Random 5 for May 31 – Birds, suntan, aging, spiraling, lessons not learned

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Renters! – The cats have been focused on the cherry laurel bush on the other side of the porch screen. In checking it out, I found a mama bird sitting on a nest. It’s hard to see in there but I’m pretty sure it’s a catbird. Isn’t that appropriate?

A pop of brightness – We finally had warm enough weather that I moved to shorter pants. Yikes! Need to get the orange stripey stuff out. My legs are neon white (if there is such a thing!). The bad news is that the orange stuff makes my “liver” marks more orange too.

Fallout from the virus — We have been looking to downsize for quite a while. One floor living with a smaller yard would be great. We were coming closer when the shutdown happened. Now with the economy in a downward spiral, the question is, “is this the right time?” We can buy a house but can we sell ours or would we be stuck with two houses? Nothing is ever easy.

Yes it can get worse – With the shutdown, spiraling economy and virus fears going on I wondered if it could get worse. There are bright spots but yes it can get worse. We’ve had looting in our state. People are struggling with so much we are in overdrive.

Time travel – There are times I think I’m back in the 60’s with civil unrest, protesters and numbing leaders who are clueless. I wonder if I’ll wake up in a different house with less wrinkles. So far that hasn’t happened. Perhaps life truly is cyclical. Live long enough and you see another round of the same with no lessons learned.

So how was your week? Any spot of brightness in your ‘hood?

78 thoughts on “Random 5 for May 31 – Birds, suntan, aging, spiraling, lessons not learned”

  1. It seems to me too that history is circling back on itself – but I also get the sense that some lessons HAVE been learned since the 60s. Unfortunately, though, not by the people at the very top, trying desperately to hold on to their power.

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  2. How lucky the cats are to have screens protecting them! We were totally unable to convince a bird mom that we only wanted to run 10 feet down the sidewalk past here and had no devious plans for her offspring., Geesh. Lucky we had sun hats on – multiple dives and connections. Have to admire that little bird (her chicks probably complain about being held too long in the nest and overprotected?)
    I bought 4 pairs of nice shorts (not blue jean material) finally. Normally it’s capri pants or longer if going anywhere – but in the backyard, I’ll just ignore the white blotchy legs…it’s hot and we’re still mostly staying in – but I cannot stay inside AAAARRRRGGHHH. Stupid virus
    We, too, were about to move. Home sales the past few weeks are up, but how can we check out a new place. Just so much you can do online. Sigh. Hurricane season is starting and we’re still here.
    The mobs and looting are horrendous. So far the big city near us has managed both protests, honoring memory and mostly calm. Perhaps because George was known in the community from High School football, participation in the HipHop production/video/music scene, and his mentoring to troubled kids. His HS (an historic one) had a march honoring him last week. The big city one Tues was pretty much a family affair with everyone from Aztecs (real ones…they show up all the time here), Mexican flags, signs that said “SE Asians for Floyd”, the Black Cowboy association on horses and the black Harley Davidson club – and all the college kids with skateboards, bikes, and cell phones.(The cops had spotted the strategically stacked piles of bricks and accelerants and removed those – and marchers themselves “correct” some trying to start problems) It was 90 degrees and hot, so than may have played a role, too. People were handing out iced water bottles.If we can get past the Viewing Tues and the funeral, maybe progress can be made.
    This has been a majority minority city area since the 80’s. About evenly split between blacks, hispanics, white and the huge group of “others”. Normally we manage and everyone tries to get along. People say Houston is what the rest of the country will soon look like. Hopefully, the concept of getting along and trying to solve problems together will happen here and everywhere. The destruction only creates anger for everyone.
    It does seem like a cycle

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    • That’s interesting and you do have a true melting pot. We don’t have a lot of African Americans percentage-wise here. Our large groups are Latinos (mostly Dominicans) and Syrians. Both create great restaurant choices.

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  3. We also have the protests in Detroit but they have curfews and are getting better at adhering to them. We enjoyed three days of cool weather and today, in 90-degree heat, the protesters were all stirred up and got a little more feisty. Someone was supplying refreshments to try to quell hot tempers. They arrested 100 people on Sunday overnight, despite the curfew in place. I live 13 miles from downtown Detroit and am glad I don’t have to go into work anymore. We have places in Detroit, not that far from the heart of the business district that are still burned-down shells of buildings from the 1967 race riots. When Detroit hosted the Super Bowl in 2006, they put screen-printed facades on many of these burnt-out buildings to “pretty them up” and they shuttled away all the homeless people so Detroit looked like a gem and “comeback city” though it is not, much as they want to think it is. I am fair-skinned. I wore a dust-filter mask with a silver metal band nose clip during my marathon gardening sessions over the weekend. I never gave it a second thought about the silver portion attracting more sun … (guess I forgot how we used to put foil paper around our faces and bodies to attract the sun back in the day) … came inside with a red and sunburned forehead. 🙂

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    • I think the police were not prepared for the demonstrations. These were more intense than any in recent years. The video was upsetting and made me angry. I feel badly for small business owners who had their shops trashed. I understand uncontrollable anger. This has been going on too long making people feel helpless and hopeless.

