Well, the rain is back again.
In other news, we've changed our chore routine (gripping updates here, I know) and I discovered TWO volunteer tomatillo plants. I've done my best to transplant them, but the jury is still out on whether or not they will survive the move. If they do, this should be my best tomatillo year yet and we'll be bottling green salsa all summer. If not, I'm giving up on tomatillos altogether, since I keep getting tiny little fruits and not much else.*
Josh and I also took advantage of the sun (while it lasted) and worked on the front garden bed. Maybe one more solid day of work and it should be ready for soil. Sometimes we get busy listing all the things we want to fix about the house (we have big dreams) and it starts to get overwhelming. But then I think back to what we've already done and I feel pretty pleased with our first stint into home ownership.
*The internet said I either need more plants or to plant them closer together, so if 5 plants relatively close together isn't enough to get a decent crop, the internet was either wrong or I'm not willing to make the necessary commitment to grow them.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Day 68
On Aunt Teri's last Friday night visit, we did find calf liver (after calling 5 different stores) and managed to make liver and onions that were decent enough for everyone but Caroline and Miriam to enjoy. They both tried exactly one bite and then politely declined to have any more.
The rain stopped sometime in the afternoon, so we all emerged cautiously to see if we would be able to go outside at last. It felt so nice to be outside again!
After dinner, Josh and I celebrated North Carolina entering Phase 2 of its reopening by visiting Rob & Shanté. It was fitting, seeing as they were the last people we saw before the stay-at-home order. We stayed out waaaaay too late, but it was so nice to be together.
Now that the week is coming to an end, Josh is preparing to teach online again for the summer and I'm gearing up for my last class before grad school: linear algebra.
The rain stopped sometime in the afternoon, so we all emerged cautiously to see if we would be able to go outside at last. It felt so nice to be outside again!
After dinner, Josh and I celebrated North Carolina entering Phase 2 of its reopening by visiting Rob & Shanté. It was fitting, seeing as they were the last people we saw before the stay-at-home order. We stayed out waaaaay too late, but it was so nice to be together.
Now that the week is coming to an end, Josh is preparing to teach online again for the summer and I'm gearing up for my last class before grad school: linear algebra.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Day 67
It has rained almost 4 inches in the past 3 days. We're about to float away* and all going just a little bit stir crazy. Send help!
*Not really. Our house is at the top of a hill. Seriously, though, there are puddles all over the yard, which is saying quite a bit since the ground can actually absorb quite a bit.
*Not really. Our house is at the top of a hill. Seriously, though, there are puddles all over the yard, which is saying quite a bit since the ground can actually absorb quite a bit.
Day 66
Today's adventure was looking for calf liver, which is apparently harder to find than I thought it would be. What I did find plenty of was livermush. What is livermush? Here's what the Wikipedias say: "a Southern United States pork food product prepared using pig liver, parts of pig heads, cornmeal and spices. It is a regional cuisine that is common in Western North Carolina, and is typically consumed as a breakfast and lunch food. It has been suggested that livermush derives from scrapple.
By law in North Carolina, the product must consist of at least 30% pig
liver. Several festivals exist in North Carolina that are dedicated to
the food."
We're trying to pull off liver and onions for dinner tonight, but I might throw in some livermush just so I can say we've tried it. We've been here in Western North Carolina for almost 5 years now (5 years!!).
I have one more place to try before I bite the bullet and drive into the butcher shop. Fortunately, my sweet mama made me a mask that I can tie so there are no ear elastics bumping the ear bar of my glasses.
We're trying to pull off liver and onions for dinner tonight, but I might throw in some livermush just so I can say we've tried it. We've been here in Western North Carolina for almost 5 years now (5 years!!).
I have one more place to try before I bite the bullet and drive into the butcher shop. Fortunately, my sweet mama made me a mask that I can tie so there are no ear elastics bumping the ear bar of my glasses.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Day 65: what we're watching
I can't pick a favorite SGN, so here's the one I watched this morning (time to make some pierogi):
Then, to lighten up the mood in case you're crying (I can't be the only one that cries during these), some humor:
Finally, I will be introducing my children to The Three Musketeers today, so I have a big bowl of popcorn to pop. This will be a trip back to high school for me, and I can't wait!
