Monday, October 5, 2020

"See? That's Not So Bad!"

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  I’ve been deliberately turning away from the firehose of news gushing from my radio, computer and phone these days.

 

 


Instead, I’ve been practicing mindfulness, gratitude, and just trying to open my eyes and actually notice the world around me, instead of obsessively doom-scrolling to see the next unbelievable twist the writers have for 2020: The Series.


Anyhow, it’s been easier because recently, I’ve started walking the Maine Millennial’s dog. If you follow her online or read her column, you’ll know the poor thing was struck down with shingles, roughly four decades before most unvaccinated people get it. (Another recent victim; our own Jenn, who fought off a bout last year.) Shingles, which is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus, can be brought on by stress. Stress? Who could possibly be stressed these days? 


Shingles hurts a lot, and since I couldn’t do the first thing I wanted to help, which was to be like the Empath in that Star Trek episode and take her pain into my own body, I’ve been helping out by walking the Doux Reviews: Star Trek: The Empath 

dog. Janey is four years old and full of energy, and she tends to have a startling amount of pull when she lunges after a squirrel, so her two long walks, morning and evening, require a certain level of exertion The Maine Millennial just isn’t up for right now.


Here’s the thing: I started doing it because I had to if I wanted to help my daughter. I have not been yearning for a dog of my own to walk. My last pup, Louie the semi-toothless Shih Tzu, passed away over two years ago, and despite the fact I’m a pretty passionate dog lover, I’ve  

been reveling in the freedom to say yes to spontaneous invitations without worrying who would let the dog out (in the Before Times, of course) and in the joy of snuggling into my pillow for an extra half hour of sleep instead of having to get up and out because some species never learned to use a toilet. (I think it may have something to do with not having opposable thumbs.)

 

But I’m finding I actually enjoy the task I backed into. I like the fact I’m getting a brisk walk a couple times a day - something I kept saying I was going to do for myself, but never did. I like getting to see the beautiful sights in my neighborhood - the Saco River, graceful old houses decorated for fall, the fruits and flowers of autumn. I like hiking on the trails through our local park, immersed in nature (and it’s exactly the sort of thing that’s great for my Achilles tendinitis.) 


Reds: Have you ever had a job or a task you dreaded, only to unexpectedly enjoy?


LUCY BURDETTE: I’m having a hard time coming up with tasks I dread, except for scooping the kitty litter. It would be a stretch to say that it can become a zen task to get every granule clean:). So I won’t.


However we are on the same path with doggie responsibilities, except mine is a puppy and I asked for it! It was good not to have to worry about taking an animal out early and late and many times in between, but actually both times of day are gorgeous (if it’s not raining.) The moon has been beautiful and the sky clear and many planets in plain view. And although puppy training is HARD, it’s also very gratifying. And she’s such fun to watch!


Jungle Red Writers: Pandemic Puppies

RHYS BOWEN:  Julia, I can tell you tasks that I didn’t want to do and still don’t enjoy. One is house cleaning, since I can’t invite my cleaning lady back at this moment. Another is cooking. I’m so bored with my own food and never eating out. We’ve done take out but it loses appeal if it’s half cold by the time we get it home.

 

One task I did enjoy: son and daughter were coming for socially distanced outdoor dinner. I dug out an old table and chairs— probably from the 1980s and had to scrub off years of grime. I was sweating and panting by the end but it was surprisingly satisfying.


