Picking more green cherry tomatoes

 

Thursday

I got up before 7:30. I finished a Sudoku puzzle and worked on the morning list. I threw laundry in the washer because I needed to wash the chenille pumpkin sample. I filled a bottle with water and minerals. I set a tub and coffee grounds by the front door.

At 9, I took my Bible and all that stuff to the ACS building. Keli pulled up beside me and I gave her the tub and the coffee grounds.

I went inside to Bible Study. Jenni came in a minute later, followed by Eryne and her daughter. Karen led the Bible Study. She read about Mary and the rest of us looked up the verses mentioned in the reading. Then we compiled a list of prayer requests. After praying, we talked about having Bible Study in the evening next week and I agreed to make bread since Eryne could not. We discussed caroling from a trailer like we did last year. Then we headed out and got called into Emily's office to further discuss caroling and having a bonfire later.

Finally Eryne followed me home. I showed her my quilt rack. She thought it might work for her mother to make a tied quilt. We also discussed high loft batting. Then she left. I went to the commissary for milk to feed my ferments. The cans of goat milk I was going to use were not right. So when I got back, I fed my ferments and put them in the dehydrator to grow. I checked the gopher trap and shook out the gopher caught in it. Carrots work so well as bait.

I made and ate breakfast. I jotted notes for my blog. I watched The Highwire. I set both gopher traps in the sunny side yard, each with a piece of carrot.

I went to the garden and picked hundreds of green cherry tomatoes. It was unbelievable since I picked as many last night – all from the same bush. I packed more mint around the squashes.

When I got home, I searched for flicker rates for LED vs incandescent. Turns out it is very complicated. Then after Retreat sounded, I went outside to rake leaves from the curb for my garden. I filled a 5 gallon bucket several times. I went inside.

Chris came home with his Thursday pizza. I worked on e-mail, and watching ornament videos. I made and ate supper. Later I heated tea and we watched Blue Bloods. I went back to watching ornament videos while listening to some podcasts. Then we got ready for bed.

Picking lots of green tomatoes before the freeze

 

Wednesday

I got up before the alarm. Chris left for work. I prepared for coffee morning.

I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen. I washed dishes and lots of spoons. I cleaned the floors. I read online for a bit, then went in the steam tent for 20 minutes. I took a shower and spread vitamin C on my face. I laid down to let it dry. 

 I checked e-mail and someone messaged me wanting to drop off a futon at the swap shop. So I got dressed and drove to the post office. I opened the door and Eryne walked up. So we chatted. Emily walked by and checked out the other swap shop room. Then Veronica arrived with the futon. She and her son put it in the furniture room and arranged things around it. After she left, I finished talking to Eryne and then gave Emily my full attention. When we were done chatting, we both left. I went home.

I mixed some yogurts with pumpkin seeds. After eating that, I made egg salad and ate that, too. I deleted a bunch of e-mail and read others. I started watering the plants. I checked the gopher trap – it had not been sprung so I concluded that it was set the wrong direction in the tunnel. I placed it the other way and dropped part of a carrot in the hole.

I went to the garden to get the other trap. It had not been sprung either. Jack was tending what was left of his garden. We chatted, then I picked all my cherry tomatoes so they won't freeze. I put handfuls of mint over the remaining squash.

I went home. It was too dark to set the trap from the garden. I laid out the tomatoes to ripen. Chris made his supper and ate it. I got online to look at supplements and grow lights for vertical gardens. Somehow I ended up looking at Christmas crafts made of toilet paper rolls.

I worked on my blog. I made tea. We watched an episode of Blue Bloods. I went back to watching ornaments being made from tubes. Chris went to bed, and later so did I.

Metronome: mechanical vs digital

Tuesday

I got up before 7:30 because of the daylight coming into the room. While I was in the bathroom, Chris took his shower and went to work. I checked the old computer and its hard drive check was at 2%. Sigh. I went through the morning list. I cleaned up the floor where the layers of the tower garden had lain. It did not freeze overnight after all. I set up mirrors around the tower garden.

I got out my metronome (an old one like Grandpappy had). The weight had come off and there was a piece missing. So I looped some thread through the holes and tried to tie it on. That gave me a syncopated beat. I played each of the 4 parts to a hymn listening to the beat. I decided that the tablet would work better. But it wasn't charged. So I plugged it in.

I listened to something online while chopping up cherry tomatoes for dehydrating. I opened a can of goat milk and put it in the dehydrator with the tomatoes to ferment.

I made and ate breakfast. Later I walked to the post office for mail. When I got back, I looked for another watch battery but we didn't have any of that size. I looked at videos of how to connect batteries in series.

I went to check the garden at 607. There was nothing to pick. Then I went to my garden and picked tomatoes. The squash was not ready. I reset the gopher trap there, then went home and set one in the shady side yard.

I raked leaves and dumped them in the spare trash bin. At 5, I went inside to read online. I watched videos on recharging watch batteries. Chris came home and made supper. I kept reading as I ate supper. We discussed my hypothesis that the kitchen lights are disrupting my sleep. I was considering moving my computer but there is no good place for it. Chris said he could mostly do without the overhead lighting in the kitchen.

