Just Checking in!

Little Bird

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/little-bird-by-m-donna/ 

Just thought I would check in and see how every one is getting along. This is a very trying time for everyone. If you are an essential worker, you worry about catching this horrible virus and bringing it home to your family. And if you aren't working...well that is another whole worry. How to pay your bills and feed your family...and for people that aren't used to being home together so much and getting along! Plus everyone is worried about family and friends getting sick and what to do. We certainly can't seem to depend on our governments keeping us safe. Our Federal officials have not given us a lot of hope since they ignored all of the reports and information that was given them. They just screwed up royally! Luckily some states are shutting things down. Our governor shut our state down but I think he should have done it a bit earlier since we were the first ones in the US to be hit with this virus. It us up to each and everyone one of us to do what is recommended and follow through. Which is what we all must do. Look out for yourself and yours. If it is possible to help out a neighbor safely, do so. 

I saw in our local paper that one neighborhood in town decided to have a "HAPPY HOUR".  The sun was shining yesterday so they took lawn chairs out in front of their houses and had a drink! They were far apart physically but could still visit and drink! Clever. The weather reports for our area is rain for the next week or more so that probably won't happen again for awhile. Rain doesn't always make you feel "up" so that isn't great. 

Keeping busy is very important. I am trying hard to do so. I gave my husband a project! I have been wanting to get rid of our old, huge 3 piece stereo system and I wanted a tall wide table to put on that wall. So I did a Google search to get an idea of what I wanted and I found one! Only $1400.00! Well that is wayyyy above our budget. He made all of our end tables and coffee table so I knew he could do it. And I like a rustic look for our house. He went into our wood shed and barn and found some wood and is working on it. I guess he is pretty well stopped because he has to actually buy a couple boards and that looks like it will be awhile before he can get somewhere to get any. When he gets it finished, which will be awhile I will post a photo of it.

I think it is also important to keep yourself up and not just sit around in your jammies. Get up at normal times on weekdays and get yourself dressed and shaved or make up on like usual. You will feel a lot better about everything if you look in the mirror and see neat and clean instead of looking like a hippy or whatever! I mean it. It doesn't hurt to let yourself sleep in and sit around once in a while but sticking to a half way normal schedule will make you feel much better about everything.

I haven't done a lot of sewing for years but my husband needs some new sweatshirts and he doesn't like boughten ones. He thinks they are too stiff! So I am going to make him a couple new ones. I actually sold all of my fabric at a garage sale a couple years ago but luckily my daughter hasn't so she is going through hers to find some dark fabric and drop it off at our door. So I am looking forward to that.

I have been trying to go for a walk as much as our weather permits. It is hard because of the rain and wind we get. It doesn't sound like I will be able to do so for several days, though. I am still riding my exercise bike every morning and feel much better afterwards. It seems to give me more energy. I don't do it on week ends and I certainly don't have the energy I feel as I do on week days.  

Don't forget to keep you phone clean. Wipe it off several times a day and keep it clean and safe. That is something you don't think about doing because we use it so much and only clean the screen off when it gets looking pretty sad. But wipe it down...

Will sign off for now. Have a great day and stay safe and healthy. 

 Mount Rainier Sunset

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mount-ranier-sunset-by-m-donna/

Blue Mountain Beauty

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/blue-mountain-beauty/

Staying Busy and Safe!

Sakura Pink Bird Blue

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sakura-pink-bird-blue-m-donna/ 

Thought I would write on my blog a bit more today. My way of keeping in contact, I guess. 

My husband and I are staying in place as I mentioned before. And we are doing it just fine.Keeping busy. That is very important and actually keeping to a routine. I have always had a routine or schedule and I actually get nervous or upset if I can't keep it. So some of you may have to start a whole new routine if you aren't going out or to work, etc. It helps and makes you feel like there is a bit of structure to your life. We have always been "huggers" but I think we are hugging even more than usual. My hubby is able to get back to working on our yard and buildings since the Dr. gave him the go ahead so that is helping him a lot. Although he is tired at night and muscles that haven't been used awhile are getting a bit sore. I am trying to get some cleaning done that I let go over the winter. Outside windows have needed cleaning for months but since the sun was out today I got most of them done. I have to do so many at a time because of the Fibromyalgia and PMR. But I will get them done! Over time.

