An Adventure with a Serendipitous Ending

This morning we took off for an adventure to Alabama.  We left before 7:30 as we wanted to get to a favorite nursery of ours soon after it opened.  Woody had checked and it was open and they were only letting a certain amount of people at a time.  It consists of LOTS of green houses and a multitude of paths running throughout it.  We wanted some more herbs and a couple of veggies and some flowers and Nathan and Kathy needed some veggies.  We accomplished finding most of what we were looking for.  We wore masks and most of those that we saw were also wearing masks.  It was very easy to keep the 6 feet of distance between patrons.  It was a lot like walking in a park.  

On the way home was where serendipity entered our adventure.  Woody saw a sign for fresh strawberries and decided to follow the signs.  We ended up at a strawberry farm where you could either pick them or buy a bucket...or two...of already picked ones...a bucket for us and a bucket for Nathan, Kathy and family.  They were pretty happy to see me arrive at their door with the berries!

After lunch and our preacher's Thursday noon Bible study, I met Nathan and Kathy and a couple of grandchildren on our back patio and divvied up the plants.  I planted a couple and later in the aftfnoon, Woody did a little planting, but decided to leave most of it for tomorrow when the temperatures are supposed to rise out of the 60s...perhaps even getting to the 80s.

After my part in the planting, I came in to make the cake to go with the strawberries.  Woody hulled them all and we both used the masher on them and I added the sugar.  So for dessert we had strawberry shortcake the way Woody likes it...yellow cake and strawberries.  I will say it isn't quite the way he likes it as he would also have liked to have vanilla ice cream on it.  But he will do without that since milk products are a "no-no" on his kidney diet...too high in protein.  I also made our Cantonese Spareribs recipe for supper.  I am about done in...been a very active day!  And, my back is rebelling at the moment.  I think that if I sit for a few minutes, I will be able to tackle the rest of the kitchen mess!  I filled the dishwasher and it is running as I blog and rest...then I can go down and see what else has to be done.  Part of what is left can go in the dishwasher after I empty it, but ther are quite a few dishes that can't be washed in the dishwasher...and the stove top is a mess...but all that...a little later!

We have good news!  Peaches (one of Esther's sister cats) has returned after being missing in action for 4 days.  At first her sister wasn't happy to see her...a lot of hissing...but here they are this afternoon on our front porch!

Best buddies!  Peaches is the one asleep.  Georgia is keeping an eye on what's going on!

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought:

"Don't count the days.  Make the days count!" (Unknown)

Stay safe!

Stay well!

Stay home...or when out and about be cations!

More Birdies

Woody headed off to his oncology appointment this morning to get his shots for anemia and B-12.  So that is done for his month.

I ate breakfast and then took my cup of tea and a camera or two out to the front porch to do a little bird watching before the rains set in.  It was very pleasant sitting out there...listening and watching for different birds.  This cardinal landed on a branch almost directly in front of me.  I got a couple of good shots of him.  My main goal was to get a good picture of the little birds that are building a nest in the barn birdhouse.  I wanted to be able to look at the picture and identify them for sure.  I was pretty sure what they were: house wrens...and I was right.

This little bird has the sweetest song.  While out on the front porch, I saw robins, a tufted titmouse, a nuthatch, two beautiful red-headed woodpeckers flying by, a mocking bird, cardinals, the starling that has a nest at the very top of telephone pole that is in our front garden.  The mocking bird entertained me with quite the song.  It was a very pleasant hour or so.  Woody joined me for a little while after he got home from his appointment.

Woody gave me an assignment...make him a cloth face mask.  He said that in Alabama they are requiring you to have a cloth face mask and we are going to make a quick trip tomorrow morning to Alabama so he wanted to meet the requirements...now we will see if all have face masks where we are going!  I already have a cloth one that I made to use when I go to the grocery store.  I got his made in fairly short order...about an hour of work time.  I'll share our planned adventure in tomorrow night's blog!  

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought:

"Even though we are apart, we will get through this together!" (Unknown)

Stay safe!

Stay well!

Stay home (as much as possible)! 

A Little Bird Watching

Woody spent a lot of time outside today...both weeding and bird watching.  I decided that it was a good day to fill bird feeders.  This is the new bird house that the neighbors (Nathan, Kathy and family) gave me for my birthday.  Tonight's barn photo!  I was trying to get a picture of the two sweet little birds that are making a nest in this bird house.  Woody told me the best to get a photo was to sit in the car in the driveway. He knew it was a good place as when he gets cold he goes and sits in the car and reads or I guess some times watches the birds!  So I went to sit in the car...with the door open.  Not long after I sat down this goldfinch landed on the house.  The new renters in this house were not happy...they usually have a very sweet song, but that song got a bit screechy as they got this bird to leave.  I know why the finch stopped at this place.  This bird hangs on the shepherd's hook that last year held the goldfinch feeder...that is until the squirrels destroyed it.  So this little guy very innocently stopped by hoping for some food and got screeched at!  I was just glad that I was able to get his picture before he flew away. He almost flew right into the car with me!  So glad that he corrected his flight pattern and went over the car rather than in it!

