No end in sight ...

This really is a new normal now, this Chinese Coronavirus lock down.  It will go on for AT LEAST one more month.  Hard to believe for me.  A new normal with fewer freedoms and no where to go to exercise them.  A normal where the cure is going to be by far worse than the disease.  What I miss the most due to this quarantine is the fact that churches are not holding services.  It's just not normal.  Or right.  This is the time we need to be in church, not locked out!  That's just my opinion.  But I'll bet I'm not alone.

So what have I been doing to keep busy?  Mostly I've been working outdoors.  We've had some pretty good days to be out and I'm a long way into my springtime flower bed clean-up.  Got four beds cleaned, Preened and mulched.  Two beds cleaned and Preened.  And one bed untouched -- and it's the worse one with mucho weeds.  I think I have plenty of mulch & Preen to finish with; I'm sure that going to get more would be looked upon as a nonessential trip.

Wendell got a young fellow to help him and he has all the gutters cleaned out and gutter guards put on.  That is a big load off our minds!  This was the first year neither of us felt we could do the gutter cleaning.  Although, we were able to clean 3 of the 8 sides ourselves (since we could access them from the deck).  But now with the guards on we're in like Flynn -- hopefully no more ladders and cleaning as long as we live here!  He also has been rolling the yard, got the mowers ready and worked on tree cleanup.  There's ALWAYS trees down that need to be cleared away ...

Inside I've been doing some stuff, too .....

Tried a new recipe -- Buttermilk Pie -- it turned out pretty good and is very tasty.  

 

Also made a half-gallon of our very favorite flavor of ice cream -- Espresso Heath Bar.  YUM!  Still have both pie and ice cream left, so we can be on lock-down here for a while yet before I'll need to make more "nonessential" food ....

Started cutting blocks from these woven flannels and sandwiching them with batting for a new raggedy quilt ... 

and I still have these fabrics to go.  It takes a lot to make a king size quilt!

I finished this cute little needlepunch piece depicting two chickens and attached it to a canvas bag.  It'll make a good gift for someone! 

Since I have more time to do nothing, I appreciate when the wildlife comes to me.  I watched this big guy for about half an hour this a.m.  He walked all around the house and then started around again!  He 'gobbled' and extended his tail and puffed all up, over & over!  ... I finally gave up and went on to other things and he was still going at it.  I hope some of the girls out in the woods answered him.  God is good!

A few days ago this is what I saw (or didn't see) when I put up the blinds in the dining room.  So beautiful (to me).  This is the time of day, before W. gets up, that I sit and drink coffee and read the Bible.  So peaceful.  It's all good, no matter what.

Yes ... it is all good, no matter what.  More later.  Stay safe and stay sane.