Tuesday's on 3rd

notes to self

although I seem to be cranking out the work 

the heat/humidity is awful and keeping me indoors

shots from the MnDOT camera on the bridge --

the farm is on top of the hill 

the house is 11:00 in the trees

6" fell ... a lot of water in 12 hours ...

back to the daily grind

weekends -- the new normal

Mom and I spent most of Saturday at the happy place

yes, I work a tank dress

yes, I sewed a layer cake throw

I drove home across the field Saturday night .. the corn is almost as tall as the truck ... delivered some framed prints to Nick ... hope he found them in his garage

office purging continues

here's the throw -- a layer cake from the stash

I went back this morning with my trusty surface pro (cracked screen and all ) and spent almost six hours on spreadsheets, newsletters and plotting out life moments

once the surface pro ran out of battery -- I started a new crochet project -- time will tell it is bold

and another tank dress today

the tank dresses are the coolest things on a 90' - 85% humidity day ... covered and cool is my new motto -- (good thing my friends at Target had them on sale -- I now have a variety of 'em)

life is better at the beach 

as I sit here and answer text messages from clients 

at 7:30 on Sunday night

boundaries -- we all need boundaries

Dash Cam ...

road trip day -- a trek to Fort Ridgely to fetch home some stuff for the historical society -- I whined all morning about going and once I got rolling I had the coolest drive -- sunshine and fluffy clouds are good for the soul .... this was in St Peter -- the grace street hill ... I have a better shot on my phone

I shared this one on Instagram and Wastebook with the caption "Where's Marie?"  

this is St George aka "the Holy Land" ... 10 houses, a chuch, and a cemetary (can't spell it) .. and sometimes a "speed wagon" because idiots like me like to breeze thru to quickly.

It was 100 miles -- on the way up I went thru Nicollet, Courtland, New Ulm ( the very edge), took the bottom road to see a slide and road project so I passed the Harkin Store -- took the CR21 detour and ended up in Renville County ... it was the wackiest detour ( gravel roads???) .. and finally got to Fort Ridgely -- coming home I took the expressway aka - the Fort Road ... from start to finish .. at the Renville County line to St. Peter -- so St. George, Klossner, and the outskirts of Swan and Middle Lake -- before I arrived back at my starting point. 

Back in the office by 3:10 -- after unloaded the vehicles .... I'm ready for NASCAR .... 

it was a good trek -- I need to have more of them 

pitty party

  i'm having a weird week.

  i'm tired of working
  i'm tired of covid crap
  i'm tired of people

  i'm at lose ends.


  so today i focused on the things that needed to get done.   attempted to mow the office lawn - lawnmower #1 crapped out so i switched to lawn mower #2 ( the $25 ? maybe $50 craigslist find) and got most of it done. 

  lawn mower #2 is bigger ( wider ) and heavier to push -- and it was 88' and i'm 59 3/4 -- i'll finish tomorrow -- the worst of it is done -- a client wandered in and needed to talk so i quit.

  got a text from intern ben tonight -- just to check in and see how we were doing.  miss that kid.  i was looking at our to do list and our done list.  kate and I have finished up a 1/4 - 1/3 of our annual returns.  no wonder we're tired and i'm crabby -- she puts up with me. 

  but she needs a break too. 

  cabin fever -- we've all got a bad case of it.

  gonna shake lose tomorrow on a volunteer gig -- road trip .. with a bridge, road slide, flooded road, washed out road and some cornfields to inspect along the way


  i am blessed
  i am blessed
  i am blessed

hump day ...

 I'm losing track of time, time of day, day of the week, day of the month, the month.  Since the start of shut down it all seems to flow into one giant burp.  And well, I'm not buying into the re-opening like others -- our numbers are still rising -- cases and deaths...

I get that our older population is vulnerable and at risk.  I'm old.  My family is old. 
Be smart stay safe (safer) is my theory.


I realized it was 7:30 last night -- and I was STILL AT WORK.  A couple of the payroll clients have become rather needy  (complicated) and I need the quiet of the day to actually decipher their mess.


The flip side of the PPP is driving me nuts.  Now this is changing.  daily.


The Board meeting yesterday was another cluster of chaos.  Some of us follow procedure a bit closer than others -- and at times need to do so.  Some of us can't read. 


