I finished grading projects today. 3 A s, 1B, 1 C, 1 F, and three zeros for turning nothing in. That last part is discouraging.

Dh says I care more about their grades than they do and I need to stop (caring so much) because it makes me sad. He says I was happier back when the program didn't require me to give grades and that I should just stop (giving them). Or give everybody an A. He says if I give everybody an A and my boss complains, I should tell her I grade on an individual basis not an arbitrary scale, and that every student was 100% themself.

I also went to the vet pharmacy for prenatal vitamins and antibiotics in case sad momma goat needs them.

I stopped at the thrift in that town (rarely go out there) and bought myself a cozy oversized shirt/smock/towel to wear in class next winter. I only had one warm one I can wear to school. I used to have 2, but I ripped a big hole in the arm of one of them. Now I keep it in my studio.

I've been working on work project all day. Want to get a walk in before the rain. Will write more in a bit.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
YEA!!!!! for the finished new room!!!
Sorry that it took a toll on your hips.

The closest business I could walk to is the plant nursery out on the highway, about 5 miles from here.
Used to be a ranch 3 miles away where they sold goat milk and cheese but she has retired.
Just around the corner from me is a tiny one room church with people who don't talk to anybody. (?)

That is very sad and upsetting about the kid.
Young and inexperienced mama. 🙁

Hi Tatoulia
Your dinner out with Mom sounds delicious. 🙂

You may get snow on the fourth of July if the weather keeps being so unusual.

September is only -4 months away.
Plenty of time for you to live with your decision about not keeping the car and see if it's really what you want to do.

Slept in this morning.
Going to be up to 80 degrees today.
Today I plan to psyche myself up into going grocery shopping tomorrow or Wednesday.
Maybe Wednesday the fresh produce will be restocked.
Last time I went the produce was scant and not very fresh looking at all so I didn't get much.
Waiting for the other rhubarb stalks to get ready to pick.

Thanks for the support on the car. It's a good one. I'll jerp this a while longer. My garage renewal is September so I'll decide then whether to keep another year. I think the answer will be no.

I am home today, working on a project. So I'll be in touch a bit later.

Tatoulia, I also think the car decision is a good one.

Yes Tillie, if I didn't have a car, I could go to the Methodist church (one mile) k-2 school or fire station (a mile and a half in opposite directions), or three-ish miles to the tractor store, post office, cafe that is open 4 days a week or presbyterian church. There is a farmer's market at the fire station Thursday nights may-October. It is at least nine miles to anything else. - all of that is the one way distance.

CM, I remain hopeful for your friend.

I am not a huge fan of laundry mats and am overwhelmed by huge piles of clean laundry, so I am not a good screen for your thought, but if you think it will help you - go for it!

Yesterday dh finished the floor trim (there remains one raw doorway into the old section of the house) and we put most of the furniture back. Now both of my hips hurt, but the room looks really nice.

Now there is a sad and awful thing, so maybe stop reading. The new buckling's mama laid on him yesterday and crushed him. I have never had that happen before. Now I have a new thing to worry about.

Hello Tillie! Yes mom got her scallops, baked or broiled with a few breadcrumbs on top, with mashed potatoes and also cooked carrots. I had beet salad, no dressing, with shrimp.

I'm just back home now. I had BF leave me at mim's so I could install her new TV antenna and scan for channels. The new one does work much better.

I would love to get more of a walk in right now but it's simply too raw and cold. Central Mass is getting snow, which is crazy.

I haven't decided if I'll go in on a rare Monday tmr.

I haven't done any closet work today so perhaps I'll get my exercise that way.

Good Afternoon Everyone
Just now 12 noon here.

Hi CriticalMass
Getting ALL the laundry done at the laundromat is a fantastic plan.
Make sure to have bags or bins to hold the clean laundry in at home so it doesn't get messed up.
I have found that late at night I have had the entire laundromat all to myself and was able to use all the machines at once so it did not take as long as waiting for one or two loads to finish before starting on the next loads.

