March!

This Friday I have my dry run for the Board of Elections Staff, so I'm having to kick my prep into a higher gear this week. I've quit counting how many years I've taught Help Table, but it's enough that a part of me doesn't want to open my binder. I can only imagine how the training team must feel! Thankfully I have two classes to assist before I actually teach a class, so that will give me a little more time to fine-tune and get ready.  We're pushing for time again this cycle, so I have to remind myself to not elaborate but hit the points and keep moving.  I've yet to fit everything into the time slot while I'm practicing.

The situation with Ukraine is just as dire today as it was the day of the invasion. My heart is so heavy for everyone involved - the Ukranians who woke up and found themselves at war; the many Russian soldiers who don't want to be there; those trying to get to safety; those in Ukraine picking up weapons for the first time; the Russians who are opposed to war but are finding themselves in a quickly deteriorating situation at home due to sanctions; and my Belarus munchkins from years ago that we've lost contact with. We often think them and wonder where they are and what they are doing now, but to hear that this already poverty laced country is being hit with sanctions because they are associated with Russia, their bread and butter, hurts my heart. When I heard Belarus was considering adding their troops to the fight, I thought of one of the young men who came with the ABRO group is now in the Belarussian Army, not by choice, but by how he did on a test many years ago.  I know Oleg and Mikalai are fighting age, and I think of how sensitive they were then and how Mikalai was already struggling with an alcohol desire at age 14, and it hurts my heart to think of them possible being forced into battle.

To be honest, I never thought Ukraine would be able to hold out this long, and I think it is both awesome and miraculous that they are continuously doing what they can with what they have for their freedom.  I've read reports from fellow Ukranian believers who are telling of nonbelieving spouses writing home, asking the church to keep praying as they are seeing miracles happen that they can't explain. My prayer continues to be that God would protect as many as possible on every side, but that He would draw so many to Him during this time of crisis.  

On a much less important note, I would have thought with our mask mandates ending and things opening back up that things would being getting back to normal.  But no.  Juice, distilled water, frozen vegetables and french fries and tator tots are all still missing from the grocery store; we still have a 2 pack meat limit on some items; and today the grocery store was totally out of plastic bags...paper bags only. I don't think I've seen paper bags like that since I was a child. And there are still labor shortages everywhere.

So tomorrow we start this month at a quick jog, with hopes there will be a ceasefire in Ukraine and that on our little homefront we will be able to get some projects done.  God is good and He is faithful, even when mankind is not.

gardens

 Once you've grown up on or near a farm, your view on gardens is very different from that of a modern gardener. Here's some of the viewpoints I've seen the last few years that have made me stop and think.

1.  Sustainable living/front yard gardening - these gardens are in subdivisions, where people who have 1/2 an acre or less have literally made their entire landscaping some form of gardening.  some people in this camp view the current idea of landscaping for beauty as wasteful.  Others do a mixture of both. My biggest objection to that is the amount of weeding and care it would take to have a garden/yard look presentable to everyone driving by is immense.  A few summers ago when our lawn mower tore up in the summer and it took them a month to fix it, I had two different people in our area contact us wanting to know why we hadn't cut our grass or asking if Bobby was sick.  Appreciate their caring, but I know I would get a lot of advice and feedback if I did something like that in my front yard.  On the other hand, my father-in-law, who had the acre+ sized garden in the field and expected everyone in the family to help work it, also was a bit in this camp. The reason almost all of the trees in our yard are fruit or nut tress is because of him. When we first got married and I planted a few flower bulbs and shrubs, he frowned and said "How are you going to eat that?" But he wouldn't have put his garden in his front yard, I don't think.

2. Bed gardening/straw gardening - my mother-in-law calls this "city gardening" and laughed every time I used the straw method. But the area near my garden couldn't be tilled because of the dog's underground fence line, so going above ground was my only option. If I followed the recommendations closely, we had success. The one summer I got started late I had almost nothing grow until very late in the summer. Green beans did well; not so much with the other things I tried. My biggest problem with this is the amount of crops you can plant is very limited.  You'll get enough for a few meals, but not enough to put up for the winter.  So that's a lot of work and time and money for just a few meals. If you simply enjoy gardening and playing in dirt, then this is a great way to do it.  But if you're old school and wanting to can or freeze for the winter, you're going to invest an awful lot of money in dirt, straw or boxes, fertilizer and pesticides and a lot of time in weeding and watering.

