A normal day in the life of a feisty woman.

Recently I worked an auction for a friend. As I was moving 'won' items around tables it dawned on me.  10 pm at night.  Mind racing with organizing, multi-tasking, being my "normal" energetic self.  No brain issues. No exhaustion, fog, loss of clarity, loss of words, dizziness.  I literally- amid the craziness of a big auction- leaned on the table with both hands, closed my eyes and thanked god.  I am so happy to be here.

I have seen what is coming and realize I  have the opportunity to change some shit.   Straight talk within my own head and those I am with.  Engage in life fully.  Make sure my friends know I love and appreciate them.  Ditto with family.  Slow down. Don't be too busy for the little stuff, that is the only stuff that matters. I have said this before, but when I was in the hospital waiting for the stroke to do whatever damage it was going to... I guarantee I was not thinking of my stellar work accomplishments or how green my lawn was. It was 100% pure people I love and what I may miss.  So now, when my son is telling me about an in-depth lego thing that is enormously detailed and enormously boring, I just listen and watch him and his excitement. When my daughter and I get the guffaws over something, and we are laughing our heads off, and she gets that spark in her eye or tilts her head a certain way to say something clever... I notice.   Because, to me, that is all that really counts.  I am having a lot of fun these days!

Rose and I watching surfers....don't we look like we are enjoying it?  I was noticing skill - Rose was taking note of other things.  

Busy Girl Week

Photo: horse and son munching apples. I couldn't find a pic of the pears, so you get apples. Oh, and I kept calling these apples "Clears" until a kind lady corrected me. They are called "Transparents." Always learnin' out here in Poulsbo.

Or, busy lady week. Busy woman week. Busy feisty mom week.
This is my third year of making applesauce with the overabundance of apples off our trees.
This was my first year of canning pears. If I was going to sell these, they would be $22 A JAR.
If I figure my labor and supplies. And using all the free pears on the property. I can't wait to taste them.
I thought for sure I was getting sick on Wednesday. You ever kick into overdrive right before you get sick? Wednesday was my overdrive. I went to work on Thursday and told everyone "I am sure I am getting sick, yesterday I made bread, canned applesauce, made banana bread muffins, was down on the ground scrubbing my kitchen floor, and then cleaned out the garage. Suffice it to say, that is not normal behavior for me. I do all that, but not on the same flipping day. Maybe loosely over the course of a week, a two or three.
Wilder was sick last week, then Rose got it this week. I figured I was next.
Saturday night report : Not sick. And canned pears. Four lovely jars for two hours of labor. NOT WORTH IT. But I will do it again, too many pears laying about the property. And not complain in the winter when I buy canned pears for $2.50 at the store.
Thank you blog http://www.paulnoll.com/
I have no idea what they are about but loved their canning instructions. Other than the red food coloring for holiday cheer. That may be a generational thing, but I don't remember red or green pears at xmas. It is also nifty that they help each other can pears.

