I watched the funeral.  All 4 hours of it.  I had to click onto another channel a couple of times when it got so noisy.  I don't see how those women can sing like that and not ruin their vocal chords!!!  and why some speakers had to politicize a funeral is beyond me.  There is a lot in this Country that I guess I don't understand.

===================

We are having massive severe thunder storms all this afternoon.  The weather man said, "Hurricane force straight line winds, which can as much damage as a tornado."  I mention it on Face Book and people comment, "Be safe."  I live in a manufactured home--there is no "safe" from a tornado.   I really wish my weather man would be more reassuring than trying to scare me to pieces.

I did move my car, out from under the big Maple, and to the other side of the drive.  I also have a small cord that I loop over the inside handle of my storm door, pull inside, close the front door and tie that cord around the inside front door knob.  Just to keep the wind from whipping that door open and slamming it against the porch railing.  That happened once years ago.  Ruined the door.

=============

I got all rebellious and smart alecky Saturday, when at the wedding and afterwards, I didn't wear a mask and was hugging everyone in sight.  I was even mentally swaggering around when I got home.  Pretty smug that I wouldn't catch any bad germs.

Now today, with seeing number of cases rising after the slight opening up, and the famed or infamous Dr. Fauci saying we are still in the early stages of the pandemic, I'm not feeling so smug.

Beauty salons open here on this coming Monday.  Of course, I was going to be first in line.  After the wedding, I don't really care what my hair looks like, and it looks weird, but I think I just might wait until late June, early July before I get all antsy and go out.  I have 7 bags of bottles to return.  4" of hair to get cut off, and the kids wedding present to get matted and framed, but..................

When our Governor finally allowed dog groomers to open up again, I got on the phone and called.  I told them I needed a shampoo and a hair cut.  We booked a time. They offered to clean my ears and paint my toe nails, which I thought was nice of them.  Then they asked if I wanted my anal glands expressed.  I hung up the phone.

=====================

The wedding yesterday was beautiful.  Probably the most beautiful I have ever attended.  Only 25 people were allowed to attend, so it made it seem more intimate.  I had time to talk with my grandson before the wedding, gave him my blessing and his penny I had saved from the day he was born--1994.  There was lots of hugging and I even got to meet and hold my new great grandson.  The grandkids were a bit hesitant about the hugs I wanted.  Afraid they may infect me with The Virus.  I told them, it was worth it and I was more than willing to take a chance.

The bride's grandma and I fell instantly in love.  We sat in big comfy chairs before the wedding and talked and talked.  Then the boys--my Marcus and the groom Stephen walked us to our places.  I cautioned them to walk slowly because Bride's Gramma and I both have back/leg issues.

After the ceremony, bride and groom walked out, followed by the two witnesses, then the parents.  Everyone else just stood around, so I got up, crossed the aisle and took Bride Gramma by the hand and we walked out by ourselves.  

There was a small reception at Karen and Mark's the rest of the afternoon.  For some reason, the bride's Uncle took an interest in me and we sat alone and talked for a couple of hours.  If that kid was only 15 years older, I may have "Cougared" him, but from knowing he's the father of the bride's, younger brother, I'd put his age at early sixties, and that's just a bit too young.

I almost reconsidered when I learned he is a Master Gardener.
=======================
Speaking of gardens.  Such a beautiful cool day today, I went out to dig the tall grasses out of my front garden.  I also have a giant Burdock living among my Hosta's.  It took me 30 minutes, sitting in my camp chair while digging.  I don't have enough strength to push a shovel in the ground, so I had to cut off the Burdock--knowing full well, it will just grow back again.
===============
Maybe I should make the long trip to the kids reception in late August and renew my friendship with Master Gardener, Scott?  

I do believe I've lost all logical reason.

Monday was the most perfect day.  My kind of weather.  69 degrees and sunny.  I had the doors and windows open.  It was lovely.

After my Soap, I decided to clean the house.  Scrub the bathroom and kitchen.  Vacuum and dust, wash some windows.

I had planned on going outside and weed the perennial garden of all grasses that are growing in it and sweep off my porch and the 457 million Maple Whizzers I have on my driveway.

Instead I cleaned house.

Yesterday, it was 90 with high humidity, I was closed up in the house with the A/C running.  What a perfect day to clean house...but I had already done it and it was too hot to work in the garden.

