I needed a ‘bummed out’ blogging break last week, but I’ll save you the explanation and just say it was life as we now know it.
Outside I kept busy doing my usual –Β weeding, watering, transplanting, still trying to evict the skunks, and working on expanding our veggie area. The cucumbers croaked from the heat, but the tomatoes are filling up every shelf in the kitchen.
We’re having another heat wave and are under drought restrictions so everywhere you look it’s brown grass and a lot of perennials closing up shop for the season.
Inside, I worked on a couple of small sewing projects, cleaned more closets, and painted a Welcome sign. I had to chuckle that I was painting a ‘welcome’ sign when we’re in a time of no visitors. Maybe I was feeling rebellious or was very bored – probably both. π
I kept busy, but have to admit that I can’t tell which day it is because each one drifts into the next.
A medical office receptionist asked me a brand new Covid-19 question last week – had I traveled out of the three state area (NH, VT, ME) in the past three weeks? If so, I needed to postpone the appointment, or if I was planning to, I needed to cancel the appointment and reschedule for three weeks after I returned.
It would be easier if the new rules of life were the same, but it appears I can’t travel to any of the other 47 states without quarantining, but I could go overseas and return without isolating. Hmm.
Yesterday, we picked up some take out and sat in the shade at a local park where the Piscataqua River and the Great Bay meet.
Enjoying nature at water’s edge is a really good thing.
I sincerely wish you a wonderful last week of August full of nothing but good health, sunshine, and a safe opportunity to stay in touch with family and friends.
I’ll be around, but probably not on a regular basis. There comes a point in 2020 where there is nothing remotely new to say, and I’ve definitely passed that point. π
Judy, I know exactly what you mean! Love your welcome sign! One day you will be welcoming friends to your home again.
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Glad you like the sign, and I keep going on the assumption that this too shall pass. π
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It will!
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Hello. Hope youβre feeling okay. π
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Happy to say, I’m feeling good physically, and I’m sincerely grateful for that. The rest is basic grumpiness because of this never ending having to stay close to home and the folks who refuse to wear masks so we can see it come to a close. π Stay well.
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Thanks so much, Judy. Itβs a shame we have had to spend most of summer indoors. As an introvert who loves my space, even I know how much it must really suck. Sending hugs.
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I’m an introvert too, but this has pushed me beyond my desired limits. π
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π€£ Well we are your support team. Hang in there. π
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Judy, we have all had our low moments during these past months. Keep smiling.
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You too! Hope you get to take some walks on the beach.
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Judy, I am going over this afternoon – high winds and high tide are expected to produce a good show.
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Judy it is the end of summer. It is the silent phase where we get ready for the sound of falling leaves. We have had the falling leaves for the last month. Google says maple tar spot fungus. But yeah I am ready for a quiet phase too. Happy Monday…
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I like that – silent phase to hear the sound of falling leaves. π Stay well, John.
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You too Judy !
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I know what you mean about looking for something new to say. It’s all the same old same old for me, too. Although I’ll admit that your travel to three states question is different, but not in a good way. Stay safe, do whatever floats your boat… as long as you do it in your home state. π€¨
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I love blogging, but this staying at home kind of brings new topics to a screeching halt, and I’m not about to venture into the land of current events. π The three states question was definitely the most unique one I’ve been asked by any medical personnel. I guess I’ll just stay right here in NH and blog when I come across something interesting. π Have a good week.
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At least our tomatoes and beans are coming on gangbusters, but in Dover we’re not yet under drought restrictions, as far as I know. We’re watering only the essentials, not the lawn, but I am dreading the next water bill.
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Hey neighbor! Our lawn is dead, dead, dead because I would never waste water on it. I’ve been hand watering what I have to and have even kicked a few annuals to the curb earlier than normal because I’m dreading that water bill too. Stay well. π
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Glad you are back. I am a fan of blogs that feature posts about everyday life, the cycle of life and the seasons. This means I will be looking forward to your posts, even if they are not as frequent, and there is nothing new. Also, I would have loved to have seen a picture of that raspberry pie. π
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That raspberry crumb pie was good. I did put a photo on Instagram. π
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Don’t forget your blogging friends!
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Sometimes we just need a nice little break to refresh. I love your welcome sign!
