stuff -- big and small

okay, this is my first attempt at adding a you-tube video --- it's from one of my favorite movies and it's kind of representative of a lot of things happening lately.

remember, we can't control everything, and frankly I'm a bit tired of trying.

Bruce & Sandee -- you made my week -- both of you mentioned you read my ramblings ... how cool is that?  the world is indeed a small (and shrinking) place.  Thanks -- it made my week.

So, the new wheels already have mechanical issues ... remember, this is the truck that was once parked in my garage ... what the hell.  (again, cannot control it).  The weather is a bit warm, but not too awfully nasty today.  I pitched a drip irrigation system to #1 and he planted my cantelope and installed the system and it appears to be working !  Yahoo...will take pictures.  The patch is loving the hot hot weather and growing faster than fast (ditto the weeds).

Life is good.  Hug your young ones and enjoy the music !!!

Marie

boob press

  it's a necessary evil and I'm done for this year.  20 minutes start to finish.

Diva

what's old is new (usually)

remember these pictures ... Dad's Red Truck -- well, it is now my Red Truck ...

yepper's it's the same one he traded off two months ago.

I went to buy it back  -- and ended up trading in the SUV for "red bessie" and some $$$$.  Only at our house would such a move make any sense at all. 

He tells me after supper.  It's a "damn good truck" ... so it's home again and I'll be driving it a lot.  It's a lot cleaner today than when it left  ....  ummmmm.

a tough couple of days.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 

  Several years ago -- when I was having a moment.  I ran across this passage.  Typed it up and taped it to the bookcase next to my desk (and it's still there).  It's a humble reminder that although I like to think I'm in charge, I'm really not. 

  It's going to be a tough week here in the Valley.  We are not in charge.  I need to keep reminding myself and live accordingly.  That being said (typed/blogged/expressed) please hug the children/kids/little people in your world -- one never knows what tomorrow will bring.

 So, on a much lighter note, I think I'm the only person in North America who traded vehicles and is actually getting a check back from the dealership.  At least tonight that is the plan, it may change tomorrow when reality kicks in and it may cost me $$$$ instead -- need to commit and well . . . . 

  The patch is looking fabulous -- if I had energy I'd walk downstairs and actually get the pictures off of the camera -- I'm fading fast peeps. 

  Here's to Monday -- (and remember who is truly in control).

Marie

  

finally ...

   Nary a leaf was moving at 5:05 am as I rolled westward on my trusty ATV (lately it's the only thing that seems to keep running) --- 30 minutes later -- 4 gallons of my "weed cocktail killer blend" was applied.  Dang ----  it goes on fast with no wind.  I spent 4 hours with the hoe yesterday -- widened out the hills so less danger of spraying a plant.  (Advice from elder #1 -- sometimes it ticks me off,  but he was spot on with this jewel -- don't tell him that).   The coyotes were howling up there this morning -- the gravel pit is 1/2 mile away and it just echoed thru there. 

   Busy day for this commissioner -- meeting, meeting, party.  Hopefully to office by 2:00pm.  The next big question --- what to wear! 

   Big issue of the weekend ... purchase truck or not.  Stay tuned.  Red might be returning to the fleet -- I'm holding firm to my offer and I think they might just take me up on it.   Then the explorer needs to go for a "high miles per gallon" something.   A whole lotta drama over wheels.

TGIF

M

good idea .... well, sorta

My morning adventure began at 5:20.  Hopped on Bessie (loaded with chemicals & supplies) and headed west to the patch.  Nary a leaf was moving in the yard.  Time to SPRAY -- gotta knock out those monster weeds (whom are getting larger by the minute).  Enjoyed the scenery on the commute -- mama turkey & the babes, papa turkey in full "bloom",  a couple of deer and a coyote. 

