Anxiety on a Sunday?!

How-do.  I'm feeling some anxiety today which is VERY annoying.  Anxiety on an overcast Sunday just SHOULDN'T be on the books!  Nor should it be an issue on my days off.  But, as you all know, I guess there's no big surprise as to WHY I'm feeling it.  The difficulties of my life right now and all that rot.  BUT, I plan to overcome it today, by hook or by crook, as I'm determined to NOT let it spoil a precious day off!

Mama & Papa Pea and I celebrated Mom's April 30th birthday last night - the first free evening we all had in common.  And, though I know we were all exhausted, it was a really fun night with free flowing wine and laughter.  I made a REALLY simple dinner of hoagies and chips . . . but I don't think Mom would have cared if it had been PB&J sandwiches as long as SHE didn't have to prepare it!  ;)

After dinner, we had a great three (?) games of ping-pong (or gnip-gnop [pronounced guh-NIP, guh-NOP], as Mom and her friends used to call it when she was a teen).  I LUV ping-pong, and Dad set their table up in the garage a few weeks ago.  Can't remember why he finally hauled it out, but I'm SO glad he did!  We've been having tons of fun with it, even tho time allows for few games.  Here's a (maybe boring for you?) video I took last night when I was score-keeper and Mom and Dad played.  I didn't try following the ball - we would have all gotten motion sickness!!!

After gnip-gnop, we had presents and pie:

I didn't ask what Dad got Mom for her birthday because I'm GUESSING that all she wanted was "the living room finished"!!

Above, the annually-requested Banana Cream Pie.  I have yet to make The Perfect One.  Either I put the bananas on the top and they turn brown or the custard doesn't set up or . . . .  This year, it was the crust.  It didn't taste very good - I think my lard was old.  Blech.  BUT, the rest of it was yummy!!!

In other news, I *did* make progress on last Thursday's To Do list, but I spent too much time on the sorting / rummage sale prep because it felt so good to make house progress!  As a result, I didn't get as much computer / business work done as I should have.  So, guess what the majority of the rest of today will be spent doing?

Above, Maisy says, "Mom, I can't BELIEVE you're going to admit to the world what the house looks like with this 'before' picture!"

Now, Tucker says, "Ahhh, MUCH better!"  The pile to the left of the stove is a combination of 'what was there decorating the house' and the For Rummage Sale pile.  To the right is also 'what was there decorating the house' but also the start of the Packing To Move pile.

I really want to work on the disaster of the garage . . . so I can start putting boxes for The Move out there once they're packed.  But, there are other priorities that must come first.  It's hard not knowing when I'll have to be out of here - in regard to planning & packing.  I am in a holding / wait pattern as far as that is concerned.  The 1 month of the "30-Day Notice" is up, and now begins the six dreadful weeks of having my name & situation published in the local paper.  I thought it would begin with Friday's paper, but my folks said I wasn't yet in it when I saw them last night.  I should contact the credit union to find out where things are in the process.  That will ease my mind - the knowing.

In Where I Will Move To news, the nice place located 2 hours / 65 miles south of me is NOT a possibility for a Contract for Deed, after all.  I was waiting to drive out there because I didn't want to fall in love with it any more than I already had from the realty pictures, and I'm glad I waited:  now that I know it's not an option.  For now, the two properties that are the greatest possibilities are the one in the great location but with no well nor septic (did I tell you about this one*?) and another, a trailer house on 13 acres.  The location is kinda poopy, and there's nothing special about the property, but it would be a really good one for the critters with two small, rough outbuildings that have already been well-used for horses, chickens, and goats.  And, the interior of the trailer has been recently remodeled and all the appliances replaced with energy-efficient ones.  And there's a good well and a septic system (although it's probably out-of-date now).  I've snooped around this one quite a bit and am now going to make a date with the owner (a friend) to see the inside of the trailer.

*I've really fallen in love with a tiny, newly-built house on 5 acres.  It has a REALLY good "feel" to it.  Very me.  And, while only about 5 miles out of town, it's up a long driveway and PRIVATE.  The land is good, too.  But, the building, while aesthetically pleasing, was not well-built.  Shortcuts taken are very evident.  And, while it has electricity, it has no other infrastructure amenities.  Other than a nice biffy, though the tank seems to already be cracked (after only a year).  It's owned and was developed by a realtor who WOULD accept a Contract for Deed although we haven't discussed specifics.  I know that I should really go for something with EASE (water, electricity, space) right now, and the trailer is that one.  If I do end up going that route, I'll rent it, first . . . to see how I like it and if it grows on me . . . AND to bide my time to see if another option comes along.  Both the trailer with 13 acres ("lesser" neighborhood / topography) and the cabin with 5 (great location) are about the same price.

We've had warm, rainy weather lately, and it HAS prompted the "thar's green in them thar hills"!  I'll try to get some pictures.  Of course, it's greener nearer town (farther south) than here at Swamp River Ridge.

Finally, a few nice things . . . today is the 12th birthday of a dear, sweet girl I've known since she was born.  Let's see, do I have a good picture of her on this computer?  Let me look . . . 

Here's the natural beauty, a year ago this past March, at her mama's 40th birthday party.

While looking, I also found this from May 3rd of last year:

 

THIS spring, there ain't been no snow nor ice on any lakes around here for ages!

I've had to come back to finishing this post - trying to upload an image while simultaneously downloading an audio book from the library makes for s-l-o-w uploads!

I recently finished the first (for me) book by a great author, Sara Donati.  Book One of her Wilderness series is now under my belt, and it was a LONG one - over 30 hours and 912 pages!!  There's NO way I could have read this one "the old-fashioned way"!  It never grows old for me to say, "thank GAWD for audio books"!!!

