Good afternoon. I woke up at 12:37 when my mother called me. I didn't wake up when BF called me half an hour earlier. I slept with the windows open, the city is quiet and I had a productive day yesterday.

Just brewed and poured my first cup of coffee.

Tillie I am worried about the extreme heat and all of your animal friends.

I may work with BF at the end of the evening. He needs to hire someone but he's picky. He also can't put a sign out because he's not like a big chain. If he doesn't hire someone then it's personal.

Okay going to ease into my afternoon.

Hi Tatoulia
Sounds like the dollhouse things are packed up very well.

WAY TO GO! for laundry and grocery shopping for Mom!

I like smaller post offices.
Less hustle and bustle going on in them.

A good relationship has those times when one gives more than the other.
But then it evens out again. 🙂

Got the garden all watered and took a shower and it was only 9pm when I finally sat down in my bed.
I dozed for only a few minutes off & on this afternoon.
Had some icecream before I watered.
Soon as it cools off a little bit more I will sleep.
I still have the cooler on in here.

Hope you got you nap in, Tillie! The PO I went to is a very small branch. They told me they sold the last two sheets before I came in.

Bf and I ran a few errands tonight. My mother needed groceries. I'll take them to her tmr. . I realized earlier today that I'm finally putting in 50% of the effort in our relationship. It feels good.

I have the box of dollhouse stuff all ready. I took the box I packed last night and put it in a bigger box and I put some of the fragile things in smaller boxes before putting in the larger box.

I did three loads of laundry tonight.

Hello Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
Strange the post office would be out of postcard stamps.
Seems like a lesser bought size.

Nice BF will get a fresh paint job on his place.

YEA! for your beautiful day! 😀

106F and the latest weather report says tomorrow will be just as bad.
The wildfire smoke is back.
Been getting thicker all day long.🐼

Very sleepy. Tried to nap but Steven kept making too much noise.
Couldn't get very comfortable since Twinkles is hogging half the couch and I can't stretch out.

Will have to water the garden late tonight before I can go to bed and sleep.

Quick check in. Post office was out of postcard stamps today! I couldn't believe it! I got one package mailed and picked up regular stamps til I can get the postcard ones.

I did a shift at BF's business today so that he could get paint. His painter will paint his office (exterior of the building) this weekend.

Okay I need to go grab some milk and other things. Beautiful day here today. Worried about Tillie and that part of the country. Not sure why Colorado is expecting snow on Wednesday.

Good Afternoon Everyone

Hi CriticalMass

Hi Tatoulia
Happy you have worked through the strong emotions.
You have beautiful memories to cherish. (((HUG)))

Hi Subclinical
Glad you have found some videos that you are enjoying. 😀
I love homes with an eclectic look.
Items carefully collected over the years, chosen because they spoke to the owner's heart.

I have a total mishmash here too and they all go wonderfully together.

I have the drapes closed & the cooler running.
Cool and very dark in here.
Woke up too early because of the shotgun blasts going off.
Just 12:30pm here now and I will follow the cat's advice and take a nap now.

I once had a dream where I had an infant to take care of.
It was not mine but I didn't know where it came from, it was just there.
Anyways I ended up misplacing it and was searching everywhere for it.
Never did find it before I woke up. ;P

I like the idea of ice cream in my pajamas too.

Lately I've been watching some videos by "girl in calico" on YouTube. The are peaceful and help me take a moment to unwind and focus on how I want my home to be centered.

My house is not like that though, it is a blend of that, "summer beach cottage", "early American attic" "Daycare at the library" and "Danish modern" (Dh influence)

Rest and stay cool Tillie!

Hello everyone. I'm great with my choices today. I was just thinking about my childhood and how wonderful my mother made it for us. My father too but the dollhouse was my mom. So I'm back to myself today.

Anxiety dreams, SubC. I still have dreams where it is finals time and I realize I never went to class or I can't remember where my exam room is. Just this past week I dreamt I had a final and I didn't know what time or where. Naturally this is a very scary time for you. I am worried about all of this.

Tillie ice cream in a nightgown is an ideal set up!

I am going to run to the post office before it closes. I'm not sending the dollhouse stuff because I need more boxes and I ran out of tape.

Will write more later. Beautiful dry and cool right now. Wish I could send you a jar of it, Tillie.

Good Morning Everyone

Hi Subclinical
Yes, this pandemic really sucks for people who need people.
Heartbreaking that your Mom is so cut off from her loved ones.

