Daily Notes- August 31st- Cloudy, but It Rained Overnight.

 Another dog picture from Connie's blog.  A rescue dog finds a new forever home.  My Riley liked to look out the side windows of my car- no head out the window though- as we drove in the mornings to the Doggie Day Care.  He could hardly wait to get there.  It wasn't much and most of his day was in a very large cage but I think he liked the Vet office traffic and the other dogs.  But he was always happy to arrive and happy to leave.

I won't have to water today.  Because of the overnight rain that left puddles.

My cross the street neighbor was out walking and saw a black car arrive next door to me.  With a stretcher. We are wondering if our neighbor who had her 90th birthday this past weekend- passed.  Died. With cell phones being the primary mode of calling people- and neighbors not sharing those numbers with all of the residents....it could be awhile before we find out yes or no.  I am not knocking on the door to ask. And I might be the only neighbor who would knock. "The Woman Who Brings Flowers"

A Somber Day. August 31st 2021.

Each evening I watch a bit of the 9/11 images on CNN.  I saw the second plane crash into the towers in real time.  But I had to go to work and missed the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.  So I watched that. By the time I returned home in the late afternoon after work that day......it was all on TV. And in Bangor (still military)- where the big planes had enough runway-- European flights were landing in Maine instead of regular airports in New York. And everything stopped.  Just stopped. And older people who remembered Pearl Harbor came into the library in tears. One woman kept saying "this was never supposed to happen again". 

But it did and that War has now finally ended- today.  Well, these days..no War actually ends does it.

I had a coworker at the greenhouse.  She was there for 9/11 and she was forever damaged by what she saw. And one very bad day......she told me it was the smell........that was what she could never get past.

Daily Notes- August 30th

 We had pizza yesterday for the second half of the Patriots game.  Mine got black around the edges like this one in the photo. And I have a preheated pizza stone so the bottom is crispy.

So, today.  Library.  Dropped off books I know I am not going to read.  Picked up two new reserves and something interesting on the new shelf.  Saw three people I know and had short conversations with them. Grocery store.  Had to use problem solving skills to get the last two boxes of bran flakes which were way way back on the shelf.  No tall women or men to assist.  I used a box of corn flakes to knock the boxes forward. Score.  Milk case was stocked.  Last time it wasn't.

I picked up frozen pizza dough etc for next three weeks of football.  We ran out last night.

I had to go back and forth because- even with my list- I was absent minded.  I forgot onions and then forgot pizza balls.  On opposites sides of store.

We never got any rain.  Clouds and 65 degrees which was welcome.

I changed the bed sheets.  So I have a load of washing machine pages to do today or tomorrow. 

Shoulder blade was painful yesterday but not today.  That's how it goes.

Blue Angels have arrived- WTF- for a big crowded show this weekend.  Great for spreading COVID among the unvaccinated north of us.  Their desired audience.  They fly over my house. So low I can see the pilot's heads. For practice runs.  Thank Goodness Riley isn't here.  We have never gone inside the gates to actually witness the splendor.  Happy with the 600 feet distance between them and us. We may sit out back in lawn chairs. Usually we were trying to provide care to a frightened dog.

Daily Notes- August 29th- Clouds. Might rain.

This dog lives near Boston.  Belongs to Dee.  Loves his Ball. I..actually LOVE this photo from Dee's blog.

So... the 29th of August.  I've got mosquito bites on my left ankle.  I let a large insect into the house when I filled the tall empty coffee jar with water and Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers as a gift for my next door neighbors. The "artichoke" (fart-a-choke) is an underground root that supposedly tastes like artichoke but causes an abundance of GAS in human intestines.  Fart A Choke.  Vegetarians supposedly eat them.  And they FART.

I consider them an invasive weed and pull them out of the ground when the soil is moist- not dry.  Any small bit left in the ground will become a three foot high or higher vigorous plant with abundance yellow daisy like flowers.  Bees love the flowers and I found many fat bees napping in the midst of the petals.

In a field they would be amazingly fantastic looking.  Right now they look amazing in my back of the house beds.  If left to their own devices- my lawn would be full of them.

Today is Football Evening and I have my ball of pizza dough out to warm up and rise to double.

I found two different half full bottles of fertilizer in the garage.  I sprinkled it over the Almost Grass. And now I'm watering it in.  Voles or chipmunks have made a few tunneled holes already. It's a losing battle to have actual "lawn" grass.  Tall green weeds- yep, those grow along with tall ferns.

