I have fallen very far behind.

The weekend went ok. Safe practices were observed. Dd2's bf is very nice.

I need to get a very tall ladder and fix a tree next to my driveway because fil climbed on top of his RV and cut it off blunt so that it wouldn't touch the roof. (Alternative - Park on a different part of the driveway) "I just cut that tree back a little. You're going to want us to be able to come back and park here anyway." (Am I?)

Mil kindly took four bags of recycling that I can't recycle here with her to toss in my son's bin in Wisconsin. (It was stored in my basement) I also gave her a very large Tupperware bin that made her happy and I don't really use.

My aunt has mailed me two throw pillows and a knitted throw my grandmother made. I told her that I wanted them and I had a plan, but on arrival they are more complicated than I expected and I have set them aside in my guest room for Now.

Bean is still growing like a zucchini.

Families are complicated.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Tatoulia

YEA! for a fresh clean white quilt! 😀
Amazing how just one fresh clean thing in a room can make such a big difference.

Still that thin smoke smell in the air so I'm still waiting to do laundry.
It's a nasty smelling smoke, not like a pine fire.

I never wear a mask when outside. Just right before I enter a shop.
But I am never near people as I walk through the parking lot, much more than 6 feet away from anyone.
Soon as I exit the store I remove the mask.
But I don't live in a big city bustling with lots of people.
On a hot city sidewalk in the Summer heat that must be torture. ((((HUGS))))

Been cooking today...
Just to get food ready and make use of what I have on hand.
Seasoned and browned hamburger to add to something when I decide I want to eat it, it's in the freezer now.
Cooked Italian sausages for sandwiches. Might have that tonight & tomorrow.
Lots of space in the fridge & freezer for new food now.
Kitchen is a terrible mess but I am resting a little before I get to cleaning it up.
Still have a very good selection of things in the pantry to make lots of different dishes.

Good Morning Everyone
"Clink!"

Hi Tatoulia
Happy you have survived without the chocolate icecream.
I ran out of it last week and have been suffering. LOL

That is so wonderful that you are now able to see how that lamp is a negative with bad emotions connected to it.
We should NEVER keep anything around us that has bad emotions/energy connected to it.
Same goes for humans too.

So many thrift shops don't take books any more.
The local library here has a book store where they sell used books and also have their annual huge book sale at a dollar a bag full to make money for the library.
Also many neighborhoods now have those tiny take a book/leave a book libraries set up in tiny "boxes" as a good way to recycle books.

Wonderful you and BF dressed up and went out for dinner.
That was so nice of the Chef to wait for you. 😀

I don't know why so many mothers are not happy when their children are doing well and have made a good life for themselves.
No matter how miserable I am, I am always genuinely very happy to see others, especially young people, doing well and happy with the life they have made for themselves.
Some humans are always just too critical and negative, like my muther was.

Hope Miss Kitty was alright with the storm and got over her scare. (((HUGS))) Kitty.
Twinkles and Scooter are doing so much better since I opened the windows for them yesterday.
The house all shut up tight is too depressing for all of us.

WAY TO GO! for doing trash, laundry and decluttering!!! 😀

Good luck with taking Mom for her haircut and especially on donating your platelets.
Request the ice packs, don't just wait for them to be offered. 😉

Very thin hazy bit of smoke this morning.
Never cooled off over night from the 104F degrees yesterday.
But I am feeling a bit more energetic today and the coughing has been better.
Should go grocery shopping this week, I'm out of so many things but I really don't want to go.

Glad you could get a bit of air, Tillie. Yes get groceries this week. It'll be nice to get some fresh food in the house.

I tried to call mom earlier so I could pick up her nighties to wash but she didn't answer. It is very hot and humid today. So hard to walk with a mask on. I stopped at BF's to grab a sandwich and now I'm back. I washed my thin white quilt today and it looks so clean!

Coffee clinks!

It's trash and recycling night and I'm trying to figure out if there's anything I can work on to make my life more pleasant.

