SouthernSweetieTX

The kids have spoiled me today. Apparently, baby minion has been planning a Mother’s Day surprise for a few weeks. They made breakfast and dinner and dessert for me. All on their own! They worked together! It was so sweet. I think I’ll keep them! They did so good, I said I would retire from cooking. Not what they wanted to hear.

worthyoflove

Happy Mother's Day, Kayla and Emma, and all the other moms out there.

That's a super sweet gift!

I made my mom her favorite, a key lime pie and drove it up to our cottage and left it for her. It was nice to see her too.

Other than that I've been in a painting hell. I always love the idea of it but then when I'm applying the third coat to the ceiling pretty much just want to throw the paint can through a window.

SouthernSweetieTX

Thank you!

I’m glad you got to see your Momma!

So your paint hell is my DIY fear. I don’t want to get into the middle of a project and hate it.

worthyoflove

We pretty much finished the front family room today. The ceiling was the worst but now it's done. The thing is that if it were at my house I'd just keep doing it until I was done because seeing it undone would drive me nuts. It would take me two days max. Both of us have to work from home so we haven't really been getting over to her parents house until after noon so we're limited in time.

We start the sunroom next, which, again, has a nightmare ceiling to deal with. But I'm doing it as a favor. It's my best friend's parents who are basically family to me. They're the ones that had the place in St. Maarten, so I've gone on multiple vacations on their dime.

I'm also getting no response from the contractor I usually use, because we need some flooring done and that is way above my head.

DaisyGirl14

You are a good friend Amanda. I actually really like to paint (although I agree, ceilings are tough). The time-consuming part is always prepping to paint - taping, covering the floors, etc. - the painting is the fun part (at least to me).

LA County is opening our beaches on Wednesday but with limited access for swimming, surfing, walking and running on the sand. No sun-bathing, no picnics or gatherings, no volleyball. The strand, or the bike path that runs parallel to the beach, will also remain closed so no bikes allowed along the beach. I'm sure this is a compromise for all the surfers who have been very vocal in their complaints about the beach closures. Next, it will be the volleyball players. I have no clue how they plan on enforcing this but, we'll see. I'm going to continue to stay away (at least for the first week or so) and see how it goes. If all is well, I will definitely go down and walk/run to get some exercise.

CA has lifted some of their restrictions on stores but only for certain types - like book stores, florists, sporting good stores. They pretty much have to run like grocery stores do (limit number of people in/out, everyone must wear face masks and the store has to offer curb-side pickup). Some Starbucks have opened again too but only with curb-side pick up of mobile orders and drive-thru orders.

Other than this, we are still on lockdown. Its all so very confusing and I'm really getting tired of it too. I have a sense though that this is how it will be for a while.

worthyoflove

The painting of the trim and moving the tarp and taping and spackling and all that is absolutely the worst. And in this case my friends only experience painting was when she helped paint my bedroom back when I was in high school, so she's looking to me for what to do. Which is fine, I know what I'm doing, but I also like to plow through it so in a way it feels like a group project where I just want to take the reigns and do it myself. But she's like my sister, I have no problem putting in the time, and it makes the days fly by.

The confusion over what we can and can't do is so frustrating. I feel guilty going out and doing about anything but then I see some people back at work and others not wearing masks and I just guess I have to do what I need to do to feel safe.

I've definitely gone out more in the past few weeks then I did the entire four weeks prior. I'm still trying to limit my exposure to other people, doing curbside pickup for things like paint at Sherwin Williams, etc. We ordered out food for the first time at a brewery near me on Saturday night and I was so impressed with the way they did their pickup line I'll definitely be back. They even give you a free little bottle of hand sanitizer they made themselves at the brewery.

Starbucks were always open here, or at least the stores with the drive-thrus were. I passed by the one I usually go to and the line was clear around the building. It wasn't worth it to wait for me.

Coming up on Memorial Day Weekend...I'm not really sure how to manage that. We always have a big extended family weekend at the lake house. It might be a matter of just flat out limiting who can be up there and saying no to some people, which sucks.

elherts

Our Starbucks have not been open but Dunkin Donuts have been. I used to go to Dunkin Donuts twice a day but with the quarantine I started making my own green tea and now I like it better than DD. I only went there twice, very recently and didn't love it. I will stick with my homemade.

I went to 3 stores this weekend which I would have NEVER done in the past month or so. But I'm still very aware that now I have to wait another 14 days until I'm in the clear. I had a mask on and washed my hands a thousand times when I got home. Disinfected everything as best I could, sprayed it down and wiped. Changed clothes, took two showers, but I'm still anxious. I have a paper cut on one finger so of course that's freaking me out. I'm sure I'm over anxious.

We went to my parents on Mother's Day and sat in her yard, 6 ft apart. Scoobs went home with my brother and the kids so now I'm alone again. The kids love him and he loves them so I'm okay with it. Took him to a groomer on Saturday, not his typical one because they are closed, and he WAS NOT HAVING IT! She could only get halfway done and wanted me to come pick him up. So I had to pay extra to have my niece go in and hold him. I guess we aren't going back there. They were very nice but he was not happy.

Halfway through Season 3 of Little House. I've been reading a lot of behind the scenes stuff now out of curiosity. I never knew that Laura and Willy were siblings in real life. Willy is the worst actor! lol But Melissa Gilbert is amazing.

Since I bought my house 8 years ago, I've been wanting to do something on my one dining room wall. I was thinking of wallpaper, just on the one wall. I looked into those large decals, but nothing struck me. But I saw people doing this on Tic Tok and I think I like it.

worthyoflove

I was actually surprised this one Starbucks was open. I don't now why it stayed open but it's definitely been open for all of quarantine.

