Some times you have to look to find the miracles!

There are miracles in our lives every day...sometimes they just don't look like miracles to us...but then think of angels...the ones in my life don't have feathery wings and wear long flowing robes.  How about yours?

Today's number one miracle is the celebration of six months without even a puff on a cigarette.  No cheating, not a smidgen!  Now THAT's a miracle.

The second miracle of the day is that Mark called. He is bringing his father for dinner.  Dad isn't feeling well and wants to leave for home shortly after we eat. 

Considering that a week ago we thought Dad would never come home of the hospital, that's a miracle!

Am I blessed or what?

 

Just so you know...

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.  Things have been hectic here.

On Tuesday, the doctors said they were going to discharge Mark's father the next day.  Dad indicated that he did not want to go home, that he would rather go to a nursing home.

We arranged a meeting for Wednesday morning with the social worker.  By time I got there at 9, the doctor said that he was not ready for a nursing home, but could not stay at home alone.  I guess that's where Mark comes in.

He'll stay there during the week.  One of the other six kids will have to come through on the weekend, that's up to them. 

For us...we don't know if we are coming or going, and to be honest, it doesn't seem to make any difference.  We're just hanging on...

When you haven't done anything, it's difficult to show photos of it...so here's one of my old time favorites.  Enjoy!

circa 1990

 

hockey mama!

Did I spend most of this weekend at a hockey tournament?  You bet I did!

This summer, Tony joined a traveling league.  Although they did play a tournament in Pittsburgh, the rest of their games were in other states.  This weekend, they played a Pittsburgh tournament.

So I got to go and watch most of the games...okay, 3 out of 5?

 

On Saturday, I watched one game before heading to the hospital to visit my father in law.  On Sunday, I was the designated parent.  I attended both games, so I had the priviledge of watching one game where they won, 9-0.  My son had the only penalties.  If he were not my son, but instead oppositions, there are days when I think I'd take my child and go home.

They lost the second game, 10? - 1, and Tony got the only goal for his team.  They finished second but got these darling trophies:

to add to this award

he got in Virginia, and these:

for the season...Can you tell we are, among other things, a hockey family and are proud?

What's in the box?

Well...this looks like a nice, innocent shoe box, doesn't it?

What's inside?

All the socks I've completed in the past six weeks, give or take a few days...

A nice pair of men's socks, a Christmas gift, so I can't tell who they are for.  These are made of Magic Stripe!

Another pair, for a man on my gift list...these are made of Lanna Grossa.  I love this yarn, the ball is squishy and the yarn knits easily.

Here's a pair of shorties, my boys love them, in Knit Picks' simple stripe, colorway storm.  The color isn't true on my monitor, the grays match better.  The bluish stripe is really lavendar.  It's gorgeous!  Also, did you know that Knit Picks now has solids in sock yarn?  I'm soooo excited!

These remind me of sherbert, but I can't remember the yarn.  I'll have to go and dig up my knitting journal so I can pass on the name of the yarn and care instructions to the recipient.  These are for a woman on my gift list!

Another pair of Magic Stripe. I think I have a whole cedar chest full of this yarn.  I've found out that if I don't do the entire cuff in ribbing, they lose their shape, but they are easy care!  As you can see, I hate tucking in those ends.  I usually leave them all until last minute and then do them all at once!

The socks nobody loves...A perfect example of how the Magic Stripe seems to sag...I should have ribbed the entire cuff.  Live and learn!

Why you should never wear hand knit socks inside your hockey skates...this is ONE afternoon of heavy duty skating.  I should be flattered that he loves his socks so much, but now I really do have to learn to darn socks.   Anyone have the url of a good tutorial?

So...that's what's in my sock box.  What's in yours?

 

Christmas in July?

Check this out:

Know what that is?  How about this?

No, we didn't start a chicken farm, those are Tony's latest eBay treasure...golf balls!  If you've ever wondered what 500 golf balls looks like, wonder no more.