We all can read the lists of people who have been sickened or have sick family or friends.
But there is no list listing all the emotional trauma caused by the isolation that's causing so many to be depressed.
Phone calls, facetime, emails are better than nothing but just not the same at all. (((HUG)))

I like the yurt.
That would be a great classroom. 😀

Good luck with the laundry.
I still have to have liquid laundry detergent.
The detergent sheets are for laundry but I use a little dab of the liquid in a bucket of hot water for cleaning around the house.
And of course for doing a little hand washed laundry.
But using the sheets has greatly reduced having to buy more liquid in a plastic jug.

How you doing today Tatoulia?
You seem to want to gift the miniatures but are just emotional about it.
That's OK.
Having emotions is not always a bad thing.
We need to experience them and accept them as part of being human.
((((HUG))))

Today is supposed to be the extremely hot day.
Yesterday I waited until well after sundown to go out and water.
It was warm but not too badly.
By the time I finished watering the grass and Lilacs it was after 11:00pm.
Came in and after I was all cleaned up & in my nightgown I had some icecream as a reward.

Tatoulia, I crossed and didn't see your list last night (I post slowly)

I hope that you find some clarity and peace on the dollhouse furniture.

All those dollar coins - wow! Not only were they heavy, they took up a lot of space!

Good luck with the painter!

The hardest thing (personally - I have been lucky) about the pandemic is that it is keeping my mom away from Bean. and from me. She would be so happy if she could come here and hold him. She is very lonely. She loves my dad, but she is all that he needs in the world, and she needs other people. I think Dad is actually very happy with quarantine and wouldn't mind if it went on forever. He misses a few things, but loves not having to share my mom.

Mom walks three miles every day, and she calls one of her kids or grandkids on the phone for the whole walk. She also FaceTimes my niece - who is an incredibly social and lonely in spite of two sisters 11 y.o. Every day.

My aunt is still cleaning out her house and took two broken German dolls that belonged to my grandmother to my mom. Mom says she fixed them, but not as well as I would have and she wishes I were there.

Last night I dreamed that I was back teaching at the same program but in a much bigger building and we also had yurts and circus tents. It was raining and there were puddles everywhere and my kids got soaked on the way to our yurt. Then we decided to stop wearing masks because it was the second day and nothing bad had happened the day before. And my class ran waaaaay over and my boss got mad because people were waiting for my students, and my next class was waiting for me, and she had to come out to the yurt in the rain.

Today I will bake bread and hopefully make school progress and do some laundry. I almost ran out of laundry strips (I have three left) and the new ones won't be here until Friday, so I am doing laundry on an emergency basis. I do have some liquid detergent that I use to hand wash delicate things that I can use in a pinch.

((((((HUG))))))

Very emotional and weepy over the dollhouse furniture. I'm not ready to post pictures yet. Very emotional. Bf agrees we picked the right person to give them too I just never found the right person. I sent her a few pictures.

I'm weepy. SubC I'm glad you can see the baby more. Tillie I had ice cream. I'm weepy but I'm doing the right thing at the right time for the right person.

Hi Subclinical 🐼

Well WTG! keeping Bunnies in the shade.
This Summer has been so disjointed we all would have done better under better circumstances.

YEA! for eating icecream!
I still haven't broken the seal on my carton but plan to soon.
Between store bought candy or icecream, I choose the icecream 😀

Everything you do now is genuine authentic Grammie now.

How WONDERFUL!
Bean video AND more planned Bean time in your future. (((((HUGS)))))

WAY TO GO! for all you did today!
And the kitchen being better than when you started too is a BIG plus.

We will forgive you for the butter, salt & pepper from far away sources. 😉

There are huge fields here in Nevada full of cows.
There are signs that state they belong to a company named "California Gold" dairies.
The sell butter & cheese under the pretense that the cows live happy content lives in California.
Lies, all lies 🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄

We grow a LOT of alfalfa hay here.
Rather than transport the hay to California Cows they just brought the cows here and then transport the milk to California.

Good Evening Everybody
6pm and still too hot to water yet.

Hi Tatoulia
YEA!!!! A new scratch post!!!! 🐱‍👤

Boy you must really be strong and determined to carry all that coin around.
WTG! cashing it in and putting it somewhere better than laying around in the house.

With the casinos here there is a lot of silver dollars here too.

