More early morning getting stuff done, later all bureaucracy

Early morning, this is getting to be a good habit, walking around the neighborhood. I was hugely cheered when I met a mellow little Boston terrier named Oreo! Lovely chat with his old Indian gentleman clearly devoted to Oreo.

Then around, greeting the early morning walkers and home to shower and catch up on line. But first I lugged the big potted lavender plant through the house and onto the patio. 

It's safer there and we'll see how it goes. That was a bit of exertion, but I survived. My yes2next habit is paying off. I'll need to repot it now the roots have been torn out of the ground by my car.

It's going to be quiet, with Gary away for two weeks, but there's a good side to that. It's especially quiet since his phone is dead and he can't get his new one set up. Can't make or receive calls, everything going to the old phone and irretrievable. At least my phone is working anyway.

No sudden irruptions with ideas, requests to look at this and that, hold that wire, identify this poison ivy etc.  

Yesterday  he dashed in, with a cup of tea, didn't want to put it on the coffee table, grabbed a handful of MY HANDMADE FIBER CORDAGE and asked if he could rest his cup on it for a coaster.. he also does wonderful things for me, so there's that balance. But a few days downtime is good.

Home again I needed a second breakfast 

Cheese and cilantro omelette.

Then a lot of the day was spent dealing with a blizzard of texts and emails from the auto insurer. I checked with the body shop, who hadn't got them yet, then forwarded them so they could get on with the repair. 

Then, after I called the insurer to double-check they were paying the shop direct, got another message that they'd mailed a check to me. Soooo I'll settle with the shop myself. I forwarded that info too. 

It's easier to do it myself than with help, full disclosure. Saves discussion and debate. I'm used to doing my own follow up and now I'm recovered to the point of managing things again.

At first I really needed neighbors making calls, most appreciative. Gary was stunned once I got going again, that I knew how to do DocuSign! Folks, I'm old, I'm not a dinosaur.

Then there's the air conditioner at the condo. This being Handsome Tenant's day off, he was pursuing it, again, and got a tech out Wednesday. I was not thrilled he's having to use his one precious day off, but I can't be there.  

Later: tech did a repair, but heat pump needs to be replaced. They'll be in touch. Sad, but not surprised. It's 23 years old, beyond its lifespan.

I'll make sure there's cake for next time I see him. 

So that was Wednesday. Still waiting on the house and the exterminator. Once all this is done I won't know what to do with myself. So much free time. Maybe I'll solve some age old mathematical mystery.

Evening was a good time online with my friends.

And on to more important things. I'm considering how to shape the basket, I mean technically. I know what shape I want to achieve, and I need to figure out how to get there. 

I think I know how but we'll see if my bright ideas translate. Sometimes materials, especially fiber, do unexpected things. It can be for the better. We'll see.

In the afternoon I had an invitation from the local artists group I founded long ago to send a piece to their October group show. I haven't exhibited in ages, so I'll have to look something out.  I'm amazed they remember me.

Happy day everyone. You got this, sez Queen Ferluffy.

Early morning frenzy, and Textiles and Tea, Bonnie Inouye

True to my new early morning pattern, I walked early, very humid today, so, not very far. Then I sat on the patio and noticed a few things that needed doing.

I needed all those plants off the deck, it's bad for the wood, already pests have started underneath. Gary doesn't understand about this so I didn't argue the point when he brought them over.  Now I've just shoved them into the pachysandra where they will be fine, as will the pachysandra, it's indestructible. I think he was reluctant to put them on the pachy but I'm not.

The hanging coleus is getting huge, and I retrieved the second shepherd's hook from the storage area where we'd put it after the car flattened it, and managed to get it into the ground to hold the coleus. This only lasted briefly before it fell over. I rescued the plant and Gary reinstalled the hook better. 

This left the other shepherd's hook available for the morning glories to climb and gave more space to the hibiscus 

And here in context 

All this was pretty strenuous and while I was at it, I picked and arranged today's bouquet

 

Usual philodendron, with black eyed susans, daisies, coreopsis, which is putting up a nice display of flowers on the patio. I like to pick flowers for the house while leaving enough to enjoy while I'm outside.

I need to clean up the butterfly bush and the sage, another day.  Today I feel pretty accomplished. Also hot and dewy!

Tuesday is knitting group and I could probably have found a ride, but I didn't, because 

This is staying home weather, much as I'd like to see my friends. We've emailed. Meanwhile I made more cordage 

and I'm considering the next design idea for the basket, to open up the shape. I'm glad I'm up to considering design and having ideas about it. It means I'm getting past the emotional upset.

Meanwhile ironing needs to happen. 

This is an every few months event, but linen does benefit from the occasional bit of care.

 And it got it

In other news I got an urgent text from the auto insurer saying my bill is past due. Oh. Must have been missed during the surgery recovery and brain fog time.  I ended up paying online with a new password, old one didn't work, and now it's paid. And the new password noted. What do confused older people do? Not well, I'm guessing.

Textiles and Tea featured Bonnie Inouye, a complex weaver using digital as well as traditional floor looms.  She wrote the definitive book on multi shaft weaving and is in favor of trying ideas to see how they work out. Great teaching approach. She was wearing her own work, too.

I asked about this shirt and she obligingly stood up to let us see. The picture and sound at her end wasn't great but you get the gist.

