Same Old, Same Old...

Well, I think my comparatively good attitude about the pandemic and Stay-At-Home-Orders has basically worn off.  It has been 42 days since the schools closed, 41 days since JP began socially isolating in our home, and 38 days since I was laid off.

I keep trying new things to help pass the time.

I sewed some reusable "swiffer" dusters.

I colored for a while.

I keep trying new recipes.

These are No-Bake Breakfast "Cookies."  They seem to be a hit around here!

Microwave 3/4 c peanut butter and 1 T honey for 30 sec and mix well with 1/2 t vanilla.  Stir in 3/4 c rolled oats, 2 T chia seeds, 2 T sesame seeds, 1/4 chopped nuts, 1/4 c mini chocolate chips, 1/4 c craisins.  Scoop with 2 T scoop and form into balls and place on parchment lined sheet pan.  Press slightly to flatten.  Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up, then store in sealed container in refrigerator. 

I keep making homemade yogurt.  Here is my breakfast of champions yesterday:  homemade Greek-style yogurt with fresh berries, No-Bake Breakfast "Cookie", and Butterbeer Latte.

I just keep hoping that there's a light at the end of this extremely long, dark tunnel!

What are you doing to keep despair at bay?

Earth Day 2020

We have spent some time on the past few Earth Days picking up trash down by our creek, and this year is no different.

I found this sneaker doubling as a planter.

Here are some other things that I found recently - just walking around the property:

Indian Pipe - this is a wildflower

Devil's Urn - this one is a fungus.

This little guy was in my flower bed!

L and I walked around a bit in the woods and cut grape vines.  Some of them were so large that we had to use a chainsaw!  The trees should grow a bit better without the vines strangling them this year.

Did you do anything for our Earth today?

More Cleaning

While I was on a roll with the cleaning, I decided to clean out the refrigerators.  After all, it's been more than 6 months since they had a good clear out and wipe down.

Two sparkling refrigerators later:

Puzzled

For the last several years, we have been setting up a table behind the couch during the winter where I put together puzzles.  Sometimes other people help me.

For the past month, JP has been using the table to eat at, so that he can remain more than 6 feet away from us, so my puzzle days are done for the year it seems.

Here are a few that I put together this year:

This one was a free gift from Shutterfly that I recently received.  Isn't it sweet?

Spring Cleaning

Today I decided give the entire house a good cleaning - the tree house that is.

I have to do this every spring, as a myriad of bugs make there way in there over the winter and die.

I dusted, swept down cobwebs, washed the floor, shook out the cushions and rugs, and the blankets and curtains are currently in the dryer after being washed.

Everything is thoroughly febreezed and aired out.

It's ready for a tea party I think.

Comfort Food

It froze overnight - blasted my young asparagus out there.  I cut it off, even though it was flopped over, and we ate it in Pasta Primavera for dinner - delicious.

JP has been trying to keep the house heated by using only the woodstove downstairs and circulating air with the whole house blower.  Until it warmed up upstairs, I thought I might bake something to help with the heating up.  I googled "comfort food cookies" and came up with a snickerdoodle skillet cookie, and it is definitely a keeper!

Remodel

JP has had a project of his own going on for several days.

He has been self isolating in the guest room and bathroom downstairs for 3 weeks now.  However, if he were to get COVID 19, he should not come out of the room.  Since the guest room and guest bath are side by side, he decided to put a door between them.

The girls helped to tear down the dry wall.

I held up the door and the trim today while he nailed it in.  Then I found some carpet scraps and cut a piece to fit where the wall had been.

It still needs painting and filling in nail holes, but that can be done after the social distancing thing is a thing of the past.  (When, oh when will that be???)