Reprieve

reprieve [rɪˈpriːv]

verb
1. to postpone or remit the punishment
2. to give temporary relief

noun
1. a postponement or remission of punishment
2. a warrant granting a postponement
3. a temporary relief from pain or harm; respite
4. (Law) the act of reprieving or the state of being reprieved
[from Old French repris (something) taken back, from reprendre to take back, from Latin reprehendere; perhaps also influenced by obsolete English repreve to reprove]


Calendar says it's the end of January. Melted snow, warm breezes and huge patches of green grass tell another story.

Oh yes, I'd call this a reprieve. And I am very grateful!

Enjoy the day!

Falling

I love fall. Love, love, love watching the leaves turn from green to gorgeous. It's always a surprise, seeing just what shade of color shows up on each tree.

I can't say I have a "favorite" season--I like them all. But fall definitely makes me smile.

What about you? Enjoying the fall beauty?

Coloring Outside the Lines

Every day there's more color to the hills. I just love it!

Flying

It's a perfect fall day here! Blustery. Chilly. Leaves flying through the air. I love days like this.

My plan? To get a small fire burning in the wood stove so the house gets nice and cozy. Then, I'm heading outdoors. It's a great day for planting mums and bulbs. Buttoning up the barns and checking the greenhouse. Securing the stuff near the pond. I'll drive the mower over the leaves, crunching them up as soon as they hit the ground.

It doesn't take much to entertain me, does it?

Then, I'll pull together some more winter squash soup(yeah, I'm hooked on the stuff!), warm some apple cider and settle in to work on a new crafty project. What am I making? I can't say just yet(it's a surprise for someone who reads this blog)but it involves some pretty colors and long needles. And, when it's done it'll hopefully keep someone special toasty warm. Got it figured out? I thought so.

Well, what's on your schedule for this pretty fall day? Whatever you do, I hope you have a peaceful day!

A Reminder

There's a chill in the air this morning. It reminds me that this isn't that far away.

Wow. That's all I can say. Just wow.

Between Land

Between books. A weird place to be, really. Missing the characters in my mind and heart who I've come to know and love. Really, it's kind of lonely around the place now.

So, I'm thinking about the next book. Just thinking at this point. It'll be different from the last book but there'll be a love story.

Only this time, no duck. That's right, I'm leaving the duck out of the next book. I mean, there can't be a duck in every book, right?

I don't think I'll begin writing until I get the pre-winter farm chores squared away. Then, with long stretches of cooler weather and all my chores done, I'll be able to concentrate on writing. I won't feel guilty for falling into a different world when this one screams for attention. But until then, I'm in the strange between-books place.

What about you? What's going on with you?

Wishing you a peaceful day!

Whole Lotta Eatin'

The end of summer chores are mind-boggling here on the farm.

Always something to do.

And, always something pretty to appreciate.

The grapes are amazing.

Truly incredible!

More on that another time.

Now, I'm showing you what's been filling the kitchen.

Imagine some mouthwatering aromas, okay?

Applesauce. Apple butter. Apple pie filling.

And some random pickles!

Applesauce.

When we bought the farm, we planted a small orchard.

It's finally bearing bushels of fruit.

Fabulous!

The tomatoes keep coming.

The last of the blueberries became jam.
Yum!

Wishing you a peaceful day. Me? I'm going to get some writing done. Look at the hole where the bathroom fan and light should be. Maybe I'll figure that out. Or, I could just take a walk through the forest. It's a blustery day, the perfect time for forest walking.

Who am I kidding? Any day is a good one for a walk in the forest.

See you tomorrow.

Breathe...

Good Monday morning, friends. I hope you had a pleasant weekend. Mine? Interesting, but I'm not going to share. I'm just going to say that today I'm going to breathe. Enjoy the warm fall day. Go for a walk. Write. Bake something just for fun. And breathe. Yeah, lots of that.

One flower. So pretty, isn't it?

Stretching toward the sky.

I love it.

Now, don't you just wish your bathroom ceiling could look like this?

Short story?
A leak.
Crying.
Then, angry.
Hacksaw.
Chair.
Hole.

Yes, that is a kitchen towel stapled to the ceiling.
You know, I never thought I'd say that.
Live and learn.
And breathe.

I hope you have a peaceful Monday. As I said, I've got lots of plans. I'm going to ignore the ceiling today. It'll be there tomorrow. Today, just breathing. Peace. Relaxation. No ceiling holes or leaks.

See you tomorrow!

Checking In

Ah...so, it's Thursday already, isn't it? How did that happen?

First, thanks for all the kind emails. I didn't mean to worry anyone. Honestly, the days just got away from me. I'm fine. Just busy.

I've got a ton of farm stuff to square away before the cold weather hits in earnest. My to-do list is longer than my arm! I've been painting the deck, pulling out the veggie gardens and mowing. And mowing. And mowing!

