Sprout it out

I was having a dream about being in a building where the elevators were going wild: stopping at the wrong floor, swinging and rocking, doors opening too fast to let people out. I went to the top floor and managed to get out. I practically slid down the steps to the bottom floor. I tried to help a paraplegic who had been taken out of her wheelchair to be hauled up steps. And then the alarm rang. I did not get up for a while. When I did, I swished and exercised, knowing Tuesday mornings are short. I checked e-mail and read a long one from a member of our congregation who is chronicling his fight with cancer. I tapped for him. I found some new batteries for the mini-tape player that Ann handed me two weeks ago. I figured out how to run it, but not how to turn it off. I looked up the manual online. Then I juiced and went to quilting. I got to show off my blue and white quilt top. The group talked about making a field trip to visit all the quilt shops in the Chattanooga area for Row-by-Row. After that, I went to the Asian store for kimbap and kimchi. A man in line said he had nothing but time. I asked how he did it and he said he was disabled and allergic to work. On the way home I got a phone call from Rebecca and her husband who were parked in my driveway. I got home in the next two minutes. He discussed the various levers on the riding mower and drove it around a little. Then we talked about hydroponics which he just started. It rained and then the sun came out. After they left, I brought in the mail, and ate kimbap with kimchi (which will be better in Korea). I checked e-mail, and watched a permaculture video. Somehow I started a game of Bejeweled while looking for my usual Free Cell. I had to stop to run to the farmer’s market. I bought cucumbers, lettuce, goats milk, and peppers. When I got home, I cleaned the juicer and the hand mixer. Then I processed a package of thawed blueberries. I drank the juice and put the pulp on parchment paper in the oven to turn into a fruit roll-up. I inoculated some goat milk to start it fermenting. I renewed my TQS account and canceled the American Express card which was about to charge us $100 a year. I took a pic of the contents of a box that belonged to Chris. I moved boxes around in the garage. I sorted through a box of trash that Chris had collected. I selected most of the paper for recycling but kept some for shredding. Also found his social security card in there. I found one of my notebooks from college. I ripped out the parts with class notes. But there was a section that was like a diary I wrote to once every couple of years. Interesting stuff, but I hardly remember it. So I wrote an update. I guess I’ll keep the notebook. I watched an episode of X-Files. It ended with Fox being certain that his sister was dead, but in a better place and he could stop looking for her. I checked e-mail and got side-tracked reading answers to questions on Quora. I started composing my blog and Chris skyped me. He found out that his stuff from Honduras has been in Huntsville since May 18th. He hung up to go take pics since it was finally a sunny day there. I finished my blog post and went to bed.
* This is a pic I took trying to show that sweet potato sprouts are edible. It was in response to a web invitation to show how people grow sprouts. *

Rebecca's Scarf

I heard the alarm go off at 8, but it took me a few moments to get up. I turned on the router, I got dressed and watered the plants, I swished and checked e-mail. I juiced and meditated. I meditated without music and it went longer than I had planned. I exercised and then made breakfast. I looked up one of Michele’s Pokemon cards and it was selling for $2. I looked up a couple more and finding they were not worth the time to look them up. I ate breakfast and did some tapping. I searched for the red knit that I used for my scarf. Then I cut a piece for Rebecca and sewed it to a piece I already had to make it long enough for her. I drove to quilting in Chris’ car. Rebecca was there and I hadn’t seen her in a long time. Laurie agreed to give me a ride to the quilt retreat in two weeks. I thought about what projects to take. I worked on the scarf for Rebecca. I cut up all the fabric she gave me into 1 x 3 inch rectangles. When I finished all that cutting, I started sewing them onto the red backing. We talked about a myriad of topics, including the riding mower. Rebecca called her husband and asked him to come to my house and show me how to use the mower. I said it wasn’t necessary, but got the feeling that she wanted him to get out and about. We left after 5. Laurie was still working on her quilt. I wish I had a pic, but had forgotten my camera. When I got home, I brought in the mail and the garbage can. I mowed around the lawn and inside the fence – all parts the riding mower wouldn’t do. , ate supper, finished off the sprouts and rinsed the container into the compost, listened to an interview, did tomorrow’s Sudoku puzzle, made fermented nut cheese, drank a glass of whey, rearranged more stuff in the garage, sorted, collected empty boxes, When it got dark, I closed the garage door. I came upstairs to clear some e-mail and then watch X-Files. Sadly it was to be continued, so I look forward to seeing the rest tomorrow. As I was typing up my blog, Chris skyped me. He was having lunch in his quarters. We talked for a few minutes until he had to go. He said his shipment from Soto Cano was nowhere to be found. He hoped it had never left Soto Cano and could be shipped directly to Chinhae. I finished posting to my blog and went to bed.
* This is Rebecca's scarf. *

Right the first time

I got up shortly before 8. I swished and checked for rain water. The tubs were nearly empty except for dead bugs. So I rinsed them out and washed them. I read e-mail and made breakfast. Then I took a shower before I ate. I got dressed and went to church. I was right on time for the discernment meeting between services. It was informational in nature, the discussion saved for another time. Then I waited in my pew for the service to start. Mary marked in my bulletin passages I could play during the service sometime. I spoke to Heather and she said they could sell the Pokemon cards to benefit the youth. Tim told me he would take over my position in the fall and would come to the next few stewardship meetings to ‘learn the ropes’. The pastor gave the sermon today. Our intern was out of town. I asked God to put healing power in my hands during the passing of the peace. After the service, I counted loose cash with Art and we agreed to meet at 2:30. I asked the other Art for a sheet from May. Cecelia said she might like to go with Jennifer and me to see the hydroponic farm sometime. Margie said she hadn’t brought the stuff for me to mend. So I then went to Publix for groceries. It cost more than usual, and I assumed it must have been the spices. I came home and played through the passages Mary marked. I put the groceries away and then the laundry. I changed my clothes. For lunch, I had some beef and goat cheese, blueberries and a banana. I checked e-mail. I rinsed cashews and sunflowers seeds to soak overnight. I got out a notebook of Pokemon cards and hoped to remember to bring it to Heather at church. I read e-mail, and at 2:30 went to church to help Art count the offering. It was right the very first time. Whoo-hoo! Then I went home. I watched some BeeGees videos and then some Andy Gibb videos. I watered my plants and raked up plant trimmings. I moved boxes around in the garage. The object was to move all the ‘keep’ items to the back so all the ‘donate’ stuff can be up front, ready to go. I took some mower parts to the carport and brought back a box of stuff. I sorted through it. I took a pic of some things that were Chris’ to see if he wanted them or not. I found a bag of cards I had to go through. I came in because it got dark. I read a magazine for way too long. Then I jotted notes for my blog. I watched an episode of X-Files. It was all about snakes. Ewwww. Then I posted to my blog and cleared some last e-mails before going to bed.
* My garden is growing well *

The unfinished dream

I heard the alarm go off at 8. It woke me from a dream in which someone was showing me a new kind of quilt template. She had shown me the first part and where the second part snaps on, but I never got to see the second part because of the alarm. Phooey! So I stayed in bed to recapture the dream with no luck. It was almost 9 when I got up. I opened the windows and turned on the fan. I checked e-mail. A friend sent me an article about the indoor air of a car containing toxic amounts of benzene. No author was cited, so I looked it up. Snopes and several other sites said it was a hoax. Chris sent me an e-mail with a link to his flikr site showing pics of the hotel in Seoul. IT HAD A PILLOW MENU. Yes, you can call the front desk to request the pillow of your choice. It was a beautiful room and he said it was cheaper than DHL on post. Then I swished and brought in the rain water. I started processing it and exercised while the coffee maker did its thing. I got about a gallon and a half. I juiced and meditated. Then I made breakfast and ate it while reading e-mail and then watching a video some kid did about his school lunches. I had to pause the video to get dressed and go to Sheryl’s house. I got there right at noon, but they were not home. They arrived soon after. We made some space in the sewing room and he brought up two book shelves. We assembled the two units. From a thousand places we found fabric and stacked it in the cubby holes. Dad called to thank me for his card. I promised him I would e-mail Chris’ address to Faye who would pass it on to him. Sheryl and I continued to sort and stack. Later Denise called to chat. We did talk some but then I promised to call her back. We put fabric on all the shelves, and some non-quilt fabric went into bins. Her husband brought us a unit we hadn’t seen before. But it was missing shelves. At 6:30 we called it a day. Before I left, she gave me $100, and some blackout fabric. When I got home, I finished the video, and made supper. Then I meditated but got bored with the meditation before it was over. I started gathering laundry. Chris skyped me, having just come home from church. I started the washer and then talked to him. After the call, I started the weekend puzzle. I put the laundry in the dryer, and fixed a nutritious drink. I started the dishwasher, and watched an episode of X-Files. Then I wrote up my notes for the day. I posted to my blog, intending to gather up the laundry and go to bed.
* This is Marjorie's quilt top. *