They say it's simple pleasures for simple minds...and this was certainly a pleasure for Tony.  The auction was for used balls, but many looked brand new.  Lots of them had advertising on them, Tony especially loved the 'Tony the Tiger' one, wondered if the Enron one was a collectors' item, and chose a few favorites that he'll keep with his other treasures. 

So many times, when we do eBay auctions, we meet the best people.  This one was no exception.  A feedback score of over 400 with a 100% rating.  He had a death in the family which made the shipment late and he took the time to tell us?!?  You don't see that happening much these days. He also took time to READ, let alone answer my emails, and questions...and everyone who knows me knows I talk a lot ! Damn!  Makes you want to ask for their mothers' email addresses so you can thank them for raisin' them right! 

On the downside of life, they just admitted Mark's father into the hospital.  He was so tired last night he told Mark that if he did't feel any better, he'd call the doctor today and ask for an appointment.

He called and they told him they had no openings until tomorrow.  When Mark found out, he called and told them that it was an emergency.  They took him in today.

He's extremely anemic, so exhausted he can barely walk.  The cancer has spread to his spine, shoulders, ribs, lungs and liver and possibly kidneys.  How he manged to keep it all together for the trip to New York and Canada is a mystery, we don't know how, but we do know why.  It was his last hurrah.  If you pray, please put in a good word for Pap Dave...he needs it!

And now...while the boys are at work, I'm going to tiptoe into the garage and pull out all the pink golf balls for myself, make a killer salad and chill on the patio.

Peace!

It's been a hard day's night...

Can you guess what we did yesterday?

Here's my first hint:

If you guessed a water logged cell phone drying out...you are on the right track.  If you couldn't guess, here's another hint:

Now if you guessed that this is a waterlogged glove and golf bag and a few mud encrusted clubs, you're getting warmer.  Can you figure out what happened?  If you thought I fell in the lake, you are wrong...try one more hint:

Last hint...I'll never leave home without it!

My comment:  That was the longest nine holes I've ever played.  I can't believe how heavy rain filled clothes are...how much farther it is to the club house in the rain than it is on a cool, dry day...and how much I realized I'm getting old. 

Yesterday's revalation:  I can ACT like a golfer, but I cannot THINK like one...'nuff said 'bout that.

The weary traveler has come home!  They came pulling in on Monday afternoon, tired and happy.  As my father-in-law said, "They can't take that trip away from us!"

I did give Mark the camera, but neglected to tell him that he has to stay still while taking pictures...therefore the only clear ones were OF him, not BY him:

Left to right:  Mark, Mark's great uncle, John (who is 92 and still traveling around the world) and my father-in-law (and John's nephew), David.

Along with a good visit with his sisters and uncle, Mark and my father-in-law explored the town where he spent summers with his grandparents, even finding their home.

They found the town cemetary and located the grave markers of Mark's great-great-grandfather. 

They drove across the Thousand Island Bridge

into Ivy Lea and met Sandro, the proprietor of RiverQueenHouseboating.  We rent a houseboat from them for a week each fall and they have become dear friends to us. 

Each year, we take our cell phones so that we can report in to my father-in-law.  He takes the trip with us, in spirit only, and has mentioned many times that he'd love to see the boats and theislands that we dock on.

This year, the river goddess was with them.  One of the boats had come in a day early and Sandro, who is a doll, invited them to take a quick jaunt around the islands.  Mark was able to show his father Georgina, Constance and a few of our other favorites.  A heart felt thank you goes out to Sandro and Patricia!

 

Just one more day?

Mark and life as we knew it, will return tomorrow.  Give me one more day?  I promise to return with hugs, kisses and tales of my adventures.

Until then...Here's what we were doing 15 years ago...

sooo busy

I'm single parenting this weekend, so not much time to ponder and post...I'm wondering how I did it alone for all those years?

Until life gets normal...enjoy my boys...This one is at Rose Point Park Campground, New Castle, PA, July, 1989!

And even smaller things

No NEW pictures for a while, just a trip down memory lane at the end.  DH and his father left for LaFargeville, NY at 6 this morning. 

First stop was Erie where they met DH's sister and brother-in-law.  They are spending the summer, or most of it, on their yacht (we are the very poor relatives).  They had breakfast.

