Daily Notes July 16th

Yesterday at Goodwill.  

Six soft white very large napkins.

And as I was taking the picture I noticed the embroidered S.

Meant to be, I guess.  

One dollar each.

They might be Damask or they might be Rayon.  i'm okay with either.

There is a heavy sadness in my heart.

The Deer came and ate my tomato plants out on the driveway.

Any tomatoes this year will have to be grocery or farm stand tomatoes.

Some of the plants are still standing though heavily damaged.

I put up cloth that would protect the back sides and edges from the deer going forward.

The fluttering cloth disturbs them.

I just couldn't put them in the compost bins.

I cried. Really, it got to be noisy sobbing.

Tending the growing plants thru the early days of the Pandemic until now had been good therapy.

Now it just all feels........I can't put it into words.

So I will stop typing for today. It's hard to see with wet eyes, anyway.

Daily Notes- July 15th

Basil growing out on the deck.  Next to the Fig Tree which is starting to make a new crop of figs.

This is actually the best Basil I have ever grown- so now I've jinxed it.

I need to pinch out the centers to make it grow even larger. 

Funny, how I have basil now but not when I have ripe tomatoes.

We drove to Reny's which is a discount type store- odd lots but good quality-Carhart-Smartwool etc.

I was hoping they would have canning lids.  They had all else in canning supplies but no wide lids. 

Sign near the canning display said they were having a very difficult time finding canning items.

Reny's refused entry to a woman who refused to wear a mask- they offered her one, she said no.

I was impressed by that.  The guy at the door was serious.

At Goodwill, (since we were so close I decided to go in), an older woman was yelling for her

grandson I guessed as an eight year old finally came up to her. She had been talking to someone on her cell phone and had accidentally hung up on them. 

 Grandson was directed to "push buttons and get the call back".

Now sure if he was going to be able to do that.  Just from looking at his eyes above his mask.

Someday grandma will call to say she dropped the AC unit out the window. (laughing)

I was liking the Pandemic a lot more when the robocalls had stopped.

Now there is online cheap car insurance, credit card scams, grandsons in jail calling grandma, etc.. 

Every time the phone rings I get seriously annoyed.

I am being bothered today by dry eyes (AC air) and acid reflux.

I have put drops in my eyes and had a Tums soft chew.

Now I think I might have something for lunch.  Later I am going to DQ for ice cream.  It's July.

Daily Notes- July 14th

The Avocado Pit.

Has height and leaves.

Feels the need for that larger pot.

My little collection of ceramic animals and birds is now keeping coming with the plant.

The heat of yesterday is gone.

Today we have clouds and heavy moisture.

Rain would be welcome.

Thunder would be cause for much happiness- I hear distant rumbles.

The greenhouse parts- the hoops and connections etc are all gone and off to a new adventure.

The new owners are good people who will enjoy growing things under its roof.

Their dream is a Farm Stand to sell produce.

Right now a glut of zucchini which they gladly offer to share with me.

The wife is making relish.  I said I make pickles.

I am reading an old book- one I owned long ago. Wolf and the Dove.

It has made me cry many times.  The author knows how to string a few words and sentences.

To make me care about the feelings of her characters in 1066.

I am near the end and then the next book

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead

Oddly enough the bones of the dead are too much a part of the book I am reading.

Too much a part of Life in 2020 as well.  

Recipe Notes- July 13th

Zucchini Pickles

From Mrs. Chard's Almanac Cookbook- Hollyhocks & Radishes

Makes 8 pints of pickles (give or take)

I have an 8 quart hard plastic restaurant grade tub with a red lid that I use for the pickles. And I slice with a Progressive Mandolin slicer- 1/4 inch thick slices. I use the knob guard to keep my fingers (and blood) out of the pickles. I cut the vegetables directly into the 8 quart food grade tub.

8 medium zucchini (I use a mix of green and yellow because it's pretty)

6 onions  ( I use two large ones)

1 green pepper and one red pepper, sliced  ( I use two red ones- again for the color)

2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic

You can do what you want here and use more onions or use more squash (what I do)

I jalapeno pepper.  (today the pepper I had purchased was super hot- sometimes it isn't)

1/3 cup coarse kosher salt  (do NOT use iodized table salt- your pickles will NOT be crisp)

Slice and mix things around so everything gets salted.  Top off your container with ice cubes 

I snap on the lid and put the container into the vestibule refrigerator where we store soda. (or Pop)

The instructions in recipe says to let stand 3 hours and then proceed.  I don't.  I think a longer soak in the salt creates a crisp pickle so ---sometimes the tub sits for a full day and more often two days in the fridge.  I give it a shake to distribute things (if I remember) a couple of times.

