No "Center Of France" for us...

 We are under quarantine,  albeit not fully but still...and that IS what we are, still.  

Today I received my King Arthur 50lb (ca. 23 kg) of   flour.  I go through about 3 bags a year, mostly doing semi-daily bread baking.  It's cheaper this way, getting it from Amazon with no shipping charges.  I also ordered a protein order from Wild Fork Foods.  I was really impressed last month with the items I chose.  The prices are good and the quality of each was wonderful.  I noticed that the Turkey supply was skimpy,  Thanksgiving is two days away.  

We are traveling to Merced County this year to Kelly's cousin's ranch in the foothills below Yosemite.  It's always a joyful visit,  they are warm and interesting people,  she is a secretary at the local middle school and he is a cattle rancher.

None!

 Zero, zilch, zulu for total of Halloween blood suckers!  Not a one!  WTF!  Lazy? sick? stupid? scared? No calendar?  I don't get it, small showing or performance equals rare free gift of sweet things? Seems pretty fair to us, yet...zilch!  Off to bed at 8:30

Halloween 2022

Halloween tonight, kiddies and adults all masqueraded up and demanding as hell will fill the earlier nighttime hours.  We bought a small 4lb (1.81 kg) bag of miscellaneous candy for the purpose.  We ran out last year!  That's not fun!  

The election is next Tuesday, we've already voted via mail as per usual.  Republicans don't have much of a chance here in California, but several mid-western and eastern state's Republicans will challenge the current Senate and House seats and very well could win them. Cloudy and gray day and tonight, storm's a comin' but not until tomorrow morning.  Visits of halloween kiddies and adults all masqueraded up and demanding as hell will fill the earlier nighttime hours.  We bought a small 4lb (1.81 kg) bag of miscellaneous candy for the purpose.  We ran out last year!  That's not fun!  

The election is next Tuesday, we've already voted via mail as per usual.  Republicans don't have much of a chance here in California, but numerous mid-western and eastern state's Republicans will challenge the current Senate and House seats and very well could win them.

Three In A Row...

 Yes, indeed!  Three times in the last three days I've taken time to write something.  Somehow it has happened, and I am feeling glad for it.  These days are full of concerning news, Covid-19 and the new variants,  the damned war in Ukraine, why my children (with one exception) have abandoned us, the continued drought and other trivial matters as they occur.  Should I take them one at a time?  

But, but what about France, our home (part time) and the challenge of going this next year.  Parts of this story are duplicated earlier in this blog but in case you have not been so edified here goes.  

We bought, with our late friend Ted Berry, a small 1000 sq. ft. farmhouse on the eastern edge of the market village of Lignieres, Cher. We filled it with the appropriate furnishings and decorated as per cultural norms.  All of this over a period of 4 plus yearly excursions of up to 6 month lengths.  Yes, yes we know about the 3-month limit, but as we had become fixtures in the local scene it felt almost comfortable and thus legal.  Some trials and tribulations of that early expedition led us, actually Kelly, to desire a larger facility to continue our French experiment-in-living.  That and the damned truck exhaust relative to the stop sign and traffic backup thusly produced.  So in 2005 we bought the grand maison du bourg (large house of the city).  She has 2400 sq. ft on two floors and a 1200 sq. ft. attic.  

2nd Printing...

 Yes, writing two days in a row for the first time since I don't know when.  Not typical at all.  Today felt almost like a winter's day, clouds aplenty, gray and flat.  Chilly and humid.  Up, I made the morning coffee and kissed Kelly as she yawned.  Drank the coffee, ate a bowl of Post Raisin Bran as did Kelly and after, rotated to the parlor to read the news and write this blog entry.

Cats, Mucca and Cara are still “at it”.  Hourly fights and runs at each other as the opportunity arises.  Strange to have these twins (same birthday) fighting after so many years of quiet activities.  I expect it when Audrey comes, just another person here to change the balance.  Can't say anything is different for them now, we are home for long hours. There are other cats in the yard that they don't interface with, oh they watch them through the windows or the screen door, but that is all.  I think it is done to get OUR attention and nothing else. Today's battle gave her a wound on her right cheek.  He is unscratched. Seems unfair.

 Being “back” meant nothing to me apparently as I wrote nothing for months afterwards.  Mere thoughtlessness was upon me.  What to write?  About what?  Anything at all important?  In the time since I've not even clicked on the Blogger.com icon to bring this page to me.  Lazy? Sure, but that's not all.  Getting older matters, and it matters a lot.  I'm 79 years old and suffering through some loss of acuity and “brain fog”.  

The Damned Pandemic

That is what it is,  damned.  We have been through nearly 3 years of Covid-19, and we are still alive and have never had any symptoms of it.  The vaccines have been taken as they were introduced and made available at Kaiser.  Masks have been worn anytime we thought there would be a crowd or a situation where we would be less than safe.  We wear them at times, almost to a fault.  

We have missed our annual trips to Lignieres, France, as we had been going there every year since 2001.  3 years without the France experience is more than a bit too long.  Our home there will be mice infested, spiderweb strewn and dusty like Aunt Betty's attic.  We will be cleaning for weeks!  Worse yet is our car will be illegal to operate until it is given a “Controle' Technique”.  

Too, we will be limited in visit time without a visa.   Three month limit is strictly enforced.  That makes for a very busy and less enjoyable overall experience.  Lots to do and in less time to do it.

My son Michael, his wife, Sam, and their girl child Amelia aka Mimi have gotten the dreaded Covid-19.  Aimee, Joe, Mac, Kaylee all got it.  Our eastern-based component the Peelers,  Andy, and our daughter Ashley escaped its clutches.  Audrey in Phoenix stayed safe as well.

Bye for now!

I'm BAACK! Getting nowhere fast!

 Yes, today is the 30th of May, 2022.  What the hell have I been doing,  not much in my own opinion.  Not sick with Covid 19 but ill in some other ways.  Weary, tired with a little boredom thrown into the mix.  I itch today, not a s much as yesterday or the awful itchy day before.  Cat Fleas!  Damn it, little red bite locations on my arms a few scattered around on me wherever the little bastards decided.  Flushed my face and arms a bright pink.  Awful!  

Gotta bake some bread today.  Simple task using the bread machine.  Loaves have been quite spectacular as of late,  more holes, better crust and BIG!  Actually, in a word...MASSIVE!  I still use the Poolish method.  (https://youtu.be/ikwvnhiR9Vg)  

Audrey left us to our vices last Saturday the 21st.  I really do enjoy her company and she is quite a help around the house.  Cats miss her too,  the jump up on the parlor couch and start sniffing and peering here and there,  nope, no Audrey there.  Then they drift off.