The hard drive was at 5%.  Then I made tea and we watched Blue Bloods. Later he went to bed. I stayed up to catch up on messages, then I got ready for bed. Suddenly I remembered my blog and got up to write it before going back to bed.

Anticipating the first freeze

 

Monday

I got up around 7:30, having slept just ok. I got up to start the morning list. I was doing Sudoku when Chris left for work. I went through the list and did a few other small errands. I posted for band. I entered hours in the VMIS system, but the fields went blank after each posting.

The old computer was still doing Startup Repair. I looked it up and one advice was to restart the computer from a bootable device. However it never gave me the chance to hit F12. So it went to Windows, but never completed that start. I had to restart again.  I made up supplements for the week.

I made and ate breakfast and read e-mail. I walked to the post office for the mail. Someone left a chair in front of the swap shop, but I didn't have my keys to open the door. I chose hymns, then went to the library to return the books on CD and to make a large copy of a hymn. Afterward, I went to the garden and pulled up two onions – one had been chewed on.

I made onion soup in the toaster oven. I blew and raked leaves in the side yard, then ate supper. I researched candidates and filled out ballot.  Chris opened my watch and I dug out the battery.

I went to the chapel. Sophia was waiting. We set up the bells, sort of. I texted Jenni, then started playing with Sophia. Keli had to work at the commissary. We played till Jenni came, then continued playing until and after Andrea arrived. Finally I said we should do bells just the three of us, and that's when Michele and John arrived.

I gave John my ballot to take to town tomorrow. Then we all went to the fellowship hall and got the bells situated where people wanted them. I played the same bells as Jenni, only an octave higher. We went through both songs, several times. We called it quits around 8 and packed up. We agreed to meet at 2:15 on Sunday to practice. They left and Jenni and I followed a bit later, making sure all the lights were off and the door locked.

When I got home, Chris had the tower garden levels scattered on the dining room floor. He apologized for the tomato that did not survive the trip. We stacked it back together and put it in front of the window. I checked the old computer. It had only completed one percent of whatever it has been doing all afternoon and evening.

I worked on my blog. I made tea and we watched an episode of Blue Bloods. The DVD was a little messed up but we got through it. I took the evening supplements and read online. Then I got ready for bed.

All Saints Day

 

Sunday

I got up late after having slept really well. How late, you ask? Before or after the time change? Both my laptop and my old 4g phone (in airplane mode) agreed it was close to 9. The stove and the microwave thought it was close to 10.

It was raining heavily. I went through my morning list. I got my cleaning hours tracker up to date.

I practiced some Christmas music. I scrubbed 4 burner bowls and put them in the dishwasher. I washed a ton of spoons, then made a bowl of yogurts and ate it. I worked on the old computer, then made and ate breakfast.

I got dressed for church. I took cheese squares and a zucchini with me. I arrived at the chapel and put the cheese squares in the back. I greeted the guest pastor, then assembled my trombone and warmed up in the sewing room.

Soon after I got back, the service started with three praise songs. Then Pastor Jeff gave his sermon. Then Keli and Jenni and I played two Reformation hymns. And the service was over. I spoke to a young man who came with the pastor. I gave the zucchini to Keli. I spoke with Bryce at length. Then I took the cheese squares and my trombone and went home.

I brought in the pomegranates and cranberries from last night. I cleaned the produce drawer and put them in it. I made a batch of liquid laundry soap. Michelle called and invited me over for a potato casserole. So I finished up the soap and washed the rice container from last week. I took it with me to Michelle's house.

When I got there, I gave her $20 for the fruit. We sat down with bowls of potato casserole, then prayed and ate. When I mentioned how well I slept last night, she gave me the bottle of mushroom drops that she had me sample yesterday.

We talked of writing a song for the swap shop. So she turned to ChatGPT and got it to write lyrics to several well known tunes. I found it difficult to imagine those words to those tunes. The verses were sometimes dumb, sometimes spot on and sometimes funny. It was interesting that she never mentioned Dugway in the prompts but the AI put it in the song.

Hours later, I went home. I rebooted the old computer again. I read messages and e-mail. I changed into my nightgown, then realized I had forgotten the mushroom drops. I called her and she said she would bring them over after her workout. Oddly enough, she arrived at the same time as Chris did. So they spoke briefly, then she left.

Chris set his laptop back up and changed the clocks.  I made tea and we watched an episode of Blue Bloods. Then Chris went to bed while I worked on my blog.

Hot chocolate for Halloween

 

Saturday

It was a long long night. I had a hard time getting to sleep, worrying about Isadora. Then, as I lay on my side, something happened in my hip – like it went out of joint. I could no longer lay on my side – either side. Fearing it would swell and prevent me from getting out of bed in the morning, I went to the bathroom to get my walker and I went to the kitchen to get the curcumin capsules and my phone. I swallowed the capsules and put the phone by my bed, just in case. I'm not sure I slept after that.

I got up after 8:30. I worked a Sudoku puzzle, then brushed my teeth and walked to the kitchen without the walker. The hip still hurt, but was not swollen. I started my morning list, not sure how far I would get.

