Month: March 2020

Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Friends, Life, the World, Thinking, Writing

Preparations

1972italy

And here we are again.  It’s official.  I have lost my job at the lot.  As much as it sucks i put in two applications via the net yesterday while I was getting things together for whatever they were doing with supplies.  I still have things to bring home (weights and a tarp as well as a few other things) but I will have to go and send stuff back so I didn’t try to get it all in one go.  I still have things to donate but with the virus scares no one taking donations.  Hopefully I can be allowed to keep the stuff there until after.

I also found out that one of that gals I worked with at Younker’s is on life support due to the virus.  I am waiting for updates.  I don’t think her outcome will be good.  Mom keeps going to the grocery store for this or that every few days.  She says she is taking all this seriously but I don’t think she really cares.  And arguing with her will get me nowhere.  She will still go regardless.  On the plus side her two dogs might be able to lose weight now that she can’t give them all the treats and bones like she usually does because of lack of availability.

I really should make more of an effort with my writing.  I really really should.  I should be using it as a comfort and a release.  But my heart just isn’t in it anymore.  I stare at my stack of projects and meh.  Funny thing is a brought home a ton of pens from the lot and I can’t wait to use them!  Sigh.

Speaking of which I should touch base with the paper to see if everyone there is ok.  I still have to send in my word count from this month.  Another task for today.  We need puppy treats as well.  I made phone calls about some of my bills yesterday.  I need to make more today.  Alteast one because I did not have the number with me at the lot.

I really should get myself together.  Atleast for a little while.  Stay safe and as always thank you for reading!  Have a great day!

Dogs, Life, the World, Thinking

Power Back

1972italy

This is going to be short. We lost power around 4:30am and it just came back on. Essie is finally settled back down. The overhead fan turns off and it scares her. She’s not sure it will stay on. Atleast she’s not panting anymore. Poor baby. The other two don’t care. Well Moose does but he is content to come into the living room and sleep on the couch with me.

I decided that I am going to go today and work at the lot. I will send in the list and then pull together all the stuff that needs to go back to Alcard. Then I will contact the office and let them know what I’m doing.

I can’t get my laptop to work correctly after the power outage so I have to do this on my phone. And they’ve changed the format apparently and that is taking some getting used to. It keeps taking out my paragraph indents so I have no idea what this will look like when I am done.

There has been a lot of traffic lately. We’ve gone from almost none to a busy Monday. I know it wasn’t this busy last Monday. I wonder what is up. Nothing should be opening yet. No idea what is happening with the schools either. Are they done for the year then?

Anyway I need to get gone. Thanks for reading! Stay safe and have a great day!

Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Gardening, Life, Motorcycles, Nature, Reading, the World, Thinking, Writing

Surreal Sunday

1972italy

There was blue sky but some clouds have moved in.  The sun is still fighting to get through the white clouds so the light has a surreal quality to it.  The wind has been steady since yesterday afternoon but it seems so be gradually picking up speed since last night. It has stopped raining atleast.

No traffic this morning.  That makes it easier to keep the kids quiet and when Stella barks at night I get up and check to see what it is because there is no one out in the wee hours anymore so she hears something.  I had two trucks slow to look at the bikes parking in the front yard the other day.  They continued to the end of the street and turned around and drove by again.  When I stepped out the door the left quickly.  One of those same trucks came by later that night and did the same thing.  We’ve been keeping all the outside lights on overnight.

I did a whole lot of nothing yesterday.  I did get the census done.  It was short and sweet so not a big deal.  Ahhh… the sun has pushed it’s light through the clouds for a bit!  Hopefully that means it will warm things up.  I may go out and work in the garden for a bit.  The raised gardens need to be cleaned out and the gardens in the front of the house need to be atleast raked.  I am feeling very blah today.  On the whole my writing doesn’t appeal to me anymore.  I finished one of my review books last night so I am going to have to do something soon.  But I keep saying that and the to-be-written pile just grows bigger and bigger.  Sigh.  Maybe being outside for a while will help.

Everything just feels so skewed lately.  Mom said that everything felt like it was from a book with what is going on.  And it does.  I’ve never liked those kinds of books (Stephen King’s The Stand keeps being brought up and I never liked that one in any of it’s forms and I am a HUGE Stephen King fan) so it makes sense that I would find this unappealing as well.

