Sun.
And a bit warmer. It went down to 23 degrees last night.
I am ready for warmer spring weather. For buying seeds and potting plants. For clearing out the garden beds – but now you understand why I don’t do that until at least mid-April, all those plants would have lost the protection of the leaf mulch if I had done it earlier.
I’m hoping the yet-to-open daffodil buds are okay.
This puzzle has been slow going. I put the bottom edge pieces together, but haven’t done that for the other three sides. Instead, I decided to assemble the flowers and leaves. I’ll fill in the rest of the pieces after I finish the leaves on the flowers in the upper right hand corner.
John Derian posted today that he has three new puzzles coming out! If you remember, I assembled that old map of Manhattan and the butterflies – both of which were Derian puzzles. I love his style, his sensibility, and his love of old images.
A couple of questions for you:
We ordered some new face masks today and I also want to order some disposable medical grade masks, as recommended for double masking by the CDC – but it’s hard to know which are the best or are from legitimate sellers. Do any of you have suggestions? Do you have a medical grade mask (doesn’t need to be N95, just a medical mask) that you would recommend?
I was informed by USPS that I have a package coming to my post office box. Since I didn’t order anything, if you’re the sender can you let me know? I’m wary of just stopping in to our little post office (only because of COVID) and it helps me to know if there is a specific sender. Then I’m more likely to go pick it up. Hope that makes sense.
I was still quite tired yesterday, but I slept a long time last night and feel better today. Don is feeling better today, too. Our reactions were quite mild, so we’re not complaining!
It feels so good to know that we’re fully vaccinated. That, combined, with the onset of gardening and outdoor work and sitting on the porch – all of that will be coming soon – feels like a big light at the end of the tunnel.
In the meantime, I’ve been watching Gardeners’ World on BritBox. It’s good for my soul.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
I live in South Carolina and the temperature here went down to 26 last night! You should see my poor fig tree. :-(
But I am hoping it will bounce back, since it had just started leafing out. Hope all your plants weathered the freeze.
I hope your tree bounces back, Anne!
Stay safe!
I taught in Lake city and Bennettsville in the 1990’s. My last name same as yours. Small world
I don’t know of a specific brand of mask. I know you want at least 3 layers, I think some are 4. If you are planning to double mask I think 3 layers should be good.
It has been freezing here every night this week. We never plant anything til about mid may. If it would warm up a bit we have lots of yard clean up to do in the meantime. I am looking forward to visiting the greenhouse this year. I plan to take more time. Last year I didn’t want to linger…just get in and get out.
Hope you have a lovely Easter.
I already have a three layer mask, but we’re being told by the CDC to double mask – one medical grade mask and a cloth mask. That’s what we’re looking into.
Yes, last year I would go through my local nursery on overdrive because I didn’t want to linger!
Stay safe, Marilyn!
That puzzle is gorgeous….difficult looking, but gorgeous.
I bought disposable masks at Walgreens a few months ago. I don’t have the box they came in anymore, but I believe they were medical grade. They are our backups.
I am so itching to plant and work in the soil, but I won’t. I’ll force myself to be patient. It is hard though. Glad you two are feeling better…stay safe! ;)
We were at a Walgreens for our shots but I didn’t see any there.
Stay safe, Donna!
I love the colors of that lovely puzzle!
We will have weather in the 70s today and tomorrow with the sun shining so I will get out for a nice walk. April showers heading our way later in the week.
Stay safe!
Thank you, Ellen!
Stay safe.
Lovely puzzle. But then, I like anything botanical!
Warm enough here to get out and rake up the remnant leaves from autumn, prune roses, check the irrigation systems, muck out the pond, plant seeds and generally look over the yard and play gardener again. Your turn next!
I’ve colored eggs on Holy Saturday since I was a kid, so you know what today holds: yellows and pinks and greens and blues! I guess we’ll be having devilled eggs as part of our Easter feast. How wonderful to be able to put fully vaccinated family in one room and enjoy the holiday–truly the best blessing anyone could ask for!
I wish I had a mask recommendation for you, but we have just been adding extra filter layers to our mask inserts.
Happy bunny day! Stay safe and warm and enjoy the slowly unfurling season!
Not quite warm enough here yet – and we don’t plant any seeds until the first week of May.
Stay safe, Roxie!
