Spooky Inbound Commute

see the large tree in the center ... the fork to the right had a giant crack in it 

today the tree cutter dude arrived ... it's gone ... and there's a giant hole in the landscape .. 

opportunities for change

the tree dude looked like an ice cube by the time he was done

a frozen human with a chain saw

dash cam from the inbound commute this morning

slippery as snot on a doorknob 

Ruby was to have an oil change ... I left 'er in the garage ... called the oil change guy and he was laughing as he picked up the phone -- he knew I wasn't coming ... 

the gravel was okay -- the rest of the road not so nice

sun melted the ice glazing

warmth is on the way ... in May

 

two for the day

I actually haven't managed to start, finish or control anything today ... we took a drive out to the cabin to retrieve some more "stuff" .. I've slowly been bringing things home -- clothes, blanket throws, towels -- the only thing left is to strip the bed .. next week 

We pulled some more stuff from the fridge, freezer and cupboards -- tossed some and will consume the 952 boxes of pasta over the winter months .. 

Still need to rake leaves and burn them -- hopefully the tree dude comes this week -- the large maple dead center has a giant crack near the top of it ... it's coming down 

and tomorrow sounds like d-day for the cat shack too -- haven't seen the dumpster or the equipment yet - but am told they will be here sometime ... 

I snapped these via the ring camera -- I have a camera on the tree so we can watch the tree dude at work -- 'tis life

my project of the night is to put away the sewing shit -- I did spend an hour vac'ing down here on Saturday am .. amid the 4 loads of laundry -- normal and the pisser was at it again. beast.  so stashing and plotting is on the agenda ... I plot and then ignore the plans

 

crafting with the peeps

the parents/kids/youth groups at church host 2 crafting retreats (?) weekends a year as a fundraiser for the school ... I was somewhat productive -- 17 potholders got bound -- a few had binding attached but not stitched down .. I won the mug as a door prize perfect size 

Lynette was into the yoga moves ...

they had games, door prizes, massage lady, food, treats -- demonstrations .. it's a fun event

I finished quilting this table topper and attached the binding .. binding was the theme -- I also attached the binding to a Christmas throw (and it's in the washing machine as I type) ... 

And today is dedicated to projects -- work projects, yard projects -- shit, it snowed and melted projects .. I am really beginning to hate winter -- well, I hate giving up the warm season things ... I never seem to have enough warm season anymore ... I need them ...

 

fall ...

I like fall -- I really do ... but every year I go into it kicking and screaming for more summer -- I equate summer with down time and even though I don't get a lot of down time -- some/any/a tad always recharges the batteries .. my batteries are low 

I am an idiot -- when we left the cabin Monday night I didn't think to move the geranium tubs into the cabin -- I stopped looking at the weather forecast several months ago .. well, slap me == weekend temps are not looking nice for the geraniums .. so last night after supper Mom and I ran out and I put the blooms inside the cabin

the bottle tree lights flipped on .. a reminder from it's creator to watch the flipping weather forecast -- seriously I just need 2 more months of summer -- and then again thats 2 more months of that damn lawnmower ..

 

8 months -

 

8 months today - grief is a weird thing -- it hits you with a smile and it hits you with tears.  I picked up my phone during the ditch gig this morning -- and this picture is the background on my phone -- he road with me out to scope out a ditch project -- Ruby2's first voyage .. (kleenex were needed) 

I was blessed with 63 years of life lessons -- some hard, some easy, some fun and some well, were the necessary evils in life.  I've used most of them in the last 8 months -- probably most of them in the last 24 hours .. 

I look back on the the challenges he had in his last year and can only hope I'm that strong.  He had to be tough to fight that battle - it was not easy or pain free.  He never voiced his pain.  

Rest easy -- I listened -- I got this ( I do there's just the WTF moments ) ... 

I took this last year on 10/24 -- he told me it was the best day ever -- the only day of farming in 2022 -- he just wanted normal .. and truly that's all any of us want -- 

normal and doing our favorite things and doing 'em well 

(I'm out of kleenex -- I need to stop typing and get to work -- doing the things I enjoy and doing 'em well -- or trying my best -- that's all folks :) )

10/23/23 the final supper?

another beautiful day in the Valley -- I called Mom and 3:30 and prepped her for supper at the cabin -- grabbed some sausage, cheese, sourdough bread slices, muskmelon, chips, dip and hit the road ... 

just a beautiful might to sit and stare at the lake 

this is looking down the dock from the top of the hill

looking north

crazy dipping cloud formation 

and down goes the sun -- way to early 

I miss my daylight -- really miss my daylight

new camera in the porch .. the tree cutting dude is coming sometime this week to take down the tree right behind mom -- it's a maple with a 3" crack on the right main branch .. I thought it was going to come down last Saturday in the wind -- it was creaking, cracking and not looking happy ... 

the new sidewalk has dirt packed along the edges .. and the pad behind mom is for the grill ... zeke did a really nice job on the sidewalk -- we love it

 

Winds of Change

It's been a wild couple of days ... 

