Not much going on here as I imagine it is with you; the virus has everyone keeping so close to home. I still venture out to the grocery shop or pick up  meds but that is all. I am getting cabin fever so I am thinking about driving to the beach and back or driving around looking at sites I have not seen in a while.

I have a neighbor whose husband and she go to the beach all the time. This time of year there are many places to go and no one is around.  Labor Day is over; I imagine most beaches are free. We did have a bunch of Spring Break visitors. I hope they are all still well and alive.

I am going to do something because I am so bored with reruns on TV and email. Some of my neighbors and I talk via phone and occasionally a friend's granddaughter comes to see my new little kitten. Persephone had a another litter and there is only one baby. It is now almost 3 weeks old and all over the patio. 

Riley, my 11 1/2 year old Yorkie is still active and demands a couple of walks a day. The rest of the time he sleeps. I hope all of you are staying well and happy. I will post occasionally so you will know I am OK.

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Well, I have started driving to the store, since the Coronavirus has cancelled all other activities. I ventured out to the Dollar General for food and supplies. I drove myself, alone. I did find and even parked my car where I had parked before.

As I told you, I now have three stray cats that I feed. The little black and white one is called Oreo, suggested by a friend. She is looking better - does not seem to be sick. She was probably just starving. My neighbor, upstairs, has started giving me a can of tuna every week to feed just her, Oreo. It is very rich for her, so I just give a little at night. She gets dry during day and any of the other wet food, my longtime strays refuse to ear. My neighbor who has had cats. said that this is a normal procedure for in house cats. Picky eaters.  Since Persephone is my porch cat and Sebastian is a part-time porch cat I guess they are considered "house cats." And Sebastian is coming in on occasion, but it upsets, Riley too much for him to stay inside.

My routine is to drink coffee in the morning and watch the news after I walk Riley. I then watch a few movies (I increased my cable for this "in house isolation.") Midafternoon, I have to watch my British shows on my laptop, since my Roku and I are not speaking. And when the twilight begins, I retire to the bedroom to read. I have read over 25 books in the last few weeks. Neighbors have given me all of them, and one told me she is getting some more ready to bring me. I will be happy, because I am rereading some old Lisa Jackson books that I read years ago. Luckily I do not remember all of the plot.

I can go to the library for books, but I have to give them a list or the titles and the author and one of the librarians goes to the stacks and gets them. I was up to the "J" authors in fiction scanning the shelves for mysteries. I judged the books by the cover and the print inside. Now I have to guess. That is why I am glad that my friends are helping me out with their books.

Well. this is long and "much ado about nothing," but nothing is going on. I saw a neighbor who lives across the hall this morning. I haven't seen him for quite while. He has a doctor's procedure and asked me to drive him. He said he is only working two days a week.

I hope all of you reading this are safe, well, and occupied in some way. If something happens worth posting I will write again soon.

Well, we all are in the midst of this coronavirus and life is changing as we know it. Of course, we are  "living in place," not going out unless necessary, or visiting in person with anyone, unless masked and even gloved. This is a new experience for most of us. And it has created a whole new atmosphere in doing what we need to do.

I needed a new prescription for a medicine that I take. No refills were available. I called the doctor and had to go through all kinds of steps on the phone, pressing numbers, etc. to be told by a recorded voice that I needed to call the pharmacy.

I called the pharmacy and went through another variation of steps and numbers to push and finally got through.. It rang and rang and rang until I hung up. I am not sure it is even open with the limited hours everyone is using.

So I called the doctor's office again, and again pushed all those numbers until I finally got a human. I told her that the prescription had no refills, and firmly stated that I needed a new prescription. She eventually looked it up and repeated what I needed. I agreed and finally hung up.

I know this virus is going to be with us for a while, and I suppose, eventually, we all will work out some sort of schedule to do what we are supposed to do and to do what we can to get through this.

Keeping our sanity is going to be harder than usual, I believe. I know I am going to have to create a whole new routine for my life. I will be indoors and at home, more than before. I have upgraded my cable, gone to the library and requested books on the computer. (I did not get to go to the stacks like I usually do.) and I have stocked up on food and snacks. 

