Tillie I do love a fall day-even in May!

Our pictures from yesterday were late afternoon so still light out! Will post soon.

Shredder hero's overheating. Good sign. Means I'm using it!

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
Fantastic that you will be able to now use your other kiln!
Somebody here was doing small batch coffee roasting and selling the bags through the food bank thrift shop.
It smelled so good.

Very glad your Parents are taking proper precautions and staying safe.
Hope your Mom's friend continues to stay healthy (((HUG)))

Your Dh's friend needs to learn that these days it's not right to ignore calls & texts.
We all need to keep in contact with our contacts.

Good luck with your projects for today.
I am sad the year is coming to a close for you but glad you no longer have to do these video lessons.
Too early yet to believe that by September things will be "normal" again. (((((HUGS)))))


Hi Tatoulia
It is very sad that so many places are closed and probably will never open again.
But there will be new places in the years ahead that we will come to enjoy and the people will get jobs there.

Looking forward to your pics of your city at night! :D

Enjoy your cookies and juice at the blood bank Wednesday.
Hoping you and BF have a very pleasant time together on Thursday.

WTG! with all that shredding!!! ;D


Beautiful Autumn day here today.
Frigid and very breezy, lots of big fluffy clouds sailing across the sky.
Cats and I are enjoying the space heater.
Happy I did not pack away my lightweight coat yet.
Might even get some snow next few days.

Good morning and coffee clinks! A lot of bits of good news to read! Sink, van, friends, kiln. All nice bits of sunshine on this overcast day.

Bf and I walked around the city last night and it was lovely. We took pictures, some of which I'll post. I texted the waiter at our favorite, now-shuttered (likely forever) restaurant with a picture of the front door. He was really sweet and I miss him.

I'm donating blood Wednesday afternoon and then Thursday afternoon I'm taking time off to spend with BF.

I have more shredding to do today. I'll keep you posted!

Dh finally heard from his friend, who was just being a Luddite.

Coffee clinks!

Tatoulia, I'm glad you did not lose power. I hope that the allergies will ease up soon.

Mom and Dad are well. They are taking the quarantine very seriously, which is good. Their county has an infection rate of 1 in 125 people, and the neighboring county is over one in 60.
The nursing home calls my mom every day to update her because her high school friend has no family and apparently listed Mom as next of kin. So far her friend is healthy.

I hope that you get happy results from your mom's place.

CM, good that you have your van back. I think your plan for using your repair guy is a sound one.

I'm sorry that you are losing your priest.

Tillie, what a nice surprise to have your sink fixed!

I am sad for anyone who loses a friend, but maybe lonely Steven will be nicer Steven, at least for a while.

Dh has a good friend he plays golf with. The friend is very overweight and struggles now that they cannot have carts on the course. They played on Tuesday. Dh started trying to contact him on Friday about something, and he has not answered email or either of two phones. Their other golf friend can't reach him either. Dh Is very worried. He says "if he calls back and he's fine, I'm going to kill him."

Yesterday I cleaned stalls and did dishes and helped Dh move some stuff around in the studio barn. He wants to start roasting small batch coffee commercially and ordered a fancy roaster. So he negotiated with me. He redid the wiring in the barn and took some of my space, but in return he set up the wiring so that it can also run a small secondary kiln for raku style firing. This will reduce wear and tear on my main kiln and use less energy. The smaller kiln was given to me several years ago by someone who was cleaning out her basement and It is battered, but workable for lower firing temps.

Today I take some things to dd and unload my kiln at school. I also need to finish all my prep work for this last week. 4 more days of online classes. I am both relieved and sad.

Bathroom sink drain is all put back together with some new parts.

So far it seems to be water tight but I will keep checking on it until I feel I can trust it again.

After something leaks it takes me a while before I feel it can be trusted again. ;p

Good Afternoon Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
So sorry your priest is being transferred and hoping his replacement is everything you all need.

YEA! the van is repaired!
It is such a necessary thing and keeping it maintained is so important.

That's great news about your Cousin. :D

Make sure those old broken loppers get into the trash can.
It's always alright when something so well used finally has to be replaced, shows how well used they were.
Kind of like socks that can't be darned any more. ;D

Yes, no Bunny play dates until all participating Bunnies get vaccinated.
What a horrible bunny disease. :(


Hi Tatoulia
Happy your power was spared.

Noticed I forgot to acknowledge all your shredding, so much so you kept over heating the shredder.
WAY TO GO!

Along with all the pollens irritating you there is also the shredding dust to consider too.
Very small particles getting into the air like that exacerbate allergies.

It would be good to know the test results.
The website for the county here is not the fastest but I like knowing better than not knowing where we stand.


