14 March 2025

It is hard to believe that five years ago yesterday Employee was sent home from work for "two weeks" to flatten the curve. That turned into over a year. Looking back on that fiasco, those of us in The Hermitage STILL question all of it. Especially those buying cases of toilet paper and creating even more panic! 

This has been such a trying week. We have done things we HATE doing, and NONE of us want to do, and feel that there should be someone else here to do them. Nevertheless, they are getting done.

Astronomer stayed up FAR too late last night. Well, into the early hours of the morning. AND she kept reporting on the eclipse! 

That led to a VERY morose morning. Everyone was dealing with mental and emotional issues. No one could get their act together AT ALL! Most were out of bed by 11 though, and after a small breakfast Chauffeur asked if anyone wanted to go for a drive. She needed to finish putting 100 miles on the carriage and it seemed as though doing that might help. And off they went...to the other side of town. Alas, there were no donkeys. Forty-two degrees must not be cold enough for them to be out of the mountains. Such is life. 

Driving to and from we tried some karaoke. Also name that tune and band. They missed one. Oh, well. They got all of the other ones! When The Partridge Family came on, singing, I Think I Love You, we were near Queen's oldest daughter's salon, so stopped in. Just for a few minutes. When the "perm" arrived, we left.

Gassed the carriage at the local thrift mega store and fueling station. Gas was only $3.29. Hmmm...Thankfully we don't have to buy it very often. We were almost at the 100 mile mark on our expedition, so Chauffeur took the carriage to be smogged. Another bane of our existence. EGADS!!! Thankfully, Disciple sent up SEVERAL pleas over this issue. Ten minutes later it was declared that the carriage passed! Chauffeur thanked the attendant, and we all got back in the carriage. As Chauffeur drove the few blocks to The Hermitage, everyone broke down. NOT just for the trial of smogging the car. Not for the trials of the week. Not for the trials of the month. NO. OH NO. The dam was broken. Things that have been hanging around in some of the minds and hearts of those in The Hermitage let go. Let go big time. Some could hardly breathe. 

We have SO MUCH to be thankful for. We are SO blessed. We have seen Gods hands in our lives. We have witnessed tender mercies. We have had many answered prayers. We know that each of us are known personally. We know we are loved. This has been a tough one lately. We thought we would grow old with someone. But it doesn't seem to be in the plan yet. We believe Queen's children love us, and hope that it isn't out of obligation. We don't believe it is, as they treat us all very well. But we get in these moods...and then it is all downhill. 

Ornithologist is still keeping an eye on the bald eagles at Big Bear. Can't believe they are covered with snow yet again! Jeez! 

Baker didn't forget Pi day, she just didn't make anything. Sadly, she didn't feel like doing that. She usually makes coconut cream, key lime and a lemon cream cheese...and an apple. Maybe next year. Maybe next week. Who knows. She is touchy right now.

We are listening to it rain outside. THAT is always a blessing. Maybe it will calm us all down.

And so, here we are with an anniversary of the "Pandemic" yesterday, Pi day today, and tomorrow is the Ides of March! Then next week we can wear green. NOT our favorite color, BUT we have Irish in our blood, so feel the need. Hopefully next week will bring some sort of normalcy and order. If that is even possible. We hope so. We NEED to get that.

And so we have come to the "Redistribution" part of the week. Hopefully they will be worth checking out. Have a great weekend...

 12 March 2025

Since Employee is retired, the days get mixed up, our thinking gets bumfuzzled, and things don't go the way they should.

Several of us woke up emotional, weepy, and just a wreck this morning. We sat around wondering what we should be doing, and not wanting to do anything, but that makes it worse.

