No, I’m not turning 61. That would be only in my dreams. 🙂
There’s sixty one days until spring. I can make it. There are seed catalogs to check out, orders to place, seed starting to be planned, and plant sales need to be marked on the calendar.
One Amaryllis is close to blooming, two are just starting to grow, and the Walking Iris are still in bud format. These pretty flowers will help keep me motivated.
I finished up the last of the organizing projects, and did a little machine embroidery. A friend had a birthday so I made a square with ‘Friends Forever’ on it and sent it with her card and also did a gardening journal cover with old jean material. The notebook inside can be switched out when full.
Reading has been good because I just finished Robert Parker’s
latest Spenser book by Ace Atkins, “Someone to Watch Over Me.” The mystery part of a Spenser book is never that deep, but the snarky dialogue is ever so appreciated especially with apple crumb pie and coffee.
The weather has been unusual for a New England January – rather mild temps and rain, lots of rain. The rain sure pointed out that I need a load of topsoil for some low areas and some grass seed because of the drought last year.
The new iPhone 12s are up and running. They certainly are fast, and TMobile coverage rocks after Verizon and At&T.
Registration to express interest in the vaccine opens up this Friday for everyone over 65 in NH. 300,000 folks in that category all trying to express interest will probably make for an interesting online experience. 🙂
It’s going to be a quiet winter week here so I think I’ll order some fabric and get started on a quilt top I’ve been thinking about doing. That should keep me out of trouble.
I’m borrowing a closing line from Ginger, one of our more humorous regulars – think positive, test negative. Stay well folks and best wishes for getting a vaccine appointment.
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
I went through a phase where I was crazy about Spenser mysteries. Loved the snark. I didn’t know about Robert Parker’s latest Spenser book by Ace Atkins. I’m so out of it, aren’t I?
Well, if you can make it through 61 more days of winter, I can too. I don’t know when I’ve longed for spring as much as I am this year. Well, spring and the vaccinations, of course.
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I have to admit over the years, I’ve read every Spenser book published. This one had a deep topic but so much snark that I laughed out loud numerous times. Good for my attitude. 🙂 That’s right – we can make it until spring, no sweat. The vaccinations will require more patience I’m think, and if there is one thing I seriously lack, it is patience. Maybe I’ll develop some. Nah. 🙂
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Thank you for this! As always, I am in awe of your work, but I am also prodded by it: you know how to make something out of this wretched time. I need the prodding. I will take the image of that amaryllis bud as a sign. It looks to be a beauty when it opens! By way of celebrating this week, I have an appointment for my first vaccine shot on Friday. You are right to expect an online traffic jam, but I hope it goes smoothly.
Although I don’t know anything about Robert Parker, I do know about snark, and I think it’s remarkably therapeutic, especially with apple crumb pie. I feel better just thinking about it!
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Hooray for your vaccine appointment. The IN couple that moved from NH are doing well. He had his first shot last week, and she goes next week. IN must have their act together. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I’m with you – snark is therapeutic. 🙂
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Good luck with access to the vaccine. We 65+ are all in the same situation.
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That’s right, we’re all in the same boat so hopefully we get access to an appointment and then just wait our turn. I wish you the best of luck in your access to the vaccine. Stay well and keep the camera clicking. 🙂
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Love the countdown to spring and Ginger’s apt closing. We got this! 🙂
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Looking to spring and being outside again will be such a mental boost. Looks like you guys have a pretty good system up and running so hope you get access in a timely manner. For us, I have this crazy thought that 300,000 people all logging on the same day will crash the system so I hope they have done lots of IT testing. 🙂
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Time will tell – good luck!
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Our winter (so far) had been incredibly mild. That suits us as we are gradually moving things in our new house but it’s kind of eerie. I’m waiting for the shoe to drop (or maybe snow?).
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I’m glad your weather is working ‘with’ you as you move. Hope the move is over soon so you can settle in and enjoy the new house. 🙂
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“Think positive, test negative!” I love it!
