Working Wednesday, April 13, 2022

~ Jenny

This week I worked on Lavender’s Blue. Amazing how much faster something goes when two people are working on it. Not to mention how much fun it is to read stuff you didn’t write that’s part of the story.

What did you do this week?

72 thoughts on “Working Wednesday, April 13, 2022”

  1. I went to visit my grandchild. Born a little too early, he is incredibly tiny and absolutely beautiful, with fingernails that are about 2 x 2 millimeters. Can’t wait to watch him grow up.

    All the other things I did are not important.

    3. Congratulations! I am so glad Mother and Child are safe and well. As for being early, all of my nieces who were early caught up over time and are now healthy adults.
      Enjoy watching this new miracle grow.

    4. Our little grandson was born a year ago next week — at 6 months and 900 grams (2 lbs for you non-metric folks). Right in the middle of the first covid lockdowns and we were all absolutely petrified. We only got to see him for the first time around what should have been his birthdate (mid July) and he was still terribly fragile and his skin was pretty translucent. I got to cuddle him as much as I wanted but my hubby was too scared to.

      Fast forward to now and he’s bouncy little character, with golden curls and a nice layer of baby pudge — you would never know he hadn’t arrived on schedule.

      It’s just astonishing how resilient they can be! Enjoy your new family member!

  3. I did no work. I puttered around in my garden. The tomatoes are finally popping up all over. Anywhere there are no tomatoes (three plants) I can easily blame on myself for insufficient pruning and pollinating. AeroGarden has helpful videos. YouTube has helpful videos. I’m getting better at this.

    Enjoyed a home grown salad again yesterday. Deer Tongue Lettuce and Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, plus cheese, bacon, grape tomatoes from the store, and crispy fried onions, with my own salad dressing.

    I’ve got seventeen salad seed pods planted. Two pods are not germinating. Rouge d’Hiver Red Romaine does not love me. I foresee many salads in my future. 🙂

    1. The tenth hydroponic unit arrived today. Two QYO units, two iDOO units, five Smat Garden 3 units, and now one AeroGarden Harvest unit. The dotter said, “Dad, you’ve got a problem.” But she plans to raid my tomato crop.

  4. I am being fairly productive, finishing off a number of small projects on my long lost and doing the leg work to get married quietly next month. I had no idea what one has to do to get married, but it turns out not to be too strenuous. I am interested to see how the registrar handles my partner’s birth place when we go to apply for the license next week. He was born in south Korea.

    He has decided to leave his job after 14 years and I am happy for him because it’s a scary thing to do and he was so unhappy. At the same time, the loss of income while he finishes some certifications and finds something new is a little scary. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t join the Etsy strike this week, which I still have some mixed feelings about. I compromised and won’t list or buy anything new until the strike is over.

    1. I must have just got under the radar with my purchase from Etsy last week. Had no idea they were going on strike. Vaguely remember my onetime on the picket line from forty years ago. Norma Rae I am not. We were only out two weeks and that was long enough not like some companies that are out for months.

      And congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Fingers crossed that your partner finds a better job.

      1. Thanks. I am not sure how widespread the strike is. It’s voluntary and only for a week, but it’s a tough time of year in a long line of tough years. Also, I don’t expect to see results.

    2. I like the idea of getting married quietly. Does anyone elope anymore? I suppose not. Sad.

      We are having parallel lives – my husband is leaving his job, also without one to go to, because his boss that he loved was replaced with a terrorist. I said no one is paid enough for that – and it’s a hot job market out there.

      1. Would you like to be the good twin or the evil one? Or we can swap on and off.

        We aren’t quite eloping, just going to the JP’s. We can have 10 people. Pizza and fancy root beer to follow.

        And I am with you about not being paid enough for what is asked. I think that he had his last straw. I just hope he finds something decent without going too far down a rabbit hole. He is a worrier. Hope your person finds something too.

        1. I think you’ve already anointed me the evil twin since you believe there are purple horns on my head. I am content with that.

          My husband has already been contacted by a company in France – no I’m not moving – but there may be a remote option? Still not sure that would work because it sounds like he’d be working every night which is not my idea of a good relationship. Always nice to be wanted though! In the meantime, I tell him he can be my kept man and then I leer at him and make prurient suggestions which he ignores.

          1. That’s because you keep tempting me. And I told mine that I expected dinner ready every night and to see myself in the floors. He laughed. Some househusband he makes. Heh.

    3. Out of sympathy for your registrar, why don’t you locate his birthplace on Wikipedia and print out the location to take with you to the office?