Thank you for that positive update on your friend.
It is a hard time when people must realize that they can no longer live independently.
Since she was unable to take better care of herself and got so ill, assisted living could insure a better quality of life for her.

Hi Tatoulia
You not owning a car is very logical.
In a big city there are taxis & buses & other means to get around.
If you absolutely need to drive somewhere there is always car rentals.
Here, where I live, without a car I have no way to go anywhere.
Subclinical probably has the same situation.
Country living cannot be done without a vehicle.

Did your Mom get her scallops?

I am highly allergic to roses.
Right now I have hundreds of them blooming in my yard.
Cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze, sniffle, sniffle....

Cm!!! Imagine my joy, after a cold, raw, rainy walk, to read your post!

You are doing a good job keeping hope and faith alive. You are being very thoughtful about what the next steps for your friend May look like. I'm glad you could catch a nap in her room.

I do think getting the laundry washed, dried and folded in one big swoop sounds like a good idea. It will take much longer than you think, and it will be worth every minute and every dollar. One thing that has helped me immensely is being able to put my laundry away. You may not be at that point yet but I am all for laundry! I wish I could do it for you. I find it immensely therapeutic.

I'm going to shower now and get ready for the meal with mom. I am feeling very tired. It may be allergies for me too, CM

Hi ladies, Happy Mother's Day if it applies, happy day in May in any case. I glanced through posts quickly. SubC, the hippos were a stroke of genius. Tatoulia, I will pray for your impoverished family to have what they need and hope for a brighter future. Good of you to care and help them.

My friend started to see some improvement towards the end of the week. Hope it is a trend! Her breathing is better - they were able to lower her oxygen. Her color earlier in the week had concerned me. Sort of pale orange. My friend said it was the toxins. But she's had a couple rounds of dialysis and her color looks more normal.

It would really be something if she were able to go to a nursing home or assisted living. Although if that happens, I know she will have more mixed feelings than we who simply would rather not have to say goodbye. She wants to live independently, but when she has, clutter and mold and bugs have been a problem due to her lack of mobility, and she tries to get along without the oxygen and diuretic medicine - I learned this is why she crashed so badly.

So we wait and see, support, encourage, and if it comes down to it, help her adapt to a "new normal."

I have a touch of spring allergies at the moment, but glad it's not a cold. Tired at times, rest when I can. Even napped in her room in the recliner when she dozed off! Today I discovered a drip under the kitchen sink - the new one from last summer/fall - here at the house. It looks like just the seal around the drain or maybe the joint in the pipe. Hopefully an easy fix.

My own room looks like it has been shaken AND stirred... I'm brainstorming strategies like maybe taking all the laundry at once to a laundromat. It would cost, but maybe feel like the time saved would be less stressful. At home it gets so easy to procrastinate because so many things need to be done at once and indecision sets in. But at the laundromat I'd be positioned to focus and "Git 'er Done!" - what do you think?

We had a beautiful sunny day yesterday, Tillie. And now it's raining cats and dogs. I'm heading up to see BF then will walk around the city for a bit.

Tillie, SubC, everyone, I've decided not to replace my car. I don't know how long I'll keep it, but I cannot justify getting another car. That's good news. I'm excited. The reasons I want a new car don't make financial sense.

I'm feeling good, having made this decision. It's right for me.

Good Morning

Hi Subclinical

Hi Tatoulia

Going to go fill the clothesline up...

Happy Mother's Day!!!

We will take mom out later in the day. It's rainy and cool and I'd like to get my walk in. I'm having my first cup of coffee and someone is being all snuggly.

SubC I am fascinated about your body changing with the swimming! You really are remarkable. I am in awe of your dedication and ability to fit so much into a day! I am able to be joint pain free most of the days. I have some knee pains here and there. I broke both my knees as a child and my ankle twice. So I'll have knee pain but nothing that I notice. I went through a period of extreme hip pain for a period, maybe a month, but that's been gone for several years. In all, my body is so happy being lighter and I hope the next ten pounds will help it along.

