Friday, April 3, 2020

Feel Free To Laugh If You Can


Those are some of the roses blooming around here right now. I mean they are BUSTING out. That particular rose (and no, I don't know its name) was here when we moved in but in another location. The man we bought the house from said that no matter what we did or did not do to it, it would not die. He was right about that. Mr. Moon ran over it several times in his truck because where it was planted was right in front of a gate and we never once watered it or fertilized it and yet, it just kept on living. The little flowers are hardly worth picking because if you do, the petals are apt to flutter gently to the ground. Finally, Mr. Moon asked if he could relocate it so it would not impede his truck access. I said that yes, he could and he did and it's just as happy as it can be snugged up against the garden. I occasionally put the poopy chicken hay I clean out of the nest boxes around it and I try to keep it weeded and it does get water from the garden sprinklers so it's in high cotton now. The problem is keeping it pruned back enough.

So. Nest boxes. I found a big old oak snake in one today. Those of you who've been around here for awhile have seen a few of those in my pictures. Here's one from September, 2018.


Now that one, as you can plainly see, was ingesting an egg. The one I found today did not seem to have had the opportunity yet. I didn't take a picture because Mr. Moon told me not to disturb it because he wanted to get it out of there before it slithered off into a crack somewhere, hiding and waiting and biding its time. So I did not disturb it and got out a used scratch feed bag and he grabbed the snake and put it in the bag while I held it open and when he went to town he stopped and let it out some miles down the road. Now there are only a very few things that freak out my husband but snakes are one of them and it was incredibly brave of him to do that. He was already upset because a friend of his had called him today to tell him that he'd tested positive for the virus. The friend, not Mr. Moon. They haven't seen each other in forever but he's a dear friend to my man and of course he hated hearing that news. So far, he's asymptomatic and we hope he stays that way but it does point out the fact that people can be walking around spreading and shedding virus without having the slightest idea of what they're doing. Ironically, he was tested because he'd been exposed to a woman who had all of the symptoms and while his test came back positive, hers came back negative. 
How accurate do you suppose these tests are? 
Okay. I just looked that up and the answer appears to be- we don't know. 
More false negatives than positives, it would seem. 
Okay. 
Seems to me that there are a whole shitpile of things we don't know about this virus and that's scary as hell but hopefully, by the time my grandchildren are grown, all will have been revealed and people will be vaccinated. 
I sure hope so. 

Besides the snake, things were pretty normal around here today for me. I took a short walk this morning, knowing that I really did need to get some ya-ya's out. And then I did a bunch of stuff that I can't recall doing but I must have done them because I didn't eat lunch until after two again. I enjoyed my all-healthy-and-shit quinoa salad a lot more today because I put some of the sauce I made for last night's supper on it. By the way, here's what that supper looked like.


Now is that a good-looking supper or what? 
It was delicious. Sheet pan chicken with potatoes and greens and arugula on top with the sauce which is Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice, a lot of garlic, salt and pepper and some chopped up wild onions I have growing about a foot away from the kitchen steps. 
Highly recommend. 
The asparagus was good too. 

You want to hear something cool? 
May woke up yesterday to find that three of her plants had disappeared from where they'd been sitting right behind her house. She posted a picture of them on Facebook and instead of cussing out the thief, she made it clear that she realized that someone could have thought they were abandoned plants because someone did just move out of the building but that no, they were not, they were her cherished plants and if someone had taken them by mistake, she sure would like to have them back. 
And this morning, this had happened.


They were back! Several people had shared May's original post and so someone saw it and actually and truly brought them home. 
I was gobsmacked. 
She posted a message thanking whoever brought them back from the bottom of her heart. 
And then she moved them inside. 
Here's are two pictures of May's apartment. 



As you can see, she gets plenty of light, as I reported a few weeks ago. Isn't it lovely? 

So. What else? 
Well, this is what the pushing-up field peas look like.


See those pretty little sprouts coming forth from their mothers? 

The baby chicks are getting big enough to flutter up to sit on top of their feeder and waterer. In fact one took the leap out of the bin today but Mr. Moon caught the little critter and put it back and placed the screened lid he made over the top. I think that tomorrow I may let the teenagers out into the coop and let them expand their world by about two thousand percent. 
That's always a joyful day. 

I did not go to the grocery today but Lily picked me up a few things that we sort of really need and will bring them over tomorrow. I will go shopping next week. I feel so spoiled and taken care of. 
I feel lucky as hell in all ways. 

