6/28/2020

Weekly Update 6/28/2020

Monday was the day I’ve been waiting weeks for – my new washer/dryer was delivered! I purchased the cheapest ones I could find, because with the expensive front loaders I had at MP, I only used one cycle all the time anyway, so why pay for more. When they were installed, I did three loads, and I still was not caught up with all the laundry I had piled in the spare room. I never would have believed that doing laundry would bring my such joy!

I received my new drivers license in the mail. I had renewed a few weeks ago. The Dept of Drivers Services here in GA could teach a few things to the DMV in NY. It took me less than 30 minutes from start to finish, including having to sign a whole sheet about COVID. I have not changed much in 5 years. I still don’t smile.

We’re still supposed to be social distancing and wearing masks in public. It feels as if I haven’t been with friends in a very long time. But on Thursday, I was back in Green Square with Vicki, Jane and Helen. We set our chairs up six feet apart and visited in the open air. I met Kay in Forsyth Park on Saturday, and we wore our masks as we walked around the crowded park and through the Farmer’s Market. I’m getting out a little bit, but still am not comfortable to go to NY for the graduation parties.

I’ve continued to work to make the new place comfortable. A lot of that involves trying to avoid the damn neighborhood cats! They sleep on the nice warm hood of my car, they curl up next to the cooler that I leave out for my meal delivery, and Thursday, I found a pile of cat food by my front door – and it was COVERED with flies! I guess something dragged it over from the pan of food my next door neighbor leaves out for the feral cats. I was not at all happy, and talked to her about it (she claims no one has ever complained before – well, I’m complaining NOW!) I also tried to be a little pro-active, and I removed the wicker rocking chair and table from the front porch to the back porch, hoping that the fenced back yard will be a deterrent. I still needed to have something for the cooler for my meals, so I found a $5 chair at Goodwill. It’s a lot smaller than the table, and not as comfy as the padded rocking chair. I hope that damn cats won’t like it, or won’t fit there, or stay away for whatever reason.  

I also added a few things to the back yard. I received a lilac bush from Marcia as a housewarming gift. While I’m very grateful, I feel really sorry for this poor plant as I probably will kill it. But I put it on the back patio with the chair and table. I also went to the Dollar Store and the Goodwill for pots and fake greenery. The former owner here had four hanging cages on the fence, So I wanted to do something with those. Now the back area looks something like this:

Sunday was really hot, and I didn’t want to go out at all. I spent a lot of time watching tv. I searched YouTube and found Emily’s high school graduation online. That was pretty cool. I wouldn’t have been able to “attend” if it was not for the COVID, but since they had to record it and publish it, I was able to watch from Savannah! I also searched for Hannah’s graduation, but didn’t see that. Her mom sent me a photo, though. Congratulations to both my lovely grands!

6/21/2020

Weekly Update 6/21/2020

When I updated last week, I believed it would be the last update I would do. But I’ve had responses from loyal readers, so perhaps I’ll continue for a while longer. 

I don’t know if many of you know this, but there’s a plot at BC that I find very intriguing. It’s not in the historic area, so it’s not seen often. When I first noticed it more than a year ago, I wondered about it. There are two headstones there. They are both obviously military because they have the generic US armed forces headstones. The names are not related to each other, nor are they related to the other names in the plot. No birth dates are inscribed, but death dates of 1936 and 1938 – so these are not combat deaths, and they’re not even at the same time. And, also, one soldier has Wisconsin, the other has Florida inscribed. How did these two men, not from the area, not related to the plot owners, and all alone, come to be buried in BC? And not only that, but someone had left flowers there. Someone cares about these two men. I asked, but no one seems to know the answer. The best guess is that some military group leaves the flowers. The flowers were changed, and poinsettias were added last December. I looked when I was at the cemetery for the Memorial Day service, but the Christmas flowers were still there. So, this week, I went to the Dollar Store and bought tiny flowers and metal star decorations, and went to place them at the plot. I have rather adopted Dessie and John. This is strange because I haven’t done much to decorate plots of people I DO know! And one reason I don’t want a burial for myself is so that no one will have to do that for me. But I’m so curious about these two soldiers – not only how they got to be buried here, but how old were they, did they have family somewhere, what is the story?

I still don’t have a washer/dryer. The one I’d ordered from Home Depot is to be delivered on Monday. I received an email about some of the things I would need to have for installation. I thought installation was free, but apparently, I need to have some parts ready. I went back and bought hoses, a plug, and a dryer vent. If I don’t need them,I can always return them, but since I’m nearly out of underwear and t-shirts, I don’t want to have it held up because I didn’t have what I needed. I took this picture to show how I definitely parked in the wrong part of the parking lot. Going to the Home Depot is like visiting a foreign country for me. No one is less PRO than I am. I should have been arrested.

Raccoons are bad enough. This week, they trapped a possum! And the damn cats continue to sleep in my chair and on my car. I do not like this at all!

I went back to DH this week. Not to give tours, but to take a tour and see how they have changed. I think I can do this, so I signed up to go back, starting in July. The tours start in Columbia Square instead of inside. That’s where background of the house and family is talked about. Docents and visitors all need to wear masks, and gloves to touch the banisters on the stairs. The size of the tours is much smaller – no more than 6 tourists at a time. The attic is now included in the tour, and I think everyone likes to see that. I shouldn’t have much trouble getting back into it. 

I’ve had visitors from MP. June, Barbara and Deborah came over a week ago on Wednesday for the weekly Rummikub games. We haven’t done that since med-March, and I thought it would be a nice chance for us to see my new place. Dave and John, neighbors from Building 5, came over for a drink and to see the new place on Tuesday this week. Kathie Arnold came in the morning, and Mike McCarthy stopped in during the afternoon. They are both from MP.  

6/14/2020

Weekly Update 6/14/2020

It's been so long, I've forgotten how to do this.  And this is quite possibly the last one I'll ever do.  

But, many people have been asking for photos of the my new home at Summer Breeze.  I'm still not totally settled, but thought I'd add a few photos of what I've done so far.  I still need to have a couple more pictures hung, and I need to figure out how to re-create an office space.  But this is what I've got so far:

living room -

dining room -

kitchen -

my bedroom -

my bathroom -

guest room / office -

guest bathroom -

So, that's where I'm living now.  Smaller, but comfy.  And I do not miss MP at all!