3. CSA - Community Supported Agriculture - I know many people who are shareholders/members in a CSA.  They don't help with any of the farming, but they pay a weekly/monthly/yearly membership fee in exchange for weekly food items (eggs, produce, meat, etc). I never considered myself a picky eater before, but the thought of paying money for food that I'm not that crazy about (not a huge fan of strange vegetables) didn't sit well with me. Some farms let you rank foods at the beginning of your membership, but that doesn't guarantee you'll only get those items. One of my nieces belonged to one that sent recipes with each weekly box so people would have ideas on how the vegetables or herbs could be prepared.  

For various reasons, my big garden season is ending. I took down the fencing for what we called the "garden annex" last week and hope to clean up some of the things in that area this week. I am going to use my large pots for a few things (more on that later), and I'll try one more year to do tomatoes in our traditional spot. A small part of me already misses it as I keep getting emails from seed companies. I'll probably clean out my seed stash in the next few weeks.  But the other part of me is so relieved to have something so time consuming off my plate.  We're planning to utilize the farmer's market more and purchase some things in bulk to put up for the winter. Yes, I know you can purchase items canned or frozen at the grocery store, but it really doesn't taste the same.

As we listened to "rumors of war" on the news last night, I thought about my father-in-law and his views on food production and constant prediction that "Hard times are coming. Ya gotta be prepared." I've considered the rolling supply issues at the grocery store, the rise in grocery prices, and a part of me says this is not the time to stop a garden. But the reality is, there could be another year like last year where I invested SO much time in the garden, only to have squirrels eat ALL my corn and the okra not produce. I don't have enough space in my garden to plant enough peas or beans to put up for the winter, so we were buying those anyway. I might change my mind in a few weeks, but at this point, we're calling it quits for now.

Lucy

 This weekend most of our family gathered for two celebrations.  One of the many things I enjoyed was a little bit of time with my great niece Lucy. It's been a year and a half since I had seen her in person, which is a long time for a three year old!

She is SO tall, which her Mom is average height and her Dad is tall, so that's not a huge surprise. My sister who teaches a K5/1st grade class commented that she was the same height as some of her students.  And she has the longest eyelashes. Mine might be as thick as hers, but are nowhere near as long.

We were all very pleased at how well she did adapting to new surroundings and strange people. The first morning was a little tough for her, but once we got past that, she stayed calm. My sister-in-law has worked with many autistic children in school, and she was extremely pleased and surprised with how well Lucy did.

I was surprised and pleased to see that her finger dexterity has improved since the last time I saw her. One time I was counting and holding up each one of my fingers and stopped at three and said "Lucy is three."  Her face lit up, and she tried to pry my fourth and fifth finger up. We did it several times, and each time she would smile, then frown and reach for my hand as I stopped at three. She's clearly been counting with someone else.  And it absolutely made my Dad's day when on her last day she would put out her fingers and toes for him to count.  While she giggled the evening of the first day when I tried "this little piggy" on her toes, she wasn't overly thrilled with me touching them.

We learned she does NOT like kiwi, and we tried really hard not to laugh at her response.  After a few chews, she grimaced and went ramrod straight, took it out of her mouth and placed it on the couch, then wiped her tongue with her hand a few times. When my sister asked her if she didn't like the kiwi, she responded with a gag. We quickly learned over the two days that was her response to things she didn't like, which was an appropriate action to make if you are nonverbal. But her little tongue is so cute when she does it that it's hard not to laugh. I know it won't be cute as she gets older, but for now, it is her way of expressing displeasure or dislike and it's a bit humorous. Whole grain chips, milkshakes and balloons, on the other hand, were big hits. The homemade mac-n-cheese that was a little on the greasy side...not so much.

Mother was tickled at her climbing, and even at her recognition (or remembering?) that Mom was not able to lift her. When Lucy tried to get off the bed and Mom told her she couldn't help her, Lucy slid to the edge and leaned back. Mom was able to put her hand there so she wouldn't fall down, but Lucy slowly slid off the bed. I guess she just wanted that security.

While she still runs/paces, it's not as frantic as it was 1.5 years ago and she'll pause in her laps to do things or look at something, which for some reason I find reassuring.

I wish we were closer so we could be with her more, but I am so thankful for the time we did have.  I'm missing the sound of those little footsteps this morning and seeing those curls bouncing as she runs.