Financier, Banker, and the Tax Woman continue to be fraught with the taxes, and what to do about the rest of it. AND then we forgot that Jessica was coming down for her own reasons, and was going to stop by. Too much for the brain. This is what Organizer has a calendar for, BUT Communicator didn't relay the message very well. In fact, with everything going on, she forgot. But they spent part of the morning on the phone with someone about finances. Then Chauffeur took them to Ye Olds PERS office, to fix things there, then came home and filed the taxes...AND tried to relax...stay calm...and get back to what is NORMAL for all of us in The Hermitage.

Jess and the kids came by, and it was WONDERFUL to see them. They are three hours away, and while that isn't a world away, we don't see them as often as we would like to. Because of our total discombobulation this week, we are embarrassed to say we didn't realize the time, didn't think normally, didn't fix them dinner, didn't do what we've been taught to do. AND feel horrible. Chef should have whipped something up. But didn't, and she feels bad. All of us feel bad. Hopefully we can fix this error in the future.

We were going over past memories and saw this post from a dozen years ago. We need to hang this somewhere. We need to read it more often. Perhaps we will print it out and Disciple will put it in her scriptures and look at it EVERY day! That would be helpful on all fronts.

Rain is expected tomorrow. DRAT! We love when we get rain, however, Board Member will be walking the whole community with another Board Member, three landscapers and about half a dozen tree people from UNLV. She can borrow Golfer's umbrella. It's HUGE! Astronomer is looking forward to seeing the Blood Full Moon eclipse tomorrow night. Clouds just won't make that work very well. Hopefully she will see part of it.

Gardner aches and is continuing to put lidocaine on her back. She is also trying to take it easy. She is pleased with all of the blooms and that the trees are starting to bud out. So many flowers are blooming, and the transplanting of some of the bulbs worked. The tulips are going to have flowers this year. The freesia are blooming, and so are many other flowers out in the yard. It is lovely.

Herpetologist was impressed with the video call from Queen's youngest son. He is staying in Daytona Beach, FL for a bit, and right outside their door...about 100 feet...is a swamp...with alligators! On the video call, he was showing her the alligator and they threw a fish down on the ground trying to get it out of the swamp...WHICH WORKED! EGADS!!! Anyway, we were happy to be on a video call, although it was fascinating.

Chauffeur still has some trials with the carriage, but hopefully that will work out.

The beginning of the year stuff is almost done, thankfully. Then we all have projects we are working on the rest of the year. Everything WILL work out. Things WILL get better. We know they will.

Thank you for coming by Jessica and bringing all the kids. So great to see everyone. I LOVE you!

 3 March 2025

Scullery Maid was busy with Kitchen Maid this morning finishing up from last night's meal with the family. Chef made corned beef, mashed potatoes, corn, and fried cabbage with onions and kielbasa sausage. She also had romain and iceberg lettuce with all the fixings; red onions, green onions, pepperoncini, craisins, fried onions, grated cheese, baby carrots, cucumbers, bacon bits, croutons, salad sprinkles, cherry tomatoes, and dressings. Baker made peach cobbler, and had ice cream/homemade whipped cream to go with it for dessert.

Building Maintainer was BUSY today. She set up the ladder and got up into the "belly of the whale" to install some insulation. It seems that 50 years ago when The Hermitage was built, in their haste, they didn't put in about 15' of insulation. Five years ago when the kitchen remodel was going on, this was noticed. NOW it is finally up! Is it perfect? Goodness NO! Sometimes perfectionism is out the door. This was one of those times. She felt it was "good" and since breathing was an issue up there, and black snot was the end result, everyone was fine with it and no one complained. Also, because no one else wants to go into "the belly of the whale!" Then she got out the drywall mud and prepared the kitchen ceiling, and bathroom area ready for texture and paint. This won't happen this week though.

The rest of the week MANY of us in The Hermitage will be BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. Chauffeur, Reader, Costumer, Prop Master, Board Member, Disciple, and others.

Someone has a teeth cleaning.

