Hydroponic Farm

I woke up cold. The thermostat read 80. I took a hot shower, and put on my fleece robe. I sat in my lounger to doze, but the cold persisted. Then I remembered my distilled water in the pot. I drank that and some filtered tap water from yesterday with a little ACV. I went back to the lounger and felt better. I tried the distilling again, this time using a bulgogi pan instead of the inverted pot lid. I swished, and took my supplements. I read an article that said smelling the sweat of happy people improves your mood. How happy can you be sniffing sweaty people?
I got dressed, took my vitamins, and exercised. I met Jennifer and Cecelia in a parking lot. We rode in Jennifer’s are to the hydroponics farm. The manager Sonia, gave us a tour. Afterward, I bought lettuce and beans. We all bought something. Jen dropped us off in the parking lot. On the way home, I stopped at CVS. They did not sell an ace bandage like Rhonda had, so I bought the next best thing plus purified water and mineral water.
When I got home, I put the lettuce in some of the water, since it still had roots. I read e-mail and listened to several book summaries. I made and ate breakfast. I worked tomorrow’s Sudoku puzzle. I brought in the mail – got tax and water bills for the property in Pinehurst. I could see that my neighbor was home, so I went over and asked to borrow his mower. He said any time, but he keeps it locked up so …? I mowed the ditches in the front, around one tree, then down the side by the ditch, then inside the fence (skirting the tree whose root ruined my mower) and then down by the garden. I added some gas to the tank and returned it to his shed. Then I was hot and sweaty so I came in for a drink and to check on my distilled water project. I have seen one online which uses two bottles, one painted black, set in the sun. So it must not need boiling in order to distill. I put on my suit and sunbathed, sweating quite well. I put the tax bills in an envelope to mail to the new owner as directed by Parker. I found some coconut flakes in the cupboard with a small hole in one corner of the bag. So I put some in a bowl, went outside and picked out the black flakes. I ate the rest. What was left in the bag got put in a jar. The other bags of coconut flakes went in a Tupperware container. I turned off the stove and let the distilled water cool. I took the bobbin donut downstairs and filled it with bobbins. I was able to fill the whole thing. Then I went outside to use the riding mower. It doesn’t do as good a job as the push mower but it’s the best I can do until I get a push mower and can mow it right. Then I needed a drink of water. I read about Nicholas Gonzalez, his work and his untimely death. He was a proponent of the autonomic nervous system diet. I picked some basil and made pesto. I went looking for Dr. Kelley’s questionnaire to determine diet type. i listened to a meditation while I ate frozen blackberries. Sadly I got some on my clothes so I put them in water to soak. I watched an episode of X-Files. Then I put the sock of rice on my foot and watched an interview with Cassandra who was medically kidnapped because she refused chemo in order to do alternative treatments. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is the lettuce patch. They also had tomatoes, beans, peppers, arugula and heat-stricken spinach. There are spaces for 12 plants in each stack. *

Ode to my mower

The alarm woke me up but I stayed in bed, not feeling like getting up. But by 8:30 I was at my laptop, reading e-mail and swishing. I was out of distilled water so I filled the pitcher from the shower filter. I looked up nocturnal spiders. Mine is probably an orb weaver, since they eat their web at daylight and re-spin it at night. To be certain, I would have to examine it closely, and that is not going to happen.
I unstacked the dishwasher. There were not enough recyclables to make it worth taking to the street, so I skipped that. I came across a pic of American Ginseng. I thought I had some growing in the back yard, but when I checked, it was a different plant. I juiced and meditated. It was almost noon so I skipped breakfast and went down to cut fabric to take to quilting. In my mind I wrote an ode to my lawn mower (with apologies to Terry Jacks):

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend
We’ve known each other since 2010,
Together we’ve mowed hills and trees.
Learned of blades and batteries,
Shunned wet grass and bumble bees.

We had joy,
We had fun,
We had seasons in the sun
But the root that you hit
Made your parts no longer fit.

Goodbye my friend, it’s hard to die
When grass is reaching to the sky.
Now that fall is in the air,
Weeds are everywhere.
I think of you, but you’re not there.

The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. When I got upstairs, I called Jennifer back. She talked about making dark chocolate and stuff she bought from Swansons, and the hydroponic farm. I finished cutting the fabric, and took the pieces to Stitch-Its to sew. Rhonda said what I bought was not an ace bandage and she showed me how to wrap my foot with one she had. She recommended wearing it at night. William called to talk about mower parts. Christie showed me a funny video about a class of boys acting like they were synchronized swimmers. Marjory gave out muskadines from her yard.
It was almost three when I went home, made and ate breakfast. I looked at dark chocolate recipes, wondering what could substitute for cocoa butter. I tried the recipe that Jennifer did, but ground up cacao nibs, added honey, and then discovered we had no vanilla. So I added orange oil, but it was too much. Then I added some butter, but it was too hard. So I ate the rest of the watermelon while sitting in the sun and letting the butter melt. I mixed it again, and added lo han for extra sweetness. It was still not satisfactory. But I ate it with dates and it was ok then.
I listened to an audio and did today’s Sudoku puzzle. I cleared more e-mail and watched an audio on making acne gel with marigold flowers. I did tomorrow’s Sudoku puzzle. I went outside to trim the grass by the driveway. Then I hooked up the weedeater and mowed as much grass by the ditch as the cord would allow. I wrapped up the cord and put it away. Dusk was upon me, so I came in, checking the doorway for signs of spider web. I read an article about decluttering with the quote “Life is too short to be bossed around by dusty appliances.” I put the indoor plants outside for a breath of fresh air. I read over the map to the hydroponic farm. I took a stab at distilling water in a pot on the stove. I saw a light in my neighbor’s window so I went over there to ask about his mower, but he wasn’t home. As long as I was out there, I watered my plants for tomorrow since I have an early appointment. I laid out the large quilt blocks on the bed. I gathered them in order and went down to sew the first three seams. Then I brought them up to pin on the last set. I sewed them into rows and left it until tomorrow. I need to line up a longarmer if I want to enter it in the quilt show. I started watching X-Files. They dug up Mulder and he started breathing or something but still looked dead. Then Chris skyped me for the last time before traveling to DC. We talked about coco butter and his travel arrangements. I finished the episode and checked on my distilled water. I decided to leave it on the stove until tomorrow. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Didn't crack a smile

I was having a dream when the alarm went off so I stayed in bed, but it slipped away. I did some tapping. I got up to turn on the router and the laptop. I drank some lemon water and checked e-mail. Kurt had written to me “Are you Sudoku for solar puffs?” It took me a while to get it. But really funny and worth sharing on my blog. I tried to read HR 3401 after getting an e-mail asking me to sign a petition to get congress to pass it. It wasn’t hard reading, but long and kind of tedious and I skimmed some of it. I followed the detox protocol as I had it written, and made notations for future tweaks. I wanted it to be so precise that I would not have to think while following it – then I can concentrate on the audios I listen to. After the protocol, I made a paste with the facial mask stuff from yesterday and added DE and bentonite. I spread that on my face and let it dry, then washed it off at the sink. It needed more papaya seed for scrubbing action. I had put a plate of seeds out yesterday to dry, but there was a sudden rainfall today and they got soggy. So I put them in the oven to dehydrate. I also put out the collection tubs, but the rain stopped soon after. When it rains, it pours, but not for long. After washing off the facial, I put on a little coconut oil for moisturizing I worked today’s Sudoku puzzle. I read a scary article on the spread of bed bugs and lyme disease. I took a shower, then stacked and ran the dishwasher. I made some turmeric root tea. I put the vacuum cleaner in the car. I drove to the bank to deposit a check for escrow overage. Why that wasn’t included in the payoff calculation, I don’t know – unless the mortgage company wanted to keep our money a little longer. Then I went to the sew-n-vac for a hose. After quite some time looking for one that fit, they said they would have to order one and the plastic thingy in the back was cracked. As it was, the vacuum was of no use even upright because of the open end. I decided the army owed me another vacuum because it wasn’t in that shape when I sent it with Chris. I bought a round bobbin saver and a Row-by-row license plate (which they will mail to me when it comes in). And I went home. My foot hurt more to drive than to walk. When I got home, I left the vac in the car. I drank the rest of the turmeric tea. The dishwasher was finished and I took my comb out, all nice and clean. I was cleaning up the paper from the Amazon box and felt a stabbing pain in my lower back. So I sat in my most comfortable chair and meditated with Oprah and Deepak. I had icy rice on my foot, too. After it was over, I used the pulp from the tea to make a poultice for my foot. I put a paper towel over it and used the Ace bandage to keep it in place. I wanted to wash the sheets after reading the bed bug article, but I was afraid I could not get the sheets on the bed again because of my back. I read article on how to energize a home. One suggestion was to sing and/or play loud upbeat music. So I went to Youtube for a couple of songs, then got sidetracked, and wasted all afternoon. One video proclaimed that watermelon was good for the kidneys. Since I hadn’t eaten all day and I had a watermelon, I tried to eat the whole thing. That would have been convenient since I did not have room in the fridge for it. But I couldn’t quite make it. I checked for the spider several times. I did not catch him in the act of spinning the web. He just appeared, web and all, at some point after dark. I started watching an episode of X-files. Chris skyped me and I asked him if the spider was keeping me in or keeping other people out. I asked him to sing me a song and he did. Then I finished the episode. It ended with Mulder found dead in a field. I wrote my blog post, cleaned up a few things in the kitchen, and went to bed.

