"Drought" Ending?

I am happy to tell you that I found the 2-liter Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi in my "old" store. With masks mandated I decided to go back to my Kroger-owned grocery store with the skinny aisles. I had done online ordering with pickup twice, and that Pepsi order was never filled. I did notice that with masks on, people make no attempt at social distancing except at the check-out line. I also found cups of Stauffer macaroni. The store-brand paper towels were not available, but there was plenty of Bounty. Not an abundance of toilet paper, but enough to meet demand apparently.

I went to Kohl's today to use some Kohl's dollars my husband earned. I bought some towels and a small roller bag that would fit under the seat of an airplane. When I showed the bag to my husband, he laughed and said it's not safe to fly. That's true, but on my last trip to California I noticed the ancient shoulder bag I used as carry-on was falling apart. I decided the replacement would definitely have wheels. This bag was 60% off plus another 20% Friends and Family discount. I can dream that I will travel again someday, and I'll be ready.

I found 4 paperback novels at Goodwill. I donated some games and jigsaw puzzles. That closet looks so much better. 

When rummaging around in the drawer under the telephone this afternoon I realized what a mess it is. That will be the next project.

As I gazed out my den window while using the computer this morning I noticed a big bright bloom. The hibiscus/mallow plant the landscaper planted last fall has lots of buds and 1 open bloom. Nature keeps me grounded in reliability. It moves along to the tempo of the seasons as though nothing horrible is happening. 

Grace Village added ESPN Marquee station to our line-up. My husband will be able to watch a Cubs game tonight. Little by little some normality is creeping back. It's going to be a long haul though before we accept the long-term pandemic changes to our lives.

Bee's Knees

I now see about 2 dozen moss roses opening each day. Mostly red with a few orange and yellow ones. When I went out this morning to weed the flower bed and to trim down the cheddar pinks, I noticed several bees entering the blooms. They think these flowers are the greatest and just for them. The moss roses start to close up in the afternoon; this definitely has to be breakfast for the bees.

My online orders are starting to roll in. One yesterday, two today. The clothes won't come until Wednesday and Thursday. I have slight trepidation about them. Ordering from a picture doesn't really give an accurate idea of color and texture, let alone fit. But they do come with free return shipping. That reassures me it was worth a try.

Our county has 768 positive cases of the novel corona virus. Many of those have recovered, but 11 have died. I expected an uptick of identified cases since the state has set up a testing site. The newspaper said they are testing about 200 people a day Tuesday through Saturday through August 8th. I am sad to see the additional deaths. 

Plymouth Farmers' Market

This morning we drove to Plymouth to shop the farmers' market. There were about half the vendors compared to last summer. My favorite cupcake lady was not there nor the church group that offered all kinds of baked goods. Lots of big tomatoes but only one booth with grape ones, and they didn't look very good.

Indiana's mask mandate goes into effect Monday. However, most of the customers wore masks. The Mennonite? vendors had masks but wore them below their noses. I have noticed this about this group of people in grocery stores, too. Since they probably don't watch TV, they may have not seen the ads explaining the nose should be covered. Except for the few people without masks, all of the customers had their noses covered. The message is getting out about proper wearing. 

I bought some pumpkin nut bars and a small bouquet of flowers from one vendor. This is where I bought flowers last summer.

I bought some zucchini and peppers for tonight's supper. Next Saturday I may visit the Warsaw farmers' market as more summer produce is ripening. That would be closer. Also, Friday when I went to Sweet Corn Charleys I saw nice peppers and tomatoes so that is an even closer option and available every day but Sunday.

Our church had VBS this past week. Tomorrow's service will be a wrap-up of VBS, and it will not be streamed. I guess we'll just be watching Warsaw Community Church again. 3rd week in a row my church has not streamed or the streaming did not work (last Sunday). In our pastor's email he said the elders and deacons would be meeting this week to discuss the governor's mask mandate. The mandate implies that churches are not exempt. In that case, there will need to be some changes at Fellowship Baptist. They did the social distancing, but not the masking except for a few people who chose to do it on their own.

I have been busy ordering things online this week: a Buechner book, dinner knives to replace the two I have that have loose blades coming out of the handles, a cloth mask with a nose wire, and some tops from Von Maur. Von Maur is a department store. We have one in Jefferson Point in Fort Wayne. It tends to stock clothing more oriented to mature ladies. This store has free shipping and free return shipping. I am taking the chance that these sale items will fit, but if they don't it won't be hard to return them. Some stores still do not allow people to use the fitting rooms (for example, Kohl's, Walmart). I would have to buy clothes, try them on at home, and return if not acceptable. I just have a few items I need to replace things wearing out.