And, the canning. Oy, the canning... Tomatoes and apples just won't quit. I'll be grateful come winter but now I'm just sick and tired of canning. Don't get me wrong--I'm grateful for the produce but I wish it would can itself.

Polishing the book up, tweaking it and making it ready to go out into the world. I really hope there's a way to read the pages from heaven. I really do.

So, that's it from here. Just muddling along, not really paying attention to the days but focusing instead on what's right in front of me. It is working but I'm sorry if I've worried anyone. I'm still here!

Wishing you a peaceful day.

Gorilla'd

Catching up around the farm after finishing one book but before falling into the next one is in full swing. I'm vacuuming--yay!--and doing a few odds and ends.

And today, just because I like you an awful lot, I'm going to share a tip. Really, a handy-woman's tip. Something I learned, something I think you might need to someday know, too.

See this? It's a product called Gorilla Glue. That's right. Gorilla Glue.

Now, if you're a petite woman like me, you might sometime need to repair something above your head. And, if you do, you'll hold the handy-dandy Gorilla Glue so the glue squirts out of the tip toward you because, hey, no one glues up, do they? Of course not. Glueing down, that's the ticket.

When you tackle this overhead glue repair project, you could possibly be wearing a favorite v-neck shirt. Green, maybe. Olive green, exactly. Perhaps.

So you're overhead glueing down toward your favorite olive green v-neck shirt, right? Do you see it? In your head, do you really see the whole thing?

Okay. Then, you can see how a blob of Gorilla Glue might splop (yes, that's a savvy glue word) down at you, into your shirt and onto your...ah, assets.

Let me spell it out for you.

If you're not careful with this Gorilla Glue stuff, you could glue your boob to the inside of your favorite shirt. And no, I'm not kidding.

Consider this one of those pay it forward things. And, be damn careful with that stupid glue, okay?

Have a peaceful day!

Sucking

I've assumed so many new hats here. It's just crazy. Some new jobs I'm getting down without too much trouble. Others? Oy...

Recently, the vacuum decided it wasn't going to operate correctly. So, I grabbed a screwdriver and took that sucker apart. Four times. Every time, I thought I had it fixed. Uh, no. Not quite. So, I took it apart the fifth time and thought for sure I'd figured it out.

I even told a dear friend, "It took me five times but I finally got it right! Yay!"

Yeah. Yippee.

Tried it out yesterday afternoon and it's true, the vacuum finally did suck. In fact, it sucked really well.

But it also spat.

That's right. There was sucking. And, there was spitting. Lots of it. Big, hairy, dusty spitting.

S&*%^t!!

Yes, I'm trying to keep the blog G-rated. In real life, I swore in four languages. Vividly. I'm pretty shocked none of you heard me, actually.

So, I took it apart for the sixth time. Yes. The sixth time.

You know how soldiers have to disassemble and reassemble their weapons against a stopwatch? I'm pretty sure I can do that with this vacuum.

The sixth time really was the charm. Now there's just sucking. No spitting. And, I'm happy.

My sweet man would've fixed the vacuum on the first try. I have no doubt whatsoever he could've done it in a snap. He could fix or build anything. Anything.

Thank God I hovered over his shoulder and can find my way around a toolbox. It took me much longer almost than my patience could stand, but I didn't give up. I admit, round number three almost saw the vacuum fly but...I restrained myself.

So pleased I've figured this out. And now that the book is done, I've got miles to put on that vacuum.

What's new in your world? Anything you'd care to share?

I wish you a peaceful day.

So Close

You know what I'm chasing down, don't you? I'm close, so very, very close that it's practically maddening.

But let's not discuss it. I'm so sick and tired of it that I totally don't want to talk about it. Vito always said that was the best "sign" and once I'd hit the I-can't-stand-this wall I was closing in on the elusive, best two writing words.

Anyhow, this afternoon I plan to do some mowing. No one talks about it, but after a huge round of water and flooding there are unsavory remnants of the storm. First, huge, thick grass. And--dare I say it?--snakes. That's right. Snakes. Big ones that come with the water flooding the land. BLECH!! So I'm hoping the thick grass is dry enough to mow it close, which I'm hoping will keep the snakes out of our yard. The houses near the creek really are having issues with them. Up here, not so much, but I'm not taking any chances.

What about you? What's on your agenda for this lovely Monday morning? Whatever you're doing, I hope you have a peaceful day.

Grateful

My gratitude list is long. Really, I'm blessed. Today? I'm very grateful for my rain boots. Really. In upstate New York they're a necessity. And I don't see that not being the trend for a while, so I'm glad these boots are so comfy.

Today, more cleanup. And squeezing in some hours for writing. Then, salvaging anything I can from the gardens--they're underwater so that makes harvesting a challenge. Hoping to get some sewing done, too.

Oh, yes. The to-do list is massive this Saturday. What about you? What's on your agenda?

Wishing you a peaceful day.

From the Farm

Just going to enjoy Labor Day quietly here on the farm. Some sewing. Probably canning tomatoes and applesauce. Making eggplant for dinner and the freezer. Working on the book. Staying out of the garden because it's raining here again.