I got through all of it, surprisingly. I told myself I had a free day, but my mind came up with things to do. I emptied my vacuums and gathered up all the sponges. They went into a bucket of hot water, soap, and bleach. I put all the cleaning cloths and mop heads and dusting pads in the washer. It wasn't a full load, so I added some fabric and a pillow case. I emptied my purse and wallet and neck pouch. Those went in as well. Then I ran the washer. I folded the king-size sheets already in the dryer, and put them away.

I made and ate breakfast. I turned on the old computer. I cleaned the laundry room. I folded the cleaning cloths when they came out of the dryer. I rebooted the old computer and this time hit F12 at the right time. It booted from the CD. But I could not find the programs that John suggested I run.

I raked all the gopher mounds so I will be able to identify new activity. I looked high and low for the Halloween toys from last year, but I could not find them.

I went to 607 to check that garden. I came away with a spaghetti squash, a zucchini, and a small lemon cucumber. Then I went to pick my garden. I got lots of cherry tomatoes. The squash were not big enough to pick. I set a gopher trap. Casey was working in his garden and came over to chat and see if I was coming over later.

When I got home, I put the cherry tomatoes and squash in the window to fully ripen. I made and ate supper. I updated my list of cleaning jobs. I took a shower. I put on some garb. I called Michelle to see if she had any blue eye shadow, but she didn't. She told me to call Isadora. So I did. She offered me gold eye shadow and that went with my outfit.

I had a few last things to do. Then I went over to Michelle's house. She had tables set up in front of her house. She was warming chocolate milk on a portable gas stove. Chairs and a firepit were off to one side. Isadora painted a gold crescent moon on my forehead.

I joined Michelle in handing out cups of hot chocolate. She sent her husband off for more milk. After adding milk, she added Mexican chocolate discs, which dissolved in the milk over time.

Lots of kids came, as did their parents. Finally the crowd thinned out. Saronna walked over and we sat around the fire and talked. Eventually Casey put all the chocolate, syrups, and whipped cream cans away. He took down the tables, too. Saronna left and the rest of us went inside.

Michelle called up the game for me. We talked a bit and she went to bed, as did the kids. Casey stayed up on his computer. I loaded the game and tried the exit again. That brought up the screen where Indy can buy more ammo. But the game was not cooperating. Casey helped, and we got through it. Then Indy was in a new place. But he was agonizingly slow. I got the block moved, but he could not jump from it to a ledge. I was going to save it and exit, but the last keystroke kept repeating over and over. Casey had to shut the computer down to stop it. Then we had a time getting the game back at a point AFTER buying ammo. I played then, for some time, following the notes I had from last night.

Around 10:30, I saved and shut it down. I thanked Casey and headed to my car. He had left pomegranates and cranberries on my trunk. I would have paid him then but I had taken all the money out of my purse earlier. I put them in my front seat and headed home. I worked on my blog, then got ready for bed.

Cleaning a day early

 

Friday

I got up at 8. I went through the morning list. I got dressed, took cheese squares from the fridge and went to the chapel for Math Morning.

The Clarks were waiting for me. Saronna had math cards. She separated them into piles of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. She placed the piles on a table. We adults sat around another table with veggies, fruit, mushrooms and cheese squares. Each child picked up one card from each pile and brought them to an adult. The kids would give their answers and the adult verified them. Then the kid could pick something from the food table. It was a little tough for Jedediah who is only 5.

At 10, we packed up. We chatted a little more, then went home. I made a grocery list, then stopped by the post office on my way to the commissary. I shopped for a few groceries and went to Shelly and got my hair cut.

I went home and put away the groceries. I made and ate breakfast, read e-mail.

The rain came down hard and the winds were strong. But eventually it died down to a dull rain. I packed bathroom cleaners in my car, along with a jar of yogurt andwent to Tina's house. This was in lieu of Saturday. I cleaned her bathrooms and dusted some shelves. We chatted and she gave me a shot of an Irish whiskey. It wasn't Bailey's but it was very good.

On my way home, I stopped and locked the swap shop. At home, I ate fiber gel and pulled up the gopher traps. I got one gopher. I did several Sudoku puzzles. I made supper from leftovers and a zucchini. I listened to a podcast on the benefits of laetrile. I prepared for Game Night. I worked on my blog. I posted Matthew's pics of furniture he wanted to sell.

I put some cheese squares in a baggie and went to Michelle's house for Game Night. They were not having a good night because Isadora was furious with them. However, I played the game while Michelle watched. I eventually finished the level and was given the opportunity to buy more ammo for the next level. I guess I did it wrong and the whole thing froze. Casey had to restart the computer. Since I hadn't saved it, I had to start over from the last save from last week.

Michelle and I talked about how the therapist at school left because it was only a part time position and now none of the kids have her to talk to when they have personal problems.

I re-played the game to the next level. I saved it just before walking Indy through the exit. Then the game froze up again, but now I think I know what keystroke the game is expecting. It was 11pm, so I thanked them and went home.