Not Much

Not much to say about yesterday, other than it was very nice to hear from more relatives.  I did what I do when faced with pain or indecision...I slept.  No blog fodder there.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Unexpected

I had the nicest surprise yesterday when Glenn, one of my brothers-in-law, and his wife and my friend, Jerri, called and said they were coming up.  It's been ages since I've seen them and they've been missed.  The weather was nice while we sat on the porch...still no in-house visiting here yet.  Michael was as pleased as I to have company and shared his attentions between the two guests...until a bee came by and then it was "Open the door, I want to go in!" time.  He's still phobic about bees and wasps, anything with a stinger.  It really was grand to see family again.

Without my noticing, the yards are now covered with Baby Blue Eyes flowers, a sure sign of spring.  The days are just pleasantly warm and Michael is right to choose to sit outside.

I knew the medication was working, as per yesterday's post, but I didn't expect to lose over ten pounds of fluid in two days!  It's not exactly a diet, but it is effective, and there's more to go.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Don't Leave Home

I was warned.  Pardon me if this is TMI.  The doctor warned me when he prescribed a strong diuretic medication, but I never dreamed of the true effects.  Let's just say that I don't hook up the second strap on my bibbies because I can't take the time.  Ooops, 'scuse me.  Gotta go!

Stay safe.  Be well.

Back momentarily.  Photo from our last (brief) walk yesterday.

Don't Be Such A Pill

This is more my life than farm life, but, hey, you play the hand you're dealt.

As I knew it would be, yesterday was a go-to-town day.  The drive was really lovely with pink and white flowering fruit trees around almost every curve.  Daffodils were bright yellow exclamation points on the green hillsides shouting, "Look at us!  Look at us!"  And then I noticed the Check Engine Soon light had come on.  Ratchafratch.  Truck didn't seem to show any symptoms and I didn't have a choice.  Nothing for it but to keep going and hope.  I was beginning to feel a little like Joe Btfspik from the old Li'l Abner comic series (1934-1977), that hard-luck fella with the cloud over his head.

Made it to town without incident and made the two must-do stops.  One was to pick up the newly prescribed meds.  OMG!  For anyone who didn't/doesn't believe in the ACA, let me give you an example that nearly made me faint.  One of the four medications was, without insurance, nearly $570!!  With insurance, my cost was $45.  I'm a grateful believer.

This pill-taking business is going to take some orchestration.  This is me, the me who, if I took two pain pills a year, it was a bad year.  Now there are eleven of those rattling little bottles lined up.  Some are to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach.  Some are to be taken in the morning with food (I don't eat breakfast).  Some are once a day, some are twice.  Good grief!  (And the pages and pages of side effects were enough to scare Superman.)

With no other option, Michael and I made the trip home okay, me watching gauges like a hawk.  The first thing in the house was to call the auto shop down in Mt. Aukum to see if they could find the problem and get Truck back to me by Tuesday's doctor appointment.  What I got was the message saying the shop was closed and they'd be back by April 6th.  Figures.

Such as it was, that was yesterday.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Gone Awry

If I'd actually had a plan for the day, it would have been correct to say that plan went awry.  As it happened, there was no plan, but I sure didn't expect to spend the day in the emergency room as I did.  Details not required, but I'd called my physician to ask about a change in medication and was directed to call 911 immediately and get to the hospital pronto.  Certainly not what I'd expected.  When the young men from the fire department came, big red truck and all, I was able to convince them that I was sure I could drive myself and they could cancel the ambulance.  Whew.

Once in the hospital, it was a hurry-up-and-wait situation.  Whisked away for this test and that, hooked up for everything but stereophonic sound, the day passed.  Having had to leave Michael in the house, he was my first panicked thought when I was told I'd have to spend the night and possibly two or three more in situ.  It's a drawback of living out in the boonies.  I was able to convince the doctors that I would follow their every direction if they would just set me free, and they did.