Ooooo Dollhouse furniture. 😀
Why are miniatures so fascinating?
We all just love them.

I believe the pressure behind my eyes in my sinuses is what has caused the Raccoon eyes.
I believe it was a combination of my allergies, the wildfire smoke and the terribly dry and dusty air that caused it. 🦝

Hope you are going to enjoy this end of Summer holiday.
You are allowed to have an icecream. (((HUG)))

Tillie, I am wishing you cooler weather. I think you should be a 🐼. I do not like 🦝🦝.

It is lovely here - 72, breezy, finally not humid. The bunnies were very pleased but my lawn looks a little patchy. I should have moved the bunny hopper more often as they grazed. I just moved it enough to keep it in the shade.

I would have eaten the chocolate. I did eat some ice cream today.

My bread dough is started. It has to sit overnight and then I add more ingredients and make the loaves in the morning. We call it "Grammie bread" because it is my mom's starter and recipe. But now, I am "Grammie" too. Wonder if it will make the grammie bread more authentic?

My Dd reminded me that we moved far away from our families and her grandmothers didn't get to see her for months at a time and there was no FaceTime.

She sent me a video of Bean getting excited about his hanging stars this morning. They are coming over Sunday, and she changed her mind and wants me M/W/F next week because she has some stuff she has to do.

Also today I ran the dishwasher, filled the dehydrator with tomatoes, picked the beans, gathered up some of the stuff I need for class prep and planning (I put it in piles by category on my work table), Took out the compost, and made dinner - the butter, Garlic, salt, and pepper did not come from my garden. The garlic came from my friend's garden.

I Recycled a few things and left the kitchen better than when I started.

CM, I hope you hear from your mechanic soon! I married mine, so he can't avoid me.

Ps BF spoke to painter and he's coming down to give me his cost. He can come down this weekend.

Hello everyone!

Tillie do you know what about the sinus infection gives you raccoon eyes? You poor thing. I saw on the National news tonight about the terrible and dangerous heat out west.

Cm you are doing great. You aren't in a slump! You are taking a mental rest.

SubC I have no words for just how cruel this pandemic is. It is keeping people from important people (you and your little bean) and it's heart breaking. I am just so sorry.

We received an email today and our office closed at noon. I went up to see BF and to get some personal products for my mom. I bought a lot at start of pandemic for those times that her supplies didn't arrive. I took the second to last packet to mom's then I hopped the subway to go to the bank to cash in my coins. They were all dollar coins. And they were heavy. But I cashed in an unbelievably large and heavy number 676. I'm not making that up. $676. So I have most of my stock money. I'll take more down next week and then buy my stock. Insane to have that many dollar coins. I cashed in my quarters years ago and that too worked out nicely. The dollar coins are from riding the subway. You put in a twenty and buy a ticket and the change is in dollar coins.

I then did a bit of shopping downtown including getting mom's cat a new scratching post. And then I walked home. Felt terrific. I miss my office!

Well I'm going to go through my dollhouse furniture for a friend now. See what's nice and usable.

105 F at 4:00pm

House is a pleasant 77F.

Please let Summer end. ☹

No sinus infection symptoms YEA!

He went to the grocery store and found a 4 piece box of Whitman's Sampler half price in the reduced bin.
He never can resist a "sale".
Gave it to me to help ruin my healthy eating plans.
I stuck it in the freezer way back under lots of other stuff. 😛

Good Morning Everybody

What frustrating and confusing dreams Subclinical.
But understandable knowing what your concerns are.

I had faith in that sourdough starter.
The older the starter is, the better tasting the bread it makes too.
In San Francisco, the oldest bread manufacturer uses starter that was started way back during the gold rush.
And it is the best sourdough bread I have ever eaten.

This is so not fair.
You finally get to be Granma and there is this darn pandemic. ((((HUGS))))

Hi CriticalMass
Good luck and the best of wishes that you can find someone to do the oil change for you.

Keep thinking and plotting your plans of attack when the weather cools down.
Do little "mini" decluttering/organizing tasks at home when you have the free time.
Get all your Ducks in a row. 🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆

I slept soundly last night, no headache.
Still no headache this morning.
Still look like a sad raccoon though. 🦝
Will keep on resting, drinking plenty of tea/water and using my neti-pot.

There is a high heat alert issued for the next several days.
Will wait until after dark to go out and water things.
Doing well with the healthier eating challenge.
When I crave to mindlessly snack/munch I just suffer through until the desire passes.
And it does pass.

