some small puddles.
Scooter and I got wet.
The west side windows are a mess.
The morning is pleasantly cooler today and the dust is out of the air.

Need to do a load of laundry and clean the kitchen.
The bathroom needs some attention too.

Good Afternoon Everyone
105F in the shade WITH humidity :P

Hi Subclinical
Good luck with your bridge work.
Hope you are never "trapped" either side of that raging water (((hug)))

Did you pick enough peas to bring some inside for dinner or just eat them all like I would have. :D

WAY TO GO! for getting feed, making cheese and doing dishes!

YEA!!!! for the new cutter!!! ENJOY! :D


Hi CriticalMass
WAY TO GO! working the computer & tablet!
I know that kind of stuff can be frustrating figuring out how to do it and then getting them to do it.

Don't fret Roommate's treatment & all that.
You two have done fantastic thinking it all out and getting ready.
Plus you can still tweak the arrangements day by day as you get into her quarantine.
The important thing was the safety of your Fur Babies and you've got that covered. :D

Sorry you have anxiety filled nightmares.
Please keep away from the news as much as possible.
Look at the cute animal pics and listen to happy music ((((HUG))))


Went this morning and filled 3 water bottles.
My Friend was there getting water too, happy time! :D
Spent about 10 minutes talking but it was too hot.
I saw dollar tree was open and the parking lot was empty except for 2 cars.
There have been some things I had been wanting to get from there for months now.
So I dashed in and was able to easily get my stuff & get out again with only the cashier getting close to me.
YEA! :D

Anyways it is deadly hot here.
I got lightheaded and nauseous so I have been resting here drinking cool liquids since getting back home.

No new cases of covid19 discovered here.

Hi CM,

Good job cleaning out the files!

Tillie, I hope you got your water bottles filled.

This morning I picked peas and hoed weeds in the garden. ❤️Daughter came by to borrow the truck, so I got to have a nice shouting visit with her out in the yard.

She's bringing it back tonight because we are having bridge work done tomorrow and if she doesn't, her car will be stuck for a week.

Dh says I have to drive my car up and park it near the road. I was thinking I might just skip going to the studio next week instead, but he said no, I need to be able to get out in an emergency - what if something happened with the baby and Dd needed me? Good point. So, anyway, they say they can do the work in one day, but then we can't drive on the concrete for six days, So the only way in or out will be to wade across the creek. If we get a heavy rain that won't be an option. (The water rises as much as 13 ft and flows fast in flood stage)

The baby shouldn't be born any sooner than July 3, so we should be ok. I really don't want to have to pick up her dog and bring it home through the creek.

I got feed today, so I am set for that. And then I made mozzarella cheese and am running the dishwasher.

My new rotary cutter is here, so I can start the wipes, but that might be a project for tomorrow.

That last post I made, I had been going to include some things I had accomplished. But I had to cut it short. So now:

I accomplished some things the other day.

What I did was, I got a bunch of files from my tablet backed up then deleted off the tablet. It was running out of room and couldn't do much if I didn't clear some space on it. Still have more to do but it at least works again.

The laptop is about the same although I did discover how to make it display my file directory tree. It's only been how many months since I bought the thing, and now I can do this basic function. Progress!

Roommate got her first preparation shot this morning to make her body take up the radioactive iodine on Friday. Another prep shot tomorrow. Dog will go to kennel tomorrow afternoon.

We are getting various things ready in the house. It hasn't been an entirely efficient process, but she has this amazing knack for extrapolating logically the steps that need to happen to make XYZ possible - and also the effects XYZ will have on other things. Mainly if I can just catch the parts that pertain to things I need to do, I think we'll be all right.

Yesterday morning I had awakened from a nightmare symbolizing all my anxieties about civil unrest. Felt bad, anxious off and on yesterday. But last night I did get myself to get off any websites that would just bring scary news. I looked at a couple pages of 2020 memes instead.

Also, the kitty had thought I was going to sleep on the sofa so he started curling up on it. So I decided to go ahead and move in there ahead of schedule for last night. Turned out to be a good decision. Although kitty didn't stay, I slept much better. Not enough hours, though, so I may get a cat nap.

Whether or not I'll get a chance to post again here before the treatment is done I don't know. So everybody please take care and I'll be back when I can.

Plan is to go into town tomorrow morning before it's too hot and fill some water bottles.

Good Morning
"Clink!"

Had the fan on all night that brought in cool enough air.
This morning the birds have been very busy cheeping at cats.
The Finches told me Cowgirl Kitty was on the porch waiting for breakfast.

Jack has made himself a little fort out in the Catmint near the birdbath.
He spends the hottest part of the day sleeping in there.
He has smushed down the plants making a Jack sized little bed in there.
You have to get right up on him to see him but the birds have a bird's eye view of him sleeping in there.

Good Evening Everyone

Yum! Fresh raspberries straight off the picker bushes!
Makes putting on your shorts worth it! :D

Yep, that's what I am hoping too. :/

Fiskars make GREAT products. I only have several different scissors but I love using them.

Bet that last shower felt so good and I hope you are sleeping comfortably by now. ;)


Hi CriticalMass
WTG! for purging the ratty old clothes!
When we dress better it helps our self esteem and that makes us feel better about most everything in general.
You can always put on a pretty top and then change it before doing something messy.
I do that, change when I go into town then change back once home again before doing any messy chores.


I felt good about shopping in the hospital auxiliary thrift shop because they had proper spacing, few customers and everybody had to wear masks.
They also had hand sanitizer placed all around for us to use.
They said they washed or wiped all the donations before putting them out.

I was wondering if you felt that quake, I saw you had one n the area.

