The garden in back on my radar

Tuesday

I got up before 7:30 having slept pretty well. I got ready for the day. I worked on the sticky gopher ball. The ammonia I used yesterday didn't work, so today I used rubbing alcohol. Just rubbing didn't work, so I let it soak while I read e-mail and other messages. I checked again and it wasn't ready. So I let it soak some more. I compared supplements looking for a probiotic with bifidobacterium longum BB 536.

I went early to inspection of 627. I took a bucket of cleaners and looked through the house to make sure she hadn't missed anything. The inspectors came. Jack found dust on top of the fridge. I can't imagine how I missed that. Everything else looked good. When Jamie arrived, I asked her to clean the top of the fridge. We signed the papers. Jack accepted the key to 627 plus the key to 645 and the other inspector had a key for him. I hope he was able to keep them separate. He left and we ladies stayed to chat.

Then the accordion place called. Jamie said she could take me so I told them I would pick it up tomorrow. We went home. I made fiber gel and consumed half. I washed dishes in the sink. I made and ate breakfast. I found info for Emily about the garden. She wanted to put the clean-up event in her flyer.

At 2, I went to the swap shop and worked with Jenni for 3.5 hours packing up adult clothing. We also let people come and 'shop'.

After 5:30, I went home. Chris was there, having supper. I ate the rest of the fiber gel. I made supper, and read more e-mail and messages as I ate. I worked on my blog and made tea. We watched one episode of Brokenwood. Then Chris went to bed and I stayed up to read.

Busy afternoon

Monday

I got up around 8 and got ready for the day. I checked e-mail. I looked through the Zoom worksheets. I examined the resin gopher skull. It was sticky and I thought maybe the resin hadn't been properly mixed. I looked up how to dissolve resin and ammonia was suggested. So I poured some ammonia in a bottle cap and let the sticky side of the gopher skull soak in it. I left it set until almost 11 and checked it. There was still a streak of sticky resin on it. So I put it back in to soak some more. It was on a cookie sheet so I stuck it in the oven so I didn't have to smell it.

I posted for band tonight. Then Keli said she couldn't make it at 6. Had she told me earlier, I would have scheduled band an hour later. But maybe reading my post is what prompted her to tell me. Then I chose hymns for next Sunday and Palm Sunday.

I went to the swap shop for the meeting. I chatted with the other ladies until Jamie came. Then Brian started the meeting. He told us that the work would begin either this week or next, that we could put stuff in the Connex, that if the swap shop closes it will only be for a week or two. We went to see the connex and some other empty spaces where swap shop stuff could go. Then he told us about all the plans the base has for a new park, running and biking trails, batting cage, golf cage, etc. Sounded too goo to be true.

After the meeting broke up, I went to the post office to get the mail. A lady asked if I was Fern and I said yes. So she asked about getting a quote for cleaning her quarters. I told her I could do it after 2.

Til I got home it was almost 1. I drank fiber gel and fielded some calls. Deb wanted me to come by and get some fabric she was clearing out. I texted Jamie about the quote. I made and ate breakfast.

All too soon, I paused whatever I was watching and went to the inspection at 645. I didn't see the inspectors cars, but I went in and two were there looking around. They said the oven looked great. I explained about all the other stuff I had to clean. We all signed papers and I left. I went to 610 where Jamie was looking over the place with the occupant. I joined in. The house looked pretty good to me. Better than 627. I would have been happy with $400 but Jamie was thinking $600 so we quoted her $500. She was happy with that because another lady had quoted her $800.

From there I went to Deb's house. She showed me two tubs of fabric and ribbon she was getting rid of. I agreed to take them but could not carry them. We talked about this and that. Her husband came home. He carried the tubs to my car and I drove home.

I stopped at Housing to schedule an inspection for tomorrow for 627 which Jamie said was finished. When I got home, I had a bite to eat. I read some messages and jotted notes for my blog. I rested up for band. Chris came home. We chatted.

I went to the chapel for band and realized I had forgotten the music. So I unlocked the door and went home for the music. When I got back, Saronna and Randy were set up. I asked Randy about buying a live sheep and rendering it. He said he knew how. Jenni came and we played through a bunch of hymns and Broadway tunes. Then we packed up. Keli stopped by with cartons of eggs.

When I got home, I drank the rest of the fiber gel. I read some e-mail, then put pulled pork in the toaster oven. I continued reading. I read about a green house heated by compost and also a geothermal greenhouse which was heated by pipes underground.

I made tea and we watched an episode of Brokenwood. Later Chris went to bed. I stayed up to read online. Then I joined him.

Can they read?

Sunday

I got up around 9, having spent a lot of time awake in bed, but then sleeping in. I got ready for the day. I read messages and watched interviews. At 11, I decided to make cheese squares. I preheated the oven while I mixed eggs and cheese. It got very smokey in the kitchen and by the time I was ready to put the mixture in the oven, all the fire alarms went off. Chris turned on the fan and opened a bunch of windows.

