Thursday, August 13, 2020

Just Stuff

 
Well, as these things go, today was a bit rough. I wasn't in a great deal of pain, I just didn't have much energy. I keep thinking about the fact that I am going to have to go to town soon to grocery shop and there is really no reason why I shouldn't. Mr. Moon's been doing a great job and I've been using up what we have in the freezers and garden but there are certain things that I need in the pantry and refrigerator and it's just too hard to explain to him which type of mozzarella I buy and where the Shake'n'Bake is and which sort of flour and, and, and...
Plus- the longer I stay hunkered and huddled in Lloyd, the harder it's going to be to leave and I really, really do not want to develop a case of full-blown agoraphobia and it's already way too easy for me to just stay right here tied to my little piece of property, my house, my chickens, my cats, my chair (his chair), my three dresses and my garden. 
Physically, I can drive to town and shop. That's really not the issue. Yeah, it'll wear me out but who doesn't it wear out to shop these days? Publix and Costco, baby. I can do it. 
Maybe tomorrow. 
We shall see. 

Meanwhile, I just did the little things today. I made about the eighth batch of pandemic pimento cheese for my husband. Did a load of clothes. Swept the kitchen which yielded about a half pound of black, gritty Lloyd dirt. And then because I can't and won't waste any of those green beans, I went out and picked another basketful. There are fewer now by far and if I get another whole basketful I'll be surprised. Last night I made a green bean salad with a dijon and shallot and garlic vinaigrette which is our favorite way to eat them and it was so good that I am loath to waste a fresh bean. The zebra-winged butterflies are drunk on zinnia pollen right now (or is it nectar) and at one point I saw four feasting or sipping on a patch of the flowers that are still blooming nicely. 


There are only three in this picture and one of them is hard to see but trust me- there were four. 

Here's what I picked today. 



Well, I didn't pick the eggs. It was more like I plucked them. 
Then I sat my old-lady ass on the couch and snapped those beans. The garden has been such a joy this summer. 
So of course while I was snapping, I was watching "The Office" and I'm now into the season where Kathy Bates plays a woman named Jo Bennet who is the head of the company that buys out Dunder Mifflin and she lives in Tallahassee. Tallahassee is a place name that authors and screenwriters and TV writers seem to love. It just sounds so...ridiculous? I don't know. But it's used far more than you'd think. And generally, it's the butt of a sort of joke about the south and our...ridiculousness?... and although I agree on some levels it still hurts my heart a little bit. I never, ever planned on living in Tallahassee (or even as nearby as I do now) and yet, I moved here in 1974 and here I am, rooted as deeply as one of my oak trees. Four kids and five grandkids will do that to you. 
But I love the way Ms. Bates plays a Tallahassee business woman. She's such an amazing actor. She doesn't play Jo as a cliche but gives her a great deal of depth. And her accent isn't completely terrible. 

Oh Lord. This is now my life- reviewing the performance of an actor on a ten-year old TV show. 

So that's about it. I swear I am going to try to sleep in the bed tomorrow night. Last night, as an experiment, I laid for awhile on first my injured side and then my un-injured side and both were sort of okay. And this too, is my life right now- talking about my sleep positions. 

Yeah. That's enough of THAT. 

Oh! Here's a picture that Jessie sent today of her boys on a hike. 


They are making good use of some of Maggie's hand-me-downs. I just love how they pick out exactly what they want to wear without any fear of criticism about wearing "girl" clothes. And Jessie said that this morning Vergil told the boys that they looked very nice today. What a good daddy he is! 
Why should girls get all the fun and fancies? 
No reason at all. 

Love...Ms. Moon



27 comments:

  1. Those boys are so so cute. You must be missing them. It's progress that you can sleep on both sides without too much pain. I know it doesn't feel like it, but it is.

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    1. Oh, I know it's progress. And I am happy for it.
      And yes, I sure miss those boys.

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  2. I'm glad the boys get to wear what they want. Dresses are cooler anyway in hot weather.

    Great envy for your daily picking!

    About your ribs: kindly do not start doing route marches and well digging and roofing just because you're doing better. You're not well, just better than you were before.i have spoken.

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    1. Thank you, Boud! I should have kept this comment more in mind today.
      Sigh. But there was no well-digging or roofing. I promise.
      Dresses ARE cooler. I don't know why the hell men don't wear them.

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  3. I have yet to see a single butterfly this summer! Of course it would have to sit on my breakfast bowl for me to wee it, but usually butterflies flutter by, not this year.
    You are healing those ribs well, STRONG woman!! and your garden bounty is fab. The dear lads in their comfy clothing is just as good as it gets.
    Fuck this virus, by the way...