The wind is really raging with lots of big gusts that slam all the house doors.
But other than that it's a nice day, low 80s, high clouds, some sunshine.

Have the hose very slowly watering some trees so only need to check on it about every hour or so and can stay inside.

The sink is disassembled but he has had to return to the hardware store because he said some other bits were corroded too and need replacing.
For many years every Sunday he would get up very early and go have coffee with his friend and then they would hang out together for hours.
But since his friend died last Sunday he has nowhere to go today.

Good afternoon everyone! No power outages here, thankfully!

I am not feeling well today. Allergies. Everything's in bloom and they have caught up with me. So although I've showered and done a quick run to mom's to get her dry cleaning, I am not up for doing anything. I'm back in bed.

I am glad you found the leak and that Steven seems motivated to fix it! Great work! Enjoy your artichokes and corn!

Cm I am grateful to hear from you and sorry to hear about your pastor leaving. I am sure it will be emotional for you and for him.

SubC the goats sound so pretty! How was the symphony? How are your mom and dad?

Tillie I don't know the procedure for the other things being dropped off for people. I don't know how the place is handling drop offs. The only thing my mother has delivered are her meds and those are put in the lockbox for the aides to give her. I assume that her trays of food are being carefully delivered. I don't know if people are utilizing grocery shopping or other delivery services. I just know that absolutely everything coming from me or BF is wiped and carefully packed.

It will be good to know the overall results of the testing of all residents.

So I'm in bed and going to either read or watch tv. I was very happy with my shredding progress yesterday and hope I'll be up to doing some more in a bit.

I'm still here, just have had a hard time again getting uninterrupted time for things like getting on the computer.

My roommate has the consult with the doctor tomorrow about how the radioactive treatment will proceed. She can ask questions, and if I have any she'll put them on the list.

My cousin will return home on Friday, see doctors here and have rehab at a local place (maybe outpatient? email didn't say).

We had some rain and are now back to sunshine. I went out and bagged a big lawn & leaf bag with weeds from the garden beds. And chopped dead branches from one large Rose of Sharon tree. There were quite a few; the tree may be nearing the end of its lifespan in another year or two.

I broke my loppers on the silly thing! Handle just snapped off. Hollow metal tube handle, repeated stresses - those pesky old laws of physics finally caught up with the loppers. I got my money's worth out of them, and they didn't cost me that much to begin with. Will probably just get another cheapie pair, since whenever I move out of here I reckon it'll be to an apartment.

Today would've been our bunny meeting. I've been grateful not to have so much to do for the bunny club. Maybe we all needed a break, though of course we always need funds. Also, as humans deal with Covid-19, there is a terrible thing, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Virus, that is now in the US. It may effect such things as playdates for bunnies, etc. A vaccine exists, and I pray veterinarians here will start to have it available.

Got my van back yesterday from the mechanic. It took a long time. We talked to him awhile. He's a good guy, but has had a lot going on with his health & family. Two grandchildren on the way, one next week and one around Christmastime. Between his health and family, there are still delays getting things done, and my roommate and I have been thinking we will give him our non-time sensitive business but maybe find other avenues for urgent car and home repair things. It just gets too stressful waiting to hear back from him. We'll see.

So that took a bite out of my stimulus money, but it's worth the investment to get the oil leak resolved, and I do have some of the money left. These days a person doesn't always spend as much on things like gasoline or going places, so it evens out.

I just was on Facebook with live streaming Mass, and at the end our priest made the announcement that he is being sent by the Bishop to teach at a seminary in St. Louis. I had connected the dots early on that he is smart and a good leader - therefore I would bet money he is on a path that will lead him to being a Bishop himself at some point. And teaching at a seminary is often part of that journey.

But my feels! We've only had him 3 years! And in that time he has been such a blessing to the parish. May is graduation and ordination for priests here and probably most everywhere, so it's a time of change. Just as I was sad that Covid had to come along just as Easter was approaching, so I am similarly dismayed that it will impact all of this transition time. We will basically have one month with our priest before he leaves! :( :( :(

I am thinking about going to one of the daily Masses, where there would be fewer people, since I have refrained from Sunday because my roommate is in this cancer business - I mentioned the idea to her and she seems okay with that because there would be less risk. I'll have to think about it. For sure somehow I will at least get a chance to talk to him (probably crying a little...) before he goes. Like I said, I just thought anything like this would be years in the offing.

Nothing these days is predictable. That is all.

Good Morning Everybody

Tatoulia might be experiencing a power outage from the big storm.
(((HUG)))

Since the epicenter is far enough away from here
I have not been feeling all the hundreds of aftershocks.

Very quiet and cool morning, even the birds are keeping it down out there.

