Another late night

I woke up much later than I thought. Dad did not do much better, but at least we all know he needed the sleep more than the time to do stuff. He said he would eat and was ready to go. I did not know if that meant I only had time to eat, or if I had time to exercise and wash up before making breakfast. I banked on having the time and I was right. Instead of coconut milk on my breakfast, I opened the young coconut and used the water. I gave some to Dad to taste. After breakfast I drank a little of the milk for the probiotic effect. It was getting low so I opened another can of milk. In scraping it out, I cut my finger. I washed my hands and put hydrogen peroxide on it. Dad got me a bandage and I waved my hands around to dry them. I noticed funky spots appearing on the washbowl. They did not look like blood, but that must have been it. Dad helped me put the bandaid on. Then we went to Bank of Virginia where we took care of Mom's CD, but needed Faye's signature. So we called her which woke her up. Since she is working nights this week, she needed the sleep. She agreed to meet us at 3. So we left that bank and went to First Security Bank (or something like that). We processed another CD, but needed Faye's signature. It was 2, so we went to the next bank to get something from the safebox. Then we went home for a quick lunch before returning to the first bank. Faye did not know exactly where it was. So we got a late start, and a late exit. Then we went to the second bank which closed at 4. We got in by 3:50. The lady processed the papers and got Faye's signature and Dad's signature. Then we went home. Faye told me what an exciting week it was at the hospital surgical unit. Then she left for Ladies Night Out. I ate some supper, and then organized the papers Dad had in two black bags. I noticed that the info on the CD sheet from the second bank did not agree with what we asked for, or with the other sheet that came with it. Dad said he wasn't worried, so that got tabled. I got on my e-mail and Chris skyped me. He said he only had 20 minutes to talk. I spoke to him and some to Dad at the same time. Dad said he had a check ready to write. So I hung up with Chris. But then Dad said he needed to put all the bank stuff in file folders before he could concentrate on the check. He went looking for file folders. And labels. I found some in his bedroom desk, but they were old and not so sticky. He found some in the computer room, but they were old and some not so sticky. We put new labels on the folders. Then he told me the names of banks and I wrote the labels and stuffed them. We got all of that organized and he went to make copies of something that pertained to more than one bank. I wrote part of my blog. Then, at 11:30, he was ready to write the check. I filled it out to pay his internet bill. He signed it and put a stamp on the envelop and finally I could go to bed.  I don't like how my bedtime and wake up time are getting later and later.

*  I have a pic of the coconut, but it is too late to upload it.  So here is one from the botanical gardens  *

A special find at the grocery store

I was having a dream about trying to watch a movie and getting interrupted by various people. Although wakefulness kept poking at me, I shoved it away to get back to the movie. Finally I had to give it up and get up. It was almost 9. Dad had been up for a while. But he said he got 6 hours of sleep. I did my morning rituals while he did his and went to Fresh Market for bananas. Then we went to a bank. He moved his name from beneficiary to principal on one of Mom's CD's. Then he got an EIN for her estate. We went to another bank to cash in Mom's CD and bring it to the first bank where we opened an estate account and put the money in. They also printed out some deposit and withdrawal slips for him for free. They were so nice. Then we came home for supper since the process took all afternoon. Dad took a nap. I put pictures away and read e-mail. I got out the chicken leg from Cecily's house and discovered that I had grabbed the wrong frozen item. It was a pork chop – and a really good one. I ate most of it and saved the rest for tomorrow. Cecily called to find out when I was coming over Friday evening. Michele told me the dentist said she has no cavities, but needs two wisdom teeth pulled. It will have to be done in Korea. She also said Cecily is taking her to the beach tomorrow. When Dad woke up, he ate something and got his shopping list and we went to Martin's. He did not want to leave me at home where I might imperil his cardboard kingdom for recycling tomorrow. Even though he did not have Mom to push around, it still took him a long time. When I thought he was almost done, Patrick called to find out when he would be home. Dad said he could not guarantee we'd be home in an hour. ?!?!?! But he was right. Whereas I read labels before I buy, he reads expiration dates and obsesses over them: crackers, yoghurt, canned foods, bottled drinks, etc. I found young coconuts like the ones at the commissary in Korea. I was so thrilled that Dad said I could have two! But I only got one. When we got home, he spent 10 minutes backing the car around all the other cars in the driveway and parking it just so. I brought the bags in and he put stuff away. Patrick came over to get his coins, some kimchi and a boxtop. He stayed to talk. Then I skyped Chris before he went to bed. It was after 11 when Dad started processing the recycling pile. I decided to blog and go to bed since there was nothing I could do to part him from his beloved boxes. 

*  The second pic is one of a magnolia which has been pinned to the wall as if a warning to other trees inclined to be troublesome.  Both pics taken at the botanical gardens  *

A special treat

I heard my alarm go off at 8, but chose to ignore it. I arose about 9. Dad heard me get up so he got up too. Michele was playing on her laptop. Dad and I discussed what to do today and in which order to do it. I looked up estate accounts, probate, etc for Dad. I did some light exercises. He went shopping for the ingredients for cruciferous juice and casseroles. I started preparing breakfast, and Michele read one of her stories to me. Then I got a phone call from a quilting friend whom I met in Korea. She brought her son to space camp in Huntsville and wanted to get in touch with me. If only I were there.... When Dad got home from the store, I hung up and finished breakfast. William gave me a cordless drill and two batteries as an early Christmas present. Then Dad set stuff out for Kevin to make casseroles and juice and had Michele write a list 'cause we'd be gone when he got here. Dad drove us to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. It was beautiful. Dad paid the admission for the three of us. We walked amongst the plantings. It was beautifully done. Some of the plant signs did not go with the nearest plants or were surrounded by several plants so we did still did not know what we were looking at. I got lots of pics of Michele, who was as beautiful as the flowers. We walked slowly through the butterfly house. I was hoping one would land on Michele, but they kept to the foliage. Then we walked through the rose garden, stopping to smell the roses. Then we found some absolutely wonderful grass. I did not see a sign either to identify it or to tell us not to walk on it. So Michele and I took off our shoes and reveled in the feeling. Ahhhhh. When we rounded the next corner, there were kids playing in a sandbox, and also under a set of creative sprinklers, and some climbing on a knarled tree. She and I wished we were kids again. We stopped to get some water from the vending machines. A little farther, we found what looked like a ground cherry plant. But a lady who worked for the gardens said it was not and showed us the heart-shaped seeds inside the husk. Then she was inviting us to taste different plants in the organic garden. There were blackbeans, kale, swiss chard, nasturtium, malabar spinach (which was vining up strings), corn, etc. And some bitter lettuce that quickly grew on me. We had a good time talking to her as the park closed. So she closed up and took us to see her goats. She told us all about how they eat poison ivy and other weeds. She wants to rent them out as weedeaters. Literally. She had them in a moveable pen eating brambles on the garden property. One was a little baby goat and he jumped like a pogo stick having a great time. Then we had to go. On the way home, we stopped at Subway for supper. There was a flock of geese hanging around looking for handouts. One goose stared at me intently, as if to say “Giiiive the goose your foooood”. His attempt at mind control did not work on me. But people at another table threw them some scraps. When we got home, we saw that Kevin had cleaned. And made two casseroles. Dad was disappointed about the lack of cruciferous juice, but I told him I would make it tomorrow. Michele packed up her stuff and I drove us over to the Damours. We all had a nice chat. Then Al backed Dad's car out of the driveway (a little tricky in the dark), and I drove Dad and me home. Although Dad fell asleep on the way over, he did not sleep on the way back. When we got back, I checked my e-mail, and he cut up one of the casseroles (and likely had other stuff to eat). I skyped with Chris. He talked about some training in San Antonio, and new pics on the “Army Support Activity – Soto Cano” Facebook website. He was in three photos that I could find. I checked on Dad and then decided to post to my blog and go to bed. 

*  Even though I took 70 pictures today, this one was my favorite.  *

Have I left anything out?

