An End is Here and So Is A Beginning

Ive been looking back over and sorting the photos I have from 2014.... Not an easy task... I took thousands...  And as I sort I realize that it was a VERY BUSY year.

School: Willow finished Jr High and moved on to High School. She is doing good there. Connor moved up into Jr. High and began an independent study program which suits him. There were field trips and graduation ceremonies. There were Science fairs and History Day Fairs.... It was a full of academics to say the least!

Extra Curricular:  We traveled a bit this year. Went up to San Francisco and saw  naked people riding bikes (A sight that has forever scared Connor!) We saw comedians and took in hockey games. We went camping. We got in as many visits with family and old friends as we could work in. Connor performed in his first play. Willow got her braces off. I started learning Bass over the summer. We broke many pairs of glasses. There was a road trip to Etna for funerals. The roommates moved out. We almost bought a house (It was a blessing it didn't work out!) We flew mom out for a visit for Christmas. She got to watch Connors play, helped teach him to hand stitch, Got to see the kids schools, enjoy gifts and relax with her zentangling while I whirled around the kitchen prepping 24 loafs of zuchinni bread for a handful of Greg's employees.  The year was uber eventful. And all told wonderful with much to be thankful for. 

Gregs Work:  I don't have the official break down yet but Id estimate that Greg spent 3 full months on the road over the course of the year. Seeing mostly the inside of hotel rooms and conference halls. He was going to run a half marathon but travel made it not possible. Meanwhile he got the plant better staffed to support him and made strides in putting down some of his load. With his free time he started an MBA program. He is doing great. 

Health: Connor was misdiagnosed with Turrets Syndrome this year but that diagnosis led me to the correct one of Aspergers. As I research, I realize he is doing well and we have him on track for a full life. He just takes some extra work and handling but I have that covered. Otherwise we are all in generally good health and have started going to a Chiropractor to make sure we stay that way.

Heartbreaks: We had to put our dog, Splash, to sleep this year. Speculations abound as to what happened to him. Regardless he is in a better place despite how much we miss him. He was my shadow.

Im not going to spend much more time looking out over "What has Been" other than to post the link to my year in review photo albums below.

Coming up this year.. More theater is in the works. I have enrolled both kids to participate in "Wonderland" in the Spring. We will heading to Marble Mountain with my cousin and his family this summer. Plans to go to a play in SF with other cousins need to be addressed.  Everything else will roll right on into the next year. Smooth... no hiccups. Keep on keeping on and all that.. next year will be great. 

As for resolutions... I have some  minor pixalation adjustments to make and I need to shift my antenna to clear some static but no major upgrades are planned. But if they happen.. so be it! All as it should be. 

2014 in Pics

Scenic Beauty from the Road 2014

Bringing it in ...  on a brisk night.. feeling the chill...under the stars... Subtle sounds in my ears.... and ice beneath my feet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!! 

Singing In The Rain

Connor and I decided that once we finished math we are going to switch gears and immerse ourselves in our arts.

Seems a good way to spend this wintry day.

The Wind has been wickedly whipping its way round the house since about three in the morning.The sky to the North looks dark and ominous but our morning is starting out bright.. albeit blustery.

Clouds quickly scuttling by and gradually grey descends.  The rain starts. This incoming storm has been referred to as a "Storm of the Century." Really its just rain... copious amounts of long over due rain landing on crusty parched land. We will get a taste of the destructive forces of nature with this one... but still it is just rain. 

Weather happens. Be prepared.

After last weeks irritations...For they were really just that... (God bless my mom and Aunties hearts who, upon hearing  the news of our various trials, envisioned far greater calamity),, I look at the last weeks events as a bit of a fire drill.. Not something you really need to call home about until after you are through it. And then you call home and gauge your response. As far as how we did.. surviving a week of crazy inconvenience in the midst of the most time challenged week of my year... We rated fairly well prepared.  We have a generator. We have makeshift toilet and shower accommodations, candles etc. The one place I was short on was water. In this case an easy run to the store but it would not be so easy if there was a run on water. That's my first order of stocking up. That and gas. Take advantage of prices being low.

Anyway.. we managed well all told...   Its an old house (1960's) with most the inner working still the original. The troubles were expected. And if you know what is coming.. you can be ready to take it in stride. Overall Id give us a "B."

The troubles also got resolved in good time. The landlord jumped to it and got us as square as possible as fast as possible.The back yard is still a smelly pit but it is with great relief that the household operations are back on track and things are beginning to button up for the season.

Connors school workshops are over until January so my running to Watsonville is over for a bit. Now just to finish up the play. Which is going quite well. They are doing their 6th performance tonight. there are 12 total. Willow is knee deep in studying for semester finals. Greg is about a week away from wrapping up his first class.  This break we are going to explore sewing, both by hand and by machine. We are going to read some Joseph Cambell and explore the origins of myth. Winter break for the most part will be quiet peaceful drawn in time. With the exception of my mom visiting for an early Christmas celebration. I expect we will get out a bit then and New Years as well. I need to make those plans! Good times ahead!

s. 

Behind the Wheel and Seeing Double

Knock Knock 
Who is there?
Boo.
Boo Who?
Boo Woo.. I miss you! 
Yeah? Well, I have not been intentionally avoiding you. I have just been busy. And I miss you too.

And that goes for you and you and you.. too.

I dont know why the vid duplicated... You get what you get I guess..

At least its something.

make a circuit with me

I got a call today. And with it... a gentle scolding. "Why haven't you been in touch?" Great Grandma chided knowing full well that if I have been quiet, I have been directing my attentions to more home bound pursuits or problems. She understands, but at the same time, we have been missed.

 There has been a "shit load" I have been dealing with of late... a failing septic system being the major culprit in that arena. Its been a bit of a hassle but not much more.

praying mantis

Then there is the dog who ,by the vet's calculations, is now approaching 87 years old and who's age is starting to settle on his old skinny bones. Although his bloodwork and such say he is in excellent health for his age, he has lost almost 40% of his body weight. A change in diet and his weight has been holding steady at 56 pounds for the last two weeks but he was once 80 pounds and now he is nothing but saggy skin and bone and big brown loving eyes.  Arthritis, as well, is firmly introducing itself to his hips. When we walk he leans against me for support. It is a sad time watching the inevitable. Knowing all you can do for this gentle beloved is to make him as comfortable as possible.

