Self Distancing....week 6

AKA THE GEOGRAM WEEKLY




This has been a "discombobulated" week for me. I was happily surprised to find that it is a real word, meaning confused and disconcerted. (Now, what does disconcerted mean? Unsettled or confused....oh)
I think that is the experience of many people these days. Unsettled is probably the best word.  I found myself not able to make decisions on how to invest my time, should I change out of my pajamas, when and what to eat, how to turn off programs, do I really need to clean up my messy house, what day is this?  Stuff like that.  
So now I am working on combobulating my life.

Combobulate. New Word Suggestion. To put together in order. To bring something out

of a state of confusion or disarray.

 Sunday night, April 26, I stayed up later (or earlier) than I have in many moons...1:30AM PDT.  Oh, Ya!   
 I had a good Sunday; virtual church service, 1 &1/2 hours pulling weeds in my yard. In the evening I watched part of A Knight's Tale (a very entertaining movie) while  sorting through a ton of old pictures for my blog and story.  Then came the work of finishing the blog and my story.  I also had to remedy a technical glitch that erased some photos on the blog. Anyway, I fell into bed at 1:30 AM....almost felt like a night on the town...
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Late March and April, I worked on a secret project for granddaughter, Angie.  Now I can reveal it since she opened her B-day present recently..a digital album of fun times last autumn, mostly of the Washington coast.  Here's a brief virtual tour... 

Evening view of the I-5 bridge across the Columbia River between Vancouver and Portland  Sept. 18, 2019

Peace and tranquility as far west as one can stand on land.....

The most beautiful and longest lasting sunset I have ever seen!!  Monday evening,Sept 30, 2019

                          The Washington Peninsula...
(photos by Gram G)
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I pride myself on being a good cook and I generally like eating my cooking.  BUT...every now and then I come up with a food flop...I had some cooked quinoa (left over from cabbage rolls awhile back) to use.  I found a recipe using cabbage, quinoa, sweet red peppers with a peanut butter/soy sauce dressing.  To me it wasn't as yummy tasting as it sounded.  I did make a few ingredient substitutes.  Could be what made it a food flop.  Could be part of discombobulation....I made myself eat about half.
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The combobulated part of this week was learning how to, and then organizing a family zoom meeting!! Throughout the week I zoom-visited each family individually as I practiced connecting with them.
On Sunday we all had a great almost hour zoom party from west coast to east coast with 3 stops in Wisconsin!  I think we all crave connecting with each other and being assured everyone is alright!

Some connected a little later than others....

Kitcat made sure I was learning correctly....

one grandson stayed in bed


some didn't know which way was up...
Vancouver and Ocean Beach folks were happy to see others...

one lounged on Icloud next to the Golden Gate Bridge...

Gram G filled in for the White Rabbit....

                                 

Gerry was simply beside himself....

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Tuesday, Cinco De Mayo....

went for a walk and happened upon a senior
adventure....
the path not yet taken 

 It runs along the Burnt Bridge creek right next to the main street.  I noticed a couple coming from that freshly cut path.  I shocked  and scared them by boldly asking, without wearing a mask, where the path leads to. They were not wearing masks... Before making a quick get away they said back around a set of storage units.  The fellow did give a friendly encouragement to walk that way. It was probably a half mile of nature with a
pond full of water plants and a few ducks, just after the bend.  It was a fun trek, though I was a bit leery of coyotes in that area.   

Later in the evening....
a Cinco de Mayo party for 3, with taco dip and corn chips...
I had to study this cartoon that my daughter-in-law sent out...it is very punny....


I hope your week has been combobulated!

This has been a good GeoGram week in the life of Gram G.

"Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap."(Ecclesiastes 11: 4)

How Fast They Grow!!

AKA THE GEOGRAM WEEKLY

Two weeks ago on Friday, April 10, I noticed my little bird mum was fidgeting in her nest.  Later in the day when she was gone I peeked inside and saw ugly little blobs in the nest.  Over the next few days these blobs starting looking more like baby birds.  Throughout the next 10 days I observed the little family as the babies got stronger, and mum and dad would fly in and out to feed them.  Then Friday morning about 10:15 I recorded a short video as they

were bobbing around in the nest.  At one point both mum and dad were chirping at them from the porch railing.  Soon mum came in for a meal.  I went away.  Two hours later I went back to check on them... AND... they were GONE.  Just plain GONE.  As the article said; baby finches stay in the nest

14-16 days.  These were there 14 days.                       Late afternoon Saturday I went walking, listening to the noisy chirping all around the neighborhood.  I observed several little finches joyously flying around, landing here and there. I want to think that my little finch family is still hanging close to Gram G's front porch wreath nest!  I've had such a fun time observing them the past 4-5 weeks.  There are 2 disappointments. I will be disposing of the well used wreath soon.  AND, I thought self-distancing would be over about the time the birds flew off, but it seems we humans are still suppose to be nesting. 