Not having had a chance to take notes during the day, I cannot now render all the day's happenings. I don't remember when I got up. I just know that I felt so groggy when Michele got up, that I went back to sleep. When I got up, I swished with coconut oil and went out to pick blackberries. I offered some to Al and Michele. Then I made breakfast and added some to the mix. My dad called to say that William would be over at noon to pick us up since he (Dad) needed to pick up a little. I checked my e-mail and meditated. Then I packed my suitcase and made the bed. Michele brought all of her luggage out. William came in then and spoke to Al. I got my stuff together and food boxes. I encouraged the conversation thinking that I was giving Dad a little extra time to clean up. On the way back to Dad's house, William stopped at Goodwill to check for a large suitcase (for me). When we got to the house, Dad was waking up from a nap. We all had a pleasant conversation. Then William left and Dad brought up the subject of eating out. I called Faye to see if she wanted to come over and see Michele. She did. Dad and I talked about Mom's estate and filling out forms. Faye came over and it took us a long time to decided to eat at Teppanyaki's tonight and Subway tomorrow night. But we did not leave until 7. I called Al and Cecily to let them know the plan for tomorrow night. We left for the restaurant. As it was a buffet place, we were able to get food right away. Kevin joined us later. We all had a good time. Faye needed to leave to get some sleep for her night shift. I was worried about her but she stayed for quite some time. Dad gave me the car keys and walked home. Faye and Kevin went home in their twin cars. I drove Michele home, arriving just before Dad did. The three of us looked through the picture album of Mom from young girl to … the end. Then Dad started the process of making a shopping list while Michele called up a movie on her laptop. We watched “Miss Pettigrew lives for a day”. The volume was so low that we had to turn on the subtitles. Actually, Michele knew it so well that she did not need to read the text. But surely she got tired of having to stop the movie to tell me what was being said. It was a cute movie. It came to an end at midnight. I checked skype and Chris had already gone to bed. So it was time to blog and go to bed. Michele chose to sleep on the couch in the livingroom so I accepted the bedroom and blogged there.

A Cracker Barrel fan

I had trouble sleeping last night. Michele tossed and turned too. She finally got up at 5 she said. I slept in until 8. I talked to Cecily, made and ate breakfast (I forgot the coffee mill but Cecily lent me hers for chia and flax). I also used the coconut milk from last night, but it did not seem fermented. When I got out my toothbrush, I noticed that one of my pill bottles was open. There may have been some pills missing, but I did not count them when I packed them. Then I got ready for church. Al went to the local convenience store for kimchi (for me). The four of us got to church early and sat in the pew until the service started. The Lutheran church I usually attend would have found the music at this Catholic service to be very non-traditional. It would have been nice to have more of the liturgy music written down so I could see it and sing it. Cecily and Al served communion (with 8 other people). After the service they washed the chalices etc and put them away. The church was having a potluck in honor of St. Ann's (their patron saint) but we went to Cracker Barrel 'cause Michele has been asking to go. We waited half an hour to be seated. Then our order took awhile to be completed. Having just had breakfast, I ordered the veggie platter with a sweet potato, seasonal veggies, and seasonal fruit. Michele got a Reuben with french fries, and cornbread. She got a box for the french fries and cornbread. Then we went to Penney's at the mall for clothes for Michele. She wanted skirts and tops for work. I got two tops myself. Then we went to Party City so Michele could get long balloons for making balloon animals. I bought some sympathy cards. Then we went to Kroger for a rotisserie chicken for supper. When we got back, we skyped with Chris. I added some Activia to my coconut milk to see if that would ferment it. I hardboiled some eggs.  i picked some blackberries.  We watched hummingbirds at the feeder.  Cecily made popovers at Michele's request. I looked up popover pans on the internet to see what they looked like. Michele chopped things for a salad. Cecily made squash and onions. Then we sat down to supper. I got the dark meat from the chicken. We enjoyed our meal at length. Then we cleaned up (Cecily did most of it while we talked to her). She had the food channel on so we watched 5 chefs complete some challenges before one was eliminated. Then Cecily went to bed. I skyped Chris again to see what he did at the orphanage he volunteered at. Then I hung up so I could concentrate on writing to my blog and going to bed.

The best present I could ever get.

Before I went to bed last night I found enough energy to mostly finish packing my suitcase. Then I woke up before the alarm at 7. I checked e-mail briefly, placed a hold on the mail, and then shut down my laptop and packed

it away. I weighed the suitcase and it was around 50 pounds. I could not take the chance that it was over 50 because then the airport would charge me. But dividing it between two suitcases would not be tightly packed and secure. So I packed some of it in a rolling carryon. My supplements were in the carryon and I wasn't certain they would pass because they weren't in their original bottles. I repacked the suitcase and a large carryon to redistribute the items. Food items were the heaviest and were not allowed in carryons unless medically necessary. Then I had a revelation – a box! I packed the heaviest food items in a box with plenty of padding. It became my second suitcase. I began to relax. I found a strip of fabric to tie around the handle of the suitcase. I found a return address label to stick on my suitcase. I ate breakfast and took a shower. I put my fermented coconut milk in the fridge. I emptied the dishwasher. I packed perishable food in a bag for Dinah. I swept the floor, wanting to come home to a clean house. Then I got anxious waiting for her to arrive. I was ready, having everything stacked by the front door. When she arrived, I carried everything out and she carried the suitcase. We put it in the back of her truck. I gave her the bag of perishable food (tomatoes, squash, broccoli and salad greens). We talked about driving stick on the way to the airport. She dropped me off in front of the terminal and waited to see that I could manage it all. God bless her. I had a box, a laptop, a rolling carryon, a rolling suitcase and my purse. I went to the checkin counter. I put a tag on the suitcase. The lady checked it and the box, and printed out two boarding passes. Then I went upstairs to security. I had no trouble getting through. I had to take the laptop out of its case, but not to turn it on. Then I went to my gate and sat to wait for priority boarding. I ended up sitting by the window with a man who was very talkative. Basically we talked until the plane took off and landed again. When I deboarded, I went to the signboard to find out where the next gate was. I had trouble reading it and a nice gentleman helped me and pointed the way to the next concourse. The train was easy to find, ride and get off. At concourse A, I found my gate but needed a restroom more. I had to ask because it was marked with a set of pink stick figures instead of the word 'Women' or 'Restroom'. Again there was a wait for boarding. This time I was seated to a guy who was talkative until the plane took off and then he got on his laptop. Not sure what he was doing without wifi. I worked several Sudoku puzzles and did some tapping to clear my left ear. I was only partially successful. When I got off, I walked to the main waiting room upstairs. I did not go to baggage pick up because it was too cumbersome to handle easily and I knew Michele was coming in an hour and my in-laws would be there to pick us up. After 20 minutes, I decided to at least sit in the baggage pickup area. When I got there, I sat next to a man who talked about Tampa. Lots of people were waiting for the baggage lane to start. Not long after it did, the man got up to claim his luggage. I watched from my seat. Then I saw a case making the rounds open. I knew someone would be upset about their stuff strewn around and open to view like that. Then I realized it was mine. I ran up to the carousel and pulled it off. The man in front of me helped grab stuff that had fallen out. I crammed it all back in and shut the case, fuming. I was looking for the box when I saw Alfred walk up. He brought my carryons over while I identified the box. He leaned over and grabbed that. A lady came over and recommended that I file a complaint. So Alfred and I stopped at the office. They gave me a brochure, with the complaint number circled. They said I should file after I have checked the suitcase to see what is missing or damaged, and whether it was inspected by TSA. We headed upstairs to where Cecily was waiting, but then decided to take it all to his car instead. Right outside the terminal the suitcase fell open again. It would not latch. While we were trying to get it shut securely, my finger got slammed. It hurt but I figured that would pass. We got one latch to hold long enough to get to the car. After all the stuff was stowed, we went back to the airport. I saw Michele talking with Cecily at baggage claim. I took her pic, then gave her a big hug.  She said she had a present for me.  We claimed her bag quickly because it was a small plane from NY. Soon we were on the road. Michele talked about her job teaching English in Korea. When we got to the house, Cecily showed her lots of teaching books and toys that were saved from years ago.  Michele gave me two seed packets from Japan.  Then we went to Rosa's for supper. I ordered a Greek salad and some shrimp. Michele got a mint drink which she had to show her passport for (and which I tasted) and a calzone which was large enough to feed an army. She brought half of it home. As we ate and talked, I held my sore finger in my glass of ice water. It throbbed something fierce. When we got home, we skyped Chris. Michele was falling asleep so we kept it fairly short. Chris told us about a large grasshopper that he'd found on his windowsill. Then Michele went to bed. Cecily gave me a jar to put coconut milk in and a probiotic tablet (since I don't remember packing mine). I put the jar in the garage to ferment. I sat watching Mystery Diners while checking e-mail and trying to compose this blog. It went on and on, episode after episode. At first I as not using my finger to type, but made so many mistakes that it made sense to use and be done. Al and Cecily turned in for the night. Michele got up briefly at 10 and went back to bed. I decided it was time for me too.
*  Obviously Michele is the best present I could ever get.  *

