What are you doing these days?

[Happy Lemming]

1 hour ago, Ellener said:

A bluebird flew right up to me today out in the woods...the world is so quiet now I can just hear nature 🌳

Along those lines, I fed my birds today (like I do everyday) then watch them from the window for a little while.  Today a beautiful red cardinal visited the seed pile.  I've never seen a cardinal in my yard before.  For just a moment, there was joy in world.

Thank you little cardinal... you made me smile.

[Ellener]

@Happy Lemming At a memorial service recently we were all given a little momento ornament with a cardinal and 'a cardinal is a visitor from heaven' inscribed on it.

1 hour ago, Happy Lemming said:

For just a moment, there was joy in world.

And that's why I'm out in the woods as many hours as I can...though other things give me joy too, music and my pup and quotations for example!

 

[preraph]

9 hours ago, Ellener said:

Hope you do!

I walked miles in the woods again for hours. I'll be super-fit anyway...

Wish I had a proper home-  people who do don't know how lucky you are ( I know, I took it all for granted too for years ) just come in, close the door and relax. Saying that, I'm sure there are plenty of people with a home who have unhappy home circumstances which are super-challenging now. 

 

That's certainly true. Home is where you are and what you make it. Looking back over my life I will only tell you that I would be happier in a small shack alone with just me and a dog damn in a mansion with a roommate. You just need to feel it yours. Start small. Buy things as you can and those things don't always have to be practical. When you're making a new household after losing one, I think it's important to buy yourself something that you really love first so it already feels like a home. 

 

When I was a young lady, my first place where I lived alone was a shack that didn't even have locks on anything. The first piece of furniture I ever bought was a ebony etagere from the 1890s, very big and ornate. It wouldn't even fit in my shack. So I stored it at the antique place until I moved into a slightly larger shack. I've moved it around with me ever since all these decades. I always felt like I was home because I had something I loved with me. 

 

Losing my things like I'm sure you did would be devastating to me, but that's how I would rebuild. 

[skywriter]

I love the birds too, and I have woods all behind my house that are full of birds. I call it my bird sanctuary.Lol Lots of male and female cardinals, woodpeckers, crows, and hawks. My boyfriend was lucky enough to get a picture of a bald eagle about 2 weeks ago.

I had as many as five feeders out and was feeding the birds but the squirrels came in and really took over the feeders, ate all the seed and began eating the feeders! Such pest!

[preraph]

It's time for me to put out the hummingbird nectar. 

 

I put out a little bird seed last week because I saw some small either baby blue jays or tufted titmouses. But never saw them again. Then I watched as the three young squirrels trying to make a squirrel chain down from the top into the top of the bird feeder. and of course that meant they were stepping all over each other and making each other mad so that didn't end well.

[skywriter]

We have these turkey vultures or buzzards that you can see sitting in the trees through wooded areas when you're driving. They are a nuisance to small animals. I'm not kidding, they'll tell you to watch your small animals kittens, pups, even small children!

They congregate in groups and have a keen sense of smell. I actually have a dent on the hood of my car because they're very aggresive during the mating seasons.

I was coming home from the grocery store a few weeks back and passed this very small farm house that sat way off the road with open farmland surrounding it. There on the rooftop was a row of the large creepy vultures that covered the roof and they were staring at the woods behind the house. I thought ewww they smell death. I thought dang that would make a real creepy album or book cover.

[Ruby Slippers]

12 hours ago, Happy Lemming said:

Today a beautiful red cardinal visited the seed pile.  I've never seen a cardinal in my yard before.  For just a moment, there was joy in world.

Thank you little cardinal... you made me smile.

A white duck was hanging out in my backyard yesterday! NEVER seen that before. So cute!

[Ellener]

5 hours ago, preraph said:

I would be happier in a small shack alone with just me and a dog damn in a mansion with a roommate.

I'm already spending most of my time in the woods or in my truck, if there's a shack I'll take it!

5 hours ago, preraph said:

I always felt like I was home because I had something I loved with me. 

