Books, Carole and I at the Yacht Harbor and a Bit of Confusion in Blogland

 I don't aim to confuse you, but somehow on Oct. 26 this got posted with the posting date of Oct. 1. So I think most of my blog readers did not see this post before. But if you are one of the few who did somehow see it earlier, you are not losing your mind, maybe Blogger is though.

Our local bookstore needed help; they sent customers an email saying if they are to stay in business we need to do our Christmas shopping now! I debated going in the store but decided to use their online site, found three great sounding books, ordered them online, and they will contact me when I can drive there and pick them up curbside. So no going in the store. Much as I miss browsing in the store, I am a senior and am glad I can help the store in this safe way.

I haven't received these books so am not actually recommending them, though they sound wonderful.

 

"I've Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life" by Maria Shriver. This book has wonderful reviews including "wildly gorgeous, inclusive and accessible."

Below is the second book I have on order. "Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life" by Melanie Shankle. I am attracted by this cover and have been wanting to buy this, so, voila. 

 

 

"House of Trelawney: A Novel" by Hannah Rothschild. This novel was published this year and sounds charming. An eccentric English aristocratic family tries to save their family home which is crumbling around them. The author writes sly humor and has been compared to Austen and Dickens. I haven't read it, so that is what reviewers are saying. 

Just for fun here is a photo of my friend, Carole, and me on our walk around the local yacht harbor. We wore masks but took them off for the photo. We also ate lunch harbor side at an outdoor dining venue, her treat. I had fabulous crab cake, real crab, and coffee. I am on the left, the photo is rather dark. We stopped on the deck of the yacht club and the manager, her friend, took our photo.

 

This is an odd post; I accidentally published it on Oct. 26, but with the posting date of Oct. 1, so likely no one will see it unless I publish it again and pretend it is a new post, with the date of November 1. It is some sort of weird time travel to be able to post in the past! Posting on Oct. 1 when it is 25 days later. Plus now the photos and words are being difficult to load.

Dog in my cat clubhouse, Teapot with Blue Lights, Peacock , Social Isolation

 

Above is Bounce tasting the catnip in the clearly signed Cat Clubhouse. He is a rebel and rule breaker, like me. Below is Princess Fluffy enjoying her clubhouse.

Just for fun, here is my new electric teapot. It is glass which I like, glass is so inert, which is healthy to boil water in. The entertaining part of the teapot is its blue lights and how they dance when the water boils.

This photo below shows the teapot when I have just turned it on.

Just some light hearted things from around my home, with the aim of bringing smiles during this difficult time of pandemic.

Here is my blue metal peacock, which my younger son assembled and installed in my garden. Some readers asked to see the peacock when in my garden.

 

Occasionally I invite a friend to come over and sit on my patio, six feet apart, while we enjoy a coffee. Now that colder weather is on its way, I will miss those outdoor chats. Perhaps we will meet indoors, I have a sitting area in my living room where chairs are 10 feet apart. That is a big decision. How are you handling social isolation? I read today that Florida schools opened a month ago and there is NO SPIKE in virus cases. In particular, no increase in Florida in school age children getting ill, that is good news. New York City has opened its schools to its 500,000 students. This social isolation is hard on children. A family friend is eager to have his children, here in California, return to school; he says they are being damaged by this isolation. These are hard choices for all of us, and especially for parents.

Oh and I am praying for quick and full healing for our President and our First Lady. These are difficult times indeed. Best of health to them both.

Pens and Paper At the Ready

Hi friends, I have pens and paper and I am not afraid to use them.
After one full week of self isolating I am getting Bored and Lonesome and longing to hang out with people.
I have many note cards and postcards and in case you are Bored or Lonesome, I offer to send one to you. I have International stamps so where ever you are, I can send you a card.
The photo shows just a few examples of my big stash of cards.
Let me know in the comments if you would like a card. You can contact me via email or leave your email addy in your comment. Don't leave your postal address in the comment.
Be well and of good cheer my friends.
Update on March 28, 2020. I have sent 14 cards so far, and it is fun sending them out with friendly thoughts for each recipient. One already arrived in Europe, a fast journey. If you want a card and haven't asked, please do,  my cards and pens are at your service. I love sending mail to friends in other countries in addition to the USA.
This reminds me to thank all the postal workers and delivery men (haven't seen any women yet) for being so faithful in their work. So many people are deserving of our thanks aren't they? Health workers, teachers learning online teaching, store clerks, truck drivers, the list is long and each person is doing important work. I have truck drivers in my family and I do love them. Thank you all.

New mirror, Plum Trees, Coronavirus, and Stone Sculptures

I have been shopping for a large mirror for above my kitchen/dining table and took this photo in a store of a potential mirror. I thought the photo is pretty so here it is.

I wasn't aiming for an artsy photo but it turned out nice, I think. I decided to have a custom made mirror four feet tall and five feet wide and they will make it and install it soon. It is heavy so two men will come over to install it. They brought it over only to find it had a small noticeable chip in it at the edge, so took it away and they are having a new mirror made for me.
Below are some stone sculptures made by setting stones upon stones, near my house and the ocean. The stones look like lonely Japanese warriors to me, looking out to sea.

That is ice plant in the foreground. It has pretty yellow flowers for much of the year, was planted to control erosion and is considered invasive.

Below are plum trees flowering. The first photo is of a plum tree at church.

The plum below is my Santa Rose plum planted 2 years ago, and the flowers hint of potential plums to come. I was pleased to harvest two dozen delicious plums last year that we ate; some other plums were lost to the birds who pecked at them, and some fell to the ground and were mushy.

 My church has many flowering plum trees with pink blossoms, maybe 25 trees.

The plum tree below with its white blossoms looks like a cloud has gently landed on it. No one planted it, it is growing in the alley along my fence. I think a bird planted it. This photo was taken while I was standing on my patio near my kitchen door.

Coronavirus.
What to say? The surgeon general recently tweeted that there is no need for the public to buy face masks, and that health workers need them. This is a bit contradictory. I understand the face masks help because they prevent us from touching our face, so I ordered some online. I am wondering if they are sold out and whether they will actually arrive. The virus can enter through the nose, mouth and eyes, and of course the masks don't cover the eyes.
I read that the virus remains infectious on surfaces for several days, so you don't need to be in contact with an infected person to become infected.
I bought extra Tylenol, Lysol kitchen wipes and cough syrup, just in case. Hand washing is key to prevention and I have hand sanitizer in my purse. Hand sanitizers are sold out in the city in California where I live. A virus expert said the sanitizer needs to be above 60 per cent alcohol, and he recommends taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of flu or cold symptoms. I don't know the scientist's name, sorry. He also says no to hand shaking, instead use fist bumps or a small bow. I am around a lot of people at church and in the retirement/memory care home where I volunteer.
For me, staying home would be difficult, not to mention boring. I am a senior citizen so I am in one of the groups health officials are concerned about. You youngsters may be less at risk. Are you doing anything to prepare? Just in case. Any good ideas?