Such Excitement!

Recently a friend said, "Oh, you live such an exciting life!"

Honestly, I nearly choked. Exciting? Me?

Doesn't she remember we live in the middle of nowhere? Porcupine sightings, shooting stars and firewood stacking...oh yeah, that's excitement on a grand scale. I wanted to ask whether or not she'd forgotten about my endless winter spent behind the snowblower? Ugh--that was not exciting in the least!

Today's thrilling adventure?

Shoveling mulch. Yep, that's right, I'm going to be mulching the veggie garden. Almost too exciting to bear, isn't it?

I've got a couple of rolls of biodegradable weed barrier paper which I'll cut and put on the soil. Then I'll use my snow shovel to scoop the mulch from the truck bed onto the paper. Hopefully it will eliminate the majority of garden weeds so I won't have to spend the entire summer pulling the blasted things. The mulching is a lot of work but it really saves back-breaking labor later on.

So today I'll shovel. And I'll smile, remembering the "exciting life" comment. And the best part? Mindless activity, like mulch shoveling, lends itself to allowing the mind to wander.

I'm hoping I'll "write" the next chapter in my mind while I'm behind the shovel this afternoon. Then tomorrow morning when I sit down at my desk, the scene should be nearly written and just fall onto the screen. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway.

What have you got on the agenda for this gloriously sunny Sunday? Anything "exciting" you'd care to share? Hmm?

Cooperstown or Bust

There's nothing like an afternoon in Cooperstown. So relaxing!

View to Otsego Lake

A little bit of history

Batter up!

Quiet...Too Quiet

My dad is back in Florida, so it seems kind of empty around here. We keep looking at each other and shaking our heads, just missing the sound of my dad's laughter. If we could, we'd keep him here with us. He is happy in Florida, though, so it would be horribly selfish of us to try and hold him captive here out in the middle of nowhere.

*Sigh*

Good news is he'll be back again in a few weeks. Actually, in August, in time to pick the gardens' bounty. He'll probably be here at jam-making time, now that I think about it. What fun we'll have! Who knows? Maybe we'll can some tomatoes when he comes back. Take long boat rides. Walk the meadows. Go searching for bears. Eat too much. Laugh all day long.

Yeah, it'll be good again. Now, though, I've got to admit I'm missing the guy. A lot.

So, what's a girl to do? I'm setting my eye toward June. Making a to-do list that will be full enough that I feel satisfied but empty enough that I'll be able to kick back and enjoy the lazy days of summer.

What about you? What's going on in your world today? Hmm?

Hurly Burly

Yeah, we live a frenzied lifestyle. Can't you tell?

Hope you have a lovely day. Me? I'm off to find some adventure! Maybe round up a porcupine or two...find a flock of turkeys...look for some eagles or dip my toe in the lake...

Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae
Written in Flanders on May 3, 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived,
felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved,
and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies growIn Flanders fields.

We all know that Memorial Day is a day set aside for remembering those brave men and women in our armed services who have lost their lives in defense of our country. It's a gentle reminder to take a moment to consider the cost of the freedom we enjoy every moment of every day.

I've got to admit, we're pretty patriotic around here. We fly the American flag from our flagpost daily. Hubby is a veteran who served during active combat time. We've got ancestors who have fought in every war the United States has been involved in. Yeah, we're pretty patriotic. Freedom isn't taken lightly around here, because it doesn't always come easy.

So here we'll be remembering the fallen heroes. We'll recall the true meaning of the day and will observe the National Moment of Rembrance.

Last year we tilled a spot for a new flower garden, over by our poplar grove. We planted red poppies there. It's something we'd wanted to do since we bought this place. This morning we'll add more seeds to the small poppy garden, just to be certain the spot will grow and thrive.

This afternoon we'll have family and friends over. We'll laugh over silly things. We'll eat far too much. And, as always, we'll be thankful we live someplace where we can gather, laugh and feed our hearts, minds and souls with absolute freedom.

Want to know more about Flanders fields? Look here. Thinking of planting some poppies in your backyard? Try this.

And from our home to yours, wishes that you have a safe, happy Memorial Day.

Just a Whiff

Oh, but I wish you could smell these lilacs! They are amazing.

Zen and the Art of Woodstacking

It's spring here in the middle of nowhere but we're already getting deliveries of firewood for next winter. So far I've stacked three. Two more to go.

I don't even want to guess at how many pieces of wood I've moved. All I know is that I've chosen, lifted, fitted and stacked enough chunks to give me a little bit of insight into the fine art of firewood stacking.

Turns out that stacking firewood gives the wood stacker a lot of time to think.