Another "nice thing":  I recently sent two checks, concurrent to having enough money in my checking account, to the local electrical system guru.  I owed him the entire bill from the aggravating (for him) day he spent here removing the damaged inverter and hooking up the replacement (used) inverter.  He only charged me the amount he'd told me to expect before he worked all day on it, and I was hugely appreciative of that kindness . . . especially since the ~2 hour project took the entire day AND he had a generator guru with him the entire time (whom I'm sure he paid to be here).  So, I sent an additional $50 check that thanked him for all those extenuating circumstances.  (Of note is the fact that he and I have always had a bit of a difficult relationship - both of us having strong, stubborn heads.)  Anyway, I got an e-mail from him the other day.  It read, "I did receive your checks in the mail, but I will rip up the $50.00 check.  Thanks for the recognition for the extra help that was given, but at this point I imagine you may need it more than I. Consider it cause for celebration and have a little fun."  Now, that kindness goes a long way, eh?

Also of note, I finally opened the 'Open Last' letter than was included with Carolyn Renee's incredibly thoughtful, generous gift.  It made me LAUGH OUT LOUD which is an AMAZING thing to do on a dreary day!  I expected it to be filled with heartfelt condolences and empathy, and I think that's why (even tho those sentiments would be appreciated) I'd put off opening it for so long.  Oh, how wonderfully wrong I'd been . . . she knew JUST what I needed!  

"Chicken Mama, or whatever your "real" name is.  Although, I personally kinda like the idea of somebody calling for me across the frozen food section and screaming, "Chicken Mama!"  But, that's just me.  Because, you know, my real name isn't Carolyn Renee; it's actually Imogene Pyewacket.  Imagine trying to write THAT out on your grade school paperwork every day." 

And on it went . . . from her heart and imagination and sense of humor to ME.  I am one lucky girl!!

And, with that, and having taken the entire afternoon to write this post in fits and starts, I shall away . . . .

P.S.  My anxiety is 80% gone now.  :)  Except, I'm feeling lazy now and just want to watch TV and crochet.  Hmph.

Monday, Monday

You know that whole theory behind "if I sit down, I'll never get up again"?  Yup, that's me this morning.  Today's my Saturday, and I let myself stay up late last night (but fell asleep watching a taped TV show) and then slept in this morning.  But, I feel totally run over now.  Joints ache, dull headache, heavy body . . . ugh.  I was SO looking forward to what I'd get done these two precious days at home, but now I feel like I just want to crawl under a blanket on the couch upstairs and shut the world out.  Do nothing.  Nap.  Watch movies.  Crochet.  Whatever.  BUT, I know I'll feel better if I get up off my arse and make a productive day of it.  And, it's GORGEOUS out!  I haven't taken a walk in a while (99% due to the summer's excess crop of mosquitoes), so I think I'll try to do that today.

Last night, I had a MUCH overdue visit with My Girl, my adopted daughter.  We hadn't seen each other in at least 3 weeks, I think (due to busy schedules), so there was MUCH to catch up on.  She's such a lovely, beautiful, wonderful person, and being with her always makes me happy.  On occasion, though, hearing of her life and current experiences DOES make me feel o-l-d!  Last night was one of those times, but, fortunately, it was just a passing reality.  And, really, what IS so wrong with that (feeling old)?  After all, I *am* 21 years older than she, old enough to be her (albeit very young) mother.

Ironically enough, the forest fire that was causing so much smoke during Uncle M and Aunt D's visit is a problem for us no longer.  At least, not in these past fews days.  It's leveled out at just under 94,000 acres burned, and they're beginning to be able to get a handle on it.  As of last night, it was 19% contained, and there were 598 personnel (on the ground firefighters and in-air pilots) fighting it.  Fire crews and wildland fire trucks are a common sight around here these days.  And, we got our first rain in an AGE yesterday, and it was a fantastic one:  steady downfall all day long.  INVALUABLE to forest fire prevention and treatment!


Aunt D suffers from asthma and, Murphy's Law, the smoke was TERRIBLE almost the entire 10 days they were here . . . causing her to feel sick for the majority of their vacation.  :( One morning, it was so thick here at home that the sun coming up shone thick shafts of light through the thick blue pall covering everything.

Arrival of the smoke cloud to envelope town.

Above and below:  general appearance of town during family visit.

Last Monday, we had a SEVERE storm blow through that was, interestingly enough, caused BY the fire!  As I was getting ready to leave home, it got so dark that I had to turn lights on in the house just to see.  Then, this hit:

I stopped when I was almost down to the highway and in the full sun.  The contrast of the black sky against the green trees was startling . . . but, of course, didn't show in a photograph nearly as much as I would have liked.

Earlier in the week, the family stopped by my gallery in town to "shop" (family shops for free, natch!).  A good picture of them all, I think, although Uncle M accused me of Super Sizing him via Photoshop.  ;)  L-R:  Aunt D, Uncle M, Papa & Mama Pea.

Okay.  Coupled with other things, this post has taken me all morning, so I'll sign off for now and continue updating another time.  Happy Monday!

Sleep's Over-Rated. Really.

Sleep's overrated.  Really.  At least, that's what I've been trying to tell myself!  I got in about 4 1/2 hours last night, thanks to the weather.  And, speaking of the weather, does any part of the country / world have normal weather anymore?  Is this just the 48 contiguous states?  Or North America?  Or is it more widespread?  The weather now is just a series of extremes.

