Friday, May 08, 2020

Mail is arriving

I am spending waaaaaay too much money online these days, but....somehow stocking up/supporting the businesses you like seems a good idea these days.

I had seen this dress way back at the beginning of Lent (which feels like 40 years ago now) in Vermont Country Store, and wanted it, but at that point....at that point.....I was giving up online shopping for Lent. (Pause while I sit down and laugh to keep from crying).


The other day, I decided to order it. (And some elderberry "tonic," which apparently will help stave off viruses a little - maybe - unproven but - when you are starting with one, so I'm just going to put it on the shelf. In case of colds, of course, you understand.)

It came today. This is not a GREAT photo (taken quickly, my hair is a mess and I have no make up on) but the dress makes me happy. It's bright and loud and has a big print on it and has kind of a 1970s feel and I admit I sort of like that.

new dress

And yes, I am wearing dresses these days, that is how I normally dress for work and I reckon that maybe I will be better able to do "normal" work if I am dressed like "normal" work. (Well. All I have left of the semester is some grading and submitting grades Monday and a master's-student oral exam - via Zoom - Tuesday, but once that's over I have reading I want to do over the summer)

One thing I talked with the counselor yesterday was the need for scheduling as a way of fighting the "why even bother" feeling I've been having so starting Tuesday I am going to use Tomato-timer again to set myself work periods - I also ordered a small wire-frame book stand, which will hold a book and allow me to do simple knitting projects, either work on dishcloths (I want to make more for my own use, and it's always nice to have a couple on the shelf as little gifts) or plain stockinette socks or the stockinette part of a sweater. (Or a hat. I could finish up the Sockhead hat I've been picking away at first).

I am okay as long as I am DOING things. I practiced piano more today and while I wasn't great at it (some days I am not), I did it. And I did some grading and e-mailed some students.

Another thing that came: the whole wheat flour I ordered from Target. Hunting around in my cookbooks I found a "golden wheat loaves" recipe that's about half plain and half whole wheat flour and sounds good, I plan to make that tomorrow - you make a sponge with the white flour first, and then add the sweetener and shortening and the whole-wheat flour and then knead it. It makes two loaves so my plan is to make one plain and one cinnamon-swirl, and then freeze half of each loaf for later on.

My "Imperfect Foods" box came and I have lots of apples and also some pears this time. At some point I should either make an apple cake or something like tarte Tatin with some of the apples, and I need to ask my mom how she does poached pears because hers are good.

And I got some ground beef, so chili will happen in the coming week. (I eat a lot of chili, but I LIKE chili, it's easy and with beans and tomato in it like I make it, I figure it's fairly nutritious.)

And this came:

Ponyta

Yes, another Pokemon stuffie. This is "Galarian Ponyta" - when the "Galar region" (which is a stand in for the British Isles, apparently everywhere in Pokemon -land is a stand in for somewhere in this world, like Alola is Hawaii) variants came out and I saw this Ponyta, I said to myself "if they ever make a stuffie of that, I must get it.

(A unicorn, with pastel colors. It's hard to see the horn but she does have one).

She's very soft. I am still kind of contemplating names. I tried Eilonwy (after the female protagonist in The Book of Three) but that doesn't seem to fit. I admit "Frosting" popped into my head (because of the fluffy pastel mane and tail) but I am resisting it as Silly....though it may already have stuck. I will have to think on it more.

This weekend, my plans are (in and around the regulars of working out and doing Duolingo German and practicing piano) to do a little bit of the leftover grading, and knit for a while, and maybe put the binding on one of the quilts still needing it.

Sunday I need to remember to call my mom. (Do phone lines still get overloaded on Mother's Day? I remember a few years in the past - back when I was younger - there were times when it was hard to get through because so many people were calling, the circuits got overloaded. I suspect with cell phones now that doesn't happen....)

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