But I persevere.

I didn't read yesterday.  That is how bad the nerve pain is in my shoulder blade.  A bit less today.  The Melatonin is starting to be effective and I sleep sans dreams.  I think the dreams might not be a good thing. I tend to wake just enough to try and edit them.  So...no reading.  Law and Order.  Ray has appeared so I need to find something else- I just don't like his character --at all. I don't believe I ever have watched the seasons when he is a detective.  Sigh.  Rough Time for him to show up.  So......what to watch.  Might be a good time to re-enlist with Netflix.

Daily Notes- August 28th- Saturday Again

 Added horizontal strips from the box Dee sent me.  Contents of her wastebasket. Or what was on the floor.   I think we could do that.  Like a Chain Letter.  Send what's in the wastebasket or on the sewing room floor and take what we like and add our own refuse and then send to the next name on the list.

Those strips- well, just saying...sort of saved this cloth from the rag box.  Just needs to be ironed now. And then I might find some other orphan cloth that wants to come out to play. I was just up in the attic.  Nothing really speaking to me up there.  Radio Silence. I might have outgrown the cloth in the closet- again. It's the strangest feeling.  To go up there and, I still like everything, but none of it WORKS.

And none of daughter's friends are having babies.  Not even husbands.  Not even significant others. So all those Jolly Polka Dots + Stripes are feeling really left out.  And none of the Hospitals want quilts. The Police Units prefer acrylic or micro fiber.  Warming. For abandoned children they pick up.

What World We Live In Now.

No Grass Watering on this Cloudy Saturday (I thought it was Sunday) as husband is cutting the grass because it's in the 70's and cloudy.  Finally.

I just noticed- under the table on the glassed in Porch is a bottle of stinky fish based fertilizer.  Perfect for the Almost Grass.  A very Yummy Stinky Grass Treat-- especially if I spill some on myself.  And perhaps something fertile that is less likely to get on my skin and clothing???

Reading Life is Short.  About a You Tube blogger who must make millions on "her channel" as she travels, takes care of her drugged up family members, replaces iPhones for them like on a daily basis etc....and has taken in the 3 week old baby belonging to her druggy sister.  Baby is endlessly crying on this particular evening and at 4am the Defense attorney who wears Armani suits to work and shares a bedroom wall with her- knocks on her door and says "hand me the baby."  He also asks her to please go take a shower as she is covered in baby snot and vomit.  She takes a quick shower and....... no crying so she assumes in a wild panic that he has stolen the baby.  Instead he and baby are fast asleep on the couch. Meet Cute.

I may or may not continue.  She thinks she is going to die of ALS (so many paragraphs devoted to this....) and is trying to run off and see the World before she can't.  He has a fear of flying but knows how to cook and has a washing machine which our gal is in desperate need of.... but is that enough???  

Daily Notes- August 27th. Still August. UGH.

 Image from a friend on the opposite edge of America from my edge. ML

During Biden's address to Nation regarding very recent American Military Deaths.  I cried.  Through the entire thing. Just cried.  Like that day in the Atlanta airport when like 100's of men  (and possibly women) with all their gear walked to board their plane to almost certain death and dismemberment.  The woman who had been my friend since my children were toddlers said "they asked to go why should I care?".  We ended our friendship a year later.  I could hear in my head "they asked to go".  She would never ask to go. They didn't ask to go.

I am reading Beach Colors.  A one dollar choice at Goodwill.  It isn't bad.  I am almost finished. Next up will be one of the books I had to renew.  I'd been hoarding it for a day when I would NEED something excellent.  Today is that day.

The Twin Boys from down the street are back from where ever they went on vacation and the street is filled with their bikes and the bikes of my cross the street neighbor's two grand daughters.  The baby and the 3 year old stay indoors.  It's amazing.  All that energy of young children.  All the noise.  All the Uber food deliveries.  The new husband (last week's groom) was riding his bike with them to supervise.  I told him he had quite a troop with him and he looked overwhelmed.  His first time meeting the Twin Boys.

The Boys are SOMETHING.

I started the day with the shower I should have taken as soon as I got home from having my haircut. Now I have all that product out of my hair.  And my hair is FLAT.   I am still wearing my tent like pink shirt. I like to just wear it in the house.  I found it at Goodwill- An LLBean Linen Camp Shirt in Pink.  Too large- way to large-- but I couldn't leave it behind when it cost only a dollar.  I think, Connie, I intended to ask you to make it smaller but I never did.  

