Daily Notes- July 10th

                                        

We reverted to Old Blogger again.  Same problem of inserting a photo.  Nothing has changed since yesterday.  It's been 17 weeks now of COVID 19.   Being inside in July is quite different than being inside in March.

The Peach Trees are being watered.  I just finished the back garden.  Husband is having his Annual doctor's visit in the actual office with the doctor.  We made his list of things to discuss.  This is the first time in awhile that I haven't gone along, but it's the Annual Exam- no clothes- so I said he could go by himself.  His doctor could call and speak to me if he felt he needed to do that.

My bank called to express concern that they had gotten a cancelled check and the signature didn't look right and it was an account with very little (no) activity.  They read the name and amount and I said it was for my haircut.  And I expressed my appreciation that they had called to check.  And I will try to sign the check more carefully next time.  I think I write five checks a year out of that account- mostly for Birthday and Christmas checks for my son and daughter.  This time, a haircut.  It's my "getaway" account for if I ever need/want to pack up and run away from home.  Disappear.

And yes, that is a true statement not just creative thinking.  I've had the account for over 40 years. It's really quite comforting to know it's there.

We might have waited too long to get the window AC units installed.  A bit more humid than usual in the house right now.  Was very hot and sunny but now clouds are arriving.  It might rain.

I added vinegar to the copper pipe this morning and soaked two rectangles of cloth.  Then layered each with sweet fern fronds.  Rolled and tied and into a plastic bag and out into the sun.  Rather than the steamer kettle.  Let them marinate out in the sun with the deck under them- very hot deck surface.

We have run out of things to eat.  I changed to Monday to shop and today is Friday.  I could cook. but I am not enthusiastic.  Could make grilled cheese sandwiches?  Husband has suggested a Firehouse Sub.  We'll see.

Two 7-2 rulings from Supreme Court.  Mr. Barr must be soiling his extra wide suit pants.

Daily Notes- July 9th

An Act of Bravery 

A diver off of Numble Light experienced difficulty in the open waters.  One man ran out on the rocks to help and then eight complete strangers formed a line and helped pull the man to safety.

A woman who comes to Maine from Ohio each summer was crocheting Christmas Stockings nearby and happened to see what was happening and took this photo.  It is everywhere.

It says so much about Humanity.

Not the unkindness of the White House.  He would never stretch a hand to help anyone but himself.

But the real kindness and humanity of the American People

Let's all reach out a hand to someone in need today.

WEAR YOUR MASK.

I had already watered the back vegetable garden when it decided to rain here in Maine.

All day the sky was cloudy and sunny.  Hard to say if it would actually rain.

But it did.  And there was thunder. And much needed rain. I love thunder. Rolling thru the sky.

Rain in the Summer here in Maine is never a sure thing.

I am reminded of the years living in the burbs of Chicago.

And the RAIN.  It would pour down. But it was also so very hot and humid. 

I had my very very BEST vegetable gardens in the burbs of Chicago.

Here in Maine it's a struggle.

Husband and I finished re- padding and covering the last two chair seats for our friend Patty.

I cut the floral fabric so all three match.

It was one of those procrastination things on my list.  But, as usual, the putting off took so much longer than the actual doing of the task. I try to remember that as I procrastinate.

So far, it isn't working.

My jar of rusty metal things and vinegar is bubbling over and has stained the wood of the cupboard where the jar sat, one of my white camp shirts (very sad) but just a small spot, 

and now I have the jar in the "traveling solo" crockpot liner.  Already brown in color.

Should have put the jar there in the first place.

I have a piece of cloth soaking up any future overflows.

The plastic storage bag of walnut hulls is also leaking.

And the Sweet Fern daughter brought me wants to be steamed onto cloth with copper water. 

It is reported that this makes a really lovely earthy green.

But first the copper pipe the Plumber left for me and some of my store of vinegar.

To use because I do not own a copper pot.

It's time.

To eco print cloth. 

July.

Daily Notes- July 8th

A little patch work made from one inch squares (finished).  I looked thru the scraps and found just enough of the floral to make the borders.  Just enough and turned wrong side up.  Once a long time ago a woman read my palm. She said I would always have "just enough- but never more".

That Reading has always made me feel sad. But I made do with "just enough".

But the good news here is that in the basket at the bottom left of the Little Closet in the Sewing Room there was a lovely pale pink linen blouse (from Goodwill) which was the right shade of pink.  

This tiny square will get pink borders next time I sew.

My Master Gardener Friend is wanting her chair seats back- reupholstered. So I need to get going and finish that project.  I have one done and we stopped there as there was no way to attach the seats to the chairs.  So why do the other two if I was going to have to remove the covering from the one sample seat I had recovered?  Anyway that was my feeling.  

She must be thinking having the newly covered seats unattached is okay.

The only way to attach them is to make holes in the new covering and padding.

My husband is all for that.  I am not.  Perhaps it is Time to just walk away from the project.

Let my friend and my husband do what they want.  Make holes. I also worry about the screw tips poking thru to people's behinds sitting on the chairs.

Being a person who is always fighting to control things- because so much- all of my Life- 

has been "out of my control" has made me very uncertain of Life situations-

cutting holes in the fabric is quite symbolic of how things have gone for me.

I will cover the two remaining seats and then hand over the whole project and walk away.

I do a lot of walking away.  Too much. But standing and fighting .....too hard these days.

And I will be careful when sitting on my friend's chairs.

Daily Notes- July 7th

I baked a pie today.  I had rhubarb in the fridge and I had made a two crust pie crust recipe a few days ago and tucked it into the fridge.  And today I made the pie.

The first rhubarb pie was gorgeous.  The second not so good and quite mushy.

This third pie was baked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes and 375 for the last 10.  I went by smell. 

The pie smelled like it was baking at too hot a temp.  The crust.

Which is now "golden brown and crispy" as is the butter, flour and sugar crumble on top.

The pie dish is described as a "deep dish" so I used the entire two crust pie dough recipe.

We like crust. Especially those crispy crimped edges.

Yesterday it seemed like the best day so far to cut the grass.  Cooler, shady and a gentle breeze.

I did the major bits with the mulching lawn mower.  I got nice lines in the front.

The back was pretty tall over the septic field so that slowed me down.

And now it's done and I marked the wall calendar with a green sharpie- drew grass.

To indicate how many days it actually should be between cuttings. 

And I got a strawberry sundae at DQ.  We have to time the cutting so DQ is still open. 

The ice cream is a strong motivator for me.

Husband and I filled out our absentee ballots for the primary today.

The Town paid the postage.  Which isn't an issue for us but I guess it is for others.

My daughter wants me to inventory my Pandemic Supplies because things will be worse this Winter.

But I have always known that it would be.  Worse.  Just look at Texas and Florida.

Just so they could hang out in bars, get drunk and "hook up" for sex.

Well,  dumb asses was it worth it?   What is your life worth?