Category: Life

Saturday found me kicking back a little. My eye feels pretty good, and I have only used the artificial tears a few times. And best of all, my vision is completely clear at this point! Yay!

My other health problem is not responding as quickly and I really have not felt too well. I think that this is what has contributed to my feeling like I want to be quiet. I’ve watched a few movies, a documentary on ABBA, and read a few chapters in my book.

And lucky for Jack, I found some beautiful baby back ribs this week, and so I am making my specialty. “Maribeth’s Perfect Ribs”. It’s a favorite of Jacks and we have not had them for so long because they simply have not had any good ones in the market.

Now we await the arrival of Hurricane Henri. I’m hoping it will be nothing more than some wind and rain by the time it reaches us. Time will tell.

Tuesday started out cool, but with excessive humidity. By the afternoon, we had temperatures near 85 degrees. When I think of it, I am actually looking forward to the Autumn, when the leaves change and we have a cool, crisp day throughout the month!

I decided to go to the Post Office today despite the fact that I knew we didn’t have much mail. Thankfully, I got a good parking place and I was able to get the sale fliers and junk mail that gets sent out. I also needed to fill out a new form with a lot of information on it. Name, street address, email, and phone numbers. I was puzzled because I have had my Post Office Box since 1999. But yes, my email had changed and I do have a Smart Phone number.

Done!

I’d decided to get Jack a Subway Sub (grinder, hoagie, etc). However, when I got to their shop they were completely out of business, and all the equipment is gone.

We also lost our only Chinese Restaurant in town. Locked up with no sign of opening.

More than likely they both were casualties of the Pandemic. Sad. This really is very sad.

In our little town, there are signs for help wanted. If you want a job, come to New Hampshire. There is a job just waiting for you!

Today I did something that I truly dislike. I dusted! Ugh! But the dusting was done and now I have a wonderful feeling of being productive! Not!

In the last few days, I have not slept well. My brain clicks on and I simply cannot get back to sleep. I sure hope that I can get some sleep tonight.

Day two of my dealing with De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis found me feeling almost a bit worse. Although I do well in the splint, if I move just wrong, the pain is terrible.

Jack seems to think that a good night’s sleep, along with a large tumbler of scotch will magically heal this. I do not have the heart to tell him that this may be a long-term problem and not something that will heal overnight.

Many years ago, during my physical exam, my doctor commented that I was fortunate to have Jack by my side. I laughed. Then I told him, “You and I had better hope that I never become seriously ill!”

And so it goes.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I had to do laundry today. And although I asked I got very little help. Ah well. I suppose he feels at his age, he needs to be taken care of more than I do.

Ah, enough of feeling sorry for myself. If I am lucky, I will see my daughter and grandchildren on Friday after my visit with my Glaucoma doctor. I pray for good eye pressure and lunch with the kids!

Monday was just like any other Monday since the Covid Virus came to call. There was laundry to be done, cleaning to do, and a little bit of rearranging of things in my family room.

For many years my cell phone charging station was in the kitchen. It was never a problem until I got an electric loveseat. I simply cannot get my feet down when Jack’s cell phone rings.

So, today I rearranged the table between our seats so that the charging station is now right next to me. All I need now are some longer cords for the power supply.

I also need to buy a new Wifi Router. My old one isn’t cutting it as far as the streaming goes, so I am looking, researching, and will make my selection soon. If anyone has a good Wifi Router that has excellent range, let me know.

Funny thing, as I darted around the grocery store today I started to think, that we may have to live with Covid much longer than we expected.

Wearing a mask, washing my hands until they become overly dry, and not being able to go out. Although I miss my old life, I am able to get by living this Hermit’s existence.

What about you? How do you feel about the restrictions that are still in place due to Covid?

In March of 2020, we were all told to stay home and not go out unless we had to get food or medication. It was during this time I found myself getting up each day, and putting on a pair of leggings and a long-sleeve comfy top. Who am I kidding? These clothes were pretty much like pajamas and I wore them all day every day. And so it has been every day (except summer when I wore shorts and a tank top) since.

Well, today I got up and put on a pair of jeans and a real shirt. I wore actual socks and wait for it…my sneakers, not my slippers!

I actually felt good. The slight after-effects of my second Covid Vaccine had disappeared and I felt awake and actually pretty darn good!

I know the virus is still out there. I know it will be until people realize that like Polio, we must vaccinate to get a grip on the problem.

I am here. I have had both shots. So has Jack. So have so many of my dear ones. We are here, we are healthy and we are trying to get on with life.

I know that people are free to make up their own minds, but it does bother me because they are putting not only their lives at risk but the lives of my young grandchildren who are not old enough for vaccines.