Good news on the bathroom leak problem we had after Bath Fitters did our tub, etc. They have been very good about getting everything back to normal. They had to take up 2 layers of flooring and even the sub-flooring was wet. So we had to have heat lamps and heater running in that bathroom for 3 days to dry out. Thank heaven we have 2 bathrooms. But they came yesterday and finished up by going under the house into the crawl space and replacing the insulation that had gotten wet. But now we have a bathroom with a beautiful new floor even...which was a plus we hadn't expected. But the flooring was ruined so it had to be replaced.

I have been listening to a lot of radio/television keeping up with our upcoming election. I try not to insert any politics into my blog but I am quite political and concerned about the future of our wonderful country. And hope it continues to be wonderful. 

I am going to go out and finish up the windows since the sun has moved enough so I can clean the last one. 

Have a good day/night. Keep in contact with loved ones. If you have an older person that is pretty much self quarantined, give them a call and see if they need anything. You can always just drop it off at their front door. 

Stay safe and keep washing your hands!

Old English Summer House

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-english-house-by-m-donnah2/ 

 

Checking in!

Grandpa's Spring Farm

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/grandpa-s-spring-farm-m-donna/ 

Is everyone hunkered down and keeping away from people? We are trying to. It is really hard for a lot of people to not be around others. Luckily we aren't like that. And are pretty well self contained. Hopefully.

We had planned on going in Saturday morning to Winco to get our regular groceries and our grand daughter found out about it and called us. She said we could not go...we just couldn't. She had talked to a friend that is a nurse and said that "Grandpa is high risk" and that I could pick it up if I went and bring it back to Grandpa...I swear she could read my mind because when she said it, I was thinking, "well grandpa can sit in the car and I will go in!. So she talked me out of going in and I sent the grocery list to our daughter since she was going in early Sat. morning. She got to our local WinCo at 6:30 and sent me a picture of the line up to check out:

 It took her 3 hours to get our shopping done and checked out. She brought our groceries out...minus some of the stuff they were out of stock already. And we were only getting the normal stuff we usually got! It is so sad that people are over buying and probably won't use half of what they get. Hopefully they will share with others that can't get to the store. So right now we are depending on what we have, which we normally have a full freezer and cupboards so are OK. But I will sure miss my yogurt granola lunch when I run out. Since we are in the high risk group because of our age, etc. we will be hunkering down at home.

My husband had his final appointment with the urologist regarding his kidney surgery last Thursday and got a clean bill of health. He can do what he wants now...so I am not pushing the wheelbarrow full of fire wood in anymore! His last words to us when we left was: Stay home!

We were hoping winter was over but we had a really cold northeast wind again last week and over the week end. I am hoping that is the last of it. I tried to go for a walk yesterday but the northeast wind was less but still too cold and only went a half mile! Managed farther today but will be glad when I can get back to normal walk.

Normal? Will we ever get to go back to normal? Or is this the new normal? I am hoping that the smart people that figure out what will kill this virus are working hard and manage to do so quickly. I remember when polio was rampant. I was about 11 and they didn't know what caused it. At one point I remember they thought it might be something that was brought in on bananas! So no one would buy them. But it was real scary. Seeing photos of people in iron lungs, etc. 

I am still working on updates and making more themes. I wonder if I will ever get them all updated!

Stay safe!

Daylight Savings Time and Virus!

 Kinkade Red Barn

 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1-kinkade-red-barn-by-m-donna/

Sunday we turn our clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time! Last year in WA state we voted to stay on DST all year round but the big shots in DC have to "let" us do it! And not much is happening there right now...but I am hoping this is the last time we have to change time on our clocks. I still haven't gotten my sleep habits normalized from the last change so I am hoping this will help.

As you have all heard WA state is the pretty much the center of the Coronavirus here in the US. It is quite scary. I feel so sorry for the family members that have elderly patients in the Life Care Center in Kirkland where the virus seems to be percolating through all the residents. I can't imagine how they must be feeling about their elderly family members. We went to Costco on Sunday and it was packed and people were certainly purchasing staples, toilet paper, etc. We keep our home pretty well stocked with food so aren't worrying about that. But certain fresh foods and dairy...not so much. I have to have my yogurt for lunch so am trying to stock up on that since it lasts much longer than the use by date says. But we aren't going out much and when we do...we are using the antibacterial wipes a lot! I just read that VP Pence is coming to WA state....that is sure to help a lot....