The grass has been watered.  Containers have been watered- just the workshop one left to do. Bills have been paid, stamped and taken to street side mailbox. Watering bottles need filling and I have one load of wash to do- and my Pages- and I will retire for the day unless I decide to change the bed sheets and wash them.. but I doubt I will watch news.  Ancient Aliens this evening for 4 or 5 hours.  I will enjoy that.

Daily Notes- August 26th- Sunshine. Heat. Haircut.

 Bounty from my hair cutter. She and I have traded garden info and produce for so many years now. I have dropped off shopping bags full of tomatoes and red bell peppers (in late September).  Seeds.  All manner of exchanges over the years.  Today she gifted me with my favorite tomatoes- I introduced her to them years ago.  And some very tender young zucchini.  Which I will slice thinly and cook quickly over high heat.  And eat about 2 seconds after I remove them from the pan. The only recipe left over from the strange food allergy diet adventure of years ago. The banana muffins that had the mouth feel of beach sand was the second favorite. The sludge that was fruit and vegetable smoothies - murky like pond scrum- not so much- though by the second and third week- they seemed okay..  Raw beets and blueberries.  I learned I wasn't allergic to any food-- just soy.  

And I learned to buy things with five or less ingredients. And all of the five or less should be food not chemicals.  Enlightening.  I still spend MOST of my time in the grocery reading content labels and putting food back on the shelves.

She offered me the grocery bag full of zucchini for pickles.  I told her my pickle days were behind me. The heat from the HUGE canning pot of boiling water and all the MASSIVE dish washing before, after and during......it was painfully difficult work.  There was little to zero joy left in the process.

I think this is going to be the most difficult part of growing old.  Letting go of work that used to bring JOY.

There was another ball of pizza dough in the freezer but the football game isn't until the weekend. Both the Patriots and the Giants had to run laps in the heat because of bad behavior and fighting on the field yesterday. Should be an excellent game.  Boston and New York.........yep.

Well. My hair is actually SILVER not WHITE.  Another customer actually has white--we compared. Silver like my paternal grandfather.   Well, I am covered in tiny bits of hair and need a shower.  so, until tomorrow have a great day.

Daily Notes- August 25th- One More Day and I Get My Haircut.

 If we have had this one already- sorry- but not really. Love the blots of watery grey in the centers.  I used to paint like this. Especially like the upper left green apple and the lower left red apple.  Thinking about digging the paints out of hall closet. Doing a Nine Apples.  Getting it framed.  So I have nice stuff on the walls in assisted living someday.

Library.  Rescue Inhaler Usage.  Grocery Store.  August Humidity and HEAT.   Car AC unit. ON.

Watering the Might Actually Someday BE Grass.  And also all the planter boxes of Annuals.  Which are HUGE.  It is so damned hot outside.  Forgot to set the watering timer. Forgot to buy a ball of pizza dough.  Do you think there might be one more ball of pizza dough in the bottom of the freezer?????

Well, TOMORROW is FINALLY HAIRCUT DAY.  For me.  And I pass the grocery on the way home- Pizza Dough Ball.  My hair is very wavy and curly.  Right now.  But not when I was 20.

I now own Blood Orange Seltzer Water and Pink Grapefruit Seltzer Water.  I  think I NEED to eat but what is really being NEEDED is water.  WATER.  I had to get up to look for my cup of cold breakfast coffee.  Finish that. My lips and mouth are very dry. My doctor says it's from mouth breathing and not nose breathing.  My nose is more often than not stuffed up.

Got another big bag of books at the library.  I actually brought my list of authors with me.  And a librarian asked me more than twice if I needed help. Which is why I used the rescue inhaler in the car.

Got to go shut off the water. Move the sprinklers. Turn on the water. Rest.  Sitting quietly breathing in and out.  It will be fine.

Daily Notes- August 24th- Sunshine

 Multi tasking yesterday.  Some TV series watching (The Closer on Lifetime), reading Second Time Around by Kendrick about four college friends re-inventing themselves after the fifth friend dies and doing some sewing.  This began-weeks ago- as three pieces sewn together.  Then nothing.  Then a few days later two pieces added. And then nothing.  Repeat as needed. And then remove strips that offend the eyes.. Yesterday the longer spotted strip to the left and then the two long sides- wrong side up.