I believe that the little birds that are making a home in this birdhouse are some kind of little wren.  I'm going tonstudynthe pictures that I managed to get of them today and see what kind they are.  We also saw cardinals, a cat bird, mocking bird, robins, and our bird blue mother and father.  It was a good day for bird watching...oh, and I saw a hummingbird come to our feeder also.  When I was coming downstairs this afternoon, I heard voices on the front porch and there were more bird watchers sitting on the porch...Nathan, Kathy, Esther, Elijah, Esther, Isaac, and Joseph.  They reported that they had seen the little birds living in the barn birdhouse and the hummingbird and others.  It was a very nice day for porch sitting.  I need to go out and do a little porch cleaning.  The cats have taken over the cushions and I need to clean them off.  Plus I need to discourage some spiders from making homes on the porch!

The neighbors are busy planting the vegetable gardens both in their yard and ours.  The children are really enjoying digging around in the dirt.  Today they had a surprise to show me when I wandered over to check on their progress...a BIG toad.  He might star in a blog photo another evening!

It's beautiful out...but I have to be very careful or the pollen will get to me.  I have been having some allergy problems, but not as severe as they used to be prior to me taking allergy meds year round.

Last night after I blogged I got to looking through my book list and realized that  some books/authors were missing so went back and checked my lists that I compiled the final list from and found out that I had missed the back of one sheet of paper that was filled with books I had read so I had to go back and revise the list...already!  I will have to update what I sent to the laptop...but that can wait a bit.

Tonight I made a new zucchini/yellow squash concoction...I used a recipe that I found on the Internet, but added so many changes to meet Woody,s diet and our tastes that it ended up being pretty much "my recipe."  Just as I was taking it out of the oven, Nathan showed up with a pork steak.  They had grilled out and had one to spare.  Woody and I each had part of it and will have it again tomorrow.  I had smelled that someone in the neighborhood was cooking out and that it smelled soooooo good.  I never dreamed that I would get to share in the goodness!  Good cooks, neighbors!

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought brings a smile as Melany has sort of done this with us!

"The world has flipped upside down.  Old folks sneaking out of the house and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!" (Unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Monday Rolls Around...Again...

The last Monday in April...can you believe it...and, we here in TN have spent the whole month sheltering at home.  Today restaurants were given the go ahead to open at a 50% capacity.  So I guess we are gradually getting back.  We didn't go anywhere today so I don't know if restaurant parking lots were covered up or not.

Today I did a little cleaning and got this week's washing started.  Have to go get a load out of the dryer if I remember after I blog!  I did manage to go through my multipage book list and redo it on the iPad.  So I actually have a way to check to see if I have read a book of not.  It has been funny as I type the names and authors of various books...some I know right away that I really liked reading them and I get a good feeling just thinking back to the story...even if I read it years and years ago.  BUT...there are some that I don't even recognize the title of the author!  I'm considering reading a
summary of some of the books and see if that gives my brain a jog!  1992 is the first year that I started keeping a yearly list.  I have over the years plugged in books that I read before that trying to recapture as many titles as possible.  After I got the list finished today.  I went over it with a fine tooth comb checking various lists to make sure that I have as complete as possible list.  Then I made PDF files and sent them to my laptop so I have them saved on that computer, also.  The lists aren't as compact as they were when they were a spread sheet list so at this point I don't plan to print it out...at least not yet.  I may try to figure out how to consolidate the lists before printing out many pages.  But at the moment, I have them saved at least in two places as PDF files and then I have the working lists that I can continue to add to in my word processor app.  But I have a file that is up to date as of this moment...until I finish another book!

I've been checking series of books that I have read in the past to see if there are any added to them.  I
have quite a bit of catching up on several of them.  I won't run out of reading material for some time! Plus another e-book became available to me today.

We just got a call that Woody has an appointment this week for his anemia and B-12 shots...that one snuck up on us.  Good thing for reminder calls!  Also we finally got word that Woody's Vanderbilt appointments have been rescheduled for June...they were supposed to have been tomorrow.

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought:

"Accept what it is, let go of what it was, and have faith in what will be." (Unknown)

Stay Safe...if things around you are opening up...so you will...↩️
Stay Well!

Be wise and↩️
Stay Home unless...you really need to be out and about!

Sunday Blessings

Wytheville, VA
Taken on one of our many trips when Woody
was being treated at National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland

May 2011

Walking Through Saturday

Saturday just sort of has passed by almost without me realizing that it was here!  I guess that is a bit of what happens when one has stayed in for a month and is starting out on the next month!  I haven't been keeping track of how many days since we were told to shelter at home...but knew by the date that we are heading into the 2nd month.  Yesterday was the 31st day of sheltering at home.