When you are ready to make pickles-- in my case, have the kitchen cleaned up, the canning kettle on the stove, the jars washed and ready and enough lids........... (a problem this COVID season......)

Mix in a large pot on stove: 3 cups white vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 2 Tablespoons mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed.  Heat to dissolve sugar.  This is your pickling liquid.

Drain, rinse, drain rinse the vegetables. Do it at least twice. The rinse is to remove salt.  Then a really good drain to remove water. I dump everything in a large colander and rinse and toss and rinse and toss and then I taste.  If still way TOO salty- I rinse more.  But the vegetables WILL be salty.

Add drained vegetables to the pot with the vinegar, sugar and spices.  Bring to a rolling boil.

Continue to boil while filling 8  HOT, CLEAN pint jars with the very hot vegetables and the boiling liquid pickling mixture. Wipe jar rims with paper towel dipped in the boiling water. (from the canner kettle)  Add lids and bands to the jars.  Process in boiling canner for 8 minutes.   Remove jars from canner and let sit on towel on counter until you hear the lids POP and know you have a good seal.   I usually removed bands and wash the jars of pickles (they can still be sticky) and let cool completely.  I write the date on the lid with a Sharpie.   Store in a dark cool cupboard.

 NOTES---I have the clean empty jars in the canner as the water heats up (while I am draining and rinsing the vegetables) and I let the empty jars boil for awhile to make sure everyone is well sterilized.  I remove the hot jars- carefully tipping to remove boiling water from inside the jars--  (while the vegetables have come to a rolling boil in the pickling sauce) and set open side down on fresh very clean towel-- then I fill the jars, wipe the rims, add the hot lids (soaked in boiling water)-- screw on the bands and then the jars go back into the canner - return to boil --and I time it for 8 minutes and then remove jars.Allow to cool completely- listen for the click as the lids seal-- wash off any sticky residue and store in a dark cupboard away from heat. Jars that do not click- need to be boiled again or refrigerated and eaten - they are not for long storage.

Daily Notes- July 13th

Well, just needed to do one additional step here and the photo shows up.  Sigh. It happened by mistake but it happened so I am going with it .   This is the still Life on the table where I hand sew while we watch the "breaking news".  Today they intend to throw Dr Fauci under the bus and back over him as many times as necessary to make sure he's good and dead. Just because he has no "happy" news.

His replacement- a military doctor in a uniform- says this will all be over in 3 weeks.

Florida might NOT be all over in 3 weeks at the rate people are getting COVID.

Some say Florida will be worse than New York City.  Or already is worse.

Big morning for me here-- Grocery (before even eating breakfast) and then Bank, Post office and Library.

It was too much.  I felt out of sorts and panicked a bit.  Could have been lack of breakfast.

Long line at Post Office.  Which is not the usual.

By long line I mean over 10 people but the Post Office has lots of space for us to stand far apart.

EVERY SINGLE PERSON WAS MASKED

 Grocery, Post Office, Bank and Library Parking Lot.  

EVERYONE WITH A MASK

I found and ate the five ripe blueberries on the bushes out in the fenced garden.

It will take another few days of this heat and humidity and all of them will turn blue on the same day. 

I have to be prepared to make Blueberry Cake.

I have sour cream in the fridge.  

We never got any strawberries for a pie.  There were no local ones at my grocery.

I bought zucchini and yellow squash, red bell peppers, onions to make more pickles.

I am not going to can this batch- just refrigerate them.  Husband can eat fresh ones instead of canned.

Life in Pandemic World.

I'll be saving the jar lids for blueberry jam.  Which will be canned (processed).

Cloudy, muggy and looking like it wants to rain.  But then the Sun comes close to shining.

Perfect weather for growing grass.

Husband sharpened the mower blades yesterday.

Daily Notes- July 12th

                                       

Old Blogger again today.  This photo is from A Way To Garden blog and there is a recipe for both kinds of pickles on that site today.  I am adding the picture because the pickles I make look exactly like the jars on the left.  Except....I use zucchini and yellow squash and no cucumbers.  Makes for a cruncher pickle.   I can share my recipe if you are interested.

Yesterday we installed the AC unit in the dining room/kitchen- a very large room with two story arched ceiling.  And---we dropped the unit out the window onto the ground.

I'll let you just picture that for a moment.

