Tis the Season for….Aliens?

December 8, 2021 / Kris / 9 Comments

The Craftsman really enjoys Christmas lights. He’s not into inflated holiday characters (the area is way too windy to support those things for long!), so much of his decor is lights. He made a plywood tree which is on the fence, it was just lights before I asked him to paint it. He did and added some cheap plastic ornaments he cut in half and glued to the tree. It is rather festive, night or day. The whole house is fairly bright and seasonal, not like the overkill of Clark Griswold and others in this small town. Just fun lights. There are 3 laser projectors in the yard. After discovering, one surprising night, that pointing the revolving lights at trees make fairy lights (especially if it is windy!), he put one shining in the lilacs and one on a locust I can see from the kitchen window. The third one is stationary-oddly, some laser lights don’t do much more than change colors. That one is pointed at the wall near the bedroom window. It is rather fun to see green and red spots on the ceiling as you fall to sleep. (he said they turn off on their own and I did stay awake one night til they did…at almost 2 am!!)

Well, one rainy weekend night I’d gone to bed early. A couple of hours later, the house was silent, except for the off sync ticking of two loud wall clocks. The spot where I sleep is directly in front of a window with miniblinds, which is nice when it is sunny and the light shines gently on the blankets.(Moses used to love that!) At night, the blinds are closed. I usually can sleep anywhere and anytime, for any length, except during wind. (I think it is from being a small child in Alaska and sleeping when it was bright daylight at night or with parents around who were partying) Yet, this night, I suddenly awakened.

Something was wrong. Listening, I couldn’t hear a thing. The rabbits weren’t even noisy and they are often rambunctious at night. The entire room was lit up from something outside. Lit up with a glowing fluorescent green light!!!! I blinked and stared, The light was so bright the blinds stood out. Each slat was marked with a black line around it. I admit to feeling a bit startled and kept perfectly still in the bed. After a few heartbeats, it vanished. Poof, black as a pocket in a mine. Relaxing a bit into the pillow, I was startled once more. Now, the bright light was a bright darkness with a couple of red flecks in it. It, too, vanished. By now, I was just staring at the window with wide eyes and a quickly beating heart. Then, the glowing green light was back! I could have read by it, it was so bright. I looked over at The Craftsman. Sound asleep, just like every not awake person in an alien abduction story. It vanished and the cycle of black, to a black ‘light’, to glowing green repeated. I was sitting straight up in bed, feeling more than a bit nervous. I thought it might be the laser light outside, but it had never done anything so crazy! Very, very carefully. As careful as Elmer Fudd sneaking up on Bugs Bunny, I inched my way out of bed and to my slippers (by golly, I may get abducted in a sleep top and panties, but I had to have on slippers!) I knew where the remote was for the light and crept across the bright room with my arm outstretched. The remote was only steps away. Quickly, I snatched it up. Obviously, I couldn’t remember which button (always the top one!) turned off the laser and fumbled til my finger hit it.I waited for the sequence to recycle and while the room was glowing green again, I triumphantly pushed the button, plunging the room into a sane darkness.

Sighing, I put the remote down, stumbled back to the bed, crept under my warm safe covers, and fell back to sleep. The next day, I explained what had happened. There was no explanation! The guys eventually chalked it up to just some strange glitch. It hasn’t happened since.

Thus, Kris 1, Aliens 0…I hope!

Beds

November 16, 2021 / Kris / 6 Comments

Beds have been a topic for stories for ages. Sleeping Beauty (in one of the versions) was on a bed, she was caught sleeping in the little beds where the dwarf’s slept. Goldilocks was found sleeping in a bed that was ‘just right’ (in a favorite rendition of this fairy tale, the last sentence shares that Goldilocks is hauled off ‘as the vagrant she was’. That was in one of the colored fairy books. Green, perhaps?). There are numerous girls who end up sleeping on mattresses with a pea underneath (a true favorite parody I read over and over is called ‘The Princess and the Penis‘. She has a disembodied, enchanted penis invading her mattress! It always makes me laugh.) and mattresses are one of the more expensive purchases a person can add to their house.