Yes, Tillie, a freshly baked muffin is a cure-all!! Oh gee whiz scooter, have we learned nothing??

So I'll enjoy the quietude of the AM and plan my walk.

Happy mother's Day Tatoulia and all!

It is a weird holiday, and we rarely celebrate it except dh and I call our moms. Ds might call me today if his wife reminds him and he feels like it.

(My kids will roll their eyes and tell you how I feel about "Hallmark holidays")

Bunny is much more active with all that weight off!

Last night dh and I went out and it took me forever to get ready. I'm having a really hard time with my body lately. It is changing shape from swimming, in a good way I guess because the waist of my jeans is looser, and the abdominal fat is the most unhealthy part, but I guess I am building muscle, because I am actually gaining weight. And the weight gain is just as hard on my joints as if it were fat. And my clothes don't look or feel right anymore. Once school is out and my evaluations are done, I need to bite the bullet and attack my closet. I will need to dedicate at least a full day.

Good Evening Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
Thinking about you (((HUG)))

Hi Subclinical
I am glad you did not dig the ditch.
Bet Bunny is feeling good having all that extra fuzz off her.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!! for the closet project!
GO YOU!!!

LOL that you come armed with a muffin to your Mom's.

Today I watered the flowers/plants, the trees and the grass.
Buried down in the blooming wild rose bushes I have rhubarb growing.
I'm all out of fresh fruit & veg but I harvested some nice rhubarb stalks while I was out there.
Baked a rhubarb cobbler.
Cleaned the kitchen afterward.

Allowed Scooter to come outside with me but when I was busy he would nibble on the dry grass.
Think I was able to keep him from eating too much but I have a can of tuna in oil on hand Justin Case. ;/

I started running errands at 300 today and just finished them. I'd stopped in my house around 4:45 to use the ladies room then was off again I forgot my phone here st some point and so couldn't take any picture. The absolute second I walked in my door, my phone beeped with a text. It was one of the neighbors wanting to stop by with a Mother's Day gift from her and her children. I was so tired and didn't want to get stuck with someone hanging out so I went to her house instead. Then I saw BF and then she drove me home.

I am so tired. In the best possible way

I saw mom today and cleaned the litter box. I also took care of my cat's box. Will work on my closet more tomorrow! Mom wants to go for dinner with NF and me and so we shall. She's craving scallops.

SubC you are amazing!!!

Tatoulia, hurray for your closet progress!

I did not dig the ditch because my back is still too sore from cleaning stalls.

I also did not grade papers. I was still feeling angry about the kids who did not turn their projects in and that was not a good frame of mind.

I did work on grooming the bunny. I am now laughing that I thought she was half done. She is maybe not half done now. But she is much better. She let me cut the mats away from around her face and back legs, (she gets cheek pompoms in the winter) and I brushed a stuffed full plastic grocery bag of loose fur from her back and sides. She still needs her ruff and belly done, and more mats cut around her tail. I have to be very careful around her tail because it is so small and hidden - I don't want to nick it.

I also cut some maple branches that were starting to overhang my peach tree, and gave them to the goats for a treat. (More arms and shoulders - less back.

Thank you. There's also a neighborhood benefit office right here and I'm going to see if we can get some emergency funds over there ASAP. I've talked to BF today a couple of times but haven't asked re the family yet. I can make sure they are getting all available benefits and will also go by the women's shelter to see if I can get food from their pantry. I have volunteered there and in addition to providing three nutritious meals each day they have a good pantry with meats and eggs and staples such as rice and pasta. They ask no questions so it wouldn't be uncomfortable for me to go with the wife or one of the children and get a bag of food. I will also, quietly, make a monetary donation next week. My company will double it.

