The beginning of the month of August seems to be a good time for a Right Now post.
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| The garden and tomatoes in May |
Enjoying - Watching the garden grow in MD.
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| The garden and overgrown tomatoes in August |
Looking Forward To - Ryan's moving day. We'll clean carpets and maybe paint a little bit starting August 16th, and then move some of the boxes and get them unpacked that week.
Also Looking Forward To - Help from family with moving Ryan's heavier furniture on the 21st and 22nd. The storage facility is only 3 miles away from the house, and we've got three pickup trucks and lots of willing help.
Worrying about - The Delta variant. With the recent CDC report, revised mask recommendations, and the surge in cases yet again, I've returned to mask wearing indoors once again. I don't really mind wearing a mask if it protects me and others, but the surge in cases (especially in vaccinated individuals) is worrisome.
Watching - Downton Abbey. I've watched it before, so it's a good show to have on while knitting. I do find myself wishing that I had servants to tend to some of my more onerous tasks (like freezing and blanching mountains of string beans and making tomato sauce). I think that I can manage to dress myself, so I won't be needing a lady's maid.
Grateful For - Full freezers. I complain about the work of preserving and preparing food from the garden, bit I am grateful that we can eat from it during the summer, our full freezers, and that I don't have to buy vegetables in the winter.
Cleaning - The full freezers. We've got two in NJ and one in MD that are full of venison and vegetables. I've just been filling them up, so I will be cleaning them out, organizing, and giving Ryan some venison and vegetables when he's got his own freezer to put them in.
Feeling - Scattered. This is mainly a result of going back and forth between NJ and MD. Fingers crossed we'll be done with this early in 2022.
Discovering - That a large Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee makes the drive to MD more bearable. It was my turn to drive two weeks ago and I had a headache. I wanted to take some Tylenol but didn't have anything to swallow them with, so I pulled into DD and ordered a large black iced coffee. I took my Tylenol, got rid of my headache, and had a somewhat enjoyable drive. I'm sure the 297 mg of caffeine didn't hurt, and Justin thinks I'll enjoy it even more if I put my iced coffee in a Yeti.
Wondering - How you communicate with your grown/adult children? Up until now, much of my communication has been by phone, text, or email. Justin has been around in person a bit, but both boys are now in NJ much of the time. I'm grateful, happy, and pleased, but still finding it an adjustment to do laundry and cook for four people when I've been used to doing it for just two. Ryan will be moving out toward the end of August, and Justin will probably go back to living with his girlfriend much of the time, so it's not forever. I've delegated and asked them to help, but am still getting used to the change.
What's going on in your world right now?
These are lovely things to fill your days, Bonny. (and a suggestion for your mask making... put an extra layer of fabric in. An article in the WaPo suggested some "tests" for the fabric - you should not be able to see light through the fabric, and if you hold the fabric to a mirror and spray water through it... none should get through to the mirror. I found that to be the hardest test, but when I added a third layer, it worked.) Good luck on mask making, tomato harvesting, and MOVING :)
ReplyDeleteI've just been thinking that I probably need to start making some more masks; I'm sure there are some better-fitting patterns out there now that are tried and tested. We are very worried about the Delta variant, particularly since kiddo can't get vaccinated for another 4+ months.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm composting wrong because I never get volunteer tomato plants! I didn't plant any this year, and last year's crop was a huge failure, so I'd happily take your overgrown tomatoes! I'm sure all the blanching and cooking is exhausting, but when you get those veggies out of the freezer in the middle of the winter, I'm sure you're thankful for all the work you did.
Isn't it amazing the difference a month or two can make in a garden? And, for us, funny how our tomato plants have not really started producing, but across the street they are out of control (and one of Rob's plants is a left over from us!!). I really think about a chest freezer occasionally, but not sure where I would put it - the basement I guess. We have taken to wearing masks again when inside...with so many still unvaccinated, it is scary times!!
ReplyDeleteOur tomato plants are crowded and loaded with tomatoes but they are all green! The timing of this Delta variant is rising my anxiety a LOT about since we're supposed to be leaving a week from today for Hannah's wedding. Send all the good juju for negative test results our way, please.
ReplyDeleteOh, Bonny, it has been a while since I told you how much I admire your ability to juggle so many things without anything going thud. Honestly, sometimes I don't know how you do it. Then again, some of us whatever we must, and you definitely fall into the crowd, as do I. Do a Superwoman power pose! It increases confidence and optimizes your mood, seriously. Wise words for a long marriage. I don't oppose my husband either on things that don't truly matter, and most things don't. Here's to how your loved ones close, but not so close that they make extra work for you. You are such a good mother.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you aren't getting many tomatoes - the garden looks great! and you've done such a wonderful job juggling TWO homes and then tossing in a cross-country move ... I think it's to be expected you'd feel scattered (and how wonderful to have an end-ish date for the two homes thing).
ReplyDeleteI've spent the last 7 years communicating with both daughters almost solely via text and facetime and continue that with Katie (with a maybe monthly in-person lunch or dinner and in-frequent phonecall, usually prompted by me because I'm not a very good texter). Sara has now been living with us for four months and likely will be here for another three. We were working out (walking, running, playing tennis) every morning together - until I hurt my knee - and now I just rely on a little dinner conversation and maybe something bigger on the weekends. She does help with the cooking/cleaning up, is paying to have our housekeepers come more often, and she does her own laundry. So it's really no more work on me to have her here and I really enjoy her company while Marc watches golf! I guess all that to say - it's a process that will likely keep evolving. Sara and I will have to figure out something new for when she moves, and then we'll figure it out again as she makes friends and a "life" in her own home. I just think we're fortunate to have our kids close by (and wanting to be in touch)!
I used to talk to my kids daily by phone but now I hear from them once a week sometimes twice a week. I try to give them the space that they want. Our son JUST got off our phone plan so that is it we are financially done with the kids :) When we moved we had all of their stuff in their bedrooms and they took a few things, declared they wanted the rest just not yet (no space) so I thinned out what I could boxed it up labeled it and when we arrived to the new house it all went up into the attic. will they get it someday? who knows...
ReplyDeleteMy tomatoes are a bit overgrown, and I've recently discovered that the damn chipmunks are feasting on my cherry tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteI don't like texting, so I try to avoid it... I'd rather talk on the phone (and often respond to a text with a call). I like typing, though, so often use Messenger! With two of three children and a sister in far-away places, I really enjoy video chats.