October --

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- the American Cancer Society has challenged us to walk 35 miles in October -- Kate and I are walking at lunch --- we started today ( one of us is old and way out of shape -- I need extra days).   One mile down -- thirty four to go -- we aren't raising money -- we are doing it for ourselves  -- 

We walked to the Caribou Cabin -- got a beverage and walked back -- 1st time for me at the CC -- I drive past the goofy thing 2 times a day -- 

Remember -- Kate is young, active and has legs at least a foot longer than mine -- I kept up with her -- not sure how -- I damn needed oxygen when we got back to the office ... she's talking and walking and I'm gasping for air ... -- this too shall change after 34 more miles.

After a rest break and a couple dozen phone calls -- I mowed the lawn and gained another 1500 steps -- the fitbit tells me I'm at 3 miles today -- somehow I think it's a bit generous.

October is also my birthday month and 2020 is a big year for this Diva -- the big 6-0 ... with all the crap happening in 2020 I should have 60 parties -- 2 a day :)  keep dreaming ... I'll just keep walking.

keep walking

keep walking

labor camp

 it was a weekend of hard labor -- at both cabins ...

Friday -- afternoon/evening

   I unloaded all of the stuff in my truck from Cabin #1 into the living room of cabin #2 and then I sat and enjoyed the view/sunset 

Saturday -- it was wild

   Mom had a chiro appointment in upper North -- so I made it to a store (Walgreens)

   Directly to Cabin #2 -- all of kitchen cabinets got scrubbed and I stocked with stuff from the Friday unload -- then I proceeded to Cabin #1 and moved all the remaining accumulation to the deck (and carried some of it up the hill to my truck) ... scrubbed the counters and surfaces and did a final vacuuming before I took the vac to #2 -- took a lot of pictures -- the bay is gorgeous ... 

  The proceeded to cabin #2 -- it was a 3 truck caravan of stuff -- we unloaded it all and started re- arranging the stuff (shit) .. more kitchen, more furniture, more boat, yard games and the like ... we had our first "visitors" ... so we got to show off our spaces :)

  Jean took Mom home and came back with Nick -- and we grilled our first supper -- another gorgeous sunset.

Sunday -- it was windy!  

  More company -- Jan came to visit -- and then it was back to work

  Clearing brush, moving leavings ( mostly the wind did the moving ) .. more kitchen organization, making lunch from leftovers, Jean cut down brush on the hill and I re-piled it, Lee went into the crawl space and diddled around on something important and cut branches off a tree or two.

  By 3:30 I was so wind blown I needed to be home where it was warm -- and dry.  I needed a nap.

Coming to work this morning felt like a vacation.

   

Memories

 

things to do while listening to seminar ... 

scenes from the cabin - Thursday night 

I loaded a truck load from the old and drove over to the new

so, this ruler has kept my on the straight and narrow since March of 1995, yep, 1995 -- for some reason I thought I needed a break during tax season and Mom, Grandma, Cousin Cathy and I went to Las Vegas during Cathy's spring break from college -- I cannot fathom doing that now ... 

it was a simpler time ( insert huge grin ) ... or so I thought -- anyway I realized in the airport on the way home -- I needed a "reminder" of our trip -- it's filthy dirty -- the corner broke off when I was slapping it on my desk to get the cat's attention ... and it's developed a crack -- so it got replaced today ... not sure if I should just toss it or frame it ... I'm leaning towards the trash ...

Happy Friday

Thursday's wisdom

 

another jewel from wastebook -- 45 minutes of seminar to go ... today seems to be going quite quickly -- I'm alone at the office Kate is home distance learning with her kids ... so far the only phone calls are google or other telemarketers ....

I'm crocheting as I sit here and listen ( there may or may not be some notes being taken too )

keep, keep, keep

 

I saw this shared a couple of times on wastebook -- it struck a chord... I'm in hour 7.5 of a 16 hour continuing education gig ...  watching via the interest is almost as exhausting as attending live .. although I really don't miss the commute to Minneapolis.

new beginnings ...

 we closed on the cabin at 4:00 -- after signing had a brief meeting with Mr. U and his daughter ... 

I hustled home -- ate fast tossed lawn chairs and the elders in my truck and we headed out there ... we had some treats ( and pizza ) -- checked out all the corners :) and watched a glorious sunset from the screen porch ... our nights at the lake just got a whole lot better -- that sunset view is pretty darn awesome

In the kitchen cupboards, Jean found the packet of "stuff" including the original blue prints ... their cabin "bible" of  winterizing, opening etc ... 

