Continuing On!

It looks like we will have yet another day of sun and no rain...there is a VERY small chance we may get some tonight but every time I check, the window gets smaller and so does the rain chance percentage. And so, with no pollen relief in sight, I will not be tackling leaves yet another day! And, with staying inside on the agenda, I decided to do my "spring" book stack. By now, you probably have the steps down as well as I do...rip off covers, paint, stamp. It really is all that simple but, I will say, I encountered my first total fail of ripping off covers so far. I wanted a slightly thicker book because I wanted a spine wide enough to stamp a branch with a bird. For whatever reason, when I pulled off the covers, the entire book fell apart into just groups of pages...back to the James Pattersons I went!?!

Wouldn't this have looked cute on the book edge? Unfortunately, it is just too large. I'm thinking now that it might end up on a hang tag. We shall see...hopefully before I post this blog.

I just loved that little bird on the branch and even though I really wasn't planning another tag, I just couldn't help myself. When I found the stuff to put together the little nest in all of my spring stuff, I knew the other side of the books were just calling for the tag.

And, when I'm not "booking" it, I have been trying to get a few little chores accomplished. These chairs in the gazebo get their cushions recovered EVERY year. I live in Florida and even though they don't get lots of direct sun, the little they do get is strong enough to bleach them out.

I have posted before that I have no idea why I bought a kamillion yards of this fabric, but I did. I have been using it every year for so many years that I can't even remember, but, it is like the Energizer Bunny. It just keeps going and going with truly still no end in sight. This year I had so many layers on that one more would have kept the cushions from fitting down into the chair frame so I had to do a bit more and remove a few of the older layers. In any case, they are ready to go for another year. I don't know why, but little things like this make me so happy-perhaps it is because it is one of the few things that I can still have control over?!

And, the best part of my day yesterday was an actual visit from daughter #3 and my three youngest grand children. For the last three weeks, the closest we have come is me on my porch and them in their car on my drive way. Since my son-in-law is still required to go into work, they don't want to take any chances exposing me to the virus and I appreciate that and totally understand their concerns...mine as well. But, that being said, I think that has been the hardest thing about this self quarantining - for me as well as for everyone I am sure.

I was so excited when my daughter asked if I thought my pool was warm enough yet for the kids to swim. My pool is quite large and warms up later than most but, these kids have actually been in it in the past as early as February. And, with no rain or cold days to cool it down, I figured it would be perfect for them.

And so, over they came with bags of food that I haven't had in weeks...all of that "healthy" indulgence kind of stuff that I try to avoid but, for some reason now, seems to satisfy my soul. We sat out on the pool deck 6' apart and ate and caught up and shared a bottle of wine while the kids got out some of their energy in the pool. Their pool doesn't have a slide and mine does so that was pretty much the order of the day!

It was a wonderful few hours. Something we used to do all of the time without realizing just how treasured those times really were. I pray that when this is all over, none of us will ever forget the things that we really missed and are so special to us. We are learning we can live without so many of the things that we thought were so important but the things that really matter are so much more precious to us.

I am also so grateful that I live somewhere where I can walk out my door and enjoy the freedom of my yard, gardens and pool. I don't have to go far to escape the walls of home when it really becomes necessary. Also, I am retired and on a fixed income so the threat of losing my job or my income are not there as they are for so many.

These are definitely scary times and I think we will see it get worse before it gets better but I pray we will continue to see all of the good things that are coming out of this to perhaps help us forget for just a moment the fear we are living with. I am so proud of my community and all of the wonderful things people are doing to step up and care for others. There will be an end in sight and we will go back to life as usual but hopefully with a bit of a different mind set. Stay safe and stay tuned.