Thursday, May 14, 2020

May 3-9, 2020 Snow, Birthday Flowers, Blueberry Pie, Crepes, and Frost

May 3-9, 2020 
Snow, Birthday Flowers, Blueberry Pie, Crepes, and Frost




Hello Friends! 
Chilly and cold days here, we had snow flurries. After a month of headaches and migraines, I had a respite this week.  One thing I figured out was that I had, little by little, let dairy back into my diet, and that somehow causes me to have migraines.  As soon as I stopped dairy the headaches also disappeared.  I know my hormones also play a role, but not having dairy seems to make a big difference, so I'm back to a zero-tolerance policy.  


Leadership?
A few weeks before our church doors closed I had sparked up a conversation with the woman in charge of the female activities at our church. 



 I'd talked to her a few times before and had been wanting to have a longer chat with her for months and she actually asked me out for coffee to do just that!  We set up a time and then the shut-down happened.  So, she texted me and we set up a Zoom meeting for this week to have a viral chat.  



We had a good chat, although I do find it hard to read the person I'm chatting with when I'm not with them in person.  



Long story short--- she asked me to think about joining the leadership at church and lead a small group Bible study next year with new believers.  



I was totally taken by surprise and caught off-guard.  Dh and I have talked and prayed about it and have filled out the application. 



 I feel very insecure about my social abilities and realize it will be a challenge for me to contact all the women in my group routinely and create a bond of love and care.  I just struggle with email, texting, and phone conversations--- I much prefer face-to-face interactions.  But, the good thing is that I am aware, very aware, of my flaws and hope that I can:

Matthew 11:28-30 New International Version (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”



So, prayers appreciated as I try to step up to this challenge and grow.  Maybe this will be a key part of transitioning out of homeschooling my daughter and looking for my next first-step outside the home. 



 I do find this invitation to be more active in our new church to be a good indicator that our leaving our old church, 11 months ago, to have been for a reason.  It was so clear to Dd and me that the door there was clearly slammed in our face and maybe this is one of the reasons??  I have faith that God has a plan for me and I am willing...even if I am insecure and feel inadequate!



Dh's Work: Positive COVID 19:
Well, it was probably bound to happen at some point, and this week someone from my Dh's work tested positive.  The people that work in that area are all on a two-week quarantine and the rest of the workforce can come and go as they need to keep the machines and progress moving forward.  The company did a big cleaning in hopes of removing any virus.  Dh still had to go in 3 out of 5 days this week.  A neighbor put out some masks so he was able to get another mask.  He is very careful when he comes home.  He leaves his shoes outside the house, goes right to the laundry room and puts his clothes in the washer, and then takes a thorough shower.  Since he works at a pharmaceutical company they all wear masks, head coverings, and body covers to keep germs down.


Daily Hiking With Henry! My favorite thing to do!

Henry:
Henry had a weird little tag on his ear a few weeks back.  I thought it might have been a tick that got under his skin and tried excising it, but it just seemed to bleed a lot.  Slowly, but surely, it has returned and now is about the size of a grape hanging from his ear flap.  This week he continues to scratch it with his claws and has torn it open.  I keep trying to help it, but I think he may need to go to the vet.  I would have called already if it weren't for the lockdown, but I don't know what to do or how serious this is...bummer.  The ear problem doesn't bother Henry at all and his life has not changed in the least!  We still go on our "Hiking with Henry" walks at least once a day in the woods around our home.



Who dug the hole?  Who dug up and ate Bunny's corpse?


Chickens:
Good grief.  A few weeks back; maybe six weeks ago?  My sickly white hen, Bunny, died and I buried her out in the woods with a big pile of dirt over the hole.  



Something dug her up and I found her wing feathers on my trail this week.  I just can't believe this!  Poor Bunny!  There was a Red-Winged Hawk over the hole for days and I couldn't figure out why it was there...now I know!  I've been extremely careful to not let the hens in our back pen this week.  I have been putting 2-4 chickens in each chicken tractor where I know they are safe and can have access to bugs, worms, and greens.


My Birthday and Mother's Day:
Another year older and another year wiser!  I hope!  Let's see---my mom was ever so kind and sent me flowers!  My daughter bought me a cute little pair of small bumblebee earring studs.  My husband made me crepes!  Then on Mother's Day, he made me a blueberry pie!  I think this is the first time that we've been married I didn't ask for a birthday cake, I was really craving a blueberry pie!!!  We aren't big on presents but on a simple act of kindness.  Dd made me a watercolor of a chickadee for my Mother's Day gift.  I was also surprised by my sister-in-law that sent me a card!  She doesn't usually interact with us very much, so that was a big surprise.




