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A View From the Field |
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May 2020 May 31 I made it to church! It felt so good!
I didn't get to bed until 9:30, which was a bit later than I wanted to be, but i slept well. The only problem was, I have to visit the bathroom every 2½ to 3 hours, and I woke up a bit before 5:30 and I really had to pee, so I got up.
In a way it was nice. I got to do my morning things at a leisurely pace, although I didn't leave the house when I wanted to because I was running off and I had to wait until that ended. It didn't matter; there wasn't a lot of traffic, so I got to church by 10:00.
It was so lovely to be in church again! There was a fairly good turnout and only a few people were wearing masks. I didn't sing. I wasn't very stable on my feet and I was having trouble seeing. The choir sounded good. I even managed to make it home without stopping in the restroom or wetting my pants, for once. Of course, I spent the rest of the afternoon drinking fluids.
Actually not, though. I was so tired when I got home that I just sat for a couple of hours before I had some tea and a snack, and then I sat at the computer for the rest of the afternoon. My knees are not doing well. I will be a little later than I wanted to be tonight, but it doesn't matter. I don't have anywhere to go tomorrow. Thank goodness!
The weather was OK. It was partly cloudy to clear. The high temperature was 61º and there was a brisk northwest to north wind with gusts up to 36 mph. It has died down and switched around to southwest now. There were some high, amorphous clouds late in the afternoon, but it cleared up by the time it got dark. Speaking of that, the moon was shining brightly in the front windows when I was up last night.
The guys slept in the bathroom with me when I got home and later, Grayson slept on my lap for along time. When I was putting on my compression hose this morning, there was some scuffling in the hallway and then both guys got very interested in a pile of clothes I have on the floor in the closet. Grayson lost interest after he climbed under the shelves and didn't see anything, but Louie was not about to give up. All I can figure is, there was (or maybe is) a mouse. Usually we have more problems with them in the fall, but i suppose they are scoping out places to have their babies. I wish the cats wouldn't harass the mice, but I don't want mice in my house, either. I have too many tees with yellow spots on them, that don't want to wash out.
So that was my day. It was so nice to get back to church!
Now it's a clear, cool night in the field. Oh, and May is history. Good riddance.
May 30 This will be short. I am going to try to get up early enoug to go to church tomorrow, so I have to get to sleep very soon.
I was late last night, but I slept well and I got up around 8:30, but knitted two rows on the shawl and then I went into zombie mode. I've gotten a number of games on the phone in the past few days, and I've been interested to play them. A couple I probably won't keep. One, I got to a page that I don't believe is solvable and another, while it's interesting, has too many ads that it is almost impossible to get out of. There are several others, though, to keep me interested much too long.
The tasks of the day were bath and pill dispensers, and I accomplished both of them, although I ate my first meal very late, so I just finished dinner and it's later than I wanted to go up to the north end. At least all I have to do when I get there is brush my teeth.
The weather was cold for this time of year. It finally made it to 51º between 6:00 and 7:00, but for most of the day it's been in the upper 40s. There was a north wind in the 10-20 mph range. The humidity has finally come down under 60%, which is nice. It was cloudy and dull this morning, but around 11:00 it began to clear up and the afternoon has been nearly clear. Nice to see the sun again. There may be another odd cloud bank coming over, though.
The guys slept. Grayson spent the day on the throw beside the sewing machine, which he couldn't get to until I did my cleaning. He didn't get any lap time because I was busy. I guess Louie is still up at the north end.
So that's it. Now I have to finish my drink and take my pills and then I can go to bed. We'll see if I make it out of the house tomorrow.
It's a cold, partly clear evening in the field and there should be a moon up there somewhere.
May 29 I was a little later last night - about 11:30 - but I slept well and I got up around 10:30, so I should have had enough sleep, but I'm still tired. I'm stiff, but not quite as stiff as yesterday
I went to the post office and had a nice conversation with Ron. There was an envelope from the anonymous person in Traverse City, for which I thank you. I am so blessed to have friends like you, whom I've never met in person.
When I got home, I brought in the rest of my groceries and I brought the chair down from the office and rearranged my fridge so that I could get everything in. I was still doing that when the Schwan's guy came. Before I put that stuff away, I chipped out as much of the ice on the bottom of the freezer as I could. Maybe now it won't overflow onto the floor? The only thing left outside is the bread, and maybe I can do that tomorrow. I got some different varieties I want to try and I need to put a couple of loaves in the freezer for backup. That's what I've been eating for the past couple of weeks.
One thing I did with the bread this morning - I made avocado toast. This is something I've been reading about for a while - apparently it's a thing. I never liked avocados very much. They have a weird texture and they don't have a lot of flavor. But there are some other things i like a lot now that I never liked before, so I decided to try them. Well, I don't dislike them, like I used to, but I don't love them, either. Avocado toast isn't bad, and it's very filling - like toast with peanut butter and bananas, which i like much better - but I doubt I'll bother with it again. I have one more avocado, and I will eat that. I just won't bother to get any more. One problem is, you have to eat an avocado at just the right ripeness. You can't let it sit around, like you can a banana - although right now I have a couple of overripe ones I need to eat. That makes it hard to have avocado toast - or guacamole, which is OK - occasionally unless you live within a couple of miles of a grocery store. I doubt Gas LIte carries avocados. Anyway, my reaction was, meh. I'll eat the other one. They're a trip to prepare, too.
The weather was meh or less, too. The temperature got up to 57º early this morning and went down slowly from there. It's 46º now. There was a little wind from the north earlier, with gusts up to 23 mph, but it has died down now. It's humid, but mostly under 80%. It was cloudy and dull all day.
The cats mostly slept. They got some of their favorite canned food today, sot hat made them happy, and it's almost all gone already. I guess Louie is up at the north end. Grayson spent most of the talking sleeping on my lap. He tries to make like he's cool, but he just hates it when I go away for any length of time. I had to chase him away or he would have come back later, and while I was bringing in the groceries, I had to screech at him.
So it was a much quieter day, thankfully, bur I'm tired again, and it's already after I should have been in bed, so I'll go now and not wait for the end of the Mendelssohn. It's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
May 28 What a week! I'm glad that's over! I have rear brakes again, but there's still a problem, and if it doesn't clear up by the time I have money again, I'll have to take it back. They also replaced the tie rod. i was there all afternoon.
I got my bath and I got to bed by 11:00, although I don't know quite how I did it. I hurt all over. I slept well, except for an hour or so in the middle of the night, when I was on my left side and Louie was behind me with his hind feet on my back - with his claws out. I kept trying to move away and he kept moving after me until I finally got up and moved him. When I got back in bed, I went right back to sleep. The alarm woke me up again. I think I could have kept right on sleeping.
I hurt. In part it was the weather, which was miserable, but it was also that I'm trying to recover from yesterday. I can barely walk.
The weather was miserable. It got up to 68º in the middle of the morning, but then it dropped off to a low of 45º in the early afternoon when the fog moved in and the wind picked up from the north. It died down again later, but it was still cold when I got home...around 6:00. The humidity was up over 80% all day. It was a little warmer in Houghton, but it was still cool and humid. They didn't have the fog, though.
The dealership is open, which meant that I could sit in a chair I could sort of get out of, but there are limits on the number of people permitted. The sales force is all wearing masks, but nobody else is and most of the customers weren't either. I had my mask with me, but I wasn't close enough to anybody to warrant wearing it. It would have been really nice if there were some general guidelines for things like that, but I guess it's too much to ask for.
Grayson was glad to see me come home - I haven't seen Louie - and he sat on me from the time I had my dinner until I started writing this.
Well, I'd hoped to be able to get some of the rest of the food inside and rearrange the fridge, but I was so late and I'm so tired that I didn't. I did stop and top off my gas tank on the way home, and that made me late enough that I could have gone to choir, except that I didn't have my stuff with me, and besides, I was tired and hungry.
So that was another day that was too busy and I hope I can relax a little tomorrow and Saturday. It's been years since I had three days in a row when I had to be someplace and I don't like it. That's not why I retired.
I keep forgetting to talk about spring. When I was out last Friday, the trees were beginning to show leaves and the forsythia and the daffodils my neighbor threw onto the east side of the road were in bloom. I was surprised by how fast everything was coming out. Well, Tuesday, not only were the leaves well along, all the early cherries and serviceberries were in bloom. It's like everything just exploded in the past week. It's such a pretty time of year, with the pale green (or reddish) leaves and the white flowers on the bushes and trees against the dark forest. At this rate, the lilacs will soon be out and the cherries and serviceberries will be gone, but at least I got to see some of it.
