And the fire continues

Maytag Moments

A Journal

(Like so many pieces of laundry, thoughts occur in no particular order.)

June 22 – 28

06.22. 2020: 1150: Slight adjustment of routine. The Mall is open at 1000. I skipped the early morning bike and took PJ to Park Place Mall for a morning walk in an air-conditioned building. (It’s 99º right now.) It wasn’t crowded although some stores were opening early, most should be opened by 11 o’clock. We managed to walk 1700 steps. We stopped and bought an ice cream cone. I noticed two young fellows, (college-age), walking the hallway without a mask. Everyone else had masks on.

We did the final (smooth) edit or the local TCF newsletter, WALKING THIS VALLEY. (We do this regularly.) We were active participants in TCF for 17 years after our son, Robert, died on July 2, 1997. While mall walking this morning, Phyllis found a penny. Finding a penny has special meanings for TCF people. It is a reminder that their child or sibling is watching over them. This issue was especially poignant:

file:///C:/Users/Sam%20Turner/Downloads/TCF%20newsletter%20July-August%202020%20(1).pdf

1400:  Smoke from the Bighorn Fire is settling over the valley (no wind) cutting visibility and becoming hazardous for breathing. PJ navigated for me as we drove the 8 miles to the orthodontist. They had to make a new impression for a lower brace. On the way home, we stopped at Sprouts and got bananas which we forgot to put on the list for Julie. Everyone is wearing masks.

                   Dinner: roasted chicken and broccoli with cheese.

HB4116

We did some reading, watched news and Whose Line is It? Then, I moved to Netflix and watched THE HEALER. This was a surprisingly good film produced by Paul Newman’s foundation.

06.23.2020:0530: No bike. I’m going to do some writing this morning. Before lunch, I’ll take my bow by the shop to be restrung. Then I have two back-to-back zoom meetings. I always get a little nervous. Just trying to access the meetings, which is supposed to be simple, sometimes doesn’t seem to work for me. Maybe today will be better. I have ALOHA at 1300, and Parkinson’s support starting at 1400. Last week, I could not get into the PD support.

Here is an entertaining site sent by my friend, Guy (You can also find this on YouTube): https://youtu.be/SzOgsaXO7BE

Wasn’t that fun? Guy must have a treasure chest full of these. The archer has a better form than me. It doesn’t show if she hit the target.

1000: We walked at Park Place Mall again. (1600 steps) PJ’s back felt OK.

My eyes are irritated today. It must be from the smoke. We use Systane Balance regularly for our eyes.

1300: I accessed the Zoom meeting on ALOHA. But I could not get into the Parkinson’s Support Group.

1230: Our HOME Chef box was delivered but he/she did not ring the bell (We have a sign requesting that delivery people ring the bell because we are HOH.) We found it about two hours later.  It is packed in freezer ice sitting outside at 102º temperature.  Lucky for us the ice had not melted, but it was getting soft! I “rescued” it and stocked the refrigerator with this week’s supply.

1430: We drove to the Orthodontist to make a new impression of my lower teeth. Successful, I hope. 

I stopped by the shop and dropped off my compound bow for re-stringing. Embarrassing. This is the second time in a month. I’ve shot since November 2018, without having that problem. Tom told me that Jackson (the 11-year-old, had it happen to him last week. He was watching a girl shooting down the line and forgot to nock his arrow! Watching a girl is an understandable excuse. No one was watching me though, not even Swombo. I was so excited about placing three arrows in the center, that I stayed focused on the target and forgot my arrow.

1700: Watched the news and had a selection of leftovers for dinner.  We’ll have our new meal on Wednesday.  We watched Masterpiece on PBS – a documentary on England’s Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. Fascinating!

06.24.2020: 0345Up and writing on the CIP. 

0500: No pictures of the Catalinas this morning.  I can’t see them because of the smoke. Nor can I see the Rincon’s to the east, the Santa Rita’s to the south, or the Tucson Mountains to the west. Our ancient caldera/valley is smoked in! It should clear later this morning.