The next time we heard from them, my FIL had just found the grave marker of HIS great-grandfather.  Since my parents were both first generation Americans, that fascinates me.

They found Mark's great grandparents' homes, the houses of his great uncles and had dinner at the Thousand Island Inn in Clayton, NY, one of my favorite towns.  We always have to spend at least a day there when we are on our houseboat trip each fall.

They called again to say that they had the best dinner of their lives at the Inn tonight.  Dad had duck, Mark had grouper.  They had walked down to the ice cream parlor and got a cone and were sitting on the front porch of the inn watching the boats go past. 

Tomorrow they will ride over the Thousand Island Bridge, the one that my father-in-law once rode a bicycle over.  It's so high (ships go under it) that it takes my breath away.

Once in Canada, they will probably go to see the marina and hopefully the house boats that we rent in the fall. 

I don't know who is more choked up, Mark or Dad.  Both know that this is their last trip together.  Dad is simply completing the circle.

Oh the other hand...my boys are now in the garage, talking.  It makes my heart sing to watch them together, or hear them talk.  Today Andy got off work early but he went back to the bike shop becaue Tony was buying a road bike and he wanted to help him choose accessories and help fit him with a helmet.

They came home in the jeep and after the necessary ooh's and ahhh's, they went on a ride together.  Friends...it does make me proud.

Me?  I'm going to bed.  I hit up the used book store today and found a whole stack of books that I need to read...and I didn't knit a thing today!

Bicycling buddies, summer 1989

Sweet dreams

Small things...

I was on my way to bed when I thought I'd stop and share my joy:  there is nothing to take the place of friends...

We had a late dinner tonight.  Tony worked from open until 4, Andy went in to work at noon and worked until close.  I decided to make Andy's favorite meal, meatloaf, and hold dinner until he got home.

Mark and Tony decided to go shopping, mall hopping, to look for shorts and summer clothes on clearance.  I just got out of the tub when all three of them came climbing the driveway with...a new set of golf clubs for my birthday!

My birthday isn't until Sunday, but since Mark and his dad are leaving in the morning, they decided to celebrate early.

We all trooped out back to try Tony's driving net and although I did hit a few balls over the garage roof, I did really well.

After we finally came inside to eat, Mark cleaned up the kitchen while I checked the laundry status.  He went to bed and I sat in the living room to read for a few quiet minutes when I heard someone hooting and hollering in the driveway.

It was Meg and Debbie.  All our kids grew up together, Meg and Deb were angels as parent volunteers any time I had a special project going on at the school...Our kids swam together on the swim team, bowled on the Saturday morning league...they feel like family.

Deb's husband has lung cancer.  He just had another set back and must undergo another round of chemo.  It's been rough, but Deb has the most beautiful and comforting faith.  It not only comforts her, but those around her as well.  As a friend, I've always been so proud of her. 

Meg's two oldest boys were part of our 'extended family' and then she added two girls to the melee.  She's a cancer survivor herself, so she always seems to give us hope and yet ground us.

Sounds dreadfully dull, but tonight we sat on the patio and giggled, hooted, howled and had such a good time that I hated to see them leave.  Even the boys enjoyed it, but Andy gave me a stern, "Do you know what time it is?" when I finally walked in the door...at 12:53!

I'm feeling mighty rich tonight!

 

Points to Ponder

When Mark and I married, twenty years ago, I moved to the small town that he had adopted as his own several years earlier. 

To aclimate myself, I began reading the local newspaper from cover to cover every night.  I left nothing unread, front page, police reports, births and obits..which lead to the in memorium columns.

In this small town of 16,000, the obituaries were few, maybe a handful a day, but since the loyalty to this town and the multi generations that live and work here, the memorials go on, year after year, many with photographs.

After a few years, I realized I recognized many by the pictures published with the letters and poems.  Some, like Bernie Sue, were children when they died.  Her picture of a smiling fourth grader is there every year.  How about the couple, married 50+ years, who died two weeks apart or the family of four with two young children who were all killed instantly by a drunk driver?

