Sunday, December 13, 2020

Been a helluva year

There we were, one year ago, back in the days of innocence. My township held its annual Bazaar, and Jan and I took a table. We had so much fun we agreed to do it again this year, and her husband Tom even decided to fire up his ShopSmith and turn out a pile of his ever popular Bazingos, and take a spot at our table, too. Why, he wouldn't even have to sit down, he'd be so busy.


And here we are, a year later. I wonder if I should have had warning when I lost a friend over that Bazaar. I wound up with items she had purchased in the wrong size and needed to return. She decided instead I could put them out for sale at "that buy/sell bazaar next December".

Nothing would convince her I never have and never would deal with "buy/sell". Eventually it led to hard words and blocked phone numbers. I was sad for us for a couple of weeks. It seems like another life time, now.

Fast forward to the present, Laura came over today, to help me with some chores I no longer deal with. First and foremost, vacuuming, which simply hurts my back too much. That hasn't happened since the last time she did it, and I can't remember when that was. Long story short, my nose still is running from all the dust she raised.


My ironstone tray of worldly stones and a cactus needed a good scrub, which Laura administered, and then put all the stones back artistically. In my opinion, at any rate.


I hoped she would help move my desk farther from the window. Winter is coming on, and the cold air just radiates! She assessed the situation for a minute, then asked if I'd considered putting plastic over the window. She has just moved into her own place, and, she says, her first investment was plastic over her wall o'windows. "Do you have a hair dryer?"

What women of a certain age do not have hair dryers? We went off to the dollar store to buy a plastic window kit, and up it went.


Now I wonder where she borrowed a hair dryer to install her wall of plastic.

I took her back to Kent in the afternoon. Kent is a small city about twenty minutes southeast of me, and is home to black squirrels.



47 comments:

  1. Laura is a God-send. I've never heard of putting plastic film on the windows. Does it come off easily or is it on there forever??

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    1. No, it peel off from a sticky tape. There is an air barrier between it and the window.

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  2. People put a black film over windows here to stop the sun/heat. Years ago we had neighbours who put tin foil on them for the same reason. - he worked nights so it served two purposes......cool dark bedroom.

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  3. We did that plastic bit for many years, mostly because our leaky windows would ice up on the inside. Eventually, we replaces the windows. Yours don't seem as bad, however, just normal draftiness.

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  4. Laura is such a good human! How lucky you have been really!

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  5. I'm sorry you lost a friend, Joanne. That's hard.
    Yay for Laura! What a great kid!

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  6. Your tray of stones looks lovely. I would never have thought to pou plastic over the windows. Is it easily removed for the summer?

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    1. Yes, it's up on sticky tape that adheres to the frame.

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  7. Things have changed whether we like it or not. You are fortunate to have someone who is able to come in and do things for you.

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  8. Replies
    1. Don't get a Roomba , our dearest friends have had two and were not happy. Have to admit they have two big collies and a cat.

      Do you see the other granddaughter at all or just lovely Laura?

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  9. Someone suggested a Roomba. I have one and I like it and named her Ruth, but for deep vacuuming I use my large HEPA filter vacuum. Nice Laura is so creative and helpful.

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  10. Those window kits are great. I need a couple too

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  11. My daughter loves her Rumba and I have thought about getting one but the price seems a bit much.

    That is wonderful that you have Laura to have to help you out. She is a good person.

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  12. Sweet girl! Mom always covered the upstairs windows with plastic, using strips of cardboard and tacks. Made a difference!

    Loved seeing the quilts and piecing. Laura is a dear.

    Your table arrangement is lovely. My cacti have been miserable failures. Not sure what to do.

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  13. Quite a few renters around here put up those plastic coverings, because they don't have a way to replace windows. I hear it's effective as a draft barrier.

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  14. The roomba sounds like a good idea but then you have a Laura.

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  15. Hooray for Laura.
    Love your worldly stones.
    And no, I don't have a hair dryer. My hair is wash and wear.

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  16. How wonderful that Laura could come and help you! That was a great suggestion she had for the window too.

