Tuesday mow day

Well, things around here are looking more like normal.  DH felt good enough to go get his truck licensed today and when he came home he actually started mowing the yard!  I was hoping he would feel better but stay in out of the breeze until it got a little warmer outside.  It isn't too bad but it is not what we are used to here in mid May.

My sister and I drove up to the city for the day sunday to see my aunt for her birthday.  It was a nice trip and visit we had.  I was glad to get out of the house.  It rained on us in the morning but sunny on the way home.  We got rain all last week.  I barely got yard mowed (front only) last wed, it rained every other day.

This week is looking pretty sunny and our garden and tomatoes really need it!  Was weird to get out after being in self quarantine for over 2 months.  We took a big piece of carrot cake by my Grandmother's residential place and felt sad not being able to see her.  Hopefully next month we can.

My girlfriend T is coming down from the city to stay sat night.  I made her this cute ottoman.  I asked her if she wanted fringe or no fringe, she said surprise her.  Which way do you like it?

2 weeks have gone by!

...since my last post.  I have been very busy.  If I thought my first week was bad, weeks 2 and 3 of my new (temp) job have been crappy too.

DH was in the hosp a 2nd time after the pneumonia scare.  He is having kidney function issues.  He finally agreed though to get a doctor down here in our new state and the new doctor was involving a nephrologist (kidney specialist) who advised DH potassium was so high, he was instructed to go straight to the E/R, so he did.  2 more nights.  I am taking care of 4 dogs, maintaining the house, mowing the yard, trying to do my work...meanwhile I would be so tired that I forced myself to continue to do yoga or walk when I had the chance.  Good for my head.  Then I fall into bed exhausted just to lie there and look at the ceiling in barely contained terror about what was going to happen to DH.

Then he comes home a week ago today and is barely eating, or when he does eating sweets/ice cream.  Is just sleeping all day, etc.  Not moving, not doing anything to help himself.  Not following up with doctors at the speed I would prefer, etc.  After a week of having him home, I am ready to run away.

Job very stressful.  The gov agency is overwhelmed and lots of changes, new people.  Rules either haven't been made/tested out or no one knows what they are.  People who have experience are trying to teach 40 other people the job, etc.  Then I just about figure out the workload and I am already switched to another role with 3 week period of time.  Not to mention this stressful background/document signing process that took me over 2.5 hours one day to complete.  Asking for my parent's names/dob/place of birth...grandparents, in-laws, etc.  Crazy!

But I am grateful for the income.  We finally sold DH main car (AFTER) he bought a truck (never too sick to shop for cars, ugggghhh).  To do so meant draining our savings and 2 weeks we had like $300 to our name.  I do NOT handle stuff like this.  I MUST have a rainy day fund.  Sure enough, truck already had engine light on, the contractor is able to start work on the holes in our siding (mostly north side - the hot humid weather here wreaks havoc on people's north sides - mold, decay, etc).  So
I tell contractor "YES PLEASE".  He is so busy, he might be working on other projects for months - so I nabbed him.  I will pay out of my retirement fund if I have to.  Point is, siding has holes in it and gutter got clogged so it backed up and rotted some of the fascia in the back, etc.  This stuff must be kept up with in my opinion or I go mad.

Anyway.  Today and the rest of the week except Wed (I quickly mowed - won't let DH do mowing until doctor tells me it is ok).  And I am glad I got mowing done.  Next week more stuff business and stuff opening up around my state, but we are going to continue to play it very safe due to DH health, my inlaws and my elderly grandmother.

Hope you are safe and you have roof over your head and food in your fridge.  See ya soon.

Another Whirlwind Weekend

Worked on another border area up next to my house, doing the same halfway buried brick type paver border.  Only this entire back border next to house, I am just doing decorative rock.  This area does not have gutters, so there is always an area where the water drips and beats down anything planted here.  Not sure why gutters never put here, but I am not spending the money to do that now. 

Also, this border will border on one side, the flagstone patio I am installing in between my deck and back porch foundation.  So, it will look neater and more uniform to include decorative rock here to border the small river rock I am putting around the flagstone for the shallow foundation edges that would make it hard to dig/plant.  I got 1/4 of the work finished yesterday.  My DH was good enough to run and get the 200 additional pavers for me.  I already had gotten 100 last week.  The pavers for all the border and the flagstones will cost less than $400.  The lava rock I got free I am leaving - not wild about it.  But hey it was free and coordinates nicely with the brick foundation trim on the house and the red dyed circle fire pit pad the prior home owners poured and we completed with circular stacked pavers around a metal ring for our big fire pit.

I love working in the yard and was disappointed I had to come to work today and could not keep working!  It was high 70's and pretty high humidity yesterday, but that is much better than the high 80's/low 90's we have had mostly lately.  Check out my cute little figs starting on my fig tree!

Friday and Saturday there was a huge bike rally in our area of the state, so DH and I took off and had fun Friday and Sat.  Friday we took my convertible to the vendor area and walked around looking.  We bought me a good knife for cutting my apples from a local young man trying to get his start as a knife-smith.  We had a sign on the convertible and some guy asked about my car I am trying to sell - cross your fingers he really is interested.

Sat after we mowed the yard (I pulled so many weeds, my hands got tired!) we got the bikes out and rode to a car show and walked around and looked.  It was fun.  Then we stopped and had pizza on the way home. 

Sunday I rode to the city with my sister and we helped my Granny in her new place get pictures, mirror, curtains and shower curtains hung.  We are a little concerned that this retirement place has a conventional tub (?!) and a low toilet, but at least there are things you can do to raise the seat up on the toilet.  All in all, my aunt did a good job moving her mother.  Sis and i just helped with the finish work, then drove home 4 hours!

Then Monday landscaping and yoga.  I was so tired after yoga, I was asleep in like 5 minutes - 8:40 or so.  For my 2nd to the last 3:30am wake up Tuesday and 4 hour drive to work in the city.  One more week after this one!

Hope all you out there have a great week!  Happy October!

Low Energey

This is my first week working 3 days.  The drive to the city this morning was difficult.  I was sleepy, which NEVER happens.  I went to bed at 8:30 and got up at 3:45.  Just still feeling sluggish.  I did not sleep well all last week nor this weekend.  It will pass.

Then this weekend, DH and I have his aunt's funeral and my friend from H.S. LJ - her service.  I learned of her passing Friday as I was driving home from the city.  Very sad. 

I am just low energy all around.  Maybe next time I check in here I will have something interesting to say.  Not today.  Did help DH mow the yard Monday.  So that helped him feel better about having to do it all alone with his back pain.  He wears his belt, and uses the riding only, when I can help - I use the push mower.  But I think he goes a little too fast on the riding and does a bunch of unnec jerking backing up and making sharp turns - why?  when I am there to do the sharp turns with the push mower.  Oh well, once again, he refuses to listen to me. 

We had overall good weekend.  We did not much - too hot.  Was in mid 90's and 90's humidity.  But I did do some shopping, go to the gymn, cooked couple meals, made some banana bread, walked the dog and worked in my garden.  He did something for my on Monday that gave me hope that things will be ok between us after all.  We have had a rough year.  Which is ironic, because we are coming up on our 12th anniversary next week.

More on that.  Hope you all out there have a great week!