 So my attention has been pretty much split between him and Connor's school. Which is going fabulously. He loves his time in the classroom. All of the students are quiet and respectful of the teacher and other students. And the classroom activities are more interactive. Students from 6th through 8th gather together 2 days a week. One of those days they take English class (which is essentially a school newspaper), performing arts class (they made masks and are now discussing how to assume a character and they are practicing a play) and lastly humanities (Which they cover a broad range of topics in from English to Science.)

The second day of the week is student council (all of the students paired up and worked up campaigns to run against each other. Connor didn't win the election but he did enjoy the exercise. This class is responsible for helping set the course for the schools extra curricular activities and field trips), Math (where they work on times tables and play math games) and pe (Which has him running a mile).

The other three days of the week look a bit different. An hour spent at the keyboard at home with an online math tutor (Its really a program that assesses and adapts to his progress. It works well for him. it is topic directed and gives him the ability to move at his exact pace. His initial assessment showed a knowledge of  26 percent of the topics. We just finished the first quarter and he is 48 percent complete. Anyway that is math.) Then we read and write book reports, study ancient civilizations and for pe we rock out with daily dance parties. Science for 6th grade is earth science. We have been observing how the suns coronal holes and sun spots effect the earth, (earthquakes, storms and communications blackouts) and we have been talking about the potential of a pole shift during our lifetime and the ramifications of that as well as the very plausible threat of an mini ice age.  Connor was not thrilled with these lessons. He said "I know why they don't teach this stuff in school." I asked him "Why?" to which he replied, "Because everyone would just kill themselves now."  I followed that line of thought up  with the "Why it is important to see every moment as a gift, See the beauty in each breath, Be grateful for you have a chance to experience because it can all be gone in no time" speech. He is still not thrilled.

He is also attending a youth arts coop two days a month and begins rehearsals for a Charlie Brown Christmas Play next week. We also make good use of the time we spend in the car (We were at Sis's bus stop waiting when I took this. I was not driving!)   and we have had some nice field trips.

Willow is doing pretty well at school. The work load and responsibility are a bit overwhelming
Shedoesn't want to talk about it much though.. she glares at me anytime I ask her anything these days,.. actually she glares at me anytime I ask her anything..  but  I know she is taking things in stride. Homecoming was a few weeks ago  and she had a blast. She isn't doing any extra curriculars just yet except her job animal sitting for the neighbors when necessary and the rare but special visit with her old girl friends. She is planning to join swim team next spring and her braces come off in two weeks!

 My birthday was at the beginning of the month. Mom sent me flowers. I also got some from Greg and the kids then Greg took me out to the Fish House and we had a fantastic meal followed by a much needed and long overdue dip in the warm waters (Did I say warm? It was a heat wave and yes the water was warm. So warm in fact that the area had some great white visitors. A baby was spotted exactly were I was swimming the very next day. Mama was up the beach about 10 miles!). I also got tickets for several sharks games this season. Including two games against the Hawks. Birthday month has rolled over into birthday year this year. And speaking of Stanley.. He has lost some of his tail feathers but he is still king of the roost..


                                                    



Greg has dropped the half marathon race. Travel with work has made his training a challenge and rather than risk injury, he  would rather prep for next year when he can be competitive and well prepared. I think this was a smart move especially since it is official and he begins his Masters program next week. As for work, he is now finally able to relax a little. He has hired the support he needs and the training is going well. So well in fact that before too long, this guy might just be able to step right into Gregs shoes. Then where will we go? We have some serious speculations but only time will bear out that.       Halloween.. This year Con wants to be CP3O for Hmmm... Time to start fabricating.

  

trading stories with the leaves

Connor had his first day on campus this week. Despite being nervous and somewhat spastic, he kept more calm and collected than I have ever seen him when faced with some new excitement. And, although it wasn't quite what he expected, he enjoyed it. School is going well on all fronts for everybody.

Meanwhile I ran a few errands and went to the local lake park with Splash.

Tranquil and Serene. Or so it would seem. But Pinto Lake is anything but.

If I were to humanize it I would have to call it a beautiful but deadly killer sporting a Virgin Mary tattoo. This is the most toxic lake in the state of CA. Seriously. Or it was as of January this year. It seems that ag run off coupled with surrounding septic system drainage and geological characteristics have made it a perfect breeding ground for a particularly poisonous form of algae to thrive which has killed livestock, pets and sea otters. I think I will heed the signs and will absolutely and positively not swim nor will I go anywhere near the water for that matter.

A verdant green sentinel standing watch by the signs warning of the waters deceptive appearance.

                 

At its base was a hollow. It reminded me of a scene in the never ending story where Atrayu finds himself meeting the gmork ( I find myself referencing that movie on occasion. another for instance.. just last night watching Snow White and the Huntsman I cried out "ARTAX!" when Snow Whites horse hit the quicksand. And then later, I was pointing out that a turtle was Morla"...

Anyway.. there was this cave-y part under the tree and I crept closer.. The Gmork doesn't scare me!.. and took a picture into it. The flash went off and I assumed the entire picture would be totally washed out due to over exposure. I was not expecting to find this in my gallery when sitting down to write this blog.  But this is what I caught. I have not made any alteration to this image at all.

 Do you see what I see? The perfect eye staring out from behind green hair?  I could study the face and rock hand forever but in the end I assume it is a... Teenage Mutant Ninja Tree Spirit!!  (Now that song is going to be stuck in your head FOREVER!)

And what about this Virgin Tattoo I spoke of? Pinto Lake is one of those wondrous places where the Virgin Mary appears on a tree.  There is a shrine to "Our Lady of Watsonville"  I didn't know the history at this point and from a distance it looked like a flower vender.  A bit closer I saw the candles. At that point we veered away, to let those paying homage do so without intrusion.

