Ramblings 2009

Life is great ... busy as ever ... and I've been informed I am getting behind in keeping up the pics and newsy notes ... here's some of the latest. Shiloh is walking and busy learning words. Its like watching Rosetta Stone without the need for software intervention. She points, someone identifies, she repeats. And repeats. Its awesome. They are a threesome now ... Rob, Nomi and Shiloh ... they are enjoying and reveling in every detail of whatever activity ... which I love watching and hearing about. Here is Shiloh in her motocross outfit >>

Over Memorial Day the boxer girls stayed out here and Rob, et al drove over to Seattle to relax and be tourists for a few days. They took the usual one million photos, but these are some of my favorites >>

Those of you who knew Dad ... is this last one Rob looking like my Dad, or what??? It made me smile when I found it in the stack. Just a casual photo of Rob driving the Lexus as they're travelling across the state. Periodically I am struck by this wheel of life where we all turn round-and-round. What is that line of the opening of the detective show ??? .... "the names have been changed ..." Skip loves watching drama TV shows and I have always turned my nose up contemptously at these shows. What I'm learning is this >>>      names change      years change      life is the same over and over      clothing changes      humans are blissfully consistent          it is a wonderful thing.

I'm looking forward to keeping my younger sister Merri's two children this summer every week once a week. The mere idea is getting me edgy about what else I'll manage. I intend to run my version of boot camp :) My niece Ally (11?) is interested in sewing ... she's helped me a few times before with fairly large things ... she did quite a bit of work on the blocks for Ryan's new quilt ... so I'm going to teach her to sew. She's gotten a sewing machine and I want her to be sewing Hot Pads for Hunger because they are small, artistic, and count-able.

My nephew Christian, who is about 8, is crazy about Ryan (and Skip whenever he gets the chance). I'm going to teach him guy-skills ... such as, we're going to install my new outside sink (plumbing), going to make some new steps down to the mailbox (concrete work / hammer, etc.), going to expand the front deck to twice its current size and add a ramp, replace the heating elements in the hot water heater, etc. etc. ... you get the idea :)

I'm going to try to confine my projects to the days they are here ... because in case you didn't realize it, I tend to drop all money-making work and get completely engrossed in wonderful home-improvement projects every opportunity / excuse I get. So ... none of that!!! If I know I'll have at least one full day a week for them, I'm going to push my projects there.

My business is very busy --- I’m so blessed that things have not taken a downturn with the economic issues. I have more work than I take time to do.

Rob and grandbaby Shiloh continue their Friday morning Nana visits. That has been such a great scheduling plan for Rob and I both. We sit around the yard, enjoying lattes and some treat I bake, and watch Shiloh explore and play with the dogs while we talk internet/development/techy talk. What a blessing!

The demo derby project is coming along nicely. Skip is still posting videos of the progress almost every week at www.skipcook.com ... we're having a good time with it but it is LOADS of work. I'm finishing the last of the artwork on the t-shirt today and going to send out a mass email for pre-orders so we get enough the first time around.

Our yard is gorgeous -- I added another expanded bed at the base of the front pine tree and the dogs were playing in it till I started putting on the grass clipping mulch I usually use everywhere. Once that covered the bare dirt they have left it alone and things are finally settling in and starting to take hold. The plants weren’t stressing, but they were getting uprooted every single day! Sass was burying regular dog-bones out there -- I mean the VitaBone kind.

This raised bed we put in last year on the west side of the house is really taking shape. I put a climbing Mr. Lincoln rose in this year next to the trumpet vine. The trumpet is just starting to wake up now -- small at the bottom and bushy, and Mr. Lincoln looks settled in and healthy. I’m looking for FRAGRANCE! ... unfortunately, the fish in the pond did not survive the winter ... we found them at the bottom of the pond in mud. Happily, the new ones are quite lively and seem content.

These are my favorite perky early geraniums surrounding a peony that opened just yesterday. Everyone else in the neighborhood has had peonies in bloom for weeks, but this is the first of ours that has opened. We have them in several different locations, but they're all running a bit late.

Our raised beds are looking awesome and we should have enough beet greens to feed most of the neighborhood. Skip went nuts on those. We like them though, so its all good.

This rose has moved four times !!! It was a home-grown transplant I started from the mother plant which climbed the wall next to our chicken house on Bonnie Drive. It is the old-fashioned strongly scented yellow climber. So nice to see that its happy this year :)

Asparagus we planted in a 15" deep trench last year has dirt piling almost back up to ground level. The stalks are tall and ferny, very healthy and looking good. I did lose one rose bush that was planted on the side of a small rise. That was the only plant gone through the winter though.

Ryan has stepped up and become an A student these last 3 weeks and we have all thoroughly enjoyed the process. No idea how much he will remain here -- but no matter, it is wonderful however it works out. I love it when he’s not here and I so enjoy his presence when he is :)