How I'm doing #HealthyatHome

So I'm about two-thirds of the way through my third 'week off' due to Coronavirus, as I alternate being at work for a week and a week off. The first couple of weeks off I used personal time off, but I was rapidly using that to try to deal with it, but this time I broke down and applied for unemployment benefits since my hours were reduced by half. Since that could take awhile, I'm not sure how financially that will work out. It seemed a better idea since I'm not sure how long we'll be operating on this plan. The governor is opening things up very slowly, starting with healthcare, but it could take some time to get back up to normal levels, and even so, we need to do it gradually to protect patients and staff.

I'm actually getting ready to listen to Governor Beshear in just a couple of minutes. His 5 o'clock briefings have become part of the routine for many Kentuckians, as it is carried on TV, radio, and online in many media settings. He actually took off yesterday for the first time since this began with Kentucky's first case.

I've been home except for going to the grocery, pharmacy, or pet food store. Yesterday I did some re-potting of plants. Two friends, Brenda and Feliz, dropped off plants for me in a socially distanced way, where I didn't get out of the house. Brenda gave us a hyssop plant and a dill plant. Feliz had some really tiny cherry tomato and jalapeño plants, just sprouted, and I put them in pots, which I'll have to re-pot as they're going to get bigger, I just got them out of the cups they were in. I also potted up two African violets I got at the grocery during a run for essentials.







I also have a new orchid blooming:



So my bedroom is full of plants:

It is a pleasant morning

I am almost ready to begin my chores, which I'm dreading a bit because the air conditioning is not working.  So we have the windows open and it's 77 degrees right now inside and perfectly fine under the ceiling fan at the moment, but that's going to change, as it'll be pushing 90 this afternoon.

I awoke to birds chirping and plenty of sunshine coming through my windows.  I've had a shower and am in the minimum acceptable clothes (denim shorts and a light blouse I usually wear a tank top under but I'm choosing to forego that today, as there are solid panels in all the important places).

As my agenda states, I have a full day planned.  I want to get my hair cut; it's atrocious and it's been more than six months.  I'm thinking of a short layered bob.  Also, a friend who is homebound right now with cancer asked me to pick out a hanging basket of petunias for his mom yesterday for Mother's Day, so I did so and will deliver it when they're up and ready, around noon.

There's the normal Sunday chores to do, laundry (mine and YKIWA's, and that includes his bedding), and helping him apply for a part-time job at the public library and applying for two jobs at the University of Kentucky for me.  One of them was the one, reposted, that I terribly flubbed the phone interview on last year.  I'm hoping they'll give me another chance.  I'd tried to do it on my lunch break surrounded by distractions, and it didn't go well.  But it is in my field of health science librarianship, I would do a good job, and I'm very qualified.  I'm just terrified of interviews, at least ones that are by committee.  I do fine one-on-one, and can teach one-on-one, in small groups, and larger ones.  But being grilled by 3-5 people, whether on the phone or in person, flummoxes me.  This is ultimately why I didn't finish my graduate studies in ancient, mediaeval, and early modern history.  Thank goodness the library science master's degree didn't require an oral defence.  But I am going to apply again anyway.  The other one I may get dinged on because I haven't been in an academic library setting in some time, and while I was trained by the best for the job, I don't have a lot of professional-level experience in aspects of it.  Again, I can do the job, and I think I would be good at it, but it would mean changing things back to what I trained for rather than what I've been doing for 20 years.  But I'm up for it.

Okay, the cat boxes aren't going to clean themselves.  One more review of the timeline/agenda, and I'm ready to go.  Have a great day, including a great Mother's Day (I'm a little sad this year, as I have neither mother nor grandmother to give flowers to and spend time with).  So I'll try to use this opportunity to get some things accomplished.

A quiet day

I've just been doing some caffeinating, chores, and I've pretty much been on the computer and visiting with YKWIA all day.  I'm still in my pyjamas, although YKWIA is working on a grocery list, so that may change.  I really need a shower but I'm going to try to wait until this evening so I can save time tomorrow before work.  The bed isn't made because the cat is happy and quietly sleeping on my blankets, and I don't want to disturb him.  But I've been doing laundry, did the cat boxes, took out the trash and recyclables, and mopped the floor (again--it was so muddy yesterday that it looked awful, even after going over with a dry mop after the wet one and a rag.  It doesn't look much better today.  I think the sponge mops are just not doing well, so we need a yarn one whose mophead can be removed and washed).

