sitting in my chair, sporting purple hair...

I gave myself a scare,
is this TOO MUCH FLAIR?!
decided I don't care,
Kids thought it'd be fun,
and now that it is done...

It's barely noticeable!

Let me tell you, when I hopped into the shower for the rinsing part, oh dear, that lavender water streaming down the drain, oh no, I was a bit hesitant. I am not a make-up wearer, or a fancy girl. I like neat, and I like clean. But I do touch up the roots, I am not ready to go gray yet. So a few weeks ago, Target had a special where if you spend a certain amount on health and beauty, you get a gift card. The girls were already getting some things, and we needed something else, and my roots were showing...so, I decided to get some touch-up. Well, do you think the stuff I normally use was there, in stock? I didn't have my glasses on, either, because they fog up so much with the mask. So I had the girls help me, and this one I chose:

...had the girls going cray-cray. They were like, "Do it, Mom!"

We don't have nearly enough fun around here, so I bought it. They've harped a teeny bit, asking when I'm going to use it.

They aren't up yet, I hope they aren't disappointed with the underwhelming results.

We are doing something fun today! It's a drive-by birthday celebration for one of my aunts, and she doesn't know we're all coming! My father was one of 12, there are only three left, two sisters and one brother. This one sister never had children, her husband passed away several years ago, and she is lonely. With this virus, she's even lonelier. So many old people who met up at coffee shops, are so lonely now.

Speaking of coffee shops, guess what?! Aaron sent me three bags of coffee beans for Mother's Day! They're from a local coffee roaster, and yummers! The Ethiopian, a medium roast, tastes like berries, it's SO GOOD. Yesterday, I knowingly and willingly exceeded my caffeine limit, and suffered some jitters, but oh dear, it's good coffee.

Yesterday we had some sunshine, so we sat out on the deck. The girls did some school work, and some reading. I talked to Samuel on the phone, and I talked to Suzanne on the phone. I also baked a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies, for Mariel's co-workers, again. Those nurses deserve cookies! I put three in each baggie, and there were 35 baggies, because I couldn't be completely mean and not leave some here for the kids.

So today we're heading out to the birthday greeting, it's about an hour away from here. We'll try Aldi for some chicken breast, just me, the kids will wait in the car. We might go to Target too...what?! It's essential! (BTW, is this sort of thing what makes "anonymous" so angry?! me thinks it might be...)

pictures of adventures...

Abigail, me, Charlotte Claire, Sonja K., and Camille, and Miss Evelyn, selfie-taker supreme.
We drove down the side of Cayuga Lake to Taconnack Falls. The trail to the falls was closed for maintenance, so we had to drive to the overlook instead. We did go on a little walk on a little trail, while we ate our ice cream...

Miss Char is so pretty, and what a fun birthday! Camille looks like such a cuddly baby bear in her fuzzy jacket.


Okay, so you know all the times I mention yummy stuff, and say, "But I didn't have any.."? Well, this time I DID have any. I decided that since this was a very special occasion, and the ice cream is homemade in small batches, and what the heck, I love it...well, I ate that entire teeny tiny cone...and for the record, that is their ONE SCOOP. Can you even imagine if you got two, or three scoops? I chose the peanut butter, made with streaks of delicious chocolate and little swirls of Reese's peanut butter. It was so creamy. I gained like three pounds. Seriously.

And every adventure needs a bit more adventure, as soon as we left the park, this happened:



Being the strong capable women that we are, we immediately...called Paul. He basically said that there's nothing he can do about it, "tie it up." So...hmm, with what? Darling birthday girl Char offered the pink shoe lace she was using as a belt (I guess it's a "thing". You know, in vogue. In style.) So Sonja K. gets right down on the ground and ties the muffler up with the shoelace, and we decide it's not good enough. We found a rachet strap, she was having trouble getting it tight enough, when a nice middle aged man in a Subaru stopped and asked if we needed any help. Yes, I said, even just an opinion on this...well, he hopped right out, got right down on the ground, and threaded that strap through this and that, and got the muffler nice and jimmied up, so that it wasn't dragging anymore. He hopped up, brushed off his trousers, and said, "I was heading down to Ithaca, and I saw you guys, knew you needed help, so I turned around. It's no problem, and you have a really nice day."

It was such a nice thing for him to do, and it seemed so NORMAL in this strange, almost alternate-reality time we are living in. We were outside, and didn't have masks on, he didn't have one on, (we didn't get close to him at all anyway, so it was fine). But it just felt NORMAL.

Miss Evelyn drove home so carefully, and we skipped out on fun stops, because you know that feeling when your vehicle is acting up, and all you want is to get home...? Paul texted and said be careful, the strap might get hot...blah.