The ginger is in the garden now. I'll let you know when it sprouts.
Never did this before but I watched youtube videos and it is so easy.
I really would like you to try growing a ginger plant.
One rhizome in a little pot would make a lovely house plant and you don't have to harvest and eat it.


Tomorrow supposed to be over 100F.
Plan to water the trees & lilacs, watered grass & garden tonight.
Cooler has been running since 10am and is still running now at 10pm. :p

Hi CM,

I got the Fiskars one! Glad to hear you like it.

My ds can also recycle any plastic with a number. I think it's regional. It means you have good recycling. Yay!

Tillie, I put on my pants (shorts) and opened the door and decided not to get the mail. Spent the afternoon getting (mostly) caught up on dishes and laundry instead.

Dh and I walked up together after dinner. The black raspberries are coming in, so we enjoyed a bunch of them in the way back for dessert.

Right now it is so hot and humid that I had to take a break in the middle of evening chores. My hair is pinned up, but sweat is just running down my neck. I'll need another shower before bed!

Tomorrow it's going to rain all day. I'm planning to go down to the studio again.

Today I found another big rat and two little rats (dead) and saw another medium sized live rat. I am hoping the partial rat was partially eaten by other rats. I've got the feed locked down well now.

Hi

Belated happy solstice :) Every year I swear I'm going to get out my Shakespeare book from college and read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - which I sadly have never read - bucket list! This year I didn't. Next year - or even between now and then, what the heck.

How is the ginger growing, Tillie? I didn't realize how easy that was - just like potatoes, eh?

Most all the plant pots had triangles with numbers in them and from what I understand our recycling company said any plastic with a number. Hope I'm correct.

Rotary cutters - I like my purple Fiskars one that is ergonomic. Hate the straight handled kind - that gave me tendonitis in my thumb. I should give it away. Or maybe I did. Can't remember. May have taken it to church to quilting for whoever wants it.

My summer clothes are kind of in need of an overhaul between the issue of pockets and the other problem, namely, sleeveless tops. I get them at the thrift store these days, because I find it difficult sometimes to locate 100% cotton ones in regular stores at a reasonable price. And issues such as gaping armholes, tops that shrink up too short, etc., plague me.

Plus if a top is too nice, I won't wear it for everyday because I'm messy and often get garden dirt smudges or spill food on me. But I also got rid of some of the most hideous looking old "around the house" tops recently. It's like there need to be a few more in that in-between stage, not too nice to wear regularly, not gross and ugly and raggedy. LOL.

And I don't know when I'll feel okay about shopping in thrift stores. So there's that.

Weight keeps trying to creep up further, I keep pushing back, wish I could get it to go really down and stay there. But am trying not to fret about that, because fretting has never lost me an ounce, really. More likely it makes me gain even more.

Had a little remnant of an Oklahoma earthquake here Saturday night, and 3/8" more rain last night.

We need to go to the pet store so I can get frog crickets and roommate can get cat food and whatever else. So I'm going to have to wind this post up without telling what I've been up to. I'll make a second one asap.

Tatoulia, glad bf has not had worse losses and hope things will stabilize and move forward.

SubC, good luck winning the War of the Rats.

I bet that big active rat was so happy because it just came in from the fields and saw your almost rat-less barn to play in.

Disturbing there was only 3/4 of that dead one.
Best of luck with tempting them all to snack.

WAY TO GO!!!! for all you got done this morning! :D

Yep, I have to get dressed too to walk out across the road for the mail.
I have a yellow "pop up" flag on my box so I know if it has been opened.
Fortunately I can see the box from in the yard.
No flag means no reason to walk all the way out there. ;)

Oh my Tillie,

I'm glad I don't have to be wary of chipmunks!

This morning I found 3/4 of a large dead rat and a mouse sized rat that was too poisoned to try to run.

Unfortunately I also saw a very happy active big rat.

The snack bar was barely touched again last night. I have to do some work before I can relocate it where I want it, so I will just hope I keep making progress until I get to that.

So - my busy day so far:

I got up at 5, had my coffee and read the paper. Yoga with dh, made him breakfast and ate mine, morning chores, unloaded, loaded, and ran the dishwasher, cleaned stalls, took a shower, started a load of laundry, ate lunch, and unloaded the dishwasher again.

Now I'm resting and thinking about putting on pants and checking the mail.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
That's one nice thing I have found with being quarantined.
Our clothing doesn't have to be all that great since we aren't going anywhere and nobody will be just dropping by. :)

Great plan for today, just picking and choosing as you move along.

When I was expecting I had a name picked out but had to see his face first to be sure that the name was right for him, it was.
Hope you like their final choice. ;D

Sorry the rats didn't go outside the barn somewhere before they passed on.
But WTG! with your extermination!

Here in northern Nevada we all have to be extra wary of ground squirrels like Chipmunks because they tend to carry Bubonic plague so I can't allow even the rats to move in too close.


Going to be hot again today and even hotter tomorrow, over 100F.
Planted the ginger last evening. Need to keep the ground wet.
Should do something today but haven't figured out yet what that will be.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, the oldest teacher is a little older than I am and the youngest I know is At least 20 years younger. I don't know how old this new one is. If she's really a new teacher she could make the range over 30 years.

I'm glad your bf is ok, but I hope things improve for him.

Your summer wardrobe sounds nice. I am still struggling with my weight. I gave a drawer full of shorts, but only three fit and at least one is too rattyvto wear in public. But I do not want to buy new ones. For one thing, I will not be going anywhere I can touch the fabric or try them on...

Tillie, true. Flat cat acknowledges me by becoming flat. And also by running away if I come too close.

I found two very small (almost mouse sized) dead rats yesterday and only saw one live one. Unfortunately my barn smells really bad right now. I need to start filling in the holes.

I have let the house get away from me again. I have an impossibly long list for today, but my plan is to pick and choose from it - it doesn't matter too much what I do as long as I stay busy.

Dd and sil came over yesterday for a yard visit. Dd took a small box of her toys she had asked me to find.

Sil told us the name they have picked for the baby. It is one I like, but this is the second time they have picked a name, so I'll believe it when it's on his birth certificate.

Well...
I was planning to take today off from house chores.
But since I had to wash my blanket so I can use it tonight I went ahead and did more laundry.
Last night he also arfed on the couch quilt and I was planning to wash that tomorrow but it's washed & out on the line now.
Have a load of towels & washcloths soaking in hot water now.
Then I will go ahead and wash the sheets & pillowcases I took off the bed last night.

Figured I would go ahead and vacuum once Steven got up, that's done.

May as well since my whole day off has been sidetracked.

Good Morning Everybody

Going to be a hot day today.
Would be a quiet morning except for that Robin out there.
She chirps constantly all day long at Jack and Cowgirl kitty and anything else she thinks is a threat.

Must wash my blanket this morning because Scooter barfed on it last night. :(
He vomited 4 times since yesterday evening and I am beginning to think it's from all the ginger water he drinks.

Planning to plant the rhizomes this evening.

Good Evening Everybody

Hi Subclinical
No, Flat Cat acknowledges your existence from a distance ;)

LOL :D all the teachers have the same name!
Many years ago every man living on this road was named Steve.

Glad DD is comfortable with the hospital. :D

WAY TO GO! for a successful rat extermination project!
Yeah, go get those small ones because they can reproduce at only six weeks old.
The big rats will keep smaller rats away from a food source so when the big rats have eaten their fill and crossed the bridge the little rats get to eat.


Hi Tatoulia
There's an old saying that if you want something done, give it to a busy woman.
She'll get the job done.

Sorry the heat is zapping all your energy.
Don't push it and make yourself sick.

Sweet, sweet Tigger BIG ((((HUGS))))

Thanks for noticing my wardrobe ;D
I looked at my clothes today and am happy I woke up from that silly dream. LOL

Sounds like your Summer wardrobe will be cool and easy, no fussiness.
That's one thing I like about dresses, no fussiness, just put it on. Done.

I am glad BF has you to take care of him and you have him to take care of you (((HUG)))

Good luck and WTG! for laundry!
I have to wash the cat's white sheet that's on the rocker too.


Got up to 97 degrees today.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a little hotter and Monday 100F is predicted.
Went out and prepped the dirt where I will plant my ginger roots even though I plan to let them soak a few more days.
They just started putting out roots.
Now I am going to shower & shampoo and get ready for bed cause it's 8pm now. :)

SubC that is so funny that I thought it would be a saw! I'm sorry for my ignorance. I think I never really went into my mother's sewing room. I remember it, and I can picture it, but I don't remember spending any time in it. My mother only used cloth diapers and I used to help fold them after taking them off the line. My brother is nine or ten years younger.

That's funny about all of the same names. Are you all about the same age? We have every spelling and version of Caitlins in my office. Ditto Amandas. And all the Nicks and Nates you'd ever need. All names that I didn't grow up with but all the 20 and 30 year olds have.

Okay one load dried, folded and the most crucial step, put away. The other load is in the dryer-half I hung up drip dry and the other half is in the dryer. Just waking up and down the stairs in this heat and with the mask is taking it out of me.

Tillie I understand your urge to continue reducing. I'm so grateful that was just a dream. You do a nice job of keeping your clothes to the perfect amount. I like to think of you in your dresses as you go about your day.

I ordered four (all different) white tops from Talbots and they arrived today. They are mainly just t-shirts with some embellishment. Just what I needed. I now have, with last years white tops, about 10 that fit well and are cool to wear. I only have two skirts that are super cool to wear and I have two denim skirts. I have three other skirts that don't currently fit.

So that's what I'm wearing this summer. And I'm good with it. I certainly don't mind wearing the skirts in a frequent rotation. We are not returning to the office anytime soon and if we did, I'd wear a dress. I've heard a rumor from two different people, in two completely different departments, that they don't think we'll be going back this year. They took a survey to gauge our interest in returning to work and our interest in options such as staggered start times (sign me up for 3PM to 10PM ? that's my sweet spot).

Okay I overheard BF talking to someone. He's making just enough money to pay rent, utilities and payroll on his businesses with the big exception that he stopped paying himself. He had enough in savings to pay his home mtg for quite a while and of course I'd pick up the slack if he needed it. When we first met, we were both rolling in money. It's nice that we've each had ups and downs. So if he did need some money, it wouldn't be a problem. Our lives are even enough.

Okay need to stay awake long enough to get laundry out of the dryer. I haven't wiped kitchen counters. I'm just so warm. And the portable ACs, while a Godsend to be sure, just don't get the place as cool as window ACs. Also I have 11' ceilings.

Oh my Tatoulia, you made me smile about my "saw". A rotary cutter is like a pizza cutter, but with a very sharp blade for cutting fabric. You use it to cut long straight lines because it's more accurate than scissors and you can stack the fabric up and cut a bunch at once. CM might have one because they are used a lot in quilting.

I am waiting for mine because it will save me a lot of time cutting 8" squares.

I'm very pleased about your CEO.

I'm sorry you are feeling so tired.
Li dobtgst "start something to push me through" thing too. I gave to be careful about it though, because if I am feeling too down I don't finish it and then I have to pay the consequences and I feel even worse.

The baby will have cloth diapers, so the wipes can just be tossed right in.