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I cleaned out my top two dresser drawers. Mainly because I realized  I had no idea what was in them, and even though daunting, it was easier than writing. It was amazing. I tossed a billion little scraps or notes and receipts and things I don’t know what were or couldn’t even read. I found a disposable camera full of undeveloped photos, which, I figure, is a terrific clue for a mystery, right?  I found a wonderful note from my Mom (note circa 1999), five or six unexpired Barnes & Noble gift cards, a bracelet I thought was long gone, about 7 charging cords (to what, I have no idea), two nice camisole tops still in their plastic wrappers, PEZ in a MIcky Mouse dispenser, and a 100 dollar bill. Pretty nice!    


my bedroom dresser, a big bloody mess-cleaning out drawers | Laurel Home

HALLIE EPHRON: Drawer straightening is surprisingly pleasant for me, too, though I’ve never found anything particularly valuable among my underpants. But there’s something so satisfying, going from disorder to order and ending up with a pile of stuff whose use-by date as expired or that you really don’t need any longer. Straightening my office is like that, too. And washing curtains -- the satisfying part is hanging them back up and standing back and admiring how fresh they look. I’ve been surprised by how little I miss eating out. 


DEBORAH CROMBIE: Well, I won't say I've ever dreaded walking the dogs. But, there are days when I'd rather not, especially in the height of summer. Now, however, our older dog has developed severe arthritis, so I have to walk them every day, and I am always glad when I do.


And, like Rhys, we are doing without our housekeeper for the duration, and as much as I dread those things like scrubbing the tub and mopping the floors, I always feel very satisfied with myself once those tasks are done.

 

JULIA: There you have it. Proof that my mother was right when she told me to do the hardest thing first. How about you, dear readers? Do you have a task, chore or endeavor that turned out to be much better than anticipated? 

80 comments:

  1. Julia, I turned away from the news this weekend and had a lovely welcoming fall weekend. Some of the fun part of it required a dreaded task or two, but the results have given me much joy yesterday and today (Saturday and Sunday). On Saturday I tackled cleaning the areas of the house where I wanted to put out Halloween decorations. After I trudged through the cleaning, I got to put out my decorations, including the orange lights that make me feel like I’m in a magical wonderland.

    Sunday brought me to another fall welcoming activity. I wanted my chili. That meant fixing it though. But, since I already had onion chopped and frozen from the last time I needed onion in a recipe, browning the hamburger and chopping the green pepper and mixing in everything didn’t seem too bad. I should mention here that chopping onion is a much dreaded task for me. So, I made my chili and enjoyed it so very much.

    Something else I’ve been doing lately is going through the tubs of papers and cards and newspapers and pics and more from when my parents died and my siblings and I divided things up. Did I mention that my mother had been dead 25 years and my father 23 years? I have so dreaded this task, but with my MIL’s recent death and the influx of stuff from her house, I knew I couldn’t put off sorting through my stuff any longer. But, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I’ve enjoyed looking at the old newspapers (reading them) and the vintage cards from when I was born (I even enjoyed the few offering my mother sympathy for having another girl and not another boy). I’m about through with the sorting and throwing out, and my MIL’s paper stuffs are sorted, too. I ended up experiencing lots of joy with this dreaded task.

    And, Julia, we’re thinking about getting another dog soon, and while I think I don’t want to walk a dog again, I know I will find it a great way to get myself outside in the wonders that wait there, along with getting the much needed exercise. I hope Victoria doesn’t have to suffer with the shingles much longer.

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    1. That's smart about chopping onion and freezing it Kathy. Does the texture turn out the same?

      and yay on the dog!

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    2. Kathy, I also freeze chopped onion. It's so handy! And yes, the texture doesn't change.

      A tip I've recently discovered is to cut the root end off the onion first, and then chop it. For some reason it doesn't release as much sulfur that way.

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    3. Yes, I would love to know the verdict on the frozen chopped onions!

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    4. Kathy, you've really got me wanting chili now!

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    5. The frozen onions are great and retain their texture. Karen, I do cut the root end off, but I didn’t know it helped like that. Debs, the chili tasted so good last night. I added a dollop of sour cream this time before eating it, along with the shredded cheese. The first time I had sour cream on top of the chili was at Kramer Books in D.C. back when President Obama was President. Kramer Books called the chili President Obama’s Chili, as it was the recipe he ate, and it was delicious. That it was served with the dollop of sour cream surprised and delighted me. I don’t always add the sour cream, but I always add the cheese. Oh, and Lucy, I think you are so brave to go with a puppy. We will probably adopt an older dog.