I will have to pick up that prescription tomorrow. But after that I guess I will be "home" most of the time for a while.

When I was younger, not too long ago, I thrived on change. I moved all the time, I made new friends, but I kept the old, too. I had quite a few special men in my life, but I changed them out, too.

Today, I am 73 and pretty staid in my life. I have lived in this apartment for 5 years, a long time for my housing history, but I am winding down. I plan on staying here, for as long as I can afford it. AS I get older, though, I need less and less.

One change that is happening here is our management staff is changing. On the surface that might sound unimportant, but as I have gotten older, I have interacted and become fond of several of the staff.

One in particular is very good man, who is our Mr. Fix It. He is retired military, has a beautiful wife and several lovely daughters, all of whom I have met. And he worked this job to put them through college.I have been close to him over the years, calling him the son I never had. And I find I am going to miss this wonderful man tremendously when he leaves.

So change is not so pleasing now that I am old. It is not always something good now. I guess I will just have to settle down and accept it - OR NOT!!!

​Maybe it is a time for change to visit Peggy once again.

I got a call last week from a law firm in Gulf Breeze who handled my last will and testament when I was married to my last husband. That was done in 2004. He was the one who wanted it done. That was the first sign I should have paid attention to.

I told them we had divorced 10 years ago and it was not valid. They sent the will, power of attorney, and living will to me. I just received it.

Oh, what a memory this brings - not all bad, because at that time I did not know what he was doing behind my back. So we went through the whole thing, since he wanted to and got it done. He was my beneficiary and I was his.

I had made out a new will, leaving all my  assets to my brother when I moved to Memphis. But it was funny to see all of this past written down and the memories it brought back.

Because- my husband behaved until I got a job and then got bored with me at work. It just so happened that we had a female neighbor living behind us and her husband was in the Navy and out at sea.

Well, Mr. Charming misbehaved and I found out.  I was working and he was playing. spending money that we really did not have to entertain lonely ladies. It is funny, too, because a very much older couple who lived across the hall from us, told me about what was going on.

We had a big argument and eventually moved into the house we were building. He did not see her any more as far I know. Her husband did come back into town so that helped.

Long story to tell you why I have changed my will.

I really have nothing to leave my brother. But maybe he can sell my car and all the furniture I have to pay for my cremation. In Florida it is cheap.

​Well, back to present time. I must walk the dog.

 It has been over month since I wrote on this site. Sorry, but I have quarantined myself inside my apartment since the Coronavirus reared its ugly head in Florida. I have not been sick, and I hope you all are well.

This virus has ruined a lot of people's lives and livelihood.  I never thought I would delighted that I lived on a small Social Security check, until others in my apartment have either lost their jobs or have been reduced to half time.

In the time I have not written, I have connected with two old friends by phone. In fact, I am on the telephone quite a bit since I do not text. yet. No smart phone in the house. So far all of my out of town friends are fine. I do  worry, though. We are all up there in years.

I have been reading constantly at night since TV is mostly reruns - and on Acorn they are all reruns. I went through a dozen books a friend gave me and have to have someone take me to the library. (I will explain why later on). So I am rereading books from our library at this apartment (I had to get permission to go through the roped off area (virus protection) to get some more books. I remember reading them, but with my age and memory, I do not remember who the murderer is.

My dog, Riley, has been a constant companion and I now have outside ownership of a stray cat. She had kittens a while back, and I have friend checking with the Humane Society to see if I can get her spayed by them. She has adopted my porch as her main home. I feed her and a few other cats who have been dumped here. (I live near a really bad neighborhood).

Persephone, yes, that is the mother cat's name, had three kittens and I, with the help of neighbors, found them homes. I do not think I will be that lucky if she has another litter. That is why my friend is trying get me an appointment with Humane Society (she volunteers there.)
 
Oh, the reason I have another concussion is that I fell on my face about 4 weeks ago. I was "chasing kittens" without my cane and turned too fast and fell. When I fall I am dead weight. We had workmen here and they got Antwan from the office and the chief workman to help me up. How embarrassing. I had another black eye, and a concussion. I think I have used my quota for falling.