Some random thoughts that may come in handy in the event you're faced with a pile of split logs that's higher and heavier than the vehicle you drive...

First impression is that this stack of wood is bigger than you are, that there's no way in the world you'll ever be able to move it yourself. Relax. It is bigger than you are. And there is a way for you to move it all.

At this point you may want to give up. Don't. A lot of things in life are intimidating when first viewed. That doesn't mean you should throw your hands up and walk away.

As with so many other things, the secret to successful woodstacking is to simply begin stacking. The only way to guarantee you'll fail at something is to not tackle the job. Start stacking. Before you know it, you'll see progress.

By now your body may begin to protest. You may want to give up. Don't. Challenge yourself. You're stronger than you think.

No two pieces of firewood are exactly alike. They're all different. Don't assume that because they're all split logs they're identical. They're not. Appreciate the similarities, certainly. But cultivate insight, and you'll soon see each part of the whole has its own uniqueness.

You might be tired of picking up wood by now. You may not give a rip about similarities and differences. You may want to give up. Don't. You've invested too much to let the job get the best of you. Find the courage to continue to your goal. You'll be happy you did.

Eventually the stack will look like this. There will be bits and pieces scattered about that you might be tempted to rake up and toss away. Don't do it. Not yet. There may be something in the leftovers that may prove useful. And even if there isn't, you deserve to sit back and smile at the spot for a while.

As you wipe your brow and arch your aching back, you might want to vow never to stack firewood again. Don't. Just because the task was tough, pushed you to your limits and made you dig in your heels doesn't mean you should never attempt it again.

The aches and pains, and the bruises where you were hit by sliding chunks? They're badges of honor, a testament to your inner strength.

Life isn't always easy. Often you'll break a nail or crush a toe. That doesn't mean you should turn away from a challenge.

The Search is On!

All I wanted was one hanging basket.

Maybe something pink. Or purple. Purple matches everything, doesn't it?

An ivy geranium. Just one. No big deal, right?

The ivy geraniums? Delayed. They'll be in next week. Maybe.

A Genteel Giveaway!

I've been interviewed over at Pure Southern Genteel. The interview is fun and fast, and I hope you'll take a peek.

Leave a comment at Miss Mae's blog to be entered in an impromptu giveaway. Leave a comment here, and get a second entry. Tell someone else about the interview, and have them leave a comment mentioning your name at either spot and I'll enter you yet again! How's that for fun?

The prize is a secret, but I assure you it'll be something interesting. Oh! The contest runs until the end of the month.

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Reading?

Does it get much better than spending a few quiet hours reading a good book? I think not, especially if the reader sways in a hammock with a copy of Vision in White in her hand.

So now you know how I spent my Sunday afternoon. How did you spend yours?

And have you read any good books lately? I need to know because I don't think Nora Roberts will have the second installment in the Brides Quartet out soon enough to satisfy my reading craving. So, any suggestions?

From the Quill

Yesterday I made a cannoli run. Now I know what you're thinking, but the box of cannolis isn't all for me. Really. I'm not kidding.

We're having friends over this afternoon. The cannolis will be dessert.

All except the two that were in a separate little white bag. Those were mine.

On the way to the bakery we saw movement at the edge of the busy, crowded highway... ahem... by the side of the middle-of-nowhere, harldy-paved road. We stopped. Thankfully there weren't any speeding tractor trailers behind us.

See it? A porcupine! Isn't he cute?

We watched for a few minutes while he nosed around in the brush. I hoped he'd turn so I could take a shot of his sweet little face but he never did.

Finally, he ambled off. He wasn't in any hurry and didn't seem put off by our presence. I don't think I'd be intimidated by many things if I had long, sharp quills, either.

Think he's in search of cannolis?

Happy Trails...

to me. When I take a walk I often grab my sketch book and a pencil or two, just in case I see something I want to draw. Lots of times the pencils fall from my pockets, or I set them down in the grass and forget to pick them up when I gather my things. I've lost a ton of pencils that way.

I picture a future archaeologist wondering what sort of people lived here, and why on earth they felt compelled to leave colored pencils everywhere.

Last weekend I took the time to make a pencil roll. It was a fast, easy project and will save my pencils.


I made the pockets about an inch wide so I could stick more than one pencil into each. The buddy system method of pencil organization. *G*

I made it wide enough to have a flap. I figured that if I didn't flap the pencils in place I'd probably lose them out the top. Then, I'd be ticked off when I got home with an empty pencil roll. So, the flap was very necessary.

Finally, a length of random rick rack to tie the whole shebang closed.

Me? I'm happy. It doesn't take much to make me smile, does it?

I hope you're having an awesome Wednesday!