Puttering As An Art Form
Staying in the house, in just a few rooms in the house because of the heat. I can only sleep, read, watch TV, be on the computer for so long. So I putter. I moved all the plastic containers that can go into the refrigerator/freezer into a storage tub in the basement. I finished drying clothes and didn't start any more loads for fear of blowing a fuse when using the dryer + the air conditioners. Rather be cool than have every piece of clothing clean right now. The power company sent a flyer with the bill last month encouraging folks to dry their clothes outside on a clothesline or rack. Really??? Lots of luck with that! I don't know anyone who has a clothesline in their backyard in our neighborhood. As I remember, flat items like towels, sheets, etc. got dry and smelled really good, but clothes all had to be ironed. Harry or I iron his cotton camp shirts or his dress shirts, but he doesn't wear them very often. I only have one long-sleeved gardening shirt that I sometimes iron. And how many folks stay at home all day to make sure no one steals the clothes? What are these people thinking?
I gathered up all the pens, pencils, Hi-Liters, permanent markers, dry erase pens, & mechanical pencils. I threw away (I know, hard to believe!) pens that no longer worked (unless they were souveniers, like the pen that has Mt. St. Helen's ash in it), same with Hi-Liters & markers. Put each variety in a plastic bag or rubber-banded it together and put them in two plastic see-through containers, labeled. Left a few out for everyday use, of course, but now they're all in one place. Most of the pens, etc. were in a couple of "junk" drawers, so I organized those two drawers while I was at it. All the small and tiny reclosable plastic bags in one bigger bag. All the small nails, screws, washers & "pieces parts" in a plastic box that once held staples. Like that. I tried to leave most of the items in those drawers, just put like things together. It drives me crazy when I move something to a more "logical" place, and then can't remember where that place might be. Meanwhile, Harry "tinkered", testing old radios and other electronic gizmos. There's that difference between "puttering" and "tinkering", you see.
I clip coupons, and arrange them by expiration date. I try to go through them once a week, but that doesn't always work out. Tomorrow morning the grocery store opens at 5AM. I have many coupons to use which expire tomorrow or the next day. I hope to be to the store and back before my doctor's appointments at 9:30AM and 11:30AM. Since I'm no longer a morning person, the hardest part will be getting myself up and out early enough.
Harry has a meter that measures the temperatures on different surfaces. In front, when the thermometer read 106 F. ,the dark green wood surface of the porch read 180 F. (not a typo!), the cement steps read 120 F., and the hood of the neighbor's truck read 130 F. So far the small Cilantro plant has fried, and some younger plants upstairs. The new patch of grass is doing well because we water it 3 or 4 times a day. The big tarp over the veggies in the horse trough is doing a good job. The plants are growing like crazy! I'm afraid to take the jugs off the plants in the circle (Dipper Gourd, Cypress Vine & Love In A Puff). Their stems look quite fragile. Maybe after we get through another 100+ F. day next Saturday. Supposed to have dry lightning tonight. Scary. I pray no more fires are started. I saw the Weather Channel prediction for July, August & September. The whole western side of the US (Alaska, Washington, northern Idaho, Oregon & California) showed extreme above average temperatures. Will be doing lots of praying. I gained six pounds this last week, but that's OK because I know it's from drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. Necessary for a while.
PayPal will not let me close my account with them. I tried to remove my credit card, but they said I have to wait until all transactions are completed. I don't have any pending transactions. I'm closing my account because I don't agree with their new privacy policy that they can send me prerecorded advertising/survey messages whenever they want. I guess I'll have to call them to get it straightened out. I was able to close our EBay account, though, with dire warnings that we'd lose our "reputation" and "history" with them. They have the same new privacy policy.