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      • Yes, I am surprised it has lasted this long – perhaps since they changed the charges to 2nd degree murder, instead of 3rd degree against Chauvin and charged the other three police officers it will settle things down a little. We have a protest tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in my city. They will walk from our police department down a main street to another city’s police department which is a mile or so away. The police were tipped off so have already scheduled extra police from nearby cities. I told my friend Ann Marie that I saw the info on Facebook in our city’s community forum … I thought she might like to know for traveling purposes if she was in the area and she e-mailed me back she is planning on attending it! She and a friend went to the Woman’s March in Washington in January 2017. Ann Marie is 77 BTW. Gutsier than me.

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          • Me too – she’s got lots of spunk … 77 years old and works in a soup kitchen in Detroit every Monday (or did til COVID-19 … all the volunteers are older so they were encouraged not to work for now); she volunteered in a nursing home once a week before COVID-19, but not anymore for now.
            She was teaching Sunday school and teaching English to people in her apartment building too. She feels a little lost right now due to COVID-19. She was an elementary teacher after leaving the convent. She thought nothing of making that trip to Washington, but this morning I went on the Facebook Neighborhood Forum and sent her the agenda for the protest. I said “be careful” (didn’t care for the agenda much).
            Last night it was the police memo of how they would handle the two-hour march. The agenda today called for getting onto the ground, face down and chanting. They gave more specifics as to what to say/do. I sent that to Ann Marie this morning around 6:00 and when I got back online, she told me she was leery of the agenda and in case it evolved into a looting. I found it interesting since she was comfortable with the Women’s March.

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  4. Lots of good bright spots here. My sisters mare had a cute little colt last month, plus she also bought a new mare. My gladiolas are coming up nicely. We are also looking to downsize. When there are just two of us, we don’t need an enormous amount of space. We’re getting up there in years. Both of us are getting close to 60, our kids have long grown up. So yes, downsizing would be nice.

    There were protests downtown Vancouver yesterday. No reported looting though. Our provincial health officer asked the protesters to wear masks, and not shout, but rather hold up signs instead of spreading the virus. In BC, we’ve been blessed not to have been hit so hard like Ontario, and Quebec have. There are many blessings in that. But, the loss of life world wide is very tragic.

    If the protests continue, there will be a surge in COVID-19 cases, we don’t need that. The millennials call the virus, the “Boomer Killer”, and that ticks me off. Its enormous disrespect, and disservice to the older generation.

    On a sad note, my elderly neighbor who is a wonderfully blunt, funny woman in her mid 70s is passing away from lung cancer. I’ve been fortunate enough to know her for 8.5 years. She would’ve made a terrific mom. Her humor is my kind of humor. I haven’t seen her for a few days, so hoping she is okay, but I’m not deluding myself. Anyways, that’s all what’s going on in my neck of the woods. Good to be back, missed your posts!

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    • Good to have you back! Sadly it’s not only boomers that are dying. We’ve had young people dying too. Sometimes they don’t have underlying conditions which is what makes people feel safe (if they don’t have any). It’s very unpredictable and that’s the scary part. Yay for new life! Sadly we will most likely postpone our downsizing until we see a move in the market. I don’t want to be saddled with two homes. I’m sorry for your neighbor.

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  5. Oh, this week was pretty bad. The news, you know. But, I share your thoughts about downsizing. When houses are down and it’s a good time to buy, then they are down for selling too :(. What is the orange stripey thing? I have no idea! But I think I know what color white your legs are. I saw on twitter that your legs are the white seen with a black light. hahahaha Of course, I am just kidding, but I used to have legs like that when I lived in Michigan.

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    • It’s a self tanner. They have come a long way since I was a teenager longing for a beautiful tan on on my super white legs there is still a bit of an orange glow to it. One of the worst housing experiences I had was when we were moving interstate. The place we were living experienced a housing slump because the major employer did a downsizing and the place we were moving to did not. So we sold at below and bought at high. No complaints though. When we sold that home a few years later we doubled our money because of a big housing surge. Mostly I worry about carrying the costs of two homes for a long time.