The washer is acting weird.  Hopefully leaving it off all night resets it so we can use it again.  Otherwise it will be the laundromat to wash the clothes.  I need to transfer the garlic chives to a pot because the gallon milk jug it is in seems to be disintegrating every time it gets touched.  (It has been in that jug for a few years now and thriving.)  That can be on my to do list today as well.  Stella is dreaming loudly (barking/woofing) and has woken everyone but herself.

I hope you and yours are safe.  Thank you so much for reading.  Sorry it is rather blah today.

Bicycles, Books, Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Life, Motorcycles, Nature, Reading, the World, Thinking, Writing

Looking For a Focus

1972italy

I still have no word on whether or not I still have a job at the lot.  I am assuming not but I need to be told that so I can see if I can get any help from the State with money.  I have my to do list for Monday.  I am trying not to freak out.  I am honestly concerned about applying for the cashier job at the grocery store.  If I get sick what will Chris do?  We can’t afford to have both of us not working.

Yesterday was a beautiful day despite anxieties.  The sun came out and it was warm enough for shorts and a tank top.  Today it is a steady rain with grey skies.  I had hoped to try to get a ride in in the bike but maybe tomorrow.  The rain is supposed to last all day off and on.  I could take the bicycle out though.  I guess we will see.  I could also rollerblade in the garage too.  Maybe even get Chris out there in his rollerblades.  I know the kids would have fun chasing us.  That sounds like more fun.

I think after this is done I will try to get the census completed.  I know Chris won’t do it.  Too much on his mind.  I can hear the birds outside.  What really makes me smile is that I can tell that the Spring birds are hear because I hear the Spring bird songs.  It doesn’t seem like much but being able to hear the season has changed means a lot.

I need to do something with my writing.  Anything at this point.  All I do is this and my journal.  I am reading a review book but I still have two or more book reviews to write.  I’ve not done anything with the novel.  Our neighbor across the street has recommended that I use this and write a novel about it.  I had to laugh.  I hate these kind of novels.  I try to only write what I would want to read.  What would be really ironic would be that I write a novel about it and it becomes a blockbuster and then I am expected to write similar end-of-the-world stories.  Not that this is the end of the world but that was the gist of what my neighbor thought the story should be.

I have also volunteered to help one of the publishers that I have written for because they are going through a rough patch (who isn’t right?).  I would be working the slush pile for them.  And yes it would be for free.  They are good people and if no one helps they will have to close their doors (proverbial since they work from home) for good after a 10 year run.  So I said I could atleast do that for them.

Well I think I have run out of words for the moment.  Thanks so much for reading and all your kind responses!  Stay safe and I hope you have a great day!

Emotions, family, Gardening, Learning, Life, the World, Thinking

Changes

1972italy

I didn’t get much sleep last night.  It seems my time my time at the lot may be coming to an end.  The last vehicle is leaving today sometime.  Which brings me back to the panic of what to do for money for bills.  The thick fog rolling in this morning is very much the way I feel.  There are jobs if I want to be in the front line of things.  Like the grocery store am-in Kalkaska is hiring.  Or local grocery has reduced it’s hours from 7am to 10pm to 9am til 6pm and on the 30th they will be pick up only.  You will need to call, email or text your orders and then pick them up curbside.  After I make my phone calls this afternoon I will decide whether or not I will be biting the bullet and working as a cashier in Kalkaska.

So many people are acting as if this is going to go away in a few weeks.  Even with the restrictions put in place the U.S. is now number one in virus cases in the world.  And my idiot friends who think that all of this is a hoax (I kid you not) I am trying to permanently distance myself from.

I did get things done yesterday despite all this.  The shelves that I fixed have a new home, my DVDs are resorted to that I now have my piles of extras sorted in with them, the small side garden has been raked, seeds have been planted for both the green peppers and the basil (the green peppers are in the egg shells and in dirt while the basil is in a pot), trash is out, dishes have been cleaned and put away and I finally figured out the weird light fixture on the front of the house so I can replace the light bulb (the whole fixture rotates and there is a clasp that you need to pop to get the top off so you can each in and replace the bulb).  So yay me!

I am trying very hard to see the good and not freak out about the bad.  I hope this finds you and yours well.  Thanks for reading!  Have a great day!

