Dupont:

!!!! First: Wonderful to hear news from Michelle - GOOD news! I do hope you find way to keep J home from school! You are resourceful!

Today, I actually put on clothes for the first time in a week. I was down to undies and one of R's dress shirts (lots of old ones here). How often I realize the joy of large windows but not where anyone can look in without an effort. Over 50 bites last week took a terrific toll, plus the heat; majorly stressed x4, with covid and R's kidney stones - which have not bothered him but also have not left so we are looking toward a op on Friday. Today is cooler and I went out front to water and deadhead the geraniums and pulled weeds on the "dragon grave" where things are finally growing. thanks to some rain. There will be green peppers from the dozen seedlings, squash from the bought plants, lettuce from seed and the 'sturtiums are finally starting to bloom. Flowers are blooming, prize of which is a hybrid daylily in shades of pale yellow; may it increase greatly! I had to come back inside due to mosquitoes - now a couple dif bites! Earlier, I watered the potted tomato plants, and one pepper, on the back deck railing while it was still shady. Lots of tomatoes coming along and 3 healthy peppers on the one plant, mother of those in the front garden.

AS for the bedbugs: R has them in the city house a couple years ago, while I was, thankfully, at Beaver. We knew from a friend who stayed in one of his loft spaces (a dif building) that a sofa had bugs, but he sat on it. OH WELL! I suggested vehemently that the sofa should go. And NOW it has. But, I am sure, and he admits, that is where this new crop originated. He comes home from work, sits on futon to watch TV THEN stretches out and falls asleep. I calmly noted how many years I have been asking him to take work clothes off when he gets home...

So, he came home with DE and put each leg of futon frame and bed in a plastic container with DE. I washed everything washable, including the futon cover, in HOT water. Since, I have been putting things in the dryer daily,including our day's clothes, on HOT. AND put things on the porch rail in the very HOT sun (Donuel!). No bites in a couple days. IF we experience another hatch, he will cover things with heavy plastic and use a special "safe" heater to cook the critters - 130 degrees does it. We are so fortunate that the original instruction booklets came with the beautiful washer and dryer set we bought at auction. Otherwise we could not figure out how to get HOT (degrees stipulated). We may not be totally out of the woods but we are not currently being bitten. Some of my bites still itch but not to the whimpering stage.

In the heat and all, I only managed a good veggie stew and a roast pork with veggies, done in frying pan on stove top to avoid excess heat. Yummie. And kept on top of dishes. R did some vacuuming in TV room and "his" chair in Den re bugs. Now, the vacuum is sitting here looking at me... Maybe I can do the LR...

Day 29 of my "diet". I have done pretty well with only a couple small treats (1/3 of a raspberry/oat square) in the time. Feeling better and more able bodied. The other day I tried to do a leg lift while lying on bed. Could not manage an inch! I was lying there, "I think I should be able to do this??" This morning, several inches twice! Yes, I am supposed to be able to do this! I'll try more later. Made R blueberry buckwheat cakes for BF; did not eat any, only my usual 2 eggs scrambled. Routine helps. I am planning a bw cake for lunch, with almond butter.

Thanks for all the ideas about the bedbugs. I did find an excellent website that covered every question one might have quite well. And R's prior exp. And a scientist friend is examining the little critters I found on the futon for positive ID.

May we all avoid the covid, and practice stress reduction!