Lockdown.
This is the second lockdown birthday for my daughter. She turned twenty-five. Covid birthdays are sucky.
Still, there were balloons and happy birthday signs, and a banner, because in this house, that's what happens, regardless of how old you are. There was the standard baked-by-mom chocolate layer cake. I always ask if they want something different, and they don't.
I think I would be less annoyed with the world if the weather would stop being less March / April and become a bit more May / June. It is so wet and icky and cold that I can't even spend time weeding and edging (because that could occupy my time every single day for weeks).
Heaven help me, I started another jigsaw puzzle. Puzzles were what I did when lockdowns first happened A YEAR AGO. I feel like I'm reverting rather than moving forward because of this puzzle. Well actually, it is a puzzle that I had started last year but it was so hard and my heart wasn't in it, so I packed it up (but I did keep all the outside pieces together in chunks and put them in a ziplock bag, and another chunk that I had put together as well). Now it's back out and I reassembled the outside pieces, and the chunk, and now I'm trying to put together about a million pieces that are green and yellow and form a bunch of flowers. I kind of hate it, but I'm committed to the task.
Supper. Everyday I think about what to make for supper. I had a frozen pie crust (not my own, a "cheater" one).
Quiche was in order. I fried up some onions and boiled a little bit of broccoli.
Voila! Eggs, milk, cheese, broccoli, onions, salt and pepper. (Do you notice the little folded up piece of tin foil under the front of the pie tin? When you have an old house and your kitchen floor is not quite level, and you can't exactly level your stove because it will fit weird in the cut out space on your counter top, you have to rig up your pies so they don't flow more to one side).
At the moment, you can go to grocery stores, pharmacies, and some garden centres. Will the excitement never end? I went to the grocery store to buy milk and picked up a plant to be dropped off at M.I.L.'s nursing home for her mother's day present. She'll get it two days after we drop it off.
Some good news, however, husband and I both have booked times at the "hockey hub" in the nearby town later this month to receive our first vaccines - either Moderna or Pfizer.
As well, I am now in the system to be available for supply teaching. Unfortunately, it will only be online supply teaching which actually makes me more nervous than face to face, in the classroom supply teaching. I know what I used when I was teaching online, but I'm a bit concerned that I might have to take over for someone super tech savy who is using much different programmes in their online classroom and I won't have a clue what to do. For comfort sake, I want my first experience to be in my "home school", the one I recently retired from.
So there you have it. I'm going a bit stir crazy and want to get out and do things. I am eagerly awaiting
an end to our provincial lockdown. I have watched with daughter on Netflix, a trivia gameshow called "The Chase". I enjoy it and feel like a star when I'm able to answer one of the questions before the contestant (it doesn't happen often, as they go very fast!). I'm not reading anything right now, just not in the mood. And I now admit that I ate the rest of the "hint of jalapeno" tostitos while watching "The Masked Singer". I don't even know half of the people they guess on that show, but I get a kick out of the costumes and the reveal (again, sometimes I don't even know who they are without their masks!). We are down to one more episode of "The Curse of Oak Island" before they pack it in for the winter. I figure somebody's going to find the Templar treasure on that flipping island before heard immunity is reached! We are also watching the new season of "Island of Bryan". I do enjoy that show and think he's a hoot! They couldn't have picked a worse time to open a resort. But they just got chickens, so that's good! If you don't get any of those shows, just ignore this paragraph.
Keeping my fingers crossed for sunshine sometime this week.
I haven't made quiche for so long! Your post makes me think I should make one soon.
ReplyDeleteHere in France we watch UK TV. It seems to be getting worse and worse, with nothing but 'reality' shows, and angry soaps. Thank goodness that Summer is close, and we'll be spending our evenings outdoors again.
ReplyDeleteHey we could use a little, well okay, a lot of that rain here, so whatever you don't want we'll gladly take. Sorry you're stuck inside. It is getting a little old isn't it? I suck at puzzles so I don't even attempt them. Congrats on booking your vaccination appts. Hope all goes well. I don't think I've seen Tostitos here in the states in awhile. I could be wrong. My husband loves "Oak Island" as well. Everyone tells him he looks like Rick, and I have to agree. Good luck with that puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHey, the weather can only get better ! I believe. Birthdays and yummy quiches, singular not plural, are happy places. Puzzles, no, not for me. I'd get frustrated for sure and throw it in the rubbish. I did enjoy helping my grandkids with their 50 pieces, or even 100 pieces, way back then.
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you. Hope the sun does come up. Those weeds will need a walloping if it does
Wonderful to hear you have your vaccine appt. booked. Thanks Jenn for the idea of making a quiche for dinner. Making every meal has me in that time of dread again; I cycle from joy of trying new to us recipes, to the dread of how many meals I have made since March 2020. All that leads to when will we be out of waves & lockdowns fatigue! Fingers crossed that come September you'll be able to do in person supply. Beautiful flowers for your MiL. ... Mary-Lou =^[..]^=
ReplyDeleteoh, I forgot to say happy belated birthday wishes to your daughter.