    I love your table at the Bazaar. I see your lovely towels and your sister's beautiful quilts. That double wedding ring quilt is sure pretty! I must have missed something - what are Bazingos?

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  17. I'm glad Laura was there to help you. It sure is nice.

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  18. Laura looks happy in that photo. And what a help she is!

    I love a black squirrel. I think I last saw some in Central Park. We've only the grey variety here. -nice but not as dramatic.

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  19. What’s a bazingo if I may ask?

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  20. Good for Laura!
    I have that window film in our windows too. My only complaint is that it means we don't hear the birds unless the windows are open....but it does keep us warmer

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  21. Hari OM
    Even the residential caravans, never mind every house of Scotland, come with ready inset double-glazing these days... but the plastic sheeting was what my parents used to do and it works just fine - well done Laura lassie!!! (18th on the horizon, yes?) YAM xx

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  22. Ah! A Laura thumbs-up and the fossil pebble I sent you all the way from Merry Olde England! My day is made.

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    Replies
    1. See my next post - it's not just you who collects dust as a hobby.

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  23. Yes it has been a helluva year, but it is ending quite well. Trump has been given the boot and the vaccine has arrived! Now that's progress.

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  24. I have double-glazed windows and still put up plastic every year on all of them. It makes a huge difference in my heating bill and keeps me comfortable all winter long, that is to say November through April in Maine.

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  25. I could do with a Laura!
    We used to use the plastic stuff on the conservatory when in France, to keep the chill at bay in the winter. It worked well.

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  26. Bless that girl. She loves you so.

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  27. Thank goodness for Laura! Glad she could help you out.

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  28. I have a cross stitch I did many years ago that says "You can touch my dust, but please don't write in it" It has a little mouse in a dress with a duster in her hand. Now that I think about it, I wonder why a mouse would be dusting. We ordered 10 of those air clarifiers in hopes that it will help with all the dust. They have not arrived yet, but I will post about them if they work. Good for Laura coming to your rescue. I hate dusting!

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  29. You have a great helper. Yes it has been a terrible year.

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  30. most people just put up drapes. not me, I've never had drapes on my windows, well, a piece of fabric across the bottom half in the bedroom. first thing I did when we bought the country house was to take down every single drape...heavy lined and with sheers and mini-blinds as well. kept the mini-blinds. when it's really cold we hang blankets in front of the big bay window. that old city house with its wood frame double hung windows was drafty as hell but we just hovered around the space heater.

    buy/sell? you mean she expected you to buy back her stuff and then try and resell it? yeah, not gonna happen. so this year was a wash for all artists, all venues canceled. hopefully next year you and your sister will be back at the bazaar. which reminds me, the very first job I went out and got myself was at a funky hippy little gift shop called Bizarre Bazaar.

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  31. When I was in college I tried to install that window plastic - could not do it. Frustration was at a level 10 out of 10. Good for Laura for knowing about the hairdryer, I learned something today.

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  32. Nearly everyone has double glazing here. You didn't catch me out with the word ShopSmith. I know what is is and we've got one - it's my wife's actually, I'm not allowed to use it.

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    1. Or as my son-in-law said to me, "My wife wears the tool belt in this family".

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  33. I hope that plastic helps, Joanne. Let us know. And so glad that Laura came around to help. As for the black squirrel, we have brown ones here, but had black ones in Baton Rouge.

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  34. Lovely post. For a few moments I felt like I was living your life.

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  35. What a treasure your girlie is. I love the cactus arrangement. And funnily enough today I just did a post on empathy. She wasn't much of a friend now was she? More of a user.

    XO
    WWW

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  36. Blessings on Laura. Blessings on you too for writing about it all. It brought forth a good smile.

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  37. Plastic covering is ingenious. A cheap way to triple glaze. I could easily lose many friends during this pandemic over the virus and/or politics. Sometimes I'm not sure what's best--to keep them around, knowing what they're actually like, or to see if I can accept them as they are. I bet you feel great having those tasks finished!

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  38. She’s a clever young woman! Glad she was able to help you as she did.

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  39. Black squirrels are a hoot! Only grey ones where I live.

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