How to prop a hose

I got up after the alarm went off. I checked my e-mail, and started an audio. I exercised, and laid in the sun. The sun is more reliable before noon. I boiled some slices of ginger, then juiced the remaining vegetables. I drank the juice, and started making breakfast, packing food as I went. The ginger water boiled away and I noticed it was burning. I heard an interview with Dr. Brimhall on functional medicine while I ate breakfast, and meditated. I boiled the last egg so I would have food when I got back. I checked in with Delta online. I read the rules on baggage. I did not know that you can bring your Christmas tree as checked luggage, but you laptop must be a carry-on.. They recommended I be there 75 minutes before flight time. I printed my boarding passes. I observed the sprinkler timer click on. And I saw that input hose was leaking at faucet but stopped when timer clicked on. All the water went through the shortest hose, so I had to partially close the splitter to fill both hoses. I counted almonds and walnuts and brazil nuts for all the days of my trip. I put my sprouting sweet potato in a pitcher of water. I had to tweak the hose timer system because the water from the splitter only comes out of the hose with the lowest end. That took way more time than I wanted to spend. I started laundry, and stacked the dishwasher. I swept the floor, and collected the garbage. I juiced the lemons, putting the juice in a bottle in the fridge. I mixed my breakfast spices together to save space in the suitcase. I fed my plants their mineral water and made sure they were well watered. I folded 2 loads of laundry and brought in the mail. I wasn't happy with the leaking outdoor faucet, but was able to tighten it using some rubber shelf liner. It might be dripping ever so slightly, but I can live with that for two weeks. I sat for a few minutes to rest and meditate because I felt anxious. I made up 17 days of supplements, and prepared some meds, leaving most behind in case they are taken away away at security. I swept patio with a broom just because it felt good to see it look better. I took out the trash, but it turned out to be too early. I put onion soup in containers in the freezer, and ate the meat left on the lamb bone. I started the dishwasher. By then it was 8:30 and I still hadn't packed any clothes. I rolled up the windows in my car and locked it. I went through my purse looking for things I did not need or that would alarm the TSA people. I could not find my packing list, so I printed another one. I remember one year just packing all my black and white clothing and being done. But when I tried it tonight, there wasn't a comprehensive pile. Anyway, I finally got clothing selected and turned my attention to how to pack the food in amongst it. I also had to decide what my carry-on will be and what I can pack in there. I wanted to talk to Chris but he did not answer skype.  I waited and then he got online.  We talked, but not much because I was so tired, and weepy.  He told me to go to bed now and finish in the morning.

*  This is how I propped one hose to be level with the one uphiill.

Preparing the garden to live on its own

I woke up long before the alarm, but did not get up until just before. I kept thinking that I must have missed it. I plugged in the router and looked for a book that seems to have disappeared. I exercised, then collected the recyclables and put them out for pickup. I checked my spices for gluten because an audio named spices as a source. I meditated, and worked on a Sudoku puzzle. I emptied and brought up a large suitcase from the garage. I called Dad to wish him a happy birthday. I picked a cucumber that I have been watching for a week. I tied up some errant tomato branches. I looked up ways to opt out of Obamacare. I juiced all the cucumbers and made popsicles. I know Kelly won't help me eat them. I drank the extra juice and meditated again. I flipped through Marjorie's living trust, and then went to sewing. I returned the living trust to Marjorie. I set up my machine and put borders on a scrap quilt. Betty told us her husband softens PVC in the microwave and molds it. I came home, and laid in sun. It went behind a cloud but the cloud was small so I waited it out. I started preparing breakfast, measuring the cacao, spooning enough out for my trip. I got hungry so I ate the rest of the fish. I did more measuring before packing food in a box. I made the call I have been dreading, canceling the first ride to the airport. I gave up on measuring, finished making breakfast and ate it. I skipped the rest of the measuring. I listened to audios, and looked up sprinkler timers on the Home Depot website and Amazon to get reviews. I stopped by Great Clips for a hair cut, then went to Home Depot for a hose, a splitter and a timer. They only had the brand with bad reviews, except for an expensive intricate model of a better one. But the sales man said he had no returns on the lower model so I bought it. I planned to it tomorrow to make sure it works, and that the water isn't running for two weeks. When I got home, I unrolled the 100 foot hose. I programmed the timer, attached it to the faucet and turned the water on. It leaked water from the handle. Well, I can't have it leaking 24/7 while I am gone, so I took it off and attached a 5-foot hose to the faucet close to the wall. (It is an odd hose bib) Anyway, that faucet did not leak. I put the timer at the end of the 5 foot hose and then used a splitter to hook up two hoses. More time was spent getting the hoses in place and making sure the water flowed to the proper places. It got dark. I came in and checked e-mail. Chris skyped me while I was listening to an audio on "Functional Medicine Approach to Hormone Rebalancing". We talked for awhile and then he had to go to bed. I stayed up to blog and finish e-mail. I read about self-pay patients and doctors. I anointed the tomato plants. I watered the houseplants really well while waiting for the audio to finish. 

*  These are the four o'clocks  *

Praise Band

I was already up when the alarm went off. I checked e-mail, drank water, drybrushed, and started the coffee detox process. I listened to two audios. I juiced, meditated, and fixed breakfast. I measured my combined spices and found it to be half a tablespoon. Now I can make a mixture to take on my trip and store it all in one shaker. By the time breakfast was ready, it was just after noon. The sun was out and I rushed out to take advantage of it. But as I put my suit on, I could see the light fading as the sun went behind a cloud. Am I paranoid? There is a pattern here and I can't explain it. I went back to eating breakfast and then rushed out again when the sun shone. I came in when the sun dimmed. Then I finished breakfast, and called Denise to see when she wanted to walk. I took shower, and got dressed. Denise called to say it was raining. I grabbed my umbrella, and a cucumber.  I programmed the GPS with her address and drove off.  It told me I had arrived before I got to her house. So I put on my glasses to read the house numbers until I found hers. We talked a little inside and then rode in her truck to the park. We walked in the rain along a path. She told me about the fertility clinic and I told her about my lab test results. When we got back, we sat in the picnic area to tap. Then I let her listen to the odd voicemail from the man who is giving me a ride to the airport and back. She was very concerned. We went back to her house so I could get my car. Her husband pulled up and she had him listen to the voicemail too. He said I should get another ride and never be alone with this man, no explanation. They both insisted that I call them when I have another ride so they won't be worried (they are leaving town as well or they would drive me). I was going to call Pastor, but when I got home, I remembered that Jennifer J called, so I called her back. She wanted advice on pre-surgery supplements. Then I told her about the voice mail and she also told me not to ride with him. So then I was fairly alarmed and wondering why Chris wasn't concerned. I ate some fish and onion soup. I loaded my trombone in the car and drove to church. Jennifer Q arrived soon after. We talked about Marilyn dying of cancer after being in church 2 weeks ago and seeming fine. This past weekend I had looked for a get well card for her, and now it has turned into a condolence card for her family. Several men from the choir arrived and set up some chairs and the electric keyboard. Jen played the keyboard and the others sang. She penned in a few notes for me to play on the trombone and encouraged me to add to it any way I wanted. We practiced two songs. They went ok, but my bifocals were totally useless at that distance and the light wasn't good so I will do better after I practice it at home in better light. Dinah called to say she could give me a ride to the airport on Saturday morning. After the practice, I went to Pastor's office to tell him about the troubling voicemail. He agreed that I should not ride with the man, but gave me some insight into why his thinking might be affected. He said that either he or the new intern could pick me up from the airport when I get back. That was a relief, but I still have to let the man know that his services are no longer needed. When I got home, I checked e-mail (nothing new) and added a can of milk to my fermented brew. I want to have extra so I can take some along and leave some here in case it gets confiscated at the airport. I listened to an audio, and Chris skyped me. Then I finished my audio and posted to my blog. 