All in all, a leisurely day. What about you? Any plans?

Do You See...

what I see?

Brr!

Just a short note this morning. It's early, but I'm already on the go. Here on the farm, it's going to be a very busy day. Harvesting. Canning. Eggplant parm for dinner, as well as a few servings for the freezer. Trimming and weeding in the vineyard. Housekeeping...oh, washing floors and chasing dust bunnies.

And the book. Working on the book. Our heroine has herself truly tangled--in more ways than one!--in the current chapter. Poor thing; her already upside-down life is about to get even more harried. Me? I'm loving giving her a healthy dose of aggravation right about now. Life has bumps, so she's busy bumping along.

First, to dig out a sweatshirt. Not for her. For me. Because you know what? There's a definite chill in the air this morning. Brr!

Wishing you a peaceful day.

Friday's This and That

What a week.

According to the local news there are still in excess of ten thousand homes without power. What a nightmare. I've seen crews from many states (thank you Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida--you guys are like a small electrical army!) and everyone's working hard to clean up.

The experience really is an attention-grabber, on so many levels. One of the barns leaked, big time, but there's no way I can wring my hands and moan over it. Other people lost their entire homes. Still others, their lives. What's a barn by comparison? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I've been busy cleaning up the grounds. The gardens were underwater but are beginning to dry out. Trees went down. Some siding from one of the buildings flew off but I've got it on the to-do fixit list. Windows are repaired already, so I'm making progress.

Yesterday? Oh. My. Goodness. Let's just say I won't buy canned tomatoes for a long, long, long time.

And amidst it all, I've managed to get a good amount of writing done. The book is probably two-thirds done, which really makes me feel good. It's been a great leap of faith for me to sit down and write this book. The sweet angel on my shoulder motivates me to finish. I know the end will be bittersweet. I'm still keeping it in sight, though.

What about you? How was your week? And do you have any plans for the long weekend?

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a peaceful day!

PS I'm over at The Lark Journals today. Sharing a secret and something beautiful!

The Aftermath

There are lots of places that escaped the wrath of Irene. Unfortunately, large parts of upstate New York weren't that lucky. There's a lot of damage here. Thousands without power. Lots of water in homes. Creeks and rivers out of their banks. The aftermath of water damage to be cleared as water begins to recede.

Whole towns flooded. Bridges out. Homes gone.

And the worst? Lives lost. This morning's local news tells a story of yet another man washed away in the floodwater. So sad.

Here on the farm, things are pretty okay. Lots of cleanup. Trees down. Shingles off a roof or two. Branches everywhere. The gardens? Underwater. Water in the basement and raining in a barn. But I can deal with all of it. Small potatoes by comparison to some of our neighbors. I am grateful it wasn't worse.

Lots of people still without power. There are power crews from out of state here to help, but they're having trouble getting to the affected areas. Bridges and roads need to be in place for those big trucks to get around, but they're gone in so many areas. I saw a caravan of electric trucks from Illinois pass the farm yesterday. They're looking for back roads that are still passable. I didn't see them come back, so I'm praying they found a way to help the ravaged areas.

Just a few photos of Irene's mess. Nothing too graphic. You can see that on the news, and it's really too disturbing to post much here.

Will be here and there for the next few days. Trying to do all I can to help neighbors. Thanks for understanding!

My boots are getting a workout.

I've rescued a bunch of these from the lawn and driveway.
They were swept out of the pond in the flooding.
He looks lost, doesn't he?

This is usually a lazy, babbling brook.
In a few hours, it took out buildings and changed lives forever.

We're used to seeing a picturesque creek, not this raging torrent.

The wall of water took out anything in its way.

Around here, we're happy to be alive.

Not too thrilled with Mother Nature at the moment, though.

Come On, Irene!

Good Sunday morning, friends. Just popping in while there's still power here on the farm.

Irene's finally found us, and already she's making a forceful first impression. And this is just the beginning. Torrential rain and increasing wind have me up way before sunrise. The hammering on the roof isn't conducive to peaceful sleeping!

So, I've spent the past three days battening down the hatches. Now, I'll just ride it out and hope for the best. We're forecast to probably lose power so if I'm missing for a bit that's the reason.

I've got plans to read. Write. Watch the rain. And, if the power holds up, I'll watch the Weather Channel. Or not. I can't imagine what they might tell me that I won't be able to see with my own eyes!

And, just to add interest to this wild weather week, another small earthquake shook Albany county yesterday morning. Nearby, but I didn't feel a thing.

What do you think the weather in Tuscany is? Just wondering...

I hope you have a peaceful day. See you soon!

Have a Plan

Oh boy. First the ground shook. Now? Irene.

Mother Nature? Uh, having fun yet?

Today I'll pick up a couple of things to make sure the farm is prepared. I'm preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. I can't cover all bases but I can take care of some things.

So, that's how my day will go. You?