Vacation

Just before sunrise...it was truly lovely in these quiet moments

Well...I'm back! I took two nights away from the little farm, just doing as little as possible. I went down to the Lake, which is less than an hour and half away (in case I needed to rush back). Since it's off season, I got a pretty good deal on a little cottage that was lakeside.

Just after sunrise....

It was nice. Not having a thing I had to do. However by the last morning I was getting bit restless. I left early on Friday morning (well, if you count 10:00 a.m. as early), after assuring the cats, kittens and dogs I'd only be gone a few days and then I would be back. Just getting ready for two nights away had exhausted me, and caused the pain in my hip (which I have self diagnosed as the sciatic nerve acting up), to almost stop me in my tracks so to speak. My nerves were shot. My Mom stepped in and did the chores for me while I was gone. Everything went very well, she said. I checked with her after each 'chore episode' to make sure. The sheep went without grain for two whole days. I didn't want her out there being shoved around by rowdy sheep. They had free choice hay at night off the big round bale. They didn't die. I know--amazing.

The cats were sad. The dogs were a sad. But they also survived. The kittens were a mess. They clung onto my shirt and cried and cried when I put them up the first night back. They insisted on being held and cuddled. Sheesh. Meshach and Sage sadly resigned themselves to being the only family they had left, and curled up on the pillows of the bed to wait out another lonely day. (from what I hear...)

Coming home, I got a few cold shoulders, but for the most part I was welcomed back in a cloud of fur, meows, slobbers and a few baas.

I loved this couch...wish I could have smuggled it home!--sliding glass doors facing the lake just to the left.

Back to my mini vacation. I went shopping the first day. I'm not a very good shopper, so I enjoyed it all of about two hours. I'm astounded at how much color coordinated new junk is out there. It boggles the mind. Try to find something that you need though, and chances are they won't have it 'in stock'. What are some of these stores--several acres big---and they can't carry something useful? So by the time my shopping excursion came to an end, I was getting a little cranky. I did enjoy visiting a book shop in the outdoor mall and a few other novelty places. The big Hyvee grocery store was fun, even if a little overwhelming.

Then it was off to the resort. There I checked in, carried in all my stuff (and there was allot!), and didn't stir out of the cabin until Sunday morning, when I reloaded and left. It was a kitchenette so I was able to bring in food and snacks. I had also brought some wool felting projects and some water color supplies, so I piddled with those projects, and read (I brought a huge stack of books...), made lists (for the working part of my vacation), and watched Animal Planet. I cranked up the thermostat (what a novelty!) and opened the window and door. It was warm inside, but there was fresh air. I slept with the window open and enjoyed the cool air off the lake and hearing the waves.

The only fly in the ointment were other people.... There was a fishing dock near the back of my unit and I was often startled to look up and see someone just standing there. (a shocking thing to a country dweller). The weather was cold and rainy Friday, but Saturday was lovely, although still cool. The boats came out in full force and seemed to take great fun in dashing from one end to the other of the lake. When they got too loud, I just shut the door and turned on the t.v.

Boats, boats and more boats...

It was fun having cable (to watch the animal shows) and to have the easy access heat (with no work involved!). Not having chores to do, was a huge and wonderful luxury, even if I did worry a little. It's good not having the cable at home (I'd never get anything done) and probably the heat too (I'd have huge bills, cause I'd crank 'er up). I enjoyed the beautiful views of the lake but felt just a little sorry for the people that considered this place 'quiet and peaceful'. I'm blessed and I often forget that.

It's good to get home though. I missed the critters, and even my untidy little home. I've got a list a mile long and hope to get some of it scratched off and feel a sense of accomplishment.

First up after I unloaded the truck at home and settled in, was cleaning out the wood stove and pipes. The house was chilly, although not freezing by any means. It took me about an hour and half to get it all cleaned out; pipes, stove (inside and out). I also had to tear any errant vines off the outside chimney. First fire went great. It started right up and burned nicely all night. Just enough to take the chill off the house. While I was at it, I got out the storm door insert and switched it out with the screen insert. It was very dirty , but Ashley helped me with wiping it down. By then it was chore time, and a quick walk with the dogs.

