Spring Flowers

 Right now it is 78 degrees outside. We have the house windows open letting in fresh air. Lots of sunshine, but also lots of wind. 

Today my tulips started opening up. I had seen some reddish tips the past few days but was surprised to see yellow blossoms, too.

The quince bush on the northwest corner of the condo is also putting out blossoms.

The pear trees in my neighborhood have been in bloom for almost 2 weeks. The wind is causing the white petals to float down now.

Tomorrow I am going to wear my new flowery top to Bible study and choir practice. Maybe even sandals. Next Sunday is forecast to be around 50 degrees. Need to enjoy these pleasant spring days while we can. Rain later this week, too.

My husband has been watching the Masters golf tournament on TV. It has had its share of wind.

Hope you are enjoying spring, too. 

Pleasantries of the Day

 I did my grocery pick up this afternoon because rain was forecast for this morning. We got a few drops on the windshield, but the pavement didn't even look wet. We could really use rain. Our grass has turned brown. The sprinkler system was never repaired/replaced all summer. 

The condo that burned in February is being worked on some. The predicted date of completion keeps being moved out. Now it is end of November or mid-December. Apparently, no effort was made to fix the irrigation system controls that were burned though we were told they would fix it. 

My neighbor across the street is a Master Gardener, i.e., he has taken the courses/training to earn that title. He is now being employed on a contractor basis at Grace Village. He stopped by this afternoon to ask if he could remove my rose bush and plant a fall mum in its place. He will also plant some bulbs for spring (tulips, maybe hyacinths). Then he will plant something with color for summer. I told him I don't know anything about caring for a mum in the ground. (I always bought one in a pot and discarded at the end of fall). He said he would take care of it. He is going to do similar planting at the unit at the other end of my 4-unit condo building. He wants to keep an eye on how these plants do to inform him if doing something like this at other condos is feasible. That was a pleasant surprise. As I have said before, I do not have a green thumb. 

This afternoon before heading to pick up my groceries, I stopped at the lobby of the Grace Village independent living building. Winona IT, the company that is currently managing the IT at Grace Village, wanted to treat the apartment and condo residents to ice cream. There was a little freezer chest with Igloo ice cream. The Igloo is an ice cream fast food shop in Silver Lake that I have mentioned in a previous post. I chose a cup of Brownie Cascade, chocolate ice cream with bits of brownie. Yum.

My husband is having a medical procedure tomorrow morning that will require me to accompany him. I have loaded a series of books by Nancy Mehl to read on my Galaxy tablet. I started reading number 1 on Monday and because it is a suspenseful book, I kept reading. Now I started on number 2 of the series last night. I think I will download on Hoopla number 3 in case I finish number 2 before he is ready to come home. Mrs. Mehl is a Christian writer. 

I love autumn and am looking forward to my new mum. I may still buy 1-2 small mums in pots to replace my potted geraniums on the front porch.

Morphed

 When I went to Kroger this morning to pick up my online grocery order, the employee who came to my car was carrying a large plastic container of 12 bright rather gaudy cupcakes. I had ordered 12 two-bite mini cupcakes decorated for St. Patrick's Day. She explained that as she gathered my bags of groceries together to come to the car, she dropped the St. Patrick's Day cupcakes. The frosting smooshed all over the container. She went to grab a replacement in the bakery, but there were no St. Patrick's ones available. Apparently, full-sized cupcakes had been substituted for the minis. These weren't even close in size or color to what I ordered, but I said I would take them. I took two cupcakes over to my backdoor neighbors and warned them of blue mouth syndrome. When my husband and I each ate one at lunch, we ended up with blue mouths and tongues.

While I was at Martin's on Pi Day, I purchased a small pot of tulips. They are not open yet, but over the past two days they widen a little bit. There are 3 flowers. 

I have been sorting through drawers and cupboards to find contributions to Grace Village Swap Shop. I was feeling really motivated because I kept in mind that my husband wants us to move into an apartment in 3-4 years. Wednesday and yesterday I was too busy to get back to the sorting, but I had made some progress. I especially am spending time with a chest of drawers with miscellaneous things. I know this piece of furniture will not go with us to an apartment. Being able to clear it out some and find other spots for some things or get rid of stuff will be helpful for the future. Unfortunately, the impetus has died some, but I will finish the drawer I had started on. I have enough energy to do that.