Eventually we found ourselves on the baseball field bleachers. Splash sleeping at my feet while I drew an anarchy promoting elf princess in my notebook.  (Connor and I recently took in an art lesson drawing elf faces. I thought Id practice. )

 Interesting place all told with great trees. I suspect I will hang out there on occasion and probably start practice my disc golf.

On a side note..Tune in!! Now that I have upgraded and rejoined the digital world, I have stumbled upon the TuneIn App. This little guy will bring you radio stations from all over. Yes, I said radio.. commercials and all.  But it brings me KRML a local radio station which I can't get at home any other way. This station has been my relief during local car drives and has given me ample good new music to chew on but in the car its hard to pick up title and artist info for me to add important Pandora stations.That is no longer the case. For Streaming Music KRML has just about replaced my pandora. I have yet to dig deeper on the app but it looks like I can get my hockey updates through it as well as consolidate some podcast listening through it. Adding a little sweetness to my ears.

Talk about up and running

This just in..  Greg and Willow are signed up for the Big Sur Half Marathon in a few months. Its training time!

P.S.

It dawned on me as sleep settled in last night that I forgot to mention a few other notable items. First off Greg is enrolling back in school and is pursuing an MBA. Which is pretty awesome.

In other news, I cut my hair all off. Well not all off. Willow says I look like my mom. Which the resemblance is there. However, when I look in the mirror I can't help but see Barry Manlow hair and immediately start singing "Mandy."It should not surprise that Ive started avoiding mirrors. :-P

And off to school we go..

Boss with the hot sauce

Its been three weeks since my last post. And at this pace it has been three extremely long weeks. What pace is that? Well.. Its 10:30 pm. The house is locked down and the kids are tucked in and asleep.The alarm clock emits this low intermittent beeping static-y buzz heard just at the threshold of hearing. It is as though the alarm is anticipating the hour of awaking and is practicing its morning song... quietly and under is breath.   Its rather annoying. Anyway, I am wired and sleep eludes me at the moment. I suspect it will elude me for quite a few more moments... especially if this alarm clock business keeps up. I was up at 5:30, got the kids up and ready, made breakfast, attended to the feeding and watering of the animals and at 7 was on the way to drop off Willow at the bus stop some 7 miles away. Then Con and I hit the books for a good solid 5 hours before setting off for chores out on the peninsula. A trip to the bank, the phone store, and a stop in to get Con's allergy shots all planned out to be done in time to be back at Moss to pick willow up on the way home should only take 4 hours including drive time. But we didn't manage to get the shots in. AT&T took 1.5 hours because of a system glitch on my account. It was a hassle and a pain but in the end I walked out with an upgrade to an HTC. Back to my phone roots. I really never took to the Iphone which seemed so temperamental. For 6 months it stopped ringing entirely (and not due to lack of people calling). Anyway, yes I need to re-learn how to use it but I am happy to be back.  However another trip out will have to be planned for the shots. And while I was tied up, Connor was able to get in a much needed two hour nap. He is about to have a substantial growth spurt as well as fighting the allergies. Grass is blooming and he and I both are fighting the seasonal fatigue. Anyway, After we grabbed Willow, I got the laundry started, Got dinner going. Got willow off to her part time job caring for one of the neighbors animals... goats, and indoor pig, a couple of extremely playful and energetic pups, some fish and a tortoise. The job is sporadic and she is needed only when the couples fire fighting schedules coincide. (On a side note, all around we have wonderful neighbors. From the figherfighters ...The wife grew up on the Isle of Man and has the cutest accent. She also has a stand up bass!! .. to the lovely woman who works with the state on ag management and is from ogden. There is also a japanese woman with pygmy goats and her house partner from Ireland who prefers his horses. And there are more but I digress..) Instructed Connor on the completion of dinner and was off until 9 at the HS for orientation. Whewee. And most days hold similar if not quite as long. We've all been running but are not yet hyperventilating.  

Willows school is fantastic and is utterly worth the distance and price. Classes have 15 to 20 students and utilize the most up to date technologies. This of course has meant that I have had to find another means of internet connection. One textbook download used 8Gb of our alotted 10.

After surveying the neighbors I finally found a service that works here. OMG! WE CAN STREAM!! Hughes net was like being locked in sensory deprivation  chamber for the last year or so. Quite disconnected from the world. And now.. Music! News! Education!! Download Books!! Where to begin?

Anyway,  she has also taken to the stride excellently. Being a college prep it means she has at least 2 hours of homework every night from the first day. She has jumped in, shown every initiative and is pulling all As at the moment. The use of technology at this school offers no excuse for knowing where you (Or your child) stand on grades and assignments. She makes her mother proud. I know it is subject to change, but if you were to ask her right now what she wants to be and where she wants to go to college, she will tell you she wants to be a bio-medical engineer and graduate from Johns Hopkins. This is defiantly the school to help get her there. In other Willow related news.. the braces will be coming off and she will be transitioning to contacts within a few months. Gosh.

Connors school didn't get off to such a quick start. but it has been been picking up speed and we are now taking things in a good pace. Testing shows that over the past six months his reading has gone from an early 5th grade level up to a 7th grade level. The author of Percy Jackson deserves kudos! As far as how this independent study charter works.. Three days a week he studies at home and two days a week (Starting next week) he is a classroom setting. It offers a nice balance and he is fully on board and has embraced the direction we are taking him in. I think it will be a good fit.

Thats where we are at on a general daily basis. The buying a house situation.. well.. when last I wrote we just got word of a "Hiccup" with the appraisal. The house came in 88K low. We tried to re-negotiate but were unable to make a deal and walked away. So the search for our next home continues. Last week we pursued a rent to own option on a gorgeous property but it was quite a jump in monthly cost which would stretch us much too thin. I want our quality of life to not be tied to entirely to a home. If I am paying so much that we can not afford to leave the house or have hobbies (no mater how beautiful or grand) well it no longer a beautiful home. It is also a prison. So we are still looking.