I also think all those years of dance lessons taught me how to fall and NOT break bones. I hope this last fall is THE last. I am tired of being homebound. When the virus goes away or whatever it does to make life  better for us, I want to go back to the beach.

It appears my old friends are disappearing, not dying. I am 73 and many of them are older women. One of my “ole” friends always must walk the dog, not matter when I call. I got the message and I do not call anymore. She has not called, and I do not expect her to do so. Others never call and I have forced myself to recognize that they do not think of me.

Why is it hard to accept? Well, I do not have children, and most of the relatives that cared about me are gone. My mother raised my brother and me apart- she always stood between us and we did not learn to be family. My friends were always my family.
I had many teacher friends, but once I divorced my last husband they disappeared. I guess they thought I should have stayed, even though I was supporting him, and he was cheating on me.

I remember they did not go all at once back then – maybe they decided to stagger it so I would not be slammed. I remember when I was in the hospital recuperating from that complete body shutdown caused by my husband, my very closest friend walked out on me (in the hospital) when I said I was divorcing my husband (who actually was the cause for me to be in the hospital.)

So, I only have, and am completely happy about, my new friends here in my apartment. I have located a close friend from 50 years ago, and we have reconnected. She lives in Florida but far away from Pensacola – southern east coast. Another friend and I have reconnected on Facebook. She lives in Charleston, SC.
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My only comment about his new status is that I do miss those ole friends, but I have a few of them left and many new younger friends here in Pensacola.
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Life for during this pandemic is so much fun - I get up at 6AM to walk Riley, the dog, and Persephone, my stray cat that walks with us. When I get back, I do get to fix my coffee before I have to feed and water the livestock.

After that is done, I put up my large purple umbrella to welcome the blaring 6am sun when she rises. She will shine into those metal doors heating up the patio and the living room, causing the air conditioner to kick in way before it really should.

Sometimes, I have to play "purple monkey" with Riley before that first sip of coffee. Once everyone else is content, I get to drink my coffee and watch the nation and world's depressing morning news.

It is a wonder that do not go screaming out into the world in protest. Sometimes, I want to scream, "This is all I get for all those 50 years of working!" But I get over it and bury myself in to TV news, inane reruns of shows until evening when I turn on Hulu and watch reruns of shows and Midsomer Murders' reruns of shows.

Then I retreat to bed to read books THAT I HAVE NEVER READ. What a joy. I have stacks of books by my bed and I have read them all during this pandemic. I might lose my conscious mind, but I can live in these books for a few hours at night.
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Reading at night, allows me to sleep worry free-until the next morning when it starts all over again.
Please stay safe, healthy, and happy, my friends.

Riley woke me up at 12:30 this morning to go outside. Persephone and the kittens were not there and that surprised me because I thought they are always sleeping at that time. Well, when I got up a six none of the were anywhere. It worried me. But figures she might have moved them for some reason.

Then she showed up without them. I became worried then, because she did not seem to know where they were. I followed her and she meowed a couple of time and kittens came running out of the two patios. They followed us back until they passed the huge century plant and went under it.

Eventually they came back and ate some DRY food I had on my patio. It is now raining and they are leaping, running, and playing inside the patio while mama watches the rain outside As they move past her, I notice that they are really growing. The black ones is almost half her size, and the gray is smaller. I have not checked them lately for their sex, but I think the gray one is female. The two black ones play roughly with each other, so I am guessing they are male. I will know soon enough, I guess.

I am sorry this is the only news I have. This isolation, because of my susceptibility to the virus, makes a person bored. All I do is watch TV, read books, and eat. My neighbors have been very generous bringing me books to read. Our library here is closed due to virus.

I have also developed a soreness on my left side in my ribs from my fall. The black eye and facial bruise are fading. My left eyelid is still drooping. I hope it comes back to normal, too.
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Happy Monday to those of you who are retired. My sympathies go out to those of you going to work and even more for those of you who are not working because the virus. I send all of you good health wishes.