I'm actually doing some sewing with scraps this morning.  

There's no shortage of blues, as evidenced by these creations slated to become a set of placemats. 

I do have piles of other colors, but so far only delved into two of them.

Tom said it "wasn't too bad" at the grocery store this morning, and he was able to get most of the things on the list (the main exception being matzoh) though he did note that the shelves were quickly being emptied.  Apparently when the doors opened most people headed straight to the TP aisle - where (happily) there were now limits in place of 1/customer.  

Here is some of this morning's $200 haul (sans refrigerated and freezer items) which should last us a while.

When I woke up at 5:30 this morning (after sleeping through the night without a bathroom run, a very rare occurance!) Tom was already in his chair drinking coffee.  

I made my coffee and sat down to peruse the most recent issue of Science News that just arrived.  It did have an article on Covid19 with all the scientific data known until publication, though it seems as if things are changing almost daily

There was a very interesting article on third-hand smoke.

The measurements  revealed that concentrations of tobacco-related compounds in the theater spiked when new crowds entered - especially for R-rated flicks and late showings, perhaps because audience members were more likely to have been smoking or hanging around smokers before arrival.  Previous research has found traces of thirdhand smoke in supposedly nonsmoking areas, but this is the first study to catch people in the act of transferring the pollution.

During R-rated films, audiences were exposed to one to 10 cigarettes' worth of hazardous compounds per hour, though the exact amount that each audience member might inhale would depend on their position relative to the folks emitting pollutants.

"This is clearly showing that we're getting another exposure to tobacco smoke chemicals in places where we just don't expect them  The next step is really understanding what that means in terms of health.  The finding may inform how smokers behave at home, where thirdhand smoke is expected to be more potent due to more confined spaces a  People may think twice about smoking in the house."

And now, let's not forget about Thirdhand smoke!

Tom's on a run to the grocery store (which opened at 6:00 for senior citizens only that first hour) in preparation for another run on groceries, wearing a mask and gloves.  Yesterday our governor (finally!) announced that starting today we would be going on lock-down at least through the end of April, joining the ranks of 30 other states.  However with myriad of "essential" businesses that are exempted (like hair salons - really?!) his decision doesn't have much teeth to it.

Had a dream last night that I moved back down to Supai to again teach.  This time I was sharing a room with two women, one of whom sure reminded me of Becky, one of the ladies from the VOS retreats.

Speaking of teaching, I have to admit I'm enjoying the funnies going around about all the parents now having to home-school their kids.

Not quite the walk-in-the-park that they thought!

I wasn't kidding about the height of the weeds -

Not quite so bad in the Back 40, especially since Tom weed-ate 

the worst of them around the irrigation gates.

I dug out many of the weeds growing in the driveway, then doused those areas with vinegar.  That does kill them, but not for long.  

While Brownie and I were out front the neighbor boys (who recently moved in behind us) rode by on their morning ride with their Mom Cassandra, and gushed about how much fun they'd had at Alex's dirt track after I'd told them about it and then drew them a map.

Naturally they're chomping at the bit to return.  

Mom says "maybe tomorrow."

Thinking about doing some sewing today.

Yesterday I took a nice long walk with Brownie over to the neighborhood dirt track Alex has been constructing.  We did see a number of people out walking (some with dogs, some without) but not as many as I expected. Maybe some of them are worn out from all the multiple walks their people are currently taking?

Pretty sure Brownie will out-last me in that department!

After checking out the upgrades at the track (Alex had mentioned that someone else had also been moving some dirt) Brownie and I walked up a trail to get a view from the top.  From blankets laid out on the flat it appears that (homeless?) people have been sleeping up there.

In the afternoon I did accomplish a little yardwork, but am pretty much stymied for the time being.  We really need the return of the riding mower!  I have, however, been collecting another crop of oranges to be squeezed into OJ once the current gallon is gone.  There's some evidence that Vitamin C helps with Covid19!   

https://www.evolutamente.it/covid-19-ards-cell-free-hemoglobin-the-ascorbicacidconnection/fbclid=IwAR0wZbe88vHWoA1TwHqV6ZnPDtWbljdRDcXMKSl2Ze6XGKZsW1g3-f_tcXI

And in the How Bored Are You Dept. - I cooked dinner last night!

I made turkey burritos (working through the leftovers) and Tom either truly enjoyed them OR has (finally) learned not to make "suggestions" when I cook!