I'm more comfortable getting the family acclimated to additional benefits and food pantries than I am for giving them money. If my BF decides to buy them a car, I'm good with it. It will get the father back to work and he can pay BF on minimal installments. (No interest). Right now the dad's walking the kids to their various schools and walking them back home, which I think is so loving. I like his attitude, used to drive them, well, now he's walking. We need to get him back to work. I think the daughter I know is doing okay because she hasn't texted me since Monday. And I spoke with her on the phone on Wednesday.

They may have already availed themselves of these resources but I don't mind be better versed in what's around to help them navigate any paperwork or red tape. I used to do a lot of this type of stuff for people and I'm out of practice.

Closet going well! And I've washed up the tops for the ladies and I've hung them on my rack to dry. I have back and front windows open (one each) . I'll be breaking in a bit to visit with BF. I just had a sandwich. Prosciutto and fig jam.

I will be out in the sunshine soon!!! I will stop up at mom's and change kitty's box and maybe bring mom a blueberry muffin from the cafe. So juicy and delicious.

Yesterday was a true mental break for me. I slept well and happily.

Okay will check on where I've left off on the closet and choose one or two more things to do before heading out.

I'll go do my dishes now too, Tillie!!

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical
YEA! for a fine Nanny goat and her baby boy!

Your hippos are precious.
So wonderful that you think like a small child and know what they need. (((hug)))

Hope the rabbit is into the grooming and you both find it an enjoyable experience.
Good luck with the ditch digging, don't over do.

Hi Tatoulia
Another place for her to check out is W.I.C.
Women infants and children.
They make sure that pregnant or lactating mothers, infants and children get the proper nutrition and other things to insure proper development no matter the income level.

YEA! for those healthy challenges at work!
I know you will earn your next $100 since you are getting to be such a pro now at decluttering and organizing. 😉

Make sure to get outside and enjoy all those beautiful Spring blooms.

Saw you posted again before I posted...
GO! GO! GO!
You are on a roll! 😀

Didn't wash dishes yesterday so I'll do that today.
Need to put a little water on my garden today.
Will decide what else I'll do as I think of it.

Congratulations!

Ladies, I'm doing it! I'm in my closet and my dresser drawers and I'm doing it. I found a bunch of artwork that someone gave me once. Forgot I had it. Have all pieces but one in the donation bin. I also found a Jean skirt I forgot I had so I started a wash with my jeans and the found skirt and a fleece. That way the skirt and fleece will be clean and ready for the cleaners. I also chose three tops from my drawers which I thought I'd wear again the last two times I assessed my drawers but can safely say I won't wear them again. I'll wash them up later today because I think the cleaners will like them. I also chose a recent blouse from my closet because it's just too big now and it's fall/winter colors and I'll be damned if it fits next year.

Ok I am doing this!!!! I am so happy right now.

I put a pair of shoes in donation bin. So I have cleaners pile and donation pile. I know the cleaners say they want everything but honestly some of this stuff is still usable but not in the condition for friends.

Ok I'm doing it!!!

😊

My two year old first fresher had her baby - a little buckling, which is disappointing since I am already swimming in boys, but he is adorable and she has a nice little udder and I milked her out a little and she has good teats. I will definitely keep her in the breeding rotation.

SubC, if I ever lose my memory, I want the last memory to be this hippo story.

Tatoulia,

I am glad that family has you guys. It makes me sad that in a country that has so much, we don't have a better floor under everyone.

I remember having a conversation with a coworker about heart Dd needing to learn that she should ask for help when she needed it - that it was insane to let her water get shut off and have to pay a reconnection fee when she could borrow $20 interest free from me for a few weeks and just pay it! (It is EXPENSIVE to be poor in America.)

And my coworker said "i've done things like that. It's embarrassing to admit that you can't pay your bills." And I told her, well it shouldn't be. I know what you do for a living, and I know how much you get paid, and there are a LOT of people who should be embarrassed if you can't pay your bills, but you are not one of them. And I usually have $20, so please ask!