We're going to love this little cabin as much as the U family did 

good bye

the leaves are changing on Evergreen Lane --

we spent most of the day cleaning out and packing up 

this cabin -- 6 years and oodles of memories

we have a truckload of patio furniture -- and another truckload of  kitchen stuff -- my extra sewing stuff ... yard games, bug spray -- boat stuff -- and cleaning supplies to move to Maple Drive

on Tuesday the Gansen tribe is going to move everything over to our new place -- I have a commitment and cannot be there -- so today was my last day

seriously, I've shared 100's of pictures of my ass in the chair, feet up, book on lap .. coffee and choc chip cookie at my side -- this is my decompression zone -- it works -- it has worked for the "cabin season"  

my heart is happy and excited for the new place -- it too will be filled with oodles of memories -- and it's "ours" ... or will be in 23 hours :)  but I'm leaving a part of my heart in this simple little cabin in the trees back in the hole -- I am the emotional one -- and yep, I shed a couple tears on the drive home .. 

I learned so much about myself hanging out here on this deck -- and this "pandemic" summer it gave me a place to be -- away from the chaos, away from the weirdness -- just away from it all ... I am blessed and grateful

Thanks -- Evergreen Lane 

I loved every minute I spent here ....

 

Jeri and a couple of tears

I got back to the office after the produce distribution and an UPS delivery was waiting for me ...  It didn't look familiar -- until I found the note ... I had a client that was special -- they are all special but JM carried many burdens in her life ... in her later years she fought hard to keep going -- thru it all her faith and family kept her going ... 

she was a fabulous quilter too -- she lost the battle in 2019 -- she wouldn't  phrase it that way -- she knew it was time and she always accepted the challenges with grace and dignity -- she was an inspiration to all of us ... 

the note in the package made me smile and cry at the same time ... I am so blessed to have the clients I have --- blessings beyond measure -- 

 

Give a damn.

 Sometimes, when you give a damn too late, it’s the same as not giving a damn at all.

 I'm tired -- tired of work, tired of the chaos, tired of all drama -- on the inbound this morning ( it was dark ) ... I was having a pitty party with myself.  Off to work again, I work too much - some days it appears that all I do is fix shit I didn't wreck.  

I have coffee/breakfast at my desk -- reading the paper the above quote came from the editorial page -- a columnist -- Leonard Pitts.  

I care -- I give a damn and it is exhausting.  It just is.  

I'm not sure if I can change it --- giving a damn that is -- controlling the chaos --at least controlling my chaos has to start from within 

a lot of thinking for a Thursday

give a damn

care

the zoo

 Lately, I live in a zoo ..

A constant state of uproar --- waayyyyy to much happening and kind of fast...

Today's adventures -- 

2 zoom meetings at the same time :)   always a productive hour

an afternoon zoom meeting and I had it down at the wrong time -- I was 12 minutes late ... 

new direct deposit payroll processor and I had monies going to the wrong account ..

Jean had a good day -- she got the utilities switched for the cabin, got internet provider lined up and ready to install next Tuesday -- if there is good internet out there I might just do my Wed/Thur ( next week) seminar out there ... hmm wonder what the weather will be :)

we're almost ready for the closing 

Today was the day the scrapping divas and I were to go to Waco -- alas, I'm at work ....... I was looking forward to Waco, The Mercantile (yep, the Mercantile) and Oklahoma City ...   maybe next year ...

normal (normalcy)

   I rolled into town at 6:30 this morning ... and met the bus.

   The world is a bit more normal when kids are getting on the bus and heading off to school.  

   Ya, the bus schedule is as wacky as the school schedule -- hopefully -- we can keep them safe and keep 'em in school.  They need school.  

We all need routines.

My routines are always a work in progress.  The only thing I seem to do well lately is laundry --- things will change today -- the directv dude is bringing us new hardware -- there will be tv on more than one tv and PTL  ... I'll have my own remote ..... I can control the channel and the VOLUME.   enough yelling !  

be well - have a safe day

well -- that damn tv dude was a no-show ... I went home at 12:30 and waited and waited and waited ... at 3:45 I told elder #2 ... I need to work and left ... on the way to town received a call ... "we can't make it today"...

another day without TV ... it's probably a good thing -- but I sleep better with TV ... music isn't cutting the mustard when it comes to background noise.

Happy Place Day

I am such an emotional sap!  