Over time mattresses and beds have changed. And not a little. A mattress used to come paired with a box spring. The mattress wasn’t very thick and didn’t take up much room. They were fairly ordinary sized in Twin, Double, Queen, and rarely King. Today, a mattress is immense, even as a Twin! Favorite sheets from decades ago no longer fit properly. Favorite bed frames are often useless with modern mattresses. Not only are the things taller, they are found in a variety of sizes from Twin to Alaskan King. A size that just seems crazy. They are made from all kinds of materials and most are considered hybrid. (they are all verified to be non flammable.) Frames today can be as minimal as none to ones strung up like a hammock. Persons can choose mattresses to match sleep patterns and frames that move as you do at night. They can accommodate your body if it snores and mold to you as you rest.

The new bed in my room is annoying. It is so tall, a step stool is needed to get into it. The sheets are all wonky and I cannot find a blanket for it anywhere. Thankfully, I made a coverlet in 2008 and that does fit! The CA Queen we had since the Little Bear was in grade school was worn to the point, the springs on the edges were covered with duct tape. Twenty years is a long time for a mattress. Thus, had to purchase a King. Now, a King is as long as a Queen and wider. A CA Queen is as wide as a Queen, but longer. Longer was nice, even as short as I am! Also, as I said, it is really hard for me to find blankets for the thing. You’d imagine it was simple, but it is soooo tall, most ordinary King blankets and sheets are stretched past their limit. When I make a bed, I like to tuck in the sheets and blankets. I think I’m old fashioned!!! The Craftsman’s mom has a bed purchased in the early 70’s. She hates change and loves her bedstead. We can’t find a mattress for that thing anywhere! Bunk beds were always fun as kids (except for falling out of one.) and we got Captain’s beds when we moved the last time. I absolutely loved that bed!!! A bed with drawers underneath is nice.

Photo by Tatiana u0410zatskaya on Pexels.com

There are definite pros and cons to the new bed. Thankfully, Moses is gone. He’d have a horrid time trying to get into it! Mittens jumps up easily, but she’s only a 14 year old cat (or so). It is too tall for me, getting in and out of bed at night is a bit dangerous!!! It is hard to make (it has an adjustable base that was probably not really necessary. It doesn’t seem to help anything when it is moved). My back constantly aches still. As stated, am not impressed with any of the linen needs/finds. And it was rather expensive. But, there are some good things. It is nice to not be sleeping on the extreme edge of the mattress anymore. It is lovely having the blankets on my side on the bed and not on the edge where they slipped off. (I have a LOT of blankets on my side. I freeze at night!) There is also a lot more room to fold clothes! The bed adequately holds a basket, the cat, and tidy stacks of 3 loads of laundry for myself and The Craftsman. (one lights, his darks, my darks) Mittens likes to sleep in one of the baskets when it is empty, think I shared that photo in one of the last posts.

Something else that is interesting about sleeping choices is the rooms. Watched a Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz movie in which two other characters had decided to sleep in separate rooms. Desi was appalled and Lucy realised it was a bit scary being alone in a room (of course, she was also being visited by an angel/ghost!). This pattern is becoming a norm today! The Craftsman often sleeps in a different room when he’s sick and I’ll get to bed a lot later to let him get to sleep first. But, we don’t have our dressers in different rooms. We may not be a good married couple, but I cannot imagine buying a house large enough for two rooms that hold queen beds when one isn’t a guest room. But, that is me.

What is your bed like? Is it tall, long, easy to make? Do you fold your laundry on your bed or your couch? Do your pets help?

Makes me smile

September 1, 2021August 30, 2021 / Kris / 4 Comments

After Little Bear got back from the mountains Saturday night, I mentioned he looked nice (compliments are a good way to encourage people) in his matching camo. He did, too! Little Bear looked at his tucked in shirt and tidy pants and insisted, it didn’t match! Apparently, the shirt was Camo D3 and the pants were Real Tree Break Up. (I rolled my eyes!) He later shared a video he’d been watching. It was about an invasive species in FL called lionfish and how people are encouraged to catch them. They are also poisonous and most likely were first released by people who used to have them in tropical fish tanks. (obviously before Disney’s ‘Finding Nemo’) Except, they are incredibly prolific and rarely travel. He said when they procreate, the female releases eggs that float to the surface and the male releases stuff that also floats and the substances meld into each other and as soon as the babies are born, they fall to the sand and there they stay. My nose crinkled and I said, ‘Sperm?’ He responded, ‘Yes, stuff.’