Big Debut

I woke up but stayed in bed until the alarm went off. I turned on the router and the laptop. I added alcohol to the alcohol/water solution so it would not quite freeze. I dressed and went outside to water the plants. I used the last of the mineral solution. When I came in, I did my exercises. I called William about the mower. He said he’d call me back at lunch time with part numbers. I washed off and changed clothes. I put my creation in a box to take to quilting. When I got there, I showed off my hexecontahedron. It got good reviews, except so many ladies asked what I am going to do with it now. I said sometimes the journey is the destination. I sat and talked to Jodi, who had moved away and then back to Huntsville. She and I prayed together. Beverly offered to get me some fabric license plates on the field trip tomorrow. From there, I went to the Asian store but they had moved to a different store-front. So I drove to the other end of the parking lot. When I got inside, the lady told me that the kimbap lady was on vacation so no kimbap until next week. Bummer. When I got home, I brought in the mail, then worked a Sudoku puzzle. I called Sharon, our rental agent, to see if she knew someone who could mow the lawn. I read e-mail, made and ate breakfast. I called William to get the part numbers. I ordered batteries for the mower. Then I sat outside with icy rice on my foot. About 3 I put on sturdy shoes to go to farmer’s market. I parked across the railroad tracks and walked carefully over. I returned the goat milk jars and talked to the owner about cheesemaking. Then I talked to the lady at the beef place for some time. She said she had a request for fresh cow dung and another for bull testicles, so I shouldn’t think I make the oddest requests she’s ever had. I bought cucumbers and peppers from one stand and tomatoes from another. $4 for two tomatoes! They would be cheaper from the hydroponic man but he did not come today. William called to say the mower company makes a special charger that will charge the mower without removing the battery. I brought my foods home and put them in the fridge. Then I read e-mail, and put coconut oil in my hair for overnight conditioning. I ate a papaya, although I only intended to eat part of it. I put some of the rind and seeds in the Magic Bullet with honey, lemon, whey and bentonite clay. I made a face mask and sat outside to let it dry, then came in to wash it off. All of a sudden, it was raining. I combined photo files on my laptop to make the list shorter. I took and posted pics of the hexecontahedron to Facebook. Then I meditated. I posted one of the pics on Pinterest, but the Pinterest site was apparently not interested because it gave me a really hard time. I ate a yucca root while reading e-mail. I worked on the in-between blocks downstairs, not quite finishing them because I had cut several pieces half an inch too short. Then I came up to watch an episode of X-Files. I was excited to read new comments on my Facebook post. Finally I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* Just a note about yesterday's blog: the solar puff is a light that charges in the sun and will shine all night if turned on. It folds flat and weighs next to nothing. *

Pretty cool!

I was having a dream about a yardsale when I woke up. I got up to check on the spider, and it was gone, presumably to sleep through the day. I puttered around the house, doing little things here and there. Quilting had been canceled for today due to VBS. I got dressed and watered the plants. I gave minerals to the ones in jars. I checked e-mail and listened to an audio. I worked several Sudoku puzzles and finished the hexecontahedron. Finally! I looked up the mower repair shops. I used a yard stick across the deck to see if the blade was level. It was not so I assumed the shaft was bent. I called William but he did not answer. I watched David Wolfe’s video about a turmeric smoothie. He used a Nutrabullet and I used a MagicBullet, but the results seemed similar. Mine leaked and I was unable to tighten it enough to stop it completely, but I blended anyway. I drank that while reading e-mail. William called and we discussed the mower problem. He thought I could use the one he bought and retrofit my battery to fit that mower. But I watched a Youtube video about replacing that battery and the terminals are very different. But one Youtube video leads to another (unless you turn off that feature. Note that it starts enabled. ) I found myself watching videos for fixing sulphated batteries.
I made and ate breakfast. I noticed the sun was out, so I laid out in my suit. When I came in, I took my supplements and meditated with the icy rice on my foot. Then I heard sounds on the front porch and the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find a large box and a small box. The Fed-Ex man helped me get the big box inside, then he left. I was worried that William had sent the lawn mower without telling me. But it turned out to be a box of toilet paper, flax seed, chia seed, and pink salt. I read more e-mail and thought I might be subscribed to too many sites. I put on a pair of stiff hiking boots that belonged to Michele. They were too big for me so I laced them up tight, but my foot protested, so I loosened that one. I called the mower places. One did not answer and the other said that if the shaft was bent, it needed a new motor and that was discontinued. I went to the garage for the weedeater. I used it to cut over half of the grass inside the fence. Then I let the extension cord cool off while I picked up sticks in the yard and on the patio and deck. Then I worked on the mower. I tried hitting the shaft with a hammer. Raise your hand if you are surprised that that did not work. I don’t see any hands raised. I tried oiling it. I did not have any oil, so I pulled the dipstick out of my car. There was very little oil on it so I pulled out Chris’ dipstick too. Sadly, it was not enough and did not work. The blade turned, but not freely enough. I put it all back together and parked it in the garage. I used the weedeater to trim the grass around the ditch. Unfortunately I hit the cord with the plastic string. It really tore it up, so I got some electrical tape to wind around the cord. Then I put that away. While I was in the garage, I unwrapped some of the stuff from Honduras and moved it away from the donation pile. I saw things in there that did not come from this house.

I also found my solar puff that came the day the newest blade arrived. It was already charged so I unfolded it into a cube, lit it up and took a pic, then set it in the guest room where the sun comes in in the morning. I sat at my computer and opened the mail. One package contained my new pearl earrings. The rest were notices of insurance cancellation. How many policies did we have on the Pinehurst house? I read an article on obesity and cancer. The comments were more interesting than the article and I spent way too much time reading them. I laid out my quilt blocks on the bed again, and auditioned where the extra parts should go. I took pics of the options, then downloaded them to the laptop. I could not resist clearing a few more e-mails. I checked the back door occasionally to catch the spider making his web. But he appeared with a completed web between one check and the next. I went downstairs to do the math for the inbetween blocks. I had a surprising amount of trouble thinking my way through it. But I plotted it on graph paper and it worked. So I came up to get the inbetween blocks and take them apart to insert the extra pieces. My alcohol/water mixture froze solid overnight so I let it thaw and added more alcohol. I watched an entire episode of X-Files. I was checking the replacement parts website for a motor when Chris skyped me. He said he could not call me tomorrow because there was so much for him to do as they are changing admirals. I showed him my new earrings. He suggested I check second hand stores for electric lawn mowers. After he hung up, I looked up replacement batteries online. Amazon had them for $27 each (need 2) and free shipping. It’s a thought. Going to bed now is a more attractive thought.

Rachel's last sermon

I found a storage place behind the refrigerator that I did not remember seeing before. As I stood inside, it seemed to get bigger and I wondered how such space went unnoticed. It was virtually empty and I thought Chris must have cleaned it out before he went to Korea. Then I saw a door, so I walked through it into another room I hadn’t seen before. There were other doors and other rooms. One room had a swimming pool in it. I decided to get my bathing suit but got distracted following new paths. Then I realized I was outside, and there were other people. I was in a whole new world. Then I woke up.
Church was early today so I read some e-mail and swished, then took a shower. I put my blue earrings on and had to find a dress to match. I forgot the grocery bags, but remembered the little glass dish the Jennifer had given me. I got to church a few minutes early. I was surprised to see how few people were there. But by the time the pastor had given the announcements, the church was full. In fact, some people sat with me who normally sit towards the back. Rachel gave her last sermon here, and we bade her farewell during the service and again at a luncheon afterwards. I found a few things on the buffet that I could eat and sat with Jennifer. We had lots to talk about. Then I talked to Ed, who said if he were Chris, he would have taken the job in Korea, too. He thinks a lot of 15’s will retire in the next 2+ years and Chris will have lots of options then. A lady came to collect my plate. I wasn’t quite done, but figured it would look bad if I insisted on the last couple of bites. After lunch, I drove home. Jennifer had given me some cucumbers from her garden and I put them in the fridge. I sat with the bag of frozen rice on my foot while jotting notes for my blog. I was considering not going grocery shopping because my foot wasn’t feeling any better. But after a while, I was ready to go. I took my grocery bags and list to the car. I went to Publix. My parking spot wasn’t close to the store, so I hobbled in. Walking around the store was no problem. I got an Ace-type bandage for my foot in addition to groceries and toilet paper. As we were walking out, we were suddenly pelted with raindrops. But as I drove away, the rain seemed to stop, or I drove out from under it. When I got home and opened the hatchback, it was raining hard. I guess it followed me home. I should have waited, but I brought the groceries in through the garage. By the time I put them away, the rain had stopped, and the sun was hot. I read e-mail and ate some yucca root. At 2:15 I went to church to count money with Art. There was only one service today and counting went very quickly. When I got back, I watered my wilting plants. I mixed some minerals into the water. Then I fixed breakfast and the rain started again. I ate breakfast and did tomorrow’s puzzle, then started one from a Sudoku book. I put some water and alcohol in a bag in the freezer. Then I sat with the rice sock on my foot. It was very comfortable. I finalized my Swansons order with a tube of Arnica cream. Reading the reviews, I thought it would help my foot and be good for Dad’s shoulder. I meditated. I answered an e-mail from a new friend in Korea that Chris put me in touch with. I cleared more e-mail, and watched a tutorial by the Missouri Star Quilt Company. I plotted out some quilt blocks. Then I cleaned up in the kitchen. I was going to sew downstairs, but it was after 9. I checked the back door, and the large spider was on guard, as usual. I guess he’s nocturnal because he is always gone in the morning. I started watching an episode of X-Files. Chris skyped while I was cleaning the DVD because it froze. After he hung up to go back to work, I resumed the episode and it played properly. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* laid the blocks out on the bed Friday night *

