Deja Vu all over again ...

Geez ... I have COVID again.  Almost exactly a year from when I had it in 2021.  I am mind-blown that even though I've done everything asked of me (got the shot, wore a mask, stayed out of people's faces, etc.) I still got it.  This time the symptoms are somewhat different but still not fun.  As with last time, it's the coughing that is laying me low.  However, I go on.  Went to Walmart this a.m. and picked up a grocery order.  Lots of soup and Keto ice cream ... that combo should do the trick, don't you think?  This time, as opposed to last year, I was able to get my NP to respond to my phone messages and she prescribed Paxlovid.  Which I actually can't tell if it's doing any good or not.  My kids will say 'it probably would have been worse if you hadn't taken it'.  How can they tell!?  We are all just participating in a big pharmaceutical company clinical trial.  And my DIL reminded me that this virus is man-made.  Which I don't think people remember anymore.  I had forgotten that fact ...  SO!  As I said: I will persevere!

So ... what's up with me other than that dreary fact?  As you know I love antique malls and shops.  I found 72 cute, very old quilt blocks.  I looked at them and thought, 'those aren't too soiled looking but just in case ...'  So I bought some quilt soap and followed the directions and washed them by hand.  Wanted you to see what I saw:

Here's the soap I used.  Just a couple teaspoons in a dishpan of lukewarm water.  Let them soak for a while.  Then I swished them around for a couple minutes.  (Put all 72 in at once.  They're 5" square.)

And here's how dirty the water was then I finished!  YUCK! YIKES! 
 

Rinsed when done.

The moral of this story is: when you buy old quilt squares in antiques shop and think: 'those don't look so bad; I'll just use them as-is' -- Wrong!  Always take the time and effort to wash before you put them into a new/old quilt top!

What prompted me to buy these squares is that several of the fabrics I can tell are very old.  Probably over 100 years.  They match some fabrics in an old quilt that my Aunt LaVe gave me years ago that was made by her grandmother.  Which would be my great-great grandmother.  (I have since passed this quilt on to my neice Cathy, so it will stay in the Schooley family.)

Other stuff:  Okay ... About a month ago I heard on the radio one Saturday that there was going to be harness races at the Jay County Fairgrounds Saturday so I just drove up there to watch.  It was so laid back and fun and I'm glad I went.  The grandstand is pretty big, so the few people there sort of rattled around.  But everyone was having fun.  Especially the Amish.  But that's another story.  It was all so 1960s.  The starting gate attached to the old car was vintage.  Here's a couple photos.  About 12 races.  One winner was owned by an Amish family and about 6 little stair-step boys had their photo take with the horse (which surprised me right there).  It was a fun couple hours, the weather was lovely, and there was also an auction going on in a building on the grounds that I checked out before I left.  So I keep busy.

Somewhere in there I had a birthday.  Birthdays just aren't the same anymore without my other half; I miss Wendell so very much, but especially on special days.  Nevertheless, I sure was showered with lots of cards and well-wishes online.  And these beautiful flowers (below) from Jeff and Jane.  Just gorgeous!  So ... I'm another year older.  It was just another day for me this year.  On that day I didn't feel any older.  But I'll tell you, after THIS week (covid) I sure do!

In closing, I just want to say how proud I am of the group I meet with at the Farmland Community Center.  The photo below is a couple tables of our "stuff" that we've made over the past few months.  They were preparing to distribute some of it that day (lap covers to the VA), plus pulling things out to put in a couple local fall craft bazaars to sell.  When we sell, it makes money to buy supplies to make more items!  A nice, neat vicious circle, yes?!  I'm proud to have participated.  There are some really good people in this world, you know!?

God bless y'all.  Pray for me that I can defeat this COVID!

Keeping busy ...

I've been trying to keep myself occupied. Nothing is the same now.  It's difficult to adjust to life without my best friend. One of my church friends said to me yesterday, 'Judy, I hate to tell you but it won't get much better.'  She's been a widow for about 15 years. Not too comforting but I think she was trying to snap me back to reality. I really looked at myself in the mirror today and I even look like a widow!  I guess what I'm trying to do is discover what the meaning of my life is now. It seems to have no purpose. Oh, I do some of the things I used to enjoy -- hobbies and such, taking care of my few potted plants on the patio, keeping the 'house' looking neat and tidy.  But I have no one here to tell me how good something looks or tastes, or how good a job I did on something I made, or how much they appreciate whatever it is that I've done. It all seems so meaningless. Consequently, I find that I'm doing less of the things that I used to enjoy.  All I can say that sounds positive is that I have always enjoyed being by myself, so there is that. I'm plugging along, trying to discover what it is that God wants me to do with the last years of my life. I'll let you know if I discover it ...