I made and ate breakfast, then got dressed. I took some of the cheese squares to the chapel along with my trombone and music. I talked to several people and played through one of the hymns for later. Then the service started with praise music. Cpl Popken gave the message since Chaplain was out of town. Popken ended the service and we had to remind him that we had hymns to play. So we played. People sang. The service ended.

Afterward, I talked to John M for awhile. The doc said he could play trumpet and might come to band. I went home and changed clothes. Chris and I took my car to put air in the tires and gas in the tank. We stopped at the post office to check mail from Saturday. There wasn't any, but I spied three bags of clothing outside the swap shop. They were directly under the sign that said we aren't taking donations right now and please don't leave bags in the hallway.

I put together some amended water (Boogie Brew) and took 3 buckets of compost to the garden. I raked the grass clippings out of the way and put down the compost and poured the water, raked it back and put hay on top.

I came home and saw a message from Erynne. I went to Erynne's house to get the two paintings from Thursday. When I got home, I put pulled pork in the toaster oven. We signed into Discord for the game. We played the game: we went to some small town that we had saved earlier. It was under attack again so we saved it again. Then we went to an inn for the night. Pixies were stealing stuff from the patrons, so we caught one and questioned him. He agreed to help up.

After the game, I worked on my blog and texted with Jamie. I put egg boxes on the front door for the egg lady. I made tea and we watched one episode of Brokenwood. Afterward, Chris went to bed and I stayed up to work on the Zoom worksheets, filling in the blanks. It was 11:30 till I got to bed.

A day of no commitments

Saturday

We got up before 9. We both read e-mail on our computers. Chris gave me a massage, then took his shower and I took mine. I got dressed and drank half of the fiber gel. I made more supplement doses, then made and ate breakfast. Chris put a big pork roast in the oven.

I turned on my phone. Jamie texted that she didn't want to drive in the rain so could we go another day? I suggested Wednesday afternoon. I had eaten the last egg for breakfast, so I steamed a batch of eggs. I read e-mail and listened to podcasts, one on sleep. I steamed more eggs. After the ice bath, I peeled them and put them in the pickling brine.

Chris brought Michele over for supper. We all ate the pork with rice and zucchini. We all had a chat. Then he and she watched some war movie. I went back to reading messages and interviews. I worked on my blog.

By the time he took her home, it was almost 9. But we watched TV anyway. Then it was 11:30! So we went straight to bed. It was so nice to have a day of no commitments.

Cleaning up after her kid

Friday

I got up after 8:30, not having heard any of my alarms go off. I got dressed and made fiber gel. I posted to the Facebook pages that the swap shop would be open fro 10:30 to 11. Then I grabbed my clipboard and went to Math Morning.

Saronna came with her kids and Keli was there too. She had scheduled a practice for the kids who are practicing for Easter. So those of us doing math had to shut the door to the fellowship hall so we wouldn't hear them and be distracted. I worked with Moira and we completed all of her overdue math.

I went home and rehydrated. Steve called to say he couldn't be a volunteer any more. I went to the post office to open the swap shop. No one was waiting to get in, so I went to get our mail. Steve was talking to the clerk about dogs attacking an older woman.

I went back to the swap shop to find a lady there with her little boy. He played in the toy area while she looked around. I went into the furniture room to unpack a laundry basket of fabric items. At 11 I went to the toy room to turn the lights off. There was a big mess of cracker crumbs and the toys were scattered a bit. So I put the toys back and got out the vacuum and swept the whole room and part of the second room. I was not happy.

I went home about 11:30 and had some fiber gel. I looked at Telegram messages then realized I needed more breakfast mix. So I made that, then made and ate breakfast. Around 1pm I realized that I hadn't tuned into Zoom and it was too late. I made a grocery list, then kept reading. Chris came back from the convenience store. We went to the commissary and bought a few things. Then we went to town. I nearly fell asleep listening to the book on CD. We shopped at Melanies, who had hardly any of what I wanted, then went to Macey's for sprouts and organic produce.

When we got back, I listened a podcast. I filled in blanks on the worksheets from the Zoom calls this week. Chris had supper, then went to his game night. I finished that podcast and listened to another one. I ate supper. Jenni called so I paused the interview. By the time she hung up, it was time for me to post to my blog and get ready for my game night.