So nice to wake up and see my kitchen clean and the counter empty of all things.
Since that counter is centrally located in the house I have been wiping it down with disinfectant at least 6 times every day.
Same with the bathroom vanity counter too.
But I have been neglecting to dust furniture, maybe today that will get done.

OH! Hazel and Luna sound so beautiful Subclinical! :D

I'm sure somebody has a copy of the graduation you can watch.
That's so nice that you were able to have that open mic opportunity.
At least there are ways to see and hear even though we are not able to all be together (((HUG)))

YEA! for concert night! :D

I have no places to go or appointments to keep or people to talk to so no need to keep track of the days.
When he was working days of the week were obvious.
After he retired there were specific days and times when Steven would go be with his friend who died.
You could count on him being gone then.
Now he's here...................
Drinking, smoking, staying out in the garage till about 4am before coming in and sleeping till about 2pm.

He still goes shopping often as usual but not at any specific days/times.


Strange thing happened.
Yesterday as I cleaned the cupboard under the bathroom sink I noticed the U drain pipe had developed a leak that morning.
I told Steven about it and this evening he came home from the hardware store with a new fitting, said he would fix it tomorrow.
Things like this would usually go unfixed for months and often years before they got fixed, if ever.

The hardware guy told him that those old metal U drain pipes all eventually develop holes at the bottom where water sits, corrosion.

So glad I regularly check the under sink areas and amazed that he is going to fix it.

I am still confused as to why he brought me 2 small artichokes and 2 ears of corn?

That is one of the things I love about raising goats - all the colors and patterns. It is always fun, and often surprising, to see what the baby goats look like.

My two favorites this year are Hazel - who is mostly brown in the back shading to mostly black at the front with an overlay of white spotting that gets heavier and heavier toward the front until her face is mostly white with black and a few brown freckles, and Luna, who looks pure white, but is actually one big spot, because her skin is grey.

The concert was good.

Tillie, what things usually mark your weekdays off from weekends?

I forgot to "go to" graduation this morning. It is the first one I have missed in years. I was so tired, I slept late. I am hoping there will be a recording that I can watch. They won't be able to know if I was "there" unless they ask. I did "go to" the open mic on Thursday night and talk about some of my seniors.

Good Evening Everybody

Thank you Subclinical :)
Even though I can't join your classes just knowing I would be welcome is enough.

I enjoy seeing the goat herds people have around here.
So many different colors and markings, unlike the sheep that tend to all look the same, though cute too.


Hi Tatoulia
I know you wipe down items before dropping them off for Mom but was wondering if they have been wiping down deliveries from companies that deliver for the residents.

Sweet to give the graduate a cake.
Sad they can't all get out and party with their friends.

Must have been a lot of fun video touring your own city.
So many interesting places with lots of interesting history.
I'm sure there is a lot I haven't heard of too and some who's history is more involved than PBS ever went into.


Been a slow moving day.
Did get things done that I wanted done.
Yesterday I did a little bending over weed pulling and today my body aches from it.

Cool this morning but low 80s by afternoon.
Lots of high cloudiness/haze making it feel a bit humid.
Does not feel like a Saturday. All days are starting to feel the same.

I'd love to see your classes too! So much fun!

I took a walking tour of Boston last night-all by video. It was great-I've been on tours with this group before. This had a special twist where they would tell a tale and then everyone votes whether it was true or false. Tillie if you look up Boston by Foot there's another one of those coming up on a Friday, 7 PM Eastern time. I'll be doing the next one which is end of May. It's free so it would be fun to have as many of you that are interested to join me!

I shredded papers and overheated the shredder 3 times! I'm so pleased with my progress! Took my recycling out. Did mom's shopping, which doesn't require much because she is eating all three meals at home. I just called her to tell her to watch the program tonight in honor of graduates. One of our neighbors is graduating today so we bought him a cake.

Okay going to go do a few things and start the program. It will be fun to see young people.

Hi Tillie,

I would love to give you my "classroom" link, but I think I might get in trouble. :) I always feel bad when I do a demo on video, because it seems like they could just watch YouTube. But I do answer questions.

I currently have 22 goats:
Eight does
Two bucks
Two wethers
And ten kids

The one last doe is due to kid some time between now and June 8.

Good Morning Subclinical

Please sign me up for both the cheese and soap making lessons! :D
What fun to see how you do this.

So sorry about your cherries and peaches this season.
As long as the trees don't die there will be next season to look forward to.
No Apricots here for me this year.

Catalpas are so beautiful and provide such nice shade.
Steven would not allow me to have them because he doesn't like hitting his head on their large bean pods. :P

When I had a cherry tree the Robins would get vicious whenever I attempted to take even one cherry.