I got in a slump after that great day. But next week I will pull out of it because we are set to have cooler weather.

Yesterday was payday and I spent too much money but mostly on useful stuff.

Still have not heard from mechanic. I have gotten the motor oil and filter at Walmart though. So I saved him a step. We shall see.

Tillie, I am sorry about your headaches. I hope you keep feeling better. I hope it won't be too awful to stay in your house and Steven will stay away from you.

Tatoulia, I am glad you ar downshifting a little and taking care of yourself.

Please be kind to your body. Approach it like your house - look at it honestly but not judgementally, decide what it needs, and try to give it those things. Your body is a lot like your house, because you live in it.

Right now my body is telling me it needs more sleep. I had the strangest dreams last night - lines of giant skunks dancing on their front legs through the woods at my parents' house, my Entire school community watching on the lawn. Arranging a Covid bubble play date for my son - who was suddenly small again, with two first graders I teach. Government planes setting my barn on fire and then bombing it with rat poison. Desperately searching for a cracker recipe.

I am super slow this morning.

But, good news - my sourdough starter finally bubbled over! If I get the kitchen cleaned up, I can start the dough tonight and bake tomorrow. My inner squirrel just wants to nest.

Dd wants me to only come Mondays and Wednesdays this month. I said "and then only Mondays in October." And she said "I was thinking we might try not at all in October until we see how things are. You're going to be around a lot of kids."

So, now I am even more unmotivated to do class prep by the very real possibility that I may quit my job.

Good Evening Everyone

Hi Tatoulia
So happy Tigger was relaxed during his visit. 😽

Hope you can get time to yourself and refuel.
We all can only do just so much and can't keep up without down time too. (((HUG)))

So good we can get translations easily online.
Portuguese is one I know nothing about.
English, a little Spanish and just a schmear of Yiddish.

Great you have a hose out front and used it to clean the cat carrier.
I do that in Summer and in the shower in the tub in Winter.

WAY TO GO! throwing out that thing you were avoiding and getting all the trash out!

We love listening to all your ramblings. 🐁

Headache has not returned.
Still have dark circles around my eyes.
Feel better after laying on the couch all day.
Started to drift off asleep but was rudely subjected to a rant. 🤡
Got the garden plants watered after dark.
The predicted temps the next seven days are terrifying.
I will stay inside, won't even think of going anywhere.

Oh Tillie I am so sorry about your headache and sinus! What terrible pain!

I am finally better. I've been enormously frazzled. Really overwhelmed. I'm better now.

I think I mentioned that mom is back on lockdown and unfortunately I don't have a deep well of energy to give out right now. She doesn't need much but I don't have it to give. It's really hard on her but I'm absolutely overwhelmed.

Yesterday I worked at BF's so that the internet person could upgrade his internet and do some installation. It went really well. Instead of sleeping over, he sent a car service for me in the AM, which I really appreciated. I like this driver. He's kind and educated and smart and can talk or not talk.

I took the bus and subway home in the afternoon. It was very humid. BF's house has central AC so I had been nice and cool. I didn't want to take a cab. As I got off subway, BF called me and he was walking back from Whole Foods with a bag of sandwiches. So he walked me home and I chose two sandwiches. One for yesterday and one for today. Then after getting home I just wanted to sleep but BF needed to run errands so we did that. I was really overwhelmed but he said I appear to be okay, so that's good. I have been worried that people can see it on me. Yes I could've said no to joining him but I wanted to get heavy stuff for my house.

Then today his very old cat came here to spend the day. He was pretty calm and not agitated like he was last time. He ate all of his food and used his box and all around was a very good houseguest. I was able to return him before my cleaners got here. I had made them signs in Portuguese saying, I have a second very old cat here today. Please just clean what you can. But as luck would have it, the work at BF's office was done early and I could bring my buddy back.

Earlier in the week I had cleaned the carrier. I washed the inside soft part and I took the actual carrier part and cleaned it with the hose out front. I felt really resourceful when I did that.

I canceled my Sept 11 platelet donation. I've kept my October date. I just needed to cut back on one thing.

I had three bags of garbage to take out tonight! It piled up on me. I also threw out something that I had been avoiding.

