Thursday, October 1, 2020

Another Day Slips By


 

I know. I KNOW! How many pictures of the bananas do we need? You want to know the truth? That's the only damn picture I took today and so there you are and there you have it. I am still gobsmacked by this bloom and the resulting fruit but I doubt anyone else in the world is. 

Dear god. I may need to do something to change my life. I feel myself becoming more and more attached to my house and my yard and my routines. This is no longer an amusing joke. It's becoming what could be called pathologic. Or one of those things that really is not normal or good. Today was another day wherein I did not leave Lloyd although I took a walk down to where Emma and Jacob live across the street from where the big-horned ram stands in its big-horned splendor. I did not see either Emma or Jacob nor did I see any of their sons but it does look like someone has been getting rid of some things in their yards. The lady who lives in the house next to No Man Lord's yard called hello to me from her porch and I called hello back and when the guy who lives in the house with the little yappy dogs passed me in his shiny red mustang he honked his horn and waved and I waved at him. When I was almost home a guy was trudging towards me with a weed whacker over his shoulder and when we got to speaking distance he gave me a huge smile and said, "I thought you'd already be home by now!" I had not one clue about who he was. 
I tell you what- when I say that people recognize me, I'm not kidding you. 

The rest of my day has been spent doing tiny little things like watering porch plants and taking trash. I scrubbed toilets and I finally attended to the job of cleaning out the freezer. I'd spilt coffee in it a few months ago and did not really do a good job of cleaning that up and my frozen stuff was all higgelty piggelty, bags of frozen vegetables mixed uncomfortably with bags of frozen shrimp. I've got a huge Costco-sized bag of frozen strawberries that I bought right before we locked down and I only ever use them to make the smoothies I used to make for my husband for him to drink before he went to the gym and now he's not going to the gym and neither one of us seems to be the least bit interested in smoothies. I've even put my blender away to give myself more counter space. I'm thinking I might just use those frozen berries to make some jam and why not? That can be a project for next week, I suppose. When Jessie was here yesterday she got out the big Dutch oven which came with the smaller Dutch oven I bought at Costco a few weeks ago and although I hadn't really thought I'd be using it, the very broad base of it make me think that it would be good for jam-making. Might as well try it out. So far the cheap enamel-clad cast iron is working well for me. 

I made up a loaf of sourdough this morning, pushing it harder than I should have. To do it right, I really need to let it rest overnight in the refrigerator before I start the proofing process. So that's going to be a flattish loaf. 

Here. I just took another picture. 


Would you look at that face? She had just healed enough from a cut above her left eye that had swollen the eye shut for it to open again and then yesterday she and Jack got into another fight that Jessie and I and the boys heard from a different part of the yard and ran to try and mediate and she's messed up again. Time to get out the neosporin and golden seal. I get so mad at Jack but honestly, she attacks him and just refuses to make peace and he is twice the size and weight she is. She's been on that pillow in the chair on the porch all day long. That poor cat is not right. She loves to cuddle with Mr. Moon in his chair but if he attempts to move at all she hisses and threatens to scratch and bite. I told Glen yesterday that she needs anger management classes and she does. We do love her, though. He's talking baby talk to her right now, kneeling down by the chair where she's recuperating. 

I am not going to talk about politics today. I am just going to say that it was another beautiful day, cool and clear as a river in the Garden of Eden. I'll hang sheets on the line tomorrow. 
And although I'm not going to talk about politics I am just going to say that it suddenly has occurred to me that it's like we are living with not one but two swords of Damocles hanging above our heads, one representing the upcoming election, the other of course being the constant threat of Corona virus. 
I have to say that I am glad I'm on the oldish side now. How could anyone truly experience the feelings and emotions that children and young people should be feeling, deserve to feel, with all of this perceived and heavy weight above them? 
I am aware that circumstances are never perfect for anyone but these are so far from lighthearted times. And troubles are only increased for all of us now. 

"The sky is falling!" says Chicken Little. 
We all nod and say, "Yes. Yes it is."

See you tomorrow. 

Love...Ms. Moon

21 comments:

  1. well, pathologically homebound or not.....just the random interactions you had today are more than most of us have in a day.....and you should feel (I know you do) very lucky to have had those. Poor Maurice. Good heavens. Banana blossoms....I will never tire of seeing them. And cleaning out your freezer AND making bread? You bested me by a long shot today! I managed to walk with our dog Hamal (rhymes with camel).....hang a load of wash out on the line...fold said clothing.....and take a shower. How pathetic is that? Pathological much?
    Susan M

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    1. I feel like we're all just sitting here holding our breaths. Sounds to me like you got a lot done yesterday.

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  2. Well if I didn't go to work each day I probably wouldn't leave the house as much as you do, and that's a fact. Your banana flowers never get old so don't worry about posting too many pictures of them!