*  This is Carolyn B's quilt top from Monday  *

Cute cukes

My dream receded slowly when the alarm sounded, the hallmark of my usual morning. I plugged in the router, read e-mail and put on an audio while I exercised. Bob called to say he needed to come over and look for an old railing. I was glad he called ahead so I could get dressed. I called Parker but was unable to get through. Bob came over to look for an old railing that the owners thought was left lying under the deck. It was not there. Bob told me about a renter that they had to evict. He even showed me pics of the house as they left it and his trailer loaded for the dump. After he left, I made juice and drank it. I grabbed a bag of fleece scraps and went to the Tuesday sewing group. I talked to several ladies, but mostly sat with Beverly. I did get a pic of an Alabama college quilt. Afterward, I went to get kimbap at the Asian store and topped off my gas tank on the way home.

I ate the kimbap with kimchi. I went to lay out in the sun, but it hid behind a cloud. So I took some niacin, read e-mail, and then mowed the back yard. I sat in my car with water bottle for two hours and sweated righteously. I also ate a frozen banana in the second hour. While I was sitting there, the sun came out but I chose not to fall for that trick. When I came in, I saw that Parker had called, so I called her back and we talked about the 30 day notice letter, and how the renters might refuse to acknowledge receiving it. But she had a back up plan to handle it. I asked about cash-for-keys since Bob explained it to me. But she said it is a little different in NC and she would talk to a lawyer to get specifics. I took a shower, then ate some fish. I sprinkled baking soda in the seats of my car just in case it smells like sweat and I can't tell. I listened to some audios, and read more e-mail. I picked some greens and slathered them in coconut oil and added chunks of tomato. I mowed again, almost finishing the yard when my neighbor came over to the fence. He gave me an armload of cucumbers and a pepper. I showed him my squash plants and he picked some squash. He really liked the one I gave him last week and intends to plant his own next year. I finished mowing and then checked e-mail. I saw Chris was on, so I skyped him. When our conversation was over, I ate a cucumber, and sat in the dark to meditate. Then I looked up how to raise DHEA in a book called “The Hormone Cure”.   Finally it was time to post and go to bed.


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Test results

I was up late last night reading one of Michele's stories on FictionPress. Her work has improved and I was impressed. I was therefore amazed to wake up before the alarm went off after such a late night. I read e-mail, and exercised a little (my back was iffy on that subject). I took the large, mostly yellow cucumber that Paige found and sliced it through the middle. I tasted it and it was still good. So I juiced it with another from the fridge. That made 2 cups of juice so I mixed in some minerals and drank it and meditated. Or tried to. Thoughts of packing for the upcoming trip kept intruding. Then I made breakfast, still thinking about how to pack my special foods for the trip. I ate it while reading another of Michele's 32 stories online. Then I packed a lunch, and took my sewing stuff to the church on Whitesburg. I worked on Barbara's quilt. Lauri needed a kingsize pillowcase as a model to make one to match her quilt, so I drove her to my house, got a pillowcase, and showed her my fabric collection. Then we went back to church for more quilting. Carolyn told us about her experiences with a ghost that haunted a place that she used to work at, then she left. I handquilted some more, marking with a white pencil in a stencil. I ate my lunch, and took pics of other people's quilts. I left at almost 4:30 to go to the fish market. I asked for 1.5 pounds. The lady gave me two pieces, which added up to two pounds. I just paid for them and took them home to put in the fridge and freezer. I finished mowing the front yard and moved to the back. I read more e-mail, and ate some of the fish. I read more Michele stories. I checked e-mail again, and listened to some shorter audios. Then I mowed again in the back yard. I opened a box of supplements that came today and put them away. I was reading my saliva test results (which came in an e-mail today) when Chris skyped me. He said he learned that I could visit him on post for up to 30 days. We ended the call when his kitchen timer signaled that his chicken was done. I went back to reading my lab report and investigating hormonal supplementation because my DHEA is low. 

*  This is Mirna's quilt.  *

Paige and Frankie

The alarm went off at 8, waking me from a very pleasant dream. I think I was swimming. I deactivated it and read e-mail. I exercised somewhat and made breakfast. I showered, got dressed,and went to church. I brought a quilt top with me to collect signatures. A few people signed it before the service and some after. I said goodbye to Joanie since next week is her last Sunday. Then I went to Publix for groceries. I did not spend much since I have veggies left from last week. I ate lunch, and put the groceries away. I took some niacin, waited for it to kick in, then picked up sticks from the yard. I mowed front yard from north to south to work up a good sweat. Then I sat in my car and sweated with Sudoku. Does that sound like a new exercise fad? I turned on the AC and took a shower. I checked e-mail again until I saw Craig out in his back yard. I ran out to give him some squash and tell him I would be gone. He gave me some garlic that he had just dug up. Then I cut up a tomato with some fresh greens. It was soooo good. Paige called to say she'd be over in 10 minutes to see my garden. I showed her my garden(s), and gave her a squash and some garlic. She brought her dog Frankie. She also found a cucumber, my first one. After she left, I ate some onion soup. For the last two days I ate like a vegetarian and that was long enough so I had some cheese, too.

Chris skyped me, but the call got dropped and I could not get him back. I looked at quilt pics on Pinterest – an endless array. Then Chris skyped me back when his computer rebooted. I had to go to the bathroom at one point and that is when my phone rang. Chris said sorry he couldn't answer it. When I listened to the voicemail, there were two. One was from Elwin and one from Chris' mother. The Elwin message was very strange and somewhat disturbing. But I went on with my conversation with Chris and resolved to call his mother back. When the daylight waned, I hung up with him so I could mow more in the front yard. Then I called Cecily back. I checked for new e-mail, and then worked on my rug. I was able to finish it by 10:20. The whole time, I was ruminating on the strange voice mail and wondering if I should be worried, or take action of some kind. After the rug was finished, I went upstairs to post to my blog and do some tapping before bed.

*  This is the rug.  I do not have a pic of Paige or Frankie, the cute black lab.  *

SearchProtect is gone! Score!

I woke up before the alarm at 8. I had unplugged the router last night, and that stopped the flow of Symantec messages about Search Protect. I ran a quick scan and Symantec identified a file and deleted it. So I ran a full scan before I turned the router on just to be sure all the risky files were found. I finished drinking the vegetable juice from yesterday. I took a shower. The scan went long so I turned off the wifi on my laptop and turned on the router so I could check e-mail on the desktop. I read e-mail and investigated pyroluria and wondered if I had it. I made breakfast and ran the dishwasher. Chris skyped me. He sent me a link with instructions to uninstall 'albrechto' and that fixed the SearchProtect problem. I started the laundry when the dishwasher was done. I played a video on the dangers of flame retardant exposure. I emptied the dishwasher, and ran a second load of laundry. I picked two tomatoes and a squash.  I scattered all the zinnia seeds that I had bought on a yard sale some time ago.  They were old so I used them all and will take what I get.  I made a salad, and did some tapping for a lady in the hospital, then watched a Netflix movie called “Brave” on TV while I folded the laundry. I checked e-mail again, but there was nothing new. I looked through pics of quilts on Pinterest. Then I went down to sew scraps onto a denim backing to make a rug. Hours later, I was half done. Since I wasn't wearing my watch, I came up to check the time, and it is blog-time.
*  These suprise lilies are the first of their kind to bloom.  The next ones will be in the side flower bed.  *

