House - Update

Photo Detail : Stupid old electric ceiling light in process of replacing.

Photo Detail : Smartness-challenged previous owner that put two 100 watt bulbs in 60 watt limit receptacle. Note discolored overheated ceramic holder and bulb base still stuck in the holder after blowing the bulb out like a bomb. Every light was over-watted in this house. Did you note the above wiring pic? Not really the electrical system one should be overloading.

Photo: The start of the bathroom tear-out.

Don't even ask about the light that was the three day job. It is still not done. I blame it not on me, but on my endless illness that is finally lifting. The bathroom is still in a funky state of disrepair. I have been eyeballing it, and then leave the room. Ok, really, I eyeball it, pull up a section of the 5 layers of linoleum, think "I am exerting myself" let it drop and then leave the room.
The thing with this clingy bug which I have learned is not to push it. When I felt a bit better and moved manure, moved hay, clambered up and around the ceiling.... I got sick for another two weeks. Have been moving slowly. Which KILLS ME. How am I supposed to be my laid-back overachieving self if I have to rest all the time.
One thing I have been very effective at is shopping on craigslist for my bathroom stuff. Here is the genius thing. I have a limited budget to do this bathroom, yet have now found a kohler shower unit and restoration hardware lights, sconces and towel racks for 27% what I would pay for them new. And they are new! It helps to be sick in bed, since craigslist is weird and varied in terms of the deals you can find. I am still holding out for my new bathroom window and skylight on there.

Electrical work done!

Two stories.

1. Olympic Wiring in Silverdale is absolutely fantastic. They did such an excellent job giving me a new panel and moving the service, and rewiring the main floor so it does not blow if I talk on the phone and turn on a light... plus did it within budget. The cranky cranky inspector who called them on things that I Did Not Even Hire Them To Do and wandered over to my new furnace to write it up for non-compliance (it was bogus, it was compliant) even said "They did a good job for you." Thanks to electrician Mike, who grew up in my neighborhood and remembered delivering the paper to my place when it was the big monster farm (not my three acres... more in the 180 acre range) I was sick while he was doing it, so he got no perks of coffee, goodies or pop. I did not want to infect the man with our tarnished germy foodstuffs.

2. I have started a three day process of changing a light fixture. Ah yes, you savvy do-ityourselfers may scoff at my longterm projects that take most people a couple hours (or hey, a few minutes) But before you go into full "full-of-yourself" mode, keep in mind what I am surrounded by. A) The fixture is on the second floor. Half of that area is still knob and tube. (I have not yet ventured into that costly update of electrical...) B) The fixture was managed by the previous owners. Cursed god-fearin' really really cheap and not very bright (I am guessing that last part--it could be that they were so god-fearin' that their ineptness at repair was because they prayed and had faith that god would take care of them, no matter what cheap crap they installed with what crappy methods and dangerous open wires BUT I DIGRESS) The fixture blew both it's lightbulbs out of their socket. Like, turn on the light, an explosion occurs, you are surrounded by a blue light and then darkness. Quite exciting, completely electrically nightmarish.
C) I have ceiling board over tongue and groove unblemished wood so had to go to Home Despot where Jim the electrician showed me how to install the "container" that the wiring goes in while in the ceiling. Maybe the correct term is "box" but it is a short squat tube shape, bright blue, so box just doesn't cut it for me. Anyway. Turns out I have the wrong box, and so he sells me a new one. wilder is all excited because I am taking him up into the attic to drill the new hole through the ceiling. (When he went to bed last night, he had me close the attic door that is in the bathroom... not wanting to risk any attic escapees, sometimes called Monsters) Funny how they can be so mature, and so kid at the same time. (I am fairly sure if the attic access was in my room I would close it at night, too)

Home Update

Wellllll. I am alive, but not totally healthy. Figured out I got (actually the doctor figured it out) that I had a sinus infection. Those puppies take a long time to get rid of.
Have been wiping myself out. I felt so fantastic about two weeks ago that I ordered three tons of hay, cleaned out my garage, and worked on the (previously) flooded basement. The result was that I was sick for two more days, and then one month later not totally recovered.
Don came over and helped me dismantle the bathroom. I bribed him, I mean rewarded him with lunch at one of my fave places... which now I can't think of the name. Bavarian food with a great second story porch that looks over downtown Poulsbo. Also, the place that sheltered Wilder and I when I locked myself out of my car and house on a cold blustery night before he had his dreaded 4th grade WASL test last year.
Will add all sorts of dramatic pictures soon. (Dramatic to me, probably fairly uninteresting unglamorous shots of ripped out fixtures and flooring to you all. Ohhh, and rotten mystery slime around the toilet... that is a good one)
Stay healthy everyone!!!!

Time Capsule Stuffer Extraordinaire

Photo: As only Seattle can do it. Using recycled glass as a drainage material around the time capsule. This is broken glass. I do not envy those people trying to get in the capsule in 2059. Tetanus shots will be mandatory.

Photo: What the heck are they looking at? The final cement layer on top of the time capsule is being enscribed by these children. We'll see if they remember in 50 years....