In the last 4 weeks I have packed the house up almost entirely, Thought I was buying a house, Watched the roommates move out, Lost the house purchase..Shifted Connor from the far corner of the house where his little nervous soul felt so isolated to the room across the hall leaving Willow almost an entire 1400 sf to herself. (after sharing much closer quarters for so long she is feeling quite disoriented.) Unpacked the kitchen, Unpacked the office, Continued to search for moving options, refinanced the car, Switched internet carriers as well as cell phone carriers.  Started school and have attended 5 separate school events. Let Willow and Greg pick up the farm culling duties. Willow didn't mind the process, was intrigued by the gizzard, but did not care for the smell. Watched apples develop on a tree, on which, despite giving it proper water and care, I didn't expect to produce. Saw a goose disappear without a trace. Took 4  full truck loads of stuff to the thrift store or dump. Applied a level of punishment on Connor he has never witnessed or experienced before and I know he won't likely be ready to repeat his mistake again. We also had a long term plumbing problem finally resolved and an occasional luxurious bath can now be had.

A quick glance at the clock shows that it is already midnight. And between sitting quietly at the keyboard and this now empty glass of wine,  I have finally relaxed enough to get to a little bit of sleep before galloping at full stride tomorrow.. at least until Greg returns from Montreal and we can hopefully enjoy a long and relatively uneventful weekend with some time spent with friends and neighbors.

Keeping pace..

Funny that an old blog post of mine recently popped up in my mailbox. Why and how I can only guess. But it gave a little tickle none the less. And so with that strange invitation I sat down to re-read "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" from last September. It gave me a chance to examine the long strides and the meandering course of life between those points. So much different, so much the same. For instance the culling thing got old. And I really don't care to do it. There are smells and stomach curling ick... and well... I know I can do it if I need to and that is something important to know about oneself, I suppose. Plus in order to really be proficient you need to build a kill station with running water and well I think I will leave that to the professionals. So anyway, yes some has changed. And some not so much as the aim for this years schooling landed pretty much on bulls eye. And then there are the big totally unexpected changes between. Buying a house was no where on my radar. So that was a huge directional shift.  One that is gaining speed on us.

The appraisal was last Wednesday and we have not yet heard back and only one or two small details need to be attended to Monday to finish our closing documents. House is well under the whirlwind preparations of boxing and packing,  moving out the roommates, and general cleaning. Things are a bit of a mess but it is and will go smoothly.

Anticipation for the start of school is beginning to pepper the air. Two weeks to go. Time to break out the alarms and begin to reset our sleep schedules back by half hour increments every few days.

Looking back.. good times.. looking forward.. Whew!.. I will be tearing through this month like a.....



(Dramatic pause of a few days..)

And I return.. that last toon I picked up at a birthday party with one of the old neighbor kids. There is a part that sounds Halloween which caught my attention. (Side note.. Mrs. Davis.. your son has fun taste in music). It was a highlight on a rather dreary day. A day where losses where counted and an old friend, Ozzy, was buried.  Anyway, the tune was a highlight along with just sitting back and observing how much the kids have grown in the last year.

And the word just in on the appraisal on the appraisal.. Umm.. we have hiccup.  Let me get back when we figure this out.

We once drank from the wine of youth

We have had some interesting events happen here.. Im not sure if I need to call it a theft or if I call it weird animal nature... About three weeks ago, Greg realized that we didn't have any white eggs being laid in our coop anymore. That was just about the time I realized that our 3 white laying hens had transformed into 3 adolescents and 2 of them are roosters. As they roam I can't say that some some flock changing didn't occur .. but it is weird.

And while Im on the topic of weird.. This was seen in Monterey while we were driving. Willow snapped the pic. The guy was getting on a bus. 

And speaking of oddities seen in transport... Only in Reno.. will you see a VERY hefty couple on a scooter with a 5 year old riding the tank. Is that legal? The bulk on the bike weighed down the engine substantially and so they were putting along in the bicycle lane.

What? Reno? I was in Reno again? Yes. For one night only.  My long time friend D. called frantic. Lots of big gloomy events had been clustering around her .. In a matter of 6 days.. 10 deaths within the families of her inner circle... Her office flooded (It was the only one) due to unusually intense thunderstorms. A tree in her backyard was struck by lightning. A coworker slipped at the grocery story hit his head and went into a coma. And she had several projects with major approaching deadlines underway. I in the meantime was struggling with something big and immediate that she could help me with.. so when she unexpectedly called Friday morning.. well the timing could not have been more perfect.. and within a few hours I was on the road. I arrived at two and proceeded to help her until the janitors kicked us out of the school district offices at 10:30. That place is haunted. Seriously. By an electrician who died there.

 Anyway, it was really hot and muggy and I am hoping I don't have make another trip to the desert again this summer... although for D Id do it a heartbeat.

After work we picked up a bottle of wine, some cheese and crackers and went to her place for something akin to dinner and when her boyfriend came literally stumbling in at midnight we played a game of badminton in the dark. Nobody won that game.

 It had been a long day and so we all turned in although the heat was not conducive to any kind of serious rest. And after tossing and turning at 5:30 I was up and on the road home and D was back to the office. She made her deadlines and I made it home and made my deadlines as well. We were "Under the Gun" but neither of us got shot. It was a good day. (I hear Ice T playing on the soundtrack of my mind and I giggle)

P.S. We got the house after a bid war. Its moving fast. Faster than typical. Its a flip and the bank wants out ASAP. This week inspections. If all goes well.. We will have the keys soon. School starts the 14th. Hot Damn. I got stuff to do.

Home again! .. Home again? Jigagy jig

Just Returned from 8 day spent nestled  among the towering pines that thrust majestically and defiantly from the rocky slopes of the sierras. 

