Bill paying (always my job) grocery shopping (usually done by Don) juggling the budget (always a pain in the tush) – that’s my agenda for today. Don is still in pain, but he stood in the shower this morning letting the steam hit his back and he slowly exercised his left arm and shoulder and things feel loser now, which makes us hopeful. We’re watching it on a day-by-day basis.
It’s colder today. It will only reach 32 degrees. But it will slowly warm up as of tomorrow. Our neighbors came back from skiing yesterday and, as I was sitting in the kitchen working on a puzzle, I realized I was hearing the sound of a snow blower. I jumped up and ran into the den to look out the window. Sure enough, Bill was using the snow blower. Shortly after that, Don got a message from Bill saying he found a rock that was jamming the works and all was well. Sigh of relief!
I needed a few more mini books to fill up the bookcase in the English cottage, so I ordered some from LandauHouse, my favorite mini book maker. Lots of children’s books on nature, and a red ‘leather’ set of Jane Austen. I can’t wait to put them on the shelves.
Sarah always throws in an extra treat – this time, A Flower Fairy Alphabet.
I’m waiting for a new puzzle to arrive. In the meantime, I’m working on a smallish puzzle – maybe 500 pieces? – that was sent to us by a longtime friend from San Diego theater days. She sent two for us and two for Rick and Doug. The one I’m working on is of La Jolla Cove, a place I love. It’s fun. Lots of seals, of course! I’d like to be walking on that beach right now.
Okay. I’m off to write out checks and ask our electric company why our bill is so much larger this month.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
Wishing Don to feel better soon.
Our electricity bill was larger this month , I guess it is what they said was coming. The increase in Social Security did not cover the increase in everything.
These politicians have no clue.
Yes La Jolla is a beautiful place and I remember the coves.
If this Pandemic ever ends we hope to get on a plane and see our family again in Southern Ca.
What’s a killer for me in Southern CA right now is the cost of our natural gas/SoCalif Gas Co for the forced-air furnace/heating, which we ran a lot in Dec/Jan due to colder weather than normal. It’s usually one of my cheapest monthly bills. But our last one was $160 and a friend of ours had $140. It’s like a hike in cost, despite the extra usage, of four times over. It’s never been like that; ever. Can’t believe these bills!
It’s truly costing a lot to live with price of car fuel (especially high cost of gasoline in SoCalif; we’re paying per gallon, $4.87/regular [premium is $5.20]!); groceries, utilities. And I’m buying earthquake insurance today, separate from the homeowner’s insurance, and it’s another big ‘hit’. Ouch.
xo
No, you’re right. They have absolutely no clue.
Stay safe, Linda.
That Flower Fairy book was spot on!
(I have the whole set in 1 : 1 size — which is not very large anyway.)
Energy costs are rising by leaps and bounds everywhere. Here as well.
And my best to Don, of course.
Thank you so much, Petra!
Stay safe.
HI,
I am happy to hear the neighbors snow blower is up and running with no repairs! I am invested in this because my life in the winter revolves around snow blowing. This winter we have not had a lot of snow. But, several storms dropped 24+ inches within 24 hours which is hard to deal with. Plus , there was more wet, heavy snow rather than powder.
I hope Don’s shoulder gets better each and everyday.
Take Care,
Kaye
Park City, UT
Yes, we’ve had more heavy wet snows and lots of ice.
Thanks so much, Kaye!
Stay safe.
The books are just precious. Glad to hear that Don’s arm is healing. Keeping fingers crossed. Our weather has warmed considerably since last week’s snow and deep freeze. It makes for muddy trails when walking, but I’ll take it:)
Ours continues to get warmer, then colder, then warmer, etc.
Thanks, Karen.
Stay safe.
We had an email sometime in the last several wks from Con Ed telling us that our bill would be higher…which it certainly was! So that will be their line to you, I guess. And our new amount was obviously without any AC, sigh. Happy to hear that your husband is able to move his shoulder slowly. Here’s to healing! Should you need, please feel free to email me privately as we know a PT who is a true gift for arms and related parts :)
Thanks so much, Naomi!