I don't know if i've Explained the hippos or not.

When I first started doing pottery shows, all my work was raw fired in black and white and shades of grey. So my booth was kind of dull. I tried bright table cloths to set it off and draw the eye, and that worked ok, but it was still pretty stark. I also noticed that a lot of people brought kids to pottery fairs, and everything was breakable and there was nothing kid friendly and kids want to touch everything, and the parents spent a lot of time saying "don't touch that." And couldn't relax, so they weren't having fun, and they weren't buying.

So, I started making these chunky little hippos in bright colors that were rounded and smooth and didn't quite fit in a choke tester and could be dropped from kid height onto a wooden floor and usually not chip or break. Then I spread them around my pottery for color and set up a bunch of them low in the front of my display posed on wooden blocks and colored felt.

So the parents got to my booth and the kids would start rearranging the hippos and the parents would say "don't touch..." and I would say "oh, it's perfectly fine, that's why they're there." And then I would talk to the kid about the hippos and other stuff - because I like talking to kids better than talking to adults - and the parents would stay longer at my booth and relax a little and sometimes they would buy a pot, and often they would buy a hippo or two, because they are cheap, and if your kid has two little hippos that just fill his hands, he is going to be happier and a lot less likely to touch stuff!

And sometimes before a show I would tuck a few hippos into a glaze firing at school (the kiln always fires better full, so I usually top a load off if I need to get it done) and the kids would see them, and they asked about them and a lot of them said "I want a hippo!" And I have a lot of students. So I started saying "I'll make you a hippo when you graduate."

So every year I send out notes to all the graduating seniors who have ever taken one of my classes and remind them that they are entitled to a hippo if they want one, please return this card. And they can tell me what color they want and if they want it marked with the school name and/or their year of graduation. And I make them hippos. The end.

I am being slow and lazy this morning. I don't have any firm plans, but I have a ditch to dig, a rabbit to groom, and a lot of papers to grade.

Thanks Tillie. I've been worrying a lot. I was thinking of maybe taking them to the food bank. They haven't asked for a thing; we are just worried. I have discussed with BF about transferring my car but he doesn't want me to do it. He's considering finding him a car, buying it, and having him pay him $100 a month. I suggested we just monitor for now, with the exception of getting them food/food money. But if his car situation didn't work out soon, we will have to get him a car. We feel morally obligated and he can afford it.

I've been stressed about this since Wednesday. Secretly stressed. And it came on the heels of the very intense mentoring session with someone Tuesday night. The good part is, I can recognize this, so I can take care of it/make changes.

Today was wonderful. I enjoyed just being me with no real obligations. Tomorrow will also be a good day because I won't have to do my sheets and other stuff.

I'll have to find out what mom wants for mother's day, in terms of activities. I came take her someplace or we can have BF take us out for dinner. She won't have enough strength to do two things.

We have all these healthy challenges at work, can earn up to $100 a quarter. I got my $100 last quarter and am well on my way for this quarter. Well next week's challenge is on organization/decluttering. I picked my bedroom closet. I'll have to look over the rules again, to see what we are supposed to do. I think it's a one-week challenge but I cannot now remember. I was just excited to have something that fits in here. So I'll have some photos in the coming week of the bedroom closet!!!

Our dogwood are out. There are pink petals from our cherry trees everywhere and our lilacs are gearing up toward the future. Very pretty.

What about a food bank, community cupboard?
There must be several in the area.
Even with food stamps it's rarely ever enough to last the entire month.

What about St. Vincent's?
In Reno they have food and give free work clothes and help people who are unemployed get back on their feet.

Wishing them the best of luck

Tillie, isn't that something, how the flooring is making you so happy? I'm so grateful you found the tiles and had a good time getting them in place.