Home never looked so good.  I see some doctor visits in my future.  I can deal with that.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Burnout

I know what the problem is...I just don't have an answer for the overwhelming numbness I'm feeling.  Too much Covid-19, too much political anger in government and the populace, too many mass shootings, too much racial hatred, and it goes on and on.  I can't handle it anymore and have just about quit watching news of any kind, even the local stuff.  It's just a Band-Aid, not a solution, but in my case it's self-preservation.  This isn't the first time I've gone into withdrawal.  During the Vietnam War, I finally had to stop immersing myself in the tragic daily news and concentrate on my family and home.

Michael is earning his pay as a certified Emotional Support Animal.  In addition to our necessary walks, he now has us scheduled for two sit-in-the-sun, be quiet and let the warmth seep in breaks every day...very therapeutic.

Ralph has become my nighttime therapy cat.  He waits impatiently for me to get settled in bed and then hold up the opening to the cat cave.  He's spending more and more time in there now, snuggling close, putting his head on my arm, and the feel of that silky soft, warm little body is balm to my soul.  I don't know what the attraction is for him, I'm just happy he's there.

The animals are my touchstone and ease the burden of burnout.  

Stay safe.  Be well.

You'll Be The First

Hey, when the most exciting thing to happen in a day is that Celeste has moved into Michael's bed, it's pretty clear that there isn't much to write about, thus the every-other-day format I've adopted of late.  And yes, that is a "Reserved Parking" sign behind her that Celeste is ignoring.  I'm just glad I figured out how to send and pull photos from the computer again.

If something, anything, of interest occurs, you'll be the first to know.

Stay safe.  Be well.

I'll Take It

After the sad story of the day before, I needed something uplifting...and I got it.  The sorta-nice man at AT&T wasn't exactly forthcoming with whatever magic he thought to work on my iPhone, his fingers swiping and tapping, but not saying much.  In the end, all he really said was, "It doesn't recognize your password," but didn't offer much in the way of a solution.  I didn't get this far by being unobservant, so when I got home I changed the password on the computer and synced it with the phone.  Ta Da!  Let there be email!  LOL, there were 34! waiting to be set free.  A small success, but I'll take it.

Down to freezing this morning, but Phone predicts no rain.  That will be a nice change after the last few days.  Phone is pretty amazing,  Its weather source not only gives an overall picture, it tells minute by minute when drizzle, rain, or snow are due...and it's accurate!  I know I get dragged into the next century, but, boy, when I arrive, I'm thrilled.

BTW, still no aftereffects from the Covid-19 shot.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Penalty Box

I was never involved with, nor good at, sports, but I know now what it feels like to spend time in the penalty box.  Procrastination caught up with me big time.  Knowing there would be a wait at the clinic, I stopped first to fill up the gas tank.  That was a good thing.  I was on time and the line wasn't too long down in Cameron Park.  The problem was, it didn't move.  It didn't move for over half an hour.  Hmmm.  Ah well.  Finally there was some action, however slowly, and I got up to where the smiling, apologetic minions were to take information.  It seems someone in the observation area after having received the injection had a reaction that required a physician's attention and everything came to a halt.  Not exactly confidence inspiring.  Finally, f-i-n-a-l-ly, I was through the line, got my shot, waited the obligatory time, and was set free.  (By the way, I had no reaction.)

After nearly three hours lost, I headed back to P'ville, sorting through the stops I had planned and weeding out those I could put off again.  That's when I saw the red and blue flashing lights behind me.  Oh good grief, now what?  I knew I wasn't speeding, so the big Why?  With no preliminaries, the nice officer asked for license and registration, and I still didn't know why.  I've watched enough cop shows (and was married to a policeman, the Kids' dad, for twenty years) to know to comply and sit quietly.  Turned out my tags were expired and I got a fix-it ticket.  It's the first ticket of any kind I've ever received in 67 years of driving.  Let's just say it didn't make my day.