I will never tire of this view ... this quiet little bay is a special place

and the cabin on top of the hill

when the pandemic first became a new reality Mom said "thank God you have that cabin -- we'll have somewhere to go this summer" ... and we've been there almost every weekend since mid - May -- we might have skipped a day here and there -- rain, cold, too hot ... but every weekend and a couple of weeknights ... it was somewhere to go with no people ... 

the introvert in me likes that -- hanging out in the quiet bay

I'd like to think I found myself -- but finding self is a constant work in progress 

the only way to grow is to keep searching -- I did a lot of thinking on that deck ... 

as excited as we are for the new digs ... when they become ours ... I'm going to miss this little cabin on the hill, in the quiet bay with the really nice ( and equally quiet ) neighbors

we told our landlords today -- that we were leaving --

 they too are excited for us -- and told us they enjoyed having us 

I've always appreciated that they let us do "our thing" without a lot of "rules" 

seriously it was a great 6 years ...

 I found this post from closing up in 2015 and it described our first summer here as the best summer ever .. I remember leaving that day and couldn't wait to return in Spring ... 

 

Saturday Snapshots

 

random-ness

 I shared this picture on wastebook yesterday -- on the office page ...  9/11 the anniversary of 9/11  .. the world was falling apart ( or what at that time -- was falling apart ) and I closed on the purchase of my office "house" ...  this old house is now a 125 years old and I've owned it for 19.  

I remember thinking that day --- post-closing and the community closed up --  wth -- I just committed to a 30 year mortgage and .... the world was going to hell.

Fast forward 19 years -- I hate debt.  Said mortgage was gone in 12 years -- thanks to a banker that convinced me a variable interest rate was a good alternative ... and knew my dislike of debt ... 

I enjoy my commissioner work -- it has reinforced and opened my eyes to how our part of the world spins ... we are do damn lucky to live here ... we care about each other ... 

And now -- the CABIN purchase -- I think we are getting really excited now !   Lee is working on dock extensions -- boat life modifications -- hired someone to remove the dock this fall ( frankly, that surprised me) ... as been chatting with mediacomm for cable and tv ..  

excited and giddy --- we're too old for giddy ....

I made some office decisions last week .. and it was difficult -- I've had a wonderful relationship with this organization and their people -- but ....     I'm going to miss the interactions with them.

later alligators ... 

it's kind of official ...

I drafted this post 10 days ago --- and we're now 10 days out from the purchase closing on the family cabin that we FINALLY found ... it's so cool and it meets our needs perfectly ... needless to say - we're kinda giddy !!!  ( I took these pix on the day the inspector was doing his thing ) ... 

it must be real

we have a closing date ... 

view from the screen porch :) 

the new sewer line and related "grinders" were being installed the day of the inspection -- a mess, a big mess ... there used to be green grass ... I see a patio of river rock, with a fire pit in my future ...

the boat ! ( not the pontoon) 

and looking back towards the cabin

da -- beach ...

da -- sandy beach ...

did I say ... large screen porch ...

simply no words

wastebook has had some lovely pic's lately  -

September has been awful around here ... and this is a pretty good pix  of  me about 9:00pm last night ... I was done, roasted, toasted and ready for bed.

We're at one TV .. and our phones work ... our friends (?) at directv are coming next Tuesday with new stuff to get us up and running.  I miss TV ... I should be thankful for one TV ... but I miss TV in the middle of the night when I can't sleep and I miss CONTROLLING THE REMOTE.   

 

here kitty kitty

I spotted this jewel on wastebook this morning

this is not happening on Daisy Lane

but what a cool shot

(a lucky shot) 

all I ever get to see is turkeys, deer, birds and the wandering coyote ... if I stayed up after dark I might see other critters ...

brave woman

  this brave woman spent 3 hour on her cell phone on LABOR Day

1.  CenturyLink -- trying to get our phone service back --- sometime between 8:30 and 4:30 today and several lectures on COVID and what they will and will not do.  2 calls 2 customer service rep's    1st hour.

2.  Directv -- sweet mother of all mothers -- 3 calls 4 customer service rep's ... the last dude says to me "you need all new hardware" ... no shit dude -- so all new boxes and a new dish (?) are on the way ... when?  we're not sure?  Then he transferred me to the Dude who assisted in resetting my email (to the new address) and a password reset.  2 hours ....... 


So after the thunder and lightening early Sunday am -- our phones are dead, our HD directv boxes are dead, the fancy solar wind chimes no longer light up and ..... there were several dead birds on the grass under the satellite dish ...


argh ....

evening edit:   so CenturyLink calls in the morning and tell's elder #2 -- your phone is now working ... 1:30 they call on their cell == tell me this that it was working and to tell me the phone is now not working

 ... 2 more hours on hold and various transfers and cutoff's ... ( i'm losing it by now) ... I book a repair ticket on line ... 

received call on my cell at 7:00 -- garbled confirming repair ticket ... and 20 minutes ( no shit, 20 minutes later ) said dead land line phone rings.... a telemarketer got thru ... and now it seems to be working

this freaking house is possessed .. Directv is coming next Tuesday afternoon with all new equipment ... argh.  since I no longer have access to a home tv.  i worked in the cave most of the night ... counting bushels of corn and reconciling shit for the FSA ... serious shit.

the only thing i know for certain -- I'm getting a haircut on Thursday.  i will look fabulous.

