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Day Three Hundred Thirty-Nine

February 15, 2021 at 10:17 am by Claudia

I finished while Don was baking an apple pie yesterday at approximately 2 pm. As often happens, there was one piece missing and the two of us were looking everywhere for it. I lifted the wooden board off the table and peeked under it. Nothing. More searching. And then I lifted the board once again, this time entirely off the table, and there it was, tucked in the corner.

I left it in place overnight and after I finish this post, I’ll take it apart and start the next one.

We’re in for some pretty vile weather this week, starting off with freezing rain and “significant” icing overnight. We get a break on Wednesday and then Thursday brings us several inches of snow and some ice.

Lovely.

February, the shortest month, has been packed with constant large snowfalls, storms, ice, you name it. I’m over it. Please Spring – come a little early this year!

No vaccine appointments available and frankly, making one this week would be foolish. Even if it’s not icing or snowing, there is shoveling, snow blowing and salting to do. I just pray that everyone stays off the roads, stays safe, and that we don’t lose power.

One last thing, I panicked when I heard “Next week on the season finale” while watching All Creatures Great and Small last night. Oh no! My goodness, this series is excellent – beyond excellent. On every level. And it’s just what we need right now, isn’t it? Back to what truly matters; goodness, decency, kindness, compassion. I have loved every second of it. I find myself thinking, will filming of the next season be delayed because of COVID? How long will we have to wait? I’m hoping they already have the next season in the can, but who knows?

Dee Dee, one of the readers of this blog, lives fairly close to the town where the series was filmed. It’s extraordinarily beautiful country and we’d love to visit someday. And we long to go back to Paris.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight

February 14, 2021 at 10:17 am by Claudia

So close and yet so far!

I added several more pieces yesterday, but it was a slog. After a while, the lines and curves drove me nuts and I stopped. But while I was making coffee this morning, I added two more pieces, just like that. I’d love to finish this today, but who knows?

It’s another gray day here in the Hudson Valley. Lots of gray, lots of snow, lots of cabin fever. But we actually did remember it was Valentine’s Day, though it took us about ten minutes to register today’s date – every day is the same, isn’t it? Anyway, we wished each other a happy Valentines Day. Done.

Thought Don is considering making a Valentines Day sugar-free apple pie. Hmmmm.

We are half-heartedly looking for vaccine appointments, but weather is a major issue for this week and the days we would feel safe traveling add up to exactly three. So we may just wait until later in the week and hope to find something for the following week.

I’m reading Mrs. Tim Carries On, but I must admit that I’ve been consumed by the puzzle and haven’t read as much as usual. I hope to grab some time to read during the day today.

Yesterday was a tough day for both of us. We were very down. Today is better. We just try to stay positive and we’re mostly successful. But every once in a while, we aren’t, and we let ourselves feel what we feel and then start fresh the next day.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Valentines Day. I remember many years when I thought I should have a valentine and didn’t and therefore felt left out. I remember many years when I had grown and didn’t care about that anymore and was perfectly fine being exactly where I was. It’s one of those holidays that can, depending on where you are in your life, heighten a feeling of loneliness. I’m happy that I have Don in my life, of course, but this day isn’t a big deal for us and never has been.

I’d rather celebrate love every day and that means love in all its forms.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Seven

February 13, 2021 at 10:10 am by Claudia

Greetings from the land of mysterious squiggles. Oh lord. I did make some headway, but my friends, it is slow, slow going. I will master this final part of the puzzle, but I might go a little crazy from examining little curves and straight lines.

You know I love a challenge.

Even though this is making me a bit crazy, the truth is that it’s keeping me sane. Just like Don’s musical collaboration with his friend in Connecticut via Garage Band is keeping him sane.

That being said, we are staying away from the Impeachment trial. We are not naive and know what the result will be. I could write reams about my disgust, but here’s my situation: I cannot go there anymore. I simply can’t. I think I said as much yesterday. After 5 years of outrage and activism and marching and tweeting and campaigning, I am done for the time being. I know what’s going on, of course, and check Jessica Yellin’s IG account for a wrap up, but I cannot linger in that place any longer. “That place,” meaning anything related to Orange Man or his GOP minions. I am not going to give them my energy. No more.

Five years of Trump and what will likely be two years of COVID and no work for either Don or me. No work. It’s all too much and though I am generally a positive person, sometimes it feels as if I’m hanging on by a thread. But I’m tough, as is Don, and we’ve made the decision to stay away from anger and resentment and outrage as much as we can – because there’s nothing we can do about it. I don’t want to spend whatever time I have left on this earth consumed by anger.

I’d rather read about all the good things that the Biden administration is doing. That’s a place where I will linger. That’s where I’m directing my energy.

I hope that makes sense.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Nine

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Seven

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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