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I want to let my family and friends know that Gram G is doing just fine with social distancing..
tea party with my favorite gnomie homies....they were screened for Hobbid-19. (That is son, Al's, joke)

Ready to take on the old dried leaves in the hobbit yard!






Old tiger grass and haircut...

a great SDSD
Social Distancing Skillet Dinner....in the outback....rice pilaf,peas, carrots and chicken

 A shopping trip with proper fashion....I had a great time checking out garden needs on a sunny, warm morning.....

 Our weather has been quite nice so I get out walking almost every day...usually for 2 miles, but I did reach 3.03 one day!  


one tree has a split personality...white on one side, pink on the other....

With social distancing alone, I find it necessary for me to keep phone and electronically connected.  I've been calling friends I don't normally call.  There has been a few more Skype piano lessons. 
I've been sorting through tons of older pictures to find some for my life story.  It is easy to get lost in memories and more pictures!
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One of my grandsons just started a job with a company that does maintenance on high structures....such as cell phone towers....He is about as high as one can go!  He's getting up in the world!!

I found this photo of him while I was searching through pictures.  Adventure is in his blood!
He is studying a book titled 
How to Stay Alive in the Woods
Speaking  of woods....I promise you my rabbit story next GeoGram Weekly.  It is a bit lengthy for me to write, but worth waiting for.  

Check out chapter 4: An Unfamiliar Life on my page, "I Will Not Leave You....
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I pray that you all are coping well, or at least well enough, with our self quarantining.  I admit that it takes some meditating and praying for me before I can get out of bed, knowing that the day will be good because our God is good!

This has been a good GeoGram week in the life of Grandma G.

"I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33)

Birds and Chicks and a Rabbit, Oh My!

AKA THE GEOGRAM WEEKLY....

First comes love....

Well, you know the rest..

Then come babies in the birdie nest!!

Behind the wreath hanging on Gram G's front porch....



Last year's nest is in the back.   At that time I was gone when the finches nested and didn't know the outcome, but this year I get to observe from behind my blind on the front door.

Mama nesting on Friday. Moving around a little bit.

Papa checking in on her....







Mama was gone on Saturday so I peeked in above the nest.  I saw these unsightly blobs in the nest.  They were not moving.  Oh. I was afraid I had disturbed the parents and now they abandoned dead babies.  I felt bad.  Very disappointing.  
Sunday I didn't see any activity.  
Monday I saw a tiny yellow thing moving around!  And watched mama feed it!

I checked the nest again on Tuesday while there was no parent around.  I saw tiny blobs with heads taking a nap.  Shortly mama bird flew in with lunch and several little heads were reaching up!  And then dad came to help serve the meal!

 

It is such fun to watch new life happening right outside my front door!  Springtime!  Easter!!
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 I have an Easter chick story from when I was probably 12.  

I must have been living at home in Indianapolis that semester of my 6th grade.  My younger brother, Nick 11, and I wanted to go to Park Falls, WI, where our aunt lived for Easter.  What I remember is that we were at a store in Indianapolis and saw pink or blue dyed live chicks for sale quite cheap.  We decided to buy 3 to take to Park Falls.  I put them in a shoe box.  We took them on the Greyhound bus with us.  Occasionally we would peek into the box to watch the peeping chicks.  At some point the bus driver, a kindly elderly looking man, came back to us and asked us what we had in the shoe box.  We excitedly showed him our colored Easter chicks.  He responded,"Well, I'm not suppose to know you have baby chicks in a shoebox here on the bus.  Keep the cover on so I can't hear them."  He then went back to driving the bus.  
     Once in Park Falls, our aunt and uncle were pleased to see them.  They said they would take them to the family farm to be cared for.  That is the last we saw of our beloved Easter chicks.  I have a feeling that they tasted delicious to the folks at the family farm as time went on. 
The End....
I also have a great rabbit story, but you will have to come back next GeoGram week!
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This has been a busy 4th week of self distancing.
Tuesday evening, April 7, presented beautiful views of the pink super moon.  It appeared orange in the sky. 

Saturday I held my first Skype piano lesson.  It went quite well, was very refreshing to interact with a student again.  I had a second one today, Wednesday, through Facetime.  That was a little more difficult.  I am very pleased with myself to be up with the digital era!!

Saturday was also "let's bake a carrot cake day"!

Cut in two....
one for me and 
one for you....
if you are part of the Miller family...

Easter Sunday was enjoyable and self-distancing busy.

Online church service..

  Had virtual visits with some of my kids....

Observe the snowstorm in northern Wisconsin!!

Went for a walk around my neighborhood....

Later in the day I took a ride to Debbie's home.

The ppe Easter Bunny showed up!!




Check out my "I Will not Leave You" page for chapter 3.....My Foster Family (part 2)

This has been a good GeoGram week in the life of Gram G.

Sunrise on the Sea of Galilee, November 26, 2007
(photo by Gram G)

"Don't be alarmed, he [the angel] said, You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you.' "  (Mark 16:6-7)