Swiss cheese

I woke up before 8, not sure exactly when. I fueled my mind with positive thoughts about the closing. I got up to check on the crock pot. It had boiled down but not too much. I turned it off and scooped all the liquid out into a jar. I threw the bones away. Swishing the whole time, I also put away all the folded laundry and some I found on the guest bed. I selected two pairs of black pants to be turned into shorts. I cleaned the sink and the toilet. I swept under the rug in the den. I watered the plants. I gave them some mineral solution, too. I wrote to Parker to see if the buyers wanted to rent until closing.
I did my exercises, and read some e-mail. I made juice, and drank it with a glass of whey followed by meditation. The whey was filling so I could not go straight to breakfast. I read e-mail, and then sunbathed outside, listening to my tablet. Finally I was able to make and eat breakfast. I finished the audio. I took the tablet downstairs to listen while I made a pair of pants into shorts. After that audio, I called up a second one, but it would not play the next audio so I took it upstairs to be closer to the router. It started playing then and I sat to rip the basting stitches out. Then Jennifer called, so I paused it. After her call, I could not get it to restart so I played the interview on the laptop. I called Parker because I hadn’t heard from her in several days. Everything was fine, but no word about them moving in before closing. I went down to the sewing room to see about making a second pair of shorts, but decided to keep those pants intact. So then I worked on fussy cutting squares for another three-shades-of block. I put out the rain collection tubs because the sky got dark and the wind blew. I had supper – goat cheese mixed with basil pesto, sprouts, and a duck egg. I made a fruit fly trap. Chris skyped me. Then I caught up on the Sudoku puzzles for this week. I went back downstairs to worked on fussy-cutting. Then I heard my phone ring. It was Sheryl asking when I could come tomorrow. I said noon, and then went back to finish cutting. I got enough for 4 blocks which amazed me considering how little fabric I had. The leftover fabric looked like swiss cheese. Then I came up to watch an episode of X-Files. I checked e-mail again, then prepared a nutritious liquid. I listened to the BeeGee’s for awhile. I put my sprouted carrot tops outside and moved the sprouting sweet potatoes to another room. Then I posted and went to bed.
* This is my blue and white quilt top that I finished yesterday. Now I have to find something else to take along to work on. *

Tons of information

I got up around 8, maybe 2 minutes before the alarm rang. I had been having a dream where instead of storing our furniture, we moved it to the Pinehurst house. And it looked really good there. And then a tree fell on it. Thank goodness it was only a dream. I brushed my teeth, turned on the computer and drank some lemon water. I answered some e-mails from Parker, and looked at some photos of a fabric market in Daegu from a link sent to me from someone Chris met over there in Chinhae. I got dressed and watered the plants, adding some whey to the water. I put bones with some meat in the crock pot with an onion and a few potatoes. I exercised, and took out recyclables. I juiced most of the cucumbers that Jennifer gave me. I relaxed while listening to Chunyi Lin talk about Chi gung. I made breakfast and listened to a tapping audio. I pulled a splinter out of my finger using my magnifier light that I bought for sewing. I finished my breakfast and went out to bring in the recycling container and the mail. My Joanns order was in the mailbox. I went down to get the battery for the cordless drill William gave me. I put the drill in my car, and took Chris’ car to quilting. I finished the borders on the blue and white quilt. Susan took a picture of it and posted it to the group Facebook sit. Then I sat and talked with the other ladies. I asked if someone could drive Chris’ car to the gas station. Marjorie said I had to do it myself, but Pat said she would help me next week. I turned in the pink and orange block. I drove home only stalling once. I changed cars and had a bite of goat cheese, grabbed an egg, and went to Sheryl’s house. We assembled a book shelf. We had a little trouble and needed to fix some holes. Then we packed up fabric in a tub to make room for another shelf. At that point I had to run to meet Jennifer. I went to Rosie’s. In the back room Jennifer was waiting for me. A group assembled to hear a lady speak about hormones and supplements. She was a rep for the Life-Flo company. She did not look 72. I took lots of notes. For instance, she recommended silica for thinning hair. I don’t have thinning hair but I know someone who does. All the petroleum products around us act as xenoestrogens. Progesterone opposes estrogen so she had several products with that in their formulation. She recommended estriol for incontinence. Then we all went to the store nearby. We were told the items would be 15% off tonight. Everyone had heard 50% except me. But 15% was correct. I waited for the drawings. After three, I decided to take my leave of Jen and go home for supper when they called my number – I won some hand cream. So I left then, and came home to dish up some soup from the crock pot. I also picked some fresh kale to add to it. Jennifer e-mailed me that she won some eye cream. I watched an episode of X-Files. Then I looked up the theme song on Youtube for extra whistling practice. There are several versions of it and I couldn’t tell which one was the original. I put the meat and veggies from the crock pot into a jar. I left the bones in to simmer. I emptied all the supplement capsules into a glass of water- even the liquid ones. That was a mistake since the krill oil colored everything red. I listened to a half hour guided meditation. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* Our 72 year old speaker with long black hair, answers questions at Ruth's Nutrition *

The four o'clock massacre

I woke up early, looked at my old watch because it is easier to read. I thought it was almost 6 so I went back to sleep. I was surprised how soon my alarm sounded, and I realized that that watch is still on winter time. I got up to turn the alarm off and swish. I got dressed to go out and water the plants. But I saw the deck was wet and then remembered the storm last night. I inspected the plants and they all looked good so I skipped the watering for today. I turned on the computer to check e-mail and find audios to listen to during detox and all the extra exercises that go with it. I exercised, rebounded, drybrushed and boiled coffee. I started the detox but was not able to finish before I had to go to church to meet Art and count the offering. I grabbed a hardboiled egg for lunch (or breakfast). Then I rounded up some boxes and put them in my car. When I got to church, I looked for Art. He was not there, so I called him and he said he couldn’t make it until 2 but I said I had other plans then. Linda let me use her computer to enter the offerings. Bill stopped in for something and mentioned getting credit for buying paint. I wondered how something like that gets entered? I spent almost 4 hours entering contributions into the computer. Jennifer came by to cut paper. She talked to me about getting her son in college. Then I finished Easter and Good Friday. I called Sheryl to say I was coming over, but she wasn’t home. She said I could leave the boxes on her porch, so I did and then went home. I got the mail, but it was all junk. I was hungry so I ate goat cheese, the egg and pesto mixed together. I put on my suit and laid in the sun, tapping for clutter (hers and mine). The ants were biting me and I considered putting out Terro for them. I picked and ate some tomatoes. I started to water plants, but stopped to jot some notes for my blog. Then I finished watering and trimmed the four o’clocks. I transplanted a tomato, 4 peppers, and some squash. I noticed tomatoes coming up from last year. I made breakfast and listened to an audio. I got an e-mail from Parker that closing would be delayed until next week because the underwriter is requiring soil samples from around the buried tank. I wrote back that I had only allowed the buyers extra money for closing in June. If I have to make the July payment, then the allowances should be reduced by that amount. It started to rain so I put out the collection tubs. I put on the next audio and played solitaire. It was a game I have been working on for days. So I googled the solution. I had never been able to make sense of the collection of numbers and letters that comprised a solution. But today it made sense. I did about a third of it, and then was able to finish it on my own. I finished the audio. Then I cleaned countertops in the kitchen. I made up a week’s worth of supplements. I wiped up the floor with lemon water. I replaced the lemon peels in the water with fresh ones. I pulled beef bones from the freezer to cook tomorrow. I drank a glass of cold whey. I watched an episode of X-Files, and looked up one of the actresses. I placed a Swansons order. Then I plugged in the battery for the cordless drill. I finished detoxing, posted to my blog, took a shower and went to bed.

