I spent literally hours online trying to book the Pfizer, I think that's the good one, covid shots for my husband & I. Our medical insurance gives us 5 free office visits a year and I believe he's used up ALL of his for dermatology appointments. I didn't want to have to pay $250 for an office visit and it was May before they could get us in. ☺ Anyway......today is the day we both get our 1st shot. My husband knows at least 6 people he works with that had covid, that don't plan on getting the shot....so I was frantic to get this done "quickly". The online app won't let you book the 1st shot if the date for the 2nd shot is full....so then it kicks you out and you have to start ALL over again trying to book it. By then someone else has your spot. What a hassle!

Working. Covering for my boss. Luckily its only 8 hours not my normal 12. I have to stop by the grocery store on the way home for a couple things. Then I have to go home and make candles. 2 vanilla frosting, a blackberry and a beachy keen (coconut.) After that, hopefully nothing. I go back on my normal nightshift tommorow night and so will try to do as little as possible til then.

Glad you asked! Turns out my state/local health district opened up covid vaccinations to everyone over age 16 today. That's a few weeks earlier than I dared hope! So this morning I got my first Pfizer shot, three weeks later, same time, same place, I'll get the second shot. Yay!

I'm working today and planning out my weekend, which will almost exclusively involve gardening. Today is mainly trainings online, so I do see extra coffee in my future.

Im gathering things for donation and then will have a rapid Covid test. I have had both vaccines but was around my grand daughter who was just diagnosed with Covid. Her Dad is fully vaccinated but tested positive, her Mom has had one vac and tested negative. I will get tested just to be safe. My gd had her first shot but I think she was exposed the day before her shot. I am supposed to be away with a friend for the weekend but may have to cancel. Wish me luck.

Day walk in the countryside with a couple of friends. Just arrived back home.

No time or effort spent getting vaccinations here. When your group becomes eligible you’re automatically contacted, offered a choice of times and your appointment is made for you. All you have to do is show up. Testing is free and available at multiple venues.

Not sure...was going to do a little work in "spring sprucing" the yard, but it is pouring down rain.

Should do some paper work, but my mind says,, "ah, no ...not today." One thing accomplished

though...small load of laundry done and 2 cups of coffee gone.

Finishing my third books in three days. Then to the library to pick up more that are one hold. What an exciting time in my life!!!!!!!

Two weeks after my second injection so I am braving the world and trekking the 40 minutes to do a major shopping trip at a regional "sells everything" store. Not groceries - I can get what I want or need easily enough locally - but a long list of miscellaneous personal or household items that either need replacing or have been on my to-buy list for months. Will stop at the local nursery on my way home to do a small restock there as well as check out plants for client projects. Must make sure to leave enough time for that as weekend nursery shopping is to be avoided and next week is supposed to be warm and sunny, which also attracts too many shoppers. Plus, I plan to be out gardening myself in all that good weather!!

Was hoping to combine the shopping expedition with a visit to the dog groomers located in the same town but the earliest I could get my boy in was a month out!! Apparently a lot of Covid-acquired pups needing a new spring 'do'!!

At the moment trying to get organized. A short time ago, I decided to change my pants to a more appropriate pair for going out in public. Mid change the doorbell rang, hurried to pull on the pants, and barefoot grabbed my walker to go to the door. The flag that DH had grabbed and brought in out of the rain last evening is in the way of me getting close enough with the walker to open the door so it got knocked down. Got the door open just as the phone on a table behind me starts ringing. At the door is a flower delivery guy with a big vase of flowers that I know I can't take from him and get it anywhere to set it down, too heavy. Especially since there is now a flag pole between me and moving back into the room away from the door enough to shut the door. I have the guy set the flowers on the walker seat, turn enough to get the flag out of the way, then realize that the flowers are too unsteady on the walker and nearly falls off the seat. I grab it before it hits the floor. So I gingerly set that very heavy vase of flowers on the floor in front of the open door. I turn and kick the flag pole out of my way enough to move back enough to shut the door while sliding the flowers away on the floor. The phone has gone to the answering machine. The voice on the other end wants to wish me "Happy Birthday" After I clean up the water on the walker seat and floor along with a few flower petals, I will get my pants on properly, and shoes, then I will be ready to pursue the rest of the day. Maybe a late Birthday lunch out after DH gets home from his cardiac rehab class.