Love, love, love your date night concert!
Smiling just thinking about you two ((HUG)))

Hope the Foxes are elsewhere and the Chickens safe.
Also that Mr. Kitty & Company are keeping the Rat population down.

So, in total how many Goats do you have now?
Wishing them all well. :)

The 3 most earthquake prone states are California, Alaska and Nevada, in that order, so I am used to them.
The small ones are "amusing".
But the bigger ones really get my attention.
Back in 1954 the town near me was leveled by one.
More than half the old historic buildings were lost.
You can still see where the fault shifted making a large "cliff".

The earthquake sounds scary. I have only ever been in one "earthquake" and it was more of a tremor - little and short. We looked at each other afterwards and said "was that an earthquake?" And then the news said it was, but we were far from the center and it was minor.

It is warm and humid here today. Dh is mowing. I walked around the property a bit and there will definitely be no cherries. The sycamore trees took a pretty big hit also. I haven't checked on the catalpas or the peaches. Peaches are unlikely.

Dh and I have a livestream concert tonight from the symphony. He is going to put it on surround sound on the big tv, and we are going to dress up and sit on the couch and have wine and strawberries that he ordered in the groceries he picked up this morning. :)

4 more days of video school, and Wednesday is only pickup and drop off and D&D.

I let my Friday classes vote on their lesson plans. I'll be demonstrating cheese for the 9-12 y.o.s, playing the farm quiz card game with the 6-9s, and attempting to demo soap making for the teens. If the video doesn't work on my porch, the teens will get soap making instructions posted online and we will also play the quiz game.

Good Morning Everybody
"Iced chai "Clink!"

Hi Tatoulia
Please sent some of your thunder storms this way. ;D

Other than the road being damaged because the fault line ran right through it, not much damage has been reported.
The road has already been patched up.
Some places in Tonopah have broken windows and cracked plaster.
No reports of anything serious yet but many buildings will need building inspectors to make sure since they are well over 100 years old.

The earthquake was strong (6.5) but the "waves" of energy it sent out were more of a rolling type rather than the typical shaking.
That is due to the way the fault line is moving, sliding rather than smashing together.

Being that the middle of Nevada is so sparsely populated there aren't many things to get damaged.
But had the earthquake epicenter been closer to any towns, they would have been leveled, like what happened to Wells Nevada, the last "Big One" here.


Washed laundry last evening and now I need to fetch it in from the line and put it away.
Slept like a rock last night, just dead to the world.

I hope your back feels better today, Tillie. And I'd love an update on the earthquake as it was a mere five seconds on the news last night.

Good morning. Been up for over two hours. Not like me! But my room was too hot, even with the ceiling fan on we had torrential rains and thunder last night. This AM is calm and peaceful.

Tillie, I wipe mom's groceries before delivering to her. I put on a table in a vestibule, then someone picks them up, unpacks the items, and takes the bags away. It's a pretty decent system.

I'm going to have a waffle then visit BF. Maybe take a walk while it is cool.

I took the donation bag to my car yesterday and I picked up my laundered comforter. I didn't feel like doing laundry this AM. it seems to pile up for me and I don't know why. I go through a lot of cloth napkins in a day.

Happy frisky Miss Kitty today :D

What a shame, taking vacation time off and there is really nowhere to go.
Every day the same as the last day and tomorrow.

Yes, this quarantining is going to go on longer than a lot of people thought it would.
I figured that maybe by my birthday at the end of December things may be more "normal".
Then I will reschedule my cleaning at the D.D.S.

Hope your Mom gets the delivery from you in time.
I wonder, do they sanitize the packages before taking them up?


The bathroom is very clean right now.
The rags are in the washing machine.
My back is hurting today and I need to crawl around picking up all of Scooters toys before I can vacuum the carpet.
So, soon I will get to that.

The day has gotten very pretty.
More sun than clouds, tiny gentle breeze.
71 degrees.

I had to go to my car today to get some of the emergency personal products for my mom. She's nearly out of them and won't have any delivered til at least Monday. Do I ran three packets over for her. They haven't brought them up yet.

They have pushed off returning to office until at least a June 15, but likely not til August. They will give us a two week notice if we are being sent back into the office.

We were also told to start using our vacation days, which makes sense. they aren't going to let us take 20 days once the office is open! I'm willing to lose some of my days. I like to save at least five to cash in and we can cash in up to ten. They may change that for this year and not let us cash in. I do t care one way or another. They are taking good care of us. I like cashing in my days but if we can't, we can't. I'm just not sure that I want any days off right now. It feels like one giant day off. But we shall see.

Kitty slept through the entire work happy hour. She was full of the dickens today and running around a lot.

Good Morning

Cool day with intermittent cloudiness and sunshine.
Watering stuff.
Scooter helping.
Twinks finally got up & went out.