New gloves

I got up about 7:50. I swished and turned on the router. I checked e-mail. There was one from Chris that he got from a woman on post. She gave me a rundown on the various groups and what there was to do. She said Daegu has a bigger fabric market than Seoul. Whoa! Be still my heart.
I juiced and meditated. I took my block and the X-Files DVD for season 6 and headed out. I went to post to return the DVD’s. The lady made me my own library account and I checked out season 7. Then I went to quilting. I opened my sunroof to keep the car cool. My block got some nice comments. Beverly showed me her fabric license plate and row-by-row instructions for a fabric shop she went to on Sunday. The license plate was nice, but they charged $5.50 for it. The pattern was free, but I did not care for it as it was applique. We made plans to go shop-hopping next Friday. We must have stayed late because it was almost noon when I got to the Asian store. In addition to sprouts and kimbap, I also got plastic gloves and a very fine strainer for cheese. On the way home, I stopped for gas. My gauge read low, but it only took two more gallons than last time. When I got home, I closed the sunroof to keep the spiders out. They are out in force this year. I ate the kimbap with my remaining kimchi. The kimchi is so spicy now that it has to be eaten with something. But so good!
I cleared some e-mail. I put the whey in a big pot on the stove. I heated it just short of boiling. I could not find my candy thermometer to be certain of the temperature. I let it cool a little and put in lemon juice and waited for it to curdle. But it did not. So after a while, I heated it again, making more certain it almost boiled, then let it cool again. It required a lot of stirring, but I took small bits of time to make breakfast and then eat it. I ran out of time to let it cool and had to stick it in the fridge. Parker sent a document for me to sign allowing the buyers to take possession on Thursday even though closing is on Friday. I scooped out some goat cheese with a plastic spoon and put plastic wrap over it, tying it with a ribbon. I took it with me to the farmer’s market. I sat in the parking lot waiting for Jennifer. When she came, she had a bowl of vegetables for me: potatoes, a tomato, short fat cucumbers, an onion, and sprigs of stevia. She also gave me a small bowl of pesto that her Italian friend made from basil Jen had grown and olive oil that his friend’s father makes in Italy. I gave her the spoonful of goat cheese. It hardly seemed like a fair trade. Then we went to the market. I returned the goat milk bottles. The man said he would bring me more next week. I bought tomatoes, Dutch cucumbers, and peaches. Then I went to Sheryl’s house. She had said she wanted me for the job because my house was so organized. Who, me? When I saw her house I realized why she thought that. She showed me around the house and we talked about shelving and donating. Her husband came home from work. He did not have a lot to say, but seemed in favor of our efforts. Finally we decided to go to Target to look at some shelving on sale. She went directly there, and I took my farmer’s market food home first and ate an egg, then met her in the back of the store. We discussed the 9-cube vs the 8-cube storage. We looked at more industrial-type shelving, too. In order to get the discount, she had to order it online. So she went home to do that. She said I could not go to Korea before I finished her house. I went home, too. I pulled the now cold whey out of the fridge. I ladled it through the scoop sieve and got a small amount of cheese. I drank several glasses of whey and I mixed some goat cheese with the pesto that Jen gave me. That was delicious. Then I checked my e-mail and worked today’s puzzle, and the one for tomorrow. I jotted blog notes for later. I watched an episode of X-Files. I added something new to my Netflix queue to replace the other DVD’s in the season which I just checked out from the library. Then I added a few new photos to my Pinterest page. I went through 2 month’s worth of photos and did not find much. I guess I need to sew more.

Adding activities to my week

I woke up before 7 but tried to go back to sleep. That did not work. My mind was playing depressing thoughts. I did some palming to help my eyes and then heard the alarm. So I got up to swish and water the plants. I exercised and listened to audios. I juiced, meditated and made breakfast. I listened to a TED talk on bacteria. The man said our bodies are like ponds, made of water and bacteria. There is a bacteria that only grows in soil and when we come into contact with it, it stimulates the production of serotonin. He said bacteria feed on iron which is why bloodletting was so popular years ago for bacterial infections. I gathered my blue and white project to go to quilting. I realized I had forgotten to take my supplements so I got a glass of water for that. I had to water the plant right outside the back door and then I was gone. I drove Chris’ car to quilting. The turn-out was very low and no one seemed to know why. I wrote Bertha a check for the quilt retreat next month. She wondered what I would eat while there. I said I would bring my breakfast. I worked on my quilt top, piecing the borders. Sheryl stopped by to ask me to help her clean house. We had a hard time finding matching blocks of time in our schedule. But we settled on tomorrow afternoon after the farmer’s market. Then it was just Carolyn and I. But before we finished, MaryAnn came by. She agreed to water my plants while I attended retreat. We all left together. I was home soon after 4. I got the mail and sent Chris an e-mail detailing what he needed to know. I discovered that I hadn’t taken my supplements after all. I ate a duck egg and kimchi, and then some goat cheese. I deleted some e-mail. I put on my suit and sat in the sun to do the last two Sudoku puzzles in one book. I recycled the book. Chris skyped me for a short while before he had to go to work. I was listening to an audio when Jennifer called. She wants to meet me at the farmer’s market tomorrow to give me some overgrown cucumbers. Gee, I might not need to shop if she gives me enough to juice for the rest of the week! Except that Sheryl wants a large slicer tomato. And I need to ask the hydroponic guy if we can visit his farm on Thursday. I cleaned up a little in the kitchen. Then I transcribed jotted notes from little papers near my laptop to a notebook. I watched an episode of X-Files. Then I looked up how to use whey since I had so much left over. One use is to make bread, and I was very tempted to do that, except that I don’t eat bread anymore. But it sounded like a great idea. I guess I got so engrossed that when I decided to stop and go to bed, I forgot to post to my blog.
* In the foreground is the largest cucumber plant. In back and slightly to the right, is a clump of wild lettuce plants. *

Star block

I woke up soon after 7, but stayed in bed, wiggling my toes and stretching and doing half-hearted sit-ups until 7:30. I threw on some clothes so that I could water the plants. Then I fired up the router and read e-mail. I put on the last Depression Session audio and unstacked the dishwasher. I exercised and then made breakfast. After eating, I took a shower and then did the last meditation from the 21 day series for weight loss. I put on my church dress and took notes for my blog before heading off to church. Cecelia’s grand children were there in matching outfits. So cute. It was a good service. I had to step out to go to the bathroom, which almost never happens. I met Art after the service. He said he couldn’t count today. We decided on Wednesday at 11. When I talked to Linda, she said I could put the numbers into the computer after counting. Margie said she’d bring me some items that need mending. Then I went to Publix. I did not need much since most of the veggies I need I can get at the farmer’s market, although not until Tuesday. I came home, put the groceries away and finished the audio as I looked through a quilting magazine. I went outside to catch some rays. The sun wasn’t out, so I grabbed a trowel and dug out grass growing in the driveway. The sun came out and made the driveway too hot to stand on for long. After a while I came in to drink water and listen to an audio. I found a star block on the internet that I wanted to try. I started to rework the block and then decided it would be faster to just jump in and follow the directions as written. I did not obsess over fabric choices. I let my laptop play audios as I worked. From time to time I checked the battery progress. Finally I took it upstairs to recharge. I ate a sweet potato with butter while listening. Then I went outside on the front porch to sit in the evening sun and work Sudoku puzzles. I came in when it was setting. I went downstairs to finish the star block. I covered the registers so the basement wouldn’t get so cold. I was not satisfied with how the block came out, but did not want to do it over. I came up to check for new e-mail. Then I watched the second episode of X-Files season 7. It did not end with ‘ to be continued ‘ but left so many unanswered questions that I hope it will be. I turned off the AC because it cycled too often. I worked another puzzle while listening to an audio. Then I decided to go to bed even though it wasn’t over yet.

