Today's weather is what I wanted for our wedding 11 years ago.
It's a beautiful spring day, the crabapple trees are starting to bud, the blowering pear trees are budding. Lilacs are leafing out and will bloom in a few short weeks. No wind. It's just bright, sunny, and beautiful. It even smells like spring.
Our wedding day wasn't this nice. It was cool, cloudy, and windy. I so wanted a beautiful spring day for my wedding. But instead, I got a beautiful wedding on a spring day.
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Kev is just about packed for his Spring Turkey Hunt. He leaves tonight. He'll be gone until Sunday. He'll miss our anniversery. I'm ok with that. We don't wait to celebrate our marriage on just our anniversery. We both work at finding time to do things together. We've decided to try to go on a weekend get-away sometime "soon." I think we've narrowed it down to two spots. Just need to decide when. We haven't gone somewhere alone since...well, since our overnight stay at the hotel on our 5th anniversery. It's time.
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I decided over the weekend that Kev must really love me--I mentioned that I'd love to figure out how to fence the north pasture for the goats. We've got lots of weeds there, and they are natural weed eliminators. So, he sat down, and tried to figure it out--just fencing a portion of it. We bought wire and T-posts. But when we got home, realized the logistics just weren't there right now. So, we improvised and put up a small fence in the south pasture since the electric fence that we used for over 2 years quit. Now, how many guys will do something on a whim like that? What should have been an hour project took over 3. And, I know he had other projects he wanted to do. I'd have waited, but he thought it was important.
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While my "men-folk" are off hunting this weekend, I'm going to pamper myself. Kat and I are going to see family in Colo Springs. And I'm planning on shopping (with little money)...and eating Chinese at the mall...and talking and spending lots of time with Kel. Kel is probably the closest thing I have to a sister. We haven't spent time doing things alone in several years. We're due.
And yet, I'm worried about being gone from home for 3 days. I worry about not seeing, and maybe not talking to Kev. I'm worried my animals will need me--especially the chicks and Miss Monkey. My neighbors can care for them, but will they be able to do it as well as I can? Will they give Miss Monkey some lovin after her bottle? Will they remember to change the chick's water twice a day? I'm sure they will, but I can't stop worrying...
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Spring
Mark Twain once said, "The coldest winter I've experienced was a summer spent in San Francisco."
Mark should have spent a spring in Northwest Kansas.
Monday was a beautiful day. No breeze at all, and warm...Almost hot. Beautiful day that begged you to stay outside.
Today, Friday, the wind is blowing. And not a gentle breeze, but 40 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph. And, it's raining--with a slight mixture of snow. Rain, which is moving at 40 mph horizontally hurts when is slaps you up-side the head. It pounds into your chest like bullets. You can hear each drop as it smacks into your body and anywhere else it hits.
If it's not raining, then being out in winds like this, requires your full concentration on standing up, on moving forward, on maintaining your balance. And, if it's dry, you have to concentrate on seeing where you want to go. If it's dry, there's so much dust in the air that at times, that you simply cannot see where you are going. That is very scary.
Two weeks ago, on the first day of spring, we had a blizzard. Nasty blizzard. The kids and I were home for Spring Break, but Kev was supposed to work. He chose to stay at home. Visibility was extremely low and the drifting across the highways made driving unsafe. The irony is that not one ounce of snow fell all winter. We had snow in the late fall, but once it was officially winter, no moisture until the first day of spring. Typical weather in Kansas.
Spring also brings track season and baseball season. Today is a perfectly typical track meet day. Miserable, wet, cold and windy. Baseball games get cancelled due to high winds and rain. Track meets do not.
I'd venture to bet that Mark Twain's summer in San Francisco was much nicer than spring in Northwest Kansas.
Mark should have spent a spring in Northwest Kansas.
Monday was a beautiful day. No breeze at all, and warm...Almost hot. Beautiful day that begged you to stay outside.
Today, Friday, the wind is blowing. And not a gentle breeze, but 40 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph. And, it's raining--with a slight mixture of snow. Rain, which is moving at 40 mph horizontally hurts when is slaps you up-side the head. It pounds into your chest like bullets. You can hear each drop as it smacks into your body and anywhere else it hits.
If it's not raining, then being out in winds like this, requires your full concentration on standing up, on moving forward, on maintaining your balance. And, if it's dry, you have to concentrate on seeing where you want to go. If it's dry, there's so much dust in the air that at times, that you simply cannot see where you are going. That is very scary.
Two weeks ago, on the first day of spring, we had a blizzard. Nasty blizzard. The kids and I were home for Spring Break, but Kev was supposed to work. He chose to stay at home. Visibility was extremely low and the drifting across the highways made driving unsafe. The irony is that not one ounce of snow fell all winter. We had snow in the late fall, but once it was officially winter, no moisture until the first day of spring. Typical weather in Kansas.