I have told you the story of my Grand-Aunt, Kätchen. She was just 22 and 9 months pregnant with her first child when she contracted the Spanish Flu in 1918.

Had they had a vaccine, if people had worn masks, if there was a cure, if, if, if. This beautiful woman died far too young, as did her unborn baby. I wish people could look at Covid-19 and ask what they can do to stop the spread of the virus.

On Saturday I was still fighting a small cold and a sore back. Have you ever wondered how easily things are damaged when really, you’ve done very little to injure your back? Yes, well, such is the case with my darned back!

I was thinking that it was time for me to put to rest my old header and some sidebar pictures of my Anneliese. It was time to move forward.

I sort of knew what I wanted to do, and the pictures I wanted to use, but it just wasn’t right until Header number 7. Then I knew that this is good and I loaded it up.

What do you think?

The middle pictures are of Greta’s first litter and amongst the puppies are both Arnie and Anneliese. But they’re babies and it does not pain me the way the pictures of my old girl did.

We’ve also developed the new normal around here. Arnie and Lili are good pals and live quite harmoniously.

It is also nice to live normally with dogs again. In the end, Anneliese was taking so many medications and then at the very end, nothing was helping her. But that is past and now I feed the pups twice a day and life is wildly normal.

I wasn’t very sure I was going to get all my errands done on Saturday before the bank and the Post Office closed, but somehow leaving early and hitting the grocery store first and then getting the banking and the mail, worked out splendidly. I was done well before noon!

I’ve been wanted to go to Plymouth, NH to shop. However, this morning on the news they announced a Covid outbreak at the college there and 166 new cases overnight. They warned people to stay away from Plymouth if they could.

Since we are finally down to single digits of Covid cases here in Meredith, I decided to forgo the trip and shop locally.

One thing I must say about our little grocery store here in town is that our Grocery Store Manager has worked day and night all through the Pandemic to keep our store clean, and safe. The manager is named Joe. I count him as my friend now and always speak to him when I am in the store.

Arnie is settling down. He likes the new little bed I fixed for him in the family room and feels comfortable snuggling in it. He is eating well and also sleeping well. I am hoping the worst is over for my little guy.

So, life is going on. This week I get my eyes checked for new glasses, then next week I go to the dentist. And one day soon, I will be eligible to get my vaccination. Yes, life goes on.

As I sat here on Monday afternoon, watching the snow fall gently in my yard, I began to think that quite soon it will be a year since we entered Covid Madness.

There had been cases, of this virulent type of flu, but quite honestly, no one understood just how much this virus was about to change the world.

I recall March 9, 2020 — The Grand Princess Cruise Ship anchored off the  California Coast. Eventually, she would come to the dock, where people were screened and taken off the ship and sent to centers where they would stay for 2 weeks in order to be sure they were not bringing the virus in with them.

I watched the ship dock. I saw people outside on their balconies. Many probably thought their nightmare was over, when in fact, the nightmare was just beginning for us all.

I watched the people come off the ship. I watched as medical experts, dressed in hazmat suits examined them. I think everywhere people began to fear this virus. I know I did.

The numbers are finally dropping. Vaccines are available. This is all positive, but I wonder how long it will be until we live normal lives again?

It’s been a rough year. I’ve clenched my teeth so much that I actually need to order another mouth guard when I see my dentist in March.

At least Jack has had his first vaccination and will get his second one the first week in March. We’ve learned so much, and yet I think we have a long way to go until this has passed us.

My heart is broken. I watched my beloved Country devolve into a wild, rioting, hate-filled morass! No one was there to protest peacefully. They were there to damage and cause nothing but trouble. Four people are dead. There is talk of removing Trump because he has become unstable. Let Pence serve out the next two and a half weeks.

What we need is peace. What we need is grace. What we need is for those who do support Trump, to step back gracefully, and follow the rules and the laws of this land.

If they do not like our Voting Standards (Which I do feel have become corrupt and need to be completely revised.) then, vote for people who will work on changing the system. I personally like Australia’s Voting Standards.

For right now, we must work together for peace. We must repair our Country from the damage that has been done to it.

Well, I woke up on Saturday morning, January 2nd to more snow falling! It was pretty, but right now with Arnie having an infection on his back, all that “wet” was not welcome at all!

I managed to get the pups to go outside and do their business before they turned around and rushed back into the house! After giving them breakfast, the day dawned and I took them out once again. That’s when I shot this video of the snow and our back yard!

In the end, I think about 3 and a half inches fell. Enough so that I asked Jack to get the snowblower out and clear paths for the pups.

The rest of our day was spent doing some prep work for dinner and of course, spending time taking care of our pups.

Arnie is doing better. For an old man, he still has so much energy! I’m so thankful he is healing so well!

Maribeth