Monday, July13th - time to get to work...

After things started to open up here in Ontario, I was looking for something to do, besides sit around and watch TV all day. This pandemic has forced us to ask one vital question: when this is over, which meeting do I attend first? AA or Weight Watchers?   I found myself at the newly opened again Thrift Store near my house. Their website indicated they were looking for volunteers.  After filling out the application and having a bit of an interview they determined that yes, I was suited to the job. My first two days I was processing clothes - inspecting them for any damage or marks, then putting them on hangers to be sent to be priced. My third day I was trained on cash and that's where I remained till I took three weeks off to go back to PEI. After I got returned I went in to tell them I was ready to be put back onto the schedule. I was asked "Can you work right now?" Sure, I really had nothing pressing going on. I'd spent a week mostly unpacking.  Then when I came in the next week, I was asked if I know Word. I said yes, I did. Since then I've been working in the office. It's been a series of volunteers coming in and doing work so it's a little disjointed. I set to work organizing things and by the end of the day things were in pretty good shape. In fact the boss asked if I was trying to give him a heart attack?  He said they have never been this organized. So now I'm working Tuesday to Friday from 10 till 2. It gives my day some structure and keeps my brain from turning to mush. At the same time it's volunteer so if I need time off to travel or whatever, I can do that too.

The little old lady heading to the market

Now my week has some form to it. So I'm finding my weekends much more productive. When you're
sitting around all day every day, you can find so many reasons to put things off. Now I have to manage my time more carefully.



Saturday morning I was off to the market, which has just recently partially opened. I headed out for the second Saturday in a row for the two minute walk down the street. It's wonderful.  I had my basket that I made and it was absolutely perfect for carrying my purchases.



At noon I picked up Patti in Guelph and we headed to Fergus to visit our friend Helen, who is turning 80 this week, but you would never know it. We practiced social distancing and she provided us each with a lovely tray of food to take to our chairs, that were placed 6 feet apart. It was ever so nice to catch up with an old long time friend.

That's a lot of food, fortunately there were doggy bags to take home

We spent the better part of the afternoon chatting before I dropped Patti back at her place. We'd received some much needed rain during the day so what better way to spend it.

Sunday I was up early and got to work unpacking more boxes. I had put a lot of them upstairs and when I found myself needing something I'd go up and find the box. Several boxes had made their way to the living room so some rearranging and moving things around was necessary to find space for stuff. My walls in smy living room are filled with pictures but I smile when I enter the room. All the things on the wall have special meaning and I feel like I'm surrounded with things that I love and it brings such joy to my life.

After some lunch, I headed outside. The front porch on the house really needs to be completely taken off and replaced. but that's not likely to happen this year. So Patti had given me some solid stain that she had left from repainting her deck and I set about sanding and painting the railings and sides of the porch. I got the panels all done but now I just have to scrape and sand down the posts. It's not a permanent fix but at least it spruces it up a bit. Fortunately our weather had cooled off very nicely so it was the perfect day to work outside. My landlords have a lot on their plates right now so I'm hoping to be a bit helpful.

Today is Monday so I'd best get showered and dressed. I've gotten my health card and now I am off to obtain a drivers licence and plates for my car. No more trips to PEI for me this summer! This requires standing in line at two different locations so that should take most of my day.








Patti sent me this photo of Meghan in her prom dress. She and her friend went over to the University Arboretum to take some pictures. With any luck they may be able to do something in the fall.









Looks like it's going to be another hot and sticky week.