Okay, more time lost.  I've had this problem with my iPhone in that I could not get nor send email, so decided to drop in at the AT&T store.  I had called and the gentleman said to come by and he could fix it for me.  Uh huh.  The store was significantly understaffed and I waited 45 minutes before my turn came up.  He couldn't fix it.  It really was one of those days.

It was raining hard and darkness was falling, so Michael, ever patient Michael, and I went across the parking lot to a store I thought might have a few things I needed to get.  They didn't.

Having spent the entire day in the penalty box, I was ever so glad to get home.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Blast From The Past

The other night I had a most welcome surprise phone call from a long-unheard-from nephew.  The conversation rambled far and wide, and then it stuck on genealogy.  There's a bit of a family hiccup in that my mother was his grandmother, but my father (second husband) was not his grandfather.  That's why my sister was Irish and I'm not.  Phil has done extensive research into his Mom's (my sister) side of the family.  I mentioned I would like to know more about my Dad's family line.  Daddy's parents were taciturn people, always referred to as Mr. and Mrs., never Grandpa and Grandma, so no information ever came from them.  Within minutes, Phil had pulled up ancient photos of my Dad's WWI draft card from 1917 (he was sent to France) and his registration card when he was 45 in WWII.  I even recognized my Dad's handwriting.  For some time now, I've been watching Finding Your Roots and found it fascinating.  I've been toying with the idea of going on Ancestry.com, now I'm inspired!

Our walks yesterday were pleasant.  Today, I fear not s'much.  At least 1-1/2" of rain is predicted for this afternoon.  Of course it is.  I'm scheduled for my second Covid shot at 1 p.m. and have any number of stops in town to make that I've procrastinated almost into oblivion.  "Can I do without that another day?  Do I really need that now?  Can I substitute this for that?"  If the answer is no or yes when appropriate, I don't go.  It has a tendency to catch up with me, for sure.

Stay safe.  Be well.  Keep your powder dry.

The March Wind

The March wind doth blow, and we shall have snow, and what will poor Robin do then?  Poor thing.

Okay, I took liberty with Mother Goose's ditty...it should be 'North' wind, but the wind of the night before last came from all directions.  It did, however bring snow.  There were only a couple of inches on the deck, but it was enough to wipe out the satellite dishes for TV and WiFi in the morning.  The smartphone was smart enough to convert to something besides WiFi, so it was still usable (who knew?!).

Weatherwise, it was an absolutely crazy day.  Snow, yes.  Rain, yes.  Sunshine, yes.  Snow while the sun was shining, yes, and there were times it added up to more than an inch again.  The one constant was the cold.  It never did warm up and I think we were in the low 30s most of the time.  WiFi sometimes, others not.

Fortunately, I had recorded some episodes of Stanley Tucci's new show, Searching For Italy, and we did have power.  The show is a takeoff of sorts on Anthony Bourdain, but without the sarcasm, and the food shown will make your mouth water.

Even with Michael's thick coat and my piggy hat, our walks were brisk.  The house never did warm up, so the beef stew I'd prepared in the crockpot was very welcome for dinner.  Michael did share some of the beef, carrots NO!  To Michael, carrots are anathema.  Go figure.

Nice to be back in touch with the world today.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Personal Space

One thing in short supply around here is personal space.  Cats simply do not recognize the term nor the concept.  "My" lap is not "my" lap.  If it's there, it's theirs.  Celeste will leap up out of nowhere and move in.  Ralph has better manners and will pat my arm to ask permission, then goes about trying to fit into whatever space Celeste has left for him.  "I need to get up now."  "Oh, really?  Do you not see we are napping?  Read the Do Not Disturb sign, lady."  I can't remember the last time I was able to turn over in bed, weighted down by 50-lb cats every night.  Michael is not exempt.  One of his favorite sleeping spots during the day is his 'real' bed in the living room.  Celeste has discovered that there's a warm spot when he gets up and promptly jumps in.  Michael may have gotten up just to get a drink of water, but when he comes back, Celeste opens one eye and says, "Don't even think about it."  She's made Michael a believer and he goes away.

