Almost Autumn

 

I know that the first day of Autumn is a few days away. But I was down to one grandchild today and the weather forecast is rain (finally) so today was the day. We went to one of the farms where we purchase sweet corn and picked up some corn stalks. Between my gigantic hanging baskets and the stalks, it's like an enclosed porch. 

My mailbox cover is still September apples. My October cover is more Halloween than harvest. I usually pick up a bale of straw (a real bale, not a craft store bale) but gosh the prices have soared. And I don't really need one. 

Several windows have the silk flower fall wreaths. I only thought to include one in a photo. We had a lot of fall weddings and used them around wooden pumpkins with flower arrangements. I spotted the pillows on an early morning masked trip into our Walmart. Of course i was the only customer (or cashier) with a mask. 

There used to be a great craft show in a neighboring county. They had acres of woods with paths and crafters had "deeds" to small properties. Most constructed semi-permanent primitive sheds or cabins to sell their wares. There were several food concessions in replica buildings and picnic tables everywhere. Live music and wandering entertainers.  The empty fields served as parking lots (with tractors and wagons back and forth to your car) and a "show" - maybe antique cars or tractors or a Civil War or Native American camp out. Well, it turned out the organizers had a 20 year lease. Lease was up and owners did not want to renew. The crafters had to remove all the buildings and no more crafts like these nifty pumpkins and sunflowers planted in my lily bed. 

Here is one of my supervisors wearing grampa's hat.  I think these tin flowers came from the craft show, too. The flowers in the bicycle basket were pretty sparse so I stuck some of my silk leaves in there too. 

We are expecting the delivery of some very expensive mums. I believe that two different grandchildren's elementary schools had mum sales. I am also expecting some cookie dough from at least one other school and I am a little confused on quantities of what I ordered. 

I returned to my hoarder friend's apartment. She has secured a new apartment in a senior living complex. I am unclear as to what the rules are there or what kind of supervision there might be. Another friend had come and spent a day finishing the bedroom project I started. She had someone she knows come and help her start with the living room. All I could see was that they took piles of papers and stuff and, without any sorting, put it all into a zillion shopping totes, like ones they sell by cash registers. They are on the floor and all the furniture. 

I went to the kitchen.  I spent 8 hours and emptied and washed all her upper cupboards and all but one lower cabinet. i had a constant sink of dirty dishes soaking while I put the cupboard contents on a table and made her sort trash, keep and Goodwill.  Then I would wash a load and start another shelf. We made two trips to Goodwill with my SUV loaded with donations each time. I packed at least 6 files boxes of dishes, glasses, mugs and 2 frying pans and one pot. (her choice). We filled trash bags.  I found five nonoperational crock pots, and unearthed a huge 1990's computer monitor in a corner along with the tower. 

I had a pretty big birthday on Saturday and asked my husband for a trip to the landfill. He graciously humored me and drove his new truck over and helped me load her old mattress, box springs, the computer, the crock pots and the trash bags. I had asked her to pick out anything else that could go, but she was too tired. She was actually "too tired" to answer the door and just told us to come in and watched.  My husband took a glance at the kitchen and couldn't believe I had spent 8 straight hours attempting anything in there. Neither could I. 

She is to the point now where she has decided to just let stuff sit and make the landlord clear it out. I am sure they will sue her. Her children are no help at all. They are whining about helping her move. I really think she needs serious help. I am hoping the complex where she is moving might provide some supervision. I have a feeling if she does not change, they will move her to a nursing home. 

We are both the same age. I have discussed this with the mutual friend that is also trying to help. We both feel this is so far beyond us. I should mention that while we are trying to dispose of tons of stuff. (Literally tons), her daughter took her garage sale shopping this weekend. 

My husband is still shell shocked and traumatized from stepping in the apartment on Saturday. The good news is that I have not heard one word about my clutter, LOL! 

September Word of the Month?

 I know it is only September.  We had temperatures in the 70's last week and it inspired me.  And the fact that it is in the 90's today (and forecasted for the next week) has not detoured me. My word for September is two words. And those words are Pumpkin Spice. 

It all started with my shower curtain. I have a floral curtain I use in the summer and I replaced it with my favorite fall green gingham. The minute I hung it, I knew something was wrong. After thought and detective work with my tape measure, I believe I have determined the problem. The curtain has shrunk 6 inches. I am sure it is all my fault and it somehow snuck into the dryer last year. I am heartbroken but hope to bring it back to life as a tablecloth. 

So - I went to Amazon. My new Autumn shower curtain will arrive on Wednesday. And then I had to find a new rug to match. At least I hope it matches.  

We got up this morning and hubby decided we were going to Menards. I haven't been in a store forever and . . . . walked out with new towels to match the fall bathroom as well as new hand towels.  I talked him into stopping at Dollar Tree so I could get ribbons to tie up my corn stalks. They did not have any ribbon, but I still spent $8 on more fall decorations I don't need.  I also ran into Family Dollar where I found some more fall littles and some very cute fall facecloths.  They only had four so I just left Amazon where some coordinating ones might arrive by Tuesday. 