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  2. I’m wishing Victoria a speedy recovery . . . .

    Exercising is one of those things that I’m not fond of, but taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood has turned out to be more satisfying than I’d expected . . . .

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    1. that's a good one Joan and it almost always helps...

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    2. I keep coming up with excuses to walk to the mailbox (which happily the local USPS hasn’t seen fit to remove)

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    3. And we really do see a lot of interesting things on our walks!

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  3. Ouch, shingles. I hope she feels better soon!

    Straightening up my office is so satisfying but rarely gets done. Maybe I'll go clean out a dresser drawer!

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    1. see I use straightening the office as a reward for writing, usually finishing a big project:)

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  4. Poor Victoria! Ugh!

    Getting started on any dreaded task is always the hardest part, I find. Once I'm immersed in exercising, cleaning the house, organizing the junk drawer...whatever... It's always better and more rewarding than anticipated.

    Which reminds me. I really need to dust the living room.

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    1. Dusting! that always seems like a waste of time to me...

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    2. Oh Lucy, I love that you just put that out there! I wholeheartedly agree, but have always been embarrassed to admit it.

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    3. Speaking of dusting the fall task of dusting the baseboard heaters and radiators beckons - I need to get to it before the first blasts of heat turn my heating system into a dust machine

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    4. Lucy, I'm with you on the dusting. It just comes right back!

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    5. Oh, dusting! But it is kind of fun to see all the dust go away. Which lets you know how long it is between dusts :-)

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    6. I have to dust--leaky old house. And I'm horribly allergic to house dust, so if I let the dusting go more than a couple of weeks, doing it will give me an asthma attack. Better to do often and be able to breathe.

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    7. Deb, if it does go longer than two weeks, then wear a mask. It will, help you not get an asthma attack. We all have masks right now.

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  5. I'm with Annette--getting started is always the hardest part of any dreaded task. Sometimes even a beloved task like, um, writing. (Love the initial brainstorming and the later revising/editing. That initial rough draft--really a raw draft--not so much.) Anyway. I have a whole fall/winter's worth of organizing remaining: wrapping paper section of basement. Office closet/drawers (yikes!) And the remaining family photos. We've actually made a lot of progress on those...

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    1. Wrapping paper section? Whoa. I think we need a blog post from you about that! Have you ever seen Martha Stewart’s?

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    2. I have a couple of shelves with stuff jammed in willy-nilly...

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    3. Grandma saved bows and had boxes in the attic. Large dress boxes held the bows by size and boxes were sorted the same way. They were just at the top of the stairs before the turn and last steps to the actual floor of the attic. When they moved out it all had to be tossed, no attic or basement in the new home.

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  6. Long ago I noticed I was never sad when walking the dogs. Seeing them on their snigg and discover mission always makes me smile, and smiling always makes me happy. It's harder these days as the old arthritis seems to be worse than usual. And walking Penny Lane, who is seven, is a whole different experience than having Sergeant Pepper bouncing on the end of a lead, much like a fish flopping back and forth, and needing a lot of reeling in.

    I can't say that having a new baby in the house is interfering with sleep. SP has slept thru the night since forever, and after his last "go potty outside" at ten pm, he is good until seven or eight the next morning.

    I highly recommend a new puppy for therapy. As Charles Schultz said:

    1. "Happiness is a warm puppy.” —Lucy

    2. “There’s no sense in doing a lot of barking if you don’t really have anything to say.” —Snoopy

    3. “Most psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind.” —Linus

    4. “My anxieties have anxieties.” —Charlie Brown

    5. “I love mankind — it’s people I can’t stand!” —Linus van Pelt

    6. “The joy is in the playing.” —Schroeder

    7. “Happiness is having your own library card.” —Sally

    8. “Ma’am? What kind of test are we having today? Multiple choice? Good! I choose not to take it.” —Peppermint Patty

    9. Sally: “What do you do when you feel that life is treating you unfairly?”
    Snoopy: “Learn to bake your own cookies.”