You are making the best of the situation. I’m enjoying this time of universal excuse for not running around like a crazy woman, just staying in and indulging my hobbies, too. My hubby will sometimes lament, “I want to clean out the garage but I’m just too tired today.” I blast him with this: “Go sit down! You worked all your life waiting for retirement so you could do nothing all day long. Stop whining and enjoy it!” He sheepishly slinks away to watch the History channel and I plunk myself on the couch and flip to Schitts Creek reruns and we are both happy!
Glad you’re not challenged with mountains of snow this year as in the past. Our level to-date is very negligible too!
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Interesting that the snow isn’t falling in numerous states. I bet you’re doing some of your beautiful hand quilting. 🙂 I have never seen Schitts Creek so I just looked it up. You’ve got five years so that should last you a while. 🙂
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Your work is absolutely gorgeous. Like Oddment, I am in awe. Yes, spring is coming, and although I am someone who enjoys the quiet of winter, I always look forward to the exuberance of spring and warmer weather.
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Winter provides a good writing scenario for you, and warmer weather allows you back on the patio – both good things. 🙂
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Absolutely. Really, I love all the seasons. Except March. 😉
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What lovely, loving and creative work you do. Husband likes to go to the garden shop — he picked up a red Amaryllis only 2 or so weeks ago, and it bloomed 3 flowers; those went, but now another is shyly blushing through its green pod. He went again on Saturday and came back with two plants. One is a maxillaria of some sort (wish us luck — we’ve even killed pothos!) and the other looks like evil coleus gone vertical on steroids.
I’m not ready for a vaccine shot, yet. (I’m not even ready to not go to the beloved library.) Hence, it’s triply good to get a real countdown to Spring — thank you!
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Watching the Amaryllis is interesting. I bought the three on the same day, and this one went crazy and the other two look like I just planted them. Good luck with your new plants. 🤞I did have to laugh on the coleus description. 🙂
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Wonderful little projects! That’s what’s keeping many of us sane. Next week here in Vermont they start 75 and older, and then have an age pecking order they will follow. It’s a slow process, but the first part for health-care workers and nursing home residents was well organized. 61 days. We can do it. Love “Think positive, test negative!”
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NH was going to roll out the second wave at 75 but changed it. I’m all for getting it as soon as possible, but being realistic they’ve now got a huge number to handle. Oh well, you’ll know what I’ll be doing Friday morning – trying to get on the list. 🙂 Yes, 61 days is certainly doable!
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Good luck!
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Flowers about to bloom, others beginning to grow, what’s not to like? Just the thought of spring is uplifting.
Love your embroidery. You’ve given your friend a gift to treasure….your awesome handiwork and your friendship!
I’m with Oddment. I also know snark. In fact, I love snark! It’s what keeps me upright some days! I practice it religiously! 🤗
I had a friend who always said, “Think positive because negative makes you look old.” So “Think positive. Test negative” came out of her words. I always called her ‘motor mouth’ and I was right. She’s still talking to me. 🤗
I don’t know if this is of any help to anyone, but I called my PCP’s office last Monday to ask how my husband and I get on the Vaccine List. The receptionist said she could do it. Took our names and dates of birth and proclaimed us ‘on the List.” But I’ve been hearing horror stories about going on line and the impossibility of getting through to anyone….even a voice mail.
So I was getting nervous about how easy it was for me. You know, if it’s too good to be true…….! I called again this morning and was assured that we are on the list. I’m sure things are different from state to state. We’re in NYS.
Can’t wait to see your next quilt. Bet you can’t wait to get started!
Very happy your phone fiasco is fixed. TMobile should give you a complete refund for the free advertising. Priceless!!
Ginger
Think positive. Test negative.
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Take that easy sign up and enjoy it. Whew, that was huge. My husband inquired of a MD if they were providing it, but the answer was that we will have a close distribution site at our local hospital, but that the only way to sign up was through the state website or by calling in. Yes, Verizon billed me for an entire month of service, and TMobile did the same thing. I should call AT&T, maybe they need a check too. 🙂 Thanks to your friend for a great line and a smile. Stay well until you get that shot.
