Most of the sunsets were uninspiring, to be honest, but we did get a few good ones these past couple of weeks.
It is good to be back!
I enjoyed my time off, and managed to keep busy the past couple of weeks. We walked almost every day over at Kukuiolono and went to the beach a few times. We walked, usually at Kukuiolono, but one day we drove up to Kapaa and hiked out to the Pineapple Dump, always a beautiful place. We did our food shopping and went to the farmers’ market on Wednesdays. I read. I cooked. I played games on my phone. We occasionally watched TV, and greatly enjoyed Hamilton this past Friday, a bit bittersweet as we didn’t get to see it on Broadway in May. I did some thinking about whether I wanted to continue blogging, but the answer was always yes. I may not be writing these days as much as I did in the past, but I missed it and am glad to be back at it again.
We started off week before last with news from our bank that our chargeback claim with Aeromexico had been denied, supposedly because it was simply a “billing error” on Aeromexico’s part. The letter gave me a number to call for details, and after speaking with someone from the dispute department it turned out they had never gotten an actual receipt for the tickets, so all they saw was the cancellation letter from Aeromexico and figured I had gotten another flight (or that’s what Aeromexico told them). I still have the receipt for the tickets though, and what we paid, so the bank agreed to reopen the claim and we submitted the receipt along with all the other original paperwork. So, we are waiting again, and hopefully we will finally get those tickets refunded.
Our storage shipment is scheduled to arrive on Kauai on Friday, July 10!! That means we should get delivery sometime the week after – so exciting! And, my new glasses wereĀ finallyĀ ready for pickup this past Thursday. I don’t know what the problem was, but getting them took nearlyĀ five weeks from my exam. The prescription is much stronger than the previous pair, and it’s going to take a while to fully adjust to them (I was warned about this). The only unknown left is when the dining chair pads I ordered through Etsy will arrive. They were supposed to be finished and shipped by June 9, but I got a message from the store owner that she was swamped and they would be shipped on the 16th. The actual shipment date ended up being June 25, but at least they are now on their way. The pottery bowls I ordered arrived last week, and are beautiful and getting plenty of use.
Finally, this morning as I write I am enjoying my final Diet Coke. I feel a bit sad, and am going to miss them, but I am also ready to let them go.
Anyway, this morning I am:
- Reading: I am slowly working my way through Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood With Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour. I somehow had the impression that this was a less dense book, but I can read for an hour an only get through a few percentage points on my Kindle. Thankfully it’s well-written and very readable, and interesting as well. I put several other books on hold at the library, but will have to wait for most of them.
- Listening to:Ā It’s kind of a noisy morning outside here. Lots of birds singing and there’s a strong (and cool) breeze blowing through the trees. A few roosters are doing their thing as well. YaYu is still sleeping, and Brett’s reading. One thing I realized this morning is that there is no barking! Constant barking, nearly 24 hours a day it seemed, was always in the background when we lived here before, but I don’t think I’ve heard even one dog bark in this neighborhood since we’ve been here (and many of our neighbors have dogs).
- Watching: We are still watching Ozark, and are close to finishing up the second season. We took a break last Friday to watch Hamilton, which was better than hoped for.
- Cooking: Costco currently has big tubs of marinated mozzarella on sale, so we picked one up last week and tonight we’re using some of them in a Caprese-style salad which we’ll have with grilled Italian sausages and rosemary-garlic focaccia (made by YaYu). Also appearing on the menu this week will be chili pork sauce over rice; Costco’s enchilada casserole (two nights); breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast); butter chicken and rice; and spaghetti with homemade marinara.