No mow mower

I stayed in bed through the alarm even though I heard it. I got up late, then turned on the router and laptop. I brushed and swished. I read some e-mail and drank lemon water. I checked for the large spider but he and his web were gone. I swished and then swallowed the vitamin packets while sitting in a chair with a cold water pack on my foot. I looked for info on apoaequorin. I read lots of reviews, both good and bad. I got dressed and watered the plants. I added more dryer sheets to the garden. I tied up one tomato plant with some morning glory vine. I juiced, meditated, and made breakfast. I was eating it when Rebecca rang the door bell. I spoke to her briefly, then put a shoe on my right foot and went down to open the garage. Her husband came to look at my lawn mower. First he looked for electrical problems, but when he put the old blade back on, it worked. Sadly the plastic piece that turns the blade moved out of position. That sparked a new round of tries. The mailman brought me the new mower parts. We used one, but the other wasn’t quite the same as it’s predecessor. After trying the mower without a blade (it ran) and with new and old blades, either the assembly was too loose and the plastic piece would not stay in alignment or it was too tight and it would not turn at all. He recommended that I take it to a professional. They said there was one on their way home and they would determine the name as they went by it and let me know so I can call and see if they work on this kind of mower. I looked next door to see if my neighbor was home, but his truck was gone. He had said I could borrow his push mower. I read e-mail for a while, until I came across Michele’s post on Facebook. I called to talk to her for a bit. Then I went outside to eat some beef. I came in to try the yucca root. I cleared more e-mail, and listened to audios while sewing on the hexecontahedron. I made and ate a sprout salad. Then I took laundry downstairs. I worked on the Shades Of quilt while the laundry got washed. Then I put it in the dryer and came upstairs. Chris was on skype. I checked for the large spider and saw that he was back, guarding the doorway. Chris and I had our conversation and he sang to me. After he hung up, I put rice in one of Chris’ old socks, tied a knot in it and put it in the freezer. Then I watched an episode of X-Files while icing and elevating my foot. I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is a stalk of celery that I am trying to regrow in a bowl of water. The ants treat it like their own personal island. *

'It's not broken', says the tuning fork

Last night when I opened the back door, there was a big spider spinning a web over the door way. I thought of calling the rental agent and saying I was being held captive by giant spiders and needed rescuing. But when I opened the front door, it was clear, which took all the drama out of the situation. I went to bed, I got up at 7:30, thinking it was later. I must have slept well. I drank lemon water, swished, and researched collagen supplements while listening to an audio on intuition. I put Netflix in the mailbox and closed the garage door. I watered my plants, and picked two cucumbers from the recovering vines. I swallowed two vitamin packets. I looked at size 12 machine needles (stocking up for Korea), and decided on the 100 pk of Organ needles on Amazon. William called to tell me he had the mower battery tested and it was weak. I exercised, tapped, and juiced. I meditated, then made and ate part of breakfast while watching a short video about the 5 big ideas in a book called “The Creative Habit”. I changed into fresh clothes and went to see the massage therapist. She was running late so I could have finished breakfast and taken a shower. I told her about my foot and she got out a tuning fork. She said it would hurt if it touched a broken or fractured bone. She struck it, then set it in different places on my foot. It did not hurt. Then when she massaged my calf, she found a really sore spot near my knee. So her guess was that I had a tear in the peroneal brevis tendon or the anteriour talofibular ligament. (I made her write that down since I had no chance of remembering it later). Although we got started late, she worked for a long time on my legs, my back, my neck and head, and my arms and shoulders. I thought for sure she would charge me for an hour and a half, but she didn’t. She did not even charge me for the magnets that she put on my foot, saying she wanted to see if they helped first. Sadly she is booked up for next week and going to a cranial sacral therapy course the week after. I brought my own water, and drank some of it in her office as we talked. Then I came straight home. I finished breakfast and the video from earlier. I was going to sunbathe, but at that point the sun had gone away. So I busied myself assembling the next week’s supplements. I tried to order more of the almost empty ones. But my usual brand was discontinued so I researched others looking for another one that was just as good. The sun came out then, so I sunbathed until I got itchy from the ants. I started listening to an audio on achieving goals. Chris skyped me. I thought he should be at work but it is Saturday for him. We did not talk long because the connection was interrupted so often. I finished my Sudoku puzzles for yesterday and today. I worked on the three shades quilt, finally having to lay it out on my bed as the only flat place big enough. I realized that one of the blocks was not put together correctly. I sat in front of my laptop and resumed listening to the audio while I ‘unstitched’. MaryAnn skyped me. We had a difficult conversation to follow since skype froze every 10 seconds or so. I found my chocolate bar was too close to the laptop and had melted. So I ate some and got it on my fingers which then got on my block. Uggh. I watched an episode of X-Files. I finished the audio and checked for new e-mail. I finished ripping, then went downstairs to sew it back together the right way. I laid it in place on the bed and took a pic. Then I gathered up the blocks and took them downstairs. I cleaned up in the kitchen. There was some turmeric left in a pan and I opened the back door to take it to the compost pile. But the large spider was back, spinning his web. I hope he becomes a bird’s breakfast by morning.
* This is Marjorie's quilt from yesterday. You were hoping for a pic of the spider instead? *

Almost finished

I woke up early from a dream, then fell back asleep and dreamed again, woke up , and fell asleep. When I finally got up, it was only 7:30. I turned on the router and the laptop. I went outside to water the plants, and take out the recyclables. Then I came in to unstack the dishwasher. I was still swishing when Kurt skyped me from Pa. Dad was nearby, lying on the bed with back pain. Faye was there in the hotel room, too. We had a long chat. So much for getting an early start on the day. Kurt told me about an episode of Star Trek Phase II and I let it play while I sucked down two vitamin packets, then did my exercises. The acting and the writing were suboptimal, but the sound and visual effects were great. Just like the original. I noticed it was raining outside. I was not amused, but glad I had mowed the lawn yesterday. I watched another Star Trek episode to see if they get better. I did a Sudoku puzzle as it played. Then I closed the tab before I could get hooked on another one. I juiced cucumbers, carrots and a pepper. After drinking it, I meditated, then made and ate breakfast. I searched for a sewing project and came up with a bag of scraps to cut up, and a pair of shorts that needed mending. I drove to quilting in my car. I sat between Pat and Christie, mending my shorts and then cutting up my scraps into pieces for a scrap rug. I promised to bring paper dolls next week. I left after two. I checked the latest e-mail, then went downstairs to work on three shades quilt. The great idea I had in the middle of one night did not pan out. I considered a few others, and fussy-cut some squares. I couldn’t find the purple strips that Sheryl gave me but I did find the quilting gloves that I had replaced when I could not find them. I rifled through notions, pulling out those that can get heaved or donated. I threw out used rotary blades, and brought some upstairs to examine with magnifier light to see if they were old or new. I watched an EFT video and worked on the hexecontahedron – the end is in sight! I looked up what to do with turmeric root since I bought some at the store impulsively. I peeled, sliced and made tea, which supposed to be good for pain. It made my hands yellow. I froze some, and threw out the mushy ones. I drank it and watched an episode of X-Files until Chris skyped me. We talked for a little while. I admitted to him that moving to Korea felt like a punishment and I wondered what I did to piss off God. That made him really sad and I wondered if I should not have told him. He went back to work and I went back to X-Files. When it was over, I put the DVD in the Netflix envelop. I tapped for not wanting to go to Korea and hurting Chris’ feelings. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Oh geez, more goat cheese