The sites at plasses resort at silver lake are packed rather tight together. So the Fourth of July it was truly overpacked and crowded. It was noisy. The Nevada yahoos in the next site over where constantly hollering at their many dogs from which I gathered that Halo and Vicky where the worst offenders. Seriously those were thier names. Anyway.. Transitioning from the temperate coast  to such radically swinging highs and lows in temperature plus adding so much elevation was enough to knock me reeling for a bit while I adjusted.  It took a good three days.. Just in time for the crowds to melt away.. For me to switch from getting settled to becoming relaxed.  That initial transition would have been much harder still, if not for good friends and warm sleeping bags.  Two sites over.. Just passed the hollering and cussing and revelry exhibited by the forementioned yahoos..  camped Terri, Adam and family for the night. We shared meals, conversation, s'mores and the like before turning in for what was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable nights ever. One that left me weepy with over exhaustion. Our sleeping bags were too thin. I knew they were and brought supplemental blankets. But we were also using cots for the first time and I had not considered that there would be no insulation from underneath. Simply stated we froze. Fortunately, with Terri and Adams departure we were gifted some marvilous sleeping bags for a night before heading into cc  for a little family birthday party celebration. While there we returned the borrowed bedding and picked up our own. Once I managed a few good nights sleep my recovery was  eminent!

Other than our quick jont down to the city and the kids staying a night with mom, we pretty much spent our time around the lake and camp site, swimming, canoeing, hiking, playing board games (settlers of catan being the game of choice for all!) fishing, kicking the soccer ball, spiking the volleyball, throwing some shoes, drawing, napping and reading. It turns out that ,although active, our play was far more leisurely than I had anticipated as our oldest member had a difficult time keeping up and sad puppy dog eyes begged for more time lounging around. Well splash is now going on twelve (84 human equivelant) so we took it easier for him. 

I mentioned a canoe.. While we were there some friends whom we had met at school last year, stopped by for a visit and a beer. They have a cabin not to far and were there at the time. They left us thier canoe to play with. As has never happened before we packed up and brought home more than we took with us to begin with!  

After all we Returned dirty, grimy and smelling of campfire. Returned rested and refreshed yet somewhat battered and broken (bruises from adventures and perhaps a fractured hand bone or two of Greg's from our play) Returned ready to.. hit the ground running.. Change.. Nothing stays the same.. (Had to musically interject there).. Anyway.. Unloaded.. Unpacked.. Cleaned up.. Caught up... Almost..

Doing loads and loads of laundry 

at the moment.

A link to the pictures to come in a day or so.. When I'm not sitting at the laundromat or running willow to school to pick up things for next year.. Or.. Or.. Or.. It will be soon. 

And that's not all my news. Really. There is more. While we were gone a house came on the market less than a mile from Greg's work and even closer to willows bus stop. We looked at it immediately upon our return and put in an offer yesterday. It already had received one and the owners are looking them over tonight. We should know which they will accept by Thursday.  Fingers crossed. It's not in the sunny city but .. Eh.. After a little over a week battling the elements.. And getting in a huge dose of vitamin D.. I can deal with that.. As long as it has a tub and a non satellite internet connection..  Fingers crossed! 

Sun sun sun.. Here we come

Both because hot temps and cold alpine waters are not that far around the bend.. IDetails afterwards but preparations underway... 

And also because, we have been house hurting in a much sunnier though very close city. Yes. City. To be able to take a bath again.. We currently have a huge jacuzzi tub but our septic system is taxed by normal activities and sits there taunting me daily.  And To have an unlimited stream! Such luxuries! Not to mention less driving to the store. And to get Out of the ongoing gloom. Trade in continual cold coastal breeze and fatique inducing fog for the toasty healing rays of the sun and the hustle and bustle of life... Even if warming up a bit means a greater chance at being caught in crossfire.  Yes. I can handle moving back the city...  Or rather the fringe. Ain't no shame in Laying low on the upper west side.   

And until all this plays out.. Well .. we are keeping all sorts of busy and bored in equal measure. The parents are busy .. the kids are bored. Must be summer!  

There and back again.. coming round full circle

 I returned this weekend to the land of my conception, the land of my birth, the land of my blood, to celebrate my roots and recognize those that have come before.


My beginnings lie to the North where the sleeping giant, Mt. Shasta, looms topless.

My beginnings lie with mountain men, loggers and hunters/trappers. Country folk through n' through.

 I come from strong hearty rural stock. How rural? Etna currently has a population of 775 and is an hour from the nearest "Real" hospital. Which explains why I was born across state lines. And why my parents later moved to Eureka. The nearest town of consequence, Yreka, is a half hour away and, well, to put the size of that place in perspective.. the police station and library are one in the same.

Anyway.. my great aunt on my fathers side, the last of her WWII generation siblings, was laid to rest this weekend and being that grandpa's ashes had not yet been placed next to grandmas it seemed a convenient and practical time to see to him at peace as well. That event was fraught with a little unexpected excitement. An elder cousin passed out in a manner that appeared to be a heart attack and had no measurable pulse on three different occasions while family attempted revival. Unresponsive female at the cemetery.. the paramedics thought the call was a bit of a joke at first.  But it wasn't funny and an ambulance from urgent care in Yreka was soon on its way. My cousin was released within the hour as they could find nothing wrong with her. Crazy eh? 

In the meantime, mom, Will and I arrived (our first girls road trip) and joined up with the remainder of the family and enjoyed a meal at Etna's finest dining establishment as determined by cousin Jeffs Yelping. Although a little driving around sightseeing might have proven it to be just about the only dining establishment in Etna. I have to admit that the food was far better than the fish tasting waffles and stale croissant sandwich that we experienced at eh purple plum in Yreka. Ick.

The Etna Brewing company was on the street where I spent my infancy. 

It was on the street my then 8 year old cousin fell off his bike riding down the hill to see me. Funny he remembers.. I don't!  Anyway the next generation of cousins now have their own memories of that street.  

At the grown up table, mom reconnected with family long separated by distance, divorce and death. The trip was a treat for her.

Other cousins were there that I didn't hit with the flash as I spent my time digesting rapid discussions of local attractions and other bits of family gossip. It was a fine feast. After all was consumed, we split up and all began our various journey's hotel/home ward. Before leaving, however, Willow, Mom and I made one final stop.

