Snowed In

How observant are you?

Psalm 30:2 LORD my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.

The other day my neighbor texted saying she noticed my car hasn’t moved and it looked like I haven’t been out for a while. Most of my neighbors drove right by. She was going shopping and would pick up some groceries for me. I wrote back thanking her for being so observant and explained about my recent fall and how it was keeping me from going out much.

My plow guy came to help get the car out so I could get to an appointment to have a blood pressure check. I don’t really understand these appointments, the bp is always sky high and they want to push the latest and greatest new drug to you. They should call them, ‘here’s some new drugs for you.’ Anyway, the receptionist gave me a clipboard and with her left hand picked up a mask and gave it to me saying, ‘here’s a mask for you to put on.’

I questioned, ‘that mask? That you’ve just had your dirty hands on?’ She looked at me like she didn’t understand that her hands probably were not sterile.

She started to take another one out of the box without touching it, but couldn’t figure out how to do it, so she just gave me the clipboard.

Later, when the nurse came out to get me, she had ME pick a mask out of the box. I’d like to believe I did not infect the whole box of masks, but really, do they have any idea where my hands were prior to the appointment?!! They could have been loaded with a million coronavirus virui. Or whatever the plural of virus is. Anyway…

For the record, my hands were jump starting my car from not having been started or moved for a month. Surely a little grease and dirt won’t kill the next people getting masks from the box.

As it happened during the drug pushing appointment, I mentioned my fall on my wrist. Before I knew it I was at X-ray and they quickly sent me to the emergency room. At the ER, the receptionist couldn’t find my file and sent me back to X-ray to find out what the problem was. Seemed like the stone age of technology. Once back there, it had been a shift change so the new receptionist didn’t remember me from earlier and didn’t understand my predicament. She said to take a seat and she would figure it out.

They found my chiseled file and a nice young man walked me back to the same receptionist in ER. On the way, in the course of conversation, he said, ‘you have a major break’

I said, ‘really???’

He said, ‘spoiler alert.’

Next an ER nurse took my details and the ER doc came in and told me I had a fracture and it needed to be reduced. I asked what that meant. Reduced is basically the bones getting back into place. He would set up an appointment with an orthopedic doctor.

In the meantime, the ER nurse bandaged me up with a splint.

After all that excitement, I stopped for a few groceries before heading home.

Buffalo photos by Debbie Maynard

The next morning, these Buffalo were running in the road I take to get to the orthopedic appointment. I looked for them on my way, but guess they were still roaming.

Bangor Daily News

Corralling with a snowmobile. You don’t see that every day either.

I arrived at the orthopedic appointment and didn’t really think this office was a good place for wet floors. Despite the waiting room being quite full, they took me right in.

The nurse took some information and then the Doc came in. He asked a few questions and asked if I wanted to see the X-rays. I said yes and asked if I could get a couple pictures for the blog. The arrow is pointing to the break.

Psalm 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

This is the problem child. The break. The cloudy part is where the bone is already healing. He told me about a couple options. First, physical therapy to see how much range I get and depending on how much I use it, it might be fine. I told him I sew, sew I use it quite a bit.

The next option had to do with an operation and nuts, bolts and plates. We didn’t discuss this much. He wanted to start with PT. First, another appointment with him in about three weeks and new X-rays.

Ezekiel 37:5 This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live (and bones will be healed.)

The nurse came back and removed the splint. Then gave me a lovely wrist brace.

On the way home I was stopped at the traffic light when this guy rear-ended me!! I couldn’t stop in the middle of the intersection, so I pulled into the convenience store on the corner. That’s all I need … a good case of whiplash!!

He gave me some lame excuse about his foot sliding off the pedal. Then ran his hand over the dirt on my bumper and said, ‘it doesn’t look like much.’ I suppose I should have called the police, but I didn’t.

Photo by Quoddy Jo Ski Center

These guys were actually Bison. Big news of the day.

Photo by Tracy Copeland


This song written by Bill Gaither and Larry Gatlin and preformed by the Gaither Vocal Band, pretty much sums up my falls and the last few months.

I Thought Gettin’ Older Would Take a Lot Longer Than it Did

Gaither Vocal Band

Got a broken wrist? Catch up on blog pages you missed!!

COPYRIGHT © Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Mask Freedom


The other day I went to run a couple errands and I would say about 95% of the people I saw were maskless!! People were smiling and greeting each other with hugs!! The mask mandate had been lifted a couple days prior and people seemed relieved. Of all the people I saw, probably only ten still wore a mask.

I did notice a few more shortages like we had early on during pandemic. Most of the plastic storage bins were gone.


For some reason there weren’t many paper plates either and one man asked me if I saw any styrofoam plates. Imagine that, people talking to each other again!!

As I went down my friend Betty’s aisle, a total stranger said to me, ‘you look beautiful today.’ You could tell this person was genuinely happy to finally see people smiling again.


3 John 1:2 “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

On my way home, I saw this guy.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.


Coronavirus updates by zip code.

COPYRIGHT © Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

March 23

Psalm 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.”

About a year ago, March 13, everything in the state and across the country shut down due to the little known coronavirus. The first few blogs I posted during that time, beginning with Social Distancing, they were not posting the map of cases in Maine. The daily map updates didn’t begin until March 23, at least that’s the first map I saw and used in the blog. I had decided to include the updated map in any of my blog pages to continue documenting what was happening in my little corner of the world.

During the height of COVID-19 I made and delivered about 750 masks to hospitals, nursing homes and agencies in need of masks. After the Masks slowed down, and about 35 blog pages about masks, I still sewed, and continued to include the updated map of cases in Maine.

Coronavirus updates one year after all the pandemic going’s on.

Coronavirus updates.

Look for the tag, coronavirus, for more blogs during the pandemic year.

COPYRIGHT © Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Doc Dermy

About eight months ago someone called from the dermatologists office to set up a follow-up appointment. You might recall at the other appointment I had, I asked him where he lived and he said, “New York City.”

The office had called during the height of COVID-19 to set up the appointment. Since he was from the coronavirus hotspot, I decided not to set up an appointment and wait until the next. The receptionist said that was fine, that most people were canceling now.

Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while [14-days] until the fury has passed by.

In the meantime I kept sewing masks to donate to the local hospitals, friends and agencies that requested them.

Probably four months later the receptionist called again to set up another appointment. She gave me a couple of date options and I picked one. She said, “That’s his first day back.”

I questioned, “his first day back? AFTER he’s self-quarantined for 14-days?”

She hemmed and hawed, and stuttered, “oh yes, he’s all quarantined.”

I didn’t believe a word of what she said.

Proverbs 12:22 The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.


I kept sewing. I took a break from the masks and used the mask scraps to make a mask scrap quilt and a few other quilts. Maybe quite a few.


Next I made a mask wall hanging and a mask table runner from the selvages from the mask fabrics I’d used.

As it neared time for the appointment, I debated whether to cancel or not. I decided to keep the appointment even though I was pretty sure that Doc Dermy would not have quarantined himself for 14-days. I planned to ask him.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

With all the 700+/- masks I made and gave away, I rarely wore one. I was pretty sure I could stay at least 6’ away from anyone in a store. Interestingly enough, even though I wasn’t paranoid about giving or getting coronavirus, I was concerned about Doc Dermy coming from such a hotspot for COVID-19 and not self-quarantining.


The day of the appointment, I dutifully put on my mask and went into the office. The receptionist asked me to take some hand sanitizer and she took my temperature. Then she handed me a hospital mask to put on. First I wondered what was wrong with my beautifully stitched sewing themed mask, but my biggest concern was whether or not I should put on a hospital mask that the receptionist just had her grubby hands on!!!??!! Where have her hands been?, on the phone?, touching the computer keys?, through her hair?, touching the money I just saw her get?, hugging Doc Dermy on his first day back from the germ fest capital of the world?, pushing the door where she came into work that thirty other staff also touched?, did she host a riot during Thanksgiving with super spreaders in attendance?, and what about all the germs on the counter from all the earlier patients?, I didn’t see her wipe it down with bleach?. The list was a mile long. I can’t get over how smart this coronavirus is that it knows not to jump from her ungloved hand to the mask to me.

As I was chitchatting with Doc Dermy, I asked him, “how did you manage to quarantine 14-days all in one-day?” He explained he did the nasal test and all was negative. I said, “but you still came from the biggest germ fest in the world.”

Coronavirus Logo aka the germ

He assured me he didn’t have any coronaviruses on his sleeves. I’m still not so sure; I’m pretty sure I saw a million C-19’s hanging off him like Christmas tree bulbs.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them [coronavirus germs], for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”


And that’s how easy it was for the devil to get into my mind. Just one, tiny, minuscule, little thought about Doc Dermy having COVID-19 because he didn’t quarantine for 14-days. The devil took my mind down a rabbit hole. And that, coupled with media hype and internet fear mongering, I was almost as paranoid as everyone else that believes it.

I asked about one particular spot and he said, “that’s nothing but old age.” I almost cried as I looked around the room for someone old and realized he meant me. He checked out all the rest of the aging brown spots and sent me on my way.

COVID-19 updates. *Note: if contact tracing is needed for me, start with Doc Dermy and his office staff.

Be sure to check out past posts.

COPYRIGHT © Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Mask Police

Book ‘em Dano

It happened. The country has lost its freedoms. Today I went to do some shopping and went into the store like I always do. Maskless and free.

Suddenly a woman was screaming, ‘ma’am, ma’am, you need a mask.’

Looking around to see what all the commotion was about, she said to me, ‘ma’am, ma’am, you need a mask.’ I told her I had one in my pocket and if I got within 6’ of anyone I’d put it on and kept walking down the aisle.

She continued, practically running after me, ‘ma’am, ma’am, you need a mask to shop in this store.’ I explained to her this there’s no law requiring masks.

She continued, ‘ma’am, ma’am, I’ll have to call the police if you don’t put a mask on.’

Looking at the gentleman right beside her, I said, ‘then you’ll have to arrest him too because he’s wearing his mask below his nose, making it useless.’ She looked at him and told him in her authoritative police voice that he’d have to put his mask on above his nose.

Reluctantly, he put his mask above his nose and I pulled mine out of my pocket and put it on.

And just like that, we were socialists, doing what they (the store via the government, because they threatened to take the store license) say just to buy a few groceries.

Galatians 5:1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

Next, the government will mandate you have the vaccine to shop. Can you say, ‘mark of the beast?’

Revelation 13:16-17 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Coronavirus updates.

Missed a post? Find them here.

COPYRIGHT © Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Trip Around The World

John 12:46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

Today I started a new quilt top, Trip Around The World. Actually it’s a version of Trip Around The World, called ‘Many Trips’ or ‘Scrappy Trips.’ The pattern I decided to try used a new technique for me, but it’s been around for a while.

The Tube

The new technique is called the ‘tube.’ Instead of cutting once you have (in my pattern) six rows together, you stitch the long side, right sides together, creating a tube.


Next, fold the tube in half and cut 2” strips. (Or the same size strips as your original strips.)


After cutting the 2” strips, grab your trusty seam ripper and take out a seam. Changing to the next square each time to create the diagonals.

I lined them up so I wouldn’t miss a row.


Keep turning each cut tube and remove the next seam.


And the next.


Until you have six rows. I kept my eyes on the blue row to make sure I had my diagonal.

Stitch the six rows together and press. Pretty slick, don’t you think?

Oops!


Piles ready to line up and mix and match. I used 22” strips so I got ten sub-strips. Each square has six rows, so I had four leftover. For these leftovers, I shuffled them so to be all different in the next squares.

Strips of sixes ready to be stitched. Four guys left over.

About twenty squares ready to be pressed.

I pressed all the seams up.

Stack of about forty squares. I think I’ll need 20-30 more.


In the meantime I think I’ll do a mock-up layout. What do you think?


Do you see it? I’m going to have to be careful to not place a square upside-down. I need all white/greens or yellow/reds in the centers together.

