Cooking

Yesterday I dug into the produce from Misfits and sauteed kale, potatoes (Ron pitched in), brussell sprouts and baby bellas.

Ron made some fabulous scrambled eggs with sweet peppers and cottage cheese.

Made acorn squash soup for supper.

Made arrangements for G’s and T’s furballs to visit on Friday.

Did a minor sweep of the shed. Ron did a food shop. First Citizens removed the overdraft charges on savings; I added alerts for both accounts.

More Truck Grief, Walks

I brought the truck to Midas for warranty work on the exhaust system (O2 sensor, etc.). They found problems with the cooling system: cracked radiator and the condenser failed. They replaced the A/C, which was out of warranty. I’m waiting for a call from Battles to bring it in.

We took two walks yesterday in West Barnstable, the first with G and Free at Meetinghouse Farm and the second at the Cape Cod Pathways cross-town trail behind the fire station. Ron remarked how extraordinary it is to be able to park and walk this well-maintained trail without having to pay anything.

Tomatoes, Pepper, Scorton Creek

We loaded the truck and did a transfer station run.

Finished shopping and planting for the spring/summer today: tomatoes from Sprout Farm; pepper, tomato, cuke and million bells from Attaquin Acres.

Ron finished the lawn that I started yesterday.

Went for a walk on one of the Scorton Creek/Hoxie Pond trails with G and Free.

Truck is not happy, grinding noise when I put on the A/C and Check Engine lights for exhaust system issues.

I’m tired….

Plantings

Got the two tomatoes, marigolds, kale bundle and Sweet Annie in the ground and watered yesterday.

Also transplanted a big daylily clump to the corner garden. There seem to be sets of threes, by coincidence.

Did laundry, changed sheets. Ron put the spare tire on the van.

Today, I rethought the position of the daylily and rotated it about a quarter turn.

I also brought the hibiscus upstairs and on the deck. It was easier than I thought it would be. Unplugged the grow light and put the zuke seedlings outside as well.

Ron drove to Falmouth to get his tire fixed, but all the tire shops were closed.

Beans are planted. Ron attached the wood trellis to rebar. I planted all of the seeds in both strawberry patches. They should sprout in a week or so.

Made chili.

After a couple of false starts, we set up Ron’s tuner and speakers in the living room so we can listen to radio.

It feels like late spring today.

We Are On Foot

Or dependent on others: both vehicles are out of service temporarily.

My truck has been stuck in the shop since last Tuesday. This is the second long holiday weekend that has screwed with us, the last one being Christmas or New Year’s or some such Monday holiday around the time of the water apocalypse at Edgewater.

Ron has a flat and since it was pouring yesterday – we had well over 1/2 an inch – he wasn’t able to switch it out with the “donut”.

I’d planned to pick up tomatoes from Featherlight Farm yesterday. It would have been unrealistic to do it today, Sunday, because they were closing at 11 and it’s unlikely the van would be driveable that early.

Peter was nice enough to drive me to Woods Hole and I’m glad: one of the tomatoes is already ungainly, and I wouldn’t have wanted to wait another week to plant it, too difficult to keep the stalk from breaking.

P&B have hired a trash collection company, so we’ve made our last run for them. They were packed on Wednesday, it’d been two weeks. We had to use the van, but it worked out fine, double-bagged trash and sorted the recyclables before we left.

I’ve been transplanting daylilies from the deck and the driveway garden to the corner garden. Planted dill in the herb garden and bacopa in the hangar with the petunia flats from Roche.

A couple of days ago, I sprayed the roses and the red maple.

The zuke seedlings are up and possibly some surprises from the old seeds that I’d planted a while back: at least the leaves look quite different.

MRS

Had a phone conversation yesterday with the MRS admins about temporary changes to registrations due to COVID-19. Produced another set of emails for Nicole.

Brought the truck to Battles; it ran fine. Ron followed and we made stops at Windfall and CVS on the way back.

Not much gardening, just weeding the fence garden, street-side.

Hyannis

After picking up and then dropping off prescriptions for G, we did a return – fast – at Home Depot.

Ron wanted to pick up a voltmeter at Harbor Freight and suggested we work in a walk. We did 130 to and Airport Drive back.

Zucchini; Water Filter; Truck

I finally got it together and planted zuke seeds in the starter kit yesterday.

Also changed out the water filter.

Made it to the annual Roche Bros. plant sale this morning. Almost got run off the road by an entitled jerk (I had the right of way, dammit) and got poked in the arm by a thoughtless “handsy” one.

On the other hand, while in line, had a conversation with a charming woman who was enjoying the sun and watching the ospreys that are nesting in the parking lot.

Brought home gtoceries, two basil plants and two hangers. Split each basil into four and planted them in the old strawberry patch garden. Also transplanted a flower and an herb from that garden. Fingers crossed. We seem to have milkweed plants left over from last year: surprise.

Feasted last night. Brought home treats from Roche at 20% off (salads, soup, bread, cookies) and Polar Cave. We must be on the latter’s “Best 500” list.

Made rhubarb sauce yesterday.

The truck has been leaking coolant and has been running hot. It’s going in for a checkup on Tuesday, but this puts a crimp in transfer station plans.

Ron has been trying to check the alternator in this van. Not sure why he refuses to ask for help: bs.

Hungry

I’ve lost 22 pounds since coronapocalypse began in earnest, early March.

It was relatively easy for the first month, but by week 10, it was getting harder, and now in week 11, I’m hungry almost all the time.

I’ve kept to a calorie count of around 1200 per day, sometimes less. NOOM recommends restricting what they call “red” foods, which includes oils and nuts, which is actually more difficult than calorie counting alone, especially being veg.

According to the NIH, I “should” lose another 21 pounds to have a “healthy” BMI, and that’s at the top of the range. I’m not sure that kind of sustained weight loss is realistic.

I started this because I don’t want to put unnecessary strain on my STAR ankle replacement. Over time, it’s become part of not feeling unworthy and less than everyone else. I have a new goal, to stop worrying about what other people think of me. I’m trying to forgive myself for past errors and embarrassments.

Ron and I have been walking between a mile and a half and two miles a day. The walks have given us an incentive to explore the many Upper Cape conservation areas, both public and private.