Friday of a Long Weekend for me

Happy Friday.  We were supposed to get storms, but I think that is later today.  We are gonna run a couple of errands before the weather comes.

I went to Aldi yesterday.  I do all the food shopping for my house and in-laws.  I toyed with the idea of DH doing it, but think I am going to have him continue to isolate for another month.  My state governor talking about opening things up in the next couple weeks - May 4.  Since DH is not very healthy and has underlying medical conditions, we will take it slow and then probably just plan on isolating again near September.  I have thoughts that the virus will make a comeback in fall.

I finally told my "friend" I was resigning from the charity we started.  I told her last year before I got the paperwork done, that I would just get it up and running and then focus on job prospects.  Well, I have a new job (sort of) and with all the stuff she was asking me to do and all the group texts...I had enough!  I just blamed it on my new job, but honestly, I was not in agreement with some of the information being shared on the charify Facebook page.  Primarily, my friend is a zealous Christian and vegan.  I do not feel we are qualified to tell cancer patients what they should and should not eat.  Friend also comments about people not giving donations and I pointed out that some were possibly waiting for 5k (which has been canceled as of Wed) and some gave in work/filing fees - me.  She remarked back that we ALL have given money or time...uh, not our working friend.  The boss friend told me to assign working friend as Vice President - so "she does not have to do anything".
Boss friend pointed out that VP worked and was too busy and was not good about following through.  Meanwhile I get new job - she was just asking me do this, do that, post this, share that, etc.  Enough!

I feel like a weight lifted off me!

As for the job with the government agency- well I did 2 days training and did at least get paid for that.  But I have done literally hours of emails and paperwork and get emails anywhere from 5:30am to 10pm and have yet to get paid for that!  I finally got my laptop computer UPS to me Wed and email 6am this morning saying we will have more training - next Tues.  Ugh.

Here are some nice flowers to make me happy.

I will just consider today and Monday 2 more days of freedom.  But honestly, I am in work mindset, ready to get into a schedule and make a little money.  I feel grateful very much because I really do worry about the country right now and think the rest of 2020 could be ugly.

Be safe and find beauty where you can!

Feel Like Posting Again

I don't really have anyone I can talk to about this.  So I will just form my thoughts into words and type them out and see if this helps.

Last year was not a great year.  This year has turned out to be even worse - for so many people!  Timing-wise this really could not have happened at a better time for me - I retired (sort) of last fall, after a short return/weird commute weekly 4 hours away.  Really a big reason I went back to work last summer (2019) is because I was having some issues at home that I feared for my security and independence.  So I went back to work and it was good for things.  Gave DH and I some room for perspective.  I stopped the commute October 2019 and had a really nice fall and winter.

Anyway, back to 2019.  My small hometown where I grew up - we have stayed close, some of us.  In late 2018 two of us diagnosed with stage 4 cancer - different kinds of cancer.  They eventually passed.  Well, while they were going through treatment, etc.  We all set up a group text.  It was really fun.  We did a lot of laughing, reminiscing and sharing inspiration.

Which leads us to now...The widower of our good female friend, he asked last night to be removed from the group text.  This happened last year too, one of the friends dying - the male friend, he also asked to be removed.  I did not ask either one why.  But it has caused me to ponder - the psychology of group texts.  Obviously I am not a psychologist - LOL.  But I sure wish a psychologist would write on this subject.

I will also add this - I too have wanted to be removed from this group text.  Why?  Well, it is sort of a weird awkward limbo - IF you don't have a purpose or if you have any type of conflict/discomfort with one of the participants.  And there is the obvious - how to you get out of it?  You can't without intentionally pointing it out.

More on this later.  I will think about this all day.  Maybe I will come up with something good.  LOL.

Speaking of limbo - I am in limbo.  Waiting for my government issued laptop.  Until then I am off the clock and guess I will do a short and sweet yoga and plan a nice walk for later.  Have a great Monday.  If you read this, thank you.  It helps just knowing you are out there.

Well It's Friday...Time to Post

So heard this week I was indeed scheduled to start my new (temp - 6 months to a year) job.  It is a branch of the federal government using temp agency and agency hired me.  I started training yesterday.  It was a bit of an ordeal to get all the clearance/paperwork submitted.  I hope it is worth it.  I am excited, but also a bit sad to lose the freedom of my days any way I want to structure them/and miss staying up late.  I will adjust.

I did do a small hike outdoors with a few of the hiking group ladies.  Just 6 of us.  We do NOT carpool and mind social distancing very carefully/cover our face with masks if pref.  It was a beautiful day!  Lots of wild flowers.

I have done a bit more work outside with my own flowers and hostas/veggies.  Has been very cold week.  3 nights we dipped below freezing so I was out running around covering things with tarps/sheets/towels.  Most of our stuff escaped unscathed.

I am not complaining, my friends up north about 4 hours are having snow today.  Wed and Thurs were pretty, sunny and nice.  Today it is cool and gray.  I just lit a few lamps around the house and a candle for coziness.  I am stuck again day 2 here at computer for training.  It seems crazy introducing all these concepts to us with no written/electronically accessible material and no context of operating system we will be using - but they didn't ask me.  We get our dept issued laptops and cell phones next week.