I have to say, I’m loving it!!


I decided to sew four squares together first to make sure I didn’t have one flipped. Then sewed the rows.

Two thousand eight hundred and eighty 2” squares later…

Just waiting for backing and binding. I love it!!

I think I’ll call it, ‘Many Scrappy Trips Around my Sewing Room!!’

The guys are still beautiful.


Blog carousel.

One of the new features of the blog program.  It scrolls through some of the recent blog pages. Just click on it to read or re-read it!!


COVID-19 by zip code & current updates


COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Mystery Quilt Scraps

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John 6:12  When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

If you have been following the blog and the recent page, The Mystery Quilt Revealed, you might remember these diagonal cuts that basically created a ‘goose’ had I been making flying geese.  To get all the geese, I had several ‘sky’ or what some people call ‘wings’ left.

These ‘scraps’ were wwwwaaaaayyyyy too big for me to throw away.

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The ‘wings’ were from a 9 1/2” strip so I had to figure out something to make from them.

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I paired them up to make squares.

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Two piles of twenty squares each gray and white.  Forty!!  Practically a whole quilt!!  Now what to do with them.  I’ll put my thinking cap on.

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Some squares need more squaring up than others.  I need to square up anyway so I’ll try to start with the one that’s the smallest.

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I ‘googled’ a few ideas and decided to go with a Chevron look.  Since the strips already had purple and magenta, I looked for something purple to match.  When I found this piece with purple and peach, I thought it was perfect!!

I decided on a narrow peach strip to balance the wide white strip from the scraps I was using.

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As it turned out, the teals from the Mystery Quilt were only about a quarter of an inch as circled above, so I decided it would be best to trim it off to reduce the bulk at the point.  That made my trimming about 1/4” on the top and right side, provided my left side and bottom lines were square.

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For the Chevron layout, I was one square short.  I dug through the scraps again and found some end pieces that I spliced together.

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The goose came out, but I needed the ‘wings.’  Another splice needed for the purple row.

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After a couple splices, I had a square.  Trimmed it and added it to the quilt.  No one will probably even notice it.

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Rows are done and ready to be sewn together.  I thought it was going to be too much purple, but I think the peach is balancing it out.

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Probably I’ll add borders before all is said and done.

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COVID-19 updates.

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Just as an FYI, my blog pages might be slowing down some for a while because the program I’ve been using has updated.  I’m not really liking the ‘new & improved’ version.  Learning all the new bells and whistles is apt to take away from my sewing time!!  I’ll work on it when I’ve got a few minutes to spare.

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My last planted sunflowers were the first ones to blossom!!

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Freddie the Frog

B0AA7099-EBA9-404C-B5D0-F63A2F35A277Psalm 28:7  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Do you see him?

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This window box planter became part of my redneck brace system to help hold my sunflowers up on windy days.  To give it some weight, I filled it with water.

That’s when Freddie showed up.  We’ve been in the midst of a severe drought this summer.  I think he thinks he died and went to frog heaven since he doesn’t have any mud puddles to swim around in this year.

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I fed him a carrot.  He didn’t seem to care for it.  If he starves it’s his own fault.

What I really like about this picture is the reflection of the sunflowers, stalks and leaves.

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Another day of near hurricane winds. I imagine Freddie thought it was a tsunami.  The pond tipped over.
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Freddie’s little rectangular pond was empty and he was no where in sight.  I stood up my sunflowers and filled the ce-ment pond again.  I think he’ll be back.

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There he is!!  Freddie looking for the pond.  I think he’s half chameleon.

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He found it, sitting on the rim looking at one of my rusty things, which also doubles as an extra brace.

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And triples as Freddie’s hiding place.

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COVID-19 updates.

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Freddie was gone for a couple days, but he’s back!!  Toad ya!!

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COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

New Potatoes

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Proverbs 20:12-13  Ears that hear and eyes that see— the LORD has made them both.  Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.

When I was growing up, like most of my neighbors, I lived on a small family farm.  Mainly we grew potatoes.  For rotation crops we grew peas, buckwheat and oats.

In Spring, I helped cut potato seed by hand, especially the russets.  Each piece of seed needed to be cut with an eye in it so it would sprout.  Occasionally we’d miss a cut and would have a few pieces of seed without eyes.  My father would say, “that’s okay, they’ll hear the other potatoes growing and they’ll grow too!”

This year they planted three different kinds of potatoes in this field.  I love how you can see the red, white and blue blossoms.  Sometimes, like when I took this picture of just a small portion of the field, I don’t quite know how we cut all that seed by hand.  It kind of boggles my mind now.  And, it really overwhelms me when I watch today’s farmer’s go through the field in a day or two with what used to take us a week or more.

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Genesis 8:22  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.

It was always our goal to have new potatoes and peas for our Fourth of July dinner.  My grandmother and mother would get a salmon and make dinner rolls for our Independence Day celebration.  I’m pretty traditional, I still make this menu.

Lately though it seems new potatoes aren’t ready for the Fourth.  Now, I usually get them during our Potato Blossom Festival week, or the third week of July.  This year it was even later by the time I got some.  The other day I bought, and yes; it nearly killed me to buy potatoes; and had a little feast of new potatoes.

Here’s the recipe.

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New Potatoes

  • Wash a bunch of new potatoes.
  • Put in a saucepan and cover with water.
  • Cook until fork tender.
  • Drain.
  • Serve hot with butter.

Yes, butter, don’t ruin delicious new potatoes, or homemade rolls, with margarine.  In fact, here’s a tip, don’t ruin anything with margarine.

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This year because of COVID-19 the Potato Blossom Festival and all the activities were cancelled.  It brought tears to my eyes to think that our traditions were cancelled.

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COVID-19 updates.

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Had to get some more new potatoes!!

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COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What’s Heliotropic?

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Over the last four years I’ve been growing sunflowers.  The first year was somewhat by accident.  The next three because they were so easy to grow and fun to watch.

One thing that I found fascinating about them was how the heads followed the sun.  In the morning they were always facing East, by noon they were straight up and come sunset, they were faced West like this picture.  I decided to google it.

Sunflowers are heliotropic, which means that they turn their flowers to follow the movement of the Sun across the sky east to west, and then returns at night to face the east, ready again for the morning sun.  Heliotropism happens during the earlier stages before the flower grows heavy with seeds.

I suppose Mr. Nichols taught us all this in seventh grade science, but I don’t remember anything except cumulus clouds.

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The clouds are interesting too, but I’ll leave them for another blog page someday.

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Ecclesiastes 1:5  Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again.

Noontime sun.

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Noontime heat taking its toll on my sunflowers.  It’s been an unusually hot and dry summer.  I’ve been watering them about three times a day.  That’s another nice thing about growing sunflowers, they are very resilient.  They’ll be reaching for the sun in about an hour.

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It won’t be long now.

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Facing East soaking up the morning sun.

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COVID-19 by zip code.

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Coronavirus updates.

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Pre-storm storm ahead of hurricane Isaias.

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Wild winds.

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One guy broken.

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My redneck brace.

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Hopefully I will get a blossom from the broken guy.

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Look at this beauty!!  Three babies off the main flower.

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The winds again took its toll on the petals.

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Heliotropic even when they fell during the winds.  The heads are still reaching up toward the sun.

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Pretty much straightened up since the fall.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Burdock

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I don’t always recycle, but when I do I use a burdock stalk to tie up my umbrella plant.

I’ve had this tree for years.  For most of those years it’s been leaning against the wall so I haven’t done much with it.  Once a decade or so, I think I should vacuum.  Usually that thought passes rather quickly.  That was the first problem.

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The tree was so top heavy that it fell over as soon as I pulled it away from the wall.  I didn’t have anything like a ten foot dowel to tie it up so I thought maybe if I transplanted it into a larger planter that it might give it more stability.

It didn’t.

Doesn’t everyone have a six foot burdock stalk on their porch?  If not, you should.

I grabbed the burdock and put it into the planter and tied the tree up on the highest notch.

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So, the first six feet of branches are tied up nicely.  The second six feet are bending over to the other side.  I might have to dig out my pruning shears.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘why do you have a burdock on the porch?’

About four years ago I cut some of the burdocks down and remembered that my grandfather had made a cane from the burdock.  I put it on the porch to dry and didn’t get back to it.

Needless to say, I didn’t make the cane.  I did, however fall a couple times, so I better get my ax out and start chopping down these weeds again.

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A new and an old burdock side-by-side.

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Coronavirus updates.

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Job 14:7-9  “For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.
“Though its roots grow old in the ground
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
At the scent of water it will flourish
And put forth sprigs like a plant.

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COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Mystery Revealed

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Romans 8:24  Trust and wait for what is still unseen. 

Well, have you been wondering what The Mystery Quilt is looking like?  Are you excited to see it?  Do you have a vision in your mind of what you think it looks like?  Have you been on Pins & Needles waiting for the mystery to be revealed?

After pressing, cutting strips and sewing the strip sets together, I was ready to put the sub-strips together.

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In the last blog post, I left readers hanging off the sewing cliff, or off the cutting board, about here, with my piles of strip sets ready to cut diagonally.  For the cuts, one pile had to have the magenta strip on the left, and the other the magenta strip on the right.  I would basically be cutting a ‘goose.’

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Oops!!  Somehow two (of the twenty) strip sets from this pile were upside down.  I didn’t even notice it when I was cutting.  The magenta should have been on the left here.  I decided, in typical Jeanne quintessential quilting fashion, I would just sew the corners back on with an 1/8” seam and flip it for the cut.  There would be an oddball seam, but it’s a quilt, there’s going to be small pieces of fabric stitched together.  And really, I don’t think many people will even notice.

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The ‘white goose’ added.  I used my own terminology so not to mix up the pattern.

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The yellow strip is the ‘A’ Block.  Ready to press and add a ‘gray goose’ on the opposite side.

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The first ‘A’ square.  Nine more to go.  I’m beginning to see a pattern!!

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The ‘B’ square is ‘the same but different,’ as the ‘A’ square.  I identify it by its orange strip.

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The ‘B’ square.  Also nine more.  Or ten each of ‘A’ and ‘B’ squares.

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The directions had you assemble one block; a gray goose, a white goose and five strips in the middle; at a time.  I streamlined the process a little by sewing all the ‘center fives’ first, then attaching a goose to each side.  It also helped with the bulk, the finished square was pretty big compared to most quilt squares.  It’s about 18.5” to allow for trimming and squaring, the final size is 17.5” square.

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Romans 15:13  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Because the squares were so big, they didn’t fit on my cutting board for an accurate cut.  I decided to chance it and square up for the 17.5” square by folding the square in half and centering it.  Then cut on my 1/4” line on each end of my 18”cutting board.

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On the top corners I would check to make sure the strips were lined up.  

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Instead of off like this.

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After trimming the first two sides, I re-folded, centered and trimmed the other two sides.  I wouldn’t recommend squaring up this way if you haven’t sewn much because it’s easy for the block to go askew.  Then you would keep trimming and lose the needed measurements, making all your squares different sizes.

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An ‘A’ and a ‘B’ square lined up ready to sew.  I’m loving it!!

The Mystery Quilt went together extremely fast.  I’m sure it took me longer to shop for all the right fabrics than it did to cut strips and sew.  It’s amazing how just two squares turned a different way in the row changed the look and created the pattern.

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The Mystery Quilt top is finished!!  One of the quilting bloggers I follow always posts pictures of her quilts outside.  I thought it might be nice to display The Mystery Quilt on my rake!!  I love it!!

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I just need to decide on a color for the back.  This pattern doesn’t have a border, but it called for a lot more fabric than needed so I could put one on.  I’ll think about it.

It’s called “Woven Together.”  Does it come close to what you envisioned for the Mystery Quilt?

I found the pattern in one of my old magazines, American Patchwork & Quilting, June 2018, #152, Woven Together.

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Luke 12:55  And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way.

