Birthdays to remember...

Ghost waiting on her breakfast this morning

Olivia Feral waiting for her breakfast

This week DH and I both hit the big 7- 5!  But with the pandemic, we aren't celebrating... or at least not going out or having family over. Generally we don't make a big do for our birthdays anyway.  Our usual arrangements consist of  going out to dinner with family and then coming back to the house for cake and coffee. 

This year our youngest son, daughter-in-law, and grand daughter showed up at our house masked, with a birthday cake in hand (white chocolate raspberry bundt cake - delicious!).

They looked so cute (grand daughter was wearing a kitty mask). They didn't come in (DIL works as a nurse with Covid patients). But we stood outside (physically distancing) and talked for a few moments (really wanted to hug them but resisted). 

Since we had ordered a birthday cake from Central Market to be picked up this Wednesday, the 3 of us (DH, grandson, and myself) really don't need to eat 2 cakes (and we will if they're there), so we decided to share the one we bought from Central Market with our next door neighbors. It's a strawberry shortcake BD cake made with lots of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. 

These neighbors have come over to check on us during the pandemic asking if we needed anything. And they also called last week to make sure we were alright as they hadn't seen us or our cars out in a while. Told them that we really weren't going anywhere much, so the cars (car and truck) were parked in the driveway behind the fence. But we appreciated them thinking of us.

They are also the ones who we shared the online grocery order mistake when the grocery sent 5 pounds of potatoes instead of .5 pounds (what would I do with 5 pounds of potatoes?)

I'm still reading, crocheting, quilting, making masks, blogging, reading blogs, and thinking about trying to experiment more with yeast rolls (finally got hold of some KA bread flour). Re-arranged my kitchen a bit (moving our old wooden kitchen table on my own wasn't smart - hurt my back - but only a little)

Oh, also playing a Nintentdo Switch game called Animal Crossing. I'm not really a game person - don't even play cards, but am enjoying this. In fact, it's a bit addictive. This first pic is what the game looks like.

Nintendo Switch

Inside my house  on island

Out in my garden on island

It starts out when you move to an island in a tent and gradually build yourself a house, etc.  (I like it because it's all creative survival, not survival of the fittest - no guns, no zombies, etc.).

Anyway, enough trivial info for today. Hope you had a good week. And as always, thanks for coming by to visit. Love you all!

Stay safe! Hugs,
Rian

Yikes!

 This is my new reaction to the the number of Covid cases rising daily in our county. Saturday's new cases was 1105 in Dallas County. Yikes!!

That's it. Beyond that we follow all the regulations; wearing a mask, social/physical distancing, avoiding crowds (actually avoiding anyone not within our house-hold), washing hands, etc. 

And then I try to forget it.

No one needs to set regulations or mandates telling me what should be done to try to curtail a virus. Any mother knows how to keep a sickness from spreading within her family. After talking (zooming) with my pottery group this morning, we basically agreed that apparently common sense is not so common. 

But if we have to live like this for the next 6 months (or more)... then, we need to re-create our lives.

We can live without eating out
(I miss it, but I can cook)
We can live without getting together with family and friends
(I miss this very much, but can Skype, Zoom, text, and phone)
We can live without going to classes 
(online for pottery doesn't work - one needs a kiln)

but...

Can we live without exercise?  
Too hot to walk outside during Texas summers 
AC Malls are closed

Guess we could do indoor exercise? 
Can't imagine it, but possibly...

If this situation continues for the next 6 months or more, do you have any plans on how your daily life must change?

My thought is that the scary part of all this is not so much the virus itself, but that we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring... physically, economically, or any other way. And IMO it always helps to have a plan...

Again, thanks for reading my rambling thoughts. I probably shouldn't share them with you, but sometimes it helps just to get them out of my head. 

Hugs,
Rian

Ghost 

and

me

these days

and neither of us 

like fireworks...

Don't think this is a happy 4th...

Too much going on these days to wish everyone a Happy 4th!

but

I will wish you a safe one!

Hugs, (virtual only)

Rian

the face in the window and other things...

the face in the window

This is the little face that greets us these days at all hours of the day and night. We call her Olivia (for Oliver the orphan who always asked for 'more please'). She is one of the feral cats that come by to eat, drink, or just rest in our yard. She is a tiny little thing and very skittish... but she seems to have a limitless appetite for one so small (and she will smack any other cat that comes by and tries to take her food).  We think that she may have a litter somewhere although we have never seen any kittens.