Need to deep clean the bathroom after I finish watering.
Then vacuum all around the place.

I am sorta sleepy.
Might be from the rude awakening I had at 4am. ;p

Thank you for the description, Tillie. You paint a picture with words.

This earthquake was so good that it happened at 4:02am and at 4:25 the things in my house finally stopped swinging.

Saw video of highway 95 and it's buckled and cracked.

The windchimes I make are thin slices of agate and sound like glass.
Whenever they start to chime when all windows and doors are closed I know it's an earthquake.
Ding, ding, ding...
For 20 minutes.

Reported it to the USGS "did you feel it" web site.

Sitting out on the stoop in lovely weather sounds so nice.

OK from now on start all conversations with Mom with
"how you doing on water?"

Waiting for damage reports to start coming in.
A highway has been closed due to damage.

Twinkles slept through it.
Scooter got up because I got up but he said
"Scooter don't care".

Reports coming in all say dogs got upset but nobody's cats cared.

I don't know where to start.

SubC that is some terrible decision-making and I am so sorry. I keep thinking of that picture of healthcare workers with signs saying, we are here for you, stay home for us. I am so sorry. I enjoy weddings and have a very good time at them. But no ones going to be having a good time at any wedding anytime soon. I am so sorry. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Tillie! That must've been scary with the earthquake. How were the kitties during it?

I had a good night's sleep. I was climbing into bed around 6 as I was talking on the phone with mom. She casually mentioned she was out of water. The cool bottled water is the best for her. She doesn't have to get up and she then doesn't have to wash a cup (she doesn't have anyone cleaning for her right now ). So I called BF and I got dressed and met him at the corner and we dropped off water and a slice of pound cake. We will go shopping this weekend and get her a case of water. Then he walked me home and we sat on my stoop and just talked. It was beautiful outside. We had masks and gloves etc and it was just so nice to sit in the stoop and watch people with their kids and dogs.

Okay back to work for me!

Woke up by a large earthquake an hour ago, 4:00am.

Not sleepy any more...


Sorry Subclinical
Wish they would not go, maybe things will change and they won't.

Please forgive me, but I am probably going to be self centered for the next week or two.

School went ok yesterday.

Ds calked. His mil is insisting on going forward with her wedding at the end of the month. He and ddil will be traveling back for it. They asked if we would like to see them.

They currently only go to the grocery store masked, and use gas pumps, but they will have to stop somewhere probably twice for restrooms on the way here.

We said yes, so they will come and spend one night with us before continuing on to the wedding - where they will be exposed to far too many people and I am very stressed out about it.

5 more days of video school.

Looking forward to the new pics CriticalMass.

YEA! for buying pretty flowers! :)

Hope the hospital appointment gives you lots of good information.
I am still upset that I had to turn to a geologist and veterinarians to get knowledgeable information.


Cold dark and very windy here all day.
Have had to use the space heater.
Did some beading.
On episode 917 of "Dark Shadows".

Wow, everybody has dealt with radioactive thyroid treatments one way or another.

The hospital called and she has an appointment Monday for preliminary consult so that will yield helpful info.

Went to the plant nursery and I bought her plants and myself the kalanchoe and a pink geranium. I will be posting on IG these and some other backlogged flower photos. Barbie and Co. may put in an appearance too, you just never know. ;)

Tillie, now that I think of it, McConnell AFB here had missiles back in the day so we probably would've gotten nuked too. Once I was old enough to hear about Hiroshima & Nagasaki in junior high or so, well. Enough of that gloomy subject.

More later

Well, Good Morning Everybody
I love how we all come together to help each other. (((HUG)))

Hi Tatoulia
WTG! for doing the dishes!
Glad I motivated you.
YEA! for Cleaning Fairies!!!

So the mess of shredding is keeping you from wanting to shred.
"Static Guard" and a broom & dust pan might work.

Now I want a grilled cheese too. ;)

We are all getting weary and constantly worrying.
But we must hold on ((((HUGS))))

Hi Subclinical
YEA!!!!! for getting that barn rat!!!
Mr. Kitty & company better step it up.

Hoping the students all make an appearance during these last few classes.
((((HUGS))))


Hi CriticalMass
I remember too well the bombing drills they made us practice back in the 1960s.
Then we spoke with other kid's Dad's who worked at the airbase where the Titan missiles are located and discovered we would not survive anyways because we were a main target and could not ever get far enough away to survive.
We told the school and they quit the drills. LOL :D

I keep the windows open always now and appreciate the raging winds that sweep through the house.
Thank you.
Glad people there are wearing masks to help keep you safe.

Fingers crossed the van gets all fixed up NOW.

It is hard to have things but are living in such small quarters and can't have your things with you.