- Happy I accomplished this past week: I got my annual fasting blood work done this past week and everything was good so my prescriptions have been ordered for another year. We also got all our paperwork (HIPAA Permits Disclosures and Advance Health Care Directives) ready to be turned in to the clinic. Brett walked every day these past two weeks but I only got in four days this past week (six the week before). I got all of my activity cards filled in for the past two week, and charted my eating every day on MyFitnessPal (and stayed within my calorie/macro allotments too!). We had bought YaYu a case of ramen when she arrived back in March, but she said it was too much so we mailed off what was left to WenYu and Meiling this week – they are looking forward to it because it’s the “good” stuff, Sapporo Ichiban, which is supposedly difficult to find and expensive where they are.
- Looking forward to next week: The chair pads should be delivered this coming week although the way things have been going I’m not entirely counting on it. We’re especially looking forward to some good weather, another couple of days at the beach, and some more good walks.
Finally: a short haircut (that’s already trying to curl), new glasses (with special blue screen lenses), and lots of freckles once again – I’m happy and back to living my best life on Kaua’i! - Thinking of good things that happened: Getting my new computer, getting my new glasses, and learning that our stuff will be here soon were all very good things, and they all happened on the same day! I’m glad that we were able to reopen our claim again Aeromexico – fingers are doubly crossed this time that we get our refund. Summer fruit season has “officially” started: dragonfruit appeared at the farmers’ market for the first time this yearĀ – it’s one of our favorites – and Costco now has ripe peaches and nectarines. Watermelon and pineapple are also available at the farmers’ market, but they are expensive, so we’ll wait until later this month to get them at Costco.
- Thinking of frugal things we did: We spent about $35 over our food budget last week, but we’re OK with it as we somehow had ended up with a LOT of non-food items on our list (shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, probiotic, aspirin, contact cleaner, and so forth – it added up quickly). We put just 50Ā¢ in the change/$1 bill jar these past two weeks, but our travel account now has $673.97 in it! I earned an additional 1075 Swagbucks during the past two weeks and am growing ever closer to our first $100 Southwest gift card. We have done a phenomenal job finishing our leftovers if I do say so – no food has been thrown out!
This past week’s bounty from the farmers’ market: kale, ginger, two cucumbers, two dragonfruit, basil, limes, eggplant, four papayas, and a big bunch of bananas, all for $25. - Grateful for:Ā We are beyond thankful, as always, for the abundance of produce grown on Kaua’i year-round, and the ease of procuring it at the weekly farmers’ market for an affordable price. We have always been good about including fruits and vegetables into our diet, but we are able to have so much more here.
- Bonus question: How has the humidity been so far? As of now I am happy to report that it hasn’t been bad at all! Those of you who read this blog in the past know that humidity was my chief nemesis when we lived here before (and it was pretty bad when we visited last January), and I suffered mightily from it. Our new location though has made a world of difference – we get wonderful breezes through the apartment all day which keep it cool and don’t give the humidity much of a chance to settle like it did in our former place. The only thing that moved the air there was the ceiling fans – the house had hills on two sides, and its windows were not placed to catch any breeze at all keeping it continually humid, sticky, and hot inside. I also think it just may be less humid down on the south side of the island where we are now. We have had only a couple of days with high humidity, like yesterday and one the week before last. Both times big, heavy clouds settled over the area, but both times it eventually rained, the clouds passed, and the breezes came through again and all was well. If the trade winds die off again this summer though things could get sticky here, but so far it’s been very pleasant and a world of difference from what we experienced last time.
Hawaii is now planning to open to visitors on August 1st if they can get a testing regime in place even though the virus has already returned to the islands. Visitors with proof of a negative Covid-19 test from an approved tester (CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Kaiser for now) can avoid quarantine, but without test results they will have to undergo the 14-day quarantine with no car rentals, etc. No one is sure how this is going to work or even if it will work, especially since in most places on the mainland tests aren’t available unless you have symptoms – you can’t get one just because you want to go on vacation to Hawaii. Things are continuing to slowly open up though in anticipation of visitors coming back. Our upstairs neighbors just finished their 14-day quarantine this past week – the police and/or national guard were by every day to check on them so the quarantine enforcement is still taken seriously here. We also watched security approach a few people at the farmers’ market and remind them that masks are still required outside as well unless you are exercising. Kaua’i now has 36 active cases of the virus, all within three families – those seem to have come from inter-island travel and then spread within the families and their friends. All contacts are being monitored and known positive cases have been isolated. They appear to be contained (for now) but it is still unnerving, especially with the thought of visitors returning to the islands in possibly significant numbers.