I made an emergency call to our daughter to come right over and husband towed the unit back into the house on a rolling cart.  He was all for trying again but I suggested we first see if it still worked. And the on/off panel had disconnected itself.  So he reattached it all, plugged it in and it went on and the air coming out of it was cool.

Then daughter showed up.  She really really wishes we had had a third child- a boy- a handy boy- who lived next door to us- or up over the garage.  Really Wishes For That.

After many, many biting our tongues moments- we managed to get husband to agree to do it our way. The unit is in.  It is cooling.  The house is feeling drier.  Less humid.  I tried giving daughter pie, cookies, baked beans etc etc.  She said she just wanted to go back to her house and take a shower. She had spent the day stacking fire wood for her employer.  Worst possible day to have an emergency parental unit phone call.

But the house is less MOIST and we had a comfortable evening.  One more unit to install. Smaller but I hope it doesn't fall out the window- the drop off at that spot is much higher and it has a slope so the unit could roll into the woods.

When things start to go South as we used to say-(to Hell if that suits you)...they just keep on going.......long after you have any patience or nerve for it.   That's how it feels here.

I spent Time in the Magic Attic packing a box for DebL and the Dye Works.  Post Office tomorrow.
And the tv guide said the Great Something Baking Show is on tonight on PBS.  Thank you!!!!

Daily Notes- July 11th

                                       

I went looking for a green to add borders to this little patchwork.  The center is tiny one inch squares. None of the greens worked (played well with others) until I came across this self painted cloth that is more yellow that green.  It will work.   I am adding two sets of borders to each of the little nine patch squares I made last year.  Pale colors.  To sew onto the robe/jacket.

I may take apart the "pages" of 7 squares by 9, and use the little pieces to make more of these little squares.  The soft white old cloth is all used up.  So, taking things apart is the only way to make something new.  I also have a very soft pale blue to use on another square.  When I make it.......

I am reverting to old Blogger again.  Same problem.  Pictures aren't accepted into the post today even though they went in yesterday and days before.  If they had a "help line" I could ask why.  But they don't.  Not one of the little emojis is "help".  I don't remember what day I had to revert to old Blogger last week- perhaps there is a day when it doesn't work???

I turned the mattress clockwise (it must Not be turned over) and put on fresh sheets and took the down comforter away and put on the much cooler yellow cotton quilt.  I like the blue quilt much more but have no idea where it is.  We brought in the AC unit late afternoon (one day too late as it was really warm in the house last evening) and today we will install it.  I decided a two day process would be less taxing for my husband.  He had already had his annual physical and shopped for hose parts and birdseed. And it gave me time to do a very thorough cleaning of the AC unit's parts and they could air dry overnight.

My husband remembers it being an easy install.  I remember it differently.  We'll soon find out who is remembering it correctly.

Husband went into the crawlspace under the house and brought up more copper pipe for my vinegar jar.  Old stuff from the 80's so for sure all copper.  My Plumber saved it for me when he changed out the radiators. I would use a copper pot for my cloth experiments but I have never found one in all my visits to Goodwill or Charity Shops.  So I will try it with copper pipe segments. India Flint mentions copper water and sweet fern making a lovely green.  So far my little plastic wrapped cloth rolls are an interesting earthy green.  But I will let them marinate out on the hot deck for a few more days and nights.  I do not want to be steaming cloth in the house this Summer.

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?

Daily Notes- July 6th

A photo from Art Propelled.  I couldn't follow it back to it's author/maker.

It's been here on my desk top for a long time but I wanted to see it here today.

An image is sometimes worth a thousand words.

This reminded me of the collage challenge in some vague but charged way.

We may be able to cut the grass today.  It rained overnight and we'll need to wait for the dew to dry. 

But at some point in the day we should be able to start cutting.

I made Sunday Pizza last evening for our late supper. And added pineapple to my side. And I was awake and out in the car for a supermarket visit prior to the 160 that are allowed in later in the morning. 

Very few people in the store with me.  Not all with masks.

I got another 10 pound bag of sugar.  A strange brand (Eagle) and rest of the shelving bare.

Other Canners of Fruit, Jelly and Pickles are stocking their shelves as I am.

I got out the recipes and did calculations.

Plenty of flour in all sizes and brands on the shelves along with many kinds of yeast.

But I have hardly made a dent in what I have here in the cupboard.

Next visit I am calculating whether I will need a second gallon of vinegar.

My avocado plant has passed 11 inches in height and has five leaves at the very top. 

Not much to see in a photo so I will just give you an update every so often.

Little roots are starting to escape the drain hole at the bottom of the clay pot.

And daughter did say I had planted the pit- butt side up.  oops.