Time Capsule Stuffer Extraordinaire. That is my new title. Some have said that it is not fitting for the gravity of the job, but considering all the political crap I slogged through (politics=people behavior, not politics=governmental leanings) I find it more than adequate. I think it has a ring to it.
I finally finished compiling and getting a time capsule in the ground with a bunch of well-mannered staff and volunteers. It is due to be opened in 50 years. My own lovely children were not present at the event. Why? Because their dad was having cable installed at his house at the same time. Let's weigh this one out... historic moment that my children could have been one of the few involved who have the chance to be around in 50 years.... or F(*&*(&in' prime time television?
Obviously, the choice has been made. It is okay, because I had 6 surrogate children that morning to carry the torch. I am a bit miffed, I sense, still. My poor kids, I am always shoving them in the limelight where they are not necessarily desiring to be. Next, is to get Rose to play a ghost from the past for a big fundraising event. Please send me good wishes of parental manipulations... I mean honest straight-forward collaboration on this project with my TEENAGER.

Busy times

Have not been posting since I have been sick as a dog. Which is a statement I never understood, since our dogs are never sick. Does that mean that when they get sick they are so dang sick that it is worthy of our saying "sick as a dog?" I am going with that for now.
1. My fave radio show went off the air. So sad.
2. My relatives visited. My aunt had a scary case of bronchitis, I hope she is doing much better. She did not sound so great.
3. The horses are bored.
4. I got sick. Then Wilder, then Rose last night. This is a whoppin' virus/bug. Wilder and his 10 year old immune system recovered in all of 3 days. I have been sick 6.
5. Two nights ago, in the height of my ill miseries... the basement flooded. Purely human error. Nothing faulty on the houses part.
6. One more reason to Curse the Previous Owners. (CPO) When pulling all the wet crap out of the bathroom, began to work on the floor. CPO's layered sticky square linoleum on more sticky linoleum on yet another layer. And ya know why? They were covering the stains of black mold. And what is under all that linoleum? Asbestos linoleum. Although, the pattern on that stuff is 10 times more appealing than all the following layers. Think of all the strange things that were on these layers of bathroom lino over the years. The water has done a job on this floor. Curt should have a blast repairing that wood way way Way down there. BTW, Curt is the fellow I am hiring to do my bathroom installations. I am good at tearing things apart (although not without injuries) but figured I needed to hire a professional for the putting together.
6. I was called a "glamazon" by the water sucker company guy (the young men who sucked the water out of my flooded basement.) That gave me such a hoot of entertainment I have been sharing. So when I am feverish, sticky, pasty-colored and wan, that is when I get a comment on my looks. HA. Don't worry, he just was trying to distract me from he and his partners goofing off on my $84/hour tab. (It does not take two guys 4.5 hours to hook up two water suckers and drain 2" of water from a 600 sq. ft. basement, when they didn't even move anything) (There was a lot of farting around I think)(But then, I was borderline delirious)

Feisty woman venting action - Seattle

See this lovely condominium? The one that has no parking, is on a busy street (3rd Ave NW and Holman in N. Seattle) across the street from a stripper espresso drive-through and drive through oil change station?

See this restored craftsman? On a busy street in the popular Ballard neighborhood, most of these once single family homes have been demolished and flat-fronted, bland, soon-to be dilapidated quickly built multi-use condominium structures have replaced them.

I have loved this house for 21 years. I always envisioned offering to buy it from them when i won the lottery. (Should probably start buying the tickets if I really dream of winning...) I am glad it is still standing, even though the surrounding single family housing with yards, the quaint courtyard apartments of the 30's to 60's are gone and.. what? what is there? Ah yes. Condominiums.

I am just going to say right now I have a love/hate relationship with the city I left behind... Seattle.

Pictures Owed - This is a painted LR floor

Three Views - painted floor. First: 7.25 " baseboard (that electricians can hide wiring behind if you are not wanting to gut your whole house) with unhung picture (I have many pictures sitting just like this one.) Second : Thought I was going to paint the floor yellow first. Blech. No yellow, but there is an addition of our cat, Linda. The wood seams are visible here. Third : Sideways view, in case you have dropped your computer monitor on its side.

I have been not good at having my laptop with my dig camera and then keeping the transfer cord close, and then the camera batteries died, and then I lost my laptop charger cord, then the camera wouldn't work, then I had to buy new batteries, then put them in backwards and shook camera, then put them in the right way, then the laptop was in my other car. (No wonder Rose says I make excuses) Finally, all the pieces were in place with the camera charged, and I got to download old pics. Here are long owed pics of my living room floor. Timeline : 1. Moved into house. 2. Pulled carpets. 3. Sent Rose to hospital with asthma attack because of mentioned carpet pulling. 4. Threw carpets out window with Geri. 5. Had naked floors. 6. Had no money. 7. Laid wood floor over subfloor in my room. *forgot to mention asbestos flooring in my room pulled up and thrown out the window. 8. Painted kids floors upstairs. 9. Pulled so many fantasmagorically insane carpet staples out of the floor that I went through two staple pullers, ripped my floor up with screwdrivers, and bled several times when I was barefoot and walking across sticky uppy staples. ("wear shoes" comments would not be helpful right now.)

I had said I did not like my living room painted. Mostly because, well mainly because I can see the wood seams.

Here you go.

