A Whole Lot of Nothing!

A special thanks to Mary, Tippy, and Rhonda T who commented on my last post. I can rest in knowing that the comment section actually works and the directions seem to be correct. So, feel free to comment on anything you read or just let me know what you're doing. I've already gotten two book recommendations, so it's a great way to share ideas and information.

I hope this finds you and yours safe and well in this unusual and perilous time. I've touched base with friends in the UK, Spain, France, and Australia. Everyone is well and seems to be going through much the same experience as here in the US, with the exception of having reliable leadership!  While some elements of the government are pushing to open businesses, most neighbors and friends I've talked to plan to stay put long enough to see whether or not there will be a second wave. Even after that, my feeling is that people will still be reticent to be in crowded restaurants, theaters, etc. There will definitely be a new normal!

The last week has had a degree of normalcy to it. After our Drinking Liberally group had our Zoom meeting last week, David asked if he could come over for his Rosie fix. He brought over a sandwich and I had my vegetarian grub at lunchtime. He then had some playtime with Rosie, which she loved. 

As Rosie and I were out walking one day, I mentioned to a neighbor that I had borrowed a jigsaw puzzle from another neighbor and was enjoying working on it. He said they had plenty to share. That afternoon his wife called and invited me over for happy hour and to pick up some puzzles. So, I went over on Thursday and had what felt like a normal evening, even with keeping appropriate social distancing.

Then, yesterday I invited Lynn, Tom, and Bogey over so Rosie and Bogey could have a play date. It forced me to tidy up the house, appear presentable, and actually make an effort toward something. It was fun to see Bogey learn his way around the house - it was almost like he was being yanked around by his nose! Over time he settled down and delighted in the fact that he could hop up on the sofa (I ordered covers at the time I bought the sofas because I know Rosie would be on them!) By the end of the evening he was sleeping on the sofa between Lynn and Tom. We had a nice visit and it's something I should do more often. Those interactions almost made it feel like normal times.


Zoom has made it possible to get together with friends and see their smiling faces. Ann, Eileen, and I are trying to get together this Wednesday morning (my time). Later that day, our local Squad (Chris, Tippy, Lynn and Tom, David, Rhonda) + Sally in NJ and Melodee in St. Louis will get together for happy hour. Sally suggested we all do Clorox shots together!! That did make me laugh but I think I'll leave that to the Cult!!

In the time it has taken me to do this much, the neighbor I
borrowed it from has done FOUR 1000 piece puzzles!
I'm not sure I have the knack!!

Yes, I started a jigsaw puzzle and have enjoyed it. It's great because you can leave it and come back as time allows; in fact, it is better to leave it for a while and come back with fresh eyes. I'm using it as bribery - if there is something I need to get done, I can't work on the puzzle until the job is done. We'll see how long that works! This puzzle is only 500 pieces and the two I was given are 1000. That will keep me out of trouble for a long time. 

The other thing I've been doing is binge-watching some escapist series on Acorn (The Indian Doctor, The Good Karma Hospital, The Heart Guy). Two that I've really enjoyed are Ackley Bridge and Geroge Gently. Neither are current but they are timelessly produced with great plots and storylines. Jan has also recommended Caliphate on Netflix. That may be next on my list once I catch up on Bosch's new season. You would be correct in thinking that I'm not doing anything productive. I do get little bits and pieces done but not as much as I feel I should be accomplishing. It is what it is!! Let me know if you have any great series that you've enjoyed watching.

My mother would say that I"ve "gone to seed!" Rosie and I are taking our own sweet time getting up and out in the morning. As soon as we get home, I remove any restrictive garments and slob around for the rest of the day (until I walk Rosie again) in something loose and comfortable.  My hair hasn't been cut in 6 weeks and I'm doing less and less to it. Tomorrow I'm going to cut the neckline myself and just let it do what it will. I've actually always wanted to just let it grow and see what would happen and how little I could get away with doing to it. Now seems to be the time to do it! And, of course, there has been a lot of comfort food. I posted this picture on my fridge and all it does is make me laugh as I open the fridge door. At the rate I'm going I can just throw away my entire closet and start over again.

This may be more than you need to know, but something has been biting me over the last few days. It started around my growing waistline, then moved up my right side (2 more bites). I know it was a bite because the new bites had a dark center and then red inflammation emanating from that.....and itching. It was far enough around toward my back that I couldn't really see too much, then yesterday the bite was on my stomach. As I was applying alcohol to it, I noticed that the dark center lifted a bit - it was a tiny tick!! I removed that little sucker and am hoping that is the end of that. 