Stay safe.
I am glad to hear that Don’s arm is healing. There are always worries when someone falls on ice…hopefully he will see continued improvement.
Our electric/heating bill went up as well. But, since we are on a monthly budget plan, we don’t really feel the impact until the yearly average is figured out, and there is an adjustment. It ‘s a plan that works well, now that we are on a fixed income.
Glad to hear the ‘fix’ on your neighbor’s snowblower was a simple one. Enjoy your day! ;)
We may have to go on a monthly budget plan because this is depressing!
Thanks, Donnamae.
Stay safe.
Claudia, a lot of people in NJ are shocked at our electric bills too. Ours is usually $300 in the winter but our last bill was $700! I run a heater in my kitchen in this weather and I have heat lamps and heated pet beds for the seven feral cats that call my garage home. Our house is over a hundred years old with just a crawl space under the large kitchen. It’s just cold!
On a fun note, those tiny books are fascinating!
God Bless you for taking care of those cats in such severe weather; I’ve got the one who I have never been able to coax into the garage, but I always put self-warming pads in insulated outdoor shelters for him and all who came before him.
Same. Our house was built in 1891 and we have a crawl space under both the kitchen and the den.
God bless you for helping those cats!
Thanks, Judy.
Stay safe.
I hope Don continues to improve, it’s a big ouch as we get older. The miniature books are so sweet. I’m glad the snow blower is working…whew!! Yes time for bill paying and getting ready for March. Already feels like the months are flying by. Hugs!
Once we get through March, we should be home free. March is a fickle month in terms of winter weather.
Stay safe, Linda.
How fun to have San Diego locale puzzles. Ah, La Jolla; if I could only visit right now! I love the place, too. It’s a whole diff ocean view/feel from L.A. and south, as opposed to L.A. and north. La Jolla and surrounds, you’re getting closer to the Mexican border; it’s warmer. So many times the north SoCal beaches and what’s called Central Coast, from like Ventura County/Santa Barbara County all the way up to Monterey, are much cooler and there’s more fog. But I can’t think of the whole San Diego area except being bathed in bright, warm sun, and very clear horizons; I like that whole area around San Clemente, Carlsbad, too.
And the miniature books are just precious.
Poor Don; hope he feels better soon. And I’m glad your back isn’t too bad after that ‘ice shoveling’, Claudia.
I’m sitting here listening to more wind; always the wind; never ends now. No wind season anymore; the Santa Anas stay with us year ’round. We’re in a wind advisory til 3pm and although it’s only 11am, we’re already over 80 degrees in temperature. Always wish I could send you some warm, and you could send me some cool, one coast to the other!
An aside: With the lifting of mask mandate, my husband (who of the two of us goes in the stores now) was seeing, even up to Friday here in Southern Calif, MOST people still wearing masks, even on the street, like walking, but especially in shops. What a diff by yesterday evening, just Friday to Sunday: He went to the drugstore at dinnertime last night, and NOBODY in the store (and it was crowded) was masked. Astounded, my husband went over to a clerk we’ve known for 20 years, “Alex, what’s up with nobody wearing a mask but store personnel; when did it get like this?” Alex said, “We noticed it for the first time yesterday, Saturday. All of a sudden, masks are really-really off, and I think it’s a big mistake.”
All dovetails with my husband now losing his Covid testing site location; they’ve closed it up but he still has to get tested every two weeks for his job. I had stopped by a fast-food place to order a drink on Friday and they weren’t busy, so I chatted with the guy at the drive-up window and he said, “Yeah, we’re still wearing masks as employees and I’m glad, because we’ve got all these people now coming into the restaurant who aren’t masked, and I don’t think it’s safe yet. We also still have our body temp checked every day with the ‘wand’ (thermometer/forehead) before we start our shift. I’m glad this restaurant chain is continuing to be careful for the staff; I hope they don’t change it.”
So, I wonder, when I go to a medical appointment this week, will my doctor still have a mask on? Oh well, I’ll have on mine!