Another great puzzle, Claudia. I have done all of mine now, I even did a Disney one although it was 1000 pieces.
I am booked in for my second vaccination on Friday evening and it’s three weeks earlier than expected so that’s a bonus. I am a little concerned as I have read that ideally there shouldn’t be more than a six week gap for the 2nd Pfizer vaccine and it will be nine weeks but it’s a light at the end of a very long tunnel.
I watched Gardeners’ World yesterday day evening. I think it’s too frosty over night for my sweet peas to be planted out but Month’s garden is further south. I have a confession that even though I like Carol Klein as a gardener, I mute the sound and use subtitles as I find her voice quite annoying.
Happy Saturday
Oh heavens, I agree! I often skip her segments because I find her voice so annoying!
Stay safe, Dee Dee!
*Monty …. auto correct again!
xo
glad that you and don are feeling better.
my arm is sore at the injection site, but i have no complaints about that either. immunity and what it will bring far outweigh the soreness i feel.
hope your plants are well, too, making it through the cold mornings. glad you have a gardening show to ride you over! will you be ordering any more john derian puzzles? the current one looks tough, but is beautiful.
64 degrees and sunny here. breezes make it feel chillier. typical spring weather. hope to sew this afternoon so the sunshine will help.
no mask suggestions or anything else from me.
happy saturday. stay safe!
kathy in iowa
I have to see what the new puzzles look like and then I’ll decide.
Stay safe, Kathy!
Claudia- A friend told us about KN95 masks with 5 layers. I ordered through Amazon. They definitely feel like more protection and are much easier to breathe with as they do not cling to your face. And have a nose pinch. We got a box of 30.
Hope that helps!
Thank you, Melanie!
Stay safe.
Hi Claudia,
I am so glad you and Don have had your second shot and that your symptoms were mild. My mom & brother have had their J&J. My mil just had her second Moderna yesterday. She has mild symptoms today. My immediate family and I are scheduled for J&J on the 15th.
I have already made a Pinterest board featuring all of the fun things I have planned once we are vaccinated….you know, things like walk along the shore at my favorite beach and browse through Barnes & Noble. I CAN’T WAIT!!! We wont be traveling or eating in a restaurant (not comfortable being maskless in public) until herd immunity kicks in.
I am going to start looking for a cute wardrobe of masks now!
Although we have not ventured into a public space since early March 2020, we do have masks “just in case.” I purchased these filters because they are 5 layers, one layer being carbon. They are also larger than the standard filters and fill the entire face mask. Here is the link if anyone is interested: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JCJDP2N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
One thing I do like about masks is how they really help with seasonal allergies. I wear them when it is windy or when I am gardening, so helpful.
Your puzzles are beautiful, I have enjoyed watching your progress. I’m looking forward to seeing your spring/summer garden, not much longer now!
xo,
Christy
Thanks so much, Christy.
Last year, I started wearing one of my masks when I was mowing the lawn. It helped my allergies!
Stay safe.
My husband and I have never worn one of the attractive cloth (washable/reusable) face masks (I could if I wanted to; my cousin works for a gal who has an online shop and they send out tons of them every week and were even featured in a fashion magazine piece several months ago; they’re stylish, like all the diff kinds of masks you see Nancy Pelosi wear; I don’t think there’s a one of them for sale under $50 each; handmade, finest fabrics, embellishments; whatever [I’m not into it]).
Instead, I personally have always worn an N95 particulate respirator (I’m not in it for ‘looks”!) or I think it’s sometimes called a KN95; all disposable. (Any mask of any type we’ve ever worn is disposable/throw away.) I haven’t gone anywhere ‘in public’ except medical-related appointments; on those trips last Aug-Oct, my mask was a one-time use and I’d throw it away as I’d get back in the car (our car trunk is a graveyard of used masks!). In more recent times of Jan-Feb, I was double masked and I’d throw away the outer non-medical grade mask but keep my N95 which had been underneath; don’t know if that was the wisest thing to do. I mean, afterward, the mask I’m keeping hangs on a knob inside the car for days and the car is HOT inside (the car isn’t garaged; it’s outside in direct sun; we’re in SoCalif and have been in a heatwave of late); the virus doesn’t like HOT, so I’d figured the ‘germs’ would be dead. If I’m out in the car, just along for the ride, I’ll re-use my disposable mask a few times, because it’s just my husband and I in our own environment. It’s really simply for my protection if for some reason we were stopped, had to get out, go in somewhere, etc.