Caught a little wind.

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A little bigger breeze and a little sunset sneaking in.

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Psalm 66:16  Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me.

My sunflowers are looking great!!

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Coronavirus update.

 

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COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Mystery Quilt

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1 Corinthians 2:7  but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

Probably twenty years or more ago, I was visiting my aunt and among other things, we went shopping for fabric.  Shocking, I know.  She had a list of fabrics, amounts and colors she wanted to buy.  I did too, but her list was different.

I asked her what she was making and she said, “I don’t know.  It’s a mystery quilt.”

Immediately I was intrigued.  She continued telling me she was in a quilt club at her fabric store and this current project was a mystery quilt.  Instead of knowing what you were making when you started, you wouldn’t know until you finished.

The teacher gave them the list of supplies and at the next class, they would get the steps for cutting.  Then future classes would be broken down into the next steps in sewing the mystery quilt together.  I think she said there were ten classes.  All without pictures of the finished product.

I wanted to make one, but I didn’t.  I’m pretty visual so I like having some pictures to reference.  Plus I tend to want to see what the finished quilt would look like.  What if I didn’t like it?  I would have wasted time and energy on something I didn’t care for.

My vacation was over before I got to see the mystery quilt finished, but I went back to visit a couple years later and my aunt had the quilt hanging on the wall.  It was beautiful.  I loved it.  I should have taken a picture, but it was before smartphones so I didn’t get any.  From then until now, I’ve had my eyes on the look out for a mystery quilt pattern.  I think I found one.

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Above are all the colors on the list I needed.  The first strip set.  I get four cuts per strip and and need four more sets for sixteen, 20-total.

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The second strip set.  Except for two different strip colors, it’s the same as the first one.  And yes, I need sixteen more, 20-total.

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Third strip set.  It’s not a very good picture, the lights are yellow.

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Fourth set.

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Fifth set.

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Sixth set.

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Seventh set.

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Eighth set.

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Strip sets all sewn, pressed and cut into strips for the next cut.

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Diagonal cuts, basically making a ‘goose’ if I were making flying geese.

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What do you suppose it will look like???

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Next cut all the remaining strip sets into 2 1/4” strips.

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The strip sets were too wide for my cutting board so I folded them carefully in half, eyeballing it to make sure the folded strip was the same width.

Some of the piles of strip sets.  I might need to label them.

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I was sweating bullets in my sweatshop, so I stopped for a union coffee break.  I checked the temperature, 88.  No wonder I was dying.

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The next day it was a little cooler in my sweatshop so I got all the strip sets cut.  Now just have to put them together in the right order.  Where does it go from here?

It’s like a cliffhanger, a sewing mystery!!  Keep tuning in, same bat channel, same bat time to see how it comes together.  Are you curious?

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We’re having a little mini drought.  See how dry the fields are and how dusty as they hoe the potatoes.

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Coronavirus updates.  I decided to keep the COVID-19 updated map of Maine to document what was going on at the time of each new blog page.  For a while at least.

 

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

There’s a Quail in my Backpack

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An Alligator, a Quail and a Penguin went into a sewing room.  The Penguin said to the Quail, “what do you call an Alligator wearing a vest?”  The Quail said, “an Investigator.”

Just when everything in the mask group was slowing down, there was a request from a couple local agencies for 750 masks for the backpack program.  They provide backpacks for pre-K through 12th grade qualified youth returning to school in the County.

The backpacks are filled with school supplies and with a few guidelines anticipated for returning to school in the fall, they wanted to include masks.  I had these two great animal alphabet fabrics that I thought would be perfect for some youth size masks.  I made the masks the same as the others except for the youth size, I used 11” x 7” with 5” elastic rather than ties.

For the count, I posted to the mask group that I would make fifty youth size masks.

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Deuteronomy 26:2  that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.

Potato baskets are not just for potatoes anymore.  There hadn’t been any 1/4” elastic in the area for probably three months.  A couple people in the mask group ordered some online early in the mask making, but delivery was 8-12 weeks out.

One lady in the mask group did get some elastic in and offered it to us for the backpack masks.  I posted that I needed some and she put me on a list.  After doing some ‘goes-intas’, I would need just short of 14-yards of elastic.  It wasn’t long and we arranged to meet so I could pick up the elastic.

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The elastic and sides on.  These and a waddle of penguins should be done in no time.

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My ‘goes-intas’ was right, were right?!?, 3 3/8’s” short of fourteen yards.

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Since the other lady finally got some elastic, I decided to check online and see if I might be able to get some.  I found some and it was in stock so I ordered it.  It arrived in about 3-days, better than the 3-months like when the C-19 started.  Sew, I made about another dozen biker guys.

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If I counted right, there’s 72-masks headed for the backpack program.

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COVID-19 updates by zip code.  I like this zip code map, but they don’t update it as much.

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COVID-19 updates.

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Isaiah 58:11  And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.


COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Which Came First?

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The chicken or the egg?  I had this great fabric and hadn’t done anything with it.  Until the masks.

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Genesis 1:20-23  “Then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.’  God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.  God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’  There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day” 

Then my niece got some chickens.  I named them … Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Fajita, Chicken Nugget, Chicken Kabob, Scrambled Eggs and Omelette.  I don’t think she liked my names too much.

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Masks were the order of the day.  Ready for ties.

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What could be better for the ties?  A fabric called Chicken Scratch!!

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This guy, Eggs Benedict!!

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Chicken and Dumplings!!  I love this selvage, do you see the chickens on it?  I think another selvage table runner in on the menu!!

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Ready for delivery.

I’ve got a recipe all picked out!!

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (one 20 ounces, one 8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks
  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
  • 1 package (1 pound) sliced bacon
  • 2 large sweet onions
  • 4 large green peppers
  • 32 cherry tomatoes

Directions

  1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside.  In a small bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce and reserved juice.  Cut each piece of chicken into four strips.  Pour 1 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken.  Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.

  2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until partially cooked but not crisp.  Remove to paper towels to drain; cut in half widthwise.  Cut each onion into 16 wedges; cut each pepper into eight pieces.  Drain and discard marinade.  Wrap a piece of bacon around each chicken strip.
  3. On 16 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread the bacon-wrapped chicken, vegetables and pineapple.  Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

 

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COVID-19 updates.

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This turkey, Thanksgiving Dinner!!

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Dandelions

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Luke 8:11-13  “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.  Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.  Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

Don’t you love dandelions?  I do.  Without these colorful weeds, I wouldn’t have a lawn!!

Growing up, Gram would go out with her dandelion paring knife, probably her regular paring knife, and cut a feed of dandelions.  She liked the smaller leaf because they were more tender.  Or tenderer?!?

She would cook up a batch and we’d have them for dinner when we came in from planting potatoes.  A little vinegar, salt and pepper; baked potatoes; and a roast or meatloaf from Barney and the crew was happy.

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The other day my niece-in-love was saying she wanted to make some Dandelion Jelly.  I thought maybe I’d try some too, after all I have plenty of dandelions.

The recipe called for 2-cups of flowers.  It didn’t take long to pick them.  But, if this turns into a business venture, I might have to hire a few migrant workers.

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Next step, pull the flower petals out and try to get all the green stems out.  I think I did alright.

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The blossom tops.

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What do you see here?  Besides my rusty curved wrench.  It’s a bunch of tiny black bugs that were in the flowers.  I suppose if a couple snuck into the flowers it would add a little protein.

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Next, put the flowers into 4-cups of boiling water and let it steep (like tea) for 24-hours.  Little dandelion flowers sort of fly around some, I should have put them in a jar and poured the water over them instead of pouring the flowers into the water.  Lesson learned.

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Twenty-four hours later I was ready to strain the juice from the flowers.  I knew my cheesecloth was apt to fall into the juice so I put it in a small colander for stability.

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I had to prop the strainer up with two jars of spices to keep the bottom up out of the juice.

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The juice looked more green than yellow, but I got about 3 3/4 cups of juice.  Added the lemon juice and pectin.

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Sugar added and boiling for two minutes.

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I got seven jars of dandelion jelly.

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The next morning as I was moving the jelly I couldn’t help but notice it didn’t jell.  What to do now?!!

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I remembered Gram talking about taking caramels out of the pan and cooking them back up to temperature if they were a little too soft.  So I thought this would work for dandelion jelly too.

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A watch pot doesn’t boil and a jelly pot doesn’t jell.  I decided to used a thermometer.  It needed to come up to 220° – 222°.  Which in hindsight, I should have used the thermometer to begin with since the process was pretty much like when I make apple or cranberry jellies.  Plus when I was jarring it up, I could see the sugar wasn’t completely dissolved.  I should have gone with my instinct.

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After bringing it up to temperature, I got five half-pints of dandelion jelly.  If it doesn’t jell this time, I’ll recycle it into dandelion wine and see how that works!!

Here’s the link to the recipe I used.  Step #5 is where it needed more than two-minutes and I used the thermometer to bring it up to 222°.

Dandelion Jelly

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dandelion petals, lightly packed
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 1 box powdered pectin

Instructions

  1. Cut the green part of the flower off and place the petals into a quart canning jar.
  2. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the flower petals.  Allow them to cool and then place into the fridge for 24 hours.
  3. Strain the flowers well and squeeze out as much dandelion tea as possible.
  4. Place into a large pot 3 1/2 to 4 cups of dandelion tea, lemon juice, and pectin.  Bring it to a boil.
  5. Add sugar and return to a boil while stirring.  Boil the jelly for 1 to 2 minutes.
  6. Remove from the heat and pour into canning jars.  Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner or according to your altitude.

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COVID-19 Updates.

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Luke 8:14-15  And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.  As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Might be time to mow.

 

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My Home Ec Heart

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The other day I was out doing essential shopping, when I saw this.  I had to turn around and get a picture.  It’s a guy washing about 20-grocery shopping carts behind the store.

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After getting the picture of the cart washing guy, I went to Wally’s.  The last few years they haven’t had much in the fabric department that I’m looking for so I haven’t been going through the department as much.  One reason are these pre-cut, one yard fabric pieces.  I don’t really like pre-cuts.  I like to see it, feel it, and maybe even smell it.  Not much left to see this day.

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Fat Quarters are another reason why I haven’t been in the department much.  A Fat Quarter is a relatively small piece of fabric, 18” x 22”.  Another pre-cut.  Typically I use more than this for any given project.  And, generally speaking, they are more expensive.  Not much here either.

Pretty much the whole fabric department was empty.  My Home Ec Heart was a little overwhelmed.  I thought back to all my Home Economics days and teaching sewing units and classes.  I couldn’t help but think of all the students like mine that may or may not have enjoyed sewing at the time, and now, during this COVID-19 pandemic, maybe bought a few yards of fabric, elastic and even a sewing machine and used the basic sewing skills to make some masks for their friends and family.

Because my other favorite fabric store in the area was closed during the coronavirus, Wally’s was the only store in our area that had fabric.  Needless to say, everyone was buying their fabric and supplies here the last 2 – 3 months.

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On the other side of the aisle are the sewing machines.  All sold out except for two.

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Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

This box had elastic in it as did the empty two rows of hooks above it.

The clerk in the department cutting fabric was there and I asked her if they were closing the department like the jewelry department they recently closed.  She said, ‘no, not that I have heard.’  She went on to tell me that all their orders are back ordered 12 to 18 weeks.  She also said they get in a few things here and there, but they sell out as soon as they come in.

Even though the fabric department was quite empty and it saddened me to see it barren, it actually made my Home Ec Heart happy to know that so many people were sewing again.  An essential skill.

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Latest updates.

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Happy Flag Day

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After The Mask

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Galatians 6:7-8  Don’t be misled:  No one makes a fool of God.  What a person plants, he will harvest.  The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.  All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!  But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

The call for masks in the mask group I’d joined on FB seemed to be slowing down.  Perhaps all the ‘Masked Stitchers’ had made enough.  Or maybe because the state was gradually beginning to open, local agencies figured they wouldn’t need as many.  Possibly they finally got in back ordered PPE’s and didn’t need ours.  Whatever the reason, for now anyway, I delivered one of my last bundle of mask donations the other day.

