Time Flies

Time flies....or maybe I should say time floats.  I enjoy a good soaking, rainy day.  It provides an opportunity to catch up on bookwork, do a little cleaning or just  read or watch some movies.  I've pretty much caught up with all of those things over the past 40 days and 40 nights.  I even had Lee and Jeff retrieve our old canoe and place it by the driveway....just in case.  My critters have paired off nicely in two by two fashion.  We're limited on males but the girls have read up on the news and are happily (and legally) pairing up too.  When it's time to board, we'll be ready! Seriously, we've pretty much had our fill of moisture.  Jess and B gave Papa a rain gauge for Father's Day and since Saturday.....it's full! 
Today is also the last day of June and July is filling up with milestones and social gatherings. Graduations, weddings, reunions, birthdays and anniversaries.  Our "granddaughter," Julia will become a teenager, Lee will hit the 65 mark at the end of the month and begin Medicare tomorrow, we'll celebrate surviving 40 years of marital bliss (OK maybe 35..off and on probably 5 sucked,) friends will be retiring and the Hatfields will gather for their annual reunion and golf tournament. The next thing you know it will be August.  Family will arrive from California and more gatherings will be on tap.  It'll be time to buy school clothes, supplies and ready Miss B to be a 4th grader. Only 2 more years at Millard Fillmore and she'll be heading to the BIG school... Incomprehensible..., at least for me. As I said, time flies...I'm just letting it soak in!

Riddle of the Week

Well here goes:


What is something you've waited for for months?


What comes in a big, wondrous package?


....and when you open it is all beautiful and squeaky clean?


What is wheeled in and gently placed exactly where we always knew it should be?


What is lavished with gifts by all who understand the beauty of its arrival?


What merely needs the love and affection of all and to be fed and nurtured?


YEP.... you guessed it..... my new barn...   It'll be here next week and we can't wait.  Steve, Dick, Original and the girls have no idea how lucky they are!   I may just pass out cigars!!!!

Graduation Time

I am so glad that I waited until today to write this particular blog.  I was ready (pen in hand...well keyboard) to convey my graduation thoughts early Friday morning.  I had watched a segment on one of the morning news shows about graduations..... all these graduations.  These days there are graduations from pre-school, Kindergarten, elementary, middle, high schools and college.  Each year they become more ceremonious and there are accolades to be given, speeches to be heard, songs to be sung, parties to follow, presents to bestow and lots of pomp and circumstance.  The segment asked the question, is it really all necessary...especially when it's something that's really an expectation of our children?  All agreed that high school and college were definitely rites of passage and have been customs for years.  Accolades should be awarded for 13-17 years of advancements and knowledge gained..... Pre K...not so much....kind of akin to everybody on the soccer team getting a trophy... What makes these milestones special at 18 when you've already had 3 prior graduations.  I was listening intently and nodding in agreement.


Fast forward 4 hours later as I was sitting on the front lawn of the Jr-Sr. High School bemoaning the fact that I had other things to do, it might rain, I'm sitting outside and there are 70+ students waiting to graduate from EIGHTH grade....really?   The ceremony took place in a beautiful, brick memory garden that the Middle School grades designed and continue to enhance.  Bricks are dedicated each year to individuals and groups, from the Moravia district, who have contributed to the community and made it a greater place to live.... The Power of One.  All 8th graders write an end of the year essay entitled I Believe!  Four essays were read....one by my great niece, Gabby who also was the Valedictorian of her Middle School, 8th grade class.  It was amazing!  The middle school chorus sang with a mini solo by Gabby (she was by far the best....just sayin') My other great niece, Emily was also moving up to the high school with nearly equal grade achievements.  Each student's name was read, they shook various hands, crossed over the bridge to the high school and were met with a welcoming handshake from their new principal.  It was swift, enjoyable and moving....♥  I was so proud of Gabby and Em as well as others whose parents' graduations I had attended.  Time marches on!