Creativity, Dogs, Emotions, family, Gardening, Life, Motorcycles, Nature, Riding, the World

A Gardening We Will Go

1972italy

Yesterday was awesome!  After work I filled my propane tank, got seeds, got dirt and some pots (I got a little carried away at the Dollar General) and a few groceries (eggs and ice cream to be specific).  The sun was out and it was 50F (10C) to everyone I encountered was in a good mood.  I only spent $10 on a 10lb bag of dirt and 10-12 seed packets!  After Chris went to work (we only spent a few minutes together because I got home much later than I intended) I played with the dogs, cleaned off the rest of the deck, put out the garden hose, spread out the the pile of gravel our contractor left in front of the bike pad and (drum roll please!) I started my motorcycle!  Giggity!  The only thing I have to do is check my tire pressure on the bike and we will be ready to roll.  That will have to wait til Chris gets up so I can use the air compressor.  There were two sportbikes and three cruisers out yesterday afternoon.  Sigh…

It started raining just before sunset last night.  I pulled the cover off my bike and brought it in the house.  The goal for today is to atleast get the tire pressure done.  If I am feeling up for it I will throw a leg over and go for a ride.  The rain we had last night should have cleaned up a lot of the roads by getting the sand etc off.  We’ll see.  It is supposed to rain off and on though.  I hope to have both bikes on the bike pad this weekend so they will have a roof over them.

I hope to get some seeds started today as well.  I have separated the seed packets since some of them you can actually put outside while others you are supposed to start inside.  I have my first cardboard egg carton lined with the empty egg shells and ready for dirt and seeds.  My second one still has eggs in it.  I got food stuffs to grow (and a small box of flower seeds for the butterflies and hummingbirds) to that is things start to get really bad we will have something to eat.  And maybe even barter with (we have neighbors with chickens).  I will probably get more seeds as time goes on because I know there is more that we can grow on our own (I also found a video on things you can grow from what you eat such as lemons and oranges (how to use their seeds), celery, pineapple etc).  I am planning on clearing out atleast one of the raised beds in the backyard this week.  Hopefully I can figure a way to keep the kids out since that has been a favorite poop spot over the winter (we have left over chicken wire so I am thinking of cutting it in half lengthwise and putting that around the gardens).  The three raised beds should be enough to grow what we need.  Depending on how things go with this virus I may be learning how to can this fall!  I may get some big pots and try to grow some fruit trees that we can bring in when the weather gets cold.  There is something in the ground that doesn’t like the fruit trees we have tried to grow over the years.

Holy wow!  I have gone on this morning!  I had better wrap this up and get planting.  I hope you have a great day!  Thanks for reading!

Food, Gardening, Life, Nature, the World

Working in the Yard (Finally!)

1972italy

It gets harder and harder to pull myself away from the news each morning.  It’s not a big deal on my days off but on my work days… Yesterday went really really well!  We didn’t get any rain but we did get some sun and the kids and I took advantage!  I got the gardens around the pond, the rock garden and the garden along the back of the house all raked out.  I also cleaned the back porch off of debris so we can sit and enjoy the weather.  Inside I got a wooden bookcase fixed (most of the shelves had split on a seam and needed to be reglued) that should be ready for use this afternoon when I get home.

Rain is in the forecast for the next few days off and on so that should get rid of the last of the snow.  The temps are getting steadily warmer and the lows aren’t as low.  So I think we will be able to spend more time outside.

Today’s goal after work is to find seeds and dirt.  I will make some phone calls at work to see who has what.  If they answer their phones.  I also need to get eggs.  We need them and I need cardboard egg cartons to start the seeds in.  I am really excited about getting started with this.  Hopefully I can pick up seeds that we can use and share with neighbors if necessary.  This also means cleaning up the three raised beds in the far yard.  I need to also find out if the garden hose will reach that far for watering.  If not I will have to figure something else out.

I see by the clock I have used up my alotted time.  Stay safe and thanks for reading!  I hope you have  great day!

Books, Dogs, Emotions, family, Food, Gardening, Life, the World, Thinking

Things Beginning to Feel Real

1972italy

Last night at midnight we were officially in lockdown.  Chris is still working and I am still going to the lot since I don’t have any contact with people and we need the money.  It is eerily quiet this morning.  The skies are grey.  We are supposed to get rain today.  That should get rid of the last bits of snow.  The temps are slowly rising this week.

I got to see Mom and the girls one last time yesterday.  I slid over there after work and spent a few hours with them.  I also treated the kids and I to some McDonald’s on the way home.  It was good to see Mom and the girls yesterday.  I got all kinds of lovins’ from the girls.  Mom and I had a good talk and some hugs before I left.  She was a sweetie and also got me some Oberon for the Oberon Release Day Celebration.  I attended the online event last night and toasted the opening of Oberon season and Spring with a few hundred people.  It was fun.  I also filled up the Jeep on the way home.  $23 to fill the tank!   Normally it would be around $30 or so.  That made me feel good.

