Monday, November 09, 2020

Up Your Nose With A ...Cotton Swab

 If nothing else, this time spent in isolation has been productive. I've repaired more than a dozen items that have been languishing in my mending pile-some for years I'm a bit embarrassed to admit. The timing is good as I'm finally wanting to bother getting dressed. Not that I am, as I'm still isolating for a bit.

I drove myself to get tested for Covid this morning. Ordinarily, I'd balk at giving a company with ZERO medical experience a no-bid contract to do vital pandemic testing for the state. In the absence of any help from Washington though, it was probably not a bad decision. I'm not sure where my personal information is going to end up (I hope they do as they promise and keep it safe )but it certainly ran smoothly from my experience so far. I should have results somewhere in the next 72 hours. I registered, they sent a code that I showed to be scanned when I arrived, and then a member of the National Guard shoved a swab through my nose into my throat. Less than 5 minutes and I was on my way without getting out of the car. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but it was quick. 

After a week isolated in my room, it really did feel like a bear emerging from hibernation to see the outside world. I was able to do a drive-through no contact trip to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions, which at this point almost feels "normal". Anyway, with any luck I'll be fine and can emerge from my isolation to get cracking on the laundry, dishes, and putting the house back together. We're getting freezing rain and snow tonight, so I asked the boys to cover the garden-we'll see if it gets done. 

I've been feeding myself quite nicely up here with an electric kettle. Instant porridge oats, dried fruit, instant potatoes, peanuts in the shell, and tea are keeping me well fed. I have some ramen noodles but I can't really eat more than half a packet at a time without feeling slightly queasy, so those haven't been nearly as enjoyable as the peanuts. It does pass the time cracking open the shells. I also got through a box of Golden Grahams cereal, which I really coveted in the 70s, but my mother wouldn't buy them. Maybe they don't appeal to adult tastes, but I must say it was disappointing. The box said, "Original Retro Recipe", so I'll take them at their word. Don't think I'd ever buy them again. I'm more of a Raisin Bran sort of woman anyway. 

Danny has been doing the remote learning option for school and a good thing too as the cases continue to skyrocket. His school is now going to 50% where students will alternate days in the building with days remote. Things continue to get worse here, and the doctors pleading with the governor to do something are accused of being political enemies by his spokesperson. I don't know how we'll live through this with that sort of mindset. But here we are. The positivity rate in Douglas County is now a whopping 30%. I will be calling the Governor's office to register my displeasure as a Nebraskan, but doubt very much it will do any good. 

Before I had to isolate, I bought Danny a stuffed animal. I saw it out of the corner of my eye at Walgreen's and couldn't resist. It was bargain priced in one of those, "Please take this un-sold-toy-off-our-hands" manner. We haven't given the dinosaur a name, but it did get a permanent spot at the dining room table. It has been several years since my son's toy friends have joined us at the table, and I was pleased he decided to deposit it there. When I'm done isolating, maybe I'll bring down Blue Bear for company. 
That's from 2006! Blue Bear was mine growing up-mum made him, and I've been sewing him back together for decades. He's doing OK for a more than 50 year old bear. That was Danny's second crib/cot. The first one was a lovely wooden thing that would eventually convert into a twin bed frame when he was ready. Because it was wood, and made in China, I was a little worried about him licking the wood, as children do. To counter that, I bought these hard, vinyl rail covers to prevent children from doing just that. I'll never forget the day I heard loud banging coming from the nursery when he ought to have been napping to find him, vinyl cover in hand, swinging at the crib mobile like a piñata. Going to replace it, I noticed where he had chewed straight through the varnish down to bare wood. Looking at his mouth filled with wood pulp, I knew that we weren't going to be able to keep him from his beaver-like activity, and I sent his father out to buy a metal bed. "Chew through that, Jaws."  Today, he uses the wooden headboard from the original crib and while I haven't bothered to check if he has been chewing on it, I'd guess he's probably OK. 
This is a photo of my favourite childhood toy that I didn't get to keep because mum gave it to my sister's kids to destroy (along with all my other stuff). If anyone ever spots Blippy for less than $25.00 let me know! I wouldn't mind having him in my collection. 

I've resisted doing too much shopping online but did manage a few items over the past week. A Victorian black wool skirt with the original buttons, an Edwardian blouse, and some 18th century reproduction black and red clocked cotton stockings. I'm looking forward to wearing them soon. The skirt already arrived, but is still in a box downstairs-I'll deal with it later. I didn't need to worry that they boys might be tempted to "help" by washing it, but I warned them not to-just in case by some miracle they got inspired to do housework. I hope the socks are well made-I'd like a pair in every colourway. 

Here's a quick peek at the items before I go. I'll be back with a few more recipes next time. 

9 comments:

bahnwärterin said...

all fingers crossed for the test being negative!
you bought some pretty and very old things! and the repro stockings are fab.
lovely photo of sleeping little dan - my brother used to chew on chair legs - mom was not amused to see her mahagony tinted dining set ruined :-D
xxxx

Beth Waltz said...

