Day Two: Water

I am thankful for fresh water.  I know this isn't mind-blowing, but I have been dealing with a faulty kitchen faucet for several months.  It's been dying a slow death, gradually slowing to a trickle.  It had gotten to the point where I turned it on to fill the coffee pot in the morning and walked away to get the breakfast dishes and cereal out because it was too frustrating to stand there and watch!  I finally threatened to go on strike.  By that I meant paper plates, frozen dinners, and forget about processing any venison this fall if I didn't get a new faucet!  So last night I got my new faucet.  And it's a super nice one, a tall one that you can fit a big pot underneath and with the pull-down spray nozzle and the built-in soap dispenser.  So he really listened to me.  And this morning, I was so delighted with it, I almost wanted to just indulge in water play, just because I can!

But seriously, it made me think about how we take water for granted.  I remember when I was a child, my parents used to have access to a friend's hunting cabin once a year.  It was way out in the woods, very remote.  There was no running water and no electricity.  We used to get a kick out of hauling water from an underground spring to wash dishes.  And, of course, we had to use an outhouse.  It was fun for one weekend out of the year.  But as an adult with children, I wouldn't see the fun in it, day after day, year-round.  

When a disaster hits, such as earthquakes, severe weather, etc., fresh water can mean the difference between life and death. Here in Minnesota we rarely have a need to worry about it.  I do have a little water stashed in case of a power outage, but I guess I never seriously worried about it.  But let's give it a thought today:  there are still people in this world who have to draw their drinking water from a river.  The same river that is used for bathing and laundering.  It's unimaginable to us, but it is the only option for many people.  It is the only life they know.  And we don't even think twice about turning on the faucet and letting the water run for a while to let it get to the right temperature.

               I am so thankful for fresh, clean water.  I won't take it for granted.

Thankfulness: Day One

A friend gave me the idea to come up with one thing each day this month to be thankful for.  If you are a reader of my blog, you know I already practice an attitude of gratitude, but making it a public announcement each day is a great idea.  It's also a powerful motivator to write something each day.  Today is an easy one.  Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary.  So I am thankful for my husband.  He is one in a million.  He is totally devoted to me and as loyal as they come.  He tells me on a daily basis that I am beautiful and makes me feel cherished.  He works hard to make it possible for me to stay at home to take care of my home and child (and him!).  What more could a woman ask for?

This is going to be a fun project and I am looking forward to checking in here every day.  I don't think it will be difficult at all to find something to be thankful for!

This is me and the love of my life!  This photo is 3 years old, but we haven't changed too much since then.

Be Present

Life is not fun most of the time.  I, for one, find myself rushing through the ordinary day to day stuff, all the while dreaming about my 'someday', which is a long way off, of course.  But every once in a while I have a lucid moment in which I am fortunate enough to hear the little voice inside that says "Be present".  And then I force myself to be aware of the exquisite simplistic beauty of everyday life.  It is all I have for now and it may be all I will ever have.  None of us knows how many tomorrows we will have.  How ridiculous it is to not take in whatever pleasure we can from everyday life.  It is possible to find pleasure, even physical comfort, in something as mundane as washing dishes.  This morning I removed two of my favorite coffee mugs from the dishwasher and noticed some coffee rings on the inside of them.  So I filled the sink with warm soapy water and left them to soak for a few minutes.  When I came back to wash them by hand, the sun had moved around to that window over the kitchen sink.  It was a chilly morning and as I sank my hands into the warm, sudsy water, I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. The feeling of the warm water on my hands, the smell of the scented detergent, and the sun on my face felt truly indulgent.  I took my time washing the mugs in a leisurely fashion.  Then I went through my cupboard and found a few more cups that looked like they could use a good washing also.

I've been spending a lot of time lately just appreciating the simple things.  As I'm writing this, I remember something I wrote one day in September as I was sitting out on the deck:

Warm, sunny September afternoon, like juicy plum juice running down your chin.  Makes you feel like lying down in a sunny patch for a nap.  Even the sound of the wasps buzzing around the window is a friendly, lazy sound.  I want to close my eyes and hold onto the sound and the warmth, keeping it for a little longer.  I feel a sense of urgency to drink in every moment like this, knowing these days are numbered.  A small shower overnight has brought forth the perfume of the fall leaves and it is intoxicating.  The cat lies in the sun, eyes closed, yet I know he is not sleeping – the soft rumble coming from deep inside his chest is a dead giveaway.  This is how I feel about my life right now.  Every moment feels exquisite and I want to savor it and examine it, memorizing every aspect of it.  So many people and things that are dear to me are at a turning point.   For me, a sudden life-threatening illness this summer that could have been fatal really threw me off-balance for a while.  I feel as though I've been granted a bonus and I need to use every moment wisely, the same way one would savor every bite in a box of gourmet chocolates.