We love Lucy.

bizarre and strange

 Made a quick trip to the grocery store as we prepare for another weekend of indoors, this time because of snow. (Weeks 1 - ice and covid, week 2- snow).

Between the crazy weather creating havoc with road conditions and the uproar in the supply chain since covid began, our grocery stores are once again putting out quotas on what you can buy. No more than 2 packs of meat, toilet paper, or milk per person. Thankfully that doesn't impact us, but it does make me wonder what large families are doing. Do they make multiple trips, or ask smaller families like us to purchase extra and share?  Sugar continues to only be available in a 10 lb bag, apple juice is almost non-existent, crackers and salt were almost totally gone.  I'm not longer shocked by the sight of empty shelves. I simply take note of what it is so I can keep an eye out for it somewhere else should it be an item we need.

I actually bought straws at Sam's Club yesterday. I don't like buying items like that in bulk, but Target has now been out of them for almost 3 months.  Sometimes Food Lion has them; sometimes they don't. It made more sense to purchase them at the cheaper price and to know Bobby would have what he truly needs when he needs it.  I know some of the straw issue is an environmental one, but for us it extremely helpful and almost necessary. 

Usually when I leave the grocery store I try to give thanks that in our land of plenty our shelves are not bare; we just have a few bald spots. And usually there is a similar item to purchase, even if it is limited quantity and not a brand we've used before. But today I left feeling uneasy, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps the spoiled American in me wants things to return to the overabundant, multiple choice, carefree lifestyle we used to have. Maybe I'm recognizing warning signs of what might be to come. It's possible my brain has been drawn to the Ukraine situation and a little amazed/alarmed the local news actually introduced the Uighyer problem in China this morning.  While I found their story barely touching the surface and extremely naive, the fact they told it all after almost 5 years of events makes me wonder if the world is slowly waking up and we are heading into things few alive today have witnessed.

But pondering all these things are not going to help me clean the house or get things ready for my sister-in-law's baby shower next weekend. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and making the crib sheets, diaper bag, teething guard and changing pad cover for the nursery. All things I've never done before.  I'm excited for the opportunity, but a little concerned I might mess things up. And if I do, thank God for etsy. :)

Blessed

 Last week I washed the mattress topper to our bed, and while it was in the dryer it started smelling funny.  I've never washed it before, and I thought maybe because it was bamboo based it wasn't supposed to be washed and dried. Then the next load of clothes I tried to dry would not dry, not even after three cycles.  Before I called the repairman, I thought I'd try and clean out the back filter, and I was horrified at what I found.  Lint was so impacted in the escape vent that it maintained its cylinder shape even after I pulled it out.  I saw the exit pipe was just as clogged and I knew I didn't have the tools to clean it from the dryer to outside the house. Bobby found a company that is made up of firemen who do the cleaning on their off days.  I was baffled, because I clean the lint trap after every single use. He said lint would still escape underneath and through the back and needed to be cleaned out twice a year. Sadly it didn't make our dryer work again as the burning smell was the heating element and some of the lint on top of it being singed. We found a dryer repairman (Mike D's Dryer Repair) and he was able to come within two days. (Most places were booked five days out).  He did have to order the part as ours was different than the one he bought, but when he took the machine apart, there was about 2" of lint lining the bottom of the dryer. He told me we were fortunate, that usually that much lint creates a fire.  I am so thankful we were home, that I smelled it, and that it is now repaired and working remarkably well.  He said that we needed to clean it out once or twice a year, depending on how much it was used.

Bobby had to make a quick stop somewhere where there are a lot of barn cats. Because of past experiences, he normally closes the lift to his van while there, but that time he didn't because he was only there about 5-10 minutes.   He brought home two kittens. Thankfully we were able to get one home before it messed up the van. The other escaped into our garage. The next day it left it's hiding place and went inside my car engine. We could hear it crying. I put out some food and the squirrel trap hoping we could catch it and take it home. After a day of futile efforts, I was giving up.  That night we went to his Mom's house, and on the way we heard a thunk and I saw the kitten behind the van running away at full speed.  Evidently it went to his cousin's house and got in her car, so she went to our neighbor's house (her son) so he could get it out. He did, but when he let it go it went in his pickup truck.  It took him several hours before he could get it again, but when he did he returned it to its original home.  That was on ordeal.