Peabody Tulips

 We did not get to North Manchester last spring during tulip time. On Sunday we had a nice Mexican meal at a restaurant in the town, then headed to Peabody Retirement Community. I was a little disappointed. There were not as many tulips as in past years. The timing was good, however, as most of the flowers were open.

The area around the carillon tower was planted in tulips as usual.

The red bud trees are also in full bloom throughout northern Indiana.

It was a pleasant day but quite windy.

This iron bench used to have tulips plus a few other things like hyacinth and daffodils. Now the tulips have been replaced with irises. I love irises so I enjoyed them. With irises you don't have to dig up the bulbs and replant new ones as Peabody has regularly done through the years with the tulips.

An area around a fountain and pergola that used to have tulips now has narcissi.

I noticed more rogue tulips this year, that is bulbs in a different color than the planting which were probably holdovers from last year. With the extra responsibilities from the pandemic, it may be that Peabody did not have as many staff to work with the tulips or perhaps they had volunteers in the past and don't now.

My husband went with me to Fort Wayne to the orthopedics complex today. I had only been seeing a nurse practitioner in Warsaw. This was a huge place with imaging and offices and a "hospital" attached. I got the impression the hospital was for day surgeries or procedures. There is an orthopedic hospital near Lutheran also in the neighborhood though.

I saw my x-rays which definitely show degenerative scoliosis. I wasn't surprised because the physical therapist mentioned that something was wonky back there and asked if I had been told I have scoliosis. The MRI images were explained. I have severe lumbar stenosis (narrowing) in several places. The nurse practitioner showed us an almost normal level, then scrolled down to compromised levels. In the normal one you could see a round figure where the spinal cord travels. In one of the degenerated ones, it was so squashed you couldn't see a circle at all. My options were to try epidural injections or do nerve conduction studies if I thought I wanted to have surgery. With two cervical spinal surgeries in the past 17 months I didn't think I could face lumbar surgery without giving the injections a try. Recovery from lumbar surgery is lengthy and hard. I thought I would finally meet the doctor, but she said he would have only come in if I wanted to know about surgery or if the images had something she didn't understand. 

I have a referral to a pain management doctor who does the injections. She thought he sometimes comes to Warsaw, but on his web page I see no mention of that. I should hear from his office this week. If the injections help, I should know within a few weeks after I receive them. So I plod along through the medical protocols. My husband did ask if we could have an application for a handicap card to hang on the mirror of the card. It is  good for 6 months. Hopefully by then I will be better.

Precious Hummel

 My husband's oldest sister died on January 22nd. She moved to her Grace Village apartment about 5 1/2 years ago so we had lots of interactions. I greatly miss her as she was not only my sister-in-law but a good friend as well.

I heard about people asking for and taking some of her things. I asked myself what would make a good remembrance for me. I associated her with Hummel figurines because she had a collection, most of them gifts from her husband I believe. When she moved from her Warsaw condo to her apartment I helped her wrap in tissue and cardboard these Hummels. I never really studied them so had no particular figurine in mind, but decided I would ask for one.

Her daughter had taken them to Michigan with the goal of selling them. I asked for a small girl figurine. She brought 3 to the memorial service on February 5th, and I made my selection. 

Other than knowing they were manufactured in Germany and were child figurines, I knew little about them. I did some research on the internet.

My little girl is labelled Sister. Around the edge of the base is incised M. I . Hummel. The artist who had painted the children requested that her name be on the figurines to show she approved of the product. Berta Hummel showed artistic skills as a child and when she attended a formal art school she boarded with a group of nuns. She felt called to join them and took the name Maria Inocencia. 

Franz Goebel owned a family company which produced porcelain items including figurines. He was looking for ideas to add children to the line. He saw some of Berta's paintings as post cards. He then negotiated a contract with her (now a nun) in 1934. The receipts that were to come to Maria Inocencia were designated for her group of nuns. The first figurines were sold in 1935. 

When Hitler came to power, he allowed the Goebel company to continue production, but none were to be sold within Germany. He did not like the image of sweet children when he was creating disciplined youth corps. Around 1936 the figurines were for export only. 