1000: PJ has PT this morning. 1130: Writing. 1215: I took a one-hour nap.

1340:Lunch. 

1500: Dorothy arrives to fix the watering system.   Turns out, our “cute” little squirrels, are chewing up our water lines! Larry T. knows about this problem. Watched part of the Toni Morrison documentary and went to bed.

Finally, after placing fresh seeds in the feeder, we have goldfinches again! They are picky and don’t care for year-old Nyjer seeds.

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06.25.2020: 0500: Up and doing the laundry.

1000: Walked the Mall 1650 steps today. No ice cream!

Stopped at CVS to pick up some meds. For some unknown reason, Walgreen’s is closed today.

PJ’s back seemed fine.

 I decided I would set up my ZOOM account!  Crazy. Please enter your address and password. (You already know what’s going to happen, don’t you?) That address is not valid, or that address is already taken. Or I can spend thirty minutes mucking through the three easy steps to Log In. My! this is SO FUN! I finally gave up and will try later when I’m invited to the next Zoom meeting.  I could have been writing or standing outside throwing rocks at cars. 

It is a clear day. No picture, but just little puffs of smoke showing on the mountains – a very little breeze.  This should help the firefighters.

Our ice maker is on the fritz again. And Dragon just quit.  This is a thrilling day. Are the Spirits trying to tell me something?  I’m working on my CIP again. Every page brings me closer to the end of the first episode.

06.26.2020: 0530: Up and writing. This will be the first in a series of short stories, all connected in some way, 0800:We drove to Campbell and Ft. Lowell for my third orthodontics appointment.  Everything fits. Spent most of the day writing.  

1230: I picked up my bow and a new recurve bow! Leftovers for dinner as we watched the news. Swombo reads/edits my next short story. She catches tense changes, misplaced characters, and laughs at some of the places I was hoping to get a laugh.

I watched more of the PBS Masters on Toni Morrison.  Read another chapter in You’re Not Listening, What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy.

STILL BURNING by Ana Felix. This Bighorn Fire has now exceeded 88,000 acres, larger than that of the 2003 Aspen Fire.

06.27.2020: 0430: At 82º  0500 Up and shooting. Spent 45-minutes sighting and getting used to the new recurve.  I may have to shave my beard, so I can get my hand up to my anchor point.  Am I willing to do this? Probably. In a few days. Maybe. The bow is lighter. I won’t need my wrist support. Probably. Tomorrow, I’ll shoot the compound again to see the difference in weight for my left hand. My left hand is locking. I did not shoot.

1100: I’m in a Zoom class with five other writers. We wrote/read/wrote/read for two hours – discussing after each sprint. 10-minute sprints.  Stimulating the juices!  We’ll skip the 4th of July, and meet the final two Saturdays after that. The hardest part is getting my audio/video to sync without echoing!

Julie brought some Barrio Bread by.  That bread is so good, we don’t have to put anything on the slice: no butter, no jelly. Just bread. Long, hard-crusted bread loaves of Biscotti.

1300: A light lunch and then writing until 1600. Fun. Almost finished.  Now to pick a cover.

Evening dinner.

HB4116
HB4116

It doesn’t look like the Picture.  It’s called Cuban Avocado Black Bean Quinoa Bowl (with chicken. You can’t see the chicken or avocado because my “plating” technique leaves something to be desired, and the quinoa and black beans hid everything else.

We watched news of the Bighorn Fire and finished the PBS special on Toni Morrison. (Excellent!)

06.28.2020: 0530 (Slept late) Followed our Church service on Zoom. I also listened to the 1045 TalkBack. The general topic: ways that St. Francis might offer support to a school where children will need laptops or WiFi.  Busses park at the school and provide WiFi access for the students.  I didn’t know that. St. Francis could sponsor one of these busses.

We are tired.  I’m going to shut this down and mail it. Stay well, wear your mask, and get some rest, if that’s what you need.  Blessings to all of you.  

May God, like a mother eagle,

spread the wings of Her love and protection

over us throughout this night

and forever.

Amen.

-Marchiene Vroon Rienstra