I remember the circumstances of many of the more recent, I knew some of them.  Each year, in early November, his birthday and on Christmas Eve, the anniversary of his tragic death, I steel myself before turning to the memorial page because I know I'll see photos of my oldest son's friend, Donnie.

I find some comfort in the familiarity.  After twenty years, I join the families of those dearly departed in mourning.   I find myself greeting them silently and offering prayers that they are at rest, in peace and that they will be waiting to greet those who loved them and mourn them, in the hereafter.

I'm sure I'll recognize them as friends I never knew.  Wonder if they will know me?

 

 

 

still life

Safe Sox

Yes, even the orange sock buckles up when we go out!

As you can see, progress on the orange sock is slow.  Part of it is because the yarn is hard to work with but most of all, it's because I've gotten that urge to purge, a must to dust, and a farkle to sparkle again.  It's purely weather related, I'm sure.

I used to abhor talking on the phone...then along came cordless phones.  Now I can do all sorts of things.  Yesterday my friend Nancy called.  Frantic for something to do, I washed two kitchen windows from the inside.  They didn't look all that wonderful, so I went out and washed them from the outside.  Wow!

Window cleaner in hand, I went to the back entrance and did the windows there, the powder room mirror, upstairs to the bathroom where I did the mirror as well...on to my bedroom, my studio and then I stopped...or so I thought...

Next thing I knew, I was dusting!  Yesterday, my 161st day without cigarettes (not even a little cheat), I realized that I don't really like the smell of lemon pledge.  I think it was one of the few things I could smell, so I thought it was pleasant.  Not!

I started ripping the room apart, finding a few things to list on eBay (but that takes soooo much time), a few things for Goodwill, and a lot to trash.  I polished the table and got the urge to quit right then and there and create...but I resisted.

Today I'll wash the curtains for that room, sweep and mop the floor and I'll be ready to go...and considering Mark and his father leave Thursday morning for their adventure-north...well, who knows?

Andy had some problems with his contacts yesterday and his eye was all red and swollen again.  I'm wondering if his hygiene is impeccable when it comes to those things.  I know that I wasn't always diligent about washing my hands or cleaning out the lens case...I'd be just as happy if he didn't wear his contacts.

Andy was off yesteray, Tony is off today.  He said not to wake him until 10.  We have JR, but Tony plans to have him out on the golf course by noon until it's time for him to go to the dentist at 4.  I have no problem with that, lol.

Tonight we have a board meeting for hockey parents.  We're mediating an issue in the elementary league.  It's too dumb to consider including here...unless itcomes to blows tonight, consider it done.

And I'm outta here!

*poof*

And more of the same...

It seems as though we were busy all day yesterday, but yet, nothing important happened...it was the same old, same old...or was it?

Andy left very early to do the Tour of Crawford, a 60 mile charity bike ride.  He left us THE RED JEEP.  Mark, Tony and I decided to head for the flea market.  We all had our agenda:  I wanted plants at killer prices, Tony wanted golf balls and Mark wanted to eat.

Mark had a hot dog and popcorn, Tony found a few golf balls at good, but not excellent, prices and I found a plant stand for the yard.  Mark, on the other hand, bought a Brinkman charcoal smoker.  For the rest of the morning, we wondered how to get it home.  I did suggest putting the plant stand on my head...but we managed.  Those jeeps hold more than you think!

 

 

obituary bingo

Add three sisters whose average age is 75+, a visitors' book from their father's funeral in 1960 and what do you get?  Obituary bingo!

Don't get me wrong, I am not being disrespectful, I am being joyful.  To witness such a thing was food for my starving heart.  I came away a renewed woman.

Quickly:  There were four cousins who grew up together.  Linda who is 2 years older than I, Peggy and Susan who are a year older, and me.  We were not the only cousins (there were probably 40 of them) but the ones closest in age. 

The relationships were strained.  Linda, Peggy and Susan's connection was that their mothers were sisters.  I was my father who connected me to the tribe.  My mother wasn't overly fond of the sisters, nor were they crazy about the woman who married their baby brother.