It was such a chilly, overcast day, but it's still lovely to drive along the lake.

We got home and made macaroni and cheese, and a pan of cauliflower and cheese, and ordered chicken wings from town, as per Miss Char's special birthday dinner request. We didn't have any cake or ice cream, since we had had it already for lunch.

She got some nice gifts, even though they were in brown paper and Christmas wrap.

Quarantine birthdays, they're different.

Yesterday morning, Evelyn and I did a bit of grocery shopping. We went to Price Chopper first, because I knew they had steak on sale for $3.79 a pound, and maybe they actually had some. Well, there was none in the case, so I asked, and the guy said he'd cut some. I said, "You know, we have 8 people in our house, can you give me a bigger package, since it's limit one?" He asked how many I wanted, so I said four. I felt spoiled and entitled, but he gave me four large steaks in one package. Also, they had fresh sliced bacon for...$1.79 a pound, in two and a half pound packages. I got three, but stopped at Joseph's house in town and gave him a package. It's his birthday this week too, #4 of of birthdays in our family in a two week-ish span. I also got him some cheese, and coffee, and dark chocolate.

We went to one more store, looking for the elusive chicken breast, but nah. We got some bone-in thighs instead. We'll just have to adapt.

I worked out with Evelyn out on the deck, then she went on a bike ride with Sonja. The little girls did schoolwork, then helped Evelyn make some bread. I made meatballs, and spaghetti squash, and pasta.

(on a normal day, I only eat dinner, so we tend to have really yummy dinners!). (Yesterday I did have some bacon and eggs too, because, well, we had that bacon!)

Today the sun is out, and it will hit 54 degrees. We're staying home, but will get out there for some vitamin D. Spring is slow in coming this year, it was snowing out like crazy yesterday!

Emily is doing all right in her "crisis" hospital. She said one of the reasons they needed help was because a lot of their nurses got sick. Very reassuring. She works in ICU so the patients there are of course very very sick. She does have a very cute airbnb...

I can't remember if I wrote about this or not, but for Mother's Day, our kids pitched in and gave me some money to do "a project". I get to choose what to do! I am thinking a deck on the pool...so that when things get back to normal, and they all come over to swim...or maybe a few new windows...or new gutters, so NOT exciting.

Ah well...the days are seeming a lot like the day before, but this is a different time, it won't last forever. Let's make good use of it, because time is life.

happy birthday, dear Charlotte Claire!

Lockdown birthdays are a whole different story, aren't they? We won't be having a big party with friends, in fact we won't be having a party at all. But we will go for a drive, to a park, and go on a hike, in the rain. And we will stop at an amazing creamery for homemade ice cream. There will be presents, and fun, and good old making-the-best-of-it.

Have a good Monday...we sure will!

happy mother here...

From Miss Evelyn Joy...aren't they lovely?


From Paul...the absolutely sweet thing is that he also bought flowers and chocolate for Margaret and Ashley! (He knew we had put together a nice basket for Molly already)

And, Abigail and I went on a little adventure, to buy something really really nice for me!

It's from Marketplace, used, but sold by a retailer. It's a trade-in, totally tuned up, and ready to go. It comes with a free one year tune-up, and free sewing lessons, which...well, they aren't happening these days. But the lady said that if I come into any difficulties or glitches, she would be glad to help however she can, over the phone, or FaceTime.

It was a windy, snowy day here in central NY.

...a cozy day for a ride.


These curbside business deals feel shady, like something more sinister. There we were, in the parking lot of an outlet mall, which normally holds twenty billion cars, all by our lonesomes, on that entire side of the mall. There were some cars parked in front of a few stores, I don't know if they fulfill online orders or what...but it was creepy. So we tried to make straight faces, but couldn't do it. Abigail is too much fun. And of course we were sitting there goofing off, and when the lady's husband arrived to give us the machine, he knocked on my window and we both shrieked like idiots. It's unreal, how these transactions take place now, with such minimal contact.

Anyway, I am excited to get started, and figure out this sleek new machine.

It's Mother's Day, and of course I would like hugs from each of my kids. I would like them to be able to come over, and sit and talk, but they can't, especially the nurses. There are a few who have been coming here right from the start of the lockdown, because Evelyn lives with them part of the time, and helps with little Wulf sometimes, so there is already contact between the two households. Margaret is an essential worker, and Adrian a college student, so they still need some help sometimes, life goes on. So they still come here to visit, and it's been amazing. Yesterday, we added one more of the kids to be visitors, and it was grand. Slowly, but slowly, things will get back to some semblance of normalcy. I cannot help but wonder about the nurses though...I haven't been able to hold baby Ophelia in WEEKS, over two months, or play with and cuddle little Lydia...I know, I know, like every other grandma in the world...but how long will it take for it to be safe to be with them, with their mama a nurse? We can't just live like this for the rest of our lives, I can't even imagine that. I need to hug those little ones.