As soon as I hit publish here I am off to the library for my curbside pickup.

Early grocery shopping and later library pickup do not work together. So it means two trips

in the morning.  Last week I did the trio of Bank, Post Office, Library.

It felt like Old Times.

I worked on making squares yesterday out of cloth and thread.  It was comforting.

I started with tiny 9 patches made of one inch squares and then added borders. After those were all used up I started putting larger squares together into 9 patches and then adding borders to them.

I collected soft blues, yellows and worn out whites. A pale enough pink is never anywhere to be seen.

And it would need to be worn out.  Soft and barely there.

DebL's magic cloth is added in small doses. But always always looks amazing.

Today, I have rhubarb enough for a third pie.

Life is Good.

Daily Notes- July 5th

                                       

I reverted to "old Blogger" this morning due to errors in the New Blogger that made posting a photo quite impossible.  It was only a matter of time before the new edition started acting up.

The picture is from a few minutes ago on this foggy drizzly morning- it is still technically morning as I am writing this at 11:48 am.  Yesterday I had to go get a sweater out of the closet to wear.  No A/C  units installed as yet but husband and I were cold. No fireworks sounds. I was having flashbacks to last July 4th and a hyper nervous sick dog.  We had Riley tightly wrapped in a blanket but he was still wild eyed with panic.  This year- nothing.  It must have been too damp.

The photo is of the fenced raised bed garden out back- I went out in the drizzle to take this picture for you.  The arbor husband built.  The grapes.  the tall plants to the left are Ironwood.  the hooped section to the right of the arbor is where I have planted my cucumber plants and yesterday the green and yellow squash plants.  You can see the back "not grass" area, the native wild blueberry scrubland and then the dark woods.  I like how this pictures looks like patchwork.  Rectangles.

The white shapes are plastic hoops we installed so we could cover the garden on cold nights in late August and early September to extend the garden season.  We never took them down. I could also use them to shade plants if it ever gets really hot and sunny.  Cover with white shade cloth.

I used to be a very Ambitious Gardener.  Now---well, not ambitious at all. Old. Cranky. Lazy.

I sewed.  Yes, I threaded a needle and sewed a little blue patchwork house to the left pocket of the "robe" and now have it hanging up and I am looking at it to decide if I like it.  Pale blues.  I think I like that color for my robe.  With the white.  Touches of pale pink and yellow.  Next I think a square with a heart appliquéd for the pocket on the chest.

I read one of the books daughter has found for me in used book shops.  I vaguely remembered it- but only when I got close to the very end. It was a very good story.  And while reading- very few "jittery" moments.  For which I am very thankful.

I fried a pan of Potstickers for husband for supper yesterday and had one of the prepared meals from the deli at the grocery for myself.  The meatloaf with mashed potatoes and fresh broccoli and carrots. We have one final bag of frozen dumplings in the freezer and then we will need to visit Trader Joes down in Portland.  If we do go to TJ's, I am buying a New York Cheesecake.  I like them.

Daily Notes- July 4th 2020

My Mullein

To the right is the side of the garage.  Behind the tall plant is the Queen of Plums (Damson) fully loaded with infant plums.  This is the second season for the tall plant.  See the yellow flowers at the top? 

They are the "seeds of the future".  

Behind the tree is other greenery and tall rose bushes and then the deck.

On the deck the Fig Tree.  With all new green leaves.

The Lime tree with limes nearly the size of small plums- is infected with mealy bugs. 

White fuzzy things that suck the life giving sap from the leaves. No leaves. No life.

It is on my orchids as well.

I swab with a Q-tip soaked in rubbing alcohol.  Each day- sometimes more than once.

Trying desperately to keep the orchid's flowers and the plants themselves.

The insects just keep coming back.

Today the lime tree is going into a garbage bag- it has shed all it's infested leaves. 

I will shed tears as I had so much hope of seeing the limes grow to full size.

I check the avocado pit each day for signs of the fuzzy white insects.

I wash the orchid plants in the sink- cleaning each and every leaf top and bottom.

Still the white mealy bugs come back.

Like the Covid Virus.

Today is somber but there are bright spots.

The family at the very end of my dead-end street (but next door to me) had banners and balloons and a cheering audience for what looked like a relay race for the cousins at 9am.  One cousin came jogging down the street as I was collecting the morning paper to much cheering and applause as he crossed the line under the banner. I hope this is a tradition they keep going forward.

They waved and wished me a good morning.

Daughter had the day off yesterday and spent it browsing in a going out of business used book store.