That little triangle trying to make a HOUSE is not stitched down and may not stay.  I'm secretly channeling a little house quilt with a Moon or a Sun. (Dee)  Or a little neighborhood of houses.  Just pinned. Nothing decided.

Yesterday's Appliance Repair Appointment.  Gosh.  We are going to be a story told back at the shop with much hilarity.  It was simply one item in the "Dedicated Ice Cream Section" over the Ice Maker. Now...long ago and far away......I am reminded of not putting anything in the Ice Cream Section (that wasn't up against the back wall). I got sloppy and added a block of frozen tomatoes.  Then the door stopped shutting.  $189 is the basic fee when they send out someone.  The block of frozen tomatoes has thawed and will be made into some sort of pasta today or will be tucked into the compost bucket to feed worms..

Sigh.  I am assuming as we venture into the second half of our 70's and into the first half of our eighties that this will be "small potatoes" as they say in the "embarrassment" section of our Golden Years.

And yes.......that section on top of the ice maker bin- is ONLY for Ice Cream. Designed JUST for Ice Cream. And only one container of ice cream at a time.   It keeps a gallon of Ice cream at the perfect scooping/frozen place in Time. Somehow. Magically.  We rarely if ever have any ice cream in there.  So... things happen. Things that are NOT ice cream get put up there. The section starts getting treated like just another shelf. And $189 later- it's empty.  And will stay that way as, now, the space has been labeled in Sharpie Pen.

I also learned the two side by side doors have very powerful magnets in the door frames.  Yep. And that the fridge is perfectly level. On all sides. Yep. Yep. and Yep.  The guy was super nice. 

I cut the leg off a new (to me) pair of navy cord pants- mis-sized at LLBEAN and sold for a dollar in the employee store.  Or possibly 25 cents. Labeled 16- they had small print on label saying 14?  In any case, never going to fit me. So one leg came off to make knee repair patches for George's work pants.  The exchange of beige  (all purpose) thread up top and in bobbin case for dark blue up top and black in the bobbin case went smoothly---perhaps to soften the blow of the refrigerator repair ...... some sort of  sympathetic solidarity between machines in my household. Stranger things have happened.  I have two more pair of navy pants to repair/mend and then I am done.  Until George or Daughter needs more repairs.

Today's book is No Judgments by Meg Cabot.  Perfect title.

Daily Notes- August 23rd. And the Storm Wasn't. Just damp here.

 Life goes on here (auto correct subbed in love for life).  It never rained---it drizzled.  There was never any wind.  Today it's damp with 99% humidity.  It won't be necessary to water the Almost Grass.

I mended the light colored pants yesterday while husband slept- most of the day.  Today...well, I will change the bobbin thread to black- I don't have navy- and finish off the bag of mending.  The beige pants had a few interesting mending issues.  Not just knees.  Who knows what the navy pants hold in store for me?

Yesterday's book was "Room for Improvement" by Stacey Ballis.  2006.  A woman is asked to work on a home improvement series for cable tv while dealing with not dating.....  I liked it.  I have ordered two more of her books from interlibrary loan.  I am not sure how I found this book- serendipity? --but I am pleased. I liked it because it was gritty, messy, even an electrocution (home improvement always included one at my house)- and I had no idea where anything was going and in the end- she was where she was supposed to be. 

Now I know just how infrequently I go into the freezer. Like never.  Well- I do dig around in there for frozen packages of chicken thighs for SOUP or a ball of commercial pizza dough for Football Nights and bags of frozen vegetables to mix into steamed rice for my supper.  The ice bin is always full.  I think I am the only one who adds ice to a beverage reminding me of the bottled Cosmo in the fridge all PINK and delightful looking.  I'm guessing I could add everything else in the freezer to tuesday's garbage pick up.

I have a full basket of clothing needing a wash.  And that means Washing Machine Pages.

Daily Notes- August 22nd- Waiting for Henry.

 No wind.  No rain. Just humidity.  As we wait for the hurricane to enter Maine's air space.  

I am still waiting for the shoulder pain to go away.  It moved from the back of my shoulder blade to the side and then the upper shoulder in front.  It's more annoying than painful.  Mostly when I raise my arm up over my head.  Which I do just to annoy myself.