From milk to cheese

I got up at 8 to turn off the alarm. I swished, and checked e-mail. I started the laundry with a white load. I watered my plants. I looked up making goat cheese. The milk had curdled. Separating all the whey from the curds was messy. When the white load finished, I put it in the dryer and discovered a bunch of live camel crickets in the filter. I put the colored load in and came up. I got sidetracked reading comments on a 2 min video in favor of Medicare for all. I exercised, then juiced and meditated. I made the bed when the dryer finished. I squeezed whey from the goat cheese in several batches. I cleaned the juicer, and poured off the whey. Then it was time for breakfast. Afterward, I folded laundry, and ironed a piece of fabric and the interfacing of a dress. I brought the laundry up. I read/cleared more e-mail. I finished up separating curds from whey, cleaning up and put items in dishwasher. I ran the dishwasher. As I finished an audio, I sucked curds from cheese cloths. When I saw that Craig was out in his garden, I asked him if he could show me how to mow sometime, He came right over. He checked the battery connection as I ran to get the keys. He started it up and ran it to the back yard. Then he had me take over. He showed me how to change gears. I ran it around the yard a few times and then parked it back in the carport. I called Cecelia to tell her I wasn’t coming to church to practice because I hadn’t been able to write myself a part. Then I was free to go quilting. When I got there, I opened the sunroof so the car wouldn’t get so hot. As I sat to work on my hexecontahedron, the glue failed again in several places. One of the ladies lent me her glue and it was amazing. I was able to finish the half I was working on. Denise was there, working on her hexegons. The ladies said I couldn’t leave until I finished and so why was I working on it? Ha, ha. At 5 I drove home, and closed the sunroof. I got a sweet potato and cheese from the fridge. I checked e-mail – there was none from Chris. I listened to another audio from the Depression Sessions. The doctor recommended a low carb/high fat diet. She also looks for a magnesium deficiency. Said deficiency can cause teeth clenching. I looked up magnesium and B6 on Swansons and put it in my ‘cart’. I picked a salad and ate it while watching another audio. After it was over, Chris skyped me. He had just come home from church. After he hung up, I watched the first episode in the 7th season of X-files. It ended in – to be continued - ! But it was too late to watch the next one. I killed a roach, cleaned up in the kitchen, posted to my blog and went to bed.

A productive day

I had a dream that Ashley was getting married this weekend and we were invited to the reception. All they were serving was salad. When I heard the alarm, I got up to turn it off. The house was warm but not so humid as last night after I turned the AC off and put the fan on. Later I turned the AC on again. I printed out the forms that the lawyer wanted notarized. I read them and e-mailed him questions. I checked some e-mail. I worked on my star: sewing extensions on to the seam allowances so I could better glue them down. I cleaned the juicer which I forgot to clean yesterday. I exercised. As my questions were answered, I found more questions about the documents. So I called the lawyer just to make sure it was all exactly as he needed it. Then I got dressed, and wrote his address on a piece of paper. I put all the documents in a folder and drove to the bank. An ambulance was coming up from the rear and I could not get off the road, but then it turned at the hospital. When I got to the bank, there was no line. The teller said she could notarize the documents. So I showed them to her. She had never notarized a PoA before so there was some question about that with another bank agent. In the end she signed them and I took out some cash for the farmer's market next week. Then I drove to the post office. I was confused by the mailing options and which mailer to get and which forms to get with it. Chris wanted it certified, signature required. So I got what I thought was right and stood in line. When I got to the desk, he had questions for me. The Priority Express mailer would get it there by Monday but so would the regular Priority, only it wasn't guaranteed. And the forms were different. It was confusing. What would Chris do? I chose the Express just to be sure. After mailing the packet, I came home. I checked my cars owner's manual because the engine temp seemed high. But the manual said it was in range. I noticed a faint beeeeeeeeep that went on and off from the back of the car. I got out and locked it. The beeeeeeeeeeping continued. Nothing I could do. I saw that my plants were wilted. So I changed my clothes and watered them. I came in to juice and take blog notes. After juicing, I used the desktop computer to listen to a meditation. Then I had to reboot the laptop. i made breakfast. I worked on tomorrow’s puzzle while the laptop rebooted and requested updates. I saw Parker had sent us an amended copy of the purchase agreement where the ‘allowances’ were detracted from the selling price because the bank did not want to give cash to the buyers at closing. I worked on the star, regluing and listened to audios. I went through old papers, sorting them into piles to be recycled or shredded. Then Chris skyped me. He said he was living right beside where the fireworks would be set off. He showed me around the duplex - I was looking for all the spaces I could put fabric. After the call, I did some clearing of clutter. I shredded a pile of papers. I covered some of the AC grates because they were too rusted to close, and I wanted to force the cold air to the other end of the house. I watered on the way to the car to get something, but it was locked. I came in to click the unlock button. I walked out to my car and just as I got there, it locked itself - as if someone inside had clicked the lock icon. I went back to unlock it again, and again when I got close, it locked itself. So the third time I brought the key with me and it stayed unlocked. I concluded that it must be a theft prevention feature. I washed and oiled sweet potatoes and put them in the oven. I had to throw out the other root vegetable that went moldy since Sunday. I finished the soda bottle seed starter. I put flower seeds in it. I picked greens from the back yard and made a salad. I watched some videos and did some tapping. I put all the goat milk into a gallon jar and washed the two half gallon jars to return to the farmer’s market on Tuesday. I spent the rest of the evening clearing more unread e-mail. After being over 200, it is now under 100, and that feels good. Now it is time to go to bed and I have selected a meditation for teeth-clenching to relax to.

Trying to get it all under control

I woke up early again but stayed in bed until almost 8. I drank lemon water and swished. I turned on the router. I got three messages from Chris. He sent a pdf of Chinhae on the map. Silly me, I had assumed it was on the coastline. He pointed out where his quarters are and where his office is. It was good to see. I listened to an audio on thyroid and depression. She (a pharmacist) said that doctors used to prescribe fluoride to patients with hyperthyroidism and that there is enough fluoride in the water supply to affect the thyroid. Scary. I juiced green beans, mung sprouts and cucumber. I put the recyclables in bags and took them out to the curb. I quickly watered the plants most likely to dry out. I drank the juice while waiting for my tapping buddy, who did not get online. I cleared some e-mail and meditated. I watered the rest of the plants. I got an e-mail from the lawyer requesting the original PoA which I don't think I have. And account numbers etc to get payoff info for the house. I went through papers I rescued from the recycling to find Chris' SSN. Then I made breakfast, and started an audio. I paused it to do a tapping audio. Then I went to quilting. There were a lot of ladies there today. I set up my machine but did not get to use it. I cut blocks of border and foundation. Technically the border does not need foundation, but I want it to be the same weight as the rest of the quilt. I showed off the quilt and got lots of positive responses. Sometime after 2 I left. I stalled pulling into a busy street. I couldn't seem to get it into reverse, but I was on a hill, and it rolled slowly backward to where traffic could pass me. When I got home, I put on my suit to sunbathe. Then I rmowed just to keep up the sweat. When I was done, I called Marie's house to talk to Michele. Michele gave me her number. We talked for a bit and then I talked to Alfred who was visiting. I listened to more of the audio, and then took a shower and got dressed. I boiled duck eggs and ate one. I went to the guild meeting, and sat with Jodi. She looked really good. I got my red raffle tickets (but they did not do me any good). I met the lady who will take Jodi's position. I sat for the general meeting. I wondered if I would remember to submit a quilt to the show. I took pics as the comfy quilts were shown off. This time Jodi did not leave before the program. So I gave her my tickets before I left as the speaker was being introduced. I had too much to do and it sounded like a repeat of a talk from last year. I drove home, and then worked on a bottle garden, but it got too dark to continue. I listened to the rest of the depression and neurofeedback video. I cleared e-mail, and did Sudoku puzzles for yesterday, today and tomorrow. I brought up the star to work on it's unglued edges. I updated our phone list with Michele's number and printed it out. It was late enough to go to bed, so I posted to my blog.
* from show-n-tell