The second delivery of screaming goats has arrived.  :)  it's the only fun left in my life.
I walked to the Gov't Center yesterday --
I ordered in lunch -- and enough food from Domino's for the week ...

    that pasta thing in a bread bowl is pretty awesome -- I thought I was just ordering the pasta and I ended up with the bread bowl gizmo ...
    I really like their salads -- it's really enough for two meals - forgot to order dressing and the delivery dude brought it anyway -- I'm well taken of by delivery drivers.
    the BBQ bites pair well with the salad --- 1/2 of each per meal :)
and gee whiz -- raspberries are on sale at No So Family Fresh -- $2.50!
 


Today will be better and tomorrow even better yet....
my glass will always be half full or overflowing. 
It has to be.

ahhh -- zee weekend ....

lots of time was spend at the happy place over the weekend

Saturday was cool -- cool enough to work on the crochet project

not sure why I started this gig ...

we left the hp and drove to Mankato to pick up supper late Saturday afternoon

one of us requested Kentucky Fried Chicken

40 miles for greasy chicken 

I then went to the office to start yet another project

details to follow

this was part of my Saturday night project

no wonder I had a "cooling fan" error message

Sunday I had the cabin to myself

I sewed!!!!!

first time at the sewing machine in 6 months -- truly ......

other than a couple of masks -- no sewing ...

( I have however bought fabric ---  wicked laugh )

I don't have a full sized ironing board out there but this table topper is

made from two Christmas charm packs -- it should finish up about 36" square

and there's a few left over charms

a simple table topper from  a charm pack .. if I was a fussier stitcher I'd rip that bottom row off and either (a) leave it off or (b) swap it out the lighter prints within the body ... but I'm a lazy stitcher so it might just stay there :)

this week on Daisy Lane

I but out feeders for the hummers --- the hummers and the raccoons have enjoyed them ...

they now come in at night

spied this one on my evening ride

crossed in front and stood just inside the evergreens

i think there was a fawn nearby

and up the road ... this one

stomping it's hooves at me

daisy lane is in full bloom

i took a video 

but the upload is too large

ah a short atv ride

new perspective on the day

cleared the cobwebs and earworms

happy weekend y'all

dang ... it's Thursday

been a crazy meeting week
live, zoom and other platforms


virtual meetings are more exhausting the person-to-person gigs

4 virtual yesterday
and walk in's
and phone calls

and
and
and


i have to stop whining about life
this is the way it is


m

Mad Monday

  Monday lived up to its reputation. 

  At office by 6:30 -- not sure what I actually did all day -- but I never left the building --- supper was pizza in the toaster oven.

6:15 pm  Board of Adjustments & Equalization
8:00 pm  Planning & Zoning
10:00 pm P / Z recessed for 30 days for more research
10:30 pm home to bed -- after hitting a rodent at 65mph

5:30 am ... alarm goes off .... it was ugly.

and I'm at my desk
trying to find my desk
I've been a hot mess of chaos.

m

hello sunday ...

yikes I need to get a life ...


Friday I ran around all day like a squirrel digging for nuts .... I had an appointment in Mankato and arrived an hour early ... oh gee -- so I attempted to donate my trunk load of purged shit.  no one -- NO ONE was taking donations, so the trunk is still full

I went to Joann Fabrics and stood in line to get in -- forgot my mask at the office -- so mask shaming was happening -- yarn, coffee mug, straws and a magazine -- it was a good stop -- that's a pretty big store and they were letting in 10 at a time ... 7 of us were in the check out line ... common sense people -- common sense


yesterday (Saturday) there was a middle of the night raccoon event.  it has been relocated to it's forever home (because I cannot spell permenantly)

I went to the office at 8:30 am and mowed (after I got gas) ... 45 minutes later the grass and weeds are shorter ... much shorter.  Home for a shower and packing for the lake, back to the office for groceries, food coop for a sandwich and finally -- my deck chair

I was in no mood to return home but #2 had to cook for #1 so .. back home by 5:00 and then back to the office and worked until 8:30 ... it was a gorgeous day at the lake --

 I really wasn't ready to come back to town -- and certainly not to go back to town to work.



ya, I need to get a freeking life.

life

detailed

meticulous to a fault

kind

giving

caring

thoughtful

hard working

adjectives - sometimes God tests the good people with challenges beyond my comprehension -- and this good person  accepted those challenges with faith, dignity and grace.