Friday -- vehicle swap and supper at cabin (simple gorgeous)

Saturday -- returns at Old Navy, uptown HyVee -- Cabin

it was really windy -- took a nap on the couch and hoped the tree wouldn't fall on us (it's coming down this week) -- back home

Sunday - back to the cabin -- sidewalk project, cleaning and just sitting and staring at the lake ( these are today's pix) 

we came home and I mowed -- can't wait for that to end ... I need to mow with the "tractor" this week and then I think we'll have the yard ready for winter .. flowers/pots are ready to move into the porch -- porch is ready 

and then -- back to the cabin -- I forgot my iPad and I can't live without it .. argh

(4 trips in 3 days to the happy place and I hope to get out there while the tree comes down and need to move the geraniums into the "shower" for winter .. I've over wintered them for 3 years .. 

Weird/Unusual Week ahead 

10 hours of continuing ed ( 2 on Monday, 8 on Thursday)

Happy Hour with the Elected Women

County Board Meeting

AMC Dist 7 Meeting (Nicollet Cty is the host)

Scrapping/Crafting with the Peeps on Friday night/Saturday

Fun Run -- quit laughing

Projects for the week:

1. Pre Tax Planning letters to clients

2. Clean Ups

3. E letters typed and to the printer

4. Reconfigure Office spaces (again/yet/still) 

        the best people flow post COVID is driving me batty

5. Plastic the windows!!!

6. Vac the office basement 

 

TGIF part 2

it was a busy afternoon -- I finally traded Ruby 2 off on an SUV for Mom.  I'm getting Dad's truck, Mom is getting the new to us SUV and Nick is getting Mom's 21 year old SUV ... so long story short, Daisy Lane will be down to 3 vehicles, 1 Truck, 1 SUV and 1 Mustang ... and the accessory vehicles ... 1 well used golf cart and my SxS ... 

I struggled with this one and have been dragging my feet for months .. Dad's truck is a year newer, has very few miles and has the snowplow -- Ruby 2 was pretty and loaded with all kinds of gizmos and I like gizmos.  The new to us SUV has loads of gizmos and after email chatting with it's previous owner .. I'm glad it was the one.  We drove it out to the lake for supper and sunset.  It's a nice set of wheels -- Mom will like it too .. Ruby 2 got me thru the winter from hell -- I'm going to miss 'er ... 

I can't believe I'm attached to a damn truck .. a pretty truck .. really pretty truck .. 

Sunset at the happy place - beautiful night - I never regret going out for a spot .. the early darkness is the pits .. I just hate it ... 

fishing people -- they and one pontoon were the only lake activity .. well, the geese, ducks and cranes were active .. the color was gorgeous 

 

TGIF 10/20/23

a wastebook friend commented on his enjoyment of my sunrise/sunset photo postings, I told he we need to chase those moments -- it's the higher power telling us the world is a beautiful place amid the chaos of life ... 

they ( sunrises/sunsets) ground me .. it's my reminder that it will all be okay - been tough rolling again ... I don't think it will ever be easy or it's every been easy but 2023 has been a challenge

Wednesday and Thursday were dedicated to learning -- 16 hours knocked out ... and 

2 more -- self study

2 more on Monday

8 more next Thursday

8 more in November and then I'm done 

I've been picking up little ones along the way ... hot button topics

kitty came to visit 3rd street

and neighbor Dave, was street sweeping at 3:02 this morning ...

I'm not sure what the weekend will bring .. I hope to get Ruby 2 traded off ... hope to spend time at the cabin and hope hope hope hope 

there will be laundry, dishes, yard work, reading, all of the things ....

 

Hump Day

I was headed home -- literally and decided to mow the "north 40" and the lawn mower still had a charge so I moved over to the front and the 2nd hand smoke area .. let's hope this is the last time I have to mow the office lawn .. although green grass means no snow

cabin cam from 6:15 this evening -- I'm hoping to spend the weekend out there .. I haven't done that at all in 2023 -- just days -- running back and forth, I need some down time ..

While doing the evening laundry I decided to add some more fabric to ebay -- some nut job made an offer on this bundle less than 5 minutes after listing -- that was a fast $85 ... plus shipping :) ... I'm just ripping thru the fabric stash .. listed 3 others .. and well, I have more ... much more ... 