Alas, I get to my destination and the row marker flags are moving.  It was windy up there.  Crap.  I was trying to be efficient and get the job done.  Maybe tonight at sunset.  Needs to be almost perfectly still.

it was raining again last night, so I finished the last two folds of this strippy quilt and added borders.  I was going to use it for a retirement gift for someone but I think it's going to a cancer patient instead.  It's on my office wall so the colors are a bit blurry (and it's 6:20am)

beige's, blues, browns, greens, khakis ..  dark brown kona for the borders

mr personalty returned to the farm after a weeks worth of squirrel hunting and womanizing -- slept most of the day in a lawn chair on the deck. 

well since I'm at work -- the projects continue --- the file purge is happening. 

happy thursday

Diva

better living thru chemicals

  yep, I use chemicals.  I have weeds and bugs and need to control them.  So Sunday I:

       finished hoeing the squash
       dusted the entire patch for bugs -- just a light to medium hit (lotta walking)
       sprayed some weeds with my "round up" blend ... a light blend to see if it works
       came to the office and mowed the grass and hacked at the trees growing in the flower beds
          (can't see the flowers for the trees)
       was chatting with dr bill -- who .... " you are being a good republican mowing your own lawn -- I
           especially like the pink pants"  ...  nice to see he noticed I had on my old worn out pink flannel
           pants --- it was a sight
     
       looked up and saw a dark cloud.  I barely beat the rain home.  yep, all the chemicals got rained on.  so

last night -- checked on the patch -- the weeds appear to be dying -- didn't see many bugs -- it only takes one to wipe out  a row or two -- sprayed out another 2 gallons of weed killer.

at 4:30 am  -- the wind hit again ... and hail ... and more rain.  I didn't drive up there to look.  I think the tornado siren's may have went off too.

Sunday into Monday at midnight -- the damn things were blowing too.  WTH  --- a gentle pitter patter of rain is all we need. 

Can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings.  I could really use a full night of sleep.

Diva

girls and their toys

cell phone charging ... sunglasses ... and if you look toward the center floor -- beverages -- bessie carries it all .... if the grandparents were alive I'm sure there would be comments regarding the gizmos.  cell phone never did charge very well -- but it was better than nothing

weeds have arrived -- time for chemicals ... no grass just broad leafs (from all the manure)  the nursing home is left center in the pix -- odd .. I still remember it being the "long" runway of the St. Peter Municipal Airport.  miss those days.

bessie is need of a bath -- note how tall the corn is already -- can't see the road anymore from the patch -- in the last week it's went from knee high to hip high .. won't be long now

I thought I was being efficient -- went up to hoe and dust and then another rain shower arrived.  Back at it tomorrow and after that the spraying begins.  Gotta control the bugs and weeds.

It's growing weather !!!!

Happy Father's Day

I D I O T (that would be I / me / self)

  so, this Idiot worked until 8:30 Tuesday night  -- last night, left, fed the livestock (4 chickens, 4 cats) and returned for a County event, so it was 8:30 last night.  Home in time for the new remake Dallas -- of which I saw 15 minutes before I fell asleep (in the chair). 

  I feel old.  Patrick Duffy with gray hair !!!  Dying of something -- I woke up from my nap in time to see the repeat -- and then at 3:30 rose again for the fighting (?) raccoons on the deck.  I had left on the flood lights -- hoping to deter them.  No, they could just themselves see better. 

  I really feel old. 

  I'm having the internal debate about attending the Minnesota Quilters annual show in Rochester.  Need to commit shortly -- Cousin Mary & Linda are there today and tomorrow -- Saturday is fast approaching.  I might just rise really early Saturday and start driving -- 2 hours down -- get there to park and enjoy before the hoards of excited women arrive.  time (and weather) will dictate. 

Diva

so, remember me ...

    the idiot who thought she would not work afternoons this summer.  I D I O T .... in all caps.  It's 7:23 pm and I'm still here.  So, technically, it is evening -- but since I haven't left yet today ....

    I rarely blog about Commissioner Meetings -- today's was a first .. and a doozy.  Needless to say, I hope it never repeats itself.  It was good to see the men with guns and brown uniforms arrive during a heated debate.  All I can say is -- good grief, get a grip.  In a post meeting telephone call, I was referred to as a "communist -- violating the basic rights of the taxpaying public" ... so ... it was a first. 