After dinner we watched the first two episodes of Tiger King on Netflix. Who knew that there were more big cats in captivity here in the US than still living in the wild worldwide?

A zoo owner spirals out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in this true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81115994

Also played some Rummy last night - when Tom won every single hand!

Think it's time to get out the Scrabble board!

Last night Tom and I finished the 6-episode mini-series of Good Omens, and now need to find something else to watch.  Alex is streaming Netflix's Tiger King, which got quite the write-up in the Washington Post.  He says it's beyond bizarre - and also that we should give it a try.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/03/27/tiger-king-netflix-joe-exotic/

While Brownie's "dinner" time is set for 3:00 pm (when he DEFINITELY channels Pavlov and responds to the alarm reminder on my phone), his breakfast is a laissez faire affair, with no set time. 

 I purposely don't feed Brownie when I first get up (today that was 5:00) because I don't want him expecting breakfast early on the (rare) occasions that I'm able sleep in.  So each morning he simply follows me into the living room or family room, curls up on one of his beds, and waits while I sip my 'coffee' and catch up on the computer.  

This morning, at 7:00, he walked over to me 

and politely uttered one small "please" to remind me!

Now I'm off for a soak, and then when PetSmart opens at 9 we can pop over and pick up more dog food.  Don't want to be caught short when (IF?) stricter measures are put into place!  While Gov. Ducey has already announced his long list of "essential" businesses (which include gun shops...) should a lock-down eventually happen, I haven't seen pet stores included.

Now that I've been using my new CPAP "mask" for two weeks 

the results certainly have improved.

Events/hour score in the normal range, below 5.

It's probably helped considerably that the new mask 

gives a much better seal, with leaks virtually non-existent!

I woke with a headache this morning after sleeping wrong last night and tweaking my neck.  Though I tried to relax it back into place with a long soak in the hot tub, and later a hot shower, I had no luck. 

 Eventually took a Tylenol and stretched out on the couch for a nap - and ended up taking five <g> after I was awakened (and fell right back asleep afterward each time) by a phone call, then the doorbell (Mary brought over some globe mallow for Pokey), then a text (Patti reports they are doing fine in Kentucky) and finally Brownie's 3:00 dinner alarm.

Guess all those naps did the trick; my headache is gone.

Mom learned today that the virus has surfaced at Riderwood.

We’ve received a notice that an employee here has come down with the virus.  They emphasize that he/she had no close contact with residents - but the patient did have close contact with other employees. Since they don’t identify anyone, even male or female, it’s hard to know whether any of us had contact with the second degree employees. So far I am fine and not sticking even my nose outside the apt. 

Yesterday Brownie and Vera had an absolute blast playing a rousing game of tag that involved capturing the blue doughnut.  Maybe next time instead of laughing at their antics I'll manage to get some video to share.

Vera did land herself in the dog house again, when Tom caught her in the act of chewing on the pool noodle he'd attached to the gate to close the gap.  When he yelled at her mid-shred he got an innocent look from her.

  Reminds me of when I had the dreaded playground duty at school.  

I'd see some kid doing something he shouldn't, and blow my whistle - 

at which point the only one on the entire playground who would hear the whistle and respond to it would be the guilty party, all the while insisting, "I wasn't doing anything." 

Another agenda-less day.  Now that all my usual appointments are on hold 

it has been easy to forget what day it is.  

While I have missed all the quilting get-togethers, 

I'd be lying if I said I was sorry the gym sessions have been cancelled.  

And then yesterday I got the following text from Jim:

Esporta is working on a virtual training program over the web.  You will be able to schedule your current session with me, hopefully at your regular time.  The app will be free, and I will get you details soon.

Alex, who truly enjoys going to the gym 

did a workout in the back 40 yesterday.  

Brownie and Vera "helped" him run his sprints.

We never did get any of the possible rain yesterday. 

Now that it's light I see clear blue skies and so expect a beautiful day to get more done in the yard.  Do wish I had a large bag of potting soil so I could repot some of the front porch plants.  

Of course potting soil is only one of the many things on my ever-lengthening "non-essential items" list.  Not only does that list continue to grow rapidly, it also appears that it will have a long growing season.

That's because not only is the pandemic news grim, it's likely to get even worse before it gets better.  In the interest of staying healthy we will only venture out for true necessities, like food.  Of course it would help if EVERYONE did that...

Some weeding, some sewing - and an afternoon nap!

Alex stopped in briefly to show off his new do: