Monday, June 22, 2020

Another Day In The Life


I spent the day being housewifely, busy as a fat, cheerful little bumblebee, flitting from this tiny chore to another.
I took trash and cleaned out the hen house, moving Darla from one nest to another to clean the one she was in. I set her eggs- both of them- under her and she didn't seem to be the least flustered. I swear, my hens must believe in zero population growth. This is going to be the most pathetic chick hatching ever if indeed even the three eggs that are being sat on DO hatch. And we all know that there is no use counting our chicks until they ARE hatched.
Let's see. What else did I do? Made up a pot of baked beans to go into a slow oven, made up a sourdough loaf and had to play fancy with the oven and the beans to bake it as the bread requires a very hot oven. It's out now and the beans are back in. I did laundry but I did not hang it outside because the mosquitoes are so horrible but I did pick beans and tomatoes and one nice little cucumber. I sprayed myself before I did that, though. You simply cannot go outside right now if you don't. A friend of ours reported wearing long pants, long sleeves and a netted hat to work in his garden and he still got eaten up. It's bad, y'all.
I snapped some of the beans and put them in freezer bags. Those rattlesnake beans show no signs of slowing down. Mr. Moon picked a full basket yesterday and I picked another today, just as full. Prolific doesn't begin to describe them.
I don't even know what all else I did but whatever it was, it kept me pretty darn busy all day long. And that's not a bad thing.

Lily is stewing over whether or not to send the kids back to school this fall. They have three options which are (1) to go back into the classroom where safety measures will be in place, (2) keep them at home to do Leon County online school, or (3) they can do virtual school which was put in place before Covid for kids who can't attend classes. That one isn't even a part of Leon County schooling but it would probably have the advantage of being more established and thought-out.
She wants her children to be able to have a classroom education for all of the obvious reasons but not if they're going to be exposed to the virus and not if they're going to have to be reminded to wear masks and physically distance all day long. They won't even be able to really play together!
She has until July 10 to decide and no matter what she decides, she has to stick to it for one semester at least.
Sadly, a lot of parents don't have any choice. They either go back to work or they can't pay their bills.
And of course, like every part of this whole situation there are really no known definite outcomes about any of it.
Tallahassee City commission is meeting to decide whether or not to require everyone to mask in public. This would be a huge big deal and the right thing to do. The testing sites here have been so busy that traffic in some places is backed up for blocks and blocks.

It's all such a cluster-fuck and I can understand that even the top officials don't have all the information they need to advise us about making decisions but if those top officials listened to the experts on disease control and implemented what they suggest, it sure wouldn't hurt. And also, if people weren't being such asshats about it all.
Of course the Asshat In Chief spent last night encouraging people to ignore all of the experts' advice and did his racist best to ensure that the racist conspiracy theories thrive.
Kung Flu?
Oh yeah, that's really funny, King Dong. What else ya' got?
The pictures of him arriving back at the White House showed a man who was vastly disappointed in how the evening had gone and that thrills me to my bumblebee bones. I have a feeling that even though the numbers at his rally weren't what he had hoped and thought they would be, the results measured in new Covid cases is going to be horrifying.

In happy, cheerful Covid news, I have ordered five new masks from the Johnny Was website. I love their clothes so much but can't really rationalize buying them even on e-bay where the prices are still in the arm-and-a-leg range but you can buy five of their fanciest masks for forty dollars.
Bargain!
Until I go out and buy some more elastic or order some online, my mask-making is on hold. I suppose I should check into the online option.

And here we are. Talking about masks, masks, masks, and getting all excited about ordering pretty ones. Making bread, baking beans, freezing green beans, having to make decisions about our children's educations that we never, ever imagined that we'd be making.
Summer time and the living's...weird.

Keep on keeping on. Okay?

Love...Ms. Moon






26 comments:

  1. That Trump video was certainly heartwarming! :D :D I wouldn't be sending my kids back to school- but then I think they'll get over any gaps in their education if they are young enough. It's the kids who are working up to leaving school that I am sorry for and I am not sure what would be best for them. I heard on our news that FL has increasing numbers of cases, however. If that is true then that is tough. And more than tough and unfair for those who do not have the choice to self isolate.

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    1. Yes. Lily actually needs to work too and she was hoping that this year, with her kids all in school, that she could maybe get some training and/or more education for herself. It's so hard to know what to do. And yes, Florida is screwing things up with too hasty reopening and the results are absolutely what you'd think they'd be.

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  2. I think about school and am glad all the grands but one are through. And I do wonder how Caroline is going to finish her last two years. So glad I'm not thinking about or making those decisions.

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    1. I've had that thought too, Joanne- I'm so grateful this isn't my decision.

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  3. My husband got me a mask made of kimono cloth with images of cranes. I love it. It’s lined with a pocket for the filter. Here we are. I’m sort of reeling.

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    1. I'm reeling too. It's all so weird.

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    2. that sounds beautiful. and what filters do people put in these?

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  4. We've been having hot and humid here this week, I put the crock pot out in the garage. Well, *I* didn't because of the wolf spiders, but the spouse obliged. One landed on my shoulder last week. Haven't been back in there since. Anyway, some of us don't seem to be handling the heat(and maybe everyeffingthing else)... Yeah so our neighbor down the road shot at our UPS driver. Took out the windscreen. WTH?? I always waved at him when we go by, now what do I do, boo out the window?!? My peonies opened today, sweet flower babies nursed so faithfully by their ant midwives. Hit up the supermarket today for our house and my mom. Prices have gone up a bit, yep. The store intercom was saying masks are now required, but they aren't enforcing it. There were a handful of people without and they looked like they were pretending hard that they were the normal ones.