 

Tuesday's in paradise

   I keep sweating/fretting/pacing over the little things in life that I really can't control.  Today a switch flipped -- the Oct 16th filing must have triggered it.  Since mid-September I've been pushing hard to "get shit done" -- 
 

   1) the extended tax returns

   2) September payroll tax deposits

   3) 3rd Quarter payroll reports

   4) September sales tax reports

   5) all the other little things that take way too much time

  well, late this afternoon I finished up this weeks payroll and realized 1, 2, 3 and 4 are done.  I'm prepped and ready for the new eftps log in requirements -- I still have lists -- but they aren't so bad and I got a haircut -- always feels good 

   I left the office at 5:00 ... got mom and myself fed, the kitchen tidy'd -- swept the garage (one more list item) .. sprayed for bugs -- the boxelders are horrendous ... and took a walk out to watch the sunset -- 

   Sunsets are God's way of closing out the day -- tonight's was better than the pix.  I need to walk out the field road to see it .. too many trees and leaves -- it was good ... 

My list for the rest of the week -- is manageable --

2 days of continuing ed seminars (virtual)

   which means my desk/office will get cleaned :) I'll have some crochet time :) I'll be plotting life on the surface pro while the gig rolls along on the big screen :) 

A couple of client appointments

A few client issues ...

Hope to mow the office lawn ... needs it bad ...

Bring in / toss the office planters (store the pots)

Get that truck traded off 
vac and dust 

vac and dust

laundry laundry laundry

 

Visitors

I was explaining to people all week ... Oct 15th is as chaotic as April 15th ... October 15th is the due date for Individual Income Tax returns that were extended and frankly, I had way to many of them for 2022 ... more than normal ... during the covid years we purposely extended due to uncertainties and well 2022 -- there were some uncertainties but we also got used to the additional time and got complacent .... it's a weird cycle of filing and deadlines

I finished up a couple returns this morning, efiled a bunch and attempted to fix efiling rejections from home .. attempted ....

Mom and I drove to the lake but it was a construction zone with no heat so we came home to have take out Taco Johns -- never again -- lets just say --- the quality has declined, a lot.  I spent the afternoon working on my Friday List of Projects.  The porch is tidier, the plant stand erected for the winter storage of "outdoor plants, those moved indoors for over-wintering" ...  a trash run (always fun) -- I picked up and dumped the deck pots, tomato pots -- shut shed doors .. etc .. had grand plans to sweep the garage -- but alas -- it was suddenly supper time and well my ass is dragging

laundry got done -- beds re-made, fridge cleaned out ... and prepping for the week ahead is somewhat done .. I need to be a meal prepper -- at least for my lunches .. 

I built a spreadsheet of my ebay transactions :) .. and pulled another tub of "stuff" to photograph and sell -- need to charge up camera batteries first .. and scope out the other listings of similar items ... I've done well --- I've sold enough to cover my cell phone bill for a year.  yes, that well. 

This week is equally crazy ...

Monday - finish efiling, payroll and Planning/Zoning

Tuesday - County Road Tour and payroll

Wednesday and Thursday -- 16 hours of education via a Webinar ...

Friday - client gigs most of the day 

Monday - the patio door installation is happening and Mom has hip x-rays/scans . lets home there is an issue -- might answer the pain questions ... the pain meds aren't working very well -- 

deadline # 2

 I was channel surfing at the office yesterday -- looking for news/weather and found Tremors -- because on Friday the 13th -- Tremors seemed appropriate .. argh.

Deadline # 2,3 or 15 is approaching -- I have a couple of returns to finish from people a) I haven't heard from 2) people who suddenly remembered their tax returns or 3) people who we finally have all the parts and pieces put together ... so I'll be going to the office today.  I could work at home but sometimes things at the office are better.  

I crashed last night -- I was hoping to watch the Patty Wetterling gig on 20-20 and after moving to recliner -- Mom woke me up at 10:15 ..  

I have the book ordered.

Weekend Projects:
1.  finish tax returns
2.  finish financial statements - SSTP, GSH, DSS
3.  payroll prep for next week
4.  clean out office fridge
5.  watch the self study seminar
6.  10 issues (there are piles of them)

1.  put together remaining bookcases
2.  laundry
3.  sweep garage
4.  power wash SxS and lawn mower
5.  recycling and trash
6.  vac porch ?


1.  schedule a haircut
2.  list more treasures on ebay
3.  get squash bought
4.  grocery store

breezy .....

batman -- holy wind gusts

the windows be rattling, the leaves be flying (hopefully - landing at the neighbors) .. glad I took time to mow the farm acreage on Sunday .. 