I will send pictures of my lamp to the consignment shop. I am stunned, as I peel away the layers of the onion, to see that some things cause me unconscious stress. Like this lamp. Someone had given me a large gift certificate to Bloomingdales and that's how I bought this lamp at least 20 years ago. Well this person had taken advantage of me (and I let it happen, my younger self was complicit) and the lamp has been stressing me out. Never knew it before.

I scheduled a haircut for my mom on Friday. I'll take her before my platelets donation. I hope the platelets go better than the last blood donation. And I hope they give me those ice packs again. So soothing.

Ok I talked to mom. I was nice and cheerful and made her laugh. I'm craving chocolate ice cream but I've found that I dint actually die without it. Who knew?

Good Morning

Smoke is thin enough I can have the window open this morning!!!

Still going to be excessively hot today again.
The winds in California are blowing the smoke there North for now instead of East toward me.
So that makes it much better. 🙂

Kitchen is still clean. Been washing dishes as the cats & I dirty them.

Still too smoky to hang out wash.
Even this thin smoke will cling to things.

Really should vacuum and dust today.

Hello everyone. But of a rough weekend.

The positives: I got rid of my childhood books. Goodwill didn't want them so I found a place that would take them and I dropped them off. I donated two bags to goodwill. I photographed a lamp that I will either give to BF or consign. I didn't realize that secretly the lamp is causing me stress. No need to discuss details. I did mom's grocery shopping today. BF took me for dinner last night and even though the kitchen closes at 9:30 due to COVID-19 I called to ahead and they asked the chef to keep the kitchen open. It's our go-to place. We had the salmon and it was tasty. I showered and put on a dress and makeup and everything. Pretty nice.

The negatives: my mother is depressed and she lashed out at me last night and was pretty crappy and it reminded me that I've had decades of her guilting me because I have a nice life. I called bf afterward and that's when he said, let's go for dinner tonight. I still wasn't able to speak with my mom today. I'd forgotten that I'd undergone decades of this depression and anger. Couple that with my brother is trying to suck me back in and making demands and I'm pretty tired of having a lousy family. I kept pretty ok with mom til she started in on how I have a bf and I'm not trapped and I have friends and I told her, I'm alone 24 hours a day and I've seen bf for a total of three hours in the last month and that's been to run errands. She called me while I was at the grocery store and she apologized to me. I told her I was doing her groceries and I'd call her back. I still don't want to call her to talk tonight. I know she received her groceries and I just don't want to talk.

We are having huge thunderstorms and some rain but I don't know if it will be enough rain. I'm doing a quick load of pjs and they are in the dryer. Then I will shower and climb into bed. Kitty is very frightened, the poor little thing.

Congratulations on the new oven and getting your computer work done, Cm. Tillie I am worried. Grateful you got to see a patch of blue sky today.

This evening the air currents must have changed direction.
The smoke got so much thinner and I actually saw some BLUE SKY!!!
At 8pm a tiny breeze started up.
All today there was no air movement.
So thankful for this little break from that thick brown smoke.
California is still on fire but they may get some rain tomorrow.
Unfortunately that may come with more lightening.

Hi CriticalMass
Wishing Bunny Girl feels better very soon.🐰

Your Petunias are so lovely and such a variety of colors and shades. 🌺

WOW! a toaster convection oven!
Hope that inspires you two to prepare healthy gourmet meals all the time. 🥘🍲🍷

YEA! for getting the computer back up task done.
WTG! for keeping at it all that time. 🖥

Soon I will go outside and water the garden.
There is no breeze at all so it's still too hot. 😛

Poor Scooter, and Tillie, and poor people where those fires are and wherever the effects are being felt.

This, I hope, will be my last hurry hurry post for awhile. Because some things are resolving themselves.

My girl bunny is a little under the weather but not seriously I hope. She will eat hay but not her kibble or veggies. Yet she fights like a velociraptor if I try to hand feed her the sick bunny hay mush food. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

We got the microwave running fine. I checked the GFCI but actually what had happened was there was a grounded plug that my roommate forgot on the wall closer to the microwave cart, so that was the one to use. It was hard to reach, so I think she just didn't get the plug all the way in at first.