What will I do with all my time after the masks?  Make a scrap mask quilt of course!!  Because I was using fabric from my stash, sometimes I only got one mask from a piece of scrap fabric.  If the scrap was too small, I used it for side pieces or ties.  Even then, I occasionally had fabric scraps too big to throw away.  As an FYI, for me, too big is anything bigger than an inch.  Smaller, it kills me, but I will probably throw it away.

Most fabric pieces were a yard and I would usually get six masks, sides and ties.  Occasionally I had more yardage of a print as I wrote about in ‘Four Yards of Zebras.’  Originally I probably bought it for a quilt backing and then ended up changing my mind.  I heard once that’s a woman’s prerogative, to change her mind.

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It isn’t that organized or very pretty, but as I cut the masks, sides and ties, I usually had a few side pieces left that managed to end up in a pile to the right of my iron.

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It was a good place for them because if I didn’t have any side pieces left, I’d use some from the pile that matched, a little.  Like these green sides, if I didn’t have any of the biker guys cut, and the green matched, I’d use the green.  It seemed like a better use of the fabric especially since my favorite fabric store was closed during the Coronavirus until further notice.  I couldn’t see wasting any of it.

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On the left side of my ironing board was another stack of mask cuts.  For the pattern I was using, these pieces were too small for another mask.  I could however, get some side pieces or if I was doing one with elastic, I would get top and bottom cuts.  Like the biker guys above, I probably went to this pile for the black I used for the top and bottom.

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I didn’t really have a pattern in mind for the scrap mask quilt, however the side cuts were all the same, 1 3/4” x 4”, sew I was pretty sure I’d be using that cut somehow.  It was a scrap quilt, so it didn’t matter too much.

It ended up that I did basically a 9-patch.  It was actually a 10-patch, given the odd size of the cuts, I had to improvise some.

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I ended up with fifteen squares, well rectangles, and still had some scraps left, but thought I’d audition a couple fabrics for sashing.  First, grayish.

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Next reddish, left over from my Mask Spools.   I’m not sure either are quite right.  I might have to get something new!!

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Here a dot, there a dot, everywhere a dot!!  I ended up getting something new.  This dotted fabric had a lot of colors in it that were in the mask blocks, sew I decided it would work.  Right now it’s four rectangles by three rectangles, but because of the layout, the quilt is basically square.  Who knew?  I have another row to add, maybe two, I still have more scraps left.  It’s not finished yet, still time to change my mind!!

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Latest updates.

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Psalm 46:1-2. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear.”

These guys still haven’t seen the social distancing memo.

 

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The Moose

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Genesis 1:24  God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind.  And God saw that it was good.

Every once in a while my friend Mr. Moose saunters through the pine trees in my yard.  This picture was last year.  I haven’t seen him yet this year.

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I found this great moose fabric for my next flock of masks!!  This fabric is like none other I’ve ever sewn.  It’s balsam pine scented!!  Do you have your Emeril smell-a-vision on?  It smells just like the great outdoors!!

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Too bad I have to wash it.  I’ll probably have to bleach it out.  In the mask group, they prefer everything unscented.  I’m kind of used to my no brand fabric softener, but it does have a little ‘unscent’ to it.  So for the masks I just use water as a softener.  They did say the hospitals and agencies wash all the mask donations before using them, so I expect their industrial strength soaps might eliminate the pine trees smell.

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So, what do you think bleached pine smells like?  Yes, bleachy piney balsam with a hint of Tide.

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They might need to go through the laundry again.  This time maybe I’ll use some lavender softener.  Lavender, that ought to attract the hunters.  In the meantime I’ll let them graze on some coffee beans!!  That might help.

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Current updates.

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The Line

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You’d think my Spanish would be better than it is after hosting several exchange students from Spanish speaking countries, but I only know; or should I say, remember; a couple key phrases.  Anyway, this sign basically translates to, ‘please distance 6-feet social.’  I was more worried about the coronavirus blowing on me from the wind; how was this virus so smart that it knew Spanish and knew six feet with a wind gust?, but I digress.

Yes, I decided to be a socialist and stand in line to get into our local Wally’s.  I thought back to some of the exchange students I’d hosted from socialist countries and a couple of them saying ‘you don’t know what it’s like to stand in line to get into the store.’  I hear them say this in memory quite a lot nowadays given our current coronavirus situation.

I’d left early to get there before the crowds that used to show up around 9:30 a.m.  It was 7:45 a.m.  I could see four people in line and figured the line would go fairly quickly.

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This woman was doing some kind of ‘walk/jog race walking thing’ to get in line ahead of me.  I let her.  My jogging days are long gone and I didn’t see the need to race for second place.

The line did move quickly.  I wanted to check to see if the SmartStyle hair salon was open yet, pick up an Rx and a few groceries.

About five minutes later, I was in!!  It was actually a very strange feeling.  Maybe if I’d shopped Black Friday, I would have known the feeling of being outside in line just for a couple big bargains, but I don’t do Black Friday so I didn’t recognize the feeling.

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SmartStyle was closed with no sign indicating they would be opening anytime soon.  I went around the corner and, yes, got in another line at the pharmacy.  They weren’t even open yet, the fence thing was still down.

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The line for the pharmacy went the wrong direction down the aisle.  I got in line anyway, looking paranoid-ly around for the ‘shop this way arrow police.’

No one came by to arrest us, just a couple other people getting in the wrong direction line behind me.  Do you think they’ll arrest four of us?!?  No.  I don’t think so?!?

There were four people ahead of me and they only had one Rx ready.  The rest of us were told it would be about 45-minutes.

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I didn’t think I’d be in the store that long, so like the man ahead of me, I said I’d do the curbside pickup.  She wrote our names on a small whiteboard and I wondered if it would get wiped off before it got filled.

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Acts 2:44-45  And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as every man had need.

Next I went to Lawn & Garden to see about getting some sunflower seeds.  There wasn’t a single seed packet of ANYTHING to be seen.  Then I went outside to the greenhouse and found a beautiful seed display!!  I grabbed a few different varieties and went to find some dirt.  I’ve said it before, but with all my fields, it just about kills me to buy dirt.

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A couple days later.  Standing outside the store in line every day versus freedom.  I’ll take freedom every single day!!

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Snowing & Sewing

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Snowing & Sewing should probably be the song of my life.  For as long as I can remember, I have sewed on snow days.  The two seem to go hand-in-hand.  You can’t, or shouldn’t, be out on the roads, so why waste the day sitting around doing nothing?

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Sew, I worked on my Mask Spools recently when it snowed in May.  Yes, May.  Mother’s Day weekend.  I’ve lived in northern Maine most of my life, so I know it’s possible, no probable, that it will snow in May.  Maybe even June.  It’s just that come May, I’m ready for Spring and Summer.

Two orange threads ready.  I had already finished my Mask Spools that I made for a wall hanging and figured since I had the selvages out, might as well keep the creativity going!!

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Sides and spools attached.

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My original sketch used about ten spools, however they were bigger so I decided on five spools for the table runner.  I had this great tape measure fabric that I thought would work for the border.  I’m not 100% sure I like it for the border, but it goes along with the sewing theme.

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Next, the batting, backing and binding.  I dug out this great fabric with needles and thread for the backing.

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Binding on.  Ready to turn.

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Eight inches of snow and eight spools later.

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The Mask Spools wall hanging.

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Mask Spools table runner all backed and machine quilted.  Even the tape measure border has woven its way into my heart!!  I love it!!

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Zechariah 10:1  Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms.  He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.

What a difference a couple weeks make!!  All my greens are coming out!!

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Hidden Beauty

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1 Peter 3:3-4  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

I’ve been watering this plant and another one just like it for probably 15-years now.  Maybe even twenty, do you see the dust on it?  Every year it gets a new leaf, maybe.  It doesn’t seem to grow much.  Nor does it get many dead leaves that drop on the floor to have to vacuum up.  My friend gave it to me and didn’t know what it was.  I think it’s some kind of cactus.

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Today when I was watering my plants I noticed this gorgeous flower.  It’s actually about five blossoms clustered together.  Since it was hidden, I moved the planter so I could get a picture.  Once I could see it better, it was spectacular!!

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Then what a beautiful surprise!!  Two more blossoms on the other side.  I couldn’t help but think about how magnificent the Lord is to give us all this hidden beauty.

Then I thought about how this plant is kind of like us.  The Lord gives us beauty and gifts that are inside us just waiting to blossom.

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Ephesians 2:10  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Yes, we are kind of like this plant.  I could have stopped watering it years ago.  It has been pretty much just collecting dust.  And really, always looked quite dead.  I just couldn’t seem to throw it away.  Maybe I’ve looked a little dusty from time to time.  All this time, the Lord doesn’t give up on us.

He planted the seeds in us years ago and He keeps watering us until we are ready to blossom.  Some gifts and beauty take years to develop.  Like my sewing, if I looked back at some of my first sewing projects, I would see a lot of mistakes and some rough edges.  The Lord kept watering me.  He nudged me to teach Home Economics, which of course included sewing units.

Maybe He didn’t see a lot of growth all at once, He just kept watering me.  He would send people to me that needed something sewn or repaired and I would fix it.  In turn, they were happy and would thank and compliment me for doing a great job.  Just enough water to keep me sewing and trying new projects.

A few years later, He sent me to teach in another school where the sewing classes offered quilting.  A relatively new skill for me.  He kept watering me.  Giving me more and more encouragement until my quilting blossomed into a wonderful skill.

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Even if you don’t think anything is happening, keep watering your skills.  Keep learning new things, try new ideas to find your passion, develop your hobbies and the Lord will bring out your hidden beauty and talent.  Be patient and stay faithful.

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Threads Up

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When schools closed back in March due to the Coronavirus, there were several posts on FB that hospitals, paramedics and frontline workers needed masks.  I decided I had plenty of time and fabric on my hands sew, I started sewing some.  I also added what I now refer to as, my mask series, several blog pages documenting the coronavirus in Maine and my contribution to the cause.

In the first post, “The Masks,” I used this picture above of my spool of thread and wrote, ‘if I use all this thread we are in bigger trouble than anyone thought.’

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Nearly a month later.

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Had a little snow, perfect time to sew.

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Another week passed.

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Four days later.

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The next day.

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Later that morning.

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And that afternoon.  Is that dust on my machine?!!  A little sneak peak at my dust collection!!  Maybe you can see the stack of masks in the background ready for ties.

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The next day.

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Almost.

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Hanging on by a thread.

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What color is next?  Red or black?

Approximately 520 masks later.  I did some ‘goes-intas’ and it was about eighty-seven yards of fabric and this yellow spool of thread for 520 masks!!  Before starting the masks, if you had told me that I had over a hundred yards of fabric in my stash, I wouldn’t have believed it.  Some here, another bunch there, this color in that spot and different colors in the other room.  I still don’t quite believe it.  I’ve done the math several times and it always comes out the same.  I guess my fabric stash was bigger than I thought.  I saw a meme on FB that said, ‘I’m not hoarding fabric, I’m planning for a pandemic.’  I’m glad I was prepared.

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Exodus 39:3  Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman.

Another bundle of masks bagged and ready for delivery.  I laid hands on them, said a prayer for the folks receiving them and headed out to drop them off.

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Wholey Cow!

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1 Samuel 6:10  The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home.

Don’t you just love Holsteins?  They have to be my favorite cow.  Mainly because they are the only ones I’ve ever had and known.  My neighbor had Holstein dairy cattle and many of my childhood days were spent herding the cows, feeding the cows and milking the cows.  And yes, shoveling the manure from the cows out of the barn.

When I wasn’t working on our potato farm, I was probably working haying season for my neighbor.  I blogged about it in making hay while the sunshine’s a while back.

