day 26

Larkspurs! We drive by these everyday on our way to the bark park. I couldn't remember their name, but we had them in our Alabama garden and I planted three here last year but they didn't take hold. 

I was fortunate to have already two half flats, one purple the other hot pink, of petunias. I had also already potted three small foxtail ferns and two lavender bushes for a little birdbath installation I have in mind once our irrigation system is completed ... the trenching for that stops right where the birdbath will eventually go. Irrigation guy hasn't been showing up lately. Don't worry for him - this has nothing to do with shelter in place concerned ... I see him out there hand-sawing the tops of the 4x4 posts because he is creating a very refined connection for the roof over our raised beds. Right now - on a non rain day - he is the orangery builder guy. That area is so "torn up" from construction progress right now. I'm super excited about our vision for it. Pictures for sure - later.

So.

Shelter in Place.

Social Distancing.

I've been busier than ever on calls from the kids. FaceTime calls. You know all those memes going around about how much dogs are loving work from home? Shoot, that's nothing compared to how pleasant they are making this time for me. If I had a tail I'd definitely be wagging it.

We are hopefully at least half way through with the shedding of the oaks. The pool deck is filthy with them and there's no remedy until they're done. That's my biggest "deal" right now. I'm impatient to get our roofs blown off and the ground raked once and for all on these tassels and pollen. Last week we collected 21 crammed full with no regard for the full line, I couldn't move them. L handled all that part. The guy across the street came over and told us he would have twenty bags, the limit, too. Yeah. I figure who's counting.

We'll have another full load for them next month - no doubt.

I'm sitting outside, under the porch now, as I type. This is a good place. Both literally and figuratively.

I can't remember if I mentioned it in the previous post or not, but we've been home mostly starting 12 March. Two days from now, on 10  April, that will be a full month. We've been to the local grocery store twice since then and the dog park every weekday that it hasn't rained. That's a slow down even for us.

I'm keeping busy. At first I was playing around making quilt squares. Lately it's been those infernal face masks.

Right this minute I am procrastinating on getting my next big batch started. The basic pattern for these is from  button counter.com (she asked to be mentioned when the pattern info was shared - idk, but for some good reason, it's very nice of her to provide an excellent tutorial for mask makers). Somebody came up with the idea of using pipe cleaners for fitting the nose ... the pleating "jig" is my adaptation and works well for me. Drawing pleat lines on these is beyond my capabilities. Slightly aggravated to think about it. But the pleater. Yes! I iron them in one at a time while they're "on" the form and then I don't need to pin them.  Pinning is not my best thing either. I stuck myself several times while reaching that conclusion, but the worst of it was that the folds looked jank once my pins pierced through all three layers and back. There must be a better way to pin things than I'm aware of.

(I'm smiling now because the porch shears blew all the way over to graze my wrists exactly right when I remembered standing so still on the kitchen table top while momma pinned the hem in to my beautiful little handmade dresses. May come back to that later. All this sewing is stirring up memories of my childhood, and of my momma. She took a lot of well earned pride in her craftsmanship at that Singer.)

I was about done with these having "helped out" with the hospital's request for these as N95 covers which would be changed between patients thus extending the viability of the "real" protection. I'm sending a few to each of my kids and their loves. Almost done there when I texted to ask Three if he still has the two roommates and a girlfriend.  He said yes. Then he said, "It's a really neat coincidence that you asked Mom because my company just put out an all call for makers to make masks for us. And by us he means about fifty people. Seven of them are on his grow team plus his three "people" (one of whom I've loved since they were in second grade together and became buds) ... that's 11 X no less than two each. I should be in there cutting the next batch!

sleeping well - that 2:30 awake was an excursion to the thermostat for more cooling - which worked out well! I'm amazed at how well I sleep now that we're empty nesters.

Hope everyone is well and stays well.