Sunday night Bobby started getting a cold. Monday I gave him the last test in our covid kit (I took a test before we went to my parents at Christmas) and it was an immediate positive.  Since the home tests are not the most reliable, we began looking for a place where he could get tested and was not having a lot of luck. Tuesday night he finally found a place in Raleigh. He filled out the paperwork online, and he went first thing Wednesday morning. The line was moving fairly fast, but it was backed up on the road by the time we left.  Wednesday night I started coughing. By Thursday morning I had no voice and last night I began running a fever. His test came back positive this morning.  He has a very mild cold. My voice is a little bit stronger today, and ibuprofen has taken care of the aches but hasn't really touched the mild headache.  My sister-in-law and her youngest and his wife were coming in to town this weekend, so it has really worked out perfect. They are staying with Mrs. Bryan and will be here through the bad weather this weekend, and she dropped off some soup for us.  I've actually cooked every meal, but it will be nice not having to do that for a few meals. Other than no voice and slight cough, I feel like I just had the vaccine.  Bobby had the Pfizer (both shots plus booster) and only had the knot on his arm, though it was much smaller with the booster. I had the Moderna and had worsening side effects with each shot.  I hadn't gotten the booster yet. I wasn't eligible for it until December, and couldn't find 2-3 days in our schedule where I wanted to deal with the side effects. Then as time passed and I kept hearing of people getting the Moderna booster and still getting sick with the virus I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself through that again.  Our doctor was quite firm that we needed to stick with the same company we started with.  He said all the journals he was reading did not advise mixing the shots.  I do think I will probably get my blood checked for antibodies a week or two after this is gone and make a decision from there about the booster. 

Meanwhile, our quilt guild is still meeting via Zoom. We were hoping to start meeting in person again in February, but that got changed. I am in charging of acquiring speakers for our meetings, and was having a hard time finding someone who would commit to speaking without a clear confirmation of in person or via Zoom. Most of the long distance Zoom speakers were already booked, and a lot of our local people are not set up for a Zoom presentation.  So that means I get to speak in January.  I've been working on the power point presentation, but now I'm hoping my voice is totally back to normal and my cough is gone by Tuesday night. I'm almost halfway finished with the project I'm going to present, and I think I've done enough that even if I don't feel like finishing it in the next day or two I'll be okay.

None of these things are how I envisioned 2022 starting, but the timing of everything couldn't work out better. Elections were postponed until May because of a lawsuit. While I was very aggravated at the time (we had already started preparing for training classes), I am SO thankful that I'm not in the middle of a teaching schedule right now. Hopefully by this time next week everything will be back to normal.

Welcome 2022!

Neither my parents nor my husband are in to New Year's Resolutions. They all hold to the premise that each day is a gift to be used to the fullest and the first day of the year is not any different than any other day on the calendar.  And there is a lot of truth in that, but I also think setting goals at the start of each year can help us focus on life a little better. 

December was a very busy month for us.  We spent almost a week (counting travel time) in AL with my family, where we joined forces in helping my brother and his wife clean and begin preparations for house renovations.  While we got a lot done, we left them with still a lot to do.  Mom texted me today that the painting is now halfway done, and Dad and a coworker of my brother's ripped up the old flooring in all the rooms that had connecting flooring. That is huge!! I think the goal is to have things done enough that they can move in February when the whole family is there to celebrate Dad's 80th birthday.  Amie is nearing the third trimester, and so far everything is going well, other than the ongoing sickness. While the shock of the pregnancy is wearing off, it still seems surreal.  We are so excited and I wished I lived closer so I could be a part of this child's life. I feel like I missed out on so much of my other nieces and nephew's lives. 

Christmas is still not over for us. We met with one of Bobby's nieces yesterday, will meet with another one today, and one of his nephews is out of town through the end of next week. Then I think we will have met with everyone at some point. I haven't decided when I will take my decorations down. Not today! I want to enjoy my lights a few more days. :)

Decisions

 I have to confess, I have thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace of life during the pandemic.

Now that things are starting to reopen and many group meetings will be resuming in January, I need to make some decisions about what to keep and what to let go. While I thoroughly enjoy everything I am involved in, this time off has also made me realize how I've allowed myself to be too busy. Now the problem is deciding what to resume and what to say "It's been great but it's time to say goodbye for now" or "I'm stepping back from this a little."  There truly can be too much of a good thing.

So as elections training for 2022 starts crunching to a beginning in 2 weeks (already committed to this through the end of '22) and quilt groups for 2022 begin sign-ups this week, the time to ponder is ending and decision making must begin.