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I love both of your embroidery projects. I hope your registration for the vaccine goes smoother than ii is going here. Our county health department does not have online registration so there are a lot of frustrated people like me who hit redial over and over only to have all the appointments made and the registration paused before ever getting through. I was able to get appointments at a local pharmacy for this week. Two of the big pharmacy chains were all booked up in a couple of hours. Be ready to be at your computer as soon as possible after they start taking appointments!
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Some friends in IN had it the smoothest so far. They went online, registered, and got their shots within two weeks. I feel your pain because I think your experience is a little more normal. From what they have said so far, we can’t make an appointment, we can only ‘express interest.’ Then we wait for a reply email that will allow us to actually register. If you’re like me, I don’t care where I actually get the shot just that I can get on the list and get an appointment. Good luck at your pharmacy. I hope it runs smoothly. Stay well.
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Thank you Judy. good luck with yours. I’ll keep you posted.
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The time will pass quickly and spring will be here. Already we hear the frogs calling!
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Glad to hear those frogs are heralding the calendar moving closer to spring! I’ll take all the encouragement I can find. 🙂
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I have gotten sooooooo much done during COVID! I’ve done lots of bits, that I like to put off! But, I am still ready for it to be over! We can start signing up for the vaccine as well! We haven’t had a winter yet, I’m in the South………we’ll get a taste of it in March for about a day!
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You brought up a very positive point of being at home – jobs checked off the to-do-list. I have closets that could be photographed, they are so organized. 🙂 When gardening season starts, there won’t be any lingering inside jobs that have to be done, and that’s a good thing. Good luck with your sign up!
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I like going through my closets once a year…..it feels like I have accomplished something and I won’t leave so much junk for my children to mess with!
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Your sewing projects are so cute. I really like the friend’s piece.
It’s been warmer here too and the snow is all melting off the mountain tops. I hope we get some rain and snow soon.
In the next county over they’ve called for those 65+ to sign up on the waiting list, but we’re still waiting for that call in my county. Not that it would do me any good. I have to wait still for the 60+ or 55+ group. Not sure how they’re breaking it up age-wise, but I’m content to wait. A couple of my friends here have already got their first shot. I’m more curious about the side effects of the second shot. They don’t get those until next month, so I wait, watch, and listen. 😀
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Maybe this will ease your concerns re the second dose of vaccine. I have friends in the medical field….two RN’s and a phlebotomist. They’ve all had their second vaccine. They all said the same thing. The next day their arm hurt like heck. They all had a headache. They were lightheaded. A couple of them experienced stomach issues. The day after that they all felt fine. All three told me what they experienced was a sign that the vaccine was working.
I qualify for vaccine (81 w/health issues) but I’m thinking I may just die of old age waiting for first dose of vaccine!! Lol!
Hopefully by the time they get to your age group they’ll have this vaccination process figured out. Good luck.
Ginger
Think positive. Test negative.
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That’s what I’m hearing too. The sore arm is normal, but not the other issues. Thanks for the pep talk and sharing what you’ve heard too. I appreciate it! 😀 You stay healthy and yes, think positive, test negative!
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It is very interesting how the process changes from state to state and sometimes county to county. Hope you have good luck sighing up. My husband talked to a medical professional who has had both shots, and she didn’t have any reaction. A friend talked to a medical professional she knew, and she had a fairly tough day after the second shot. I had a bad reaction to the shingles shot so have wondered if I’ll have a reaction to this one. I’m still going to get it but will be ready just in case. 🙂
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61 and the days are, repeat are getting longer. I am glad you did not have to add chasing deer out of the garden. Two does and a yearling visited here the other day. I did not see any noticeable damage. Grass must have been the only menu item. I just don’t want them to make this a regular stopping point. Now to start some serious seed entry and sorting. And to see how the garden responds to this mostly warm and rainy winter.