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Nothing else going on besides the current pandemic updates... which are a bit depressing, so won't go there today.

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I try to complete at least one specific chore each day (more on good days). Today I went through, cleaned up, and threw out all my old pottery pieces, old clay, and boxes that had accumulated in the corner of our front room. Since we had to clean out our lockers and shelves at the studio, everything had to come home that one day that they allowed us in a few weeks ago. And since we don't know when the studio may open again, it's best to get rid of all the excess junk. My poor little cheeky chickens that were sculpted during the early days of this pandemic may have to remain greenware for a while  (which - like Pinocchio - means they won't be able to become 'real' for a bit)

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And lastly, here's a glympse of my early birthday gift to myself:

Joanne's kitchen towels!

You can't see it... but the aqua almost matches the grout color between the blue tiles. 

Birthday Towels for me 
and
Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies for the boys!

It's a good day...

Wishing you could all drop by and share some cookies and tea (or coffee) with me, but I guess virtual tea/coffee will have to do. 

Hugs,

Rian

from dump cakes to face masks...

my peach pecan dump cake (for Debbie if you're reading)

Today is Tuesday... and this morning was the first time I've been in a grocery store since this whole mess started. We had to return something that we'd bought online - so we decided to go to Walmart at 6:30 am when they opened for the 'elderly' (and of course it was raining and thundering this morning). But I have to admit, there was no one there - maybe 10 customers (all elderly and masked) in the whole store - so it was pretty safe and easy.

And this is my new 'cough suppressant' drink that my friend in N.O. told me try 3 times a day.  I'm doing it. It's not at all bad... just hot water, lemon, and honey. We were Skyping yesterday and I kept coughing. Explained to her that I have had a 'radiation' cough since 2000 and that it had gotten a bit worse lately. She was a nurse in her younger years and recommended I try this. So I shall. 

And lastly, I will tell you a funny story... not funny ha ha, but funny to me...  along the lines of  'build it and they will come'. 

I've been sewing masks for family and friends for a while now. I'm not a great seamstress, but found a few patterns that I could do (and I have lots of quilting material). Anyway, we all have 3-4 masks each now and I continue to make them as I have a feeling  that we may need them for a while yet. 

Anyway, I had these 5 women's masks (there are different sizes in the cone shaped ones for women, children, and men).  So this morning I thought... perhaps one or 2 of my pottery friends would like one. So I sent out a message to the group. Within a few minutes all 5 had been taken and I now have an order for a few men's sizes for husbands.  Who would have thought? Anyway, it's fine. I like making them and it makes me feel like I'm doing 'something' to help. 

I'm going to close with a picture of a pale pink scarf I knitted a while back. I love the scarf (and the color), but had not 'blocked' it... so it continuously curled up when I wore it. I finally got around to blocking it... and it was a simple procedure. Don't know why I didn't try it sooner.

Guess that's it for today. Hope you all have a good week... and that in your area the numbers are going down. Here they continue to climb... 454 new cases in our county just yesterday and the 4th of July holiday coming up! 

(The 4th of July was always my birthday celebration as a child. My birthday is July 6th so mama always had a family picnic out by the lake on the 4th  for my birthday). This year both DH and I will hit the big 7- 5!  I have mixed feelings... great to reach this age, yes? But my dad died at 75, so bittersweet in some respects.

Take care, stay home, wear a mask, and be safe!

Hugs,

Rian

Father's day 2020

Happy Father's Day Dad!

My dad was born in London in 1907. His family moved to the U.S. in 1920 where he grew up, met mom, married, raised his family, and passed away in 1982 at 75.  He was a good man, a wonderful husband, and a loving father... and I still miss him dearly.

my life through posters...

I can live with this... 

and this!

And I fully intend to continue to do this, but many days the following poster is more accurate:

I have finished reading all the 'real' books I have... and just finished the last new one I had on Kindle.  Hmm...mm, I may have to re-read some of my old favorites now. 

(BTW, if anyone needs a book to read, you might try my "Time After Time' by D'Arcy Regan Hart on Kindle  - also available in paperback on Amazon.  And I appreciate all of you that have read it as I've gotten quite a few hits lately! Thanks again!)

Have also started 'sorting' my online pictures into albums. This could take quite a while. Procrastinating when it comes to cleaning out and putting away all my pottery equipment and heaven help us, cleaning out the garage... 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We may actually get some rain (needed here) tonight or tomorrow.  As always, thanks for reading. Please stay home and stay safe! 

Hugs,
Rian