I continue to decorate the condo so that it feels like home. Found this real calf-hide rug for the little office. It feels so neat on my bare feet; I love to walk on it! I do go barefoot indoors year round, always have. Now, I still want to get some advise on how to efficiently arrange my work (guest) room. Something just doesn't feel right in there.

A few weeks ago my sister and I went antiquing in Decatur. We saw this mirror and both of us fell in love with the idea! It came off of an old dresser. Every time I see a dresser now with its mirror intact I'll think of how it would look repurposed like this. A shelf has been added to the top. So clever!

Met my friend Debbie in Hagerstown last week. It was a great day! We always just talk, talk, talk! In addition to enjoying fried chicken (and chicken livers for me) at Willie & Reds, we visited a couple shops on the main street. (We never got around to Abbotts Candies ... good thing for me. I LOVE their caramels and I'd probably loose a crown if I ate one.)  I took the three photos below at The Shoppes on Main. The fellow working there was so super nice. I ended up buying a decorative plate with three angels on it. It's sort of unusual; [note to self: I'll have to take a photo of it and put on here next time] ... Anyway, his shop was just chock full of wonderful, needful things! Just my type of store with a mix of antiques, unique home decor items, and lots of silk flowers! He also had lots of fountains! We spent a lot of time in there!!!

Love what he did with this old fodder cutting table...

He was putting out autumn decor while we were there.

Love those cubbies in the corner; trying to think of how/where I could use it. It was very reasonable priced! And I think it would go in the back of my car if I laid the back seats down ...

Well, that's about all from me for now. I miss seeing my old friends from Greene County! I'm enjoying the group I meet with every Wednesday, and the gals I exercise with on Monday and Thursday, but it's just not the same. I haven't found that one or two kindred spirits here. And it just may never happen here. I probably won't be lucky enough to find friends and church family like I had there. I was blessed!

God is good!  I wonder sometimes why he has been so good to me! Have a good Labor Day weekend!

Dog days for sure ...

July's almost over but still hot, hot, hot August to get through.  I don't like summer as much as the other three seasons for sure.  (At least here in Indiana we have four seasons.  Sometimes all in one month.)  Hate to complain but this girl just does not like the humidity of the Hoosier state!  Hate to sweat!  Whatever would we do without AC?!  I've tried to get out more this summer; been riding my bike in the cool of the evening, just as the sun is going down.  Around here by that time no one is around.  I can honestly say that since I have began to ride -- about a month now -- I have not met ONE vehicle in our complex.  I think that's amazing.  Doesn't anyone go out after dinner around here?!  LOL!!!  BUT I'm not complaining.  I have been wondering what I'd do if I was in any sort of traffic.  Actually, I doubt seriously if I'll ever ride outside the Summer's Pointe complex.  It's good exercise and helps keep my 'bad' knee limber.

Funny thing happened the other day.  I was just getting home from riding and rolled up on my driveway.  My neighbor from across the street was going out late to retrieve her mail.  I spoke to her and she turned and said 'hi' back.  Walked back across the street.  Turned and came back and right up on the driveway in front of me and said "who am I talking to?"  It was all I could do to not laugh right out loud.  I said my name and that I lived here (and just to be clear, we have talked several times since I've lived here).  She laughed and apologized and said she just didn't recognize me.  That I look different to her every time she sees me.  Say what?!  It was all I could do not to laugh ... again.  But we stood there and had a conversation.  But it makes me think.  Is that what getting old is like?  Am I old, too?  Have I said something equally (seemingly) outrageous myself recently?  Will she know me next time she sees me?  Am I really a chameleon?  