Case in point, that break in the weather I wrote about a couple of days ago (oh, to think I was wearing a SWEATER!) lasted somewhere more in the vicinity of hours than days.  And then, the outdoor sauna of heat and humidity returned.  With a vengeance.  I'm HOPING we've seen the worst (i.e. hottest) of the summer weather now and that it's behind us:  it's been in the 90s with humidity readings in the 70, 80, 90 percentiles.  And, remember, BECAUSE we live in northern Minnesota, no one has air conditioning.

For some strange reason, I was smacked upside the head by a massive tear-everything-apart cleaning bug over the weekend and tore into the master bath upstairs and the library (of course, nearly giving myself heat stroke in the process).  Neither are finished, but I've made good progress - especially in the bathroom.  Because the walls surrounding the tub & shower are still 2x4s with insulation, the walls are covered in top-of-the-line / super-classy clear plastic.  Over time, the plastic gets all gunky and gross near the bottom.  So, this particular cleaning even included cutting the bottom 1/3 of "the walls" off and re-plastic-ing them.  Nuthin' but class around here, nuthin' but class!  ;)

The heat was so bad on Saturday, the day the guys made all the progress on P-Diddy & C's cabin, that I couldn't even hug her brother B when he came for dinner that night.  NO ONE wanted to be touched, and we all had sweat running down our faces.  And, me not hugging him was HUGE since it was the first real time I'd had with him since he and his bride had returned from their home in (are you ready?) Honduras!  (Actually, an insanely beautiful island off the northern coast in the Caribbean.)  But, my point is . . . wait, what was it?!  Oh, I guess that it was . . . hot.

So, yesterday about noon, I got a call from Bundle of Joy's mama.  It was so miserable out (or, to her, "fantastically beautiful" - weirdo!) that they were going to head up to the big lake north of me for a couple of hours.  Did I want to meet them?  Now, normally (and this is not a good thing - I need to learn to relax more) I'd beg off, citing my To Do list.  Yesterday, I replied, "Well, I have taxes to work on and finishing the deep cleaning of the bathroom . . . but twist my arm."  She did, and I started throwing things together.

On a day so hot, we couldn't be so lucky as to have the small beach to ourselves, but, after a few groups left after the first hour or so, we had the place to just ourselves and the family of one of our chiropractors in town.


I have such fond memories of that lake from being a wee lass.  ;)  This is the same infamous lake over which Mama and Papa Pea and I and the family we shared so many holidays with skied over that one bitterly cold Thanksgiving . . . when I fell out of the sled and was unknowingly left on the lake for the polar bears.  (Okay, okay, no polar bears.)  Here's the link to that story.

Then, in the summers, a particular local ('local' in the perspective of the few, widely-dispersed families living in the area at the time) mom would bring us kids (her two plus the two from the family mentioned above and me) up to this lake to go swimming.  It probably only happened a handful of times, but those lake visits really stuck for me . . . in no small amount thanks to Dr. Pepper!  Yep, Dr. Pepper.  And a little Sunkist.  All in the ice-cold, condensation-covered glass bottles of yore (geez, I wish pop was still bottled that way!).  


See, I wasn't allowed pop growing up.  Only on the most very special of occasions.  And Mrs. H ALWAYS had pop in their cooler:  and plenty to share!  And, it was almost always Dr. Pepper.  So, I can't remember this lake without thinking of those wonderful wintertime getaways to S's cabin nor the summertime visits with Dr. Pepper, courtesy of Mrs. H!

But, now here's the funny part (and Mom, can you confirm this?):  I remember the lake being shallow at the beach until a VERY serious drop-off, not too far out, that we were all (of course) warned of.  Here's the other funny thing (although I'm almost embarrassed to admit it):  I hadn't been back to swim in that lake until . . . yesterday!  25?  30 years?!  And not once in the 10 1/2 years of living back here!  And the shallow water?  Oh, my gosh:  it extends out for MILES!!!!  Okay, not miles, but WAY out!!!  It couldn't be more perfect for families and kids!  Case in point, it's shallow enough far enough out that pontoon boats were coming in, anchoring, and then 18-month olds getting into water that was only chest-high on them (knee-high on the rest of us)!  Could it BE a more perfect swimming beach??  (But, shhhh, it's a WELL-KEPT secret!!)

Anyway, it was a GLORIOUS afternoon, and I was hard-pressed to leave the comfort of lolling on the bottom on the lake with only my head and shoulders above water . . . half a football field's distance from shore!  Granted, having great friends with their 19-month old Bundle of Joy to play with made it 100% more appealing than had I been by myself.  ;)  I'd left the dogs at home because it WAS so hot, and I figured there'd be people there that I didn't want wet dogs bothering, but the next hot day (ha - today!) that I think it will be empty, the dogs and I will head on up:  it's fewer than 10 miles from the house (closer than my nearest year-round neighbor)!!


I came home with a sunburn and sand in my belly-button.  And, today I'm gonna go online to actually find a (gasp!) swimsuit:  I haven't owned one in YEARS!  So, see?  I can take summer just fine:  if I'm wallowing in warm water with minnows skittering around my toes!


And . . . hours later . . . I can't seem to upload photos this morning, so I will give up and post this much.  Photos to come later, I guess.

Good Morning!

It's a shocker, I know, that I'm finally here.  What's MORE of a shocker is that I'm up with hot coffee and beginning to write at 6:39 AM!  Maybe I'm making up for yesterday when I didn't wake up until noon after 13 straight hours of sleep!  Last night, I got just over 5, thanks to Dosie (the cat) who was tearing up and down the board walkway that connects the two decks, right underneath the bedroom window this morning.  How can 6 pounds of cat sound like an elephant when they do that?!  Then, of course, just as I was plodding downstairs to show her that I'd left the front door open a crack, specifically to avoid being wakened by animals wanting to go out or come in, she came scampering UP the stairs!  Sigh.  Kids!