Flowerland: Greenhouse:
Michigan has a very short growing season for us, so besides planting seeds we now buy tomato (grape, Roma, Early Bird, and San Marzano), basil, celery, and rosemary plants/herbs.  One of my rosemary herb varieties had died over the winter, as well as most of my basil plants, so to renew the resource we bought more plants.  We only bought three potato varieties this year to plant; whereas last year we had four different kinds.  Last year I canned close to two hundred pints/quarts of potatoes and green beans.  This year I need to really can a lot of tomatoes.  I probably have enough green beans and potatoes leftover from last year to make it through next winter as well, although I plan on canning more of those if I am blessed enough to do so.  With only buying one tray of small plants and three bags of potato starters it cost around $51.00; which is just absolutely crazy!  In Indiana, it would have barely cost $30.00.  We also bought a few seeds; two varieties of sunflower and some Swiss Chard.  I blanche and freeze lots and lots and lots of greens for my personal consumption, which is mostly used in my green smoothies, so now is the time to get all my greens started!




Garden:
I asked Dd to help me move out hoop houses back into the beds due to the unseasonably cold weather that started towards the end of the week.  



I had hoped May would be without frost and freeze warnings, but I was disappointed.  



We fortunately still had a lot of clear plastic on the roll so I could redo the plastic covering the hoop houses. 



 I covered the spinach, lettuce, and kale seedlings, although they *should* be fine in frosty weather.  I just felt better knowing my plants weren't going to die just as they had a good start going.  I spent hours last week each night covering everything and then each uncovering everything as it warmed up the next day.  



I may have lost some of my lettuce, but that was because I mowed my yard to sprinkle grass clippings on my seedlings to provide some insulation and I think it killed some of the lettuce.


May Apples are fully grown, now for the blooms to arrive!


FaceTime:
Loving having a weekly chat with Heather!



Dh Shopping:
For the first time since quarantine, Dh had to run into the grocery store.  He hadn't been to see how different things are now; he was walking down a one-way aisle and wondered why he was getting the evil eye from people before he figured out that the store was organized into oneway routes!  He did figure it out and had stories to share when he got home!  It really is so interesting to see how different people are responding to this outbreak.  When we were at the greenhouse there were people, even whole families with children, with absolutely no masks and no cares in the world.  There were many elderly people, I'm guessing a few were in their eighties, that had no masks on either!  It seems so weird to me that some people really aren't bothered by any of these life and death consequences.



Stairs:
We made a little progress this week on the stairs we are replacing that lead to our basement.  We had to measure and fit each riser for every step and we did!  I hadn't planed wood in a long while!  It's coming along...







Dd's Progress This Week:
Dd had a really rough week sleeping.  She kept waking up each night around midnight and struggling falling back to sleep.  She shared she is still struggling with anxiety over this pandemic.  Each day she does her homework and goes over to her boyfriend's house.  They have a friend to chaperone them and enjoy having a small tight-knit group of friends.  As her finals are getting close she has been doing some of her homework there at night too.  Next week is her last week of Grace Co-Op classes.


Church and Bible Study:
Dd watched the church service at home with Dh and I before going over to Seth's for Mother's Day.  She is working on her devotions alone.



Math:
Algebra II with a tutor (Saxon Math)



Art:
Drawing and Watercolor (2 hours)



English/Writing Class:
IEW Analytical and Research Paper Writing: 6:30 hours



Foreign Language:
DuoLingo:German: 2:40 hours



Physical Education: 1:00



Home Economics:
Made Churros--some deep-fried dessert that had gluten so I didn't get to eat any...

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Saturday, May 9, 2020

April 26-May 2, 2020 Migraine Extremes, Hard Week, Nemesis, Hiking With Henry

April 26-May 2, 2020 
Migraine Extremes, Hard Week, Nemesis, Hiking With Henry



Hello Friends!
I think we all had a hard week at our house.  We were all a little out of sorts and struggling.



Migraines:
Well, this was one of the hardest migraines weeks I've had in a long time.  Luckily, it ended on Friday, but that was the end of a MONTH long migraine!!!  I went on the Prednisone and that did help, but when I went off it I ended up getting a massive extreme migraine on Thursday that words can't convey the agony I was in.  I emailed my doctor and she prescribed another new med to try, but I figured I'd had enough weird chemicals in my body this week and decided to save it.  It was the right choice because things did settle down after the massive migraine finale on Thursday.


Botox:
This week was my botox shots, for migraine prevention.  I only wish it helped my migraines more, but I don't have many options for help.  The doctor gives me like thirty shots throughout my scalp, neck, temple, and forehead.  The shots really hurt, but it only takes a few minutes and it's over.




