I have been able to have a few people in my backyard. Since my garage is empty, they can park in the driveway, walk though the garage, out the door, and into the yard. A friend said my directions sounded like something out of a spy novel. But it works, except there is a robin's nest right next to the chairs and the robins dive bomb us every so often. When do those eggs hatch?
No way I can do any gardening until the shelter in place is lifted. I think it will be minimal this year.
If we could get any sustained nice weather, this could be easier. It is too cold and too rainy for May. More like late March most days. I manage to get a walk in most days but there are so many people out walking, it is not that pleasant, diving into the street every few minutes.
Watching NORMAL PEOPLE, which is so very depressing. Trying GREAT, which is about Catherine, the Great and in the style of THE FAVORITE, which is half ludicrous and fairly vulgar, and half somewhat interesting.
Also watched THE EXTERMINATING ANGEl (Brunuel), which resonated with our current situation. It's about people at a party who cannot seem to leave. I've had a few of those over the years. Once a guy came to play tennis with Phil at eleven am and didn't leave till midnight.
On You Tube, I watched Andrew Scott do the play THE SEA WALL, which was great. I think it it gone now though.
Looking for the right book to read. I cannot land on it. Too many books have print that is too small or too light for aging eyes. Why don't they consider that since it is folks our age who do most of the reading.
I wish I could write. Another thing to do would help. But there is a wall there that has been up since Phil got sick.
What's up with you?
15 comments:
We're still here too. We've had a few days of nice, warm weather, but like you have had a lot of March weather in May. We (Jackie mostly) have done more cooking than in years, though we have also been getting more pickup meals from local restaurants, as well as occasional pre-cooked food from the supermarket. (We had very good poached salmon last night. I just wish it was poached salmon weather.)
Reading and watching television, mostly. If a show is too depressing, I won't watch it. There are plenty of other choices. We finished the third series of FAUDA, which was really good, the best so far, though the end...well, I won't say, but it is definitely recommended. We have one episode of BOSCH left. Frankly, we don't care about the Haitian story and the Mayoral race, not so much. But otherwise, we like it. Speaking of depressing, we did start series three of BORDERTOWN. Interesting Finnish show. We're also watching DEAD TO ME and AFTER LIFE on Netflix and SRUGIM on Amazon Prime. Also started series four of LINE OF DUTY. Man, Thandie Newton sure talks fast in this.
I'm glad you've been able to have people over. We really aren't socializing with anyone but each other, other than online of course.
I have watched all of LINE OF DUTY. They do write a good story. Waiting for the next series but I guess they are held up. Keep meaning to watch all the shows you mention. I did watch DEAD TO ME, which was not as good as the first season for me. Seems like they go over the same issues a lot and so much crying.
I know. Jackie is finding them too neurotic. Season 1 was better, but will keep with it.
I'm finding SRUGIM fascinating. (Again, Jackie finds some of the characters annoying.) It is basically about 5 30ish modern Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem - one's a doctor, one a successful accountant, one a nebbishy divorced guy, etc. Very different picture of Israeli life. (It is on Prime.)
Like you, we're getting a lot of rain and chilly temperature. But, a change in the weather pattern is predicted for later this week. We should see the 70s. Diane and I have been walking around the neighborhood. People have been practicing Social Distancing so we've felt safe while watching.
Diane and I have been catching up on all the TV shows we DVRed over the months. Just finished a Jane Austen mini-series. We'll watch the last episode of WORLD ON FIRE tonight.
Diane just finished reading WRITERS AND LOVERS by Lily King. She loved it! I'm reading shorter books right now and listening to a lot of music.
Love your back yard!
So glad you can get to have people over -- even with dive-bombing birds. We had a robin's nest outside a condo we owned about twenty years ago. One day there were three eggs, the next day three baby robins and we oohed and aahed. The following day the robins were gone. Predators, I guess. Life can be harsh, even for birds.
We've been beaching four mornings a week. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Christina and Jack (and sometimes Erin); Sundays with Jessie, Amy, Ceili, Jack, and Amy's puppy. we go early in the morning to the dog beach and just sit and relax for about an hour and a half, watching the people and their dogs and the soothing waves. There are few people on the beach at that time of day so we can safely socially isolate ourselves. The weather has been very forgiving to us and comfortably warm, although friday there was a strong gulf breeze that gave us huge (for the Gulf of Mexico) crashing waves. I am so glad we found such a great way to center ourselves for the week.