YaYu continues to look for work but has almost given up hope, especially since she will probably only be here for another couple of months. Her college still plans to open, and she has already filled out a request for a private dorm room. The fall semester bill will arrive within the next couple of weeks (ugh) and she will re-register again for classes (the entire previous schedule that she register for last spring has been changed and upended in order that social distancing can be maintained). Ā WenYu is also looking for employment back in Massachusetts, and Meiling is up for a promotion at her job in New York! We are tentatively planning to gather here for Christmas this year if things are better and travel is possible, but we all realize it may not happen, and we’ll have to postpone any reunion until next year.
How was your Fourth of July holiday? We got together with our neighbors and another couple yesterday evening for a barbecue, with Cary the chef manning the grill, and then did fireworks out in front of the house afterwards. We supplied the dessert, a peach cobbler and ice cream.
That’s a wrap for my two weeks away! I hope the past couple of weeks have provided lots of good things for you all, including good books and good food, and that you accomplished a lot and are looking forward to the week coming up.
The Occasional Nomads 
After a cold spring we definitely have had many hot days at this point but I think over the past week or so is when it really started to feel humid. We have one window AC unit for which I am grateful but I am also so tired of the noise! We kept it very simple for the holiday; turkey burgers, watermelon and ābirthdayā mini ice cream sandwiches…..oh and there may have been some chips and two glasses of rose.
Your hair length is great! I want to get back to wearing mine that short…
Our food budget has been pretty out of control, I think I shop for food because it is something to do…at least there has been almost no food waste which is good. But I know Iām spending way too much.
Massachusetts is in a good place overall as far as numbers go but the general feeling seems to be that things are over which it is most definitely not. And I worry things are rolling out too quickly with this attitude.
I have been tracking using lose it and it is going pretty well.
I am not really a soda drinker but Iām kinda sad for your Diet Coke loss…
Anon in mass
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I have trouble with the noise from the ceiling fan, so not sure how I would do either with the noise from an A/C. So far it looks like we may not need one here – fingers are crossed that the breezes continue through the rest of the summer and into the fall.
We limit our food shopping to once a week – we have three different “paydays” during the month and budget out of each for food and put away some for the one week there’s no income coming in so we don’t run out of things. If nothing else we go to the farmers’ market every week so we have fresh produce. Anyway, our new system has kept our spending in line – it’s been difficult though as we’ve been restocking our pantry this whole time with basics.
Hawaii is seeing a big increase in cases with the restart of inter-island travel. We found out our neighbors had just gotten back from a Maui visit the day before our Fourth of July get-together, so we’ve got our fingers crossed they didn’t bring anything back with them.
First morning without Diet Coke – I’m doing OK (I think).
