The Simple Woman's Daybook February

Outside My Window...The snow is flying, the sky is grayish white, the farrier is pulled up to the barn, and the drive is suitable for a hockey rink.

I Am Thinking...Snow Shoes, can't be that hard to use.  The JRT's need a good run.  And I definitely need more physical activity.

I Am Thankful...A roof over my head.

From The Kitchen...Sprouted Grain toast with butter, cinnamon & honey, my favorite comfort food.

I Am Wearing...Black yoga pants, zip up polar fleece pullover, and Uggs.

I Am Creating...Converting the business's from Quickbooks to MS Office Accounting.  And trying to learn Microsoft Office Live

I Am Going...Barnes &Noble, x-mas gift cards still to use.  And new book is just the ticket.

Reading...Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen (Just started it.)

I Am Hoping...That business is going to pick up.  Yesterday Obama comment about 'trying' to fix the economy before the next election run in three years time was a bit of a startle.  Was hoping for 12 months.

I Am Hearing...Forced air furnace.

Around The House... lumber, drywall, screws, nails, a saw, a pre-hung door.  I'm getting a closet in my bedroom.  The first bedroom closet I've had in 15 years.  And it's going to be big enough for a washer and dryer.  Oh my!  The excitement is palpable.

One Of My Favorite Things...Harney & Sons Chinese Flower Green Tea

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Closet building, stall cleaning (lots and lots of stall cleaning).

The Picture Thought I Am Sharing...loved looking at these icicles they were a solid wall down the length of the building.  Under there somewhere is a rain gutter.

Winter Wonderland

Snow, Ice, Snow, Rain, Ice, Snow.....what a day, or should I say what a month.  Japanese Maples awaiting the spring digging season.

Interview With Pup Pup

Human Dog (me): Charlotte your looking very alert today.

Charlotte: Yez. Mez listen fur da catz.

Human Dog: Mamacita?

Charlotte: Da catz all dem....day allz bez verra badz

Human Dog: Hmmm...I see. Kittens are cute, surely you don't mind them.

Charlotte: ALL catz day bez badz

Human Dog: But Mamacita you like her. You've always gotten along.

Charlotte: I did not noz dat zee bez a catz

Human Dog: She is a cat. But a good cat.

Charlotte: No zuch ting az a goodz catz

Human Dog: Okay well were getting off track. What do you think about all this snow?

Charlotte: Catz trackz r verra eazy to followz

Human Dog: Ummm....I meant about the snow.

Charlotte: Catz tracks r verra eazy to followz in der znow

Human Dog: Okay well it's been really nice talking to you today...I can see that you have to much on your mind for rational conversation.

Charlotte: Yez...letz goez.

Human Dog: Go where?

Charlotte: Tooz der barnz...for da gettingz of da catz.

Human Dog: I think not.

****

Can you guess what my life it like right now? Two JRT's. 500 Sq Ft house. Two feet of snow. Sub Zero weather.

Oh Pup Pup

I was a wee bit lat coming home two nights ago. And apparently Charlotte Pup Pup worked herself up into a bit of a gastric turmoil over the situation. I was greeted by a truly foul stench when I opened the door. And there was my poor little Pup Pup shaking and panting and traumatized over the fact that she had to go potty in the house.

At least she put her pea brain to good use. And had her accident under the Christmas Tree. The closest thing to the outdoors in her estimation, I imagine.

The tree had to go anyway...I had resolved myself to taking it down sometime this week. But the fact that I needed to scrub the carpet made me order a pizza instead of making dinner and commence with the de-decorating immediately.

The bell in the picture was my Grandmothers...I have two of them.  I am not a collector of 'stuff'. I guess the only collection that I have would be my ornaments.  Each year it is so fun to unpack and hang.  I wrap each of them up in tissue paper or bubble wrap and store them in boxes with packing peanuts.  The process of wrapping and boxing makes me feel almost as good as the unwrapping.  I wonder if that is how a squirrel feels when they are going about the seemingly monotonous business of hiding there nut cache for winter?  Do you think they feel a sense of accomplishment that the nuts are safe and will be available when next they are needed?  

I know that this mundane task brings me a sense of accomplishment.  Do you have an occasional task that gives you a sense of accomplishment?

T Is For Tami

Martha's A-Z Photo "T"

It's actually pretty darn difficult to do a self portrait if your holding the camera.  The outtakes are hysterical.  This was near the end....and you can just see my attitude with the process is just starting a negative dive with the crease in between my seriously scary eyebrows. Yikes....Mariana's Trench has nothing on me. (Do not send tweezers folks I have two pairs, I just forget about those pesky brows till I take an extended look in the mirror or see a shot of myself...both of which are rare.) 

Anyway...last week was my birthday, I'm now 37 years of age.  And I just can not figure out how the last 12 years or so have literally disappeared.  It's scary really.  On the day of my birth I was going to attempt to count my gray hairs.  But I gave up.  I've acquired a few more and they have the strange habit of going from brown to gray to brown again.  Which is bizarre and some are all gray.  And I don't dye my hair so I have no idea what my body is trying to convey.

As far as a re-count of lessons learned this past year.  There were many...but the most important one for me was that you can not sit around and wait for other people to make things happen you just have to go out and do it.

Changes in

...the environment

...relationships

...business

...family

all start with just moving forward.  Sometimes no amount of talking will help you to understand something or will help fix it.  You just have to move forward and make the change(s) yourself.

I am looking forward to the next year.  Being 37 will be fun.  I'm working on a very challenging agenda for myself.  Learning, loving, growing, laughing, striving, just being myself...I'm looking forward to all of it.

Any lessons learned over the past year that you want to share?

Frozen Balls

Frozen trees balls are never fun to deal with.  Off the frozen metal semi-trailer deck onto the frozen wood wagon then into the frozen ground.  I took this shot from the comfort of my heated car...supervisors get all the perks.  But when we got to the job it was workin' time.  3 of us got 28 trees planted in 5 hours in sub 20F temps...the harder you work the warmer it seems.

Yipee-ki-ya...

The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside My Window... an orange and white feral cat is walking along a field of Euonymus alatus 'compacta' aka Burning Bush, marking his territory.

I am thinking... I could really use a little sunshine.  Just an hour or so would be so very nice.

I am thankful... Charlotte Pup Pup!  Her bright disposition and energy are contagious.

From the kitchen... Vegetable soup with leeks Rosemary & thyme.

I am wearing... A wonderful comfy light grey polar fleece with bell selves, split sides and a Mandarin collar.  The cuffs, collar and hem have blanket stitching.  It was a wonderful post Christmas gift from my Mum, purchased at Coldwater Creek.  The rest is the daily uniform of jeans and lace up work boots.  

I am creating... project boards.

I am going... to the barn.

I am reading... Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days At Pemberly by Linda Berdoll (sigh)

I am hoping... for a nice birthday... Sunny!

I am hearing... An Excavator, footsteps, papers shuffling.

Around the house... things are quiet.  The JRT's need a nice long walk.

One of my favorite things... Mr. Darcy

A few plans for the rest of the week... A night out (hopefully), more painting at Sisterella's (probable), stall cleaning (most definitely).

The picture thought I am sharing... I need a bit of color.  The closest thing to sunshine in the my archives.  Acer palmatum var. 'Bloodgood' aka Bloodgood Japanese Maple in fall glory. 

Revelry Redux

Charlotte Pup Pup sleeping off her late night New Years Eve revelry!  What exactly her and Clarice got up to on New Years Eve....I'll never know.  But they both slept long and hard New Years Day.  I wish I had doggie spy cams for when I'm not at home.