Woody had planned for a non eventful day, but he got a call from his friend that the pharmacy hadn't filled one of the medications that he needed and would Woody go by and get that one.  So Woody did  end up making one trip today

I have done a little of this and a little of that today.  I did a little cleaning...we have one bathroom that is definitely cleaner...even the floor.  I did a little cooking.  I made a pear sauce with some overripe pears.  This sauce is for the cake...Woody had finished up the fruit that I had fixed to go over it. New only had a little of the frozen fruit that I made sauce for the angel food cake last week.  So I needed to make something else.  The pears that were beyond eating made a very good sauce.  I continue to work on my book list.  When typing up an author's series, I discovered that I had skipped one...so I went online to see if our e-library had it and if it was available.  They did have it and it was available.  So I have been having trouble making myself do something other than read that book!

Woody has read, watched TV, done crossword puzzles, and run that one errand.  It rained part of the morning and then it has been quite windy the latter part of the day.  Good day to stay in and shelter in place!

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus borrowed thought I heard on TV today while I was working in the kitchen.  I liked it well enough to write it down on the back of a recipe.

"Even though we are apart, we will get through this together." (Unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Friday Fiddling

Tonight's photo shows why we like to go on our barn trips in late Fall, Winter, or early Spring.  If we were to stop in the exact spot today to take this barn, I'm sure that leaves and other growth would block our view!

Woody ran a quick errand to pick up some prescriptions for his friend today and that was all the running around that either of us did.  He has done crosswords, read some, maybe (he hasn't been reading as much lately), and watched some TV.  It was a bit nippy to do much outside, but he did plant two chive plants that Nathan and Kathy got us for our herb garden.

I decided that today was a good time to try to get a handle on my book list.  For years I have been putting the books that I read in a spreadsheet on my laptop with Microsoft Excel.  Well, when we had the laptop worked on the last time they rebuilt it and most of the software was gone and had to be reloaded.  I reloaded the Microsoft Word, but Excel seems to have disappeared from it.  So I can no longer get to that long, long spreadsheet of years and years and years and...of books that I have read.  I had printed the list off in 2016 so today I created lists on my iPad in my Pages word processing app.  I got the books I read put onto lists of authors in alphabetical order today.  I did it the way Woody  has his listed...a page for each letter of the alphabet and put the the books in by author's last names.  So a page for all the "A" authors, one for "B" authors, etc.  It really didn't take all that long.  I may now start plugging in books from my multi page list that I have printed from the spreadsheet.  But even if I don't do that I can at least check in the two places to see if I have read a book!  I feel like that was a good job accomplished during this time at home.  I also finished another book today.

Appointments continue to be cancelled.  My primary care office called yesterday to see if I wanted to reschedule a test and I told them not until this mess is over.  Then today the oral surgeon called and rescheduled my tooth extraction for another good while down the road.  I think that we got Woody's appointments at Vanderbilt cancelled, but haven't heard when they are rescheduled.  Things continue to be put off.  The thing I am looking forward to the most is being able to get my hair cut...I hope that isn't too much longer down the road!  "Things" are opening back up here in TN.  I think that today state parks opened during daytime hours.  Monday restaurants are supposed to open up to 50% capacity and Wednesday retail stores are supposed to open up to 50% capacity.  I don't know yet if we have to wear masks or not when we are out in public.  Waiting for further instructions!

Tonight's Coronavirus borrowed thought:

"When the dust settles, we will realize how little we need, how very much we actually have, and the value of human connection." (Unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Looking In On You!

Checking in on you...wondering how you are doing with your "sheltering in place."  The last time we went on our barn trip we said that it could have also been called a "cow trip" because we saw so many cows.  Here's one looking in on you...making sure you are doing okay!

Today was a 12-egg-yolk day.  Last week I made an angel food cake and that left me with 12 egg yolks so I decided today was the day to make something with them.  So I made a 12 Yolk Pound Cake.  We each had a warm slice once I got it out of the pan.  I have made some more cut up fruit for Woody to put over it.  And I have decided that in"need" something chocolate so think that I will go downstairs after I publish this and make some chocolate sauce to drizzle over another slice.

Today was a stay inside kind of day since it rained off and on.  It never rained extremely hard so hopefully it was good for all the seeds that Woody planted yesterday.  The herb plants that he planted earlier in the week are doing well.  It won't be long till I will be using some of them in my cooking.  I look forward to having fresh rosemary, basil, and thyme once again.  It will be a bit more of a wait for the seeds to sprout and be ready to use...but hopefully before the end of the season we will have plants big enough to use and also to winter over inside the house and not let them die out.