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  6. I was in high school for the LA Riots in the 60s and I was here for the riots in the 90s. I was driving on the freeway that night when I heard on the radio they had started and I just wanted to get home. And here we are again…. it seems to be a 30-year cycle. I don’t agree with violence on either side for any reason. It’s good to see volunteers cleaning up this morning. As for my flesh, I stay covered up all year around. Too much sun in my 20s and 30s. I get some sun on my legs and feet sitting on my deck for about 20 mins for the Vitamin D but that’s it. Now I wear a mask and gloves along with my hat and long sleeves so I know how a mummy feels. Real estate continues to sell in my neighborhood but it’s always been a hot spot… if you’re waiting for the right moment it may never arrive…. something else can happen and you’ll be saying why didn’t we move when we could? Cheers, r

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    • That must have been scary. For a while in the 90s I lived about an hour west of Newark, NJ, the site of big and violent demonstrations in the 60s. There were still areas that never made it back. It was scary to drive through the bad section of town. My ex worked in Newark and had to go through there daily. Can’t imagine living through that.

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  7. I hear you about the winter paleness – we have been trying to get a little sun as we can to cut down on our ghostlike pallor for a couple weeks now. Limited success 🙂
    Also about the downsizing. It’s hard to say how real estate sales are going right now – makes it difficult to plan a move!

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    • My ex’s parents had a beach house. She always wore pantyhose at the beach even when it was really hot. As a young person I never understood. I thought they were support for leg issues but I’m not sure. I never saw her at the beach or in the ocean but she was in her 70s at the time. She was whiter than me so maybe….

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  8. Well, I don’t watch the news anymore. The humans have all gone mad. My human is selling our house and looking for another in a different state. She says houses are selling fast there so maybe there’s hope for you. I’m personally hoping for a lot of windows in the new house!

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  9. After a warm spell, now we’re having a cool spell, low 60s. Still, tomorrow is June. I shaved my legs today–not that I’ll go anywhere very public in shorts. Maybe long shorts if it gets very hot.

    I’ve been thinking about the 60s too. The government wasn’t this bad; it’s NEVER been this bad, but I hated the lying generals. Hearing about the National Guard being called up, reminds me of Kent State. Just thinking about those students who were shot makes me cry. About that time my husband was trying to get a job at Asian Development Bank. He had to go to San Francisco for his interview, and he got caught in a rally/riot. Yes, that was the 60s.

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    • I remember the 60’s well (as should our president although I think his money shielded him). Perhaps worst of all was the complacency that happened after the changes the 60’s brought on. I remember Kent State. Back then it was scary to be anything but white.

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  11. I started the bronzing lotion a few weeks ago in anticipation of revealing my legs outside our home. I consider it a public service.

    There has been some destructive behavior here too. Far from where we live but close enough to feel the trauma of the demonstrators and the business owners. It’s a sad, sad time for our country and I’m not sure I see it getting better anytime soon.

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    • Fortunately the protests in my city have been peaceful. I’m an hour from Philadelphia and it’s been bad there. I feel badly for the shop owners whose stores were trashed. I suspect many of the looters were not locals but opportunists.

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  12. Our neighborhood is rocking along nicely, though we haven’t seen the neighbors often. We would not find fewer wrinkles in a different house, because I never did much ironing. We have wrinkles wherever we go.

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  14. It’s just crazy out there. So much anger and frustration. I watched as youthful (and mostly white) millennials rioted in my city, burning things, looting, destroying things the past couple of days and feel saddened beyond imagine. I felt like the idealism of the 60’s at least brought about some change (clearly not enough) but these so called demonstrations seem to be all about destruction, not about making systemic changes where everyone can prosper and survive safely. Jeez, what have we wrought on ourselves?

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  15. The protests started off peaceful, especially the ones where the police knelt or walked with the protestors.

    I don’t know that Los Angeles would have stayed peaceful, with so much righteous fury built up at the LAPD and the rich. But it would have been more likely if the police hadn’t started escalating right before protestors approached more affluent areas.

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  16. I read an article this morning about how the stock market has slowly inched its way back from the March and April calamity (though it could take another drive). Its resiliency is impressive, but it sadly underscores that more than half the population enjoys none of the benefits. But I do suspect that home sales will continue in spite of everything. People still have to plan their futures regardless.

    May your liver marks burn away with the summer sunshine. 😉

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    • I think if you are a first time home buyer without a house to sell, it’s a good market if you have the means. If you have to unload something larger it depends on whether the market it appeals to is skittish right now.

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  17. I figured another cat would find a home with you but didn’t guess it’d be a cat bird. 🙂 We decided to go ahead a start another build, which we live in for 2+ years and repeat. Wish we knew if we were doing the right thing. Like you, we don’t want 2 houses but we decided the best way to get back to normal was to start living like it.

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    • I both admire and envy you. I am more of a risk taker than my husband. Our home is lovely and it will sell. While in a development it backs up to water retention area with no water so it’s very private. Once you walk through our gate it’s like living in the country. I’d love to build again. Finding lots around here is like finding hen’s teeth.