This now dry riverbed was once my fathers favorite place to fish and it was here that we released the last of his ashes. (The majority are in a veterans cemetery near Redding). He will be swimming with the fishies through the land he loved when the rains come. As it should be.

The ride home was uneventful .. except for all the animals I killed. There was a bird, a squirrel and a lizard. At least I avoided the 4 deer that ran out in front of me each at a different time. I think I counted over 100 deer total. It was a pleasant trip drive all told. 10 hours each way. over three mountain ranges and back, under the lingering light of the summer solstice.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IheODRwalEw&feature=kp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQe3DKDQRRs

finding a moments pause

           Where have you been?

Who me?

            Yes you!

Well I have not been sitting in front of a computer monitor, I can assure you of that!

           

            Well obviously. If you had, I would not be asking where you been.

True Dat. Appointments, limited data stream and the constant need to entertain or line up entertainment for the children has kept me busy of one sort or another. That is not to say it has all been work. I have also been sleeping in late and lounging round with books.  With June gloom here most days are dreary and cold and my inclination is to stay curled up as much and as long as possible.  

Anyway, I am not dead. 

Do you know who is dead? My grandpa... but then he has been for a year and a half now.  Weird topic change I know but that turn of events has been on my mind all week as I got word on Monday that there will be a service for him and my Great Aunt (I know she has been gone a while herself) this weekend in Etna as their ashes finally get laid to rest beside my grandmothers. Rev your engines...Looks like the girls (Mom,will and i) will soon be putting some miles on the chub tub. Whirlwind weekend ahead. Should be ... interesting. 

Bass lessons have halted this week. My teacher is camping. But before he left he loaded me up with homework. Wants me to polish up the songs I have been working on, learn "come together" and for a midterm Im to write my own 3 minute long piece.  Egads. When he said step it up.. he meant it. 

Our own camping trip looms near. Really looking forward to long and leisurely days (a brief period of which will be shared with T. and her family. :D) 

As much as I would like to stay and keep talking at you... chores and such clamor for my attention. Many things to do before I hit the road.

Busy but doing well.. thanks!

The first week of school off has not been much of a vacation. At least not yet. During the rush of the last few weeks, the normal stuff got shifted and put off so there was much to do in the way of catch up. Having moved through the majority of that, I/we have been faced with the big question of what to do about school next year for Connor. This has required a concerted effort, appointment and research. And after much deliberation, much discussion and much assessing, Connor has chosen to not return to the classroom next year and has accepted the challenge of independent study.  Yep. homeschooling again. This time, however, we are not going with a online based program but we are working with a school district and he will meet with a teacher weekly and other students for group study on a regular basis. It will hopefully give him the best of both worlds. He did fair in the classroom this year but was constantly irritated and frustrated by inattentive, disruptive and impolite or pestering classmates. To the point of angry tears on too many days. His little nervous system is soooo very sensitive that it doesn't take much to throw him off. And so we adjust our sails.

Hows the house hunting going? That seems to be a question many people are wondering. So on that score.. We are currently going through a full financial audit with the underwriter before we actually start. The reasons for this are two fold. First off, after the foreclosure, just to verify that other than needing an FHA loan, we have no issues. And secondly, to determine if we have the liquidity in our retirement and such to cover a down payment. Anyway, by the middle of the next week we should be ready to start looking. Preliminary searches of the MLS do not look good however. There are very few houses listing and those that are out there get snatched fast. And I am anxious to get started. And so under some  perceived pressure I begin to panic. But I stop and remind myself that it will all work out in its right time. This is out of my control and I put it in the hands of what I call the Universe and mom calls God. In the meantime Ill let you know when we are actually looking and ready to jump.

Now its bass lessons (we have moved on to smashing pumpkins.. triplets are like skipping and the strokes... to learn to pick)  haircuts, necessities shopping and preparations for a movie marathon Willow is hosting for a bunch of her classmates over the weekend.  Dinner with Gregs secretary and meeting her new serious bow. Out for my friends birthday. Next week I should be able to stop and turn more of my attention homeward. Get out in the yard and the sun. I hope some of the june gloom blows away!

Cousin Jeff phoned out of the blue and we met up for lunch yesterday with his daughter Anna and then we toured Gregs plant. It was lovely.

Malificent.. fantastic movie. Anansi Boys.. Neil Gaiman is a mighty story teller.

And I am off..

smiles and hugs

Break on through to the other side

Summary and pics for the last few weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r0y4UAYmXg

For summer fun, I have charged the kids with making their own movie. More to come on that later.

For graduation willow now has a phone. I got rid of mine.. well .. downgraded to make it possible. We are now talk and text only. But then that is all we need.  

Time now to recharge the old battery, do some camping,  find  a house,  move,  get the kids set for school and find a job. Summer will be over before you know it and Life just keeps going.

And with that I am going to sit for an hour and do nothing but play a game... because maybe now finally I can.

Damn sure better than rain

June gloom might be around the corner, but it has been sunny in these parts recently and I really enjoyed the warmth.



Connor had a field trip to the jet center yesterday. Got to see all the privately owned jets and helicopters in the area. Good times.

The last two weeks of school stretch before us.. the final push. Finals, projects, graduation activities. Fun and busy times. Last Weekend Irie went skating without a helmet and got a concussion. This weekend Aden turns 15.  Connor is well over his Asthma attack but as much as he is sleeping I expect he will grow 3 inches over summer. Willow is looking forward to a trip to Great America for the end of school. Anyway.. so it goes.



Also in the news.. house hunting. Its time for us to buy.



A great big shout out of Congratulations goes out to my old pal Dave in France who just got hitched.



And finally..









