Sunday Sabbath and Mothers' Day

[Lynlee]

Hugs for all on Mother's day evening.

Waving from tomorrow.
Brisk, windy, blue sky here.

Windows are open to renew the air and vibe in here.
Went out into the sun
tried a few yoga moves.
took outdoor photos
d2s
washing sorted, first load on.
radios on
breakfast is done.

[Sunny]

Hello everyone! Happy Mother's Day!

We are having a nice day. Dson-T made breakfast this morning. We had bacon and crepes with fresh strawberries and blueberries in sauce and whipped cream on top. I had cream cheese in mine also. I've had texts and phone calls from my other dsons. Now everyone is just relaxing and doing their own thing! Mostly I relaxed, got caught up on my planner calendar, read and went through the pile of mail I brought back with me from the trip up to the other house yesterday.

Both yesterday and today were nice spring days. Temperature today was 67* or 68*. I'm glad I went yesterday as I got to see all the flowers in dCousin's yard in bloom. She has light purple irises, several different kinds of roses and rhododendron, all beautiful. I really should have cut some and brought them back with me to enjoy longer. On my way home I stopped for gasoline. The price was $1.49, up by .20 from about two weeks ago. I also stopped at The Battlefield Country Store and bought sandwiches home for our supper. Their deli sandwiches are amazing. https://battlefieldcountrystore.business.site/#summary

Ddil and her dmom went to the store today. on the way home she picked up dinner for us from a really good Chinese restaurant in the area that is now open for pick up. It was all very good. The fortune in my fortune cookie said: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it."

Anyway, see you all again soon! Good Day to Lynlee!

[DeeClutter]

Looked that place up, Sunny. Sounds like a great place to visit. Wish we were going to have time (to say nothing of having 2 dogs with us) to stop. It's (as I look at the map) not much out of the way. We take 95 and get off at #33A I think -to go to Rte 17 west. Not sure where we are staying this trip. Depends on when/what day we leave here. We're looking at the 22nd. Probably will travel 1-4 to 95 from here. Doubt traffic will be too bad. DD has Tues, Wed and Thurs set aside to clean out her classroom. Thursday is set only if she needs it.

Dsonil has already gone to bed so it makes sure we head to our rooms by 8. I'm sure he won't go to sleep till very late but has to be up by 3:30.

Dh and I talked for a while tonight. I do miss him but it'll only be a couple of weeks now. He reminded me I should probably be getting there on my birthday. Dson R plans to build a stair ramp for dBailey. Dcampmanager has said she'd prefer it if he could do it during the week when most of the complainers won't be around. Of course no one else will be on her site anyway.

[Harriet]

Sunny's discussion of weather made me remember we had quite a frost last night and had to scrape the windshield this morning. Thankfully, I didn't leave anything unprotected, but then I have so little planted this year anyway.

Also, I meant to say that about 4 days ago I got my first tick - or found my first tick (how would you say it?) - of the season, on my leg/shin. Even with precautions, the place has done what they always do. I am so allergic. It looks and feels awful, blistered up and red. Every May. Every single May. Sigh. So I am living with my trusty cortisone cream nearby. Guess I'm just saying that as we change seasons, if there's something your household sometimes needs from a pharmacy in the way of insect or sun protection, plan ahead. Don't let your guard down in the time of early store closings and more difficult access.

[LadyMaverick]

The kids were settled this afternoon - maybe because they have been out-n-about this morning? ANYway I was able to work my way through 7 lessons in my course. I didn't have interruptions like normal so I just stayed focused and did one lesson after another. I am almost caught up now. I dislike being behind when I'm trying to stay up with a group learning a subject.

DS11 is counting down the days until the 15th. He gets animated with joy as he speaks of it. He wants to wake up early that day and get started with the things he has missed the most. The parks and sports open back up so he is going to have the freedom to ride his bike around town. He plans to ride bikes with friends but still maintain social distance between them. I'm not sure how this will work but I'm feeling ready to give it a try. I continue to monitor the number of positive cases within a 20-mile radius each day. I am comfortable with the low number of positive cases in our area so it seems acceptable low risk.

[Sunny]

Dee, it would be nice to see you again. That store is on RT 3 and that is on the other side of F'burg from where we live. I know where Rt 17 is. We get off I95 at #43, so a little further north. You still have a long way to travel to get home from here! Maybe another time.

Oh, Harriet, that sounds miserable. Hope the soreness doesn't last long. I've been watching for the cicadas. Haven't seen any yet. Ddil was working in her room yesterday and a giant "cicada killer" wasp somehow got into her room. These things are between 1 and 2 inches long. Of course she screamed for dson and he came to her rescue!

It's dark here now, I should close the front curtains.

[BookSaver]

Hello, villagers ~
DH and I got brave and went to a hardware store in TheBigCity for repair parts to the shower and the kitchen sink.

I wore one of the new masks I sewed. I think it's comfortable enough, and it definitely fits better than the first design I tried.
I have 1 more mask pattern to test.