Then, to lighten up the mood in case you're crying (I can't be the only one that cries during these), some humor:
Finally, I will be introducing my children to The Three Musketeers today, so I have a big bowl of popcorn to pop. This will be a trip back to high school for me, and I can't wait!
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Day 64, Miriam style.
Me: Oh, Miriam, your dress is caught in your shorts.
M: Oh yeah, that happens all the time at school.
Me: Ok, so you can fix it?
M: Oh yes. It happens every time I go to the bathroom, so you don't have to worry. I'm used to it.
---
Miriam: Mom! Dr. Faucilier said "hashtag." Do you know that word? Well I made up a song.
Miriam (singing): Hashtag with Faucilier! Hashtag with Faucilier!
Me: Mm-hmmm, that's nice dear.
Miriam: Jonah says it's not really a thing like that, so I just decided it's a new word. It means playing tag with hashes. Hashes are like pets or something.
---
(From her journal): My name is Miriam and I am five years old. There's this new disease called the coronavirus so everyone is stuck at home. My sister is writing this because I don't have very good handwriting and, well, I'm just in kindergarten.
---
Last night, Miriam cried herself to sleep because she can never manage to wake up before Jonah. I told her to wait a few years and try again. I also suggested she have Caroline wake them both up in the morning. "No," she wailed. "Caroline always sleeps in SO LATE!"*
*Caroline gets up around 7:30, but for my early birds Miriam and Jonah, that is SO LATE.
M: Oh yeah, that happens all the time at school.
Me: Ok, so you can fix it?
M: Oh yes. It happens every time I go to the bathroom, so you don't have to worry. I'm used to it.
---
Miriam: Mom! Dr. Faucilier said "hashtag." Do you know that word? Well I made up a song.
Miriam (singing): Hashtag with Faucilier! Hashtag with Faucilier!
Me: Mm-hmmm, that's nice dear.
Miriam: Jonah says it's not really a thing like that, so I just decided it's a new word. It means playing tag with hashes. Hashes are like pets or something.
---
(From her journal): My name is Miriam and I am five years old. There's this new disease called the coronavirus so everyone is stuck at home. My sister is writing this because I don't have very good handwriting and, well, I'm just in kindergarten.
---
Last night, Miriam cried herself to sleep because she can never manage to wake up before Jonah. I told her to wait a few years and try again. I also suggested she have Caroline wake them both up in the morning. "No," she wailed. "Caroline always sleeps in SO LATE!"*
*Caroline gets up around 7:30, but for my early birds Miriam and Jonah, that is SO LATE.
Days 62 & 63 (the seventh "weekend")
And maybe the last weekend? At least of daily posts. NC might be transitioning to more or less open (with severe crowd size restrictions) at the end of this next week, though we are in no rush to hurry out into public just yet.
For the most part, things feel fairly normal now that school has ended. We are home a bit more than usual, but both Josh and I are homebodies anyway. We don't eat out much and soccer season would have been over by now anyway. With the exception of church activities, our lives would be more or less the same as they are now any given summer...except they aren't. What we'd like to do is be making plans to go see family in Arizona or head to the beach or making arrangements for a fall break trip. Instead, we sit on our hands and wait. It's especially tough when there are time-sensitive visits (sick family, children's birthdays, graduations that won't come around again) and we feel like loading up and heading west is a bad idea because we'd just be bringing potential illness along. That's when this whole thing feels oppressive, especially for a planner like me. But as I said, it's more or less normal most days now that the stress of an online semester is over for all of us.
After celebrating Jonah's birthday, we had a busy work weekend. The front garden bed is coming along nicely and the twice-a-week lawn mowings have begun. That one sentence right there encompasses at least 6 hours of work.