Yesterday I had considered going to Danville and visiting my mom's grave.  I had texted my stepfather with my plans to see if he wanted to get together, but I didn't hear back from him.  I did do a search and his mom died on Christmas Eve, so in one year he lost my mom, their dog (who died shortly after Momma), and his mom, who was 95.  I liked her.  In the obituary, I found it listed a partner for him, who I suspect is a younger woman who helped take care of my mother while she was ill.  She was a friend of his son and lived there for awhile, and they were going out to eat, etc., last I spoke with him.  John is the type of guy, kind of a mama's boy, who needs someone in his life.  I don't know how I feel about the timeframe, but really, it's not my business.  If she's helping him get over his grief, I guess that's good, but I think she came with some drama all her own, and I don't know if that's good for him.  But that's his choice.

Anyway, instead of going to the gravesite, I burned a candle for my mom and generally kept her in my thoughts.  It's hard to believe it's been a year.

I went briefly to H&R Block yesterday to see about filing my taxes, or at least seeing how much I'm going to owe the federal, state, and local governments, but I can't pay for the preparation unless they let me make payments or I save up between now and then, now that I have a better idea of how much it will be.  The lady is going to check on whether they can do payments.  If not, I'll have to wait until later in the season to see how bad it will be.  I can barely do that; there are three paycheques between now and filing deadline.  But she did glance at things, and particularly due to the 1099 issue, it's going to be grim, obviously.  When I got home I was depressed but I did look at my finances.  I can do it, but not pay some bills I'm already behind on if I do. :(  I also checked my income vs. outgo for the month when I'm not behind.  Basically, my income and bills leave me $83 a month for food.

We didn't play the game today due to a stomach bug one of the players may have.  So that's why it's been fairly quiet.  I'm carefully doing the laundry as YKWIA's may have some poison ivy where he went and used tools Brenda let him borrow to cut down as much as he could to destroy a vine that takes up most of the back of the house.  It was as thick as a small tree and it took two hours to hack apart, but he was determined to get it.  Then he put some really potent stuff on it that is an herbicide, and will take it down when it dies back.  Better him than me.  He reacted in a very minor way; I react much more strongly.  So he's in charge of that and I'm being careful with the laundry in the meantime.

I have had several seed catalogues downloaded from the Internet or arriving at the house, and that has perked me up.  Neither of us really has any money at the moment to buy anything, but they're relaxing to peruse.  It's nice to dream.  The crocuses outside have come and gone, the tulips are up, the hyacinths are blooming.    The neighbour has her resurrection lilies greenery up.  (It dies back and then sends up a flower stalk later in the season).  The roses are greening up and sending out shoots.  Everything is very mossy and happy out there.  I love when the world starts waking up again and things start growing.  Spring is my favourite season.

I made a sign for work in line with some the others have.  It lists some favourite things: vacation spot (at home gardening), colour (purple), favourite season (spring), favourite game (Call of Cthulhu).  I've got it wrapped up and put in my bookbag, which I managed to clean out properly so it is much lighter.

Okay, I think I am going to finish the laundry and do some studying/reading.  Hope you're having a good weekend.

I took a bit of a break from blogging

after losing my mom.  In fact, I took Wednesday to be mostly to myself and sort of process everything.  Once I went back to work on Thursday, I played catch-up over the next couple of days.  I was lucky, they found some way for someone else to do my data entry, in a totally different way than I do, so I had a large stack of papers waiting for me that were already finished. Yay!  But I was still very busy both Thursday and Friday.  The library is full of flowers, as the freesias are still blooming, and the orchid (the other is getting ready to).  I brought some lovely potted, fragrant tulips in from my mom's funeral, and someone donated flowers from another funeral to the hospital and one of sthe recreation therapists brought some lovely pink roses and carnations in a vase to me.

Friday my friends' cat, who has fought kidney disease for years, was doing poorly, with laboured breathing and obviously having trouble.  So the next morning we went to the vet and they had him put down.  He was a great kitty, eighteen years old, and he had a wonderful life with them.  I took one of my friends to work, and then I came on home.  The one who was closest to the cat wanted to be alone for awhile.  I understood.  That's how I felt with my mom.  So it's been a difficult week or so with loss.

Today I brought them a card for sympathy on the loss of a pet.  Brenda came over, and instead of playing the game, really, we just chatted and visited, and we all had a good time.  I think the companionship helped my friend.  One of the dogs kept looking for the missing kitty last night, checking where he used to sleep.  The other cat is definitely missing him, especially at mealtimes, and has been very demonstrative, more so than normal.  So the whole family is grieving, and we've all been very sad.  But my friend did an amazing job with the cat, who was given a year at most to live over three years ago, and his quality of life was very good up to the end.  I will confess that I cried a lot over him, probably on par with what I did with my mom or even a little more.  Animals are my soft spot.  It doesn't mean I loved my mom any less, but she'd had such a hard time, it was a blessing when she died.   And I think the grief for both just snowballed together, and where I didn't feel I could really cry for my mother, at least at the funeral, or break down, when I was by myself I no longer cared, and I grieved for both.