Woody's been finishing up crossword puzzle books that he has been given for various occasions.  He finished his 2020 yearly daily crossword calendar puzzle the other day.  Now he is working through a crossword book.  He says the crosswords in this book are too easy.  He continues to do two or three that he prints off from the Internet every day.  I guess he is working on keeping his mind sharp!

I am still on a reading streak.  I do plan to head into the sewing room in the next day or so and see what projects that I can get into in there.  I'm considering Christmas ornaments...but just not sure that is the direction I want to go...but definitely a possibility.  I just need to get in there and get inspired.

I guess tonight's borrowed Coronovirus thought for the day tells at least one reason that I love to read so much.  I get to go just about anyplace that I want through my reading...I don't feel "trapped" in the house at all! (Right now one book has me in Pennsylvania and New York City and another has dropped me in the midst of the creation of America as an independent country...all safe and disease free places for me to be...sitting in my recliner relaxing and winging my way back in history to the 18th century and the 20th century.) I have always been happiest with a big stack of books surrounding me!  And, now in the 21st century I have the capability of getting another e-book the moment I finish one...or I "might" have several going at once...as I do now...and I got notified a little while ago that another one is ready for me to borrow.  And, all of these are free of charge through our countries free public libraries...free entertainment at my finger tips...libraries opened or not during this pandemic...a limitless supply!  Pure heaven...for me at least!

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are!" (Mason Cooley)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Earth Day 2020

I guess the best thing about Earth Day 2020 is all the places that are so much better off this year due to folk sheltering at home all over the world.  I know that the Los Angeles skyline isn't smoggy.  The canals in Venice are clear.  Nice that the earth is benefiting from people slowing down and staying home.

I made an extra...probably nonessential trip to Walmart today to get the herb seeds that didn't get home with me on Monday. I picked them up in my hands today and didn't put them down till I was checking out!  And, they got home and are already planted.  Woody wanted me to go get them today so he could plant them before the rains come overnight.  Woody met his outside goals for today...he finished weeding the shared flower garden and got the herb seeds planted.

Since I blogged last night I finished two books.  I had three going and decided to get these two finished.  As I was returning these e-books, I got notified that there was another one ready for me to check out.  I still have a biography of Thomas Jefferson that I will work at slowly.  And, have already started the new fiction book.  I like to get the books started as they come to me since I may not really want to read them...I read for a while and decide if the book is really for me.  I guess you could compare it to a test drive of a car!  I haven't decided about this latest one.  So far I have only given up on one e-book that I checked out during this safer at home time period.

Woody made French toast this morning with the cinnamon swirl bread that I made yesterday. I cooked some fresh green beans tonight to go with leftovers in the fridge.  That's about all the cooking that took place today except for warming up leftovers.  The kitchen is cleaned up and the dishwasher has already run...so kitchen is "closed" for the evening!

We did hear from a real person at Vanderbilt this morning and they are working on rescheduling Woody's three appointments for several months down the road.

My Coronavirus borrowed thought for the day:

"Rest at home is better than rest in peace.
Six feet away is better than six feet under!" (Unknown)

Stay safe.
Stay well.
Stay at home.

Bread Baking Day

Today turned into a bread baking day for me.  I asked Woody yesterday if he wanted a cake or cinnamon swirl bread.  He chose the bread because he is ready for more French toast made with it.

We are working on getting Woody's Vanderbilt scans, labs, and doctor visit rescheduled.  I emailed them requesting that the appointments be put off for a couple more months.  Someone from Vanderbilt called yesterday while I was out and they didn't leave a message.  Then this evening we got another call, but this was the robo call to confirm his appointment.  I pushed the number that is supposed to cancel the appointment...we'll see if that is successful.  I keep checking the website to see  if the appointment is still there and so far it is.  Whatever...we're not going.

Woody continued his weeding work in the flower bed.  He pulled a lot of weeds as I had to dump his bucket into the yard bucket many times and it was always chockful.

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought:

"Someone put it very well...
We isolate now so that when we gather again...
No one is missing! (Unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

"Things" May be Lifting

Tennessee's governor stated today that he would lift the shelter at home ruling on May 1.  Personally I think that is too early.  Each day I see more cases added to our county and all other counties and thus to the state total.  I still don't think that the virus has peaked in our area.  They just started drive-through testing here in our county over the weekend.  I wonder how much the numbers will climb once the results of those tests come in.  Woody and I have decided that we will continue to shelter at home...better safe than sorry!  I would hate to have gone to all this "trouble" to shelter at home for the past month + a little and then go back to "normal" and end up having to shelter in place again...or worse yet pick up the virus!

All that said...I will go get my hair cut as soon as my stylist is back in business!!!  I messaged with her last night to see what her status is and she said that she thought that she would maybe get to go back to work sooner than some salons since she works alone and the salon is at her home.  I definitely feel comfortable going there.  Tomorrow is supposed to be my appointment...here's hoping that I don't have to go too much beyond my appointment!