I have a cabinet with 'hygge' and 'pyt' written on it, I haven't even bothered getting it out of storage this time...the situation here is untenable because of the room mate's alcoholism. My storage has a few possessions from my life, though truthfully material things don't mean a lot to me, I emigrated with nothing but a big old Bible belonging to my grandmother! Still have that 📕

On a positive note I am, despite the situation, calm ( and sober! ) and vaguely productive: I got some unpaid invoices chased up, and just looked and a second check has arrived;

do you know there's a thing called 'informed delivery' for US postal service, so I can see what's in my po box remotely!

One of my invoicing systems is now labelled 'pre-covid', didn't see that coming 😄

[preraph]

I use informed delivery and I'm not picking up my mail unless there's something in it I need because it has to be sterilized. Did you know you can turn off junk mail although it would probably take them a while to make it go into effect. I'm considering it.

 

I hope you find a place to live. have you already looked into subsidized housing? How about looking at roommate situations out in the country where it's cheaper to live. Are you working? 

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, preraph said:

I hope you find a place to live. have you already looked into subsidized housing? How about looking at roommate situations out in the country where it's cheaper to live. Are you working? 

My work is all cancelled due to the virus, hopefully some of it will go online when things are calmer. The staff are too busy right now to deal with me, but next month I'm preparing for that. If not I'll claim the benefits on offer I guess. 

I had decided to stick with house-sharing for few more months, then the last place I was asked to move unexpectedly sooner than planned so the lady with dementia's family could move in and care for her. So I came here, I did not realise how bad my friend's drinking would be. Even that has done me good unexpectedly- I have not touched a drop and it would be tempting at a time like this, and certainly not help with anxiety disorder! 

Life can certainly change on a dime, I had the next year all planned out, culminating in buying a tiny home ( or shack! ) Maybe that will still happen.

I could just go and get an apartment temporarily, but I don't want to be in close proximity to others for now. The apartment which was all I could find after Harvey I can imagine having all kinds of problems right now it was very overcrowded and unsanitary environment even then.

My friend is lovely sober, be interesting to see if we will remain friends after this. She'll be shocked if not because she doesn't remember things she's said and done later. She was 'blocked' by a mutual friend for saying inappropriate things drunk-dialling and she has no recollection of why and thinks that lady is cruel and unforgiving.

 

 

 

[preraph]

Oh it's sad when a friend goes downhill. I had one with mental issues that I was best buds with and live with several places when we were near college age. She inherited some serious mental issues that I assume got worse after a while. She abandoned me when she married because of a overly possessive husband but I also think because of her mental issues. I was very sad to find out she had died in her 50s. 

 

Well I hope you get situated. Apartments are so expensive. More expensive than a house payment. and these days with everyone trying to rent out their spare rooms at high-dollar b&b type prices, imagine it's quite difficult to find a cheap place to live. Maybe you will find another situation looking after someone. You sound very resilient so very proud of you for that. 

[preraph]

8 hours ago, skywriter said:

We have these turkey vultures or buzzards that you can see sitting in the trees through wooded areas when you're driving. They are a nuisance to small animals. I'm not kidding, they'll tell you to watch your small animals kittens, pups, even small children!

They congregate in groups and have a keen sense of smell. I actually have a dent on the hood of my car because they're very aggresive during the mating seasons.

I was coming home from the grocery store a few weeks back and passed this very small farm house that sat way off the road with open farmland surrounding it. There on the rooftop was a row of the large creepy vultures that covered the roof and they were staring at the woods behind the house. I thought ewww they smell death. I thought dang that would make a real creepy album or book cover.

But the good thing about vultures is they don't go after live prey. They clean up the mess. I'm actually fond of vultures. I made a friend with one at the zoo one time when I was younger and it didn't want to let me go. Then I followed some at roosting time up by a river to a certain tree where they all went to roost and stood underneath it and watch them until I needed to get out of there as it was getting too dark. 

 

 

[skywriter]

Wow, that is very interesting preraph. I just wish they wouldn't fly into my vehicle when Im going 55 mph.

[preraph]

That would scare the bejesus out of someone! I've never seen one fly that low. When I see them there either on the ground eating something or way up high. 

[Woggle]

We are playing video games together. We are sad because one of our most anticipated games was delayed because of the virus.

[skywriter]

They look really big when they're flying straight at you and you're moving so fast there's nothing you can do and nowhere to go. Just gotta hope for the best.