I now have the "complete works" of a favorite author.  For the next Pandemic Library Closure. 

Love is expressed in many different ways.

In my case, I served her lunch and she sat at our table and ate that lunch. 

With such a happy expression on her face.

Love to all of you and please drop by for lunch any day.

When it's safe.

Daily Notes- July 3rd

This picture was in my feed this morning.  Texas Peaches.  

It'll be a while before I can show you pictures of Maine Peaches.

But they will look exactly like these pictures

We had some rain overnight and it's pretty humid but only in the high 60's so far. And cloudy.

Husband had forgotten (!) to tell me the twins from down the street had come by to ask about the grape harvest- as they liked their gift jars of grape jelly very much.  They liked the peaches also.

When they stopped by- they asked if they could go look at the grapes- since husband had told the boys they were still very very tiny.  So they ran into the back garden to check on the grapes.

I quite enjoy having little ones on our street. They whiz by on skateboards most days.

If it stays nice (a relative term) I will spray myself (a lot) and then go out to plant my squashes.

Or- I have extra Grow Boxes for the driveway and I can plant my squashes in them.

Either way my ankles will be eaten by blood sucking insects.

Regarding extra grow boxes- all 12 were filled last year with recyclable soil (that I sifted)

This year only six have soil.  I have asked husband where the extra soil is but he has no answer.

Last year he sifted. And refuses to "talk about it".

I  still have high levels of stress hormones in the blood supply.

I am jittery and can't really settle into anything as simple as sewing a seam or reading a book.

The daily news on Covid cases isn't helping.

No one (here) has ever been given a prescription for tranquilizers so I don't have a bottle in the cupboard.

The closest thing I have is Benadryl which makes me sleepy.

But my respiratory PA says it (Benadryl) is not good for asthma.

So, I just flutter and jitter the days away.

And it is exhausting.

We went to DQ yesterday and I had a strawberry sundae.  DQ has delicious strawberry sauce.

We also watched a revolving customer count of people without masks from the safety of the car.

And with seriously compromised clothing choices. And lots of body art.

And then there were the really old customers.  Like us. No masks on most of them either.

No wonder I am jittery.

Daily Notes- July 2nd

Well, it's well and truly July.  Hotter than hot and the Humidity is unbreathable.

I was up and out early to get a haircut.  

Traffic- after so many months of one or two cars- is making me nervous. Too many cars. And BIW is on strike and they were lining the street out in front of one of the BIW off site parking lots in my Town.

They were having to work in the ships under construction sans masks.

The strike is about something else but a lot of families are going to be under stress while this goes on.

Husband has one job today- the small peach tree Redhaven is needing support wires to hold it up with the heavy load of peaches.  I helped with the first stick but the second being further from the trunk- husband is having some trouble "thinking" how to do it.

I offered suggestions but it's like I am speaking in a language he can't understand.

Husband also brought over the landscaping kid who cuts our neighbor's grass about 15 minutes later.  

To offer us a quote. 

Since I am the one actually cutting the grass this guy would be cutting- I wondered why.

We took the card but I said I would continue cutting the grass.

Then after he was gone I asked husband if he had forgotten "The Rule"?

Which is, when we can't take care of the property ourselves- we sell and move.

Nothing anyone else does is going to be "good enough".

And we both hate the way our neighbor's grass looks which is why I was sort of speechless when he brought the lovely young man over to speak to me.

Of course, husband said he was only doing it to "help me out"- must have been a brain fart. 

I stopped believing he was "helping me" years and years ago.

How is a riding mower (which I don't use) or larger and larger snow blowers helping me??

I stopped at the greenhouse where I worked and the zucchini and yellow squash plants they had were so gigantic and nice that I got two of each (three plants in each pot). 

I was just going to buy squash for the pickles but- well, it's easy enough to grow my own.

And there is enough room in the one bed to do just that.

I just have to wait till it's cooler.

And Proven Winners were on close out so I got three coleus plants with three different variegated color leaves.  I had coleus in that pot by his workshop last summer and it was very pretty.

Daily Notes- July First

Daughter stopped in after her day of work was shortened by weather and a very difficult job site. She signed her tax forms.  She brought me a lovely wide wale pair of old cord pants.  Lovely mousey gray color. Will need significant adjustments to length and width but will be cozy and a delight in the coming years of Fall and Winter.  $2.99.  I think Salvation Army.

All the Taxes are Done- another hair pulling event with the printer at the end yesterday.  But they were sent off at the Post Office this morning.  Registered mail.  My Wednesday Out.