Another interesting thing ... this week Ray and family were here to visit.  We went to lunch at a local restaurant.  As we were being led to our table I walked right by my other DIL and didn't see her.  She had to stop me.  It was sort of embarrassing and I hoped she didn't think I was ignoring her.  After we got home we discussed it.  They all saw Jane as soon as they came in the door!  I didn't.  And here's why: When I go into a place like that I don't look around till I'm seated and have some time to casually, discretely survey the crowd.  Other people do that as soon as they enter a room.  I don't like to stare at people and I find it rude when people stare at me for more than the normal (?) period of time.  When we got home, we had some lively discussion about the staring thing and how what I did/do can be considered "stuck up" or cold.  Isn't life interesting?  I love it!  I doubt that I'll change at this late date ...

Thought I'd share a couple photos.  Our hat project at knit n' crochet is now complete (we reached our goal of 800 knit or crocheted hats) and now we're back to the usual charity projects.  Just picked up a new one today; to provide Life Stream with 150 dish cloths and 150 hot pads.  We already have a bunch in our treasure chest, but have until the end of August to complete that goal.  I don't think it will be a problem.  Anyway ... here's two lap covers I've completed and turned in since the hat project is over:

This one's my fav!  Love the colors.

Also, I did enter five items in the Randolph County open class fair couple weeks ago; a quilted wall hanging, a hat (of course), a quillie tree, a hooked mat and a bed-size quilt.  I had the most hope for the quilt but only got a 3rd place!  I was really surprised!  I think, from my observation of the judging (which they allow here) that it's not what you know but who you know.   And I don't know anyone here.  Yet.  I hate saying such things but this was way too obvious.  But I still love my quilt.  (BTW, two of my other projects -- the quillie tree and the hooked mat --- got grand champions but I was bummed out about the quilt.) Here's a photo:  

My sister and I went to Decatur about a month ago, had lunch and did one large antiques shop -- Yvonne Marie's -- and I just have to share a photo of the most unusual chenille robe I have EVER seen.  It is so ugly that it's beautiful.  We had a wonderful day!

Found this dove covered dish at another shop.  I now have a small collection of milk glass or white glass covered dishes.  Have several animals in that little collection!  I've got to stop starting new collections!!!  Already have birds, sheep, and colored glass bottles.  Halfway into cream & sugars!  ARGH!

Well, that's enough for now!   I have some more photos but I'll save them for another time.  Keep safe and keep cool.  God bless ya'll!

This year's half way over!

It's the end of June!  Hard to believe that this year is flying by so quickly!  Lately I've been contemplating some changes I've had to make in my life.  One of the things is, I've been thinking about my pronouns.  No, I'm not going politically correct on you.  

I'm thinking of how now it's not our granddaughter, it's my granddaughter.  It's not since we moved to Winchester; now it's since I've moved to Winchester.  Now I'm saying "I" and not us.  Mine or my and not ours.  

I'm still experiencing grief and I'm not on any schedule that you find in a book or at a bereavement support group, but my own.  Recently I was worrying about a friend of mine who lost her husband just this past winter and was wondering if she should really be making the big move she's planning "already".  But for her that's the right thing.  It's not my business, not my schedule.  It's hers.  

And now I'm finding out the true meaning of the terms "fifth wheel" and "two's company-three's a crowd."  So.  I'm flying solo.

Well, you know, one of the things I like to do is go to antiques malls and I snap photos of 'sayings' plaques.  Just something that I like to do.  Wanted to share a few with you ...

I think this is my motto now!

I have been keeping as busy as I'd like to be.  Our knit and crochet group has reached it's goal of 800 hats made for Life Stream of east central Indiana!  Yeah!!!!!  Now I'm back to crocheting lap blankets and dish cloths for other local charities.  I'm still doing Geri-fit two times a week -- stretching and finding out just how much I've lost in the shoulders.  And I bought a $15 bike at a garage sale -- Jeff fixed it up for me and I finally got up the nerve to ride it.  (I wondered if I might just fall over like President Biden did!)  But I didn't fall and break a hip (that's what folks were saying "don't fall and break a hip".  LOL!)  I've got a good place to ride here at Summer's Pointe -- nice and level.  Also, getting ready to enter a few items in the local Randolph county open class fair.  (I'll keep you posted on how I do.)  So, I keep occupied.

Cool little art show I visited in Portland recently.  You know, if you look you can always find talented people.  I'm a sucker for local art!  Not only did they have artists at work, a small inside gallery, but also a guitar player who was really good.  Cool jazz!

Well, enough.  God bless you wherever you are today and whatever you're doing.  And as we prepare to celebrate the birthday of our great country, pray for our nation.  We surely need it.