So it's Mother's Day, and I got up extra early to enjoy the quiet. Paul was gone turkey hunting (he just likes to get out into the quiet outdoors). Suri had gotten into the garbage, and enjoyed a feast of eating all the ham off the hambone I had so sinfully thrown away. I am the only one who would eat bean soup, I love it, pea soup too, but neither of those agrees with my tummy, so...anyway, Suri rooted through the coffee grounds, and had herself a little party in the wee hours of the morning. I cleaned it up, let her out, let her back in, wiped off her paws, gave her water, let the cat out, and back in, then got Sunny from the girls' room, let her out with Suri again, back in and wiped off their paws, then Paul came home, let them both out again...harrumph.

So it's Mother's Day, and my kids pitched in and got me something amazing: money to do a project! I'm forever having these ideas, like fixing the siding on the deck, and putting in some shelve...or making a little deck on the pool, or fixing the hot tub, replacing the gutters, or or or...so the kids decided that I can decide what I want done, and Adrian, bless his heart, has agreed to help/do what I decide on. (I said, "bless his heart", I am turning into an old person.)

So yesterday, we had ham for dinner! I had bought an extra one at Easter, when they were cheap. $1.29 a pound, for a spiral sliced ham! It was so good! We had applesauce and mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli, brown and serve rolls, it was truly a feast. Also: two pumpkin pies, two chocolate pies. The chocolate pies had the crunched up cookies with melted butter crust, oh dear. Yes, I had some, which is always a mistake, because of course it's so good, you only want more, or is that just me?

It's still cold out, spring, where are you? But, it's a good day to get to know the sewing machine...

going for a drive...

It was a chilly, dreary afternoon. The girls finished up their schoolwork, and I struggled with the sewing machine. I think there's something wrong with the tension knob, and I ultimately gave up on it. I oiled the machine, and fiddled with the dials, but nothing worked. The stitches were loose, the thread was breaking. I switched thread, I checked the manual, and checked it twice, googled the heck out of it, but nope. My machine hates me. The whole while, life was going on around me, and I definitely felt snappy. Mom, mom, mom, ha. They were making pizza dough, doubling the recipe...

Well, that dough went into the oven to rise, and we walked out the door. We had no particular destination in mind, we just needed to get out. It was too brisk to enjoy a nice walk, so we went to Dunkin, I got one of the best hot coffees I ever had, or maybe it was just the company, or the simple pleasure of going for a drive with absolutely no destination in mind.

We drove through some nice neighborhoods, gawking at the nice houses. We drove along the outlet, then to the lake. We got out for a few minutes, I longed for a walk, but they were "freezing, Mom!".

Miss Charlotte Claire turns 14 on Monday, another lockdown birthday...


As I dawdled, they hurried to the warmth of the van, and started driving away on me. ha, ha.



We saw this car, and started shouting at it, "No it's NOT, loser!" (just for the record, they couldn't hear us, it was just silly nonsense, but sometimes teenagers like silly nonsense, and I am partial to it myself)


So we drove around for a bit, then came back home. I tried again with the sewing machine, but I give up for now. ugh. I made some new masks, using the hemline of one of Paul's old t-shirts for the ear loops, for comfort, and because the only elastic I have is really wide. (hint: the hemline or hem on the sleeve makes a good casing for the pipe cleaner or bread tie, to hold the mask firmly on your nose). I hand sewed one for a bit last night, as I have a few more all cut out and ready to sew.

So today I'll look into fixing it, see if I can figure it out, because guess what? Sewing machines are harder to find now, especially in MY price range!

What I want to know, is why did "anonymous" assume I watch Fox News? We don't watch ANY news here, our t.v. is only on for an occasional episode of The Simpsons, or if we all decide to watch something together, like an episode from the first season of "Lost". It's not on all day, blaring nonsense into our home. I do read news online, but I read from several different sites. I believe half of what I see and none of what I hear, as my mother used to say. Just for the record, I am not one of the "Coronavirus is a hoax" people. I have four kids in healthcare, and I KNOW it's real. I don't claim to have the answers, and I don't know what I would do if I were in charge, I am glad I'm not. I believe in freedom, as much as possible, not total anarchy, but individual freedom. There is also public health, and the need to think of others. So I pray for our governors, and our president, and our county executives.

congratulations!!! and happy birthday suri!