And let me ask you a question- do you feel like you're spending a lot less money these days? I mean, casual shopping has gone out the window and yes, of course we can still shop online for some things but frankly, I'm not doing that because I don't want to be part of anyone having to go to work to pack and mail or deliver anything that's not a necessity. 
I don't think I generally go to the grocery store that often but I'm obviously going a lot less these days and I'm being so very careful to use every part of what I buy and what I cook. No impulse shopping involved. Every thing I buy is planned out and put on a list and carefully considered. I am finding it very amusing to see what my husband adds to the list. He seems to have developed a craving for the queso made with Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes. And by god, I'll buy the ingredients. AND a bag of chips, of course, because one does need an excuse to eat the stuff and by that, I don't mean owning a spoon. He also wanted some pimento cheese and I offered to make him some but he said that he'd really like some of the plain old regular orange stuff so that he can put it on some Ritz crackers when he gets hungry. 
I asked Lily to get plain old orange pimento cheese and Ritz crackers in our short list of necessities. 

Friday night and yes, they're singing at the church next door. The first damn thing on the list of exemptions for Florida's way-too-late statewide restriction of movement mandate is religious gatherings and if that isn't the most stupid damn thing you've ever heard I want to hear what is. Gun shops are also considered "essential". 
Even my husband who is a hunter and who generally stays out of political discussions is disgusted about both of those things. 

Oh well. We just had a cocktail hour chat with Lon and Lis on speakerphone and it was lovely. We all laughed a lot. We talked mostly about gardens and hummingbirds and snakes in the hen house and a knife accident that Lon had (he's fine) and what we're having for supper. 
And so it goes again. 

Here's a picture Lily just sent. She's home from work and Pepper is happy to see her. 


She reports that about 1/5 of the people in Publix were wearing masks including (and here she said, "I shit you not") one of these over her mouth and nose region. 


"It was literally the pink sparkly one," she said. 

What more is there to be said?

Happy Friday or whatever passes for happy these days. 

Love...Ms. Moon

29 comments:

  1. Thanks as always for sharing your world. Life continues to be anxious as hell these days, but my daily visit here helps.

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  2. I'm so glad. It helps me more than you can know to share.

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  3. May's new apartment is really pretty. Those plants will like it there. We're shopping every two weeks at the grocery store, those are bigger bills than when we went every other day. We both got in a bunch of contact lenses, Costco optical is closed, so I got 6 months worth. After that I can order on line. Be very careful with your glasses, they could be tough to replace now. It's just surreal. Golf courses are an essential service in AZ. The governor did close the hair salons finally.

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    1. I think golf courses are essential here, too.
      Okay.
      You're right about the glasses.

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  4. This is what happens when people don't stay home.

    https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/us/washington-choir-practice-coronavirus-deaths/index.html

    I'm glad the garden, chickens, flowers and Moons are all doing well:)

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    1. Yep. You'd think these stupid ass leaders would have some of this figured out by now.

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  5. Ah! I want more chickens desperately, but I'm dealing with a bullying situation here and no materials to build a bigger coop, though--knowing me, that will be the one thing I do buy. I haven't been buying shit, though I did buy a new sweatshirt because now that I'm working from home I realize I only own what I call "hobo clothes" (i.e., things so old they should disintegrate) and work clothes (dresses, mostly) and neither of those seem appropriate. But otherwise, we are shopping once a week and I've made masks and am going to see if we have any old vaccuum bags in the basement to make more and I am terrified one of us will lose our jobs so I'm not spending money at all if I can help it.

    Ah. May's apartment is lovely. And goddamned the religious and their belief that Jesus will save them from this virus. He won't, and I don't envy the suffering that will come their way.

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    1. Chickens are sort of like tattoos- you get one and you just want more. At least that's how I've heard it goes with tattoos. I don't have any so I don't know.
      I don't think I have the optimism to buy anything right now.
      Isn't May's apartment pretty?
      And dammit- it's not just the people who go to those services, it's the people they may infect on down the line.
      Stay safe, lady.

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  6. We've not been spending any money at all - except - on food. And all of a sudden we are spending twice as much on food because every time we go to the store my husband now thinks he has to stock up like this is the end of the world. Is Mr. Moon having pandemic cravings? I'm beginning to think that is a thing. We never eat pop-tarts and suddenly we are both craving them??? They are nothing but extra sugar and certainly not healthy. I think the world's just a bit upside down at the moment.

    I got a laugh out of the hat-mask! Now that they are saying we should be wearing masks I have a feeling we are going to see all kinds of things out there. I'm waiting to see someone turn a bra into two masks - it would probably work but I'd have trouble not laughing. I'm just going to make some simple masks out of fabric scraps I have around here.

    You two take good care of each other!

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    1. Bra Masks made me laugh out loud, but now I'll be looking for it too... mebbe you should Patent that Idea? *Winks*

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    2. Pandemic cravings may well be a thing. It's like- why NOT? The world is ending! Let's eat Velveeta and pop tarts!
      Bra masks already are a thing. Google it. They probably work better than tiny hats.