Bible Studies:
I think I have forgotten to mention my Bible studies for the past few weeks! Thrive: The one I do at the church I attend continues to be fantastic.  I'm getting used to meeting on Zoom.  This week instead of just meeting with the six women in my group the whole women's group all got together on Zoom!  I don't know how many women were there--sixty or so?  It was definitely a learning experience to be separated into little groups and then back with the big group online.  This wrapped up our official term and a few of us are going to continue to meet each week and discuss the Proverbs until our summer session starts June 1st.  I'm glad and thankful for the friendship and fellowship with these ladies; especially when I'm home alone most days.



BSF: The other Bible study, BSF, I decided to drop out for the last three classes.  I just felt awkward trying to do that one on Zoom and just decided I could print out the worksheets and do them over the summer on my own.  



FaceTime Heather:
Thankful for another chat with Heather this week, although I had a migraine and the conversation was a bit of a blur.  So thankful for a kindred spirit that knows my heart.




Garden:
See the green chives that came back from last year?!

The seedlings are coming up and doing really well.  





Some of my most numerous memories of my deceased father were of him watering the plants in our backyard in Florida.


This is the area that I had planted blackberry plants in before I found their permanent home, and now each spring I have to pull up thirty new sprouts!  I am going to work really hard on keeping them out of this area this year. 



  I guess, like him, I really love watering! 



 Isn't that a funny thing to enjoy?!  But, I do! 



 I was back in my element watering once again this week!  Yay, spring!


Chainsawing, Pruning, and Burning:
This week we have continued to clean up the small weed trees and vines.  We've been burning them along with some of the piles of brush that keep getting higher and higher!  Dh got creative and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows one of our yard days; which was a lot of fun!  We have been burning in four different pits this spring.  One day we had two fires going at the same time; which took some effort to keep going but we really burnt a lot of our piles and made progress.  





Fire Pits:
The picture above is a tree stump that we've been burning, slowly but surely.  So far, every year we try to cut it down and new shoots keep trying endlessly.  We are hoping this year it might not cause as much trouble.



Clearing:
I've been clearing this area of the driveway, see above picture.  I've been pulling up thorny vines and lots poison ivy.  I also used my chainsaw to cut a lot of weird scrub trees too.


Mowing and Yard Work:
I'm back to mowing!  I have a lot of mowing and a trusty pushmower to see me through!  The previous owners had left two half-used bags of fertilizer that I've struggled with what to do with.  Since I'm only letting the chickens out when they are in their tractors I figured I could use the fertilizer up in the front yard -- uphill and very separate from the area where the tractors are.  I'm glad to be done with it and it's not sitting in our barn any longer.  I didn't feel comfortable throwing it in the trash to go to a landfill either.  I'm relieved it's gone.  


I moved the two Hydrangea plants from the pool area to up here in front of the house where I can water it more often.  I moved them last fall and am so delighted they both are doing well and I see new leaves! 






Transplanting:


new home for coneflowers 


Last year I transplanted some plants around hoping I'd found suitable new homes, but by the middle of summer, the Hostas were being burnt to a crisp in too-sunny locations! 



 I had to wait until spring to relocate and started switching things up this week.  


New home to more hostas


I moved some Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans to the sunny/sandy beds and moved the Hostas to the shady spots. I had a few other relocations by the pool---some Daisies and Iris's had escaped outside the fence, so I dug them up and put them back inside where they belong!


Hiking With Henry:


Henry!


Most days I was fortunate enough to take Henry out to the woods for a lovely walk in the big woods.  Hiking in the woods makes me so very, very happy.  In each season I find so much beauty and am so glad I have a dog that demands long walks and fusses until I take him out!  



Chickens:
A good week for the chickens.  













Sleeping:
Dd and I are like so many other people that are having trouble sleeping during this pandemic.  Since I started the Prednisone for my migraines my sleeping went from bad to worse.  Dd is not only having trouble sleeping through the night she is also having nightmares.  


Dd's Progress For the Week:

Dd is working on her last weeks of classes for her Grace Co-op and Algebra II tutoring.  



We finished the Read Aloud (Nemesis by Agatha Christie).  She has not been sleeping well and is struggling with anxiety.  She does her lessons during the day and then spends her evenings and weekends with her boyfriend.  This week she was really wrestling with the decision to go back to work or not.  She really misses seeing her friends.



Bible, Church, and Devotions:
Dd is doing well with her devotions.  She watches the church service online with Seth every Sunday.  She also likes the online noon services each day.



Math:
Algebra II with a tutor (Saxon)




Grace Co-op:
Writing: IEW: Analytical and Research Papers
2 1/2 hours plus online class.  She is working really hard on her final paper.



Science: Anatomy and Physiology (Apologia): 2 1/2 hours and online class



Foreign Language: German: DuoLingo: 1 hour



Art: Drawing: 1 hour



Read Aloud: 
Nemesis by Agatha Christie: COMPLETED
.............