Juicefast, SP, and 30 day notice

I heard the alarm go off at 8 but finished my dream before I got up. I don't remember it now. I read e-mail, and put on an audio while I finished the coffee detox from Wednesday. It was raining so I put out some collection containers. I called our real estate agent because she did not respond to the e-mail I sent last week, but she did not answer her phone. Because my neighbor had given me so many cucumbers, I already had a fridge full of veggies and I did not juice yesterday, I decided to have an all-veggie day. I juiced all his cucumbers and most of the stuff from the grocery store. I left some for tomorrow. I have heard of detoxing by drinking only juice for a day, a week or even a month, but the thought of not eating (chewing) anything for a whole day bothers me. So I made my usual breakfast but without any animal products, like honey, ghee and fermented cod liver oil. I checked e-mail again while I ate, and watched some tapping videos. I picked two tomatoes and a squash. I called the agent again and got voice mail. I did more tapping with Brad videos, then got an e-mail that she was going to call me back, and she did. I made sure she understood how serious I am about selling the property. She promised the tenants would get a 30 day notice next week and would be out by the end of August. I looked further into the SearchProtect dilemma. Using a list of files it loads to an infected computer, I determined that it is not installed on my machine. But Symantec keeps flagging it as though it were. So maybe SP keeps “knocking on my door” several times a minute, trying to load itself? OR does Symantec have a problem? I needed a break so I went down to look through my stash for large prints of things that would be appropriate for Rally Day. I thought I could make a quilt for their “Advertise Rally Day” contest. But I just don't have the right large prints. For games, I wanted a beach ball. But there was no beach ball fabric. I had large dice prints, but that might send the wrong message. For food I found a print of large bottles of wine. Again, the wrong message. I started looking through scraps, and that led to pulling out reds for the dove-on-red project. Some were too small to use, so I cut them into scraps for a rug. I cut up a fair amount of a teal print so the rug will have some uniformity.

I was going to get the Netflix movie and watch it, but when I came up to get it, I got sucked into e-mail. I was startled to find that a dead person had sent me a friend request on Facebook. I searched the net to find out how this is possible. I only found that dead people are 'liking' products on Facebook, but no one is certain who is actually responsible

. I checked my Facebook account to see if there were any 'likes' attributed to me that I don't remember, and there was one. So I unliked it. And then it was time to go to bed.
*  This is Elaine and her quilt.*

This day keeps getting better

In spite of having a cooling pad for my laptop, the keyboard got so hot last night that I had to shut it down. I took my new pillow to bed, but it was stuffed too full keep under my head. So I went back to the old pillow. Even then, I could not sleep and decided it was the best time to take my meds since they would put me to sleep. I had been resisting taking them all day, but the time was right so I swallowed them down. But I still could not sleep. I was certain sleep would come but it seemed I was awake long after they should have kicked in. When I woke up, it must have been a little after 6. My back was still sore and I was afraid to swing my legs over the side of the bed to the floor. And I had to pee. I had planned for this last night when I brought a towel and plastic bag to bed (when I got the meds). I peed on the towel. I managed to get up then, but discovered that the bed was wet in spite of the plastic bag. I was so mad. I remember Chris saying he was confident we could handle anything that came up while he was gone. Easy for him to say when I am facing having to change the sheets on the bed alone in a compromised state. I was also upset that the meds did not do their job.

But my day got better. I checked e-mail while waiting for a banana to thaw. After I ate it, I took the meds again. I was able to gently tug the sheets and mattress pad off of the bed and put them in the washer. While I was down there, I cut a piece of denim to make another rug. I was tired and afraid that I could not get up again if I laid down on the bed. So I laid on the couch because it was lower, feeling sorry for myself. When the washer tweeted, I put the wet load in the dryer, and laid on the couch upstairs thinking that I really should tell someone in case I find myself unable to get to the phone. I got a quilt to cover up with. I almost slept, and when I got up I felt much better. I was checking e-mail when the mailman delivered the almonds. I ate the leftover squash for breakfast. I grabbed the red project and headed to the Stitch-Its meeting. I drew identifiers on back of each block foundation (there were three blocks missing) and drew a beginning line on each to define starting slope for the first strip. I asked Pat to stop by my house to help me put the sheets and mattress pad on the bed. I talked to Leanne who lost her husband recently. Pat followed me home. We chatted and dressed the bed. She wanted to see my quilts and I was happy to show her. Before she left, I gave her a lemon squash. Afterward, I ate some leftovers with no interest in breakfast. I watered the vegetable bed. I picked some hot greens to eat with a tomato. I read e-mail and listened to an audio. I laid down for awhile. Maybe it was too long because I got to the place where I wasn't tired but could have laid there indefinitely. When I made myself get up, I had some time to check e-mail and consider what foods I needed to pack in my suitcase for the upcoming trip. I ordered some powdered greens to replace juicing. Then I changed my clothes and went to the quilt guild meeting. I enjoyed show-n-tell, and picked up my strips from the exchange last month. I also signed up for the trip to Chattanooga in September. The bus leaves at 7 and gets back at 9. She said it wasn't a long day, but that sounds plenty long enough for me. The speaker tonight talked about being creative and making quilts from photographs. When I got home, I checked e-mail again. Edwin wanted to know when I was coming back in case I needed a ride from the airport. I had a ride, but I doublechecked the day and time and I had the wrong day! So I called my ride and she couldn't do it that day. So I wrote back to Edwin to see if he was available that day. Chris sent me an e-mail just then, so we wrote back and forth for a few minutes until he left the office. I put on an audio and used the time to delete pictures from my camera to make more room for going on vacation. Then I cropped tonight's pictures and wrote this post.

*  This is a genealogy quilt  *

Organic pillow

I heard the alarm at 8 but did not feel like getting up until 8:30. It was immediately obvious to me that I had overdone it yesterday. I had to move cautiously, no sudden moves. I checked e-mail, and called Dad. I played my trombone briefly. I made coffee for detoxing, but only completed one round. I exercised, and listened to audios. I tried to lay out in the sun, but laying on the ground was uncomfortable and I was worried that I might not be able to get up after 20 minutes. I joined some extra pieces of hose together to water the cucumbers. The join leaked so I arranged it by the tomatoes. I paced off the hose to see how long a hose I need. I might just buy one long enough to reach the garden all by itself. I did some searches on Bing and Amazon. I tried to find out what SearchProtect is and why Symantec is flagging it several times a minute all day long. I read some more of Denise' book “The Advent of the King”. She self-published it on Amazon and you can read some of the pages for free to get a feel for her writing style. The genre is historical fiction. I juiced cucumbers and carrots. I turned off the AC and opened the windows. Then I took some niacin and got some towels. I sat in my car with the windows up to give my sweat glands a workout. I guess today was cooler because it took me 35 minutes to break a sweat. I kept drinking water and working Sudoku puzzles. I went an extra hour because I did not sweat much for the first hour. Then I took a shower. I made and ate breakfast even though it was almost 5. I picked two squash that were ready. I wanted to give them to the man next door, but did not feel up to walking over there. I got some strips of fabric to tie up errant tomato branches. I watered the greens again.  I did some tapping as I listened to an audio.   I sat at the desktop to print out some pages. It should have been quick and easy, but it was not. It had rebooted itself into Ubuntu, so I had to reboot it into Windows. Then it reconfigured itself and rebooted, and reconfigured again. When it was ready for my use, it would not recognize the mouse. So I had to reboot it again. Finally! After my pages were printed, I went into the sewing room to make a pillow. I thought I had an organic chemical-free pillow case, but there was only a sheet. So I had to cut out the fabric needed for a case. After sewing the sides, I stuffed it with organic chemical-free wool and pinned it shut. I expect it will shift and condense and need to be rearranged. When that was done, it was time to write to my blog. I looked forward to going to bed and resting my back.

