Educate Me Please

I drove into Anchorage this morning for my Costco run and saw this older guy in a pickup.  I thought I saw a tall stick stuck in the bed of his pickup but I thought to myself that would be dumb, it has to be an antenna.  I sped up and passed him and it was not an antenna, it was a tall, tall stick.  Then, I took a moment and reassessed the situation and wondered if I was the dumb one?  Am I missing something here?  I may be ignorant but I don’t miss an opportunity to look around my surroundings on a beautiful drive.   I am so grateful that twelve to fourteen foot stick protruding heavenward didn’t elude me.

Smash Me

 Nothing feels better than a day where I work so hard all day long.  I cleaned the cabin for new guests, I mowed the lawn, I watered our new grass and baked bread.  I took a few leg breaks as my doctor ordered and then I called up Rhea and said, “Hey you want to go to Smashburger?”  Off I went to Wasilla to meet her for dinner.  (Rhea is housesitting.)   I earned points and my next dinner for two should only be ten dollars or so.  A win of a day all around.

Sparkles On The Pew

We always sit in the same spot at church – fourth pew and under the clock.  About three or four weeks ago I started to notice little sparkles as I sat down and I wondered what was used that would leave these little gems.  It happened again a week or so later and again I wondered.  Today Bret and Britta spoke so Dad, Rhea and myself went to listen and sit with the kids.  I chuckled to myself as they sit in just about the same spot as us.  With Remi on my lap we listened intently and enjoyed our time in their ward.  As I got up to leave there they were again – sparkles on the pew – Remi and Paige’s dresses.

Grass Day

Hey, let’s hydroseed our yards.  Bret’s new yard was first and he got it all sprayed and then came over to ours.  We had reseeded some areas and Mike leveled out the fire pit, laid down top soil and reseeded that too.  Bret was a huge help so Mike could get it all sprayed and completed.  Now we are all ready for next year when Bret tackles his back yard and I scope out where I want more grass to go.  This hydroseeding is awesome.

Gotta Take It Easy

I have been a couch potato all day with my leg elevated.  What a great day for having a Nicholas Sparks movie marathon which is exactly what I did.  I think I got four movies in and trying to get used to this world of doing nothing is really hard on me.  I enjoyed each movie, shed a tear or two and swooned my way onto the beaches of South Carolina and/or North Carolina but really wanted to get up and be productive somehow.  Oh . . . I am glad I am not a couch potato by trade.

It Kind Of Feels Like Home

Back on the table again today for procedure number three.  I am beginning to get the whole drill down – leg markings, double pillows, washing, pins, numbing, probing, pulling, wrapping and the stretching of the compression hose.  During the procedure, while listening to the oldies on Pandora, Dr. Bell and I took turns guessing the artist for points.  I would have to say he has an amazing bed side manner or maybe he was totally trying to distract me from all the discomfort.

 

Moving Day

I followed a tree – a great big tree all wrapped up in the back of a flat bed.  I wonder where this big granddaddy ball of roots is going?  There has to be a story behind this legend.  I should have followed it down Beaver Lake Road to get the scoop.  Now it is killing me – why was this big tree being transplanted?  Was it purchased?  What is the reasoning behind the tree transplant??  There are just things in life we never get answers for.

Bread Lover

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods, dating back to Neolithic times when lumps of dough, unleavened, were placed on hot stones in the embers of a wood fire. Bread soon became synonymous with life itself.  Bread isn’t quite that important to me on a daily basis but I sure do bake a lot now.  Every new guest gets a loaf of bread, with butter and jelly so my bread maker and loaf pans are out if not every day but almost.    This true woman isn’t giving up her bread maker for stones though.

Homemade Of Course

The words were like sweet music to my ears.  Mike met our guests from Iowa staying in our cabin and they were very happy with their stay.  They said, “oh and the bread was so delicious and the jellies and the flowers . . . they were just perfect.”  I sighed and just let those happy thoughts radiate through me.  The plan, the kindness and the hospitality, well it all worked so well.

My Life On A Spread Sheet

I heard someone say the old Yiddish proverb today, “we plan, God laughs.”  I chuckled because this is a truth we can all relate to.  I am a planner, an organizer and one that likes to see a five-year life plan set in stone.  Well, things don’t always turn out as easily as that.  I didn’t expect to have a diabetic son (neither did he) and that changed the course of our lives in more ways than one.  I remember thinking with great innocence in my younger years what I wanted to be when I grew up – I still don’t know what I want to be – oh wait – actually I am what I want to be – a mother.  I think God is laughing now . . . watching me navigate through my somewhat rocky terrain of a life.