I got up with the alarm at 8. I turned on the router and laptop. I went outside to water the plants and bring in the collection tubs. I filtered the water and ran it through the coffee maker. I did my exercises and drybrushing. I heated coffee on the stove. William called to talk about the mower, and taking the grill to Kevin. Then I did my Wednesday detox. Later he called back to talk about the mower and staining the picnic table. I guess he figures because I don’t have a job, I have unlimited time to talk. While he talked, I ordered myself a new pair of earrings on Amazon. I added toilet paper to the order to get free shipping. Finally I put on my suit and laid on a towel in the backyard and let him talk. I took a shower and got dressed. The doorbell rang and it was the Nuts.com order being delivered. I researched stovetop water distillation. There were many Youtube videos on the subject. I also saw a guy out in the wild put a plastic bag around a tree and at the end of the day, collected drinkable water from it. I put a gallon of goat milk in a large pot and heated it to 190, then added lemon to curdle it. I made two batches of chocolate-banana-avocado pudding and, sadly, ate both.
I mowed the parts of the lawn that I could with the riding mower. The grass was so tall I felt like a farmer mowing hay. I ran over a dead squirrel and it was putrid. When I came in, I scooped all the whey out and separated the curds. I got almost a jar of cheese and several jars of whey. I inoculated them with fermented coconut milk and let them ferment. I listened to more of a very long audio and worked today’s puzzle. Then I stacked and ran the dishwasher. I watched an episode of X-Files while resting my foot with an ice pack. When it was over, I finished the audio and then posted to my blog. I watched another solar distillation video until Chris skyped me, and then I went to bed.
* This is the Sudoku quilt top I made *

God bless stiff-soled shoes

I was in a college cafeteria and they were loading my tray with a mushy-looking cheese pizza, slices of cheese-like food product and fries. I protested and asked if they had salad and they asked what kind. Then I woke up. I started my day with swishing and watering the plants. The deer had been after my garden again. So I hung out dryer sheets on the cages. I did some modified exercises, and juiced carrots and celery. I meditated for a short while. Then I put the gas can in the car and headed to post. I turned in the X-Files season 7 and checked out season 8. Then I went to quilting. I sat near Beverly and we tried out a machine that had come to her for fixing. It was definitely sewing backwards and there was nothing we could do about it. I suspected it had to do with the reverse lever, but we could not get that part of the machine open. Jane said she needed to know if I was definitely going on the field trip next week. I was happy to say that because of my foot I did not feel comfortable going. I tried to look sad. When I left there, I went to the Asian store for kimbap and kimchi. The sprouts were not worth the walk to the back of the store. I asked if they sold gel packs, but they did not. Then I went to the gas station. I filled my car tank first. Then I wondered if the mower needed the same premium gas that the car did. So I put in mid-grade. I only put 4 gallons in the 5 gallon can because I wasn’t too sure about carrying that much weight. Then I went home. I ate the kimbap while reading e-mail. I threw out the old kimchi which had gone bad. I did not know kimchi could do that. I meditated longer, and did some energy work and visualization on my foot because I really wanted to go to the farmer’s market. Denise wrote to me that her father the doctor broke his foot in two places and just put on a pair of stiff soled shoes. So I put on my Nike’s when it came time to leave. I placed the borrowed crock pot in the insulated wheeled bag and went. I parked in the church lot instead of across the railroad tracks. It was 3:30 instead of three but the traffic wasn’t bad. The lettuce was all sold out, but I got some hydroponic tomatoes. I returned the crock pot. I picked up a gallon of goat milk, and then some cucumbers and peppers. Having gotten what I came to get, I went home. It looked like I was driving into a storm because the sky was so dark. In fact it started raining as I brought the insulated bag in. I put the food away. The tomatoes went in a jar on the counter to keep the fruit flies off of them. I cannot figure out why they are still here. I put out my rain collection tubs. I called the sew-n-vac. He said I should bring in the vacuum and he would sell me a used hose for half the price of a new one. I listened to a short isochiral audio. All the longer ones had to be paid for. I made and ate breakfast. I washed the sweet potatoes and yucca roots and put them in a glass dish. I turned on the oven and opened it only to find three bananas. I replaced them with the root vegetables. I checked e-mail again. I wrote to Joyce who wrote me a nice long letter. I listened to some tapping audios, one was for foot pain. I rested with cold water on my elevated foot. I also had the melted ice pack on my forearm. Both arms, wrists and hands ached like I had been typing or handsewing. I watched an episode of X-Files. It ended with “To be continued” so I watched the next one also. Chris skyped me during his lunch hour, then I finished the episode. I stopped by the hall bathroom and realized I was out of toilet paper. I wondered how that got past me. Luckily there was a partial roll in Chris’ bathroom. I pulled the sweet potatoes and yucca root out of the oven and put them in the fridge. I put toilet paper on the list. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is the quilt Lauri was working on *

Unlabeled use of frozen almonds

I got up before 8 but the alarm went off while I was still in the bathroom. I swished while watering the plants. I drank several glasses of water and swished again. I read e-mail and did some modified exercises. I swallowed a vit C and a vit B packet. I juiced carrots, celery and two cucumbers from my garden. Even though my kitchen garbage is covered and of the dry kind, there were fruit flies in it. So I threw in a scented dryer sheet to drive them out. I cleaned the juicer and meditated. I made breakfast and ate it. I got dressed and gathered up my Sudoku quilt project. I loaded it and my machine in my car and went to quilting. It was a slow walk to the front door of the church. Walking did not hurt, but I was babying the foot anyway. I thought the ladies would be having lunch, but they were still ordering. I set up across the table from Lauri. I met a new lady named Jenna who was binding a stack-n-whack. As I was setting up my machine, William called to tell me about a lawn mower at Goodwill. After he hung up, I worked on the Sudoku quilt until it was finished, which was about 6pm. Sheryl stopped by. She said my foot looked swollen and bruised. I could not see that, but Lauri agreed with her. Later the two of them went to Huntsville Sew-n-vac. They asked if I needed anything and I said a hose for my vacuum. When Lauri got back, she said they could order one. William called again to say he’d bought the lawn mower for $10 bucks. He wanted me to buy it and he would ship it in the original box. I said I did not want it if the battery was dead. At 6 I packed up and drove home. I stopped the car by the mailbox to get the mail. When I parked, I sat the gas can beside my car so I won't forget it tomorrow. Because they said my foot looked swollen, I decided to take it easy. I checked e-mail and ate some beef for supper. I called Dad and talked to Faye. She recommended x-rays and a gel ice pack. I searched the house for one I remembered having. I did not find it, but I did find half a bag of frozen almonds and some other kind of ice pack. I put my foot up and listened to an audio. The frozen almonds were on my foot and the ice pack on my right forearm. When the audio ended, I wrote to my blog and sent Chris a skype message. Soon he skyped me. We talked. I held my foot up to the camera so he could ‘kiss’ it and make it all better. I promised to hug the bunny, too. (inside joke) I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is Jenna's quilt *

Am I smarter than deer?

I woke up early, put on my eye mask and went back to sleep. I got up a little before 8. I turned on the router and laptop. I threw on some clothes and went out to water the plants. Then I checked e-mail. William called to ask about the mower. I read some articles online and iced my foot. He called again. I had to hang up to make breakfast, eat part of it, get dressed and go to church. I talked to a few people on the way in. I told the pastor’s wife that I had her jacket ready. I sat with Don and some visitors in the front pew. After the service, I verified that there was no loose cash in the offering, and we agreed to meet at 2:30 to count. I stood around talking in the vestibule, hoping to ask Margie to walk out to my car to get her jacket, but she was never free so finally I left, and went to Publix for groceries. I thought I had parked close to the building but then all the entrances on that side were roped off because of new concrete. I did a minimum of walking to get what was on the list, but then I remembered to look for moth balls to repel the deer. But they were cedar scented and that did not seem like it would repel deer. So I picked up some cheap dryer sheets to do the job. Then I came home and put the food away, and finished breakfast. Iread e-mail until time to go to count money. William called on the way, asking if I had trouble driving with my foot. It was going ok. I arrived at the church and counted with Art. The addition worked out perfectly the first time. We discussed getting together to get first quarter contributions on the computer. Then I put Margie’s jacket in the church office and went home. As I was passing my tomato plant, I noticed it was wilting. The roots had been pulled up. I guess the deer did it, but the gates were closed while I was gone. I put out dryer sheets on a string. I laid out on another sheet to sunbathe and sweat. I got lots of sweat on the sheet. But as I was wiping the sweat from my head, my earring came off. I found the back but not the pearl part. I searched the sheet and the grass nearby. I gathered up the sheet and brought it inside to shake out over a dark blue curtain. But the pearl did not show up. I poked a hole in the bottom of a plastic water jug. I put some vinegar in it and then water from a bucket. I set it over the tomato that was planted in a cinder block to water it over time. I had put the bunch of hydroponic lettuce in water several days ago, but it was wilting. So I pulled the leaves off to make a salad. I went outside to pick some other greens to go with it. I found a green pepper, too. I ate the salad and worked some puzzles while listening to an audio. Then I went outside to check on the tomato plants and then picked up sticks in the yard. There were quite a few and some large ones, so we must have had a storm. I quit before the job was done to rest my foot. I ordered another part for the lawn mower and added new plastic piece since they get chewed up so quickly. I meditated. Then I was just about to use the vacuum when my phone rang. It was Beverly. She had someone’s sewing machine and their complaint was that it sewed backwards. Beverly wanted me to come over and fix it tomorrow. I suggested she bring it Tuesday when we go to the same group. We discussed it for almost 2 hours. During that time, I walked outside to see if the deer were bothering anything. I had to turn off the AC because it was so cold (79). Then Chris skyped me and I had to hang up with her. His call did not last long, but I did not feel like sweeping anymore. But I did go around a few corners and hit the worst spots. I was going to call Dad, but it was too late even without the time difference. So I posted to my blog. I had put the glow-in-the-dark rice in the fridge to get cold. I poured it in a bag around my foot, gave it a few minutes and went to bed.
* This is the quilt top that Joan was working on during retreat. *

