Greetings All!
I know it has been a while since my last post.
I know it has been a while since my last post.
I have been in a somewhat dark and twisty mind space for the last several months.
I don't typically "share" when I feel like I haven't anything positive to talk about.
I sort of do the exact opposite!
Thank God!
I am finally turning the corner and coming out of my isolation.
Much has happened since my last post.
I started a post about 3 weeks after Christmas which took me more than 2 days to write and still didn't finish it.
Shew...
EXTREMELY wordy!
This post is a partial skeleton of it's remains,
with a few additions.
I am finally turning the corner and coming out of my isolation.
Much has happened since my last post.
I started a post about 3 weeks after Christmas which took me more than 2 days to write and still didn't finish it.
Shew...
EXTREMELY wordy!
This post is a partial skeleton of it's remains,
with a few additions.
CHRISTMAS
This year our budget was EXTREMELY tight.
Yet, Mary said that this was the
BEST Christmas ever!
Gotta love that!
The day after Christmas we headed to my brother Michael's home in Virginia.
Mary made arrangements to have someone wrap Phoenix's leg every day while we were gone.
(Thank YOU... Debbie and Heather!)
Mary wouldn't trust just anybody to look after her main man.
This trip was to set a drastic shift into motion.
Less than 20 minuets from my brother's home I hit
SNOW!
Have I ever mention that my brother lives on top of a MOUNTAIN?
That mountain would unearth some deeply rooted fear within me.
However, everything looks differently in the light of day.
It turns out that after all these years,
this ole mountain girl has become a flatlander without realizing it.
How and when did that happen?
More Snow Coming!
I had gotten some "new" tires put on and had my truck parked safely at the bottom of the mountain before this new snow would begin falling the next morning.
By evening the snow had stopped falling and the roads weren't too bad.
So it was off to Terry's place for a night of music.
Here is Rielly jaming out on the ukulele that his uncle Noodle made for him.
Good Stuff!
There were all kinds of instruments for everyone to join in.
And the girls took turns belting out some of their favorite tunes.
Then the Wagner's entertained us with some of Noah's original songs.
After a wonderful night of family and music we spent a lazy Sunday afternoon at Michael's mountain top cabin.
The time had finally come to head down the mountain and begin my travels eastward.
Pausing only to take a gander at one of the drop offs that I almost slid down on my way up the mountain...
from the PASSENGER SEAT!
It didn't seem quite so terrifying as it did sitting behind the steering wheel only a few days earlier.
But I sure was happy to have it behind me.
Soon I would be on my way to my cousin's home safely situated in the "valley"
to spend the evening with his family then get an early start back home.
Well, I didn't get that early start but I did have a wonderful visit.
Not to mention before hitting the road my cousin Eli
put a new bulb in my headlight.
No more winking on the highway for me.
Bill honey, he made it look easy!
As always, it was great to spend time at the Strauss House even if it was only a one night stand!
Hanna got the whole gang in this shot with the timer!
Thank you Hanna
Home again, home again...
jiggity jog!
Now that I was safely home
I realize that my ability to move forward had come to a screaming halt.
My mountain adventure pulled out fears that I had been stuffing away for a very long time.
It is time to drag them out into the open
and put them to rest.
I have slowly ...
with one foot in front of the other
and with the assistance of a gift from brother Michael and Celeste...
A New Journal
I was able to find my way back on the road and continuing my journey forward.
Our travels still consisted of daily trips to the Farm till Phoenix's leg was completely healed and able to be let out in the pasture again without having to bring him back in and wrap his leg.
But even without riding and exercising... there is never a dull moment at the barn.
Corolla Mustang Colts
Finally the long awaited time had come...
Phoenix was completely healed and ready to be cut loose back out into the pasture.
He was very happy to be a horse again!
I can not tell you how good it feels to once again regain a semblance of a "schedule"again.
School had gotten a little loosey goosey for a while.
Not any more!
It was ruff for the first week...
but it didn't take long to fall back into the flow.
We have made a few changes to our schedule to make school go a little smoother.
Now it feels like a well oiled machine again.
The last basketball game that Mary will probably ever play sadly came and went like a whisper.
She got sick just before her Rec. basketball tournament, and was unable to participate.
Once the girls Mary's age become eligible to play school ball there is typically not enough girls signing up to play Rec. Basketball anymore.
And since the state of North Carolina is one of the few hold out states that are NOT welcoming to Homeschoolers playing interscholastic sports...
Mary's last game on a basketball team came and went without a celebration or farewell.
Even though she loves playing basketball she doesn't love it enough to play on another travel team.
Alas, we shall not mourn long ...
for Spring is upon us and that means it's time for
SOFTBALL!
Bust the Rust
New Warm Up Routines
100% Extension
Woo Hoo... Let's Play Ball!
Even though the second day of Spring brought
SNOWFLAKES to the OBX...
my spring
stands firmly!
and I will continue on my journey!