So now it's a cool, cloudy evening in the field and I don't think I'll be staying up to hear the Beethoven.
May 27 Well, I'm exhausted again, but I have to take a bath. I've been sweating so much that I can't go another day...or two or three!
I did get a good night's sleep, although I was up a number of times. Has to do with drinking all my fluids after I got home. In between I slept well and it took me a minute or two to realize what was happening when the alarm - on the phone - went off. I have to say, though, that it was nice to wake up to "Early Riser" rather than that loud beep on the clock radio - or the radio. I find more reasons all the time to like that phone.
Anyway, I got up and got dressed early and had another fast breakfast, which I didn't need to do. I was rather discombobulated because I had to be at the clinic at 1:50, rather than having to be someplace at 1:00. I almost left an hour early, but I realized what was going on, went back to the computer and got the first draft of the bulletin out before I had to leave.
The hospital is adhering to all the guidelines. I had to check in, get my temperature taken and answer a few questions about coughs and breathing. Then I had to go and get my blood drawn, so even though I was pre-registered at the doctor's office, I had to register again. Then it was back to the clinic.
I'm afraid I sort of unloaded on the poor nurse, but as I said to her, I've seen so few people in the last eight months that when I do see one, it all comes pouring out. I'm old. There is no use in even trying to deny it. However, the visit was worth it. The PA I'm seeing is a very cheerful, upbeat person. And my blood work looks fine. I was a little concerned, because I've been losing weight slowly, but as far as we know, it's because my odd hours and limited diet have caused me not to be eating very much. We'll see how it goes, and I will discuss it with my primary care person when I see her in July.
After all that and having to have people grab my belt to haul me out of the wheelchair, I was off to Pat's. Oh, I did not want to go, but I had to. That was another trip. More than half the people there were not wearing masks and mine kept fogging up my glasses, much more than yesterday, but that was the weather. It was wet when I finally left, but then, so was I. It was spitting rain, so I put on my rain jacket and the inside was wetter than the outside when I took it off. I was able to get most of what I needed, and the things that weren't available sort of surprised me. I didn't look at TP or other paper goods. There wasn't a whole lot of meat, most of it was beef, and it was all very expensive. In fact, my little lamb chop was cheaper than any steaks. I couldn't get any of my favorite pork chops (a store exclusive). And I couldn't get any of the frozen veggies I like so well or the honey-flavored yogurt I like. Veggies and fruits were available and I got almost all the OJ I wanted and all the bread. I've been drawing down my cache of frozen bread and it will be nice to replenish it. See? That's why it's there.
The trip down to Laurium wasn't bad. It was a little hazy and there were a few sprinkles, but nothing serious. It apparently started to rain after I got to the clinic, but it wasn't a hard rain. The problem when I got out and when I started home was fog. Yikes! From Calumet to M-26, it was so foggy I could hardly see where I was going. After that, it got better and there wasn't any in the Harbor when I got here. That came later. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic. I didn't get back here until almost 6:00 and it took me at least half an hour to get the stuff from the car to the house. Most of it is still out on the platform. So is the cat. I must remember that.
The weather was miserable. I do not like this kind of weather. The temperature here got up to 75º, but it was before noon, and it dropped off after that. It was like that in Calumet, too. The problem was (is) the humidity. It was over 80% all day, even when It wasn't coming down in drops. There wasn't any wind. I don't do well in that kind of weather. Of course, it was cloudy, but sometimes it got quite bright. Around 7:30, the fog moved back in here and with the sun setting, there were some interesting pictures.
Grayson looked out the door several times while I was bringing in the groceries, and at one point, Louie was lying in front of the basement door with his back to the outside door. I don't know why. When I finally went out to get some of the stuff in, I didn't see Grayson, so I sort of left the door open and of course he bolted out. The alst time I was out, he was sitting on the first step looking at me, but then I forgot about him. I imagine he's ready to come in by now. I don't know why he goes out there, except to annoy me, because surely by this time he should know there's nothing interesting out there. Well, maybe a mouse or two.
So that was my day, and I'm exhausted. Now i must go up to the north end and wash off all this sweat. When I took off my rain jacket the inside was wetter than the outside.
It's a coolish, very humid, foggy night in the field. Oh, and I have to wait until the Beethoven finishes...
May 26 Oh, I'm tired. I actually got to bed right about the time I wanted - 11:00 - and I slept well until around 3;30, although I think I was up once. Then I couldn't get back to sleep until after 5:30. I don't know why, although my mind was spinning. I woke up again not long after 8, and i decided to get up. If I'd gone back to sleep, I the alarm would have wakened me at 9 and if it hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten up until 10 at the earliest. It was far too early and I don't feel good.
I didn't dawdle, so I should have had enough time, but I had to change my underwear, so I left a bit later than I wanted to. I haven't been paying too much attention, but it seems that the lockdown was lifted last Friday adn there was a lot of traffic, including a lot of people going to the hardware store without masks. Everybody at the eye doctor does, though.
The mask I made yesterday is too big and they are all hot and uncomfortable. I have been having a problem with my glasses resting on the exact top of where my ear meets my head, and the elastic just made it worse. I think they adjusted my glasses to fix that, though. I took off my mask in the car and when I got home, I couldn't find it. I couldn't see because I had my sunglasses on. I'm sure it's in the car someplace, probably on the floor. Well, at least I have two.
There wasn't much the eye doctor and I could say to each other. The cornea scans looked entirely different from last year, but that happens. He did do another scan to see how thick my corneas are, but I don't know the results of that. The cornea thing is why I have glare at night and why, when I look at the crescent moon with one eye, I see four moons with one eye. My biggest problem is the dry eyes, and there isn't much of anything that can be done for that. Drops don't do much of anything. Well, he's a nice, sympathetic person, very knowledgeable, and if there was anything he could do to help me, he would.
It was extremely warm when I left - about 84º - but there was a breeze and it actually felt good while I was getting gas. Haven't done that since March 6, either. I had the windows open until I got to Mohawk, but when I speeded up, I closed them and turned on the air - thank goodness that works! - until I got to the covered road. There were puffy cumulous clouds over Calumet and they looked like they might be going to head up, but by the time I got home, it was clear here, although it clouded up fast. I got home around 4:00.
It didn't get as warm here - 82º around 2:00 - and there was a sort of breeze, but it was humid and my joints were telling me so. It's cloudy and it might rain, but right now the rain is all out over the lake east of Marquette.
Grayson insisted upon sitting on me for a while after I got home, but he didn't stay long. One time when i came through the great room both of them were laid out full length on the table. "We" do not like hot weather, and for Copper Harbor, it was hot.
Before I left, the clinic called to confirm my appointment for tomorrow and tell me the rules - not only do I have to wear a mask, they will take my temperature and probably ask me if I feel sick. They didn't know about the tests, so they left word for the nurse, and she called back late this afternoon to say yes, there should be tests and she would order them. What would have happened if I hadn't asked, I don't know. My Nurse Practitioner has good nursing support, but the ones in the Oncology Department are all airheads. Sheesh.
Anyway, I don't actually have to get up as early tomorrow as I did today, because I don't have to be there until almost 2:00, but I'm going anyway. I'm tired and if I get enough sleep I can get up early and hope Pastor has sent the bulletin information so I might be able to get it done before I leave. We'll see about that. I figured he'd be going back to his old ways, even though I wish he would send it out earlier.
So now it's a warm, breezy and cloudy night in the field.
May 25 Late again, but I got up around 10:30, so I didn't get enough sleep, which is good, because I should be going up to the north end right now. I've been late all day.
I knitted on sock #2 and finished the ribbing. Then I took a bath. This week is going to be difficult anyway, and I like to be relatively clean for doctor's appointments. I did my surfing and I fiddled around for quite a while, but eventually I got at the mask - just as we almost had a thunderstorm.
The storm went either south or north of us - I couldn't tell - but it got dark, so I was sewing sort of by feel. The shaped mask turned out all right. The size I made is quite large, so I had to take some small tucks on the sides. I wanted to make another one with the cat print, but I cut it upside down (I hate one-way prints!), and I don't know if I can re-cut it in a smaller size, right-side up. Anyway, it's done and it seems to fit better than the square one, but we'll see. The center seam is curved and pressing it open is a real pain. I think I will try at least one more in a smaller size and see how it goes.