There was just a slight rustle to the leaves in the front vegetative island.  Then gone.

I have more pant knees to mend but need to change the bobbin and top thread to a dark color.  The bobbin  case on my Bernina is like a temperamental two year old. Crazy and screaming and then abruptly docile. It just means I have to get over the swearing and screaming part and not take it too seriously.  I try to just use beige for everything....... normally. But George wouldn't like it on the dark denim.

I read another book yesterday- The Beach House. I noticed right away that I had read it before.  Years ago.  But I kept going as it had no real need for deep thoughts. Rich people and big houses on Nantucket.  Everyone ends up having fantastic sex.  I haven't selected today's book but it might be Rules for Visiting which I read before but which I liked reading very much...but might be something more frothy. I think I selected a few frothy items.  I would actually enjoy something that made me laugh. Funny books are few and far between.  

I haven't worked on my ugly little patchwork hand sewing recently.  It is actually Quite AWFUL.

Daily Notes- August 21st- 96% humidity. Sunshine.

 Another hot and humid day.  The grass watering is done.  More of the area where I spread grass seeds is now green rather than brown but that isn't saying much.  The humidity during the day and the heat- must be what grass likes?   Or perhaps it just got going because of the mowing.

My left shoulder blade has what seems like a pinched nerve.  When I rotate that shoulder things are unpleasant.  The book from yesterday didn't disappoint as things at the book shop heated up.  If done correctly this would be an amazingly good Hallmark Movie as there was no sex or kissing (which Hallmark avoids) but lots of bickering that was confusing and entertaining.  The lead female character gave as good as she got and stood up for herself.

I haven't selected today's book as yet.  There are 15 books in the pile.

My breathing is less than stellar.  I rest quite a bit.  I didn't watch any news yesterday.  I am reminded of watching something but that might have been the day before.

In reply to Deb's comment: White linen is truly forgiving and doesn't mind a good (light) bleach wash every so often but NOT too often.  I have stopped putting it in the dryer (which sets stains).  Just on a hanger on the four poster.  A bit of hand flattening of wrinkles when still damp.   In the olden days, I starched and pressed. I also pre-treat stains with a hard rub from a bar of brown soap.

That's it for today.  I haven't chosen a book as yet.  Depends on what sort of emotional journey I am interested in. Still working on finishing my morning cup of coffee. A few on the book pile will make me cry.  Another few will make me laugh.  The others are a mix of both.  Some I have read several times already. (in the past few years)  A few are new to me.

There is also a very small, weird cloth I am sewing.  Won't amount to anything but it's something to do.

Daily Notes- August 20th Rained last night and very humid this morning

 So......August 20th.  I went out to the grocery/pharmacy to pick up the other two inhalers.  That was all and then I came home.  Wrote checks for our bills and then peeled and sliced the Peaches and put them in a container and into the fridge. I shredded paper.  Swept the floor. Selected colors for husband's coloring.

I am not breathing very well today.  So I won't be doing much today.  Reading. Or just sitting with my eyes closed.

Yesterday evening's pizza was very good.  Two slices for husband's lunch.

I had hoped it would be raining today.  Like yesterday.  Was supposed to rain for two or three days.  We need rain.  But we have humidity.  I am skipping the hose watering today.

I have a book I started reading yesterday.  Bookshop of Second Chances.  Set in Scotland. Not sure I will read it all the way thru.  It's plodding along.  But I always give a book about a bookshop a try at least.

My Master Gardener Buddy wants me to join her to work on a courtyard Navy Garden but I have said no. The last thing I need to do is collapse out in public.  

I'm just going to sit quietly in the cool house.  I have a lovely gifted red tomato, sandwich bread and mayo which will make a DIVINE sandwich later.  Possibly eaten leaning over the sink to keep my clothing juice free.

Daily Notes- August 19th- Was supposed to be raining. Isn't.

 Article about the delights of linen sheets.  I agree.  These aqua ones- I actually don't own that color but I SHOULD own that color.

Watering.  The Almost Grass.  We are supposed to be having RAIN.  We aren't.  Cloud cover is getting darker.  I gave up thinking positive about RAIN this summer.  It isn't a sure thing.  Even in Maine.

I have my inhalers to pick up at the grocery pharmacy.  The Peaches on the counter are softening.  I will make a cobbler.  Southern Style.  Pizza tonight with Football. Oven Use in August is not my favorite. And I did not have even ONE Tomato Sandwich this Summer.