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Thank you. Yes, sometimes we do need a break so we can come back invigorated with new stuff to talk about. Stay well and enjoy August as we roll towards September. π
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Oh, Judy! I’ve been feeling the same lately. The days and weeks all seem to blend together. I can only mark the passage of time by what’s blooming in my garden. This week, the fragrant white blossoms of Hosta ‘Royal Standard’ remind me that it is the end of August. What a beautiful place to have your picnic! Spending time near the water always soothes the weary soul.
Stay safe and healthy, Judy! π
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Ooh, your Hosta ‘Royal Standard’ is a beauty and good sized according to my google research. π We definitely are playing it safe and even got our fall flu shots last week to get a jump on that. You and all your loved ones stay well too, Dawn. Maybe we’ll both get a few more perennials moved on out. π
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These mature Hostas were already large when I moved here 33 years ago. So you can imagine how huge they are now, Judy! They are very happy growing beneath our towering Pines. Their flowers are so fragrant!
We are experiencing another heat wave here this week. I will definitely be digging out a few more perennials as soon as the temperatures cool down a bit. I always think of you, Judy, and our shared goals to ‘right-size’ a few of our garden beds.
Thank you for the good wishes, my friend! π
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The covid restrictions have certainly dried up inspiration. I struggle to come up with new and different thoughts and mostly fail. I wonder what winter will be like when we are normally more holed up at home.
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You certainly raise a really relevant question about winter. π I’m a person who needs structure, and I guess that’s one of the things that bothers me about this staying at home for this long. I’ve virtually run out of projects and find myself creating stuff just for something to do but in my head I know I’m wasting time. π Who knew being idle could be such hard work. π
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I have that “wasting time” feeling too. It’s not like I’m a young spring chicken either.
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That’s it – we don’t have time to waste and it’s frustrating. Oh well, I better get over it. LOL
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I know how you feel sort of. I’m not very motivated to process images right now and I’m not really going anywhere exciting. The birds have mostly left, and the sky is so filled with smoke that night sky imaging is out for the time being. I feel blah about my images so I’m not processing and posting less.
Your welcome sign is so cool! Your stars are impressive and look perfect! I’d mess that up for sure.
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Blah is a good word for it. Nothing is wrong, but it just doesn’t feel right. I hope that smoke and the fires don’t get too close to you. Stay safe and well. I did the stars with a stencil. I can’t paint like you do free hand. π
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We have lots of smoke still blowing in from the west, but no fires here at the moment thankfully! You did a beautiful job with the stars!
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Glad you are well, and keeping busy as always! There is a Pervasive low level of depression now which saps energy and enjoyment. But then we have spasmodic health issues to help us mark time by Dr visits! Happily our aide is back, having lost her mother and seen her daughter through appendicitis the past two weeks. This of course was my opportunity to injure my back, rewarded by sciatic pain! MRI this week, and restart PT next week … Nice weekend visit to celebrate younger sonβs birthday and our 55th anniversary! Life in time of Covid 19!!
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Oh, I’m sorry to hear you hurt your back. I’m way too familiar with back pain. It’s good your aide is back so you can go to PT and hopefully feel a little better each day. Happy Anniversary! So glad you had a nice visit with your son and family. Those visits are few and far between right now. They were always important but even so these days. π
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I know how you feel. Mid week, I had a moment of dismay….did I miss your last Monday post? Came here to check because not only do the days blend, but so do the weeks now and itβs easy to get disoriented. Even my weekly visits to the two local grandkidsβ houses for crafts donβt significantly lift my spirits. Things are just….weird!
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I get not remembering what the date is because we aren’t working outside the home where we had to write it a hundred times a day. But, this not even knowing what day it is kills me. Weird is a good word. π I’m glad you’re getting to see the grandkids for art. With your troop of grands, I’m guessing you’re seeing some blended school sessions this year. I hope each and every one of them gets some kind of schedule that is good for him or her. Take care, friend. Stay well.
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Your welcome sign is lovely and the people that pass by all know the time will come when you can once again welcome them in. On the bright side, August is almost over and then you should start to have delightful fall days that we will all be envious of. Here in Florida, we probably won’t start to cool down until the end of October. In the meantime, we get to keep watching the daily weather reports to see where each new tropical storm is headed until hurricane season ends in November. π
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I’ll be hoping those storms go right on by you and your lovely home. Some of the maples are turning already. I’m guessing this heat and drought will adjust normal leaf peeper season. π
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We’re all tired of this isolation. Hang in there friend. Love the welcome sign. You’ll be using it soon.