Of course, by the time I was done, the thunder was gone and it lightened up a lot, but oh, well. I'm still having a lot of problems with the sewing machine. For some reason I don't understand, the top thread keeps getting wound around the bobbin, which makes a horrible mess. That didn't happen the last time I played with it, so I don't know what's going on. I was in too much of a hurry today to check carefully, but I'll have to do it the next time. It's still nice to have a machine that's powerful enough to go through six or eight layers of quilting cotton. I finally found the right foot to use and I found the right screw to use to keep the foot from falling off. All these little things that I never thought about...
The weather was not good. It was warmer overnight than it was today. The high during the day was only 63º,, but most of the time it was in the lower 50s. I had to close the windows. It was one of those days where it was 15º warmer in Calumet than it was here. It was very humid - over 80% - and the barometer is quite low. It rained a little - 0.13" - and after the rain stopped, the fog moved in and didn't leave until it was nearly dark. I didn't hurt quite as much as I expected, but i was creaky all day.
The guys mostly slept, but Grayson was not a happy camper. First, I didn't immediately fill his kibble bowls when I got to the kitchen, and then I wouldn't let him sit on me, and then I wouldn't give him any of my steak, if he would have eaten it. I think Louie slept at the north end all day. When I went to bed last night, he was curled up right in the middle of my bed, but he got off, just in case I might pet him, and early this morning he got back on the bed and backed up to my back and started to wash himself. Fortunately, that never lasts long. When I woke up for good, he was plastered to my back, so I couldn't turn over, and Grayson was curled up by my knees. I don't think they realize I do have to move around.
So that was another day. Tomorrow I see the eye doctor, so I need to be up and about rather early. it's my yearly exam, and I'm so glad they decided to stay open. Now it's a cool, humid, cloudy night in the field.
May 24 So i was a bad girl last night and it was very late before I got to bed. I did sleep, but it wasn't as hot at the north end, I'm sure because there were clouds and the sun wasn't beating on the roof. I wanted a dark roof both for esthetic reasons and so that any sunshine we got in the winter would warm things up (not that there is any), but it would probably have been much better if It was light colored. If I can ever afford to have it redone, I will remember that. A little warmth is a good thing, but it gets awfully hot in here.
Anyway, I was late getting to bed and late getting up, and I did two rows on the shawl. I'm finally getting to the end of a repeat and these two rows were about as easy as any. But then I went into zombie mode, and after I got dressed, I had to go back into the bathroom.
So I was very late eating and I wasn't very hungry for dinner, which I just finished at 10:00. It isn't only my wake-sleep schedule I need to get under control. Maybe this next week will help; I have an appointment around 1:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That means early to bed and early (for me) to rise.
I was so late that I didn't do anything but my surfing. Tomorrow I must make at least one more mask.
The weather wasn't exactly what any forecasters were predicting. It was partly to mostly cloudy, but bright. The temperature finally got up to 72º. briefly, but for a good part of the day it was below 60º. There wasn't much wind, but the humidity is high and the barometer is low, which is a bad combination for my joints. I hurt.
The guys mostly slept. Grayson finally got some lap time and I think he spent a good part of the afternoon on the counter under the east windows. He likes having that east window open. Louie was up at the north end, I think, but he spent part of the night and part of the morning on the bed in his old spot beside my head. I am glad to see that he's able to jump up on the bed again, although he sort of claws his way up. I must move the little bench to beside the bed so it will be easier for him. He loves to sleep there and I love having him there, purring in my ear.
So that was my day and I am going to try to get to bed at a semi-reasonable hour tonight. It's a warmish, cloudy night in the field.
May 23 I was so exhausted that I was in bed around 10:30, but I didn't sleep well again. I wasn't as hot as the night before, but evidently I was too warm and I had drunk enough water when I got home that I was up any number of times. I got up around 9:30, I think, and I worked two rows on the shawl, with some difficulty. I was seeing a bit better today, but I wasn't yesterday and I screwed up a couple of repeats.
Then I sort of went into zombie mode again, but eventually I took my bath. The humidity is up and the barometer is down so I hurt and I'm having trouble moving around. I did manage to get my foot up on the bath seat again, so that was good.
I had hoped to make a mask or two, but I never got to that. I don't feel good. I had a headache and a backache and sore knees, so mostly sat.
The weather was warm again. When I got to the studio, I immediately opened one east window and one south window and turned on the ceiling fan, so it's been relatively comfortable in here today. The window in the bathroom is open, too, and that will help. I turned down the heat in the bathroom after I took my bath. It was over 80º, and that's too warm for just sitting. The high temperature outside was 75º, but that was around 1:00 PM and it dropped off a bit after that. There was almost no wind. The humidity was up a bit - into the 60s - and the barometer is down, so I hurt. It was cloudy all day but not particularly dark. I looked for Venus last night when I went up to the north end and didn't see it, so I guess I've missed Mercury again. It's going to be cloudy all week.
I think the guys slept, but Grayson was bugging me all day, for reasons I don't know. I didn't see Louie after I got dressed.
Speaking of getting dressed, I am wearing a pair of my summer pants and a short-sleeved tee for the first time since last fall, and I put on a pair of summer socks. This weather thing has shifted so suddenly that I'm not ready for it. I'll get used to it and eventually 57º, which is what it is now, will feel cold. I like it better when the temperature rises or falls slowly.
Oh, and I forgot to report on my results from the mask yesterday. It works, and it isn't hard to breathe through, but it's hot and uncomfortable. They don't wear them at the dealership, but I thought it would be polite to wear mine when there were people around. And I discovered that I have to be very careful to get the elastic under the earpiece of my glasses or my ear gets sore. The next ones I make - hopefully tomorrow - will be the shaped ones and they may be better. I thought the square one would be easier to make, but it certainly was not, so we'll see how the shaped one goes. I got a message saying that my eye exam would go ahead, but they want everyone to wear a mask, so I will want to try the new ones. And Wednesday, I have an appointment at the hospital and I want to food shop, so I will definitely need to wear one then.
We have almost no COVID-19 here, but we don't want it, either. Things are opening up, and I was hearing ATVs all day long. There were quite a few people parked outside Mariner when I went by last night, too. I don't know about any of the other businesses in town, but considering that they make all their money in the summer, I imagine they will be opening. The sad thing is that the National Parks Service has decided not to open Isle Royale, probably not at all this summer. I really feel for the Isle Royale Queen people. For an area that depends upon tourism, it's horrible not to be able to have tourists, but we don't want the possibility of outsiders bringing COVID-19 in. Keweenaw is one of the few counties in the country that so far has no cases at all and I think most of us who live here would like it to stay that way. So we will cope. I hope the government will help.
So that was my quiet day and now I have a little more to read and then I'll be off to the north end. It's a warm, cloudy night in the field.
May 22 I was marginally later than I wanted to be last night but it didn't matter. i had a horrible night. Part of it was no doubt that it was so warm, but mostly it was my unfortunate habit of being unable to get a good night's sleep before I do something different...and you have to remember, the last time I was out of the Harbor was March 6.
Anyway, I got up just before 9:00, because that was when I set the alarm. I moved relatively fast, and it was a good thing, because I had to change my bottoms before I left. The car behaved. I still had some braking power, although they were very mushy, and there wasn't much traffic until I got south of Calumet. However, Houghton looks like there isn't any pandemic or lockdown or anything, which I wonder about. I got to the dealership right before my appointment.
And there was a sign on the door saying "drop off only." Huh? Nobody told me about that. Not that it made any difference. I had to call them. See why I need that phone? So they found me a chair and I sat in part of their garage for two hours. It's really clean, though. I still don't know what all the rules are, but every business is doing it differently. The only trouble was, I couldn't go to the restroom.
Well. I have to go back next week, because not only had I blown a brake line, something happened to both rear brakes and they both have to be replaced, as well as one caliper. I could pay for the brake line and the oil change, but The brakes are going to be almost $600, and Social Security Day isn't until next Wednesday. Oh, yeah, and the rear view mirror that disintegrated last year is around $600 and we didn't even talk about the tie rod or the several other little problems. Sigh.
I got a lot done on sock #1 while I was waiting. But I wet my pants when I dropped my cane and had to bend and stretch to retrieve it. And I had to have help getting up from the chair. Sigh.
I got home a little after 4:00 and after I changed my bottoms (for the second time in one day) I just sat and sweated. It's hot in here, even though I have a window open and the fan running on high. I am not ready for this weather. I was so dehydrated that I've been drinking water ever since and it still tastes good. I'll probably be up peeing all night, but I had enough problems without having had my tea for breakfast.