I have sworn an oath to NEVER do the taxes again.

I swear the same oath every year.

Differences in Virus Climate here.  

First of all the amount of traffic- cars on the road this morning. In weeks past just a few cars on the road and an almost vacant grocery parking lot.

Today- lots of traffic.  And the parking lot was full.  I discovered the new allowed number of people inside was 160.  But I was later than usual- past Senior Hours- when the limit is 70.

Also more people than usual carrying take out. And the food trucks are out on Maine Street.

I purchased a few pre-made meals at the grocery.  Husband is enjoying the Chicken Parmesan.

Fresh strawberries for my daily breakfast fruit.  And vegetable sushi for my lunch today.

Walnuts to make "walnut meat" to have as tacos. Unless I deleted the email that told me how to make it.

I also bought baked chicken to make chicken salad- a protein source.

I don't want to cook but do what to have good things to eat.

I can also have "big salads" as I have lettuce and carrots.

I even helped a woman in the First Aid section.  Her husband had ripped skin off his hand. She was a tiny woman and the Neosporin was way up on the very highest shelf in the aisle.

I was buying Tums for acid reflux.

Well, Dee will be impressed that most of this post was about food but hardly any of it about cooking food.

Time to make a second cup of coffee.

Daily Notes- June 30

I thought the ruler markings would be visible but too much contrast from the outdoors. My avocado pit/stem is now 6 inches tall.  Any other measurements I gave you all-were incorrect.

And the stem is showing indications of leaf making.  Which might be the reason the stem has stopped getting taller.  Leaves are taking energy.

The background is outside the back southern side of the house and the pinks you see are Rose Campion. It has furry gray stems and then each stem is topped with a flat petaled rose pink flower.

Until it flowers it looks very "weedy".  It's self seeded all over the property.

I managed to get daughter's taxes done.  She is getting nearly all her withholding back. 

Which is very surprising. But I checked and the adjusted gross income is correct.  

Must be that new (last year) Trump Tax Code kicking in. Economy Jump Start. That worked out didn't it?

I have everything spread out all over the ottoman in preparedness for our return.

There is so much technical stuff with dividends and cost/basis, and IRA's etc.

I am going to do some mindfulness deep breathing exercises.

After daughter's taxes were done (the printer shot out five copies), the pages all sorted many times, envelopes addressed etc- daughter said she'd stop in to sign someday this week..........um.

So I piled it all on the couch by the front window and sat on the couch to watch some mindless television.

Later I made Pizza and we ate it while watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

I did manage to get two nights in a row of good sleep.  Sleep is hard to come by these days.

The Drought is still real here in Maine as we did get 4 inches of rain but most "ran off" because the soil was hard and very very dry.  I think most of the rain soaked into my yard. Hardly any puddles. The strawberry growers were not happy as they can't pick berries if the ground is real wet.  And of course picking wet berries is not good either.  No sun and very damp this morning. More rain coming.

When the bad stuff happens it's like a heavy ball rolling down the hill. The strawberry hill.

Thank you for the comments on the Herb Garden post.

This end result is the work of at least five years but likely more.  Gardening isn't easy.

First, I had to make the bed and divide it into rectangles. Fill with soil. Amended soil. Sandy.

Then I planted a few herbs- some lived but most died. And some herbs I never used so those are gone.

And one year all the rectangles decided to be mint. Another year- all weeds.

Each Spring, the soil is bare and then things start coming up and it gets interesting.

Plant what you use in your food.  And a few pollinators.  Edible flowers are nice.

I had no seed packets of Nasturtiums.  Nasties.  I like the orange ones.  Peppery taste. Edible.

Next year those seeds are on top of my list.

Daily Notes- June 29th

Finished the most recent border this morning after breakfast. I quite like the little one inch circle patch.  It's raining.  Has been since yesterday morning.  A good steady rain- all day, all night and now all of today.  

We were told you we in a serious drought with no rain forecast for weeks and more likely most of the Summer.  And, I guess they got the forecast wrong.

We were supposed to be having lots of lightning.  I prefer thunder. We have neither. 63 degrees.

Yesterday- my intention was to finally get around to doing our taxes-- I know- I say this all the TIME. But I got highjacked by a few missing papers. Daughter had all hers but we did not.  Ended up having to call the company and.......gosh I enjoyed yelling out answers to the recorded person.

Tax statement.  Paper copy.  Mail.  And the mechanical voice said that while it's nice to have a paper copy- they aren't necessary to file taxes- but it does help to get the info into the correct little boxes..

PBS had the story (yesterday) of the Queen of England most people have no knowledge of- except for the movie version of her life- The Favorite.  She did quite a lot to improve England and joined the three countries into the United Kingdom.  She was pregnant 17 times and never carried any of the babies to term. She died in her mid 40's.  And I have quite forgotten her name.

Here is the linen robe/jacket with a trial run of a appliqué for the pocket.  The fabric was quite yellow and stained from years of being on a hanger in the Attic.  It washed out but the fabric is more of an antique white (vanilla) now.  Which is okay.  As this particular item will never be worn in public. 

I live a minimal life.  So just the one pocket embellishment might be enough even though the jacket/shirt has two additional pockets lower that one could embellish.

I am noticing a face in this pocket adornment.  I do not like that.

Daily Notes- June 28

The Herb Garden.  At 6 pm.  Front left is chives.  The flowers past bloom time. Behind the chives a very healthy rectangle of mint.  The tall red French marigolds behind the mint (no flowers yet).  Then the still very small dill rectangle and then we have hyssop.  To the right behind the mint is very tall tarragon. Behind that abundant sage which has flowered (slight pinkness if you look close).   The basil will be grown in a clay pot so I can micro manage the amounts of water it gets.  Likes being moist but not wet. To the right of the chives is oregano.  Lots and lots of it. I have no thyme. (Ha!)  Need to remedy that. 

An Austin Rose at the far end of the herb garden and some daylily- I like to eat the buds.

Husband weeded the bed across the aisle to the left and I may move my self seeded arugula over in the newly bare spot.  Let it seed in new soil and become "abundant".  And sprinkle new arugula seeds.

I didn't grow garlic this year (it was a habit and my pickles do not need much- one large bulb is enough)

I don't like it. The smell on people nauseates me.

The two new grape vines from my friend Patty have started to climb the fence.  Leon Merlot and a seeded Concord.  The grapes I have growing up and over the trellises are a seedless Concord variety that I prefer. You can just eat grapes and not find and spit out the seeds. 

The blackberry bushes outside the fenced garden were abundantly covered in flowers.  I planted the kind that makes the big fat blackberries but the clump also contains the small wild ones.  

I need to find a way to keep the wild animals from eating all the blackberries.  Set my flag.

I would like a few breakfasts of blackberries with my yogurt. Or homemade scones.

I've done something to my right ankle. It hurts and "gives out" when I take a step (without thinking about taking a step first).  The chicken wire under the mulch on the short Peach Tree is working.  No one is digging holes next to the stem of the tree. I found and washed a half dozen linen shirts from the Attic. I also found an old heavy white linen Ralph Lauren "jacket"- when I put it on it drops to the top of my knees. Buttons up the front. Two large pockets right where my hands are.  Might do for a base for a Spirit Cloth robe.  Just appliqué cloth to it and add a bit of length to the bottom to be more "robe-like". 

I could also color it up a bit with some plant materials.  Would be nice to pull on after a Summer shower. Reminds me of the big old thin white linen robe I used to have.

This one would last me the rest of my Life.  Which is a comforting thought.

Might even be a good surface for all the small patched cloth on the wall across from the table.

A Robe of Many Colors.

A very Fortunate Find up in the Craft/Out of Season Clothes Attic.

Daily Notes- June 27th

Messy Fabric Waiting Station.

Sorted.  Jumbled. Sorted. Jumbled.

Endless work.  Just Going as Grace would say.  Just Doing as someone else writes. Just Being as most of us are these days.  But masks and being outside.  Not so much wiping things off.

I have never wiped down the mail or a package delivered or grocery produce with alcohol.

Turns out surface transmission is not how it happens.

The Maine Street in my small Town is lightly populated with outdoor tables. People enjoying a meal and company outdoors.  Some are even getting patio lights.  But the mosquitos are fierce here in Maine. The coffee places, Broadway Deli and the Gelato store have blocked the doorways with a service table.  They take orders as you stand, with mask and wait.  Special benches for Curbside Takeout waiting. The local and very popular Wild Oats restaurant is constructing a newer larger restaurant outside Town. And now with the unexpected success of the Curbside Takeout- the owner is wishing she had thought of a drive thru. Perhaps it can be done??? Added?

Deer walking on the driveway near the street before 10am.  Big ones. 

Then a Marching Row of Black Crows. Five.

No camera handy.

And I worry about my tomato plants on the driveway. Deer eating them.

I wished Storage Wars was on because there is nothing new to watch. Yesterday- Storage Wars.

An all day thing.  Not new- all repeats but it was something different.

Sometimes wishes do come true.

