Monday, March 30, 2020

Advice needed!


I have several different color jumper dresses,  like the one below, which I wear with turtleneck blouses around the house with my wife's approval, and out in the yard provided it isn't an all-day project which keeps me out there.  But I haven't tried wearing the outfits on a Mandy excursion yet.  I need some advice as to "do outfits like this look OK for all-day wear, while traveling?"



Interestingly, the above picture taken 3.29.20 seems to confirm what I've seen in the mirror...my breasts seem to be growing, even though the scale says I've lost a little weight.  You can see a dark area above each breast in the above picture, from a little bit of protrusion.  It's more noticeable in the mirror each morning than here.  But i guess it means that one of these days, I should seek to be professionally measured for a properly-sized bra.  

The doctor mentioned breast growth as a possibility a while back, so i wouldn't be surprised if it happens as a side effect of one of my meds.  (No, I'm NOT on HRT.)   I didn''t outwardly cheer, but I wanted to.    I couldn't be so lucky as to need an A-cup bra! 



A rear-view of the 3/29/20 outfit, above:

Below is my holiday outfit, taken several years ago.  Barefoot of course, as I typically am around the house:


Would any of you be willing to hazard an opinion as to whether outfits like these look attractive enough to actually wear on some of my trips?   (With sandals or ballet flats, of course.)   It would give me so many more options in my wardrobe, and laundry wouldn't be an issue as they are already laundered regularly at home.

Thanks in advance, girls...

Mandy

Sunday, March 29, 2020

B-O-R-I-N-G


We live on the Delmarva, where, unlike Washington DC/Baltimore areas and their suburbs, there are only a few cases of the new virus. And public schools throughout Maryland are all closed until the end of April. Out of an abundance of caution, we're following the published rules of social distancing, and only going out for visits to the grocery store and pharmacy. (Needless to say, the gasoline bills have shrunk significantly.) Mom's nursing home is locked down, thus no visiting. Fortunately they have had no cases of the virus thus far. 

Walking around the neighborhood for exercise is permissible if we maintain the required separation, and we have done that a few times. Anything to alleviate the boredom...the telly isn't all that much help! Too much coverage of the virus...there IS other news! And home shopping doesn't help much, either.

As for Mandy, there hasn't been any Mandy time lately, and with the virus lurking out there in the wings, there simply aren't any excursions in the planning stages, nor any safe excursions to plan for. A trip to TN to see the kids is certainly on our to-do list, and I hope it can be taken in the near future. But cases are increasing rapidly there (a nursing home near Nashville was just evacuated due to the virus), and we will take no chances until the all-clear is given for MD, VA and TN. We don't need to get stuck in quarantine for 14 days when we cross state lines, when we arrive there, or when we get home.

My posting may be less frequent till things start to ease up, so please bear with me...

To all my readers: please follow all instructions given. By all means, be safe - and well!

Hugs,

Mandy

Sunday, March 15, 2020

What is it with Toilet Paper?



WHAT IS IT WITH TOILET PAPER?

For some time we've been planning a trip to visit our son, DIL, granddaughter and the in-laws in TN.  Were to leave this morning (Sunday.)  

Late last night, we got a call from our daughter-in-law in, who advised us they just found out that Saturday at work, her dad came into contact with an individual who is symptomatic and is likely at the very least COVID-19 positive.   The whole family - including herself, our son and granddaughter, her parents, and her brother who is visiting - faces possible quarantine, and if we go, we would be included.   

Since we'd be 'camping' alone in their partially finished "new" old house (fortunately finished kitchen, bathroom, HVAC and full electricity,  but minimal furniture and no TV or internet), we decided with much sadness and regret, it's "game over. - trip postponed for now."  We are both over that age which would expose ourselves to added risk. :-(   So we'll be staying home, and FaceTime them instead.  At least, till things improve.  Someday soon?   Hopefully. (But we're far from confident about that.)

However, we had earlier received a call from them, that all stores in their town are out of soft goods such as tissues and toilet paper. Tissues? Those I can sort of understand, since they're not terribly useful unless one is sick. But TOILET PAPER? Same thing occurs whenever snow is forecast - even as occasional flurries with no accumulation. At that point, the hot items are "milk, bread and toilet paper." 

As perishables, milk and bread are sort of understandable. Even we don't keep a huge supply of milk on hand. (Bread - well, yes, in the freezer.) But, once again, TOILET PAPER? Is it universal that nobody buys toilet paper till using the last 4 sheets of their last roll? And that the mere forecast of three flakes of snow is enough to cause folks to clean out every roll in every store within 50 miles?

While we don't need any soft goods (had purchased TP and tissues ahead, to take some to the kids anyway, which is now added to our usable inventory), I checked while at the store, to see that the stocks of milk and bread were still fine. I did manage to buy some other perishables to restock our supply at the house. (Apparently ice cream and prepared dinners are the other hot items, as their supply on both was down. But don't need them, either.)

Here's what I found in the soft goods aisle of our favorite store in a nearby town;

Basically, if you need anything except rolls of paper towels, you're out of luck. Good thing our supply is adequate for a while!
Mandy