My teacher asked me what songs I wanted to learn.. there are so many to choose from. And indecisive Libra that I am..  I can't settle on naming any!! Suggestions?

dont hold the wall

Mothers Day.. it was a Sunday like most. There were chores, homework, meals to cook. Just because its a commercialized hallmark holiday does not mean that the work stops. Greg even had to go into the plant.  But despite the familiar routine Sunday did provide some excitement. Willow made an embroidered  case for my glasses. And Connor woke me at 5 am in the midst of the worst asthma attack he has had since he was 3.  It knocked him down hard and I spent the day on the threshold of rushing him to the hospital. So thankful for inhalers! Really I spent Mothers day doing what great mothers do.. saving and supporting lives one inhaler puff and one school problem at a time. And I know that if it is not entirely appreciated now.. Willow is not taking my instructions seriously so I am having to get serious with her and she is not liking it so much.. It will be appreciated much later. I which point I turn to my mother directly and say "Thanks Mom. You did a pretty Fucking Fantastic Job!"  .. yes I just said that to my mom. Greg just died. Mom is shocked. Such Language. However, I say so under the guise of science. According to recent research.. "You build up sort of an arousal level with whatever that emotion you're feeling and then, when you release that by swearing, it vents that emotion, whatever that emotion is," said Dr. Timothy Jay, a psychologist and the author of the book, "Why We Curse.""  And so here on this blog and into the digital void  I vent "MOTHER FUCKING LOVE!"  :P but seriously  I scream it out for all the Moms I know and those I don't and those that are dead and those to come who give it their all.  What a job. 

Anyway, I did take a minute on Sunday to do a little something for myself. I quietly and unceremoniously deleted my fb account. It was not done without serious consideration. I have been contemplating it for awhile. And my reasons were thus;  ads and commercialization. I looked up some random medical thing and next thing I knew every third post in my feed is a health ad somehow related. That coupled with the knowledge that only about 1 in 4 posts from non commercial, non for profits actually come across peoples feed. Naw.  Commercialization and commerce sicken me. I consider it a true evil and seek to avoid it and I have been itching to leave for awhile. But I had to consider if the benefit of being connected with my friends that way countered it.  And after lengthy contemplation I realized that these relationships are rather shallow. That is not to say that FB has not put me back in contact with people I cherish. It has. And if I cherish them then their contact info has made its way past the wall and found a home in my address book. Or if need be I can find someone who knows how to get in touch with them. So what am I doing  hanging on the wall getting thumb cramps from wasted minutes scrolling? And That was the kicker right there. After complaining about not having enough time , I decided to take a look at how I spend my time and I realized that depending on the flow of the day I typically scroll an hour a day. 10 minutes every couple awake hours..  ultimately wasted.  There is to much to do to waste so much time.

 Now I will admit that I will miss Coach Q's Mustache. He was my funniest friend and kept me up on Blackhawks News. But I have other (if less funny) outlets to get my updates when I happen to miss (which is rare) a game as the cup finally comes into view!!  Despite a small jonesing I have really not missed it. And it doesn't seem as if anyone really misses me.  Fare thee FB peeps. Some of it has been fun but mostly its just been dumb. Adios Mustachios! 

And while I was dumping FB I also made some other digital adjustments. I had made another acct to handle my vid posts here in order to learn how to work the buttons. I dropped it to simplify life and will interweave that from within one acct from here on out. 

And that sums up mothers day. Other stuff has been going on. We are fast approaching the end of the school year when activities get cranked up a notch. The final push, Graduation  and a school trip to Great America. I found an old video of my 8th grad graduation and shared it with Willow. She was shocked I showed so much leg. That skirt would never have been allowed under todays more strict school dress codes! She thought the hair styles were hilarious. There was also footage of my grandpas 60th birthday. Wow Flash Back... I am surprised I wasn't wearing my Morris The Cat Shirt. Grandpas name is Morris  haha. Anyway...  I think I have quite a little  nugget of goodness there to share at his next party! 

My friends mother has a bed opening up for her at an Alzheimers care facility tomorrow.  She has become quite attached to me. She can't remember that she spends most of the day with me but she enjoys her time drinking tea and simply hanging around with me.  Susan said that when they are out her mom thinks that every woman she sees might be me and every child might be one of mine. Its sweet in its disjointed foggy way. 

Well thats the update. Till the next one... 

P.S. I learned that my mother was a little upset by my blog about my trip to NV. I told her to allow me room for creative expression. My writing aimed to embrace the style and flavor of the beat writers that I was reading. Given her response... I guess I did quite well!! ;)

photo fun

Do you want to play?... OK Im game.

Take that! .. Oof!

Let the Games continue...no I think I am done.

 This is when I know Greg needs a haircut

How the lawn mower looks after 20 minutes of wrestling with the yard. Shield Shredded, Pushing Arm busted a nut and wood used to jimmy it open.

How I look.

Nesting 

 Hissing a warning.

 I can do it! 

 I can fl... stand on my legs and flap.

Parents and babies.

x

Fluffing the Willow Pillow.. and Dreaming Old Dreams.

It doesn’t hurt that I have been reading Bukowski and Kerouac recently..The needle point of words being injected through my eye and giving me a strong taste for nostalgia.  Then to find myself among them once again...

My cousin calls them the Art Kids of Reno.  I would skirt them… often enough..back in the day. It wasn’t really my world.. but i flirted long and hard with it. The poets and painters….. the bottle. Witnessed amazing art born from madness, despair and emptiness. On the fringe.. Longing to plunge into that dark void but never taking the dive. The desire to lose myself completely inching me slowly towards the edge.  I only got my toes wet. Wet enough to feel the pull of the tide and know that.. if I went in.. Id never find my way back to shore.    

I rarely went into that world unchaperoned. Always within arms distance from my dearest comrades, my fiercest defenders, trusted and loved.. to this day.. even continents and lost years apart. And in return I was their wing girl. I was pretty decent at finding them some gems under the filth and scum.

Anyway, When I didn’t have a chaperone things always went weird. Case in point... Ed. The little goth nurses Orderly from the Blue Lamp .. was he filipino?.. He had personalized licence plates which read “succubus”.. he liked the band the Replacements and when I started naming songs of theirs once from a bar seat.. well he became smitten.. though I didn't yet realize it.. he wrote poetry and read every week at the open mic night. His poems .. every one.. usually went something like this..

I took the scalpel

Drug it slowly across the skin

cutting through layers of skin, fat, tendon.

blood oozing begins to spurt

I am covered in blood.

