Journals and Magnolia

 I have been writing a daily journal starting when my hubby, Will, died in 2016. Here is the cover of my new journal with a gardening theme.

 The above is a closeup of a portion of it. Below is the entire front cover, and the back cover is just as pretty.

This is my seventh journal, each one has a different cover, and all from the same publisher, and each has a magnetic clasp which holds it closed.  Each journal says "This is a Flame Tree Notebook" from Flametreepublishing.com My journaling is simple, I use stickers to brighten the pages. This is the first page of my new journal ready for me to write in.

 Below is another photo of my black tulip magnolia, taken on Feb. 17 2021. You can compare how the buds are more opened vs. the Feb. 1 photo in my previous post. The flowers are about three inches across now and when fully open about six inches across. I had this tree planted two years ago. I live in California, thus no snow at my house and I have a flowering magnolia. There are quite a few magnolias in my town, most of them white and some of them pale pink, so mine stands out with its bright color. All the magnolias are pretty, in my opinion.

I hope today finds all of you blog friends around the world warm and safe and healthy. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I got my second Covid vaccination on Feb. 19. I am happy and feel a bit more safe. Experts say even after we get the second shot we should avoid eating in restaurants and seeing movies in theaters. This is a LONG haul of isolating. In a few days I am going to a friend's house for coffee on her patio staying six feet part, since we both are vaccinated. My dog, Bounce, is invited, and we will take a walk wearing masks after coffee. My friend loves Mr. B and he loves her.

Today, Feb. 25, I added the above photo of my last year's journal. It has a metallic sheen to it and a Japanese temple and waterlilies and an egret. I tried to put the photo right after the other journal cover photos but of course, blogger did what blogger does, and here it is at the end of my post. I wanted to show you how varied the covers are by that publisher.

John Lewis' moving words, Lights and mirrors in my house

The above fairy lights give a warm glow in the living room, even on a summer overcast day. The lights are round bulbs about an inch across. They stay cool to the touch and I can turn them on and off using my iPhone and the Wyze app. That is a nice touch because I don't have to reach down to plug and unplug the lights.

Above is my new kitchen dining mirror which was to be installed in March 2020 but then the coronavirus struck, and when our city let many businesses open in June I had it installed. I was concerned about workers coming in but the two men wore masks and entered the kitchen from the side gate, so were only in the kitchen. They were in the house about an hour and a half.
I am sharing below some moving words from John Lewis, American hero and Civil Rights leader, who died July 17 of this year. He will be missed. I was in the Civil Rights movement in college and my best friend and I founded  the campus group dedicated to action and change in that arena. I recall we even wrote to another leader, Stokely Carmichael, when he was in jail in the south, and we asked him to join us in a march in the north. He didn't answer, understandably he was busy. Any blog friends active in the movement?
Here are John Lewis' words:
“Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this planet with goodness. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.” John Lewis

New things for me, my mask, Instacart and more

Above is the new pottery I treated myself to, which was hand painted in Mexico by a family who has done that for 30 years. The pot is large, the biggest I could find and is flat on the back so it will hang on my fence outside a window. If you buy this type of pot be sure to find one with a drain hole on the bottom, for some strange reason, most pots in this style lack that. And see the cute Chihuahua pillow? I bought that the first Christmas Bounce joined my family.
I have noticed new things in my life since the lockdown. Here are some of them:
Wearing a mask outside when in public.
A year ago would you have believed you would wear a mask when outside near other people? No way. Masks used to be used by bank robbers, probably still are.

How glamorous is this? Ha ha. I like this style of mask, which looks like a sleeve, because there are no ties behind the ears and it is easily pulled down and worn around my neck. See photo below with mask pulled down around my neck, handy at a moment's notice. If you search online to buy one, a term used by sellers is rave masks. Anyone else like women's tops from Jess and Jane? The ones I buy, including this turquoise floral one, are 100 percent cotton and made in the USA.

Using Zoom
I had never used Zoom until this crisis and I think increased use of Zoom and similar programs will continue. It could have a good effect because people will drive less often to business meetings, hang outs with friends, school meetings, etc. One thing that irks me is that well known environmentalists and politicians schedule big conferences on saving the environment and fly hundreds of people from all over the planet to meetings. Teleconferencing would be much less polluting, listen up people! That would be a good change going forward, not just during lock down. I joined my first environmental group when I was eleven, it was called Defenders of Fur Bearers, and focused on protecting coyotes from being poisoned and trapped and I am still a member of that group albeit it has a new name Defenders of Wildlife.
I attend our once a month book discussion group, our weekly church group which usually met right after church, and friends had a birthday party for me, all on Zoom.