Conspiracy Theory - TV

I am old enough to remember when only "rich people" had color tv's. Wait, I think I am old enough that I was around when no one had color televisions. Anyway, here is my conspiracy theory. I thought of it while taking the long route home since the ferries have really really really sucked of late. Like a 3 hour commute to work. Dang tourists. (just kidding, I liked it when I was a tourist over here) Dang me for not planning ahead. Geez, I used to give myself 30 minutes to get to work, now I am happy when I make it in 1.5 hours. (only 20-30 minutes of that is driving, the rest is coffee drinking, emailing, reading or drooling on my car window on the ferry when I doze off) Anyway, back to conspiracies. I read another blog (Buffy) and she posted about her frustrations with her tv workings since we left the world of analog signals. Antennas, converter boxes, etc etc. I read those, and thought, hmmm. good thing I don't have a smantzy tv or watch that much...because she sounds really frustrated.
When I hooked up our tv, and bought the required $45 fancy amplified antenna and then told the tv controller to 'find me some stations, baby', I thought it would be easy as punch. HA. After several tries, and moving the antenna around, and even having my ma hold the antenna up toward the ceiling as high as she could reach while I pushed the remote buttons... Nothing.
Absofrigginlutelynothin. So, let me understand this one. (If you are still reading this, here is the conspiracy part)
1. For me to receive a television signal, I need to BUY cable. I need to pay a company and they will give me some select channels to watch.
2. Or, I need to hook the tv up to my computer, go online, and watch tv shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, TNT etc etc.
Conspiracy = This crap that is entertaining us feeble minded masses and telling us how to look, what to buy, and what is culturally significant (lord knows I follow that to a 'T') is no longer free, no longer unmonitored. If that is so, I shouldn't have to watch any commercials, since we have to pay for cable or internet access. Cable co's and internet providers now will know what we watch, when we watch. Where the heck is the mystery in that? That is why we have an overabundance of copycat shows. What an uncreative greedy bunch. And our lawmakers were fine with this? Load of crap, I say.
I should note that I am in one of my moods. I can feel the feist rising to my ears. It is good the urchins are in Disneyland with their pa. (or, maybe I am secretly sad I am not riding space mountain right now)

Ghost Story - Maritime Disaster on Puget Sound

Right down there. Under that water. Quietly rests a 1904 wreck.

Here is a tale of a ghost ship. One that went down so fast nothing was found. No life rings, no wooden rail, nothing. It is called the worst (worse?) maritime disaster on Puget Sound. About 39 people died. This was in November 1904. The little passenger steamship ferry was called the SS Dix. No one has been able to visit the wreck since it sits in 600 feet of water. And, of course, there was no gold on it, no one 'of merit' in the national sense perished so there has not been alot of modern interest in specifically locating it on the sea floor. But a whole community shut down in grief after this happened. No one residing in Port Blakely, Bainbridge, at the turn of the 20th century, went unaffected by this tragedy. The only female to survive was a young lady who the tale is told her pleated skirt filled with air and she floated. (Let's keep in mind sensational journalism is not new to our current media) Every other woman perished, since they wore heavy wool and corsets, and were downstairs in the warm interior room next to the steam engine. The ship went down in 6 minutes. About 35 other boys and men survived, along with the Captain of the ship.

The current Washington State ferry system floats dozens of times daily over the wreck. Sometimes I look in the water and get the heebie jeebies. It is down there and none of the 300-500 passengers know it. Well, except for me and the ferry captain.

Encaustic Art

Not encaustic art. Metal art. One of Don's many studebakers.. this one is named "Ruby."

Friend Colleen told me of an art class she signed up for. So I did too, not wanting to be left out of an encaustic art class, especially since I had no idea what that was other than wax. And the word caustic is in it. Making it seem both gentle (beeswax!) and wicked (caustic!) A long, long time ago rumor has it that I got an art degree, you may not know that other than I can B.S. about pretty much anything. (this is the side effect of art school, with our class reviews where we all gave our inspiration and what-not usually on very little sleep) Probably why I like writing or telling stories, it is elaborating on a commonplace happening. I tell my friend Don that I could probably tell a story about ANYTHING. As in, turn any ordinary happening into a story. I trip on my way to the barn on a tuft of grass. STORY MATERIAL.

Anyway. Encaustic art is layering wax on a board and doing all sorts of things to it. Carving, coloring, scraping, drawing, imbedding images, the sky is the limit. I am very hooked on this, and the woman giving the class is amazing. If you are in the Seattle area and want a great GREAT class... ask me. She not only teaches you all the ways you can work with this material, but she tells you where to get the stuff, how to make the colors, what a studio needs, etc etc.

House - Linden Tree trimmin'

There is a monster tree outside my side door. (See the thing looming over the house?) My ma said it is a Linden tree, very old. About a month ago it bloomed and was filled FILLED with honeybees. Love those busy little...
The tree now has a branch leaning on my roof, so last week I called tree trimmers for a quote. The first came in at $1150.00. For one branch to be taken off. In their defense, it is a large branch, and the tree towers over my two story house so they wanted to use a boom truck.
The second quote came in at $450. When I was quiet on the phone, shocked and wondering why there was such a difference in pricing, the tree trimmer said... "Ok, how about $400 and I will do it tomorrow?" Such are my pushy negotiating skills. I sit in shocked silence and the price goes down. Guess who I am hiring?

Apples galore

What on Earth. Horse nose. With apple juice dripping everyone. Disgusting, huh?

The apple trees are heavy with fruit. It seems my favorite ones for eating are producing less this year, but the blasted golden delicious are overloaded. Another week of canning applesauce and whatever else strikes me. The thing you have to be careful about, is when they are this loaded, and you go out to pick up the fallen great apples, the tree bombs you with more fallen apples, and they can hurt! I feel like I am doing stealth apple picking.

Bad horse owner note: This horse is basically running loose on my property when I am home. He is so giddy about the apples that I just let him jog over to the tree and munch down. He is also a love, and getting a smooch from Wilder.