Yes, there are even more "Dark Shadows" to watch.
Since I already remember the story line I skipped the "Beginning" for now, may watch later.

Wishing you sweet peaceful dreams and don't fret about the radiation treatment, things will work just fine. (((HUGS)))

Thank you Tatoulia for adding your experience. :D

Thank You Subclinical
Sounds like they are getting their act together with warnings and safety protocols.

It was years ago when Steven had this treatment and they said it would be just fine for me to be near him and for him to use all the house facilities.
Thought I was overreacting by refusing to go with him to the appointment and sit next to him in the car on the ride home.
I listened to the geology professor and veterinarians.

I made him stay in the truck camper, use a porta-potty.
He had/has his own dishes since he had hoarded mine in the nasty hoard for weeks/months.
I forbid him to use MY dishes, towels, everything because of the hoarding issues.

When I allowed him in to shower at the end of his quarantine I immediately cleaned the bathroom 100%.
Washed his clothes at the laundromat.
I have never gone into that truck camper since because it's dangerous, rotting and falling apart.

He took his porta-potty to the fairground campsite dump site to empty it.
Since we are on a septic system and I was afraid it would kill all our beneficial bacteria.

He was offered to spend 3 days in the hospital quarantine room.
They felt 3 days was long enough to clear the radiation from his body.

Ps I don't remember how many days. Will depend on the dosage.

I stopped reading and started skimming when I saw about the thyroid. When I had the radioactive treatment, the kitty stayed with BF. I walked home from the hospital. Anything that couldn't be flushed in the toilet was put in a closet for six weeks, then thrown out. One dr said I could have the cat with me but the other dr said get her out. I stayed home from work and got special permission to work from home (this is how long ago it was; at that time I was allowed to work from home only one day). I wasn't able to eat before the dose or after the dose. I couldn't go near anyone. Luckily I had my own washer and dryer. I was extremely careful. I missed Christmas parties and other things but I needed to do it.

If you have only one bathroom, it will be a bit tricky. You will want her to be sure to close the toilet lid when flushing (I always do anyway) and be sure to keep your towels and toothbrush away from hers. She can't go anywhere (perfect timing, actually) and you need to be the sole person taking care of the pets.

Depending on her dosage she may need a night in the hospital in a lead room. I was able to come home. I still felt weird once kitty was allowed to come back but that was probably a decade ago.

Wow, thanks for the helpful info everybody. Last thing we'd want would be for me or any of the pets to be in danger. This house is only somewhere between 1000-1500 square feet, can't remember exactly. Her bedroom, mine, and the bath are very close.

The rabbits are clear in the other end of the house. But the dog likes to be with her and the cats of course go all over. It sounds logistically difficult especially with the shared bathroom situation. I will do some Googling and encourage her to find out more ahead of the time so she can plan if she needs to go out of town.

Radioactivity of this sort is one of those things that even though I'm into science, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the exact workings of. I do remember my elementary school doing its best to scare the stuffing out of me during the Cold War years with presentations about nuclear war.

When my mil had radioactive iodine for her thyroid last year, she had to sleep in a separate room away from fil, wash her own dishes and not put them away in the kitchen, and do her own laundry separately and not put her clothes away in their closet. She also had to use a separate bathroom and clean it herself. They told her to stay a certain distance away from everyone and not share furniture - like if she sat On the couch, fil couldn't sit on it. Even after she left the room. I can't remember how long, but I feel like it was around a week to ten days. She had to go back to get rechecked for radioactivity And then go home and clean everything after she passed.

On the bright side - this is a good time for this since everyone is in quarantine anyway.

I caught a rat in the barn last night. I'm hoping it's a good sign for my day. 6 more days of video school.

The geology teacher at the college was curious as to how long it took for the radioactive iodine to clear his body so he lent me the Geiger counter.

His readings were so high I could tell where he was in the yard by how it would go off.
As he approached the porch it would start clicking louder the nearer he came.

His dirty clothes were very radioactive as the iodine clears the body through all pores and other bodily functions.
They were still radioactive in the plastic bin.
I would not bring them in to wash them, he used the laundromat afterward.

Dirty dishes were low enough for me to wash in the kitchen sink.

I considered him safe enough to come into the house after 11 days but just to be sure had him stay away from the kittens another 5 days.

Oh indeed, Tillie, we'll definitely be proactive and cautious. It's good that we have time to plan the logistics. One of my friends' daughter had Graves' disease and had to do the radioactive thing, but they had a big house with basement so it was easier.

It does make me wonder if my roommate might opt to travel to where her family lives and do it up there. They have bigger houses and probably more than one bath. I could take care of the pets here. Do you remember how many days it took to clear out of Steven? Wish I could lay my hands on a Geiger counter...