 

Frost !!!

this was actually sunday's fitbit snapshot -- lawnmowing must generate steps ... evidently .. I'll take 'em  

yes, these days continue ... 

me, the laundry, the cave and a tote bag of work

I am grateful to have work 

snap from the porch at the cabin this morning ... 

It was an entertaining birthday -- Monday's are always entertaining -- but yesterday was especially interesting --- 

early rise ( good book)

work

took Mom to er for her back pain

took Mom to pharmacy and Kwik Trip for lunch

back to work

odd phone calls all afternoon and the normal monday-ism's

home 

into cave to work w/laundry

interrupted 

back to cave

finally quit and went back to book 

finished book 11:00 ..

and started the day all over at 4:10 this morning

frost on the truck windshield

today's agenda

1. Board Meeting

2. Budget Meeting

3. A couple hours at office

4. Ditch Meeting

5. Back to office

6. Trade off Ruby 2 ( I found a Jeep for mom)

7. Home 

        laundry

        cave work

        TWINS game

        put more furniture together ..

8. Bed 

it's the routine peeps, it's the routine

 

life's snapshots

JB sent me this on Friday morning -- evidently we had a rainbow Thursday night --- not sure where I was but I missed it ... it is pretty darn cool

amid the hacking and coughing on Saturday -- the concrete truck arrived on Maple Drive -- we have a new sidewalk from the steps to the lake -- back to the shed in the very back of the property -- it replaces - pallets cut down to make sidewalk, landscape timbers and odd sized landscape pavers .. it too is pretty darn cool

came home from the lake at 1:30 and jumped on the lawnmower -- 4 1/2 hours later -- everything had been mowed -- and this doe kept following me around -- she had no fear of me and the CC ... 

Supper on the road -- the Traverse Road -- we ate McD's in the truck all the way out to Mrs. H's and back ... it was us, 5 grain semi's and a sheriff's deputy ( he lives out there ) 

It was a busy weekend --- cement, nap, work -- at work, put bedroom furniture together during the Saturday afternoon Twins game, work at home, lake, raking, burning, cleaning, home, mowing, mowing, mowing, cleaning, laundry and finally a mini road trip.

 

brrrrr

I have been de-stashing my fabric closet, shelves, tubs and totes.  $900 later, ebay has become fun.  Except today's buyer .. way to many questions for fabric .. argh.  After selling $900 of fabric -- one would think there would be some empty shelves, tubs and totes.  Sadly, no ... I've mainly sold layer cakes and some yardage .. there will be more ... 

the cabin got a new sidewalk today .. I dashed out to see if the crew needed anything and came home .. after blowing my nose ( 3 boxes of tissue later ) and hacking up a lung .. the warmth of the house feels pretty good.  after lunch and a nap I went back to the office and loaded up some homework .. 

the original plan was to put furniture together (bedroom furniture) while watching the Twins game ... I'd best hop to it ... the game is on as I type.

edit:  the Twins lost ... and one piece of furniture is now constructed, moved into place and loaded up .. we're waiting on some final paint issues and baseboards .. I can't wait any longer -- I need order in the bedroom .. chaos is evil.  I even managed to head to the cave and get some work done.   

 

Wednesday afternoon musings

Monday was Education Day 

the inbound has been pretty

and today there is this ... I've been hacking up a lung -- nose is dripping out of control .. things taste okay -- I think I have a fever and am tired to the bone .... so I tested ... 

keep working it's just allergies ...

tonight might be a couch night ... 

 

Wedding Weekend!

beautiful old catholic church in Montgomery -- 

family picture time was well organized chaos

my lines -- after purchasing 2 dresses, 2 pairs of flats, 1 pair of heels and a pair of kick ass  boots ... I wore a dress I've had for 3 years and comfortable sandals .. the 90' heat changed up everyone's wardrobe

Keith -- it must have been good ..

Joe, Nick and Keith .. 3 of Dad's favorites ... 

It was an emotional night for all of us ... 

special kudos to the friends and family that shared the memories and surrounded us with so much love 

.. and Nick's friend Josh ... that kid gets the gold medal for taking care of Mom -- got her down the aisle -- ushered her out of church -- helped us get parked at the reception -- and helped get us back in the truck for the commute home .. and kept asking me if I needed another drink -- 

we rounded out the weekend with the usual projects

1.  the lawn got mowed -- almost all of it

2.  the soybeans got combined and the equipment is gone

3.  the dock came off the water and is on shore

4.  the new sidewalk at the lake is ready for cement! next weekend

5.  and ... we spent most of today at the cabin .. 90' weather is

lake weather -- I surfed, read, ate, swatted wasps ...