June?!!

I have no idea how many weeks we have been on quarantine, but things are starting to open up. Which in many ways is nice - and in many ways, scary as all get out.

This months has been a very busy month. I swear, if my husband tells me he is "bored" this month, I might have to, I don't know what, cause bodily harm I guess!

1. The house has been repainted AND I AM THRILLED with how it looks!

2. Husband has:

    1. repainted the lamp post, cleaned the glass inserts, replaced the lightbulb

    2. repainted the sorry looking mailbox

    3. dug out the other two plants that he hated so much

    4. replaced the front door light (which of course ended up in not 1, not 2, but THREE trips to Home depot and a hardware store

    5. replaced the 2 ancient and falling off lights on the patio

    6. replaced the house numbers on the garage

We also got new gutters - we did not replace any because they were still good, but added to the 3 sides of the back of the house that badly needed them.

And tomorrow or Saturday we are having the horribly overgrown oak trees trimmed, and the 2 dead palm trees (dead because of the oak trees probably) removed.

He is working on getting a shed put into the back yard. His idea of the size he needs, and mine greatly differ. It feels like the shed he is looking at is going to be taller than the house! And since we have so much house paint left over, he will paint the shed to match the house.

We took a last minute trip to Gilroy to look at and discuss sheds. Missed out on an online class I really wanted to take. But most importantly - I did not have time to change clothes and boy it was warm in Gilroy! Only mid 80's but I was dressed for the foggy/sunny day here!

BEST NEWS EVER - I got to go to Barnes & Noble! I wanted to go to the needlework shop too but he didn't give me time or notice to plan for that

So these are the new lights on the patio. We both really love them

The oaks (there are FOUR of them) will be trimmed - and you can barely see the palms that will be removed

The new house numbers are on the post area between the garage doors. And we also got a new screen door. But I love this serene color! So much better than the faded yellow, and peeling green trim!

I found a photo of our very first trailer - before the axle broke!

So now we have this empty space to fill right under the living room window. Hubby wants rose bushes - which I remind him will also need to be trimmed, and which will (hopefully) attract bees - which he hates!

Our first squash - which is long gone! So tender and good. There are 4 more on the plant - lots of tomatoes - a couple of cucumbers - and I have already had to put a second layer of dirt over my potatoes. The carrots and lettuce were total failures, who knows why. The beans are growing, but slowly. And the artichoke is growing. We will hopefully get an artichoke or two from it next year!

My regrown celery is growing, and I have a 2d one planted. One avocado put out roots and looks like a stem is slowly making its way out. I have 2 more pits in water - 1 is starting  to split, so I am hopeful for it!

End of 7th Week

We started Stay At Home on the evening of March 6. Before it became mandatory. It feels like so long ago....but like parents of toddlers, the days are long but the weeks are short.

As retirees, is anything different? Yes and no. What is different you say? Our camping trips, in April and in May (and realistically in June) have been cancelled. My husband is no longer doing his volunteer work, and no longer able to play golf. He is BORED.....me? Not so much. I miss not being able to go to my favorite 2d hand stores. but since there is a dearth of book stores down here, I have been missing going to them since last June.

Oh yes - we have learned to Zoom! Have been having a weekly Zoom meeting with the girls - with flyby glimpses of the grandkids!

Today I was wishing I had kept count of all the books I have read in this time. I went through my donation bag, but I am not sure that there weren't books in that bag prior to this. I came up with the number 28. Plus there may be a couple of kindle books to add in there.

I have finished stitching several UFOs. And started and finished 2 new projects.

When I figure out how to finish these, they will go in the trailer!

I knit 3 sweaters (photos posted in previous posts), a pair of socks (and misplaced a pair of socks in progress), started several other projects.

Joined the "Ramp Up To Camp" challenge at The Loopy Ewe. We have one month to finish a project that is a minimum of 400 yards.

We have planted tomatoes, radishes, a zuchinni, a cucumber, an artichoke; now we have added carrots, lettuce, and bush beans, and a few sunflowers. 

Today we got to watch one dog who desperately wanted to get the gophers he was able to hear under the ground - under the weed block and the bark. I just dearly would like to know what he would do if he was able to catch one!

Oh, and cant forget the other one - whose job was apparently to look pretty!

And also vaccuumed, dusted, did 3 loads of laundry, vaccuum, stripped and remade bed, and vaccuumed. 

Now wonder what is on the schedule for tomorrow???

Masks

I don't sew well enough, or enjoy sewing enough, to attempt to sew a mask.
Plus I gave away most of my material before we moved ….

So I have resisted jumping on the mask bandwagon.