One year we bought cow from my neighbor to raise for beef.  We named him Barney because he lived in the barn.  We were pretty creative, don’t you think?

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Look what showed up in my stash of stashes!!  Washed and ready to be turned into masks.  Notice how green I am.  Hanging my laundry out to dry!!  I’m about a hundred steps away from trying tofu burgers!!

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Psalm 50:10  “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.

Pleats and sides done.

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Ties pressed and ready for cutting.

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Still have some thread left, but not for long.

Oh, and how about the gas pump behind my head in the picture with Barney?

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Daily updates.

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Mask Spools

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Ecclesiastes 3:7  A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

While I was working on the masks, most of the time I remembered to keep the selvages to maybe make a couple more Pinnies.  Not that I needed anymore, just that I thought when I’d see those particular selvages, I’d remember all the masks I made for the doctors and nurses, hospitals, nursing homes and all the places I had sent them as I did my little part for the Coronavirus.

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First I decided I would sort them into color groups.  Some were multi-colors that I wasn’t quite sure which group they would end up in.  Maybe they would be in a couple groups.

While I was sorting, I had a brilliant idea!!  I would use them to make a table runner.  Then I had a supersized-brilliant idea.  I would use the selvages to make spools of thread!!

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I sketched out a couple options for my brilliant idea on a 3” x 5” recipe card.

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And added a few measurements.

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I pressed the selvages.  I tried to remind myself to center some of the words.

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Next, I put a press cloth, a linen dish towel, on my ironing board because I was going to use my basting spray; which was a mega bargain from my favorite store; to hold the selvages in place and I didn’t want to get my ironing board cover all sticky.

I need a new ironing board cover anyway, but with the stay at home order and some stores being closed, I figured it might be a while before I would be able to get one.

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I started placing each selvage onto a muslin backing, rearranging as I went to get a look I liked.  I’ll trim later.

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My thread is getting down.  I wrote in The Masks that if I used all of this spool of thread, we are in bigger trouble than anyone thought.  Dust?  What dust?!?

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I decided to zigzag the selvages onto the muslin.

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Proverbs 31:13  She seeks out wool and linen with care and works with willing hands.

So far I have five spools done.  Well, five threads done less the spools.  I need to find some wood grain fabric in my stash.  I think I’ll wait until I get all of them done before I start trimming.

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Found my wood grain fabric!!  I knew I’d get to it eventually.

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Half square triangles for the spools.

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Sides on.

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Spools attached.

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Spools of thread pinned on my mock-up board.  I love them!!  They are quite a bit bigger than I was thinking they’d be, but then again I was looking at my sketch where they were about a half-inch in size.

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I actually had enough selvages to make several spools so this project I decided to make a wall hanging.

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One Bizillion, do you see it?  It seemed like that’s how many selvages I had for the Mask Spools.

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And how about this one, Designs by jb?  I’m positive they meant me!!!

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I can hardly believe I had as many selvages as I did.  All from fabrics I’ve used in the masks for the coronavirus pandemic.

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Latest updates.

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

 

The Rebel

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Job 24:13  They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

As April turned into May, I felt like a rebel.  I was driving around in an uninspected and an unregistered car.  I kept thinking Gomer Pyle would be doing a citizen’s arrest every time I was out for essential shopping.

You remember the episode, Barney gives Gomer a ticket for making a u-turn on Main Street, then gets in the patrol car and does the same thing, making a u-turn to return to the jail house.  Gomer then chases Barney yelling, “Citizens arrest!! Citizens arrest!!”

For the ‘new normal’ the governor put everything on hold by closing almost everything down.  As I understand it, I’ll have 30-days after she opens everything up again to get inspected and registered.

Inspections are like my $400.00 oil changes.  You go in for one little thing and before you can leave they tell you, ‘you need struts,’ ‘you need brakes,’ or ‘you need a muffler.’

I’ll probably have to wear my mask just to get into the town office and garage.  In the meantime I’ll keep driving around illegally in my uninspected car that has a broken windshield, snow tires on and probably needs a needs a muffler.  Maybe brakes and a taillight.  Hopefully I won’t run into Gomer Pyle!!

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A different update chart for reopening.

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Ezekiel 1:28  As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance.  Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.  And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

This is my favorite picture from the gorgeous double rainbow the other night.  It ‘lands’ in my field.    The colors were so beautiful and the reflection from the sunset seemed to make the trees stand out.

Guess I’ll go get my pot of gold.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

To Mask or Not to Mask?

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That is the question.  Just recently the governor required everyone wear masks when out on public unless you were able to social distance at the location.  Many stores here just decided to post signs saying no one could enter the store without wearing a mask.  Then, you didn’t have to wear a mask if you had some medical condition.  And just like that, a lot of people suddenly had medical conditions.

The other day I went to my favorite store that had reopened.  I got there early so I didn’t have to wait in line.  I put my mask in my pocket just in case I needed it to get in the store.  The staffer at the door didn’t say anything about needing to wear a mask so I went in.

The store was a bit busier than usual and a few sections were blocked off.  It was interesting to say the least.  It seemed to be about fifty/fifty.  I’d say that morning about half the shoppers were wearing masks and half were not.

Even stranger was, the people wearing masks didn’t look at anyone not wearing masks in the eyes.  Maybe it was just me, but none of the masked shoppers looked at me.  Shoppers that didn’t have a mask on, did make eye contact and shared greetings.

Then I stopped at another store and saw someone I knew that wasn’t wearing a mask either.  She said they were told they don’t have to wear a mask unless they want to.

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The next day I went again to another store, for essential shopping only of course, and didn’t need a mask to get in.

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2 Corinthians 4:2  We refuse to wear masks and play games.  We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes.  And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves.  Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.

This day did seem like more people were wearing masks, however most of them had it pulled down off the nose and/or the mouth, resting it on their chin.  I wondered what the purpose of the mask was?

A couple days later I went to another store and most of the employees had masks, however I didn’t see any customers wearing masks.  I think people are done.  They’ve done their part.  Now it’s time to get back to ‘normal.’

 

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Current updates.

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Hippie Series

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This fabric reminded me of growing up in the ‘70’s and ‘Flower Power.’  It was psychedelic floral designs, bell bottoms and mini skirts.

The fabric was another bargain from my favorite fabric store.  When I bought it, the thought occurred to me that I might make a pair of bell bottoms to wear to my upcoming class reunion.  As it happened, the nose bump journey was in full swing so I didn’t do either, make the bell bottoms or go to the class reunion.

The Lord’s timing is always perfect.  He knew I wouldn’t look good in psychedelic bell bottoms or a mini skirt!!  Instead, He sent me a great doc and into surgeries.

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Isaiah 26:12  LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

Sew, when it came up in the stash rotation during my mask production, I knew it had to be recycled into masks.

Pretty Groovy aren’t they?

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Current updates.

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Will I run out of my fabric stash or the thread first?

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Genesis 9:13  I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

The other side of the rainbow from the other night.

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

 

 

The Masked Stitcher

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Esther 4:14  Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

About 400-masks into my Mask Production, I decided to make a couple masks for myself.  Sewing themed of course for the Masked Stitcher.  As it turned out, it was around the same time as the governor changed her rules to include a strong warning that all people out, for essential shopping only, wear a mask.

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The Masked Stitcher back at it.  The local mask group on FB that I joined, I thought should have been called “The Masked Stitchers,” but they didn’t ask for name ideas.  The last time I checked, the mask group had 345 members.  I don’t know how many of them sewed masks.  Usually someone in the group would post that a certain agency was looking for this number of masks.  Then each ‘Masked Stitcher,’ as I called us, would add to the thread how many they had or had dropped off at the location.

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Luke 6:38  Give to others, and God will give to you.  Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands – all that you can hold.  The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

Just about every time I sat down at my sewing machine, I thought about Gram Bug.  Gram Bug was not a sewer.  I don’t think I ever heard her say she sewed.  She knit some and did some needlepoint, but except for maybe sewing on a button, I don’t think she sewed much.

So why would she come to my mind?  She used to talk about helping out in the war effort.  Although a different war, World War II versus a biological pandemic warfare, the desire to do your part for those on the frontlines was evident.

While she worked at Smith & Wesson making guns and ammunition, I was working at home sewing masks for paramedics, doctors, nurses, orderlies, janitors, dietary staff and anyone that wanted a mask to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t really understand the concept of helping out for the war effort when I was eight or ten when she probably told the stories about it, but now all these years later, I thought about what she did a lot.

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Deuteronomy 8:16  In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.

The colors in my mask stack kept changing as I’d deliver a bundle and return home to start sewing again.

One day my friend called and I was telling him about having delivered about 400-masks.  Knowing that my favorite fabric store was closed, he asked, “where are you getting all the fabric?”

I responded, “I’ve had it for other quilt projects and didn’t use it or had it left over from something I made.”

Another friend emailed asking the same thing.  I wrote back and said, “you know, it’s strange, the more masks I make and give away, the more fabric I have.  It’s like it reproduces while I’m out on a delivery.”

She wrote back saying, ‘it was like manna, that as long as I was making masks, the Lord was providing the fabric.’

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Today I did another drop off at a local agency.  You can’t just walk in anymore, you have to ring the doorbell and wait for someone to open the door.  I was greeted with, “Hi Ms. Bugbee, how are you?”

I didn’t recognize the woman, so I asked, “you know me?”

She told me her name and reminded me that she was one of my former students.  We chatted for a couple minutes and I thanked her for speaking to me and told her I don’t usually recognize people when I’m out.  She said wearing masks now doesn’t help either.

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My spool of thread is getting down there.

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Latest updates.

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Masks bagged up and ready for another delivery.

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Genesis 9:14  It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,

Beautiful double rainbow last evening.

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Four Yards of Zebras

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Aren’t these guys something else?  I’ve had them for years and never was able to come up with a pattern for them.

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1 Corinthians 4:7  For who makes you different from anyone else?

I also picked up their colorful cousins!!  These guys too, I didn’t have anything in mind, but thought maybe I might use them for backing a baby quilt.

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I think I have an idea for zebra time.

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They were another bargain from my favorite store, $1.00/yard.  I wanted four yards, but it was the end of the bolt so I actually got 4 1/4 yards.

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I pulled out the dazzle of zebra and decided, yes, they would make great masks!!

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One down, three and seven-eighths yards to go.

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I corralled them up and did another drop off.

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The latest.  Getting ready for Phase 1 for reopening beginning May 1, 2020.

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Pipes

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Zechariah 4:12  And a second time I said to him, “What are these two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes by which the golden oil is emptied?”

Don’t tell the Social Distancing police, but I stopped to visit some unnamed people the other day.  I was actually doing a mask drop off and figured it was an essential outing.

While there, one of the unnamed people was wondering if I would be able to make some masks from this pipe fabric.

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I brought it into my sweatshop and began sewing on the masks.  Pleats pressed and pinned.

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Pressing binding with my trusty bias tool.

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Zigzagging across the wire in a pipe cleaner to hold it in place.

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Edge stitching the ties.

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Pressing the finished masks.

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Six masks ready to be delivered to the unnamed person.

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Modeling a mask.

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Latest update.

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

It’s a Jungle Out There

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Luke 6:38  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

A few years ago I had a job in which I traveled around the County and did presentations for youth, parents, providers and teachers.  The main office was in Augusta and we had six regional offices throughout the state.  To help attract interest in trainings, most of the workshops had themes.  One theme that was quite popular was, ‘It’s a Jungle Out There.’

When I started the job, I almost thought I was walking into a quilt shop.  There was a LOT of fabric on the shelves.  Over the fifteen years before I started in the position, other staff had each added yards and yards of fabrics for table  coverings to match their themes.

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When I arrived, there were all new workshops with all new themes.  I don’t remember which came first, the idea to do a workshop theme of ‘It’s a Jungle Out There,’ or finding all the jungle themed fabric at my local favorite store and developing the workshops.  Either way, I had quite a lot of jungle fabrics.