My husband dislikes the N95s and, since becoming fully vaccinated, is only wearing a non-medical disposable face mask (3-ply filtration) which is more ‘breathable’ but I don’t think it’s a good idea because it gapes on the sides. You can knot the loops to make it tighter, but he hates the constriction; like anybody, he’s sick of the whole issue of mask wearing, knowing all the while it’s with us for a long time yet, so of course he always DOES wear a mask in public, especially at the grocery store (he started going to the grocery store again this week after just too many issues with our curbside pickup; he’s fed up with it) but of course, here, it’s a requirement in any store; however, he’s no longer masking up when he walks the dog in The Great Outdoors (which is what at least Calif was advising us we should do a couple of months back).
We’ve actually just this week run out of our wildfire N95s and I don’t like the new respirators we got, but I’ll just have to deal with them as, now that I too am fully vaccinated, I’ve got a lot of medical appointments stacked up again, so I have to be out there ‘in the world’ as my husband, throughout this pandemic, always has (doing the necessary things/errands for the both of us). See, I favor the KN95 but it doesn’t have the respirator apparatus of our newest-purchased N95s; it’s confusing. I guess my generalized thought is/has been that any mask is better than no mask.
I’m glad you posed the question today because I am AGAIN going to discuss firmly with my husband that he should be wearing a medical-grade mask, indeed per the CDC. Being vaccinated does not mean taking chances. I’ve got a friend who’s hosting a Easter gathering of eleven family members tomorrow; some of the people who’ll be inside her home are vaccinated but some are not. None of them will be wearing masks I hear. I feel it’s a big no-no. Most of the people are in their 70s. (The matriarch is age 98.) But folks are impatient. They’re tired of waiting to celebrate their special holidays. They want everybody to be together in one place.
I can’t help but feel that everything is going too fast; I guess influenced by the medical folks who are saying hold your horses, slow it down for just a little while yet; wait til more people are vaccinated and also til there’s more known about variants. I have another friend who, the very minute she was two weeks past her 2nd jab, did inside restaurant dining, sitting elbow to elbow. Why such a rush? Also, two other friends, same thing, hosted a dinner party; hugs all around. Finger foods; champagne; the works (and dancing cheek to cheek). Maybe I’m a joke because I’m overly cautious yet, while everybody else around me has decided to have fun. But I’d rather wait til summer; I mean, we’ve waited THIS long, why push it? Clearly a very individual decision.
Back to masks, it’s sometimes a matter of just looking around when trying to find new masks; stumbling onto a cache of masks somewhere. My husband has had good luck at Walmart; usually a table right inside the front doors of things people want like disinfectant wipes and masks and hand sanitizer and gloves; sometimes you get lucky. We had a spa somewhat near us who temporarily went into N95 mask manufacture, now closed down, and my husband made a special trip to get what they had while they had it, although they very much limited your purchase. A friend of mine stumbled upon some N95s at a garden center/hardware store. (I guess various masks are used with sanding furniture or floors or walls or other such tasks?)
I’m going to end this and go right now to read the latest CDC recommendation on masks. My husband needs a review and so do I! I’m afraid that the single, disposable, non-medical grade mask is not giving enough protection to my husband when he’s now out & about even more than in the past.
I had an N95 on hand at the start of the pandemic. But it wore out and we were told by the CDC that they should be reserved for medical workers who really needed them. There probably isn’t quite the shortage there was but we still opt for something other than the N95. I think a medical grade mask and a fabric mask would do the trick, in fact, that’s what the CDC advises – the fabric mask helps to close any gaps from the medical grade mask.
Stay safe!
I have a boa od 50 /3ply disposable masks that I purchased at the supermarket I also ordered 10 pack of Bluegrass Disposable Cup face masks that are made in the USA and purchased on amazon. I also have cloth masks that have a spot to insert small filters that you dispose of before washing your cloth masks. I really like the Bluegrass masks. they have two elastics that go behind the head and not the ears. The cup also has the metal nose piece and foam so that it is comfortable and makes a snug fit. They are white. I wear this whenever I go anywhere along with a disposable or one of my cloth masks over it. I also bought and use disposable gloves that I wear in stores or post office. They come in pack of hundred. I feel safer ….I also use hand sanitizer, always use my own pen….wipe off my credit cards…..so on and so on…..With that I am sneezing today and think I am starting Allergy Season. Ypee. Hope this helps. Happy Easter to everyone.