DeleteI am so sorry you are locked down again but glad you have an appointment. I am in NH husband and I got both of the moderna shorts by early March so we are good. our governor is lifting all restrictions by Friday. The town I work in still has a mask mandate which is fine I do think we still need them while grocery shopping etc. Our weather has been rainy, overcast, and cold too I have not planted anything. I do not know any of those shows I do know about the masked singer but never watched it. Husband is the puzzle person he did them all of our lock down but he usually does them in the winter anyway.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your daughter. Good luck with your teaching, my daughter is a special Ed teacher and it has been a very trying year for her.
cathy
I have now had both my Pfizer jabs (but at 88 I was high on the list) - felt fine after the first one but a bit rough for a couple of days after the second one.I wish I did jig saws - something different. When my dear farmer was alive he loved them until the last six months when his brain tumour interfered with his ability to do them any longer. I belong a Book Group and we meet on line at present. This month we are reading 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexander Dumas - 845 pages of very small print - that should keep me occupied in this freezing weather.
ReplyDeleteI have never done so many jigsaw puzzles as this last year. I always like to have a book on the go too. I am so fed up with the weather and long for some sun. Your quiche looks great. I am finding it more of a struggle to come up with a week's worth of meals while only shopping once a week. My second vaccination on 2nd June. Happy Birthday to your daughter. Mine is later this month.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your daughter - 25 is a great age! At least that's how I remember it.
ReplyDeleteExcept for the first few weeks of the pandemic, we haven't really had a lockdown here in Saskatchewan. There have been times when we've been asked to stay home, limit the number of people in homes and churches, and stores have had to limit the number of customers in their buildings. Of course, we have a much lower population density and our Premier has bet his wad on vaccines being the only way to get us out of this. He recently doubled the fines for non-compliance but in reality, few fines have been levied, and of those, fewer still have been paid.
Glad to hear you've been able to get an appointment for your vaccine. I'm hoping to get my second in June.
Have fun with that jigsaw puzzle...it sounds tough!
I LOVE the Chase. We first saw it in England and then back in the winter there was a US version with the three biggest Jeopardy champs as the "experts." I liked them both. And I know what you mean when you get the answer faster! Me, too!
ReplyDeleteI need a new puzzle, too. My friend Carol has one for me and we just haven't pulled things together. This weather is just awful -- even if it wasn't raining it feels cold and damp outside and the sun would help so much, even if the temp didn't change.
All good birthday wishes for your daughter and three cheers to you both for getting your vaccines in order! Hooray!
My garage has a large pile of jigsaw puzzles that I have done during lockdown as I always like to have one on the go. They await trips to the charity shops where I will distribute them. Everything is as Carol says, the weather is awful and we long for sun. Whilst I know that retirement is difficult to adjust to I would say that it should be a fun time so don't force yourself to stay in a supply teaching role if you find you are not enjoying it. xx
ReplyDeleteI actually think that Covid has made celebrations a bit better. It has brought families closer. Birthdays are family celebrations and are quite enjoyable when we are all together. I do love doing the puzzles too. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter also turns 25 this year, in July. Hopefully we’ll be able to go out for supper at least. My son turns 18 in a couple of weeks and I’m struggling to figure out something special for him. Stupid lockdown
ReplyDeleteHugs
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping it's our last frost tonight in Lincolnshire. I really need things to warm up so I can get out cycling again - I have some lockdown weight to lose! Are you struggling with retirement?
ReplyDeleteYour quiche is almost exactly what I am having tonight but without the crust! I have just eaten half a bowl of hummus with chips so don't even deserve that.
ReplyDeleteThat quiche looks delicious, and love your fix for the un-level oven. Glad you are getting your shot. We just got our first. Things are looking up!
ReplyDeleteYou'll like this. My trailer is brand spanking new. Well, exactly two years old. Last year I had a glass plate explode in the oven when I added more water to compensate for what had baked away. I complained until the super came to clean the mess, when I told him that the interior of my oven was not level, and neither was the stove top. He fooled with both for awhile then told me he could level the oven or the stove, but not both. ??????? Whatever. I settled for the oven. So, when I put olive oil into a pan to heat, it runs to one side. But, cakes are level.
ReplyDeleteI'm craving quiche now! We love Oak Island in this house. Having the program focus on historical aspects the last couple of seasons has been a big plus. I wanted to be an archaeologist as a young 'un.
ReplyDeleteSocial distancing, lock downs, masks and cold weather in May - when will it end?
ReplyDeleteI hope you get some warmth and sun soon. I had to laugh with your tinfoil-under-pie-tin workaround. That is so cute. Good luck with your online teaching!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say that I enjoyed (as always) this "what's going on" post of yours. Posts regarding everyday life of bloggers makes everyone feel closer, I think. I also think we're all getting more than a little "funny" (not in a good way) what with this lockdown/Covid/restrictions thing going on for so long. Add to that the folks who are really struggling financially . . . and even Martha Stewart would have to agree it's NOT a good thing.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. teaching face to face is much better where you have a grip on everything.
ReplyDeleteHope you sail through the first and the second dose of the vaccine.
You're such a good mom, cake and decorations NO matter what.
ReplyDeleteQuiche----something I've not had in a long time. YUM.
Puzzles are a good distraction. I find that I can't think of anything else while I'm doing them.
I've had moments when I think of doing a jigsaw puzzle and then sanity kicks in. My cats would destroy it! Love that you decorate. I used to do it regularly when my kids were living at home. I used to stay up late and decorate, but it got harder and harder as they got older because they'd stay up longer than I could. So I had to start doing it in the early morning. It's really quiet around here with not much to do with the lockdown. Today it's sunny and the temperature is reasonable, so we'll be able to squeeze in a nice walk. Happy Mother's Day!
ReplyDeleteall the same, may your daughter's next year be her best one yet.
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