Cleaning in my house in a new way 
Feel free to laugh at the photo above, my life has some boring aspects to it these days.
Since I am home almost all day I have noticed things in my house; I saw that my stainless steel kitchen sink, which is only two years old, looked less bright than it used to. If I didn't have all this time home I would not have noticed this; no matter how carefully I cleaned it, it looked a bit shabby.
So I ordered some Stainless Steel Sink Cleaner, Perfect Sink, used it, and am pleased how the sink looks renewed. I had never before thought of such a product. So that is a bit of a plus.
Ordering Groceries Online and having them delivered to my door using Instacart
Services like Instacart will continue to be used by many people after the crisis, especially by our aging population. It has a cost but saves me big in time and in driving, and I am at the age where I am supposed to not go in stores during the crisis so this is an all around good service for me. Instacart includes a tip in my bill, the standard tip is 5 percent and I give tip of 10 percent. The delivery is no contact, and they wear masks and disposable gloves, for their safety and mine.
Going for 10 weeks and more with only me in my house
Well that is not happy! Most of the time it is just me in the house, and I am excited when my adult sons visit me. I will love when I can give my favorite friends and family hugs and see them in person. My dog Bounce reminds me that he is here in the house with me, so I am not alone. A loyal dog. A prayer I am saying more often recently is "I am not alone. God is with me. He is my protector. He is all powerful, and no problem is too big for Him."
Searching online for cleaning supplies
Toilet paper, masks, disinfectant wipes, disposable gloves and paper towels. After this crisis when supplies are available I will order enough to have supplies on hand. It is frustrating that some people are hoarding these supplies in large quantities! I am almost out of disinfectant wipes and have read about some alternatives involving hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. In a comment Lin asked about the wipes; I use Lysol or Clorox Disinfectant Wipes that kill 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria; guidelines from many sources recommend using them to wipe frequently touched surfaces like door knobs, refrigerator door handles, TV remote controls, exterior packaging of foods (for example, plastic bags that hold loaves of bread and plastic wrapped around packaged cheese), etc. and that is what I have been doing. Also car door handles, gear shifts and steering wheels if I have been driving where people are. I am a senior citizen so am being extra careful.
Some positive results of this pandemic
Junk phone calls have almost disappeared
I keep a landline phone and usually get 25 junk calls a week. I don't pick them up, they usually hang up when they reach my answering machine. Now the spam call centers seem to be shut down, since I am only getting about 7 junk calls a week on my landline. I am also getting less junk paper mail.

Dogs are happy
Above is Bounce and his new Crocodile toy. Dare I tell you that the first day he got the toy, Crocodile lost a front leg!
So many dog owners are home and bonding with their dogs. I see people walking their dogs, keeping a proper social distance from other people, all around my neighborhood. I think all this time spent with dogs shifts people's perspective in a good way. Dogs notice everything in the minute, which is very meditative. On each walk I pray prayers of protection and of thanksgiving as I see beauty around me.
Have you noticed anything to add to this list?

Photos of my birthday and some ideas

Yes, it is social isolation and my sons prepared a birthday celebration for me, which we celebrated on April 25, the actual day. They planned everything so the cooking etc. would be healthy and we would be outdoors on my backyard patio.

Above is a photo of Lane and me and below are photos of Colt and Lane.

We wore masks and maintained a distance, and stayed outside. The weather was gorgeous, 75 degrees, and it said 80 degrees on my patio. It felt rather hot sitting in the sun so my younger son got out his pop up canvas awning, size about 10 feet by 10 feet. He uses it when camping in his van in the desert. The canvas made it ideal to be outside and now I want a canvas shade for the patio, maybe one that will roll up when not needed. Below shows the canvas awning and patio as seen from the kitchen, and you see Bounce resting. The awning sets up in a few minutes and created a delightful shade.

We had shrimp on skewers, fresh salmon, marinated steak, and zucchini, onions. asparagus and mushrooms, all cooked on our grill by the superchefs, my sons.

My kitchen table is full of flowers, plants and cards. If you look closely you can see a gift of a new orchid, on the left. We agreed this is the best meal we have had since the lockdown. I said it is the best meal I have had this year. This is the first time since the crisis we have enjoyed a meal together and lots of laughter and bonding time. It seemed like normal life. Except for the masks, ha ha. And no hugging.
Here is my purple clematis.

My sons, Zoom meetings and Jesus are keeping me sane, or maintaining a semblance thereof.
It is helpful to remember the words of Jesus: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life ... Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:25
And James wrote "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise." James 5:13
Til this crisis passes and we meet again, be safe.

Mostly light hearted post, a friend is moving away

Here is another mostly light hearted post from me.
A blog friend completely surprised me with a care package that included this darling antique tea cup from her collection. She also included some Jasmine green tea, and chocolates as you can see. In the vase are the first lilac blooms from my lilac this spring. Thank you Lauren from My Wonderfully Made Blog
All of you blog friends make my life that much brighter during these difficult times.

On a wistful note; one of my longtime friends is moving away from the city where we live, due to financial necessity. She is moving on April 18 and because we are being careful we can't even hug goodbye. Don't tell her ha ha, but I bought her a cute friendship memento. It is ceramic, edged with gold paint, and says "A true friendship is a journey without an end." Actually I am more than wistful, I am sad about her moving. But I need to support her in her journey.

Even the box it arrived in is cute. It says "There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved."

You friends will know I don't post many recipes but difficult times call for difficult, or in this case tasty, measures. Shrimp, green bean and bowtie dinner. Delish. I saute the fresh green beans in a splash of olive oil, a splash of soy sauce and a pat of butter for a couple minutes. You can add chopped garlic if desired. Keep the beans a bit crunchy, not all mushy! Boil the frozen raw shrimp 2 minutes and cook the cute bowtie pasta. Drain shrimp and pasta, then stir in the pasta and shrimp into the pan where you cooked the green beans. Voila, it is pretty, easy and healthy.
You could substitute broccoli, add fresh grated parmesan, use other pasta. But don't you just love the bowtie shape? It is called Farfalle in Italian.
More plants from my front yard which I enjoy when sitting on my patio. Actually they make my heart sing, I love their colors.

The red flowers cover my Australian Tea Tree, or Leptospermum Scoparium, which grew from a one gallon size to eight feet tall in 20 years, and the yellow flowers or Leucospermum, are from my new South African shrub, planted a year ago. Many times Leucospermum are wrongly called Australian natives, but they are native to South Africa. The yellow bush will grow to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

Above is Bounce, my 14 pound security patrol partner. He inspects many things along the way, and occasionally nibbles on some grass. People are very cooperative about staying far away in this time of social distancing. Some people walk in the middle of the street. There are plenty of people walking and jogging, skateboarding, bicycling, pushing baby strollers, but there are so many streets and sidewalks near the bay that we easily keep our distance. Temperature here is in the 60s with an occasional 70, so we love being outside.

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?