Today was a busy but fun day.  Well almost.  A house issue slowed down my start.  Then it was off to Bryn Walker for some smaller sized tops. Yes the tops that are too big are starting to go into the Goodwill pile. Then off to the post office to drop some outgoing mail in the mailbox.  Then off to Joann’s for an Ott light for my new work space.  

Then there was a very brief check in with my friends at Grandmas Spinning Wheel.  Then it was time to get my 6 month supply of soap at Tracy’s shop Artemesia,  the only winter favorite not in stock was gingerbread, but I got some pumpkin spice soap instead. If you are not in Tucson go to byartemesia.com  If you are in Tucson you can visit her shop at 6538 East Tanque Verde Road.  It’s in the same plaza as Grandma’s Spinning Wheel. After you finish shopping stop by a Tucson favorite of mine, Savaya Coffee.  They roast their own coffee and brew their tea by the cup.  It is well worth waiting for the tea to be brewed.  

Then home to do some cleaning and organizing.  I rested by starting a new charity scarf while listening to an audio book. . So my active UFO’s are 2 different charity Scarfs, a charity hat, a new pattern and too many more to list. Since I made a couple of small upgrades the knitting room is more comfortable.  

I have a busy day tomorrow. Also the cold weather of winter will arrive.  Burr.  

Masks

 Masks. What could be more controversial in this day and age. Yet it was weird at the super market today. Only about 10% of the people were wearing masks.  Half of these were store employees.  John and I decided to divide and conquer today.  John stayed in the bakery area to get his bread sliced. The only people in that area wearing masks were John and the employees.  Forget about social distancing, they were packed in like sardines. John moved over to the cheese area to get space.  

On the other hand I went to the produce and fresh fish area. Almost totally deserted.  Everyone was wearing masks and keeping good social distancing. By the time I filled the cart with fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, John was just finishing up.  We meet up at the milk section and John just wanted to leave.  His only comment was no more Sunday afternoon shopping until the stores were less crowded.  This will be about May when the Snowbirds  and college students leave town.  

My very unscientific take on this is that people who choose healthy foods tend to make better health care choices.  You also have to remember that we had 6,000 new cases of COVID19 reported yesterday with only a few ICU beds left.  There is also a new variation of COVID19 out and about.  

So my take on this is wear your masks. Choose a healthy diet.  Get your vaccines and boosters. Avoid large indoor crowds and if in Snowbird area shop really early in the morning.  

10,000 Plus

 Today was absolutely awesome.  I had my best walking day since the third quarter of 2019 when I got sick and needed major surgery.  It has taken a long time to get close to my daily step count. I need to thank my cheer team of John, my taller half and my daughter Teri.  Teri surprised us with a membership at one of my favorite garden spots in Tucson, Tohono Chul Park.  There is a lot of landscape that reminds me of Tucson in the 1960’s and even when I moved back home in the 1990’s.  I got 4,000 of my steps there today.  

In that time Fitbit even developed a new watch award for 10,000 steps.  My Sensi watch did all kinds of fancy things.  I hope that today was not a fluke and is repeatable.  I would love to be able to walk a couple miles at a time again.  I know this is a major step that took a long time to achieve.  So it is on step at a time until 2 miles in a walk. 

Another Outdoor Dining Spot

 We found another out door dining area with excellent food. It is the Tea room at Tohono Chul Park just west of Oracle, off Ina Road. Just follow the signs.   The portions are huge.  Most is locally sourced, some even grown on the ground of the park.  Don’t forget to visit the park after your meal.  

Also if you are looking for a scenic out door area for a wedding in Tucson be sure to check it out.  They have areas for small intimate gatherings to larger areas.  

My Thursday

 We had lunch at a new to us restaurant with lots of outdoor seating.  Teaspoon is in Casa Adobes Plaza. They serve breakfast, brunch and lunch.  The food was excellent, everyone loved their meals.  A definite go back in my book.  While we’re we’re in the plaza waiting for out table we went to Bryn Walker for a few smaller pieces of clothing.  The scale is not moving much but the inches are coming off. A new top and a few pairs of pants.  I am hoping it will be at least a couple of months before they start falling down.  All in a smaller size.  

I just read that the COVID19 numbers are rising post thanksgiving holidays. So I will be spending a lot of time at home. If you have not had your 1st vaccine please consider getting it, once you have COVID19, you have to wait until you recover to get your vaccines.  If you have not had your booster please get it as soon as possible.   Would like to start going to in door events.  I am so tired of staying home.  Only you can make that possible.  

My junk food plan is working.  I have not touched or eaten any of if.  I am no longer hearing but we can’t have it because of you mom.  It’s a win win.  

Lunch with a View

 We went out to lunch today. We sat on a huge black and white granite rock to eat our picnic lunch.  We were just up stream from this area. If you are ever in Tucson, pack a picnic lunch. Take the Sabino Canyon tram up to stop 8. Hike in less than 5 minutes.  You will need sturdy shoes. Find a rock to sit on.  Enjoy your lunch with wonderful views of nature at her best.  If you feel like a good hike it is about 3 miles up hill.  

This and That

 Ok, so I got a little tired of the whining that people could not have holiday foods because of me in my house. So I went to Whole Foods and got a bunch of vegan holiday treats.  I don’t plan on eating any of it.  Instead I got myself a nice piece of soft goat cheese with lavender.  It was wonderful with my big thick salt free crackers.  I paired it with a serving of dates which are a low glycemic food.  It was much more satisfying than their sweet treats.  So I won the treat wars.  

I did manage to get caught up on folding laundry if you don’t count the load that went into the dryer at bed time.  

I am feeling a lot stressed out by the newest variant of COVID19, Omnisomething.  Right now I feel as if it is never going to end snd I will be spending my retirement years at home.  No traveling. No knitting or spinning with friends.  Just the next 20 years stuck at home.  I am sure I can not convince the anti vax morons just to get their dammed shots.  I think getting the vaccines and protecting yourself, families  and community is a very intelligent thing to do.  I just can’t fix stupid so I am stuck at home.