    10. Charlie Brown: “Well Snoopy, what are your plans for today?”
    Snoopy: “Plans? I hadn’t even thought about it. But I suppose I’ll sleep a little this morning. Then this afternoon I’ll take a short nap and later on I’ll try to get some more sleep. Those are good plans!”

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    1. Thanks for the chuckles, Ann. I love No. 8; what cheek that Peppermint Patty has!

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    2. good quotes Ann, and a perfect description of walking with a puppy:)

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    3. Thanks for the Peanuts, Ann! Those quotes started my day with a smile.

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    4. Ann, you’re another brave soul, taking on a puppy. But, the puppies are so darn cute.

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  7. Sending healing thoughts to your daughter! Shingles has been terrorizing my husband's family for the past couple of years -- his sister is suffering from a case now. They say the new shingles vaccine is effective -- I encourage anyone who can get it to do so. It's a two-shot series and they say some people experience some discomfort and/or flu-like symptoms as a side effect, but when I had them the only thing I noticed was that the injection site was more sore the next day than I usually experience with shots. It was no big deal.

    I join the chorus nominating housework as the task I always dread but in fact, don't mind that much once I'm into it.

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    1. Second the Vote for shingles shots (the new one is a pair) — for me it was pAinful but nothing compared to getting shingles

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  8. Julia, I hope your daughter feels better soon. Although the dog walks have given you some unexpected joy, you know you do not have to stop walking them when she is recovered. Just saying.

    I have always loved walking my dogs. Kenai is old and arthritic so he does not want to go far anymore and I am a bit spoiled because I always had a dog to walk as much as I wanted. Now, I have to walk by myself if I really want to consider it exercise.

    As for dreaded tasks, OMG, too many to go into here. Piles of papers, boxes of photos, all looking at me expectantly as I breeze through the room again and say, "Tomorrow." I have spent almost this entire year doing nothing but reading. If I write a review after I finish reading a book, I always feel justified in the lazy time spent. But even that is sporadic.

    Just one more thing, I want to clean out Hank's dresser drawers! I am sure that I've never found anything like a lost bracelet or a $100 bill in any of mine!

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  9. We were ahead of the curve, picking up Louie, a 12 week old standard poodle puppy, in December. Last night he jumped, all four paws off the ground, when we encountered the huge Halloween hissing cat inflatable during our twice-daily walk. We know all the local dogs by name, and meet new puppies every day.

    My reward for clearing enough stuff from the garage to put my car inside? I found a forgotten short story manuscript, submitted it, and it was accepted four days later. When I mop the kitchen floor and wash the windows, I wonder what other gems I'll find.

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    1. OK now wait a minute. I’m sure I will never in a million years ever ever ever discover a forgotten short story manuscript. Whoa.

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    2. I wish I had one of those in my garage, Margaret!

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  10. I'll second Margaret's mention of washing windows; in our bungalow, it's really not a bad or a big job. It's just a matter of getting to it before the weather turns too cold. I didn't half of them a few weeks back...must get on the rest.

    All the best to the Maine Millennial with those horrid shingles. I *must* book an appointment to get the vaccine...

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    1. I had the "original" shingles vaccine, about 15 years ago. I asked my doctor about getting the two dose one and he said I should. The original was about 50% effective and this new one is 90%. So if you are wondering whether you need it, do talk to your physician. I'm going off to Walgreen's today to get mine.

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    2. oh listen, yes definitely, everyone eligible should get the new shot!

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  11. Also wishing Victoria a speedy recovery--seems like a lot of shingles going around--I am highly motivated to seek out the shots. Like today!