A sidebar. The bathtub I picked up at a remodeled house to use as a horse waterer is going to a haunted house this October. Rose and I were kidding that we wanted to go just to see our old bathtub. (We are both heavy chickens about going through haunted house-like things)
I figured the horses deserve a real stock waterer. They already have a bathtub to slurp from.

Horse Tale - Spotted horse

So Bey got in the chicken feed. Ate about 17 pounds. Called the vet, the vet said "pump his stomach" for a clean $400 bucks. HA. I looked it up on the internet. Unfortunately found a website where a woman lost two horses in 24 hours who had eaten old chicken feed. That did not help. Called horse friend. Horse friend called her vet. Her vet said something different. Decided to get his stomach pumped. ($$$$$!!!!!!) Called my vet back who told me it would now be $450 since it was later and there was a surcharge. Decided Rose and I could deal with this ourselves. There is a limit to what I am willing to pay for something that my vet was very unknowledgeable about (couldn't tell me what doseage was lethal for the horse, couldn't tell me what the things were in the chicken feed that were dangerous)
Went and bought pepto bismol and mineral oil. Was to get 10-20 tablets down him (no problem, he ate them like candy) the mineral oil ended up down my leg and in my shoe. Was to check his feet (for heat... very bad) and his stomach for regular rumbling (very good). Every hour. Overnight. 14 year old Rose sat up with him until 3:10 AM. Checked him every hour, walked him, checked his feet and belly. Then she woke me up. I had a hard time waking up at that hour! But stayed up with him and checked him.
He was fine in the morning. Vet called to check in, and I picked up $70 worth of medications that help with this sort of stuff. Way way cheaper than $450.00. Horses are expensive. But, ours are very well loved. And even Mr. Pill (as Bey is called since he is a horse with an attitude) is well loved and gentle with the kids.

Report on Dog and Day

Amanda is fine! She seems to be none the worse for her horse adventure of being slightly kicked. She can wag her tail again.
Strider the horse has some sort of itchy eczema thing going on his mane.
It is finally raining. It always rains AFTER I water everything in the yard.
We had heat lightening this morning at 3:30. Strange phenomena.
Someone (canine) threw up this morning. There are days that I think it would be really really fine not to have animals in my house. But then Amanda brings me her ball or her sock or her bone or Wilder's sock and I think that she is durn cute and such a great dog.
There are ants crawling up my drain pipe. Hmmmm. Where are they going? What are they doing? Why don't they crawl up the barn drain pipe instead? These are all questions that I know they will not answer. I tried to outsmart them by putting tape sticky side out on the drain pipe. It did not deter them one iota. Ants are more determined than I. There is a bit of news for you.

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.

Tuesday - One Day at Blue Shoe Farm

Photo: The spotted rump one is the smarty, see the pushed and loose board? The brown horse is innocent.


Today I :
-took Wilder to spend a gift certificate he got for his birthday.
-repaired the fence the horses keep (well, the smarter horse) keeps climbing through without getting stuck to travel to my neighbors lovely clover and green green grass yard.
-repaired the stall wall that the same above wily horse has somehow pulled down.
-cleaned out half of the truck.
-and then spilled a milkshake all over and down the heater vent.
-read a work email that pissed me off and I started reactive typing... but then deleted that puppy and decided the insane people of the world that use email to get their indirect passive aggressive wee tendencies out I would not participate with. They can just wait a couple days.
-gave my daughter lots of fluids. She has a cold.
-scooped horse manure.
-mixed chicken feed.
-planted squash and watered strawberries.
-picked up aluminum chicken coop roofing. (free!!)
-looked at new stoves (or, dreamed about a new stove by looking at them in the big box stores)
-did not clean my house.
-but I did unload the dishwasher and do two loads of laundry.
-paid bills.
-went to the bank.
-went to the library.
-added way too many friends to facebook that are from my childhood. Who says you can't go back? Scary. I try to stay off of facebook, don't need another thing keeping me on my butt in front of this little screen.
-Had a farm injury--when I let the horses into the bigger field, they ran around. Fluffy dog amanda ran with and somewhat under one of the horses. It's hoof hit her back (I imagined a flat dog for a second) and then she ran crying her head off to me. She has not been able to carry her tail up easily, and seems very sore. I gave her a gin and aspirin and sent her to bed. We will see how she wags in the morning after a good night sleep.
Is all this why I wake up sore in the morning? My doctor just keeps telling me I am perimenopausal. I think she is using that term too frequently. I bet if I go in for a sunburn and a runny nose she will tell me I am perimenopausal. I bet the root canal I had last week was due to this, also. I will ask her.


Late note: my daughter just informed me she would not date someone that wears a speedo bathing suit. I have no idea where that came from, especially since I keep telling her she is not dating until age 25. Sometimes the looks she gives me are so worth a gazillion words.


Photo: Amanda dog and Bella cat on the porch. Note Bella talking in Muffler Dog's ear.

Kids - Lego

And this is for my son. Who took about 343 photos of every angle of his lego battle scenes. Including close-ups of all the characters, which I inadvertently downloaded from my camera and said... "huh?"

Kids

This one is for my lovely daughter, who seems to have a whoppin' cold right at the moment.