Not only that - but as we were looking at the microwaves she had gotten interested in those larger toaster convection ovens, and yesterday we ended up going back to purchase one of those to replace the small toaster oven! It's going to open up new possibilities.

And just now I was finally getting the backup from the computer external hard drive task completed after several days of trying. What a relief!

So, some logjams clearing away, and the prospect of much progress ahead, just got to get miss bunny back to normal.

Good Afternoon Everyone

I washed dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.
All animals have fresh water in clean bowls.

At 3:30pm I peaked out at the thermometer and it's 104F. 😛

No wonder it's a little bit warm in here 76F degrees
but that's still a really good temperature. 😀

House is all dark with the heavy insulated drapes closed.
Windows are all closed tight keeping smoke out.
The cats are all sleeping.

Will lay low in here until it cools down out there. 😉

Mornin... 🥱

Very quiet out there.
Not even the birds are making any sounds.

There are 560 fires burning in California.
At least another week of smoke coming my way.

Scooter is either very depressed or not feeling well, maybe both. He doesn't want to play with the toys and spends lots of time in the corner.
His eyes are very sore.

Laundry pile is growing taller.
But the kitchen is still clean.

At least it's been cooling off over night.
A pleasant 70F degrees in here at 8:45am. 😉

Good Morning Everybody
"Clink!"

Sure Tatoulia!
I have the ice cold pitcher right here.
And the deviled eggs are so good too. 🙂

No wonder you thought it was Marty since he became so sickly and I was always nursing him near the end.

So nice that you have cooler days mixed with the hot days.
You get a break and get your energy back up.

WAY TO GO!
Letting go of those books is so wonderful!
Things like that can be so hard and now you have changed so much you could do it so easily! (((HUG)))

So sweet of you to gift the ladies with pretty fashionable tote bags.
YEA! for continuing to fill donate bags too!

I'm sure you already have the perfect purse to start using.
When I don't have to drive or need a purse for my wallet and shopping list I really enjoy not carrying a purse. 😀
I only have one purse, a handmade tooled leather one I bought from the Guy who made it back in the late 1970s.

There is a thick smoke weather/health alert for the next 24 hours.
I sound like a virus victim with the horrible way I am coughing.
Glad I don't have to go out in public and scare everyone.
But they are all probably coughing too.
The high dry heat and heavy smoke is making me so weak and tired.
Praying for rain.
Roku is heaven sent to help pass the time until Autumn.
No ambitious plans until sundown when I will water the grass.

Tillie deviled eggs sound so delicious! What a treat! Oour me a glass of iced tea if you don't mind!

I had the wrong cat! Poor Scooter. You are so good to him, soothing his eyes.

It's amazing how much better I feel without that pathetic eyesore of a printer. I feel so much better!

Our heat will be creeping back up today. That's okay. I enjoyed our cooler days and am grateful for them,

I need to get to goodwill to this weekend, I went through two boxes of books in BF's basement, They are books from my childhood with an overarching theme of cats. Little golden books and others. I didn't even keep one, They are in the car now and ready to be donated. About five years ago, I went through the box and was having problems. So he brought up a box and it took me not even four minutes. Then he brought another one up and that took even less time, so I need to donate those ASAP. They are in my car. I'll carrying the clothes up today too.

I had ordered tote bags for a couple of the neighborhood ladies who sit outside and watch the world go by, I dropped them off at one lady's house last night. She'll be stoop sitting with the other lady tonight so they'll have their tote bags. They had admired my tote bag and when I told them that the artist had redone them in a more inclusive fashion by using a dark skinned woman figure, I asked them if I could treat them to the tote bags. So that was great fun, I like the dark skinned woman version better but alas I need no more tote bags so I will enjoy my original one til it's time to pass it along.

I have two other tote bags to wash and donate in my batch of things. I'm going to have to start carrying a purse again. I need to up my game. I'll feel better.

Okay back to work. Today started with a 9 AM meeting.

Hi Tatoulia

WAY TO GO! with laundry and mailing packages and working on another donation bag!

