New Life Old Farmers

Unfortunately, sometimes I know too much stuff.  (Insert eye rolls from Team Offspring).  I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about old plumbing, (the house’s, not mine).

Let me give you a reader’s digest version of stuff I know.  Gurgling or bubbling in the shower, when no one is showering, is not good.  You can pretend for a short while, that nothing is wrong and it is just that you might be running the dishwasher and the washing machine at the same time.  This form of denial, just buys you a few more flushes until you succumb to reality.

I also know exactly what will need to be done next.  Which is why after church today, I was attaching about 100 feet of lawn house to the stand pipe and looking for the plumbing clog bladder.  (Seriously, that is what they call it and we have a few of them, but only the big one does the job.)  I also, know which one that is.

When My Loving Spouse gets home, he will take over from here, because he is an old-fashioned kind of gentleman.  (Luckily for me!)

We are also buying a new toilet with the hopes, that it will flush like a most powerful rocket.

There are no pictures, for obvious reasons.

So, what kind of stuff do you know?

No one is saying ‘it’, because everyone wants ‘it’ to be true.  Don’t tell anyone that I am saying this, but winter was not too bad.  Hardly any snow, not that cold, in fact it has been warm enough to have/make the kids at school eat lunch outside.  After all, it was practically 55 degrees today!

The ground-hog popped out and I don’t care what he saw, it seems like spring could be here early!  However, we’ve got one more rodent to deal with, and that’s a mole with a huge appetite.  My Loving Spouse has taken to war in his determination to rid our home of this ‘bloody Bad British word’!  He bought a collection of mole traps, but so far the only thing that has gotten ‘caught’ was him.  We’ve been given all sorts of mole removal tips each more diabolical than the next.  Perfectly normal people have been advising we gas them, shoot them, bomb them, put a fire in their hole!  Everyone agrees on one thing, the moles are horrible and they’ve got to go!

If ‘it’ is really here, we’ll be playing croquet before you know it.  I’ll have my game face on and uttering those famous words…

“No crying when I clean your clock!”

Watch out Mr. Mole!

Sunshine has been sorely lacking during these gray, gloomy days of January and it had me down.  I needed some sunshine.

Off I went to Long Beach, California for a long weekend in the sun.

The sun greeted me the moment I stepped off of the plane.  It was warm.  It was clear.  It was lovely and I soaked it up.  The sun, however, was just a bonus to the visit.

It was the friends.

Their hugs, the listening ears, the hugs, the soul-searching reality check and the hugs from the precious ones who have known me through so many ‘D’s (deaths, divorce and diagnosis’), did I mention the hugs.  Pampered with food, drink and mani-pedi’s, my empty soul filled.With time to catch up on Team Offspring, discuss the merits and sadness of the empty nest and laugh at our shared history together.

We kayaked, walked, shopped and talked and even boated across the bay for dinner.

The sunshine felt divine, but it was the friendship that fed my soul.  The love and understanding from precious friends is more valuable to me than words can really say.

…and I am very blessed.

Our Friend The Farmer has a whole passel of big grand kids (12 to be exact), big as in, they drive tractors, pull down calves, play high school sports and go to colleges.  He also has a new little one coming next month, to which he is extremely excited about, and he has Jacob.  Jacob is three years old and the apple of his Grandpa’s eye.  Grandpa is Jake’s very favorite person.  Little Jake was even going to be Grandpa for Halloween, until he changed his mind and became a Fireman.Now he is obsessed with fire trucks as only a 3-year-old can be.

I had a farm quilt for sale in our Holiday Boutique, that Jacob’s Aunt fell in love with and thought would be perfect for the new baby coming in February.

When Our Friend The Farmer’s wife was alive, she made all of her grandchildren a quilt when they were born.   Our Friend The Farmer wanted to buy the quilt for the baby, but knew that Jake had never been given a quilt.  He wanted to fill that gap and asked me to help.  I told him, I’d be delighted to help, but that this would be my gift to him.  He couldn’t pay me for the fabric or my time.  I had to get straight to work, as there was only a few weeks until Christmas.