I was just reviewing the pictures I've taken in the past several days to remind myself what to post about, and there's a lot!  But, you won't get it all right now: tooooo much.  Last Tuesday was the day my dad, Papa Pea, came out and when I started making some real headway cleaning up the front yard and prepping for it the summer.  Within this past week, we had our first real day of spring . . . and then it was summer.  I kid you not.  One day of spring, yep:  that was all we got.  Cold, cold, cold and then HOT (by my warped standards, anyway).

Last Wednesday, I shut down the outside wood furnace and made all the appropriate adjustments necessary to transfer production of the house's hot water to the water heater (which just serves as a hot water storage tank in the wintertime when it's heated from the boiler).  The mosquitoes arrived but not in droves, thank goodness.  I haven't had to wear a headnet or bug dope yet.  No blackflies, either, but I hesitate to jinx things by even mentioning that!  I also refilled the batteries.  Papa Pea had taken a look at them when he was here (I had some concern about the sulfuric build-up on some of the terminals) and cautioned me that they off-gas and, therefore, lose more of their acid/water balance as they age.  So, I need to keep a closer eye on that.  We also discussed a new physical layout for the batteries when I get my new ones:  as I've mentioned before, the 24 large, deep-cycle batteries are place three deep and eight across, and the depth is too much to allow for any sort of personal physical comfort when maintaining them.

We northeastern Minnesotans put our hummingbird feeders out around the 15th of May, and I thought I saw a quick glimpse of one on Sunday, but I couldn't be sure.  At any rate, I got their sugar water made and out on Monday, and I saw the first . . . and then a couple . . . little guy(s)/gal(s) yesterday morning.

My days before, during, and after the upcoming holiday weekend are gonna be a whirlwind of activity:  my oldest girlfriend and her family are coming from their home in St. Paul to put the second story on their cabin, just 9 miles east of me (keep your fingers crossed for good weather!).  She's a physician's assistant, and her hubby is a physicist, so their schedules are tight.  Due to that, they'd planned this trip last fall and booked me to nanny for their two little ones - ages 2 1/2 and, let me count, 9 months - for five of those days.  I begged off from the Saturday & Sunday of the Memorial Day Week(end) so I could be in my gallery in town, hoping to grab the first of the season's tourists.  AND, my uncle and his wife from California might be visiting over those same days . . . so it's gonna be a BUSY time!

I've really kicked it into overdrive concerning my business, too, and my days "off" seem to be more productive than my in-office days.  While I'm not necessarily complaining, the problem with being in my office is that friends know that I'm in my office!  So, getting things done there seems to be a bit ineffectual.  I think I'm going to start trying to change that by keeping the door to my office closed.  If that doesn't work, I'll have to start putting the word out that I really can't be visited.  And/or just really limit those visits.  It's my own fault, I know:  when they say, "I really shouldn't be tying you up!" . . . I tend to respond, "I know, but I never see you!"  So, WHY am I complaining?  Yes, I am in charge of my own schedule:  I need to learn to put a cap on things.  ;)

But, following a COMPLETE waste of limited time in the office last week, I've made the first two of my three consecutive days here at home count.  I've put myself on an hourly schedule, and it's all about my 60-minute timer.  I'll do one hour at the computer on business work, then one hour on Swamp River Ridge work.  Rinse and repeat until the end of the day when I'm exhausted.  Usually around 9:00 or 10:00 PM.  BUT, I am getting things DONE, and that feels good!

My "around the homestead" accomplishments these past days have been based around the good weather:  laundry out on the line to dry, high-pressure washing of the second and larger slate walkway, planting a border of lily bulbs in an area susceptible to erosion, intense vacuuming (while the sun shines & charges my w-e-a-k and desperately-needing-to-be-replaced battery system), keeping an eye on the chicks (haven't lost one yet although I did have to perform an "emergency procedure" on a very pasty vent Sunday night), weeding, pruning trees, putting rock borders around perennials and trees, and more general clean-up of the front yard.  Even though there's no substantial green on the trees yet, I could already mow some of the grass . . . which I think I may start today.

I took a short walk in the woods the other day to see what I could find poking up through the duff:  wood anemones only, so far.  The unopened blossoms are particularly pink this year.

The ticks seem to be out in force already, though:  while at The Peanut's & Bunny's house for dinner last Friday night, I had to rather suddenly excuse myself to the bathroom as I sqeaked, "Excuse me, I have SOMETHINGCRAWLINGUPMYLEG!"  Their dad just said, "Mmm.  Tick."  I dropped trou in the bathroom and The Peanut came zoomin' in to say, "Can I see?!"  Yep, first tick of the season.  I showed her how to CRUSH their hard shells to make sure it was d-e-a-d!  Then, last night as I was sitting here in this chair in the library crocheting, I felt something drop onto my neck.  Yup, another one.  (How many of you are starting to itch and creep out, reading this?!)  I'd felt something in my hair earlier in the evening but couldn't find anything . . . I suspect it was the tick.  Yuck.  BUT, I'll take ticks ANY day of the week over (shudder) spiders.  (As I look overhead to make sure there isn't one ready to fall down on me.  Spider, not tick.)

