August 2020 Chat & Musings

[Howie]

Clothes, what's that? I wear only boxers while indoors, but I do spare people the shock of seeing a half naked man, and get dressed to go to the store, and to the doctor.

[agate]

Glad Sam must have talked you out of the thong.

[Howie]

Yes, but I think it's because I looked better in a thong than she does. That tail has to go somewhere.

[Lazarus]

I've been enjoying the less densely populated environment too. How different it is! But somehow it seems easier to breathe--though that makes no sense, I realize. Maybe I mean that it's easier to stay focused on navigating when there are fewer distractions such as a crowd of people to thread your way through.

That is just what I have been thinking. I enjoy being able to get places when the streets are less congested. One of the benefits of our forced distancing.?!

[Virginia]

So strange, the few times I have been out in the car, it seemed the streets were about the same. This has been this month and last month. Before the latter part of July and August it was better. There is a lot of traffic where I am and it really has come back for about a month now.

If any of you feel you are going to need an appliance anytime in the next few months, it might be a good idea to order it now. I have had a washer and dryer on order since the 6th of the month and the earliest I might get it is Sept 26th. They are all back ordered. I had to pay up front for them to even start the process. My clothes dryer stopped working the 5th. The lady who cuts my hair gave me a number of a man who works on appliances. He came yesterday and fixed the dryer. However, I am afraid to cancel the order for the new ones even though the ones I have are fine now. I might get two or three months down the road and find I do need a dryer and have to start all over again. I can tell you from experience, it is awful to be without a way to wash and dry clothes and linens. I felt like hugging that little man who came yesterday.

I don't know what the problem is with appliances. I wonder if it is because the factories are having to work at a reduced capacity. It seemed that no one could tell me. Who would have thought that we would see a time when we couldn't walk into a store and buy an appliance or order one on line?

I ordered the salmon salad that Suze and I like so much last night, so I will have the other half tonight.

[stillstANNding]

So happy to hear from you, Virginia.

Odd about the appliances but people are cooking all their meals at home or were for several months. We have been except for a few take out meals.

I heard this morning on NPR that there is a real shortage of new bicycles. Glad I bought a used one.

Linda, how are you and John and life on the farm and markets?

ANN

[Lazarus]

So happy to hear from you, Virginia.

Odd about the appliances but people are cooking all their meals at home or were for several months. We have been except for a few take out meals.

I heard this morning on NPR that there is a real shortage of new bicycles. Glad I bought a used one.

Linda, how are you and John and life on the farm and markets?

ANN

Thanks for asking...life on the farm is full of activity...always something to do. So I am lucky?! But I am tired and having some difficulty lifting my feet so there have been a few hard falls but no stitches and nothing broke. My head is tired and I want it to be quiet. Ha! That is a change.
The drought here continues so we are only harvesting what we can irrigate. Small fraction of what we planted. Today I spent hours cutting and bunching sunflowers for market. 50 bunches with 4 flowers in each. That took hours and was hard. Stems are at least 2’. Tomorrow we will harvest sweet peppers and eggplant and figs. Houseplants are already loaded in my truck so tomorrow I just have to put my signs in them. I write descriptions about the plants. For example. On the wandering Jew plants I describe it as a sturdy plant that will last longer than most marriages!

Anyway, we have lots of animals eating away at crops and we are organic so it is a different kind of battle. John is doing well and having a great time this summer.

[Virginia]

Tomorrow is Saturday, so maybe Jim will be at Jeanie's and send another e-mail. I don't suppose anyone knows anymore about how she is or if she has been moved to rehab?

[stillstANNding]

Hi Virginia, I don’t know anything but Jeanie has talked about Facebook. Could someone see if there is an update on her page there? I hope she is improving but her weakness before this happened makes me think she will have to go to rehab. I hope she gets to go to a real physical rehab hospital.

How are you? And what have you been doing and eating today?

ANN

[Virginia]

Thanks for asking Ann. I have been reading quite a lot. I was having really bad dizzy spells and nearly fell several times, but when I sit and read I am alight. Also, my back was in terrible shape last week-end. I could hardly stand long enough to fix a simple meal. Better today, but not doing much. I try to do just a little in the house and then sit back down. It is very aggravating. The back problem started when I vacuumed the floor. When I do it again I am going to try to do just a little of it at the time.

My house is just big enough that it is too big for me to try to keep up. I did mop the kitchen and the master bath that I use today, but I didn't mop the other two baths.

Never thought I would miss Laura so much. Hope you and Peter are doing well. Don't know when you are going on vacation, but it must be pretty soon. It is way past time for me to be in bed, so I better get there.

Had my blackened salmon salad twice this week. Still so good. I know you always eat so good. Since my trips out to restaurants have come to a halt, I don't get a lot of really great food anymore. Not complaining, I wish everyone was being as careful as though of us on here are. I think we would have this thing under control if they were.

Everyone is asleep but me. Guess I better go try.

[agate]

There's nothing new on Jeanie's Facebook page. I sent everyone's good wishes to her via e-mail but it went to her e-mail address, which is where he sent the e-mail from when he sent me that message.

Linda, it's great that you're keeping on with the farming in spite of "a few hard falls." Those don't sound good at all but you've clearly moved right along anyway.

