Dithering

The front yard after our yard man finished refreshing mulch and laying down pine straw. He also pulled weeds and promises to keep at it. Such a relief to have help. Now to keep Lee from thinking it all needs swept up. He has broken all rakes digging up rocks, broken at least one push broom, misplaced other tools, pulled all scrap lumber from the shed to spread around, undone some things we agreed looked nice….it continues.

I had to unlock a friends house so the bug man could get in yesterday and found his driveway lined with these that I brought into the apartment where I was writing. They looked lovely but reminded me how much I miss him. He’s been gone almost two years now.

I miss seeing those who made me smile.  Jo, who was with me all through graduate school and a very dear friend since, keeps in touch. Yesterday I received a letter from her (she lives in Canada). It was all hand written in blue ink with a real nib. Some parts scratched out and started over. She is eighty now but the rows of writing were so even and so chatty. It was like she was here. Also in the envelope were folded sheets and photos of things she thought I would like to look at. Jo wrote the letter while sitting by a window and chatted on about the different squirrels as they appeared to strip her bird feeder. I wish my writing was as legible as hers. Then I could write about what goes on outside my window. She also wanted me to know that two pairs of pants I gave her when her luggage was lost on a trip down here, finally gave out.  That was so many years ago. Maybe I will dig out another pair to send as a surprise. I can’t travel to Canada but I can send my pants!

My marks book is getting scribbly. From the snake to really messy for the last few days.

I finally found an upholsterer to redo the counter stools and the dining room chairs. It took forever to select the fabrics from all of the choices. And of course, ended up with various degrees of beigey browns. I somehow thought that I would have to take the chairs in, but she said, No…just take the seats out. The simplest things are out of my grasp some days. Anyway, she has the stool seats now because they had a remnant of what I picked out. The fabric for the dining room chairs comes in by next week.

It is a good thing that I am no longer doing my own seat covering. I tend to just find any old foam, shove the fabric underneath and push the seat back in with the help of a wooden mallet. Not too many years ago a now former friend, let me cover her chair and couch with gingham cotton fabric more suitable for aprons and keep it all nice and tight with roofing nails. I am not sure they even have roofing nails anymore…those nice wide headed silver ones. Everything now is shot with a gun of some sort…..good thing it wasn’t when I was wrestling her chair and couch….I probably did enough damage.

It is a cloudy Saturday. No caregivers. Lee needs extra watching when there is no sun and he has bursts of energy.

Til later….