Covid-19 Life: TBR, Quilting, News

I am knocking off TBR books from my NetGalley shelf, but am still 'last minute' reading books now that come out in a few weeks. 

Two new books on my shelf include

• Dear Miss Kopp by Amy Stewart
• The Souvenir Museum by Elizabeth McCracken whose Bowlaway I read and reviewed last year
• The Decameron Project, a short story collection by 29 authors, written during the early pandemic

Bookmail included Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle, a LibraryThing win last May. I received an ebook to read it for a blog tour, my review here.

I am preparing the side borders for applique on the Water Lily quilt and doing some sewing but nothing new to show yet.

This weekend was to be my high school class 50th reunion. We are disappointed to cancel but expect to have a big party next year.

For years I was disturbed by the replacement globes on a family heirloom student lamp that belonged to my Greenwood Great-Grandparents. Forty or so years ago Mom broke a globe and replaced them with beige floral ones. It always looked wrong to me, grotesque. Looking for photos of my brother for his birthday I noted the lamp in the background in a photo. Then, got online and ordered yellow replacement globes! I feel content, the world restored to order!

A Twitter friend shared a 1970s catalog ad for print polyester pants and asked if anyone wore them. I have the photographic proof!

Last week the late summer garden was attracting butterflies and bees. The basil is wonderful and we are enjoying pesto. The coneflower are gone, the roses enjoying the cool weather, as are the hydrangea. The yard was filled with Flicker and Downy Woodpecker and Blue Jays and flocking sparrows.

I read Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life on the patio reading the late summer section. The weather is already turning cool. Autumn is here.

I had received a jury notice last March but was excused because I am high risk for Covid. I was recalled for duty next week. I panicked, got a doctor's excuse, and worried. 

A high school friend took action and talked to a friend who was a judge in the court I was called to. The message was that there were no court cases scheduled until November. I was relieved when I checked in and saw the message that I was not needed.

Our grandkitty Hazel is in a fight for her life. Her cancer has returned. The kids are working to help her get strong enough for surgery this coming week. She is a sweet Maine Coon Cat. 

My husband took the photo below, seen on his walk around the neighborhood.

I took this photo of the flag against a stormy cloud, the sun breaking through a gap. Seems to sum up 2020 pretty well.

My prayers are for the victims of the western wildfires, the families dealing with illness and death from Covid-19, those who still carry the scars of 9-11 (which is pretty much all of us.) 

Stay safe. Stay hopeful. Find your bliss.

And vote.