Photo by Isabela Catu00e3o on Pexels.com

Thankfully, he’s pretty on the ball with technology. (although, he hates it and even with the amount of cash in his various bank accounts, he hasn’t paid a bill yet. Because he has to do it online!! Oddly, he shops online, but that isn’t a bill!) I had three persons interested in mum’s rig in AK and was texting each of them and talking to them. The first person, M, said he’d give me 1600..which amazed me. I’d put 2000 in the window advertisement because I didn’t remember The Craftsman told me 12-15. Person B, contacted me close to the first person, who at this time hadn’t done more than text me about an interest. Person B was strapped for cash and I told him I”d drop the price. He then texted me he had 631$ and would be doing a job that would bring it up to $831 and then he sent me a photo of his baby!!! (this practice of tweaking the sympathies of a seller is just creepy!!! Oregon realtors finally disabled this practice in that business. Other places still use it and it is called writing ‘love letters’. Needless to say, it made me uncomfortable to recieve the picture!) Person C didn’t text me at first. He called and waffled on and on and on. He seemed my age, single, and I had to keep hauling him back to the vehicle by the proverbial scruff of his neck! He said he’d see what it was like to drive and contact me with what he felt was fair. Then, suddenly, MY PHONE STOPPED WORKING! I went online and tried different things and nothing solved the issue. All I wanted was to get it back so I could write down the phone numbers of those 3 people, the person who had the title, and the person who had the shop where it was stored. Little Bear had the afternoon off and after he ate his lunch and fed his rabbits, he helped me out. He not only removed the battery, but also the sim card. Huzzah!!! It started working again!! And later in the evening, it was sold to person A for 1600!!!!!!! Now, all I have to be concerned with is mom’s leftover debris here that I need to sell online. (Hallmark ornaments and so on.) And I should do something for the kid who helped me get my phone back so the Pacifica could be sold!!!

He drives me nuts, is a sometimes clone of Jeremy in the comic ‘Zits’ or even Calvin of ‘Calvin and Hobbes’, but he’s someone I’m entirely thankful for. You do NOT want to watch a movie with him, though. He’s watched so many reviews, he tends to tear them apart as we are entertained. Granted, WW84 did need torn apart. How disturbing was it that Diana’s BF, the BF she kept dreaming about after knowing him for about a week 7 decades ago, came back in someone else’s body????? VERY! I’ve never been comfortable with long term possession in fiction. And WW84 was complete fiction and too long. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine are much better actors than the script gave them credit for.

Probably

April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 / Kris / 15 Comments

Good news? Recently had a mammogram and it was determined an ultrasound was needed. The testing was done and the information was immediately sent to the radiologist, who said it looked good and to come back in 6 months. Well, when the report got to me via the mail, it read, and this is a final quote from the bits of diagnostic info sent on, “Impression: Probably benign. Recommend unilateral right mammogram in 6 months.” Probably. Seriously, after ages of schooling, one might anticipate a more decisive response!! So, for the next few months I will dance through the days, hoping the probability is really negative!

The lasagna gardens were a success. So was the rabbit litter under the cages! You can see one of the gardens has a lot of grass. (of the two, only one had litter added to it) It is, probably, barley, and elsewhere is a cut green for the bunnies. Except, since this is in a garden with daffodils, which are toxic, we are not taking any from this area. Just in case a stem is sliced and the juices end up on the cutters or in the rest of the greens. They like the tulips, but we don’t want to risk the buns getting something that might probably poison them.