I took the new header photo last Thursday as I headed into town, less than a mile down the road from home.  At first glance, I thought, "Oh, a baby!"  I was even a little hesitant to stop to take the picture, wondering where protective Mama was.  But, then I realized that it was just a small yearling:  freshly kicked out of the nest.  Cow moose (meese?) keep their calves through the whole first year until they calf again in the springtime:  then the 1-year old gets kicked to the curb to fend for him/herself!

So, with that, it's time for pictures.  Let's see what I can find of interest to post.

I took this picture a week ago last Monday to show how things were starting to green up.  Yes, that is snow in the right-hand side of the picture.  But, it's - finally - all gone now.

The soft needles of the Tamarack (aka American Larch) are starting to pop.

I took this yesterday to show that there are no green leaves on the trees yet.  This, across the driveway from the chicken house and poultry yard, is where I'd like to build a small barn - just out of view at the far left.  The structure that you see was going to be the home for the bee hives, but I've since found a better spot for them.  Instead, I will use this as a small, enclosed garden area . . . once it's repaired from the damage caused by a huge tree falling on it a couple of years ago.

I got the large front deck completely cleaned up yesterday.  Outdoor rugs moved and vacuumed, spider webs cleared.  Then, moved as many houseplants as will tolerate the outside conditions out there.  Got the new cover on the table, too.  Now, aside from the furniture cushions which need to stay inside unless being used, it's user-friendly and ready to go!

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture of the kitties, curled up on the afternoon sun.  I love it when they cozy up together!

I hope you have a terrific Wednesday!

A Good Day

Whoo-ee, I'm tired!  But, the "good" tired!  The physical, "I'm sore" kinda tired.  The kind of tired where, when I get up from typing this post and eating this slice of cold, homemade pizza and drinking my whiskey-7, I'll be movin' like an old woman!

I had a good day today, a really nice day!  My daddy, Papa Pea, came out this morning for some putterin' around.  Checked on this (the bee hive) and that (the old Suburban which is my back-up plow truck but which also lost its transmission and has been outta commission) and a few other things.  We started our morning with the requisite pot of old-fashioned percolated coffee on the 100 year old stove (for 14 minutes, thank you very much:  no more and no less).  Then, a late lunch while sharing a Newcastle, finished the visit.  We had cold pizza (I made a pizza last night and then was so tired by the time it was out of the oven that I put it directly into the refrig!) and homemade cottage cheese and homemade spiced applesauce.  Kind of a mish-mosh, but it served its purpose.  And I shared my Easter fudge with him:  it's DELISH!   

And, truth be told, that wasn't the very end of his visit.  Following a spirited discussion while looking at plat maps and Google earth, I did have to get in the car and follow him out, part of the way, so we could take a gander at a small body of water that he was convinced was a new lake and which I was convinced was overflow from the beaver dam.  (I was right.  Ha!  But, fair's fair:  I know the area a L-O-T better than he does.)  Dad left then, to get home in time for the first of the year's bee meetings.  Yeah, I am in the association, but I'm not gonna drive 2 hours on my day off for a 1 hour meeting.  Sorry.

After he was gone, I sat down and did about 45 minutes of office work.  I've got a client's new website n-e-a-r-l-y ready to unveil (and this is the time of year when tourists begin looking for vacation rentals - which is her business), but I've had to subcontract out for a little bit of FTP work (which I don't know and don't WANT to know!).  I checked the status of what he'd done and got back to him with a lot of "okay, the changes on Page A look good but the links still direct to the old site rather than the new one", blah, blah, blah.

Then, since the weather was loverly today (a high of 60 with a breeze - MY kind o' weather!), I headed back outside for yard work.  Uncovered the last of the day lilies which are about 3" high.  Raked and raked.  WHERE does all that JUNK come from between last fall and now??  Dumped two wheelbarrow loads full of same in the chicken yard for the geese to sift through.  Pruned quite a few trees.  (Dad, that tree you were asking about off the front path?  Once I was pruning it, I realized it's a Red Maple.)  Cleaned up all the lupines and removed the old stalks.  Took off their wire barriers now that they're well established and ringed them with rock.  (Now, if Maisy just doesn't go digging there, thinking those are HER rocks for me to throw!)  More raking, then hooked up the hose to spray off the one (most used) of the two slate walkways.  Didn't have much luck since the nozzle was kaput, and I had to use my thumb to "regulate" (and I *do* use that term loosely) the output.  That task needs to be re-done once I buy a new nozzle.  Then, did some "extra" of the "regular" chores (those of you on homesteads know what I mean) and finally, whew, came inside just before 8:00 PM.

Now I think I'm gonna relax with some CSI on Netflix and crocheting.

How 'bout YOU?  What did you do today?  (Besides feel earthquakes and/or jets falling on your house, Erin?)  ;p

Oh, and P.S.?  The end is near:  first mosquito bite of the year today.  (Noooooooooooooooooo!)

Wish I Was Bored

Actually, I wish this were at at-home day for me, but i'tisn't.  Big, fluffy flakes have started falling, the ground is beginning to turn white, and it's super grey out.  A cozy day to be at home.  And, maybe that's why I'm still sitting here in the kitchen rocker instead of getting on with it!

So, when I stopped at the post office yesterday (the little burg at the intersection of the highway has a post office, a church, a town hall, and a small general store . . . the latter a very recent addition), I learned that there's another predator around who could, certainly, have added to my recent poultry loss:  a black panther!  Technically, it would be a melanistic cougar, but to say 'black panther' sounds way more impressive, doesn't it?  