Ordering online

I went to bed late because of the movie, so I did not wake up until the alarm went off. Even then, I stayed in bed for a little while. Then I turned on the router and the laptop. I drank lemon water and sucked down a packed of Vit C and one of vit B (a new product). I read e-mail and listened to an audio. I got dressed and went outside to water the plants. I did not take the walker but was very careful to walk slowly. I also cut back the four o’clocks that fell over in whatever rain we had this week. I pulled a bunch of morning glory vines that were shading out my veggies. I checked on the back garden and saw that the deer are still at it, keeping the plants from regenerating leaves. I picked a small cucumber that was turning yellow. I juiced it with leftover celery, carrots, and some lettuce. The lettuce still had roots on it from the hydroponic farm so I put the remainder in water – just to see what would happen. I did the same with the bottom core of the celery. After juicing, I cleaned up the area. Under the cutting board I found something too small to see but the ants were quite fascinated with it. The Terro I put out last night had not diminished their numbers, but hopefully removing that ‘item’ will. Then I made and ate breakfast. I spent hours first compiling orders for Swansons, Nuts.com and Amazon and then researching deer repellent strategies. I brought up some ‘air freshener’ plug-ins from the basement and scattered them by the garden. I decided to go with smell-based repellents because I don’t have enough leaves to spray with taste repellents. I finalized the Swansons order and the Nuts.com order. I put the laundry in the dryer. Several white pieces were still stained, so I used a bleach pen on them. I went outside to get the mail. I opened the box for the new mower blade and found it dull and scratched. I ‘chatted’ with Sears. They promised to send another one.
I put on my suit and sunbathed to drench the sheet and several cotton balls with sweat. When I came in, I meditated. Chris skyped me before going on a field trip for the day. I reattached the mower blade with the new insulator, but it made the same bad sound. I looked up the manual online and scrutinized the diagram, reassembled it, and the bad noise was gone. But something wasn’t quite right. I turned it off and turned it over. The blade was no longer aligned with the insulator. I compared the old blade with the new blade from every angle, trying to find a difference. I assembled the mower with the new blade and then it would not even start. ??? I sat outside to ponder. I attached the sweaty sheet to the tomato cages to keep the deer away. I closed the patio gates. I plugged in the mower and put the tools inside. I came into my sewing room and did a little clean up. I thought about sewing but decided my foot should have a rest. So I sat with my foot in a bag of ice and worked several puzzles, including the one for this weekend. Then I researched parts for the vacuum that came back from Korea without a hose. When my eyes started to cross, I tried to read up on a condition that Chris’ aunt has, but could not understand it. Then I watched several tapping videos and went to bed.
* This is Bobbie's batik quilt. Isn't it gorgeous? *

healing with ice cubes

I woke up a little after 7. I used the walker to get into the bathroom. Then I used it to turn on the router and get to the den. I turned off the crock pot. I checked for messages from Chris. I watched a movie on Youtube while swishing and doing modified exercises. I drybrushed too, because it did not require standing. I got dressed and then prepared the Netflix for mailing. They went in a shoulder bag. I used the walker to get to the front steps. I sat to move from step to step, bringing the walker in its folded state. Then it seemed like a long trip to the mail box to get Netlix on its way. I made my way to the back porch, resting once. I turned on the water and made my way to the end of the hose. I could only water the plants along the fence, but that was enough. I sprayed some that I couldn’t reach. I filled two containers. I transplanted a ground cherry and a tomato plant to spaces I could reach. I also picked a tomato and put it in my sack. I opened the garage to see what the moving people had done. I thought about staying there, doing ‘something’ until the mailman came by so I wouldn’t have to leave the house twice. But it was only 10am. So I closed the garage and made my way to the front steps, going up backwards on my butt, pulling up the walker one step at a time.
The crock pot cooled down a bit. I ate some of the meat and broth. I threw out the bones and put the rest in a glass pot and covered it with plastic wrap. After more e-mail and audios, I ate some dark chocolate with dates., then made breakfast. I did two meditations to try to catch up with Oprah. I parsed out a batch of supplements. I washed the crock pot. I made a new batch of spice mix. I cleared e-mail and listened to more audios. I tapped until I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was after 4. My shoulders and wrists hurt from using the walker. How do crippled people do this? My foot felt well enough that I slowly hobbled out to the mailbox without the walker. There was a bill and a piece to the lawn mower. I iced my foot when I got in, just in case. I put my foot up. I worked on some non-Sudoku number puzzles. Denise called to say her husband got a job offer in Vickburg, which was just what they wanted. She was all excited and they were off to get ice cream. Chris skyped me so I called him back after hanging up with Denise. We talked for a bit, about renter’s insurance and how the water company in Moore county still thinks we are responsible for the usage. I listened to another audio, and worked on another puzzle. Then I watched a movie on Youtube. Then it was way past time to go to bed.

Old friends, new friends

I woke up around 7 and got up when I heard voices. I washed up and got dressed. I went to the commons area and saw Bertha and Rebecca discussing how beautiful Bobby’s quilt was, and it certain was. Of course I always like batik quilts. Cindy rang the breakfast bell at 8 and my phone alarm went off at the same time so I did not hear it but the other ladies did. I put some coconut milk in a prepared breakfast mix and went upstairs to eat. I got some mixed fruit chunks from the buffet and a small amount of hashbrowns, too. I ate outside with most of the others. I did not mind sitting in the sun. After breakfast, I packed my things in the bedroom and then the sewing stuff. Bertha had us sit outside for a group picture, but we were not holding our projects. Joan gave me her address so I could send her the word ‘hexecontahedron’. She wants to see if her grandson knows what it is. I will have to take a picture and send it to her. I thought since checkout was at 10, that is when we would leave, but they were leaving as soon as they packed. Laurie and I took most of my stuff out and then I came back for a small box and my pillow. There was a small ramp up to the door so that a wheeled cart could pass. Well, it wasn’t as wide as the doorway and as I walked out, I stepped off the edge and hit the ground. My foot hurt like hell. I tapped and the pain reduced, but I could not put much weight on the foot. Cindy brought me a bag of ice and Laurie helped me to her car. I rode back with the ice bag on my foot. I hoped it wasn’t broken and figured I would know if it was. When we got to my house, I opened the garage door and Lauri brought my stuff inside. I assured her that I had a walker and would be ok. After she left, I took my laptop and pillow and scooted up the stairs on my butt. I stopped halfway, tired. I cried because I could not water my plants or go to the guild meeting tonight. After a break, I continued my travels. I rested again in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Then I crawled into the dining room and hooked up my laptop which was on the floor. My phone rang. I crawled over to my purse to answer. The moving company wanted to know if they could come over today to deliver Chris’ stuff from Honduras. I was glad I had left the garage door open. I crawled to the computer room to turn on the wifi. I used the office chair to sit and wheel myself around. Rolling in the carpet in the hall was slow. Then in the den, the chair fell over. But in general it was better than crawling, which my left wrist was not happy about. When the men came, they brought the items to the front door so I could check them off, and then put the stuff in the garage. I asked the one nice young man if he would bring up my breakfast box and bring in the mail. And he did, bless him. I got two submissions from Netflix. So I had plenty to watch tonight. Then it hit me that I was not going to be able to go to quilt guild tonight and show off my hexecontahedron. Bummer! I e-mailed Jodi that I could not help her tonight. I also e-mail Jennifer that I could not go to the hydroponic farm tomorrow. I e-mailed Chris too, but he was asleep. I looked at the snail mail. I cleared e-mail with my foot up. I rolled myself to the bathroom but had to hop when I got there. I used the walker to get out. But hopping was still involved so I went back to the office chair. My ice had melted so I went to the freezer for more. But there was none. I could not get the ice maker to turn on. I looked for icecube trays but did not find any. So I put water into two egg cartons and crossed my fingers. I took some meat out of the freezer to thaw. After clearing more e-mail, I stuck my foot in a bag with another bag inside that had a bag of frozen peas in it. This kept it on my foot even when I moved. I peeled myself a hard boiled egg. I ate some of Denise’ sauerkraut. Later I ate a square of chocolate with dates. It was SOOOO good. I rolled out of the den to get my purse so I could access my camera. For some reason, I went to the front door. I hobbled out and sat on the porch looking at the yard. It needed mowing, and there were lots of downed branches. There must have been a storm while I was gone. I tried to image how I could pick them up. When I got tired of that, I came in. I took a pic of the hexecontadedron. I put on an audio and whittled my e-mail down to 79. Then I started the Sudoku puzzle for last weekend. Kurt texted me on Skype. I caught up on all the puzzles. I put beef and bones in the crock pot. Only later did I realize it wasn’t plugged in. I experimented with the walker. I decided that it was good for travel, but when carrying is required, the rolling chair works better. I adjusted the height to as low as it would go. I carefully crept downstairs. I used the suitcase handle to lean on to get to the garage door mechanism to close it. When I came up,I listened to one of the Oprah meditations. About 8:30 I decided to watch one of the two selections from Netflix. But they were both X-Files episodes that were part of the season 7 DVD set that I finished on retreat. I had forgotten to update Netflix. I wondered how I would get to the mailbox tomorrow to send them back. So then I found a movie on Youtube called Fake Wedding. It was kind of cute. Chris skyped in the middle of it. We talked for a bit. He suggested I could hang the walker over my head and slide down the steps on my butt. I figured there had to be a better way. I iced my foot again for the rest of the movie. I put the crock pot on low for the night. Then I went to bed.