Spring also brings track season and baseball season. Today is a perfectly typical track meet day. Miserable, wet, cold and windy. Baseball games get cancelled due to high winds and rain. Track meets do not.
I'd venture to bet that Mark Twain's summer in San Francisco was much nicer than spring in Northwest Kansas.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Lost books
I'm a librarian. I take care of books. I work with books, I let people read these books, use these books. And I expect people to take care of the books they borrow. Yet, I realize that things happen, and a book might get water damage, or pages fall out, or sometimes, they get lost. I can deal with that, I understand.
Except when it happens to my kids. I get so annoyed when my kids lose library books, or when they have overdue library books. Maybe because we librarians are a small group--we know each other. And, I expect the behavior of my kids to reflect on me. And when my kids lose library books, well, then, somehow, I've failed.
Miss Kat has lost a book. It's not a library book, but it's one she's reading in her reading class. It's important that she have this book. I saw it one night this week, but it was in her trapper, so I didn't worry.
Last night, she was in tears because she cant find the book. She wasn't in tears because she lost the book, but because she'd get an "F" on her assignment. She looked in her room, she looked in the living room. She looked downstairs. No book. She asked me what I did with it. As if I were responsible for her book.
I didn't help her look. I told her where to look, but I refused to help her. After all, I didn't lose it. She thinks she lost it at school. I suggested she check lost and found and the library.
But, I forgot, I am the stupidest Mother in the world. Miss Kat quickly reminded me that it wasn't a library book and no one would ever think to return it there. O yeah, I forgot. After all, I only work in a library. We get all kinds of lost books returned to us, whether they are ours or not. But, hey, I'm stupid. I forgot that my 10-year-old daughter knows more than I do.
I hope she finds her book. I really really hope somebody turned it into the library. Then I can say "I told you so."
Except when it happens to my kids. I get so annoyed when my kids lose library books, or when they have overdue library books. Maybe because we librarians are a small group--we know each other. And, I expect the behavior of my kids to reflect on me. And when my kids lose library books, well, then, somehow, I've failed.
Miss Kat has lost a book. It's not a library book, but it's one she's reading in her reading class. It's important that she have this book. I saw it one night this week, but it was in her trapper, so I didn't worry.
Last night, she was in tears because she cant find the book. She wasn't in tears because she lost the book, but because she'd get an "F" on her assignment. She looked in her room, she looked in the living room. She looked downstairs. No book. She asked me what I did with it. As if I were responsible for her book.
I didn't help her look. I told her where to look, but I refused to help her. After all, I didn't lose it. She thinks she lost it at school. I suggested she check lost and found and the library.
But, I forgot, I am the stupidest Mother in the world. Miss Kat quickly reminded me that it wasn't a library book and no one would ever think to return it there. O yeah, I forgot. After all, I only work in a library. We get all kinds of lost books returned to us, whether they are ours or not. But, hey, I'm stupid. I forgot that my 10-year-old daughter knows more than I do.
I hope she finds her book. I really really hope somebody turned it into the library. Then I can say "I told you so."
Drivers Education
Andy passed his written Drivers Ed. test yesterday. Now, he just has to drive with the instructor in early June, and then he'll have his restricted license.
I have mixed emotions. I'll be glad when I don't have to rearrange my schedule to take him somewhere. But I'll worry about him driving alone. I was so worried that he wouldn't pass the test.
He's been coming to the college for the past month, taking the daily quizzes online to prepare for this test. You see, they don't actually TEACH the kids anymore, the kids read the book, take their quizzes, then take their final test. All the teacher does is post the grades and drive with the kids. Andy had lots of trouble with his quizzes; for some reason, the teacher wasn't receiving them. So, with 2 days to go, we got a phone call from his teacher telling him that he had 15 quizzes to take.
Now, my son never defends himself. He said "ok, I'll get it done." Then he hung up the phone. Relaying the conversation to Mom, well, Mom got hot. "What? You have to taken all your tests, why didn't you tell him you've taken all the tests? Why haven't they gone through?"
Hot Mom took cool Andy to town immediately. We were on a mission.
We logged on at the college, and it showed that Andy had indeed taken his tests. Hot Mom made Andy print all those quizzes off--to prove he'd taken them. We did discover he had skipped chapters 4 and 5, so he took those quickly and we printed them all off. We then emailed his teacher, just to let her know what was happening.
They finally got all his tests sometime the next day. Mom cooled down a little. But, it all ended well, he took his final and passed. Hurdle one cleared.
Andy's been driving frequently. In fact, I seldom get to drive to work anymore. But driving with a teen, a not-the-most-observant-teen, is an experience. Last night, right after passing his driving test, we had to go to Gem to get pig feed. Andy drove.
He scared the c.r.a.p. out of me! We were tooling down the road at 65 mph, rapidly gaining ground on a truck pulling a tractor on a trailer. MY foot was pressing into the floor, trying to get that imaginary brake to grab. Andy, was not. I gently reminded him to pay attention to how fast we were coming upon that big tractor. Andy wasn't concerned. I mentioned the brakes--a little less gently this time. Then I frantically squealed something about hitting them hard.