I saw it last year (nowhere near Swamp River Ridge but still well within the confines of its range - anywhere from 10 to 293 square miles), and then someone saw it yesterday morning.  As the post mistress said, "People are gonna start losing their pets, left and right!"  Not that I'd love for it to be hunting around here, but it sure would be neat to get a GOOD look at one!  The sighting I had was at night, and the cat was a ways in front of me as it crossed the road.  Still, there's no mistaking that long tail nearly scraping the ground.

I won't go into all the details, but I had one hell of an UP and DOWN and UP day yesterday.  The first "UP" was just feeling so much better, physically, and getting back to "hitting it" in my office.  Then, the first seconds of a voicemail I was able to collect (once I got w/in range) tripled my happiness:  "Chicken Mama?  Good news!  I just heard from the investment company, and the divorce settlement money has made it into your account."  THANK GAWD!

But, the "DOWN" was in his next breath.  "Now, it will have to sit in that account for 6 business days in escrow before we can submit the paperwork for your first withdrawal."  Ummm, WHAT?  No, excuse me, I mean to say, "W.T.F?!!!"

I was FURIOUS.  Seething.  Shaking.  On one hand, I can count the number of times in my life that I have been that angry.  Unfortunately, I was driving up my folks' driveway at the time I got the message, and so dear Papa Pea got the unbridled, f-en-hymers flying, venting rage I was experiencing . . . full force!

Mind you, this . . . person . . . had told me, verbatim, that it would take "7-10 days from the time I have the divorce paperwork in my hands to you seeing the money in your checking account".  Well, he had the paperwork in his hands on October 11th.  In case you hadn't noticed, yesterday was November 12th.  Beyond that 20-day discrepancy that had already passed, I cannot believe that he, as a long-time financial advisor, did not realize that the money would have to sit in escrow for a period of time.  Did he mention this to me?  Ahhh, no.  I IMMEDIATELY contacted my lawyer, and I do have some options, so that is something.

Fortunately (!), the day did end on an "UP".  A financial angel, who insisted that their identity remain anonymous, loaned me the money to pay the overdue property taxes, the overdue mortgage, and my overdue office rent.  Holy thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

And, double bonus, when I stopped at the convenience store as I left town, I found (drumroll, please) that THE EGGNOG HAS ARRIVED!  I immediately scooped up three quarts and back-tracked to deliver one to My Girl who was having a poopy day but LUVS eggnog (her response, "Eggnog????  I LOVE YOU!!") and the other to Papa Pea who is the biggest eggnog fiend you will ever find!  Ironically, Dad said that he had just told Mom, "The eggnog will be coming out soon, but PLEASE don't buy any until Thanksgiving!" - hoping to keep his belt size the same.  So, I immediately swooped it up and offered to take it away . . . but a slight wrestling match ensued with Dad's insistence that it would just be darn rude for him to refuse such a loving gift from his only child.  ;)

A Little Justification, Please

Actually, maybe that should read 'A Little Justification WITH QUALIFIERS, Please'.

See, I enjoy blogging in the morning.  I pad downstairs in my bathrobe & slippers, get everyone (but myself) fed (I'm just not a food-right-away kind of person), get the coffee or tea on, and build a fire in the sunroom's glass-fronted Hearthstone.  All that's done while this decrepit excuse for a laptop warms up and takes about 10 minutes to pull up my blog. 

Anyway, here's where I need a little support & justification:  blogging in the morning makes me later getting to town . . . which makes me even later getting home at night.  And, here is the qualifier (unfair, I know, but it is what it is):  the only part of the above scenario I am willing to change is the "want" of blogging in the morning.  But, I don't WANT to have to skip that part of so many mornings:  I want you to tell me it's okay.  (See, I didn't give you much of an out, did I?)

I've ALWAYS been a night owl vs. a morning person.  When I was a homemaker and went into town for a town day, I usually pulled in around 4:00.  And those were the days that the alarm went off @ 7:00, so it wasn't like I wasn't getting up until noon!  So now that I'm working outside the home, if I allow myself to fall into my body's natural rhythm, I find myself driving home fairly late at night.  Now, what I WISH my mom would say is, "Honey, you know I don't like you driving home so late at night.  But, I also know that you are a good driver and have a good head on your shoulders."  But, here's what she says, "Honey, you know I don't like you driving home so late at night!"

I hate it that she worries, and I hate it that I feel guilty about it.  But then, I remember that no one ELSE can make us feel any certain way:  we are responsible for our own emotions.  So, as heartless as it seems, perhaps I need to just think, "Mom, I know you don't like it, but this is ME, MY schedule, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it."


As I was writing, I just struck on this idea, too:  maybe a reason they (my folks) don't like me driving home so late is because they don't want to have to "come to my rescue" (in the dark) should I need help.  Maybe that's it.  In which case, I'll deal with it myself (always the first choice, of course) or I'll call someone else.  Okay!  That one's off my mind.


I don't know, am I rambling?  A bit?  Okay.  And all this from wanting to take the time in the morning to blog.  Geez!  What I need to learn how to do is to FEEL OKAY with following my own rhythms, the schedule that works FOR ME.  Every time I try to change it (go to bed earlier, get up earlier), I feel like I'm trying to swim upstream.  With rocks tied around both ankles.  And, are those attempts at change for ME?  Nope, they're for my folks (mostly Mama Pea).  I don't want Mom to worry, but she also needs to realize that, at eight months from 40 years old, my bio-rhythms are probably NOT going to change . . . AND, I'm a smart person.  I don't do stupid things ("Hold m' beer, watch this!") when I'm driving home late at night.  And, if I get a flat, I'll change it.  If the spare is flat, I'll walk.  I've done it before, and I can do it again.  Besides, with my two hairy mascots always with me, what can go wrong?  ;)


- Reading back thru this before posting, I sure DON'T mean for this to be a rant against parental concern or Mama Pea!  I guess it's more a rant about the continual "struggle" of children, no matter their age, trying to establish their independence from their parents / family.  