While we were out, we went through a fast food drive-through for sandwiches. That was a nice change from my own cooking.

I've been feeling a bit down because I didn't think I got anything done yesterday. A few minutes ago I realized that, in fact, I had done several chores: changed the sheets, picked up clutter in the bedroom, cleaned both toilets, scrubbed the big mirror, and put away misc. stuff throughout the house. I didn't plan ahead to do any of those tasks yesterday, they just happened. Is it possible that, after all these years, I have finally picked up the knack of automatically doing certain chores when I see that they need to be done? Whoa!

I think I need to go make a cup of tea to calm down from so much excitement.

[lucylee]

Hello -- and Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

We have had a very nice day -- dh gave me a very sweet card, (I've been sorta treating myself with some online orders lately ) and then we went out to dmom's. DS/family gave me a set of nice colored pens, since they know I've been practicing lettering more during the quarantine, and we took pizza and played Spontuneous with dmom. (It's the "name that tune" sort of game dh got for Christmas. DDIl came up with a lot of songs the rest of us didn't know on Friday night, but tonight we played girls against the boys, and dh & ds really stumped us. We thought dmom would be able to come up with stuff dh wouldn't know -- show tunes, etc -- but nah, he got them and had a bunch of obscure country songs we didn't know.) Dmom loved her pants and scarf that I got her.
So -- we were not social distancing at all -- and even gave her hugs as we left. I just totally forgot we weren't supposed to do that, but we'd all been sitting around the table together for a couple hours, so I guess it didn't matter at that point. A lot of places here are going to go back to normal (with social distancing and other protections in place) tomorrow, and a lot of churches here will start having services next week. I don't think we will until June 1, however. We did get haircut appts for the 19th, though, so that is a relief! (She asked that we wear masks and sit in car till she texts us to come in.)
Still a relatively small number of cases here, LadyM, so I guess that's why I also feel reasonably confident about the re-opening of different places too... but I have to admit, I have a little bit of anxiety about EVERYONE going out EVERYWHERE. Maybe the process will be gradual enough to keep safeguards in place. For example, here, no public park-playgrounds are open and no sports/rec league/etc will begin if it is necessary to share equipment or if it is impossible to maintain 6' distancing. Gyms ARE opening, but are supposed to stay at 50% capacity.

Is it possible that, after all these years, I have finally picked up the knack of automatically doing certain chores when I see that they need to be done? Whoa!

Well, BookSaver... you go, girl! I am hoping that will someday take place here. Monday laundry is almost automatic, but other habits are hard to form.

Ooohhh... cicada killer wasp sounds a little like the murder hornet, Sunny! EEEK! I know one thing, if I start seeing 2" murder hornets around here, nobody will have to tell me twice to socially isolate. Hmmm... an invisible virus... yeah, I might appear to be a little lax on my discipline -- but a 2" hornet buzzing around my face is definitely going to get my attention!
I'm not real crazy about the cicadas themselves either. I think Harriet mentioned the other day that we're due for those, too.
It's always something...

(((Harriet))) Put ticks on my list of things I want nothing to do with, also. I don't think I have ever had a tick. That probably goes to show what a wimp I am, and how little time I spend outdoors. But when I was little, I played outdoors all the time with my boy neighbor. I just don't remember ever having a tick on me. My cousin, who LOVES to garden and work in her flower beds, has reported already removing the FOURTH one from herself this spring.

Glad to hear Dee and dd are making progress in travel plans. I know you will be sooo glad to be back face-to-face with Mr. Dee!

So nice to picture Lynlee's home with the windows open, sun shining outdoors. (Actually, that is the weather here today too, but dh NEVER wants the windows open -- pollen and dust do too much of a number on his allergies, probably mine too, but I'd risk it sometimes if I lived alone. I'd like to sleep with the windows open occasionally, actually, but he is not a fan.)

Twins, you are reminding me how badly I need/want to paint my patio furniture. It's metal, and kinda rusty, but the main problem is -- the table & chairs are white/almond colored, and when you sit down in a chair, you get white powdery residue all over your backside.
What do I need to get to clean this up and paint it? (I'd probably like to paint it black, to match the better set of chairs/glider/chaise lounge that I have also.
Another question -- how do y'all store patio cushions to protect them from rain? Right now, I have no cushions on the chaise lounge and one chair, which are the only ones that really HAVE TO have cushions to be usable. The cushions are in the unattached garage, which stays locked, and so we never bother to get them out. If they ARE out, I forget to bring them in if it starts to rain (which it might do at any time around here, without warning) and if I leave them out all summer, eventually, the weather just ruins them. If I just lean them up against the wall in the carport, they fall or get blown into the area where the car is supposed to go. It's just an impossible situation.

I'm sorry your dd didn't feel well enough to go out for a walk with you, Kathryn, but it sounds like you had some extra time with them anyway, if I'm reading that right -- so I'm glad for that.
So sorry for those who are missing family today, (((Harmony))), and hope that the weeks ahead bring brighter days!