Great episode 

Happy day everyone, just try it!

Sez Ted and co.

Monday early walk, Freecycle

Monday early I walked to the pond via streets, to avoid mud, and alarmed a lot of frogs. You'll see eyes above the water here and there. I missed the drake taking off. What a racket ducks make when they get into takeoff.

On the way home I saw ripening fruit. Birds and squirrels will get whatever the groundhogs don't.

This morning humidity was high, dewpoint 75. Translation: really uncomfortable. I was glad to shower once I got home. 

In fact I was so eager I jumped in with hearing aids in. I think I escaped again. I found out quickly and dried them. They're water resistant, not waterproof. I'm absentmindedly testing the limits, with being distracted.

Mid afternoon 

Home again and here's this morning's Freecycle items. There's another scheduled for this afternoon. 

Gary wanted me to keep the walker until I reminded him I have two more. 

The Crate Expectations saga continues. The receiver picked up the books, left the crate. The walker-wanter was interested in the crate, too, but ended up with neither, having decided the walker wasn't for her and the books had not yet been picked up. Missed connections. Then later she saw my message and came dashing back for the crate. It's finally gone 

I texted the man who originally gave me the walker because he does it a lot, and we'll see if he wants it. And a crate..but he didn't, they're overstocked-- it's the Elks -- but he did congratulate me on graduating from the walker. 

Back to homeowner issues, handsome Son made a call about the AC unit at the condo and, as I'd expected, they're busy and will schedule a visit when they can. He'll stay on it.  They're trying to fix a time when they can both be there.

It's always something. No news on the car yet, but Gary ran off to get his phone fixed, so for all I know, there's a call on there. He took over the car issue from me. 

Since I wrote, we called the auto insurer on my phone, insisted on a return call, which they did and it went to voicemail, no ring (!?)

And it's now moving to the next stage, adjusting online, then, if approved, paying the body shop direct to get on with the repair.

In other news I've signed off on the agreement with the house contractor, who confirms he arranges the work including subcontracting with regular people. So far so good. The estimate is not yet approved so we'll see. I'm in a brisk exchange of texts with Contractor Steve. He expects full approval. So I know more now than I did.

I also discovered Amazon has been charging me for a prime membership I hadn't signed up for. It's cancelled now, anyway. The stuff you need to be alert about. I just looked over my credit card charges then went back and, well wouldya look at that, sneaky petes.

Happy day everyone, bit by bit.

Because it's my flag, too. 

The adopted orchid, the exterminator and the foster plants

Early Sunday I cooked an unlikely hot weather dish. Baked shells in cheese sauce. I just felt like it. Small shells, cheese sauce with a lot of sharp cheddar and feta crumbles. It's enough for several days, and might also work cold, we'll see.

But meanwhile, back at the house. One of the findings of the insurance contractor was the source of the neverending ant supply in the kitchen. 

They're all over the neighborhood, constant issue. And since the neighbors on both sides have the same situation as well as termite damage, we all had the exterminator come out Sunday morning to see what's what.

The verdict, after Exterminator John's long client education on termites, their life and habits, likewise ants, is that I need exterminating to happen. 

My house needs termite treatment front and back, no activity right now, but it needs to be done. And I'll get the ants treated. I don't like resorting to this, but it's them or me. 

So now it's waiting for an estimate and I'll go from there. I knew there had been termites years ago, and part of the repair in the kitchen involves replacing wood anyway. We don't have the kind of termites that involve tenting. These can be treated by inserting stuff into the ground.

So one thing's under way. 

This writing was interrupted by Gary dashing in to ask me to hold a wire detector thing for him in his kitchen to trace a short that was turning his lights off. He went to the circuit box and we had the usual Off now? Now? Now?  dialog until he found the right breaker. 

Then yet another plant came over to stay with me while he's away. Here's the begonia, which I'd started for him long ago. 

I'd top prune if it were mine, to make it bushier, but he loves its height, so I'll refrain.

And there are other visitors on the deck. I get to water them. 

There's a coleus near the water bottle, which I started, gave to him rooted, he put in a pot and now it's back for a few days.

This is his plant insurance while he's away.

And the orchid his daughter gave up on has started budding, see in foreground 

It's all go. 

I was indoors, too hot out there. 

Stitching my basket, reading Mrs Pargeter and sleeping took the afternoon. 

I'd had a complete walk around the development early morning. I hope I don't take this for granted. There was a time when I really thought I was past it. Evidently not.

The only drawback of this early rising and walking is that I'm done for by about ten am.

Happy day everyone, stay calm, cool, at least that's what I'm trying for.

Today's bouquet, basket and afternoon visitor

The daylily fiber basket is growing gradually. Slow work. I like how the natural color changes work as the side is built up.

And today's bouquet 

The coreopsis you see, red and yellow flowers, appeared, probably seeded from what I strewed around last year. 

 And the morning glories, a bit bitten, are moving along undaunted 

Here's who stopped by, stayed for ages on this branch. I think he may have been sleeping for several minutes, unworried by my getting close.

Gary stopped by to talk exterminators and plant care. He's going to be away from Tuesday till late July, trying to do last minute things. He'll still take the calls about my car from the body shop and the family next door will retrieve my car, he thinks.

Happy day everyone. From here in the trenches, midst shot and shell.