Looking out at the foggy landscape this morning, it's hard to remember that yesterday we spent our time in the sunshine and warmth.  It's also hard to believe that snow even below my elevation is predicted for tomorrow.  Nature is so capricious.

Well, they've done it again.  The blankety-blank time change occurred last night.  Aarrgh.  And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Ralph is patting my shoulder, telling me he would like to sit on even my cramped lap here at the computer.  Oh well, what the heck, it's not my lap.

Stay safe.  Be well.

I'm Excited!

I was going to title this entry as 'Just Shoot Me,' but then thought perhaps that might be considered a downer or a plea for some kind of gun violence.  However, I am excited!

Last month I received my first Covid-19 shot.  Other than the hour-long wait idling along in the lengthy line of cars and trucks, it can only be described as an almost pleasant experience.  Even the wait wasn't all that bad as it was a pretty day and I had Michael for company.  Up at the top of the hill, the welcoming committee waited...smiling masked women to ask a few questions and write stuff on their clipboards.  They were friendly and efficient and moved that line swiftly along and Bob's your uncle.  The shot itself was honestly the easiest I've ever had.  It seemed the nurse had barely touched my arm (held out the window) and she was putting on a Band-Aid.  "Are you done?!"  "Yes, I am.  Now wait over there for fifteen minutes before leaving, please."  "Dang, woman, you're good!"  She gave a small smile and waved her hand at the multitude of vehicles behind and ahead.  "Lots of practice."  I had absolutely no aftereffects from the shot.

I hadn't even had to go hunting for where I might get inoculated.  Marshall Hospital in P'ville had contacted me and had already scheduled an appointment, a benefit of being in a preferential age group, emphasis on age.  The other day, thinking about not wanting to miss the second dose of Moderna, I tried to get in touch with the Hospital, but didn't have the correct number for the Covid unit.  No worries, they called me yesterday and had already scheduled my appointment for next week.  I'll make sure to have a full tank of gas and hope for another nice day.

Getting a shot isn't necessarily anything to look forward to, but given the severity of this rampant deadly virus and having had severe episodes of asthma in the distant past, the thought of not being able to breathe (a major effect of Covid) is terrifying.  If getting an injection will keep me from going into the hospital and lessen the possibility of being a spreader should I contract the disease, just shoot me.

Stay safe.  Be well.  And get your shot(s).

What's Your Pleasure?

Wind, rain, hail, snow, overcast, clear, sunshine...man, we had the weather gamut in the last two days.  The only constant was the cold.  What we did not have was the severe storm with thunder and lightning Deb reported down in the valley.  It never made its way up here, and I sure didn't miss it.  Down in the 30s, Stove went to work again.  His help is so appreciated, but I still dream of thermostats.

I heard from a friend who had heard from a friend (our best news source up here) that, in fact, my friend Harold had died.  Not good news, but better than to be left wondering.  I miss him.

Yesterday was Steve's and his twin brother's birthday.  Deb and I were noting that Steve would have wanted a hamburger with a little bun and a lot of meat (no onions) and a big slice of cake.  The guy wasn't hard to please.  I miss him.

I don't know what today will bring, but we're starting out with sunshine.  The frost outside is as heavy as snow.  It's 32 degrees, so it's a pretty good bet that Stove will be called to action.  I'm sitting here with a heated beanbag on my lap, slurping a cup of coffee that will be cold before I get the last sip.