Calc-aholic

I woke up well before 8. I had been having a dream about making out with Sheldon (BBT). It was weird. Anyway, I swished and went downstairs to find a piece of blue and white fabric that would allow me to make one more block. I only needed a 5 by 10 piece. I looked through my yardage and did not find anything. Then I went through boxes of scraps, and was surprised not to find anything there either. When I came up, it was 8:30. I exercised and detoxed. I listened to a long audio that turned out to be mostly sales pitch. I juiced part of one huge cucumber and drank it. I got dressed, and hurried out. But on the way to my car, I realized that the plants needed watering. So I had to do that first. Then I drove to church. Linda let me use her computer to enter numbers into the contributions program. When I got a good start, she left. I was alone in the church for awhile. But entering the numbers was so engrossing and getting a summary that agreed with my figures was rewarding. The pastor and intern came back from lunch. I spoke to them, but kept working. I did 4 sunday's worth before I stopped. And I only stopped then because my left wrist hurt. I went home, thinking I was a calc-oholic and wondering how I could put that on a t-shirt. I filled two bottles with warm salt water. I drank one and put on my bathing suit, and laid on a sheet in the backyard to sweat. Then I swept up all the stray trimmings on the side walk and in the driveway. I pulled a few weeds, and watered some more. I checked e-mail. The real estate lawyer needed to see my power of attorney, so I e-mailed it to him. I drank some beef broth. I did some tapping with a short video. I got my sewing box out of the car, and went through it, pullinged out the blue and white leftover scraps. I took a pic of the quilt top in progress. I brought some stuff inside. I finished an audio, and ate blue berries with chocolate, and cashews. Joanns was having a sale, so I ordered machine gloves and looked for a new seam allowance sticker. I guess they don't sell them anymore. I found a few other things to make the shipping worth it and submitted the order. Then I spent way too long looking for the Chinhae naval base on Bing Maps. I still can't find it, but it must exist if Chris is there. I searched Youtube for the video I had seen months ago for a 2-liter bottle seed sprouter. Finally I found it and watched it, hoping to remember it tomorrow. I played trombone briefly. I put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and cleaned the sink. I noticed that the new putty around the drain was still soft and wet. It was put in last week, how can it not be dry? I squished it back into place. Amazingly, it was time for bed. But I did not feel I had been productive enough. So I went to my sewing room. I gathered all my little blue and white leftovers and came up with the needed blocks. Having something ready for quilt group tomorrow, I blogged and went to bed.

Doesn't add up

I woke up in a sweat, but that subsided when the AC finally kicked in. Then I was cold. I got up a little before 8. I swished, exercised and soaked the sprouts. I put on an audio while I washed vegetables to juice. I got dressed and watered the plants. I took my pre-breakfast supplements and vit C. I showered, dressed and grabbed some quilting stuff, the contributions folder and some kimchi. I drove to quilting, and talked to several ladies whose name I did not know. Ann brought her recorder for me to help her operate, but it had a low battery and did not work. She said I should take it home and play with it and bring it back. I left there to go to the Asian store for kimbap and mung sprouts. Then I hurried to church to meet with the secretary. She had discovered how to add envelope numbers to personal files. So we set everyone up with a number. We decided to meet again tomorrow to start adding contributions to member files. By then it was after one, and I was going to meet Art there at 2, so I just stayed. I sat in the garden room and ate my kimbap with kimchi. Then I roamed around a bit and decided to go outside and pull weeds. It was something to do and I was cold inside. But 2pm came and went. I called Art and he said he'd be there soon. I pulled a few more weeds, until I ran into poison ivy. I immediately went inside to wash my hands. Then I sat to meditate until he arrived. That was 2:30. We both worked at getting the envelopes organized and checks recorded. I added up the columns. It was $200 off, so I went about finding the mistake. And I did. Then I added again, but got a different total that was $20 off. Art did not have the bank deposit slips with him, so he just took all the checks and cash home to finish the process. He did not seem concerned. I went to the farmer's market. I got green beans and lettuce from the hydroponic guy. A lady named Deborah was helping him. I knew her from somewhere but could not place her out of context. Then I went to the meat seller, but she did not have any organ meats for me. As I passed the goat cheese stand, I saw their advertisement for goat milk. I could not resist. I also bought 2 gigantic cucumbers at another stand with the last of my cash. I took my purchases home and put the milk right into the fridge. I drank some and it was ok, but I put the rest back. I checked e-mail and responded to Parker. I listened to an audio while I cut up some foil to sharpen several pairs of scissors. I paused the audio to go outside. I replanted something that grew in my seedlings. I planted the waning sheaf of wheatgrass. I dug up humus and added it to stuff already planted. I swept the sidewalk, and filled a hole in the back yard with magnolia cones. I watered stuff near the house. Then I washed my hands, and picked greens for a salad. I looked up chia sprouts, to see if they are edible. They were, but then it was too dark to harvest them. So I got some sprouts from the fridge and added the greens and some lettuce, and sunflower seeds and made a salad. I ate it while skyping with Maryann. After she hung up, I watched a movie called Tammy and the Batchelor, recommended by a friend because it starred Leslie Nielsen being young and handsome. I ate frozen blackberries while watching. Then I looked up one of the other characters afterward. Then I placed a Swanson's order for vit C and olive oil. After a few more small things to search for, I was ready for bed.
* This is Bertha and her quilt *

News from Korea

I woke up in a sweat sometime after 6. This was not unusual. I guess the house heats up with the rising of the sun. I tried to go back to sleep and got up soon after 8. I read e-mail, then swished and exercised. I soaked my latest batch of sprouts. I juiced, and meditated. Then I made and ate breakfast. I printed pictures for Dinah to post on the quilting bulletin board. Then I got dressed. On my way to the car, I watered the plants. Then I took Chris' car to quilting. Bertha asked about Chris. I said I hadn't heard from him since he left the airport in Japan. The other quilters assured me that no news was good news; that if anything had happened to him, I would have been notified within 24 hours.
I sewed my blue squares together into 4's and then to 8's and then in rows and finally one piece (with a few leftover which were ALMOST enough for another row. Most of the ladies left at 1. Some came later. There was always a good conversation to listen to. When I got home, I put a scrap of the blue and white fabric in my purse, so I would remember to look for something analogous. I have to believe that with all the fabric I have collected, there must be SOMEthing suitable for making two small blocks to finish this quilt. I got the mail and rolled the trash can back to the house. I checked e-mail and saw a message from our agent. The buyers want more money to address issues their roofer discovered. I ate fish. I composed an e-mail to Parker. I jotted a few notes for my blog. I cleaned in the kitchen, particularly the juicer (which I had run off without cleaning). I meditated, and then called Dad. I played the music for him and asked if he could think of a counterpoint to the melody. I guess that was asking a lot over the phone. He gave me pointers. Then he talked about choir and the piece they are singing for Father's Day. I let the sprouts soak while I printed staff paper. I wrote in all the notes of all the chords, planning to connect the dots later. I read another e-mail from Parker, responded, and read one from Chris saying he had arrived and they were sending him to Seoul next week and then to DC in August. I watched the last two episodes of X-Files, season 6. My three least favorite words are “To be continued...” I checked e-mail again and saw one from Chris. I replied to it and then found another one. Now it is past my bedtime and I am woefully behind on e-mail, and looking at a busy day tomorrow.
* This is Sheryl's quilt *