Jim, what are the three books? I'm reading The Women With Silver Wings. Cloudy and rainy here so I won't do much else!

Exciting day here, watching bread rise. Decided to make recipe without using bread maker. Early this morning I cooked dried beans and baked a ham. Only thing left is tossing a salad. Beautiful day here so will be out walking on beach shortly.

After morning coffee and my usual peanut butter on whatever bread I have at the moment, went outside to hand water all of my plants. It's a beautiful day, so I have to take advantage of Mother Natures glory. Took the truck down to Ace Hardware and bought mulch for the side garden and some potting soil. DH unloaded the truck and set them out back. After spreading a couple of bags, a friend of mine dropped by to give me some magazines, so it was a good time to stop, chat and get on the computer afterwards. Lunch pretty soon and then I'll get back to spreading mulch. Don't know what I'm cooking for supper! Better get by act together.

Getting my 2nd shot this afternoon!

lgmd - sounds like your day started off with an adventure! Happy Birthday!

Today will be an uneventful day for me. Need to contact the bank, will do my 10,000 steps and return a book to the library. It's a murder mystery but is very bland and not suspenseful enough to hold my interest. I'm about to re-read a book titled Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. It's very surrealistic, imaginative and creative. The audiobook I'm listening to (also a repeat) is A Gentleman in Moscow. I'm struck by how appropriate this is for our times - the Count is confined to a hotel and is not allowed to leave, very similar to the constraints many of us are living under due to the pandemic.

I am working. I have accomplished all my duties for the day. Too bad I can't go home when they're finished. ;-) Now I'm cruising the 'net looking for ways to reimagine my flowerbeds. Nearly every bush/shrub is dead after the Arctic blast we had.

It's going to be a weekend of pulling & yanking out dead stuff i the flower beds. At least it's going to be a nice weekend!

Happy Birthday Igmd!!!

Trying to decide as I check my normal morning websites do I take my remaining plants out or wait another week. None of the weather sites agree. I did take the bigger fig out and set it under one of the peaches but may move it to the north side of the house for better shade. Then after checking to see what is blooming a return to the roadside bank to remove poison ivy and other woodies that have grown up. Some are too big to pull so will have to cut then apply weed killer later when the foliage is there. Wanted to go to a favorite nursery that is only open on Saturday and Sunday tomorrow but both ways to reach it flood and this area is expecting more rain so that will be next weekend.

Do a good hard work out with lots of cardio and weights. Working on getting rid of my "covid 12" and ready for beach time this summer.

Just got back from paying sales tax and getting license plates for my new (to me) truck at the DMV. Always a bundle of fun that is. Only had to dish out $2170 this time which was much easier than writing the $30K check when I bought the truck on Monday.

Now I'm off to pot up some tomatoes and drink a beer or 3 to dull the pain of spending so much money this week.

Got up bright and early, took the dogs to the vet, one to get completely groomed, the other just her nails clipped. I waited for her because she is so frail. Took her home and gave her a bath myself. She is so thin and bony that I didn't brush her after drying her off. Threw their beds/blanket in the washer, well one. Still waiting for the first one to dry. The other is now washed also.

Mailed my son's driver's license to him in England. What a pain in the behind that was for him to renew. He had to get a certified letter from his commander because he didn't have a license in my town when he left to join the Air Force and now my home is his home of record.

My exchange student and I then went on a hike in Frankfort to a place I'd never heard of before. Came home and made a spinach salad and grilled some root veggies and bbq ribs on the grill. I now smell like smoke and may have to shower again to wash my hair before going to bed. Just waiting for the fire to die down and a call from the vet's office to pick up Chewie.