Well, mustn't worry. We'll brainstorm and figure it out.

CriticalMass
Just a quick heads up to CriticalMass

Steven had thyroid cancer, they removed most all the thyroid.
Then he had radioactive iodine.
Everybody said he was safe to be near when he was radioactive.

We asked the Veterinarians and they said exposure to Steven would kill the kittens.
Destroy their thyroids.

Please do NOT allow this to happen.
Call your Veterinarians and not just listen to human doctors and technicians, they don't acre about our Furbabies.

I also kept me away from him until the Giger counter I borrowed from the college readings went down.

Hi, finally getting a moment to post!

I have been keeping up but just wasn't on the laptop where I can type fast. Now I am.

Tillie, I wish you weren't in such a mess. And though I understand your realism and I'd be the same way myself, I hope and pray you will NOT catch Covid-19 or any other nasty thing. Does it help any to open windows and air out the house if Steven comes in? Keep doing what you're doing - it has protected you thus far. The man is mad to go to that house with all those people. Actually the law enforcement should've made the people step apart from one another, but even if they tried to, it was probably difficult to implement order in the middle of such chaos of people all wound up.

Tatoulia, I'm glad you're getting so much satisfaction out of your decluttering and doing a bangup job of it! Once again, hoping the good endorphins from accomplishment are helping your body and mind to relax.

SubC, way to go getting little kid's shoulder strengthened, the ceramics fired, and doing the best you possibly can in the middle of such trying times. I hope you didn't take the one nasty letter to heart. No teacher tries harder than you have been doing. And all the best to the family too.

Monday was my roommate's day of doctor appointments - but the news was quite good! The cancer was in her thyroid, they think they got most of it, and it's the most treatable type of thyroid cancer. Thyroid takes up iodine so the treatment is radioactive iodine usually just one dose. The doctor had even said it could be optional but since she lost her father to a different type of cancer she wants to be sure. That treatment will be in about 8 weeks.

Yesterday I thought I was supposed to resume going to my Holy Hour at church, but I must've misread the texts and memos somehow. The chapel was dark and without the monstrance. So I just prayed a little while in the main church.

I did make stops at Dollar Tree and Walmart and it looked as if 85% of people were wearing their masks and social distancing properly. I wipe off packaging of items and the counter where the sacks have been, and then the sacks get set aside for several days and used when I clean the cat boxes.

Went to my storage unit today to drop off my flat containers of seasonal fabric which I had so hoped to have made up into doll clothes by now. :( Sigh. But I needed to get them out "momentarily" so my van is not an embarrassment because - hopefully - it is going to get that valve cover gasket done tomorrow.

I can see why Tatoulia was worried about me paying for storage! Kansas prices aren't nearly as bad as Boston prices. Which doesn't mean I won't be glad to get to the point of never needing a storage unit again. Mine costs $165 a month for a 10 x 24 unit, non climate-controlled. If I could just move into a reasonable sized, safe apartment, discarding as I go, I would never need it again.

There's plenty to do to get to that point, and I'm going to do my best to get on it and power through. Tatoulia's mojo is an inspiration. I also need sufficient computer time to type the stuff on papers in - quite a bit of it really does pertain to projects like my novels and blog - little sparks of ideas I just grabbed whatever was handy to jot down before they flitted out of my head.

If I get the papers gone here, there are more awaiting in storage - journals and stuff. I think I can blow through them much faster having had some emotional decompression. I want to record just a few tidbits - good memories, or milestones. Let go of any bad. Because as an only child, no spouse, no kids, no living parents, I do need to have a bit of a record of my life or it gets too vague and I feel unmoored in time, almost unreal.

There are also books - I looked around today and I bet a lot of them I'm going to decide not to lug around anymore. So much is available online, and many of the books are outdated.

But even if I could afford to move to an apartment next week, I'd still want to help my roommate get back on her feet and all. She's my friend. Tomorrow is her birthday. After my van gets to the mechanic's, we're going to go down to the south end of town in her car to one of our favorite nurseries and I'll buy her some plants, and they have one kalanchoe rooted from a cutting that I had ordered.

My cousin is still progressing in rehab. Tonight's email from her husband did mention those three issues that had been discovered - brain bleed, blood around spinal cord, and tear in aorta - so I guess they weren't misdiagnosed. It gets confusing, and I'm sure him not being able to be at the hospital with her and the doctors makes communication harder, then to relay it to family, etc.

She is going to get to talk to the doctors tomorrow though. Maybe there will be surgery to fix her aorta. I sense it's good she's been regaining strength, and I'm sure they're closely monitoring her. So maybe tomorrow evening we'll know more.