Not the Sunday I was expecting

I stayed in bed an hour late, thinking I needed a little more sleep because yesterday was so long. I unstacked the dishwasher, and read e-mail. Chris sent one in the middle of the night from the Narita airport. I started an interview but did not have time to finish it. I took a shower, and ate breakfast. I got dressed, and grabbed a blank card. I watered my plants, then went to church. I thought I was late but my watch was fast, I sat in my regular pew, wrote a check for Rachel's shower and put it in the card. I asked Mr. Cox what her fiance's name was, but he did not know. Heather and her family came in late and sat behind me. During the passing of the peace, she told me that the sleeping bag we gave her for her yard sale (on behalf of the youth) might be worth over $100 on Etsy. That was a surprise because it was old, worn, patched and who would want a Princess of Power sleeping bag nowadays? After church, I helped Art count the loose cash in the offering plate ($1). He said he couldn't count today so we plans for Tuesday. Then I made my way to the line for shaking hands. When I got to the fellowship hall, there was a basket for cards and a money tree. Rachel put out a nice photograph of her and her fiance. Cecelia's husband went home, so we sat together and talked. We also went through the food line. Several people talked to me there. We sat across from Mary. I suggested we do a musical piece together one more time before I moved. Cecelia had a piece that she thought would benefit from a trombone line. I was going to follow her home to see what she had in mind, but several more people stopped me to talk and Cecelia went home. So did Heather who I was going to give the sewing machine to. So I called Cecelia from the parking lot. She gave me directions to her house. When I got there, she got in my car and directed me to Heather's house. We dropped of the machine with her son who was outside since no one answered the door. Then we went back to her house. She invited me in and showed me pics of her daughters. Her house was beautiful. We sat at the piano and picked through the piece. I thought I could construct a counterpoint to the melody. So she got her husband to make a copy with their printer. She told me about her plans to get the church kids into a singing or ringing group. She indicated that I could help but I did not promise her anything. Then I went to Publix for groceries. I brought them home and put them away. I ate a piece of corned beef brisket. I read e-mail and listened to an audio that I started this morning that was full of information on depression. He said that all neurodegenerative diseases start with depression. So when a patient comes in with depression, he looks for signs of Parkinson's, alzheimer's, demenia, etc. I had to stop the video while I finished the last two number puzzles. I don't know where the compulsion comes from. tried to work on the counterpoint line for Cecelia's piece. I wrote some, but it was hard to see and keep track of what I had to work with. I did not finish. I made up a week's worth of supplements. I threw out bags and empty supplement containers in the kitchen. I saw that the outdoor thermometer read 110. I did not believe it, so I went outside for a bit. It was hot, but not that hot. I got some garbage bags and tried to bag the stuff Chris put in the trashcan. It was too deep for me. Some of it I put in recycling. Most went into two bags. I rolled it to the street. Then I went down to watch two episodes of X-Files. I wanted to start the next DVD, but it contained episodes we'd already seen. I brought it upstairs where I could read it and saw that the DVD's were out of order. It was after 10 anyway, so I put it aside for tomorrow. I opened the box for the nightguard. I followed the directions to put it in hot water, and mold it to my teeth. I did not get the fit right but don't know why. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.

Cutting it too close

Chris said he was going to get up at 5, but I suspect he got up earlier because I did not hear his alarm ring. I stayed in bed until he roused me at 5:30. Then I drank several glasses of water, and washed up. I listened to a short audio while he was getting ready. Then we took my car to the airport. We passed a yard sale and I said “Look! A yard sale.” He replied “Is there anything you need?” I said “Need is such a strong word.” We continued to the airport. It was light out and I wasn't as emotional as I thought I would be. My car was running hot and I had forgotten my cell phone. When we got to the airport, we hugged and he walked off with all his luggage. I did cry a little. Then I drove home, having to stare into the rising sun on the highway. I parked the car in the carport, and walked to the yard sale. I asked if he had a gas can to sell, and he did. He sold me a 5 gallon gas can with some gas in it for $2! What a deal! And he said if I needed any help, to let him know. When I got home, I called Chris for instructions on driving the mower He told me where to find the key and what the levers do. He said he had already checked the oil. I checked the tires and saw they were soft. I came in to put down the phone and write notes to my blog. I dug a splinter out of my thumb (or thought I did). I caught up on Sudoku puzzles while listening to audios. I put cards in the mail. I started another batch of sprouts. I poured gas in the mower, and pumped up the tires. I moved the grill, and started the mower. I backed it out, and drove to the front yard. I noticed that it wasn't cutting so I decreased the mowing height, and it still was not cuting. I tried pushing a lever forward and then it cut too short. Oh well. I mowed in big ovals, slowly. I did not know how to get to the higher gears since pushing in the clutch stopped the mower, and did not want to take off with a big jerk. I kept driving, this time to the back yard and ran through the wide ditch leading to the culvert, and then went through a shady wooded area where I don't usually mow (where the tent was). I put the grills at the back of the carport so I could park the mower easily at the front and would not have to back around anything next time. I juiced zucchini and a pepper. I meditated overly long, probably because I got up so early this morning. I went outside to water the plants, and then to sunbathe. I came in for breakfast and to clear e-mail. I did more number puzzles, thinking they were a waste of time, but unable to stop. I went downstairs to get out my least favorite sewing machine, and make sure it worked. Then I packed it in the case with the manual and accoutrements. I put it in my car for tomorrow. I will lend it to Heather so her son can learn to sew. I watered the far garden. I ate some fish and read e-mail. I picked a salad from what grows in the back yard and garden. I stacked and ran the dishwasher. Then I watched two episodes of X-Files. I checked e-mail again, and looked up some episode characters and a synopsis of the movie we watched last night. I guess Chris is on the plane to Narita right now. I hope to get an e-mail from him in the morning.

Fanning the flames

I tried to put in a Swansons order last night before the offer expired at midnight. But with the 15% off, my order was .06 short of the $50 needed for free shipping. So I did not bother and just went to bed. We were still in bed but not sleeping when the alarm went off the next morning. Much later we got up to start the day. I finished a video I started watching yesterday. It was about how to meditate in 15 minutes – but the video was way longer than that, and there was no slider on it so I could not tell how long it was going to be, or go back or skip ahead. I took time to swish. So much e-mail to read. I watered the plants. Then I juiced, and meditated, then cleaned up the juicer. I made breakfast, and worked puzzles until I couldn't stand it anymore. I watched Chris pack. I read the scale when he weighed the luggage. He put an umbrella and an espresso machine in his suitcase. The umbrella couldn't go in carryon because it is considered a weapon. He took boxes to the post office to mail ahead. I looked through panoramic pictures from The Quilt Show. I drank lots of water to avoid feeling dizzy like I did yesterday. I mowed in the back yard and then the front yard until the mower slowed down. Chris' car showed up in the carport between one row and the next so I must have missed him pulling in. I plugged in the mower and came in for water and some frozen strawberries.
I saw the thermometer in the sunshine – it read 103. Chris wanted to burn more paper. So he got out the grill and we toasted decades of documents. We separated out the pages that could be recycled. He started the riding mower. It did not run because there was no gas in it. Then I remembered that we did not have a gas can here. We each had some leftovers for supper. Then we went down to watch an X-Files movie – the one that came out right after season 5. We still have two DVD's from season 6 to watch that have to be returned to the post library a week from Tuesday. I started listening to an audio on menopause. He recommended geranium oil on the arches of the feet to relieve hot flashes. I paused the audio to go to bed when Chris did since this is our last night together. I will take him to the airport at 6 am tomorrow.

And away it goes

I got up soon after 8 to start my morning routine. In addition, I took out the recyclables, and showered. I juiced and then we went to a restaurant near Madison for a going-away party for Chris. After we all ordered, but before the food arrived, Chris' boss presented him with an honorary civilian award and certificates and a picture signed by most of his coworkers. Then Chris thanked every one, and we all had lunch. Several of them said I should let them know if I needed anything. Then when they'd all left, we went home. I drove Chris' car to quilting. I trimmed some blocks and put them in stacks of ten, while conversing with the group. Betty left blackberries in the freezer for anyone who wanted some. I packed up and took two packages since so few people were left. I drove home, and Chris had the boxed mattress out by my car. We pushed the back seats forward, and tried to get it in the back. It hung out. I called and then e-mailed the lady who was having the yardsale on behalf of the youth to see if she wanted it. I made breakfast while waiting for her reply. She said they'd try to sell it. I made notes for my blog while eating breakfast. Then we packed stuff on top of the mattress, including the foot locker, which we filled with games, puzzles and paints. We went through a tall box in the garage and found a bow and some lawn darts, and a jig saw. We packed my car full, tied the hatch down, and drove it to Heather's house. She and her husband welcomed us and helped us unload the car. We talked for a bit. She told us that a lady she knows who had a quilt shop will be selling off her fabric in two weeks. Oh, the temptation! We came home and Chris started supper. I started making a list of things we did not need. Then I started pulling things out and piling them in a corner of the garage. It felt pretty good. Speakers, DVD player, lamps with shades, baskets and foliage, puzzles and games, pictures. I did not want to quit, but Chris said supper was ready. He helped me carry two boxes to the garage and then we ate: brussels sprouts and catfish. After supper, Chris returned a battery charger to the neighbor next door. We loaded both of our cars. We drove over to Heather's house, but she wasn't there. I called, left a message, then sat in my car to wait. She called back and said it was ok to just leave the stuff by the garage. So we did. I took pictures so I could remember later what I gave away. Then I went home. I watered the plants and Chris arrived. We went downstairs to watch several episodes of X-Files. He asked me if I wanted to watch more episodes tomorrow night or the movie. I started to cry because it will be our last night before he goes to Korea. We came upstairs to read e-mail. I was going to just blog but felt the compulsion to do a few number puzzles to calm down. I drank a glass of water (hydration seems to help with emotional control). Then I wrote to my blog.