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Your hair looks great! I think a picture of any sunset in Hawaii is beautiful. The fruit and vegetables look so fresh and beautiful. I know so many people who have had Covid, including good friends, and I am around so many in court that have had it, or their immediate family members have had it, that I am sure I have been exposed, multiple times. So far, I have not caught it, but I feel my luck will run out some day. It was party central next door for the 4th, with no social distancing, no masks, and lots of fireworks. I watched from inside my house, and did not venture out. It was that way everywhere around here. No wonder our rates are sky high. I always wear a mask, try to socially distance, sanitize my hands constantly, only see people at work in person, but that still is over a hundred folks a week. I am still debating quitting work, but feel I literally cannot go anywhere without being exposed, so I am not sure it would do that much good except decrease my exposure mathematically. I do not think, unless I quit work, get rv, drive across country, quarantine for 14 days, that I can see my young grandchild for over a year. I am not willing to risk bringing it to her by plane, nor am I willing to get on a germy plane, at the moment. I am already pushing my luck with work exposure. I just do not think a vaccine is going to be the magic āfixā everyone is hoping for, and Covid will be with us for a few years. I am really not gloomy, just trying to be realistic, and trying to figure a workaround. I am thinking that December 2021, may be my optimistic goal to retire, and I may go visit grandchild for six months in an rv. I am looking at used ones now. Apparently, they have become very popular in the U.S., with international travel limited at the moment. I hope I am wrong, and everything goes back to normal much sooner, I can fly to my grandchild again, and I do not have to retire until 2025. However, I am planning for the worst, and hoping for the best. Missed your pictures. So glad you are back!
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Glad to hear from you Cindy – you’re someone that has the potential to be exposed to the virus more than most so I think of you often. I hope you won’t have to quit, but if it is the best thing for your continued health then you do what you have to do.
We are not even thinking of travel anywhere right now. I believe it’s going to be another two years at a minimum before we can even think of going anywhere, and even that scares me right now. We’ll make do with photos and videos from Japan, but we miss them all so much and are grateful for the time we got to spend there the past two years.
Cases in Hawaii are going up again so we are being extra cautious and staying home as much as possible. Beach trips are OK as there’s no one else there, and we only go out food shopping once a week. We’ll mask up and wipe down when our stuff arrives from the mainland next week.
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I am glad that you decided to continue blogging! The pics of Hawaii never get old and I also enjoy your pics of the fresh food that you get. We have been getting fruits and veggies through a local CSA program and also get a delivery from Misfits Produce every other week. This has forced us to eat more fruits and veggies as well as try some new things.
Love you new hairdo….I got mine cut pretty short this past week also. When it’s 90+ outside and humid, short is the way to go.
Our area has a mandatory mask requirement (although not much in the way of enforcement) and I am glad to see that most people are complying. Hopefully this will help the spike of cases that we’ve seen recently. I have decided to either purchase or make a few more…..if this is going to be the accessory of the future, then I need a selection!
Have a great week and I’ll look forward to your next post.
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That’s the thing about having a weekly farmers’ market available year-round here – we eat way more fruits and vegetables than we did before. It’s one of the biggest things we missed when we left Kaua’i in 2018 and are so happy it’s back again (complete with masks and social distancing). The only time we don’t wear a mask is when we’re at the beach or exercising, and we keep our distance from others when we walk.
I kept telling the woman cutting my hair to keep going shorter – “are you sure?” – YES. I love having it this short and it’s so cool and comfortable. I wish I had had the nerve to go this short when I was younger.
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Glad to see you back! Sounds as if you had a very nice ‘getaway’…
Never tire of those Hawaiian sunsets, WHEW!!! So lovely!!
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I am glad to be back as well – it initially felt strange not to be picking up my computer to write. The new one is wonderful and made me realize how many issues the old one had, beyond just getting it to start (for example, it used to shut down our Internet connection for a short time every time I would connect).
We are becoming sunset connoisseurs – we can now tell most times from the cloud formations whether it’s going to be a good one or not. Sometimes we’re surprised though.
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I honestly missed your posts, so I am glad you’ve decided to keep blogging. It may not be the same content about traveling and life elsewhere , but you are in a naturally beautiful spot and feels good to hear about how life is in your neck of the woods these days. Media is still obsessed with statistics and greatly misses how people in different areas are coping, what challenges are they facing and the overall impact on communities across this big country.
Your haircut is darling and I am envious. My mane is getting harder and harder to tame and I already have too many days when I want to grab the scissors and just cut it. I haven’t been brave enough to venture to the hairdresser yet, in our area there is a huge spike in new cases and I am concerned we may need to go back to lockdown.