So, the moral of the story is this:  NEVER put off a chance to celebrate anything wonderful that your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and even friends' kiddos accomplish. Whether they're 4 or 5 or 35... good for them and good for you! Life is short and should be celebrated whenever the occasion arises.


In a couple of years, Bailee will be "graduating" from 5th grade and make her way to "The Big School." Rest assured, God willing, I'll be there with a big smile, a big camera and a big gift...♥

What Race?

Things in the country are definitely calmer, easier and usually stress free......especially if you're an animal!  These days you turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper and everyone seems to be in a giant cluster F@&* about who or what they are. Bruce Jenner is a woman in a man's body so we rejoice that he has decided to be she and we now call her Caitlyn. Rachel Dolezal was born white, wanted to be black, adopted her black brother, got a tan, frizzed her hair and worked her way up in the NAACP.


It certainly seems that everybody wants to be something they're not. Maybe it's a human "the grass is greener complex!" 
Back here at EIEIO ( where we have lots of green grass,) we're all pretty happy with who we are and  what we like and find it amazingly easy to all just get along.  The chickens enjoy their lifestyle.  I don't believe any of them have yearned to be a turkey or a duck!  The ducks are quite content to co-exist with the chickens and have even shared their quarters and repast!  We did have a bit of an identity crisis when we weren't sure if Bruce was a he duck or a she duck but now that he's quite large and doesn't quack...(FYI only girl ducks quack...which is a whole different blog someday), we know he's a drake.....but we still call him, Bruce..not Caitlyn! 
So, when the new barn arrives and everyone lives in the same dorm, it should be interesting. By then we might even have some peacocks to throw in the mix and who knows how they will all get along.  We do see some color bonding here.  The whites (turkeys and silkies) seem to like to stay relatively close and the coloreds seem to travel together as well. The peacocks will probably strut their stuff when they're older and make the loudest conversation but we all know that the real race issues will be who gets to the feeders first and who gets the best treats.  They're all pretty content to be exactly what they are here at EIEIO..today's treat is watermelon and cucumber salad.  I might race for some of that myself!

Fowl weather

Yes, the weather is a bit fowl.  Even when it's sunny here, it's fowl.  We let the turkeys free from their smoke house home last week.  They loved being free.  The male, Original, puffed up and showed the roosters who's boss.  They have stayed right in the yard and even know to go in the coop at night.  If we can soon integrate the ducks, we'll have one happy, fowl family.  In a few more weeks, the new barn will be here and we'll have to build an entirely different "gated community."  I may have to get outside help to plan the enclosure.  It will, for sure, have a duck pond and a place for the whole crew to wander, eat grass and bugs and enjoy the walnut grove.  I'm thinking fencing the whole darn yard there is the answer....Since the old tree fell, we have the perfect spot for a nice gate... Now...to rob a bank!





And yes, a dozen chickens, 2 turkeys and 4 ducks is NOT enough.  We are incubating 5 peacock eggs. Their due date is July 11th.  We shall see.  The incubator automatically turns the eggs several times a day to make sure the colorful little critters don't stick to the sides of the egg.  We'll candle them again soon to see if they're developing.  If we get even one, it'll be fun.....I think.. they're pretty loud and pretty messy..but then, so is Lee and I've had him for 40+ years!
Will keep you all posted on the additions to EIEIO!

If a tree falls............

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"   Moot point!!  I was around, I heard it and it made a hell of a big sound.  I immediately thought there had been another accident out front...I went to the bathroom window.. the only north facing window (poor planning on my part) and there lay the tree that had been leaning to the east since we built.  I had just asked Lee if he thought it might fall one day...He said, "Probably!"

The weather Gods were with us though.  It missed the chicken coop and run, Lee's tractor, all other trees and never even clipped a branch on any of my lilac bushes.  The chickens were huddled in a corner of their pen unsure of what had happened.  We let them out a bit later and they were tickled that many little critters were living in that old dead tree trunk.... appetizers galore.  I did hear a couple of birds sounding a bit distressed.  I'm hoping their nests weren't collateral damage.  I'm also really happy it went down now and not after our new barn arrives and we've re-fenced and added our duck pond...EIEIO wouldn't have been a happy place.  It will, however, make for an easier path to the barn and more room to put stone in too.. All things happen for a reason I guess!