March is often the month of chills and shine, but this year it appears April is more apt for that weather. No April showers, just night temps of 19 degrees F and cool windy days of mostly sunshine. The first night it dropped, leaving many flowers sprawled in the beds. A bit like tipped over well dressed drunks. Usually, the daffodils have a lot of juice in their stems. A thick clear liquid that drips from the hollow stalks when cut. After the freeze, it almost seemed like the daffodil stems were hollow. A few perked up when the sun came out, thankfully. The rest, well, they were picked up gently and removed from the gardens. My kitchen is now full of vases filled with April gold and a smidge of reds. Should have picked the hyacinth, too. Those resemble something that could probably be found in the extreme back of the crisper bin of the fridge after several months. EWWWWW! Not looking forward to culling those from the garden. Slimy stalks are not fun, but they will return to the earth and add to the soil as mulch. Turns out the juice in the stems evaporates when they get super cold (science stuff) and the heavier stems can’t lift up as easily when they warm during the day, so they look ‘tired‘.

Haven’t gotten my new laptop/chromebook up and running yet. It isn’t looking as easy to use as this older technology. Older technology that is probably about ready to give up the ghost! This post is being written up in google docs, which I have never used before. It is definitely different. Have been trying to transfer documents from word to google docs and sheesh! Not only do people have trouble getting along in our world, but technology is just as snooty. The one thing I’m looking forward to with the new laptop is checking emails. This machine often skips and deletes something other than the one slated to be deleted or opens other messages than desired or freezes, so haven’t been there in a while.

Managed to squeeze in a haircut Monday last. It was not done quite like I wanted, but it will probably be ok. Thankfully, hair usually grows. My CGM is being wonky. The company is sending me a new sensor, but even the tech help thinks the problem might be in the monitor. Haven’t heard from Strider in a few days, but he’s got chicks and a GF and both of those take up a lot of time. (plus his house that almost caught fire last month and was torn up by the inspector and now needs repairs) Moses isn’t looking good. He’s a frail, deaf, unkempt aged kitty cat who sleeps a lot. Am taking a lot of photos of the orange kitty…

However, I found a western swallowtail chrysalis that is now inside waiting to emerge. (hopefully!) Planted the common milkweed seeds in hopes of growth and western monarchs and am in the midst of getting the laundry completed for this extra long week in the middle of April. PHEW!

Favorite things-more or less!

February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 / Kris / 6 Comments

As of Feb 10, 2021, this part of OR doesn’t have any snow. It is expected, but it was first expected on Tuesday and then Wednesday. We will see if it appears on Thursday afternoon late. There were a few flakes on Monday. They were a bit lazy and unaggressive, drifting to and fro singly or in wide apart pairs. They didn’t even look like they were interested in asking anyone else to come to their snow party!!! Silly snowflakes! Since this wasn’t published before Thursday night, will amend this paragraph with an update of SNOW! Granted, it isn’t much and it is super light. Could almost blow it off the porch, but used a broom and wore slippers (no, did NOT slip in the slippers!) and gloves and had on long sleeves. It is starting to blow now and the sidewalk that was easy to brush off has drifted in. You could sure see where the little plants were when the snow was starting to cover up the grass. The daffs stood up quite sprightly in the white. The guys say it is still snowing, am pretty sure the snow is minimal and the wind is what is moving some of it around. Wind here is ridiculous!!! Strong or light, it sucks the moisture out of anything and moves into the oddest places. Little Bear wrapped parts of the rabbit cages to keep the snow out!

Am reading several books right now. Anne MacCaffrey because she is my favorite Feb author and there are two of her series being read at the moment (one in ebook form and one in paper, because the ebook can be read in the dark). Am also reading Barak Obama’s first book of two ‘A Promised Land’. That book is giving me a great deal to think about. Also, will read again my absolute favorite Feb 14 book, ‘The Blue Castle’ by L.M. Montgomery. (Actually, had to put down the Obama book. Had a verbal altercation with the kid and made me realise how stark lines are, even in this household. The promise of a country undivided by culture or color or ideologies is farther away than hoped.) Also started one of my absolute favorite kid books by an author from Minnesota. Maude Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy stories. Betsy would have loved blogging-not sure if Maude would have! Especially when the format changes and it isn’t noticed til it does! Maude wrote these stories as fictional memories of her childhood. So much fun to read!!!!! Lois Lenski did the illustrations for the children’s books. When Betsy and Tacy and Tib got into High School, Mrs. Lenski didn’t want to illustrate for teens. Vera Neville was suggested and took the characters around the world and back to Deep Valley, MN. .