Amazing on how just removing an eyesore can improve outlooks so much.

Marty had healthy eyes.
It's Scooter who has the weak sickly eyes and they are looking so painful today.
I soothe them with a cool wet washcloth and he just lays there appreciating it.
He has been keeping his eyes closed as much as possible, cuddling and napping.

Have fun doing your laundry 😀
Mine is starting to pile up because I won't hang it out in the smoke.
I'm really looking forward to when I can freshen up my blanket.
Sharing the blanket with Scooter every night it needs regular washing. 😾

I made deviled eggs using up my last 7 eggs.
Then I decided I needed to eat so had an English muffin.
Need to brew more raspberry zinger tea with some fresh squeezed lemon now.
So refreshing ;D

Good Afternoon Subclinical

So happy your Dd's talked things over!
I do understand the in-laws coming being a downer.
At least they will have the RV.

WAY TO GO! for all those beans dehydrating and icecream mix cooling.

LOL yes, company coming we need to remember to dress adequately. 😀

Goats are the best way to control weeds and grasses.
Would be nice if people returned to simpler solutions and away from damaging chemical use.

After the final late Autumn cutting of the alfalfa here the ranchers/farmers fill the fields with cattle who munch the alfalfa down, churn up the soil with their hooves and drop fertilizer all around.

Fed cats & refilled water bowls.
Haven't done much else.
Have the house all buttoned up tight and drapes shut.
2pm so I guess I will get moving now. 😉

I thought I had posted earlier today but apparently I had not. Probably something I started but didn't finish.

Am doing a bit of laundry now. Sheets. Good to get those done. I do love my new washer.

SubC glad that you have been able to work things out so that you won't have to lose out on seeing the baby!

Cm good luck with the microwave.

So I am keeping up with things pretty well right now. I took a package to ups to send off and I'm making another bag of donations. I might run the donations up to the car tonight.

I'm doing better these days, which I completely attribute to having the printer out of my way.

Tillie, I remember how you used to take care of Marty's eyes with the smoke and fire.

Good afternoon!

A thought on that outlet - is it connected to a gfci? The old microwave might have tripped it when it caught fire.

I love the rain garden idea. - someday. I do not have the time and energy right now.

I have been watching videos on no till and regenerative forestry using goats while I worked in the kitchen today. I have the dehydrator running nearly full of beans (my steamer doesn't blanch quite enough to fill it in one go) and ice cream mix cooling in the fridge.

The dishwasher is running for the second time, but the house is still a mess.

Dh made me cry not on purpose this morning and I think he understands better Now. Then apparently Dd1 had a long discussion with Dd2, and Dd2 called me and I think we are all understanding each other better now. Still not looking forward to my inlaws. But I will try to focus on things I can enjoy this weekend.

Oops - gotta go start a wash! I just remembered I need clean shorts without holes in them for the next three days!

Welp.

Got the new microwave home, roommate plugged it in, and said the cord had no power. So now we're troubleshooting. But she got called to go online for her work suddenly so it's all on hold. Sigh.

I pray we don't have electrical problems. We don't need that kind of hassle right now. Hopefully it's just something with the cord not being plugged in properly. I hope.

Good Morning Everyone
Cough cough cough...

Hi Subclinical
That rain garden workshop sounds very interesting.
After being in a major flood in the San Francisco bay area I always make sure I live on high enough ground to never flood again.

So very sorry you have to worry about Dh social distancing.
Breaks my heart to think you may have to quarantine away from Bean. (((HUG)))

Really hope Dh wakes up and realizes his actions affect everyone.

Hi CriticalMass
Have you been resting your eyes away from computer screens? 😀

That's unsettling, a flame in the microwave.
One night Steven was heating his dinner and the microwave blew up.
Actually went BANG! and blew up with sparks and smoke.

Your new microwave problem could possibly just be that outlet.
The old microwave may have burned it out.
Replacing an outlet is a very easy fix, I could do it for you.
Light switches and outlets DO wear out over time and need replacing.