Fields

I love fields!  Cornfields, wheat fields, strawberry fields, Hatfields and MJ Fields!  On a cold, rainy,  morning in early June when everything is damp and dreary, a tree has fallen missing anything of consequence and bookwork is completed, who wouldn't want to hop on Face Book and see the newest cover of an MJ Field's romance novel?  Given the fact that I'm old and everything young looks enticing, I find myself more than ready to settle in and learn some more about the Caldwell        brothers.  Bad boys look oh so good after 60! That's the very best thing about books..any books.  They are vehicles of the mind to transport you to any place, transform you into anyone and transfix you to a time of your choice.  From the time that Jane met Dick to a time when Jane met DICK, reading in any form can be as entertaining, educating and liberating as anything we will ever do! It's one of the few things that we can do anytime, anyplace and make it last as long as we choose. Few things, if any, have that freedom and power. 
If we teach our children and grandchildren anything of substance, let it be the joy of reading...........anything!  I couldn't be more proud of M.J. Fields and her commitment to be successful in her love of writing.  Now there's a Field of Dreams!

Snap, Crackle, Pop

As a kid, my favorite cold cereal was Rice Krispies. As an adult, the sounds bring an entirely different mood.  I finally got in to the Dr.'s Friday.  Good news and not such good news:-)  After many x-rays, there appears to be no tear.  There does appear to be a knee (or two) full of degenerative osteoarthritis.   That means that it's not going away any time soon... actually anytime:-(  That news is pretty depressing. I still cannot walk up every other stair..it's one at a time.  Yesterday, I walked on uneven grass while watering the trees and nearly tipped over while attempting to bend over and retrieve Bruce....our resident drake duck.  Along with the knee pain comes hip pain as I walk awkwardly. So, cortisone shots are an option.  They're painful and give no guarantee that they will work...maybe 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 months.  Physical therapy might help and that was the Dr.'s suggestion.  He was very subtle, kind and funny.  I asked him what I should do... He said try not to gain weight. (he could have said shed the extra 50 and that will help)..., try PT and install grab handles by the toilets! 
Well if Bailee thought she had an old Granny before, she sure has one now.
I am not a fan of Chiropractic but I do love our local Doc.. She will work with me to find something that might relieve the pain. For now I'm counting on Motrin, bags of frozen peas, the hot tub and alcohol.  In that order!  Rice Krispie's Snap, Crackle and Pop are no longer cute and fun!

Finally Friday

Well today I finally get to see the orthopedist.  It's been nearly 5 weeks (Monday) that my knee popped and I've been walking like Dennis Weaver... (never mind, you need to be a minimum of 60 to know who the hell he was.) It's a bit better today but it still hurts to walk up steps...every other one.  It takes me 10 minutes to get in and out of the post office... quite pathetic actually!  I began with a walker in May, advanced to a cane about 4 days later and just have limped and bitched for the following 3.5 weeks.  While favoring the right knee, my left knee complained about the overtime and decided to snap, crackle and pop several times a day.  After sitting for even a few minutes, I quite resemble a Clydesdale when I begin walking again.....nooooooooot pretty!  Every muscle hurts...everywhere.... Amazing how much standing up straight and walking properly is so much better for this 63 year old skeleton.  In defense of my knees, I'm pretty sure they feel they work overtime trying to hold up and transport this cathedral.  My Grandpa always used to "defend" my large feet by saying "It takes a bigger foundation to build a cathedral than it does a backhouse" (outhouse!).. Always loved him for that defense of my # 9's.


So, we'll see what the diagnosis is.  He'll probably tell me that I should have stayed off it....yeah right..for 5 weeks!  I'll probably tell him he should have gotten me in sooner.  This should be an interesting standoff.