Until someone posted a knitted mask today that she has been making for her son-in-law, a doctor.
And I, surprisingly, have time on my hands and a brand new skein of cotton yarn sitting right in front of me.

https://pearlofcivilization.net/2006/09/25/paging-a-doctor-of-some-kind/?fbclid=IwAR0mHrXBxKx2Nc_zNXKkjOFPBfl-tvCcFd9BOfXRwXHZ3r23Q7UB6TeQIjo

so why not? It does not take long at all. Very easy...the most difficult part was trying to determine how long to make the ear loops.

So I made one. And I am not thrilled. I went down a needle size, but the cotton did not make a dense enough fabric to make it useful, in my opinion. I must say, it is far more comfortable than the Home Depot type masks we have been using when we are out shopping! And I could see using this as a 2d layer over the procedure masks. Maybe a different type yarn would be better. Not sure I am going to experiment with that right now...but who knows? I might....

And yes, I am desperate for a haircut!

2d Semester Grad School at TLE Academy Completed!

So I have finished my 3 projects for the Sweater Major for the Grad School at TLE (The Loopy Ewe Academy).

 This is my "adult sweater". Which totally did challenge me! I think it is maybe the 3d adult sweater I have ever made. The first sleeve was too loose and wide; so I had to "re write" the pattern for me....tried it out with the 2d sleeve and liked it. So then had to rip out the first sleeve and reknit it.

Then I did the most stupid thing I have ever done - and that was cut my woven in ends BEFORE I washed it. So I ended up with 3 holes. I darned 2 in the center back (and yes, I can see them in the photo). But to fix the gigantic one in the back lace section, I had to rip out the front/neck band, and rip out the bottom all the way to above the lace. This time around I changed the very bottom to match the sleeve cuffs and the neck band, which made me happier

 This was the "sweater with pockets". It will go into a winter box for Pine Ridge Reservation

And this is the "summer sweater". IF there is a county fair this year, it will be entered. And then sometime or other it will probably be donated to charity too.

I am thrilled that I was able to finish 3 sweaters in LESS than the time allotted! Of course, 2 of them being kids sweaters helped a lot. But even so - essentially knitting my sweater twice (it went into time out for several weeks until I was able to handle the stupid mistake I made and continue from there).

I think I have the confidence that now, with retirement and all, I can actually attempt a sweater, and actually complete it in a timely manner!

Holy? Moly Saturday

It started out nice.
Not as sunny as I expected, but not windy.
So we went for our walk early this morning which was nice.
And yay - then we showered!!!

After a break, and after lunch decided to bake the cake husband requested for Easter.
Remember those words - husband requested!

It is the Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake.

So I got out the raisins - oh my, we are almost out of raisins! - and put them to soak.

Went to the freezer to get the walnuts. Hmmm, no walnuts. Apparently said husband has used them all and failed to mention.....even though every time we go to the grocery store he has to comment on the price....ok, I can make it with pecans. I have a bag and 1/2 of them....

Then went to get the pineapple. I specifically remember buying it. I look on the shelves outside, cant find it, come in and look through each and every cabinet, cant find it. Go back outside, cant find it.

So I ask husband - where is it? I dunno, did you look?
Getting close to that last nerve are we?????

So he went outside and looked. And came inside and looked. And went back outside and looked. And was looking through 3 grocery bags he had never unpacked. Nope, not there. So I said, did we forget to bring a bag in from the car?

Supposedly he went out and checked the car and the truck.

So I went outside and started going through those 3 bags, complaining (of course) about them not being emptied. So I emptied them as I went....and lo and behold - there was the can of pineapple.

But wait!!! There's more!!

The cabinets in the kitchen are so high that I cannot even get anything from the second shelf without a stool - and can only get from the 3d shelf if something is right on the edge. He had put the bag of sugar (because of course you cant fill up the sugar container when you empty it....) on the 3d shelf. So I asked him to come get it down for me......which he did along with a box of Rice Krispies.

A box he had opened. A box he had put up on the shelf. A box which then opened and spewed Rice Krispies everywhere - including in the 1.5 cups of oil in the mixing bowl......yep. In the oil. During quarantine time when you cant just pop out to get any more....

I have now swept the floor 4 times and there are still Rice Krispies appearing from places. Including the 2d shelf on the cabinet when I went to get the flour....

And then I had to ask him to get down the chopper because of course the pecans were pecan halves. And he "couldn't find it". He looked everywhere. In every cabinet and drawer. And then I said, well never mind, give me the hand chopper. Turns out he was looking for the hand chopper (which is still MIA) and ignoring the 2 electric ones on the 3d shelf in the cabinet....