Thought for the day: "Don't put Viking food in a paella." I do 3 varieties of smorbrod: smoked salmon, beef and ham. Fresh tarragon is readily available but the authentic sauce is not. I improvise with a mix of mayo and horseradish that would probably offend a Viking, but perhaps I'd be spared for the sake of my slices of Vidalia onion and sprigs of radish tops.
I can easily picture little Dan gnawing on the furniture. A friend treasures a very solid maple coffee table that bears witness to the teething exercises of a young son and his Rottweiler pup. The noise they made! And the messes! (It was a race to see which would be house trained first.)

Bibi Maizoon said...

I'm more of a Raisin Bran sort of a gal now too. Found that out when I mistakenly bought a box of US Froot Loops ($5 here in Nepal!) that were my fave as a child - BLecH too sugary.
I am in envy of Dan's T Rex & blue bear! I had a Bozo jack in the box, not sure where he ended up.
Cribs are considered cruel here in Asia, so I managed (despite HEAVY criticism from the In-Laws) with a folding playpen smuggled back from the US.
Those stocking & blouse are divine!
I tested negative last week but still had a diminished sense of smell. I found a paper documenting a treatment used in Iran to successfully treat post Covid anosmia - a 6 day taper of prednisolne. I decided to try it and with my reaction to prednisolone being jittery to practically manic, my baseboards are so clean you could eat off them! Going to have a tidy house this winter, WOOHOO!

Mim said...

All that mending does sound productive! And your new clothes look wonderful, I look forward to seeing you wearing them once you're free of isolation. And I don't expect I'll see a Blippy over here, but I'll keep an eye out. That was a terrible thing for your mum to do - it should be up to the child (or former child) when their attachment to their things has waned. (My nan got rid of all my mum's books she'd saved for as a kid, and I think she still gets upset about it now, in her 70s.)

I'm glad Danny's being sensible and doing things remotely. Over here the cases leaped as soon as schools and universities reopened after the summer.

Polyester Princess said...

The advantage of following you on Instagram - apart from seeing your outfits, obviously - is that I already know the test was negative! What a relief!
The stuffed dinosaur looks quite at home at your dining table, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind the company of blue bear.
As the eldest of three, with 7 years and 10 years between me and my siblings, they inherited most of my toys, and what's more, they were not as careful with them as I was.
They've extended the current school holidays with a week here, and there's every chance that they will go back to at least 50% remote after that. Which is sensible, as infections increased after the schools reopened after Summer.
xxx

Emily said...

The dinosaur is the cutest thing ever! The wide-open mouth is saying "Feed me." Seriously, you'll have to feed him. His arms are too short to reach anything more than a few inches away, and he knows it would be rude to climb up on the table and throw himself face-first into every platter like my cat does. : )

So Blippy looks like a Buddhist monk in a saffron robe, only he's from outer space and he pops out of a music box. Did Mattel ever explain Blippy's back story? If a toy like that were made today, it would be inspired by a cartoon or a kid's movie so the context would be immediately understood by parents and children alike.

Your mom really should have let you have first dibs on all your own toys, even if your sister had children before you did. Thank goodness you still have your little blue stuffed animal. What a sweet heirloom for you and Dan.



Vix said...

I'm glad that the test was negative!
Your treats look fab especially the stockings, looking forward to seeing you wearing the whole outfit. xxx

Señora Allnut said...

Glad that the test was negative!, great news!
And also glad that you made the most of isolation and went for the mending pile (mine is growing again!).
Lovely new items, looking forward to see them 'in action'
besos

Goody said...

@Beate
It was negative, but I still have 4 more days of quarantine because in theory, I could develop symptoms on the 14th day-though unlikely.

@Beth
My son was much more destructive than our dog ever was! Probably peed the floor more too :)

@Bibi
I'll be curious to hear of the prednisone helps. I always enjoy the burst of energy from it too.
Froot Loops-I had no idea they still made those. You'd think all the artificial colours would be a no-no today. \

@Ann
Maybe that's why we both love thrifting so much-a chance to re-purchase all the childhood things?
Husband's work just announced they'll be remote until the end of January. They've been out of the office since March. I'm really glad to hear it-he was worried about going back (they were scheduled for this week).

@Emily
I think Blippy was just "Of the era" before the moon landing but My Favourite Martian was on prime time TV. I don't remember any story with him.
My mother really thought I'd never get married or have children, so it probably made sense to give the stuff away. She wasn't at all sentimental about things, and it probably didn't register with her that I'd care.

@Vix
It was a relief. I still have 4 days left to quarantine because you could get sick after having tested, but the odds are greatly reduced. Knock wood-I feel fine. The stockings are all the way up to my hips! I didn't realise they'd be quite that long, but that's kind of fun.

@Senora Allnut
It was a relief. They texted me at 12:30 am! I thought it was spam and was going to ignore it until I thought I'd better look. The labs are running around the clock now.