The Craftsman told me this week that he doesn’t know how to celebrate holidays or occasions. He’s been getting little things every so often because no matter how frustrated this gal is, she truly is thankful for a lot. Anyway, took my life in my hands and said that was a cop out. Anyone can learn to be more of whatever they want and if he wanted to be the kind of person who remembered holidays or birthdays, he could be. It just isn’t something he’s interested in doing. He said he was interested, it just wasn’t easy to do. Just kept quiet and finished my dinner.

As was planning on meals for the next week (including an anniversary one) also remembered that the 16th is Shrove Tuesday!! Pancake Day! Am a bit annoyed about Saturday, though. Just learned at Wednesday’s dinner he’ll be gone that day, probably. While we were eating, Little Bear asked his dad if he was still going to be gone on Saturday. His dad said yes, if the weather was ok. Then, The Craftsman proceeded to tell me what he was planning on doing. Thus, Saturday’s dinner will be baked in the oven. Much prefer burgers grilled, but broiling will work just fine. That way, if he’s later than expected, they won’t need cooked on the grill outside. (yes, even in winter, outdoor cooking is a good thing!)

Had a crazy dream this week that haunts me, for some reason. Don’t recall much of it at all, except the end. Was with two other women and was in a full, but empty apartment or room. I was in front of a closet trying to get an ironing board out of it. The ironing board was collapsed horizontal and there was stuff on top and under it. Took quite a bit of work, but got it free and one of the other people in the room walked off with it. I turned from the closet to speak to the third person and looked up and screamed. There was a female figure stuck to a heating vent in the ceiling and when I screamed she fell and shattered at my feet. Well, most of her shattered. I kept screaming, but the woman who had taken the ironing board and the other lady were fairly blasé and commented that she was still pretty, even if she was dried up and broken. I woke up with screams in my throat! Opted to take a shower after that, but forgot to turn it on properly and, boy, was it cold!!! Haven’t had a shower that short since leaving mom and dad’s house up north. Had to get back in bed to get warmed up!

Thursday was supposed to be Friday, but after discovering it wasn’t, decided to bake. Made peanut butter cupcakes, cored out the centers, and then filled them again with chocolate frosting. After putting the ‘holes’ back, frosted the tops with more chocolate frosting and put some heart sprinkles on for fun. Used a nifty odd contraption mum bought me ages ago when cupcakes were made often. It is has a sharp edged plastic corer you twist into the baked item. When you feel it is far enough, you remove it and the corer is full of cupcake! You remove the cake with a tiny plunger and break off the top bit to use as a cupcake hole cover when the hole is filled. Would have taken photos, but it was entirely messy. Funniest part? Thought Little Bear was late for lunch because I’d looked at the clock wrong! Was an hour ahead all day. Also made blueberry muffins with chocolate chips and after dinner made peanut butter Valentine m&m’s cookies. Think baking is done for a few days!!! One substitute I often use now is yogurt in place of milk. Makes everything from biscuits to cake so much fluffier!!!

Can’t imagine much more joy than snow and favorite books! Hoping your holiday weekend is as nice as mine is looking to be.

Up for Sale?

August 25, 2020 / Kris / 5 Comments

After the crazy crematory ashes and ring episode from the last post, I thought I’d share something even odder.

I have in front of me papers to fill out to start to put mum’s house on the market. No, it isn’t very close empty yet. No, the Jukebox Kid did’t arrive yet. No, my sister’s stuff is still here (I did wrap some with plastic..I’ll share those photos later!). But, I do have papers. On FB, I found a silly share of houses realtors found. I’m so glad this one is just host to a screwy septic!

At least you can keep track of how the vacuum has run.

From Green to Pink and from bed to bath…and beyond?

You may have never been promised a rose garden..but can you find the loo?

Next, we have an upholstered bath. Or does it descend like an elevator?

And last, the Toilet Man. Perfect for training young children to never ever pee where they are supposed to.

I cannot even imagine some of the reasons for these. Once again, I’m glad for a simple, ordinary, if very old dwelling like the one I’m in!

Conversations with kids and more

August 4, 2020 / Kris / 1 Comment

I talked with Strider this week about shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings. (Although, I’m not sure he’d know what that refers to. I’ll have to ask him. I sure hope he didn’t get to the age of 31 and not know..although, PTSD has helped him lose quite a few memories.) We DID, however, cover a myriad of topics, some I thought others might find interesting.