Blogs - Life is a Soap Opera ... Live

It is fun to search through new blogs, or blogs that you all link to. I have found some hilarious blogs that way and great house restoration resource blogs. Recently, one blog I link to has now become involved in a bloggy soap opera. There is a big issue between three .. and part of that tiff appears to be christianity. Two are sisters that each have their own well-done blogs. The other is a rich by marriage (her words) ranch mom that seems to be well-known in certain circles for cooking ( I think. )(2011 addition: I saw her book in the bookstore so she is definitely known for cooking!) The first blog was one of my very favorites due to her sense of humor. I swear to rippin' GOD that her story of being locked in the henhouse with a sick hen under her arm and a mad rooster attacking her is worthy of peeing your pants. She is a woman with a lot of joy, dancing and laughing that I appreciate. Especially since she works and has 4 kids. I can handle the christianity that weaves throughout when it is not shoved as the one and only righteous path to God. (Learn history, please.) And lately, I believe in response to her sister who went from similar life views to (gasp) ATHEISM the formerly joyful gal and hubby have been reduced to some christian frillery. Their posts of late have gotten a bit... shall we say... narrow? Really parents... the first thing you want your beloved children to look for in a life partner is that they be CHRISTIAN? Really? It's fine if someone goes off and hits your amazing daughter... since they are christian? It is fine if your son marries a two-timing skanky lady as long as she is a christian? I do not mean that "only christians do these things," but that humans do these things, exclusive of their particular faith. Weakness of character is not "fixed" by God. Plus, only marrying a christian means 75% of the world population is ruled out right there, and there are some dang wonderful people in the world. But hey, those are all heathens and non-believers going to hell anyway. Technically, wouldn't there be more people in hell than heaven? Does that seem just? Would a just god really send more people to hell than heaven? This is the main problem -- to believe you have to disbelieve in common sense, wisdom, a moral life and humane behavior. Those very things that religion and law should help guide society. (stepping off the soapbox right now)
The now atheist blogger mom attacks the successful published author blogger gal, and the posters to christian mom blog post attacks on her atheist sister. Here are my questions:
1. Why does atheist mom dislike cookbook lady so much (and they have met according to blog tales) My personal theory is that one is perimenopausal and full of feistiness, but hey, that could just be me projecting.
2. Why does love appear to be conditional in Christianity? That is NOT the christianity I grew up with. Hell (and I say that with all sorts of love) I don't think another person's faith mattered when I was a child... only how we personally treated another person. That reflected on our own faith. It was about us and our relationship to god. Not getting up in everyone else's business about their relationship. When did it become such a cranky narrow scope of acceptance?
3. How will this sort of human interaction (online) change our humanity in the longrun?
NOTE: Cranky atheist mom has closed down her blog. All her archives are gone. Hmmm. My mind says the big guns of media have threatened her with libel, since there is a big hollywood movie being made about the gal she so steamingly roasts and they want no holes in the marketing frenzy. Justified or not, personal opinions aside, at what point do we keep our mouths firmly shut of any feisty opinion about another? If something offends me in the world in blogland.... I don't read it!
Second NOTE: Her blog is back up and renamed. And she is pretty cranky and spinning her wheels about it. Not for the faint of heart. People posting (who am I kidding... it is only women posting) on other blogs say they are praying for her. It is odd that somehow when I read those blog comments way over here 9 states away I feel like I am in the smallest town ever sitting around a big kitchen table listening to gossip.
Third NOTE: I took out all blog names and regular names since I was number three on search results for their names in combination. I don't know any of these people, I am not what should pop up when people want to know anything about this. The folly of search engines... people with personal opinions can get valued more than facts. Keep that in mind with political opinions you read online.

Port Townsend Fort Worden

Images: 1. Battery Walker. Courtesy www.callipygia600.com

2. Mild-looking-during-the-daytime battery www.usforting.com

For my birthday we traveled north 35 minutes to the Victorian seaport Port Townsend. Fort Worden has large homes (former officers houses, NCO houses, and barracks) that you can rent. I gathered a big bunch of folks and we moved into a former barrack with 11 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, giant dining room, which came with everything you could need in a kitchen including 4 coffee pots and two fridges and stoves. I was in heaven. The purpose of this was to go through the batteries at night. This park (and Fort Flagler and Fort.... hmmm the other one) all protected the entrance to Puget Sound during WWI and WWII. The military has long moved out of these (1950's for Fort Worden) What is left is the cement batteries that held the cannons and the large artillery. Former radio buildings. A giant empty underground water tank. Without windows or wood doors they seem like an ancient ruin of some sort except they are still fully intact. During the day you need a flashlight to go through them, at night they are positively eerie. There are narrow passageways, giant steel doors that squeek and clang and of course, friends that run screaming through them. Or silently hiding in corners waiting to scare the piss out of you. I considered buying a bag of "Depends" for myself. I more need it for laughter (terror-filled) than fear based expulsions of fluids. I usually cannot stop laughing through this. We did it once before five years ago, but that was just with gal pals. The stories we amassed during that trek are priceless, and I am beginning to wonder if we have started embellishing them a bit. I can't wait to hear those stories when we are all 80. I am sure their relation to the reality of the moment of 2005 will be loose. But they will be dang good stories!