I have been watching baseball. Watching the Pitchers with their weird repetitive mannerisms.  Missed the game where the guy got hit in the face with the ball.  Breaking three bones.  Most likely in the shape if a crater the size of a baseball.  

I watched  NOVA last night. They (WE) sent that tiny orbiter to take a snapshot of Pluto.

Pluto is gorgeous. Silvery.  Metallic.  They think it's core is liquid.  Perhaps water.

Daughter brought over a very heavy bag packed with her co-worker's work pants.  The right knee busted out on every pair of pants.  I mended three pair of light blue washed out denim yesterday and drove to her house to drop off.  I passed his house but didn't stop.  He lives on the busy street and backing out into traffic is not my idea of a "good time".  And I have the feeling he would not answer the door anyway. 

I had saved up a pile of denim- old stuff.  Cut into rectangles- pretty large.  I was determined to make a denim quilt.  I gave up before even sewing two sections together.  Those pieces are worn and perfectly suited to mending this guy's pant legs.  He specified no "flowery" fabrics.  I use that on daughter's knees.

I wanted to stay on his "good side" as he carried the AC units in and set up our Christmas Tree. No flowery fabrics.  Straight up denim. He reminds me of our son.  A lot.

Daily Notes- FORGOT to hit PUBLISH yesterday so you have TWO new POSTS

 I forgot to press publish yesterday.  I think I got up to turn the water off for something and never came back to the desk.  It happens when one is 74.11.

Husband cut the new "Grass" yesterday.  Tall weeds, ferns and things.  So now it's all even.  And being watered. I picked the remaining peaches.  About 10.  Usually the counter top is covered with them. Only 10.

I called Appliance Service.  Someone will arrive on Monday.  For $189.  Either the gasket on the door is shot or something else is going on.  The ice maker is making tons of ice.  I dump it out.  Lots of frost inside.  I added a larger piece of tape to the door.  It's a side by side.  So the bungie cord idea- while EXCELLENT won't work here.  I may go ahead and use a bungie cord on the old fridge on the porch.  It has a top freezer section.  And is being held closed with a stick.  

I was cheerfully chatty with the woman taking information.  She said 2 month wait and then I have an appointment on Monday.  It's all good.  And I told her about the Bungie cord idea.

Husband has been asked to raise neighbor's street mailbox- the post office has sent a final warning.  If the box isn't the "new regulation height"- no mail will be delivered.  That new Postal Guy is trying very very hard to stop delivering mail.  Anyway.  It's a project and he has 9 fingernails that he hasn't sliced off as yet.

I need milk.  I forgot to add it to my list.  So I have to go buy milk.  And husband says he needs bagels. I don't know if that is true.  

I had steamed rice and frozen corn for supper with Sweet Soy Sauce.  Wow. That Sweet Soy- red band on the bottle- is fantastic on rice.  I DO NOT get the recommended amount of protein in a day.  I can't eat Soy.  I don't like Eggs.  I don't like Fish. I don't like Chicken. So...I eat fruit and vegetables and just exist unless someone offers me BBQed Pulled Pork.  I do eat peanut butter every once in awhile. Often.

When they do that test to see how strong your bones are- I get a really GREAT number.  Don't know how or why.  But it seems my body is doing something to make strong bones.  I will ask to be measured to see how tall I am next office visit.  See if I am shrinking.  Or ask daughter to measure me.

Daily Notes- August 17th. Watering the Trying to Be Grass

The watering is going.  the Garbage and Recycling has been collected.  The mosquitos have bitten my ankle- only the right one- never the left.

Yesterday I dropped off a paper bag of peaches to Ruth and Tom my next door neighbors.  ruth will have here 90th birthday soon.  Last year ruth didn't get Peaches.  I think they were at their oceanfront cottage. So this year, with my limited number of Peaches- Ruth and Tom got the first and most likely, only bag of Peaches. Only fair.

I am reading the follow up book to PS I Love You titled Postscript.  It's got a difficult to read first 50 pages that needed an Editor that could put their foot down and say- "no matter how much you like all these words- they are dull as the Death you are describing".  Some writers listen to comments on their work- others do not.  I was so close to not even reading the rest.....so close.  So I just decided to move ahead and skip reading the tedious, dull, awful pages.  Like that road Trip book.  Skip the first 50 pages.  Get on with it.

