I know better

I do, I know it’s never a good idea to invoke the gods, but apparently I forget or get a little cocky. I should not be telling people I don’t get sick because the child infected me. Actually, she infected Marc first and I guess he infected me. I woke up Monday morning with that feeling in my nose and throat that I was getting sick and it worsened as the day progressed. I only had one really bad day and night and that was Monday. Tuesday I felt some better and my nose had dried up but no appetite and no energy, achy, my face and right eye hurt. Better still on Wednesday but no real appetite and no energy though I did get the weekly grocery shop done. Consequently I’ve done little else besides read and nap all week, besides the grocery store I mean. I was hoping to feel completely well today but there’s still some lingering effects.

I ventured out in the yard today for the first time this week to a few little surprises; the first oxblood lily (also a sign of the changing season),

one little rain lily from the bit of rain we've been getting,

and when I went across the street to take a picture of the rangoon creeper flowers I saw this, the first time I have ever seen it make seeds.

I did get more work done on my little art project before I got sick. The three cattail elements are cut out and the foam core spacers cut out but I haven’t glued them to the cattails yet because I’m still working out the spacing since I only have three layers instead of four like the previous shadow box. I also started painting the background water and that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Next is finishing the background water and painting the heron. Maybe I'll get to that this weekend.

We’ve been getting a bit of rain, more than just a five or ten minute light shower but far from the sustained rain we need. At least I haven't had to go out and water some part of the yard and pots every day. 

You may remember we put my sister’s house on the shop property summer of 2020. Six years later it had settled enough that the back door deadbolt no longer lined up and the front door was out of square and sticking so Tuesday and Wednesday Rocky and his helper were under the house adjusting the level. Both doors now open, close, and lock properly. Unfortunately, he had some bad news. Some of the piers of mortar block the house sits on are starting to lean and the dirt pad is hollowing out from water getting under there. The whole house, every pillar, needs to be redone. They set the mortar blocks directly on the dirt pad which was built up higher than the surrounding yard to prevent water from getting under the house instead of on 3” thick 18" square concrete pads which should have been put down first. Aggravating that, my sister planted a row of crinum lilies across the front right up next to the house 

which over time have compromised the slope of the dirt pad and the hurricane in 2024 didn’t help any. So, all those bulbs need to be dug up and moved, each pier needs to have the dirt built back up and be rebuilt with a concrete pad first. Yay! 

SHARE is closed today and we were all supposed to show up Wednesday to start moving everything out so the flooring people could start on Monday. Obviously, I did not go yesterday, but I talked to my neighbor on Tuesday who also volunteers and he and another volunteer had gone there over the weekend and it only took the two of them 2 or 3 hours to completely clear out the back food area; all the baskets of canned goods, all the boxes of other food, all the shelving, all the tables, the three freezers and the refrigerator. I might go over there after breakfast and check it out or not. I am curious so maybe. 

Apparently my curiosity is not enough to make me actually leave the house.