Blogging instead of Talking - Gushy Post on Friendship

I think there is no small coincidence that I started blogging when I moved out and away from my friends in the "big city." Even though we all promised that we would keep in touch, it is not the easiest since I am an hour and a $30 ferry ride away. It is basically a day trip to come visit, as opposed to "come over and help me finish this cold coffee...." or "come over and try these cookies...." or "let's go on a walk and I can tell you..."
I did know this would change when I moved. And honestly, the calmness of my son, the horses in the back field, the birds out my window, the humor of my daughter, or the ants crawling up my house (oh wait, that is not one of the good things) balance it out. But still I miss them. One comes over and helps me garden, two I schedule a bit-o-time in her busy schedule for a check-in and get together, three has had my son over the 4th of July weekend and our children and similar stories blend us together. It is not always easy to have friends-- boy, they take time! But always good to have people behind you that will step in at a moments notice, listen to all the crap and allow you to bounce crazy ideas off of without actually coming out and telling you that you are crazy.

Female Stuff - Fantasy Dream

To share how far gone I am in this whole house thing. I had the BEST dream last night. In it found a friend to help me re-do my bathroom. The dream consisted of me learning how to measure things, how to install the vanity, put up a level mirror, move the toilet and install and new one. Seriously. This was the BEST DREAM EVER. I woke up so happy. Did I tell you that he also owned a Re-Use store that had used old house parts in it? I distinctly remember oohing over the milled pillars to replace my front porch's unglamorous 4 x 4's with. The only down side was something about his family was wierd. (wait, aren't all dreams technically about a part of yourself?) But I didn't really have to deal with them. I could just shop for Old House Parts and then help my new friend install them. Boy, just writing about this is making me a wistful and happy. Sigh.

Oregon - somewhat bland photos

These are mostly memory triggers as opposed to loveliness in a two dimensional format. These are all white appaloosas with spots all over themselves. I noticed this breeder last time I was through here. Hey gal with the white spotted horse, this one is for you!

I truly love this place. Oh yes, looks very, shall we say, humble? It is the Skyhook Motel in Mitchell. Super extraordinary kind owners Becky and Dennis have had me as a guest for about 18 years now. I have watched the gradual 'remodeling' of the place, and stayed in every room at one time or another. They keep it super clean with homemade doilies and homey touches. The building is transplanted from a town that used to exist on the Columbia River and was flooded out-- Vanport, a hastily-built town located between the Portland city limits and the Columbia River, which was built to house shipyard workers during WWII. So I am combining a couple of my fave things : kind folks and history when I stay here.

Along the Columbia River are orchards upon orchards that supply cherries and apples. Here the old trees are gearing up for another season. I think I took this pic to show me how they pruned their trees, since I have old orchard trees on my property.

Lucky, lucky day

One day.
Three things:
1. Kids: 8th grade girls can be amazing. Or, at least I will vouch for the 9 I saw go to the Hugo House for a writing workshop today. I feel spectacularly grand that one of these gals is related to me.
2. Beauty: The sky on the way home on the ferry had every color of grey, and blue. It was stormin' far off, and overhead a snap, a slide of blue. The water slapped the side of the ferry hard, but the boat did not rock. The sun caused the top of the water to fragment in endless triangles of dark and light. Always moving, undulating. I sat on the ferry thinking how lucky I am to see this.
3. We moved into our house in the fall. Tonight, as I tucked Wilder in, we were overwhelmed with the sound of frogs lookin' for love in the wetlands. We have decided to catch a frog, although neither one of us has ever done this. Wilder says we need a net with wee holes. I am thinking we just need to be quick. What A Cool Sound! (Of course, in a month if this goes on and on and gets louder I may not be waxing poetic about the cute little froggies)

Lucky Days 2

Old Happy Dog Dancin' in the Snow.

The two workhorse vehicles around the place. And the one fluffy ornament dog. The van odometer just rolled past 100,000! Thanks big-butted white minivan! (note cop -magnet truck in the background)

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Loveliness in the house during the wintertime

A perk to Outside of Seattle living - Turkey, no... quail, no.... pheasant!

Looked up and out of the window of my room as I am logging onto the computer. And there is a spectacular bird looking back at me. We were both a bit startled, but not like the ET movie type startle where we both scream. It ran off, I went looking for my camera... for next time.
The kids and I crack up at the 'bobble headed' wee quails that look a little bumbling and clueless as they bump into each other not knowing where to go when surprised. But dang those guys are cute!

Daily Life

I am realizing this can be the news that all my friends and family always gripe that they never hear from me. I endlessly have to say "have I told you?" since it seems I am always talking and telling stories but invariably the person I am asking does not know.

Just who am I telling all these stories to if no one is saying they have heard them???

Now they can be all in one pat location.

Pic: Bella Bella Totem Pole Detail - Bear.