Today I spent the entire morning in the backyard. I cleaned a section of the back fence. I want to clear out the vines and straighten the fence, then plant passion vines along it. Though I worked under the shade of the Oak tree, it was really hot. I got almost dehydrated. I started feeling a slight headache, so I stopped working, drank a glass full of water. After taking a shower and lunch, the headache went away.
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| Before. |
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| After. |
Then I relaxed a bit, reading news and chatting with a friend. I have friends in several different countries, so no matter what the time is, there's always someone available for a quick chat. 😊
I also worked on the redwork embroidery. My stitches are not very neat though.
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| Redwork embroidery. |
I am in the process of painting a hutch. After sanding it lightly, I applied a coat of primer. It's going slowly because I have to wait 24 hours until it dries. I plan to paint the hutch white, and keep in the dining area. At the moment, the top part is in the dining area, and the bottom part is in the living room. The home looks like a workshop. 😀
Several hours ago I received an email from the college, notifying us about moving classes online for the remainder of the semester. I have 11 days to prepare. We don't know the new final exam schedule yet. I have to go to my office to get several documents, so I am waiting for more instructions.
It looks like I won't be able to visit Mom this summer. This morning I was watching a video clip about the situation in Sri Lanka, and it made me cry. I know my sisters and mom are all safe, but sometimes not being able to be there with them makes me really sad. They are also worried about me. As soon as they heard about the first COVID 19 patient in Florida, they asked me to come home to Sri Lanka. To make them feel better, I even showed them my stockpile of food. 😊 My sisters and I chat almost daily, every morning and night using Facebook Messenger. Sometimes it's only a smiley face, or a funny cartoon character, but it tells me that everything is alright, and it makes me feel better.
How do you spend time at home these days? Do you have new activities?
XXX
Nil
I'm sorry you can't go home to Sri Lanka this summer...maybe things will change later on and you can have a fun trip. You have been so busy! Your yard looks beautiful...good job! Andrea
ReplyDeleteWow, you sure cleaned a lot of vegetation of the fence, good going. The redwork is better than I could do. I find it difficult to hold small needles for very long. Do be careful working in the heat. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to be away from family, but the way we can keep in touch these days does help. Sounds like you have plenty to do.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame about your holiday but I'm sure you are right not to go. Clearing the weeds from the fence has really opened up your back garden, hasn't it? So much lighter and outward looking. It's made a huge difference. xx
ReplyDeleteYou've been busy in your yard and it shows! Be careful working in the heat, though. I'm glad you stopped when you did and drank water and cooled off.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are going to be busy over the next few days, painting your hutch and preparing for online classes. I'm glad you have your redwork to relax with. The stitches look just fine to me and you've made quite a bit of progress from the last picture you shared.
I'm sorry you won't be able to go to visit your mom and sisters this summer. (((HUGS))) That's the first thing I told my daughter, too, when she was told to work from home - I said, come home! LOL. But, she is afraid that she might be a carrier and might expose me to the virus. So we will continue to be apart and chat online.
So far, I have not been able to settle down to doing anything other than stress about this whole situation! But, I did start knitting another pair of socks and that helps me to relax.
Take care and be safe, Nil.
I'm lucky in that all my closest family live in the same town even if we won't be able to visit each other. I hope your family in Sri Lanka remain safe x
ReplyDeleteYour redwork is so pretty Nil, you'll get better at the stitching the more you do, but it looks fine. Sad about not being able to visit your family this summer, but so good it's easy to keep in touch.....when my daughter first moved to the US, I would wait weeks for a letter, and while we did phone a bit, it was expensive. I'm not doing any gardening, except to keep it all tidy, as I should be moving by the end of April, but I've been missing not starting my winter veg garden. I've been painting too, seemed a good time to paint my bed before I move....it's currently cream, and I'm using a milk paint to do it a medium grey.
ReplyDeleteThe view over your fence is beautiful. Good luck moving your classes online; hope it all transitions smoothly.
ReplyDeleteMy latest post....