Once more around the block(s)

I went to bed late last night. I had a little trouble falling asleep, but then mostly stayed asleep until morning. When I got up, it was 7:15. I washed up and got dressed. I went out on the patio/balcony to watch the sun and meditate. Other ladies came out after awhile. We came in about 10 till 8. Soon the breakfast bell rang. I put some fermented coconut milk in one of my prepared breakfasts and went upstairs. Cindy gave me a banana to go with my breakfast. I ate outside with the other ladies. It was a little less warm than yesterday – very nice. Then we got to work. I cut borders from 4 green fabrics. I used them on the intricately cut blocks: one for each block. Then I laid them on one of the design walls. I tried several backgrounds, and decided to use the same border between as on the outside. So I cut the requisite strips from the dark green. Meanwhile, we had several rollicking conversations around the sewing tables. The lady across from me told me about her experiences as a principal. At lunch, we trooped upstairs for some good food. I don’t remember what the rest got. I had a salad and my coconut and roll up. One of the rollups wasn’t dried enough and stuck to the parchment paper. After lunch, I added all the border strips and finished the top. I played around with some black leftover wedges. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon sewing patches on the pastor’s wife’s jacket. We had supper and then I finished the patches. The rest of the evening was spent auditioning settings for the octagon blocks. I had to post so I could go to bed before I fell over from fatigue.

Second day - almost done

I got up soon after 7 I think. I did not sleep well because of the coughing of both roommates. How I woke up early is a wonderment to me. I washed up in the bathroom and got dressed. I came out to the sewing area to see Rebecca already up and sewing. I went out on the patio to swish and exercise. When I came in, she was talking to Bertha. Bertha lent me her power cord but it did not fit my laptop. Soon the breakfast bell rang. I gathered up my cherry rollup and breakfast. I had some of the fruit put out for us, but not the casserole or muffins. It was nice and I ate outside. Then we all worked on our projects. At 1 the bell rang for lunch. We went upstairs for panini and broccoli salad. I had the salad and some fresh coconut. Then we worked until supper. I almost finished my big blocks. Sadly two of my squares were incomplete because of fussy cutting too close. One lady gave me a small piece of black to fill in the missing part. God bless her. I had just finished sewing the last block together when the supper bell rang. We went upstairs for ham, sweet potatoes, and green beans. I asked for a tomato to go with my dinner since she had so many and I skipped the green beans because of the ingredients added to them. For dessert there were peaches. Mine were plain but the others had sauce. Then I watched the last episode of X-Files season 7 in the media room. Susan came in and watched part of it with me. Then she watched Pride and Predjudice. I watched until 9:30 then came down to blog and wait for Chris to skype. I had told him to skype my phone plus Bertha downloaded skype to her small tablet/laptop just for me. Again, due to lack of power, I will upload pics later.

Retreat

I woke up early but put on my eyeshades and went back to sleep. I got up about 7:40 and went outside to water the plants. That took about half an hour. The rabbits and deer were at it again. I put Netflix in the mail. Then I went inside to prepare four breakfasts. I washed the nuts and cranberries. I packed the food box, including coconut pieces and roll-ups. Then I juiced what wouldn’t keep and meditated with Oprah and Deepak. I ate breakfast and then realized I hadn’t finished drinking the juice. I cleaned the juicer and took out the trash, then cleaned the kitchen sink. I put some of the food in my luggage and used a smaller box.
I heard a sound and when I looked out, I saw that the PVC pole was on the ground. I figured the mailman had come by. I went out with a long twist tie to fasten the pole more securely. But when I got there, the flag was still up. The mailbox stand was now encased in a wooden box somewhat submerged in the ground. It felt stable but I wondered A) how long it would last and B) how did I not hear or see this taking place? I packed up my sewing stuff and rolled it outside. Then I put my luggage and laptop beside it. I finally got everything out by the garage. I saw the mailman drive up and bring out a package. There was a Swansons order and also the latest issue of McCalls quilting. I looked at it then packed it up for Laurie with the other issues that had an ongoing pattern. Soon she arrived and we loaded my stuff in her car. She drove us to the quilt retreat out past Lake Guntersville. It was on top of a mountain. We unloaded her car and tried to bring it all in at once. My food box fell and some of the fermented coconut milk spilled, but the jar did not break. Laurie showed me around and Bertha let me pick a number from a bowl. I got the number 4 table. It was up front by the window which was nice. But it was also under the fan and I couldn’t take it, so I traded with Laurie. I spent all afternoon working on the large ‘shades of’ block. I kept having to rip because I was paper-piecing and so often the piece would not cover the space. I did the ripping outside where it was warm. Bertha showed me how to get on the internet and I deleted a lot of e-mail. After some more sewing, the bell rang for supper. We trooped upstairs where Cindy had the food buffet style. We had rice, chicken and roasted vegetables. We ate outside enjoying the view. Then it was back to sewing. I finished the block and showed it off. Then I took my X-Files DVD up to the media room. The oversized loungers were incredibly comfortable. Cindy loaded the disc and got it going. Then I relaxed, watching Mulder get his three wishes. When it was over, I came down to sew. Laurie decided to go to bed, so I got into my nightgown so I wouldn’t wake her later. I had forgotten my power supply, so I did not skype with Chris. I did text him though. I wrote to my blog quickly and shut down the computer.
* pics later *

Packing

I got up at 8 when the alarm sounded. I got dressed and went outside to water the plants. I did some of my exercises while the water ran. I checked e-mail and made breakfast. I took a shower and got dressed. I answered a question on Quora. I grabbed some yu-gi-oh cards and manga, as well as the grocery bags. When I got to church, I locked it all in my car. I sat in my pew and wrote checks to the intern fund, the capital fund and the youth group. During the service, the intern asked the kids about superheroes for the children’s message. One little boy went on and on. She couldn’t stop him. After the service, Don asked me about Chris. I almost missed Art taking the offering plates to the back room. I went back to verify the amount of loose cash. Someone put a penny in the offering plate. We talked about the quarterly statements and he changed our time from 2:30 to 4. I left and looked for Heather. I gave the manga bag to her son because she was in a meeting. I talked to Margie. She gave me some stuff to sew/mend. Then I went to Publix for groceries. When I checked out, they only used 2 of the 4 bags, but did not bag the gallon jugs of water or the 4 cup measure. It was really hot in my car in spite of the sunroof being slightly open. I went home and changed clothes and put the groceries away. I saw that Art M called, so I called back. He told me that the ‘building’ fund needed to be renamed ‘capital’ fund on the giving statements. I checked e-mail while finishing the Denise the Menace movie. I cracked open two dried coconuts and freed the meat. I ate some of that but saved the rest for the retreat. I went to church to help Art L count the offering. It took about an hour, going fairly well. I made mistakes but caught them all pretty quickly. We agreed to find a time next Sunday when we could enter all of the data from the first quarter. When I got home, I read more e-mail. I went outside to see what my neighbor was doing with his new Kubota. It had a bushhog on it and a dump bucket. He said it would till as well. But today’s activity was burying fish carcasses. I dare say he will have lots of small visitors tonight. I ate the rest of a root vegetable with butter. I ate a square of chocolate and a banana. I realized I was procrastinating on packing. I went through my laundry basket looking for suitable items. I spent way too long picking red threads off several tops. I decided to pack black and white. But too many of the whites were stained, so I packed black and red instead. I send a pic of the mailbox to the rental agency so they would know it needed fixing. I wanted to pack X-Files but my laptop was not recognizing DVD’s in the drive. So I told it to reboot and went to the computer room to watch the remaining episode of Wooster and Jeeves. It was better than the last episode. But when I returned to my laptop, it had not rebooted. I had to insist. And then it did, slowly. I cut up some chocolate foil while waiting. Then I tried the DVD player. Thankfully it did work, but in doing so, I discovered that there are only two episodes on the last disc of X-Files. I am not sure it is worth taking to retreat just for that. I answered one last e-mail, hoping Chris would skype me before I went to bed. The rental agency e-mailed back that a new stand would be installed this week. I made a list of foods I wanted to pack. I posted to my blog and either went to bed or thought of more to pack.