I'm reading some of Kate Wilhelm's books for the second time. The ones featuring attorney Barbara Holloway, her father Frank, and cats Thing One and Thing Two. Even though I don't remember the stories, I find myself losing interest. I guess I'm just in a different place now. I enjoy reading books that were written in the 1800's or early 1900's, (before technology), especially by women. I read a short story online (in PDF) by Rebecca Harding Davis called "Natasqua" (1886). It was interesting and I enjoyed it.
It's almost midnight and I still have to wash my hair, so I'll close for now.
I'm grateful for air conditioning.
I'm grateful for Harry
I'm grateful for the beauty I see all around me
I'm grateful for my good health.
God Bless
I gathered up all the pens, pencils, Hi-Liters, permanent markers, dry erase pens, & mechanical pencils. I threw away (I know, hard to believe!) pens that no longer worked (unless they were souveniers, like the pen that has Mt. St. Helen's ash in it), same with Hi-Liters & markers. Put each variety in a plastic bag or rubber-banded it together and put them in two plastic see-through containers, labeled. Left a few out for everyday use, of course, but now they're all in one place. Most of the pens, etc. were in a couple of "junk" drawers, so I organized those two drawers while I was at it. All the small and tiny reclosable plastic bags in one bigger bag. All the small nails, screws, washers & "pieces parts" in a plastic box that once held staples. Like that. I tried to leave most of the items in those drawers, just put like things together. It drives me crazy when I move something to a more "logical" place, and then can't remember where that place might be. Meanwhile, Harry "tinkered", testing old radios and other electronic gizmos. There's that difference between "puttering" and "tinkering", you see.
I clip coupons, and arrange them by expiration date. I try to go through them once a week, but that doesn't always work out. Tomorrow morning the grocery store opens at 5AM. I have many coupons to use which expire tomorrow or the next day. I hope to be to the store and back before my doctor's appointments at 9:30AM and 11:30AM. Since I'm no longer a morning person, the hardest part will be getting myself up and out early enough.
Harry has a meter that measures the temperatures on different surfaces. In front, when the thermometer read 106 F. ,the dark green wood surface of the porch read 180 F. (not a typo!), the cement steps read 120 F., and the hood of the neighbor's truck read 130 F. So far the small Cilantro plant has fried, and some younger plants upstairs. The new patch of grass is doing well because we water it 3 or 4 times a day. The big tarp over the veggies in the horse trough is doing a good job. The plants are growing like crazy! I'm afraid to take the jugs off the plants in the circle (Dipper Gourd, Cypress Vine & Love In A Puff). Their stems look quite fragile. Maybe after we get through another 100+ F. day next Saturday. Supposed to have dry lightning tonight. Scary. I pray no more fires are started. I saw the Weather Channel prediction for July, August & September. The whole western side of the US (Alaska, Washington, northern Idaho, Oregon & California) showed extreme above average temperatures. Will be doing lots of praying. I gained six pounds this last week, but that's OK because I know it's from drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. Necessary for a while.
PayPal will not let me close my account with them. I tried to remove my credit card, but they said I have to wait until all transactions are completed. I don't have any pending transactions. I'm closing my account because I don't agree with their new privacy policy that they can send me prerecorded advertising/survey messages whenever they want. I guess I'll have to call them to get it straightened out. I was able to close our EBay account, though, with dire warnings that we'd lose our "reputation" and "history" with them. They have the same new privacy policy.
I'm reading some of Kate Wilhelm's books for the second time. The ones featuring attorney Barbara Holloway, her father Frank, and cats Thing One and Thing Two. Even though I don't remember the stories, I find myself losing interest. I guess I'm just in a different place now. I enjoy reading books that were written in the 1800's or early 1900's, (before technology), especially by women. I read a short story online (in PDF) by Rebecca Harding Davis called "Natasqua" (1886). It was interesting and I enjoyed it.
It's almost midnight and I still have to wash my hair, so I'll close for now.
I'm grateful for air conditioning.
I'm grateful for Harry
I'm grateful for the beauty I see all around me
I'm grateful for my good health.
God Bless