Oh my. If this cake turns out edible it will be a miracle!

PS. Apparently all this trouble I caused for him has made him tired, because he is now napping.....while I am still cleaning up Rice Krispies.....

I'm Tired

Did not sleep well last night, wide awake way too early this morning.
Why? Who knows... once I am awake enough that my mind starts working, it is hard to turn it off again.

After a few days of lovely sunshine - and wicked winds - it is a dreary weekend with more rain forecast.

So dragging my butt around today, I have done 2 loads of laundry. And did my daily Doggie Doody hunt (always successful!). And now I am too restless just to sit and watch TV - and if I sit and read I know I will fall asleep. So I feel a little like the ball in a pinball machine....bouncing around and not getting much of anything accomplished.

Went out to the trailer yesterday to put the 2020 tags on it - before we lost them! And then we decided to take a drive to Carmel - through the town and along the beach. I have NEVER in my life seen so many empty parking spaces! LOL

And the beach was pretty empty too - mainly singles and couples walking their dogs, with a couple of family groups thrown into the mix. Carmel River Beach was very empty - with the parking lot closed off.

But so much construction going on. New Stay-At-Home orders came out this week with guidelines about no construction. Apparently no one policing it yet. I could understand one new house - it looked as though they were trying to get a roof on. But another one had maybe 6 or more guys walking up the driveway together to get to work....an no, they were not 6' apart. And neither was a landscaping crew taking a break. Now, I get it, there really wasnt a lot of room to spread out around their truck - but they could have done a little better!

And here is the long suffering Ralph putting up with Bella who is not so subtly trying to push him off "her" couch!

Your Mind Can Do You In

I have thought I have been very calm about all of this. But yesterday proved that I can be as stressed as everyone else...It is amazing how your mind can fight itself and try to bring you down.

Wednesday we spoke to the people at CVS and went to get our second shingles shot.
And this one HURT so much more than the first one did. It really did. First of all, he placed it higher on my arm than I was ever taught to do. And his procedure is probably text book but so painful. First of all he does not let the alcohol dry before he gives it...and then he placed the end of the needle against the skin and oh so very very slowly pushed it in, very very slowly. And injected the fluid in slowly which made it feel thick and viscous, whether it is or not. I was taught quick and smooth, not slow....but that is me. I was also taught 2 - 3 finger below the shoulder - my finger is a little fat, so he placed it slightly less than one finger breadth below.

Went home, kept moving that arm as I have been taught. And it didn't hurt, and I had full movement.

Then Friday when I woke up I rolled over and OH MY did it hurt - it felt like someone had socked me really really hard. But still did not hurt moving it.

So we went out to the trailer to check on it - took some items out - did a mouse hunt (apparently our friend Mitch keeps the mice away from our trailer by having them all visit his trailer!!!!). Came home - it was sunny out - went for our walk.

Later in the afternoon hubby started watching TV and so I went into the bedroom to try and catch up with Call the Midwife - after hearing that the new season starts Sunday! I just got into Season 7. And laying there, I started feeling just not good.

And one side of the mind wants to go immediately to - I HAVE THE VIRUS! And the other side is saying, calm down, it is most likely just a reaction to the vaccine. So you lay there going through the symptoms

• Ok, slight headache - wait, I get a headache when I get a fever - but it isn't a bad headache, just a slight one...
• I feel a little shivery - could be a fever building? Could be because we keep the room cold?
• My hands are really cold which makes my face feel really warm

So what is it?? I decided to try and distract myself. Then I needed to go out to make the corn muffins for dinner and husband looks at me and says - I am starting to not feel good.

So of course my mind immediately jumps back to - WE HAVE THE VIRUS!

Take a deep breath - stop - tell husband to get the thermometer (hmm, I am hungry - isn't one of the symptoms lack of appetite, loss of taste and smell?). So we take our temperatures - his is 97.6 and mine 98.1. Ok, so I asked husband and he said, well, I used my inhaler but it hasn't helped as much as I thought. So I told him to go take an allergy pill. Yes, people, that allergy pill removed all of his symptoms and he felt, and still feels fine.

After dinner I decided to put ice on my arm. It was warm and red, I figured the ice couldn't hurt

So I left the ice on for about 1/2 hour. And it felt better.

By the time we went to bed, it looked and felt much better. And I felt better - I didnt feel like I was coming down with anything at all!

Although last night when I turned over and laid right on my arm it still hurt a bit - but even this morning I feel a lot better!

And I did allow 1/2 of my mind blow a raspberry at the other half!!!

So it is easy to understand how people panic because of everything we see and hear  and semi-learn about.