Yoga

I woke up at 6:30, then went into the guest room to lie down. I did not get up at 8. When I did an exercise in bed which got my circulation going so I could get out of bed, it was almost 9. I listened to an audio and exercised. Denise e-mailed me to go with her to yoga. I had to plan it out, and was feeling overwhelmed by what I wanted to fit into the day. I tapped for the overwhelm. I tried to lay out but sun went away as soon as I put my suit on. I juiced three cucumbers and a carrot. I grabbed my basic sewing kit, and drove to quilt group. They were working on charity quilts. I asked for a job and the leader told me to use her machine and sew a stack of squares together. So I did that for an hour. Then I drove on post to meet Denise for yoga. She picked me up at the bank and we went to the gym on Martin road. I did not have a pass to get in, but she knocked on the door and someone opened it. No one asked questions, so we went into the yoga room. She had a mat and I had a towel. The yoga instructor was very nice and not demanding. But mostly we worked on lunges, so I might be sore tomorrow. From the lunge position, we went to warrior pose, which is balancing on one leg. Strangely it was easier to balance on one leg than on two for holding the lunge. At the end of the class, we laid on the floor quietly. Resting peacefully made me think of Mom and I teared up. Then Denise and I sat in her truck and she told me about an offer she got that was too good to be true and she was a little skeptical. Then we returned to the bank so I could pick up my car. I dropped by the Asian store for kimbap and sprouts. I was so hungry that I started eating it on the way home. I finished the kimbap at home with kimchi. Then I made breakfast and ate some of it. Denise gave me the name of the book she had written, so I went to Amazon and read the first page. What a beginning! I had to stop to run to the farmer's market for tomatoes. $14 for 9 tomatoes seemed pricey to me. I went home and laid down for a bit, then took a shower. I grabbed my bathing suit and a towel. I had an idea where Jennifer's house was, but brought the address to plug into the GPS if necessary. My idea was wrong and when I plugged in the GPS, it would not come on. So I had to call her and she told me I was not far away. When I got to her house, she showed me all the work she had done on it, and all the things she had planted. Her four o'clocks looked like mine, but had a much stronger scent. We swam in her pool for awhile. Then she made supper and talked to me. We compared notes on natural foods, restaurants, and supplements and where to buy them. I should have brought paper to take notes. It was after 10 when I left her house. We had had a great time. I finished breakfast and posted to my blog. 

*  This is Jennifer's bouganvilla.  I did not take any pics at Yoga because women in Spandex don't appreciate being photographed.  *

Almost like actual cooking

I woke up at 6:30 hearing something I could not identify. I turned off the fan so I could hear it better, but still did not know what it was. It seemed to be coming from far away, so I went back to bed. Last night I hoped to get up early to clean, but that plan did not survive contact with my pillow. The next time I got up, it was for the phone alarm at 8. I turned on the router and played briefly on my trombone. I checked my e-mail and listened to a Rife audio on Youtube while I lasered my finger. I put small rugs in the washing machine and went back to e-mail and audios. I listened to the advantages of growing your own mushrooms while I exercised. I ordered more coconut oil. I put Dad's will in a safe waterproof place. I juiced and made breakfast. I packed a lunch, including a frozen banana. I made up a week's worth of supplements, and a note to order more. I watered the greens on my way to the car and went to the Monday sewing group. The ladies were having lunch when I walked in. I worked on Barbara's quilt in the corner, on the edge. Lauri finished her quilt top but I did not have my camera to record it. Bertha also made a quilt top, but hopefully she will bring it back next week for pictures. I packed up at three, and went home to sweep. I cleaned in the bathroom, too. I took the rugs out of the dryer and put them back where they belongs. I swept up the dust in the sewing area. Jen called to say they were on the way, so I cleaned a little more. Jennifer and her daughter arrived and showed me what Emma had made: a cute shirt, bag and pillow. I showed them my sewing room and more in the garage. I let Emma pick through my scraps. I gave Jen the horse puppet, and she invited me over for a swim and supper tomorrow night. After they left, I picked some greens, and cut up an onion and the squash. I cooked it with spices, greens and some lamb and bacon fat. It was so much like actual cooking that I had to pinch myself.  And it was pretty good, too.  After eating, I mowed the back lawn. Then I sat downstairs to cool off, and put fabric away. I entered some numbers in my phone for the people that are giving me rides to the airport and back. I called the cc company to tell them that Chris will be using it in Honduras. Craig came over with a bag of cucumbers. If not for my juicer, I would have no way of eating so many before they went bad. I put together a Swansons order for a month ahead, and one for almonds. And now it is way past my bedtime.

First squash of the season

   

I heard the alarm at 8, but waited to get up. I closed the windows and turned AC on even though the temp was still 78. I plugged the router back in. I read e-mail, and that lead to Facebook. When I realized what I was doing, I went back to e-mail to find an audio to listen to. I read about picking lemon squash while still immature for the best flavor. I made and ate breakfast, then showered, dressed, and went to church. I was greeted warmly by Elwyn.  Ron told me I should be prepared to boot up my laptop at the airport to show that I wasn't carrying anything in the case.  Because the battery is bad, it might be difficult.  I gave the beginnings of the red pulpit cloth to Jeanne so she could make the dove to go with it. Pastor had finally returned from his vacation so he led the service. I had an idea for a quilt during the service. After the service, I talked to Julie Foreman. I picked up a Rally Day contest form. Then I went to grocery store, and got an onion to go with the squash I planned to pick. , put on audio, ate a little, then put the groceries away. I changed my clothes, and finished the audio. I grabbed the horse project and went to the storage place where a small group meets to sew. We met in a different spot there. I sat with the ladies, and sewed up the rip in the horse puppet. Then I waited for Denise. She brought her hexagons and I sewed some of them for her while she color-coordinated new sets. The group broke up about 5 and I packed up to go home. When I got home, I ate supper, checked e-mail, and then mowed most of back yard. I checked e-mail again, and drank some lemon water. I picked the squash and some greens. I did some picking up in the den and kitchen. Then I cleaned up in sewing room, although it still needed sweeping. I ruminated on the couch in front of the TV. Then I went upstairs to post to my blog. I got distracted by dishes waiting to be washed. I opened the windows and turned off the AC. Then I came back to posting, and took a pic of squash to show. Now I hope to go to bed and finish cleaning in the morning.
   

Early morning dream

Last night I did some tapping in bed on a relaxing and cozy image, on feeling surprisingly calm. And it must have worked because when Chris' alarm went off at 3:30, I stayed calm. He took a shower and got dressed in the dark, then kissed me and went out to the den to read on his laptop. I had a short bout of crying and trying to calm my amygdala, then was able to join him out there. I puttered around while he read. I had shut down my laptop last night and the quiet was so wonderful that I did not want to start it up again right away. His taxi arrived a little early. I opened the front door so he could carry his stuff out. I am glad it wasn't me with two suitcases, a backpack and a laptop. I went back to bed, still intentionally thinking calming thoughts and afraid the tears would come back. I imagined what today would be like for him and when he might have a chance to e-mail me. Then it occurred to me that I should think about what I could be doing today. But his day sounded way more interesting. Eventually I fell asleep. When I woke up, the birds were singing and the night wasn't so dark. I fell asleep again and the phone alarm woke me up at 8. But it was my old phone that was ringing. The screen was white and I know my sim card wasn't in it, so I wondered why it rang today and not yesterday, last week, etc.

The previous month felt like a dream. Maybe it was. Maybe my mother wasn't dead, and Faye did not catch LD, and Chris was still in Kwaj. Then my new phone rang. But it was Chris, not the alarm. He told me his plane to Honduras was boarding and he just had time to tell me he loved me. So much for the dream.

I listened to an interview while I juiced with the handcrank juicer. This was the first time I put in whole vegetables. I processed arugula, bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts, a few broccoli heads and two carrots (cut in pieces). It was hard going, but it did juice and the pulp was dry. After I drank that (and it was bitter), I made breakfast. I put on an interview about natural pest control by a lady with a blog called BugsBehavingBadly. After breakfast, I took some niacin and tried to sunbathe. Of course a cloud floated in front of the sun. I mixed up two batches of mineral water and fed my vegetable plants. Then I parked my car in the sun to sweat through a few killer Sudoku puzzles. At 1:30 I finished a puzzle, showered, and ate a salted piece of lamb and a banana. I got dressed and went to the church to meet Joanie, our intern. She was concerned about how I was handling Chris going away and all. And apparently people have been asking her how I am doing. We chatted for 3 hours and afterwards she said it felt more like girl talk than ministering. She also thinks I should write a health column for the church newsletter. Interesting idea.