I watch the weather report.  I knew what kind of weather we were going to have, so why in the world would I switch up my days and clean on a cool day?

I think senility and my ability to think things out and get organized has flown the coop.

Today, it is 89 and high humidity.  I stare out the window and look at my perennial garden, with the grass growing taller and taller.

==============

I have been watching too much of the News, so yesterday I took great pains to notice things right here in my corner of the Universe.  I take these things for granted, most of the time, and just sort of look through them.  By the time night fell, I was very relaxed and calm.

 Mt east facing kitchen window sill.

The morning sun makes all the little pitchers shine

A Finch at the Thistle seed sock feeder 

My neighbor's Chinese Chain tree.

The yellow flowers hang in chains

The Red Bellied Woodpecker eating from

the bird feeder because I haven't hung out

his suet.

Red Cardinal.  

Whenever I post a photo of a Cardinal on Face Book,

someone invariably comments, "Oh, Someone you

love has come from Heaven to visit you."

Ah-hh, no, it's just a hungry Cardinal. 

Oh yes, my 457 million Whizzers on the driveway.

My question of whether I should plant annuals this year was answered for me.

I decided since today is such a lovely day--well, 60 degrees and sunny is perfect weather to my way of thinking, and since I have been bored out of my gourd, I would drive on down to the locally owned garden center.
Lots of people. Some wearing masks, I chose not to as I was going to be outside.

The long walk from my car had started my back to hurting, but I grabbed a cart and off I went.


No Impatiens. The employee said, "This has been a weird year. We have never sold out this early." I replied, "I have never planted this late."

Went looking for Tiny Tunias instead--my color scheme: hot pink, dark purple and chartruse.

I couldn't find what I wanted, and then, it just got too much. Too many people. All the end of aisle arrows pointing the same way. I asked another employee how to get out. She pointed.

I left my cart at the exit and took a few steps and everything sort of seized up on my. Not just my back, but my hips and thighs.

I limped along, having to stop every 10 steps and lean on something than continue along.
I got to my car, leaned my head back and said, "It doesn't really matter, does it God. Let's just go back home."

I have lots of pretty perennials that are coming into bloom. I have Rose of Sharon bushes that will bloom in August. I probably would have had a hard time carrying the pieces of my 3-tier planter up to the front porch anyway, and the money I took out of my emergency jar, is back where it belongs.
It's all good
===================
This whole thing is really starting to get to me.
The lack of exercise and yet, like today, when I went to the store, I was out of Diet Pepsi..it was crisis time, there feels like there is too many people, too much noise.  The mask makes me feel closed in.  I start to feel panicky and all I can think of is getting out as fast as I can.
For a couple of weeks, in April, I sat and watched the News most of the day.  That isn't good for a person.  Hearing the same thing over and over, can get into a person's head and make them feel defeated.  So, I stopped doing that.

We had an incident the other day here in this quiet park.  All of a sudden two police cars drove in, EMS and fire truck.  An older lady up towards the front of the park, was out on her porch with a gun.  Threatening to shoot anyone who came near her and then going to shoot herself.  
What in the world?
Things like this don't happen in this park.  We haven't had a break-in or even drunken people fighting incident since I've lived here.  
They said she had suffered a breakdown and they took her in for a psych evaluation.
I could empathize with her.  

Dar had come running up on my porch, pounding at my door.  When I opened it, she breathlessly said, "Shelter in place!  There's a hostage situation up near the front of the park.  A guy has a gun, threatening to shoot the hostage and everybody else he sees.  The SWAT team is here and even the State police.  Pull your blinds and lock your doors.  I've gotta tell the other neighbor's!"

SWAT team?  State police?  Hostages?  My first instinct was to hop in the car and drive up to see what was happening.  But I didn't.  I also didn't close my blinds.  I figured if the SWAT team was any good, they had the guy under control.

It all lasted an hour and later we heard what had really gone on.  I think Dar is the last person I'd want to be with in a "real" situation.  She is overly dramatic.
==============
We are going to have nice weather this next.  Nice and cool.  Maybe I can get motivated to go out and pull the grass out of my front perennial garden.
Maybe?
Maybe not.
It really doesn't matter.

WOW!  I have certainly been amiss in my posting on this here blog.  In earlier days, I posted every day.  I guess I thought the world was waiting for my incredible words of wisdom, advice and clever quips.  Such folly.