I go through a section that I believe they live in the trees there. The lands kinda marshy there. They'll be a lot of them in the trees. It's really neat to see, even though they're not the prettiest bird.Lol

i went through that area once and I wasn't really watching for them. I was listening to music and about the time I'm in a curve, here it comes flying straight at the windshield, looked like it was coming inside! 

but, it lifted up and it went over the top of my car , I actually heard it bump the top, cause it didn't lift up quite fast enough. My heart was racing.

[Happy Lemming]

My girlfriend stated today that her daily routine was worse than Bill Murray's in "Groundhog Day"...

Thinking about it... yes this does seem a bit like "Groundhog Day"

 

[Ellener]

8 hours ago, preraph said:

You sound very resilient so very proud of you for that. 

Thank you sir! English! 'Stiff upper lip' and all that 😄

There's more than a modicum of 'there but for the grace of God go I' in it too, I've had a serious mental illness and recovered and manage it now, and I've done plenty of drinking in my life...I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't have compassion for someone else who falls apart with addiction . However inappropriate right now...😲

5 hours ago, preraph said:

I'm actually fond of vultures.

Yesterday out in the woods a man came by, he was a few feet away and a bit deaf so I had to yell it twice and it lost a bit of humour, though he laughed, but there were vultures circling overhead and I quipped 'we may have come too far out...'

2 hours ago, Happy Lemming said:

Bill Murray's in "Groundhog Day"...

That movie was excruciating...like Groundhog Day...😬

[preraph]

I got good news today.  I was afraid my work was going to be completely out here for awhile, but I got offered some work today.  Don't know how long it is yet.  Hope it's long!  I was already bored with sitting around and using the cellphone too much and laying in bed too much.  And it's going to be rainy for a week, so better off at the desk working and keeping the bills paid!

[preraph]

I swear, as soon as they open restaurants back up, I'm going, though it might take a few days for them to get all their ingredients back in after my favorite one being closed and they sent their inventory to one they left open that has the new bad menu.  Bah.  I sure hope this isn't the death of that restaurant though.   Their tables are far apart, so it won't be that risky.  

[amaysngrace]

Today I’m in the process of killer cleaning my dining room.  I made a pact with myself that I’m not going to do anymore yard work (which I actually enjoy- I know- I’m a weirdo) until I get the inside immaculate,  

I feel like I must clean like crap most times.  I didn’t really realize that just dusting and running the vacuum doesn’t clean too much at all.  

 

[SummerDreams]

On 4/3/2020 at 3:43 AM, Happy Lemming said:

Thinking about it... yes this does seem a bit like "Groundhog Day"

 

I'd compare it more with Truman Show.

I'm "sad" that they canceled Big Brother Canada, it was a show that kept me company with all the podcasts and forums and tweets about it. I hope Big Brother US still happens even later than anticipated. I won't be able to stand one summer without it. 😕

[simpycurious]

I have discovered NetFlix.  I have had it for a while but hardly ever watched it.  The biggest thing that I see going on around me is that the gyms and restaurants are closed.  I could not believe how many people were moving their boats today and how many people were at the country clubs.  I just don't see that many people locked away.

[Ollie180]

What a difference the sun makes!!

ive found working from home hard all week, struggling to focus to - anything really, and missing regular human interaction, and battling a lot of restless energy.

But today, the weathers banging. I rent a house boat, so I’m currently sat in a hammock, enjoying a cider and having a butchers at the birds on the river and thinking about everyone has challenges in life, and everyone has challenges in lockdown, but right now I’m feeling pretty lucky!

[K.K.]

Today, I’m going to pretend like it’s pre-virus times and just another day. Sun’s out. I’m healthy and fine. I have a few trusted friends that still make me giggle. Adorable little dog. Good things to eat, and great music to explore and shake my ass to. Maybe I’ll run on the treadmill until I feel sweat on my neck. Maybe I’ll ruin the exercise with brownies and pizza. I might even have a beer or several! 

Maybe I’ll run around the neighborhood and wave and make goofy faces at everybody I see!  Maybe I’ll watch porn and try not to laugh! Maybe I’ll call up a stranger and strike up a conversation! Maybe I’ll make flirty talk with a beautiful man. Maybe I’ll sit and give thanks that I have another day. Yes, I think I will! It’s still Sunday, after all. Sky’s the limit! 

Today is Sunday, right? 🥴