Once I get back home the kids and I played a bunch and I spent too much time online looking to see what was going on in the world.  A writer friend in Scotland is sending a small care package with his new book and some Scottish tea to help cheer me up.  I am so excited!  It is so kind of him to send random care packages to cheer people up!  I almost cried.

We also had our first local case diagnosed yesterday in Kalkaska.  That is maybe a 10 minute drive from the house.  I am trying not to freak out.  I am doing well most of the time but if I stop and just be I can feel the panic rise to the surface.  I might want to think about getting some seeds at the Dollar Store soon.  I can start the seeds indoors and then once it is decent outside transplant some of them to the yard.  Maybe I will look tomorrow after work.  I will also need to fill the propane tank at work after tomorrow.  I hope the store I fill it at is still open.  Hell, I hope the Dollar Store is still open!

I had better stop here.  I have some stuff here I want to get done.  I hope you and yours are staying safe!  Thanks for reading!  Have a great day!

Books, Dogs, family, Life, the World

Blip! And Gone!

1972italy

Well here we are again.  A chill morning but it is supposed to be much warmer than the past few days.  Most of the snow dumped on Friday is one and we can see our ground again.  I spent too much time in the news this morning.  There is some positive but not much.  Most of it seems to be worse than yesterdays.  But I can’t not look.  I am worried about family and friends in those areas.

Yesterday was just Chris and I.  We had BLTs and watched movies and tv episodes.  It was nice to spend the day together.  Only down of yesterday was Essie got sick a few times (almost in my slippers).  But this morning she seems fine.  The sun even came out in the late afternoon.  That cheered everyone up.

I have a ton of new books on my Kindle both to review and pleasure read.  Many authors and publishers are offering free reading material online.  There is also free audiobooks.

Oh crap.  Just saw the clock.  I gotta get gone.  A longer post tomorrow.  Thanks so much for reading!  Stay safe and I hope you have a great day!

Animals, Books, Cooking/Baking, Creativity, Dogs, family, Life, Nature, Thinking, Writing

Happenings in Our Zoo

1972italy

The sun was coming up full and brilliant when we got up. Now, nothing.  Clouds have moved in and turned everything grey.  A good portion of the snow got melted with the constant sunshine yesterday.  The kids were in and out a lot playing.  I had a good long talk with both my parents as well.  Dad is still able to go out and get his morning coffee (he lives in Montreal and most everyone is doing the self quarantine but places are still open).  For which I am grateful.  Dad needs people other than me to talk to.  Yes he is up there in years and yes possibly susceptible to the virus.  But he is careful and it helps him mentally.

I got puppy treats made yesterday and I got my April Fool’s article written.  I am very proud of that one.  I stepped it up from last year’s shark article.  *pat pat pat* (that was me patting myself on the back)  I also got a cool photo of two robins on the smoker cover out back.  After I saw those two the robins seemed to be all over the place!  It made a bunch of us feel better because here when the robins show up Spring is right around the corner.  And we can use Spring!

I signed up to read books for authors and then review them online.  I got my first book via email just now.  It will be nice to interact with the author.  Maybe she can help me light the fire under my butt to get working on my own novel instead of all piecemeal.  Oh my!  I just glimpsed movement out the corner of my eye.  I turned to look and there are a bunch of robins and blue jays in the backyard doing their thing.  And a blue jay is hanging out singing in the tree just outside the front window.  Speaking of animals being out it sounds like Barbosa (my turtle) is out and about.  I had Calypso out for a few hours yesterday.  She was sooooo happy!  She is my ball python.  Dad was a little distracted at times because he is not a fan of snakes (truthfully I am only seriously comfortable around Calypso because I raised her from a baby) but he handled it well.  Once she got over being mad at me (I used to handle her a lot more her first few years, lately she has been left to her own devices more often than not) she was busy enjoying the sunshine and me.  She wrapped herself in my ponytail (which isn’t that long since I got my hair cut) and fell asleep… until she slid with my ponytail holder down the back of my head.  lol She had a good afternoon.  I’m glad I got her out.

I am rambling on again.  I’d better get it together and post this.  Thanks for reading!  I hope you have a great day!