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We have had years where there has literally been a herd on the property next door because she was feeding them. This year, I haven’t seen her putting feed out, but I have seen their prints in the snow. They can certainly do major damage so I hope they are enjoying the warmer weather and more abundance of grass versus my plants. 🙂 They ate one entire bed of hosta this past summer so they are definitely wandering around here. Stay well, and I hope they leave your gardens alone. 🙂
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I love that phrase! Think Positive and Test Negative! Fabulous! and 61 days! Yay! oh and everyday is a little bit more sunlight! 🙂
Your projects are wonderful! Beautiful my friend. And to get such a lovely gift like that in the mail…. in a card… what a treasure!
My project this week was getting an account set up with our county health department. I want to be ready. Well, let me tell you… it was a project. I felt like I was trying to break into Fort Knox. Anyhoo… got an account set up. 65+ is ready to go tomorrow …here at 9 a.m. online. Now you know I am “39 Again…” 🙂 I didn’t make the cut off… barely. But Sweet Man does so I will be trying to get him an appointment. And what complicates matters is that the stockpiles of the vaccine doses from the government are low! Oh what fun!
So… here is where I say Stay Positive, Test Negative! Thank you Ginger and Judy for that Phrase!
Happy Monday dear friend!
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Congrats on getting your account set up and hope you had good luck getting him an appointment. Of course, you’re 39!
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I got him an appointment! Tears of joy!
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YEAH!!!
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Oh no! I hadn’t even considered that countdown until you mentioned it (thank you!). Think it’s time to go change the countdown clock on my site to something more useful…
Do you feel like it’s going to be a rush to get everything ready, or are you being cool as a cucumber?
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From what I’ve been hearing even the hotline number to ask questions has been pretty clogged with calls. I’m sure not all 300,000 residents will be calling as soon as it opens because there are some who probably don’t want it and some who are down south, but I’m thinking it is going to be challenging. I’ll give you an update on Monday. 🙂
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Stay well, Judy. 61 days? We can do that, easy peasy. Your little projects are impressive. It looks like you’ll be staying busy.
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I’m trying to stay busy. I’ve mostly run out of things to organize so I’m reaching for other things. 🙂
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I know you’ll find somewhere to turn your creative spirit.
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Thank you for that hopeful number about days until Spring! I needed that. And “Think positive, test negative” is priceless. LOVE!
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Spring will definitely be welcome this year after staying close to home for so long. Stay well.
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Love your gardening journal, Judy. I wouldn’t have any idea of how many days until spring because that means something completely different now, the approach of hot summer. 🥵😉. I read Spenser books for quite sometime but realized finally that a) my favorite character was Hawk who isn’t really a good guy although I did like Spenser, b) I did not like Susan, and c) it seemed everyone else was just icky. So I stopped. I also missed the days when he talked a lot about food and drink.
Your days until spring makes me think of what I used to do when the girls were little and waiting for something like vacation or Christmas. I made a paper chain with as many rings as days until that event and each day they removed one. It was a great way to help them anticipate without driving me mad.
janet
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Yes, you now have gardening all year round, and I’m jealous. 🙂 Susan is ‘stiff’ shall we say, and Hawk isn’t always in every book. This one really had quite a bit of Hawk in it, and Spencer cooked a couple of things. Mostly they drank DD coffee and ate corn muffins. 🙂 Love the paper chain – makes perfect sense.
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I beg to differ on the year-round gardening. Summer is NOT a time to garden here. Too hot!
Yeah, that paper chain idea got a lot of use and spared me a lot of annoyance. 🙂
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I love your projects… very clever of you! We are still waiting to hear about our trip down vaccine lane too. We received an email saying that they were opening up to those 65+ today, then saw conflicting info that they weren’t doing that. It’s very frustrating but so be it if we have to wait a little longer. 61 days until spring… yay (although it’s been in the high 70s/low 80s here)!