And a new show in August about buying lost shipping boxes.

And then opening them and finding out if you got good stuff or not.

I had a difficult night sleeping. Strange and troubling dreams.

So I washed it all away in the shower and now have laundry to do.

Fresh clothes.  

I had to dig around in the closet to find pants and a white linen camp shirt for today. I think I now have four outfits to rotate.  If I dig deeper I should be able to have five.

And they are not all exactly the same- black and white.  

Colors.  I am wearing colors. In my old age. But not every day. That would be too strange.

Daily Notes- June 26 104 days

Overnight the iPhone collected 27 emails and regained the weather map.  Husband did some sort of magical stuff.  Which I guess is otherwise known as "ordinary maintenance".   I am going to take some credit also because of the aluminum foil taped to the wall next to and behind the router.  

I was up early after a very deep and peaceful sleep.  Extra- ordinary for me.

Had my breakfast, coffee and newspaper reading and then went to water the back deck plants- the few remaining ones as I got most into pots or the raised bed garden yesterday.

I opened the door and "what to my wondering eyes did appear?"

A SNAKE.

Well, husband - who I woke up suddenly with my screaming- says it's "just a little garter snake"

But it is still a SNAKE.

We got him back out the door and back to what I guess the snake is calling home- the back deck. 

Just in case, I moved my garden shoes into the house.

So, dear friends and readers- it has been a very different morning so far.

I could embellish this event with a cloth and a snake but I just will not even think about that.

The cucumber seedlings (with borage) and the True Hyssop have been planted in the raised bed garden.  I also filled the edges of the dill rectangle with some very tall zinnias.  Last summer I wanted a big colorful flower bed out in the raised beds.  It didn't happen.  I started flower seeds in half the little milk jug greenhouses this year and now I am planting the short ones in planter boxes with petunias and the taller ones in the herb rectangles. I have many "pollinator" plants out in the herb garden.

Wild Bergmot- Monarda fistula from Native Seeds is running wild in one bed.

The Ironwood patch is now made up of about a dozen stems and will be glorious when it reaches it's full 10 feet in height and then in Fall the glorious sapphire BLUE flowers.  

Adjacent to the ironwood is a stubborn circle of Siberian Iris of a deep deep blue.

I have decided to just let it continue to increase in size and stay where it is.  A few strays have popped up in the front yard beds.  It is a gorgeous deep blue. And such a pain to dig up. 

I used an ax and a saw the last time I moved any of it. Like trying to dig up cement.

We had hoped for rain.  But the weather people say it has dried up before falling. 

The Arctic is thawing. Overheated. I almost feel like humans are doomed. 

Please wear a mask- not for yourself but to protect others.

Daily Notes- June 25th

Interesting Day so far.  Awake at 5:32.  Quite hyper.  Constructed an aluminum foil wall for the router. To sort of get it working again.  Deleted almost my entire picture file to open up "space" on the computer because that might be why we hardly get any email- but it could also be that people have nothing to say because nothing is happening. So- no email. Back to bed and woke up at 10am.

Deb's post came thru.  The septic mess. 2am. I don't think I would be easy with putting the towels in the washing machine either. I would have to repeatedly hose them off on the lawn. I am reminded of someone who alternately cleaned up a mess like this and vomited. I can't remember who it was.

This week feels like a "tipping point" as they say on the news. When things go negative or positive.  

I complain about the lack of just about everything here in Maine.  But now it seems okay as we also have a lack of Virus, also.  We have an abundance of Trump No Mask people up here. But they hang out with like minded fools and that sort of keeps them away from the rest of us.

College has a large statue of Chamberlain.  Civil War.  Will they pull it down? Our Senator King lives just down the street. He may have to stand in front of it.

Things are opening up and hardly anyone is interested in entering. 

The restaurant with the big deck along the river was loaded with customers the first 2 weeks. But not so much now- as it looks like the bar drunks are the only ones there now.

The local private college announced all classes for 2nd year and up will be online. Only freshmen will be on campus possibly one to a room.  No sports.  Which is a kick in the gut for downtown businesses.

Three stores in the downtown are now vacant. But Goodwill is open.

I have the two hanging baskets to fill today.  Yesterday there were too many mosquitos and I was still in recovery mode from my fall.  No headaches but left arm/hand a bit stiff and my left leg/knee would rather be sitting on couch. I did some sewing but no reading.  Law and Order was on.

It was supposed to rain.  But it hasn't and we are now under drought conditions. 

The price of water is going to go way up.  Again.

I am thankful it's cloudy.