I read an online article yesterday from an expert in drug creation and manufacture. He doesn't think widespread vaccination against the corona virus will happen until autumn 2021. I sincerely hope not; I am already weary of the changes in my life. 

Michigan Blueberry Day

Today I bought a 5-lb box of blueberries at Martin's. Every summer they sell blueberries from Michigan, often at a nice sales price. If they still have some in 2 weeks, I will buy another box. As I sort through them, I put the softer berries in my green Tupperware to be stored in the refrigerator and eaten fresh. That is why I will wait a few weeks to get some more. We have plenty to eat over the next week. The firmer berries I freeze for use later in the year.

I have about a dozen moss roses open each day now. I still have a few less mature plants that have not put out flowers yet. So far mostly red blooms with a few yellow and orange. I loved the white ones in previous years but don't know if any will appear this summer. 

All of the grocery stores in Warsaw, including Walmart, now require face masks/coverings to enter the store. It may just be an illusion of safety, but I do feel better about shopping now.

I plan to go to the Plymouth Farmers Market Saturday. Of the list I shared with you of things I was looking forward to, I have realized most of them now or will after Saturday.

 I have not returned to my church for in-person worship. Since we had 2 Covid-19 cases attend before they knew they were ill, I decided to wait. Now I will wait several more weeks to see if the many teachers that attend my church stay well. School starts up soon, and in Warsaw it will be in-classroom instruction. Maybe sometime in September I will return to church at least a few times, if not regularly. 

Winona Literary Club is planning to start up September 23rd. As treasurer I really need to be there to take the dues to the bank and write checks. I will probably wear a mask. 

Wake Up Call

My sister-in-law sent an email this morning telling us that a resident in health care at Grace Village died of Covid-19 this morning. She knew this lady who had attended her church and served as a missionary. Now the deceased's husband is being tested because he did spend some time with her. As of Friday we had 8 people in our county that died from the corona virus. When she is added it will be at least 9. Last week at this time it was 4.

Last night there was a "patriotism" rally at the courthouse square. It was announced that since Black Lives Matter had held rallies there, those who want to demonstrate love for their country should also rally. In the media photos the participants are sitting or standing close to each other with no masks in sight. What I expected to see given the attitudes of some of our area residents. We shall see if there is a spike in cases in 1-2 weeks. I am glad that more stores are requiring masks since so many people will not wear them otherwise. 

Yesterday when we went to a restaurant to eat breakfast we noted as we passed another restaurant we frequent that there were no cars in the parking lot. Once home, I found on Facebook that the empty restaurant is closed until July 23rd because one of their employees tested positive for the virus on July 8th. The staff are self-isolating. I have not eaten there recently, but my husband ate there July 9th. Perhaps we shouldn't be dining in restaurants so often. My husband goes to restaurants for breakfast 2-3 times a week. We ate dinner at one Wednesday. 

As those affected creep closer and closer to us and the places we visit, assessing risk may be a good thing to do. Maybe more take-out and fast-food drive-thru business would be safer. Hate to give up food prepared by others.

The vague is becoming more specific and the surreal more real.

Gussying Up

My trips outside my home mostly consist of grocery shopping or a few times eating in a restaurant. Since lipstick soils my face mask, I don't put any on. Also, the ear loops on my mask tend to get tangled up with my earrings. This afternoon I am at home, but I decided to gussy up. I put on a pair of dangly earrings and applied lipstick. I am tired of being plain Jane. 

I didn't think I would work on any more coloring pages, but I printed 3 simple floral sheets today with birds and butterflies also part of the pictures. I have to get through Sunday's prep for my Monday colonoscopy; I felt like I might need some distraction that didn't require deep concentration and could be interrupted often. I will color. 

I feel happy today. I see a dozen reddish moss roses outside my window. It is cooler (but very humid) with overcast skies. A few items I ordered online should arrive tomorrow. Something to look forward to. 

Today at the grocery store I found out Tropicana has a low-acid orange juice. I bought a bottle to try since my regular brand is still not on the shelf. I bought the Pepsi I like in six-pack bottles, and it is on sale. The great find was that Blue Bell Moo-llennium Crunch ice cream is back in stock. Woohoo!

