June 2020

It’s June and the temperatures are certainly reflecting it.  Most days now are in the 90’s and the wind has been up lately.  If we weren’t wearing masks for COVID prevention, I’d be wearing one for allergies!

I’m excited this morning!  Drew ordered an adapter for me to be able to connect my laptop computer to an old 14” monitor that was connected to our desktop computer in the bedroom.  I plugged it in this morning and everything worked!  I can see what I am typing, and I can read Facebook and emails much easier.  Now I need to trim my fingernails ‘cause they are in the way when I type on the laptop keyboard.

This past Saturday I set up a yard sale with stuff we’ve been pulling out of closets and drawers over the past several months.  We have too much “stuff”!  I hate holding a garage sale ‘cause things just don’t sell – can’t even give away new items.  I had a lot of new Southern Living home décor items I had no use for.  After five hours in the heat and wind, I packed up and separated out one bin to go to Goodwill and one bin of stuff to donate locally – including two vacuum cleaners.  It feels good to be rid of some stuff and I don’t miss any of it. 

On Sunday I went to the Rook Mansion for a house concert I had set up with the owner, Willis, with a former Watongan, Craig Gurney, who was in town from Washington state, and his wife, a folksinger, performing their open mike show.    Craig had been told about our house concert series by Andy’s sister Jane, and he contacted us about doing a concert at the end of June.  We aren’t hosting any house concerts right now so I put him in touch with Willis at the Rook Mansion.  Craig worked out the details of his visit with Willis and I arranged for Katie and Kelly Ray duo to play some country/blues also.  Craig called me before they left Washington to tell me how excited he was to be coming to Watonga and to perform, and he thanked me for making arrangements for a place to play.   Willis put out some good grub as a ‘thank you’ to First Responders.  Katie and Kelly Ray opened the afternoon with their set, and  Craig followed with some motorcycle poetry and then Kathy same some folk songs.  There was a good crowd and we received some donations toward the food and some money for Phoenix Circle Foundation too.  Some people wore masks and some people didn’t, but we definitely kept our social distance from each other in Willis’ very big back yard.  It was good to see a few friends after being isolated at home for a month.  It was a hot and windy afternoon but all went well and everyone seemed to have a good time. 

Yesterday my blood pressure was low, 90/60 and slow heartbeat.  I was dizzy and had a headache.  I had done my regular cardio workout in the morning and blood pressure was a little low when I left Fairview but was higher by the time I got home.  I guess that means I was relaxed after the drive home.  But after about a half hour, I felt the headache and checked the blood pressure again.  I took some aspirin, drank lots of water, and rested for a while and felt better before long.  The rest of the day was uneventful.  It was just too hot and windy to go outside to do some yard work, and the vegetable garden is suffering from the grasshoppers this year.  I watched an episode of “Building Off the Grid” on HGTV.  

            

We are giving up our PO Box, the one Andy’s dad had since moving to Watonga in the 1950’s. When Andy and I moved here, we didn’t have a “street address” because of our location out of city limits (the local telephone book listed us as being located  ‘NE of City’.  Now that the City and County have finally completed their 911 system installation and we actually have a street address where people can find us on Google, we’re changing all mail to come to our home street address or the art building, 111 E. Main St., Watonga OK 73772.

I’m still going to Fairview for my 2x week cardio rehab sessions.  I’ve increased my resistance level on one machine and increased my time spent on both machines.  I need to check with the local gym to find out what their membership fees are, with the hope that I can eventually continue my exercise regimen locally instead of driving thirty miles one way twice a week for exercise. 

Yesterday was an election day, with the big question on the ballot in Oklahoma being a measure to accept federal funds toward state Medicaid programs.  In my mind, it's a must-do measure and is a win-win proposition since federal funds will be matched by the Oklahoma TSET fund.  Oklahoma residents are already paying taxes to the federal government but not getting money back to go toward health care for the underserved--funds we would be getting are going to other states --so I voted "YES" on question 802.   

This week is going to be HOT all week with no forecast of rain in the near future.  We'll see.