"this is my life now and I'm doing the best I can" ...   

wise words Steve

I will try and remember everyday to be grateful for the challenges I've been given

peace  

Thursdays on 3rd

my life is a serious of piles

sanitizer

and a screaming goat

another seminar today

8 more hours of continuing education

streaming live on the surface pro -- other screens are just stuff

book and crochet project 

5 hours to go

Tuesday's on 3rd

  Tuesday's are a lot like Monday's ...

  Today was spent at the government center -- delays due to procedural issues make me testy.  then back to 3rd street for a spell and then on the road to Gaylord Mn (population 4) .. spent some more taxpayer dollars over there --  like 1.3 million bucks.  All to move water.

  If you haven't been to Gaylord MN lately -- it is difficult ... the east/west express way -- it's two lanes and paved -- that's an expressway in Sibley County --.. is closed.  so my route was

Nicollet CR 20 to
Sibley CR 8 to
Sibley CR 13 to
US Hwy 19

the homebound was

US Hwy 19 to
Sibley CR 13 to
Sibley CR 8 to
Sibley CR 9 which becomes
Nicollet CR 3 to the
Traverse Road to
Nicollet CR 20 and finally
Broadway Ave to 3rd Street

I met 1 sprayer, one tractor, a stripe/line painting crew and 5 cars ... until I arrived at the Vatican where the traffic seemed a bit heavier.

I was speeding.  I sped a lot.
it gets better -- I get to make this trek every other week for most of July and August .. oh joy.



Another night in the cave ... alas it is my life.

sleep well my friends -- we've earned it

monday nights on 3rd street

yes, cpa's work nights -- this one usually works every Monday night ... the County gig takes away a few working hours during the week and I need to make them up.

i have to admit -- i think i'm getting stressed out -- the time spent at the happy place over the weekend was very relaxing - but alas not long enough.  and monday always brings out the weird and wacky ... like "i received a refund but i don't know why" ... argh.

i went to the grocery store at 3:00pm  -- bad move --- really bad move $86 later -- I have 10 boxes of pasta, 3 bottles of salad dress, gummy bears, m/m's, almonds, milk, berries x 2, lettuce, rice cakes and toilet paper, ice cream, hand sanitizer, cheese treats and cookies. 

charmin seemed to be the best deal on the tp.  good grief ...TMI
it's a 3 lb bag of sugar free gummy bears -- diet gummy bears ...

see I am losing it ...


M

pandemic weekends

social distancing with the scrapping divas (minus Jane)

we met in Becky's garage/driveway 

bring your own chair and coffee is the normal

we haven't been together since our girls weekend in January ... way to long between the gab sessions 

hopefully Jane can join us next time -- her assisted living is in semi lock down mode

my afghan project

not sure what i was thinking when i started this 

shade is important

worked at the happy place both days of the weekend

lots of spiffy spreadsheets to be turned into goodness

it was a good weekend of work, r/r, laughter and a spot of rain 4/10ths per #1

the heat wave has started so I'll be indoors for a couple of days

hoping for a fabulous week 

Cheers!

paradise

It's a beautiful morning ...

Because life has been so crazy for 75 days ...

I'm going to pretend the world is normal and just enjoy this beautiful day ...
I'm going to forget the COVID mess
I'm going to ignore the news

I'm going just enjoy this day for what it is
   simply gorgeous


and since young Matt did my mowing yesterday ... I can pull some weeds instead!


Happy Friday

Enjoy it ...

M

06/04/20

damn
it's Thursday already

14 hours of zoom/virtual meetings so far
headed west to a "real" meeting in Gaylord this afternoon

a spot of road construction ... might need to be traveling on "gravel" 


life goes on

06/03/20

the politician in me does not like a couple of things.

 #1 running for office -- I don't like campaigning .. I'm too introverted ...


my term is up in 2020, I filed for re-election -- and no one filed against me -- yipeee!!!!  no primary, and only write in's on the general election. 


the first time EVER ...


it's kind of sad in a way -- people need to be engaged and involved -- always ...





but I'm still thrilled/relieved/blessed not to have a primary/general election..


some wiser than I --- once told me

"listen to staff, listen to the public, digest it and articulate the needs" ... 

wise words peeps, wise words.

06/01/20

Little did I know back in March that the world was crazy and getting crazier ...
( check )  pandemic
( check )  curfews

seriously == I get it ... but the good in all of us needs to rise up and overcome the bad --
I get it -- there's a lot of bad ... but why do we let the bad lead us astray ...