May

Here is an unfocused photo of a house.  Our house. 

We bought another home, an 1880's Victorian. It is more a home that has been slightly modified to be a Victorian, rather than a pure frilly one.  Guess what? It needs work.  

March

Crazy weather, anyone? This winter has been the wettest on record. It didn't dawn on me until we had four sunny days...and I was so happy! The grey can be draining.  

It has been a while since The farm is plugging along. Older horses, full flock of chickens that are burying us in eggs, grass that is growing, flower beds with lush weed starts percolating up. Throw on top a teenager, new husband, high season at my job and I am not necessarily leading a calm life. Etc etc. at some point we need to come to the conclusion that I enjoy a little overwhelming nuttiness in my life.  

The house is doing dandy... Well, other than this (drywall cracking)

And this (stair corner settling and cracking) 

But it is all to be expected when our foundation was leveled and strapped down three years ago. I also have a ceiling light that we cannot figure out why it does not work. Hold up, for how long??? Oh yeah. Three years. Three years I have had electric wires hanging out of the ceiling in my entry way for that inoperable light. In some ways I think if I type it then I will deal with it. 

I've been busy. It became invisible. It is on our to do list!  

Romance?

The 24th of January.
I was cleaning the house intently.  Hanging pictures on the wall of the living room. 

My partner WG walked in the living room. He mentioned I didn't answer a question he asked of me two weeks ago. 

The question he wanted to hear was an answer I gave to my ex.  Dennis had asked if I was going to marry WG. 

I had told WG about being asked that.    And then we started talking about something else.   

On this day WG again asked what I told Dennis. 

I walked across the living room to where he stood.  If he wants to know my answer - there was something he had to ask.  

Me: "Then ask the question".
WG: Will you marry me?  His voice kinda skipped. (Very unlike him to lose his voice.) 

Me: "yes".  

Dailies -quick update

Life in a nutshell...

One small cat hogging the dog bed.

Our rented sailboat in Greece. 

Santorini. 

2 of 17 hens. Actually, now the number is 15. Dang raccoons-coyotes-red tailed hawks. 

Santorini. 

Athens. 

The kids in Germany.  

We are having fun. Or more descriptively correct : we are having fun! 

Writing

When there is such a distance between posts I lose my writing cadence.  It is difficult for me to continue a conversation that I haven't been carrying for a while. I am sorry about that. I am of the world still: my house is messy, flower beds need weeding, chickens need catching, the car or truck needs an oil change. I have been mentally battling with big big life issues and how to get my head around them ( oh, like death, disability, what a life is, how to approach endings) all the while dealing with the day to day. Such as why my car quit - just turned off- on the highway... how to gently squash a vindictive rumor mill at work, or where/how did I get coffee spilled on my socks?!? You know, that stuff that just happens.  It is the time of year for our annual party at the farm for both kids. So days off will be spent sprucing things up. Or at least, organizing. Sigh. 

Anyway, I know all our lives keep rolling along. Mine happens to be merrily, merrily, rolling along. I work a lot, (due at work in 45 minutes!) and plunk through everything else spastically.  I wish I could say I am a methodical planned organized woman... but that would be a lie. I do know how to enjoy this life, though!  Wishing you all balance and grace. 

Amanda and Fred keeping an eye on things on a spring day. 

Fuzzy image of Seattle from the ferry. 

The computer generated light patterns on the Ferris wheel can be mesmerizing when I am going home.  And yes, I am tired and maybe a little easily entertained at that point...