When I got home, I ate some more lamb, and had to put it away before I finished the dish. I changed clothes and mowed near the magnolia tree and inside the fence. I plugged the mower in to recharge, then took the opportunity to clip the tall wild lettuce stalks. I could see something white in the back neighbors yard so I got out my binoculars. The white objects were cloth-covered tables with food.

But more interesting was the squirrel I happened to see, climbing up the apple tree. I lost him in the branches, but I think he knocked an apple down and then went after it. I ate a sweet potato and listened to another audio. I got an e-mail Chris that he had arrived and I e-mailed him back. I brought in the mail. I sat quietly for awhile listening and thinking that I could go to bed. But it was too early. So when the audio ended, I went outside to add chicken/horse manure to the squash bed. I could hear party sounds from the house behind us. Then I went downstairs to watch The Decoy Bride (from Netflix). It had David Tennant in it, but I don't think that is why I rented it. In fact, I do not remember renting it and suspect Netflix throws random stuff into my queue to see if I am paying attention. When I came up, I turned off the AC and opened the windows for fresh air. It was 10, which was late enough to go to bed. So I posted to my blog and … zzz. 

*  This blur is the taxi that took Chris to the airport  at 4:15 in the morning.  *

Packing the bare essentials

Both of our phone alarms went off at the same time. It was almost amusing. I did not feel like getting up. But we were up and in the den by 8:30. Chris had to finalize his stack of stuff to be picked up by the packers who were supposed to arrive between 9 and 10. Ha, ha. I found a vacuum in the garage for him to take. But the hose was missing. It has probably been missing since we moved here but since I never used it.... I gave him an iron and ironing board. He got a few things from the kitchen. When the truck arrived, I was listening to an audio and drinking my green juice. Chris showed them the pile and they packed it in boxes which went into the truck. The audio had two interesting ideas: One that men evolved to be quiet because they were hiding, hoping to catch animals for supper. The other that women evolved to be talkative because that kept animals away. If a woman was silent, the others would try to find out what was wrong, to get her talking again. Chris picked out a large suitcase to pack for his trip. Inside was a load of my summer clothes! It's like having a whole new wardrobe. Then he started a load of laundry and some onion soup. He went to post to return the BBT DVD's. I selected a needle pack and some thread for him to take along. He brought me a pair of pants that needed mending. Like daughter, like father. After breakfast I read e-mail, as did he. We went to Target to get a laptop cooling pad and we picked up two movies. He showed me how to go to the Delta site and do online check-in. I printed out the info I needed to do my check-in two weeks from now. We talked about all the reasons why his going to Honduras is the best thing to do. I sewed a patch underneath one side of the rip on the stuffed horse puppet that Jennifer gave me. I wanted to do it by machine, but there was no way to get it under the presser foot. I saved the rest of the project for Sunday afternoon. Then I mowed part of the front lawn. I had a bowl of onion soup and listened to some audios. His parents called to wish him well. Then we went downstairs to watch Ice Age, one of the movies we bought. We paused it when Marie called to wish him well. After the movie, Chris continued packing. He handed me two Kwajeleine shirts that he bought for Michele and me while he was there. He finished packing. I did some tapping. I guess we'll go to bed soon.

Sweating it out

I heard the alarm go off at 8, but delayed getting up. Upon arising, my first act was to collect the recyclables. I got dressed and took the bin out to the street for pickup. Then I got the frozen vials of saliva from the freezer and placed them in the test kit. It came with a mailing bag, so I affixed the label and ran it to the nearest UPS store. The lady did not ask what was in the cold bag. When I got back, I read e-mail and listened to an audio while I exercised. Chris called and invited me to lunch with him and people from work. I declined. Then I posted to my blog for yesterday. I juiced and meditated. While I was making breakfast, Jennifer called. She has one night alone, so she invited me over for supper. Also, she wants her daughter to see my fabric collection, so they are coming over here next week. I finished making breakfast and listened to another audio while eating it. I cleared some e-mail. I did not go to Stitch-its. I laid out in the sun to get a tan. As soon as I laid down, the sun went behind a cloud. Or did a cloud pass in front of the sun? Either the sun hates me or the clouds love me. Either way, the tanning thing was not working out. I took some niacin. I pulled the car up in front of the garage. I got out the Kirby and swept out the car. I wrapped up in a towel in the front seat to sweat. I brought a Sudoku variation to work on. After an hour, I took a break to refill my water bottle and wipe off. Then I went back for another hour. When only 4 minutes remained, I got shortness of breath so I called it quits. Chris arrived just then. I drank some water, finished breakfast and took a shower. I laid down for awhile. I drank coconut juice for the electrolytes. My heartbeat was little faster than normal, so I ate a banana for potassium. I read e-mail and made a salad. Then I ate some broccoli and hummus. I went down to cut blue strips for the next guild meeting. Chris came down and fired up the DVD player. We watched 8 more episodes of BBT. In the last episode, Penny says goodby to Leonard before he goes to work on a research ship for 4 months. It made me think of Chris leaving on Saturday. I Then decided to go post to my blog while he went to bed.
*  This is a quilt Keril's mother made for Linus.  *

Spit doesn't just happen

I woke up really early because of a bad taste in my mouth. I rinsed with water but did not brush because today is the day for the saliva test. As per the instructions, within half an hour, I filled the largest of 4 tubes with spit. It took awhile to generate. 

I saw a squirrel in the backyard grab an apple from the ground and run toward a tree. I ran out there to scare him into dropping the apple, but he ran up a tree with it. If I could have caught him, I'd bat his squirrely butt. I folded laundry and exercised while listening to an audio. Then I juiced and meditated, but not for long because I had to be done eating by 10. But I made it. I cleared mail until noon. Then I rinsed again, and labeled another tube and filled it with saliva. I finished breakfast and had some lamb for lunch. I composed a list of my supplements so I could print it out and send it with the test. I laid in the sun for half an hour as the sun went in and out behind clouds. I processed the rainwater from yesterday. Denise called so I talked to her for some time. I went outside to do yard work. A few things needed transplanting but I could not find my trowel. I looked everywhere. I scoured the pokeweed patch because that is where I last used it. Then I kept staring at the place it belongs, as if it would magically appear. And, it did. I can't explain it. So I transplanted a marigold and a sweet potato plant. I also pulled grass at the edge of the sidewalk. At 5 I came in to swish with water and spit in another tube. Like the others, it went into the freezer. I made a salad with cheese for supper. The rain started again, so I put the collection tubs out again. I read e-mail for awhile, and then we went down to watch another DVD of Big Bang Theory episodes. We started a pirate movie, but at 10 it was time to fill the last tube. After it was filled and in the freezer, we watched a little more of the movie, but then it was time for bed and I was too tired to blog.
*  This is the largest of the lemon squash.  I hope it tastes as good as the tomato did.  *

Spotless

I got up at 8, woken by the alarm from some rather odd dreams. I posted to my blog for yesterday. I read e-mail, and exercised, without an audio to listen to. I juiced, and meditated. During the meditation I started thinking about tomorrow and made a list of how the day should go. I will be doing a saliva test and I have to spit in a tube 4 times spread throughout the day, always 2 hours after eating. I looked up the closest UPS store so I can mail the test kit promptly. I got dressed, and went to the Sew Faithful gathering. I talked mostly to Beverly. Then I went to the Asian store for kimbap, sprouts, and natto. When I got back, I ate the kimbap with kimchi. Then I made breakfast and coffee. I had to clean up the juicer, which I forgot earlier. I did the coffee detox, took a shower, and ate my breakfast. I listened to a short audio of isochronic tones for improving eyesight. I checked my e-mail. I picked my first tomato. It was orange, but that is ripe for that variety. Sadly much of it was rotten, but what I ate was REALLY good. I just wish I had taken a picture first. I started a loaf of bread in the machine, then went to the eye specialist's office. They checked my blood pressure and it was even better than last week. Having slightly more notice, I was able to reduce it. She checked each eye using an eyecover that also has an insert with pinholes in it. The insert actually did make the small letters easier to see. Then she dilated my eyes and took pics of the left one, looking for the spot. The doctor came in and he couldn't find the spot either. He looked up the previous pics on his phone and tried again, but there was no spot. So I was free to go. When I got home, I noticed that it had rained. There is an apple that I have been tracking on the tree and hoping to get as soon as it falls. I went to look and did not see it in the tree or on the ground. It was sad, but I hoped when the eye drops wore off, the apple would appear. I tried to read email or a book, but it was hard. So I laid down until Chris came home. We ate lamb for supper. I called my dad. He talked about a new air conditioner and doctors until his phone quit. Then I worked on large print Sudoku puzzles since my vision was still affected. When the bread machine finished, Chris took the loaf out to cool. When Chris was ready, we watched part of season 6 of BBT. When we came up, it was raining fairly good, so I put out some collection tubs. I posted to my blog and plan to go to bed. 