Keep your powder dry.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Baby Steps

Well, I'd call yesterday a success story of sorts, not necessarily a major triumph, but a beginning.  Later in the evening, I got some help from Nature.  There was a definite cutback in TV time...well, okay, I had DVRd only two episodes of Hill Street Blues, but I resisted my stash of Blue Bloods so I get a point there.  It wasn't easy, but I held naps to just one.  That was a little more difficult because I had a fire going and warmth equals drowsy in this house.  To be honest, so does cold...never mind.  The temperature had dropped to the point of near torture so Stove was finally called into action.  Bless his cast-iron heart, the wood caught right away and he didn't demand constant attention.  Dinner was more of a snack because I just wasn't hungry.  That's okay, it's a common occurrence.  Walks outside were brief and brisk.  On the next to last, Michael's coat was dusted with hail, and on the after-dark outing, he hit the bushes right in front of the porch in the rain.  That dog's no dummy.

We didn't get the predicted snow here, but the rain was hard enough to wipe out the wiFi, so it was a relatively early bedtime for the Farview gang.  Ralph snuggled up in the cat cave.  Michael is serious, Celeste is bossy, and Ralph provides the comic relief.

Nice to find the wiFi is back this morning.  I can see snow on the higher hills to the south.  We don't even have rain here now, and I'm fine with that.

I won't say yesterday was a blue-ribbon day, but some progress is better than none.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Back Off

Changes must be made around here.  It has been brought to my attention (by me) that I have an addictive personality and some intervention (by me) is required.  I realized one problem when I found I was spending hours watching national news programs.   It was fascinating, but depressing.  I've backed off to the point I do watch local morning news and a quick check of the big stuff in the afternoon.  I feel better.

That didn't end the problem, however.  I switched to endless recorded reruns of old television series.  I still like 'em, but am backing off on how many episodes I'll watch at one time.  I pretend my pass is only good for two.

Days and nights have become blurred because I take long naps off and on throughout the day, leaving me wide awake, or some semblance thereof, after 10 p.m.  Last night I went to bed at 3 a.m. and woke at 5:30.  My circadian clock is totally out of whack.  That's got to stop.

Having found how good and nutritious frozen one-bowl meals are, I've almost quit cooking.  Who knows, one of these months guests may come again and I will have lost the art.  It's time to get out some pots and pans and quit adding plastic to the landfill.

I need to limit my computer time in the morning.  Scrolling through FB and hours trying to win at solitaire is not healthy.  Besides, it makes me late taking Michael out for the long morning walk.

Were it not for Michael, who knows how often I'd go outside anymore, even when the weather is good.  The dead marjoram and yarrow blossoms on their long dry stalks remind me that gardening is on the list of must-dos, another chore I've backed off from.

Recognizing changes are needed is one thing.  Doing something about the problem is another.  Wish me luck.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Almost

I've been so busy watching where my feet are going lately (don't need another splat and crawl) that I almost missed the almond tree in flower and the clumps of daffodils that have sprung up.  The daffies are not where I planted them, but have migrated down the hill.  I actually like them better where nature has put them.  The amaryllis, which I did scatter about, are in their green phase now. the blooms will come later, something to look forward to.

I've almost got the iPhone totally working.  There's still a problem with sending and receiving email, but I'm on the trail of a fix.  If all else fails, I'll take it in to the store.  Oh well.  Did I mention that I love the new charging system?  Instead of having to plug into a cord, this doozy has a charger that looks like a lily pad...just set the phone on it and it does its thing.  Who knew?

We made a quick run over to Gray's Corner yesterday.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but really am that so many are still not wearing masks.  It seems such an easy thing to do to save health and lives.  I was wearing one of my favorites Deb made that has little paw prints all over.  I think it's Michael's, too.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Smarter Than Me

I'm not totally up on new terminology, but I think my new phone is a "Smart Phone."  Whatever it's called, it most definitely is smart.  Rain was predicted for last night.  As a matter of course, I checked the weather app before going to bed and...believe it or not...the phone said that a drizzle would start in 12 minutes (minutes!) and rain would follow in fifteen.  Oh, sure, like the phone is going to know these things, stuff the weatherman is iffy about.  Well, I heard the first pitter-patter before I got the lights turned off and made my way down the hall, and it was raining for real by the time I got in bed.  Wow!  To say I was impressed is an understatement.  It's almost scary, kind of like Michael when he stares in my eyes and I know he knows what I'm thinking.

