Monday, May 19, 2025

Walking, bee spotting, roses and Cluny Brown

Today's unassisted walk got me closer to the pond, the current stretch goal.  And a long nap when I got home, so I'm still working on stamina. I'm starting Week Five, and all's well.

A new item in This Adaptive Life -- sweeping. I've been able to sweep floors, but not to pick up the debris on a shovel,  too far to stoop yet. 

Today I figured out how to use the ever vital grabber stick to hold the shovel still, then transport the contents to the garbage. Since I sweep the kitchen floor daily, don't like bits of food underfoot, this is a nice advance. 

Soon I won't need to be so careful with hip restrictions, by which time I'll be really expert at an obsolete skill.

This afternoon on the deck brought aerial combat among crows, three of them, probably two males, fighting it out over a female who probably wishes they'd get it over with.

And the first bee of the year, a  shiny-butt carpenter, too big to fit into the trumpet -shaped sage blossoms, but he spent a while working them over anyway.


He's near the rim of the pot.

I notice no insects are interested in the roses




Empty calories. What variety are they? Birds plant them all over. This one's not unwelcome, but it's not earning its keep in pollination.

Yesterday I made some sort of nicoise-like egg salad. It involved capers, bit of vegan mayo, olives, red raw onions, scallions smoked paprika, black pepper. 

I'm not vegan, but I sometimes use recipes that are. This one I basically invented. With toasted red lentil crackers, it was good. 



Then today I added in to the leftovers those black beans you're tired of hearing about,  with tomato paste, and declared it salsa. No picture, you can guess how it looked. 

Gary came flying in this morning to give me an update on the, great, graduation party of his granddaughter, and to give me this party favor, popcorn.

Note the Legally Blonde reference! Joy, we have another wonderful Black woman lawyer starting her career in criminal defense. 

Happy day everyone, I'm into Cluny Brown again, light and funny, just right for where I am.

I hope you have your match in reading. Also everything else.


Billie has yet to meet her match.

Meanwhile prayers and good thoughts for dear Joe. He never let us down. Stand by him now. And Jill.







43 comments:

  1. Love the graduation party favor!!!

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  2. How wonderful for Gary’s family! Congrats to his granddaughter!

    The crows around here are courting too. Busy time of year!

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    1. Yes, there's a lot of birdsong and warning calls.

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  3. Wonderful post Boud! Enjoyed everything about it. I am not vegan either but I do like to put meatless meals on the table in between. Those you fixed looked really good. Thinking of Joe and Jill and wishing them only the best.

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    1. The addition of eggs makes this not really vegan, but it would work without them, too.

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  4. I've never seen Legally Blonde so I didn't recognize the reference, but that was a cute party favor. Happy reading, my friend! :)

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    1. The reference is where the smug boyfriend who got into Harvard and assured his blonde girlfriend she'd never be able to, meets her there. He asks, astonished, how did YOU get into Harvard? To which she responds "Like it's hard?"

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    2. Thanks for the explanation :-)

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    3. Naps are a most excellent result of a stretch walk. You'll be at the pond again before you know it.

      Good potting of that carpenter bee. I've seen bumblebees in other places around town this month, still waiting for ours to show up.

      Billy the Pup is matchless! And hooray for Gary's granddaughter! A J.D degree is a huge accomplishment.

      Chris from Boise

      PS No idea of the name of the red rose. There are so many varietal possibilities.

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    4. The bee was near me as I sat out, unworried about my presence, busy working. Someone suggested maybe a knockout rose gone rogue!

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  5. Billie is looking very sleek and shiny. Congratulations to Gary and his granddaughter.

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    1. You can see Billie's well fed. Gary's so happy about the JD in the family.

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  6. Clever graduation party favor. What, like it’s hard? We have a broom-handled dust pan. No bending to pick up what we’ve swept.

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    1. I wonder if I can adapt the shovel with a broom handle. Good idea, ty.

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    2. LOL. Of course that’s how you would do it. We bought it that way.

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    3. Bought? Not familiar with that word...

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  7. It's good to see birds and bees and damselflies doing what comes naturally.

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    1. It's nice to live where you can observe nature.

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  8. Sad about Joe. Even sadder seeing some of the idiotic remarks on social media...That's great about Gary's granddaughter. I'm also happy you are going from strength to strength every day. Hats off to you, dear Boud!

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    1. I'm angry about a lot of the amateur diagnoses and second guessing. He's out of office. He's not a candidate. He's a great man facing mortality. He deserves respect, care and privacy.

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  9. I think what I wrote yesterday about Joe was not clear on how I really felt which had more to do with my inability to understand why the doctors at Walter Reed did not discover this problem before it became so dire.
    Anyway, huge congratulations to Gary's granddaughter. A fantastic achievement indeed! And to you, for getting closer to your walking goal every day.
    And to Billie just for being Billie.

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    1. It's great to be just reentering ordinary life but better. I've now finished all the extra meds they sent home with me, yay. So many casual acts are easier again. Billie approves.

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  10. Always a delight to see flowers whether it be in person or in photos! And your egg salad recipe sounds amazing! I love everything with paprika!

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    1. Smoked paprika is a recent addition to my kitchen and I really like it.

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  11. I've seen dustpans on a long handle (like a broom handle) available in the stores. Certainly would make it easier than bending over.
    Glad your goal of reaching the pond is getting closer!

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  12. You are so industrious even while you are in recovery! Keep up the great work!

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    1. It's my default! Doing stuff. It was really hard at first when I needed help for simple things.

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  13. I've been a big fan of long-handled dustpans for a few years now, reserving my daily allocation of "leans" for the critical stuff, like petting cats and trimming goat hooves. (One of those things is a lot more fun than the other.)

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    1. I may be the last person to find out about these long handled dustpans. Stay tuned.

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  14. I’m sorry about Joe. He was a good president IMO. But compared to the current guy, anybody would look good.

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    1. Joe was a brilliant president who achieved massive progress despite heavy opposition. Most presidents don't compare to him. I'm grateful we had him.

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  15. I really liked Joe Biden. Your photos are lovely. Warm greetings from Montreal, ❤️ Canada 🇨🇦

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  16. Congratulations to Nyia! Yeah, bees never seem to like roses much, even the open ones with single flowers. Our roses are not very popular with bugs.

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    1. The roses I've seen mobbed by bees are the rambling type, maybe heritage. But this red one they fly right on by.

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  17. You are doing so well. You have determination. I need some of that. You are creative in your meals. You also are healthy in your food. Billie is too adorable!

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    1. I think I'm more hellbent than determined. It's what sags do. I really enjoy interesting food, many colors and textures. That often means healthy as a byproduct. Billie is great, perpetual motion.

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  18. You are rocking the healing! Well done! I love this post -- all of it!

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    1. I'm really enjoying my days before it gets too hot to get out much.

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  19. At our place we call those boring bees which was always a funny name to me. Made me think that they themselves were the boring bees at parties and other things. When really, they are the most fun. They buzz close, say hello and then on with their work.

    Great job on the healing. Sounds like you're on the mend and kicking butt. Well done, you.

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    1. Those bees sometimes bump my head if I'm between them and their destination, but that's about it.

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