House - Heat and Electrical work

1. Victory on the heating front. Got my 500 lb dang oil furnace (I mean durn) dragged unceremoniously down the basement stairs and it is being installed! $1000 bucks. And I bought the "new" one off of craigslist. Can't have propane because it is in the basement, can't have gas because there is no service out here.
But the original 1200 lb. wood/oil furnace was OLD and mightily cracked. See there are huge bonuses to living in an old house. They are not so hermetically sealed that you get carbon monoxide poisoning if your furnace firebox has a 6 inch crack in the side. (in my mind, I am trying to be generous, but only come up with "snaky snaky sellers", hiding behind christianity to soothe your lyin' soul) Whoa, did I say that? I have never learned that forgiveness part of humanity. I will work on it before I die, but probably not with them. Did I mention the boys found more in the wetlands when camping? They pulled out a camper stair set and a computer monitor. Who the %*# puts a computer monitor, gas can, oil can, 20 foot rug, gas grill, motorcycle, truck and car parts "in the bushes" when the garbage truck takes pretty much anything you put out there away for free. Aaah. I think I figured it out. They buried or burned their garbage, not gonna give it to the man when God so graciously gave them these mini three acres to hide it all on! When our well water goes oily, I will know why.
Sorry. Big rant action there.
2. Hmmm on the electrical front. The first quote to do my electrical is $2500. And that is only for a new box, and to update the kitchen. That is it. No living room, dining room, bathrooms, laundry room or any of the bedrooms. So that may mean that this will be a kaboodle of bucks job to finish it all? And I just spent $123 which I felt was a luxury... on base molding for downstairs. Yes, I need it. No, heat is not more important. Why yes, I am lousy at setting priorities, why do you ask?
3. I have been subtley forced into thinking of my plywood painted floors (pics to come!!) and deciding I don't like them and want the wood underneath exposed and refinished. What are the chances that is less than $1K? Yeah, thought so.

Commuting - Ferry

Sunset reflection, bainbridge ferry.

Another lucky day commutin' on the ferry.

Family - Feathers or Fur

Tired old cat.

Demanding, yet gentle, hen.

Love-button of a horse.

Usually mud-brown mini farm dog.

Ferry Travel

To get this view, get on the ferry out of Seattle. Doesn't matter which one.

Seattle, 6/15/09

Hello I have a little problem

Hi. It's been awhile. It's me, Rose here to comment, yet again on something that my mom has done. Durn. She said durn. Actually she wrote it. And it was on purpose. It wasn't one of those accidently trying to write darn and ends up writing durn kind of things. She may think she hasn't gone country but oh, she could never be more wrong. Durn does not only sound "country" but it's also not even a word AND for some reason it just really bugs me so that's even more a reason for her not to say it. I mean the durn... it just gives me little shivers down my spine, kind of like nails on a chalk board. Veeeeeerrry bad. Ok, im done now.

Family - Mom story

As in my mom. Grandmother Heidi. She, for fun, cleaned out my car. It took her 3 and a half hours over two days. (Wait, should I be embarrassed to type that?) This is the minivan. The one that took me TWO TRIES to buy. As in, I went car shopping for a minivan ten years ago when I was pregnant with Wilder since I knew one kid was the load limit in my Nissan truck.... and ended up with a 4WD jeep. Black. Then, seven years ago I went out to buy that minivan to handle carpools yadee yada... and came home with an old Volvo wagon. I had major minivan issues. It would be the end of my free and independent way of life. My art degree would shirk in shame in the back of my closet (wait, where is my degree? did I even really ever get that?) People would roll their eyes and say that I have embraced the soccer mom way of life. I would need to vote differently in the presidential elections... and get really good at baking things for soccer parties. (never mind neither urchin played soccer at this point) I was seriously worried. Very much like when I was worried about leaving the husband because all of a sudden I would be living in said minivan in Walmart parking lots because for some reason I would be instantly destitute. I may be prone to over-exaggeration.
Anyway, the volvo could no longer carry our ever getting bigger kids, so then came the minivan. From day one, once I found it and bought the big white puppy, I was one happy camper. I cannot believe how much I love this car. Besides the fact that I go blazing by police at a higher rate of speed than posted (not much, not much) and never get tickets ("Oh, that mom in minivan must be thinking of her children... she is not paying attention, she is a good egg, not a safety hazard") when my pals in zippier, littler, sportier vehicles get pulled over for going speeds less than me. OR I can fit a full couch or 5 bales of hay or my recycle bin and garbage can or 6 kids plus two dogs or enough gear to last for a 5 week camping trip or 1 grumpy cat, a twin bed, and two dressers. I think you get the picture. This is the perfect family, farm, late-to-the-doctor, carpool and racecar for me.
The only downside is other cars hate being stuck behind me, so frequently whip by me, only to SLOW DOWN when they pull in front of me. Oh. Nothing gets my ire up as this drivin' behavior. Part of the American Driving Pysche of no-white-big-butted-minivan-is-getting-in-front-of-me.
Sorry. Now I will return to the original topic after that little wayward story. The clean car part. After we went out for dinner, the kids plopped back in my now clean car. Wilder pipes up from the back seat "why does the car smell?" I had to point out that it was clean... the layers of coffee, milk, 1.5 year old mint chocolate chip ice cream that my daughter assured me she had cleaned up which I assumed was done until her grandma cleaned it up....and that he was smelling fresh and windex and all things sparkly.
Wilder answered "It smells horrible." Rose and I cracked up. But I will try to start cleaning out my car more often. I think my son should not think clean cars smell horrible. Sigh.

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.