There was a big difference between the weather here and Houghton. It was under 60º when I left, but it was already 74º or so in Houghton. It had warmed up here by the time I got home. The high temperature here was 72º. It was clear here until after I got home, but a cloud bank came up out of the south (I think) while I was waiting and it looked almost like it might rain. The clouds began to get here around 3:00 or so. They say it might rain tomorrow.
The guys were glad to see me when I got home.
I was surprised by the amount of traffic in Houghton. It looked very normal, especially on the approaches to the bridge. I thought people were supposed to be staying home. When I left here, I passed an RV coming into town. Huh? I didn't think anything was open. And when I left Houghton, I lapped a guy towing a fifth wheel that was big enough to be a permanent trailer home. I don't know where he went. I guess Mariner is fully open, though, or at least the bar is.
One big thing is that they are starting the road work and US-41 in Hancock will be torn up all summer, as well as all of M-26 from Phoenix to Copper Harbor. It will make getting around a bit difficult.
So that was my day and I'm exhausted, so I'm going to crash. I'm so tired and so hot and sticky!
It's a partly cloudy, warm night in the field.
May 21 Well, I wasn't as good a girl as I hoped last night, but it was before 1:00 AM when i got to bed. I slept fairly well, although it was hot in the bedroom, and I think it was around 10:30 when I got up. I worked on the shawl and I got dressed at a reasonable time, but then I had to sit in the powder room. I had to go in there anyway because the router extender popped the fuse again and I wanted to make sure it was working and check the weather. Of course, I had to do a few other things as well...
So I got some breakfast, and I realized I need stuff at the store. I can't stop at Pat's on my way home from the car repair because I don't have enough money...or I couldn't be sure I do. My stimulus check hasn't been processed at the branch yet. So I had to go running out to get my stuff, and I still forgot a few things, but oh, well.
When I got home, I finished my surfing and started to begin to get ready to make my mask. Sheesh. I can't remember everything I ended up doing first, but I didn't start cutting the thing out until after 6:00, and there were some more interruptions.
I do have a mask, although it was getting dark before I was done and I had a bunch of problems with the sewing machine, including getting a bunch of the top thread wound around the bobbin. I wouldn't say it's a good job, although it's wearable and I doubt anybody but me will be able to see all the problems. The next one will be easier. My worst problem, actually, was how to put the pleats in the sides - it's one of the square ones. I thought a square one would be easier than the shaped one, but as it turned out, that was clearly wrong. It was nice, though, to have the power to get the needle to go through a whole bunch of layers of fabric and batting.
Then I wanted to wind another bobbin of white thread, because the one I was using was getting low. One of my problems was that I'm not seeing very well today and as I've said, that bobbin winding mechanism is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. I managed to get it set up so it wound , but at the end, when it was supposed to stop automatically, instead, the thread slipped and wound several yards around the stem the bobbin was on. That was the end, though, and I now have a full bobbin of white thread.
Oh, and while I was working at the sewing machine, I got THREE spam phone calls. Good grief, what next?
The weather was lovely again. The high temperature was 75º. No wonder it got up over 80º in here! I had the window open and I should have opened the one behind the sewing machine. I was sweating big time. There was very little wind and the humidity was under 50%. It was clear and blue and lovely.
The guys mostly slept. Grayson slept on me for a while when I got home from the store, but I haven't seen Louie lately. Grayson seemed to understand it wouldn't be wise to bother me while I was sewing.
So that was my day. I took pictures of the mask, but they're on the phone and I didn't want to bother to move them tonight. Now it's a clear, dark night in the field and I'm gone as soon as I drink my drink.
May 20 OK, so I'm going to try to be a good girl tonight and get to bed at a reasonable hour. I didn't last night, but I got up around 11:00 anyway, so I didn't get enough sleep. I worked on the shawl for a change, and it felt good, even though I couldn't see what I was doing. Then I fiddled around for a while before I took a bath.
I am pleased to report that I was able to put my right foot up on the bath seat, which I haven't even thought of doing for a number of years. It helps me wash when I've been having a lot of accidents, and it seems to have worked. My bottom feels much better.
Anyway, that took enough time that I was still doing my surfing when the talking started, but eventually I finished that. I still haven't made a mask, but I took the next step. I wanted to see what I could find in elastic. I have a couple of boxes I got from one of my sources, and I was hoping to find some in their assortments. Well, I didn't - I don't know where all that stuff went - but way in the bottom of a box I haven't looked at in several years, there was a little package from Walmart, with 4 yards of 1/8" elastic!! Wow!! Just what I need! Quarter inch might be better, but this will work just fine, thank you. And I also unearthed a whole lot of double fold bias tape in navy blue that maybe I can use for something.
So tomorrow, I must make at least one mask. Now I have all the supplies I need. I do need to wind some bobbins for the sewing machine, which can be a problem. I like that machine, but the bobbin winding mechanism is horrible. So even though I didn't do any sewing, it was a good day.
It was an amazing day weather-wise. I had the south window open all afternoon, because the high temperature was 71º! With clear skies and all the sunshine, it was close to 80º when I got here. I had to close it when the temperature began to drop around 8:00, though. There was a southwest wind that picked up to 24 mph gusts and it was blowing right on the right side of my neck, where the arthritis pain is. So since I finished my dinner, I'm sweating again. It was beautifully clear all day. I should be looking to see if I can see the conjunction of Venus and Mercury, but I have another day or two for that. When I think that sometime last week it was 64º in here when I got here in the morning, it's amazing that it's warmed up so fast. It looks to cool down next week, but for the time being, it's wonderful, and tomorrow is supposed to be about the same.
Spring is here! The grass that grows under the tansy is all green, there are buds swelling on all the birches, and I can see maple flowers on my maples. When i closed the window, I looked out and there was a pair of geese swimming in front of my neighbor's beach. Ah, spring! The humidity was also quite low - in the 40s - and for once, I didn't have any particularly sore joints. I can take a lot of this.
It didn't seem to interest the guys very much, although Grayson did sit in the open window for a while. Louie slept, as usual. One time, when I came through the great room, they were both laid out on the dining table, taking advantage of the sunshine.
So that was my day and now I'm going to bed. It's a clear, warm spring night in the field. Yay!
May 19 So I was even later last night. This has got to stop. It will, actually, because I have an appointment in Houghton at 1:00 PM on Friday, so I need to get things under control.
I got up a bit after 11:00. I didn't want to, but I woke up and my left ear was so sore that I had to turn off it, and as I was trying to turn over, Louie actually jumped on the bed, settled down by my feet and started taking a bath. When he does that, the bed shakes.
Anyway, I got up and I cast on sock #1. I found a way to keep the length of the tail to a minimum. I ended up with about 9" after I cast on all the stitches, which was good enough for me. I worked four rows, so that one is ready to go, too.
I finally heard from several people about the bulletins, so there were a bunch of changes that needed to me made...in fact, I sent them out either three or four times. I think they're all right now.
i did two loads of wash. The white load is in the dryer, done, and the other load, of tops, mostly, is ready to go in the dryer. It's a good thing. I had to scrounge up a pair of panties to wear today and when I had the inevitable accident, it was good that it wasn't too bad, because at that point I didn't have any panties that weren't wet. There is still a lot of wash to do, but I'm making progress. With the temperatures getting warmer, I need some things that have been in the laundry since last fall.
The weather was very spring-like, although I can't give an accurate report because the weather station went down between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. At the last reading, it was 61º and there wasn't much wind. The humidity was under 30%, too, which is really nice. Skies were mostly clear all day, although there were a few high clouds late in the afternoon. I'm going to have to change the stop time on the camera again.
The guys were sleepy, as usual, although Grayson didn't even try to sit on my lap. I think it was too warm for him. They were wandering around this morning while I was in the bathroom and I didn't know why until I looked at the kibble bowls, which were all empty. They really chowed down, but maybe it was because of the nice weather.
Tomorrow I must make at least one mask. The last time I drove the car, the brakes seemed sort of mushy and it has to have been a year since I had an oil change, so I made an appointment for all that for Friday, and I don't want to go without a face covering. It won't take much time to make, once I get everything together. I've been planning them out in my head for at least three weeks, and I have several sets of instructions with the proper sizes. I do have some worries about wearing them, though. My nose runs most of the time and I can see a mask getting very wet and soppy. I've heard that some people who wear glasses have been having problems with their glasses fogging up, but I have to believe that is when they're outside and it's cold, but we'll see. Anyway, I do not want anyone to think I'm one of those contrary people who refuse to wear one. For starters, it's the law, at least until a week from Thursday and probably after that. But it makes sense to me. I think the ones I plan to make will be fairly proof against most viruses, even though I don't intend to sacrifice a silk scarf to line them. I read somewhere that using quilt batting for lining is also pretty good, and that's what I plan to do.