    Chore I dreaded? Okay, I admit I'm a curmudgeon--I was looking forward to having my time be my own again as the guys fledged the nest. Then along came an unexpected 3-almost 4-year-old (now 5). Babysitting. Ugh. And yet, it has been a gift to have a little boy at my side again. We read, play Parcheesi, go for walks in the preserve down the road, and on Friday last explored a prayer/meditation labyrinth. We all push ourselves to keep things as normal as possible for him--to create new experiences, create new memories. Good for us, too!

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  12. Shingles, ouch. I had that several years ago and it was torture. I hope she feels better soon.

    I don't know that I have a task I truly dread, but doing the laundry is always a pain. Actually, it's folding the laundry, although I do love the feel/smell of clean, warm sheets and towels. And now that it's just The Hubby and I, we don't use our dishwasher (he says it takes too long to fill and starts to smell), so I'm handwashing a lot of dishes. Come to think of it, that's the chore I don't particularly care for, but I like the scene/smell of the freshly washed and empty sink when I'm done.

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    1. Liz, that's interesting that you don't use your dishwasher--we run it at least every other day! more cooking, more eating at home...

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    2. Liz, during the brief, halcyon days when I was living alone, I did my dishes in the sink as well, mostly because it took forever to fill up the dishwasher, so I agree with your husband. As long as I have rubber gloves to protect my hands, I'm happy to scrub pots and pans.

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    3. I've never minded doing dishes by hand, as long as I have rubber gloves. I do usually manage to fill up my dishwasher every day, however. I have a friend who absolutely HATES unloading the dishwasher, but that's a chore I like. I run the dishwasher in the middle of the night, so unloading the clean dishes is just part of my morning routine.

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    4. Lucy, we're doing the same amount of cooking/eating at home, just not filling the dishwasher. Even when there were four of us at home, we only ran it every other day.

      Julia and Deb, I hate rubber gloves. I have a long-handled scrubber that (mostly) keeps my hands out of the water.

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  13. Oh, no, I hope Victoria has a speedy recovery!

    Like Annette, I find the anticipation of getting started is the worst part of any chore (even the fun ones like writing), but once into it, there is something satisfying about seeing it through to completion.

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    1. Thanks, Kait. It's been three weeks now, and she's actually feeling much better (the advantage of getting it in your twenties, I suppose.)

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    2. So glad to hear that, Julia!

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  14. Oh Julia, I must know - does the walking really help with your Achilles tendinitis? Last year I really suffered with it, had physical therapy and it was getting better. The I got sciatica in March and now, while both conditions have improved I can't say I am all better. Now that it's finally cool I'm trying to walk more, hoping that is what I need and that it will somehow give me more energy.
    My dreaded chore is washing my car. Yes, of course I can go to the car wash but by the time I get back home again it will be dirty! I think I do a better job by hand too, although all the bending over does wear me out. I think it is worth it in the end when I have a clean car (as long as it stays in the garage!)

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    1. Judi, when I was in physical therapy for mine, the therapists focused on strengthening my foot and ankle muscles. When I walk on the side of the road, I try to roll my step, from the heel of my foot all the way through to the ball. (You can do this at home as well; it really helps to loosen it up.)

      The part that's best for A.t. is trail walking. Uneven surfaces force you to use more varied muscles in your feet and ankles, and it keeps the Achilles tendon off guard, as it were. When I get home from a walk, I take two ibuprofen and wrap a flexible ice pack around the back of my heel. I still have pain in the morning (stretch and massage it,) and if I'm sitting down too long, but it's not flaring up and walking is absolutely comfortable once I've warmed up.

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    2. Thank you for those tips, Julia. I find that the pain is the worst first thing in the morning - probably because I am not warmed up. Do you find the same?

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  15. Sending healing vibes and gentle hugs to Victoria. My youngest daughter--who had chicken pox three unbelievable times in early childhood--had shingles in grad school, at about age 25. She was also miserable, and a source of wonder at University of Miami's medical school, where she was getting her PhD. So unusual for young people to get that awful disease.