I have Hello Kitty duct tape holding the freezer door closed.  A bungie cord sounds awesome. I need to call for appliance support but not sure if they are entering homes right now.  I can see why the wouldn't want to.  There were people sans masks at the grocery giving me the stink eye for wearing one. Summer people.  Soon they will go back to wherever they come from.  Mostly Florida. They come here in August because Florida is too hot.  Well, they come from New York as well.  

The parking on the Maine street is filled with their luxury cars with New York plates.  Up in the camp grounds, it's all Florida.  Maine needs the money.  Maine is an August Whore. Two more weeks and everyone will go back to Florida or New York.

Daily Notes- August 16t Happy Birthday Sam

 I had to put this picture (from the clippings drawer) on the desk calendar.  In her double digit months she liked to cook the little Fisher Price Farmer and the Chicken in her tiny Revere Ware saucepan on her tiny tiny stove.  Serve him up with a spoon in one of her tiny bowls.  Her father and I wondered......

Happy Birthday. She already posted and seems someone bought her a frosted cupcake for breakfast.

I ventured out to the library and grocery.  Got books.  An old National Geographic of space.  Planets. Astronauts.  Good stuff.  Good books.  I hope.  

The employees at the grocery hadn't made up any chicken Parmesan meals.  They didn't want to commit to WHEN they might "feel like making them".  They had one in the cooler- so husband has food for today.

And my freezer door isn't staying shut.  It bounces open when the fridge door opens and shuts.  I guess I need to call for a service visit- if they are doing in house service?????? I have it taped shut now. Now I'll be checking it every 10 minutes -24/7

Watering the Might Be Grass right now and then I might pick Peaches for the neighborhood.   Not as hot as the prior days but still needed the AC on for the ride home.  

Daily Notes Sunday August 14th A Cooler Breeze is blowing outside.

 Yesterday's book.  I cried most of the last third of this book.  And...it's lovely.  Really lovely.  About giving Life a chance even when one is dying. And I am not ruining this for any Reader as it's made clear on the first 3 pages.  Takes place on the island of Elba and everyone is wealthy. Big big yachts.  Movie stars.  Celebrity chefs.  But not so you notice.  They are written down to the bone and blood.  I wouldn't mind renting a sunbed and umbrella on the public beach. And reading this book again and again.  I did turn right back to page one when I got to the end.......just to prove how good it actually is.

The fridge is getting to look bare.  I still have Romaine lettuce.  And a few old but edible carrots.  So today- the Big Salad with the seven cherry tomatoes that grew on the plants (on the front steps) I never put into large pots.. or Stanley Tucci's pasta sauce. And there are baked beans.  And baguette with melted cheese. 

I refuse to surrender and go to the grocery just yet.  There is also canned jackfruit that can be magically transformed into "Pulled Pork".  I always enjoy that on a big salad of greens.  I haven't sorted thru the frozen shelves to see if there is a package of meat.  I know there are packages of chicken thighs for soup.  And packages of dumplings to fry and serve with a soy mirin ginger dip.  There is Food.  Even flour and yeast for Pizza dough. Even cookies. And two full bags of bags of dry pasta in the closet with the vacuum.

I even have all that is needed to make New York Style Cheesecake.  Bountiful when one takes the Time to actually look at what is in the cupboards and fridge.

And a jar as yet unopened of Fudge Sauce.  Which never actually meets up with ice cream as it gets spooned out of the jar and eaten as is.  Tomorrow is daughter's birthday.

Daily Notes- August 14th

 Long ago and Far Away I was living in a small apartment in Georgia, two days shy of the birth of my first child.  Hot.  Miserable and the only food I wanted to eat- was Watermelon.

This morning in the newspaper:

British guy kills five.  He found it difficult to live as an "involuntary celibate" because of a lack of a love life.  This"incel" (online) movement justifies violence against women as revenge for men being rejected as sexual partners.  They feel "society" denies them sexual partners because it's not them personally being rejected.  This online subculture has been linked to deadly attacks in California, Toronto and Florida. Let's all take a moment to visualize how this guy presents himself.  Physically, emotionally and linguistically.

There are many many people in the World who are involuntarily celibate. And just as many who are choosing to be celibate.  No reason to be getting a gun and shooting people. Am I correct in assuming that the members of the online groups aren't attracted to each other either???? but don't shoot each other?