I got my second Pfizer vaccine last Wednesday, the same day both of you got your second shots. A little achy Wednesday night 2 Tylenol and went to bed early. I woke up a bit tired but went about my day. Friday I crashed, so tired after 9 hours of sleep, nap at noon for 2 hours then early to bed again. Saturday a bit better not as tired. Today back to normal and just went for a long walk. So health person I have talked to said my immune system must be working. Glad it is working. Question: What are your thoughts on asking people you know if they are vaccinated? Is it rude? Is it too personal? If you want to see someone even outside. Shouldn’t we know? One of our neighbors told my husband that he doesn’t believe in getting vaccinated. My first thought was….well your not coming over for dinner in the future.
Dear Claudia
As usual, I’m a few days behind with my blog reading so you might have ordered masks already.
In the beginning, we ordered N95 rubber gas masks with replaceable filters from 3M. I think this is about as safe as you can get. Unfortunately, we soon discovered that they were extremely uncomfortable to wear for long periods and people couldn’t understand us when we speak. Also, since we were the only ones around town using them, it made other people uncomfortable. We’ve put them away in case the sh*t really hits the fan.
Later, we ordered disposable N95 cloth masks from 3M. They were VERY expensive. We re-use them under our cloth masks until they become grubby, then replace them. Since we cover them with an outer mask, I think the only thing we need to worry about in terms of contamination is our own breath.
For the outer masks, in summer we’re using oversized cloth masks with elastic that I made myself. Now that it’s becoming winter here, we’re changing out the outer masks for a tube of stretch fabric that we wear around our necks and pull up over the N95 mask to under our eyes. This is actually much more comfortable than a mask with elastic but we found it was too warm for summer.
We always sanitize our hands after being out and before touching the masks. The outer mask is carefully removed, and it goes straight into the wash. When we’ve been out, we take off and sanitize our shoes before we go into the house, and all our clothes go in the wash.
Groceries and anything else that we bought get washed/sanitized on a table outside before we bring it into the house.
When we visit friends or family, we wear our masks, stay in their garden, and keep a distance.
This might sound excessive, but remember that we’re living in a country where the virus is spreading unchecked and there are new variants that are more contagious now. There has been virtually no vaccinations here yet, most people don’t have any access to medical care, and besides, I’m becoming more and more concerned that vaccination is not going to make much difference.
We’re fortunate that my husband and I both work from home. We limit our outside contact as much as possible, and since the pandemic started, we don’t allow anyone into our house.
This has alienated a few people and in the beginning I had some heated discussions with family and friends but I actually don’t care. It is important to us that we have a home where we know that we are completely safe.
Some days now, I really suffer from pandemic fatigue and I feel quite depressed. This is carrying on for so long with no end in sight. People tell me that I brought it on myself for over reacting in the beginning. They are increasingly going about their lives and ignoring any safety measures. I can’t describe the panic I feel when I see how careless they behave, or the sadness when they get sick and die, which has happened to people I personally know. I also feel quite angry. If everyone took extreme precautions, we would be out of the pandemic by now. The virus doesn’t move around by itself, people pass it to one another.
I feel like we’re in an apocalypse here. In the coming months it can go either way – the virus will start dispersing and life will return to some kind of normality, or things will really get out of hand. If things grow worse, we have a protocol that has become a habit by now and we will be in a good position to carry on and survive.
Ha ha, and if things become really crazy and we have to leave home to go foraging in dead people’s houses for left over canned food, at least we have those gas masks!
Please don’t let my negativity affect you. You live in a developed country with much better resources and whatever happens in the near future, humanity is likely to survive!
We haven’t had anyone in our house either. I’m so sorry the situation is so dire there. We may be more developed but the pandemic is still raging here – because of foolish and selfish people who won’t take precautions or wear masks. I fear it’s the same in other countries as well, as Paris is in a lockdown right now, London was just in a lockdown, and I know that Germany is behind in vaccinating people.
We also wash our clothes if we’ve been out in public for any extended period of time, and wash our masks, as well as disinfect our groceries. We’ll keep doing that until we feel comfortable enough to let that go.
Stay safe, Megan!