*  This is Marianne's version of the block of the month quilt.  *

Block of the month

I got up when phone alarm would not shut off. It doesn't usually do that. I swished, and read e-mail. I listened to some tapping audios. I collected the trash in the bathrooms and took it out to the trash can. I listened to an audio on how to use Google hangout and other ways to get noticed (business-wise) while I exercised and juiced. I meditated. I made breakfast and ate most of it. I took a shower and shaved my legs. I packed seaweed and fermented nut cheese (which I made yesterday) for lunch. I put it in my sewing box and rolled the machine et al, to my car. It was after noon. When I arrived, the group was small, but then I knew it would be since several ladies are on a quilting retreat. I worked on Barbara's quilt. Dinah helped me put it in the frame. Laurie had her quilt blocks on the design wall. When she had them put together, Maryanne put hers up. They are making the same block of the month quilt. Rebecca helped me sew for a short while. She invited me to her house to see her new plantings. Dinah said she would give me a ride home from the airport in August. What a relief to know that is taken care of! Mirna worked on a black, white and gray baby quilt. For some reason I don't have a pic of it. Cheryl brought a quilt book and I took several pics of quilts in it. At five I packed up to come home. Chris was already home. He gave me a card from Brandon's wife where she gave me her number and said I could call her anytime. We had lamb for supper. I picked some greens from the back yard and mixed them with chunks of tomato. After eating, I mowed the rest of the front yard and a part of the back. Now that every inch has been mowed once, I am on the lookout for where to start the next round. I checked e-mail until Chris was ready to watch TV. We watched Big Trouble in Little China, a movie we already had. Then he got fresh and we went to bed.
*  this is Laurie's version  *

Quilts for Linus

My alarm sounded at 7:30, but we did not get up until after Chris' alarm went off. I took my shower last night, so all I had to do was get ready for church. And check e-mail. When we got to church, Joanie (our intern) asked if we would be willing to stand in front of the congregation with her while she announced that Chris was leaving for Honduras for a year and prayed for us. I did not want to do that, but it seemed important to Joanie. She did it during annoucement time and I stood there trying not to cry the whole time. And not succeeding. Then my emotions were close to the surface for the rest of the service. Maybe I should have refused. During the passing of the peace, Jennifer handed me a stuffed horse puppet that needed mending. After the service, I asked her when she needed it done, and she said I could wait until after Chris is gone. Several people offered their support. So I did a difficult thing: I asked for a ride to the airport for the flight to Richmond. It has been weighing heavily on my mind ever since we made the reservations. The answer was yes and he seemed to give it easily, which was a relief because I don't want to impose on anyone who has trouble saying no. When we left church, we went to the grocery store for food. Chris picked out a leg of lamb. When we got home, we put the groceries away. I made and ate breakfast, saving a small bit for later. I finished listening to an audio that I started this morning, then packed my sewing stuff and went to the church where Renegades meet. I turned in the flag quilt and the backing that I pieced together for it. I also gave them the quilt that I bound. They were taking donations to buy quilting books for the local library in memory of Bertha's brother and my mother. So I made a donation. I got to see the books in Barbara's name. I had brought half square triangles to use for today's project but they were just slightly too small. So I picked out some blue squares and strips and got busy. Other ladies made as many as 41 blocks before they packed up. I only made 26, and not all of those got pressed so they don't count. I helped Mirna vacuum the floor before I left. It was a little after 5 and the lamb was in the oven when I got home. I put on my bathing suit and sat in the car in the sun to sweat while I did Sudoku. Chris called me when the lamb was ready. He cut a nice rare slab for me, and it was good. There were sweet potatoes too. And I ate a tomato as a chaser. I did more Sudoku in den and then we went downstairs to watch R.E.D. It is a cute movie with some violence. I had forgotten how much humor was in it. Afterward, we came up to check e-mail one last time and go to bed. 

*  this is the quilt I put binding on.  I wish I could take more credit.  Someone did a wonderful job.  *

No Payless, but I did pay less

The alarm did not sound because the phone software was poorly programmed. We enjoyed each others company and got up at 9:30. I did my exercises, etc, and juiced. I noticed that I am getting tired of cleaning up both juicers. Then I made breakfast. A check went in the mail.  I checked e-mail, and then went to the Target shopping center where I swear there was a Payless shoe store. When I had driven the length of the strip mall and not found it, I parked and called Chris. He looked it up on the internet and said it was north on the parkway. I did not feel like driving up there, so I went into Target and found a white pair that was acceptably close to what I wanted for $10.00. I brought it home. I finished breakfast and cut up a tomato with greens from the back yard. I watered the planters and the vegetable beds. Chris did laundry including sheets. I checked e-mail, and did some tapping sequences. I sat in my hot car, sweating and working Sudoku puzzles for an hour. I mended Chris' shirt sleeve for the third time (maybe it only rips because I fix it?).   I finished binding a Linus quilt by machine. The new foot pedal only sews fast, so I wonder if he wired it wrong. I finished the binding just in time for supper. We had fish with onions and fresh garlic from the back yard. After supper I read more e-mail and then made a batch of hummus and soaked cashews for fermented nut cheese tomorrow. I set my phone alarm to ring tomorrow morning. When I finished cleaning up the hand mixer and the citrus juicer (for the lemons to make hummus), we went down to watch Premium Rush: a movie about several bicycle couriers in New York City. It was very suspenseful with all the long bike chases weaving in and out of traffic. I can't imagine how all of that was choreographed. Chris put clean sheets on the bed while I put on the pillow cases. I posted to my blog and soon go to bed.

*  I just love fireworks, so here is another pic from the TV last night.  *

Fourth of July

We heard my alarm sound at 8 but did not get up or acknowledge it. I am not sure what time we did get up. Because Chris planned to take my car to a coworker of his to check out the engine/transmission and I wanted to go along, I skipped exercising, and went straight to supplements and juicing, followed by breakfast. I called my dad to wish him a happy 4^th of July. Then Chris drove us to Brendan's house. I realized that I left my phone on the charger again, after telling my dad that he could call me if he had any questions. I had intended to watch the proceedings and maybe learn something about my car. But when I met his wife, we hit it off, and spent the entire afternoon talking. I am not sure what Chris and Brendan did, but the upshot was that he could do nothing for the car, and it needed an o2 sensor. They joined us sitting on the patio and chatting. I did not realize how late it was until their dogs barked for supper at 6. I saw buses transporting people to a site for watching fireworks. We said our goodbyes and went home. We ate our suppers. My dad had called while we were gone, so I called him back. I wandered out to the apple tree and knocked one down to eat while I was talking to him. After the call, I turned on the TV. I wanted to watch the Capitol 4^th of July celebration, but it was only showing on public TV and we do not get that station since it comes from Birmingham. So we had the Macy's 4^th of July celebration on upstairs and I read e-mail until I noticed that the fireworks had started. Then I ran down to watch it on the larger TV. I even took some pics to show on my blog. As I watched, I wondered how I could capture the images on a quilt. I also very much enjoyed the music. I thought my dad would like it, but since he considers it entertainment, he did not plan to watch it. I read more e-mail after the show.  I could hear the sounds of fireworks in the neighborhood, but could not see them.  I stood on a chair on the porch, but was frustrated by seeing only lightning bugs. I read e-mail and helped Chris pick out the bedding he wants to take to Honduras.  I wrote my blog post and cropped all the pics I took.  When I had chosen one for the blog, I published it and went to bed.