I'm having to do an Instacart order in addition to the delivery from the usual service that delivers on Thursdays because yesterday's order had too many problems. Usually I put up with mistakes by just doing without whatever it is or using the item that was sent by mistake but these mistakes are too bad. Some of them have to be fixed before next Thursday.

And I've been trying to find a window thermometer to replace the one that broke when I took it down for the window washing a while back. I rely on my window thermometer and finally had found one on Amazon that would probably have been all right, but time passed and the shipping date has now been postponed about 4 times. I looked and looked for another one that had decent ratings and that wasn't digital (I dislike batteries).

There were pages and pages of them but almost all were poorly reviewed. I finally found one at another place, a mail-order place I've ordered from sometimes for many years. Its prices are always reasonable but it's not one of the merchants listed on Amazon, apparently.

[stillstANNding]

Virginia, sorry to hear about your dizzy spells and back problems. Glad you are able to get some food that feels like a special treat.

Agate, I love having a weather station. Actually two. A fancy one that my brother sent and a simple one with part that stays in the garden. It tells me the temperature and the humidity. When one of these two receivers is in the sun, the other is in shadow so I get accurate information.

It sounds like a really bad grocery mix up. Mom and I have been lucky with our orders. Her’s is groceries from Walmart and non-groceries occasionally from Target. No mistakes yet. I’m getting cat food and litter and some bird food from Chewy.The only mistake so far is that they sent an extra 24 small cans of food I didn’t pay for or order and I got to keep. Yeah me!

We had Peter’s mom here on Wednesday for lunch from Legal Seafoods. It was her 95th birthday. They have a limited take out menu but our favorites are on it. The food was delicious. We had two big problems though.

First, Mother is weak. During the short walk from the driveway to the patio she kind of collapsed in the middle and her rear stuck out. That means her center of gravity was behind her and her body followed it all the way to the ground in slow motion even though I had her arm. It was a soft landing on my foot. Peter came and rescued us.

Then, just as I served dessert, it started to rain and we had no choice but to move inside. I don’t want to be inside with her because there are two adults and two teenage boys in her house (she owns a two family).

We are going on vacation on Monday. The cat/garden sitter was here yesterday. She wore a mask and we stayed apart, outside, and reviewed the cat routine and went over the garden. She just needs to water and pick beans and tomatoes. The more you pick the more the plants produce. She can keep the produce and cut all the herbs she can use. She offered that she will wear a mask in the house, wear gloves and wipe things down. We are grateful for her.

Have a good weekend. Someone find Howie, please. And Suz-EQ.
ANN

[Howie]

I found Howie. He was over in the corner all tied up. It seems Sam just finished a knot tying class, and was practicing what she had learned on poor Howie!

I'm just watching TV. Night Gallery is on all day. I had forgotten many of them. Thanks for asking about me Ann. It is nice to be missed.

The month is dragging down. I do have to get the car inspected by next month. What I usually do it let it run out, then get it inspected as soon as next month starts.

Everyone have a pleasant evening.

[stillstANNding]

Howie, I’m glad you found yourself.

Don’t you risk getting a ticket driving your car with an expired inspection sticker? That could be expensive.

ANN

[Virginia]

I bet it was Sam who found Howie for you Ann.

I talked to Nuthatch's husband this afternoon. He is at his son's in San Diego. The family all seem to be doing well. He saw Tula about 3 or 4 days ago on Zoom. Both she and Everett are growing. As far as fire, they are alright where he is and also his home. However, his daughter has about 4 fires fairly close to her. Some of her friends near by have already evacuated. She has her bags packed and ready in case they need to. He asked me to say "HI" to all the girls on the forum. I told him that one of them had seen so much wild life in her back yard recently that she had said she felt like she was "looking through Nuthatch's eyes". When he is home he still rides his bike everyday. I told him to take care of it because he might not could get a new one (according to Ann). He said he took it in one day recently to have a gear fixed and the man told him he was having a hard time getting parts for bikes and also getting in new ones. I told him I was having a problem getting a new dryer. He said that he knew a man where he lives that is a builder and is having a problem getting all appliances and also this even includes fixtures such as faucets. So, anyway Hi to all you girls from David!! (So sorry about you Howie, if you had not been seen in a day or two and Nuthatch talked to me she would ask if I knew where you were, so I guess he just wasn't thinking).

I tried to look up on the internet why there is a shortage of appliances and I found that it is due to COVID. I can understand freezers because people went out and bought those up right away so they could freeze a lot of food. That still doesn't explain washers, dryers, and refrigerators, etc. I wonder if people with older appliances are afraid they will give out and bought new ones before they were needed.

Basically, I am now buying a new washer and dryer before they are needed because I am kind of afraid that if I don't and my dryer goes again I might not be able to get one. I really hate to do this because mine are working fine right now. All that happened was the dryer blew a fuse. I have thought a lot about cancelling my order and getting my money back, but have not done so.

I vacuumed the downstairs this afternoon. I tried to keep my back straight and I didn't vacuum for as long as I normally do. So far pretty good. I did order dinner in so I would not have to stand on my feet to fix it. I just had a sub.

Ann, I am sure it must have frightened you when your MIL kind of gave out. I was a little surprised. She must be out of practice walking because of not being able to go to grocery stores nearly as often or as many.

Agate, that is frustrating about your grocery order being so badly mixed up. Sorry you are having to put in two orders this week.

I think that is all my news for right now.