Love the sunsets and the pictures from Kukuiolono, especially the first one with that blue water is breathtaking.
We spent the 4th with my 2 months old granddaughter and her parents. Our immediate neighborhood was pretty subdued, however the fireworks at night went on and on for hours.
Have a great week ahead!
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Thanks, Niculina – I honestly missed writing and interacting with my readers. I kept myself entertained, but mostly just hung out and stayed isolated at home. I didn’t realize until I wasn’t writing how much time I spent at it.
Getting anything done here like a haircut, etc. takes planning. You can’t just walk in, or expect to get a quick appointment. Customers inside are limited, so when you arrive you have to wait outside until they call you to come in (same for doctors offices and other places). We went to a breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants last week – what a difference! Only a few tables available, far away from all others, masks on until you are served, you get bottled water, order yourself, pay by yourself upfront, food was served on disposable bamboo plates, etc. Thankfully the food was as delicious as always, and beautifully presented, but it was surreal experience. We know a couple of the waitresses that work there, and they are just happy to be back at work even if it isn’t much.
We have yet to tire of those views at Kukuiolono – yesterday we were able to walk across the golf course to enjoy another new view that we normally don’t get to see.
Lots of fireworks here as well, and we feared them going off all night, but it started raining (hard) and that shut everything down early!
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Lovely post, I’m glad you’re back with a new Mac. Love the bowls, where did you get them?
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I ordered the bowls from AndreaHillPottery on Etsy. We love them too!
The new Mac is a dream . . .
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I’m glad you enjoy blogging – because I enjoy reading your blog.
I can see why you wouldn’t get tired of the walk – what gorgeous views! Well done on the no food waste; that’s a mammoth effort. And well done on giving up coke. Even though you drink the sugar free, you’re teeth will love you. I expect you will get some headaches as your body adjusts to the no caffeine. But like many things, e.g. my morning cup of tea, it is the routine that is hard to get use to to. I feel all strange if I don’t have my morning cuppa.
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We love walking at Kukuiolono – besides the gorgeous views it’s also quite breezy up there and always a few degrees cooler. We have met some very nice people there as well – we are now counted as “regulars” and have been welcomed.
This is my first morning without Diet Coke – just one cup of half-caff coffee this morning – but so far so good. I’m now enjoying a glass of magicha (roasted barley tea) – no caffeine but it’s cool and refreshing.
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Quick question? I am diabetic so I can only have diet – a&w root beer in my case. Is there a specific reason the doctor wants you to cut out diet soda. You don’t have to answer, I am just curious if it’s something I need to cut as well.
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The chemicals used to make Diet Coke are not good for you and apparently can trick the body into thinking it’s real sugar, so even though there’s no calories you continue to actually gain weight. Not sure about what’s going on with diet root beer, but she told me it would be best to get rid of all diet soda and drink sparkling water instead (which I don’t like). I would love some diet root beer though, even just once in a while but currently can find it anywhere on the island unless I’m willing to pay a fortune for it.
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Very glad you decided to continue blogging! I look forward to your posts and seeing how things are going on Kauai and what you, Brett and YaYu are up to. I also love the photos. I realized that I haven’t spent nearly enough time on the south side of the island. I hope to return there whenever this pandemic finally ends.
My nephews’ college announced they are going to continue with online classes for the fall. They will allow in- person classes for those who have labs and small upper level classes, but everything else will be online. I’m surprised Bryn Mawr is expecting to open, but the college my nephews go to is huge so maybe it’s easier to contain it at a smaller college.
I need new glasses but have been afraid to go for an exam due to COVID. I’m going to have to soon though. What are those blue lenses you have?
I hope everything works out well when visitors start returning to Hawaii. Around here, we actually have been able to contain the virus pretty well after being the #2 state in cases and deaths when this started. People wear masks indoors and from what I’ve seen when I’ve been out shopping, everyone is complying, which is so nice to see. I hope the same will happen there and visitors will also comply.