Today I made a trip to Walmart...the first one in a month.  I stocked up with a month's supply of my over the counter meds last month and it was time to go back today.  I picked up a few other things that we needed, also.  But there is a mystery as to what I thought that I had gotten.  Woody had asked me to get some herb seeds and I was happy as I had found all that he wanted and also found one other that I wanted too.  I know that I had them in my hand...and I thought that I put them in my buggy...but when I got home didn't have them nor were they rung up on my sales receipt.  I have no idea what happened to them...or if I happened to just leave them in my buggy and not get them on the conveyer belt.  So I may be going back sooner than a month if we want to plant those seeds!  It's a mystery that I guess will never be solved!!!  I'm just shaking my head and wondering..what in the world?!?  I did don my mask and gloves to do my shopping.  Also, I didn't have to stand in a line to get in...though they were out there keeping count on how many were in the store.

Woody didn't get to plant seeds, but he continued to weed in the flower garden that straddles Nathan's and our property line...we called it the shared garden.

I made a new chicken casserole for our supper...added some yellow squash and zucchini.  We both enjoyed it.  As soon as I publish tonight's blog, I will go down and put the dishes in the dishwasher...have to put away what's in the dishwasher first...reason that it isn't already done!

Tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought (maybe this is the thought that has me feeling the way I am about continuing to shelter at home):

"Re-opening the economy now is like not finishing your prescription of antibiotics because you are feeling better." (Unknown)  There is another one along the same line that says it is like taking off your parachute just because it opened and you started slowing down.

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Sunday Blessings

Bluebird Saturday

I don't know if any bluebirds have decided to take up residence in any of the new birdhouses, but they are enjoying them for perches and lookouts.  I often look out and see a pretty bluebird sitting atop one of the new houses.

I think that this day has been a recovery day for me after my busy yesterday.  I woke up fairly early and read for a while.  I have finished another book and am getting along pretty far in another one.  The one I finished this morning was my 41st book read this year.  Well on my way to my end-year goal of 52!  I wonder if I will make it to my goal before the quarantine is over and if the quarantine will be over before the end of the year!?!  That last part of that last sentence isn't even funny...is it?!?

We have both stayed inside today.  I did venture to the mailbox twice...once to put something in to
mail and then to get today's mail.  It is fairly chilly out so not much incentive to be outside today.  I have mainly read and done a little cooking...very little.  Woody has done crossword puzzles, watched some TV, and read.  I think that we have both enjoyed resting and keeping warm in our recliners with fleece throws.  I think that I have taken several naps...not sure about Woody.  I guess it was good that we didn't have any place to go or anything earth shattering to have to do!  We both enjoyed doing a lot of nothing!

My borrowed Coronavirus thought for the day:

"Remember when you wished the weekend would last forever?
You happy now?!?!" (Unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Starting With No Sound...Not Good

Woody left before I did this morning.  He headed off to run errands with his friend.  I attempted to leave shortly after he did.  But...no go!  I gathered my list, mask, and gloves and headed to the car in the garage.  Put the key in the ignition and just the slightest of sounds.  Nathan was outside so I headed for him for the rescue.  He got Graham.  They pushed it out of the garage and Graham got the vehicle that he drives most of the time and brought it over and jumped my car.  Thankfully it started.  W let it run for a few minutes before I headed off.  Nathan and Kathy were on call in case it didn't start the next time.  But it was fine.  I went to Lowe's.  Woody some herb plants and some herb seeds.  I got some plants, but didn't go inside to check out the seeds.  It was hastle enough just to be able to buy the two plants that I got.  The car started fine and I headed off to Kroger and did our shopping and shopped for a Sunday School Clasd member who needs monitory assistance at times.  I called Kathy from the parking lot of Kroger after the car started for my return trip home.  Got home, unloaded groceries, put away cold things, repacked the groceries for my friend, and headed to her house.  I delivered her groceries and then headed back home to put away the rest of our groceries.  I was tired at this point and still am!

Woody spent a lot of time in the gardens after he got home.  He weeded and then planted the herb plants that I got today.  I got sweet basil and English thyme at Lowe's and then found a very healthy rosemary plant at Kroger's in the produce.  Those he planted on our back patio in the raised bed that Nathan and Graham built for me and planted the rosemary in a pretty pot.  I'll soon have an herb garden again...love using fresh herbs in my recipes.

We decided that we would have breakfast for supper so I made cinnamon applesauce pancakes...a new recipe...pretty good...I'll add it to Woody's recipe book.  I'm always looking for new and different things to make that are okay for Woody's kidney diet.  Kitchen is cleaned up.  Woody is watching Friday evening news programs.  I'm ready to sit in my recliner and read and turn on the heating pad.  My back is protesting all my coming and going today!