So that was my day, and now i need to go to bed, although they're playing Brahms, and I need to listen to that. It;s a clear, dark night in the field.
May 18 Oh, I was late last night, but not excessively. I think it was about 2:00 AM when I finally turned out the light. I was reading, and I stopped that before 1:00, I think, but then on my way to the north end, I had a really nasty accident and by the time I got cleaned up from that and did what else was necessary afterwards, it was late and I was very tired. i slept well and I got up around 11:30, I think.
I cast on sock #2. That was easier than the one yesterday, in part because it's far fewer stitches and in part because I had enough yarn to just cut off the long end I had left over. Sock #1 will be the hard one, because I don't have any extra yarn, so I'll have to try to leave as short a tail as possible. I worked about 4 rows on sock #2, so I have a good start.
But then, before I ate, I had to start a load of bottoms. I soaked most of them yesterday and I wanted to get it done then, too, but I never did, and besides I had more to add to the load. That load is now in the dryer, so I will have some panties and some sweats to wear tomorrow. And then I have to do the white load.
So I was late eating and I hadn't finished when Debbie called. Now that she isn't working, I never know when she may call. She was very talkative today, so we talked until my phone went dead - 152 minutes or so. It was getting late and today's task was the bulletins, so while she was talking, I managed to get both of them together. I'm not sure they're right, but I didn't see anything glaring and I haven't heard back from anybody.
The weather was so-so again and it was practically a repeat of yesterday. The high temperature was 53º and there wasn't much wind. It was bright-cloudy and there were some interesting views from the camera this evening, because there are apparently some very strong mid-level winds that are blowing the clouds into long streaks from west to east.
The guys were sleepy. Grayson got to sleep on my lap while I was talking to Debbie, but something disturbed him and he went away so I could work. Louie was actually sitting on a dining chair when I came back with my dinner. He usually spends evenings someplace in the great room - near me but not too near. The package with their canned food came today, so they will eat. I hope they like it - all the stuff that used to have cheese in it doesn't anymore. I fail to understand why canned cat food should be considered "fashionable" and be reformulated every few years. If I knew a way to try them on it, I would try to find some better brands that don't do that.
So that was my day and now as soon as the Brahms is over, I will go to bed. I think I've heard this one recently - the 3rd Symphony - but I like it. It's a cool, cloudy night in the field.
May 17 Well, I wasn't all that late. It was around 1:30 when I got to bed. I had turned down the heat a bit in the bedroom yesterday, and I think that helped me sleep better. Of course I was up several times, and I got up around 10:30, maybe? I don't remember.
I cast on sock #3. That always takes a while, especially since I don't seem to ever get the length of the tail right the first time. I even tried one of the suggestions for getting it right, and i didn't, so I had to cast on most of it twice. The first row is a problem, because I've been casting on twice as many stitches and working two together across the first row. The first row is always slow anyway and the decreases only make it harder. Anyway, I did four rows, just to make a good start. Tomorrow I think I will do sock #2. These are going faster than I thought they would.
I didn't do anything else. I have the information for the bulletins - there are two this week - but I never got to them. I did start washing a load of bottoms. Tomorrow I will finish that and wash a load of whites. I am just about completely out of panties. I guess it's been a while since I washed.
The weather was nondescript. It was cloudy all day. The high temperature was 53º and there was almost no wind. There was another nice sunset tonight, this one shading toward dark coral. One of these days I'll have to set up a page with this year's webcam pictures. There have been some good ones.
The guys slept. Grayson slept on me for quite a while before Louie did something that he needed to see. When I came back to the studio with my dinner, he was sitting on the kitty condo watching the parade outside, and a bit later, he jumped up on the counter behind the sewing machine and watched it there, too. I didn't look out, but I have never been able to figure out what they are seeing out there. I can't see anything. Probably it's some small critters rooting around for seeds, but I've never seen them. You would think it was the Thanksgiving Parade, the way they stare at it. Oh, and when I got up this morning, I felt something pushing against my back - Grayson was in bed with me. When I got up, he curled up and didn't get up until I was ready to get dressed. It was nice to have something warm against my back.
This weather is really doing a number on my joints. My back and hips have been sore all day and my knees are so bad I could hardly make it from the kitchen to the studio. The barometer is fairly high, but so is the humidity, and when the temperature is in the 40s and 50s and the humidity is over 60%, I hurt, no matter what the barometer. Sitting or lying is the only way I'm at all comfortable.
So that was another very quiet day and now it's a cloudy, dark night in the field.
May 16 So it's late. My bad.
I wasn't too late last night, and I slept fairly well, although it was difficult, because I had some really bad aches, including at the back of my left hip.
I think I got up around 10:30, and I finished sock #1! It was tight; I had about a yard of yarn left when I closed the toe, but it was enough. That one isn't really a summer sock; it's bamboo and wool, but it's very soft and fairly thin, so it will be good for spring and fall.
That took a couple of hours, and then I took a bath. My aches were a bit better today, at least then, and I ran water on my hip while I was washing my hair, which helped, but every so often I get a twinge and I was having twinges in a good number of other places, too. I'm sure it's because the humidity was so high, although it's down a bit now.
I didn't do anything else. I was late getting to the studio and I did my surfing, then I started reading again.
The weather was so-so. The high temperature was 57º and there was almost no wind. There was some sunshine, but there were high clouds that hid some of it. It got hot in here, though. And we had another apricot sunset. There have been a number of those this spring.
The guys were sleepy. Grayson slept on my lap for most of the afternoon. I think Louie spent the day at the north end, as usual.
So that was it, and I don't want to be too late. It's a sort of warmish, dark night in the field.
May 15 I made it into bed by midnight last night, but I didn't sleep at all well. I don't know why, but I was wakeful and I was up several times. I think part of it was that I hurt and I still hurt. The humidity is close to 100% and that does a number on my joints. So I'm tired now, but I want to hear Beethoven's First, so it will be a while before I go to bed.
I finished the first sock of sock #2, so the only one I'm still working on is sock #1. I might just work on that one tomorrow, rather than casting on sock #3, in the hope that I can get things back on track. I'm still not sure I have enough yarn to do sock #1 the way I want it, so I will go forward until I find out. Either I'll have enough yarn or I'll have to start it over toe-up. I hate to do that, but I do want those socks - or I think I do.
i had several tasks for the day. I ran to the post office to put my stimulus check in the mail and I got the old convection oven and the box for the new one out of the breezeway. I hoped to work on the boxes, too, but I wore myself out. After the Schwan's guy came and I put that stuff away - not very much, because they were out of a bunch of things - I finally sat down at the sewing machine. I had some work to do to get everything in order because somebody (ahem!) had pushed a bunch of stuff off the counter onto the floor. Then I sewed the elastic back on a couple of pairs of underpants - that was the machine - and I sewed the button back on a pair of slacks. The slacks will have to be washed, because they've been sitting around since last fall and they're dusty. I didn't do anything else because I couldn't see today, even enough to read the machine manual. It's been so long since I used that and I've used it so little that I still don't know how to use it. It's tempting to just go back to the old one. Anyway, I still have some stuff to move off the cart before I can start masks. Maybe tomorrow; it depends on how well I'm seeing.
The weather was variable. It rained overnight. I was awake around 4:00 AM and it came down hard for a few minutes. I guess there was a little more right after I got up, but except that it got dark for a while when I was knitting. It was extremely foggy in the morning, but that went away by 11:30. The skies did clear up after about 3:00 PM, and it was clear at sunset. The high temperature was 52º and there was a moderate north wind. , However, the lowest the humidity got was 80%. Oh, I ache!
The guys did the obvious: they slept. Grayson slept on me until the Schwan's truck came, which was convenient.
So that was my day. I hope to get a better night's sleep tonight and do some more sewing tomorrow, but I have to take a bath and even if I get a mask made, it's supposed to be rainy on Sunday, too, and in that case I will probably hurt so much I'll be staying home. We'll see.
Now it's a clear, calm night in the field.
May 14 I missed my midnight bedtime by not more than 15 minutes. I mostly slept well, although I was up several times. I was awake sometime in the middle of the morning, but I didn't feel at all good, so I went back to bed and it was around 11:30 when I finally did get up.