      As someone whose birthplace was a little fuzzy and who consequently had some difficulties with Social Security — both SS and Medicare had dropdown lists for entering required birthplace, and they weren’t identical — I had to personally go in to a different office, the usual one not being good enough, and tell them to use whichever option they wanted. I couldn’t even produce a street address for my parents at the time; I’m not sure there was one.

      1. Thanks. This is very helpful. I am expecting it to either not matter at all, or be a huge hassle…

        1. A woman I used to work with was married to a guy who was born in Pakistan to white missionary parents and, boy, that caused some issues and confused looks.

  5. This week I decided to finish up a project so I could start another.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CcSZnvuONGM/

    The purple tote bag is a Moravian star. There is actually one on both sides of the bag. I had bought a pattern for a wall hanging and decided that no one really needs another wall hanging – or at least the person I know who went to Salem College doesn’t need another wall hanging – so I made it into a tote bag. In retrospect, I might have made the handles a little longer, but oh well – it’s done now.

    I also started on a Quiltworx paper piecing project called “Macaw”. There were free on-line videos for this last fall, and I bought the pattern and fabric to sew along with it. I watched one of those videos when it was posted in November, but life . . as always . . gets in the way, so all I had done was rough cut some pieces. I pulled out the first section and worked through the directions, producing my eight colorful sections.

    This weekend will probably be devoted to being ready for Easter dinner. DH and I are in charge, but luckily only four for the meal. I’m hoping to make it as stress free as possible – so I might be going to the local grocery and buying dessert!

    1. That tote bag would brighten up the grayest day and the macaw pattern looks fascinating. I’ll be very interested to see how that one turns out.

  6. I had friends staying for half of it, then the intro I’ve been waiting for since January finally turned up, so I had to reacquaint quaint myself with that edit and then finish and send it to the author. Might be my last ever copy-editing job.

    Today I had a meeting with the head gardener at the local spinal injuries unit, to discuss the practicalities of the photography drop-in sessions they want me to do there, probably starting next month.

    The forecast’s good(ish) over Easter, so I’m hoping to get loads of gardening done: to set both gardens up for the season, if I can.

  7. The only thing different I did this week involved tweaking a recipe for ricotta cheese and spinach stuffed red peppers. I sauteed one crumbled Italian sweet sausage, two chopped mushrooms and chopped onion in herbs slightly cooled and added it to the cheese mixture. Then tumbled it all into two parboiled halved and seeded red and orange peppers. Instead of a tomato sauce the recipe called for a box of grape or cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil and herbs, salt and pepper then surrounding the peppers in a casserole dish and baked at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes till done. Lots of compliments so much so I’m going to add it as a recipe for my grand niece’s bridal shower. The invitation specified bringing a copy of a favorite recipe. It’s now my new favorite.

    1. Sounds delicious. Green bell peppers were 2.49 each (not organic) yesterday. I could not bring myself to pay that much.

  8. I spent some time watching videos on the Camino de Santiago as I am joining some friends to walk part of it in the Fall. I have picked up some of the items I will need but have more to go. The hardest part so far, is finding the backpack that was recommended; no one has it in stock for me to make sure it’s a good fit for me.

    Right now, I am making another batch of elderberry syrup. I stopped in at my former workplace and found that 8 out of 12 employees were all out with Covid at the same time. I decided it would be a good idea to continue building up my immune system while this variant is on the loose!

    1. Oh, so very excited for your. I’ve walked 3 segments, and am walking part of the Portuguese this month with some friends (I’m the “expert” now, it appears, although I am definitely just another peregrino). Buen Camino!

  10. I have begun sketching a wildflower a day, starting with those here in Ohio. I didn’t think I’d be using colored pencils, but I am. Very soothing, even if the work doesn’t much resemble the photograph. I am also editing one piece a day from a collection of meditations I began more than a decade ago, and about which I had forgotten.
    I’m also very glad Jenny is writing with Bob.
    Happy Easter to anyone who celebrates, and blessed Passover for those commemorating the event.

  11. I worked on a book called Blue Lavender. And a book called Phoebe and the Traitor. And a book called Life’s Little Black Book. Took Scout to the vet this morning. Worked on my time travel machine. And solved a couple of impossible mathematical theoroms. The usual.

    2. Does this mean that soon there will be a survival book involving time travel?

    3. Just remember, if you do manage to time travel to the future to get copies of the book that you wrote, to bring to now, to avoid writing the thing. Your punishment for the time infraction, will probably mean you will have to write it twice, once to match the copy of the book you brought back so you don’t cause ripples in time and then you have to rewrite it again, when you read it and realise you don’t actually like what you wrote the first time

      1. In the Ring of Fire series, in which the town of Grantville (actually Mannington) West Virginia is transposed to 1631 Thuringia, Germany, the “up-timers” interact with many historical figures. Rembrandt happily duplicates paintings found in art books. Peter Paul Rubens has no wish to recreate stuff he has… already done? One English philosopher read his future treatise and declared it “utter rubbish!” And a main character has adopted an orphaned Baruch Spinoza, whom his new father calls, “Barry.” Rebecca Abrabanel says, “Hillbillies – you have no respect!”