Strider often finds moths or creatures I’ve never seen and passes photos on to me. We were talking about night birds (moths) and I shared how a friend in Ohio had posted a photo on FB of a crazy looking insect that resembled a giant light brownish white T. While ‘Letterman’ from ‘The Electric Company’ would have loved this bug, I was startled. I’ve never seen one, I’ve read about them, and they are called a plume moth. Strider then said the Luna moths in VA are starting to be found now, they only live a short time and their deaths herald the end of summer. He mused how odd it was that this large green moth was considered uncommon and that he felt the scientific phrasing for uncommon just meant ‘hard to find’ until they end up on the ground. He also wondered how they survived before cities, he always finds them clinging to cement walls, where they blend in at night. I asked him if they were a prey insect and that was where we skewed off into another thought.

Luna moths are not, but many toxic or dangerous insects and plants are brightly colored. Ladybirds, foxglove, night shade, monarch butterflies, and the like. Others animals who are venomous, are camouflaged. (Granted, some of the latter are bright, but not as many as you’d think) In Eastern Oregon there are rattle snakes. They have a ‘warning’ system and yet you have no clue they are around til you run across one. Most reptiles blend in, they might be bright and colorful if they were on a plain surface, but how odd! Plus, why did God (I do have a belief in a Creator, there is too much on this earth to have come about just because) make those toxic insects so colorful? Is it like males in the animal kingdom only with poison? “See me! I’m gorgeous and deadly to eat, so there! Go and eat that bug you can barely see and need to work for. Don’t mind me, I’ll just sit here and laugh at you as you look.”

During our chat, a large bird flew over. It startled me and we discussed what it might have been. It was NOT an eagle, but we surmised it may have been an osprey. It was large, didn’t even glance at this lake, and was gone in a moment. We discussed chickadees and Strider felt they were not exactly annoying, but impudent. I laughed. (speaking of which, I should go put seed in the open feeder since it stopped raining) He also said robins were the oddest bird in the yard. When I asked why, he said they are so darn fat! I look at them as they are busy digging up grubs and wonder, ‘How in the hell can you even fly?’

We discussed writing and how (I was surprised by this, too) authors don’t write in their ‘own’ voice. They write in the voices of the authors they have read until they end up creating their personal style. Yet, authors often write character or story, few can do both well. I asked him to explain himself and he mentioned one of our favorite books, ‘The Subtle Knife’ by Phillip Pullman. This made a terrible movie because there was too much character and film focuses on story. Also why another incredibly favorite book made such terrible movies, ‘Starship Troopers’ by Heinlein. Philosophy is almost impossible to visualize. (both of those books are heavy on philosophy) For the former, when Pullman made it into a play, it took two days of full length theatre sitting to watch it! The Marvel movies, those had authors who wrote character and lines first and the built the story after. It worked for them (except for the STUPID movie about Carol Danvers). The discussion veered into how he wants to see if he can animate one of his stories he started when he was in the Army. A fellow soldier read it and said he could ‘see’ it, so Strider wants to try. He’s not going to draw with a computer program, though, and he’s skeptical of his skills. The poor kid is convinced he’s too old to learn new things or open himself up to other jobs. (Oh, to infuse our children with confidence..I wasn’t a very good mom, I’d be much better at it now!) We bounced into talking about how there are companies who have employees who spend hours searching blogs or youtube videos for copyright infringements so they can nail others for using them, thereby making thousands of dollars from others. Capitalism at its worst.

At that point, his dad called with the information I asked for on Friday. So, he said he’d send me a Luna moth photo and talk to me later.

Earlier, the Book Lady had stopped by with more boxes for me and brought something to my attention an opinion I felt was silly. The Book Lady picks rhubarb for a church food bank. She had been picking near me, but had an opportunity to pick closer to town. She said she was picking back out north again because the other place had rhubarb of the wrong color. Apparently, people prefer red skinned stalks instead of green!! If you close your eyes and add enough sugar, it all tastes the same!!! (except the leaves, which are toxic…..) This is exactly what is wrong in our world.

