What We're Doing

Hey All,
We've had a busy week! Honestly, I don't know where the time goes!

I'm starting my days with what I call "walk and talk." As you've heard me mention before, I am not normally a phone person. Once all this quarantining began, I decided to make one phone call a day. I made a list, I started. I head out for my walk and talk. That's working just fine.

Butch and I have walked a couple trails and geo-cached---paying attention to beauty around us.

 Doesn't this look like a painting? On the left side is a babbling brook.

 It's a little late for daffodils around here, but this must be some wildflower variety.

 This is a cute little wildflower called ragwort. I know you're not supposed to pick things in parks or woods. But I sure would love to bring some home!

The phlox are in full bloom in the front and the back. The weather is getting so nice---in the 70's. We've already had an 80 degree day. It won't last long. We get about 2 weeks of nice weather and then you have to have the air-conditioning on. We love to sit on the front porch and have our own happy hour. I was reading out there yesterday when the biggest lizard I've ever seen scurried by. By the time I grabbed my phone to take a picture, it was gone. It was about 14" long and about an inch wide---really the biggest one I've seen. They are usually around 6" and about a half inch wide.

I hosted my first scrapbook class via Zoom for my friends. That worked out great! I've already shared that. This week, we're going to have lunch together.

We're still working on the puzzles. I say puzzles because we have two going at the same time. That "world's smallest puzzle" is about to blind us. We can only work it at the kitchen table in that good daylight. Speaking of puzzles, Mindy had one sent to us that she had made from a photo of our trip to Liverpool. It was such a fun surprise! I'll send a photo when we start it.

Puzzles have become my number one time waster these days---at the expense of my stitching! I've done very little of that this week. I really want to get back to the stitching as I want to finish a Christmas pillow that I'm working on.

We started our paint by number kits that Mindy gave us for Christmas.

Mine is Mr. Rogers and Butch's is Bob Ross. It's going to take awhile. We didn't work on it every day. You know, there's only so much free time (wink, wink).

We played this game that I gave Butch for Christmas.

It was lame. We didn't really like it. I thought it would be more like trivia along Route 66. It just wasn't fun. There were stupid questions like "what do you call the signs along the highway?" Duh, "billboards."

We're also Face-Timing or Zooming with our family for happy hour on Fridays. That's so much fun. 2 hours goes by so fast when you are laughing with the fam! It really feels like you are together when you can see each other.

We've watched "The Pharmacist" on Netflix. Really good. It's a documentary and is 4 or 5---45 minute episodes. It's unbelievable!!

We're just about finished with "Justified." That's 6 seasons long with about 14 episodes per season. This has taken us a full year to get through it. We can only watch one episode at a time and usually not two nights in a row. Butch is very particular about what he'll watch. Without any sports, he's much more open.

We'll be starting "Ozark" next. I've already seen the first two seasons. Season Three is out. I know Butch will like this one too, so I'm going to start over with him.

I've read a few good books lately too. I gave 4 stars to: Innocent Traitor; Love and Other Consolation Prizes; The Scent Keeper; I Am Watching You. I'm half way through We Believed in Mermaids which I am really enjoying. I'll let you know when I finish if I think it's worth reading. So far, it is.

Butch has been going to the grocery store once a week during the senior hour to get what we need.

He did go out to get gas one day---$1.48 a gallon. After that, he stopped by church where they had put the blessed palms out. Of course, there are no masses and won't be for Easter either. We're on lockdown until April 29.

There are still so many things we can do. We're going fishing on Monday. Actually, I guess it just depends on how you look at it. It's really our regular life anyway. Sort of a forced vacation for everybody else---well, except for those who are working from home. For us, we call it retirement!