I worked on sock #1 and I'm getting to the end of the foot, although I'm ot quite there yet. There were some very strange breaks in one of the four plies of the yarn. I don't know why or how they got there, but in view of some things I've seen in the past, I was wondering if I was going to discover some little white worms with black heads wiggling around in my yarn. I didn't. What's strange is that I rewound that ball of yarn when I ripped out the first try, and I don't recall seeing anything like that. Strange. I hope there aren't any more and there aren't any in the other ball.
I rushed off to the post office and the store, and it was a rush because I had to change my bottoms. What I ate last night shouldn't have caused that, so I don't know what did. Anyway, I had to go out because I was out of OJ, so I got a few other things, too. And I knew there were pills at the post office.
There was also my stimulus check. Why in the world i got a paper check, I do not know, unless the IRS and the SSA don't talk to each other at all. Or it could be that the address the SSA has isn't the same as the IRS has. For some reason, the people who were doing my taxes put in my address as just the post office box, no street address. When I file this year, I will have to try to correct that. That's the trouble with having somebody else do things for you. Anyway, I have my check and within a week or so, I should have the money in my account. Whew. I want to use that money to pay my summer taxes, but I remembered that I have some car repairs looming, so I'm not sure I can do that.
When I got home, I finally ordered the cat food I need, and I tried to order some stuff for myself. I simply do not know why some of the things that are out of stock at Walmart, are. It makes no sense. I will get some of my tea, though, or I hope I will. At least the guys will eat. Oh, and Walmart is still out of stock on the TP I use. Yesterday I got word that the rice I have been buying for several years is no longer available in boxes of 6 bags, so I went to see if it's available at all. Well, yes, sort of. It's still listed in single bags, but the price is now 3 times what it was when I got my last shipment around the first of March. So I complained. There is no excuse for that, no matter what the circumstances. Some of the effects of what we're going through are really, truly weird.
The weather was about like you'd expect for the middle of April. It was warmish, with a high temperature of 50º, but it was cloudy and humid and it rained overnight and a bit this morning. There was a strong wind this morning, with gusts up to 32 mph from the southwest, but it went calm this afternoon.
The guys slept. Grayson slept on me for most of the talking. Louie is socked out at the north end.
So that was my day and now it's a dark, humid night in the field.
May 13 I didn't make it into bed until 1:00 last night. Maybe I can do better tonight? I slept well, and long - I didn't get up until around 11:00.
I cast on the second #4 sock, although I had to do most of it twice because my tail wasn't long enough - and the second time it was too long. That's another thing about knitting that I've never been able to figure out. I've read ways to find out how long the tail should be and none of them seem to work. Oh, well. Then I did three or four rows.
And went into zombie mode, so I didn't eat my first meal until around 4:00, by which time I was having a real sugar low. Oh, well.
I was late enough that I didn't do anything else, so I guess I'm not going to choir tomorrow, because I haven't made my masks yet. I'm getting closer, though.
The weather started out clear and lovely, but by 4:00 PM the clouds had moved in. It hasn't started raining yet. The high temperature was 55º and the wind was mostly from the southwest with gusts up to 22 mph. We're in for couple of days of rain, which isn't a bad thing, although I don't envy Mary Ann having to walk her dogs.
The cats were sleepy, of course. Louie got some loving while I was at the north end and Grayson slept on my lap for quite a while as I did my surfing. He wanted to come back later, but by then I was busy.
So that was another lost day, but if I can get to bed at a semi-reasonable hour tonight, maybe I can do something useful tomorrow. I need a few things at the store, and I guess I'd rather do that tomorrow rather than having to rush around when the Schwan's guy is due.
Now it's a warmish, dark night in the field, and the rain is coming...at least it's not snow.
May 12 Well, that was unpleasant, so I guess I'll start this while my dinner is cooking.
I didn't make it to bed by midnight, but it was before 1:00 AM. I didn't sleep well. I didn't expect to; I usually don't when i first haul my schedule back to something like normal. I was having hot flashes all night and running off at the bottom, so I was up a lot.
I got up around 9:00 anyway and I finished the first sock of sock #3. I think that's my favorite of the four. But then I sort of fiddled around so I got a late start anyway.
I did the bulletin first, and when that was done, I attacked the counter between the computer and the sewing machine. I can sort of get to the sewing machine now and I found my rechargeable battery rechargers. I did not find my garage door opener, which I know is someplace around there. I have a lot of stuff I don't know what to do with, but I sort of pushed it out of the way for the time being. Now to put the yarn away and I can attack the sewing corner. Oh, I'll get it done sometime.
So I did a lot of bending, even though I was sitting down, and then I sat to read and listen to the nice music for a while and I began to feel like I was about to run off and I got very nauseated. I don't know why. So I went up to the north end, so I could get the barf bucket, and it took too long, so I had an accident. By sitting for a while after I stopped running off, the nausea finally went away, at least enough so I can get something to eat. I have no clue what brought that on. I've had some odd symptoms when my gut was acting up, but that's a first. I still don't feel very robust, but I put on my nightie, so I will be able to more or less jump right into bed.
The weather was nice, but it's still cold. The high temperature was only 43º and there was a light wind that died down as the day went along. It was clear and blue all day. Days are just about 15 hours long now. It's jarring to wake up (or go to bed) at 5:00 AM and see that it's getting light.
The guys were sleepy, of course, but they both got some loving. Grayson got to sleep on my lap while I did my surfing.
So that was my day. My tummy is fine now, but it was an unpleasant episode that I hope won't happen again.
It's a clear, cold night in the field.
May 11 I almost inverted last night. This has got to stop. i think I've said that before, but if church is starting up again, I'm going to have to try to get it under control. i won't make it by midnight tonight, but I hope to be close.
I knitted on sock #2 and started the toe. It has a very strange row gauge, which means there are a lot more rows in the foot than there are in sock #4, which is on the same size needles, but I have a lot of yarn. I think this one is going to be nice to wear.
Oh, and I made rice and barley, so that's done for a while. The barley is hull-less barley from Bob's Red Mill and I really like it. It has much more fiber than pearl barley and I like the flavor and texture much better, too.
That was all I did. I had a nice conversation with Mary Ann - they are fine - but I don't know if she'll want to go to choir on Thursday. There isn't any Bible Study, but if I go down the peninsula, I will probably want to food shop.
The weather wasn't too bad. It was partly cloudy and the high temperature was 43º. There was a bit of north wind, around 15 mph, early in the day, but it died down later. What's nice is that the humidity was down as low as 28% and the barometer is high. I didn't hurt as much today.
The guys mostly slept. Grayson tried to sit on my lap, but I had to send some emails and I can't type with him there. I didn't see much of Louie.
So it was another very quiet day. I was so late that I didn't get to do the bulletin, so that's the task for tomorrow. I tried to set an alarm so I would only knit for an hour, but for some reason it didn't work. so I knitted for almost two hours. I got a lot of knitting done, but I didn't do most of the other things I wanted to. Oh, and I tried it again later, and that alarm worked just fine. The frustration of technology.
So it's a partly clear, cold night in the field and it's bedtime!
May 10 - Mother's Day Best wishes to all you mothers out there. This is a day when I think about my mother. As I've distanced myself from her, I think I've developed a more balanced view of her - she had her failings - but she was a remarkable woman and I still miss her. Of course, she would be 103 this year, had she lived, and both our lives would have been completely different. I still miss her.
I was considerably earlier last night than the night before, and I didn't get up until noon. I knitted oh sock #1 and I'm halfway to the toe. It looks like I might have enough yarn, but we'll see. Then I went into zombie mode again and the rest of the day was a lost cause. Oh, well.
I did get an email saying that the choir is going to meet on Thursday, so now I really must get my masks made. I have to confess, I like being a hermit. It makes so many things so much easier. But I know it isn't good for me, and besides, I like to sing. So if I can get my masks made, I will go on Thursday and I will try very hard to get my schedule back together so I can go on Sunday, too. It will be good for me to get back to my normal routine.
The weather was nondescript. It was cloudy and dull all day and the high temperature was only 36º. There was a strong wind from the northeast, with gusts up to 28 mph. The lake was singing.
The guys mostly slept. Louie got some loving while I was at the north end and Grayson slept on my lap for a while, but I had to send some emails and he went away mad. They were sort of running aorund this evening, I guess because the barometer is quite high. Cats are the best barometers I know.
So that was another quiet day. I had to look at the phone to be sure it was really Sunday. Now it's a dark, cold, cloudy night in the field.
