rainy days

If I were unemployed, here's what I'd fill my rainy days with:

• reading
• sleeping
• sewing
• other various projects
• eating
• repeat

sigh...the only thing worse than spending a good craft day at work is having to spend a beautiful outside work day inside at work. It's a good thing I like my job or I'd have a very hard time convincing myself to go in.

a path from the past

Our teenage helpers not only helped clean up debris this past weekend,
but their chief also did something the last ten years
I've not yet find the time to do:

create a special path.


and at the end of this path is a small grill that Bobby's Uncle built
during slow times on his brick mason job. His family (tobacco farmers)
didn't have money or time for nice vacations, but they
did take time for small things like fishing and grilling and picnics.
This is the first time in many years that Bobby has been able
to get to the small grill. The funny thing is that neither one of us
are quite sure how his parents cooked on it. Perhaps one day we'll be able to
clean up the remainder of the woods and debris around it so it can be used again.

3 steps forward, two steps back

WHOHOOO! This weekend I finished a February project! YEAHHH! In December Bobby and I found the CUTEST outfit for his nephew's coming arrival: deer slippers and brown pajamas with a hood and deer antlers. We got the slippers, but decided against the winter pajamas. Then a few weeks later, I saw material at JoAnns that matched the slippers! Of course that meant a baby quilt. I had wanted to quilt deer tracks in the green blocks, or at least antlers, but due to time constraints decided simple was best.

and my favorite part: the farm animal inserts (since they didn't have deer).

And while it's still not finished, the nesting area for the geese is much closer to completion. Two dividers are out, the fence posts are up, and I've got almost all of the fencing equipment. Even though I didn't get the fence up before the pond refilled (which now means wading out into the water), all the fence except the gate should go up Wednesday afternoon. I think the geese have already started laying elsewhere, but should something get their eggs they'll have a safe location to use for the second round (they lay until April-May).

Who knows? Maybe by the end of March I'll have half of my March projects completed!

productivity vs neatness

Several years ago Bobby and I watched a series on PBS about three modern families who were sent somewhere out West to live life like our ancestors did in the late 1800's. They had training before they went, and had someone come out and check on them throughout their time (they had to do it for about three months, I think) and then after it was over they were rated on whether or not they would have survived. One family had a ranch to run, with college age kids for ranch hands; another family had a farm, and the third started out with just land. He was engaged and his father was helping him until he was married and his wife came halfway through. I think in the end, it was determined that none of the families would have survived the winter.

I think about that show sometimes. I don't think I'd have fared too well. There's days like today where I work hard, but still don't get everything accomplished. But then I stop and think about all the time distractors they didn't have to deal with: no daily bathing, hair washing or fixing, and very little personal grooming. That can add an extra hour to your day right there. And you don't have to mop the floors because they're probably dirt. There wouldn't be a whole lot of furniture to dust. And no newspaper or television or grocery store or mall to divert your time. But then I think about all the extra work it would take for food and clothing. Maybe I'm just a big wimp or lazy person; maybe I would do it if I had to; maybe I would just be one of those settlers that couldn't hack it.

And from what little I've experienced of third-world/primitive conditions, when it comes to such drastic situations, hygiene and sanitation often go out the window. Whether it be in an Amish community, West Africa, or the countryside of China, I saw things that would make my mother gasp in horror at the filth. And yet the people seemed just fine. One of my Canadian friends used to laugh that we Northern Americans were just too clean for our own good. And maybe there's some truth to that. I'd get a whole lot more done in my day if I didn't have all the "proper" hygiene rituals we Americans do. Granted, I wouldn't feel as nice or look as good, but it does make me stop and think about what's really important and why we place so much emphasis on the outward appearance.

Meanwhile, I thank God I was born in this century.

rat race

crazy dream with 20 kids
happily disobeying, chattering Russian.
I am screaming to no effect,
yelling like my mother times 10.

obnoxious sound that pulses on,
my body moves and fights to find that stupid little switch.
the day begins
and i pray for grace and wonder why on earth
we should ever rejoice for this day that God has made;
he must increase and right now i really wouldn't mind if
i decreased to the size of a bug so i could crawl somewhere and hide.

another day of crazy tasks and things that everyone must do
to meet their deadline while the clock keeps ticking tocking
taunting that we may not finish.

i want to find that stupid book they call the simple church
and put it on someone's desk and ask them if it's a farce.
these projects are only paper; soon to be trash
and yet someone somewhere thinks it must be perfect
or that we simply cannot function without it.
i bite my tongue and swallow the words.
daring them to try it and see if they die -that
might be a satisfying thing to say but it
would not be prudent, as dear mom would say.

the printer jams; hit that wall and turn around;
i smell the cheese of freedom and fight to
make a hole, only to turn around and find the trick;
grab the key; run the next lap and clean my desk;
done, finished or not

head for home and see the bucket-
that white thing used as a seat
and sometimes a shade by the
homeless dude who's graced the
intersection of 401 and 10/10 for as long
as i've had this job and who called
the church when he went to the hospital
'cause the college boys here stopped to talk
him about jesus one day and he said they were
the only ones who really cared about him;
his bucket had fresh flowers and top and a home-made sign:
DAVID
3-xx-1962
2-22-2009
was this the guy?
or did someone else die here and use this guy's bucket
as a makeshift memorial?
i wrack my brain for an answer to the last time i saw him,
and can't recall.

a vapor

a piece of paper with a marker for his memorial

head home to the one who puts up with my random
thoughts even when he's tired and tackle chore and head to church
and am reminded to "just do it" and head home to go to bed
and hear the buzz and start a day

and this time start with praise...just do it.

Penne's Soup

6 chicken bouillion cubes
2 c water
1.5 c diced onions
1.5 c diced carrots
1.5 c diced celery
2.5 c cubed potatoes
20 oz pk of cauliflower
20 oz pk of broccoli
1 lb velveeta cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Dissolve the 6 bouillon cubes in the 2 cups of water. Add onions celery, potatoes, carrots. Simmer for 2o minutes. Add cauliflower and broccoli. Simmer ten minutes. Add cheese & soups. Stir until the cheese is melted. Do not cover after cheese and soup is served.

Monica's notes: I cheated and bought a 3lb bag of California mix (the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), but only used about 2/3 of it. I also added more water to cover the vegetables, and chopped them up some before adding the cheese. And I used Mary Booth's advice and cubed the Velveeta before adding it to help is melt faster.

in like a lion

Friday, Feb 27: ABRO soup and sandwich fundraiser
Mary Booth gave me Penne's soup recipe, and it was absolutely WONDERFUL! Even my husband, who does not like cauliflower, ate it and enjoyed it. I will definitely be adding this to my list of soups to fix again.

Saturday, Feb 28: Beading @ Penne's (super fun!); brief appearance at baby shower; drive to SC

Sunday, MARCH FIRST:

Homecoming at a church Dad pastored for 5 years, where he was speaking and my sister and I were singing. The afternoon singing was cancelled due to inclement weather and we headed home.

Today I called in to work and said I wasn't coming. One, it snowed. Two, DOT closed our road during the night. Three, I took cold medicine and went to bed. Four, Bobby was working from home today. Five...what, you think I have another reason?