Kids - Middle School graduation

In the 1970's when we transitioned from middle school to high school, we just went to a new school. I guess things are a bit different in big ol' 2009. Last night Rose graduated middle school. Repeat: Middle School. There was pomp, there was Sister Sledge "We Are Family" there were circumstances. There was alot of money spent! Hopefully not mine, but I am sure it was. Student pictures, flashed on the stage screen, 14 year old girls teetering on dang high heels (really, really high), our daughter lookin' 20 years old walking to receive a diploma and flowers. The head of the school gave a little bio of every student, EVERY ONE and they were full of insight and humor. But it was a blast. In particular, loved the student speeches. The second was delivered by one of Rose's spunkiest friends (always takes my parenting decisions on as a point of argument) and among other things, she called out every girl clique at the school. There is nothing to disempower a group as to make it public and give it a name. Good job, Ms. CB. I remember cliques in school as silent and deadly.... like our old dog Sophie's rear end gaseous explosions. Parents didn't know, administrators and teachers could do nothing, students were ruled by their spoken or unspoken codes of conduct. But you take one strong gal with brave and clear words to speak up... and poof. They are all diminished.

Female Stuff - Procrastination II

Good lord. Another day at work and another day I am sitting here procrastinating. OR, I could look at it that I am not procrastinating on typing on the blog. So technically I am doing what I should be doing.
There, all better. Talked myself right out of that little conundrum.
I look at this as one more sign that I am slipping sweetly into menopause. Did I tell you I am slowly going insane? Well, I am. I am sure there is a physiological reason for it (hormones, hormones) but right now we can just say I am going insane. (Wait, would that technically be "sweetly" if I am going insane?) Just ask the kids. One minute I am all irreverent and light, and the next minute I am swearing there will never NEVER NEVER be another lego brought in the house with my hard-earned dollars. Did I say I said that? Well, I more yelled it, with parental crazy anger behind it. This is tantamount to me saying we will never have milk and bread EVER again at home. Or I will never let my son breathe fresh air again. And the reason? Son chose to build legos rather than get dressed and ready for school. Can we say over-reaction?
(me, not him)
It shall be such a joy to be going through this as my daughter has just turned 14. Won't we be a splendid festival of hormonal atrocities waiting to happen? Do other women go insane? I don't remember my mom going insane, but maybe that was because I was a teenager and not paying attention to anything but myself. Hmmmmmmmm.

Oregon -

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.

Oregon - ghost tales

Having uploaded all my pics finally from the trip, I will slather this blog liberally with them.

The first set is the ol' house the town of Mitchell hopes to (perhaps) turn into a museum. This house looks like it needs even more work than my house... and it is still for sale. If anyone buys it I will donate labor to help you fix it up!

The second is a pic I took on my evening walk of a building that is supposedly haunted. It is the thing way in the background. Not that I am believin' these stories but I was by myself, it was dark, and the building was off the main street, and Creeping Me Out. I had not heard these tales, but when I took the pic there was no cat near me (and it is front and center in the pic) We all know how terrifying cats can be.

Country - Kids

After spring rain. (image Blue Shoe Farm Blog)

My daughter has told her friends that her mother is "going country". The way she says it makes it seem like I am "going postal". I just happen to live on property with a horse or two and a chicken or two, but I still have the same amount of cowboy boots and country cd's as I did when I was a city girl. Which is more boots than cd's honestly....

Work - Procrastination Station - Right here

What I would rather be doing. Image Blue Shoe Farm Blog

Writing three blognotes in one day means I am procrastinating on other things. I have not written in a while on here due to the (still) active virus on my home computer, so I am never online at home. That means I get a lot of work done on the house, yard, etc, but not a lot of work done of PAID work . (I process dozens of work emails a day, call folks, yaddy-ya, etc) Due to this virus event, I have over 1700 emails waiting for processing in my inbox. I only have done 2 hours of computer time a week for the past month. That is not enough for me!
So I am behind on work, so am working on typing these little missives. Please give me the key to overcoming procrastination. I need to unlock a really really big door with it.
(Am leaving now to Go To Do Work)

Horse Info - for stalls

Some things to note:
1. After digging the stalls down down down, I leveled it and put down recycled rubber mats. Then I put straw pellets down first. Not a good idea. Bey ate all of them. They plump up after you get them wet and look like fluffy bedding but it did not matter. He ate them.
2. So put down wood pellets. He nibbled but did not scarf them down. They make the ground fluffy above the mats, and collect any waste they choose to do in their stalls.
3. Put down 3/4 minus gravel, not cleaned outside the barn. This should tamp down nicely, the horses do not slip in it. Plus... it is good for their hooves when they are shoeless.

House - Project List

I have actually finished another item on my to-do list. The big wicked festival of mud that was right outside the barn stalls is no more. Well, technically, I think it would be no more in the summer since it is dry, but that is besides the point. My retired neighbor Dan came over with a borrowed bulldozer and not only scraped the stalls (you would not believe the smell when you did down through 10 years of horse cesspool compressed into layers) (previous owner must have had major hoof problems with his horses if he let them stand in that), but also took away all the extra goo outside the stall doors. He absolutely rocks. And I don't know how to appropriately thank him. Then, I had a big BIG truck dump 12 yards of gravel down. I don't know how big a yard is, but I know it was a big truck that mooshed down my grass 4 inches into the ground it was so heavy. The other thing was my scoring deal on a new kitchen sink (the previous owners were a bit on the cheap side, and put in a plastic sink) (not kidding) . Home Despot had a 400 buck Kohler on sale for $52! Love that sort of deal. Now if I just had the time to put it, the bathroom vanity, sink, toilet, flooring etc etc in my house, I would be set!

