Odd-inary Day

   As spring has finally sprung  around here  and I am going to keep my camera handy and try to capture the  ordinary  and the  odd-inary  and the extra-oddinary.    Just the everyday stuff that is amazing.    Lately, it been a running theme in what I've been  reading and  hearing 'bandied' about.  I love that term,  'bandied about'...but is that the correct spelling?  

   

I am also thinking this way  because someone I know is 'losing her mind' and I have to do something.     This person, let's call her Bette,  cannot remember a thing from moment to moment and cannot get any pleasure from life --anymore.     Simple beauty is not in her realm  --anymore.  She can see,  but she can't see the ordinary --anymore.    She believes that there is no 'any more' and she is terrified.

  

     
All we can do is make sure she is safe and taken care of.  There is very little else that can help ease the fear of slipping into this void.    Even love is not enough when your mind convinces you there  isn't 'any more' .


      Carpe diem.
  

a moment in time

then....

...and now.

Tree Down

I know it looks like a bad scene but we tried and tried to work around this 100 foot tree but we couldn't. It was just right in the thick of things. After a few days of trying and discussing other plans it was decided that it had to go. Amazingly, it took only minutes to get it down...one guy, one chain saw, and one push from the EXCAVATOR. It happened so fast that I did not get a picture of it falling but we felt the ground shake. Because I did not believe it would fall where our guy said it would (me of little faith) I was high-tailing it uphill and missed the photo op....oh well. The burn pile lasted for two whole days (just the branches). We are keeping the logs for future use....they are huge. Sorry, big guy.

The EXCAVATOR, Part II

...and so it continues. After all the stuff was off-loaded on the driveway and around the MO-bile, the monster EXCAVATOR started to work. Trenches were dug, dirt was moved, areas were defined and rocks were placed. The vision started to appear.

Some of you are wondering what we are doing. Well, one of the things is we are re-contouring our presently too-steep driveway into a kinder, gentler slope that eases onto a flat parking area.

This is because of the slipping 'incident' we had this past winter. The particular 'incident' I am referring to was when my Xterra that was parked at the top of the driveway, slid itself very slowly down the icy hill and stopped about 4 feet from the MO-bile. We heard some noise from inside and looked out the window to see it happening. Trust me, one feels pretty helpless watching one's vehicle approaching, driver-less, straight towards the house. This was rather convincing evidence that the driveway was too steep.

Of course, there were a few other slipping incidents worth mentioning...but that's another story.

So the next time you come to visit there will be a lovely, flat area to park and turn around on with beautiful rock wall and a set of wide stone stairs leading to the front door.

You won't have to worry, and we won't either, about your vehicle slip,sliding down on its own into the kitchen.

...more to follow...

The EXCAVATOR, Part I

Yikes, in the beginning there was mess and piles of rocks, dirt and gravel. The size of the trucks coming down the driveway was scarey and then the size of the rocks they were dumping was even worse. But, damn, those guys are good. I was thinking they were way to close to the MO-bile to dump those loads but no, they judged distance and rolling ability (of the rocks) perfectly. Although, the ground shook. Then of course it started to snow which is just expected on day one of any DIY project here. But, that did not stop the guys from continuing on with load after load of stuff.

....to be continued.....

The Calm Before the Storm

Here is our peaceful world before THE EXCAVATOR arrived on the scene.

We are now in a muddy mess with holes and rocks strewn amuck. I am beyond stressed and can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I just want it done and all the junk cleaned up and gone. I have been snapping loads of pics and will be posting shortly to share my joy.

Not 'e-reading'

It's always interesting to see what people are reading and if they are still reading 'books'. I am, of course, as are a few others out there. Can't quite make the comfort leap to 'e-reading' everything...even our town's old newspaper is now online and it's a bit of a stretch for me. I don't find it a totally engaging experience...it just doesn't make the transition fully in my opinion, yet. Yes, it is good that all that paper is not being used. Other forms of 'information' gathered online pose me no issues. You know... like diagnosing terminal medical conditions, finding a recipe (I've given away all but one of my cookbooks with no regrets), getting directions, converting currency, drooling over design and home de-construction sites, getting gardening tips & tricks and even googling old boyfriends (why have they all disappeared?). My guess may be obvious in that a book requires participation of heart and soul and a fair amount of imagination in order to flesh out the whole story, as well as a chunk of time. Being able to close your eyes, put the book down and own that experience is a physical act and being able to pick that book up again and not be assaulted by 'e-pollution' is by far a more introspective experience. I know that eventually I will make the switch and lots of others already have and some will never know any different having grown up with 'e-everything', but for now, these are the books with which I am having a physical and emotional relationship. Use your imagination.