Started out having slept very little (or so it seemed). Took the trash/recycling/yard waste to the curb, refilled the bird feeders, tossed a butternut squash and 2 pumpkins that were going bad in storage onto the compost pile. Got some of the seeds from the squash and planted them in my starter tray ( lasts years crop was particularly sweet and tasty so want to keep them going.) Spent a couple of minutes pruning back that bush that is always extending its tentacles and getting the dead wood pruned from the Korean Lilac. Picked up a pair of sweet little vintage DR chairs from a neighbor to refinish. On my way there I saw a vintage high chair on the curb for the trash, so grabbed that too. It is beautiful today, no sign of the T-storms that were forecast, so I got a nice but not long (only 1.5 mile) walk in also. I hauled a couple of the pots of dahlias outdoors into a semi- shady spot as well - I had already brought them up from the basement to let them get an earlier start. They'll go into full sun after a few days.

Next is a load of laundry and a scrub down of the bathroom - maybe!

I went into the tv room to watch the trial--thought I smelled smoke but just kept watching. Soon it got so thick I went into the kitchen and I had left a pan on the stove. The whole house was thick with smoke I could barely see. Opened all the windows and turned fans on--it's a little better but it still stinks. Glad it was a heavy stainless steel pan cuz it could have got on fire. Out on the garbage now. I really had to work on the glass top stove but looks good now. I hope this is not the beginning of old age!! I'll never DO that again.

sal 60 Hanzlik Your smoke detectors should have picked that up - better check and see why they didn't go off!

I tried, again, to just sit one day and do nothing or at least very little as I have been busy outside for the last three or four days. Of course it didn't work. I got antsy and did some more weeding, then pruned a shrub.

Should I mow or shouldn't I? Forecast calls for 20% chance of rain tonight, then 80% in the PM tomorrow. It's 4:30pm, I don't feel like going out there to mow. I'll take my chances and mow tomorrow before noon. The grass isn't that high but will be by Sunday. ugh.

Yesterday I had a ton of gravel delivered for the the front drive. It wasn't enough. Plus the guy spread it off center. So....I go out there and rake but then needed to go buy 10 bags or pea gravel to spread on the areas that needed it. Different color, eh, who cares.

Everyone likes Spring. It's a time when I get over whelmed by weeding, mowing, pruning. Then by mid-May, it's all good and I'm calm. ha

Oh, no Sal, I thought I did that last night. Was tossing and turning trying to sleep because I knew I had to get up early. Then I thought I smelled smoke. I had made some Japnese, fish flavored spaghetti in the evening. I had to get up to check if I left a burner on and luckily I didn't.

It's way below normal temps, pouring rain and high winds. I took my sons dog for a walk this morning while they were working in case the rain got worse later.. We both came home soaking wet and cold. I warmed up and then went and did the grocery shopping and now just finished eating some leftover homemade Corn and Potato Soup which really warmed me up. I think the rest of the afternoon is for reading.

resting after my 2nd c19 shot ... and making bread. I feel a nap coming on ...

we will be checking or getting a new smoke detector. It's in the hall way but every room was full of smoke and sure should have gone off. It's 20 plus years old but never gone off so I guess we just forgot about it . It's never beeped for a battery. Thanks

Today? Let's see.....

I plucked slips off of my old sweet potatoes and started them in cell packs for later planting in the garden. Then I planted the first tomato plant outside, I cheated and bought a budding German Johnson at the nursery just to get a 2 week jump on that first tomato. I watered my new young tomato & cuke seedling trays and placed them outside in the sun. I made club sandwich's for lunch for me & VgQn.

After lunch I prepped some more seeding trays for the future melons to start indoors. Then did some weeding and took a hammock break. Spread some fert around a few fruit trees., prepped a couple of future tomato planting holes, planted a row of late lettuce seed, then took another hammock break. Gave the hen a quick snack. Now inside waiting for the chili to heat up for dinner.

WORKED!!!! Then did a puzzle. Some. Saved some for later. Planted the tomato, three pumpkins, and about a dozen peppers. We're to have rain for the next 2 days. Now I'm watching a movie. The principal investigator for our lab has a birthday next week, and I'm bringing coffee cake so that will be next on the list.

Nothing exciting. Tore up some grass at camp. Went to Lowes for mulch. Put down some of the mulch. Drove the 2 hours home and now I'm going to take down the Easter decorations inside. Looking through the week worth of mail by husband found out they mailed him his new drivers license. We always had to go to the DMV and wait in line for hours to renew. Really, why couldn't they do that before. You can get your car registration and drivers license by mail and you can get hunting and fishing licenses online now. Why in the h#ll do I still have to go in person to get my carrying permit renewed next week.