I met with the contractor today and he didn't wear a mask and I didn't wear a mask and it didn't even really occur to me until half way through. I don't know, it makes me worried about how it's going to be when I do go back to work and have to meet with clients, if people will adhere to wearing masks and how it's going to be wearing masks all day long.

There's actually a lot of options for wallpaper now that is temporary or at least a lot easier to take down than the old wallpaper. I know accent walls are really in. I've spent so much time attempting to eradicate my house of all the wallpaper, I just don't know if I could ever put it back up again.

I'm into season 3 of The Americans. It's finally getting really must watch for me, Matthew Rhys is just so good.

elherts

I've been wanting to watch the Americans but I feel like I will have to pay attention.


Would love to see Taylor take part in something like this.

SouthernSweetieTX

Wallpaper is making a huge come back! I have a friend who just put paper in her house over the past month. She has done some incredible and inspiring DIYs while she’s been home. If I can DIY like that, I’ll do it all day every day!

I like the geometric pattern, Kiki. That would be fun.

I don’t mind painting. It’s a quick and relatively inexpensive way to change a room. I tend to be messier when I paint than I like. The prep is definitely worth the work in the end.

Our Starbucks drive thrus have been open. I don’t stop there often, so I’ve not missed them.

It’ll be interesting to see how the beaches opening plays out. I’d think I would be hard to enforce the restrictions.

I need to see if the warehouse that has my computer reboot is open yet. I REALLY need my laptop back!

My parents are coming down here on Thursday. They are only staying for the night. My mom has an appointment on Saturday to get her hair cut. She hasn’t had it cut since before she fell. I am excited to see them! Mom hasn’t been out of the house since she came home, except for doctor appointments. She doesn’t remember seeing us in the rehab facility. So, this is the first time we will have “seen” us since she got hurt.

elherts

How is your mom?

SouthernSweetieTX

She remembers nothing from the first fall to coming home. Nothing. She doesn’t remember us being at the acute care facility. Or my sister, or Daddy. He was there 12-14 hours a day! It’s like her memory clicked back on when she set foot in their house. Which makes sense, I guess. She’s lived there 44 years and it’s so familiar to her.

She seems to be much better. She will have to walk with a walker for a year, she told me. I don’t know if the PT or neurologist said that to her. She can hold a conversation on the phone. She has trouble remembering words or phrases, or people’s names. You can’t interrupt her or she forgets what she was saying, that’s not far from how she was before. it seems, to me, she has her pre-injury memory back.

She tires easily, the doctor told her to not go back to work. She’s bored at home watching the dogs sleep. She’s exhausted all the movies on the hallmark channel. She wants to do something, but she’s not super stable on her feet yet. This visit will be her first trip further than the doctor’s office since she fell. I’m hopeful it’s a good outing for her. We’d like them to stay longer, but it might be best to take small steps, and see how she does. She can’t go up the stairs, so she’ll have to sleep on a blow up mattress downstairs. I do have a half bath downstairs, so that’s good! She could sleep on my couch, I think the mattress will be more comfortable. We’ll have to see if it’s too low to the ground. I’m sure Daddy will stay downstairs with her.

He has been sooooo amazing with her this entire time. He is very careful to make sure she’s safe. Their bed at home is really high off the ground. That’s how she fell, she missed the step stool, in the dark, and fell out of the bed. They have removed the slats and put the boxspring and mattress on the floor. I haven’t seen it, but I’m guessing that puts their mattress close to the bottom of the bed frame. Daddy said she can get in and out of it. At first, she was sleeping in “our room”. She hated that. They got her back in their bed as soon as it was safe.

Overall, she is much improved. The neurologist said it could take up to a year for her to be 100% back to pre injury status. Her penmanship is coming along. She sent us a letter...she put my maiden name on it. BUT, I could read it, which is a night and day difference. I’m excited to see her in person and see how she’s doing.

worthyoflove

I'm glad she's doing better and at home. Sounds like she's well on the way to recovery. It's nice that she'll get to come and visit you.

I'm actually now looking at wallpaper for the dining room below the chair molding, even though I just painted it. I'd like to go with a more bold pattern.

We went and bought 22 boxes of flooring yesterday. I think my friend is underestimating how long it's going to take us to take down wallpaper. It sucks.

SouthernSweetieTX

She didn’t come! I am so sad.
Apparently, the doctor she went to today had the wrong address on their website. Daddy drove around for an hour looking for the office. They were still at the doctor at two this afternoon. Now, they will come one day next week. I had this great meal planned. Baby minion said what will you make them now? Captain Crunch. They get cold cereal.

Are you doing the floors?

elherts

Glad your mom is doing better.

My nephew runs an NFL Podcast on Spotify. My father is going to be a guest to talk about the 1960 Eagles. I was on Facetime with my father tonight helping him do some research. It's so cute how excited he is.. but boy, he is not technologically inclined. Previous to buying his iPhone, which we forced him to do, he called a cell phone.. "Your machine."

I went and took the dog for a walk. It's SOOOO nice out. Trying not to put the air on. Washed my hands a thousand times. I'm still so freaked out any time I go in public. Bought a green tea from DD... put it in another container. Washed my hands again. Sigh.

Found out I'm moving from 3rd to 2nd grade next year. NOT HAPPY! I'm going in the wrong direction. I want to move up in the grades. This is what I get for being laid back and easy to get along with. It's not fair. One pro.. is I will get to work with a good friend of mine. That's the only pro.