Memorial Day!

It looks to be a lovely weekend coming up.  My plans are to go to the cemeteries tomorrow to decorate family graves and check out an art show in Portland along the way.  Should be enjoyable.  I truly appreciate the flags on all the veteran's graves and all the lovely flowers at this time of year.  I recall that my mother used to cut peonies and iris and put in quart jars, covered with foil to fancy them up, and take to Stahl Cemetery to Grandma and Grandpa Lee's graves.  Then we'd go down to Montpelier to decorate the graves of Grandma and Grandpa Schooley.  There were more distant relative's graves that they would walk to and recall stories about the people buried there ...  Good memories.  Now we're "beyond" foil-covered quart jars of flowers you grow in your own yard; not good enough.  I've just created some pots of petunias and marigolds to take up to Wells County tomorrow.

Well, here's what I've been doing lately!  [Yikes!  Slowly getting tired of crocheting hats.  Don't know how much longer I'll last ...... ] Think I already mentioned that the knit n' crochet group I belong to has committed to making 800 hats for a senior Christmas project.  We are now almost to 500!  Yeah!!!  I figure if I can turn in at least five hats a week I've done my part.

I've visited a few antiques places near me this spring.  It's been fun, exploring western Ohio and other places in Indiana.  I'm trying my best to not buy too much.  Or not start any more collections.  (I have to keep reminding myself how much I sold when we moved here.)  But it's difficult!  I've already bought an entire set of dishes (that I don't need!).  And am now collecting cream and sugars.  Oh well...  

Here's some photos taken at a few of the places I've found:

There are two nice antiques shops in Verona, Ohio -- Baltimore House and R.S. Goines.  Both in the same family and really nice people!  Goines has three very different barns/sheds full of good primitives.  I ended up buying a couple things there.

This photo was taken in Lewisburg, Ohio, which is just a couple miles south of Verona.  (Very convenient!) They have several nice shops downtown Lewisburg.  It's an old town with interesting Federalist architecture.  This was taken in Brick Rhod Antiques.  They also have a great little bistro in the same building where I've had lunch a couple times now.  Wonderful chicken salad, and desserts to die for!  Another great shop in town is Yankee Clover, plus there's a book store downtown, too.

This was taken just a week ago at the Pennville General Store.  I've been here a few times now since we moved to Winchester.  She has great country decorator items with a few antiques thrown in.  This is the place to go for silk flowers, signs, and other wall decor.  They have some neat cabinets, too.  Not old but neat.

Well, as I said, I did buy a couple things along the way ...

I'm a sucker for little original paintings!  Why, why, why do I keep buying them!?  Here's two I found in Ohio.  I know I posted the one on here last time but just really looked at these and I see I have a theme going and didn't even know it.  Oh, well.

It's been a good week in this respect:  Went to our one and only granddaughter's graduation party.  She then graduated Tuesday night with a 3.8 grade average.  So proud!!!  Now it's on to college for her!  

Well, that's all for now.  I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Remember to honor the people who fought for our freedom in some way.  God bless America!

So ... a year has passed.

Well, I've now been through the first whole year without my sweetheart.  Experienced birthdays, anniversary, holidays without the love of my life.  So, April 13 was a very difficult day for me.  In fact, several days leading up to and following the 13th were filled with memories and reliving things that happened and just plain heartache.  I had planned on going away SOMEWHERE, but as I told Jeff, I'd just be taking my grief with me so I just stayed home.  It was a gloomy day and I just kept the blinds closed and I really don't know what I did.  I forget.  I think I sat on the couch and just glazed over, lost in a sad reverie.  But I've just got to go forward!  I know that Wendell is in heaven with God and that is what I lean on.