    Hank, what a treasure trove you found! All my drawers have been filled in the last year, so very little do manage there. The big task on my list is going through our many boxes of books to find the ones I want to put in our soon-to-be-installed Little Free Library. Very exciting. And I mentioned it to our neighbor and she offered hundreds of books for it.

    I very well may have bitten off more than I can chew here. LOL

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    1. We have a LFL up on the corner. I love to see what's in it when I walk the dogs. I've put quite a few books in there, extending the reach of JRW I hope. This week there was a big black cloth covered book, which I had to have a look at. It was THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, 1st ed., by Barbara Kingsolver! No dust cover of course, and only in fair condition, but mostly it was just old, probably had been in someone's attic since 1998. I brought it home, but I haven't decided what to do with it. Maybe I'll send it to Melinda. She likes old things!

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    2. Hank, I'll put up photos on Facebook. It's not installed yet, still sitting on a worktable in my family room where I painted it.

      Steve's brother and sister-in-law put up a LFL in their tiny community (a ring of homes around a mile-long lake across from the Platte River in rural Nebraska) nine years ago. It's still going strong, and has helped make the neighbors get to know each other even better. My inspiration!

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    3. I love LFLs, and it always makes me smile to see one of those boxes. I've seen very plain ones, knocked up out of scrap lumber, and very elaborate ones - I recall one that had a paint job worthy of an alpine chalet, and a flower box beneath it!

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    4. Since I'm not taking books to Half Price Books for the time being (don't want to stand around in the store while they sort and price, even in mask) I've thought I'd donate some to neighborhood LFL--but they all seem to be full. Maybe other people had the same idea.

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  16. Julia, as one who experienced shingles for weeks (and have had residual nerve pain ever since (since 2014), my sympathies go out to your daughter. Dogs are the spice of life. My spouse and I are both in our 70s and they really keep us on our toes. They travel with us (yes, there are hotels that accept dogs) and their antics (and even their misbehavior) keep us laughing every day. Sometimes I do wish we had Rev. Clare Ferguson here to train them. That authority in her voice (no, Oscar, no!) is something we lack, I guess!

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    1. Kathlene, sorry you still have trouble from the shingles! It's a horrible disease. I did not remember that Rev. Clare was a good dog trainer. Our puppy is now working on destroying rugs...another hurdle to overcome!

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    2. Oh, Kathlene, I'm sorry to hear that. My daughter's biggest fear now is that she might develop residual neuropathy, which happens to an unlucky one out of three people who gets shingles.

      On the dog front, Janey is responding to my "I'm the alpha b---- in this house" training and has calmed down a LOT for me. I've found the "mom look" works for dogs as well as children!

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  17. Yes, shingles is absolutely terrible. I had it, several years ago, and completely lost two weeks of my life. The only hilarious thing about it. Afterward, I went to the doctor again and said, isn’t there some kind of a – shot? And she looked very sheepish, and said, I guess I didn’t think you were old enough for that.

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    1. Once you've had shingles, can you still get the shot? I've often wondered about that.

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    2. Hank, people were only given the shots if they were 65 and over for quite some time. When I learned it was available to anyone 50 and over, I jumped on the chance to get it, because my mother had had it and I knew it was horrible.

      When I asked about the age restriction, thinking it was something very technical, my pharmacist told me they had limited it by age because the first years it was available, it was also in short supply, and they wanted to ensure the most vulnerable got it.

      Of course, if your doctor was going by looks, she might still think you aren't old enough! ;-)

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  18. Deep sympathy to your daughter, Julia. A close friend of mine is just past a battle with the shingles, and confirms that it was No Fun At All.