We didn't hit the tractor, but I sure wish Andy had slowed down a little quicker. He was really annoyed at me. I have no idea why.
You know, I blame all my gray hair on my daughter. But, I'm starting to rethink it--I know I got a few more last night.
I have mixed emotions. I'll be glad when I don't have to rearrange my schedule to take him somewhere. But I'll worry about him driving alone. I was so worried that he wouldn't pass the test.
He's been coming to the college for the past month, taking the daily quizzes online to prepare for this test. You see, they don't actually TEACH the kids anymore, the kids read the book, take their quizzes, then take their final test. All the teacher does is post the grades and drive with the kids. Andy had lots of trouble with his quizzes; for some reason, the teacher wasn't receiving them. So, with 2 days to go, we got a phone call from his teacher telling him that he had 15 quizzes to take.
Now, my son never defends himself. He said "ok, I'll get it done." Then he hung up the phone. Relaying the conversation to Mom, well, Mom got hot. "What? You have to taken all your tests, why didn't you tell him you've taken all the tests? Why haven't they gone through?"
Hot Mom took cool Andy to town immediately. We were on a mission.
We logged on at the college, and it showed that Andy had indeed taken his tests. Hot Mom made Andy print all those quizzes off--to prove he'd taken them. We did discover he had skipped chapters 4 and 5, so he took those quickly and we printed them all off. We then emailed his teacher, just to let her know what was happening.
They finally got all his tests sometime the next day. Mom cooled down a little. But, it all ended well, he took his final and passed. Hurdle one cleared.
Andy's been driving frequently. In fact, I seldom get to drive to work anymore. But driving with a teen, a not-the-most-observant-teen, is an experience. Last night, right after passing his driving test, we had to go to Gem to get pig feed. Andy drove.
He scared the c.r.a.p. out of me! We were tooling down the road at 65 mph, rapidly gaining ground on a truck pulling a tractor on a trailer. MY foot was pressing into the floor, trying to get that imaginary brake to grab. Andy, was not. I gently reminded him to pay attention to how fast we were coming upon that big tractor. Andy wasn't concerned. I mentioned the brakes--a little less gently this time. Then I frantically squealed something about hitting them hard.
We didn't hit the tractor, but I sure wish Andy had slowed down a little quicker. He was really annoyed at me. I have no idea why.
You know, I blame all my gray hair on my daughter. But, I'm starting to rethink it--I know I got a few more last night.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
You can justify just about anything
This morning I stopped at Loves to get a bottle of pop in the 1 liter size. I've pretty much given up pop, I might have one once a week now when 4 months ago, I HAD to have a Diet Dr. Pepper every morning. And I often had to have two to get me through the day. So, I quit. Cold Turkey. I was miserable. My family was miserable. Caffeine headaches are nothing to laugh at. Mine lasted two solid weeks. And I was grumpy enough that everyone at home and at work told me to go get one and drink it!
We survived. But, I've learned that I no longer can tolerate much caffeine. If I have a glass of tea for supper, I can't sleep. If I have a can of pop in the evening, I can't sleep. So, I've learned to just drink water.
But this morning, I stopped to get the 1 liter size of Dr Pepper. Why? Well, I needed a bottle in that size.
Yes, I need the bottle.
Miss Monkey has not rejected me completely. Her momma isn't giving her quite enough milk and she was hungry last night!
She's a little bigger now and needs more that my Mike's Hard Cranberry bottle will hold. So, you see, I needed that liter bottle!
Anything for a good cause. And, I'm not the only one who can justify just about anything.
Kev and Andy can as well.
They are running around my house, morning and night, with turkey calls in their mouths. Yes, I have a chorus of turkeys serenading me, annoying me, making my hair stand on end...You see, turkey season starts soon, and they have to practice.
Yeah. Right. Sure.
See? You can justify just about anything.
We survived. But, I've learned that I no longer can tolerate much caffeine. If I have a glass of tea for supper, I can't sleep. If I have a can of pop in the evening, I can't sleep. So, I've learned to just drink water.
But this morning, I stopped to get the 1 liter size of Dr Pepper. Why? Well, I needed a bottle in that size.
Yes, I need the bottle.
Miss Monkey has not rejected me completely. Her momma isn't giving her quite enough milk and she was hungry last night!
She's a little bigger now and needs more that my Mike's Hard Cranberry bottle will hold. So, you see, I needed that liter bottle!
Anything for a good cause. And, I'm not the only one who can justify just about anything.
Kev and Andy can as well.
They are running around my house, morning and night, with turkey calls in their mouths. Yes, I have a chorus of turkeys serenading me, annoying me, making my hair stand on end...You see, turkey season starts soon, and they have to practice.
Yeah. Right. Sure.
See? You can justify just about anything.
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