Labor Day!

so, it is Labor Day .... and I'm working ..
payroll waits for no one ....
deadlines etc


I've been to Amazon 4 times

1.  Ring DoorBell
2.  Mouse Bait/Poison
3.  3M window insulating kits ( winter is coming)
4.  blue filtering cheeter glasses

seriously -- it's like the old Sears/JCPenney catalog -- only faster ..


So I rigged up a living room TV for #1 ... with specific instructions not to screw around with the freeking remotes.  I haven't received any calls -- but since the phones are dead .... :)     it's an evil grin.

it's the weekend, the WEEKEND

smile -- you are on camera 

the deer hunters are spying on the deer

 it's a short but straight road

Cedar Ridge Trail 

Daisy Lane was getting spruced up 

a few wash outs after last nights storm

elder #1 hasn't been feeling very well 

It's a good sign when he's doing road work

fever, chills, aches, dripping nose

no, it is not COVID

Our TV's on HD Directv boxes are not working after the storm

ditto our Century Link phones ..

been a lot of drama when there is only 2 functioning tv's -- the kitchen and my bedroom

a one point I had the camper tv hooked up to the kitchen directv box and working in the living room (if you can follow that mess ) ... and then someone played with the wrong remote and things in tvland went bad fast ... I'm done fixing 

at least the internet works and we have 41% of our monthly data left ...

and I have TV in my bedroom -- will move it to the LR this evening and control the remotes -- I mean CONTROL the remotes.

I've been cable, internet and phone shopping -- I think we'll switch to mediacomm this week ... we are hoping to have mediacomm at the new cabin too ... at least for internet

Mom's pot of zinnias

I spent most of Saturday at the lake, at 2:30 I took Mom home, checked on #1 and went back to the lake, because I really like driving around all the time, the boat crew picked me up and we had a mini cruise, supper on the deck and enjoyed the evening.  

For most of the summer, I've been coming home early, Mom has tagged along and needs to be home to cook -- today I went back out and was enjoying the deck until the tv-less one kept calling me with questions ... it was just easier to come home.

someday's are like that ...

sorry about the whining .. it's been a tough couple of days 

early bird ...

I am so blessed to be an early riser --- I get to see all the fabulous sunrises.  They are a great start to every morning .. and a reminder that everyday starts new.  Yesterday's wackies were yesterday's wackies. 

I'm trying to work less - not sure if I'm succeeding -- maybe work smarter, differently -- been trying for years -- pandemic has brought on differing thought processes and the mind is always spinning.

Last night I SEWED !!!   Me, some tiny strings (pink ones) and a couple of loads of laundry.  I even whipped up 5 more masks -- will need them ...  I just sat at my sewing table and played with strings ... 6" foundations.  This spring I purchased a " bag " of pink scraps off a website -- so ....

This morning I finished the masks while waiting for the washing machine ( always laundry ) and was blessed with sunrise on the inbound.  Dropped off cardboard at recycling -- emptied out my truck and I'm ready for the Friday Fresh Food produce distribution .... it's a great program and a fun bunch of volunteers ...

Make it a good one ( and work smarter )


M

Chaos

 the CHAOS is real ....

at least I have two beverages and flowers

argh

tomorrow's project might have to be an office remodel
not sure if this layout is truly working ...


doing epic shit
can be difficult amid the chaos

Fffffpppppttt

There are days when I know how this rodent feels ... seriously, the constant chaos is getting to me.  We were chatting at lunch yesterday -- we weren't sure if having all the weirdness pile up at once is better than spreading it out ...

Weirdness is exhausting. 

I stated at a Chamber Board meeting a couple of weeks ago -- that we are all tired.  Tired of change, tired of chaos, tired of each other, just plain pooped out.

There are days when I feel like a dead phone, iPod or even my iPad ... seriously I'm plugging 'em in constantly -- I need to find an off button --

Lately, recharging the batteries is even exhausting.  Finding time to recharge might be the issue -- I don't get to escape reality very often ( or often enough ).  I need to find escape time again. 

Meanwhile, back on 3rd Street -- I'll be putting out more fires today ...

thanks to Microsoft all of our desktop computers had updates and the updates wouldn't let the desktops chat with the Server so -- over the course of the last week there were a couple of "no computer" days .... more freaking chaos .... I should have been pulling weeds or hacking at the shrubs -- but that would trigger the seasonal allergies --      aahhhh    it's more chaos.....

Be well - stay safe ...