It was the usual 4th of July 07-05-23

Every year for the last decade our neighborhood has held a "parade" on the 4th.  And each year there are more children, more participants.  KoKo and I sit on a folding chair in the driveway and hoot and holler as the parade goes by.  Well, KoKo doesn't hoot or holler, he usually goes to sleep in my lap - not into parades. 

Usually the leader is Mr. Rohr in his little Jeep, fessooned with balloons and streamers.  But this year he and wife are on vacation so the fire truck moved up to first place.  I don't know how we rate a fire truck AND a Placentia PD car, don't know of any neighbors who are either firemen or policemen.  (Or women!)

 

There seemed to be fewer decorations on the bikes, scooters, skate boards this year.  Economics or perhaps just laziness!  I know that I will be picking up debris for several days.

The adult who usually shows up in a weird costume was not walking this year.  Maybe he is also on vacation.  There were plenty of kids and quite a few parents walking, waving, and yelling Happy 4th of July.  Didn't notice any MAGA hats this year, even though this is a heavily Conservative area.

At the very end were this couple with their poodle mix dog.  He always gives us a tentative bark when we walk by his house, but he has learned my voice so i tell him what a good dog he is and he stops barking.  LOTS of dogs and children in our neighborhood.   These pictures show what i see out my front windows.  I do hate those motor homes reflecting the hot sun back to me.  The law says we cannot park them where they are seen from the street, but these have been parked in the driveways for decades.  It is just a small irritation, not worth losing good neighbors  over something so small.   But it still bugs me!!

I am still coughing until sometimes I think I will choke!  Still doing the "croup tent" which helps for a short time and I'm trying to not talk because that will set me off.  I have an appointment with my new primary in the morning, maybe she has an answer.  To me it is odd that it is so hard to be sick now.  All the years I had bronchitis every winter I knew what to do, but wearing a mask seems to have protected me from sickness these past three years and i have forgotten how to be sick! 

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Mary Quinn quilt from Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collecion 07-02-23

Sunday again and another quilt from the Collection.   I purchased this one from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO, when I was traveling in 2011.   I think the exhibit was of quilts made by members of the Front Range Quilters, a large Colorado guild that tends toward art quilts.  I was attracted to the theme, the unusual color, and the interesting technique.  

"An Exaltation of Larks"  Mary Quinn - Colorado 2010  33"W X 67"L

Cotton fabric, paint/ink, cotton batting, cotton thread. 

 Deconstructed silk screen, hand applique, inking, machine quilting. 

With the exception of the wings all of the white parts are a result of deconstructed silk screen, including the barbed wire. 

This is really a whole cloth quilt with the exception of this nest with it's soft blue eggs appliqued a the lower left.  

:Many details if you look close.  The larks with their beaks open all have musical notes coming out of their beaks.  

 

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Yard Cleanup 07-01-23

Today I had some luck with my yard cleanup.  I had a guy come to give me an estimate a couple weeks ago and yesterday he showed up to get started.  Today he and two younger guys came to do the work.  It only took them about two and a half hours and I think they removed every weed in front and back yards.  Unfortunately they also severely pruned that big pink rosebush in the back.  Not a flower or a leaf left!  Hope it will revive.  I will have to get out to prune my favorite "Brandy" rose in the front before he comes back next Friday.  It looks really sad, but may respond to a light pruning, some fertilizer, and some mulch to keep the roots cool.

Pink Rose in backyard. Before pruning!

Brandy in the front yard. 

Cold somewhat better, but still dripping, coughing, sneezing!

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Somewhat improving! 06-30-23

This evening we took our walk and did the complete loop (a little less than a mile) for the first time since Sunday.  I just haven't had the strength and it is hard to have leash, cane, and hold a tissue to my nose!  I did use a  "croup tent" twice today because I was so drippy and sneezed in  multiples.  It does help, but I should have started sooner.  Talked at a distance with  several  neighbors and discovered that what I have is something that is "going around".  I suppose I should have seen the doctor, but I do dislike taking antibiotics  if  I can possible avoid them.   I will just keep doing my old-time treatment and see if I can be well by next Wednesday. 

I did manage to take KoKo to the groomer yesterday -  isn't he handsome? For this picture I lifted him up on a neighbor's wall right in front  of the volunteer cherry tomato plant.  The neighbor  has been caring for the plant, but went off for a ten day vacation, so every other day I took a bottle of outside water and gave it a drink.  I intend to enjoy a some cherry tomatoes in a few weeks!  The tomato plants volunteer from the mulch a lot of people use.  It contains sewage sludge (treated, of course), but the cherry tomato seeds seem to come through unscathed and usually  give  a great crop of sweet,  tiny tomatoes.  I had them in the 60s in Huntington Beach and in this backyard when I took care of it.  

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Too sick 06-29-23

My cough is much less, but my head is stobbed ub and my nose is constantly running.  I'm dong OTC drugs, hydrating, resting, not talking.  I did manage to get KoKo to the groomer, he was so shaggy and now he looks ten years younger. As you see, he is taking care of me.  I really cannot do much  - you know how this kind of thing wipes you out.  Anyway, I hope to be well at least by Monday.  Good Night!!

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Wordless Wednesday 06-28-23

 

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Got a cough! 06-27-23

 

Had to have a picture and this is one of my favorites from Facebook.  I think I will have a mat like this on the INSIDE of my door.   I'll add "Check that the outside doors are locked."

My news is that I have a terrible cough.  This is the first illness I have  had since the lockdown and mask wearing when  Covid struck in 2020.  Really amazing since I usually have bronchitis every winter.  I went out to dinner with neighbors on Friday evening and one of the guys had a cough.  If I had know of that before I got in his car I would have stayed home.  But at the restaurant he kept coughing and I was stuck.  He claims that he just has allergies, but I recognize a bad cough that is not an allergy to anything.  Anyway, I treated myself when I got home, but by Sunday night I had a scratchy throat and knew I had contracted his cough infection.  By Monday night I was whooping it up pretty bad.  Fortunately I have a supply of Fisherman's Friend cough lozenges, so I can  control it somewhat.  I wore a mask when I took the boys to school and hope they do not catch anything.  A friend suggested a Covid test and I have at least a dozen test kits, so I did the test (such tiny printing!} and it was negative  I really don't have any symptoms other than the cough. 

I am just resting and drinking fluids and sucking on Fisherman's Friend.  Hope it goes away quickly.  Fortunately I don't have anything on my calendar this week except taking KoKo for grooming on Thursday.  He is pretty shaggy.  Maybe I can do some sewing, doesn't take a lot of energy!  Or, as always, read. 

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