The rain stopped, the sun is out, and it's going to be a beautiful day.  My phone told me so.

Stay safe.  Be well.

I Can Almost See You

There's hope on the horizon.  The glazier came yesterday to measure for windows and screens.  The good news is that probably only the picture window in the living room needs replacing, the rest are just screens (thanks to Missy and her mad-on at the inside cats).  Guess I'd better take down some of those cobwebs that are also blocking my view, but no sense washing the window, right?  When talking to one of the guys in the shop, he mentioned that it might take a while for the glass to be made.  Huh?  Somehow I just never thought of making glass...not the pretty blown glass, but just plain window glass.  Wouldn't that be something to see?

When walking the deck, Farview treated the gentleman to a sight we don't see all that often anymore.  Three big four-point bucks came out of the woods, followed by four does.  After all this time, they never fail to take my breath away.

Michael and I took advantage of a truly lovely, warm day to sit outside more than usual.  Sustained rain and cold are in the forecast and we'll get stuck inside again.  Another case of 'take what you get and be glad that you got it when it comes.'

Got another one of those fershluggen robocalls this morning in the dark at 5 a.m.!!  Sure not the way I wanted to wake up.  They hung up before I could struggle my way past the cats.  "Carol" calls frequently to warn me that the warranty on my 1998 salvaged truck is about to expire.  Gee, thanks, Carol.  I'd have never guessed.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Lost It

Michael asked (politely) to go on a late night walk two nights ago, and I complied.  He knows we can go out only as far as I can see in the porchlight after dark.  No big deal, but I took a step backward, slipped on some leaves, lost my footing and went down.  No damage from the fall, but a long crawl back to the house over gravel.  Michael must have thought I'd lost my mind as well.

I lost all incentive to do anything yesterday, including turning on the computer.  It was an R&R (rest and recuperation) day.  It's up and at 'em today as the glazier is coming to take measurements for new windows.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Need Something?

What do you need that you can't find anywhere else?  If you live in the area or are just passing through, stop in at Placerville Hardware and I'll bet you find it.  This isn't just a nails-and-tools hardware store, although there is a section for such mundane materials.  The store has been in existence since 1907, and I doubt it has changed much.  Wooden floors and jam-packed aisles, with excess hanging from the ceiling, it's like a trip back in time.  There is a whole section devoted to cast iron skillets and cookware.  I got a cast iron spider (cook pot) there.

When I had milking goats, I got it in my head that not only could I make cheese (which I did for years), I could make butter.  As a kid, during the war years my mother would make butter by filling a huge glass jar with whole milk and we would spend what seemed like hours rolling it across the floor to one another.  Don't laugh, margarine (all we could get) was called Oleo and it was white...yellow coloring came later and you had to add it yourself, and butter was rationed and hard to find.  Where did I go to find a butter churn?  Placerville Hardware.  They had just one and it had a small chip in the top edge, so it cost me all of five dollars.  That was a short-lived project because goat milk is 'pre-homogenized' and two quarts of milk yielded a little over a tablespoon of butter...not worth the effort.  Another time, I decided I wanted to make homemade pasta, but I needed a pasta machine.  I had one, but had used it to roll out polymer clay (another craft I got involved in) and it couldn't be used for real food.  Off to Placerville Hardware.  Yep, just what I needed, and I felt like Lidia Bastianich as I rolled out spaghetti, tagliatelle, and fettuchine.  That was when I had people to cook for and it was fun to get guests involved in the rolling process for their dinner.

It's been a long, long time since I've been to Old Placerville, but it wouldn't be a trip there without stopping in at the hardware store.  Who knows what I might find that I couldn't do without.

Stay safe.  Be well.

Zero

Got sucked into watching the news yesterday afternoon.  Not much to say about that.

Stay safe.  Be well.