Every year I was in the position, the budget was cut.  Around my fourth year there, funding was being cut again and at one of our staff meetings the director was giving the staff all the stuff they didn’t need in the main office anymore because he didn’t want to pack it for the move to a smaller office.

He opened a storage room door and the entire space, top to bottom, was full of fabric they had used over the years.  He told me I could have it.

I know what you are thinking.  That I took it.  No, I didn’t take even one piece!!  I’m not quite sure why not, except that I already had a storage space at my own office that looked exactly the same!!  I knew I too would be packing it up sometime.

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The next year funding was cut yet again and the decision was made to cut funding used for our office space and staff would work at home. Today they are using the term, ‘working remotely.’  I think we may have invented it.

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The next year our funding was cut completely, ending the program.  We continued services and provided workshops to the end of the fiscal year.

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2 Corinthians 9:7  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

There had been some talk about what to do with all our office stuff.  Most of us didn’t want massive photocopiers in our living rooms or have space for desks and filing cabinets.  At one of our last staff meetings, the director told us, “keep what you want and give the rest away.”

I kept the fabric.  Once in a while I thought I should make something from it, but most of it I didn’t have a quilt pattern in mind to make.

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Now all these years later, I’m recycling some of it into masks for the local hospitals, clinics and nursing homes because of the coronavirus.  And, giving it away.

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Another bundle ready for delivery.

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Latest update.

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COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

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1 Corinthians 13:13  But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

It seemed like every time I went out, for essential shopping only, I would see more signs of the times.  I wanted to document as much as I could.  Suddenly I thought I was Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Instead of pen and paper, I used a keyboard and an iPhone.  She’d never believe it!!

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The first day the stay healthy at home was in place and people were out shopping.  Yes, I was curious, it was also the same day I did a mask drop off so I drove by Walmart.  I didn’t think to go near the end of the line to get a picture, but the one I got does show that people were practicing social distancing.

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A drive by Walmart the next week first thing Monday morning.  I thought there might be a line, but this day no one was in line outside.  They had a limit of hundred shoppers.  The shopping carts were on their sides, each with the 6’ sign on it.  Only the grocery side doors were being used.  The line began at lawn and garden.

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Plexiglass added at the checkout at a local grocery store.  I was out early to try to avoid any lines.  This smaller store was allowing 15 shoppers at a time.  There were no lines so I got right in and only saw about five shoppers.

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My normal sign of Spring are the robins on my lawn.

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The ice jam on one side of the bridge,

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and the open water on the other side of the bridge.

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Curbside pickup and free delivery for all my lumber and hardware needs.

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Graves Shop & Save

Another local grocery store put ‘One Way’ signs on the floor.

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Graves Shop & Save

And other ‘please wait here’ signs if you are getting too close.

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A few open signs.

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Back at Walmart I noticed this sign for parking reserved for Rx curbside pickup.

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No popcorn at the movie theater.

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These guys still didn’t get the Social Distancing memo!!

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Daily updates.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

[Verse 1]
And the sign said “Long-haired freaky people
Need not apply”
So I tucked my hair up under my hat
And I went in to ask him why
He said “You look like a fine upstanding young man
I think you’ll do”
So I took off my hat, I said “Imagine that
Huh! Me workin’ for you!”
Whoa-oh-oh

[Chorus]
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery
Breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that
Can’t you read the sign?

[Verse 2]
And the sign said anybody caught trespassing
Would be shot on sight
So I jumped on the fence and I yelled at the house
“Hey! What gives you the right?
To put up a fence to keep me out
Or to keep Mother Nature in
If God was here he’d tell you to your face
Man, you’re some kinda sinner”

[Chorus]
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery
Breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that
Can’t you read the sign?

{In album version only}

[Bridge]
Now, hey you, mister, can’t you read?
You’ve got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can’t even watch, no, you can’t eat
You ain’t supposed to be here
The sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside
Ugh!

[Verse 3]
And the sign said, “Everybody welcome. Come in, kneel down and pray”
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all, I didn’t have a penny to pay
So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign
I said, “Thank you, Lord, for thinkin’ ’bout me. I’m alive and doin’ fine.”
Wooo!

[Chorus]
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?
{Outro}
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Sign
Sign, sign

 

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Going Bananas?

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The caribou in Caribou.

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I had this great banana fabric in my stash and decided it would be perfect for the coronavirus.  I’d seen a few posts on FB with people saying they were ‘going bananas’ staying home.

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Assembly line pressing side pieces.

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Masks awaiting pleats.

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A bundle of ties ready to go through my trusty bias maker tool.

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When I ran out of twist ties, I found some pipe cleaners for the nose piece.

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I used my continuous binding for the ties.  When the cut was close to a fabric change, I’d cut around it.  Otherwise, I just kept it for the strip, no sense wasting eleven inches of ties.

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A couple masks made with headbands.

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Psalm 91:9-10  If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

Another bag full of masks ready for delivery.  I laid hands on them, said a prayer of protection for everyone using them and headed to the drop off.

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I was glad they had a sign for masks on the tote.  There were also trash cans, returnable cans and salt cans all in the same area.

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Saw this guy on the way to the drop off.

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The recent stats.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Mask Production

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Luke 24:6-7  “He is not here; he has risen!”

My sweatshop was in full swing with mask production in mass production.  There wasn’t any elastic in the area so most of the masks I made had ties.  I actually liked the ties better because you could have a more fitted tightness compared to the elastic.  Also there were posts in the mask group that talked about how the elastic was chafing the ears.  I immediately thought they should be using Bag Balm on their ears for the soreness and chafing, but I digress.

My assembly line was almost like Henry Fords.

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As I would pick out a fabric from my stash, I would press it, fold lengthwise in half and in half again, what I call a quarter fold.  The main reason why I do quarter folds is because the fabric then fits on my reversible cutting board that I place on my ironing board for a better height for me when cutting.

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Then I cut 15” strips and then refolded it for the 8” cuts (below.)  I get four 15” x 8” masks from one strip.  {For my original mask pattern and directions, check out my other blog page, The Masks.}

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Even though I lined up on my cutting lines, I usually always counted each inch for an accurate cut.  Surprisingly 18 minus 8” equals 10.  Every time.  I could just lineup on the 10” line, but I still counted it.  With the remaining 4 – 5” I cut side pieces.

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Next, depending on how much fabric I started with, I would cut the rest into 2” strips for ties.  For this piece there wasn’t quite enough for masks and I thought it was kind of busy sew it became ties.  I didn’t want the doc getting dizzy from the swirling lines!

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1 Corinthians 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

After sewing masks for a week, I decided I probably should clean my machine.  Yes, there were a few dust balls.

With my assembly line, I  usually would have 4 – 6 masks pressed with pleats ready to start sewing the next day.  I also had some ties ready from my trusty bias tool maker.

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Since there wasn’t any 1/4” elastic anywhere in the County, my niece-in-love found some headbands sew I was able to make a few masks with elastic.

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For the masks with elastic, I attached 8” top and bottom bindings first (opposite of how I do them with ties) and center a twist tie on the top for the nose piece.

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One headband cut in half for the elastic is pretty close to the 7” recommended when using 1/4” elastic.  For a stronger hold for the elastic, I use a close zigzag before …

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… adding the short end bindings.

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Turn binding and stitch-in-the-ditch.

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A ‘Snubber.’  Do you see it?  I don’t think anyone else will notice either.

It’s interesting how the Lord multiplies seed.  With all the fabric I’ve used for masks, you would never know it with all I still have left.  He’s amazing!!

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2 Timothy 1:6  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

As I finished a mask I added it to the pile.  I didn’t really keep count.  I had already delivered fifteen masks.  One day I was going to drop off about twenty masks and decided maybe I should take inventory.  There were 107.  I didn’t think I had that many.

I counted out 50 masks for the drop off.   I laid hands on them and said a prayer for all the doctors, nurses, janitors, housekeepers and dietary staffs that might be using them; that they would be healthy and strong through the coronavirus.  That they would have wisdom, kindness and empathy in all their tasks.  And that the Lord would bless them and their families.

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Another fifty masks ready for delivery.  Can you see the ladybug?

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I forgot to take a picture as I stuffed the masks into the hole in the cover.  When I got back to the car I saw the guy checking the bin.  He only looked in and shook the bin, I think to make sure the donations were down far enough that no one could reach in and take them out.

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It was strongly suggested that everyone wear a mask whenever out shopping and practicing social distancing.

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Peter Cottontail 

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppin’, Easter’s on its way

Bringin’ every girl and boy
Baskets full of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter bright and gay

He’s got jelly beans for Tommy
Colored eggs for sister Sue
There’s an orchid for your mommy
And an Easter bonnet too

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppin’, Easter’s on its way

Try to do the things you should
Maybe if you’re extra good
He’ll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

You’ll wake up on Easter mornin’
And you’ll know that he was there
When you find those chocolate bunnies
That he’s hiding everywhere

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

COPYRIGHT:  Writer(s): Jack Rollins, Steve Nelson

Happy Easter

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

More Signs

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John 21:12  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”  None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.

As I try to document the coronavirus, I found a few more signs of the times.  There are a lot of closed signs right now.  I’ll probably have Marden’s withdrawals.

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There’s also a lot of signs like this cooler setting  on a snowbank by the side of the road.

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It’s for the school lunch delivery program while school is canceled for the coronavirus.  The school buses deliver the meals, lunch and a breakfast for the next day.

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Pretty soon they will be sitting in mud!!

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Some people are participating in the neighborhood bear hunt.  My friend and her family joined in the fun.

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New signs at Walmart.  It’s interesting to me that they have so many of them so soon into this C-19 crisis?  It’s almost like they have known for quite some time that they would need these.

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Sign at the hospital for the drive through testing.  I was looking for the tent set up, but I didn’t see it.

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Pharmacy doors blocked off to the entrance.

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These guys didn’t get the Social Distancing memo!!

Below, the latest stay at home mandate from the Governor for at least the next month.  I’ve read the coronavirus could go on for 18-months.  If so, I expect the mandates will come out one month at a time.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Also orders a series of additional requirements to protect public health and safety in the face of COVID-19

Governor Janet Mills today issued a series of substantial new mandates to protect public health and safety in the face of COVID-19, including a Stay Healthy at Home directive that requires people living in Maine to stay at home at all times unless for an essential job or an essential personal reason, such as obtaining food, medicine, health care, or other necessary purposes.

The Governor also mandated a series of other new restrictions, including:

  • For essential businesses and operations that remain open, limiting the number of customers in their buildings at any one time, implementing curb-side pickup and delivery options as much as possible, and enforcing U.S. CDC-recommended physical distancing requirements for their customers and employees in and around their facilities.
  • Prohibiting the use of public transportation unless for an essential reason or job that cannot be done from home and limiting the number of people traveling in private vehicles to persons within the immediate household unless transporting for essential activities.
  • Mandating the continued termination of classroom or other in-person instruction until at least May 1, 2020.
  • Mandating that, when out of the home or when at work at an essential business, individuals shall maintain a minimum distance of six feet from other persons.

The Executive Order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on April 2, 2020 and will last until at least April 30, 2020. The Governor may amend, rescind, or renew this timeline at her discretion. The Governor also extended the closure of restaurants and bars statewide for dine-in customers until at least April 30, 2020 to align with today’s Executive Order.

“We are in the midst of one of the greatest public health crises this world has seen in more than a century. This virus will continue to sicken people across our state; our cases will only grow, and more people will die. I say this to be direct, to be as honest with you as I can. Because saving lives will depend on us,” said Governor Mills. “I implore you – look to yourself, your family, your friends, your loved ones, your neighbors on the front lines, first responders and health care workers fighting the virus, those who can’t stay home; the children who live around the corner, the farmer who grows your food, the grocer and the pharmacist who sell you goods, the teachers who are missing their kids; the fisherman, the sailor, the truck driver, the janitor, the waitress at your favorite diner; these are the people you are protecting by staying home. This is who you are saving.”