If you are a senior in high school this year, you've lost your prom and your senior skip day and your class trip, and your graduation ceremony. Our school did an amazing tribute to each of the seniors, visiting each house, handing out a t-shirt, and taking pictures. What you cannot see in this pic: the principal blowing bubbles, a teacher ringing a cowbell, everyone cheering, a firetruck in the back of the procession of pick up trucks, honking and siren-ing.

You also cannot see Paul, clipping on the dogs' leashes and bringing them out with him for the photo. They barked at everyone, Suri squatted and peed right near the nice yard sign, while barking. Lovely. If Sonja didn't die a million deaths, well. You also cannot see the tears that came, as I was overcome with thankfulness for the above-and-beyond spirit, thankful for the goodness in these teachers and administrators.

Tears come unbidden lately, because things are in such upheaval. The latest wonder is the meat shortage. Something about an empty shelf brings up a fear, a vulnerability. Yesterday, I went to FIVE stores, looking for meat. We do have venison in our freezer, and some other things, like a turkey that's been in there for who knows how long. So we're not rock-bottom empty, out of meat, but still. We're admittedly spoiled, and like our boneless chicken breast. Well, FIVE stores, and the only chicken breast to be found was a small package, two pieces, for $2.99 a pound. Two pieces. And with limits on quantities, wow. I did buy some hot sausage, a large pork loin roast (good for pulled pork), and at the fifth store, some ground beef, there were only two tubes of it left at Aldi, I only took one. I also found a package of chicken drumsticks, when Sonja picked one up, it leaked all over, yuck. So as an old lady approached, after us, to get one, I called over to her to be careful, one of them was leaky. She came right over to us, this nice, naive, kind old soul, and talked to us. I felt so protective of her, dear Lord, watch over her and keep her safe.

I didn't take the two younger girls in any stores except for Walmart. We stayed together, and picked out some fabric for more masks, and followed the arrows on the floor. Several other shoppers did NOT follow the arrows on the floor, and at one point, one of the girls made a snarky comment, loudly, but I didn't think that was the right thing to do. After that, if someone came down the aisle towards us, going the wrong way, I very nicely pointed out that it's a one-way. Guess what? Not a one of them realized it, and they seemed embarrassed, and apologetic. I wonder if there should be a sign when you enter, or something. We are creatures of habit, and you can't just put us in a new maze and expect us to find the cheese. I will repeat this too: I think masks give people a very false sense of security. They get too close. Every time I go out, I think, well, I am not going out again for a long long time, it seems like we're testing fate.

But here's something happy, yesterday was Suri's birthday! She turned eight years old!



My evil plan was to do the little photo shoot, then replace the cupcake, really quickly, with a healthier dog treat. But Suri is a piggy-pie, and quick as a flash, gobble and crunch, she ate that cupcake all in one bite. It was so funny I didn't get a pic. Oh dear. Sunny was all jealous.

Anyway, I've been making a few new masks. We had a fire on the deck yesterday. Our weather is unseasonably cool, the high tomorrow is 42F (5.5c), with wind and possible snow showers. mmm-hmm.

Sometimes I get all riled up about things. I do not like the loss of freedom, I do not like how the government is taking the opportunity to be more bossy. I do not like being the ideas being tossed around about the future, here in NY, the governor is in bed with the Gates foundation, and wants to "reimagine" education. The tracking and tracing and mandatory isolation, Okay, I get the isolation part, but there is talk of removing the positive patients from their homes, whether they want to leave or not, so as to protect the rest of the family. ? Seriously. Ventura county California. Our own Gov. has hinted at it too, and I've read of a few times that it's been done. When the powers in charge think they know what's best for people and don't give people a choice anymore, it's scary. I don't some of the simpler mandates, like closing entry to parks by noon (what if the kids have school work to do in the morning?!), limiting parking, reducing occupancy of the beaches by 50% by roping off parking places...it'll be a race to get one, even more than it is now!

Our lives have changed, that's for sure. I do not claim to have the answers, because I acknowledge that this virus is real, and it's bad, and the suffering of the sick, the old, the vulnerable, it's horrific. People dying alone, living out their dwindling time in nursing homes with no visits, having babies without any family visits, sometimes with no spouse even allowed...there is so much suffering. Loss of jobs, and businesses failing, etc., there is no question that these are challenging times.

And in it all, I can't do much. But I CAN pray, and I do. I pray for our leaders. And I work on not getting all riled up, because it doesn't help. God has allowed the world to be shaken up, there are reasons we can't see or understand, but in it all, we get to choose: we can trust Him with all of our hearts and not lean on our own understanding, or we can grow weary and be anxious and unhappy.