I have a fantastic volunteer tomato* that is growing in–of all places–the chicken run.I've been watching this bad boy since he was just a little sprout peeking out in the middle of a cinder block. Flowers popped up on the tomato this weekend, so I'm eager to see what kind of tomato it is. I might have also found some wild blackberries in the forest**, so we're all waiting on pins and needles to see if we have any berries in our forest.
*We had volunteer tomatoes last year, but they were all the least favorite variety of the year before. If it turns out that this tomato is also a white cherry tomato, I'll be happy to let the chickens eat it. No one cared for the tomatoes last time (or the time before), even if the plants were incredibly prolific.
**I thought so last year when the vines were in bloom, but no berries ever showed up so I assumed we had wild roses (something called a Carolina rose maybe?). But then there are definitely baby berries this year, so did I miss them this year or did they get eaten by wildlife or am I wrong yet again?
For the most part, things feel fairly normal now that school has ended. We are home a bit more than usual, but both Josh and I are homebodies anyway. We don't eat out much and soccer season would have been over by now anyway. With the exception of church activities, our lives would be more or less the same as they are now any given summer...except they aren't. What we'd like to do is be making plans to go see family in Arizona or head to the beach or making arrangements for a fall break trip. Instead, we sit on our hands and wait. It's especially tough when there are time-sensitive visits (sick family, children's birthdays, graduations that won't come around again) and we feel like loading up and heading west is a bad idea because we'd just be bringing potential illness along. That's when this whole thing feels oppressive, especially for a planner like me. But as I said, it's more or less normal most days now that the stress of an online semester is over for all of us.
After celebrating Jonah's birthday, we had a busy work weekend. The front garden bed is coming along nicely and the twice-a-week lawn mowings have begun. That one sentence right there encompasses at least 6 hours of work.
I have a fantastic volunteer tomato* that is growing in–of all places–the chicken run.I've been watching this bad boy since he was just a little sprout peeking out in the middle of a cinder block. Flowers popped up on the tomato this weekend, so I'm eager to see what kind of tomato it is. I might have also found some wild blackberries in the forest**, so we're all waiting on pins and needles to see if we have any berries in our forest.
*We had volunteer tomatoes last year, but they were all the least favorite variety of the year before. If it turns out that this tomato is also a white cherry tomato, I'll be happy to let the chickens eat it. No one cared for the tomatoes last time (or the time before), even if the plants were incredibly prolific.
**I thought so last year when the vines were in bloom, but no berries ever showed up so I assumed we had wild roses (something called a Carolina rose maybe?). But then there are definitely baby berries this year, so did I miss them this year or did they get eaten by wildlife or am I wrong yet again?
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Day 61
On Day 61 of hunkering down at home, we celebrated this kid turning 12:
As is the family tradition, he got to pick the meals for the week. We are currently working our way through these fine selections:
1. baked salmon
2. spaghetti
3. cobb salad
4. fish tacos
5. green chile
6. shrimp cocktail
7. chicken pot pie
After insisting he didn't want any cake at all, I accepted the challenge and started showing him pictures of all the cakes I could think of that didn't have buttercream frosting (he's never been a big fan of traditional birthday cake). He settled on a pineapple upside down cake—my first since high school. It was so good!
Then he spent the evening playing Zelda and hanging out with his aunt Teri. It may not have been the birthday he had in mind a few months ago, but I think he had a great day. I hope so, because he's a great kid.
As is the family tradition, he got to pick the meals for the week. We are currently working our way through these fine selections:
1. baked salmon
2. spaghetti
3. cobb salad
4. fish tacos
5. green chile
6. shrimp cocktail
7. chicken pot pie
After insisting he didn't want any cake at all, I accepted the challenge and started showing him pictures of all the cakes I could think of that didn't have buttercream frosting (he's never been a big fan of traditional birthday cake). He settled on a pineapple upside down cake—my first since high school. It was so good!
Then he spent the evening playing Zelda and hanging out with his aunt Teri. It may not have been the birthday he had in mind a few months ago, but I think he had a great day. I hope so, because he's a great kid.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Day 60
Thursday. One more day until the big day, but also the day I keep
thinking it's Friday all day long. Dates are weird when you don't leave
the house.