As the months and years went on, I had less and less to say--to anyone and especially the world.

Then I started working on genealogies and I drained my brain everyday on research and writing the family story and there was nothing left to post here.

Then I posted once a week, on a Sunday.  Now I have gone two weeks and believe it or not...there are people that e-mail me and want to know if I am all right because I haven't posted.  Silly Billies.

Yes, I am fine. If I had died, you would have known because my daughter Pam has instructions to post that event on FB AND in this blog.

===========

What is there to post?  This quarantine has kept me home bound.  the muscles in my legs are becoming weak without my weekly visit to the HUGE grocery store that I used as my exercise program.  Walking the breadth and length of that store and up and down aisles.

So, I initiated a walking program.  Every day, out at 2:00 (after my Soap) and attempting to walk down to the corner, perhaps a block away.  But, half-way there my back would start aching.  My legs would feel weak, my pace unsteady, my balance was off.

So, I went into the shed and hauled out the walker that Medicare gave Fred after his heart surgery.  One of those fancy ones--with hand brakes and even a seat.  That helped a bit.  Sometimes Jackie would walk with me, she also using her walker.  Sometimes Pearl's daughter would come out and push Pearl, in her wheelchair, Merle tagging along behind us, occasionally Dar would bring her 98 year old father out in his wheelchair and we would parade along.

We did that on two occasions, coincidentally on the two days we had of Spring.  Now it is 90 degrees with the humidity at 62% and it feels like July or August.  I am heat-sensitive, ever since a heat stroke took me out years ago, and I get nauseated and faint in the heat.  Sometimes I want to slap Dar who brags, to all that listen, that she loves the hot weather and I just need to drink more water to cure my problem.  Of course, she complains and suffers in the winter time, when I am outside with no hat or gloves enjoying the cold, crisp air.

Maybe she needs to drink more water.

====================

This quarantine has taken all the fun away.  Although I am used to staying home and only going out to the store or bank once a week or every 10 days, to know that I am supposed to stay out of the stores and the ones I want to go to are closed, has set me back.  AND if I go--once a month to pick up a prescription, I have to wear a mask and those dang things are hot!

I need a hair cut!  My hair hasn't been this long in many years and it is heavy hair and it is hot.

I need to go to JoAnns or Michaels and get the kids cross stitched wedding sampler stretched and framed.  Both stores are closed and my hands are so weak and shaky that I can no longer stretch and frame the piece myself.

So, I'm closed up in the house with the A/C running and it is just like being closed up in the house in winter with the furnace running.  Closed up is closed up, no matter when it is.  I want the windows and screen door open to let in the fresh, spring breeze, but like I said, we only had 2 days of spring.

It is very tiring with nothing to do.  No genealogy to work on.  No ability to go out into the gardens.  No grocery shopping to do.  Nothing.

Now you can see why I don't post more often.

I have nothing to say.

It's been many years since I got together will all my kids on Mother's Day and five years since I've been with the 3 daughter's on Mother's Day.  My Mother died many years ago at the young age of 53 and since then, I would just as soon forget all about it.  So to me, today is May10th 2020, a Sunday with lots of sun and even a few early morning snow flakes.  Bah Humbug.

Ah-hh, but yesterday, daughter Karen and her hubs Mark came over and in the windy and chilly 47 degrees, ripped out the raised garden I had on the west side of my shed.  That garden has been a pain in my heart and I have been trying to find someone to take it out for 4 years.  The rain that came off the shed roof, poured down into that garden and at one time, it was great because that meant I didn't have to haul the heavy hose out there to water.  In the last 6-7 years, that rain has poured into the garden and directly UNDER the shed, which in turn as caused the shed floor to rot and fall apart.  Apparently whomever erected that shed did not put down a cement pad first.

The kids also dug a hole, where I had a Mulberry tree taken out 5 years ago, to get it ready for the gift for me that I used a bit of my Economic Impact money for.

It's been 25 years that I have yearned for a Red Bud tree, but not the pink kind we have around here, I wanted one with almost black trunk and the branches twist and grow twisty and it reminds me of a Ming tree.  Plus, I wanted one that has purple blossoms--kind of Lavender color--and dark purple leaves.

I checked with the garden center/nursery just down about 600 feet and across the road from me.  Yes, they had them, but they no longer arrange for delivery and planting of the tree.  But, yes, they had them, 5-6 feet tree and only $225.00.  Oh, and it comes with a one year warranty.