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  7. Just when I was thinking how nice it would be to keep chickens you mention the snake. All bets are off now. There's no way I could deal with that!!

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    1. But honestly- I DO live in Florida. Do you even have snakes?

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  8. that is a nice apartment. two things sold me on this house...all the trees and all the windows. I think I'm going to the grocery store today. everybody is going crazy sewing cloth masks which I'm pretty sure do nothing to stop the virus. if it gets mandatory I'm just going to tie a bandana across my face like in the Wild West. I am in Texas after all.

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    1. Have you seen how to make a decent-looking mask out of a bandana and two hair ties?
      Light and trees are definitely the most important.

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  9. we went into financial lockdown as i went home from our last day in the building 3/13 which was good because until thursday we didn't know if we'd be paid after the two week mandatory paid layoff. our gov (love her) made an executive order that said we had to get paid and to continue non face to face teaching.....so we're gonna donate a sizeable amount to the food bank, animal rescue and another organization we support that helps the homeless in gratitude.

    xxalainaxx

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    1. You are such a fine and decent and good human being. You inspire me more than you know.

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  10. This is not an advert but I’ve used this company two times for new glasses and they are reliable and speedy and inexpensive. You just have to know your prescription. They don’t make contacts but I’m glad to have an extra pair on hand. Remember that Twilight Zone episode Time Enough At Last? Hello.

    https://www.glassesinaday.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9JjQp4PP6AIVNB-tBh3LTgtVEAAYAiAAEgKPIfD_BwE

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    1. Is your glasses prescription complex? That's why I haven't taken advantage of one of these online companies. I don't know that they'd be able to do what I need. I should try to find my prescription though, and go from there.

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  11. I guess snakes don't have very sensitive digestive systems but slithering down a crack with that great big bulge would be a desperate act! :) Interesting you say that about the cooking. I'm noticing people are getting more creative with cooking and using up everything, which is good. But you're always so creative with cooking anyhow. That is SUCH a nice story about the plants!

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    1. Isn't that a rather heartwarming story about the plants?
      This snake didn't have an egg so it could easily have hidden itself in a crack.
      I'm just glad that I know how to cook now. Really, really glad.

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  12. Snake! Eeeek! Although I do like them. Snakes, that is. They have their uses too and their will to live, just like the rest of us.

    I'm going to hang up my wash outside even though it's an exercise in futility because it's too cold here. The sun is in my front yard but not the back yard.

    I am so looking forward to hugging another person. I know I will cry.

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    1. I will cry too, Beth. I cry just thinking about it. At least I have Mr. Moon to hug on.
      As Lon said last night about being afraid of snakes- We're SUPPOSED to be afraid of snakes.
      We humans do take that too far but it's still an instant reaction for most people.

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  13. OK, everything about this post was entertaining. The pink mini cowboy hat! And WHO ON EARTH would take plants that had been "abandoned"? (Don't answer that.)

    Bravo to Mr. Moon for saving the snake. We need more people to save snakes and not just wantonly kill them.

    And of course God would never allow coronavirus to infect a religious gathering! Surely!

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    1. As to your last sentence- no more than a loving god would allow such a virus to descend upon his beloved children. Right?
      I think if I weren't around, Mr. Moon might have shot that snake. Probably not. But he would have thought about it.
      I'm trying not to judge the plant removers because they were also the plant returners! But I will judge the person who wore the tiny pink hat.

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  14. We are spending a lot less Money these days and The Man has had strange cravings for stuff we don't have in the Pantry and I refuse to risk my Life to procure during a time of Pandemic. *LOL* I Love that hardy Rose that refuses to Die and Blooms where ever it is Planted, we should be like that. The Fundie Religious Zealots are Cultish and being reckless and Selfish, it's akin to Manslaughter if people in their Community become infected and Die due to them ignoring and refusing to obey CDC guidelines, it isn't all about them.

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    1. Well, as someone said in the paper today- you can't pass the plate during a virtual service.

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  15. It rained all day today so I couldn't even do the circuits round the garden I usually do- just too muddy. We are not allowed to buy anything except food and medicines. I noticed that even the reader glasses were covered up in the chemist yesterday when I ventured out to buy milk and gloves- (milk yes- gloves no)How terrible if you can't even read because your glasses have broken.May's apartment looks very nice- I like the wooden floors and the pretty blue walls.I hope you and your family stay safe at this time

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    1. Now that's one I hadn't heard. Really? You can't even buy glasses? Books? Is vodka considered a medication? (Bad joke.)
      That is tough.
      You and your family be safe too.

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