Sunday Night

The weekend is almost over. It was eventful in it's way. My daughters birthmother and her boyfriend to came to visit. They stayed with my ex-husband on Friday night and with us on Saturday night. On Saturday afternoon, we drove to the Sno Park at Mt Baker and did some sledding on some small lumps adjacent to the parking lot. It was snowing like hell, I didn't have chains and I had promised Pearl we would go sledding since before Christmas. There was no way out. Sunday we made a big breakfast and they went on back to Eugene around 1pm.

It was in the end, quite delightful. Even though we did not go all the way to Heather Meadows the mountain did it's thing for everyone. I am not sure if it is the elevation, or the air, or the persistent falling snow but I get positively giddy up there and so did everyone else. Even the dog leapt around like a maniac.

When the moons knocks on your window

I am a sound sleeper, the night to me is like a dark envelope I slip into. The last few nights have been different as the moon has been full. There is snow on the ground and the sky has been perfectly clear and by the time I go to bed the moon is overhead, dipping south. That bright faced moon toys with my dear deep sleep as she pulls to the west. I wake over and over to the same eerie blue glow out my window. Sometimes she pulls me out of my bed to come and look at this version of night, bright night. I am frustrated with the moon because I love to sleep, need to sleep, but I am grateful too, to be included in her grand show. When the moon knocks on your window, you must go outside and take a look.

Chop Wood Carry Water

Did I mention it's been cold? I heat my house with wood. I have a propane heater as well but it's costly to run and I prefer the wood heat. I also like chopping the wood and keeping the fire going. I know the character of each piece of wood in the pile. I can judge it by weight and grain, if it will start easily or burn longer for overnight. Fir makes great kindling if you avoid the knotted pieces, Birch and Maple are dense woods that burn hot and produce more ash. Alder smells great and is a fast growing hard wood that is plentiful on my property.

Cold Weather

It's been pretty cold here for several days. It was 22° this morning when we drove to school but it was beautiful and frosty. The sun is up fully now and my back is warm where the sun is hitting me as I sit at my desk. I feel energized by it. I just went and grabbed an egg from the hen house, in this weather you can't leave the eggs out too long or they will freeze. I will go and check again as one of the Buff Orpingtons was in the box when I stuck my head in. There are swans flying around all over the place too. A little v of them flew over as I came out of the house. It's just too beautiful, their big white bodies, neat black feet held in point. I can hear their flapping and trumpeting as they go past.

Mood Swing

6am to 6:20am-Dread
6:20am to 6:30am-Resignation
6:30am to 7:45-Neutral work mode
7:45am to 8:45-Cheerful nurturing persona
8:46am-email from client
8:47am to 9:04-school drop off, dread and self loathing
9:05-call client
9:07am-Elation, new work on the way, sun is shining
9:10am-9:15am-consider playing hookey and going skiing, return home instead.

Higher Ground

How's this for an archetypal dream image. The ground beneath my feet is cracked, deep fissures are appearing and I am trying to step over them to get to higher ground. Sometimes your subconscious makes it so easy.

Why we live this way

This is Eddy, he is my 80yr old father in law. 30 yrs ago he left Canada for the South Seas. My husband (then boyfriend) rescued him from paradise about 4 years ago and brought him back home where we could take care of him as a family. He is a lucky man all things considered. So when we got married it just made sense that my husband and his father would set up shop in Canada (health care) as they are both Canadian citizens and I would stay put in the states because of my commitments here. School age child, custody agreement, etc... Our houses are 13 miles apart, across an international border.

And so it goes, a few days in Canada, a few days in the States. As we agreed when we got married, neither persons sovereignty would be affected by the union, we are like independent, extremely congenial neighbor nations.

Sucky

I love my vacuum. Take away my rider mower, I will let the lawn become an itchy meadow. Take away my chainsaw, I can use the landscape saw and revel in it's toil. Repossess my washer and dryer, I will scrub the laundry by hand and let it dry on the line, blissfully waving in the breeze. But take away my sweet yellow Miele and I would surely die. The way it sucks up all the tracked in grit, wood waste, and bird feathers effortlessly, as it restores my wood floor to it's soft smooth self. Cobwebs get in line to face their destiny, spiders shrink into deep corners, house flies fly fruitlessly backwards as this brave little soldier seeks and consumes everything in it's path. In moments, order is restored in my small domain.