My borrowed thought for today on a more serious line:

"Fear does not stop death.
It stops life.
And, worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles.
It takes away today's peace." (Unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Back to Barns!

After all the trauma...trees falling, car accidents, nose bleeds, etc., etc. I am ready to go back to posting some more barn pictures!  I will start off by saying that Wade did make it home from the ER last night and that he was doing okay today.  I don't know about the young man who caused so much damage yesterday while driving under the influence of something.  And, all is quiet after the tree falling.  We were back to a pretty normal day...well, at least normal for the present status of sheltering at home.  At least there were no big "BOOMS or BANGS" today, at least to this point.

We pretty much did as usual...we both read,  Woody did crossword puzzles, I cooked a little, I napped...maybe Woody did too, Woody watched some TV, I watched a cooking show on my iPad...definitely neither of us did anything earth shattering!  We did learn today that Tullahoma City Schools will be out for the rest of the school year.  Yesterday we experienced one the "in things" to do: a drive-by parade of school teachers honking their horns and calling out to their students!  I had seen these parades on videos but now have experienced one in real time!  I didn't have my camera close so no photos.

I guess I am going to go make myself make a face mask.  I told myself that I would make one before I go to the grocery store next.  Well, that next time to the store is tomorrow and I haven't made one yet!  Just not the kind of sewing that I want to do!  And, after watching a hilarious video clip this afternoon, I am almost afraid to make one.  This lady was supposedly demonstrating how easy it is to make one and that you don't have to be a great seamstress to make one, etc.  Well, she proceeds and makes just one mistake after another...it had me laughing so hard...but now I am wondering what will happen when I try it!!

Here's my borrowed Coronavirus quote of the day...another funny one:

"If you thought toilet paper was crazy...just wait till 300 million people all want a hair cut appointment!"

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Another Big Bang!

                                         

This afternoon I was cleaning up the kitchen after making an angel food cake (treat for this week!) and what to my wondering ears but another BIG BANG!  I thought,"either another tree down or a car accident.  I was pretty sure that it was a car accident as we had heard about the same sound on Saturday and that was a car accident.  Sure enough when I walked to the side of the house there was a vehicle flipped over and off the road.  The accident Saturday happened in front of the house next to the house where this one happened.  So in less than five days there have been two accidents in almost the exact same place.  This one happened right across the street from Nathan's lot that is behind our house.  The young man (20 and a sophomore at Motlow) was able to crawl out of the car.  I didn't go out till the tow truck came so don't have photos all the emergency vehicles that were in attendance...4
or 5 police cars, a state trooper, an ambulance, and a fire truck...and after all the excitement the tow
vehicle that is pictured above.

The young man was in big trouble.  The police had been trying to find him after numerous reports of his hazardous driving.  He had plowed down 14 mailboxes...the 14th being the one at the house where he ended up upside down.  He had also had or almost had run into a mailcarrier's vehicle.  One lady who stopped said that she had reported him and followed him till she was afraid that he was going to turn around and might run into her.

Kathy was one of the first ones out there and gave him her phone to try to call his mother, but he never got it the number successfully dialed.  The police were very vocal when they got to him as they were upset with him for all the damage he had done.  I got my initial report about the accident from Nathan and Kathy.  Nathan reported that the young man wasn't able to pass any of the sobriety
tests...not sure if it was alcohol or drugs.  They did handcuff him and took him away in one of the

police cars.

I certainly hope that all accidents and falling trees are over with for a while around here!  This is just about too much excitement added to our sheltering at home!

Today our governor has requested that schools not start back up again this school year.  We have been expecting that.  Melany was glad to hear it...not that she doesn't want to go back to school, but if they had started up again she would have had to make a decision as to whether she would be able to return or get subs for the rest of the year.  She is on an immunosuppressive drug and is one of the high risk folk out there for getting the virus.


Melany called while I was out checking out the accident and when I called her back, she was talking
about school, the virus, etc. and all of a sudden Wade came in and told her that he needed to go to the emergency room as he had a bad nosebleed that he couldn't get to stop.  Of course, Melany couldn't
go in with him...just dropped him off and then parked.  We talked for a while.  She was still waiting and hadn't heard anything after an hour.  She texted me a while after we hung up and she said that he was okay and that they were observing him.  They have been home about an hour now.  One more upset of the apple cart during this virus!  What's next?!?

As far as I know Woody and I are well and continue to shelter at home.

I know that it is Wednesday because I called Donna and we had a library conference on the phone
when we would usually be in the library working...really we just talked and caught up with each other!


So tonight's borrowed Coronavirus thought is a light hearted one after all the drama above!

"Until further notice, the days of the week are now called  thisday, thatday, otherday,
Someday, yesterday, today and nextday.