    1. My mother once visited a western art museum — Remington, I think — and told me about the picture pair where one was titled, “The Artist’s Studio as Seen by his Mother,” with plush couches, draperies, and less-than-clothed models. Its mate was titled, “The Artist’s Studio in Reality” and was heavily furnished with tack and a couple of interested horses. The glamorous life!

  13. Still doing rehearsals for 2 shows. Still drowning at work. My remaining teammate did NOT come back this week and we’re losing another person this week. Same old, same old.

    I am still knitting Mirabel from Encanto’s outfit. The skirt is large and continuing, I’m on the third layer and it’s pretty much a blanket one does at home. I’m adapting another pattern to make the blouse and I’ve gotten to the point where I have to start fudging around to change the collar out. Eep. I tried it on last night and the neckline seems big, so I have to revamp the thing.

  15. On holiday this week. Lots of walking around Bruges (lovely, but the hordes of tourists are back in force). Working on catching up on sleep.
    Working on NOT thinking about work or giving into the temptation to check e-mails. It helps that I only brought my phone and checking (or worse: answering) e-mails is difficult.

    1. Writing as one tourist in the hordes, I came very near being killed had I not plastered myself to the side of a handy Bruge cathedral. Mad bicyclists peddling high speed from every alleyway with me in the middle mouth agape. Morning rush hour, evidently. How do the bikers avoid each other, let alone me?

      1. Well, we’re part of the hordes ourselves, so I guess I’m being hypocritical…
        Also, from what you experienced the situation now seems rather tame. No plastering needed yet. The cyclists aren’t hunting us down yet. No comparision to how you had to watch out for cyclists in Amsterdam a few years back (pre Covid)…

  16. Spent 3/4 of a day cooking for the rest of the week. I also cleaned every light switch, door knob, cubboard handle, tap, electronics panel, and kitchen appliance in the house. And I did it in gloves and a mask. Covid in the house and I’m a close contact but one of us was away, arriving later. He gets freedom of the house. And the pleasure of bringing stuff to the stuck in their rooms people.

    So I am trapped in my room for a week. OR maaaybe I’m blissfully alone and unable to Do Things.

    Though I have a stack of paperwork, and 3 crochet projects and some mending … and several videos, many books. I’ll be fine.
    As long as I don’t get sick.
    Though he who is sick keeps telling me he’s not that sick, right before he goes back to sleep for a few more hours.

  17. Getting ready to have 25 people over for Easter. It’s something we did for almost 40 years in California, but if you’d told me a year ago that a year after we arrived here that we’d have 25 people to invite over, I would have laughed.

  18. I mentiond previously that someone backed into the center pole of my carport & knocked it out of its base. Turns out it didn’t need to be there so I had it removed. I like my carport so much better now. I moved a table and a couple of chairs out there.
    I’ve gotten some written on my wip.
    Wrote an email to payroll at my work requesting again they stop taking KY state taxes out of my check. I live and work in Florida. The company I work for headquarters is in Florida. But because the department I work for is out of KY, they will take 1800 KY state & 600 Murray, KY city taxes out. 2400 dollars & I could only get 55 dollars back. ARGH.

    1. How does that even work?? Are you supposed to only pay the state taxes of the state you reside in, and the company pays the state taxes of the state they’re headquarted in??

      1. From what I recall of preparing taxes in Mass/RhodeIsland/NH (but this was a while ago, so not giving tax advice), the states basically get to collect from the employee whichever amount is higher as between the state where the business is located and the state where the taxpayer is domiciled. The one with the higher tax rate gives a credit for what was paid in the lower tax rate state, and just collects the difference. But Florida doesn’t have a state income tax, so there’s no credit to be had, and KY can collect the full amount that a resident would pay. There are similar issues here in New England, where NH is, I believe, the only state without an income tax, and there are a lot of employees who live in NH but work for companies based in Mass. And the right to tax is, essentially, “money earned in the state,” with the definition of “earned” satisfied by EITHER the employee’s residence or the employer’s location. Not giving individual tax advice (I’m not current on the continuing education and never did either FL or KY taxes), just sharing some basic information on how cross-state-lines income taxes generally work.

        1. Yes, I’ve dealt with that also, living in Mass(achusetts) and earning in NH, and then living in Maine, and earning in NH. So I got unemployment in NH when the need arose.

