Saturday, May 9, 2020

Thankfuls From My Coronacation

My coronacation came to an end this past week when I returned to work Monday. Not complaining, just a fact. I had SO MANY PLANS for writing and reading and craft projects and home improvement projects and Dyanne improvement projects over the course of the break, and I. DID. NONE.OF.THEM. 

I did participate in the A to Z Challenge again this year, and that's truly the only accomplishment I made during the 6 weeks I was off work. My bad. Feel free to check out  my A to Z posts. They are not my best work.. Apparently, I write better when I'm juggling work and life than I do when I have all the time in the world.

Now the Prodigal Ten Things of Thankful co-host is back, and here's my corona list of thankfuls:

1. I was very grateful that the child development center where I work shut down when it did. I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof that last week, when cases were popping up all over the US. I literally have small children coughing and sneezing DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE at work, and I am not exaggerating, although I wish I were.

2. My husband, daughter and I have stayed at the lake house throughout this coronacation, and we've had such a nice time! We've cooked big meals, made big messes, and watched many, many shows on various streaming services.

3. My 85 year old dad had a colonoscopy this week (just routine). I wasn't thrilled about him having it done RIGHT NOW, but he wanted to get it over with (it had been rescheduled from March, when I insisted he cancel it right before the hospital canceled all non-emergency procedures). The little community hospital where we were followed all the safety precautions, we were in and out in a couple of hours, and he was pronounced fit as a fiddle. We also enjoyed take-out burgers from the White Grill that we cheerfully waited over half an hour for because they were so busy. Worth it.


Holding all the stuff my dad had in
his pockets (and his mouth, if you look closely).


4. I have cranked out quite a few masks during this time and have taken my time-per-mask from two and a half hours to 20 minutes, not counting the machine acting up or the needle coming unthreaded or a cat grabbing the thread as it leaves the spool.


Finn, the seamstress' helper (not).


5. I raised my baby sour dough starter to an adult, found out making a loaf of sour dough bread is a huge time commitment (and huge pain in the ass) and turned Jane Dough over to my husband, who finds making bread a Zen-like experience. (I do make bread fairly often, but I DON'T find it Zen-like and just want the end product, so I use the bread machine to make my dough and do all the Zen work for me).

6. Further to the Zen (or not) experience of bread making, I used the bread machine to make sweet roll dough that made amazingly tender and delicious cinnamon rolls that I took to work and shared (I was out of milk and had to use cream in the dough and in the frosting, so that might be one of the reasons they were so decadently tender). Meanwhile, my husband has been working for two days on homemade bagels that are currently in the oven and smelling heavenly. We balance each other out.

7. Amazon has not let us down! I feel like singing, "Oh, ho, the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street" every time a package is delivered. Not sure why I get so excited, since I have only ordered one item (an Asian-featured baby doll to add to my classroom), but I still get excited by a delivery!

8. My daughter has tempted me nearly daily with photos of kittens available for adoption, but I have been able to stand firm. It's not easy, but I've done it.

9. Much cleaning done this week at work to get ready for my little nugs coming back next week, including making sure all the toys are clean and sanitized. It also gave me a chance to organize paperwork and files, clean out cabinets, and power wash the winter grime off the outside equipment (a very rewarding and satisfying job, although I was soaking wet and had a maple tree seed stuck to the lens of my glasses when I was finished). Ready for my babies to come back to me!


We may have collected a few too many binks... 


10. Y'all, I made a new friend during the A to Z Challenge! As we at the TToT know, there ain't nuthin' like a blog friendship, and I'm hoping I am able to entice her to join our hop. If she takes the bait, please give her lots of bloggy love, and Clark, don't scare her ๐Ÿ˜‚ If you're out there, Nancy, please join the party!

There are thankfuls everywhere. What are yours?



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12 comments:

  1. You sewed masks and made sourdough bread, not to mention the whole A-to-Z thing. That sounds like major accomplishments in my book! Glad to have you back at the TToT, and hope your new friend, Nancy, decides to join in. Blogging friends are great--and sometimes turn out to be family, too! :-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I made sourdough STARTER. Way easier than making the bread! Glad I turned that over to my husband! I'm so pleased that Nancy joined us this week! You and your mom will appreciate all the genealogy work she does! And her crafting is beautiful! She is very talented.
      Blogging friends that you get to meet IRL are the VERY best! :)

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  2. Binks and more binks!!! Now I want ๐Ÿž! Fun thankful๐Ÿ˜Š. Glad you're returning to work and stay well.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Bread = love.
      Oh, the binks! I was truly shocked at the amount in our stockpile!

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  3. tried the bread-making thing... interesting concept, but like you* I couldn't deal with the "No let the dough rest for 12 to 24 hours..." sure thing!
    the changes here are more gradual... some non-essential businesses opening (fortunately, real estate has been designated 'essential' all along... so I've been able to go to the office without interuption.) Can't say I won't miss the empty roads and highways...thats been fun.
    I will be the model of decorum... lol


    *yeah. I get that a lot

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Walmart turns out a pretty decent loaf of sourdough that is sliced and ready for the toaster and it takes me ten minutes to walk in, pick it up, check out, go back to my car, AND drive home.
      Glad you've been able to work. I'm surprised the casinos here weren't considered "essential".
      You? Model of decorum? BAHAHAHAHHAAAAA!!!

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  4. Good luck as you return to work. I'm sure it's both exciting and a little nerve racking at the same time. Weekends In Maine

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've finally had free time to sit down to catch up on blogs since Friday...thanks for sending me an invite.

    I love your 10 Things, especially the picture of you holding your dad's things. I'm glad all went well with his procedure.

    Binks? Have no idea what they are...

    You were definitely a busy lady at the lake house. I'd been sitting around enjoying the R & R!

    Have a Great day...I'm off to write my 10 things and catch up on Song of the Day and Self-Love blogs. I also have a review to write.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I still haven't finished reading A to Z posts. I think I know what I'll be doing this weekend!
      Did you see my dad's teeth in the bag?!
      Binks. Binkies. Pacifiers. Pacies.
      I did a LOT of sitting around at the lake house!
      I don't know how you do all the crafting and writing you do, but I'm pretty sure you don't sleep a lot!
      I am DELIGHTED you linked up with us and hope you'll continue!

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  6. My thoughts of maybe getting making a sourdough starter is still just that, thoughts. HaHa.
    I did make a few masks, but I have some more to still finish.
    Cleaning and sanitizing all those toys sounds daunting, but a very necessary task.
    What a collection of binks!
    BTW Welcome back to TToT! I have enjoyed your A to Z posts.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I guess pioneer women constantly kept batches of sour dough going to keep them in bread, and once again, I am glad I was not born then!
      I bought more material today, because my daughter said she needed some black ones to wear so they would match her clothes better (she picked out lime green for her masks before she thought this through).
      I should have counted the binks and regret that I didn't.
      THANK YOU! Good to be back among my TToT family!

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