Anyway, to round out the memory lane, years 10-11 (since we don't have a 12 yet!):
Year 10: This school year was much better because he went in knowing what to expect on day 1. He wasn't as emotional about promotion (I think they call it bridging here?) to middle school as many of his friends, probably because he was only at Union for a grade and a half, but he was still looking so dang grown up! He and Vex solidified their best friendship and he started turning into a class clown. Who would have thought?
Year 11: Middle school! Is it even fair to come up with a favorite memory of the year that is still happening? Let's just say having an 11-year-old is just about as fun as when he was 4, though for different reasons. He is a ton of help around the house, capable of thoughtful discussion, and overall my right-hand man. He loved running more than I thought he would, and it turns out he's pretty good at it, too:
[Picture forthcoming, as somehow the cross country picture broke Blogger.]
Anyway, to round out the memory lane, years 10-11 (since we don't have a 12 yet!):
Year 10: This school year was much better because he went in knowing what to expect on day 1. He wasn't as emotional about promotion (I think they call it bridging here?) to middle school as many of his friends, probably because he was only at Union for a grade and a half, but he was still looking so dang grown up! He and Vex solidified their best friendship and he started turning into a class clown. Who would have thought?
Year 11: Middle school! Is it even fair to come up with a favorite memory of the year that is still happening? Let's just say having an 11-year-old is just about as fun as when he was 4, though for different reasons. He is a ton of help around the house, capable of thoughtful discussion, and overall my right-hand man. He loved running more than I thought he would, and it turns out he's pretty good at it, too:
[Picture forthcoming, as somehow the cross country picture broke Blogger.]
Day 59
Years 7-9 of The Boy Child (We're getting close!):
Year 7: Goodbye again, Arizona. Hello, North Carolina! One of the great joys of Jonah's life when we moved to North Carolina was how easy it was to find a stick when you needed one (hard to do in a manicured community in the desert). We missed our friends and family in Arizona, but we loved the big yard. Here he is racing Uncle Jerry's tractor:
Year 8: Ah, sweet Jonah. This picture from his baptism is one of my favorites (even if Miriam says she doesn't even recognize Josh without his beard). His piano skills had just about passed mine by this point, and we added a sister to our homeschool days. Somewhere between Year 4 and Year 8, he stopped being my sidekick and turned into a big kid.
Year 9: My boy started school in year 9. He loved Union, but the transition was not always an easy one. He had a fantastic teacher and class (hand picked by the principal including the class with the shortest boys so Jonah wouldn't feel too short), but it took a while to figure out how he was supposed to interact with boys who just wanted to be gross at lunch and punch and hit their friends.
Year 7: Goodbye again, Arizona. Hello, North Carolina! One of the great joys of Jonah's life when we moved to North Carolina was how easy it was to find a stick when you needed one (hard to do in a manicured community in the desert). We missed our friends and family in Arizona, but we loved the big yard. Here he is racing Uncle Jerry's tractor:
Year 8: Ah, sweet Jonah. This picture from his baptism is one of my favorites (even if Miriam says she doesn't even recognize Josh without his beard). His piano skills had just about passed mine by this point, and we added a sister to our homeschool days. Somewhere between Year 4 and Year 8, he stopped being my sidekick and turned into a big kid.
Year 9: My boy started school in year 9. He loved Union, but the transition was not always an easy one. He had a fantastic teacher and class (hand picked by the principal including the class with the shortest boys so Jonah wouldn't feel too short), but it took a while to figure out how he was supposed to interact with boys who just wanted to be gross at lunch and punch and hit their friends.
Day 58
The Week of Jonah's Birthday, Day 2: Years 4-6
(We bring you this installment of Quarantine News/Jonah Adoration a few days late because on the actual Day 58, I was neck-deep in Differential Equations.)
Year 4: I know you're not supposed to have favorite children, but I'm allowed to have favorite ages of children, right? Four-year-old Jonah was something special, let me tell you. He was old enough to hang out with and laugh with and the first glimpse we really got of what older Jonah would be like.