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We are loving it here on the south side – such a huge difference from Kapaa. I feel depressed every time we go up there now. The only things I miss are our friends and the beach path. The south is a bit cooler, and is more lush and green than the east side.
My eye doctor was in full “battle gear” when I went for my exam as was the staff, so I felt pretty safe. The blue lenses are a filter that blocks much of the harmful effects of digital screens. I spend a lot of time online here, and I’ve noticed a difference already.
YaYu’s college is small, and they are limiting how many can come back and live on campus, so she’s not sure she’ll make the cut. Preference will be given to first and second year students. There will be no shared rooms. Anyway, we should know in the next couple of weeks whether she will be returning or not. We know she is bored out of her head here, but we also know she’s safe.
Cases started climbing here when inter-island travel reopened, so who knows what will happen when the state is re-opened for visitors from outside the state. Apparently Hawaii has contracted with CVS to provide pre-travel testing – without proof of being Covid free, visitors will continue to be quarantined for 14 days. I frankly can’t imagine being on a plane long enough to fly over here.
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I was just talking to a friend who told me no one is wearing masks or social distancing at the beaches here, so I guess things aren’t as rosy as I thought. š¦
That’s interesting about the south side. The two times I was there, I stayed in the same hotel in Kapaa, but I will definitely stay on the south side next time. I’ve been to the Poipu and Brennecke’s Beach, but only on day trips.
Are YaYu’s friends also hoping to be able to go back to campus? If not, will she still go back if she is selected but her friends don’t go back?
I’ll look into the blue lenses. Good to know your eye doctor was all suited up!
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We can’t help but be socially distanced at the beaches here – there’s usually no one else there but us! So, no masks, for now anyway. Visitors are starting to return (eight so far this week), but are still required to quarantine for 14 days.
We don’t know for now if YaYu and her friends will be going back. The more we think about it, the more worried we are. So, we will see. Just thinking about her flying from here back to PA is problematic for us. She wants to go back though, but she’s also being cautious for now.
There’s lots to do on the south side (we love going to Hanapepe Old Town, Waimea Canyon, etc.). We’re so glad we settled here this time.
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Glad you are back. I really enjoy reading about your “new” life in Hawaii.
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We are so, so happy we came back to Kaua’i. It really is our home now. We love our new location on the island too and have been having fun finding new places to go (while staying socially isolated or distanced), and being able to go to places that were formally too far away to enjoy much (like Barking Sands).
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Here in Illinois, they are begging for people to get tested, for free, drive-through-style, and you can go multiple times! BUT, itās really meaningless! Being performed by non-medical National Guardsmen or barely trained technicians. Many false negatives, some false positives, lost results! And delays for results ā2-14 daysā! Of course, you can be exposed and start to get sick the minute you leave the testing facility! Absolutely pointless. Also the immunity thing is still unknown- can you get it more than once? Probably. Can you have different type of contagious infections at the same time? Of course. Are some people asymptomatic carriers? Yes. I Hope Hawaii understands all this, because the mainland seems not to!
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There are many of us here that are skeptical of this testing scheme. For example, what if you test negative, get on a plane the next day, and the people around you didn’t get tested, claiming they’re willing to go through the quarantine? The whole scheme is full of holes, but the economy here has cratered and this is the best they could come up with to get things started again. We’ll see – different islands can make their own rules, so there may be a curfew again, full-time mask wearing, etc. if necessary.
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Great to see you back blogging. And I’m sure the new computer is awesome. They’re always so quick and clean. š And I love your hair and glasses. I have had short hair for years and years. At my first haircut back, I left it a bit longer (since it had grown over my ears – the toughest phase), but I’m thinking I’ll be going back to short next time. It’s just so easy.