Change

God help me to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.   Profound words indeed!  I always thought there might be more things we were able to change than to not change......maybe a glass half full scenario. As I've grown older, change is a wee bit more difficult. I find I have the want to change things but the ability is waning. And just when I think change is stifling and unattainable....Bruce Jenner comes along and blows my old age theory right out of the water. Now there's a guy(?) that takes change seriously.  I really only want to be a less creaky me..not a whole new me!

All kidding aside I'm not really sure why this doesn't creep me out more. I'm a Senior Citizen and I'm supposed to be appalled at piercings, tattoos, lesbians, gays, and even those who unfortunately slid into this world in the wrong skin.....but I'm not......ok, maybe the piercings freak me out a bit but there are just plain some body parts that should remain the size they were intended and shouldn't have hardware protruding from them..no way, no how. Hey, I didn't even get my ears pierced till the year I got married....A totally wild and crazy moment!
So, back to Bruce or Caitlyn as she now exists.  She's a very attractive woman. She appears to have all the protruding parts a gal should have and all those hidden (or removed -ouch!) that she no longer needs.  I always thought those parts would be a pain anyway...neatly packed away genitals seem to make much more sense......but that's just me.  I applaud her! I can't imagine the mental anguish of existing in a body you aren't comfortable with... (Ok, maybe I can a little bit but mine is size not gender related.)  I can just buy bigger clothes!  Caitlyn's issues were a bit grander!  It's easy for me to say, it's ok.  Those things just don't really faze me at all.  My children are tattooed and pierced, I still love them!  I have amazing gay and lesbian friends, I love them too!  I don't think I have any transgender friends but I AM a little suspect of a couple...........just kidding... If I do, I don't know it and that's just the point!
Be true to who you are. Being fake or something less than who you are takes much more energy that could be directed elsewhere. Life is short.....Be YOU!

Beau Biden

Last week we lost a great man. Seldom do we get an inside glimpse into celebrities, politicians or the "rich and famous."  Our family has/had ties to the Biden family through a life-long friendship that my Dad and Mom had with Beau Biden's grandparents.  Bob Hunter (owner of Auburn's Hunter's Diner and manager of CCC's cafeteria facilities for years) and my Dad were the consummate pals.  They golfed together, played cards together and partied together. They were part of the Mad Men generation. The Hunter's daughter, Neilla,  married an aspiring politician from Delaware, Joe Biden.  They were blessed with 3 beautiful children, Beau, Hunter (after his Grandpa) and a beautiful little girl, Naomi. During the holiday season in 1972, The family, minus Joe, were traveling to get a Christmas tree when they were involved in an accident and Naomi and Nellia were killed. The boys were seriously injured and spent many weeks in the hospital.  I can remember my Dad's attempts to console Bob and his wife. Unfortunately Dad could relate only too well how painful the proceeding days, weeks, months and years would be.  Losing a child is not the normal progression of life and is always life altering.  Their bond became even stronger for the saddest of reasons.
I have all the Christmas cards that the Hunters and Bidens sent to my folks in the following years.  Each was a photo of the Beau and Hunter as they grew into successful men and had families of their own.  Several years ago, there was a large spread in the Citizen telling the story of Bob Hunter and his famous diner.  I sent the article off to Beau thinking his kids might enjoy seeing the written history of their Grandpa Hunter's adventures and successes. Beau was off in Iraq serving his country in yet another way.  I thought maybe I'd hear from his office (Attorney General of Delaware.)  About 9 months later I received a note from Beau....a personal note......thanking me for sending the article, telling how the whole family enjoyed reading it while reminiscing and their hopes of getting to Auburn and upstate New York in the very near future.  They did and their kid's remembered seeing the pictures and then the real thing. 
The real thing.....that just about perfectly describes Beau Biden....down to earth, served his country, loved his family, always remembered his Mom, his sister, his grandparents and even their friends.  This week we are down one fine man... and no matter what you think about politics or our vice president, no one should have to bury their children.