Year 5: This year, we moved back to Arizona and began our homeschooling adventure together. The first time he and I went to the grocery store, he put his hands up to shade his eyes and wailed about the sun and how it was SO BRIGHT. Then we got in the car and he thought he would die from the heat. Yes, son, this is what summer feels like without trees to shade you or humidity to cushion/suffocate you.
Year 6: We may not have stayed long in Arizona, but we lived it up while we were there. Jonah's Lego skills really took off and he and I hit our stride with the homeschool thing (sort of), so here is a picture from one and a memory from the other.
The memory: "Today, we were talking about ancient Egypt. Jonah wanted to see a picture of some things we were discussing, so we looked up drawings and such online. When he couldn't find a real picture of what he wanted, he got frustrated.
"There are no pictures of it, honey," I said. "Cameras didn't exist yet."
He teared up and cried, "But you don't know anything!""
(We bring you this installment of Quarantine News/Jonah Adoration a few days late because on the actual Day 58, I was neck-deep in Differential Equations.)
Year 4: I know you're not supposed to have favorite children, but I'm allowed to have favorite ages of children, right? Four-year-old Jonah was something special, let me tell you. He was old enough to hang out with and laugh with and the first glimpse we really got of what older Jonah would be like.
Year 5: This year, we moved back to Arizona and began our homeschooling adventure together. The first time he and I went to the grocery store, he put his hands up to shade his eyes and wailed about the sun and how it was SO BRIGHT. Then we got in the car and he thought he would die from the heat. Yes, son, this is what summer feels like without trees to shade you or humidity to cushion/suffocate you.
Year 6: We may not have stayed long in Arizona, but we lived it up while we were there. Jonah's Lego skills really took off and he and I hit our stride with the homeschool thing (sort of), so here is a picture from one and a memory from the other.
The memory: "Today, we were talking about ancient Egypt. Jonah wanted to see a picture of some things we were discussing, so we looked up drawings and such online. When he couldn't find a real picture of what he wanted, he got frustrated.
"There are no pictures of it, honey," I said. "Cameras didn't exist yet."
He teared up and cried, "But you don't know anything!""
Monday, May 11, 2020
Day 57
The Week of Jonah's Birthday, Day 1:
Birthday Week is a big deal around here, especially when one's oldest child is turning 12 and won't even get to spend a minute of it with his friends. TWELVE! In honor of his birthday, I present a favorite picture/video and memory from his first 3 years:
Year 1: I was just telling my mom that the summer we lived on the ASU Polytechnic campus was so hot and miserable that all my memories are equally hot and miserable. Well they must not ALL be miserable memories, because seeing this picture reminds me of all the walks Josh and I took with baby Jonah to the little neighborhood park so he could eat grass and roll around in the wood chips. We spent most of every day just following him around and laughing at everything he did. I remember people warning me that having a baby would change my life (no more sleep, no more vacations, so much money...) but no one mentioned how HILARIOUS it would be. Kids are so funny!
Year 2: Case in point on the funny kids: this is my favorite video of little Jonah. He spent HOURS sitting at that window announcing the color and size of all vehicles coming in and out of the apartment complex parking lot: http://thefamilymays.blogspot.com/2010/02/video-proof.html
Year 3: And then somehow, he was a big kid living in Alabama already. This picture is proof that he really favored his Uncle Quintin as a toddler (we think he looks more like Brandon now). I remember that we spent so many hours at the various Tuscaloosa parks, but I'd forgotten how fluffy and blonde his hair was.
Birthday Week is a big deal around here, especially when one's oldest child is turning 12 and won't even get to spend a minute of it with his friends. TWELVE! In honor of his birthday, I present a favorite picture/video and memory from his first 3 years:
Year 1: I was just telling my mom that the summer we lived on the ASU Polytechnic campus was so hot and miserable that all my memories are equally hot and miserable. Well they must not ALL be miserable memories, because seeing this picture reminds me of all the walks Josh and I took with baby Jonah to the little neighborhood park so he could eat grass and roll around in the wood chips. We spent most of every day just following him around and laughing at everything he did. I remember people warning me that having a baby would change my life (no more sleep, no more vacations, so much money...) but no one mentioned how HILARIOUS it would be. Kids are so funny!