ReplyDeleteGentle hugs,
Stay safe,
🌱 🌷 🌱
Your not being able to go home is truly sad news. How wonderful you can communicate with family in real time though. Your yard looks so lush and green. Good luck with on-line classes. Teaching labs sounds like a challenge.
ReplyDeleteYou've done a great job in the yard. I'm going to try and give my lawn it's first cut of the year this week. Spring is definitely springing here now.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you won't be able to visit your family this summer. Thank goodness we can keep in touch with our loved ones with the help of social media. X
I'm sorry you can't go home to Sri Lanka this summer either, but it's great that you get to keep in touch with your family daily. We are doing the same thing here, keeping in touch via social media and phone calls. You did a good job on the fence line, it looks nice and tidy.
ReplyDeleteYour fence line looks great. I am hoping for a substantial rain tomorrow so I can begin yard work. Right now the air looks like it is filled with yellow fog because the pollen is so dense.
ReplyDeleteI think keeping busy at home is one of the best ways to deal with all the worry in the world at the moment. Clearing that fenceline and making room to grow passionfruit is another step towards greater self reliance. Not to mention how delicious fresh fruits are.
ReplyDeleteYour redwork is lovely, Nil. I think your stitches are just fine and I love the picture that's forming in red.
Sad you cannot go to visit your family. My mum lives far away too and I am not sure when I will be able to see her again. I phone her often and that is something but it's hard. Difficult times for lots of people.
Take care, Nil.
MegXx
Your embroidery looks lovely. I had a pillowcase just like it when I was a kid. We are watching a lot of movies and checking on all friends and family, even ones we don’t talk to often.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate about the cancelled family visit, Nil, but glad you are able to keep in touch with your mom and sisters. We are doing the same through phone calls, texts, emails. I am also writing notes and cards to send via snail-mail and have Easter cards to write this week. Like all others, we are self isolating in NH and even though we live in a mill apt with neighbors, our contact is by phone or quick greetings. I take the stairs down vs. the elevator, but do take the elevator up as we're on the 5th floor and up stairs are harder. I have been reading e-books available from the closed library. Also have a list of shows to watch, but haven't done any binge watching, just one or two a day at the most. Your yard cleanup looked great and i can remember doing similar projects in our yard. Hope the online courses go well. Stay well, my friend.
ReplyDeleteNil, you're keeping occupied and in a good way - a good mix of indoors and outdoors. We're about the same here too. I am enjoying this time home because the pace of the past few months have been bone crazy. Right from January, almost every day I'd wonder what was wrong with my superiors, why were they rushing and cramming 5 months of activities into 3. I got upset many times due to the severe pressure they put us under and with little substantial support too.
ReplyDeleteWell, for all that, my colleagues and I have gotten the break we deserve.
That's one way of looking at it. But the pandemic is a worry. What if we contract it and.... something bad happens?
When this is all finally over, I wonder if I'll still be as thankful for the Stay Home Order.
By the way, I have great faith in the Indian diet to combat this. Ginger, garlic, onions, coriander, cumin, pepper, lime juice and curry leaves have gotten us through so many things. May they prove just as effective against Covid-19.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by the blog, I have been hit and miss with my blog reading, although I am finding the blog writing comforting a bit. It must be hard to have family so far away, but good for you for figuring out ways to reassure your mom and sisters. It sounds as though you are keeping busy. We don't have any projects as involved as furniture refinishing, but hubby is on board for some major closet decluttering and rearranging starting today. You've given me an idea for a possible project for him, if I could order furniture stripper online. 😁😉
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that none of us can travel at the moment, my family is all over the country and the whole country is now in lockdown. I still have 1 job, the 2nd job has let me go unless there is a lot of work come in but i doubt it. I m still busy this week with the last of my shifts for both jobs. I have the panty to fix, my street library to paint. I wont be able to have a library opening now that we cant have too many people gather so that will go on hold. I can tend to my garden that is now overgrown and do some jig saw puzzles i havent been able to do. I am sure i'll find other things to do, oh and design with my Silhouette Cameo
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