Beauty

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

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@KaySD wrote:

@just bee Stunning photos! I've only been in your state a few times, and the memories that have crowded out all the others are all of the ravishing skies.

How are you doing? I've been thinking about you lately as I try to keep my balance, not fall into worrying and other negative emotions, not stumble over my own idiosyncratic (i.e. goofy) beliefs, stay present, present, present. I drop by every day or two to read what you are thinking, but I seem not to have much to say.

Now that things are "opening up" even though the virus is continuing to spread, I feel less safe going out. I want to see evidence that people are being careful--but instead many are acting like children, seeing what they can "get away" with. I get it. But I don't feel safe being around it.

Good news: I'll be all prepped for extended solitude if I'm ever offered interplanetary travel. Less good news: I may have forgotten how to be around other people. I've started to flinch seeing crowds and people touching in movies, for heavens' sake. 

I wonder if if I'll be around long enough to find out what this disruption is really all about? Will we learn to become kinder to one another, or more careless? Appreciate what we have more, or resent what we don't? Get clearer about what matters, or more confused? Pull together or keep wrangling? Love more or fear more? 

Meanwhile, thanks for the dreamy photos. I'll be over here admiring your skies, and you, from afar. 

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@KaySD 

Thanks to the Internet for the photos.  NM can be photogenic, can't it?  I do like the big sky and I would miss that aspect of living here.  I remember wanting to return to the Midwest so we made the trip to Kansas and Missouri in 2006.  It felt claustrophobic!  Tall trees, gray summer skies.  I used to like gray skies -- what happened?

Like you, I'm curious about the effects of this "disruption."  Already seeing a lot of the downside at work and in our state's economic health.  Now there are more than 230 NM restaurants closed forever.  All your questions are excellent.  How exactly will we come out on the other end of this?  Better or worse?

My coworker went home with a fever so I'll need to put in some overtime tonight.  If she tests positive, what happens next?

Quarantine for our staff?

I see a nasal swab in my future.  I'll keep you posted!

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@just bee 

Uh oh.😳

I see a two week vacation in your future.  I think those are paid forced "vacations", though, aren't they?

[rnmom]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@rnmom wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

@rnmom 

Uh... your state is under water.

How are you doing?

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@just bee -OMG, just when you think it cannot get ANY worse, it does.

Thanking God that we personally are high and dry, however, everyone around us has been affecteed. St. Charles to the south of us is half flooded, that's where the kids go to school. 

My sister and her family live in Midland county mostly north of us, just down river from where the dam broke. They had to do an emergency evacuation Tuesday night, my niece and nephew are staying here with us and my sister and her hubby are actually staying in a camper in a church parking lot not too far from their house. 

At last check they had a basement full of water, but it looks like the river has crested so they are HOPING to not get it all the way into the house.

We are very fortunate to be safe, but we are basically an island right now. Every bridge is closed and many roads are flooded or washed out. I can't get into work,we live to the west of everything, on one side of the river and can't get to anything right now on the east side, including my job. Thank goodness I'm off until next week. I just made it home over the bridge Tuesday with a few hours to spare before it flooded. 

We may or may not be able to head west if we needed anything. I haven't been out to looks so it's hard to say because there's so many road closures you just don't know what you'll bump into. I am so grateful that we have a house full of food and everything that we need to get thru for a while. At least I don't have to worry about getting groceries. 

I feel so bad for my sister. When we were kids back in 1986 we lived thru a flood then too, had 6 foot of water in our basement, barely made it thru without having to evacuate. She shouldn't have to go thru that again. It's SO sad. 

But everyone is safe, thanks for thinking of me. Let's just say this whole COVID nonsense has been the last thing on my mind for the last couple of days. I'm telling ya, pandemics, floods, murder hornets. I'm seriously about getting out my bible and dusting off the book of Revelations. Think God is trying to tell us something??

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@rnmom 

What in the world did you people up there do to deserve all this disaster?  Floods, pandemics, and that governor!  Sheesh!  Somebody is trying to tell you all something.  Although I have to admit the whole Bible aspect has occurred to me, too.

Seriously, I'm glad to know that despite the inconvenience and hassle you and the family are all okay.  Hopefully your sister's house has seen the worst.  

In a twisted sort of way, maybe this pandemic worked out well for you.  You're more stocked up than you would be normally so at least you don't have to worry about trying to get out.  And everyone was already off work and school.

What a deal.  Keep up updated when you get a chance.  Take care!❤️

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@geezerette - I have no idea what we did but I'm telling ya, it's getting really old. More tiresome by the minute. I don't know how much more we are going to be able to take.

Looks like the river has gone down, my sister's house is still intact but the whole finished basement has to be re-done. We were there all day yesterday helping clean it out and will go back today. Such a big job, I don't know how long it's going to take to get it back to normal. Months I imagine. I feel so bad for her.

And our lovely governor is still up to her old tricks, extended state of emergency and stay home order, yesterday, right before a holiday weekend. It's like she's just trying to be mean and ruin our long weekend by making the announcement Friday afternoon. She is pure evil.

But it did work out well with us being off to help. I'm glad for that. I will keep you guys posted, thanks for thinking of me!

[Eager2Learn]

O/T: the rat problem

I didn't receive any response at all from Animal Control, so then I contacted our pest defense company. They couldn't do anything since the rats were outside. They referred me to a wildlife company. They wanted me to sign up for monthly service to keep rats poisoned out. They said their poison even kills virus' like Covid!! Yeah, I really believe that. Then they said they could do a one time removal for $489. Yes, that's right, $489. SO said no, he'd do it a lot cheaper.