    As for dreaded tasks . . . Back about the time our board of directors decided I could survive on half pay because we weren't producing concerts anymore, my boss decided I could continue contributing to the company in a visible-to-the-board way if I became The Voice of the Dallas Winds, doing announcements and intros for all the broadcast and streaming concerts we were putting out there. The only problem? The software was old and non-intuitive, it had a steep learning curve, I was freaking out in all directions about my finances, and *whine!* I didn't want to do it.

    But I sucked it up, got an updated version of the software and a manual, and discovered that my USB microphone was kinda cool. The best thing? My headphones. This is going to sound completely dorky, but I love my headphones! They cradle my head and cocoon my ears, and that's weirdly comforting.

    Once I got past the software barrier, the job turned out to be basically the same as my back-in-the-stone-age radio announcing jobs. Only now I actually get to hear how I sound on the radio when I listen to the concerts. I sound . . . not bad.

    So now doing voice-overs is one of my favorite things. And, on crazy days, I think, "Hmmmm. The Deep Ellum stories aren't that long. I already hear the voices in my head anyway. Audio versions?" I guess we'll find out!

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    1. Gigi, audio editions definitely! My editor says audio has been the fastest growing segment of the book market over the past eight years or so. I thought it was because of people commuting back and forth from work, but sales have continued very strong even during the pandemic, so now I attribute it to everyone having gotten hooked on podcasts.

      If you've got a good performance voice, and you already know the software, honestly, I think you'd be making a mistake not to record the Deep Ellum stories.

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    2. I vote for audio editions, Gigi! I'd love to hear your voice. I wonder if I could find your Dallas Winds announcements online...?

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    3. Gigi, this is an absolute must!! Your recording will be fabulous! And, as Julia says, a chance to reach a whole new market!

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  19. Sorry, I missed this convo. I’m traveling and while it has been going fine, flying 3,000 miles during a pandemic is a heightened level of vigilance with two teenagers is exhausting! I have great sympathy for the MM. Shingles is the worst! Hugs and love to all of you.

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    1. Oh, Jenn, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm traveling to upstate NY to help my sister clear out Dad's house (he's moving to a all-levels senior living facility.) Just having to use public bathrooms skeeves me out - I think I'd have a stroke if I had to fly. Especially with teens. Teen boys.

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    2. We miss you, Jenn! You'll have to give us tips on managing air travel.

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  20. Julia, so glad to hear Victoria is feeling better. Is she up to walking the dog while you're dealing with your dad's house?

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  21. I HATE cleaning out the refrigerator. The waste of money when I toss dead food I had forgotten about is painful. Plus I wonder why I bought, what seems like, a bushel of apples instead of only two or three. What did I really think I would be making? Apple pie? For one? Don't think so. And recent power outages make food tossing necessary, especially when I don't know how long it was out.

    Being sick with anything right now is scary no matter what the illness is. I hope you daughter is feeling stronger soon, Julia.



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  22. I also cleaned out the Socks and Underwear drawer last week. What I found....
    1. socks
    2. underwear
    And...about 15 pair of pantihose. Pantihose???? Last worn when?? I cringed at the very memory of putting them on.
    But they make excellent ties for things in the garden, since they don't cut into the stems and branches.

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  23. Julia, sending healing vibes to Victoria
    Hank, that whole drawer is a mystery plot. How could you forget a $100 bill? I’d have turned the house upside down!

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  24. I absolutely hate housework. But the thing I hate even more is making appointments. Doctors, dentists, repairmen. You name it. I will put it off as long as possible. Years even. I do feel good once it is all done with but whether it’s accomplishment or relief I don’t know.

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  25. I hate housework, too, at least the cleaning part. I keep a spreadsheet so I can see how often I don't do it. Luckily I like to cook.

    Liz, either use your dishwasher occasionally or have it taken out. My brother and sister-in-law barely used theirs, and it leaked in their kitchen. Stay safe and well.

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  26. Adding another best recovery wish to your daughter. I've heard it is very tough.

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