   Life is full of firsts.  Get used to it.  In my travels on Monday I visited a country cemetary -- one started by homesteaders that is still active today -- a treasure in today's world of idiots (self included) and wack jobs (the commie caller).  I'll return for a longer visit someday soon.  Pictures are on the Ipad and well getting them to upload takes a techie geek and I haven't found one yet.

bonjour ... (I've forgotten my Russian)

M

aahh Monday

   the patch got hoe'd and tilled ... the graduation party happened -- heat and all -- made a brief shopping sojourn to Mkto -- (shorts/bug dust for the patch/dirt for the flower pots/take out salad for supper/2 pair of fabulous sandals) ...

   baked most of saturday ... 5 pans of brownies and 2 pans of disappearing marshmellow bars ...

   it blew and rained and mother nature brought back natural air conditioning .... and the chaos begins all over again ...

   it's good to be me.


M

City Traveler

   So, this Diva returned from a 36 hour event in the City.  Continuing education seminar -- roughly 40 hours a year and I just knocked out 16 of them. 

   During the ethics discussion the presenter flashed up a Gandhi quote regarding ethics, so I googled it to make sure I was correct ... ummmm.  Again, never believe what you read ..  at any rate

Seven Deadly Sins

Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscious.
Knowledge without character.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.
Science without humanity.
Commerce without morality.

   Every version of the quote had a different order and the conference presenter had "business without ethics" not "commerce without morality."

   It was a good trip -- supper with the City cousins last night and had a million jets flying over (I was next to the airport) ... every 3 minutes another one would go, simply amazing.  Have pictures on the IPad.  The view from my room was IKEA and the Mall of America.  The shopping mecca's ... I've never been to IKEA ... might need a summer road trip up there. 

  So I'm sorting my piles and going home to bed.  Too much traffic and way to much road construction.

M

buggers ....

  specifically the black and yellow striped ones ... so dust, dust, dust I went.  Done.  Smaller patch means faster dusting. 

   okay I preached for a month I wasn't going to work afternoons this summer -- and what time did I get home this evening, yes this evening.  5:30 ish.  wrong, oh so wrong. 

    we'll see what tomorrow brings. 

    first up -- shower to get the extra bug dust off of me. 

    next up -- grocery list, I received my baking instructions for the graduation party.  yeppers, we're going to have tasty treats!!!  lots of tasty treats.

toodles
tired and sweaty diva

hoe, hoe, hoe

  down the rows I go.   merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. 

  yep, I'm losing it.  big time.  faster every day.  2 hours of hoeing will do that to a tired, old, overweight, way-out-of-shape diva.  but it's a nice day -- enough breeze to keep the bugs a bay.  Squash are done, watermelon are done -- just the pumpkins to go ( not many) ... goes fast.  It's the first hoeing so I can see up close and personal what is or isn't coming up -- germination can always be better -- a bit of nibbling by bugs.
   hoeing is one of the "organic" methods of keeping the dreaded cutworms at bay.  Mrs. Earthworks (Diane) ... see blog on on my reading list.  http://www.earthworksgardens.blogspot.com/ (it works I tested it)  Diane does a great job of bug identification and bug control.  Frankly, I subscribe to the better living thru chemicals when it comes to bugs and grass --
   tomorrow I'll dust 'em for cutworms and elder will spray and the hoeing will start all over midweek.  I like to hoe once a week until the vines get in the way. 

   and it's good for me too.  my new exercise plan.  10 steps, hoe, 10 steps, hoe, swat a skeeter, 10 steps hoe. 

    and this is what I found yesterday ..... 

yes, a dreaded varmit track ... dang it ... more chemicals and fencing to follow

"red" the barn cat assisting in the little garden ...

elder #1 having words with him ....

Nick and me !

the GRADUATE !!!

so, I took 105 pictures at home and the ceremony last night -- 3 sets of camera batteries --- even though Lee's eyes are closed this is my favorite !!!  It was a good night.  Cold enough for long underwear !