Tillie, it must be strange living with someone who never speaks to you or acknowledges you. Like a nasty version of Flat Cat.

The rats hardly ate any snax today. If they leave them alone for a few days, I will move them to the other side of the barn where I saw two small ones today. There is a very busy hole over there I can set up my snack stand near.

I don't know what the process is for DD's delivery. She will be going to a large hospital which has a bunch of different entrances, so hopefully that will be the first managed step. She seems fairly comfortable with whatever they have in place. I think they do send them home pretty quickly.

My administration sent out an announcement to the teachers today that our 3-6 social studies teacher is not returning in the fall. They have hired her replacement and wanted those of us who work with the same subject or age groups to reach out to her. The very funny thing is, she has my same first name. It is not a particularly unusual first name, but I only knew one other person who had it until I was in college. Now there are FIVE of us at my school. One in math, one in science, one in language arts, one in social studies, and me (who has taught every core subject but math - where I do sub.) It's funny, because most of us use our first names with the kids, so when they talk about us, they refer to us by either full name or name, subject. I am almost always name, pottery. I think a lot of my kids don't know my last name. The science teacher is "Mrs." Last name.

Well I'm doing laundry now. I ran the dishwasher earlier today. I went to BF's to work on a crossword puzzle. I talked to a friend going through a divorce and we worked on his new apartment via FaceTime. It was a lot of fun.

Now I'm just chilling while the laundry machine does it thing. I am feeling more hopeful.

It is a weird phenomenon that when I had less time, I did more. Now I let the laundry sit. I find that I don't like to do it during the mornings because I'd rather work. I didn't feel like doing the second load tonight because I'm so tired. But it's in the washer snd nothing to do now about it

I cleared off my coffee table today. It had started to get gunked up with stuff. Kitty likes to lay on the cool ties of the table.

I'm going to go wipe down the kitchen counters. I am very tired right now.

SubC I'm glad you ordered the new saw. You need to be safe! I am excited about your baby wipe project. I had seen that some people were making their own cloth TP and it sounded like pleasant way to treat your skin. I am sure that new baby will be grateful for nice cloth wipes.

Here it is 8;47 and off in the distance, there's still some light in the sky.

I'm glad you got your much needed rain, CM!

I just remembered that I need to wash the kitty sheet. Lots of black cat fur everywhere.

I saw Tigger today! He gets cold now, so when the AC is too much, he goes to the basement to warm up. I was sitting and doing the crossword when he came up to me with a big meow. He's deaf and his voice has gotten louder, dear little one.

Hi Tatoulia

Yep, staying at home now most people aren't doing morning tasks till later in the day.
It's like "why bother? I'll do it later".

Enjoy all your laundry doing. :D
Happy you will be wearing Summertime clothes.

That is very encouraging that the CEO received so many letters.
So many people speaking up and are being heard.
:D

Yeah, my car is super dusty and has bird poop on it.

Yesterday Steven got up and went out into the garage.
Stayed in there until nighttime.
He did not turn on the cooler, I heard no TV playing or him screaming at the internet people.
Dead silence for all those hours.
Wondered if he was dead out there.
When he emerged he looked like he just woke up so I think he was sleeping in his desk chair all day long.
He has not spoken a single word to me for weeks now.
Has not even acknowledged my existence.

Happy Solstice!!!

I'm not up to date yet but I've read a few posts! SubC WTG on the mystery room! Getting rid of the wicker wreath will take a load off of your mind. Knowing that you didn't use it and won't use it-difficult yet solid decision! I am so proud of your brother. He is exactly the type of person we need in our lives. We don't have to agree on politics. Only need to make reasoned life choices.

Yesterday I rested up and took care of myself. I finally got my summer clothes out. I have only washed one load so far. I'll see what the laundry room status is later. I have a lot of things to wash. The tops will mostly fit and one skirt fits. That's okay.

I finally changed my sheets yesterday, two days late. I don't know if I mentioned this, but I finally went to the car and I even went to the grocery store. Oh the car AC is so nice. It felt weird to be driving. My car was super dusty.

Tillie I haven't finished reading the posts so I don't know if Steven continues to live in the right direction.

I know that today I need to make sure that I am moving forward. I did make my bed and I've showered. Making my bed has been important to me, but I found that now that I'm home 95% of the time, I don't prioritize it in the AM the way I used to. Will get back in that.

Oh, my CEO received over 100 letters like mine and he reiterated we can call him at his home anytime to talk about anything. There are sweeping diversity efforts including giving us each $500 to donate, just as they did with COVID.

Okay let me make a positive difference in my life and I'll get back to you!! I'll start by reading all the posts.

Hi Subclinical
WAY TO GO! Getting all but one outdoor task completed before it got too hot today!

YEA! Fewer rats dining on their tasty treats! :D
As ones who live closer to the snack station die off, others from the next neighborhood would move in to that newly deserted space.
Keep up with putting snax out for about a month after you notice no new activity.
Bonus is that without rats in the way mice will also enjoy the treats. ;D

Very happy you have salad fixins. :D
Salad is always good but when it's hot out salad is especially delicious and refreshing.

Good that you ordered the rotary cutter with the guard.
If you find the old one or not that's OK.
You are just upgrading your equipment.

I have been worrying about the birthing center.
Have you been told how it's being set up and all the precautions put in place?
Really hoping that all uneventful deliveries are sent home within 20 hours or less.

Yes, Scooter has been drinking more water since I am providing him with his ginger water. ;)
LOL


Right before my brain was waking up from sleep this morning I was thinking...
thinking that I should get rid of most all my clothes.
That would make more empty space in the dresser drawers.
But then my brain woke up and I realized that was a really stupid thought.
I need my clothes and I like my clothes and I want my clothes.
I don't need any more drawer space, have nothing else needing to go into the drawers.