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    1. At Costco and our local Community Coop, there's no choice about the matter- wear a mask or don't come in. I think all stores should be that way.
      Your neighbor shot at a UPS driver? WTF? Why isn't he in jail?
      I bet your peonies are beautiful. We can't grow them here.

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    2. The driver i okay, the neighbor is up on charges or however you say that. I don't know if he is free or not but he was arrested for attempted murder. The peonies are such beautiful tender things, I love them. I am a sucker for flowers.!

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  5. Yep. the mask thing. My sewing machine went tits up AGAIN so my sewing projects are all on hold. Maya wants aprons so she can change 'em between haircuts. The clinic wants washable drapes and wipes for the exam rooms. As soon as I get my machine back, I'll get right to it.

    Love you, Mary dearest.

    Beth

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    1. My old Singer just keeps plugging away. I've made Mr. Moon a new mask today. I had just enough elastic to do the ear loop type. I hope your machine can be fixed quickly.

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  6. I've got those Johnny Was ones, and they ARE so pretty and even better, comfortable and very well-made. I'm glad you splurged. I'm glad I splurged. I think, if she can afford it, that Lily should do the home-school thing, using materials from the school and online. A sort of hybrid. I am happy to help her! Honestly! When I home-schooled Oliver for two years, it was a GREAT experience and something that I've never regretted. As you know, he did seventh and eighth with me and then onward to a small private school for high school. He's now in college and just got a 3.9 GPA! I mean it. I'd love to help in any way.

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    1. I'm wondering how long it will take to get those masks in the mail. I sure would like to use them. Glad to hear that they have the Elizabeth Seal of Approval!
      I'll tell Lily what you said. One of the problems of course is that she'll have three to homeschool. I know a lot of people do it but Lily feels overwhelmed. You did such a great job with Oliver.

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    2. I ordered those Johnny Was masks also back in April. Took about 4 weeks to come. I did not realize they needed the little filters to go in the pocket so I had to order those and they took about 4 weeks to come. So I've been using them a few weeks now and like Elizabeth said, they are lovely. I know you will enjoy them.
      Angie D

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  7. My grandkids went back to school yesterday. Their Dad, my son, is a " key worker"....he works for Tesco in IT, or whatever they call it these days!They could have been at school the whole time, but the decision has been made to get them back...for their sake and my son's. He is working from home very full time and finding it difficult. They spend half their time with their mother...the evil ex! There won't be many kids there as the main back to school isn't yet happening. Emily ( aged 10 ) told me she will be in "C bubble". Not heard yet how they got on as Sam doesn't have them again until Wednesday.
    I had to laugh at the reporting that many people had booked places at a Trump rally especially not to turn up.
    We are having an exceptionally hot week here....apparently could be 33c tomorrow. Just checked...that is 91F. I shall def. be wilting. No air con here! XX

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    1. Lord- I'd die if it was 91 here and I didn't have AC. Please be careful, Frances, and hydrate and don't overdo!
      Sounds like your school system is having difficulties too. It's all pretty confusing and there just doesn't seem to be one right answer. I guess we can take comfort knowing that we're all struggling together.

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  8. I see you got the same spammers as me today. The ATM card guy and the hackers. The ATM guy's poor little finger must be worn out cos I got so many I had to delete. Oh well. As for your "normal" still being weird, I'm pleased to say our normal is getting more normal. Still not quite there yet but getting there. Of course that doesn't preclude an uptick eventually but I've been watching the French figures and there hasn't been a single death that I can see of since they loosened lockdown five weeks ago. I really hope it lasts because I see Germany's figures are on the up again. To be honest I don't know what I would do if I had young children that needed to be in school - but then some people don't have the choice do they - they have to work!

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    1. I doubt there's very much human effort involved in spamming at all.
      Germany's numbers are up? Damn. From what I can tell, the US is the worst right now. I could be wrong.
      I'm glad I don't have kids in school either. I feel so sorry for the kids today. The parent-kids and their kids both.

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  9. they still haven't fully actualized the plan for school here. . . probably the same options as what you've shared. we were promised no less than 20 kids in front of us, but after having 30+ and 40+ kids in a room.....i don't know how that will work. i'm on the list to do face-to-face for summer school b/c it's a pilot but don't know if i've been chosen yet to participate...

    xxalainaxx

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    1. Oh, Mrs. A! Do you hope to be chosen or not? I don't know how I'd feel. All I can say is- I want you to be as safe as you can be. I want you to be OKAY!

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  10. The food sounds amazing but damn, the mosquitoes! I've only just registered they have you held hostage during the day - they only come out at night, in Europe! You need some sort of trained bug killers - bats? A fleet of birds?
    I'm still thinking flame thrower.

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    1. A flame thrower wouldn't only work if we used it to burn our skin off. I swear to god. Some people I know are putting up bat houses. Now let's see if they bats move in or not...

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  11. Hi Mary
    I have scars from the mosquito bites I have received here in NH on a salt marsh
    Not until the services of Ecotech Llc 207 4519451 has the mosquito attack been managed and I mean seriously
    Has made a big difference and neighbors use it to
    Very safe and targets mosquitos

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  12. I THINK WE IN UK HAD HIGHEST PER CAPITA even over USA SO SAD GERMANY RISING AS THEY WORKED hard to deal with it. Here in UK govt have totally rollockest it up See Trump see Boris our PM and his crew and the green care badge a plastic thing that cost more than hourly rate of carers wage. Things are crazy over here.so much more to rant about but will stop. Trying to be positive put out shallow bowl of water for birds hedgehogs wildlife generally We have loads of bats They rock and they mind own business. Dont eat them though Just saying sorry for text issues having eye problems love always Maggi

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  13. You know, everyone's been moaning about the economy, but manufacturers and retailers who have been able to add masks to their product line at least found a little revenue stream there!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.