Household chores- the next pandemic?

I was complaining to a very wise and deeply knowledgeable friend about how my household chores seemed to multiply whenever I started on the list. A Google search only described chores bringing on aches, pains, and aggravation, but that was the worst of it. My friend texted back with scientific proof it is far more serious than that. 

Wise words! While escaping chores is not entirely possible, it's N95 masks and nitrile gloves from now on. After all, we've already been through one pandemic. We definitely don't need another to contend with.

Stuffy house, stuffy brain. AND a dog in need.

The last few days have been torture. Now I know what everyone was complaining about during the actual lockdown portions of our current pandemic. 

When we first got stay at home orders, I wasn't upset by that at all. I hate shopping and having to dress in something other than sweats to go anywhere seems like more trouble than it's worth. Who doesn't love puttering around the house doing projects, reading good books, perusing Pinterest, or getting out in the garden to get all dirty? Talking to passersby on their daily dog/fitness walks is enough socializing for anyone. Or it was until the big stink.

The big stink is the result of all the fires that are raging mostly out of control nearby and up north in California, Oregon and Washington. The smoke has been so thick and noxious, it's all I can do to step outside and quickly feed my critters -- and that's with two masks on. It's painful to watch Ninja in the yard acting like she's so stoned she can hardly move. And without her consent to being caught and brought into the cooler, less smokey house, there's nothing to be done about it. Kuma, he of minimal brains, doesn't seem to notice the air being toxic and has to be reined in from his normal long walks to protect him mostly from himself. At least when he gets home there are two air purifiers going non-stop and an air-conditioned room when it gets too hot and stuffy.

After only one week of this self-imposed lockdown, dealing with a stuffy house that no fan can adequately air out, I'm feeling an ennui that discourages me from doing much of anything other than reading. Projects that involve lifting, sanding, painting or anything else remotely outdoorsy and physical are off the table. So I've turned my attention to trying to find the perfect home for Princess. She's a little Miniature Pinscher who is cuddly, only barks when people are at the door, chill with cats (at least those in her backyard) and other dogs, and is 7 years old -- no health issues. And without further ado, Princess:

Pandemics and projects

I would be remiss in not mentioning the pandemic we're currently experiencing and everyone is trying to navigate in various ways. I am one of the fortunate ones who no longer have to rely on a workplace to do the right thing. I also have amazing neighbors who check on me frequently and one in particular who calls me any time she's in a store to ask me if we need anything. She has even braved Costco for us on a couple of occasions. And while the news keeps saying things are going to be opening in a measured way, my cranky self is very skeptical that things will be returning to any semblance of normal anytime soon.

With that in mind, I did do a couple of marathon sessions to make masks for us in view of the number of people who just plow through us when we're walking the big handsome Kuma fur-baby, or run up on us as we're trying to tame the overgrown weeds, bushes and jade plants along the foot path. We've even been to pharmacies and grocery stores where employees wore no protective gear whatsoever (that was before the decree that they are now required to). The masks aren't pretty in all their crumpled glory, but they are better than nothing. The problem is I'm running out of elastic and I realized I need to tweak the design a bit. I've wasted elastic by running it through a channel. I plan to take the elastic, cut it in half, and sew it on to the mask. While I do know how to sew, I'm really not that fond of doing it.

On a much brighter note, one of my gardening experiments took off amazingly this year. I took a few starts of this amazing ground cover (with permission of course) and stuck them in a pot about 2 years ago. I expected them to maybe fill the pot if I were lucky. Well, let's just say -- expectations were exceeded!

And my critter station is getting a real workout. If I were a hummingbird, dove, pigeon, crow, blue jay, and squirrel restaurateur, I'd be a bazillionaire by now. Of course, the second I walk around to the side to check on them, they scatter, but I did manage to get a fuzzy shot of a lone dove who refused to leave the seed pot. With everything blooming so beautifully, it's a cheery sight.