Out of my head

Chris got up early to listen in on a conference call. He turned my alarm off when it rang. About nine came back to use the bathroom and then I got up. It was a day for things not going as planned. I swished and exercised. I wanted to reprint my detox sheet because it got something spilled on it, but the desktop computer was running veeeeeeery sloooooooooowly. It took 10 minutes to do what should have taken 15 seconds. Then I discovered that I did not buy distilled water on Sunday. There was a water jug where I put it each Sunday but it was an empty one. Chris took a shower and ran to the store for a full one. I had to work from the soiled printout. I detoxed, juiced and meditated. I filled two water bottles with warm salt water. I decided I could sweat at home mowing the lawn, but then the sun went behind clouds and the temp dropped and raindrops fell while I was mowing. I mowed until the mower had quit 3 times. I drank all the salt water and turned to yard work. The sun came back out. I transplanted tomatoes and peppers. I dug up humus from under the grate by the carport. I used it to fill in around the marigolds and plants in the cement blocks. I was surprised how many worms I found in there. I was also surprised at the biting flies I encountered in the garden. I wondered why God created such annoying things. I guess horses wonder that, too. I came in to cool off. I got sidetracked doing number puzzles. It was not how I planned to spend my time, but it felt good to get out of my head for awhile. I ate some corned beef, and meditated. Though it seems rather odd, I then made breakfast. We looked for Chinhae on googlemaps, but couldn't find it. Perhaps the Navy doesn't wish it to be found? We went down to watch the “Battle of the Five Armies”, a hobbit/dwarf/elf movie. Then I blogged and went to bed.
* This plant I can't identify seems attractive to bees *

Stewardship meeting

Chris got up early although I don't know how since we went to bed so late. I stayed in bed until the alarm went off. Chris came back to make sure I was awake. And then...I got up to swish and exercise. There was no quilting today because they were on a field trip to a store in Mississippi and I elected not to go. I called the church to see if I could come by today to work on contributions but they were busy. For some reason I got hooked on a number puzzle. Chris had a group call to listen to. After doing a second puzzle I had to put it down. I took a shower and checked e-mail. When Chris' call was over, I juiced two zucchini. I drank that and cleaned up. Then I drove to the Asian store for kimbap. I waited until I got home to open the package. After eating all of it, and an apple, I went through a pile of books that Chris left for me. When that was done, I finished an audio. I went through my e-mail and unsubscribed to bunch of stuff. I listened to several Youtube videos of “100 questions no one asks”. On the one hand, it seemed like a total waste of time. But, the energy and spontaneity with which the ladies answered the questions was refreshing. I made breakfast and ate it. Chris packed the books in his car and went to post to run errands before taking the books to the book store. I watered my plants, and then went to the farmer's market. The first stand had peaches, so I got some of those. I also got a kidney from the Wagyu guy. He had three, but my freezer's getting full. I bought zucchini from the hydroponics man. I came home, sunbathed, then wiped off. I read e-mail, and did some tapping with Brad Yates newest videos. Chris came home and cooked “yellow name” which is a true yam. I took a visual acuity test online – it indicated a problem, possibly mold related. For supper, I ate some name with corned beef and sprouts. I listened to an audio that sounded somewhat familiar while working on a sumsum puzzle. At 6:45 I jumped up to brush my teeth and go to church for a stewardship meeting. But I was early because it did not start until 7:30. I sat in the fellowship hall and talked to Art. He told me about his cats. Then the other Art showed up and we talked about deer and racoons getting in the garden. Then Dave, the head of stewardship came and the meeting started. Rachel came too, and amazingly, the two Art's gave their reports briefly. We were done in half an hour. I reported that Linda and I were trying to get the contributions into the computer. Both Art's thought that was a good idea. Then I came home to find the garage door open and the light on. Chris was upstairs, but he came down with me and we went through stuff in the garage, separating stuff we wanted from what we could do without. He threw some stuff out, and we made a pile for freecycling in one corner. Some of it was Michele's stuff. Anyway, about 9:30 we quit. He told me that he got some money for some of the books, and the rest he took to the library. Then we watched an episode of X-Files. I checked e-mail one last time, and blogged. I could not resist doing several more puzzles before going to bed.
* These are the blooming 4 o'clocks *

Great scott, who wrote Ivanhoe?

I got up just before 8. I started cleaning up in the kitchen and turned off the alarm when it rang. Chris was nowhere to be found but his car was here so I figured he was out running. And by the looks of things, he had taken out the garbage and put Netflix in the mail. I swished and exercised. I washed the big pot we cook beef in. Chris came home and took a shower. I checked e-mail. I e-mailed a link to a video on lactose intolerance to Cecelia. I juiced, meditated, and made breakfast. After eating it, I got dressed and headed out to quilting. I noticed my plants needing water, so I took 15 minutes to water everything. It was almost 12:30 when I got to the church. Dinah was putting away lunch. I set up my machine in the back of the room. Not that many ladies were there, and most left after lunch. I suggested that I might go to a retreat and they said there was room in the July event for me. Finally it was just Lauri and I. I worked on my blue and white Renegades quilt and she worked on her jelly roll quilt and then a quilt top made from antique blocks. She did not like the jelly roll quilt after she finished it, so she gave it to me to turn in for Comfy Quilts. At 5 I ran out of the fabric for the side pieces. I packed up my stuff and came home. Chris was making burgers. I looked up more info on dairy intolerance for Cecelia. I came across several people that recommended food grade diatomaceous earth. Apparently it is good for a lot more than that. I ate my burger with spinach and some greens from the backyard, as well as some cheese. Then I had chocolate and dates for dessert. Eventually we went downstairs to watch an old movie called Runaway with Tom Selleck. Since it was only 9:30 and Runaway wasn't that great, we decided to watch Ivanhoe. It was a better movie, and more engrossing, but longer, too. By the time it was over, midnight had passed. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.
* This is the quilt top Lauri made *

Backings with a side order of binding

We heard the alarm go off at 8. We stayed in bed not sleeping. Then we got ready for church. We walked into church just as the announcements were being made. During the service the person giving the sermon talked about doing good things for one's mother, which reminded me that my mom died one year ago yesterday. I spent the rest of the service trying not to cry, and failing at times. I met Art after the service and said I could come count at 4:30. Then several people came up and hugged me and wanted to know what was wrong. So I explained that this was Chris' last Sunday and also the anniversary of my mom's passing. There was a luncheon after church for two couples that were having 50th anniversaries. I spoke to the one couple, and then to Jeanne, whose husband was too sick to attend. She showed me pics of the paraments we made that were hung for only one Sunday. Then we talked about making a banner. Then I came out to look for Chris. We spoke to a few more people and then came home. I made up a week's worth of supplements and made breakfast. I ate in while jotting notes for my blog. I put out Terro again today after doing it twice yesterday. I read e-mail. I learned that radiation eliminates your body's ability to make hydrochloric acid for life (from an interview with Suzanne Somers). “People are so busy counting calories. I think we should be busy counting chemicals,” Great quote.
I changed my clothes, and watered the plants. I went to Renegades. I had to sit at a small table in the back or set one up. Rather than start another quilt (I haven't finished the one from January), I decided to piece backings for those who were making this month's block. I made 4, with a side order of binding for the first one. It was funny because one of the other ladies spilled her pudding donut onto some fabric I was going to make a backing from and we teased her later about backings that come with a side order of pudding. She said it was comfort food for the kids who would get these quilts after being taken from their homes. I packed up about 4. I went home and drank several glasses of water, and then ran to church to help Art count the offering. I was hoping to get it right on the first try like last time. But we had a screw up with the cash since we had to divide it between two different accounts at separate banks and we did not have the right change to do it. Also, the eft payments confuse me since there is no check or cash to represent them. It did not help that Ed came in and chatted with us while I was trying to add up the deposit ticket. After we ironed things out as best we could, I picked up my first quilt from the music room. I checked for the boxes of fabric that had been stored in a closet behind the sanctuary. When I got home, Chris told me Craig lent us a battery charger and tin snips. I walked over to thank him for that and for watering my plants while we were gone. Chris helped me put the bush trimmings on the tarp. Then he dragged it to the road for pick up tomorrow. I picked up sticks in the yard. The small ones went on the stick pile where our neighbor chips them. The largest ones went with the trimmings for pick up. I came in to eat the remaining beef. Then I picked a salad outside and added some items from the fridge. After eating, we went down to watched episodes of X-files. We opened a box that once belonged to Michele and took photos of the contents. That way we can ask her if she still wants those items. I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Broken connector

