Sewing, Reunion, Death, Garden, Microwave

Urspo sent me a package of fabric for masks. I have the interior, the filtering part. I decided against using any of the pads for under babies or incontinent people. Some of it tears easily, so i doubt it will hold up in the wash.

Since I don't have a sewing machine to use, I can use needle and thread. I bought new thread. The needles Tommy's mothers last used 57 years ago appear to be good. I hate I have no iron or ironing board. Tommy said he had never owned an iron or ironing board and has never ironed anything. I am amazed.

On Friday I received a call from a second cousin from Indiana. He is coming here Sunday morning from Montgomery. They are traveling and pulling a 25 foot motor home, or whatever you call them, a fifth wheel. So, I called his uncle who is my cousin and talked a bit and received family pictures in email.

I called my step-sister who does not sound well at all. She told me one of her brothers, my step-brother had died last week. I have seen none of them in over 50 years. He lives on the West coast, so since she lives in the South and is in poor health, she did not attend the funeral. I was sad for her. 

Saturday, we went to back yard and watered 3 of the four boxes. Last week, I planted two Better Boy tomato plants. They were leggy, about a foot tall. So, I pinched off all leaves except the top three. I left sad little leaves above the ground and the long stem stretched out and buried. Saturday, they were over a foot tall and looked happy. 

In another box I transplanted two red bell pepper plants and two plants that I do not recognize. I suppose I will have to do a little research on those. In the third box I planted a green Bell pepper plant. Since  was exhausted after that, we came in. I always wait until the sun is behind the house. The one week I worked about 3 pm in the sun, it took a few days to recover. 

Tommy loves red or green bell peppers. I have some in the freezer because even though I won't eat them, they are a good seasoning, along with onions and celery--Holy Trinity. 

The neighbor came and removed the microwave. When he left, I frantically cleaned underneath. It was so filthy. I commented to Tommy that fact. He said he had never cleaned under it since he set it there in 1980 and he was not surprised. Gross. Finally, I squirted Dawn on the counter I had made wet but could not get clean. Well, I was trying to get the layer off. After lots of Dawn, it was clean as a whistle in about one minute. 

Tommy commented that he could take the item from the microwave and set it on the counter. His was so deep it covered the counter front to back. His microwave had no light inside. Mine does, so I won't have to get a flashlight to see the food to judge if it is done or bubbly or whatever. 

My microwave is tiny. There is a foot of extra counter toward the sink and in front of the microwave. Tommy is glad to have the smaller one and the room on the counter. 

Reunion

My cousin said he would call when he was almost here. I saw a pickup slowing down and saw it was towing a huge domicile. So, he was here. 

He came to the door and immediately told me I looked just like his Aunt Linda. After he took his dog for a walk and scoped out where he could turn around, we visited for about and hour. 

This cousin, really a second cousin, looks identical to my grandfather! He said he looked just like his father, also. His wife commented it was all in the eyes. That is what everyone in our family says. 

Once, I went to a funeral and saw a young woman with three children. I could tell she was my relative because of her eyes. I could be in a strange town and see a relative from my father's side and recognize the person by the eyes. 

He showed me pictures on his phone of his aunts and uncles, all my cousins. I have never met any of them. Well, when I was a young child, I may have seen them.  And, I showed him one relative, a cousin, who has his own FB entry. 

I had brownies, watermelon, Diet Pepsi, Coke, and water but they wanted none of it. They are visiting a friend of his near my town north of here. I think they are going for lunch. 

We all wore masks. Tommy and I were not going to eat so we could keep our masks own. David and I took our masks off outdoors so we could take pictures of each other. All in all, it was a good little family reunion.