I scoured the internet for the right fabric.

Our very small local option was closed for 2 days and as I’d just been there, I was pretty sure that they didn’t have what I needed.

The next day right after school, My Loving Spouse and I drove 53 miles to a fabulous Quilt store to find the perfect fabric.  Except, they didn’t really have the perfect fabric.  They had this fabric, which I bought.I personally, thought it a bit ‘old’ for a 3-year-old, so I attempted to tone it down or ‘fun it up’ with colorful blocks.By the end of the week, I had the whole quilt laid out and ready to sew.  I just needed a bit more red, so I dashed off to our small local shop, which was open that day and the of course, I found the ‘right’ fabric.

I thought for about 2 seconds and bought them.I also bought some red and some black polka-dot fabric and went home to begin a brand new quilt.  I called Our Friend The Farmer.

“I have good news.  I’ve found better fabric for Jake’s quilt, but I am going to have to make it sort of simple because of time.”

‘Well, Ellen, it is for a 3-year-old, not the county fair.’

I started cutting all 4 fabrics in 6 in x 6 in blocks, because that is the size of my ruler, so the cutting goes quickly.It wasn’t quite right, so I added white blocks, which did not help at all.

I decided to try putting the red & black blocks together as triangles.  Luckily, I was taught a quick and easy method to do this.  With right sides together, draw a line across the blocks.  Then using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew two seams on either side of the drawn line.When both seams are sewn, cut the two triangles apart.

Bordered with white fabric, red quilting and a tiny embroidered nod to the nickname his Grandpa calls him.The quilt was done and I was excited to give it to Our Friend, who couldn’t wait to come and get it.Our Friend the Farmer was so delighted to be able to give his daughter special quilts for her babies, his beloved Grandchildren, not quite like his wife use to, but a sweet, sweet gesture all the same…

and I was moved to be part of the blessing.

Life is full of surprises. I continue to be surprised by mine.

I hope to hear about your answers to my Quiz of surprises.  (My answers are in orange).

1.  What is in your refrigerator that surprises you?  Answer – 8 way, a vaccine for cattle

2.  What tool do you use daily that surprises you?  Answer – my pock knife (possibly the fact, that I have a pocket knife) for opening bales of hay.  Answer 2- hay hooks for hauling bales of hay!

3.  If you could have a new vehicle, regardless of cost, what would it be and yes this surprises me, but even if it didn’t, it is my quiz?   Answer – A John Deere, 4 wd with a loader and PTO (extra surprise points for the fact that I know what a PTO means and does)

4.  If you could have another animal, what would it be?  Answer – Probably a…..SURPRISE…Cow!

5.  If you could live anywhere you wanted to where would you be?  Answer – Right where I am.

6.  What would you like to be better at?  Answer – Riding (horses)

7.  What do you need to do next?  Answer – Me, go put wood on the stove. 

You????  After you surprise me by answering this no-fail quiz.

Life is good.

Most dogs are good.

Some dogs are great.

Snickers was the greatest of the great at loving us.…and as much as we might have given him…He gave us so much more…

…always.

We’ve known this time was coming……the kids have grown up, while he has grown old. We’ll miss our dear boy fiercely and the history we have shared.

My tears are streaming.

Loved by a Labrador.

Rest In Peace Dear Boy,

Thank you for loving us so well.

I just returned from our public library with 4 books.  I am a tad nervous, because I’ve never read any of these authors and the library will not be open again for 2 days.  If I do not like them, I am in trouble!  At 58, I have decided, that I never have to read anything I do not like, one of the perks of being a grown up.  However, I love to read and am lost without being in the middle of a book.

I am not a voracious reader.  Truth be told, I am actually a fairly slow reader.  I am, however a consistent reader.  This year I carved out more time for reading, many days over the summer, I even added ‘reading’ to my ‘to do’ list.  Alone often in the evening, I read instead of watching TV.  I am glad I did. I have discovered new authors, looked at life differently and learned some new stuff.  I managed to read 46 books this year, the most I’ve read since my days at UCLA as a history major where the reading requirements were overwhelming.