Sunshine and Rain

July 9, 2020 / Kris / 20 Comments

This week has been full of crazy weather. I finally decided to leave isolation (my quarantine was up, but I’d not heard if I should) and go shopping and wash clothes. I think I ate better when I didn’t have more choices!!! That was on Tuesday. Monday was lovely, Tuesday it was ok, Wednesday it rained all day. I love rain!!

These pictures were taken before the rain.

I’d not noticed the ‘heart’ shape in the tree before. It makes me smile when I look down on the lake. The lake has receded a bit since the first week I was home. It has a lot of grass growing in the middle and the ducks seem to be surviving. I’ve not seen any loon, they prefer a clear lake and with the weeds growing up, it isn’t clear. I’m not sad!

We did have a rather crazy loud incident where all the ducks of both breeds banded together when a predator flew in. I’m not sure what the bird was, but as far as I could tell, everyone was accounted for when it flew off. One little golden eye was frazzled as it came up from where the mallards had gone. I think it got mixed up with the bigger ducklings!! That night it rained. A lot.

On Wednesday, I got my blood drawn (doctors don’t care if you aren’t in their area. If they want blood, they find a way to get it!) and got my clothes washed and picked up a covered firepit thing from TnT to burn stuff. OMG! My dad has pay stubs saved from ’77. He also, thankfully, didn’t keep entire packets from investments, but there are a lot. I am removing the SSN’s and tossing the rest away. I was in the midst of a series of numbers when I saw one that looked very familiar. It was mine!! I was quick to destroy those, I am not dead and would be very put out to have that stolen!!

I’m also glad dad’s gone. I’ve never said that before. I was clearing out VHS tapes and found one that made me think dad might have become a fan of our current POTUS or even a conspiracy theorist. It would have been hard to follow dad’s way of thinking. It is hard enough to follow my spouse and the youngest in their politics. Dad..I’m just glad I don’t have to know. Then, I found an aged Richard Simmons tape. He’s so scrawny for being so healthy!!! There were a handful of Bill Cosby tapes, too. Which makes me wonder if anyone wants those….

Thursday was a stunning day. I finished up a sweet cinnamon sort of roll I purchased on Wed. It was cinnamon, strawberry/ rhubarb and absolutely delicious! I am looking forward to trying her blueberry ones. I love the bakery. It is new and the motif matches my shoulder tattoo. (Heart of forget me nots) If I was staying here, I would so ask to be hired. Baking is one of my favorite things to do. In case you wondered!!

It is later in the evening, almost 930 pm. The clouds are starting to roll in and the temps are dropping. I was hoping to see the sunset tonight, I did get to see the mountains briefly today, but there may not be one! Cool looking grey clouds, though. I guess I’m torn between the contemplative squirrel and the stressed out bear!! Perhaps, I’ll just go and sort a bit more!! Although..I did buy ice cream!

(OH! I found out my airport covid test was negative. I had to send two emails and we’ll see if I need tested again!) Yes, ice cream sounds like a good celebration snack!

Bits and Bobs

March 5, 2020 / Kris / 7 Comments

In light of the recent posts I’ve made, I have decided to share pictures of different things that have been done here and there. First, I am showing off a contraption I may use maybe once or twice a year..if at all. Earlier, in February, I shared some pictures of projects The Craftsman was making. This was a wooden piece on a lathe, later cut apart. It is now a holder for an angel food cake. When you bake one of these cakes, it is supposed to be cooled upside down and it is difficult to find a proper sized item to suspend it. So, one was made out of a section of black walnut. (Granted, it isn’t done yet, but it is almost finished!) I liked the shorter one since it fits in the cake pan to store.

The second project made was from recycled wood. It holds all my hook earrings, not the ones with posts. (those are in a compartmentalized box) The black plastic mesh isn’t as helpful as I thought-it looks good, but it is difficult to see the earrings. I’m not going to change it, although I was told it would be easy. Removing all those earrings would be annoying!