Mower issues

I got up before 8 to water the plants, although it was after 8 when I came in. I shredded some papers and sprinkled the shreddings in the compost pile. I swished. I read e-mail. I exercised and juiced. I put items in the dishwasher. I looked up the kid of vitamin C that the massage therapist recommended. I didn’t really meditate and then I made breakfast. While I was eating, William called to talk about something he bought on a yard sale. I ran the lawn mower where he could hear it and told him what happened. His diagnosis was that I did not put the blade on correctly. Now that I think about it, I have to agree. I can turn the blade without turning the motor. Something definitely isn’t right. The unfortunate part is that I can’t get the nut loose by holding the blade.
I went to get the mail. The broom handle was not holding the box from the back and was too long to hold up the front. One envelop was for Craig, so I took it next door. He said to bring the mower over so I did. He took off the blade and parts, reassembled, like I had done. Together we tightened the nut, but when I turned it on, it made that sound again. I propped up the front of the mailbox with PVC. Dillon brought over his father’s mower and showed me how to run it. I mowed the ditches in both side yards, then returned the mower. I printed out the mower assembly diagram for my mower. I watched mower repair videos on Youtube and decided the insulator was supposed to go the other way. So I clamped a metal ruler to the blade to hold the insulator while I turned the nut. It came off easily. I turned the thing around, and reassembled it but it did not help. I needed a new insulator. I looked online. Shipping cost more than the part, so I looked for parts nearby. I ‘chatted’ with Sears. The man said to call the parts department. I decided to order the part. I took stuff down for donate pile. I found an unused shadowbox that could go. I came up for my camera, remembered that the massage therapist said my spleen meridian was weak, so I looked up how to strengthen it. I did some of those exercises, and then remembered that I had come up for my camera. I took a picture of the shadowbox, then sorted through Christmas decorations, and stuff on the pingpong table. I found a bag of math papers and sorted through that. I did the laundry, and ran the dishwasher. William called to ask about the mower. I opened a coconut, drank the juice and scraped out the meat. I made egg salad with goat cheese.
I watched a documentary of a young organic farmer. It was sad how hard he worked and how little money he made. But he really loved what he did, and he was adorable. That might have had something to do with his significant other being behind the camera. Then I watched the first episode of Wooster and Jeeves. It was not as funny as the reviews said, but it was only the first episode and maybe they haven’t hit their stride yet. Chris skyped me after a long gaming session and church. He hung up when we hit a bad internet connection. I cleaned up more stuff, finding a cassette tape. I plunked it into a tape player to see what it was. I heard tunes from Hello Dolly. One of them was “It takes a woman”. I found it on Youtube and sent it to Chris. It was sung by Walter Mathau and was followed by Dennis the Menace. I had to shut it down to get to my blog and go to bed.
* This unidentified plant is growing in my flower bed. *

My massage

I heard the alarm but did not get up since I had been up so late. It was almost 9 till I got dressed and went out to shoo the rabbits from my garden. One sat and watched me like he was waiting for me to leave so he could finish his breakfast on my garden. I watered the plants near the house. The others looked ok, or as ok as plants without leaves can look. I trimmed some four o’clocks and cut my thumb. I came in to wash it, then swish and check e-mail. I scheduled a massage for this afternoon.
I did my exercises, juiced, and meditated. I made breakfast and ate it in front of the computer reading stuff about anti-aging. I sunbathed and sweated. I threw out a sweet potato that was just showing signs of sprouting, but the body of it was soft and decaying. I took a shower and got dressed. I sewed one seam of the hexecontahedron before going to my massage appointment. She massaged my neck and shoulders trying to get the tension out of my jaw. I agreed to an extra 30 minutes so she did my hands and forearms. She rubbed my legs a little too. I rested and then got dressed. I went to her office to pay her. Thanks to Sheryl I had cash. Then I sat in my hot car, relaxing. I drove to the Asian store down the street for two young coconuts. I came home to drink lots of water and some blackberry herb tea. I heard Craig out mowing. So I went out and talked to him about my mower. He said to run the mower without the blade to see how it sounded. But I could not get the blade off of the mower. I took the two matching printers from the computer room out to the donate pile in the garage. I ate some goat cheese, and read e-mail. I also ate an unidentified root vegetable that tasted like bread. I ate it with butter. I worked a Sudoku puzzle from a book. It was marked medium, but their mediums are harder than the ‘evil’ on the puzzle-a-day calendar. Chris skyped me. We had lots of internet connection problems. Then I checked in online with Great Clips. I’m not sure it did any good since when I got there, I had to wait longer than it said on the screen when I checked in. I watched Archie Bunker on their TV screen. Then I called Michele and talked to her until they were ready to cut my hair. It turned out nicely. I came home and watched an episode of X-Files that got terrible reviews. Then I posted to my blog and prepared for bed. I could not resist doing another Sudoku puzzle, this one marked ‘very hard’. I would have called it ‘medium’.
* This is Mary and her basket which she just finished. *

Mystifying problem

I got up with the alarm. I don’t remember much else. I watered the plants pretty well. I saw the neighbor’s recycling out and it reminded me to put out my own. I swished and exercised. I juiced and meditated. I made and ate breakfast. I checked e-mail and ordered a mower blade. I took a shower to wash the coconut oil from my hair. I got dressed and went to quilting. I got there at noon and Marjory said it was early for me. I showed off my hexecontahedron. Then I worked on the Sudoku quilt while talking with the other ladies. I packed up at 2 to go home and change cars. I had a bite to eat and watered the plants again, then drove to Sheryl’s house. I was pleased at how good her dining room looked. We worked in her sewing room, organizing fabric that had come up from the dining room and a few things left from before. She paid me in cash and I went home. I had a bite to eat, and then used the push mower in the back yard. It did not work well at all. I used it inside the fence and it did ok. I went outside the fence and it was bad again. I went to the side front yard and it did not cut much, so I put it away. I got the keys and started the riding mower. I stalled it once before I moved the throttle. Then I did the back yard and both sides. I parked that mower. I examined the push mower but could find nothing wrong. I watered some plants. I sorted through things on the ping pong table. I sorted through individual recipes, and then bread books, and yu-gi-oh cards. I came upstairs to check mail. Chris skyped me. I watched an episode of X-Files. Then I finished a Sudoku puzzle, posted to my blog and went to bed.
* My sudoku quilt is shaping up. *

The house is sold!

i woke up early but stayed in bed to ruminate. I had several good ideas, but because I did not write them down, they did not stick. I got up with the alarm. I went outside to check on my plants. I watered some and repotted others. Then I came in to start my routine by swishing and checking e-mail. I put the root vegetables away. One of them is a sweet potato but the others have names I don’t recognize. One baked up like a crusty loaf of bread. There must be a lot of carbs in that one. When I turned my computer on, I noticed that the tool bar which is usually at the bottom of the screen is now at the top. I can’t explain it. Sleepwalking?
I exercised, drybrushed, and boiled coffee. I went through the whole routine while listening to interviews. I blended up cherries and spread it on two cookie sheets. I put them in the oven to dehydrate. I sunbathed until the sun went behind a cloud. I watered the newly transplanted squash again. I mowed the front yard with the push mower. It did a better, more even job than the riding mower. And I got to sweat a lot. I e-mailed Parker about the closing. She wrote back that she would call when the sale was recorded. I ate a watermelon. I listened to another interview while working on the hexecontahedron. Denise called to say she’d be over soon. I opened the garage and got out my keys. I watered the cinder block plants again. She drove up and I opened the back of my car to get the two boxes of fabric for her. I also gave her the fireworks that I bought on a yard sale some time ago. She also got a taste of the whey. After she left, I went through one of Michele’s boxes to pull out what could be donated and what wasn’t worth donating. Not sure what to do with the manga. I was trying to do a watermelon fast today, but it just wasn’t enough. I went upstairs to eat the root vegetable that cooked up like bread. After being in the fridge it was softer and not as wonderful as I remembered. I ate half of it with butter and put it in the oven with the cherry roll-ups to crisp up. I ate some goat cheese and some fermented nut cheese. I strung some string between the tomato plants. I also found two old hammocks and wrapped them around the cucumber plants. I hung some wind chimes on the string so it would ring if something came to get my veggies. I mowed in the back yard, but the mower was having trouble so I did not finish. I turned it over and hammered a few things, but the strange noise continued. I plugged it in for the night. I packed up the sewing project on the sewing table. Then I looked around for another project to take to retreat as well. I started laying fabrics out. I went upstairs to watch an episode of X-Files. Chris skyped me in the middle of it. We talked about the house selling (did I forget to mention that?), and possibly paying off the one in Atlanta. Then I finished the episode (on the desktop). I returned to the laptop to listen to an interview and work a Sudoku puzzle. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* Looks like deer dentition to me *