We did not want these rats getting into the house and reluctantly decided their fate. SO bought some poison and set it by the nest yesterday. Today, he went to look. The bait is untouched and the rats are gone! Thank God we didn't have to kill them. The only thing left in the nest are some acorn remains and a tiny frog.

SO is going to tape the two holes in the pedestal were the rat got in. 

I'm so relieved! I didn't want to see the poor things suffer. Woo Hoo!

[KaySD]

@just bee Fingers crossed for you, my dear.

[Eager2Learn]

It ain't over 'till it's over.

I just found 19 Reader's Digests that were given to SO to bring home to me. They're from 2017-2019. They were hiding on my bookshelf in plain sight. I never even looked at one of them. They will be donated as well. 

Grand total of books & magazines (unless I find more):

Tossed: 10

SO kept: 5

I kept: 27

Donation:162

That's an 84% reduction! Woo Hoo!

[rnmom]

@just bee - Any news on your co-worker who was sick?

How are things going in the new house? Are you still continuing to unpack? Anything fun we need to know about?

[rnmom]

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@Eager2Learn wrote:

It ain't over 'till it's over.

I just found 19 Reader's Digests that were given to SO to bring home to me. They're from 2017-2019. They were hiding on my bookshelf in plain sight. I never even looked at one of them. They will be donated as well. 

Grand total of books & magazines (unless I find more):

Tossed: 10

SO kept: 5

I kept: 27

Donation:162

That's an 84% reduction! Woo Hoo!

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@Eager2Learn -That is awesome! It will feel so good to get that much volume/weight out of your house. Have you found out yet when you will be able to donate them?

[rnmom]

We spent about 8 hours yesterday at my sister's house again helping in their flooded basement. All the water was pumped out by Thursday so we've been there the last 2 days helping haul everything out. It was completely finished and basically just like a regular house.

It was almost empty by Friday night so we spent most of yesterday either hauling stuff to the curb or putting stuff that they want to try to save in the garage. Took a few things inside and washed it already.

There is still some stuff in the basement to be packed up and taken upstairs that wasn't touched by water. We are staying home today to catch up around our house but might go back for a bit tomorrow. 

My sister has always told me how much my brother in law is a pack rat. Now I see what she has been talking about. They had SO much stuff in that basement. A lot of it was stored away in storage rooms, etc so even though I'm over there all the time I never saw a lot of it. Well, I've seen a lot of it now.

Holy cow. They (mostly him) had a lot of stuff in that basement. I know that we have a lot too and I wonder if that had been us if we would have as much stuff to haul out as they did. My hubby tends to be a pack rat too.

I haven't been decluttering much lately at all because I just don't feel like we have a lot left to get rid of. But I might have to start looking at things again when time permits. It has definitely given me something to think about.

[geezerette]

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@rnmom wrote:

We spent about 8 hours yesterday at my sister's house again helping in their flooded basement. All the water was pumped out by Thursday so we've been there the last 2 days helping haul everything out. It was completely finished and basically just like a regular house.

It was almost empty by Friday night so we spent most of yesterday either hauling stuff to the curb or putting stuff that they want to try to save in the garage. Took a few things inside and washed it already.

There is still some stuff in the basement to be packed up and taken upstairs that wasn't touched by water. We are staying home today to catch up around our house but might go back for a bit tomorrow. 

My sister has always told me how much my brother in law is a pack rat. Now I see what she has been talking about. They had SO much stuff in that basement. A lot of it was stored away in storage rooms, etc so even though I'm over there all the time I never saw a lot of it. Well, I've seen a lot of it now.

Holy cow. They (mostly him) had a lot of stuff in that basement. I know that we have a lot too and I wonder if that had been us if we would have as much stuff to haul out as they did. My hubby tends to be a pack rat too.

I haven't been decluttering much lately at all because I just don't feel like we have a lot left to get rid of. But I might have to start looking at things again when time permits. It has definitely given me something to think about.

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@rnmom 

Your family has had a busy few days!  Thankfully your sister and brother-in-law had you guys to help out.  You all must be pooped!

It sounds like your sister and brother-in-law had an eye-opening experience thrust on them much like @just bee's house fire.  A good time for your sister to get rid of a lot of stuff that perhaps she's been wanting to for a while but couldn't because her husband wanted it.  Maybe it opened his eyes so he won't keep so much in the future.  

And maybe all that mess and work helped your own husband to see the value of what you've been urging him to do with your own decluttering.  Maybe now when you have those discussions with him about cleaning out his stuff he'll be more prone to listen and act.

It's just so much harder to get rid of things when you have younger kids.  They need 'stuff'.  My family tends to keep things forever too.  But they, unlike me, don't buy a lot of new things.  They have a lot of what I would consider 'clutter', but they all love it because it has sentimental value.  And they use their stuff, too.  But my sister and her husband are now in their eighties, so she's trying to rid herself of a lot of their things too.  

Some people just like their stuff.  And a lot of it.  To each his own.

I hope you have some decent weather this weekend to relax a bit.  I imagine your sister won't be relaxing for quite some time. ☹️

[geezerette]

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@Eager2Learn wrote:

It ain't over 'till it's over.

I just found 19 Reader's Digests that were given to SO to bring home to me. They're from 2017-2019. They were hiding on my bookshelf in plain sight. I never even looked at one of them. They will be donated as well. 

Grand total of books & magazines (unless I find more):

Tossed: 10

SO kept: 5

I kept: 27

Donation:162

That's an 84% reduction! Woo Hoo!

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@Eager2Learn 

So now you should have 84% more room!👏  Good job!👍

It will be very tempting to fill it back up with more stuff!😳😉😄