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It is interesting how things are fairly different from state to state. Some seem to be well oiled and others are more challenged. We are a small state with a lot of retirees so I’m guessing that adds to our issues. You are right though – so be it if we wait a little longer, just bring it on. 🙂
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I have a very similar amaryllis in bloom now, red with white throats and stripes. An early harbinger of spring1
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That makes us two smiling women, doesn’t it? 🙂
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Oh, Judy! I just love ALL of the creative ways that you stay out of trouble! Your latest projects are lovely! So happy to hear that we are just 61 days away from Spring.😊I’m also happy to be in the 65+ group for our vaccines here in Illinois.😊 We must practice much patience as we wait for both! Stay well, my friend!💗
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And, wouldn’t you know patience is not one of my virtues. 🙂 Stay well and here’s hoping the process goes smoothly in IL and NH. 🙂
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I always love your sewing projects because I’m hopeless at all such projects…you seem to do them all in a week! At least it is time for seed catalogues, that will keep you busy.
Although we are gearing up for vaccines here in Australia, the health minister is very cautious, saying that change will only really come in 2022…. but a vaccine is a good start!
I like the ”stay positive, test negative” approach.
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I think your health minister is a wise person. It is definitely not going to be all better as soon as an individual receives the vaccine. I’m guessing the distribution of vaccines will go on well into fall, and then we have all the folks who choose not to take it. I’m also guessing we’ll be wearing masks until 2022 as well. That really does sum it up – ‘stay positive, test negative.’ 🙂 Enjoy your summer gardening experiences.
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Thanks Judy
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A new quilt! I’m looking forward to seeing that. And good luck with your vaccine appointment.
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Thank you – I’m thinking I’ll need good luck with both. 🙂
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Our vaccine rollout is painfully slow. At the rate things are going, it may be fall before I get anywhere near a vaccine. In the meantime, we are still under a stay-at-home order and have been in lockdown since the last week of November … with no end in sight. To say I’m getting restless would be an understatement 😕
I guess we are all trying to find creative ways to keep ourselves sane over the winter. Your needlework is beautiful. In contrast, I’m thinking of doing a ‘bad art’ post. I have lots of it to share 😉
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The past 11 months including lockdowns, curfews, and stay-at-home orders have challenged us like never before, and that doesn’t even cover how we now feel if we get too close to another human being. Tiny NH has 1.3M people, and we are currently averaging a receipt of 17,000 vaccines a week. If nothing changes, that means 76 weeks or 19 months just for our state to be vaccinated. Here’s sincerely hoping they increase that delivery. 🤞 Bring on the ‘bad art’. Just imagine how we will respond because I’m thinking we may not agree with ‘bad’ art and could bring on some encouragement.
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Thank you so much for the encouragement. “Bad” or otherwise, I’m really enjoying this creative outlet. If there are any gifts to be found during this weird time – and I believe there are many – art would certainly be one of mine 🙂
… and my fingers continue to be crossed on a speedy, efficient rollout of the vaccine.
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Your vaccine system sounds as crazy as ours! it seems here to be a post code lottery.
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Well, I for one hope your post code gets pulled early on. 🙂
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Judy, I have started the countdown to spring and biking weather. It had been mild here as well, but the weather decided to go back to “normal” on Monday. I’m okay with that as long as we don’t get the sub zero stuff.
Enjoy your crafting and seed ordering, and I hope we all receive the vaccine by summer.
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Coldest morning so far – 18 degrees as I made coffee. I’m hoping right along with you for getting the vaccine, but our state is so small, the vaccine numbers received so small, it’s going to take somewhat of a miracle to make it by summer. 🤞
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Waiting for winter, vaccine, and spring.
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You and me both, neighbor. 🙂
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Yes, express that interest! That cracks me up. My form of expression will be like Horshack on the Welcome Back, Kotter show: “Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!” 🙂 – Marty
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It cracks me up too, but I’ll be sitting with laptop and coffee ready to start my keying engines at 8:00 sharp tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes ‘expressing interest.’
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Loved everything about this post. From being positive about spring, knowing you are getting rain to help with those drought conditions (better than shoveling snow) to your lovely little machine embroidery…both so very cute! Good luck with the “expressing interest”, everyone will be on at exactly the same time and it is very frustrating that only a small amount will get through. Don’t get discouraged.
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I can’t imagine how it will work, but I’ll be logged in and giving it my best shot. 🙂
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