. . . But, no, that's not it, either.  Maybe it's more about figuring out how to not let Parental / Familial Guilt affect you.  Yeah, that's it.  ;)  That and remembering how fortunate I am just to HAVE good parents around TO guilt me!

P.S.  Make sure to read the Comments section on this one:  I opened myself up one heck of a can of worms!

End of the Day

I'm pooped.  Tired.  Done for.

I'm sitting here in the sunroom, cup of hot Yogi Tea on the arm of the couch, one flat cat (which is how they look when they're flat-out asleep) on the gently swaying hanging bed, and the fire quietly flickering away in front of me.\


I got a good bit done today, considering my late start.  Didn't get as much progress as I'd hoped for, but that seems to fall under the 'Of Course' category.

I spent a good bit of time outside in the afternoon as the temperature dropped.  Cutting a part of the overgrown grass in the front yard when my breath comes out in steamy puffs is MY kind o' lawn mowing!  ;)  (Remember, I . . . hate . . . heat.)  Also got a small pine tree cut down that had died earlier in the summer and had been glaring at me, all brown and crispy, for TOO many weeks.  Moved some rocks and spent a bit of time hauling some firewood into the house.  Did some pre-wood-burning-season maintenance on the outdoor furnace, too, and started cleaning up some of the scrap piles around the big wood pile.

I'll insert the picture once I'm at work tomorrow (the photo's on that computer), but I got another load of firewood:  six cords of maple, this time.  There's an old bachelor who's lived here his whole life who tends to "look out for" the single women in the area.  He's been logging maple on the Rez for a couple of years, and he gave me a ridiculously good deal on 6 cords.  Another friend (Bundle of Joy's papa, for those of you long-time readers) was the middle man for the transaction and explained to the almost-an-old-timer that, due to my divorce / financial situation, I wouldn't be able to pay him until later in October.  Word is that he blustered, "Hell, I don't give a sh*t about that!"  What can you say that properly encompasses goodwill like that?  :)

Speaking of Bundle of Joy's daddy, I've had a couple of sneaky little wood angels steadily working on the many cords of wood waiting out there to be cut up.  Twice now, J has come with a 2nd in tow and chainsaws sharp (when they thought I'd already be at work) to attack the 8-12' lengths.  

. . . I've been sitting here, fingers on the keyboard, trying to figure out how to properly explain what kind of person J is (and not having much luck).  The problem is, I don't know how to describe him in this day and age.  Were it 150 years ago, I'd have no problem.  He and his wife would be the farmers who put their own crops on the back burner to come harvest yours when you were in dire straights.  No, correction:  they'd come to help BEFORE you got into a tight situation.  J is an old-fashioned kind of guy.  A blue-collar, honest-as-the-day-is-long kind of guy.  To him, family is #1.  Hands-down, no arguments.  And, somewhere along the line, he and Bundle of Joy's mama decided that I was family.  And family comes first.  I know that NO MATTER WHAT EVER MIGHT HAPPEN, I can call on and count on them.  Flat out, no questions asked. 

I know Tom's and my divorce has been hard on them.  They are devoutly religious.  Not devoutly in the "zealot, can't-have-any-non-Christian-friends" way, but their every belief is founded in a deep trust in the teachings of the Bible.  But, they balance that (disappointment in our divorce) with the understanding that, #1, the decision to divorce was not an easy one for us NOR, more importantly, one we took lightly and, #2, we are all different (in our beliefs and principles).  While they are sad that we're no longer together, they also find comfort in the fact that we are determined to stay friends.  Matter of fact, Tom and I have often been invited to their house on the same night to visit . . . killing two birds with one stone, if you'll pardon the pun.  Although, we've also visited just as many times (more, probably) on our own.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this . . . I wasn't meaning to bring it back to Tom and me.  I'm just trying to express what incredible people J and H are.  They have taken us (me) into their hearts and, as a direct result, into their family.  And I do NOT take that love and relationship lightly.  It's one of the most meaningful and treasured friendships I have.  You know?  We need to invent a new word!  I know they say that "friends are the family you choose", but I want a word that means MORE than "just" friends.  What should it be?

Well, I feel like I've really strayed off on a tangent tonight, but, rather than pull it back to whatever intended path I'd sent out on, I'm gonna sign off.  Like I said at the beginning of this, I'm tired!

P.S.  Very much NOT incidentally, my "adopted daughter" is J's baby sister . . . .  ;)  Although, we have very much separate relationships:  mine with her vs. mine with them.  Weird, huh?

Another (Maybe Not So) Random Photo Post

While the California contingent of family was here, we celebrated Mom & Dad's 47th wedding anniversary.  Coincidentally, it was the night Cousin C had asked to take us all out to the fanciest restaurant in town.  Mom had FORBADE me any mention WHATSOEVER of the date being special, but we were able to drink a toast to them anyway that night:  Uncle M (Dad's brother) having called the visiting family that morning to tell them.

So, the day was still a little special . . . but not embarrassingly so (which both my folks H-A-T-E), and, most importantly, I was not in trouble for spililng the beans!  ;)

Here they are, 47 years ago.

 

Isn't Mom BEAUTIFUL???!

Random Photo Post

It's going to be duck season soon (if it isn't already) on the river,

and I've always loved this picture of my dad hunting on it, some years ago.