Fifty years later, after my father died, I felt my connection to the family was severed.

A week ago, when Susan called to ask me to bring my mother and Aunt Katy (the oldest living sibling of 12, she's 84) to her house, I agreed.  Susan and her husband John live 2 hours from me, on the Juniata River.

The ride there was ...  strange?  Ever see the movie, Driving Miss Daisy?

When we got there, Peggy and Linda and Linda's mother were there too as well as Aunt Helen, the baby of the family with her husband Bill, and Maria, their daughter.

We started slowly.  We come from the same place, but our lives were so different.  Susan and John have two grown kids and are semi retired, living on the river and traveling.  Linda and her husband Dick have been married forever and have no children.  Peggy married at 46 to a much younger man and has never had children.  Maria is young, skinny, gorgeous, smart, has wonderful kids (her daughter was there, she's about 12 and adorable)...but she's not part of the core group, so we can't let her inflate our scores.

Suddenly, I walked into the kitchen to hear Aunt Katie mention the name of a family friend - a name that I haven't heard in years.

"Dead," says Aunt Francie.

"Frank's sister, Phyllis," Aunt Katie goes on.

"Oh, dead too!" says Aunt Helen almost cheerfully.

What?  Have I stumbled onto our own family version of Arsinec and Old Lace?

Then I find the reason for the roll call:  the guest book from Grandpa's funeral.

In 1960, after the funeral,the book was given to my father, the youngest son.  Why?  We're not sure.  When my mother was cleaning out my father's belongings after his death last year, she decided to return it to the family.

I returned to the deck.  My cousins asked what the mothers were doing.  I explained.

"Obituary bingo!" Susan's husband John exclaimed.  When we're old we can play it too!

Can we?  I hope we'll have time...you never know!

After laughing so hard our sides hurt, eating so much our bellies ached, hugging...oh how we hugged...and me realizing I do have a family...we left.

It was one of the days I'll write about forever...five cousins, one much younger, walking along the Juniata river on a warm summer day...

Susan, thank you from the bottom of my hunky heart...I do have a family!

And to Aunt Katy:  Yes, I did nurse my son until he was four...but no, you are not too old to hear that...you are the perfect age.  Tomorrow you won't remember it!

I apologise for the quality of the photo...we were having too much fun to remember our cameras!

From left...mom, Aunt Katy, the eldest, Aunt Helen, the baby, Aunt Francie!

Race car and me

Meet the newest addition to our family:

Race Car!

Don't even ask.  Race Car came to us much the same way Princess, the male cat did.  Andy, my 18 year old softie found him. 

With Princess, someone dropped a litter off behind the bike shop, with Race Car, the owner's son and daughter-in-law were moving and couldn't take him with them.

Between Pincess, Arnie and Race Car...it was a long evening.

Sock Progress?  Check out Franklin the sock gnome:

When I first put the sock on his head this morning, it came down and covered his beard!  The knitting is hard on the hands (cotton ease), so the progress is slow.  I know that I'd never use this yarn again, but it's making Tony very happy and will be perfect for what he needs.

Today's a quickie...I'm going on a mom-n-me adventure.  My cousin Susan called me last week and asked me to bring Mom and Aunt Kate (who is 84) to her house to visit with Aunt Helen.  Mind you, all these aunts are my father's sisters and I don't think there is much love lost between Mom and the two of them.  It's a two hour drive, Mom will certainly begin to feel stressed out, insecure, and that's when she lashes out and takes it all out on me. 

Short trip, loooooooong day.

If I"m not arrested for dropping two little old ladies off on the side of the road, I'll report in tomorrow.

 

Dinner is served!

Darn Gnomes...as soon as you do for one, the rest insist you do for them.  Meet Aubrey, Franklin's father...and while you're at it, check out my sock progress.  Keep in mind, Aubrey is the dad...he's much taller!!

Last night, everyone was busy.  Andy worked until 8, Tony went golfing and Mark just needed time to chill.  I decided to hand Mark cheese and crackers and hold off dinner until 8, when Andy would come home.