I know that I really want to declutter but what I want decluttered is that carport.
But I can't do that cause it's not my stuff.
Decluttering my stuff doesn't make any sense because I don't have much stuff and what I have I need and want.
LOL ;D

Happy solstice!

So nice of you to provide scooter with fresh ginger water, Tillie.

Hot and humid here today. I started the dishwasher, then spent a few hours working in the barn and then took a shower and ate another ginormous salad.

I have to top off the water buckets, but other than that I am staying in this afternoon. Not sure what I'll get into.

CM it is nice that you can recycle those flower pots. We can't here - only type 1 and 2 containers with necks smaller than the container. I don't know why. But flower pots are even listed on the forbidden items sign on the community drop off. People throw them in anyway though. People. :(

Good luck with your plan. It sounds like you are really thinking things through.

The rats did not finish all the special treats in their snack bar last night. This was the first time it has not been empty in the morning. Maybe I am winning.

I washed and started ironing all the fabric for the baby wipes yesterday, and then realized I cannot find my rotary cutter. I am starting to wonder if I got rid of it because I rarely used it and it did not have a blade guard. I finally decided to order a new one. It was on sale and should be here by Wednesday. Also, it has a blade guard. Since the baby should not be here until at least July 3 I think I will be ok.

Longest day of the year
HAPPY SOLSTICE :)

Hi CriticalMass
YEA! you got some nice rain!

WTG! getting those pots rinsed and ready to recycle :D
Hope your back has rested up & not aching today.

Good idea thinking through how you will function during Roommate's treatment.
Keep remembering that it won't last long and things can be more regular again.
First seven days are the most radioactive.

Yep, one day at a time. That's about all anybody can do these days with things changing so quickly.


Have my ginger rhizomes soaking in water in the kitchen.
Was wondering why the water is getting low so quickly.
Scooter has been up on the counter drinking the water. ;p

Going to be in the 90s today, going to water the garden soon as I get off the computer.
High wildfire danger.
The catnip has grown tall all around a birdbath making it hard for the birds to sit on the edge so today I will clip it down for them.
The clippings never go to waste. ;)

Being a night owl again - hoot, hoot...

In the morning (now yesterday morning), we finally got R A I N !

It was wonderful. Thursday evening my roommate had been looking at the forecasts and saying she thought it looked like it might dry up and we were both disappointed. But I saw some on the radar later that looked possible, depending on which direction it moved. Then in the wee hours, I heard some thunder. Then later some really BIG thunder. Some of it was like an earthquake!

By morning we'd gotten 1-1/2" and it was cooler out. I decided to do one of the projects on my list - rinsing out some dirty plant nursery pots so they could go in the recycling bin. Embarrassing how long I have procrastinated on those - let's just say they weren't all from this gardening season, LOL!

The rain continued, so I was a drowned rat by the time I finished the plant pots. We'll have a new system in future; roommate will put hers by the recycling dumpster and I'll wash out hers and any I have, within that 2-week recycling period, and get them gone. There won't be as many anyway now, since the bulk of this spring's planting is done.

A good feeling of accomplishment, but oh my aching back from getting up and down! Had hoped to do more on the computer etc. when I got back inside, but I got sleepy. I did work on a shirt while we watched Dark Shadows.

It's getting to be time to do what I can to be ready for roommate's treatment now less than a week away. Thinking I'll sleep in the living room since it's a little further from her room than my bedroom is. So need to get my projects put away that I sometimes do sitting on the couch.

Then I want to see what from my room I might want to take elsewhere - like my pills and stuff - and put them way in the other end of the house in the family room. Maybe even some changes of clothes, computer, etc. And keep the door to my room closed during her radioactive days. Not go in there unless necessary.

I'm glad I thought of all this far enough out, because it'll take several days. And hopefully it'll segue into further decluttering even after the whole business is done. I've been feeling more motivated overall. Sometimes it gets tricky coordinating things needing to be done, sometimes we even get a little irritable, but I think we will get into the groove. The big thing for me is to have a list and a sense of time so that I don't freak and go "Was that today?!" about something.

One day at a time, too - plan with the big picture in mind, but then just tackle each day as it comes.

Well, the night owl is going to roost now. G'nite!

The county website just updated the covid19 results.

No new infections to report today and all 9 people who were sick have now recovered.
The tenth person was the first reported case here and he died soon after he was tested.
Maybe the medical treatment has gotten better. ?

Treatments seem to be evolving every day.



I still need to wash dishes but there aren't many.
Brushed Twinkles and he's now napping on the couch.
Scooter is in the rocking chair.
Another one of those kinda cold but yet kinda hot days.
Typical Spring weather but Summer will be here this weekend! :D

Good Morning Everybody
Happy Juneteenth :)

Hi Subclinical
I am so very proud of your Brother being smart and keeping himself and his Family safe (((HUG)))

No place here requires/demands masks.
Some places ask people to please wear them and give small rewards/incentives to those who do, like an extra stamping on their frequent buyer card or 10% off their purchase.

I am so, so sorry your area is getting more positive cases.
Keep doing as you have been doing all along, especially now (((HUG)))

I think there is some peer pressure happening and no mask people are winning the debate.
At the grocery store yesterday very few customers were wearing masks.
Used to be all the store employees wore masks but now they weren't.
Some had their masks around their necks.
There was little social distancing happening.
Fortunately not many people were in the store and I was able to keep away from them all.