I
WILL get that juicer broken in this year.
Swiss Chard and Kale
Chinese Cabbage and Stonehead Cabbage
Broccoli, Lettuce and Califlower
Lettuce, Lettuce and more Lettuce!
My Ladies
Roesmary
Carrots
She is flowing AGAIN!
Hydrangea
Still Hanging On!
Kale and Spinach...
yum yum!
However, I did have a couple casualties...
Dang!
Guess it is time for a new strawberry pot...
or
I will just have to transplant into some old boots.
I think I might have one or two ready to go already.
Some new additions!
Seeds
and other simple pleasures!
Time for some more propagation.
Phoenix and Mary are getting back into a groove!
and I am getting back to some of the things that I love to do...
LIFE IS GOOD!
Less than 20 minuets from my brother's home I hit
SNOW!
Have I ever mention that my brother lives on top of a MOUNTAIN?
That mountain would unearth some deeply rooted fear within me.
However, everything looks differently in the light of day.
this ole mountain girl has become a flatlander without realizing it.
How and when did that happen?
More Snow Coming!
I had gotten some "new" tires put on and had my truck parked safely at the bottom of the mountain before this new snow would begin falling the next morning.
By evening the snow had stopped falling and the roads weren't too bad.
So it was off to Terry's place for a night of music.
Here is Rielly jaming out on the ukulele that his uncle Noodle made for him.
Good Stuff!
There were all kinds of instruments for everyone to join in.
And the girls took turns belting out some of their favorite tunes.
Then the Wagner's entertained us with some of Noah's original songs.
After a wonderful night of family and music we spent a lazy Sunday afternoon at Michael's mountain top cabin.
The time had finally come to head down the mountain and begin my travels eastward.
Pausing only to take a gander at one of the drop offs that I almost slid down on my way up the mountain...
from the PASSENGER SEAT!
It didn't seem quite so terrifying as it did sitting behind the steering wheel only a few days earlier.
But I sure was happy to have it behind me.
Soon I would be on my way to my cousin's home safely situated in the "valley"
to spend the evening with his family then get an early start back home.
Well, I didn't get that early start but I did have a wonderful visit.
Not to mention before hitting the road my cousin Eli
No more winking on the highway for me.
Bill honey, he made it look easy!
As always, it was great to spend time at the Strauss House even if it was only a one night stand!
Thank you Hanna
Home again, home again...
jiggity jog!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Now that I was safely home
I realize that my ability to move forward had come to a screaming halt.
My mountain adventure pulled out fears that I had been stuffing away for a very long time.
It is time to drag them out into the open
and put them to rest.
I have slowly ...
with one foot in front of the other
and with the assistance of a gift from brother Michael and Celeste...
A New Journal
I was able to find my way back on the road and continuing my journey forward.
Our travels still consisted of daily trips to the Farm till Phoenix's leg was completely healed and able to be let out in the pasture again without having to bring him back in and wrap his leg.
But even without riding and exercising... there is never a dull moment at the barn.
Corolla Mustang Colts
Finally the long awaited time had come...
Phoenix was completely healed and ready to be cut loose back out into the pasture.
He was very happy to be a horse again!
I can not tell you how good it feels to once again regain a semblance of a "schedule"again.
School had gotten a little loosey goosey for a while.
Not any more!
but it didn't take long to fall back into the flow.
We have made a few changes to our schedule to make school go a little smoother.
Now it feels like a well oiled machine again.
The last basketball game that Mary will probably ever play sadly came and went like a whisper.
She got sick just before her Rec. basketball tournament, and was unable to participate.
Once the girls Mary's age become eligible to play school ball there is typically not enough girls signing up to play Rec. Basketball anymore.
And since the state of North Carolina is one of the few hold out states that are NOT welcoming to Homeschoolers playing interscholastic sports...
Mary's last game on a basketball team came and went without a celebration or farewell.
Even though she loves playing basketball she doesn't love it enough to play on another travel team.
Alas, we shall not mourn long ...
for Spring is upon us and that means it's time for
SOFTBALL!
and
New Pitches
Woo Hoo... Let's Play Ball!
Even though the second day of Spring brought
SNOWFLAKES to the OBX...
my spring
stands firmly!
and I will continue on my journey!
I
WILL get that juicer broken in this year.
Swiss Chard and Kale
Chinese Cabbage and Stonehead Cabbage
Broccoli, Lettuce and Califlower
Lettuce, Lettuce and more Lettuce!
My Ladies
Roesmary
Carrots
She is flowing AGAIN!
Hydrangea
Still Hanging On!
yum yum!
However, I did have a couple casualties...
Guess it is time for a new strawberry pot...
or
I will just have to transplant into some old boots.
I think I might have one or two ready to go already.
Some new additions!
Seeds
and other simple pleasures!
Phoenix and Mary are getting back into a groove!
and I am getting back to some of the things that I love to do...
LIFE IS GOOD!