As soon as we were all in the same place (Andy worked 20 minutes late), I ran in to put on water for the pasta.  As soon as it was on, we got unexpected company.

One of Mark's friends from high school dropped by.  We sat down to visit and by time he left and I 'threw' dinner on the table, it was 10:25 PM!  We were so tired that Andy never made it to bed.  He dropped on the couch and was still there when I came down this morning.

I'm off to get a haircut.  Tomorrow is old hens' day.  I'm driving my mother and my 80+ year old aunt to Bedford to visit my cousin and another aunt.  This should be fun...Jill, want to come along???LOLOLOLOL

Be nice...

 

Why I gotta love him

In March, Mark and I celebrated our 20th anniversary.  It was a second marriage for both of us, I had two teenagers from my first marriage.  He had none.

I am seven years older than he is.  I was a baby when I had my first child, so probably the reason I didn't marry him first is that he was in kindergarten.

We came from opposite sides of the track.  His father was an executive, mine a blue collar worker.  Their six kids were pretty close, the three kids in our family were like three only children. 

I know his mother was not happy about it, just as my mother was so tickled that to this day, he can do no wrong.  As time went on, I fell in love with his parents and grandmother as much as I did with him.  When his mother lay dying, five years ago, caring for her was a true labor of love for me.

Mark's Dad was lost without his wife.  They were a close couple, he the main breadwinner, she the care taker.  A month or so after her death, Mark and his dad began taking computer classes one night a week, having dinner out, and then Mark would spend the night with him.  Guys' night out.

Two years ago, Dad's prostate cancer spread to his bones and bone marrow.  He had good days, bad days and pain.  Even though they no longer took classes, Mark would spend at least one night a week with his father.  It was their night, the highlight of their week.

Last summer, even though he felt good, his time was running low.  He said he would love to visit his sisters in upstate NY.  Mark made a few phone calls and arranged for them to meet at Aunt Ruth's house in Geneva, NY.  It was an eventful packed four days, Aunt Ruth is an organizer.  Dad and Mark, Ruth and Carl and Dad's other sister Anne and her husband, rode on a mail boat on one of the fingerlakes, saw an air show, a pagent about the Mormon Church and played cards until the week hours. 

Note:  Marks family is from Upstate NY.  Dad grew up in the Thousand Island's region, the same place we vacation every year.

Fast forward a year. Dad has had a rough year.  The cancer is spreading rapidly, he's in pain and is exhausted much of the time.  As usual, Mark spends his night with him, but occasionally, Dad feels too tired and sick to go out to eat.  Mark cooks for him at home.  Anne and Ruth have come to visit twice, more or less to say good bye, but he's done well enough that they planned yet another adventure north. 

Ruth, the planner, has arranged for them to meet at her house, with an additional guest:  Dad's Uncle John, who is 91, a world traveler and still going strong.  Mark and Dad were going to leave on Friday, the 15th and come home the following Monday.

Last week, when Dad was feeling perky, he asked if they could leave a day early and go farther north than Geneva, to LaFargeville, where he grew up.  He wants to see his grandmother's house, the islands and other places he never though he'd see again. 

Mark promised.  Then, this week, Dad was having a really rough time.  He doubted that he would get to make the trip.  Mark said it was his choice, but they could do as much, or as little, as he was able.  Last night, over dinner out, they decided to go for the whole thing.

Mark just called.  He made reservations for the two of them at Thousand Islands Inn in Clayton.  When Mark told the owner the reason for the trip, the owner said she was from LaFargeville and remembered both of Dad's uncles and their wives.

Now Dad thinks he knows her family. He thinks her father was the town doctor.  Sick or not, he's making this trip.  Mark said Dad pulled out his original birth certificate to take along, just in case they could go to Ganonoque to see the houseboats we rent each September. 

They will discuss this trip many times over the next few days.  Each morning at 7:30, Mark calls his dad.  Each night on his way home, he calls again to talk about the day.  Amost every night, Dad calls us to remind us about educational shows in the history channel, and Mark calls to remind him that all he has to do is call and he'll be there.