Kroger just announced that beginning July 22nd masks will be required in their stores everywhere. I may go back to my usual store again. As long as they enforce masks, I will give it a try.  Kroger also announced that they are still waiving the pickup fee on online orders so I may try that again, too. 

We had another death from COVID-19 in our county; now up to 5. As of this afternoon we have 605 confirmed cases. With the state testing going on for 2 weeks in our county, I will assume that number is going to rise. I also fear for those in schools which will start up again in a few weeks. Life rolls along, but apparently in the grip of a pandemic yet. 

My Morning Walk

Yesterday and today have been delightful with cool mornings and sunshine. I sat on my front porch for 90 minutes yesterday while my cleaning lady worked inside; then my husband and I ate lunch sitting on the porch, too.

I started today out by removing the brown foliage left from my daffodils (still a few green ones left) and clipping some hydrangeas from my neighbor's bushes. This will be my last time to create a bouquet this summer as I don't want to take advantage of her generosity.

I walked to the pond and back around to my condo, enjoying flowers in the neighborhood.

My own yard has a few new things opening.

I haven't killed the flowers on the front porch yet, except the dark purple flowers with the verbena and petunias wilted away. They were very sensitive to heat and drying soil and didn't do well in our 90 degree days. The geranium had many beautiful blooms, but right now it is mostly in a resting period. I gave it some plant food, and I think it will have new flowers before too long.  

Mostly quiet days for us as we continue to worship online Sundays rather than in-person. Several of our church members are going through hard times with cancer treatment and surgeries. The state of Indiana is setting up a drive-thru Covid-19 testing site in nearby Warsaw for the next 2 weeks. We qualify by age and for me because of asthma but since the labs processing the tests seem somewhat overwhelmed and slow in giving results, I don't see any reason to clog the process up more when we have no reason to be tested. We have not been mingling in groups. We wear masks and keep our distance when out, too. We feel well.

I am doing lots of reading of the fiction books on my ipad. When I worked in the Grace Village library and downloaded free books to its Kindles, I would add copies to my own Kindle app on my ipad. I have several dozen waiting to be read. I am glad I "stocked up" over the past few years. I finished The Ice Cutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson (which is also on the shelf in the GV library) and last night started on Pepper in the Gumbo (forget the author) about a young woman who inherited a bookstore and who is a bit of a Luddite. She did recently join a book discussion group on the internet and unknown to her the anonymous owner/moderator has just rented her empty apartment above the store; except he is building a video game store down the street from her shop and she is in full battle mode not knowing he is the same person who runs the book group. A romance book set in a bookshop in Louisiana should be interesting.

We will be heating up in the 90's again the rest of the week. Having an enjoyable book to read in the AC in my condo sounds good.

Disappearing Products

For the past month I have been unable to find certain items to purchase. Even when using the online order and pickup option, these items have not been available. I could order them online, but they were always unfulfilled. 

When in Meijer last week, the Pepsi product rep was stocking the shelves. I asked about 2 liter Diet Caffeine Free Pepsi. He told me they were not making it currently, and he didn't expect it to return to shelves for months. He did have a 6-pack of smaller bottles. Today at a different grocery store I noticed they don't even have those. I can't drink caffeine in the evening without disrupting my sleep. The main time I drink Pepsi is with pizza Sunday evenings. 

I also have been searching for low-acid orange juice. I am down to my last bottle and a half. I cannot drink regular orange juice without having reflux and/or heart burn. I drank the fresh-squeezed OJ on my Panama Canal cruise and had to take Tums all morning.

I had read in the newspaper that food companies were focusing on the most popular items they sell. No, those two products are probably not the best-sellers since they fill a niche, but an important niche since without them many people will not be able to imbibe in their products at all. 

What products do you usually buy that are now no longer in the stores? I will miss my Pepsi and orange juice when I run out of what I have. I may still be able to buy the Pepsi in the smaller version; the problem is I will probably start hoarding it which will cause problems for other shoppers. It is the toilet paper crisis all over again.

Non-Busy Weekend

It is very hot this weekend and will continue through most of next week in the 90's. I washed our cloth masks yesterday since we weren't going anywhere after eating breakfast in a restaurant. We still have a few disposable-style masks as well. I see the Indiana State Health Department dashboard shows 4 deaths for our county now; since our newspaper didn't publish on the holiday and the local digital news hasn't updated any stories on the virus this is the only way to keep track, but the state dashboard always lags on the number of cases compared to the newspaper. 