As I mentioned previously, growing things are everywhere! I need to trim this kerria japoinica, it has been left alone for too many years and is literally out of control. It has lovely tiny rose like yellow flowers all over it in later spring. (I’ll be gone by then)

Speaking of out of control, Little Bear was given a tiny cacti while in High School. It has literally grown into something you might find on Loony Tunes!! (The Craftsman planted the odd looking little things at the base)

Along the walk, I’ve planted bulbs. Some are the most adorable daffs, they are known as Tete-a-Tete’s. They are a smaller flower, but some of them are VERY tiny!!! (yes, I once lived in Tillamook, where they make cheese and ice cream!)

I did pick some regular sized daffodils. They were facing the house and annoyed me. I much prefer flowers facing the public!!! The crocus are looking incredible, finally. I might need to pick some because it is supposed to snow and rain this weekend. Which will turn the poor flowers to mush. (I mentioned this elsewhere, but mushing is what is going to happen this next weekend. Go, Iditarod!!!)

Last, but not least, it was warm enough to read outside. Unfortunately, I forgot that an Ereader isn’t as easy to read in bright sunshine! No matter, I had a hard back book, with me as well. Also, thankfully, there is only one sick person in town. The other two were released after intensive checking. The casino is open again and, hopefully, the cycle won’t continue…hopefully.

I hope you enjoyed a peek into my world of cooking, bling, gardens, and books!

20200303_142321

Gifts from the Past

February 28, 2020 / Kris / 4 Comments

It seems logical that today is the birthday surrounding another favorite author (the artist, not the author). I can get completely lost in the words of Carroll as Alice wandered through Wonderland. This musing is one of those things I thought was ‘Curiouser and curiouser.’

john-tenniel-46

One of the things I try to do each day is write down blessings in a notebook. Ages ago I read a book by Ann Voskamp called 1000 Gifts, it spurred me to write down three blessings or gifts a day. I used to post them on my blessings blog frequently and put them in the notebook daily. I left the notebook in Oregon when I went north to care for mom and it has been hard to get back into doing either one! Anyway, one of the prompts for this week was ‘gifts from the past that help you trust the future’. I was stumped this year, so I went back to see if I’d written anything down for that date before. I had. Something I love was scribed. Bulbs. I have so many flowers given to me by others and when they bloom, they remind me of that person. Yet, how is that trust for the future? Perhaps it reminds me that life goes on after death? Gardens are HUGE for showing the cycle of life. There is every stage in a garden from sex to embryo to death and coming back to life again. Especially with a bulb. I have tiny Tete-a-Tetes blooming at the moment.

Thinking further, I definitely have a problem with trust. (More than likely from deep seated bits of my childhood.) Most of the people I have trusted fade away, they are still trustworthy, but their mindset has moved from being close to me. That is part of that life cycle thing, yet it still presents a skewed outlook in my Kris world. I push people away, too. (I have a tendency to be rather naive, but that is totally different from trust!) I was trying to think of persons I trust at the time of this typing and there are several who hold parts of me, but I’m not sure if anyone has all of me completely. (Let me wax even more philosophical!) Does anyone know all of anyone??? I am reminded of that line in ‘Ground Hog Day’ where Phil says ‘Maybe the real God knows so much because He’s been around so long.” When you are around someone a lot, do they know you? I can honestly say The Craftsman doesn’t know all of me. Some of my readers know more of me than most and probably more than my family! (Blog babbling can be a bit much, I’m always humbled by people who read and respond to me!) However, this relates to trust in people. It isn’t where the prompt was going, I don’t think!

I reckon continuity is what I see Around the Korner of this mind wander. A noun to depend on. Birds are migrating, plants are growing (albeit not when expected), my boys are level headed (for the most part!!), and when I mix certain ingredients together, I manage to get cookies. The different things may not be exactly like they are supposed to be, but they show seasons and growth and seasonings following a plan. And this Friday, when I looked out the window, I saw some of my purple crocus in bloom. Finally! (the catmint is showing and tiny violets are appearing in the yard..still too early to do any digging, the soil is incredibly chilly.)

So, what is something from the past that helps you to trust in the future? Do you have a crafted item that reminds you of this? A plant? Does your family? A pet? It has taken me more than two hours to come up with this post, I’m curious as to what others might hold as a promise for tomorrow or beyond.

Around the Korner

we will tessellate

Odd things