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      • We could be putting in all our efforts and time into doing this again and it all be the wrong decision but we are praying the world returns to the old normal and people still want to move. There are just no guarantees. Covid, the election, riots, shortages… the list goes on and on. We already owned this land. We are however also on the lookout for LOTS of acreage for our last and final house build. I turn 50 this year and the location location location now also includes wondering how far you are from a hospital.

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        • 🙂 Your last sentence! That is where we are. We need good medical service although we don’t need it now, I don’t want to drive hours for it. We looked at an over 55 community. There was another couple who had already bought and was building there. One thing they loved was the medical access. They were our age.

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  18. I wore capri pants and a sleeveless top for the first time this season yesterday. I also share your neon white leg and arm syndrome. Mine only slightly improves by the end of summer. I’m never really tanned because I don’t like being in the hot sun.
    Downsizing and one floor living is really nice. We made the change eleven years ago. My only suggestion is make sure you still have good storage for things like seasonal clothing and even Christmas decorations. Not sure if you need them where you live but big winter coats and footwear take up a lot of space.

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  19. Real estate is popping here. Houses put on the market sell in a week. It is thought to be because of low interest rates, people retiring early, and people who now like working from home and craving rural living (to escape big city viruses).

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  20. That does look like a catbird, Kate. I thought of you yesterday when I saw a stray cat running across the yard while being dive-bombed by a mockingbird. That bird meant business! My family is still healthy…that’s my bright spot.

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    • The bird in the nest is hard to see because it’s hunkered down but I saw it at the feeder and I’m pretty sure it’s a catbird. We once had a mockingbird nest in one of our pine trees. Every time my husband mowed past it, he would get dive bombed and they were serious about it!

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  21. I find the news from the U.S. scary. I think it has panicked our government into lifting lock down more quickly than they intended. I just hope we are lucky. We are still enjoying beautiful sunshine here but have not been far.

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    • It’s a result of the layering of frustrations going on today. Many lost their jobs and unemployment compensation hasn’t yet been sent. The lock down, the racial issues, it all contributes until the gasket blows.

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  22. I feel for you on the downsizing. Things are difficult to figure out how to maneuver that right now.

    I was going to try the “orange stuff” for my pale skin, but yesterday we went to my dad’s and spent time on his boat. The sun fixed that for me.

    As you probably know from reading my blog, I keep up with all that’s happening. You’re absolutely right about time being cyclical. There is a book titled, The Fifth Turning, that talks about the cycles of history. We are in the cycle of chaos right now. After a chaos cycle, unity and prosperity occurs for a bit, until the cycles start all over again. It seems like the cycles are getting shorter these days, at least the good cycle. Hopefully this will end soon. 🙏

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  23. HA! I love your paragraph about the time travel. I’d like to wake up and be 12 again and start over again….I’d wear more sunscreen. I don’t really remember much of the civil unrest in the sixties as I live in Canada, but do remember seeing the street riots on TV……sad times indeed. I fear for the world some days. I also fear anyone seeing my very pale legs so I wear long pants except in the very hottest days of the summer. I never seem to find Capri pants I like and in the A/C my legs get too cold anyway. I always enjoy your posts and your clever way with words!

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    • Gosh, I’ve haven’t biked in ages. My balance isn’t as good as it should be and it frightens me. We are lucky to have any bird nest nearby. It’s difficult to see because the tree is so dense and you have look through the screen. I took several pictures and you could only see the twiggy nest but not the mama.

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    • I haven’t heard her call yet. She’s very quiet sitting on the nest. I did see her come out for some sunflower seeds and a drink but she was pretty quiet except for a few twitters. She found a home near food and water. Smart bird.

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  27. I keep thinking about how adults must have felt during the ’60s unrest and wondering if we feel the same way now. No answer, more of rhetorical question– but you’ve hit upon something here. Also, my legs are neon white and I proudly allow them to be that way. I look awful in orange.

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  28. The state of our country is very sad these days. And the divisiveness is only encouraged from the top. Hoping very much for a change of national leadership this November.

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  29. Oh I’m definitely thinking we’re in yet another cycle of “the same old”……I remember in the 60s working just this side of the river from D.C. – when the riots were happening I was stuck at work more than once because no buses were running and that was my transport then. Looting, fires being set, innocent people getting hurt or having their homes burned to the ground along with businesses……and all caused by the same things we have today. Frustration. Anyway, I hope this is a SHORTER cycle. I keep thinking maybe we’ve learned something but I think I know the answer to that and I’m not happy about that! I haven’t worn short slacks or SHORTS even in a very long time. My legs are best left covered other than when I put on my PJs at night !!! Good luck with your orange stripes!

    Happy Sunday
    Hugs, Pam

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    • I don’t wear “shorts.” That boat has sailed. Even though I’m slim, there’s lots of ripples there! I like capris. They cover enough and yet are cooler than long pants or jeans.

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