What's up?

Going on around here has been: WORK.
My "part time" job is in a busy season. Instead of 25 or less hours a week, I have been doing closer to 30. Yesterday- Saturday- I put in over eight and a half working hours... not counting lunch. (I took 25 minutes off for lunch. I COULD of taken an hour, but that would of kept me in the store longer.)

 I haven't been the only busy one. Sam has taken on Mondays at the Wooden Spoon, and continues to work doubles there every Friday. Dan has picked up an extra shift here and there as well, and both boys work several days a week for our neighbor. My co-worker John is asking when they can make time to come do some more work for him.

Dan continues to train for the Appalachian Trail. He, Sam, and Tom are currently on their first overnight hike down at Devil's Den.
Mr. C is anxious to get the garden going. He almost decided against going on this weekend's hike, so he could work on the garden. But we had a good soaking rain, and the ground is too wet to till.

Since the guys are out hiking, I am at home with Jaffa. Tom asked what I planned to do while they were gone. I said I have plans to defrost the deep freeze and clean out the refrigerators. I had really hoped to get a good start on it Saturday afternoon- but after work I wasn't as inclined to get that involved with a project so late in the day. Instead, when I got home I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher- I had totally ignored cleaning the kitchen Friday night! Got a load of clothes on to wash, and did go ahead and clean out the "beer fridge". That is the one that holds most of the left-overs, and drinks of various kind. Got that freezer cleaned out as well.

I had planned to watch TV or read... but did neither. Spent the evening talking to various family members on the phone, until I went to bed.

I mentioned I am in charge of seeing to all of Jaffa's needs and whims, didn't I?  HE is in charge of guarding the house against the wind, cows, stray dogs, squirrels, and bunnies. He is also in charge of making sure Mr. C doesn't oversleep- even on his days off. Since the guys are out hiking... he decided it was time for me to get up at 5:15. I let him out, and he -for once- didn't run straight around the house and want in the back door. I waited, and waited for his return. Finally gave up and went back to bed. Just as I was about dozed off, He is ready to be let back in. I got up and let him in, and he went back to his bed. I went to mine. By then, I was AWAKE.

After a futile few minutes of trying to sleep, I got up and made coffee. Cruised my online sites, got more clothes on to wash and emptied out the deep freeze. I set a roast aside to make for supper- I am sure the guys will be starved when they get home! That was all by 7:00 am.

I have since hung out the clothes, defrosted the deep freeze, got it "oiled*", and refilled. One fridge left to do! I have a mountain of laundry to fold, floors to sweep, and a stove that needs de-greased.
I got the roast on to cook, and realized that I must have blown a breaker. The circuit my stove is on, and the outlet next to the stove are not working. I checked the breaker box, and flipped every one. Still no power to those two outlets. The breaker may be totally dead. I had just thought my coffee pot must turn itself off after an hour, when I saw it was off this morning. It wasn't until later I realized the outlet was dead.

Guess I should be getting on with my doing of stuff before the guys get home... or two o'clock. With me, if I haven't got started by two- chances are whatever I planned to do is NOT going to get done!
Thanks for reading!

* If you have a freezer that has to be periodically defrosted, once it is done- spray the freezer walls with a spray-oil (Such as PAM) before refilling it. Next time you need to defrost, the build up of ice will come off quickly!

A new book...

Granny

The above is a link to a photo book on its way to my Aunty and Uncle in California. As soon as I get more pictures from other relatives, I will modify the book to be special for Aunt Jean in Texas, and another modification for my Dad.

Any of the cousins who want copies, I can email you a link to purchase a copy.

Spring, Sproing, spwrong!

Martin, dressed for the weather, March 2nd

Martin

Bigfoot sighted, just north of Broken Bow, OK

Sam and Tom siding Dad's house

Daniel and Dad, March 9th

Robbie, sporting that old milkweed 'stache

Martin On St. Patrick's Day

Spring has been slow in arriving here, in the northern sector of the South! As you can see, there was still snow on the ground on St. Patrick's Day.

The guys and I had been to Dad's house weekend before last, where they got a start on siding the house. We need to get back down there soon and see if we can't get it all finished up.

 

Connor and Alana just left from here, after spending a few days of their Spring Break with us.

Standing in water, as Flamingos like to do



Connor and Alana

Camp CowGranny

I was just thinking how nice it would be if I could get ALL of my grandkids together every summer, if only for a week or two. Have a little "Camp" so that the cousins can spend time together. Do activities... and as the kids got older, they can be Counselor Cousins... since the grands vary so vastly in age.

First of all, I would need to be able to take some time off work! Then, I would need a place to have my camp.

I know God answers prayers, so I am going to start praying for Him to make a way to make this happen.

March 1th

As my dreaded anniversary approaches, I am noticing physical ailments- as last year at this time when I had a full blown arthritis flare.
I think psychosomatic... where the pain is all imagined. But still, the mind is pretty powerful and I do hurt. Emotionally, not as much as last year, and certainly not as debilitatingly as the year before.

I know the anniversary of Bill's death is coming. I dread the anniversary... yet the days leading up to it are in some ways worse. Our last weeks worth of conversations, our last visit. What I didn't see coming that I should of seen...

My friend Robin, who reminded me of Psalm 139:16 "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

That verse helped me. God knew all of Bill's days before he was even born.


The one year anniversary of Robin's passing is the 12, two days after Bill's two year anniversary. Robin was Bill Joe's Godmother.

I'm not surprised at having physical pain over mental anguish... Add Roger, and Granny, and Toby, and June, and Laurie... it has been a lot of loss in the last couple of years.

Goodnight friends! Thank you for reading.