Mississippi

I was at a ginormous farmers market with my partner. I purchased food at a vendor, and for some reason I wrote this story about her, and us.
The gal of river tales spooling around Interstate-5, singing a song for the entertainment of customers, and perhaps to increase her tip jar.  To regale and entice as people ordered Mediterranean fare at a large outdoor community market.  It was women primarily being served-- at this moment, one from California, one from Washington.  Sacramento and Poulsbo, specifically.  River differences were discussed... the Willamette, Columbia, Mississippi.   Tale weavery of flow and slow sleepy hot rivers that bubble mercury pools when digging on the shoreline. Mississippi. Toxic to the hilt, but the community swimming hole nonetheless.  There was a comparison of rivers. Rivers further west don't catch on fire.  A gentle navigating of ferocious reactionary opinion.   Politics. Left, right, up, down.  The performer apologized and meant no insult as to her correction to liberal thought, thoughtfully though, and not to the actual woman who was being corrected. Apologies for words, not for thoughts.
Then, she faced the Washington  woman waiting her turn to pay for food, relatively uninvolved in the whole.  Once more the passive indirect is spoken.  Woman was gregarious and rolled with it as she took money. Recognized importance of unimportance. 

 Money was exchanged for food, talked more of rivers. Banter.  A man walks up, grabs fork from the jar and Washington woman's plate of food on the counter.  Mississippi river gal pauses in front of woman, watching man- "Oh! I couldn't see you together."                                        Ah, dear, but we are.

Workin' woman

Wow. This last year has been an adventure! I am taking stock and gearing up for spring, time of renewal, time to get things going again...
Sadly, I sucked in the gardening department last summer. Absolutely.  I think I got 10 tomatoes out of the deal.  I also was too busy to tend flowers, which I love doing.  Everything is a trade-off, and I'm okay with it all,  I was having a lot of fun!
It is the time when I start looking for my garden gloves and clippers so I can go outside and put things in the ground.  Primroses have already been purchased and planted and lend a wee bit-o-color on a grey day.
The year:
1. Our guinea pigs, Guinevere and Flambe, can now be visited in the pet graveyard that came with the house. No worries, it was natural causes.
2. I  finally painted my living room!  It only took almost two years, and three color choices spread at sporadic places on the walls before I committed and painted it fully.
3. There is a wonderful partner, friend, man in my life.  And I am having a blast.
4. I was looking at jobs with my daughter, who is going to college, and saw one that I qualified for with a nearby 501(c)3.  I applied and got it!  I was going to look for a job by June, and here I am, a workin' woman again.
5. My "unusual" medical stuff seems to be in a holding pattern.
6. My daughter graduated high school, got a piece of work not-really-sane boyfriend, flailed around, quit college, pushed every button and limit I ever had...put her head back on,  started college, ... and started seeing the same boy again.  Argggh.  Pretty sure she is not going down the same path but if she needs to go, I can't stop her. (Which kills me....but it is all part of life, and making mistakes, blah, blah, blah)
7. Growing more and more gray hair. (see above...)
8. Our son is growing leaps and bounds and achy and grumpy and joyous all within the same five minutes.  Ah, to be 14 again.
8. Bought a new (used) car. It is a little zippy.  I have already been pulled over for zippiness, not speeding.  No ticket, however! Killer gas mileage.  40+mpg.
9.  Almost started working on the upstairs bathroom again.  Then it was decided to sister joists under that bathroom to stop the floor/ceiling from flexing which entails my dining room ceiling coming down.  And, while we are at it, might as well re-do the dining room electrical.  Waiting for that project to become a manageable size again with a firm cost. Oh, and I suppose the discretionary funds to complete it in my savings account would be nice.  I would love a soaking tub again.  Sigh.

Port Townsend, Ft. Worden beach. 

Blue Shoe got a Restoration Award!

Well, in all truthfulness, not really the house per se, but the contractor got an award for the work he did on my home.  He did do a great job... insulation, wood windows, age appropriate siding, plus all the structural work in the basement. As it was phrased in the award ceremony...."an appropriate restoration with a restrictive modest budget"... meaning I was always on them about cost details.

It seems like this is a summer 2013 picture - dead grass, daisies in full bloom. Note the chair outside the window? That would be one of the kids not having their key to get in the house so they clamber through my bedroom window.  

Exterior of farmhouse is painted!

Before and after...I rather miss the blue, how it blended with the sky.  BUT do so love red.  I also put the wood supports back on both porches and replaced rotten siding where the roofing runs into contact with vertical walls -- primarily the lower level rooflines on the porch and "ell" addition.