It's extremely humid today.  Like being ironed.  The sprinklers are on.  I now have a two toned purple petunia in with the Grass That Might Be Growing.  The Earth's little giggle.   

I am cleaning out the fridge this weekend.  Eating what is still okay to eat.  Filling the compost bucket with wilted vegetation. I'll keep garbage refrigerated until Tuesday when the garbage  is collected. No reason to get the garage stinky.

Daily Notes- Post #3695

 In today's morning paper.  I think we have been "whitest" since we moved here. But diverse is new. Ish. The majority of our Diverse are immigrants, welcomed, I hope, by the Statue of Liberty (as my grandparents and husband's were in the late1800's.).

Finished watering the Almost Grass. Filled the one gallon bottles that I use to water the container plants. Then watered them, filled the bottles again.  Later in the afternoon I will water them again.  Containers dry out so fast when it's over 80 degrees.

That was enough outdoors for me. My chest feels tight and I am coughing (due to a lack of oxygen).  

By some sublime quirk of memory- I thawed out a ball of dough and made pizza last evening.  Then turned on the tv and found the Patriots playing football.  We had Football Pizza.  The game was fine but we missed the first quarter. No one was wearing masks in the stadium. Boston. No other comment needed.

Did any of you read Diane's comment on yesterday's post.  The song on the radio..... read it.  Gave me shivers of the most excellent kind.

My daughter called- could I search my car for her phone charger.  I did.  No charger.  Message this morning- she found it.  In a pocket of her pants.  I did find almost one dollar of change in the car.

I am NOT going to the grocery today.  I noticed I was going every three days.  Way too often.  So...I am trying hard NOT to go out.  Husband did visit Tractor Supply to buy bird seed ysterday- black oil sunflower seeds. He also wandered around looking at stuff.  Purchased another bird feeder.

There are enough odd bits and pieces to make a lunch and dinner.  A good dig around in the freezer will turn up something.  I also emptied out the pantry of a few past expiration date things.  I was in there looking around- seeing what's what.  I have a large supply of dry lentils and and equal amount of canned baked beans and no great interest in either.

Daily Notes- August 12th. 87% Humidity at 10am. Sunshine.

 From where I sit and read and watch the tv in upper left corner.  And yes, this is how my living room is furnished.  One couch, two chairs, three lamps, four tables.  I got rid of everything else and COVID keeps me from shopping and trying out new furniture.  The room is THIS BIG. Over to the far right wall are two built in bookcases and a fireplace and the second couch I sit on with two end tables and two more lamps. Against the wall by the side of the tv is my desk and computer where I am sitting right this minute.

That's my husband coloring another mandala in one of his books.  That's a bar height table he got for a few dollars when he worked for Target (someone returned it saying it was defective).  Daughter helped HEAVE it down from the Attic.  The couch is where he plays games on his tablet or reads (and falls asleep).  No- I don't own any curtains. Anywhere in the house.  There are no people.  Really.  There are no people. We see no people.

I have already watered the Almost Thinking About Being Grass and picked and thrown (into the woods) the six or seven peaches the deer or squirrels have taken off the tree over night.  They take one or two bites.  The rest of the peach looks beautiful but.......worthless.

By the TIME the peaches are ripe- there won't be ANY.  I am way way beyond "disturbed" about this. If I can Time it right I could pick and ripen peaches in the house under the microwave plastic dome.  Make at least one Peach Cobbler.  But...I don't see this plan working.  They are still pretty hard.

I watched a new to me station- World by PBS- it is a bit odd looking as it's for a larger screen than I own. But it was about how ancient people saw the stars, moon and sun.  Cave drawings etc.  And Stonehenge. Which took years to build with rocks that seem to have been moved all the way from Wales.  How???? And all pyramid shaped building is aligned to the same co-ordinates.  The Sun rising and setting. Stonehenge also is aligned to the Sun rising and setting.  Early People.

Another program I watched was about Mars.  It has no magnetic core so all the atmosphere and water it had in the beginning drifted out into Space and left it dead. 

I watched all this AFTER watching a nurse describe the situation in a Mississippi hospital. Children with COVID dying-unvaccinated.  Alone without their parents.  And the ER filled and the parking lot filled with ambulances they can't empty.  The nurse said if you call 911- no one will come. Remind anyone of India?????  And this is America.  I just cannot take much more of this stupidity. I also don't want to cry anymore.