        2. Geez, as complicated as I expected. Thanks for the explanation! I didn’t expect states with no state tax…. this is like a dumb question, but how do they fund things then? Just state revenue generating activities?

          1. Depends. Nevada, for instance, funds out of tourism / casino money. One of my cousins lives near the Santa Anita racetrack, and the local jurisdiction gets its money from that.

            I worked for a utility company, and various jurisdictions have always been under the impression that they could take over the utility operations in their territories, run them at a profit, and supply gas and electricity more cheaply than the utility does. Then they get someone to look at the possibility and realize that they’d have to buy the gas and electricity at market prices AND maintain the system — and that the big company does those things with economies of scale that the small jurisdiction wouldn’t have. In addition, the utility is usually the biggest, or one of the biggest, property tax payers in the jurisdiction, which could expect to lose that, too.

          2. Many states use three sorts of revenue: property tax, sales tax, and income tax. Plus fees (licenses etc.) Generally speaking, if the state doesn’t have one sort of revenue (like income tax) the sales tax and property tax may be at higher rates.

          3. Alaska pays for everything with oil/pipeline money.
            Virginia has a max tax rate of 5.75% and does not tax social security. A lot of my coworkers commuted from North Carolina because the rates were lower there.

          4. There are three primary sources of state incomes —income tax, sales tax, property tax. States also get money from other sources like user fees. States without income taxes tend to be states like Alaska or Texas that get a lot of income from oil and other resources. Florida apparently had very high local taxes which would be property taxes and a lot of user fees.

            The 9 states with no income tax are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming

          5. New Jersey’s property taxes are insane. Do not move here. Beautiful if you’re northwestern NJ, ruinous if you own a house.

  19. Did special election work, planted a couple of parsley plants, and forgot to ask someone something. Just the ususal.

    The weather has been beautiful.

  20. I went on a mammoth shopping trip with my sister yesterday to prepare for the coming holiday. Since our food stamps will not be back before next month I was afraid that dividing up the finances would be difficult, but what she laid out for me turned out to be almost exactly what the amount that I had spent for her, so that part went very smoothly.

    What hasn’t been easy is that it has been raining so much that I haven’t been willing to take my cart on the bus and load up on produce in the suburbs or distilled water for my C-Pap. I had an appointment downtown for a bone scan this afternoon which was, of course, in the opposite direction and that was quite enough waiting in the rain for one day. I had thought that my doctor ordered it because my height measurements have been all over the place, but once I got there they told me that now that I am legally old I need to do this every 2 years. I am curious to see what the results will be. Previous tests had rated my risks for osteoporosis at 50 %, but this is the first test that will actually tell us if I need to worry.

    2. Good luck! I’ve had one every two years since surgery some years back, and what I’ve learned is that if you wear clothes without metal — elastic waistband, no jeans with rivets or zippers with metal teeth — you don’t have to undress . . . .

        1. I asked about that last time, and they said not to worry about it. Maybe they’re more interested in my hips and knees?

  21. Spent Monday morning making calls on my list for things I needed to get done for me. They’ve been on the list for a while, but apparently it’s wise just to start Monday taking care of my business. I work remotely and have flexibility about when I start and stop, so I could do that. So I’m chuffed to get those off my list. I wrote them down so I could cross them off.
    Chose some music for a couple of recitals this summer.
    Made my bed three days in a row, and even did two days of sun salutations! My halo glows.

    That should be, did sun salutations two days in a row.

  22. Working on taxes — now down to one missing 1099 but a large tax bill. Shopped for Sunday’s dinner, veggie and bread rolls. I decided on P F Chang’s frozen green beans, which we haven’t had before. My brother took care of meat and potatoes, cousin is bringing dessert.

  23. Sure Thing, how are you? Heard about the flooding near Durban and wondered if you were affected?

  24. We have been working on putting up the new door trim – deciding on the style and sizes, pricing, buying and hauling (3 different trips due to stupid mistakes and supply issues), painting, and finally cutting and installing. This morning I’m doing a little bit of drywall patching and working at the day job and over the weekend I’m going to caulk and paint so we can move on to the baseboards! Then it’s painting doors, converting the bifold doors to French doors, and reinstalling them.

    But first, the new Jodi Taylor landed on my Kindle this morning and demanded to be started.

  25. Over the weekend I added nearly 9K words to my novel-in-progress.

    Also since Saturday morning I’ve done a little under five hours of yard work (mostly evening, after work) because my gardener BFF is coming this Saturday to see it in person and it’s amazing how the little unfinished chores bug me knowing someone else will notice. 🙂

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