Some good things have happened though!  Visited Lisa & Steve's church in Portland and found out that I'll soon be a great-great aunt (Sydney is expecting).  Spent Easter with my sister and her family which was very very nice; and it was a beautiful day too.  Tried my hand at basket weaving and that was a no-go.  Failure.  But interesting seeing all of the beautiful choices of baskets I obviously am incapable of producing!  The teacher was a talented lady but she is obviously MUCH better at making baskets than telling others how to do so.  LOL!  I've produced copious amounts of crocheted hats since I last wrote here, doing my part for the knit n' crochet group I go to each Wednesday's project to donate 800 hats to a local charity for Christmas packages (we're half way there!).  Really enjoying the hat project!  Also, I've enjoyed taking a class in quilting.  Yes, I do know how to sew/piece, but used this as an opportunity to try to perfect my piecing skills, and I truly learned something new.  We all made a small table runner, including quilting it.  And it was fun meeting some new people in that 3-session class.  Actually, I am so excited because I learned a new binding technique that probably everyone else in the world knows about and uses but I never saw before.  So you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Well, I'll see if I have any photos worth sharing.  I'm thinking not much ...

Found this little painting at an antique shop in Verona OH.  I'm a sucker for little originals!  Have way too many (though I did 'loose' a few in the auction).

This and below are the hats I've turned in the past two weeks.  Lots of generous people have donated yarn to us, so all it takes is time.  And I have lots of that.

One last thing ... when I was going through the old photos I came across this one that was taken in a photo booth.  I remember doing this; it was in the mall in Terre Haute about 15 years ago.  One photo has obviously been trimmed off.  I got a chuckle because in one I have my eyes closed, in one he has his eyes closed, and then the one we must have been practicing for! 💓  Are there still photo booths around??? Inquiring minds want to know!

Have a good month of May!  God bless y'all.

Spring's here and I'm so glad!

This past winter has been sort of rough because sunless days depress me!  I'd say it was sort of an average Indiana winter -- some snow, some cold, etc. etc. etc.  But I'm glad for spring to be here!  In fact, the lawncare people are here today in the complex spreading something (probably fertilizer/weed killer).  The grass is greening up, the robins are back, I have finches at my feeder, I've seen flocks of sandhill cranes fly over, and I've seen crocus and daffodils blooming.  Great!

Since I've posted last I did get my garage sorted -- with the help of Jeff, Ray and Gloria.  We had a good day.  And it didn't take as long as I thought it might.  Very sad, seeing more of Wendell's things go.  It's like I'm discarding a part of him when I do this.  The boys took a few things, Jeff took a couple things to see if the local pawn shop wanted to buy them, and I took a load that filled the cargo area of my car to Goodwill in Richmond.  And we threw some stuff away.  I've got the nail holes patched and sanded, and now I need to call the painter and have my garage walls painted.  (If my knee wasn't bothering me so much, I would paint it myself.  But I don't think I could climb up and down the ladder over and over like I used to.  I've decided that when we get Veronica graduated this spring, I'll try to schedule knee replacement.)  Then, I bought a roll-around work bench with storage drawers, and I think it will hold just about all I want to have out there in the way of tools.

I've been crocheting hats.  And hats, hats, hats.  I should have kept count!  I think I already mentioned that our knit & crochet group, that meets weekly in Farmland, has committed to provide 800 knitted or crocheted hats for Christmas for a local charity.  Yikes!  We already have about 250 and I'm hoping we don't run out of steam before we get done.  (We may end up buying some, who knows ...)  So, every time I sit down to watch TV or take a break, I am crocheting away on a hat.  (But I love it!)

I did finish the photo organization project.  Best find was my 1962 scrapbook, which I had completely forgotten about.  Some neat stuff there.  Along the way I also organized the photos on this computer.  I started a folder called "Wendell & Judy".  Thought I'd share several from that folder, sort of time travel through the years.  Here goes...

1961, dating.  He was home on leave from the USAF.

1963, our wedding day.

1963, newlyweds at our apartment in Cape Canaveral, FL.  He was stationed nearby, at Patrick AF Base.

1982, studio portrait.

1987, aboard the Nathaniel Bowditch, a 3-masted schooner, off the coast of Maine. Great vacation!  

1990, in Brown County, at the T.C. Steele home and studio.

About 1990, church directory photo.

2007 The Colts win the Super Bowl!! And we waited in line an hour to touch the trophy!  We were Colts season ticket holders for 35 years.  (He was so happy that day!)

2008, atop Mt. Hopkins, near Green Valley AZ, on an observatory tour.

2012, we had a studio photo taken in anticipation of our 50th wedding anniversary.

2018, our first selfie, in the kitchen.

2020, we said our goodbyes to our church family in Freedom.  Happy/sad day!  To my knowledge, this is the last photo of us together.

Well, that's all for now.  I move forward!  God is good!