social distancing

Day Forty-One

April 23, 2020 at 9:37 am by Claudia

Getting there. I spent most of yesterday working on the puzzle. The high winds continued all day long, so I was stuck inside. I’m really enjoying the challenge. I’m a big crossword puzzle fan and have been for years so I guess it makes sense. I love figuring out how things fit, whether it be puzzle pieces or letters in squares.

I even expanded my work area by bringing down a piece of masonite that was leftover from the kit for Don’s Studio so that I could assemble the individual book covers away from the actual puzzle, as they were cluttering things up.

I’ve already ordered my next puzzle, though it may not get here for a couple of weeks. I also have this same puzzle format but with The Hardy Boys covers, instead of Nancy Drew (thank you, Vicki!) But I think I’ll hold off on that one.

I could become addicted to them. I’m teetering on the precipice as I write this.

This morning I woke up at 4 am, thanks to Don’s snores. I tried to go back to sleep, but it didn’t work, so I got up at 4:30 and made some coffee. Bad Don. (He apologized profusely.)

It’s still cold here and I’m over it. It was 30 degrees when I got up. Hello? It’s almost the end of April. So I think I’ll hold off on the trip to the nursery until the beginning of next week. Why buy a lot of plants if I can’t plant them? Better to keep them in the heated greenhouses until I’m ready.

What else? If you haven’t seen Anderson Cooper’s interview with the Mayor of Las Vegas…well, let’s just say she’s an ignoramus. And that’s being kind. I get that the economy is suffering. But when the economy becomes more important than human life, we’ve got a big problem. I’m talking to you, Governors who want to ‘get back to work and open beaches and parks and wrestling!’

Happy Birthday to my man, William Shakespeare. I never tire of your words. I learn something new every time I read them. You are the wisest of the wise.

That’s all I can come up with today. I’m tired and slightly edgy. Time to go to work on the puzzle.

Stay home. Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Day Forty

April 22, 2020 at 9:55 am by Claudia

Day Forty. I have now reached the time equivalent of Lent.

I trimmed some of the brambles yesterday, but it started raining earlier than predicted, so my time was cut short. Don had to abort his walk, too. Then it got colder and, yes, windier, and that wind continued throughout the night. It’s better now, but still quite windy and it’s definitely colder out there. Sigh. Given the bizarre temperature changes of April, I’m not sure when I’ll go to the nursery. Maybe tomorrow. But maybe not until Monday.

Currently wrestling with gardening/puzzle back problems. I suppose it being too windy for me to work outside (pollen) is a good thing as it will give my back a rest – except for the call of the jigsaw puzzle, which I cannot ignore.

Both of us slept in today after, once again, falling asleep at 9:30. We just had our second cup of coffee together. Yay for freshly ground Peet’s coffee being delivered to our door! And for our UPS guy who delivered it. And for the USPS who delivers every day. I ordered stamps from them online a couple of weeks ago, and I’ll do it again soon. We need to support them.

I miss Paris. I miss London. I miss, surprisingly, New York City. Seeing photos of the empty streets in all of those places makes me sad. I miss getting in our car and taking a road trip. Or even the simple drive across the Hudson to my favorite bookshop. I miss browsing in antique shops. Though we rarely eat out, I miss having that option. And even though I will have the option of visiting our local nursery, I’ll miss taking my own sweet time looking at everything.

I’ve seen a lot of “count your blessings” kind of messages and memes on Facebook and Instagram. I suppose they are of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” sort, meant to buck us all up during this pandemic. I understand and we need them. Except when that kind of message is used to negate someone’s heartfelt sadness, bewilderment, confusion, etc. It’s okay to miss things. It’s also okay to say it. It’s okay to be frustrated and restless, as Don was this morning when he said he was ready for this to be over and that he missed getting on a bus and going into the city for an audition. Of course we feel these things, and we have the right to vocalize or write about them. Feeling that way doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of counting our blessings at the same time. I think the endless “But you’re so lucky, you get to stay home and read books!” of “Now you can do something creative!” responses are well meaning, but also speak to the responder’s own unease and fear.

Navigating this time is complicated. That’s an understatement. We’ve never done anything like this before. I had a somewhat bad afternoon and evening yesterday and I didn’t hold back from expressing my frustration. I let myself feel sorry for myself; Don held me and let me express my feelings, without judgment. I have perspective this morning, which I knew would be the case. So don’t fret about sharing your fears or frustration here on this blog. It’s okay.

This part of my post grew out of my conversation with my husband during that second cup of coffee this morning. It helped us. I hope it helps you.

Stay safe and stay home.

Happy Wednesday.

Day Thirty-Nine

April 21, 2020 at 9:24 am by Claudia

The day dawned with sunshine all around and now it’s cloudy. Apparently, we’re getting thunderstorms this afternoon. Darn it. I was all set to do some work outside. I did get out yesterday afternoon to clear some more garden beds. I have a long list of things to do out there. I’ll run outside after I post this to try to get some of it done before the rains come.

Then it will be puzzle time.

The flowering quince is in bloom.

And the lilac buds are coming along. Some sun would help! I can see the peony shoots coming out of the ground, as well. And the clematis is leafing out.

Spring – you’ve been very slow this year. You seem to be taking your own sweet time. I can’t wait to smell those lilacs!

I worked a lot on the puzzle yesterday. I started A Gentleman in Moscow. And what a sweet sigh of happiness it brings. It’s such a joy to read Amor Towle’s words again. I’m taking my time, savoring each and every page. Maybe I should just read it over and over until this pandemic is no more?

One of the vintage Penguins I ordered arrived yesterday – it took three weeks to get here from England – as well as a John Prine T-shirt that Don ordered, but both things are currently inside the red bench in the kitchen where all mail sits for 24 hours. It forces us to delay gratification. Let’s hope it’s character building.

We also had to order coffee directly from Peet’s because it was inevitably out of stock on our grocery orders and we couldn’t risk running out. That arrived via UPS late in the afternoon. We had to wipe it down, of course, and then wash and rewash our hands. I know it’s the new normal and most days, I’m fine with it. Yesterday was not one of those days.

Once again, we fell asleep while watching Cheers – that makes three nights in a row. Lately, it seems we can’t make it past 9:30 pm!

Stay safe. Stay home.

Happy Tuesday.

claudiahillsparks

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