EGADS!!!

So I checked on-line and found one, 5-6 feet tall, comes in a burlap bag that you plant along with the tree, one year warranty, and it is a weeping variety.  Shipping and all--$99.00.

 This will be a perfect specimen tree for that spot as the tree doesn't get too wide and only about 8-10 feet tall.

When it arrives, Karen and Mark will come back and plant it for me.

==================

Karen also got me a web cam and I got hooked up with ZOOM so I can attend the virtual wedding shower next Sunday.   Apparently grandson Stephen and Carolyn are still getting married on June 6th, but not the big church wedding they wanted way over on the west side of the state.  Instead, they will be married in the Catholic church here in Brighton, Stephen's home church, with 25-30 people invited and I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.  

How easy for me to get dress and drive the 3 miles into that church.

Their reception will be end of August on the west side of the state and I probably will not go to that.  2 hour drive over  there and 2 hours at the reception and 2 hour drive back home....I figure would just about kill me or at the least, put me down for 3 days.

I have had their wedding sampler cross stitched for about 4 months.  I thought at one time I was going to have to pick out the "date" threads and re-do it, but....now if I can just figure out if I am allowed out of my house to get it to the frame shop and get it all done in time for the shower next Sunday, I'll be okay with that worry off my mind.

==============

The weather man has promised, that we are done with chilly and this next week it should warm up for the next 4-5 months.  I have my Baltimore Oriole feeder up and 2 pair of Orioles enjoying the grape jelly and sugar water.  The Thistle seed sock is up for the Finches, that have just started coming in and the Hummingbird feeder goes up this afternoon.

I don't when or if I will buy annuals.  I am only going to plant one planter--the 3-tiered one I have for my porch.

===========

I am hoping the hair salon open up before the wedding because I look awful with this sticking out, gray/dark, long hair.

=============

Did you know that the Governor from New York, instead of putting older COVID-19 people on the ship or at the Javetts center, sent them to nursing homes to recover?  Instead, they infected the population in the nursing homes.

We have 380 cases of COVID in this County.  20 have died--all over the age of 70.  No new cases or deaths in this County for the last 5 days, so maybe we are calming down.

What beautiful weather we have been having...well at least the last two days.  Tomorrow it will rain again and get colder.  At least with the nicer weather, it makes the whole CV-19 go away for awhile.

It all feels very normal, when I wake up in the morning.  I get up, feed the cats, look outside at my spring bulbs blooming so nicely.  Spring bulbs come up no matter what else is going on in the world.  If I keep the TV off, there is no News of the latest cases and deaths to disturb my peace.  It's nice not to have to deal with reality for a few hours at least.

I watched a virtual graduation ceremony for my grandson Stephen and his fiancee' Carolyn.  It wasn't exactly a ceremony.  The Dean was on with a few comments, then a photo of each graduate, with the medical degree they had earned.  It took 90 minutes to show those photos.  I watched and waited so I could take a screen shot with my camera of the kids.  The photos didn't turn out real well.

After 8 years of study, they are both Doctor's.

They have postponed their wedding until August 20th.  We are still having their virtual shower on May 17th.

===================

Maddie sent me a photo of my 2 month old great grandson that I still have not seen in person.  Bright blue eyed, little blonde.  He looks so serious.  Benedikt

 ==============================

I went out to check my garden today.  They are coming along just as they should AND my pair of Baltimore Orioles showed up at the feeder today.

 ============================

I got my Economic Impact check and I can't begin to tell you how secure it felt...for a day anyway.  Then I went to the bank and deposited more than half of it, came home and wrote out checks on some bills that have been overdue for 4 months, and now I have way less than half...which is still nice.  I have stashed it in my "emergency" jar, hidden in this house.  It's not that I don't trust the bank with all of it, but I am a bit leery of hackers and I do like to have cash in the house.  

Reminds me of my great grand parents.  After the Crash of 1929, they bought a big safe and put it in their house and kept all their money in there...for years and years.

=======================

The hair salons here in Michigan will open on May 28th.  By then, I will be 4 months overdue for a hair cut.  I will be going in, even though I'm a bit scared.  

Hey--if I pick up the Bad Buggie there, at least my hair will look nice for my hospitalization and funeral!!!!!!!