Worked on some family paperwork I have been putting off for far too long, far too long. Filing, getting some stuff out of my workspace that had no business being there. Ran some errands and chastised myself for putting things off. So, actually a good day because I confronted it! Now I’m having a glass of wine!

I worked today from 8:30 to 4:30, stopped by my moms to visit for about 30 minutes, ran into Sam's for a few things and since I was there I picked up supper (rotisserie and mac and cheese), watched Jeopardy, made a shirt on my cricut, running to Walmart for some groceries I need for a cookout after my dds soccer game.

I had to get up a little after 5:00am which is like telling so called normal sleeping people they have to get up at midnight. So I got about 3 hours sleep at most but less probably since i slept poorly. My worst deaf ear was noisy with hyperacusis all night and every time brushed the sheets it broke up my sleep. I packed different layers of outerwear like I was heading out for a vacation. I went to the stable and the horse I ride wasn't too happy about being taken away from her breakfast. She doesn't care for early starts either. She was better about it when she saw one of her buddies had to go too. I groomed her and saddled her and then we all went for a nice trail ride.

Then I went to Ikea to check on some out of stock items and some that appear to be about to be discontinued.

Got home. Made a sandwich and started laundry. Went to bed. Slept for 3 more hours.

For Sal and others although I take the information with skepticism a recent community information spot mentioned that smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years for safety. I think the one in the basement was put there in about 1994 but when you press the testing button it still goes off. Probably should replace but have others newer than that. They still do not go off when I cook something that creates smoke.

I went to Lufkin. First to the thrift shops...nothing at Goodwill, and then to the other one where I bought a very large green frog that is a "spitter" for a pond. It helps circulate water, by splashing it back into the pond. Near the thrift shop is a salon, so I got a haircut. Went to Walmart, which is right next door, bought a lock for the front office door, yogurt and fruit cups for Girlfriend, my pet possum, and a few other things. Next to Sam's, next door to Walmart. Bought 100 lb of cat food and some tamales. Then to Tractor Supply and bought a wheel to go on my front gate, to make opening it smoother. Also 8 tubes of horse wormer. I needed to buy horse feed, but it looked like rain, so had to put that off.

Rushed and fed the horses, dogs and cats ( and possums..... including a wild mama possum I am feeding.)

I had heard Sam's tamales were really good...disappointment....they aren't. I only ate one....was going to fry some catfish I had thawed out, but I laid down to watch something on TV and fell asleep. Woke up at 1:30 a.m. So catfish will be breakfast.

Smoke Detectors should be replaced every ten years because that is the lifespan of the non-replaceable lithium battery that the newer ones contain. All the ones I've purchases in the last fifteen years had those batteries and they typically don't make ten years before dying.

I will be picking up an order at the grocery store, vacuuming and cleaning lots including the garage. Then I'll be getting turkey dinner ready for my bubble. We had to postpone Easter so tomorrow is the day. :-).

Yesterday I did almost nothing. I walked on my treadmill for 1/2 an hour. If it wasn't for the tv in front of it so I can turn on Netflix and watch a show while I'm walking I would never get on that thing. Then we drove to The Dutch Store (yeah, that's the name of it) to pick up a few of my favourite things, then the drugstore to get a new comb and brush and back home to veg out the rest of the day. I did cook supper and I talked to my mom via Skype like I do every Friday night. Today, I'm hoping to get back on that treadmill. I've become extremely lazy since I'm not working anymore so need to get in at least a 1/2 hour of walking a day. Not sure what else I'm going to do.

What I did today.

Isn't it a thing of beauty? I replaced my A/C condensate pump. It's silly, but it sure was sweet to see the alarm light come on, and it spit water out of the hose. The water on the floor? Was from the prior broken pump. No more leaks! Woohoo!! High-fiving myself. 😊

I just finished making coleslaw and need to get dressed

With mayonnaise?

Finished replacing the drop ceiling in the basement apartment where the barn manager lives. Her family is coming to visit next weekend, and she is trying to make it look nice for their visit. The old tiles were fiberglass mats with a thin scrim of plastic. Vile hateful stuff that should be banished from the earth.