Maybe draw up some eviction papers for the dang skunks!
Life has certainly changed for all of us. If we could ship all the idiots out to sea and anchor the ship, maybe the rest of us will have a chance!
Ginger
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Those skunks are killing me. I’ve tried moth balls, I’ve tried ammonia, and they still won’t move out. Papers are next. π I’ve never been one to confront a stranger, but these idiots who refuse to wear masks in a building cause me to bite my tongue. So many are trying, but it only takes a few to keep us on this downward slide. You take care, friend. π
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I have reached that point, also.
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Five+ months is a long time to adjust life this dramatically. Hope you are well and stay that way. π
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The smoke from all the fires in Eastern Oregon and WAshington state plus California has our quality at moderate and my galleries are acting up.
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I hear ya! But you do know that we all love your projects, wit and best of all the latest Covid question.
I have a funny one for you… there was an accident close by and I called 911 to report it. The dispatcher asked me if I had Covid?!? I said no… but was more concerned about the person in the accident so please send the paramedics and such! Good grief!
That is a fabulous Welcome Sign… the UPS man will love it!
Have a beautiful day my friend.
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Oh my goodness, but thank you for the huge laugh I got from the 911 operator asking you if you had Covid. I’m sure it’s part of a script like my three state area, but it does make you chuckle at how far off the road we’ve gone with this. π I’ll post, but I don’t want to put everyone to sleep if I have nothing remotely interesting so I’ll store up until I have several boring things. π
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You never are boring! π
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Thanks for the update and glad you are all well. Itβs so hot and dry here, too. Iβm thankful for a good well that has never gone dry. Weβre going to attempt a 2 week road trip in an RV. I totally understand needing a change of scenes, even for us introverts!
WP seems intent on complicating my life, when all I want is to simplify. This may push blogging to the bottom of my to-do list.
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How dry is it? I dug up my potatoes yesterday with my gloved hands. We need rain and plenty of it. I hope you have a wonderful RV road trip. We camped for several years and enjoyed it and have actually talked about renting something this year just for a change of scenery. Post how it goes, please. π I am definitely with you on WordPress and every other type of technology we use as retirees that keeps changing to meet the needs of the younger crowd. I’ve had all the changes I want this year, thank you very much. π
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We actually got a tiny bit of rain last night, not even a tenth of an inch. Itβs been a few weeks since anything more substantial came down. We average about 16 inches a year. Weβll see if anything is worth harvesting when we return.
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You make me laugh about the “welcome” sign. But I choose to see that as a signal that you’re ready for when a vaccine is developed. I hear you about a lack of blog inspiration. Initially I was full of ideas during the March/April lockdown period. But boy, that seems like eons ago. May any blogging break you take be fruitful for later ideas. – Marty
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I love blogging. I love my blogging friends. I’m just out of topics because of staying at home. π But, I’m putting down little things so maybe I can come up with enough for a post. Is that pitiful or what? LOL
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The quarantine thing is interesting and hard to keep up with. Arizona is on the list right now in many states despite our improving numbers. When I went to Wyoming, if you stayed in New Mexico for more than a few days, you had to self-quarantine for two weeks. Pretty much puts the kibosh on tourism, unless you love your hotel!! Being from the US, you might have a limited choice of overseas locations, too. Sigh. I feel a bit like you on some days, but getting out to Wyoming helped and being able to see my parents helps, too, probably even more for them than me. This coming Saturday, my husband will actually not be on call for a change, so we’re going to self-isolate in our car and take a drive to Tucson to see what’s between here and there. I’ve found several outdoor things we can see and he’s been out even less than I, so it will be a high treat. π
Hang in there, my friend, and if you take a break, enjoy it. I do like that blogging means at least I have people from all over to talk with even if I can’t see them in person, so there’s always that.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Judy)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
janet
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Have you ever spent so much time in your car before? My husband and I laugh all the time about it. π The other thing that is so strange about going somewhere is wondering if the bathrooms are going to be open. I really don’t understand a place that is open for customers to spend their money, but they have the bathrooms locked down. π I hope you have a wonderful car ride and see some beautiful scenery. I love blogging and the community, but I’m struggling with something to say these days. I think I need to think outside my normal box and see what I can come up with. π
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Yeah, that bathroom thing can be a problem. When I drove to Wyoming, some rest areas were open and some closed. Restrooms in gas stations were open, of course, but if fast food places aren’t open inside, a good, usually clean restroom source is gone. I managed to only use a restroom when stopping for gas, so that worked out find. But just on a short trip it can be a big problem!