Baseball - Part II - Or, reliving the terror of your youth

Now that I have been a parent for a few years (okay... technically 14) I notice I look differently at how I was raised. And, I have noticed that as parents, we don't always make the right choice, sometimes we operate on auto pilot, or relive some childhood trauma, or some youthful slight, or just force our kids into doing things that we wanted to do as kids, but did not get a chance. Of course, when I type this I am not talking about myself... just OTHER parents. ha. Remember my story of Wilder joining the baseball team? Well I had a moment of slapping my brain right back 33 years and it was not a good thing.
When I was an urchin, I had a workin' professional ma. So if I did after school sports, she was not a parent on the sidelines. As a child, I was tall, gawky, skinny, with an overbite. This was in the 70's before the school curriculum on bullying. I, like every kid of my era, received bullying, nasty names, etc etc. That was just par for the course. Most of us survived, but I notice I have a very strong defense mechanism for the underdog instilled in my genes. I attribute that to being the underdog at some point, and knowing how it feels.
So Wilder's first game. As we walk up to the field, both teams on the field in their team colors, groups of parents on the sidelines, I was thrust back instantly to my childhood and the uncomfortable feeling of organized sports. I am all flipping out (inside) and Wilder runs off to join his team. He knows no one. But, after about 7 minutes, Wilder being Wilder, he knows everyone, has filled me in on who is 'mean' and who is 'cool' and is sitting on the bench surrounded by his new teammates. This kid is SO not me as a child, and I thankfully, am also so not me as a child, as I blather at all the surrounding parents.
I just walked up, into and out of a childhood fear, and came out fine with the help of a great son. So strange how those sort of things can pop up at you.

Commuting - Don't do this in public

Rose and I are waiting in the ferry line to go home. As we wait and share her ipod which she is singing to... the fellow in front of us in the 1992 Honda Accord hops out of his car (license number 536TPR) and bends over. He pulls out a razor and begins to shave his head. All of it. It looked like he was already bald, but obviously when you are up close there must be sprigs sprouting. When our line begins going, he is holding down his ear to get those sneaky to reach hairs back there and waiting for the last minute. Obviously, I was captivated by his ability to turn a very public place into his own personal bathroom. I felt like we were standing in the bathroom with him shaving his head, and I didn't even know him. Plus, we had our cars in the bathroom with us, and trees bushes and ferry traffic. What a bonus ferry travelers behind us will have when they step out of their car and see all the hair clippings.
Today one of our most stalwart volunteers was reading a book about the blurring of public and private because of commerce. I am not sure where this falls in that, but I am sure it does.

Kids - baseball, Part I

We have been walloped with one heckuva computer virus of late. Or multiple viruses as the case may be. Norton did not catch them, Kaspersky caught them but could do nothing about them since they went through the system and disabled it's ability to stop them, and now I have Mcafee. Let's pray that this works. And, without the prayers, we can go directly to the computer guys who clean it all off of my system.
Here is a baseball story. Wilder started tossing a baseball with his dad. Then there was some batting action going on. So I took him to Fred Meyer to get a real bat for an early birthday present. If you are not a baseball person, you need to imagine a wall of bats, all different colors, lengths, weights. How on earth to pick one? How about a mitt? Do they do different things? And at his age... 9, and a way beginner, is he a softball fella or a baseball fella? I had no idea. So on the bat we went for color. I was pretty sure this was not the best way to do it, so when the only other people showed up on the aisle, I promptly asked them. The older fellow had a knit cap pulled low on his head, low shorts, oversize in most of the things he was wearing. The other fella looked wiry and smaller, younger, rougher, edgy. I held up the baseball and softball and asked them, "does he play (gesturing at Wilder) baseball or softball at his age?"
The larger of the two looked at Wilder, asked him his age, his weight in a barky kinda voice. My son being who he is, stood up straight and answered to the best of his ability. (I must be a bad ma since I have no idea how tall either of my kids are, and how much they weigh, I can barely remember their birthweight, and their birth length... HA. But then I still think I am in my thirties....Double HA) They confered between each other, and said 'baseball'. I thanked 'em and we moved on toward the cashier. The older one came around the corner and said "Is that the bat he is playing with?" Gesturing toward the snappy colored bat we had picked out. We said yes, he said no. We went back to the aisle, where the two of them got serious in picking out Wilder the right size bat. They absolutely rocked. Ryley went out with his new bat, his baseball ready to roll. The older fellow asked him what team he was on, we said none, since it was too late to get him signed up. We thanked the two baseball guys and left.
After paying and walking out the door, in the firezone illegally parked was a black SUV with tricked-out wheels and spinners. Standing next to it's open door was the older baseball guy, talking on his cell. He saw us, put his call on hold, and walked over. "You know, it is not too late to sign up for the North Perry coach pitch team, and it would be great to get him started in" Turns out this fellow was a coach. Well, that was all we needed. Even though we have scads of fields around our house, we drive two towns away to play on the North Perry team. Wonderful coach, great team. All because of a random question asked. You never know who you may strike up a conversation with.

Spring?

