A New Day

 So much going on in my life today. 

 

The adult daughter of a dear friend died unexpectedly this week and our circle of friends are so sad.  The daughter had numerous health issues but still, it was so sudden.  Here one day and gone the next.  I cannot imagine losing one of your children and the hurt and sadness and deep grief a person must feel forever.  My friend is being comforted by all of us who love and care for her.

 

My oldest daughter and son-in-law are traveling “across the pond” for a month and oh how I miss them.  They are my unofficial caretakers when I have a need.  So thankful that I have not needed them often.

I do know they are having a wonderful time and seeing a part of the world that is beautiful especially at this time of the Christmas season.

 

This morning I awoke at 3:30 AM, “bright-eyed and bushy tail”, as my grandmother would have said.  Once I am awake it is very hard for me to go back to sleep, so at 4:30 I just said oh heck and I got up.

I am mentally making a list of all I hope to accomplish today.  We will see how that works

Fruitcake or Not

 

I have lived in the Deep South most of my life.  From some of my first memories I remember the "Fruitcake" weekends my mother and her sisters had each year.  My mother and her three sisters would gather at my Grandmother’s home and spend all day working on their Christmas Fruitcakes.  There was laughter, talking, cutting fruits, shelling pecans, and probably adult beverages.  All I can remember is I really disliked the smell of all those ingredients and to this day I do not eat Fruitcake, southern or not.

Wet Ceiling

  

In the past two weeks, we have had two heavy, heavy rains with inches of rain each time.  The first rain had blowing winds and my bathroom ceiling was affected.  A large area about 4 feet long and a foot wide was wet.  My apartment maintenance man came down and reviewed the situation.  He went onto the roof and applied some type of spray can sealant.  Then after the last rain of late last week, I noticed a second wet area in the same general areas of the first rain event.  I went to see the resident manager yesterday and expressed my concerns and suggesting they have professional roofer access the situation.  As a homeowner for over 56 years, I know a little bit about maintaining a house and my rule number one has always been “Call in a professional” for the big jobs.  Today, the maintenance man is coming back and going into the attic to see what is going on.  To get into the attic you have to go through the ceiling area in my second bedroom.  My second bedroom is my sewing room!  This morning I have moved, stacked, rearranged and anything else I needed to do so he could get his ladder in there.  My apartment looks like a war zone.  If the insulation is wet, I am sure they should cut it out and replace it ASAP.  But first, they need to resolve where the water is coming into the attic.  Praying for patience and optimism in a resolution.  ASAP.

UPDATE:   

The maintenance man came this morning and went up into the attic.  The good news, insulation is not wet.  Thank goodness.  He was able to determine how water is running from the roof into the attic along the studs/beams/sheetrock.  It is related to a vent pipe not being installed correctly and the type of vent pipe the builder used.  Will definitely require a professional roofer to correct and repair.  Remember, this is an apartment I live in with layers of managers and management company rules, etc.  I was told that my apartment is not the only one that has issues so hopefully, a roofer can be hired to make necessary repairs before another rainstorm comes into our area.

Covid Booster

 Today I had my Covid 19 Phizer booster shot.  With the first two I had no side effects and I think I am going to have the same good experience with this one. I took a long afternoon nap and I am pushing the fluids.  Hoping for the best good results.  I believe in this vaccination but I also believe it is a choice that each person has to make for themself.

In My Chair

 This morning I went out to my porch to sit and drink my cup of hot tea.  My porch chair has cushions and I always look under my cushion to check for "guest".  And this is a picture of what I found, a baby Gecko.  This time of the year we have lots of these running around and since it was much cooler this morning I am sure he was looking for a place to get warm.  Living in the south we learn from early childhood to LOOK before your sit as you never know what might be paying you a visit.

Pollen Season is Here

 

This year we have had an abundant amount of pollen.  Add to that a lack of rain the past week and everything has been covered in yellow “dust”.  Today we had a very nice hard rain and when I went outside, I found my car looked so shiny and the streets were much cleaner.  I still need to clean off my front porch but that will have to wait until we get clear of the dreaded pine tree pollen.

2020 Quilts

 Since I am retired and live alone the Pandemic has not bothered me that much.  The restrictions of sheltering in have been disconformable at times but it has not really bothered me that much.  I order groceries from Krogers and drive over and pick them up.  I have been very, very careful about not gathering with large groups of people.  Eating out has been making the right choices of where I go and what time I go.  Very few people eat out around 2:00 in our small town and that is the best time for me to go inside to eat.

I live in a 55+ community and we have not gathered for community activities since March.  I see friends out walking or sitting on their porches and we chat staying six feet apart.  I have my hobby of quilting and I also love, love to read.   So for me life has just gone on with few complaints.  

I attend a small church close to my home and have not attended any church functions since July.  Church services are on Facebook and there is something nice about watching in your pj's drinking a cup of hot tea.

Here are a few quilts that I have finished or projects in progress that have been done during 2020

This is a work in progress using the accuquilt system for cutting.  It is Hannah's Choice.  

Both of these quilts were also cut out using Accuquilt system.

This is a red, black and gray quilt also known as a UGA quilt for our Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, GA

I hand quilted this quilt.  The center 9 patch blocks I found in a bin in my very packed sewing room.  I vaguely remember making the blocks when my husband was ill.  After he had gone to bed at night I would go into my sewing room, where I previously lived, and sew on them just to relax.  After he died I guess I just forgot about them.  Three years later I moved into the 55+ apartment and four years later found them when I was looking for whatever.  It turned out to be a really cute quilt. 

I am determined to survive this Covid 19 pandemic.  I know things will get better but I do not know when they will be better.  I believe that this is within God's plan and he has a reason.  I do not know the reason and will probably never know.  But I do trust him and his reasoning.