One positive thing that has come from this pandemic and that I've enjoyed seeing, is our planet recovering and the animals having more space as we are forced to have a smaller footprint. There should be no doubt that our lifestyle negatively impacts the planet, climate, etc. My hope is that as we define the new normal we will be willing to make some changes that will benefit us all in the future.

And finally, we continue to have glorious weather. Today was sunny, the mid-70s, and a wonderful breeze. Our winter was mild and it feels like we are having a long spring. Some/many years it feels like we have a week of spring and then one morning you wake up and it's 95F and 95% humidity - for the next two months. This year has been beautiful.

I will leave you with a little Rosie time. You are all in my thoughts - stay safe and well.

Passing Time in Quarantine!

This is what happens when I don't have an
appropriate photo!!

We have all had time to settle into our "social distancing" situation, and I have probably settled in better than most. That is possibly an advantage of having no siblings and being accustomed to amusing myself. Being at home has never been boring for me, though I'm sorry it has been imposed in this way. One of the first few days, I ventured to the DMV to get my Real ID license, which had been on my To-Do list for a long time. If there were a lot of people there, I would just skip it, but there were only about three people in front of me. They had everyone wait outside, keeping appropriate distancing, and someone came to ask why you were there. As it turned out, I didn't have everything I needed, so the lady gave me the form to fill out. The DMV is directly across Hwy 278 from me, so I went home, filled out the form, picked up my Social Security card, and headed back. This time there were two people in front of me but I had everything in order and she sent me right on in. I was happy to get it done AND they extended my license, which was due to expire in 2023, to 2028! 

I've had one take out from Olive and Fig and coffee with Lynn and Tom twice. It's great to have neighbors to get together with, and Rosie and Bogey like getting together, too! Other than that, it's been only grocery shopping, complete with mask and gloves. 

The Instacart grocery shopping experience was interesting. At the time I did it, you had to plan three days out. Now it is five days out, so it is obviously catching on. My initial delivery order had a $7.99 delivery fee, but once I added a few things that brought the charge to a certain amount, the fee dropped to $3.99, which I thought was very reasonable. I could add things virtually until she started shopping. If items were running low, the app would inquire about substitutions at that time. If an item was not in stock while the shopping was being done, the shopper would inquire online about preferred substitutions. I enjoyed seeing how it worked and it can certainly be a worthwhile service.

I'm happy to report that Rosie seems to be feeling better over the last 7 to 10 days. It is so difficult to tell how she is or to determine whether or not I'm overacting. In any case, you can see that her tail and ears are up and she's playing with a squeaky toy. None of that was happening when she was in pain. You may also notice that I have a chair (2) backed up to the bed to keep her from jumping. Not liking that setup, I found a pet bedrail online. It is a neat contraption and works well - and it looks a bit better than the chairs. She has learned how to get on and OFF the bed using the ramp, which may partially account for her feeling better. Keep your fingers crossed that this continues.

My other project is to purge my closet (which I began 10 days ago and continue on an irregular schedule!) and clean the garage, but every day I have it on my To-Do list, I find something else to do! I really do want to get it done while I have time. Keep your fingers crossed for this one, too!

The Squad (Tippy, Chris, Lynn, Melodee, Sally, and I) have gotten together once on Zoom and it was lots of fun to see and chat with everyone. On the free version, you are limited to 40 minutes and we used that easily. Last night, Drinking Liberally Zoomed for happy hour on our usual day and time. About twelve or so "old-timers" showed up for an animated chat. It was good to see everyone, but I missed Juan's Mexican food!

I don't want to put a kenahora on it, but we continue to have fantastic weather. I can't remember the last time I heard the AC or heating running and it's wonderful to get up in the morning to a perfect temperature. With everyone locked down, more neighbors are out walking, riding bikes, etc.....and much less auto traffic. The neighborhood is quieter and slower. I've been touched by several neighbors who stopped me to ask how I am doing. They hadn't seen me in a while and were concerned. That's comforting in times like this.

The pandemic and the three trump years leading up to it have shown me how much my life has changed. When this is over, we will never go back to "normal", whatever that was, and I've been thinking about what I want my remaining years to be. I'd like to live at a pace that is more comfortable for me (slower). I'd like to be able to appreciate more of the people and things around me and on this wonderful planet. And most of all, I'd like to exist in a kinder, more compassionate world.

PLAY ALONG: 

• What have you discovered in this time of quarantine? 
• What revelations have you had about reaching the other side of this pandemic?
• What changes do you hope to make when this is over?

Let me know your thoughts in comments below.
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Love to all!

Stay Safe and Well.