I must have been exhausted cause I slept until 10:30am.
The smoke rolled back in and the air is a thick brown haze again.
Absolutely no plans until sundown when I need to water the garden.

A positive spin on all the choking smoke...
everybody is forced to stay inside so maybe the virus spread will be greatly reduced.
Quarantining away from the smoke is something people do willingly.
Quarantining away from a microscopic virus is something they argue against.

Hi

Quick quick update

Yesterday roommate had a doctor appt which gave some info that will shape a surgery decision but there is another doctor to see before things will get firmed up.

Last night the microwave had flame in it so today we will get a new one. We're just fussy that way.

I have a computer thing I may need to go to the library to do so I've been checking if it will be safe.

I'll get the backlog of your posts read soon and make a more detailed one.

Good morning.

I can't imagine living in a place where fire is basically part of the weather. I just got an email from the soil and water conservation district alerting me to a free rain garden workshop. They want to help people capture and slow the runoff to avoid erosion and flooding.

I grew up in a coastal area. I understand flooding. My home is on high ground. (Which doesn't mean the basement never floods - it has.)

I've seen a house burn, it was awing. I've seen a field burnt on purpose. I can't imagine even dozens of acres burning at once.

I have to clean up the house today.

Dd and I are both stressed about this weekend. She more than I. If Dh doesn't keep his distance from dd2 properly, I won't be able to go back and see the baby for two weeks.

This is going to be very stressful and no fun at all.

Tillie I am worried for you and the cats. Is there anything at all that I can do for you? I know how you are self sufficient but of course I need to worry. I'm good at worrying.

(((((HUGS))))) Tatoulia
Thank you for worrying about me and the cats. 🙂

We will be alright.
The evaporative cooler filters the incoming air through the wet excelsior pads and reduces the indoor smoke, making it more bearable.

Northern California is burning.
Videos are terrifying.
People we know are losing their homes and cats.

The smoke here is irritating but knowing why is depressing.
Compared to their problems, mine are so small.

Just took a refreshing shower and the cooler blowing on my wet hair feels so good. 🙂

Looked at a map of wildfires and there are so many burning in northern California right now.
There is one active fire in Nevada to the East of me and another one farther away to the West.
The air is so thick with smoke coming in from the West.
My eyes hurt.
It's dark outside with a creepy looking orange sun that you can just look straight at without burning out your eyeballs.

As soon as our work happy hour is over, I need to take a nap. We had big raindrops for all of 30 seconds here,

Hope you are having a very nice restful nap with no bad dreams and with a Kitty napping with you.

YEA! for your 30 seconds of big rain drops!
You officially got more rain than I've gotten all Summer. 🙁

The smoke has gotten much thicker here.
Cough, cough, cough...........
Too dangerous to be outside for more than a few quick minutes with the smoke & heat.
Really hoping the wind can start this evening and help clear out the air so I can get out and water.
Tonight the grass is scheduled for watering.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
YEA! for the cleaning Fairies!!!
Another fresh clean start every time they come. 🏰

So wonderful moving the printer is not a big long drawn out ordeal to get out & put back. 😊

The "secret" to storing anything is to make it as easy as possible to get out to use and easy to put back when done. 🧚‍♀️

That spitting rain is kinda annoying.
Have the hose slowly watering a tree.
Fed lots of cats canned food breakfast but they are lying that I didn't.
Been tidying up a bit and keeping up with washing dishes to keep the sink area clear.
Having some coughing fits due to the poor air quality.
They have issued another warning about excessive heat danger.
So I am staying inside with the cooler running, cats and birds have lots of fresh water.
Later taters 🥔

SubC! Congratulations on your 30 year anniversary! So happy for you! I love your celebration! Sounds like great fun. I used to have a girlfriend who would go to a McDonald's drive-thru to christen her new care. I got to go once!

Cleaners have come and gone. The doctors are out of town so when she went upstairs to clean their house, I gave her their bag of mail and packages. So happy with the printer being out of my way. And it took under 30 seconds to put it back. What an absolute relief.

Okay back to work. It's spitting rain here. Nothing to write home about.