Covid Journal, Day 9: Homely Things

49 this morning, dark clouds and rain threatening. It will be an inside day. Maybe I'll get back to work on my taxes.

Yesterday was just another day in the neighborhood. Larry spent most of the day working on his brick steps project out at the patio. Before he got started I shanghaied him to deal with three light fixtures that we'd had in the booth we closed. We needed to hang them up in the workroom until I can either put them on ebay or get them into another booth--and that will be a while. But first we hung them out on the porch for photos, just in case I decide to list them on ebay. So it was a process--hang, photos, take down, and then cover with plastic bags and re-hang in the workroom. He was a trouper through it all, even though he really, really wanted to get to his bricks.

The antique mall at Marietta called to let us know they were closing, ahead of the anticipated order by the governor. It was not unexpected, as I am sure sales have been virtually non-existent.

Ebay sales continue to be good, however, probably because more people are at home and have more time to shop online. So I spent an hour or two packing and getting things ready to ship.



This morning I woke up to three more sales, so more packing to do today. Which is fine with me!

I worked on a few stories I've been meaning to edit, too, although I find I  have a hard time concentrating these days. I will walk from one room to another to do something, and forget what it was I wanted to do. Or start on something, then wander off and start something else. Ah me. Maybe this week will feel more normal.

 I didn't make the dinner I'd planned for Saturday as I didn't feel well all day. I felt so tired, and the allergies were no help. Yesterday I was fine again and made a fine dinner with Larry's bluegill, the greens we picked the other day, baked butternut squash and cornbread.



This meal was all foraged or homegrown, except the corn meal for the bread was from a stone-grinding mill here in West Virginia. The creasy greens were delicious, even more tender than spinach. To cook them I first cut up a few pieces of ham--generally people use bacon but it was up in the freezer in the cellartop--, warmed the ham in some olive oil, then added a bag of the greens I'd prepared for the freezer the day before. I added the greens with the liquid and all, then added a little more water, put a lid on the pan, and allowed them to cook until the liquid cooked out.

The day turned cold toward in late afternoon, so we spent the evening reading by the fire.

I'll post what we've been reading in tomorrow's blog. Stay safe, friends, and tell me--what have you been cooking these days?

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