Life includes happy moments. Our pastor's son posted on Facebook his engagement to his girlfriend. He took her on a mystery date in a nearby town, then blindfolded her and walked/led her a short distance. When she took the blindfold off he was on bended knee holding out a ring box and popped the question. His father filmed the event; it looked like 2 sisters/girlfriends? were witnessing it all too as they appeared in the pictures congratulating her. 

This morning the audio on my church's You Tube service failed. I did check awhile ago and it must have finally been fixed in time for the sermon but not for the announcements and singing. I had already listened to a sermon by Denny Wilson, the founder of Warsaw Community Church. That church has 3 pulpit pastors, but Denny is the best in my opinion. The series is Joy Remains on the book of Philippians. The emphasis today was on contentment in the circumstances of life even if they lead to death. (To live is Christ, to die is gain.) Very timely. So Satan didn't win this morning by messing up my church's audio; I had already listened to God's word earlier.

I had deadheaded my cheddar pinks, and there have been a few magenta flowers, but mostly the patio plot has been dull. This morning the moss roses started opening. Time for some color again. These come up on their own from the seeds dropped by the spent flowers each year.

Most days I read a selection from a Karen Kingsbury book of short stories/devotionals that I bought at Goodwill some time ago.

The blue vase I usually have on the sofa table in the entry has been in the sunroom with the hydrangeas. In its place I had one of my husband's woodworking pieces. It was interesting to see the light from the skylight enhancing it.

When I returned my online-ordered shirt to Macy's in Fort Wayne Friday, I did browse the store. I just tried two items on over the top I was wearing as the store only had one dressing room open and the line was over 15 people long spaced out 6 feet apart. I found a Tommy Hilfiger shirt to buy. Usually I can't wear his line because the tops are too tight in the bust. This was an XXL which is not my size but I decided it would do OK. I was really wanting to find a summery shirt in pink. This does have some pink. It has those roll-up tab sleeves, but I may move the buttons over to wear it with long sleeves later. When I tried it on at home, my husband pointed out that the neck was rather big, but the price was right and I like the print so I will keep the shirt.

We couldn't see the fireworks over Winona Lake last night. I think they must have relocated the shooting barge. Oh, well, a few blocks over neighbors shot up some pretty higher ones. I also enjoyed all of the fireflies flitting about. We watched on TV the fireworks over New York City, too.

Yesterday afternoon we watched episode 6 of Downton Abbey. Then we started a jigsaw puzzle. I worked on it some last night, too, staying up until midnight since I knew I wouldn't sleep with the firecracker noises in progress. 

Not an especially exciting weekend, but a pleasant time.

A Bit of Outdoors

My husband went walking around the neighborhood at 6 a.m. this morning. He said it was pleasant outside. When I went out around 8:30 it was 73 degrees and not very muggy. I went out to trim the spent Asiatic lilies and give the patio plants a drink. Nothing but 80-90 degrees the next 10 days with a slight chance of rain Tuesday. It has been a dry summer so far. 

My gracious neighbor phoned yesterday and left the message with my husband that I should help myself to some of her hydrangeas. They are big and fluffy and have turned whiter the past week. She has two big bushes of Annabelle hydrangeas with about 70 blooms so I didn't feel sad about cutting off 3 blooms. 

While I was outdoors I walked around to the side of my house and found my hydrangea bushes have about 6 blooms, only 2 blossomed out enough to cut. I took one as there won't be many. They are totally different from my neighbor's plants.

Friday I am going to Fort Wayne to return the blouse I ordered online from Macy's. It didn't fit. I may browse that store though I know some clothing stores have their fitting rooms closed. That's the way it was at Kohl's. I will stop at a few other places, ending at Costco where I will buy one of their rotisserie chickens to eat for supper. We have no special plans for Independence Day. There will be an outdoors symphony orchestra concert in Winona Lake, but with so much heat I think we will skip it. We can see some of the higher fireworks from our house.

Besides the Winona Lake pastor who has Covid-19, a lady in our church (who was at the in-person service) has it, and now the local digital news reports that the mayor of Warsaw has it. We have over 500 cases in our county though about half of those are now recovered. It seems unstoppable. 

I received a reminder from Dell that my warranty runs out in a few weeks. Last summer my computer died and had to be replaced. This summer everybody is concerned about a pandemic and people dying. I could do something about the computer, but Covid-19 I can do nothing but try to avoid.