End of the Road Farm

[lighter]

Good luck finding part time helpers, Amber. 

Have wonderful visits, and enjoy your visitors: )

Lighter

[Hopalong]

I hope you have a really solid time with your girlfriend, a great visit.

I'm sorry Hols is bringing you back into matriarch PLUS financial advisor mode. Doesn't sound fun.

Hope soon it's all about your own life and joys again...your work never ends but you do seem to love it. May it be so soon.

Hugs
Hops

[sKePTiKal]

I don't feel it's that way at all, Hops. We get together, talk, solve life's problems, ponder the universe... ask "what if" and "why not"... and we intermittently work around here, look at properties she's interested in... while she talks out loud about her thought process about why she's still living with Matt, where she thinks that's going, etc.

I listen, interject some feedback (when I can get a word in edgewise)... and remind her, it takes me a while to actually spit out what I'm trying to say. Debbie's input will shift things a little bit... but she's been through the "drill" before. LOL. It will be fun...

[sKePTiKal]

So. I planted the husband today.

I was going to have Holly open the plastic box, but I did it instead. His ashes were in a plastic bag secured by a wire tie. Hahahahaha. Mike was all about wire ties. We both wanted to be composted. So I couldn't just put a plastic box in the ground.

I can see where he is, from my bedroom window. Every morning. That's his section of the land to guard.

I thought it was going to be real emotional to do that... but it wasn't. Functional. Completion. And the kid brought an unopened bottle of really good bourbon and 2 beers... and we did spill a few drops of bourbon while sipping... but it was just another task to complete. NOT a big deal, at this point in time.

And maybe I'll grow another husband. Or NOT. I think I'm OK either way.

[Hopalong]

And of course you had to spill a few drops of bourbon!

It was an offering for Mr. Mike.

I'm so glad you did that.

And will be able to see that lovely place where he rests.

love
Hops

[sKePTiKal]

It was time to do this.

[Hopalong]

Setting the memories free, to come to visit you, to sail on, as they will, at peace always.

xxxxxxoooooo

Hops

[sKePTiKal]

SNOW... Somewhere between 8 in and a foot... depending on where I look. Time to suit up like "Nanook of the North" and begin redistributing it.

I didn't bother between breaks in the snow, the last two days, because it was warm enough to melt - and then leave ice everywhere. Like all the steps from the main living level down to the ground. Snow is OK - it doesn't freeze underneath. Ice, not so good.

We've had a pretty decent winter for moisture - even IF it was so cold for a month that it didn't do anything. Had our only "good snow" last winter in March, too.

There's still not much traffic out on the highway and my road hasn't been plowed (last in the county on the priority list). So, it's not like I'm going anywhere - anyway. LOL. Just have to get some bills out.

[lighter]

I was wondering how much snow you got.

Hops... are you snowed in?

How is everyone doing out there?

We have a lovely partial dusting... nothing on the roads here, but perhaps farther North.

The wind howled last night.  Branches breaking and falling all night... very eerie. 
Lighter

[Hopalong]

Nice snow yesterday, only about 4" -- took the day to loll about. That day would've been unsafe driving but today there'll be no problem.

Where I am it takes 6" or more to feel truly stuck but if it ain't urgent, I just stay home. My old folks were in safe situations though Ngent does call me a LOT on days off. Thank heaven for voicemail

My driveway's very short and my car's 4WD so after a bit of melt I just blast out of here.

I'm happy we had at least one snow that looked the part. Now on to spring!

xo
Hops

[sKePTiKal]

I still have snow on the steps/deck at the studio. I guess I need to start the process of getting them clean and dry for the weekend. Kids will be here and I have a heavy piece of furniture that's going out there. It's supposed to be warming up - F I N A L L Y.

But, wanted to stop in and say that waiting so long to plant "Mike" turned out to be the right decision for me. Yes, I let him have a year at the "little cabin" he liked - and that I sold. But I had plenty of time to process that the contents of the plastic box weren't him any longer... and what WAS him, that I missed, was prior to the year or so when he tried to cover up that he was sick. He's been "gone" long enough now... that while I still miss certain aspects of him from time to time... that space he occupied for me, doesn't hurt any longer... and doesn't rightly belong to him, either. I'm reclaiming it.

And since no one else is actively seeking to occupy that space, I think I might just go on about my days right now, busting through some more "can'ts"... and maybe breaking some old taboos... and finally fixing a few things about "me" that have needed attention that I directed to other people for so long.

Look out world. LOL.

[lighter]

Finally.....
all your energy directed to yourself, Amber.

Finally: )

Lighter

[Twoapenny]

I'm glad you got him in a nice spot, Skep, and I think those informal, getting on with it type ceremonies can often be the best.  I like that idea of you taking him with you to the cabin.  I hope the snow doesn't cause too many problems!  We had a lovely spring day today but they are forecasting snow again for the end of the week.

[sKePTiKal]

It's official. I have spring fever. Today is supposed to be the warmest day, till the end of April. Which explains why my area is totally socked in with fog again today - there are still patches of snow on the ground, and it's been rainy for a few days on top of the melting.

It's now week 2, that I've been waiting on power co & electrician to get together here, decide what's what... and how they're going to proceed. I am pretty useless in the process; to me, it's simple - there's power at that pole or the transformer at the house - now, hook it up to the barn. As far as deciding the best way to do that... I am not qualified to make those decisions.

Bless my electrician, he kept thinking of more options for me to choose from until I finally said: I want THIS, and put that HERE... and how the wire gets to that - I don't really care. Even if it costs more money. If you think it's a better solution - let's do that. He does know I know about some things, and therefore have a "vision" and expectation in mind. But when it comes to this level of electricity, pardon me while I pick my nose and go sit in the corner and drool. I can't possibly know HOW I want it done; I just want it done. LOL.

I guess there's not much anyone can do about mother nature and her delight in throwing a kink into plans. It's been a reallllllllly long winter. And all of April is going to be 10 degrees cooler than normal. More like March, than April around here. I am so glad I didn't go whole hog starting seeds. But I did indulge in buying a box of herbs, the first week our nursery was open. They didn't have the lavender grosso, so I got 3 hidcotes and 2 munsteads; a couple spearmint (said to keep the stinkbugs at bay); oregano, thyme, and sage. I'm going to use the cool weather to finally get my kitchen beds designed and built. I'm also considering "editing" my driveway some this year.

[Twoapenny]

It's been a long winter here as well, Skep, everyone's itching for the bad weather to clear off now and to let Spring come through.  We keep getting the odd nice day and it's sooooo lovely.  Can't wait to be able to sit outside in comfort lol.

I feel the same way about getting jobs done; A needs to get to B so please just sort it   I think when the information is out of our zone of understanding it's better to let someone else decide the best way to do it or suggest an alternative if what we want isn't practical so I hope it all gets organised soon and I'll keep my fingers crossed the weather starts to perk up.

Next door's cat keeps trying to let himself in; he reminds me of your moggy that adopted you   He was sitting out on the step when we got home and he kind of slinks through the door as we come in and get our shoes off lol.  He's absolutely lovely and so affectionate but our cat hates other cats and it's not fair on her so I give him a cuddle and then chuck him back out lol.  He's very well looked after but is a real lap boy so when his owner's out at work he keeps trying all the houses hoping to find a lap to curl up on