The iPad did not like the spelling of those days of the week and I know that now my spacing is all messed up...sorry!

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

100 Feet of Grandeur...GONE,

Here is the before picture of the tree at the head of our driveway.  It was taken several years ago just after Woody had mulched.  I don't have many pictures of this side of our house.  But you can see the split trunk tree at the head of the driveway.  The one on your right is the one that fell toward the neighbor's and reached all the way to their front porch.  I asked today how tall they thought it was and I was told that it had to be 100 feet or more as their cherry picker goes up 75 feet and that didn't reach the top of the tree.  It was quite the operation that was managed with remarkable finesse! They definitely have it down to a science as they had to work in an extremely small area to get it down and not take other trees down or...hit our house!

And, then it was gone!

All but this stump...that measures 66" across at the widest point!  And, that was only the tree that was cut down.  It's twin filled up the hole next to this stump.  See the little green sprig coming up in the hole nest to the stump?  I thought that it was a fallen branch...but, no!  It is a little oak already growing to replace this 100 footer!

And, that is the end of our latest tree saga!  

Big Bang Theories

At 3:30am there was a loud BANG (BOOM...or however you might describe it).

Now for the theories:

Woody was awake. Woody thought that a bookcase or something had fallen over upstairs.

I was asleep.  But I remember hearing a boom that made me think that a tree had fallen.  But it didn't alert me enough to make wake up!

Our "other neighbor's" (meaning not Nathan and family who are "the neighbors") definitely heard the boom as it went sliding right by their roof...next to their bedroom.  They thought that branches came down from their tree...even when they went outside that is what they thought.

Nathan showed up between 8:30 and 9am.  He had to bring his phone over here so Woody could answer some questions from his nephrologist's office before his phone video appointment this afternoon.  Once that was over, Woody happened to mention to Nathan and me his theory about what he had heard in the night.  And, I shared what I thought it was.  Nathan went upstairs to check to see if anything had fallen over and I looked out the sunporch windows...but didn't see anything.  Then I went to the living room side windows and got a BIG surprise...the tree that used to be at the head of our driveway had fallen and it's height reached all the way to our "other" neighbor's front porch.  Nathan came downstairs after finding everything upright upstairs and I told him what I had discovered.  He headed out to check things out.  Our "other" neighbor came out when she saw Nathan and at that point had just discovered that it was our tree and not just branches from their tree. By the way "the neighbors" did not hear any boom on that side of our house.

The hole in their front yard is from when a tree fell across the road a couple of months ago.  They aren't having much luck with trees!  You can see our open garage door on the cream color house.  The tree was probably a yard or so away from the edge of our house.  The tree that is standing closest to the end of our house is the "twin" of this tree...they came up out of the same root and had split off into two trees.  That one will have to come down tomorrow...they did clean up today.  The tree service was here in less than an hour and started work after lunch today.  This was a taaaaaaalllll tree. Woody is guessing 60 feet tall.  It fell over and reached from the far edge of our driveway all the way to their front porch.  The dormer on your left is the dormer to their bedroom...yikes!  We think that their tree helped to push the tree over keeping it off their roof.  It did mess up their gutter and I'm not sure if any siding or their HVAC unit was messed up or not...hopefully just a dent or two.  The diameter of the trunk, that is now in 4 pieces in our front yard ranged from 15" to 30" diameter.

The above is what was left at the end of the day...just the twin to come down.  They have roped it to another tree in the yard that has been roped to another...hoping to keep it from coming on our house if it should decide to fall before they get to it.  As long as no emergency jobs come up, I believe that they will finish the job tomorrow...the hardest part is to come.

Woody did have his conference call with his nephrologist's office.  He is supposed to do pretty much the same as he has been doing except to spread his water drinking out over more hours in the day.  And, he has to double up on one of his pills.  He has another appointment in six weeks.  Wonder if it will have to be a video conference call!?!

Resurrection Sunday 2020

According to Christian tradition, dogwood blossoms bear the scars of Jesus' crucifixion. The petals are tipped with blood-fringed nail indentations, the flower is cross-shaped, and the center represents the crown of thorns. This symbolism is to compensate for the dogwood being the wood of the cross on which Jesus died.

Because the tree never wanted to be put to such use again, God also twisted and gnarled its trunk and branches so that no straight boards could be made from it. While there is no evidence that the legend is true, the tale persists. The legend of the dogwood blossom is an example of a pourquoi (French for "why") story, a tale that attempts to explain why something has its particular features or characteristics. (copied)

Fun for All From Tall to Small!