So what I learn is that in Southern CA, we’ve been allowed to be maskless indoors in most public places with proof of vax (all changes more tomorrow; you can now be UNvax’d) but no/few stores were checking, so it was all a joke. Can’t expect your employees to have to try to police that I guess, standing at entrance to a store and checking vax cards. (So much of retail, for instance, has also lost too many staffers anyway in the past two years. They don’t have the ‘man’power.) And I don’t have much faith in the honor system; who do you believe and not believe when it’s just their word that, “Oh, sure; I’ve been vaccinated; let me in.” Seems like a free-4-all, but this is it; it’s here; endemic vs pandemic. I want to return to normal life just like anybody but, like many are saying, it feels too soon; and once masks are off, there will be such reluctance to put them back on again.
I was thinking about the Ukrainians jammed into trains, underground shelters; I hope all those already-besieged people don’t now also get Covid. You do see some wearing masks on the TV coverage. I feel like if I was, say, living in Poland, I’d want to open up my home to a refugee; just basic human-to-human good-heartedness, to ease pain. Give comfort and shelter. One reporter said that the people getting to a safer destination arrive ‘shell-shocked’; dear God how can your heart not cry for them. It’s what’s in most of us, to reach out, although it has seemed like we lost some of that humankindness in the last few years with so much political/pandemic strife.
I cannot deal with complaints about wearing masks here in this country when I see what the Ukrainians are going through. We have a segment of our population who are spoiled babies.
I shopped for groceries yesterday. Our mandate is no more, but there were many shoppers with masks on. I find that encouraging!
xo
At this time of year, like clockwork, I miss living in southern California. Don really does, as he was born there. But then, once spring starts, we start oohing and aahing about how beautiful it is here.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Claudia, may I suggest that Don rotate the heat with ice. If the shoulder is inflamed putting heat then ice was recommended when I fell filling my bird feeder. I never knew what hit me as I was knocked out cold . Fortunately I was only out for about five minutes . I never filled the bird feeder when the walkway was ice covered again. We lived in the country with no visible neighbors. Physical therapy was required for my injuries . Try putting rice in a zip loc bag and freezing it . Then applying it to Don’s shoulder. Hope he is on the mend soon. About the budget Do not worry about it . Worry will cause stress and stress will do a lot of damage
Yes, we do that. My sister is a therapist and always advises that. Thank you, Patricia!
Bless you.
Stay safe.
I’m glad that the hot water is helping Don and second the alternating heat with ice route, which I’ve been prescribed more than once since I have periodic spasms and am not the most graceful human in the world. It does help. I’ve had two nasty falls in the past month — nothing horribly serious but certainly shake-ups.
Those books are the cutest things EVER! What glorious detail. And the puzzles sound fun. I’m sure you can do 500 in an evening! Or maybe two. I’m still plugging on The Art Shop but can only do so much at a time.
I actually went to a theatre performance yesterday. It was a costumed, semi-staged concert version of “Guys and Dolls” and being done in a church three blocks away from home. I figured I’d walk over to the matinee and if it was too crowded I’d just leave. Fortunately, I sat on the last row on the end. There were high ceilings, good ventilation and masks were required. (And since Covid numbers are dropping quickly here, that was a factor). Although I knew people in the cast and normally would have stuck around after, I beat it out quickly before the lobby filled up. It felt safe — as safe as something like that could be. That said, I did not attend a well-reviewed production of Cabaret because it was in the theatre-proper and I wasn’t sure I’d have any flexibility in seating. Still. A step toward normalcy, though it might be a bit before I do it again.
How nice to see a theater performance, Jeanie! Good for you! I guess we take this on a case-by-case basis, right?
Stay safe.
I hope Don’s shoulder is better soon. If not he should get it checked out. I had two friends fall on their shoulder and tear the rotator cuff. Waiting too long did not help.
Pretty sure it’s not the rotator cuff, Kay. And I can’t make Don do anything. When and if he feels it’s time to see the doctor, I’ll take him there.
Thanks, my friend.
Stay safe.