We slept in late (although it wasn't all sleeping). I swished and exercised before getting online. After checking the first round of e-mail, I slathered coconut oil on my hair and went outside to mow in the front yard and under the magnolia tree. Jennifer called to say that the flower lady was at the Saturday market and that the beef people had another kidney for me. I put the phone down and continued to mow. I could not believe that the fenced in part needed mowing again, but it did so I did. Chris went to the post office for mailing boxes, then started laundry. I took a shower and got most of the oil out of my hair. I made and ate breakfast. I read e-mail, and then returned Marjory's phone call. She told me about her dog being diagnosed with cancer, and about the guild fabric that I was told to keep. She went on and on. And then I heard my name being called. I walked around until I saw Denise and David at my back door. I hung up with Marjory and greeted them. I showed Denise the guild fabric and they loaded it in their truck. I also took them into the basement to see the books we were donating. But they elected not to take any. David said he could sense mold somewhere since he has asthma. I wish he could have pointed it out so I could call it in and have it removed. I guess that will be one good thing about moving to Korea – getting out of this moldy house. Denise wanted David to build her a sewing table with an inset for the machine. So they were asking questions about dimensions. And she wanted me to demonstrate free motion quilting so he could see how that worked in the space. My machine was set up for that so I was happy to comply. Then we went outside to their truck. We were talking when Chris came back from wherever. I never thought of Chris as being tall, but next to the rest of us, he was. Then he went inside and they left. I found him ripping patches off of old military shirts. I was happy to help with that. Then I put away some of the fabric lying around in my sewing room as I looked for my fmq gloves. I did not find them. I continued fmq-ing until the bobbin ran out, which did not take long. Then I set my machine up for straight stitching. I came up for some matching thread and had some leftover beef for lunch. Then I went down with the thread and stitched around the 'star' that had come unglued when the ladies passed it around on Tuesday. I returned it to its fellow stars already sewn together (as part of the hexecontehedron). I ate a sweet potato sprout. I watered plants. We ate supper. We went to Staples for new ink cartridges, and then to Home Depot to look at battery cable connectors. When we got back, Chris loaded the new cartridges and we printed the picture that Dad wanted. We went down to watch 4 episodes from season 6 of X-Files. The first episode made references to the movie that must have come out that summer. Chris thought we had it, but he could not find it. The 4th episode was “To be continued”. Since we have the second DVD, I wanted to watch the next episode, but church is early tomorrow so we just went to bed.

Up in smoke

I heard the alarm go off at 8 but ignored it and got up half an hour later. I swished and exercised. I wrote checks. I checked e-mail and watched a new documentary called “Moldy”. Interesting. Mycotoxin inhalation causes groups of symptoms (weight gain, insomnia, brain fog, lethargy, joint pain, trouble walking, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, irritability, etc) but most medical histories are not thorough enough to catch them all. I looked up essential oils for mold. I put cinnamon and tea tree oils in my diffuser. I juiced, drank and cleaned the juicer. I watered the plants, potted and in-ground. We took the shreddables to the carport. Chris pulled out the riding mower. We examined the battery and the cables, one of which had a broken connector. Then he pulled out the grill. He stuffed in some papers and lit them. We kept the fire going until all the papers with numbers had been burned. Then we added some sticks to create a fire that would more completely consume the paper. He went inside and I stayed outside with the fire to put the envelops and non-numbered paper into bags for recycling. It seemed a shame to burn all those numbers (bills and statements). He came back to roll the riding mower back in and put the grill away since it looked like rain. We worked on sorting books into keep and donate piles, both in the basement and in the garage. I called William to see which electronics I should keep. He recommended the Denon and the Bose. Then I made myself some supper. Chris made his own and then we had bowls of fruit. I meditated. I checked e-mail again. I can hardly believe my unread pile runs between 150 and 200 now. Then we went downstairs to watch 4 episodes of X-Files, including the season ender for the 5th year. Mulder's office burns up thanks to cancer man. It was after 11 by then, so I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Hashtag

Chris got up early but I stayed in bed until almost 9. I exercised and checked e-mail. My tapping buddy and I exchanged a few sentences. I swished and checked e-mail. I juiced zucchini and mung sprouts and a few strawberries. Chris showered, dressed and left. I meditated, and got dressed. I made breakfast. I drove to Stitch-Its. The turnout was low because many had gone to a retreat. Rhonda came with her husband and mother. On the one hand, she looked awful, having fallen and broken her nose and arm. But on the other, it was great to see her out of the hospital and getting around. Christy told me that her bees were doing well. Pam told me all about her two daughters getting married later this year. She's going to have a busy summer. I talked to Pam for quite some time. She recommended that I get on Instagram and hashtag something about the base in Chinhae to meet people already there (like I have a clue as to how to do that. If I hashtag hashtags, will it tell me how to hashtag?). So I did not get home until after three. Chris took my car to have the oil changed. I got out a ladder and the hedge trimmer. It was heavier than I remembered. I trimmed as much as I could by hand. When Chris got back, I asked him to wield the trimmer. Then I did the sides by hand. I raked the trimmings up onto the sidewalk. I found the tarp but decided not to haul the trimmings to the road until Sunday because the truck comes on Mondays. I pulled some weeds in the back yard and asked Chris how much I could trim the rose of sharons without killing them. Then I checked e-mail. I ate some of the Wagu beef. I picked some of every edible plant in the back yard and in pots and made a salad. Chris had a salad, too. Then he made us a fruit salad. He put milk on his and I put fermented coconut milk on mine. I read e-mail until he was ready to watch TV. Then I finished the one I was on, and went downstairs to watch 4 episodes of X-Files. They make more sense now that I am watching them back to back. After that, we came upstairs. Chris started going through his closet and found a bag of white fabric – yards and yards of wrinkled polyester. Neither of us could remember ever seeing it before. It seemed like enough to do every window in the house. Then Chris asked me to pop a pimple for him. That was funny. We read e-mail for awhile, then I blogged and went to bed.
* This is Susan's mondo bag. I have the pattern and plan to make one someday. *

My number one fan

Chris got up before 8 to participate in a group call. I heard him shut my alarm off at 8. I got up to start the day. It was detox day. Abstaining from e-mail, I went through the process as quickly as possible. Then Bob showed up to work on the kitchen sink, which delayed the last part. I enjoyed talking to him as he removed parts of the plumbing to snake the drain. He thought he got whatever it was. But when he reassembled it, it still did not drain. He needed a large nut and I had one, but then he discovered that a second one was cracked too. And it needed snaking from the roof. So he called Roto Rooter. I let him know that we were moving. He left. I finished my detox and filled water bottles and packed my spa bag. I would have juiced but the sink was not useable. As I was going to the car, I noticed that the sun was out. So I laid in the grass for awhile and started sweating. I decided I could sweat just as easily at home as at the sauna and mow the lawn at the same time. So I rubbed coconut oil in my hard and mowed in the back and then in the front. But the sweat was not as good. Just as I was finishing up by the road, Chris brought out my phone. Roto Rooter had called but not gotten me so they went to the next person on the list. However they put me next. I mowed until the mower showed signs of slowing down. Then I came in and took a shower. I could not get all the coconut oil out of my hair. But it sure was nice and silky. Chris was packing up boxes of books to donate. Then the tech showed up. He snaked from the roof but needed to go get the nut/collar part. I made and ate breakfast, checking e-mail. My computer fan arrived in the mail and Chris installed it. I ate some of the corned beef brisket that Chris had in the slow cooker all day. I listened to an interview. The plumber was back in the kitchen, and now with an assistant. They finished the job and left. Chris emptied the bucket under the sink and turned on the dishwasher. One man came back with a form for me to sign. I washed some blueberries and ate them with chocolate. I checked e-mail on my laptop which was doing just fine thanks to Chris. Then we went downstairs to watch “The Desolation of Smaug”. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog ( and finished today’s Sudoku puzzle and the one for tomorrow.)
* This is Lauri's quilt *