I put tea in a bottle with magnesium, ashwagandha, and glycine. I went over to Michelle's house. Isadora was playing Sonic the Hedgehog. We chatted until she 'died'. Casey pulled up the Indiana Jones game. The kids watched for a bit, but then went to bed. I started in the outer ring of Atlantis and made progress but not enough to get past it. Michelle called so we both talked to her through Casey's phone. While she was talking, he looked up a walkthru for the game. He gave me the hint to put the cup on the pedestal and then open the lava flow. This allowed Indy to bring a cup of lava to the big machine that makes energy beads out of it. Like anyone could carry a cup of molten lava. Then Indy sent a robot after the guard who captured Sophia. He found the room she was in and lifted the grate the covered the door. But she would not come out, saying she was afraid the gate would drop on her. So Indy left to find a rock to prop it up, but she yelled at him for leaving her. Sheesh. He went to the canal and floated through several 'doorways' to a place where he could get off on the other side and go in. He found a statue guarding a door but could not get the door to open.

It was after 11 so I shut the game down and thanked Casey. I went home and found Chris was still up. I went through my evening routine and we went to bed.

Acrylic pour technique

Thursday

I woke up early. Chris was already up. I turned on the CD player and went back to bed. I don't think I fell asleep. I had a hard time getting comfortable. Reveille played at 6:30 and sounded odd against the classical music. Later Chris took a shower, dressed, and went to work. I got up at 7:30. I got ready for the day. I checked e-mail and Facebook. Then I went to Bible study.

I unlocked the chapel and went in. I saw the wallhanging I had donated laying in the back. I picked it up and noticed that a mouse had chewed a hole in it and mouse crap was stuck beside the hole. I tried to scrape it off. Ginger arrived and I told her about it.

During Bible study, we read through an introduction to the book of Luke. People from pest control came in to look for mice and wasps and to set traps. We even heard them walking on the roof.

When we were finished, we walked out and I locked the doors. But they asked me to leave it open for them. So I went back. From there I went to 645 to move the trash bins out to the street. But all the other bins on the street were open, so I missed that opportunity. I went inside and worked on the greasy blinds. Then I swept the floors again and tidied up the sink. I moved all my cleaning stuff to the car.

I stopped at Housing to schedule an inspection for Monday at 2. Then I went to the post office to get the mail. I noticed that someone had dropped their credit card by the front door, so I took it inside and gave it to the postmaster.

I went home. I jotted some notes for my blog. I unloaded cleaning stuff from my car. I read e-mail and other messages. I ate half of the fiber gel. I read some more, then made breakfast. I tuned into Zoom and ate breakfast while watching. I skipped out a few minutes early to go to the swap shop for meeting. Emily was there. Then Revonna texted to say Brian was going to be half an hour late. Then it got rescheduled for Monday at 11. Jamie had come so we talked about 627 and after she left, I told Emily my idea for encouraging small groups.

I went home. I started listening to the beginning of The Highwire which was well underway. Erynne wanted to start early, so I was going to quit around 3, but then Michelle called to talk about the hairdresser and her contract. As we talked, I gathered some craft supplies.

Then, when I hung up with Michelle, I drove over to Erynne's house. I stood at her front door. I knocked, I rang the bell. I texted her. And I did it all again. Finally her kids opened the door. I guess they hadn't heard.

Anyway, it took like three hours to set up for the acrylic pour and do it twice what with all the discussion at each step and the after action report. We left our canvasses on her table to dry.

I went home for supper. Chris was gone to Knife Night. I read e-mail. He came home. I made tea. We watched an episode of Brokenwood. I dozed off several times. So when it was over, we both went to bed.

Michele the therapist

Wednesday

I got up soon after 7:30. I prepared for coffee morning. I watered the sweet potatoes. I exercised and made coffee. I meditated and tapped. I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen.

At noon I signed into Zoom. I watched the presentation for an hour. It was rather complicated with terms like Kreb cycle, mitochondria, electron transport chain, cardiolipin, moco synthesis. While I watched, I peeled the eggs from yesterday. I had to eat one because it stuck to the shell so badly.

When it was over, I spent an hour answering the Day 2 and 3 comment documents. I watched part of a tapping series and had a hard time finding any actual tapping. But when I did, it brought up some emotion.

Then I tried to catch up on e-mail. I called the accordion place back. But he was in the middle of a lesson. I thought he was going to call me back, but the phone didn't ring. I went to the garden to empty the coffee grounds container, then went to 645 to work on the oven and the blinds. I scrubbed both. I finally finished the oven, but the blinds needed another ammonia soak to get all the grease off.

I went home. I watered the rest of the plants. Chris came home from work. I told him we needed to talk when he got back from Mass. He said Michele was coming over. So he left for Mass and almost immediately there was a knock on the door. Michele came in and said it might be a two mile walk from her house. I guess John took their car.

Anyway, I talked to her about what I was going to talk to Chris about, thinking it might help to rehearse it. Then when Chris got home, he joined the conversation. She played the role of therapist. It was very interesting.

All of a sudden it was 9:30 and she asked for a ride home. We chatted a bit more, then she and Chris drove off. John texted me to see if Michele was here. I guess he had just gotten home. I replied “Not any more.”

It was too late to watch TV. I worked on my blog. Chris went to bed. I stayed up to work on e-mail, then went through the bedtime procedure.