I also ran into Aldi since we were in the big town and guess what I found! 

Aldi just knew what I needed.  The whipped topping is so delicious, I am going to try to talk my better half into a trip tomorrow to stock up. 

Our Covid numbers just keep climbing.  We went from a 15 cases in a week total in July to Wednesday's high of 72 cases. In one day.  Our total for this week was 377.  The hospital is sharing a graphic on Facebook each morning with number of Covid cases hospitalized, number of Covid patients in ICU and number of Covid patients on ventilators.  People laugh at the post.  While shopping today we were estimating about 20% of the people at Menards wore a mask, 100% of employees were masked (how I talk hubby into going there).  Dollar Tree had two customers walking out wearing masks when I went in, however no one else but me was wearing a mask while I was there, including cashiers. I was also the only shopper at Family Dollar with a mask. There may have been two other mask wearers at Aldi. Their employees were masked.  

*EDIT*  The Health Department announced that we had 77 new positive tests yesterday. 

Wishing you all a good week. 

I am not happy.

 

This is from our local newspaper today.  

I live in a county with a 39% vaccination rate the last time I checked. And the age group with the lowest vaccination rate are those aged 20-35. 

Most places I go, I am the only person wearing a mask. 

Our county fair was held last week. We had a full fair this year with no masks and crowded grandstands. A neighboring county is having their fair this week. 

We live by the lake and one of the islands is having a big country music festival this weekend. Last night 10,000 people came for a Blake Shelton Concert. I saw the pictures. I did not see masks. 

Classes begin at our schools on Monday and the parents have been protesting at school board meetings that their children will not be masked. And masks are not required at any of our local schools. 

The paper also gives daily numbers of new hospitalizations. This wave has a much higher hospitalization rate.  And we have had several deaths too. 

Our 45th Wedding Anniversary is coming up.  I have moved from a party, to maybe a quiet dinner out (early, so we would be able to distance in a restaurant) to ordering curbside pickup at a restaurant in another city (our town doesn't have a "restaurant" and I would like more than burgers) and bringing it home to reheat. Woo hoo. 

I'm cranky.  We stayed home. We distanced. We wore and continue to wear masks. We signed up for a vaccination at midnight on the day we were able. We got our vaccines.  I have a closet full of hand soap and sanitizer for our continuous handwashing with ourselves and our grandchildren. We have disposable masks and sanitizer in our cars. Yet we are being held hostage by our neighbors and relatives and even our fellow church members who refuse to get vaccinated. 

My next door neighbors who were not vaccinated and did get Covid recently are doing better after their infusion therapy.  Better enough to be posting anti-vax propaganda on Facebook again. 

Another neighbor who was ranting on Facebook (we don't go out so that is how we keep up with the world) that she refuses to wear a mask to work and no one will make her, now has a son who has Covid. She would like prayers for him. 

I agree with John Pavlovitz.

Corn and Maters

I live in a little town, known in my rural county as the Big Town. We live out off the West side of Main Street. When we bought our little house in 1979, we were the second to the last street in town. And we lived halfway down our street. Lots of "new" houses joined us over the years. We know live almost at the top of our street, LOL. 

There used to be a farm at the end of our street and farm fields behind our backyard. Nowadays we get in the car and drive almost a whole mile to find a farm stand. The farm stands we prefer are at the end of a driveway or maybe up by the barn and usually have a box or tin with a slit to put your money. 

This has been a very good year for sweet corn in Northern Ohio.  The ears are plentiful and flavorful and don't have any missing niblets. We have tried corn from at least three or four farms and each one has been as good as the next. Most have picked corn that morning and you can't get fresher than that. 

As a joke, I bought Mr Merry a potted tomato plant from an Amish farm last year. It was amazingly prolific and came with some green tomatoes growing on it - in May!! We had fresh tomatoes all summer! This year I bought two potted tomato plants and we are not only eating tomatoes every meal, but sharing with our neighbors, too! 

After several hand surgeries and the smushed arm last year - I don't can or even freeze much anymore. But we still like to eat our fill. Here is what I have been up to in the kitchen. 

Grilled Steak, Sweet Corn, Roasted Tomatoes with Cheese

Pork Chop, Sweet Corn, Grilled Tomatoes

Pot Roast, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Mashed Potatoes

Spaghetti, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes

Chicken, Macaroni Salad, Tomatoes . . . .Wait - without Sweet Corn in August, can we even call ourselves Ohioans?  

Don't worry, we made a run the next morning for another dozen. Luckily I can split the ears with a daughter or daughter in law so we can keep eating fresh! 

My teacher daughters and daughter in laws are all back to school. We will have seven grandchildren here all day tomorrow. Thursday and Friday we go down to six when my youngest granddaughter goes to her first day of kindergarten. Monday is a big day when FOUR more go back to two different schools. We will only have one two-year-old on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and then on Thursday and Friday we will add his two-year-old cousin! It's almost MY vacation time.