May 9 Oh, I inverted last night. Days are getting enough longer that it was getting light when I went to bed and it was snowing. I was glad to shut my eyes. I didn't get enough sleep, but I got up a bit after noon. I finished the first sock of sock #4, so the next time I work on those, I can cast on the second one. That's the only bad thing about socks: you need two and they need to be identical (or mirror imaged, but I never do that). I was back up at the north end later and I did a row or two on sock #1, which is tomorrow's.
I was so late that all I did was my surfing. But then I started reading and I dredged up the black sweater and did a number of rows on the sleeve. The humidity was down today, so my hands haven't gotten sore. I've been having a lot of trouble with my hands lately, between all the knitting and all the surfing and the cold and the dampness. Sometimes when I go to bed, they just ache.
Pastor sent me the information for next Sunday's bulletin already, which is really nice. He called the file "syttende mai," which is Norwegian for May 17. Evidently that is a special holiday in Norway. I had to look it up. I think I got back at him, though. There is a Norwegian greeting for that day, so I sent it to him. Obviously, he doesn't have enough to do, either.
The weather turned out rather nice. It was snowing - or from the sound, I think it was graupel - when I went to bed, It was cloudy at sunrise, but by 9:00 AM it had cleared up, and while there were some high clouds later in the day, it was mostly sunny. The high temperature was 44º and there was a strong north wind this morning, with gusts up to 28 mph, but it died down later in the day.
The guys slept. Grayson slept on my lap for a long time.
So it was another very quiet day and now I have to go to bed. It's a clear (I think), dark night in the field.
May 8 I wasn't too late last night, I think, and I got up around 10:30, maybe? Don't remember. I knitted on sock #3 and I finished the foot and started the toe. Socks #3 and #4 are well-behaved yarns that follow to my basic sock patterns, so I don't have to count and measure as much. Sock #3 is my favorite of the four and #4 is my least favorite.
I was late enough that I didn't do anything, and it was so cold and windy that I didn't go out to the post office. Maybe tomorrow? We'll see.
The weather was quite wintry. There must have been an inch of snow on the ground and the deck when I got up, but thankfully, by the time it got dark tonight, most of it had gone away. The high temperature was only 34º and there was a strong wind from the north. There were gusts up to 40 mph (!) early this morning, and it was windy until afternoon. It was mostly cloudy and dull. Not nice at all.
I got up to go to the bathroom after breakfast and when I looked out the window, there was a deer trying to find something green at the edge of the driveway. She came right up to the house, although I didn't follow her. She looked OK, but she was thin. I guess that means they know it's safe around here. I wish I could feed them.
The guys slept. Louie got some love this morning, and Grayson slept on my lap for a very long time this afternoon.
So it was a very quiet, dull day and now it's a cold, dark night in the field.
May 7 Well, this was a weird day.
I was late getting to bed, because I went into zombie mode again, but I slept well and I got up around 12:30. I knitted on sock #2 and I made progress, but the row gauge is so weird that I still have close to 20 rows to go before I can start the toe. Then I got caught by the phone and sat until the battery ran low. I needed to sit, because I didn't get my necessary fiber yesterday and I was running off.
I was just about to get up and get dressed when Debbie called and we talked until the phone ran out of battery. My cordless phones only hold about a 2 hour charge. It was mostly her talking. She is such a people person that she is taking stay-at-home really hard. I got to hear her new kitty, who is very talkative.
Anyway, the phone didn't go dead until about 6:30. So I got dressed, filled the kibble bowls - the guys were very patient with me - and decided to have dinner rather than breakfast. I have a new thing from Schwan's that I wanted to try and I needed to try the new oven. It worked, as well as i can determine, but I forgot to put the oven thermometer in and then I forgot to get my dinner out when if finished cooking. One thing for sure, the on/off button works a whole lot better than the old one did, which will end some of my frustration. Tomorrow I can try toast and my Friday fish.
The weather was cold and weird. It was clear and sunny until about 5:00, when it clouded up and got dark very suddenly, and then by 6:00 it was snowing! What next? It snowed off and on until a bit after 9:00, enough that there is snow on my deck, but it looked like it might be clearing when it got dark, although there are some clouds off in the west. The high temperature was 38º, but it plunged down to 31º after the snow started. It's recovered a bit now. There was a moderate north wind.
The guys slept, mostly, and they were very patient with me while I was on the phone, but they were getting antsy before I finally got dressed. First, Louie slept on the rug, then he went away and Grayson sat for a while and then Louie came back. Their kibble bowls were mostly empty, and they had cleaned up the floor pretty well, too, but they didn't really make a scene. I guess they know that I'll make sure they have food as soon as I can.
So it was a weird, truncated day, and I'm going to bed soon. There are a few things I want to hear in the next hour - Debussy Nocturnes and a Beethoven piano sonata - and I want to read a bit more, but there isn't anything to keep me up and at least one Friday I'd like to get out and do my errands without having to rush. It's a partly cloudy (I think), cold, dark night in the field.
May 6 I was so tired last night that I was in bed before midnight. I was up several times, and I got up around 10;00. Then I did the usual things, and I took a bath, so I was late eating my first meal...and my second meal...and you see how these things escalate. I won't be that early tonight, but I am tired again.
That's because my new convection oven came today and I had to swap out the old one. Getting the new one out of the packaging was a real trip, and then I had to get it into the house, move the old one off the counter and put the new one in its place. It isn't as heavy as the microwave was, fortunately, so I could do it myself, but I had to do it in two pieces and I had to rest in between. The old one is still at the bottom of the steps in the breezeway, but maybe I can get that done tomorrow, as well as get the big box out of the way.
The one I got was called "used" but as far as I can see, the only reason is that the box was sort of battered. The oven looks fine. It had to be seasoned, so I did that, but I sort of went into zombie mode so I didn't use it tonight. we'll see how it works tomorrow. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait any longer to get it. The old one was getting worse and worse and sometimes (but not all the time) I would have to stop it after it said it had reached the temperature I set and start it over again, and it was about 50º off and getting worse. Several functions didn't work at all. I still think it should have lasted more than 7 years, but then, what do I know?
I am sort of upset with Amazon. First off, I ordered the thing on April 27 and they didn't ship it until Monday, and then yesterday, they changed their mind and said it wouldn't get here until tomorrow. I know they're busy, but I don't think it should have taken them a whole week to ship the thing and they should be able to keep better track of where it is. I've had a lot of trouble lately with their shipping estimates. And I had to buy the "used like new" one because the "new" one was $64 more, which seems a bit out of line.
Well, at least I have it and it seems to work.
The weather was cold but sunny. The high temperature was 46º and there was no wind. It was mostly clear, although there were some clouds at sunset. The camera caught a lovely shot of the supermoon setting over the Mountain Lodge this morning, with a wonderful glitter path. And tonight there were a couple of pictures right after sunset that had all sorts of pastel colors reflected on a harbor that was nearly like glass. We've had a lot of colorful sunsets lately, for a change. Nothing spectacular, but pastel and pretty. No wonder I love it here...
The guys slept. When I was bringing in the oven, Grayson jumped over me and out into the breezeway, but I just ignored him and by the time I went back to take the old oven out, he was ready to come in. Little snot. While he was gone, Louie actually came into the studio and mewed at me, but I'm not sure why. Otherwise he slept. I finally remembered that he must be close to 14 years old now, so it's not surprising that he sleeps all the time. He is so sweet to me. I only wish he was nicer to Grayson.
So that was my day, and now maybe I have a way to cook food other than the microwave again. I hope this one lasts as long as I do. It's a partly cloudy night in the field, but the moon should be bright.
May 5 Oh, so I went into zombie mode last night and nearly fell asleep here, and then when I got up to the north end and finally got ready for bed, I had to go back into the bathroom for a while, so I was ridiculously late. I got up before noon anyway and I finally finished the two rows on the shawl that I've been working at for so long. That didn't take very long, so I got breakfast at a semi-reasonable hour and I got dinner at a reasonable time, too. See? I'm trying. But it's hard.
I even did something. I finally got the cart between the computer station and the sewing machine station almost cleaned up. I put a lot of used lace yarn away and I have some sock yarn to go, too, which will nearly clear off the cart. I have an ironing pad on that cart, so If I'm going to do any sewing, I need to be able to use it. One side is also a cutting surface, which will also be useful. The only problem is, the iron cord comes from the left, which is ungainly, but it does work. I still have a bunch of stuff on the counter to do something with before I can actually sew, but I'm making progress. Maybe tomorrow I can do something about that, or I might just hunt up some navy blue yarn and sew the button back on my slacks so I can wash them. They were clean when I brought them here, but now they're covered with dust and white cat hair, so they need to be washed.