The Governor’s Executive Order enacts the following:

Stay Healthy at Home Directive

Governor Mills’ “Stay Healthy at Home” Executive Order requires that Maine people remain at home unless to leave for an essential job or an essential activity.

Essential jobs are defined under Governor Mills’ March 24 Executive Order outlining essential businesses and operations.

Essential personal activities include the following with relation to an individual, their family, household members, pets, or livestock:

  1. Obtaining necessary supplies for household consumption or use, such as groceries, and supplies and equipment needed to work from home, laundry, and products needed to maintain safety, sanitation, and essential maintenance of the home or residence.
  2. Obtaining medication or medical supplies and seeking medical or behavioral health or emergency services.
  3. Providing care, including transportation, of oneself, a family member, friend, pet or livestock in another household or location for essential health and safety activities and to obtain necessary supplies and services.
  4. Traveling to and from an educational institution for purposes of receiving meals or instructional materials for distance learning.
  5. Engaging in outdoor exercise activities, such as walking, hiking, running, or biking, but, only in compliance with the social gathering restriction in Executive Order 14 and all applicable social distancing guidance published by the U.S. and Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  6. Travel required by a law enforcement officer or court order; and
  7. Traveling to and from a federal, State, or local government building for a necessary purpose.

Travel Restrictions

The Order prohibits the use of public transportation unless for an essential reason or job that cannot be done from home and limits the number of people traveling in private vehicles to persons within the immediate household unless transporting for essential personal activities.

Termination of In-Person Instruction at Schools

Public and private schools and higher education institutions statewide have terminated in-classroom instruction in accordance with the Governor’s March 15 recommendation. The Governor today ordered that all such schools shall continue to cease classroom or other in-person instruction until at least May 1, 2020, or until further Order.

Restricting Number of People in Essential Stores

Governor Mills’ Executive Order restricts the number of people allowed at essential businesses at any one time, mandates that they conduct as much business as possible by curbside order and pick up or delivery to limit in-person contact, and enforce physical distancing in and around their facilities by prominently posting signs at public entrances and on the floor to notify customers to stay six-feet apart. It also requires that they disinfect the handles of every cart and basket between uses, minimize customer handling of unpurchased merchandise and offer separate operating hours for Maine people over the age of 60 and those with underlying medical conditions.

Under the Executive order, essential stores with retail spaces of:

  • Less than 7,500 square feet limit the number of customers in the store at one time to 5. Examples of such stores include gas stations and convenience and specialty food stores.
  • More than 7,500 and less than 25,000 square feet limit the number of customers in the store at one time to 15. Examples of such stores include stand-alone pharmacies and certain hardware stores.
  • More than 25,000 and less than 50,000 square feet limit the number of customers in the store at one time to 50.  Examples of such stores include mid-sized and locally owned grocery stores.
  • More than 50,000 and less than 75,000 square feet limit the number of customers in the store at one time to 75.  Examples of such stores include chain grocery stores.
  • More than 75,000 square feet limit the number of customers in the store at one time to 100 and install protective shields between customers and checkout clerks as soon as practicable. Examples of such stores include Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot.

Retailers must enforce these limits and a six-foot separation between any customers waiting in lines. Any essential business which violates this Order will be subject to further on-site restrictions or closure until those violations are addressed. These new requirements adjust and mandate prior recommendations from the Governor regarding essential businesses and operations.

Preemption

The Order preempts any local ordinance or emergency order of the same subject matter that is less restrictive than or otherwise inconsistent with this Order.

Enforcement

This Order shall be enforced by law enforcement as necessary and violations are a class E crime subject to up to six months in jail and a $1000 fine. In addition, compliance with Section IV of this Order may also be enforced by government officials who regulate licenses, permits or any other authorization to operate a business or occupy a building. It is the Governor’s hope that compliance will be voluntary, and that formal enforcement will not be necessary.

Day 997

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2 Corinthians 4:16-18  Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

While the rest of the world was adjusting to being isolated to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I was up to Day 997 of being semi-self-isolated and job hunting.  For me, there wasn’t a lot of day-to-day change.

Maybe I’m a little weird.  Maybe a lot weird.  However over the years I’ve had quite a few grant funded jobs, so when they ended and I was between positions, I always cut out all the extras to stretch my budget.  The newspaper, satellite TV, eating out.  Also the extra travel and shopping.  I would try to combine outings to save on gas and all.

The exception was during the nose bump journey.  I had a lot of extra trips to the docs office, but even then, if I needed gas, milk or eggs, I’d pick them up while I was out.

The majority of my time has been at home.  Doing things like mowing the lawn and sending out resumes.  And of course sewing.

Sew, now with all the new ‘rules’ for staying home and no gatherings of ten or more, I can’t really see much of a difference.  Just that it’s time to start sewing a new project!!

It is an adjustment though.  When all of a sudden you don’t have a job to go to, are missing colleagues, and wondering what the future holds.  It’s easy to get antsy.

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Lamentations 3:21-23  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:  Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

One time between jobs, I think I read every book in the library.  The library had two displays of new releases, one with fiction and one with nonfiction.  I rarely went into the stacks.  I would just grab two books from each display and read them during the week.  I usually didn’t need the two weeks before returning them for the next adventure.  It gave me a routine.

Sewing is probably my favorite routine.  It gives me something to do that’s also constructive so I don’t feel as though I’ve wasted the day by not doing anything.  I have something productive to show for day.

If you suddenly are finding yourself a little anxious during these days, I would suggest keeping a routine.  Get up at your usual time and perhaps work on a hobby.  I know it’s hard to start a new hobby right now because you probably wouldn’t have the supplies on hand.  However, if you already do something like knitting, sewing or painting and have some materials on hand, work on honing your skills.

Admittedly it’s a little different for me because I haven’t had to try to homeschool one, or two or ten kids this past week; and, up until Day 992; I haven’t had to worry much about toilet paper shortages!!

Have faith, and try not to worry, you will get through this.  The Lord will supply.

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Matthew 6:34. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Masks

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2 Thessalonians 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Sew, with the coronavirus in full swing, there was a call for masks.  Since I have plenty of 100% cotton fabrics* in my stash, I decided I would do my contribution to the cause.

I looked at a couple YouTube videos to get the measurements, sizes and started cutting.  I found a few different sizes, but for most of them I used 15” x 8” for the mask.  Pressed in half, wrong-sides-together.

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I love these guys on bikes!!

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Next, evenly distribute three 1” pleats, which when folded will be 1/2”.  I’m a pinner, since I’m a little on the OCD side when it comes to being exact.

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To enclose the seam, cut two 1 3/4” x 4” rectangles, one for each side.  (This was the measurement from the pattern I found, but I think 1 1/2” would have been fine.)

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Sides already on and top-stitched.

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My recycling effort, I rarely throw anything away, so I dug out some trash bag twist ties to add into the seam allowance for the nose section.

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Center the twist tie a bit.

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I took a little extra time to stitch through the paper to hold it in place.  I figured it would move to one side and then be rather useless if I didn’t attach it.

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Sew far I’ve only managed to hit the wire with the needle twice!!  It should be good for a decade!!

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Ready to add the ties.  I mixed and matched the fabrics!!

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If I use all this thread, we are in bigger trouble than anyone thought!!

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I used some bias tape for some of the ties.

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Job 1:10  Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?  You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

As I started a new mask, I tried to match colors.  Those using them might not care or even notice, but I would.

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One pattern I found used strips for ties, so I used strips for some and bias for others.  I ran out of bias so I dug out my trusty bias maker tool.

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It’s pretty slick.  You put the fabric into the tool and it folds it.  I press it for a sturdier hold.  As an added bonus, I hardly burned my fingers at all while pressing!!

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Because it can be a little difficult to feed the first strip through, I just kept adding strips on as needed.  Sometimes the splice came near the length I needed and sometimes it didn’t.

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If it was close, I cut it off, if there was too much to waste, I just used it.

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I found some elastic for a few of them two-7” pieces.  I thought I had more, but I must have used it.  Others posted on FB that none of our local stores had any elastic left.

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A stack of about a dozen masks with elastic.

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One pattern called for 24” ties, but they seemed a bit short so I cut them at 36”.

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Stack of about twenty masks ready to go.

*Since posting The Masks, I’ve been asked how you can tell if the fabric is 100% cotton.  If the fiber content is not printed on the selvage, you can do a burn test.  Be sure to do it safely, over the sink with water ready to douse the flame.  Polyesters will melt and bead up, natural fabrics like 100% cotton will not.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Signs of The Times

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Fort Fairfield Public Library

Luke 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

About a week into all the social distancing I went downtown to mail a couple cards.  I couldn’t help but notice all the signs in the doors and decided this too, I should document.

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Acadia Medical Supply

This store always seems to be open, but not today.

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Boondock’s

A great restaurant.

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Knights of Columbus

Our little town doesn’t have as many stores as it’s had in the past so it’s kind of hard seeing all the closed signs.

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Norm’s Used Cars

This was the only ‘OPEN’ sign I saw, but the gas station and the IGA were also open.

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Bradley’s

Next I took a ride to Presque Isle.  Convenience stores using drive thru window for pick ups.

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Katahdin Trust

The bank parking lot, empty; it’s usually full.  Drive through or mobile banking until further notice.

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McDonald’s

Fast foods are take out and drive through only.

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SmartStyle

Since the nose bump surgery, I’ve been getting my haircut at the SmartStyle.  I might have to cut my own bangs!!  Oh no!!!

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Circle K

Gas prices are finally under $2.00, however most people aren’t traveling much.

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Marden’s

My favorite store, temporary hours for now.  The fabric clerk told me that at least one of the stores downstate was closed because of lack of staff.  She was saying they are down on staff too, but able to stay open for now.

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MSAD #1

The closed sign at the school.  It’s the same Countywide.

Luke 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Redemption Draweth Nigh

Years of time have come and gone

Since I first heard it told,
How Jesus would come again someday.
If back then it seemed so real,
Then I just can’t help but feel
How much closer his coming is today.
Chorus:
Signs of the times are everywhere.
There’s a brand new feeling in the air.
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky,
Life up your heads, redemption draweth nigh!
2.  Wars and strife on every hand
And violence fills our land,
Still some people doubt he’ll come again.
But the Word of God is true,
He’ll redeem his chosen few.
Don’t lose hope, soon Christ Jesus will descend.

https://lyricstranslate.com

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Documenting Hysteria

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Matthew 9:36  Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Yesterday I did my usual shopping run and started documenting hysteria during the coronavirus in Social Distancing.  Today I decided to go again to see if shelves were restocked or remained the same.

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) 17 cases overall.

Monday morning the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that there are five new cases of coronavirus in the state, including one in Knox County.

Eight are confirmed cases and nine are presumptive cases.

In addition to the person in Knox County, there are 13 cases in Cumberland County, two cases in Lincoln County, one case in Androscoggin County two people are hospitalized.

The Maine CDC’s director said they continue to see evidence of community transmission in Cumberland County not associated with travel.

764 Mainers have tested negative for the virus.

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Hebrews 10:24-25  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Normally the toilet paper is on the left and paper towels on the right side.  Not today.  It doesn’t seem like anything was restocked in this aisle since yesterday.

A few days have passed and the local schools have decided to close at least a month through April school vacation per the Governor’s order.

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The map with the latest number of cases in just 4-5 days since the above article in which there were only 17 cases in Maine.

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Through all the hysteria people are still kind and generous.  My neighbors stopped by and left these blueberry muffins on my doorstep.  I was in the kitchen and didn’t hear them knock.  So social distancing by chance.

Isaiah 51:10  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Saltines

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With the coronavirus now confirmed in all fifty states, I was reflecting back to about a month or so ago when I had some kind of flu bug.  Now I’m wondering if I maybe had the coronavirus?