Well.  That's about all.  Oh, I did trade my little pick up for an SUV.  I really do prefer SUV's.  I just hope I don't miss the bed of my truck for hauling - maybe it will save me money in the yard!  I can't easily just go buy dirt/rocks/pavers, plants.  My DH is now going to sell his bike and get an older truck.

I hope you all have a nice weekend!

Friday Again, i am sensing a pattern here

So as of last Friday I mentioned I have a new job.  I started the onboarding process (electronic paperwork) Monday and did several documents Monday and a couple of missing/mistakes on Tuesday).  Then we got an email Tuesday evening like around 9:30pm, work Friday that all the people being hired still had onboarding documents, etc).  So I figure I have 2 more days off - more work in the yard - mowing, puttering around.  Planting a few more flowers, some more veggie seeds, etc.  Then we shopped for inlaws.  I helped with a couple more things with sister in law's yard, etc.

I finished the border on my deck azalea area - the water rushes under my deck from neighborhood to our south and out the side where the azaleas are - that is why I spent the money and got rocks for this area - mulch would just be washed away.  Even the rocks washed over the flat brick pavers, so I got these longer thicker ones from my SIL and stood them vertical so I could fill in with more rocks and make it more substantial.  I love it.

Oh, and she has a business where they sell vintage/used/flea market/antiques stuff, mostly furniture but also décor, seasonal, nick nacks, some glassware, etc.  She is know in the community and a woman downsizing sold bunch of furniture to SIL and SIL texted me that the lady was selling a treadmill.  So I bought it for $40!  I really don't have the room, but I just stuck it in the middle of my small guest room for the time being.  I will be glad I have in on really hot and really cold days.  Just don't like where it is at the time.

I am eventually going to get rid of some bigger furniture, so my long term plan is to move to larger guest room.  I don't have company much, so I am not too worried about it being in either guest room.  But our furniture is big - was for bigger house and good functional well built furniture is hard to get rid of.  More on this later with photos!

My DH is one of 3 boys and 1 sister.  Their grandfather made this beautiful walnut cabinet with glass out of a walnut tree he planted as a young man.  Then went off to war and came home and cut the tree down and made this.  I have my blankets in it that I crocheted.  I just gave one blanket away for a wedding present - the white and black houndstooth with red trim - see below.  Well, my brother in law has 2 sons so they are eventually going to come and take the cabinet so the boys will eventually get it. One son just got married - I gifted the blanket to them (and some cash!).  DH has agreed that I can then get rid of the huge bedroom set (he has owned since the 80's, and it is very nice, but so big and bulky/dark).  He is ok with the idea.  He is seeing as we get older we don't need so much stuff to take care off/move/clean around.

I got an email this morning (after I went to bed early and got up early - preparing to work and GET PAID!).  No work yet this morning.  I sure hope the project otherwise goes smoothly - this is frustrating.  But since it is for an arm of the federal government - it moves like a glacier getting everyone on board.

Oh well, guess we can finish working on our deck.  We painted our picnic (I always say pick-a-nick like the cartoon) in my head!  We painted it turquoise for fun pop.  The sellers of this house left it back there when they moved.  DH has replaced several of the boards, so it was diff colors of wood.  So we thought a bright paint job would be fun.

It turned pretty cool this week Thurs after we had nearly 90 degrees Wed!  Weird.  I saw a post from a friend of mine that she was doing big Easter dinner and delivering to her loved ones, so I was inspired to do the same.  I am making baked ham, potato casserole, green beans, deviled eggs and a coconut cake.  We will deliver to Mom and Dad in law, sister in law and her husband and my husband's uncle who lives alone and has health problems.  I have been trying to do nice things for people (care packages, cards and just calling/texting) just to be supportive during this weird Covid 19 quarantine time.  I know if it is hard on me, in must be hard on others too, even though we are all still in the thick of it and don't really talk much about that - I think we are all mostly staying positive and all our feelings haven't processed yet - mine haven't!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend1

Hello it's friday!

I have been busy working like crazy in my yard - I LOVE it.  Love being outside.  During the last couple years I have frantically downsized, but during this quarantine I actually thought to myself yesterday how grateful I am to have a nice big (1 acre) yard.

My biggest task of the past week was moving 7 large bushes out of my sister in law's yard.  She is making her yard less maintenance and I seem to be doing the opposite.

Here are four.  The middle forsythia was already there.  Not a place I would have chosen.  But I keep it pretty trimmed.  So, I figure what is 4 more?  I like how it softens the yard and make a welcoming look.  I also planted 2 (1 each side) of driveway and couple flanking my barn in the back yard.  So I guess its closer to 10.  Only 7 large ones tho, 3 small ones.

My azalea.  I also have started my veggies.  The square ones mostly planted.  I have seeds and plants I can fill in, I am staging the planting so that they are ready at stages.  The round ones will be 5 nice tomato plants.  2 cherry tomatoes will be in pots on the deck.

Well today it is cold and rainy.  So I cleaned the house.  Made DH help me.  I hope you all are staying well and finding nurturing things to do for yourself.  I signed up for an online yoga class and have been doing a few times a week.  It is good.  

Oh, my most exciting news...I think I have a job!  Working from home.  Stay tuned for more on that later.  Ta ta.