Making two men very happy

I stayed in bed after the alarm sounded. But it must not have been long. I marked my territory in the garden and turned on the computer and started swishing by 8:22. I checked e-mail. Chris sent me the name of the new quilter on post. I looked her up on Facebook and sent her a message. There was no link to send a friend request. Odd. I did my exercises. I juiced, and meditated, then cleaned up. I combed whey through my hair to tame it. When I got to my car, I realized I smelled sour milk. Lovely. I rolled the windows down as I drove, hoping to dry it and that the smell would go away. I showed off my hexecontahedron at quilting. I gave Ann her recorder back and showed her how to use it. I talked to Beverly, and asked her if she could smell my hair but she said no. Jane talked to the group about caravanning to the Chattanooga area for RowbyRow at the end of July. Then I went to the Asian store for kimbap and sprouts. I forgot to tell her I would not be coming in next week. When I got home, the mail was being delivered. The mailbox was not steady, so rain must have weakened the ground. I brought in the mail and ate my kimbap with kimchi. I am looking forward to better kimbap in Korea. I called the church but got a busy signal, so I opened the mail: AARP wants me as a member, and our health insurance wants me to have a mammogram. There was one bill and I e-mailed it to Chris. I called the church again and the secretary said I could come right over. So I went to church to enter the last few Sundays of financial contributions. I printed out the second quarter statements in two batches: one for general fund and one for capital fund but under the general fund envelop numbers. I labeled them and put them in the financial box for the two Arts to find. Then I went to the farmer’s market. I bought beef bones and a kidney, eggs, romaine, tomatoes and a large cucumber. I took them home. I called Art to tell him about the 2nd quarter stmts. He said he is still two weeks short of having the first quarter statements out. Now he wants me to do the first quarter, too! I watered the plants in pots and cinderblocks. I put a pot of water on the stove to boil, and then sunbathed forgetting all about the pot. When I came in, I put eggs in the pot and turned the heat up. Then I went outside to water the kale, and came in to turn the burner off. Reading e-mail, I saw the HUD from the lawyer, and it was two hours old. I tried to read it, and called Parker, but there was no answer. So I printed it out, and printed out the seller’s net to compare. She called back, twice. I printed out the top sheet and signed it, and e-mailed it to Parker, She and I talked some more, and she answered all my questions, and promised to call in the morning when the sale gets recorded. I made egg salad from an egg and some goat cheese. I washed root vegetables and coated them with coconut oil. I put them in a glass dish and into the oven they went – except for one sweet potato that showed signs of sprouting. I put it in a jar of water. I made breakfast and ran water through the coffee maker. Fruit flies were attacking my breakfast as I ate it. They were desperate which means I am succeeding in closing off their food sources. I looked for more kefir starter on the internet. I found one that can be delivered in 5 days, but I will be at quilt retreat then so I will have to order it Friday or Saturday. I did the Sudoku puzzle for today. I put coconut oil in my hair to condition it. I had gotten out some frozen cherries to make more roll-ups, but the root vegetables were taking too long to bake, so I put the cherries in the fridge for tomorrow. I tried to play the next X-Files DVD on my laptop but it said there was no DVD in the drive. So I watched it on the desktop. I listened to a tapping audio while sewing on the hexecontahedron. When the audio ended, I kept sewing because I did not get an edge done on Sunday night. Chris skyped me and we talked until the call dropped. Then I finished the edge, posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is what the polyhedron looks like under magnification *

Well, it's working, but....

I got up around 7:30. I peed in a jar and then got dressed. I watered a large circle around my tomato plant. I could see more signs of disturbance. The cucumber plant had few leaves left, only those above 4 feet. Then I brushed my teeth and started swishing. I turned on the router and laptop. As I was reading e-mail, I saw one from the post library saying that X-Files was due Thursday but I could renew online. So, I applied for a web account and renewed it. But when I saw the new due date, I realized I should have waited until Thursday to renew it. Because now it is due on a Monday and they are closed on Sunday and Mondays. I placed the Swansons order that I meant to do last night. I did one seam of the hexecontahedron. I exercised, and juiced. I meditated while an audio played. Maryanne called to say she was coming over so I could show her how to water my plants while I’m on retreat next week. I went out to hook up the long hose. I cleaned up the juicer and started making breakfast. Maryanne knocked on the door. I showed her all the plants and where to water. She was very positive about it. After she left, I finished making breakfast and ate it while listening to the rest of the same audio. I unstacked the dishwasher. I took a shower and got dressed.
I drove to quilting in Chris’ car without stalling it. I went inside and all the ladies were having lunch. I set up my machine in the back of the room. I finished Rebecca’s scarf and then worked on the Sudoku quilt. I had to rip out one block that I did yesterday, but otherwise it went well. I had a good time talking with the other women. Debbie wants to see my hexecontahedron. Lauri will pick me up at 11 on Monday, and Sheryl wants me to come over on Thursday. By 4:30 I was packed and ready to go. I went home to change cars and have a really quick bite to eat. I was at church by 5, I think. Art was just setting up the chairs. There was only one service and we were able to count in less than an hour. It worked out perfectly the first time. After he left, I called Tamara. She and her daughter came over. I meant to give her swatches back, but I could not find them in my purse. I placed an order for king size blue sheets and queen size white sheets (for the bed in Korea). Then I placed the Pokemon folders in the youth room for Heather to find. I also found the second box of fabric and stuck it in the back of my car. It was heavy. I went home to have supper. The mailman was delivering the mail as I drove up. Then I went out to mow inside the fence. As I was mowing under the tree, the blade hit a root and somehow jumped up and sliced into the motor housing. It took some effort to dislodge it. But then the slice of housing was hanging down just enough that the blade could not miss it. Frustration! I had to fix it ‘cause I did not want to buy a new mower for just a few months use. And the riding mower would not fit inside the fence. I could not get the plastic parts off to fix it from the inside. It seemed like most of the screws were stripped. So I came up with a plan to drive a nail perpendicular to the housing and run a wire from one end to the other catching the sliced part. It was very hard to do because there wasn’t room to swing a hammer or use the drill as a screwdriver. I even took off the blades but it didn’t help that much. I drilled a hole on each side and tried to connect them. I guess it eventually worked. But then I had trouble getting the blade back on so it wasn’t wobbly. And when I was finished, and thought I could go back to mowing, the mower sounded funny as it started up, like it was hitting something. I turned it over in front of a mirror so I could see what was happening. Only it was too fast. I ran my hand around and had to scrape dried grass off to give best clearance. I think the center shaft got bent. Anyway, it was dark when I decided I had done all I could do. I mowed anyway in spite of the sound. Then I put the mower up and cleaned up the pile of tools I had amassed during my efforts. I checked e-mail, and finished up the chocolate avocado pudding. Iatched an episode of X-Files, expecting Chris to call. He did not. I got an e-mail from Parker saying the closing did not happen today but is on schedule for tomorrow. Then it was time for bed.
* This is the large zucchini that Denise gave me *

A long day

I woke up at 7:30. I put on a nightgown (could not find one last night) and went back to bed. I got up later to check the collection tubs. I saw a mostly eaten tomato lying on the patio. The war had just escalated! I brought in the water but did not have time to process it. I swished and checked e-mail. I made breakfast. I washed up and got dressed. I grabbed my grocery list and went to church. I was there in plenty of time, but met Jeanne coming out and she talked to me until church was almost ready. When I took my seat, the intern and a supply pastor walked down the aisle to give the announcements and begin the service. After the service, I helped Art count the loose cash. He said he could not count today so we agreed on 5pm tomorrow. Then I talked to the organist. She identified some places I could play in the new setting. I promised to try them at home this week. Then I talked to Tamara about the box of fabric at the church. She said I could have it for Denise to make quilts for foster kids. Then her daughter asked me to buy sheets for a fundraiser for cheerleading. They were $40 for any size. She gave me the swatches so I could see if they can be sewn through. I might want some as quilt backings if they work. I got the papers from my mailbox at church, and headed to the grocery store. I got the usual groceries and watermelon. It was on my list but I am not sure why. Maybe because the lady who gave that talk said she ‘fasts’ one day a week on watermelon? When I got home, I changed my clothes and put the groceries away. I e-mailed Denise to ask if her husband could build chimes that would ring if a deer got into the garden. I finished an interview from this morning – the guy was a scientist and farmer. He used glyphosate regularly and when he ran out of coyote urine to keep the animals out of the fields, he started spraying with his own urine. He was amazed to see that his urine killed the plants! So he investigated and is now trying to get glyphosate off the market. It kills microbes in the gut and that has all kinds of deleterious effects on mice and humans. I took Chris’ car to quilting. I turned in the blue and white top. Someone picked out a lovely backing fabric. I had to cut and piece one to fit. Then I worked on the pattern of the month which was a Sudoku quilt. I got the first three squares done and cut some two inch strips for sashing since the black was gone. When I got home, I noticed that there were fruit flies on my bananas even though they were in the microwave. So I put them in the oven. Whatever it was came back and finished the tomato while I was sewing. I read e-mail, and made a chocolate, banana, avocado smoothie which was more like a chocolate pudding. I tried adding some coconut oil and putting in the fridge to see if it would be stiff enough to use as a frosting. I read about using whey for hair, so I combed it into my hair and it did a remarkable job of controlling frizz, just like hairspray. I went downstairs to organize in the garage. I removed items from a ‘save’ box to a better box. I moved boxes around. I shoved the fish tank towards the back. I filled boxes with donation books and wheeled them to the garage. I boxed the ‘save’ books and put the boxes back on the industrial shelving that they came from. I found parts of two wooden quilting frames but not the whole of either. I did find my PVC set and put all its pieces back in the bag I made for it, ready to go to Korea. I found more Pokemon cards to take to the lady at church. I wonder if she wants manga too. I did not stop until 9:30. I made myself come upstairs to watch an episode of X-Files. Chris skyped me in the middle of it. He met a wife who quilts, and just moved in. So I will have someone to sew with when I get there. He suspects she might have quite the stash as well. I finished the episode. I checked on the patio – no critters I could see. I ran the rain water through the coffee maker. I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* this is Lynette's version of the pattern *