This put me in kind of a funk so I turned on CBS This Morning and Morning Joe. Neither cheered me up - no good guests on Morning Joe. So I decided to get up - since it was going to be in the mid 40s, I pulled the sheets off my bed and threw them in the washing machine. I love to hang my clothes up outside. I used to have to hang up lines of diapers in the backyard when my brother Jimmy and my sister Christine were small. I didn't really enjoy that but loved the fresh smell when I had to bring them in.
When Danno and Mike were small, I used disposable diapers. But when we went to Gortdromagh and ended up staying there, disposable diapers were too expensive. The Irish diapers were made of terrycloth and seemed too rough to put on a baby. So anyone coming from home brought me cloth diapers, rubber pants, and diaper pins. We had no washer or dryer in the old house so I was washing them in the bathtub and hanging them out on a clothesline strung from the electric pole to the hayshed. Johnny Murphy put clotheslines up in the hayshed to use on rainy days. It wasn't too bad until Mairead came along 15 months later and John Brendan in another 15 months. I was rinsing 3 sets of diapers in the bathtub at one point - yuck! When we moved into the new house, we had a washer and dryer, but I still rinsed the diapers in the tub to get the ammonia smell out of them before I put them in the washing machine.
I used to love hanging the diapers and clothes outside in Gortdromagh in the fresh air, the breeze, the view. Plus the peace and quiet! I could watch the traffic on the main road coming and going - cars, trucks, buses, bikers. Our cows and our neighbors' cows would be grazing in the fields or the sheep would be roaming around. It was just so enjoyable. I still love to hang my clothes out here in Falmouth. Today I hung out my sheets and a load of towels. Even though it was cold, I was hoping that the breeze would dry out the clothes somewhat.
I received a message from my former team leader at Tufts Health Plan - I reported to her longer than any other manger I had there. She gave me the job with the USFHP members - I'm indebted to her and to Andrea Murphy (she may be a long lost cousin of Johnny Murphy) who recommended me for the job. She is living down here and working at Cape Cod Hospital. We are meeting for coffee in about 2 weeks in Hyannis. It will be good to catch up with her!
JB called from Florida - he and Tina were going out to buy furniture today - they have shopped around at several stores to get the lay of the land. He said it is another warm day down there. He told me to take it easy.
I decided that I needed a To Do list so I don't waste time and get nothing done. I had used a calendar at work to write down when I was to make phone calls, and I had set an alarm every half hour to try to help me stay on schedule. I've already set an alarm to go off every day at 9 am to be sure I get up. So I started a list. The top 2 items were to drop off all the boxes and bags of things I have for Christ the King's thrift shop - my car's trunk is full, the back seat is full, and now the front seat is full - I have no room now for groceries! I also gathered up all the packaged food that was too high in sodium/potassium or some spicy ingredients that JB and Tina used that I wouldn't. 4 more bags that I squeezed into the car. I headed to Cotuit to the thrift shop - 2 gentlemen helped me empty the car - one took the food - he said his wife works at the Church, and he would drop it off for me. My car has been full for months - it looked like I lived in it! It took 10 minutes for those 2 guys to empty it out. Whew! What a relief!
I headed back to Falmouth - I had to stop at the house because I had forgotten my cell phone again!! I knew my PCP would be calling about the renal ultra sound. Am I getting dementia? I keep forgetting it - or am I trying to leave technology behind?
I had a sandwich and checked my clothes outside - sheets a little damp - towels still wet. I'll leave them until I come home. So I headed into town. I drove along Menauhant Beach - Bristol Beach - Heights Beach - there were a lot of white caps and waves. I was going to walk at the Heights beach, but it was too cold. I drove up town to the post office - what the heck is going on? There was a sign "One Lane Only" - the town workers had the opposite side of the road dug up - no parking from before the Quarterdeck to the Common. No parking spaces for the Post Office so I figured I would stop in East Falmouth on my way home. I went around the block and came in the back way to the Library. I ran in and grabbed a couple of books on Florence and Venice plus a tape on how to speak Italian. I asked the gal at the check out desk about Great Courses - she checked it on her computer - same thing "No Services Available - Check with your library." She called the reference department - they had me walk over to them. They were checking their computers - same message, but they had not heard anything about not carrying Great Courses. So they are going to call the assistant director in charge of online services. They told me to keep checking on my computer or stop in later this week. I did tell them how much I enjoyed Great Courses - that I was raving about it to everyone I know!
Of course I left my phone in the car - good lord what is up with that - and my PCP had called when I was in the library. I have to go for an ultrasound on Saturday - repeat labs next week.
I drove to the harbor - there were a few empty cars - maybe people working or visiting in Martha's Vineyard - they take the mail boat over in the winter. It was another cold breezy day - to me anyway - the ducks and sea gulls were sunbathing - there were none flying around - they were all stretched out enjoying the heat from the metal slip maybe?
I headed for the East Falmouth Post Office but drove right by it! Never thought about it until I pulled into the driveway. I think I was listening to the weather on WBZ and never thought about pulling in as I drove past. Oh well- there is always tomorrow.
I brought my clothes in - the sheets were almost dry, but the towels were still wet - it was too late when I hung them out I guess. I came in and made a cup of tea and started reading one of the books on Florence and Venice. Then I sautéd more veg, browned some hamburg, and cooked some pasta. I mixed it all together with some low sodium tomato sauce - it was delicious - I really hope I don't have to cut out tomatoes! I just put a little sauce on the mixture - usually I drown the pasta with sauce - not today. I ironed a couple of shirts after I ate then read a little more about Florence. I picked up a few things in the living room that I had packed for Ireland. Then decided to work on the blog for today. I was just about finished when my computer lost power! Oh god, did I lose that post?!? But I didn't, and now I think I will make my bed and jump into it! I have been listening to the news about the US attack on an Iranian airport killing the #2 guy over there. Scary wondering how they will retaliate! Thinking of Maureen's son Brian who is deployed over there somewhere I think.
So the Post Office is at the top of my To Do list for tomorrow. Next is calling Comcast to get just the basic package and the news plus the internet. I'm paying too much for cable when I only watch a couple of stations. There are all kinds of stations but nothing to watch!! Plus I want to cancel my landline. I got rid of the phone and never canceled it with Comcast! There are other items on the list, but I only want to concentrate on two each day - if I accomplish more, so much the better. But I don't want to feel stressed if I don't get to everything. Plus I think it may rain tomorrow so I may feel like staying in bed reading!!
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