I look forward to seeing what you come up with for the blog. π
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I lost this post in the spam bucket. I don’t know why, it’s not like you haven’t been in the inbox before.
I had to laugh about your painting the Welcome sign. It looks great. We can still visit a few other states, but we’re reluctant to, given that CT adds states to the list quickly. We could go somewhere and then find that we have to quarantine.
Beating the heat has been a challenge for New Englanders this summer, that’s for sure. It looks like it might cool off beginning Wednesday – I hope you get that break, too.
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See – that’s the problem, I’ve hit the spam box. Love it. π We aren’t going anywhere and even find it challenging to go very far within the state until the tourists go home. Yes, we are getting cooler temps right now, too. Maddie will like that unless the walker lady is out too. π
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Don’t ask me how you ended up in spam. Cooler temps are a welcome change.
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And now I have to ask “is it STILL Monday?” Not only do the days run together but they go on forever sometimes. It’s hard. Thanks for giving us a chance to say so.
p.s. I believe I saw something about raspberry pie in Laurie’s comment. You know, of course, that everyone who read that comment will now be looking for a post about that pie. (Is that too subtle?)
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Gee – there’s an idea for a post. Thank you! Yes, I’m desperate because that writing muse you are always looking for definitely isn’t here. π Today is Wednesday because I had to do a MG post. π
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Thank you for the laugh, rueful though it may have been. Yes, trying to figure out what day it is depends on such things as posts. But we do what works!
That writing muse can be a real pain. I think she enjoys our writers’ miseries.
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Funny how many of us are on similar up and down trajectories. We are all doing the best we can, but it’s hard not to feel discouraged once in a while. Your sign is beautiful and I hope it will be well-used one of these days.
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You are so right – it is an up and down feeling, and we are all trying to do our best to cope. Blogging helps, but only if you can fill a post. π Hope you and family are all well.
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I have trouble remembering what day it is, too. I have NO idea where the heck most of August went!
Even if you just told us about your garden, it would be good to see your post, Judy. These are challenging times to say the least, but we need each other to stay upright! π
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That’s a very good thought, and I’m going to remember that. I just need to be creative and come up with some new ideas for a post topic because no one wants to hear about my weeding which is in good shape because I’ve been doing so much of it. π
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One of the sad side effects of this ugly year is that my sense of humor is hard to find these days. I find being easy with others difficult. AND I’ve got an abcess in my mouth and the antibiotics aren’t making me feel better either. But you know? We’re alive and never in my life has merely being alive seemed more relevant than it does now. Weird, isn’t it?
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Well, here’s hoping the antibiotics kick in so you can get beyond that particular issue. I’ve got to think about my sense of humor, hmm, I think I still have it but it’s pretty snarky, but I’ve definitely lost my patience with stupid people. Alive and well is good. π
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Thanks for posting Judy, even when there is nothing to post about, I think everyone likes to read about how other people are feeling during these long months of ”nothingness”. I hope you can enjoy your garden through the autumn months. Today looks like our first real taste of spring, which is lovely…. it has been a long winter.
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I see birds in a future post from you, and it causes me to smile. π I really enjoy fall for being able to get plants moved around for next year. Falling leaves are not one of my top ten best ways to spend a day, but I live in a state that is 80+% covered by trees. Pretty ironic. π Happy spring!
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Good luck with those falling leaves!
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Enjoy your break and come back reinvigorated.
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If you keep posting beautiful flowers, that will help. π
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Ha, ha! I’ll do my best Judy!
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It’s hard to credit that anyone would be contemplating international travel at the moment and that quarantining wouldn’t be mandatory. I hope you start feeling better about things soon. Enjoy that beautiful garden! Sending love.
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I’ve been hanging close to home, and I applaud the folks I keep hearing who are planning a cruise because I wouldn’t go near one. I’m fine, but with nothing going on I struggle for a topic. π
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I can’t imagine why anyone would be planning any sort of trip with lots of other people at the moment, nor why companies would even be taking bookings. As for topics, I’m always happy to read about your beautiful garden.
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Life was hard enough before covid…seems like everything is stressful now. We just have to keep on keeping on. So hang in there…
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I think I need to try my hand at one of your leaves to keep me focused. π
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