Tuesday, April 28, 2020

What I've Been Up To ... And It's Not Covid

Hi, friends. It's been a busy week or two! As our stay-homeness has progressed, I've found myself adjusting to it and getting on with life. Most of my mental time in the past month has been dedicated to my very sick husband. He has two viruses (neither of which is Covid-19, thankfully!). He has Mononucleosis, and he has Pharyngoconjuntival Fever. The first is in his throat; the second is in his eyes. After a visit to his eye doctor and one last visit to the pharmacy, he is on the mend!

So ... no, I have not been obsessed with Covid-19, as some friends assume. I've been much more worried about what's wrong with Adam.

Have I been hunkered in front of my laptop, consuming scary virus news? (I ask this only because some people have assumed I am.) No! I've been doing these things:

Cleaning out the garage. (This has been a many-days, exhausting job.)
 It doesn't look like it's been cleaned out, but believe me ....
Part of the garage trash:

Then cleaning out the back of the garage to turn it into my new potting shed!
 This area was chest-high with junk. You could not walk into it. I wanted it for a potting shed, so all the stuff had to go into the garage ... hence the garage clean-out.
Potting area:
 Storage area:
 Those tubs and tool boxes are Adam's but are too heavy for me to move. 
More junk:
 This contraption held all the nails/screws/nuts/bolts the elderly previous-owner had accumulated for decades. I cleaned it up too. Adam doesn't want it. I think it's cool but have no idea what to do with it. Ideas, you clever friends?

Working in the garden. (I found sprouted potatoes in the garage that we'd forgotten were there! They were planted.) The peas are all blooming, the lettuce and spinach are perfect, and the strawberries are amazing this year!
asparagus, strawberries, and a volunteer elderberry plant I dug up

 

Digging around in my flower beds.

Weeding out my herb beds. I made a video about the herb beds, but it was awful.
Painting!
 I sent off watercolors to three different friends last week!

Sewing. I'm now making a perfect pattern from which I can make Adam all the swanky vests he could ever want.


I bought this pattern at a German lady's Etsy shop and downloaded it. Then I printed it off, taped it all together at the little x's, and cut the pattern pieces out. I'll make at least one mock-up vest for Adam from fabric I have in my stash. I think the pattern will need adjusting to fit him perfectly. Then I'll order some nice wool and satiny liner to make a fine vest. After that, we won't have to order vests online anymore that don't fit correctly; I can make him all the vests he likes!

This has ended up being a productive time. For about a week sometime in March, I was a slug and lay around discouraged at the changes in the world. But here in rural N.C., life hasn't really altered all that much for folks like us who stay at home a lot anyway. The biggest struggle has been Adam's illness(es), not the Covid Virus. 

We all cope with this event differently, but I think it's so, so important not to criticize others for how they handle it, or presume to think we know their attitudes or feelings. We don't. Depending on people's temperaments, health, family members, locations, and occupations, their responses to Covid-19 will vary. It is unkind to state an assumption about how someone is responding to it, much less to criticize their response. I'm keeping track of Covid much as I keep track of hurricanes in the autumn, staying glued to Mike's Weather Page - because it interests me. That's all.

But Covid is out there, and this is a fascinating, bizarre time to live in, right? I find it interesting to read about and stay abreast of, in the middle of all the other things I'm doing. I hope you do too! One day when our grandchildren ask us what it was like to live in 2020, I want to be able to give an informed, interesting answer.

Stay well out there!

6 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Praying that Adam will soon be ALL WELL! I'm sure he has appreciated and loves his nurse very much, and pretty soon he'll have a wonderful vest made especially for him.

Your strawberries look so scrumptious. Your watercolors are happy and sweet. I would definitely keep that green cabinet. If you don't like the color, you can always paint it. It would make a great 'craft storage station'. You did a GREAT job cleaning up the garage. I've got to tackle DH's workshop, first by putting things away that I've used and not put back in the last 7 1/4 years since he's been gone. Then I really need to get rid of stuff. He told me before he left this planet that the workshop would be mine and to do with it what I would like. Easier said than done. ;-)

Have a good week dear MK ~ Love, hugs and prayers ~ FlowerLady

Lisa Richards said...

Nice potting area you reclaimed for yourself! I think you did a splendid job cleaning the garage. I, too, think that green cabinet is pretty cool! You've been up to a lot of good things. The paintings are very pretty. I sure hope Adam shakes all the crud soon!

Granny Marigold said...

Cleaning up the garage must have been a huge job. Our garage isn't very big and I'd like to throw away lots of 'stuff' and get it all organized but my DH likes it just the way it is ( messy).
What a good idea making vests for Adam and making a prototype first.
Once thrift stores are open I'll be on the lookout for warm vests for DH who feels the cold more as the years go by. Best time of the year to look for warm clothing is now.

It's hard to imagine you have strawberries already. The asparagus looks tender and delicious. My DIL was telling me that middle son now eats asparagus which amazes me. He used to detest it. I guess taste buds also grow up.

I hope Adam will start feeling better one of these days. I suppose it's a blessing he doesn't have the Covid virus but what he does have sounds pretty awful.

GretchenJoanna said...

I go out into my garage many times a day, and often think, "I really should spend an hour or two here tidying up." But I don't. There are a couple of really long boards that I don't know what to do with; they are leaning against the wall blocking the way around the "loop"... I was just thinking that since we aren't likely to have any rain for a few months, I could just put them outdoors. But I always find something else to do.

Actually, I should think of setting up a potting shed in my own garage! My greenhouse is too hot to work in, starting about now, and too damp and miserable for some months. Thanks for the inspiration, Mary Kathryn!

Kezzie said...

You've done a great job with the garage clear out!!!
I hope that Adam gets better soon! It's important for us to all remember that there are other illnesses out there that need our attention as well as Covid! God bless him!]
I hope I've not criticized anyone about how they are dealing with Covid (only how they are rubbish at distancing!)
Love your watercolours! I want to see an Adam vest!

Retired Knitter said...

Yes, these are interesting times. And I am with you regarding how people respond differently. I actually posted my personal frustration at hearing the comments of others as they judged others through their comments.