I think what strikes me the most, in both cases, is the absolute void left behind.  I keep thinking of sharing things with my mom, or about how she'd like this or that, and then I realise she's gone.  With the cat, it's little things, like feeding just one scoop of food rather than two during tonight's feeding, or watching Brenda rub the ears of the other cat and realising I would miss cleaning the kitty's ears.  I was the only one he would tolerate to do it, even years ago when he really disliked me (I once chased him with a broom trying to corral him for the vet, and he had a long memory, but the last few years he finally warmed up to me and was very loving).

Anyway, I'm home now.  A should call for a ride from work in about 35 minutes.  I'm not used to the time change yet.  I was actually up during it last night.  I'm still having some trouble sleeping in the middle of the night.  I'm listening to the Bastille station on Pandora (right now I'm listening to 'Holes' by Passenger).  I've spent the last day or two applying for jobs for a friend; I'm not going to do any more of that today.  But I got several in for him the last day or two.  And I have some to apply for myself, as well, especially needing to do cover letters.  I hate cover letters.  But I recognise their importance, and one day I will get a job due to a great and polished cover letter.  In the meantime, I keep practicing. :)

Okay, I think I'll sign off and get some things done before it's time to get A and then on to bed.  I have 19 days left before my last day at work; 15 workdays, actually.  It'll be a very busy week coming up.  Good night.

It bloomed!

Our security guard greeted me with a picture of it as I came through the back entrance,  and I alerted the lady who gave me the orchid when it was ailing two years ago,  and there has been much oohing and ahhing throughout the day.  Hey,  it's the little things in life.  I've never had an orchid re-bloom for me,  although they're all healthy with good leaves and abundant roots.  Maybe this is the beginning of great things.

Just to leave you on a happy note

I took this five years ago, when I was walking to the bus stop. Isn't it pretty, the flowers plus the butterfly? :) Good night!

Home (and slightly damp)

It's raining, and I took my umbrella out of the office yesterday because it was raining then, and forgot to bring one back with me this morning. I had two gigantic (okay, really big) flower arrangements to get home that were donated and with most people gone from the hospital, they would have just died without any real enjoyment, so they gave them to me to brighten up things here, which is great, because, being single, I pretty much only get flowers when I buy them, and these are much bigger than I could afford. [They're usually donated funeral flowers.] Anyway, they smell wonderful and are a combination of roses, lilies, snapdragons, Canterbury bells, and lots of greenery, and they make me happy. So thank you to whomever. They were a challenge to get home intact, but I did manage, even with the rain. I think there is a high percentage chance that the Fourth of July celebrations will fizzle rather than sizzle due to the weather. I have tonight and all of tomorrow (it is our holiday at work, since July 4th is on a Saturday) as a time to spend some quality time alone, and that makes me uneasy. It's not that I'm afraid to be alone; it's more that I'm uncomfortable by myself. When I was younger, I was so introverted and pretty much alone most of the time, and it didn't bother me at all. Now, I have to really work at doing anything other than just going to sleep when I'm by myself.

Speaking of funeral flowers, I did get some sad news, although I'm waiting to see it in the paper because I don't necessarily trust social media for death information, but it seems that one of my co-workers at the gas station, a lovely woman who was very caring and worked very hard, whom I've mentioned here after her diagnosis when they were trying to fund the chemo for her cancer treatment, has died. A couple of weeks ago the doctors told her she had maybe six months to live and put her in hospice. She was just two weeks younger than I, a mother, grandmother--and just a great person. If this is true, I am so sorry to hear it; I know she struggled through two cancers in her life, and that's a shame. I enjoyed working with her and keeping up with her on Facebook, but I hadn't talked to her for awhile, although I did message her. But I'm glad she is at peace now, and no longer in pain. Rest in peace, Teressa. If I can find funeral information, I will try to go to it.

In the process of cleaning

I went looking for the AC adapter for something and managed to tear apart two closets and some totes.  While I found some other things,  of course,  I didn't find what I was looking for. So although in some ways I got a lot done, especially in the living room,  now the bedroom is a total disaster.

As I was going through boxes,  I found some bulbs that were sprouting.  I think they're daffodils.  So I put them in a pot with some new soil,  and put that in the front window.

