Counting down

 In one week from today, we will be with my family. Hopefully.

This weekend, we got the lawn mowed, and I am working on cleaning in the house, so that our dear friend who is going to stay here while we are gone, has a pleasant environment to enjoy.

She calls our house her sanctuary, and I want to be sure this continues for her.

So, given the fact that we still have much to do today, we skipped our morning hike in a park, and will focus on what needs to be done.

Details like the kitchen backsplash, which gets overlooked 90% of the time, the bathroom floor, cat "comfort stations" (including the automatic feeders and fountains), and the dust...oh, the dust.... will be dealt with today.

Other tasks, like scrubbing the bath tub, and mopping the floors, will happen during the evenings this coming week.

On the night before we leave, I will vacuum, change the sheets, and put out fresh towels.  Dave will refresh the cat fountains and litter boxes again, and we will make sure all is in order.

Something that concerns us about our visit with family is that they have been ... doing stuff.  

We have been isolating as much as possible, but they've been going to group gatherings, and concerts, and baseball games.... 

Granted, the COVID numbers up there are nothing like they are here, but ... there's still COVID!  

We took the incentive of being able to go up there, and have been staying away from others as much as possible in order to stay safe before traveling.

They have not been doing this, in anticipation of our arrival....so we are a bit worried.

Be that as it may, we have a package of N95 masks we are taking with us, and we will insist that anyone who comes close to us wear one.

Sigh.  If ANYONE in the family comes up with a positive test in the next 5 days, we will scrap the plans and stay home.

Anyway....today, I am also going to do some pickling.  The two beets that actually grew in my container "garden" are ready to harvest.  I'm also making pickled red onions...one jar for our friend, and one to take up to Illinois.

My doc gave me permission to stop taking the hormone blocker for a month.  It's been a week now, and the pain has been less debilitating.  I still feel it in the evening, and it's still at its worst when I first get up in the morning....but there IS an improvement.

I worked really hard yesterday, mowing the back yard in the heat, and vacuuming the whole house....and the pain was only slightly annoying last night, and this morning, I barely felt it.  We will see how the day goes, with more work around the house to be done.

That's about all I have to report this week.  Given the fact that we will (hopefully) be gone the next two Sundays, there won't be any blog posts.

Enjoy your Labor Day holiday, and the next couple of weeks. Please stay safe, be smart, and I'll update you in a couple of weeks!