Year 2: Case in point on the funny kids: this is my favorite video of little Jonah. He spent HOURS sitting at that window announcing the color and size of all vehicles coming in and out of the apartment complex parking lot: http://thefamilymays.blogspot.com/2010/02/video-proof.html
Year 3: And then somehow, he was a big kid living in Alabama already. This picture is proof that he really favored his Uncle Quintin as a toddler (we think he looks more like Brandon now). I remember that we spent so many hours at the various Tuscaloosa parks, but I'd forgotten how fluffy and blonde his hair was.
Days 55 & 56 (the sixth "weekend")
The state of North Carolina entered stage 1 of a 3-stage reopening this weekend. We're still laying low (mostly because we can) while we wait to see how the state handles this change. There are actually only a few things I'm eager to get back to doing until everything is all the way back to normal (whatever that means anyway):
I'd like to go out to eat in a restaurant where we sit and visit. Josh and I eat out very rarely, but when we do, it's an event. I also have a good friend getting ready to move that I'd love to eat with sitting in a restaurant where someone refills my ice water while we talk and laugh.
I'd like to go to IKEA for a few dishes (actually lids to some dishes, if we're being specific). Even better if my youngest children can play in Småland, but that's negotiable).
I want to have dinner with friends or take my kids to play at the park without worrying about whether or not we're infecting the people we love who are at highest risk.
As much as I appreciate our library's efforts to keep getting people books in a safe manner, I miss browsing at the library! Since bookstores are now set to reopen (at limited capacity), I'm eagerly awaiting the time when the library will do the same, especially since we have a brand new library going in down the road.
Other than that, I can't think of anything I'm desperate to do! Yes, I could probably use a haircut, but I've been known to put that off for months for no reason other than laziness. We have been talking about taking the children to Disney World, but honestly, I don't mind an excuse not to worry about those plans right now. I will miss attending live events if those are on hold for the fall, but I can wait as long as I can watch them at home. Frankly, I prefer to watch close football games alone, and I rarely spring for the good seats when we go see plays at this point anyway.
It was also Mother's Day this weekend and the children were adorable in their love for me. I got one of two annual hugs from Jonah (he also offers to give me a hug on my birthday) and they all played games with me all morning. Add in the fact that my plants survived the freak frost and I had a nap and it was a perfect day!
I'd like to go out to eat in a restaurant where we sit and visit. Josh and I eat out very rarely, but when we do, it's an event. I also have a good friend getting ready to move that I'd love to eat with sitting in a restaurant where someone refills my ice water while we talk and laugh.
I'd like to go to IKEA for a few dishes (actually lids to some dishes, if we're being specific). Even better if my youngest children can play in Småland, but that's negotiable).
I want to have dinner with friends or take my kids to play at the park without worrying about whether or not we're infecting the people we love who are at highest risk.
As much as I appreciate our library's efforts to keep getting people books in a safe manner, I miss browsing at the library! Since bookstores are now set to reopen (at limited capacity), I'm eagerly awaiting the time when the library will do the same, especially since we have a brand new library going in down the road.
Other than that, I can't think of anything I'm desperate to do! Yes, I could probably use a haircut, but I've been known to put that off for months for no reason other than laziness. We have been talking about taking the children to Disney World, but honestly, I don't mind an excuse not to worry about those plans right now. I will miss attending live events if those are on hold for the fall, but I can wait as long as I can watch them at home. Frankly, I prefer to watch close football games alone, and I rarely spring for the good seats when we go see plays at this point anyway.
It was also Mother's Day this weekend and the children were adorable in their love for me. I got one of two annual hugs from Jonah (he also offers to give me a hug on my birthday) and they all played games with me all morning. Add in the fact that my plants survived the freak frost and I had a nap and it was a perfect day!