I can only hope that my boys inherit some of these genes...I'm sure they can see why I gotta love this man...even though there are days when I'm not sure I like him!

Dad and Aunt Ruth, Mail boat on Lake Skaneateles, July 2004

prozac for socks?

I"ll admit...I've viewed those other bloggers' sock adventures and sighed...my socks have no adventure to share...no excitement in their lives.  I felt their pain.  I could understand why they were depressed. 

When you are a sock, you are on the bottom of the heap. The excitement in your life depends on others.  You cannot make your own.  I felt bad.  Consider...the only excitement in my life, or my sock's life is downright dirty:

Last night, I went to bed with tears in my eyes.  I wished there were something I could do to brighten up my sock's day.

This morning, when I came downstairs, Franklin, my gnome, was looking depressed as well.  He hasn't had an adventure for quite some time...(do you think I"m living with a bunch of whiners???).

I killed two birds with one stone:

Yes, this is a different sock than the one in previous days.  I have TWO (yes, two, dammit) different socks going at one.  It is rare, but the first pair, at 12 spi, 15 rpi, was taking forever and I wanted to get to the good part of this pattern...completion!

So bite me!

The big difference!

As previously stated, you'd think that for a person who has been journaling forever, the transition to blogging should be easy.  My absense of days should prove that it is not.  I have been consumed with turmoil.  I was not sure how to proceed.  I began to admire those whose lives were open books...

As you can see, Arnie and I are down in the dumps...bummed waaaaaaaaaay out

The problem?  We are not men.

Oh, that's not to say that Arnie wasn't born a man, but his problems are similar. I was born without cohones, he was born without opposable thumbs.  Translation:  when life demands, we cannot A) Go golfing, B) Start the tractor and pretend you are working, C) Jump in your car and go to the lake and sail.

The problem:  Our home, as beloved as it may be, is on top of a hill.  All points are down.  I'm beginning to think that the entire farm must have been a pig farm, since the soil is fertile and lush.  All things, with the exception of these: 

Mark's tomatoes, grow and produce so quickly you can hear them grow. 

Thus the weeds on the shady perennial garden quickly overtook the perennials.  Mark decided that all plants should be removed and river rock substituted.  He got an estimate for the retaining wall and river rock:  $3,000.

Now, I have not been penny pinching for years only to spend the proceeds on a truck load of rocks, darn it.  I had no alternative solution, so I begged a little time to think while I pulled weeds and transplanted the perennials to other places on our property. 

Permission granted.

First I got one of these:

Mine is a knock-off of the Weasel.  It was only $19.99 at Home Depot and I was amazed at how nicely it worked.  Since the heat was oppressive and the garden is about 750 square feet, like Rome, it wasn't completed in a day.  I worked a few hours before the heat and a few hours in the evening, after the heat.  I would say that I worked my buns off, but at last glimpse, they were still there!

On Thursday, Mark pretended that he saw nothing.  On Friday, when I was out working before he left for work, he just got in his car and left without a word.  That night, instead of helping me, he jumped on the tractor and cut grass up to the edge of the flower bed.

Saturday, it was much too hot to watch me work, so he jumped in his car and went sailing. 

Sunday morning, just before the heat, he dragged Tony out of bed (6:30 AM) and they escaped by going golfing.  Since this is a gardening entry, I will say that was the last straw.

I headed for the flea market, where I found a few more plants to add to the new beds (where I wrestled with ivy and replaced the soil).  Coming home at noon, I planted as soon as the beds were in the shade and then went to my room for a healthy nap. 

That night, I tendered my resignation as gardner.  I no longer care what he does, as long as I get to golf while he does it.

Now...the big quandry, do I tell all my cyber friends and family about this?  Hmmmm

Onward and upward, life does go on.  Andy has nearly polished the paint off his new (to him - it's a '92) jeep:  It does look wonderful:

The orange blotches are reflections...the paint looks magnificent.  Here's another view:

On their way to work...together...

Yes, they work at the same bike shop.  Oh and yes, that 'thing' getting dressed in the passenger seat is Tony, my baby.  And yes, that is hair...and double yes, it's naturally curly.