Ashley points out a streak on the storm door....

Today, it's cool and rather dreary, but so far I've cleaned out the back garden, dug potatoes (really this was pathetic...), and cleaned out an old section of fence on the chicken pen, and put up a new section of welded wire. Next I'm off to clean out the pantry/wool room. I need to inventory and make some order in that wildly disarrayed mess!

Have a good one!

p.s. In case you were wondering and didn't see it in the comments section, Sage is fine! He was on the mend by Tuesday and acts like his old ornery self. I'm so thankful!

Secret Addictions Part 1

...or cleaning out the rat's nests.......

Notebooks
This addiction seems to be more prevalent than one would think. It's out there, whether you admit to it or not. Something, just something about a clean notebook of any form, shape or size. Never been used. The possibilities are endless. Opening to that first page, making the first stroke with your pen. This could be it. The greatest story ever written or your whole life organized and efficient in this notebook! However once they have been used... they lose their intrinsic appeal. They can't be thrown away of course, since they still have lots of good paper, so you spend hours tearing out all the written on, now worthless pages, and the little paper spirals in the binders. You might use them someday. If the world ends as we know it. In the above picture 'old, used, therefore unappealing' notebooks are in the back stack. The front stack represents fresh, new, world at their feet notebooks!

Pens, pencils, anything that writes or erases.
Two things. Good news--I got a bunch of these sharpies for Christmas, from my niece. Bad news---this isn't any of my special drawing pens, pencils and erasers. This is just the regular pen/pencil storage. And this sorta ties into another addiction of mine--useful decorative tins(primarily flat shaped, with interesting lids-preferably hinged....) Yet you see how I've tied one into the other to take up less space? Brilliant don't you think??

These next two pictures show progress. Yes, I have cleaned off both my desk and my table in the back room. Woo hoo. Now if they'd just stay that way. I mean there is just something about a clean table or desk. All that clear space, begging you to sit down, with that new notebook, write that list or story or........;-)

After Christmas Slump...

Whew....I'm hustled and bustled right out.

Well, all the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over. Now its just putting away all the holiday stuff, finding a nook or cranny to keep my newly acquired treasures, and sift through all my old stuff to see what has to go to make room for the new.

It was a good Christmas--spent with family and friends. Eating lots of good food, visiting and of course giving and receiving presents. Trying to savor and draw out the moments, knowing it'll all be over in just a short time.

I got several new movies, and books and books on tapes to add to my 'stash'. (okay, its a huge stash...but whatever...) I also got lots of other nice gifts that I have been enjoying the last few days. I'm working on getting all the cards and paper and sacks tucked away in the Christmas tub. Every year I write out what I got on a slip of paper and tuck it in the box too. It's fun to look back and see how long I've had something. (For instance, looking at a picture of me on a birthday, shall we say when I was very very young, I saw I got a desk light. Hmmm... no wonder my desk light is so ratty looking! It's over 25 years old!)

Now its ORGANIZATION time. Just like clockwork, once Christmas is over, I hit my 'I'm gonna get this place organized' phase. Sometimes I really make some dents too. Sometimes. At the head of the list is rounding up all the receipts for taxes. Then I really need to organize and categorize my sheep files. I've gotten the work table cleared off (one of those four foot plastic tables which has revolutionized my life! I set it up near the stove in the back and in the winter it becomes the dining table, my paperwork station and crafts projects table. Except when it becomes a catch all...then its just a mess station). Now I just need to get busy with the 'files'. Yuck.

The local radio station had a rare moment of clarity and realized this would be a slumpy weekend, so they have generously devoted the entire weekend to 70s music. Nice.

Alrighty, I can't think of any other excuses not to tackle that pile of papers. Not even one.