Steven did take a big load of garbage to the dump so his truck was finally empty of all the newly gathered up trash.
I will be watching to see if he refills it with garbage or things he wants to donate.
Sometimes thrift stores reject his donations because they are all so filthy.
I know these things should not be donated because they have mouse & rat contamination on them.
We do have hantavirus in the area.
But he gets so very angry if I mention that his precious things are contaminated and filthy and need to go to the dump.


Today I need to clean the kitchen and wash up some cherries & grapes to munch on.
Not enough laundry to do a load.
No need to water outside.
So it will be a laid back day.
It is sunny but still chilly and won't really get hot.
Last night I had to get up and put another blanket on the bed.
I am sitting in bed right now and Scooter is still snuggled up tight to my legs to keep warm. :)

Happy Juneteenth!

Tillie, all your fruit sounds lovely!

I am glad your cases are staying down. I'm sorry your neighbors are not being careful though.

Cases are still going up in my county. Yesterday there were 13 cases reported. We have 73 known cases in the last two weeks. 7 of those people are hospitalized. In DD's county Where my school is (I live in a tricounty area) There were 139 new cases yesterday. Almost no one wears masks. Only people who look old and frail, or places like the pottery studio that require them (most places don't require them.)

I think the pottery studio is able to require masks because it is already a hotbed of liberal thought. Which makes me nuts. I understand why reopening is political, but I don't understand the mask thing.

My brother is a republican and a Christian fundamentalist. His church Is the center of his life. They reopened last week for multiple services to reduce numbers. They assigned families to service times. When he arrived, wearing his mask, with his masked family, he told them to wait in the car and went inside to see if he felt it was safe. Almost no one was wearing a mask. He went back to the car and took them home.

The county wide positive covid19 test results are still at only 10 people.
They have been testing a lot of people without any symptoms too.
Unfortunately, too many people are letting their guard down.
Not wearing masks or social distancing any more and probably not keeping their hands sanitized.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Subclinical
You have had a very busy & productive day.
WAY TO GO!!!

Great idea letting the room just evolve on it's own.
A daybed for reading and naps & kitty cuddles sounds so great.

My big orange boy Kitty used to always lay on the table when I had the sewing machine going.
He was helping me.

Your salad sounds delicious :D
YEA! for DD taking another possession home with her!
Glad her dental surgery went well and it's all over & done with.

Only thing I have in the carport that's mine is my 1972 VW Beatle that Steven trashed and I want to sell off, it's buried deep.
My garden cart and a couple bags of manure are along the side of the house and will be hard to access.
I am hoping he is just "staging" these things with plans to drop off at donation.
That maybe he is clearing the garage and will continue on with clearing the carport.
Really wish I could ask him.


I did go get groceries this morning.
I now have a watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, peaches, plums, lemons, grapes, cherries and ginger root.

I have been wanting to grow ginger and they never had any with any eye buds but today there were two nice rhizomes with several eye buds each.
Have it soaking in water now. :D

Could not reach the molasses at the back of the top shelf.
Walked around until I found a nice tall young man to help me.
He was a real sweetheart, his job there was to fill peoples online orders for pickup.

Came home and watered the lilacs and am drip watering the Apricot Tree now.
Ate the other half of last night's dinner cantaloupe.
It's one of those days where it's kinda hot but kinda cool.

Oh dear Tillie, I thought I posted this earlier, but I see now I did not -

Do you have things in the carport?

I was hoping the alien was taking things to the dump since they were going in the truck. :(

I have had a pretty good day.

Started with rabbit grooming and cage cleaning and moved on to taking care of goat tetanus shots and disbudding (Horn prevention) the last two baby goats.

Took a shower, moved a few more of DD's things and then she stopped by on her way to her dental follow up and I convinced her to rake her giant are portfolio home with her.

I ran the dishwasher and I took out the compost and I made myself a lively big salad with lettuce from the garden and other things from the pantry and fridge.

Mr. kitty likes the big empty table by the window that I am planning to set my sewing machine up on soon to make the baby wipes for my grandson.

We (mr kitty and I) are thinking about leaving the daybed in here after all because we have found that it is a rather nice place to curl up and read and have pets. (It rained this afternoon)

I am going to let the room evolve as I see how I use it rather than try to set it up as any particular thing.

I may try to start a load of laundry before evening chores if mr. kitty gets done with my lap.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
That was some pretty good puttering around you did!
WTG!
Have fun with the new mystery room. :D


Got cold after sundown last night.
Still chilly this morning.
Got a look at the carport and see Steven has been moving things from the garage and adding them to the Heap-O-Clutter in the carport.
Really making the narrow goat paths through there impossible to walk through.
I wonder if he is keeping all that stuff and is just storing it all there now?

Yay Tatoulia!

I puttered around today - bit of this and that, rearranged bits and pieces, removed things from the ... Sleeping porch? Bonus room? Don't know what I should call that room now that neither of my girls live in it and I am not storing their stuff in it. (Dd2's stuff is not all moved yet)

I found four things that can go. A wicker wreath I got to use for crafts that I decided I am never going to do anything with, a bowl I made and never really liked, a glittery lantern that a student gave me years ago (I realized I forgot which student) and a framed print (the kind you buy at a home decor shop) from my grandfather's office. He had a lot of them hanging down the hall. After he died, my kids and I went to the office with my uncle, and my uncle let each kid choose a print. Over time the kids got tired of them and released them back to me, and this one is not that interesting or meaningful to me. I am keeping the one room schoolhouse (my grandfather attended one and took me to interview his teacher for a community history project for school) and the farm scene. (Because I really like it and there are many farms in the story of my life - including the one he grew up on)

Also I got everything off the floor of the mystery room and vacuumed the carpet. And I ran the dishwasher.

That is my progress for the day.

