Gardening

Ron built an 8 foot square raised garden for me. I have so little space with sunshine in my yard that it was hard to settle on where we would put it. There was quite a bit of discussion on the maple tree in the center of the yard. It stayed. The garden gets sunshine all morning. Hope it's enough. It's been  fully 20 years since I've gardened. I am already excited for fresh geen beans. And you may expect my zucchinni abundance somehow...in the fall!

And the bottom picture is Ron's Hollyhocks. He planted them last summer from seeds he harvested around the area. A hollyhock here, a hollyhock there. It takes two years for them to bloom so this is their year! They also are hogging all my garden sunshine. Oh well...

Back to the Garden

I am so excited! I am getting a garden this year! One of the problems with this wonderful tree filled yard has been finding a space with sunshine enough to grow tomatoes and beans and onions, peppers and more. I haven't had a real garden for more than 8 years now. But this year, Ron is building a raised bed- well, a larger one and two small ones to put in a sunny spot at the east edge of our lot. He should have it done by the first of May so everything can be properly planted and better yet so that things can produce properly. Last year I put in 4 tomatoe plants on the north side of our garage. I watered and weeded and got long leggy tomato plants and exactly two tomatoes one day late in August. Very disheartening. So pictures soon I hope!

Our Girl

Here she is! Two already! That happened so fast. She is a blessing and a delight. We had a great Easter weekend with the grandkids. I must confess that I slept nearly all the way home. I didn't think I was so tired, but they do have a lot of energy. We ate, hunted easter eggs, played with birthday presents, blew bubbles and more. That sounds pretty tiring doesn't it? What Can I say? More weekends like this please!

Sunday Evening

Have you ever had something relatively small hang over you like...a sword? ANd then have a whole day , a whole weekend really, hurtle toward that one dreaded moment? The day before I can put it out of my mind and because the weather is nice I can push it to the back. Today though I find myself growing more irritable and anxious. It's so dumb I tell myself. I can get through this. But I know that a lot of how I feel is because I really don't do well at this and I do a crappy job in front of a whole lot of people. Is it possible to offer this up? To ask God to take all these really bad feelings, this dreaded thing and ask Him to make something positive of it? IT's the only hope to make this into something positive I think....

Dancing

I am learning to dance. Seriously. I never thought I could do that because 1. I am pretty uncoordinated and 2. I am more than 50 years old and have never danced. Can my brain be taught something that new? Well as it turns out, I guess I can. We are dancing every morning for 5-10 minutes at work. Brenda taught us our first one. Can I tell you how much I enjoy this! Oh my! We're dancing to Alan Jackson's "Good Time". I hate country music. But I'm rethinking that all of a sudden. I found a place where I can go to learn more. Anyone want to come with me? This has been great for me!
Oh and in a couple of weeks, I'll have some pictures to post to prove that I'm telling you the truth about this!

Making time stand still

I remember clearly my father in law telling me how I should cherish the moments with my young children because time would fly by faster than I planned. That was more than 30 years ago and now that I'm approaching the age that he was when he told me that, I can only nod in amazed agreement. If only there were some way to keep time from moving so fast... So, I've created a list. My list of moments to freeze in time:
(in no particular order)
My father walking me down the aisle
Bedtime prayers with my children
bike riding on summer days with my kids
hearing my grandfather's voice as he reads to me
sunsets-
on the farm in Illinois as I ride westward on my horse Stormy
At Webb, during the eruption of Mt. St. Helen. There were spectacular weeks of them.
In the Boundary Waters as the sun sank into endless lakes
Horseback riding, toward home, looking at the clouds and wondering about heaven
The first time I sat at my desk at my first full time teaching job
Supper table prayers with my family.
Birth-days as I examined every toe, and finger and perfect eyelash
My kids laughing and playing and arguing together
Softball/baseball games at Webb with community all around
Isaiah's birth-his very first cry.
five baby grandchildren cradled in my arms
Holding Phinehas' hand as we walked down the street, sunlight shining in his golden hair
Watching Ron hold and pat and sing to his children, to his grandchildren
Sitting in IHop with Jeremiah as he drank glass after glass of lemonade
Watching my children's baptism
riding in a blue impala with the fella that would one day be my husband
holding a newborn Simeon and seeing his red gold hair for the very first time.
Walking through the streets of Clinton after driver's ed on a warm fall day dreaming about the future
listening to a babbling baby girl tell me about her day
A car ride home from a family event when I was a child, seeing Orion bold and bright, the same one that I see in the evenings even tonight.
Yes. I would make time stand still if I could. "Always remember to slow down in life; live, breathe, and learn; take a look around you whenever you have time and never forget everything and every person that has the least place within your heart.”