When I was driving back from Oregon it was 80. When I got to Seattle , it was 70'. Today it was 50's. When it was 70', I thought i was going to DIE. As if it was 101 in the shade. I couldn't think, couldn't work, just wanted to layabout with a cold ice cubed drink. How is that for being a true Washington mossback? That is why when it is sunny here in the northwest, even if it is 50's, we break out the shorts. (I am not that far gone, however, to wear shorts when it is below 65. You can all worry when I do. Hopefully I will be in a "home" of some sort at that time and you can just visit during the appropriate hours and remind me of your name)

Travel-Ory-Gun

Behind the scenes (scenery) tour of the Painted Hills Image Blue Shoe Farm Blog

The Mule and Draft Horse auction in Redmond, OR. They had some amazing wagons/carriages/surreys that went to auction for so cheap! Image Blue Shoe Farm Blog

My home away from home. Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds. Image Blue Shoe Farm Blog.

I love coming home from a trip. But I also wish I had another day in Oregon. Tomorrow all sorts of things were happening in my "second home town". Town meetings, offers of hikes in the backwoods of BLM property that people don't get to go....and on this trip I got two job offers out of the blue! Will post lots of pictures.

Things I Have Learned

Things I have learned recently:
1. Police SUV's are very fast, but don't have any special engines.
2. Police officers after a while do not react to things with adrenaline. Such as walking up to a dark house, walking into a domestic dispute, dealing with cranky people
3. Police officers get asked questions all day by their commanding officers, etc etc so they don't want to go home to a wife that asks them more questions. It irks them.
4. The seatbelts in the back are controlled by the officer in the front. You can't unbuckle without their assistance.
5. Sometimes in non-emergencies police run red lights and speed a bit.
6. My 911 line is okey-dokey with people calling for a non-emergency. No matter how much they pound that into your head when you are in Seattle, when you hit my neighborhood, don't worry about calling for something mild. They will even act like a guest services desk in a mall and look things up for you. (even if you tell them you don't need it because you feel guilty for using the line)
7. My neighborhood/city police are super, super, super nice and helpful.
8. Sheila's Cafe has a great waitress. This may become my "Vera's" replacement.
9. Mor MOR's has excellent hot chocolate.
10. Tizley's is a place I highly recommend, good view, great staff, great food, good beer, games that are fun to play with kidlets.
8. Wilder is taking the WASL this week, and loved it yesterday. Writing is today, he is a bit concerned.

Road Trip ! (Work!)

Since purchasing the mini-homestead (truly truly mini....less than 3 acres) I have not had a trip in the ol' vehicle to my fave Oregon backcountry.
I am heading to a work conference during the week to Portland (way better than Seattle in many ways, according to this ol'timer), and then going to head out into the wild west yonder. Even though I have never lived in the desolate part of Central Oregon (not Bend, the overpopulated Phoenix/Bellevue-like area) when I head down highway 26 it feels like I am going home. No idea why this is. Have already told the kids that I will probably end up here when I retire. There is something there that calls me. In alot of ways my wee farmthing is a teeny splash of Oregon-ness for me. Almost like I moved what I was looking for to Kitsap from Oregon. I get the same feeling when I turn down my road and see the Olympic Mountains towering over my home. Yay! Will post those cool pics when I get back. The kids dad is going to run the show at the wee farm while I am gone. I wish him luck. He thinks he is going to get all these projects done, little does he know how much time this all really takes. Oh, I see the friends who come over and think GGGEEEEEZZZZuuuuuusssss, gal, how many things can you do at one time. I don't think they diagnosed kidlets with ADHD when I was a youngun' otherwise I would be a candidate. (or, perhaps I am a late developer, yet another perk of peri-meno)

Happy Easter! Week in a nutshell.

I am sure Rose is giving me a teenage lecture about something in this picture.

Wilder wishing you a Happy Day
Happy Easter, all. Here is the week in a nutshell.
1. Joined Facebook a bit ago. Former friends from eons ago are coming out of the woodwork. What a strange thing. Don't join Facebook if you are trying to avoid any portion of your previous life. It will find you...
2. Went and helped at the Wing Luke Museum auction. Besides my legs swelling because I was wearing RIDING BOOTS to run around and pack up sold auction items, and wandering the streets of Seattle afterwards because I forgot where I parked (that is a first) it was a blast. Was helped by Seattle's finest homeless folk with the car hunt. Very nice. And, helped me get the big-butted white minivan out of a tight spot. That is where it pays to be a very tall woman. I don't generally get messed with. Re: museum.... if you are in Seattle, I highly recommend a visit to this stellar place, which has become one of my new favorites! www.wingluke.org
3. Slowly things are blooming on the farm. Forsythia and the plum trees are the first to show. (And of course daffodils)
4. Have not been hearing from Mae as much as I usually do. There is a good reason for that. On her way to visit me during spring break with her horses, one flipped out in their trailer and tore part of her hoof off trying to climb the wall. Not pretty. She has a long recovery (horse, not Mae) and all extra moments are taking care of the horse or finding a better horse trailer.
5. Had a toilet explode downstairs. And, it was not a clean toilet. We don't need to say more, other than there was a strong smell of bleach for a day after. I need to replace this bathroom. But am waffling on whether to move it up my priority list. Rose was an immense help running around getting me things as I swore 25 cent words and snarled. She said I was not nice. Welllllll, I was standing in sewage in bare feet. See, another good point to being married. I didn't have to do this before! Thank you kids dad for all the times you did. I feel your pain, now. I can think about it and say.....Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I am cooking my first vegetarian dinner (for kids dad) for Easter. Wish me luck. I am thinking just a big pile of vegetables should do it. The kids and I will enjoy a more delectable assortment of standard easter goodness.