I have a start of a bag for donations. I'm thinking of taking the subway downtown tomorrow to get a salad at my old lunch place. They are open again. I think I'll feel good to pick up some food and be able to see the guys at the deli, even though I'm huge and fat. Also I'll stop at the main office of my bank and use the coin sorter. I've decided to turn in all of my coins since I'm about to buy stock as a side investment and I have a shameful amount of coins right now. So I'm planning a pleasant part of the day even though I'm swamped at work and shouldn't take such a long lunch.

We used to get out early the Friday before Labor Day but they didn't announce anything today. That's okay.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings.

It is 104F degrees right now.
There has been a high heat advisory for tomorrow when it is predicted to be even hotter.

May as well be living on the Sun. 🙀

Been sitting watching Roku stuff.
Drinking lots of tea.
Made and ate a sandwich.
Head pain is gone. YEA!
Stuff I could be doing but today I am staying put and resting.
After sundown I will water the garden plants.
Thinking I will take a nap very soon. 🦝

Good Morning Everyone

Hope you are doing better this morning Tatoulia (((HUG)))

CriticalMass
"FLAT SQUIRRELS!"
😂 LOLOLOL

Darn sinus headache returned last evening and is still with me but not as bad as before.
My plan for today is to rest and drink plenty of water & tea.
There are deep dark circles around my eyes no matter how much sleep I get.
🦝

Good news is that there are only 15 active cases of virus listed in the county now but there is another death, bringing the death toll up to two now.

Overwhelmed. Have cleaners coming tmr (normally Wednesday). At least I'll feel better with a clean house. Going to bed now. Take care, everyone.

Finally got that sinus headache gone.

Did a little of this & that then washed dishes and wiped up the kitchen.
Did some more of this & that.
Now I am resting my back and waiting until the sun has started going down when I will water the grass.

🦝

Good Morning Everybody

What a magical experience that must have been.
Plus at Christmas time there would have been all the twinkling lights on all the sparkly decorations.

Some people in the county will put ALL their garbage in burn barrels.
The every 6 months or so set it all on fire and allow it to smolder for days.
Fortunately I don't live near any of them.
I do gently/ceremoniously place any tiny creatures I found in my yard in to be cremated.

That's what I love about making my own foods.
Nothing but fresh wholesome ingredients.
No HFCS, preservatives or artificial colors.

I have faith in your sour dough starter.
Been planning to start baking some of my own bread too when the weather cools down here.

Have a fun pizza picnic today. 🙂

Been suffering with a sinus infection last 3 days.
Allergies/asthma from dust, pollens and that nasty wildfire smoke did a number on them.
Drinking lots of water and rinsing with the neti-pot.
Today should be under 100F but then we will get back up in the 100s rest of the week.
So not usual weather.

When I was a young teen, we lived on the edge of a rural area outside of a small town (they paved my road when I was 14 but there was only one farm on it) every year before Christmas a group of moms and daughters would drive almost two hours to a big mall in a city in another state to go Christmas shopping. It was amazing! What I remember most was the bookstore. A whole store full of books!

Burning paper is not a big deal. I do sometimes burn something that has a small amount of coating on it, but it still smells like a wood fire. Last night definitely included a lot of plastic.

I like making my own dessert because I know exactly what is in it.

Sundaes:
Milk, sugar, eggs, cream, butter, cocoa, vanilla, salt
(ok, plus a maraschino cherry from a jar) I should learn to make my own cherries. There are 11 ingredients in the cherries and most of them are "flavorings", preservatives, or dye. Plus they have corn syrup.

Maybe today I will find the courage to plan classes. Dh and I are meeting friends to eat pizza outside at a park today. I'm not sure how it will go.

I haven't baked bread in so long... I am trying to resurrect my sourdough starter. I fed it and put it out all night last night and it is barely bubbling. But there are some bubbles, so there is hope. I will put it outside today so it can be warmer.

Good Evening Everybody

EEEWWW burning trash is the worst. >:/
I put in so much wood when I burn paper so it's more wood than paper.
Plus those smaller branches need to be gotten rid of anyway.

Turkeys are fun 🙂

We are fortunate that we can get so many things by ordering online.
In the old days we would just have to never get what we want or need.
I have bought my tea lately by ordering online.
It was either that or go without.

WAY TO GO! for all that food prep and clean up!
AND you even groomed Bunnies!

Those sundaes sound wonderful and I am very happy you had them. 😋

Yes, I do understand.
Very hard to get into something when you don't believe it will happen.
Maybe just a rough draft, vague outline of the criteria?