From what I have read, I believe the Sister figurine was first designed in 1938. It was manufactured in different sizes for over 60 years. I know that mine was manufactured after 1963 as it has the trademark for the period 1964-1972. Inside the statue is the Hummel number 98. After that is a slash with the number 2. Those numbers after the Hummel number indicate the various sizes. My Sister is about 4 1/2 inches high; one of the smaller renditions. 

Hummels are still being manufactured. The numbers are at least in the 2000's now. I saw somewhere that the Sister was "retired" (the mold broken) in 1999. The most valuable figurines are the earliest ones, the larger ones, and those with multiple figures on the same base. There are lots of photos on ebay as people regularly try to sell them. I saw the Sister figurine on a base with Brother so there are not really 2000 unique children, but differing combinations.

American G.I. s brought Hummels to the United States as gifts. They became very popular in the 1960's and 1970's. They probably do not appeal to the current younger generations, but they do sell on ebay regularly but at much-reduced prices. The demand is not high now and the supply is plentiful.

Sister Maria Inocencia died of tuberculosis shortly after the war ended in 1946 (age 37). Her group of nuns suffered much because there was little revenue during the war and they had scant food and fuel. The sisters continued to supervise and approve the making of the figurines after her death and received payments. 

We are expecting 2-4 inches of snow tonight into early tomorrow morning. I see the grass is already coated so it has begun. I bought some tulips to cheer me up and remind me that spring is only 4 weeks away. 

Windy Walk

 

That is not snow on the ground; it is pear tree petals. I walked today in the wind because tomorrow we may have snow on the ground. I am wondering how the tulips and other spring flowers will fare when we get down into the 20's the next two nights. 

Anyway, I enjoyed them while I was able and they were available.

The Grace Village landscaper got into rocks in a big way last year. They are attractive on Sunset Dr. We did not have phlox until this spring.

This group of phlox and daffodils are near the main entrance.

These tulips in front of Assisted Living have been blooming for at least a week. I saw them last Tuesday when walking to choir practice but did not have my camera with me. I also took a photo with my new cell phone camera, but I am still very awkward doing that. 

My backdoor neighbor has some pretty tulips that opened last weekend.

My flowering quince bush has blooms since last week. That is about two weeks earlier than last year.

Over by the pond there are wild violets and hyacinth.

It was not a good time of day for pond photos, but I couldn't resist trying to capture an image of the baby goslings. I think I counted 8 bobbing yellow heads.

Some flowering trees and tulips around the neighborhood round out my sharing today.

I was planning to grill some Impossible Burgers tonight, but around 4:30 p.m. we had some sprinkles and now the grill cover is wet and it looks like we have more rain coming. As a part of my grocery order (pickup), I included some corn on the cob. The first I have seen in the ads this year. Time to get supper started. Hope your spring is beautiful now, too.

Second Shot

 I received my second Moderna shot Wednesday afternoon. I have a sore arm that is easing now two days later. I have felt very tired. I don't habitually take an afternoon nap, but I believe I will shortly. I had a two-hour nap yesterday and went to bed about half an hour earlier than usual. 

We will start eating in restaurants again. In a few weeks, we will attend our church service in person. The Grace Village choir director really wants me to come back. She needs more altos. I told her I would think about it now that I am inoculated. Still not confident that singing in a choir is a good idea. 

 Once my brother-in-law gets his second shot, we will probably have a family get-together in April to visit and to play games. All of the family in the immediate vicinity will have had the vaccinations. We praise God that we did not become ill with COVID this past year. 

The vaccination location is just off of Highway 30. When I left there Wednesday I went to Martin's to pick up a few grocery items; I especially was looking for tulips. They are a bit droopy today as they open.

Annual Tulip Trek

My husband and I defied the stay-at-home order today. We drove to Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester to see the tulips. We were a bit too early. Another 10 days probably before they open fully. April was just too cold for early bloom. We did not see any residents outside, just a maintenance man wearing a mask, and we never got close to him.

Which is a good thing given the sad and sobering news report that came out a few days ago. Peabody decided to be pro-active and test all of their employees. Nobody exhibited any signs of illness. However out of about 300 people tested, 42 tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. All asymptomatic. How scary is that. Peabody will over the next few weeks test their residents. None of them appear to be infected, but we are learning that people with the virus and no symptoms can indeed pass the virus to others. 