YEA!!!!!!!!! TATOULIA! :D

A diversity committee, a place where ALL voices can be heard!

WAY TO GO!


Hi Subclinical

Yeah, all I seem to do is just the same old chores time after time.
No satisfaction always treading water and making no progress in other areas.

Looks like he is still removing things from the garage and putting them in the truck.
Would like to ask him what he's doing but he would just get all angry and nasty and probably quit.


Wondering if I should go get fresh produce tomorrow morning.
I still have a cantaloupe and a lemon.
Plan to eat the cantaloupe for dinner tonight.

Quick drive-by! My company has set a diversity committee and we will have Friday, Juneteenth off. The CEO is set to make an announcement tomorrow. My letter worked!!!!

Good morning.

Lovely to read what everybody us up to!

The jury is still out on his I'm going to face the day.

Tatoulia, I knew your presentation would go well. You don't give yourself enough credit.

I do not have a hen that would brood the baby chicks. Generally you can't get a hen to do that unless she has been sitting on eggs, and even then you have to be careful.

CM, I too prefer jobs that will not come back. Lately my life feels very full of the other kind though.

I'll have to come back and update later.

Good Evening Everybody
What wonderful posts to read! :D

That's wonderful to hear Subclinical
Just what I wanted for you. Time to create in an atmosphere of social distancing. (((HUG)))

WTG! for dropping off recycling.
Hope those two crates are easy to get all sorted out.


Hi CriticalMass
WTG! for fixing the bench and cat waterer!
When we are kids we have to wear whatever our mothers buy for us.
When we are older we have figured out what feels good and works best on us.
We are not being OCD, just smart. ;)
I hate that cheap crap too.

After Steven had his brain tumor removed I told him I liked the tumor better than him, it was nicer and I missed talking to it. LOL
But I would be alright with a nice alien body snatcher too. :D

I don't remember it being too difficult to fix Steven quick simple meals when he was radioactive.
But I didn't have a cookbook, just a list of things he couldn't eat.



Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!! You ACED the presentation!!! :D

Hope Kitty learns lap sitting is fun for both of them.

WAY TO GO! with all your financial decluttering!!!
Money is one thing it's alright to have more of and even some for Justin Case. ;)


The weather today was gorgeous.
Not too warm & not too cool. Lots of sunshine and a pleasant breeze.
Been keeping up with housework cleaning & tidying as I go along so nothing much needing done at any time.
So today I played and did beading and watched movies.
Twinkles stayed out under the sagebrush for hours and when he finally came in I brushed him.

Hello! It all went well! Very well. It was worth every minute of work and worry last night. I logged off my computer at 450 and napped. One of my speakers knew I was worried and he pulled it together today. He timed in at 35 minutes (yesterday he merely read his slides and came in around 55 minutes and I nearly died of boredom). Our second speaker was excellent. So they were both excellent and I was pleased with the program!!

So mom's cat is now spending time on her lap! Not a lot of time but time nonetheless! Those two girls!!!

SubC what a lovely experience you had today at the studio. I could picture it perfectly! How lovely!

Cm nothing wrong with wanting things the way you want them! Uncomfortable clothes are terrible. For me, my pjs have to be woven cotton. Thin woven cotton. My sheets have to be percale. I get it.

Tillie how are you? My house is a bit of a mess right now. I'm feeling humid even though it's not really humid right now. I heard on the news that our lovely weather is about to be replaced with heat and humidity. I am considering putting the AC on tonight.

I've blocked off my morning tomorrow so I can just work. Isn't that a hoot???

I worked on my June expense report last night and have ~600 coming to me. I'll pop that right into savings. I'm tempted to put that on my loan but I think savings makes better sense. I have set up automatic payments on my loan; paying the full monthly amount every two weeks. I'm also paying drips and drabs from when I don't buy something. So if I start looking at shoes (honestly, who wears shoes anymore) or other nonsense, I put what I would've mindlessly spent onto the loan. I hope that I can keep up with this. I'd really and truly like to see this end in November 2021. I have a plan. And that's what is important.
Okay off to clean the kitchen. My favorite girl is asleep on her chair.

I'll try to keep this post not so wordy as I sometimes get, but still newsy. Heehee.

SubC, I would be over the moon if I could go paint at some sort of roomy studio. :)

Today was when quilting was to resume, but I'm not sure if I want to do much but coast until after the 4th of July, when roommate's treatment is over.

She's a bit frustrated with having to take time to cook everything from scratch from the low iodine cookbook while working from home too.

Weather's been hot. Storms this weekend maybe.

I got the patio bench bolts tightened today and cleaned out the cats' drinking fountain and changed the filter in it.

These were items on the To-Do list I'd started about 3 weeks ago. I especially love getting one-time tasks done. Repeated tasks, well, they don't give the satisfaction of closure, and coordinating them with the one-offs makes my brain hurt. This is one reason why I get tempted to procrastinate.

I'll just have to work with that or try to distract my mind from overthinking it.

Getting a few more items off the sewing table. Won't be long before I can be productive there. Since going to church again, I've realized most of my summer pastel cotton capris don't have adequate pockets for my smartphone either.

I'd tried a few years back to locate the sort of cotton fabric those are made of, thinking I'd sew some from scratch. Had no luck. Hancock's where I once worked carried it but they went out of business. So, I'll probably just have to make hidden side seam pockets in what I have.

Sometimes flip phones had their advantages!

Just in case you haven't figured it out, I have sort of OCD issues with my clothes - fabric fiber and thickness, being able to have my "pocket items" with me wherever, etc.

Used to be okay when I could find the type of clothes that worked for me year after year, reasonably priced, in several stores - then suddenly everything had gone to polyester and tiny or no pockets, often flimsy, garish, faddish cheap stuff I wouldn't give two cents for.