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    1. Yes. A butterfly would have to be very close in order to wee it. I agree. (Haha!)
      Before we know it, it will be time to plant greens and onions. Always a beautiful thing.
      Fuck, fuck, FUCK this virus and the damn bat it flew in on. Or whatever.

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  4. shopping......ugh. I have to do it tomorrow and I sort of dread it.....except am meeting a friend for a parking lot visit at market. Those butterflies on the the vibrant zinnias are gorgeous! And those 2 boys in their comfy clothes...... well, can't say more other than they are gorgeous too! Keep healing.....you know what to do
    Susan M

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    1. It cracks me up how Levon just looks like a BOY in a skirt while August carries the look off with style.
      Aren't the butterflies pretty?
      I hope your shopping went okay, Susan. Mine did.

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  5. Mary the butterflies and zinnias are so spectacular. It is difficult for anyone to shop for me even my child. Exactly exactly what you wrote. Instacart was even worse. I don’t know anything. I had fried potatoes with onions and scrambled eggs for my one meal today. I’ve given up the rest of the meals. I love you. Rebecca

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    1. One meal can do if it's eaten at the right time and in the correct amounts. I made crispy parmesan potatoes last night and they were awfully good.
      I love you too. I wish I could send you some zinnias and butterflies.

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  6. I found all the butterflies. One is hanging pretty close to his bud.
    I wonder if those young men have come to appreciate their skirts as Scots men appreciate their kilts.

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  7. I saw the 4th Butterfly in the pix! It sounds like a very Zen hunkering down so I can see why you don't really feel a desire to do more. I love that the Boys wear what they want, I recall as a Youngster I often wore my Brother and even my Dad's clothes and nobody thought much about a Girl dressing in Boy clothing, even then. So I agree that a Boy should wear what he feels comfortable and attractive in too. I Hope your Healing continues until you are 100% again.

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    1. There's never been the fuss about girls wearing "boys'" clothes that there still is about boys wearing "girls'" clothes. Do you suppose that's because it's more socially accept that a woman would want to be like a man but not that a man should want to be like a woman? I think there's a lot there.

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  8. I think the pandemic is giving us all agoraphobia. Be careful if you go to the store tomorrow. Maybe start out slow and just go to one store? I love the picture of the boys! Any way you look at it, grandchildren make the world a better place! You take care of yourself please!

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    1. I survived! Thank you, Bonnie.
      Grandchildren are a gift that we didn't even know we wanted. That's what it feels like to me.

      Delete
  9. The butterflies are amazing and your land is so productive. It's so good that you do not take your good fortune for granted but please take your Auntie Bonnie's advice about the shopping expedition.

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    1. Mr. Moon has worked hard to make the garden so productive this year. It's been a joy. And no, I do NOT take it for granted.
      As for shopping, well...I did what I did. I'll probably pay tomorrow.

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  10. My basket looked a bit like yours, except for the eggs and the beans. My beans are later and for reasons we don't understand, the Brussel sprouts are ready now.
    I just watched the entire series of Mrs America with Cate Blanchett playing Phyllis Schlafly and it was uplifting and infuriating and entertaining. When I was a teenager in the 1970s, we thought the US women's movement was the best thing ever. So, this series for me explained it all again. Can only recommend it.

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    1. I would like to watch that show too. And I will. I remember Phyllis Schlafly well and I could not abide her. She was such a hypocrite, telling women they should be at home to do their husband's bidding while she was working as a lawyer or whatever it was that she did.
      Ugh.

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  11. your family is so amazing. I hope by next spring I have it together enough to have another garden.

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    1. My family IS amazing. But of course I think so.
      I bet you'll get a garden in. Of some sort. You won't have to clear a fence and get a site ready for a house for one thing!

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  12. Oh that beautiful produce!! I don't blame you.... I wouldn't waste one bean either. Enjoy! Love, Andrea xoxo

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    1. There's just something so special about eating stuff we grow ourselves. Store bought green beans just don't excite me at all anymore.

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  13. The zebra longwings are beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen four in such close proximity. I feel the way about blackberries that you do about the beans -- but I think I'm finally almost at the end of the line with the blackberries.

    I think Tallahassee just sounds like a funny name to screenwriters in California and New York, although it's no funnier than Lackawanna or Chillicothe or, God forbid, Weedpatch.

    I'd read a review of anything with Kathy Bates in it. She's terrific.

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    1. Are you freezing any blackberries?
      I guess Tallahassee will also be forever tied to the horrible Gore/Bush decision. I did love it when Woody Harrelson played a character named "Tallahassee" in the Zombieland movies. I can't believe I'm saying this but those movies are so fun. In my opinion, anyway.
      Kathy Bates is definitely terrific.

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