I Love Family

When my folks made the decision to move "North!  To . . . (Minnesota)" back in the late 1960s (finding barely enough employment to finally justify it in 1973), they were also making the unconscious decision to move away from family.  Both sides of the family resided in the suburbs and small towns around Chicago, and, while my dad had always been a solitary kinda guy, Mom was used to having lots of cousins and aunts and uncles around, oftentimes 24/7 when she was growing up.

Dad, Grandma (his mom), and my mom, circa 1966.

As a result of the move to a somewhat remote area of northeastern Minnesota (and me being an only child), I rarely saw The Family.  There would be occasional trips back to Illinois, but I could count the number of those on one hand.  My maternal grandparents came up twice every year, once in the spring and once in the fall, but the most frequent visitor on the paternal side was my cousin K, just 18 months younger than I.

I'm sure that Grandma or K's parents accompanied her on each trip, but I remember her being with me, solo, a lot.  

Uncle M teaching K how to drive on a visit to us.

By that time, too, that side of the family was migrating to California by way of New Mexico and now, the few that remain (only six, sadly enough, if I don't count spouses), are all in sunny CA.

Now, add in the fact that the paternal side of my family is NOT very good at reproducing (?!), and you come up with the fact that K and I (both an "only child") are the very last of the family name.  And, being female . . . and us both having married & taken our husbands' names . . . that branch of the S name ends with us.  

So, my point?  Yes, I do actually have one.  The point is that K and I have always been close . . . despite the miles between and the infrequent visits.  We're the closest thing we'll ever have to biological sisters.  And, I'm pretty sure we both treasure that.

Anywayyyyyy (yes, Chicken Mama, get ON with it!), I am REALLY enjoying the family visit!  K and her husband and their daughter (who, at 5 and "three-quarters", may just decide to stay here and not return to California) and our one other female cousin, C, arrived last Friday, and we've all been go-go-going since.

I met them on Friday at their rental cabins and helped them get settled . . . then we headed to Mom & Dad's to visit and have dinner.

On Saturday, I stayed home to keep some sort of sickness at bay, but they spent a great day w/ Mom & Dad.

On Sunday, following brunch at the lodge where Tom & I had our wedding reception (which was, actually, the last time they'd all been up here although Tom and I had been down to them for K & B's wedding), my folks headed back home to get some things done while the rest of us drove here to Swamp River Ridge and then headed out onto the river for some fishing.

L-R:  Mom, Cousin C, Cousin K & her daughter, me, Dad

 

 Top:  Cousin K helps her daughter pull in a Northern.

Bottom, L does just fine on her own, too!

  

The new header picture is of Cousin C (in the bow) and Cousin B (K's hubby) in the stern.

My beautiful little "niece".

Yesterday, promising we would return earlier than the night before - Mama Pea, waiting a delicious dinner for us, had NOT been happy that we arrived home shortly before 9:00 PM! - Dad took us to an inland lake on a quest for perch & trout.

It was H-O-T, but another wonderful day was had by all.  We must have caught about 40 perch . . . but they were all teeny little fingerlings.  We only kept 2 perch & 1 pretty rainbow (trout) that B (K's hubby) caught.

And, with that, I'll leave you with a couple pictures from yesterday.

(Cousin C "took the day off" with Mom until we all met up for dinner & fish stories last night.)

#1601!

Wow, my black fly post was my 1,600th, and I didn't even realize it!  Wow.  One-thousand, six hundred . . . and one . . . posts.  That's a lot - and I'm NOT a post-every-day kinda gal!

So, it's really too bad that this post is going to be so boring!  I just don't feel like I have much interesting to say right now.


My folks came out on Sunday afternoon for a too-short visit.  With other obligations pending, we'd set aside 3 hours, but it was one of those days when those 180 minutes went by in a FLASH, and they were heading back out the driveway before any of us knew it.  My mom brought me four flourishing little lettuce plants that she had started from seed; all different varieties, and Dad insisted on spending some time "doing" for me.  So, I had him split wood and haul it to the house.  It was soooo nice to unload the wheelbarrow today and have a nice little stash in the wood boxes again!


This afternoon, I brought the lawn mower down from its winter storage up by the trapper cabin.  I need to find out what kind of oil it takes.  (Tom?)  I already bought a couple gallons of high-test gasoline for the small engines, so maybe I can get a little mowing done tomorrow - collecting the cuttings to give to the chickens.  I love the enjoyment (and health) that the chickens get from the lawn trimmings, but I really dislike the laboriousness of unhooking, carrying to the chicken yard to empty, and re-attaching the collection bag.  That thing seems to fill up SO quickly!  But, as I said, it's worth it for the birds.


Speaking of birds, I found a dead Americauna hen this morning.  She'd just tipped over after roosting some time last night.  At first, I thought she was one of my favorites (Pearl, one of the only chickens I've named), but she wasn't.  I made a mental note to check my files to find out her age . . . but only just now remembered (and that file isn't on this computer).  I'll try to remember to count tomorrow, but I'm down to something like 9 layers.  Yikes!  I wonder if it will be slim pickin's, egg-wise, come the colder weather of fall and before the new pullets begin laying around October?


Aside from grass finally greening up and needing a trim, nothing much else is happening around ye ol' homestead.  No unusual animal sightings, no pretty blooms popping yet.  Just leaves beginning to uncurl and weeds demanding my limited time.  :)


And financial woes . . . but that's a complaint for another day.  Besides, who wants to end on a down note?  "So, did you hear the one about the dyslexic guy who walked into a bra . . . ?"