Christina's birthday was yesterday. Kitty made brownies for her, we helped Jack make a card for her, and the cat gave Christina a few gifts. A low-key, pandemic birthday, but still fun.
We're continuing to chop down the bamboo in Jessie's back yard. We're about 2/3s done. We also have an old shed to demolish, then Jessie can get a backhoe in and dig up the bamboo boles. A bit of landscaping, one more tree to come down, and a privacy fence and she'll have a great place to relax and have cookouts.
Before starting on Season 3 of BORDERTOWN, we decided to watch the first two seasons again. It's amazing how short-term memory can be during a pandemic. Still watching SUPERNATURAL; we're near the end of Season 8.
Still reading a lot of short stories and enjoying them.
We're also enjoying your posts, Patti. Have a fantastic week!
Glad to hear that you've been able to have some visitors, Patti. I think we need those connections now more than ever.
Lousy weather for may. Cool and rainy. Haven't been walking as much as I should.
Just started February's Son by Alan Parks. He's a Scottish crime writer. Not reading much the last couple weeks.
Saw the retina specialist last Monday. Getting an injection June 1. He couldn't do it last week because I didn't have a driver with me.
Watched a lot of tv but not much good.
Today is the worst. Wish I didn't have so many skylights and windows. Can't get away from the rain.
It is the thing that helps most, Margot. Thanks.
It's a tiny backyard, George. Most of our yard is in the front and around the corner. But this is the most private part.
Nice back yard, Patti. That Robin will let off after the eggs hatch and she's busy feeding the chicks, but may not completely leave off until they are out of the nest.
Since I don't watch much, I don't have the long lists you and Jeff and others have, but we did watch 42nd Street yesterday. Considering his later very good acting in films like Murder My Sweet, it's a wake up to see him as a song and dance man. I enjoyed the movie, Barbara...didn't. We also watched another episode of Inspector Morse. Other than that it's reading and working on a jigsaw puzzle.
We're having rainy weather, temps in the 60s and it's great. We really need the rain, we're several inches under the average for the weather year and facing a nasty drought here in the Pacific Northwest, so every drop is good. We've had rainy mornings and beautiful, sunny afternoons. Perfect.
The garden centers and nurseries here are open here, Barbara went and got some Pansies and a couple of new Dahlias, which we planted Saturday. I'd think maybe you could do the same.
@ Jeff: what kind of weather is poached salmon weather? Is that a summer dish for you guys?
@ Jerry: Crows will attack Robin chicks.
Yes, I think of poached salmon (or other "cool" foods) as summer food, though of course it is not necessarily anything of the kind.
My daughter has been home with us and we are now watching THE CROWN – two episodes a night, every night. Great production. Wonder where they got the info to write all those private scenes?
There is an interview with him, Elgin, on NPR where he says that although he was privy to their daily diaries of activities, he made up the sort of dialog he thought they might have.
I am making salmon tonight. I put it on a sheet of parchment paper, then cover it with fresh spinach, tomatoes, and garlic and lemon. Like a package. And bake it at 450 for ten minutes or so. I may also put some basil pesto on it. A while meal right there. Yes, I cook now.
I would be happier with your weather than the warmish, too sunny weather we are having. But, out of nowhere, we had rain last night, which means now I don't have to struggle with watering front and back. I don't think the lovely overcast is going to last, though.
I am not familiar with THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL. It sounds very strange. I would like to see it but not sure if I could watch the whole thing.
I find I get easily distracted. I visit a blog post, read it, think about a reply, and then something happens and I don't finish it. It worries me.
That baked salmon sounds delicious. Unfortunately I am the only one in the household who likes salmon.
We watched KNIVES OUT this weekend and enjoyed it. Also GRAND HOTEL, which I had never seen. I just read the book in March and I had forgotten enough that I wasn't sure how much they had changed in the film adaptation. Both book and film were good.
I should get brave and go to the garden center as Rick suggests.
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