    Chicken Little! I'd forgotten about Chicken Little.

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    1. I definitely have Chicken Little Syndrome so she's never far from my heart.
      It's probably good that you have a reason to leave the house. Don't worry- there will probably be more banana pictures.

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  3. I was home all day too, on isolation, although I forgot that I was. I did walk to the mailbox.

    I finished the first sorting of photos and finished my daughters photo album. Then I worked in the yard for awhile. Nothing exciting. The little guy is here again tonight as his mama is working tonight. She seems to be doing well which is nice.

    Life is not exciting for anyone right now, if we're lucky.

    And tRump was exposed to the virus! I shouldn't be smirking, but I am.

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    1. That sounds like a good, full day, woman! For some reason it's so difficult for me to go through old photos. They make me so damn sad.

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  4. You will have heard by now that the Rump and wife have got the virus...assuming he isn't lying about it... I wonder how that will pan out!
    I am loving the banana photos as we don't have the plants here so it's all new to me.
    It has been lashing down all night and will be all day here too....dog will have to wear his coat ( or get soaked).

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    1. Yes. I read that first thing this morning. You can't make this shit up.
      I'm glad you like the banana pictures. I DO live here and they still make me so happy.
      I hope you're glad for the rain.

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  5. I had a glimpse of just how hard it is for the young ones yesterday morning. My daughter brought my first grader GS (as has been the case for four weeks) for virtual schooling. At first, he seemed fine. Had even brought a new toy for our dog. But he overheard his mom say something about going out to lunch with her DH to celebrate their anniversary and he absolutely lost it. Somewhere in his thought process he decided it meant they were leaving him for good and he totally broke down. It was shattering for all of us. Took a while to calm him down, but I was able to get him online with his class. He was subdued for the first hour. At the first class break, we FT'd his mom and dad so he could reassure himself (and them) that they were still there for him. Fortunately, the rest of the day was good and he bounced back to his usual sunny nature. We had several conversations about what had upset him (e.g. school, being away from parents, fear). As you noted, the virus has upended everyone's idea of safety. Of being okay. Even for the youngest among us.

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    1. Oh! Poor little guy! Kids can get the strangest, scariest thoughts in their head and trying to dissuade them from believing those thoughts can be almost impossible. I'm glad he finally sorted it out in his mind. You're such a good grandmother, Mary. Kids are as apt to suffer from this whole mess as any of us.

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  6. Oh God, I laughed at your Chicken Little ending Ms Moon...And now you are waking to the news that Mr and Mrs Orange Thing have COVID. Do you think it is true or is it a desperate election ploy? I wouldn't put it past the guy to play the people like that.

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    1. I think it's true. I mean- he's having to give up his rally's for awhile at least and he sure doesn't want to do that. But who knows? With this guy there is never any knowing what the truth might be.

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    2. He's just off to hospital in a helicopter so it probably is true. I thought they said that his symptoms were "mild"? That was obviously a lie.

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    3. Who knows what the lie is, though. It's quite likely the whole thing is a lie. It's all very Boris-like!

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  7. my one surviving banana bloom has stopped making new bananas. I wonder why it does that. the bees no longer interested? and of course people recognise you, you walking past them is part of their routine just as it is part of yours. it's OK to be attached to home. I'm perfectly happy to stay home myself, so much for me to do here. even on the days I volunteer, I don't really socialize with the rest of them, just do the work and then leave. but then I do go out for yoga twice a week. I don't know if the sky is falling yet though it may come crashing down after the election.

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    1. It's true. There's not much to do in Lloyd beyond noticing what's going on right in front of us.
      Isn't it strange how little we actually need to go out into the world for? It sort of amazes me.

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  8. I think we're all feeling that sense of impending doom -- whether it really is impending or not. It's just a scary time. I don't blame you for wanting to stick close to home!

    I was just telling Dave yesterday that I've lost all desire to go out. I am perfectly happy to come home and curl up in our living room.

    Poor Maurice. I'm laughing at the idea of a cat taking anger management classes. I'm sure THAT would go well. (Considering how easy it is to teach cats, well, anything!)

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    1. I had mostly lost all desire to go out before the pandemic so here we are. At HOME! And mostly glad to be.
      I agree. Maurice would not be a good student in any sort of learning situation. But it is funny to imagine a cat in an anger management class.

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  9. Maybe it's something to do with being a ginger cat. My son and his wife's cat is a ginger and a nasty little bugger. Jen calls it "the alpha male" syndrome but I just think it's nasty scratchy little bugger!

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    1. It might be although I see pictures of ginger cats online cuddling with other cats all the time. Maybe it's a special variety of them that think they're tigers. Maurice, despite her name, is a female but I do think she has a bit of the alpha cat syndrome in her. She was here first and she never wanted Jack here.

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  10. I really feel a badly for young people whose lives have been so curtailed. Love you.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.