We are finally in one house and getting boxes unpacked. But what an exhausting journey it’s been. We had some help the last weekend from my brother and his wife, and we’re not sure we’d have been out on time without them. And now there is ‘stuff’ everywhere – some of it I’m sure will go. We’re in a smaller space and there is just not room for everything. But it’s a process, and we’ve cleared the main living spaces as well as possible so we aren’t looking at the mess 24/7. We are both fairly driven types, so we slog on and congratulate ourselves on our daily progress. LOL. We’re in a heat spell and our AC has been running pretty much non-stop during the day. I’m happy to note it’s much quieter than in our other house, but we’ll see how the bill looks. š¬
It’s really just so discouraging to see how this virus continues to be managed (or not) in the US. Our state is doing fairly well thanks to “that woman from Michigan”, but the US is just persona non grata in so much of the world. I had hoped for a window this summer to get to the UK, but now I’m wondering if I can make that happen. The airline stories are not pleasant. For now I’m busy, but once we get unpacked, I will have more time to ruminate and be depressed over the whole thing.
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Glad to hear you are out of the old place and getting settled. Your having too much is our worry now as well – we are excited about our stuff coming but at the same time are worried about whether it will all fit, and if we will have to get rid of stuff. Thankfully there’s lots of storage space here, but it may not be enough. Time will tell. YaYu also currently takes up space, although not a lot. She is going to have to compact things though – she tends to spread out a bit.
I agree about the virus – it’s shocking to see how it’s progressing on the mainland in places, and yet people still refuse to wear masks, maintain social distance, etc. We are worried about it returning to Kaua’i as well – the neighbors who just hosted to 4th of July barbecue turned out to have just returned from a trip to Maui the day before, and that’s where cases on the island have come from – inter-island travel. So, we’re currently staying home and isolating ourselves, just in case.
I can’t even think about travel right now – reality has sunk in. I have my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to get to YaYu’s graduation in 2022 and to Japan later that year, but that’s as far ahead as I can think for now.
Love the new computer. I have been made painfully aware though of how much my old computer was in its death throes, so it was time for a new one.
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Truly there is no consensus to work for the common good anymore. It’s sad. Yesterday I saw an online comment by a young plumber we have used. A local butcher/meat market posted that one of their employees had tested positive, and even though no one else had (they tested everyone), they were going to require masks in their store from now on. (Why this is new escapes me…why weren’t they already?) Anyway, this plumber posted that he won’t be frequenting any place that requires masks, so he will look forward to buying their products when they don’t. Honestly…what arrogance. Needless to say, I won’t use him if I need plumbing work done.
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I’d like to say that I honestly don’t get it, but I do. This is the separation and alienation that some have been working for for many years, the attitude that they don’t have to do what “others” tell them to do and that the rules don’t apply to them. Masks now equal tyranny. I don’t think anyone thought long enough or deeply enough about what happens when that way of thinking meets up with a deadly pandemic.
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I enjoy reading your Sunday Morning week happenings. I might not get around to reading it on Sunday afternoon, but I know it’s there in my email inbox & it gives me something to look forward to reading sometime during the week. I was sadden to read that you were/are thinking of giving up your writings. Your writings are an inspiration & motivation to a lot of us folks & you would surely be missed very much if you gave up this writing. I need a haircut too, got to get that done. We went camping over the 4th & took lots of walks. There was lots of wildflowers in bloom, actually the areas peek bloom season. I made July our “camping every weekend in a different location” month, so I’ll see how that goes.
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Thank you, Karen, for this lovely comment. I enjoy writing, but at times it has felt like “work” rather than something to enjoy. It was good to have time to think about it all and why I want to continue.
I can’t believe the difference it made when I got my haircut! I enjoyed having longer hair, but long, curly hair just doesn’t work in Kauai’s climate. And I envy your camping! There are campgrounds here, but they’re not all that safe. We met a couple last weekend though that just had been camping and had a good time, so we may give it some more thought. Apparently in some places you can just bring cots and sleep out on the beach at night!
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