Hate having to waste time tweaking everything just to be able to get dressed to go places. :P

Tatoulia I'm glad to hear your job situation seems okay. Hope bf's does well too.

SubC, close your eyes and think "Hens! Hens! Hens!" ;)

Tillie, I hope that's really Steven and not an alien body snatcher - though if the alien is willing to declutter we shan't complain either way, eh? LOL

I went to the studio.

It was really nice. All the doors and windows open, fans going, I entered through the back where there was a masked person working in her studio space in the far corner, then through the main room where I stopped to get my work off my shelf - three masked people throwing pots at widely spaced wheels and one masked employee supervising and keeping his distance, into the glaze studio, where I was the only person and was able to claim the best work station by the big picture window and work in the sun with a lovely breeze, uninterrupted for three hours!

I did have one conversation with the masked employee loading the kilns in the next room (the rooms are delineated by floor height, not a wall, but he was far away.) he is the glaze guru, and I had a question, so he came over and stood about 8 feet from me so that he could see what he needed to see and helped me with words.

After three hours I had finished three large pots and another person came in. She was working twelve feet away on the other side of a partition in the low-fire section, but I decided I had reached a good stopping point, cleaned and disinfected my space, and left.

I have two more large pots and two small pots to glaze, and I may use the slab roller (in the main room) in a few weeks depending on how I feel about things. I don't know if I will go back again this week or wait until next Tuesday. Definitely not tomorrow. Too much scheduled in the space. I will only go when there are large stretches with no classes or activities.

Afterwards I stopped by my empty school, took some pictures of equipment I needed to take, and picked up the things my friend left on my desk. I also dropped off a jar of corks for the craft supply closet.

Then I dropped my recycling at the community drop off and came home.

Following my no leaving the house unless something leaves with me rule. Although, my friend left me two big crates of stuff. I just brought it home to sort out.

Good Morning

A male duck is called a drake when it is an adult. During adolescence, ducks of both sexes are simply referred to as ducklings. An adult female can be known as either a hen or a duck. A group of ducks is called a raft, team or paddling.

Your flower boxes sound so cheerful Tatoulia :)
YEA! for a beautiful day there, find time to enjoy it.
Hope you are panicking for nothing and your seminar goes great (((HUG)))

Morning Subclinical
Really hoping you are at the pottery studio.
YEA! that the Rats love your special snacks!!!
Grateful your Dh is still working (((HUG)))

Yes, Turkeys are amazing when they fly :D
Peacocks too.
When your Chicks hatch in the incubator can you then stick them out under a Hen to raise?

I can picture Mr Kitty and if I sit really quiet, I can hear the kitty clinks.

Tillie with God as my witness, it never occurred to me that baby quails would be the size of the eggs! I feel so stupid! I bet they are adorable.

From what I read, SubC, with ducks you can't always tell if there's a boy duck with them (such a city slicker-I don't know the proper names for boy ducks).

A day in the studio sounds lovely!

It is another sunny and cool day here. I have a few more things to finish up before panicking before the seminar.

Oh a week or so ago I changed out my flower boxes. I now have one pink abs one white geranium in each box. I used the same box as the pansies (very small). Generally I use larger boxes at this phase but I liked the look of the 15" boxes.

Coffee clinks!

Actually, kitty clinks. Mr kitty stays out at night now, and in the morning he comes in for his cereal. He pushes his bowl around in the corner and it clinks against the molding.

Tillie, I am glad that the garbage is going away.

I know about chickens, but the first time I saw how far and high wild turkeys can fly, it shocked me!

I can't believe someone could hatch store eggs. They must sell them up refrigerated? I snuck two extra into the incubator first thing in the morning. It was less that a 12 hour spread, so hopefully it will be fine. 27. I am setting my hopes low. 4 good hens.

I prefer to broody hatch chicks, but right now I need to do this.

Tatoulia, that was a long work day!

I hope things are ok for your bf. Dh is feeling relieved again right now because his group dodged the second round of layoffs this week.

I love mail, but it is a problem for me. If someone writes me a letter, I cannot let it go.

Good news from the barn. The rats finally found the snack bar. Now I just need to keep providing them with special rat snax until they stop showing up.

I think that I am going to try to go to the pottery studio and glaze today. I have to go this morning because there is a class in the afternoon.

Good Evening Everyone
Was a nice dark cool day, tomorrow is supposed to be hot.

Hi Tatoulia
Hope everything is working out with your email (((HUG)))
It takes a LOT to get me to speak up, usually I just walk away because I know from experience people don't want to change their minds.

Knocking on wood myself to not jinx Steven's cleaning.
Can't mention it to him because he will get angry and stop.

So HAPPY you are receiving mail back!!!
I used to enjoy getting cards and letters but now I only get junk mail. :P

Good Luck with your presentation tomorrow.
Hoping everybody is awake and on their game. :D

Funny how I forget that things and sights common to me are unique and alien to a city girl.
Watching chicks hatch in an incubator is always fun.
I have Quail parents come through my yard each evening now with their tiny little babies running along with them.
Cottontail bunnies frolicking in my grass mornings and nights.
Quail are a lot like chickens, will lay eggs around here & there at times.
When they nest, their eggs all hatch at the same time and you can see almost 20 babies running around the mother's legs looking like dust because they are so tiny, the size of a Quail egg.
The babies peck up their own food, the parents don't feed them like other birds.
Even when still very small they can fly enough to get over fences or up in trees.
Did you know Chickens can fly too?
They can.

SubC did you read about the woman who was able to hatch duck eggs from the supermarket???

Boy I would love to see your incubator and the eggs.