The day started normally, but I felt kind of off.  I didn’t feel sick, it didn’t seem like a cold either, so I continued my normal routine.  The next day was about the same.  That night was the first time I thought I was dying.

I woke up in the middle of the night with what felt like a million knives in my back.  It was a pain unlike any other I’d ever felt.  By morning I felt better and ran a couple errands.  That night, the knifelike pain returned.

I could hardly sleep and barely move.  I think I only slept about an hour all night.  The next day I was up, but pretty much slept all day.

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I thought I should eat.  So I made a feast of a couple saltines.  It took me all day to just barely eat one.

The next couple nights and days were about the same.  The aches and pains in my back were still shooting through me and I still could only manage a few saltines.

While I was dying, I tried doing my prayers, but I couldn’t even get the words out, by Your stripes I’m healed, I could hear them in my head, but the pain prevented me from even thinking much.  I thought, ‘I hope this wireless connection is still getting through.’

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About day five or six, I’d kind of lost track of the days, I felt better enough to have a couple skinny saltines, aka a few pretzels.  By the next day, I was feeling like my old self, but I decided to lay low for another day or two.  I added a baked potato to my menu on about day seven.  My go-to cure all.

Probably if all the coronavirus hype had been in full swing then; cancellations of everything, Social Distancing, and toilet paper hysteria; I might have thought more about it and gone for the test.

I doubt it was the coronavirus, I think the germs would freeze in Maine temperatures, however given the latest news, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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The next couple days I seemed to crave all the nutrients I hadn’t had in a week.  One craving was dill pickles.  I couldn’t get enough of them!!

Isaiah 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

COVID-19 Update

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Today I saw these ‘snow rollers’ and stopped to get a couple pictures.

With all the hourly changes on the COVID-19 crisis, I just want to document the latest information as I’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime.

Governor Mills Takes Further Steps to Respond to COVID-19, Protect Health and Safety of Maine People

Governor prohibits dine-in service at bars and restaurants; bans gatherings more than 10 people & signs emergency legislation to respond to COVID-19

Under authority granted to her in a civil state of emergency, Governor Janet Mills today issued an Executive Order mandating that all restaurants and bars statewide close to dine-in customers effective today, March 18, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. for a period of 14 days until midnight, March 31, 2020. Take-out, delivery, and drive-through options can continue. In her order, the Governor also prohibited all gatherings of more than 10 people until further notice, mandating the latest U.S. CDC’s guidance on gatherings. In addition, Governor Mills strongly urged non-essential public-facing businesses, such as gyms, hair salons, theatres, casinos, shopping malls, to close their doors for the next two weeks to minimize public gatherings. These new actions come as Governor Mills seeks to significantly strengthen social distancing measures in Maine. Social distancing is considered one of the most effective methods to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“I do not take these steps lightly. Maine’s small businesses and their workers are the backbone of our economy, and I understand that these actions will not only impact them, they will also disrupt the lives of Maine people,” said Governor Janet Mills. “However, COVID-19 continues to spread across Maine and more aggressive action is required to mitigate that spread and to protect the health and welfare of Maine people. My Administration is committed to working with businesses whose operations are affected by COVID-19. I continue to strongly urge all Maine people to take seriously the threat of this virus and to practice social distancing. We all have a responsibility to do our part.”

“We are continuing our work to find ways that we can support both Maine businesses and Maine workers during this challenging time,” said Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson. “DECD, in partnership with other departments in Governor Mills’ Administration, is committed to finding solutions and to partnering with other entities that can offer support to ensure that there are resources available for businesses impacted by the changes in the market as a result of the Coronavirus.”

Governor Mills’ Executive Order:

  • Prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people statewide. Gatherings subject to this Order are those that are primarily social, personal, and discretionary events not work-related events. Such gatherings include, without limitation, community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events; social clubs; sporting events with spectators; concerts, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, and festivals; and any similar event or activity in a venue such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater, gymnasium, fitness center or private club.
  • Closes dine-in facilities at all restaurants and bars statewide. All restaurants and bars shall close their dine-in facilities. Such businesses that offer carry-out, delivery, and drive-through food and beverage service may continue to do so but eating and drinking inside restaurants and bars is temporarily prohibited. Such businesses offering carry-out, delivery, and drive-through food and beverage should employ social distancing best practices and minimize gathering of customers. The Governor urges Maine people to continue to support our establishments by purchasing take-out meals or by buying gift cards or other measures of support.

The Order will be reviewed prior to its expiration date for a determination of the need for revision and renewal.

In addition, Governor Mills strongly urged non-essential public-facing businesses, such as gyms, hair salons, theatres, casinos, shopping malls, to close their doors for the next two weeks to minimize public gatherings.

This does not include businesses that provide essential services including, but not limited to: food processing, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, construction, trash collection, grocery and household goods (including convenience stores), home repair and hardware and auto repair, pharmacy and other medical facilities, biomedical and health care, child care, post offices and shipping outlets, insurance, banks, gas stations, laundromats, veterinary clinics and animal feed and supply stores, shipping stores, public transportation, and hotel and commercial lodging.

Although these businesses may remain open, Governor Mills strongly urged Maine people to implement social distancing measures and to be thoughtful about the need to visit these businesses.

Other businesses, including but not limited to legal services, business and management consulting, professional services and insurance services, are encouraged to have employees work remotely. If that is not possible, Governor Mills urges employees to implement social distancing measures.

Governor Mills also signed into law today an emergency bill granting her access to at least $11 million in State funding to respond to COVID-19 and an omnibus emergency bill expanding authorities of State and local officials to allow them greater flexibility to respond to the virus. The bipartisan supplemental budget also provides $1 million to the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support public health nurses and cover costs of lab tests and other response efforts not otherwise federally funded.

Governor Janet Mills has also taken strong steps to protect Maine workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Upon Governor Mills’ request, the Small Business Administration (SBA) declared that Maine businesses are now eligible to apply for economic support loans to help them overcome any temporary loss of revenue due to COVID-19. Additionally, the emergency omnibus package she signed today temporarily revises eligibility for unemployment insurance to extend it to individuals whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19. It also temporarily waives the one week waiting period for benefits so that workers may obtain benefits faster and ensures that claims for UI will not affect an employer’s experience rating. It also establishes a consumer loan guarantee program through FAME, in partnership with financial institutions, to provide low- or no- interest loans for eligible people in Maine.

These new steps from the Governor build on the work done by the Mills Administration to prepare for and respond to COVID-19, including:

  • Convening a Coronavirus Response Team, led by Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah and comprised of key individuals in the Mills Administration, to coordinate State government’s response across departments and local agencies and health authorities;
  • Signing a proclamation of civil emergency to bring the State of Maine to highest alert and allowing her to deploy all available state resources to protect the health and safety of Maine people and to take every action she reasonably deems necessary to help respond to and protect against the spread of COVID-19 in Maine. The proclamation also eased Maine’s access to critical federal aid to boost response efforts.
  • Signing into law a $73 million supplemental budget proposal that protects the health and well-being of Maine people as the State responds to COVID-19;
  • Signing into law a package of emergency measures granting her access to at least $11 million in State funding to respond to COVID-19, expanding authorities of State and local officials to allow them greater flexibility to respond to the virus, and provide support to Maine workers impacted by the virus.
  • Issuing a Declaration of Abnormal Market Disruption, drafted in close consultation with Attorney General Aaron M. Frey, to prohibit price gouging of certain necessities;
  • Declaring a health insurance emergency to require health insurance carriers providing health care coverage in Maine’s commercial market to cover costs related to coronavirus testing and increase access to care.
  • Directing the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to issue emergency rules to ensure MaineCare does not charge copays for office visits and prescription drugs that may be needed for COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, and to allow for a prescription refill of up to 90 days so people have to make fewer visits to pharmacies.
  • Recommending ending classroom instruction in all public schools as soon as reasonably practical
  • Applying for and receiving a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow schools the ability to provide meals offsite to students, if the school or community currently has, or qualifies for, a USDA Summer Food Service Program.
  • Recommending hospital systems and health care providers across Maine postpone non-urgent medical procedures, elective surgeries, and appointments until further notice.
  • Recommending all long-term care providersprohibit all visitors and non-essential health care personnel; except for certain compassionate care situations such as an end of life situation, until further notice.
  • Distributing personal protective equipment to first responders and health care professionals across Maine as it becomes available.
  • Temporarily suspending non-essential, out-of-state travel for all State employees and reviewing leave policies and telecommuting options.
  • Launching a 211 option for Mainers to get answers to questions about COVID-19 at any time. This service is available by dialing 211 (or 1-866-811-5695), texting your ZIP code to 898-211, or emailinginfo@211maine.org.

For more information on Maine’s response to COVID-19 and updated testing results, visit the Maine CDC website. Additionally, Maine CDC and 211 Maine have launched a new option for Mainers to get answers to questions about COVID-19 at any time. This service is available by dialing 211 (or 1-866-811-5695), texting your ZIP code to 898-211, or emailing info@211maine.org.

The best thing that Maine people can do to protect their health is to practice social distancing and take the same preventive measures that avoid catching a cold: Wash your hands often for 20 seconds. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home if you are sick. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, shortness of breath, and lower respiratory distress. Call ahead to a health care professional if you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness. Health care providers will make the initial determination on whether COVID-19 testing is advisable. As appropriate, health providers will take samples and submit them to Maine CDC.

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Psalm 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
A close up of the snow rollers.

COPYRIGHT

© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Social Distancing

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Psalm 91:10-11  no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

Social Distancing.  I don’t believe I had ever heard the term before reading one of the blogs I follow.  Then, as if by magic, I heard the term everywhere.  It was/is associated with the Coronavirus outbreak.  Basically a term meaning to stay about six-feet away from anyone else.

The coronavirus was still mainly away from Maine.  However, pretty much overnight, everything was canceled.  The media hype had people shopping as if it were a multi-day blizzard.

Generally I shop once or twice a week, getting a few basics at a time.  The Superintendents of schools in the area had all agreed to close the county schools for two weeks to get ahead of the crisis.  Students would be doing remote learning with online classes and homework.  I decided to do my usual Monday morning shopping run.

I didn’t quite know what to expect.  Would parents be shopping with their kids to stock up for homeschooling for at least two weeks?  Would there be anything left on the shelves after the weekend and the news that there would be no school?  Would shoppers be fighting over items?

I arrived at Walmart at my usual 8:00 AM and the first thing I noticed that was different than in the past, were three men that were getting the disinfectant wipes at the entrance to wipe down the handles of their shopping carts. Usually I only saw an occasional mother or a few elderly folks that would use the disinfectant wipes.

I decided to take a few pictures just in case I decided to blog about this shopping outing.

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The first aisle I noticed was where the disinfectant baby wipes usually are in health and beauty and another man was taking a picture of the empty shelf and it confirmed I should document this too.

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Next around the corner.  I picked up the last bottle of aspirin and noticed this nearly empty shelving unit that had NyQuil and DayQuil.

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Laundry soaps.

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Everyone’s favorite aisle, toilet paper.

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Butter and margarine.

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My favorite, flours.

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Canned meats; chicken, sardines, Spam, tunas and salmon.

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Boxed items like Mac and cheese.

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Things like ramen noodles.

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Probably my favorite picture of the outing, a man in the meat department cleaning the empty meat case.

I saw two people I hadn’t seen in years and normally would have given each of them a big hug and talked for a few minutes.  Neither of them approached me, I decided they were practicing Social Distancing so I just said ‘hi’ from about five-feet away.

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I accidentally took a picture of my items, ginger ale, just in case, vegetable oil and windshield wipers.  I’m probably not as overly concerned about all the hysteria as others, but I’ll be able to see out my windshield!!

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© Jeanne Bugbee and The Lord Supplies, The Nose Bump Blog, 2017 to date.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeanne Bugbee, The Lord Supplies and The Nose Bump Blog.  The Nose Bump blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.