The crowd always gave him a standing ovation. I never understood it. .Anyway, he asked me to step away from the dim dark den of drink and be his date at his work holiday event. I agreed. Dressed up and out we went out. Casino ballroom. He had a buddy there that I also new from the bar who had his girlfriend along. The girlfriend was an 18 year old stripper who took several water bottles filled with vodka to work with her each day just to endure the job. Her big dream was to go work in Tijuana. made some big money. She was cute, and since Ed was a bit weird, I turned a bit of my attention to this girl just so I would not lead him on or anything. He seemed rather..hmmm.. impressionable. When Ed dropped me back at home, he escorted me up and pulled out two dozen live roses and began spouting love poetry. Poetry like he had never written before. Poetry that I inspired after our one and only true conversation at the bar before he invited me out. Poetry that begged for my attention, my love. He wished to claim my very soul. The unexpected emo show went on for a minute, while i internalized my laughter and then I tried to let him down easy. Thanked him. And showed him the door.

Within a week I was invited to apartment of the girl from the party. She said that she and her boyfriend wanted to talk to me. Given their closeness to Ed I figured it had to do with him and I was ready to let them know that Ed was not a factor in my future. Thier downtown high rise apt was clean and tidy. A great view of the city from the living area which was decorated with white leather couches and leopard skin throws  The walls were covered in her boyfriends photographs. Upon close inspection I learned that he took bodage pictures in remote desert settings. They were tastefully done as far as the genre goes and he was looking for models. She asked if I was I interested? I responded with a shake of the head and she began to tell me that  I should really come work down at the club with her. She told me Id make bank. Not much later her boyfriend got there and they got to the heart of the invitation.  Anyway, I ended up turning down their indecent proposals (which had nothing to do with Ed)  and making a swift exit.

Days of old.. a reflection of what still remains and has grown up a little in the twenty  odd years I have been away..They are still there, the Art Kids of Reno. Kids..still.. but they have built up quite a growing community. From competition to cooperation. No longer a group of only lost souls. It's inspiring to see. This weekend was a party for a dear old friend of mine. She is really rooted in helping the art community in Reno grow.  

Once again submerged in that shady world which occasionally flares up with intensity and insanity (Think Burning Man for example). An ancient ache resurfacing.  The desire to throw life away for room on skid row. Seriously. Id live at the Burner (my cousin - a most excellent chaperone- and  I toured the place, simple.. practical.. communal.. to see a group at work in the kitchen made me grin). I would work out next door at the boxing gym and I would plod across the street to my studio. All the while attempting a tenacious grip on the painfully rocky edge of sobriety.. The dream was great til I got to the reality of that last statement.

Anyway..

So yes back to the trip.. From the top.. Greg could not join as he was in Seattle. Connor stayed over at a friends. so...  Willow and I loaded up and drifted over the hill. When we dropped down we  looked up an old buddy of mine,  neil,  and got in a visit with him. For a time in HS and into college he was one of my closest friends.  Its hard to see what harm years of alcoholism and drug abuse and mental illness can do to a person. Even one who has sobered up and is becoming healthier. He is the biggest hearted guy on earth, but he is plagued with neurologically induced mental illness for which there are yet no miracle pills. Despite it all, he is totally and completely still the Neil I know and remember.  It was wonderfully good to catch up with him. We spent the whole time laughing, Willow wielding wit and sarcasm to perfection over her vegan meal at the Pneumatic Diner. Good Times.

After dropping him back at home, we were off to kick off the party. It was a slow start. Wandered around the Valley Art Center. Its come a long way since I first saw it. Impressive. What is slowly but surely developing looks to be pretty nifty. I must say. They are not yet open to the public. First they need fire sprinklers and funding. But its come a long way. I found an older gentleman to stand against the wall and converse the history of buildings of Carson City with while his wife cruised the food buffet and made rounds with the birthday girls family. Willow doodled birthday wishes and eventually found some kids to play with. They were about 5 years old and had swords. She died many valent and dramatic deaths that night.

After a while I delivered her to the cousins where she got to watch Sesame Street and hang with her cousin for a bit before turning in. My cousin returned with me and we hung out. Chatted here and there and cut a rug together to snoop dog and I don’t know what else. It was sweet and wonderful. Went to check out the Burner Morris Hotel as mentioned earlier.

My cousin eventually wandered off himself in search of better and familiar entertainment. I remained to support and celebrate my friends birthday. After my cousin left..I began to circle from room to room. Listening to conversations.. learning about the dramas.. and watching the night unfold. The stoners took the dock to smoke on. The AV club hung out in school desks near the stereo and video.. fiddling. looking for dope beats to drop and playing with the bass. They were thrilled to have a girl who be-bopped and could talk “2 live crew” in their midst. Near the food buffet  a handful practiced keg stands or milled about nibbling at the little bit of remaining grub.

I spent some time and philosophized about the course of life and soul loss with a man who reminded me of my father.. with the exception that he was short and mexican.

Upstairs a pair of lesbians conspired great artistic works while a recently divorced mother spilled her troubles and rejoiced in her newly obtained freedom as she face painted the birthday girl.

Id say it felt a lot like HS

Eventually the party goers began to drift away and only 6 remained. I was not sure where the night was going to lead me so I made sure to be sober enough to drive should the need arise, but I had slightly anticipated crashing there. That was until I was groped by one of the guests who took an extreme fascination to my boobs. Actually just my right boob. He had a grip on him too. I forcefully removed his hand and told him no.  Like a spring his hand rebounded, clasping.. squeezing. I repeated the process. So did he. Again and again.. until I grabbed his arm and bit him. He had pursued my breast with single minded.. appreciation?.. for 20 minutes straight. Not a thing had seemed to deter his attentions.  His behavior was very inappropriate but in truth I was never threatened or pressured by him... Just manhandled.  But it was enough for me to call it a night. No need for it to wait around just to see if things might not turn ugly.

The rising sun greeted Willow and I as we stopped in to see Great Grandma and take the well worn path home. A weekend of crazy reminiscing and sludging through my darker corners complete. At home sunny with 80 degree weather.