A Blip on the Grid

Not long after I got up and moving around this morning, I discovered that we were having internet problems.  About the time that I asked Woody if he was having problems on the laptop (which he said he wasn't), Nathan texted that he thought that we needed to reset the Internet.  (We share our Internet with them now...we used to share theirs...taking turns!) I said ok, but wasn't sure that I knew how...Nathan said he would be over!  He attempted the two ways to reset and was unsuccessful.  I decided to check to see if our landline was working and it wasn't...which let us know that it was probably a problem with the Internet company.  Nathan called and got a message that they had problems in our area and would get it fixed as quickly as possible.  It wasn't out all that long.  I have been expecting the Internet to go out more since it is so overloaded with most all of the U.S. at home with time on our hands!  This is the first time that we have experienced this in the time that we have been with this company...getting close to a year now.

Our cold front settled in today and it has been rather chilly all day.  Woody didn't brave the cooler temperatures today so no yard work today.  I made oatmeal cookies today.  I thought it was time for a sweet treat!  Today has been hard to get a handle on as to what day it is because we dropped a usual Friday errand from our to-do list—weekly groceries. Last week we determined that we would not go to the store for two weeks.  And, Woody and his friend came to the same decision last week, so no errand running for them today, either.  The only thing that helped me have a touch point to know that it was Friday, Good Friday, as a matter of fact, was that our church planned an online Good Friday service for this evening.  So I kept that service on my mind, which kept me grounded to the fact that it was Good Friday.

We watched the pre recorded service at 5pm.  After the service, Kathy texted to see if I wanted to come out and watch the neighbor's children across the street have their egg hunt.  Kathy and children hid eggs for them as a surprise.  They had so much fun!  They have four young boys.  We stood over in Kathy and Nathan's yard and watched them hunt.  Another fun thing that Kathy and children did today was to go around the neighborhood and put a painted rock on all the neighbors' mailboxes.  They had painted them a while ago...they are a reminder of Easter.  I found ours when I went to get the mail today.  Ours has three crosses painted on it.  They also went to one of our church member's house today and raked for them.  They had a very busy day...trying to do ministry when they can't actually be on the road!

Here are my borrowed words of encouragement for these Coronavirus times:

"Make sure you are testing positive for faith.
Keep a safe distance from doubt.
And, isolate yourself from unbelief!"   (Author unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Thursday...All Day!

Here are those responsible for making our new birdhouses.  Elijah was in charge of making the birdhouses. He enlisted some help from his dad.  Esther was in charge of the painting and she enlisted some help from her two youngest brothers on the last house.

Today we were outside and saw blue birds checking out the two tallest ones.  We think that they may have been the same bluebird couple that live in the "birchbark" house.  Maybe they are looking for more square inches in their housing...thinking about moving up in the world?  We were just excited to know that a bird family was showing interest in the new homes on our garden plot!

Woody spent time working on this bed today.  He was working on getting wild onions out of it.  He has spent some time outside working in the gardens everyday this week.  Today was a bit nippier than the last few days.  We had a cold front pass through in the night dropping our temperatures some.  It was breezy and cool.  Perhaps this is "Dogwood Winter?"  The dogwoods are starting to bloom.

I knew it was Thursday today because of the "touch point" of our pastor doing a Bible study online on Thursdays at noon.  It's always nice to have something that gets you zeroed in on what day it is!  I managed to get a couple of loads of wash done today...even to the point that they are all put away.

Nathan and family really got busy around our house on the outside today...raked a lot of leaves...they may be close to finished.  That was a joint effort of all the children and Kathy.  Nathan fixed the little trellis that is at the back of our mailbox and he also started pressure washing our house!  Wow...lots of energy producing lots of effort that's getting lots done at both their house and ours!  Thanks, Neighbors!

I will share a funny Coronavirus saying that I picked up online:

"Not to brag...but I haven't been late for anything in the past 14 days!" (Author unknown)

Stay safe!
Stay well!
Stay home!

Enjoy this "gift of time!"

It's a Major Birthday in Our Family!!

It's Melany's birthday today and it is one of those big ones with a zero behind it!  In the above photo she is 2...to bring her to today multiply by 25!  Linda H, you should recognize the dress, cape, and scarf!  We were living in Sunnyvale, California at this time.

Here Melany is on her 3rd birthday.  Multiply by 16 and add 2! We spent the day in the San Francisco area...at the zoo and then crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and went to Muir Woods.  Here Melany is standing between some giant redwoods.  This is just weeks before we moved back to Tullahoma.

Here Melany is blowing her candles out on her house cake that is on a slant..blow quickly before it falls down!!  She is 4 and we are living back in Tullahoma.  Multiply by 12 and add 2!

Here she is at 5!  Only have to multiply by 10 this time!  

And, on her 7th birthday she had a party with friends!  Linda and Doyle, I think you will recognize at least two of the guests!  This time multiply by 7 and add 1!

So have you figured out how old Melany is this year?  How can it be?  She's not the one who should feel old...it should be us, her parents!!  We must be old to have a child this age!!!  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELANY!

Sorry it has to be a quarantined birthday!