We are having a beautiful spring day today so I am planning on going for a nice walk this afternoon. 

Have been working on updates as usual. And making some new themes, too. Have to keep working...

If you have certain themes that you like...holidays, etc. I have put most holidays into a collection of their own..like Easter, Valentines Day, etc. so they are easier for you to find.

In January I wrote in my blog about the mess in our bathroom from the leak after Bath Fitters did our tub, etc. Well, they are taking care of everything and fixing it so far. They had to tear out the bathroom floor clear down to the sub floor. And it was so wet under the flooring that they couldn't finish up until the wood dries. I have had a heater and heat lamps going 24/7 since Monday. So our power bill is going to be quite high and we always try to keep it down! They are coming in tomorrow to put all new subflooring, new floor, etc. in. So I am hoping it will be dry enough. When they were here Monday I was going through the hall from the office to the kitchen. They had a bunch of wood, etc. in the hall and I was trying to get through the mess and my foot caught on a piece of wood and fell flat! Luckily I have good bones so didn't hurt anything badly. My arm muscles are really sore from catching myself and one finger got injured but...my husband keeps telling me I move too fast so I should have taken more care... It has been an inconvenience though...We just can't use that bathroom until they get things back to "normal." But I have to say, they have been very good about fixing the problem.

Had my 81st birthday last week. Don't feel any older but I guess I am! 

Our election is getting very exciting. I am not going to say how I feel about anyone but I was happy with the results from last night!

I don't remember if I mentioned the pathology results from my husband kidney surgery! Three different Doctor's. told us it was cancer...But it wasn't. They can't biopsy a growth in a kidney without removing it so we just figured it was cancer. We are thrilled that all the Doctors were wrong so he doesn't have to have any further treatment. He is healing very well and slowly getting back to a normal life. 

I think I am gonna quit the computer and go for a nice long walk. 

Enjoy spring, wash your hands a lot and take care of yourselves.

 

Natures Abstraction

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/natures-abstraction-m-donna/

Meet MaDonna You Tube Video

In the summer of 2017 Firefox sent a crew up to video me and let people get to know me. I don't think I have posted about this video or the link in a long time so thought I would do so now.  There is a face behind the themes!

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whzDfQm6RiU

Still working on updates and making new themes. Having fun doing what I do.

Spirit of the Savanna

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/spirit-the-savanna-by-m-donna/

Have a great week. I plan to!

Raising kids in the 50's

Owl on a Stump

 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/owl-on-a-stump-by-m-donna/

I was just thinking about raising kids now and the difference in raising kids in the 1950's and early 1960's.

I didn't worry about  anyone abducting one of my children when they were playing in the front yard or driveway. Halloween was a great holiday where you baked goodies and made candy for trick or treaters. You didn't have to go through their goodies to look for razor blades or worry about drugs.  When the kids came home from school, they changed their clothes and went outside to play. They didn't have tons of homework. I  didn't have to run them to dance class, music lessons, baseball, basketball, etc. They played with each other in the woods or yard. On Sundays we usually went to one of the Grandma's house for dinner. We didn't have birthday parties at restaurants or play houses. We had a small party at our house with only the best friends, not the entire class. I took the kids with me when I went shopping. The kids could wear dresses and shirts I had made to school and not be made fun of. You didn't have to wear the most popular, expensive brand out there.

I wouldn't want to raise kids now. Too much to worry about. What are they doing online? Who are they interacting with? Who are they texting on their phones? Are they popular? Since the cost of living is so high I would probably be working instead of being home when they got home from school. 

It is really too bad. Parents are run ragged and the budget usually can't keep up with "wants" rather than the "needs". 

If you  could talk to any of our 3 children now they would tell you they had a great childhood and wouldn't trade it for anything. They grew up to be "good" people, caring for others, hard workers and responsible. I am proud to say they are "our kids".

Just some thoughts while I got tired of updating themes. 

Have a good Saturday and think about it. 

Follow the Path

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/follow-the-path-by-m-donna/ 

 

My New 🦊 Profile

Have been working on a new avatar/photo/ID/profile whatever you want to call it for my themes, wallpapers and blog. 

This is what I have come up with as of today.

Tomorrow may be something different.