Reader and Costumer prepared for upcoming events this week. Reader was asked to read to two third grade classes, as well as a kindergarten, and a pre-k class this week as part of "Reading Week." Costumer dug out the Belle, and the Rapunzel dresses, as well as Pascal and a "pooch" who will be joining for the story time. Prop Master also got out one of the tiara's and a small cast iron skillet. Reader will be reading, obviously, Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast. Hopefully this will go over well.

Board Member will be attending a County Planning Meeting to fight a proposed Paint/Auto Body shop on the corner. We don't want it rezoned for that. Some of us in The Hermitage would rather have a Waffle House.

Disciple and Reader will be having some fun with the Activity Girls this week. There are also some choir practices coming up for some special events.

Gardener is pleased with all of the blooming flowers at The Hermitage! Lavender, daffodils, jonquils, iris, rosemary, violets, orchids, and the freesia are next up.

AND someone is getting their hair done!!! Maybe...that may be delayed. Ornithologist has been keeping her eyes on the Bald Eagles at Big Bear! Jackie laid three eggs; January 22nd, 25th, and 28th. She and Shadow have been sitting on the three eggs and two of them have pipped! Maybe tomorrow or the next day the third one will pip. She is SO excited to watch all this. She has been reading a LOT about bald eagles and has learned some fascinating things. She is having a lot of fun with this.

Anyway, things are happening in The Hermitage. Thankfully the wind has died down. It did blow a tree over last night.

Have a GREAT week!

 1 March 2025

Writer has a touch of scatter-brain this weekend, and it seems to have carried over to others who have been a tad loopier than normal today. Disciple had to text a friend because she couldn't remember what time Church starts tomorrow! It starts at 10. Thanks Gina!

Gardener forgot the water was running and luckily remembered after about 20 minutes. But she hadn't watered all week, so maybe that will be okay.

Chef isn't on strike, but told Chauffeur to stop at a local eatery as she wasn't preparing anything. She IS preparing a meal for The First Family Dinner tomorrow. She is fixing corned beef, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, and peach cobbler.

Board Member has been busy helping at the clubhouse. We put up new blinds in the windows, replaced several electrical outlets, and put the AC vents back in the ceiling. She helped with the blinds and outlets, surprising one of the other board members.

All of us in The Hermitage are trying to get back to "normal" or what is normal for us. After some were gone for two weeks, we've forgotten what we are supposed to be doing. Next week will be a busy one! Teeth cleaning. Meetings. Getting our hair done with our FAVORITE hairdresser! WOOHOO!!! Can't wait.

AND it is reading week next week in honor of Dr. Seuss. Reader and Educator have been asked to do something they ABSOLUTELY LOVE to do! They will be dressing up as Rapunzel and reading the Rapunzel story to two third grade classes...one of the classes Queen's grandson is in! Then the next day she will be dressing up as Belle and reading Beauty and the Beast to a Pre-K class and a Kindergarten class! When asked why they said:

They love children

They love teaching

They love reading

They want children to have a love of reading

They want the grandson to maybe see them in a different light/way

They love fairytales

They love dressing up

They rarely have interactions with people as we rarely leave The Hermitage

Reading week is special

When Employee was working in school libraries, during reading week she would put up a display of "Banned Books" in hopes students would check them out. She once tried to encourage a couple of students to check out the "Banned Books" display, and they said they "didn't want to read about musical instruments!" Palm to forehead. Too bad! They may have learned something. Nevertheless, books and reading are THE BEST! Shopper purchased four books at the DI yesterday; two for Reader and Educator to use on their outing and two because they were Fancy Nancy books, and are delightful. Not to mention we absolutely needed to add to the thousands of books we already have in The Hermitage. Organizer saw the books, shook her head, and was dumbfounded that Shopper purchased them. Organizer even questioned, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!" Shopper wasn't thinking. She is just crazy when it comes to books and loses her mind. Well, it's already lost, so there's that.

Anyway, it is time for the Redistribution of our little treasure we've collected this week. Should be entertaining. Have a GREAT week. Share your light and your smiles!