Use your days wisely, be present, find ways to see the beauty in everything you do.

It's About Time

Ok, I'm back.  It's time to get back in the fray.  I've been off the grid for a long time and it's been kind of nice and kind of awkward at the same time.  We spent the summer at the ranch and there is no internet access there. I can use my android phone to see what everyone else is up to on facebook, but it is extremely laborious to try to post something on facebook and virtually impossible to post on a blog, although there is an app for it, just as there seems to be an app for everything under the sun.  So I had to give up my electronic addiction for a while, and believe me, I did go through withdrawal!  But one day, my husband said  "We're going out west for a week!"  And he really meant it.  We went through South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, wandering through the mountains.  We were gone for 8 days and never had a signal on the cell phone unless we were in a hotel room.  It cured me from my addiction.  We did lots of hiking, trout fishing, sight-seeing, horseback riding, took hundreds of photos, and came back with a new attitude, which is what a vacation is for, I guess.

                                         So now we are back at the house,

dreaming of lazy summer days,

wishing we were at the ranch full time...

                                     But school has started. :(



 When we bought the ranch we didn't even know that it had an apple orchard - that was a bonus.  It has 15 apple trees and they are now in various stages of ripeness.    So I've been busy making pies and applesauce.  I guess I'll also try freezing apples for making pies this winter.  I've been giving away as many apples as I can because I don't want them to go to waste.  The deer are also enjoying them, as far as we can tell.                            

Organic apples - not a blemish or a worm on any one of them.

I LOVE making pies - for me it's a very relaxing and creative activity.

 I also have one plum tree, which yielded a most delicious batch of jam.

                     
I know many of you are also in that harvesting/processing mode as I have seen photos of the beautiful results on your blogs.  I wish I could be a gardener - I just don't have a green thumb.  So I feel fortunate that someone already planted the orchard before I got there, because one thing I CAN do is make something good to eat!

Father's Day

   

 We asked them what they wanted to do for Father's Day...
                                   

                                                   
This is what they wanted to do!

In spite of the forecast it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon here.  The boys are always generous about letting us give it a go, but today was their day.
                             

                                                                     
         





Good Form!









           
It's always a good day when you can spend an afternoon blowing holes in the sky!  Aren't they cute???  Seriously, it is great fun if you ever get a chance to try it!
                                 

Big Sky

This is all I can seem to think about these days.  We just bought a ranch.  160 acres of beautiful views in every direction.  The house sits right smack in the middle of the property on a hill.  This is the view from the deck.  When I'm there I spend a lot of time just looking at the big expanse of sky. And when I'm here at home, all I think about is the ranch and wish I was there.  I'm a bit claustrophobic and I am loving all that spaciousness.  I used to love going out west to Wyoming and Montana where I could see for miles and miles in every direction.  Never much liked the closed-in feeling of the big woods.  So now we have two properties that we're trying to take care of, and I have to say it's more work than I expected. We need to make a commitment to one or the other, I guess.  We know we want to live out at the ranch, but it's a hefty commute for my husband to make to work each day, and not such a great trade-off as far as schools for our daughter.  So, for the summer, probably just a place to knock around on the weekends.  So much fun...!

Spring is Bustin' Out

I know many of you around the country have already experienced the spring flowers bursting out, but up here in Minnesota it takes a little longer.  My flowers are blooming before the ground is dry enough for me to work in the flower beds.  So even though the flowers are beautiful, my flower gardens are still looking pretty shabby.  Still, they are worth stopping and taking a look - they don't last long...

My photography instructor was right - the evening sunlight is the best light.

The grape hyacinth is bravely working its way up through the grass and creeping charley.

These tulips were open just a few minutes before I took this photo, but the sun began to fade and they closed up for the night.  I bought these as potted plants 2 years ago at the end of Easter season for only a dollar each.  I planted them, crossed my fingers, and they've come back each year.

No, these are not weeds, they're wildflowers!

Change of subject - this is my Sugar.  She is sweet!  I just had to post a photo of her because Margy over at Vintage Gardens and Distressed Life posted today that her beautiful Great Dane, Gypsy, refuses to come when called.  Sugar does not come when I call her either, if we're outside.  She stops and looks at me as if I am something to be studied for a moment, then decides I am not interesting enough and then moves on.  I keep treats in my pocket, and she LOVES her food, so you would think that would be enough motivation, but apparently not.  I know it is difficult for a hunting dog to focus on anything else when there are so many SMELLS to investigate.  And she is not quite one year old.  But it is embarrassing, especially considering the fact that I have successfully taken several dogs through obedience training in the past.  But I guess nobody bothered to tell that to Sugar.  But I love her dearly.  How can you not love this face? :)