My sleep continues to improve, and I think the crazy dreams have toned down a little. I wake feeling more rested. The weather turned really chilly for this time of year, more like March, and rainy. But tomorrow it goes back up to seasonal temps. Just have to hope that doesn't stir up tornadoes or hail. If my van got ruined by hail I might lose my mind. Sure miss having a garage.

I mentioned we've been watching Dark Shadows - well, last night I discovered on Tubi there was a separate section "Dark Shadows The Beginning" that I didn't see before! That was where it started with Victoria Winters coming to Collinsport from New York. We had started with the episodes right leading up to the arrival of Barnabas Collins. So now we're going back. The storylines will tie together better. Barnabas was just getting really creepy where we left off. But we'll get around to him again!

Anyway, this is a long enough post for now. More as soon as I can.

SubC , what a terrible disappointment. I am so sorry that happened with the kids. It's disappointing and embarrassing and not right. I'm so sorry.

Tillie you forced me into doing my dishes tonight. I was going to skip it.

Cleaners really did a nice job. And when I had to put things back in my closet there was a noticeable difference. Not a small difference. Noticeable vi couldn't believe it.

My big thing now is I want to keep up with the shredding but I'm a horrible slob when I empty the shredder. But I think if I put the shredder in the garbage bag before lifting the top off, I might have better luck. But then again, there may be static that will make some of the pieces stick to the outside of the shredder. Honestly I could just use a broom.

Mom and I are both getting tired of this life. I see it in BF's eyes too.

Tillie I had grilled cheese for dinner. It was so tasty. Provolone cheese with spicy honey for a condiment.

My mail is certainly spreading the love. People are so excited to get mail. I am loving it!

They tested everyone at mom's today. Hoping for a second negative.

Was resting, happy that the unpleasant kitchen cleaning was over & done with.

Then Scooter did a "Scarf & Barf".
So, I had to get up and clean that up. :(

Told him I was NEVER going to feed him again.
So he started peeking over the back of the couch hunting me.
Tossed toys for him to catch and we both had fun.

Got into shower and Steven was pacing around outside the door the whole while I was in there. :(
He monopolizes the bathroom and feels I have no right to lock him out, away from his favorite seat.

Been dark and windy all day with a 2% chance of rain.

Alright...

I have cleaned up the kitchen ;p

Didn't take too awfully long but I resented every second of doing it.

Sympathetic cyber ((((HUG)))) Subclinical

What a shame the kids all played hooky.

Glad Mr/Mrs Fox has not returned today and hoping it's gone on down the road now.

No more goodies makes it even harder to face this sunless day.
Make sure to add goodies to the grocery list, they are important.


Moving very slowly today...
Still determined to clean the kitchen, sometime today.
The pissant bait traps I have put out everywhere in the yard near the house are working well.
Only way I have found to keep them out of the house.

Today is not my day.

I got an angry note from a parent

And none, not one, of my little kids showed up for class after lunch.

And the sun went away. And I finished all my Mother's Day goodies.

But I have not seen the fix today.

Good Morning Everybody

HELLO CRITICALMASS

Hi Subclinical
That must have been fun for the students LOL ;D
We have Foxes here too and they are beautiful creatures.
Hope your Fox learned that you are watching and moves on.

Good luck getting the barrel fired projects ready for show&tell.
What a nice way to end the class.


Cold, cloudy and windy this morning.
Nothing needs watering especially since it is cold again.
Made a mess of the kitchen last evening, said "I don't care" and just left it.
Will clean that up today.
Need to quit falling into apathy because that just leads to even more apathy.
Mailed off my mail in ballot. Most of the people running for office I'd never heard of so I did not vote for them.

Coffee clinks!

Tatoulia, amazing work!

I think cleaning one's home for cleaners is silly. Unless you are trying to do the part you don't mind because you want them to be able to do specific things in a certain amount if time - picking up for vacuuming for example.

I am glad you are free of that storage unit!

I have had many things interrupt my classes, but yesterday was a new one. In the middle of language arts, I looked out the window and had to say "excuse me a minute. I'm sorry, but I need to go chase a fox out of my yard before it eats my chickens." Six minutes later the barn was closed up and the fox was run off. The kids were very amused.

The fox was young and beautiful, but I hope it moves on! I had a momma fox use my flock to teach her cubs to hunt one year, and it was not pretty. Too bad foxes don't prefer rats.

I barrel fired my student's work yesterday. It was fun. Hopefully I will be able to get the barrel unloaded this morning so I can wash them during class and show them to everybody. Then they will get packed up so that each kid can get their own back on Wednesday.

7 more days of online school, but this is the last wednesday I teach pottery. Next Wednesday will just be them picking up their stuff and then at the end of the day, my Dungeons and Dragons group.