I gathered together all the elastic I bought some time ago to renew the cuffs of all my jackets, but I didn't find any narrow. I know there's some in the basement, but I'm not going to attempt to go down there just for that. I still don't want to see what happened in the flood.
The weather was sort of partly sunny and cool. When I went to bed this morning, there was a fuzzy almost-full moon setting over the mountain, and there were some thin, high clouds today, too. The high temperature got up to 49º, which rather surprised me, since it was in the 30s when I got up. There was some wind this morning but it died down and there was no wind this afternoon. I'm sorry about the glitch in the camera. It woke up - I reset the end points last night - but then it hung and I had to reset it.
I ended up having to reboot the computer, too. It had gotten completely screwed up and I kept losing the music signal I stream, my speakers icon had disappeared, and this morning, Norton apparently couldn't connect to do an update. Sheesh. So I shut down and rebooted and so far, everything looks much better. Makes me think about worms crawling all over my memory, chomping on bits. I hope it doesn't happen again.
The guys slept. Grayson is still acting sort of strange, but he hasn't barfed again. He spent a long time on my lap twice, and he got to lick the dish from my yogurt tonight. Louie is still up at the north end. Every so often he comes down to the kitchen and noshes a bit and in the evening, he sleeps in the great room. He is still bugging Grayson. I wish I knew why.
So that was my day. I was a bit concerned last night, because I had a sneezing fit, but it was apparently nothing and I don't feel too bad at all today. I'm hoping it's already warm enough that my winter virus is gone for another year.
Now it's a clear (I think) night in the field and that lovely moon should be lighting things up.
May 4 I got to bed at a semi-reasonable time last night and I got up at a semi-reasonable time this morning. I knitted on sock #4 and started the toe. This one is the only one of the four that is working up to my basic sock pattern.
So I ate breakfast at a reasonable hour, but it was a big one, and then I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat for dinner. By the time I did, I ended up eating around midnight, so I will be late tonight, too.
The toaster oven is just about dead, but the new one is finally on its way and it should arrive by Wednesday. I can sort of toast bread, but any other function is a struggle and it won't heat hotter than about 275º no matter what I do. It's about 7 years old, and I've used it a lot, but I'm disappointed that it hasn't lasted longer, at that price. Well, I like it a lot, so I hope the new one is as good as this one has been.
The task of the day was the bulletin, and I got that out, although there are a few pieces of information missing, as I expected.
The weather was cold and clear. The high temperature was only 38º - quite a come down from two days ago! - but there wasn't much wind. It was still clear at sunset, and I think the nearly-full moon is shining brightly. There is a meteor shower tonight or tomorrow, but I doubt I'll be able to see it. I've only seen one meteor since I've lived here.
The guys slept, of course, It took Grayson a while to get to sleep on my lap, but I had other things to do. he finaly got his time. I don't think he feels well. For the second time this week, he ate some kibble and it bounced at once. That's worrisome, but I'm watching him. Louie got some loving, too, but he mostly hangs out at the north end, whereas Grayson follows me around.
So that's all there is and now I have to sleep. It's a cold, clear night in the field. You'd never know it's May.
May 3 I went into zombie mode last night, so I was ridiculously late getting to bed and ridiculously late getting up, in part because in the middle of my sleep, I had to change all the clothes I was wearing and now I have to dig out a clean bedside rug. I've been neglecting my fiber for the past couple of days, and I paid.
Eventually I got up and knitted on sock #3, which is coming well. I'm about two-thirds down the foot.
I was so late that everything is skewed, but I have eaten again, and I am in my nightie - another accident - so I can go to bed as soon as I feel like. Maybe earlier tonight. I hope so.
The information for the bulletin came in this evening, so I will get right at that tomorrow. It will feel good to have something to do for church again. I'd really like to go next week, too, but it depends upon whether I can get at least one mask made and get to bed early on Saturday.
The weather wasn't so nice. The temperature went down all night, and it only got to 43º today, with a brisk north wind, gusting up to 30 mph. The lake is singing. It was very dull and cloudy all day, but I don't think there was any rain. I was a bit concerned, because the weather station wasn't reporting dew point yesterday, but it is now and my joints are right - it's very humid. Well, at least we had a couple of spring days.
The guys slept. Grayson did finally get to sit on my lap for a while. When I went up to the north end to change my clothes, Louie was on is back in the middle of the bedroom. He knows how to get comfortable better than almost any other cat I've known.
So that was my strange day, and now it's a cool, cloudy night in the field.
May 2 I don't remember why I was so late last night, but I was, and it was nearly noon when I finally got up. I hadn't been able to really get back to sleep after the last time i was up. My joints, particularly my neck, were aching enough to keep me awake.
The tasks of the day were bath and pill dispensers. I knitted on sock #2 for a while, and while I'm getting close to the usual number of rows, it will have to be longer. Then I did the pill dispensers, although I'm not through, because I forgot I needed to bring a package in from the breezeway. I'll fix that in the morning.
I was all ready to take my bath when I decided to move some stuff around in a drawer and I tried to slice off a piece of my finger on a razorblade. Ouch. Anyway, I had to wait until it stopped bleeding, and since I'm taking a blood thinner, that took a while. Eventually I got my bath, with less trouble than I feared, although my knees hurt.
Anyway, I ate my first meal really late, so my second one was equally late and I'm late. Sigh. That's how it seems to go...
The weather was nice, and I wish I'd had time to stick my nose outside. The high temperature was 65º, but there was a very strong north wind, with gusts up to 39 mph, so I doubt it felt quite that warm outside. And as the sun began to set, the temperature dropped off quickly. It was clear all day, too, so it was nice. It got hot in here. I'm going to have to wear something lighter. I was sweating.
The guys slept. For various reasons, Grayson couldn't get on my lap and he was disappointed. He had a tummy ache, too, and after he ate some kibble this morning, it came right back up. Poor Gray Cat. Louie slept, of course.
So now it's late again and I must go to bed. it's a clear (I think) fairly warm, windy night in the field.
May 1 I wasn't too late last night, but I got up around 10:30, so I didn't get as much sleep as I should have. I knitted a bit on the shawl, but I couldn't see anything, so I did a number of rows on sock #1. I still don't know if I have enough yarn to finish it the way I want to. If I don't, I'll have to do what I did with that red pair last year - knit it from the toe up. I still think 218 yards should be enough for a sock, even on #1 needles, but what do I know? It annoys me that I have this problem with yarn I really like and want to make.
I had to rush off to the post office and the store and it turns out, I passed the Schwan's guy going in the other direction, although I didn't see him. I would have been fine except that I had to wait at both places. So I have all sorts of good things to eat now, and the freezer is bulging.
The weather was amazing. I wasn't out when the temperature reached its peak, 66º, because that was between 5:00 and 6:00 PM, but it was warm and sunny with almost no wind when I was out. The Schwan's driver was wearing a short-sleeved polo. The last time I saw him, he was wearing his winter jacket and long johns, but that's how the weather is around here. It's supposed to cool off and rain tomorrow, but it's coming. Spring really is coming.
The guys slept. They were happy, because all their bowls got filled. Grayson spent a lot of the talking asleep on my lap. They like it warm.
On that subject, I got an incredible bill from the electric company for all the time I had the space heater on. I don't believe there is any heat coming from the heating system, but it's late to do anything about that now. I will have to try to remember to call them in September. In the meantime, my monthly bill is up by almost $20. Well, I had to be warm.
On my way back to the studio with my chair, I stopped and looked at the bag of fabric and I found some nice stuff left over from a couple of kits I made, as well as a lot of thin batting. They say having a layer of batting between the layers of cotton makes for a mask that is nearly as good as an N95, so that's what I will do. I found another pattern, to, so now I have three ways to make them. The only thing is, I can't find any elastic. My usual sources are sold out. So unless there's something up here that I can use, I'll have to make ties. I can't tie something behind my head, so I'll have to loop them around my ears and tie them at the edge of the mask. Now the problem is to get the stuff cleared away from the sewing machine so I can actually work at it.
The church has decided to start holding services on the 10th, and I'd love to go, but not without a mask...and not without getting my schedule under control, either. We'll see how that works. Anyway, there will be a bulletin next week and it will be good to get back into that.
So now it's May. I've noticed the last few days that there are the tiniest little patches of green under the brown weeds. In general, we are a full month behind southern Michigan, so what they saw around the first of April is what we are getting now. It will come. Now it's a warm, cloudy night in the field and maybe I can go to bed after the Brahms finishes.
Last updated 06/02/20 02:51 AM Copyright S. I. Smith, 2000-2020
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