Sometimes we would get a mini blizzard from the nearby Dairy Queen, but today we had plans to go to Hogs R Wild BBQ in Warsaw for lunch. This eating establishment is very small with little inside seating. Of course the inside was closed to customers; but they opened the two windows facing north, making one place order, and the other window pickup. My husband had suggested eating in the parking lot, but they are on busy Detroit Street and any parking away from the street was already full. This was Hogs R Wild's first time in weeks to offer a full menu. They were offering smoked meat with a minimum of 30 pounds for evening pickup in the weeks after the mandate. 

We went to Center Lake Park instead. The park is closed, but the parking lot facing the lake made a fine place to eat lunch. There were maybe 8 other cars in the lot with people seated inside enjoying their lunches. So we shook up our routine today. 

At 2:30 our governor will have a press conference to explain any changes in the stay-home mandate and business closures that had a deadline of today May 1st. I don't expect a big change, but maybe some shops and restaurants can offer limited service. 

I felt a bit depressed this week, especially after reading a digital article about the more realistic timeframe for a vaccine. It felt good to drive through the countryside this morning, to see the tulips and eat lunch by the lake. Things in nature look so normal.

Still Here

It has been quiet around here. Today I did have some human-to-human interaction (from a safe distance) besides my husband.

I went to the grocery store this morning. The employees are wearing masks now and there are "sneeze guards" between the checkout clerk and the customer. I saw several older people wearing masks as they shopped. I used my disinfectant wipe to open freezer and dairy doors. The clerk told me if I wanted to use my cloth bags I would have to bag everything myself so I told her the plastic is OK. *No* toilet paper again.

 On the way home I passed a Walgreen's. They had some tp. I really only needed to buy one package, but since the sign said limit of 2, I went ahead and bought a second package since it is so hard to find and we will now be staying home more days. When I bought my two packages of Charmin, there were only two left on the shelf, but at least a dozen packages of other brands. 

I am thinking of doing an online order for pick up at Martin's grocery store around the 15th. I will only have contact with one person who brings the items to the car. Several of my neighbors are no longer going to the grocery store, just ordering online. 

This afternoon we have sunshine and 57 degrees temp. I opened a few windows to let some fresh air in. I took a walk around my neighborhood. I talked with 5 neighbors biking, walking, or sitting on the porch. As I am typing this, I see a few others out walking. Daffodils are blooming in several places. Mine have slivers of yellow so should be open in another few days.

 I had a springtime surprise this year. Those of you who have been reading my blog posts for a while know that I gave up on crocus after several attempts because an animal (rabbit?) kept eating not only the blooms but the foliage. I used nets, but as soon as the blooms were done and I removed the netting, the plants would be nibbled to the ground. The foliage comes up from the last planting 3-4 years ago but never blooms. Well this year I have one purple bloom.

Those red tulips I mentioned in an earlier post now fill the whole plant. 

We have 5 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in our county, but more are expected. My nephew who lives in Detroit has felt the effects directly. He has been furloughed from his job. His girl friend's mother died last Saturday in Beaumont Hospital from the virus. This deceased woman had underlying health problems. Unfortunately, she had no visitors allowed in the hospital, and her daughter was unable to have a Jewish funeral for her. So sad. Most of the funeral homes in our area allow a small gathering of immediate family at a graveside service, but some families choose to plan a memorial service when circumstances permit later. My pastor's daughter postponed her big wedding. Her father will administer the vows privately (if the county clerk's office reopens so she can get a license). She hopes to have a big celebration in the future. 

Keep safe during these difficult times.

Peabody Tulips 2019

Yesterday was cloudy and cooler than today's perfect weather, but we went to Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester to see the blooming tulips. Most of the tulips are planted around the bell tower.

One of the residents told us they dig up the old bulbs and plant new ones each fall. I believe it because it does seem like different colors and combinations each spring when we visit.

This is my favorite bed this year. I love the pink tones.

Across the street from the tower, closer to the entrance drive is a bench which is surrounded by flowers.

This year it was ruffly yellow tulips with light pink ones which weren't yet fully open.

Next to the parking lot are wooden benches.

There are small bunches in other areas of the grounds as well.

It is always a joy to see (and smell) the beautiful tulips.