I lost my cable today.  I think I'm going to let it go.  The price is ridiculous considering how little I watch TV, and I have a digital antenna for local channels, and I usually watch TV and Netflix with a friend at his place, and while I do use the Internet,  I can also use my phone for almost everything and my data plan includes a hotspot service that can run WiFi for several gigabytes a month. I could save $120 a month for the cable and Internet and another $20 a month for a phone that piggy-backs on the cable.

Okay,  I need to start putting the place back together.  I watched the local news, but I think it's time to go back to listening to music while I clean.

I did take this, though

It's a gorgeous Christmas Cactus bloom that's almost as big as the plant itself, which I got last year about this time. There are other buds on it, but this is the only on that's fully bloomed as yet. Those are happy geraniums in the background (happy because someone took pity on them and brought them in before they could freeze). :) This has been my main source of cheer today.

A little bit of spring

I know it's still pretty cold, but I saw these at the store and brought them home to cheer the place up a bit. Aren't they beautiful?

Earlier I was waiting for a friend at an appointment, so I watched the third episode of series one of 'Downton Abbey' on my tablet. Then I played a little Snood and Ninja Chicken and texted Brandon. My friend was in there for awhile, obviously.

It's been a long day and I think I'm going to go do a little reading before bed and then turn in, but I thought I'd post the picture. There was another I tried to get while we were in a drive through earlier but you couldn't read the signs clearly enough. One said 'Faith Covenant Church'. Next to it was a simple sign, 'Laundromat'. It's at the strip mall behind McDonald's and Chase Bank on Richmond Road. YKWIA, who was in the car with me, pointed out for them that 'cleanliness really is next to godliness'. He has such a deadpan humour. :) I wish that picture had come out, but alas, that was not the case. I'll try sometime during the day and see if it comes out clearer.

Okay, I'm going to get my shoes off and crawl into bed with a good book. Tomorrow I have to work and have three appointments. Wish me luck.

One more thing

Today my shamrock (the smaller, green one) sent out a whole spray of white flowers. The purple one has some flowers coming up, in pink, but I really enjoyed the blossoms today. They don't last long, so I took a picture. (I should really get one of the violet, too; it's doing quite nicely and is full of blooms). Anyway, here's the shamrock (which is not really a shamrock, they're just called that, it's really a species of Oxalis).

Let's try another

This is a picture I took in my grandmother's kitchen directly from the Blogger application, rather than loading out from the gallery on my device. My mother had brought done blooms in and put them in a vase.

This is the hydrangea in my grandmother's yard

Isn't it beautiful?
PS I am having trouble getting the photo to show with the mobile publishing. I'll fix it when I get near a computer again. Sorry about I'm
still working out the kinks.

Despite it snowing a good part of the day

I was warm and cozy in my library and had flowers to brighten up the place. The carnation spray on the right came from work, from recreational therapy. The plant on the left is an oxalis, often mistakenly called a shamrock, and if you look closely (click on the picture to blow it up if you have to, it's blooming little delicate pink flowers. I got it around St Patrick's Day last year from Kroger, and it was tiny compared to now. Around May I stuck it in the present pot and it just exploded in size. I'm thinking of repotting it to see if that continues. I had one co-worker who said the leaves look like butterflies flittering. I like that. :) Anyway, I brought the vase of cut flowers home for the weekend, but the oxalis will stay at work; it really likes the lighting there. You can also see part of my library in the background, just in case you're interested.

The snow hasn't been sticking, but that should change now that it's gotten dark. We're supposed to get 1-2 inches through tomorrow. I hope it's okay outside tomorrow as I'm going to the pharmacy, the library, and the grocery, plus doing laundry. We'll see.

My favourite wildflower

is considered a weed by most. It's common chicory, a very useful plant that is used in coffee in the deep South and also as a coffee substitute. It is also sometimes added to beer. Its root and leaves may be eaten, although the leaves are usually cooked to remove some of the bitterness. It is related to Belgian endive and radicchio. The plant isn't much to see but the flowers are a beautiful purple-blue--and they are aethereal, as they close when brought indoors or on cloudy days. Indeed, in Linnaeus' flower clock, chicory was used due to the regularity of its blooming time.

The picture to the right was snapped by me this morning on the way to the bus stop. The one below (a close-up that is much better), is by Alvesgaspar (Joaquim Alves Gaspar), who placed it on the Wikimedia Commons and licensed it under the Creative Commons 2.5 Generic Licence.

Okay, I think I'd better go. A storm has blown up with lots of thunder and lightning. Hope the electricity stays on.