I used Pinterest to keep track of books I want to read.  This might be one of the smartest things I’ve ever done with that site.  This has been so helpful in remembering books I’ve heard about from friends and reviewing books on Amazon and then adding them to my book ‘board’.

In no particular order, here are a few of my favorites this year…

I love to buy books for others for almost any reason.  You might say, that I am a book pusher.  Actually, that is sort of my job at school, book pusher and book put away-er.  Here are some of my favorites for the kids.

Age 9-10

Age 7…

Age 5 or 6…

Ageless…

So, what great books did you enjoy this year or do you plan to read next year?

I also want to say how much I appreciate your coming along side me in this blog.  May you have a very Happy New Year.

There is sawdust on my slippers, my ‘inside’ shoes.  We’ve been mixing Christmas activities such as cutting down our own tree in the forest, with work on THE bathroom.

I would say, that it is the longest bathroom remodel/addition in the history of Ellensburg, but I know someone who took 8 years on theirs.  We are way ahead of that!

The bead board trim and base boards are up, so the floor just needed to be sanded.  I took this task over, as someone was laying down on the job.My knees and back held out for all the sanding of the floors, so I applied the filler to the floors as well.  Giving My Loving Spouse time to put the finishing touches on THE Grandson’s Christmas present, a replica of a present his Grandfather made for him, when he was a small boy.  We are pretty excited to be giving this gift.  No, I cannot tell you what it is, it is a secret.We have mixed our time off from school and driving with a renewed determination to finish the damn/darn/beautiful bathroom.  Work and play have been in balance.  Number Two Son took me to the Gard Winery Christmas party.  Great wine, great food and fun down to earth people.  I was more star struck by the Farm manager who grows their grapes, than I’ve ever been by any famous actors I have met.  An Ugly Christmas sweater party, proved a bit more challenging, as we are too cheap to actually buy anything ugly.  I made My Loving Spouse this Ugly sweater and then ‘made’ him wear it, while I literally stole the tree skirt from under our Christmas tree.  I am grateful for these days, of working and playing together.  I am well aware, that this season, this season of hope can be painful and bleak.

I easily remember different Christmas days.  The desperate time of deep sadness, that after years of marriage counseling, my children would be having parents that divorced.  It hurts my heart still.

Where do we find ‘hope’?

I believe hope is given to us.  Given by those who walk alongside us, especially in our darkest days.  Hope is not thrust upon us, but believed for us.   I came out of my darkest days, with hope that life would some day be different, because dear, compassionate, trusted friends believed it for me, shared it with me and helped me to see, that our God is a God of love and second chances…even for me with all my mess…and even for you.

If this season is bleak, I want to share my hope for you.  I believe your life will get better and that you are loved, in all your mess.  After all, Jesus was born in a stable, and we all know that there had to be some mess in there.

Thank you for walking along with me,

Merry Christmas,

Agnes is home and Alice is here!  Whoo and hoo!  I had been saving pumpkins to share with them as a homecoming treat.  They were very appreciative.

Alice is a Black Angus Cow, that we purchased from Our Friend the Farmer.  She is from the same year as Agnes, so they are sort of sisters.  Alice missed her date at the prom this year, so she was available for purchase.  Alice will be Agnes’ companion and sent to the prom again next year for another ‘try’.  Agnes, on the other hand, is ‘great with child’, due in the spring.The ‘girls’ are easy to tell apart, as Alice (on the left) is a tad beefier than Agnes, but don’t say that to her, as that is a bit rude.  She is meant to be ‘cow’ (calf breeding machine), not ‘hamburger’.

We’ve named her after My Loving Spouse’s Grandmother, after all we’ve already named a calf after my Grandmother (Clara).

I am so excited to be expanding my herd and will enjoy them every day, until they get ‘out’, then I may say a Bad British word.  I have learned however, that is part of the cattle business.  

The chickens have had plenty of time to decorate as they are on an egg laying sabbatical!

Alice is home for the holidays and we are very blessed.