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Day 54
To celebrate (?) Friday night, Josh and I took a long walk after dinner. It ended up being a longer walk than we anticipated since we thought we'd try a new loop that turned out to be more windy than we both thought.
Either way, we were rewarded by a beautiful sunset* and some peace and quiet.
Also, I finished my Calculus final, so that's one class down!
*At this point, it's been pretty well established that quick cell phone photos of sunsets never do the scene justice. And yet, I can't stop myself from trying.
Either way, we were rewarded by a beautiful sunset* and some peace and quiet.
Also, I finished my Calculus final, so that's one class down!
*At this point, it's been pretty well established that quick cell phone photos of sunsets never do the scene justice. And yet, I can't stop myself from trying.
Friday, May 8, 2020
Day 53
Without warning today, I felt better. Was it the weather? Was it the walk I took after dinner? Was it finishing up my last stats assignment? It may have been all of those things, but I think it was smaller details too: Caroline noticing my stress and coming to give me a hug and ask how she can help; Jonah's constant willingness to help with his sisters, with dinner, in the yard; a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream for lunch...
Yes, all of those things were great, but I think it really might have been the plants my friend Marian gave me for my greenhouse room in Animal Crossing. Mock if you want, but this is my happy place after a long afternoon of homework:
Yes, all of those things were great, but I think it really might have been the plants my friend Marian gave me for my greenhouse room in Animal Crossing. Mock if you want, but this is my happy place after a long afternoon of homework:
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Day 52
I learned a new mathematical symbol today. That is all you need to know about how my day is going.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Day 51
I got a Roll Tide at the dump today. I was feeling pretty good about it since my Alabama sweatshirt has the University seal (as opposed to a giant A or Alabama that would be easier for a less passionate fan to spot) until I remembered that I was driving Josh's truck that has both an Alabama front license plate and a back sticker. Roll Tide anyway, random dude.
Day 50
50? Day 50?! This is the week of videos, apparently. Now that Doodles with Mo have ended (they ended some time ago, but we were running a bit behind), we've taken to entertaining ourselves with Some Good News, SEC Shorts, and Tier Zoo. North Carolina is targeting this weekend for the first phase of our tiered reopening. With the exception of a few more retail shops (bookstores and clothing outlets, mostly) opening at 50% capacity, there won't be much of a change. The biggest change is that gatherings of 10 or fewer are acceptable outdoors, so you'd better believe there will be some kids that finally get to see someone other than me!
Monday, May 4, 2020
Days 48 & 49 (the fifth "weekend")
In my never-ending effort to add to our flock of chickens this year, I drove to South Carolina for 5 new chickens Saturday. I might be crazy, but I blame end-of-semester stress for everything. I also discovered a new favorite sandwich bread recipe that uses a little over a cup of my sourdough discard (the recipe calls for making a new starter, but I've just been using my discard), which is always welcome.
I also made baguettes and am planning on some homemade donuts this week because what else am I supposed to do other than bake and garden? And since my garden won't be actually producing anything* for at least a month, I have to come up with my own projects while I wait.
*I have my first baby tomato! It was sighted today. It will be a yellow pear, so not enough for more than one single bite, but a first tomato is always worth celebrating.
I also made baguettes and am planning on some homemade donuts this week because what else am I supposed to do other than bake and garden? And since my garden won't be actually producing anything* for at least a month, I have to come up with my own projects while I wait.
*I have my first baby tomato! It was sighted today. It will be a yellow pear, so not enough for more than one single bite, but a first tomato is always worth celebrating.
Day 47
Friday is always a good day because Friday is Aunt Teri day! This Friday, Josh and I also ventured out for some construction supplies (along with the entire county, judging by the traffic and parking lot at Lowe's). I can't really blame them since I was there myself, but if we have to stay locked down all summer because we all couldn't control ourselves, I will be quite vexed.*
*I empathize more and more with Mrs. Bennett and her nerves the longer this stay-at-home order lasts.
*I empathize more and more with Mrs. Bennett and her nerves the longer this stay-at-home order lasts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)