reality blog

MINT AND MAINTENANCE AT THE VICARAGE

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

The temperatures here in North Central Massachusetts have gotten unseasonably cool. From what I have read the next few weeks are going to be more like late October or early November than early September. We are definitely into the Brrrr months.

The gardens are slowing down and it is time to begin thinking about bringing in the last of the harvest and to get ready for the winter in a big way. I feel like all my fall projects are being put on the fast conveyor belt. The issue is basic maintenance here at the Vicarage seems to be taking more and more time. Mowing the lawn, walking the dogs, caring for the chickens, laundry, dishes, cooking. The kids are helping a lot, but I think I am still saying yes to too many things. I still haven’t figured out that perfect rhythm. Maybe I never will. Of course it could also just be that the whole family (except for me and Joe) have had COVID for the last week. We have been down two adults to help with the work. I think I am definitely feeling that extra burden.

Anyway, whatever may be causing my autumn angst doesn’t change the fact that time has to be made to bring in the fall plants. It is time to start drying the herbs for winter. I have a huge mint harvest to hang and then I have to start moving plants from the front gardens to other locations for the Spring. I have giant hosts, and daffodils and some irises to move.

Before all that though…the mint. Here is a video on how I am going about the process of drying.

I didn’t get all the mint harvested the other day. So I am back at it today.

DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF FALL PROJECTS?

INTRO TO NOTES FROM THE VICARAGE YOUTUBE

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

I have had a YouTube channel for the last several years. Like so many things in my life I have neglected this channel during the time of my mother’s illness, hospice and passing.Today I am making this channel’s resurrection one of my writing/platform building projects here at the Vicarage. Let’s begin!

WHAT PROJECT HAVE YOU BEEN SITTING ON FOR A WHILE? IS IT TIME TO RESURRECT IT?

A SETBACK TO 2020

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

The night before last my grandson awoke from sleep crying and wheezing. My son and daughter-in-law packed him up into the car and were off to the emergency room at 2 A.M.

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The day before he had been bitten by a mosquito and the bite had swelled up into a giant egg on his leg, so the chief concern was all the fall viruses that come in our area with mosquito bites, like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Photo by Jimmy Chan on Pexels.com

Several towns in our state have put restrictions on afternoon sports programs and other youth activities because of an increase in the number of cases of these dangerous diseases.

As it turns out Sevy does not have West Nile or EEE. He has Covid. And Kristine is also displaying symptoms. Amanda has also tested positive. Amanda has just completed radiation treatments, and so the concern about her immune system’s ability to fight the sickness is pretty high. She also cannot take the medication for Covid offered to many immuno-compromised individuals because of the kind of cancer she had.

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Everyone is doing OK this morning. Sevy’s breathing seems to be good now that he is on steroids. Kristine has mild cold systems, and Amanda is experiencing more flu like symptoms but no breathing issues. Joe and I are testing negative, symptom free and feeling fine.

This morning I got up and sanitized both bathrooms and all the living room and dining room furniture.

Photo by Karolina Kaboompics on Pexels.com

Amanda is quarantining in her room with Bakari, her kitten.

Kristine and Sevy are quarantining in their bedroom and the playroom.

Joe and I are doing the household chores. Yesterday I made a corn chowder for lunch and a macaroni salad and hotdogs and cheeseburgers for supper. We bought some ginger to make tea along with all the medicines we will need over the next couple of days.

It feels like a throwback to 2020, but it is different. Back then the whole world went quiet. This time we are stepping aside a bit but the world is still spinning.

I AM WONDERING, IN THE NEW NORMAL DO YOU FEEL GUILTY WHEN YOU HAVE TO PULL BACK FROM THE WORLD TO QUARANTINE OR TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF OR WAS THAT ISSUE SOLVED FOR YOU BACK IN 2020?

OF DINNERS AND DENTISTS, RETIREMENTS AND REST

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Tuesday is the busiest day of the week for me, even busier than Sundays if you can believe that. It usually starts with prayer sometime between 3 A.M. and 5 A.M. After this I do morning chores: walk and feed the dogs, make the coffee and my breakfast, get ready for the day, feed the birds, check the cellar to empty the dehumidifier and fill the furnace, and if needed feed and water the chickens. Tuesday is technically Kristine’s day to do the chickens, but she has to work at the church on Tuesdays too and get Sevy ready for the day, so it’s kind of a whoever gets there first kind of thing.

After morning chores I head to the office for our weekly staff meetings. Today we also had a staff retirement lunch for one of our long time administrators, Nancy Phelps.

. Nancy has worked at the church for over a decade. We are going to miss her presence. My daughter-in-law is taking up Nancy’s position.

We had an amazing celebration and lunch at Williams Restaurant in Gardner.

Then it was home and into another time of prayer and then a few spare minutes to write, between calling the dentist about my broken tooth and the plumber about the broken toilet (well I called the dentist and Kristine called the plumber).

Now it is off to youth group and after that family prayer here at The Vicarage. Tomorrow is the day of rest. I always look forward to Wednesdays as a rest day… tomorrow I guess I will rest at the dentist.