Working adventures

Weekends have me longing for ...longer weekends lately. I have always been passionate about my job but lately, well I've had room for stewing. The water heater in my office ( yes my office) went out yesterday. It soaked the carpet in my office and will take a chunk out of my budget somewhere. The fire chief rushed into the library this afternoon while the repair man did some soldering because he set the fire alarm off. That, my friends was mildly entertaining but not something I want to repeat. A phone call yesterday has given me lots to ponder, but mostly about ny real capabilities. I'm thinking I'll have to say "No" to this request. City council though, seems to be pushing things forward in unexpected ways that can't be made public yet! Then we should talk about my memory which doesn't seem to be functioning properly these days. I have a new employee starting in a week or so and I worry about the orientation . Poor girl really doesn't know what she's getting herself into methinks. So, now you all know why I have to go to bed early every night. And why an extra weekend day woul be very nice!

Faith and Doubts

In St. Paul tonight. A conference. We got here last night, late. Like past midnight late. You would have been proud of me. I was wide awake. I think it was adreneline flowing. I drove into St. Paul right straight up 35W into St. Paul having to totally trust the GPS. When we first got that thing I didn't have any trouble trusting it. The GPS led us faithfully exactly where we wanted to go. Then one time it didn't. We went miles out of the way in fact. So should I trust this thing or not? Well, since I didn't have a map open and it was dark, and I had no idea how else to do this..I listened to the GPS. What do you think? Is this really faith? Is it faith by default? There sure were plenty of doubts mixed in as I looked around and wondered if I shouldn't be heading off in a different direction. I kept heading in the direction Miss GPS was telling me, despite my misgivings. And. Here I am. Right where I wanted to be all because I kept going despite my doubts.

DST

Clocks set ahead. check.
To bed early. check.
Dark when I wake. Again.
But on the plus side I am enjoying a 'longer day'. :)
When told the reason for daylight savings time the Old Indian said, "Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to and have a longer blanket."

I've been thinking.

1. Ready for outside activities: biking, hiking, camping, swimming, walking the neighborhood, having brats uptown on warm evenings.
2. Finish the bathroom remodel...please soon.
3. Reconfiguring our yard for a fire pit.
4. thinking about a vacation...YES!
5. Time to put in the new upstairs windows. Wouldn't it be nice to get a new carpet up there as well!!
6. Take time to have lunch out of the office.

Yes. These few things are plans for spring. It's almost here.

Just build me another book shelf

I really enjoy using technology. Love love love my ipad, laptop,kindle fire, phone and whatever else there is to fiddle with. Love experimenting and learning new stuff, but here is my big confession today: I really perfer reading from a book. Real live paper book. Skip my nook, my kindle, my ipad for the book and head right to the printed on paper book. Someone said to me today something that made me nod my head in total agreement: No, don't buy me one of those nook things I'd rather have a book. If I run out of room build me another book shelf. Yes.

On "Winter in the Heart"

I really thought I hadn't done any blogging for way more than a year, but I see that it is not so. I have pictures from Christmas 2010 and even a post from 2011.

It has been a long year of...well, probably normal things, but some that are not quite so. Once mom died I didn't think things would ever look the same again. And really, life has gone on very differently. Well, differently than I had planned I guess. But still, the good things: There has been the family-kids and grandkids; a joy and a blessing. There has been work; something I've always loved now coming into closer perspective. There has been home life;really I must focus on a bigger picture. There have been friends; they bring focus and keep me from myself. Thank goodness. There has been church; I am reminded that this life is not about me.

So, while I sometimes feel a bit aimless and confused and find that I am still struggling, I am not without hope. I have seen blooms coming up through the winter snow, Robins singing before the winter storms, clear signs of coming spring. Faith takes hold...