After haircut I walked down to my bank to get $ to pay him. I also owed him for mom's haircut last week. Then I went to a cafe and had a delicious, freshly-baked corneal blueberry tarts I had an enjoyable cup of coffee and read my kindle. Then I ran home to put my sheets in the dryer and grab an umbrella, then up to bring BF his blueberry muffin together with a birthday card one of my friends sent to him here. We spent some nice time together then I came back here, started a second load of laundry, made my bed then out to the grocery store. I got asparagus and some sun-dried tomatoes. I'll make pasta tomorrow. I also got some prosciutto.

Now I'm waiting for my pj load of laundry to be finished.

We are helping a family right now that is in dire straights. BF asked me to get a mother's day present for the mom, which I did, so that one of the daughters can give it to her. Then he got a card for her to give her mom. They are out of money for food. The father's car finally died for good and he can't work. The new car from his cousin doesn't work. The dad was practically crying. So I think BF is going to give him some food money. This saga has been going on for almost a week. One of the daughters is very sweet and very starved for affection. It's a tough situation. Mother is pregnant with sixth child. And it's all gone to hell in the last week.

It has been worrying me terribly. I was with BF when he called the father today to see the status on the "new" car. Bf is trying to figure it out. We told the girl that I was going to do something for her to thank her for the lovely picture she drew for my birthday, and when I heard she needed suggestions for a mother's day gift, I decided to buy a pretty watch for her mom.

They are decent, hard-working people. They are out of money, and I don't think their food stamp money comes in til next week. This has been worrying me so much. I'm glad BF said he'll see they are fed.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi Subclinical

" the rabbit is not necessary to my lesson plan, so maybe this is a case of learning not to pack in one more thing. She can go next week, or the last day."

YES! ;D

WAY TO GO! working in the barn, planting, lesson plans, glazing a dish and finishing the Hippos!
Plus all the other things you did and thinking through future plans.

Have a wonderful time tonight with dinner with the kids.

Thank you
I really impressed myself too doing the flooring project.
I keep looking in there saying "WOW"!

Hi Tatoulia
Getting an earlier hair cut means the rest of the day is free of appointments & obligations.

Stairs!
Yes, at first it hurts to stretch those muscles but very quickly the pain stops and your legs and behind start to look fantastic!
When I worked surgeries the doctor and I always raced each other up & down the stairs at the hospital because it was some of the best exercise.

Maybe nobody will need the washer before you get back and put them in the dryer yourself?

Don't have any plans for today.
Chilly and breezy and not expected to warm up much today.
So I won't be doing laundry.
Jack came by this morning and turned his nose up at his breakfast cereal.
Will probably just take today off and keep admiring the pantry floor.
Those hardwood flooring squares were ridiculously easy to work with.
Tongue and groove that you lightly tap into each other.
Reminded me of those wooden puzzles I played with in kindergarten.

Hair dresser just asked if I can come in at 11:45 instead. Yes, I can. I was just stripping my bed and going to put in washer. I will wait. I don't want someone else having to put my sheets in the dryer. I'm picky about my sheets.

After I wrote the above, I decided, just out your sheets in the washer. And so I did.

Going to wash my face and get ready to leave. He's only 20 minutes away, if that.

SubC hippos for your grads!!! More information please! You are amazing in every way. If you've previously discussed the hippos, forgive me as it didn't register.

The yellow roses must be so beautiful, Tillie.

I am up. And having coffee. No agenda. Until 3:00 when I get my hair cut.

The garbage has been picked up. Mine is not out. Monday night it is!! Nothing to get upset about.

I'm thinking of going to a cafe and bringing my kindle with me.

My calves are sore, I started climbing steps with a woman at work yesterday. I did 6 flights up and 6 down in the morning, then 8 flights up and 8 down in the afternoon.

I'm feeling peaceful and calm. I was thinking of bringing breakfast to BF but Friday AMs are a busy times for him.