Pretty

My Amaryllis is blooming at the office. Of course, what's generally known as Amaryllis is really Hippeastrum. Amaryllis actually refers to something we call around here a Resurrection Lily.

The Hippeastrum has large flowers that are very cheery. I have another plant that has never produced a bloom (this one I purchased with the flower stalks already up). Some young bulbs take a couple of years before they'll bloom, so I'm hoping for next year. In the meantime, I've enjoyed this plant immensely.

I feel snotty, oh so snotty

Sorry I haven't posted. I've been turning in early because I've been fighting a cold (and losing). Memorial Day I was in bed (or more accurately, in chair, by 9 pm). I've been sleeping in the recliner with the CPAP machine because I've been able to breathe better upright. I need a new masque and hose, so some air is leaking. Plus my machine may need to be recalibrated--it's been several years. Today I need to make an appointment with the sleep centre to see if I can take care of that. Wouldn't want to die quietly in my sleep, you know.

Saturday it was like having part of the day off, since I only worked six hours (I'm back to the normal ten this week). Sunday was the game, fortunately with no explosions this time but we did all get satellite cell phone hookups which was great. They're supposed to be global, which will help in the Antarctic adventure. It helps to have a few wealthy characters in the game, as they're about $2000 a piece.

Monday I went home to visit my mom and grandmother (who turned 83 yesterday). I brought my grandmother some calla lillies for her birthday. It took me nearly an hour just to check all the car fluids (trying to avoid killing another engine like I did last year). It took awhile to figure out where the transmission fluid dipstick was, since it was hidden behind and down from the engine. Fortunately I still have my manual. It needed antifreeze, oil, and a smidge of transmission fluid. I went ahead and got a phone card and then I was on my way.

It was a pleasant drive (thank goodness for cruise control, my personal anti-trooper deterrent--who needs radar guns if you're not speeding?) and a pleasant trip. My mom was between a 16-hour and 8-hour shift up in Lexington, so she couldn't stay long. I have my insurance card for the car now, too, so while hopefully I won't need it, I won't be without it should I be stopped. My grandmother loaned me her exercise bike, since she can't use it anymore. I haven't gotten it out of the car yet; I'll try that tonight.

After I got back, D and I went shopping with the gift card I'd received. I got 5 pairs of underwear, 1 bra, 1 nightgown, 3 blouses, a pair of sandals that are dressy enough for work, and a skirt, and basically only paid for the skirt. It took us a little over an hour to hunt things down, which amazed Dwana.

Yesterday it was back to work to both jobs with the cold in full swing. It's worse today--I'm just clammy and snotty and seriously wondering if I should call into work. But I'll preservere. Besides, I don't want my boss at the gas station to have to work a double because of me. But man, I feel like crap.

Cerys is itchy again, so I need to check into giving her another cortisone shot--I don't want to do that too often, it can trigger diabetes, but I don't want her miserable either. Plus she goes around the house rubbing against everything, pulling bookshelves down, and heading for a crescendo of the only real bark she does anymore, which isn't good in an apartment complex environment. She's calmed down this morning, thankfully. But I think a shot is in order.

Well, I guess that's all for now. It feels like Tuesday because of the holiday. Soon I'll be painting shelves and a bedroom between jobs, so I'm not sure how much time I'll get to blog--I hope to keep up pretty well, though. Hope you have a wonderful day.

A couple of quizzes

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You'd like to your lover to think you are flexible and ready for anything! You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Today was a little weird at work. We had underage teens asking for a local strip club so they could pray outside it. We went through many newspapers, almost all of our ice, and lots of beer in preparation for the Kentucky Derby (sort of like our Mardi Gras, except everyone parties hard and then the actual event is over in like 2 minutes). The woman who was supposed to relieve me didn't come in at all, even though her husband said she had left. I waited around over 30 minutes, and finally decided I needed to go. The assistant manager was coming in a couple of hours to close instead. I don't get it. I'm a little afraid my co-worker may have had an accident or something; it's not like her to be no call, no show.

I worked a couple of hours on the notes and took a friend into work, then helped another with a project or two. I went to go out and do my religious obligations, but I can't for the life of me find my wine (which I had, really). I can't buy any more this late or at all on Sunday, so I couldn't do the traditional offering of honeyed wine. Instead I did honey, with a promise of more wine as soon as I can get some. I changed the place where I do the libation; out back near our back porch a family of snakes lives. Earlier today there was one basking in the rain (yeah, I know, it sounds weird) with its head up tasting the air. It seemed appropriate to give a Cthonian offering near a den of snakes. I think She liked the new arrangement.

That's all for now. Good night.