I hope someone lets me know when I get there!

We spent a week north visiting friends and family, Drox, Tiney, Matey and I, leaving Buh behind. He did some furniture re arranging but I am sure we can tweek a couple things and come out "ahead".
Drox was always gone to Scout Camp on my birthday so his announcement (earlier this month) that he would stay thru my birthday - and spend it with me!!! - was very welcome. Yesterday on the way to church he informed me he would like to spend the next two days in our old neighborhood and would I be able to pick him up on Tuesday, my birthday is Wednesday. Sure, that'll be fine. Unfortunately plenty of the old neighbors would give him a place to sleep so there was little to do but gracefully accept. What was I going to say? No Drox, I would like you to be here to help your sister and I get the house back together so we can all enjoy Wednesday together?!?!?
Tiney made tika masala for dinner last night. Very nice, a bit spicy and I had a little trouble getting to sleep but no full blown heartburn so I am happy. She asked how early she had to get up to beat the sprinklers, she had jeans on the swing set for stage one drying, and when I said 0700 she asked Matey if he could wake her up before then. Surest way I know to get the baby to sleep til 9!
I always wake up between 0545 and 0630 so I just made the decision this morning to stay up and nap when Matey does. Their jeans are in the dryer, doors - to include the garage - are open to suck in as much 65 degree air as possible and the breadboard is wiped and closed giving access to the dishwasher. I will unload and reload it as soon as I finish this post... may be a LONG post, eh?
Yesterday after church (1415) my car read 98 degrees. At home I set our air at 75 (74 for esp hot days) and open windows at night when it falls below 75. (One of the pluses of living in a relatively safe town and neighborhood) It wasn't under 75 until 0300 so the air conditioning ran most the night, sigh!
Had a nice trip even if all the driving fell to me, got to work on Tiney (and Drox) getting drivers licenses, yeesh. Taught them to be law abiding so they wouldn't even spell me on isolated, middle of nowhere, there have only been 5 cars on this road in the last week highways. ;-Þ
My mom is back on her property and seems well. Already planning to expand her new kitchen ;-} (Now we will see if my brothers know this blog exists ;-o) It is fun to see all the improvements to her home. We helped tear out the old kitchen after brother #2 started the new one. Both of my sisters and brother #1 helped with various stages of construction (to include financing) and the results are wonderful!
She is catching the vision that less is more so the bonfire when she dies (Her words, not mine) will be a bit smaller! (In the past she had said she expected us to take what we want and drop a match on the rest when she is gone.)
My name is in the Household Searchlight Cookbook on the fridge and I think that is it for me, except for pictures and genealogy of course. The cookbook was given to my grandma(Grandma Johnny) by her mom(Grandma Perdue) and Grandma Johnny gave it to my mom and it has survived to become mine at least in name. Tiney got a good look at it last week (to include photographing some recipes to try) so is now lobbying for it to be hers in the future. Plus she is now interested in cookbooks from the time period - late 1920s to mid 1930s. (In case you draw her name for Christmas)
Oh, and Buh has dibs on my Bell collection. I forget what I said*, probably that Tiney was after the cookbook, which led to Drox gets the quarter collection and Le gets the piano, Tiney is promised the silver jewelry my Dad brought home from Viet Nam, Ddonn has the piano lace and he was all "well what do I get?" "What do I have that you want?" "Your bells, I get your bells" "OK, they are yours. I will let the other kids know. Consider yourselves informed. Wil, I am drawing a blank if you ever asked for or were promised anything, please let me know!
*I remember! A friend's step parent died and a long absent son is demanding all sorts of things from the estate, although he has been given more than the will dictated, and even tho the step daughters gave the care needed in the last several years, and I told Buh - as my oldest child - I really Don't want my children to be munches to each other after my demise.
Quit laughing and pretend I have something to fight over!
Well, the dryer quit and the dishes are calling my name. Today is scheduled to be mid 90s again but Tuesday should just be mid 80s and Wed and Thurs more of the same - hooray!

I will enjoy moving even LESS and get more insistent that people pack EARLY

ESPECIALLY the kitchen!!!
I packed my room before I went to see Matey for two weeks and my 'good example' was mostly wasted on the boys ;-Þ Buh informed me-upon my return- that going away for two weeks and then returning 3 days before a scheduled move was a bad idea.
NO it was hideous. We all were beyond exhausted, would NEVER have made it without last minute help from wonderful friends and Le's unfailing admonitions to get moving! I kept telling Drox that we just had to make it until 5pm on Thursday (the walkthru) THEN he could fall apart.
I am throwing away more junk-sending it to DI actually- and being obsessive about things being cleaned up, taken care of, etc., immediately!!!
Drox went north for the summer on Sunday. He rode with friends from Ontario OR to Gville where he got to see my newest neice and claims that she actually looks more like her daddy (my brother) than her mommy now. . . yeah for genetics! Only one of my 6 looked like my family at birth. . . the rest looked like their dad's baby photos. As adults two look like my side more than his, but they are all keepers!
Drox went on up to EC with my mom and was happily at P&C's last night. . . bagpipes, shamrocks and all!

my hair will have a style, even tho' it is losing its color!

Well, THAT didn't work, this was supposed to appear BELOW the four generation photo! Jr, George + kitten, Drox's leg, Fred in the background and part of Aunt Missy.






this would be me, my oldest daughter (second child), and my mom with my 3 lovely grand daughters. . . I know there is one with George smiling - this must have made the cut due to problems with the rest of us . . . I will have to add one of George smiling!

I will still blog in the comment space, but I try!

This is from my comment from Ddonn's blog (elcidandgirls) and since I actually blogged about the outhouse first I felt it was OK to lift the informational essay I for some reason felt the need to post there in response to a comment . . .

A post! You must be feeling better. I am SO glad!

If Jessica only knew! One does not even want to dwell on WHAT might be hiding in the stacks of hundreds of Reader's Digests, National Geographics, and miscellaneous 'womens' magazines stacked in there!

The outhouse is 4-5 feet wide, 3-3 1/2 feet deep and taller than me...(5'6")probably 6 feet tall at the back and 8 or more at the front. The seat is an old church pew... talk to my dad!* and is a two seater, my little brother was only 3 when they moved there... and the last 18+ inches is where the book stacking began, eventually reaching shoulder height(sitting) and then taking up the floor space in front of the "hole-less" end. A shelf on that end wall holds hand sanitizer, extra paper and has a really nice floral wreath on the wall above it. The toilet paper 'dispenser' is, of course, on the end wall by the holes. It never had a door, originally it faced up hill so there was no need* and when it was repositioned 15 or more years ago facing downhill and the river, a curtain was hung... which blocks the view, btw!

Beautiful pictures Ddonn! I look forward to more! I am glad you are well enough to post! ! !
xoxoxox

The link to Ddonn's blog is on the left side of my blog page, she is currently ill - terrible way to return home from vacation!

I will experience the end of an era, indubitably more than once!

About 10 minutes before 7 p.m. on Thursday, 19 June 2008 the tree that took out the outhouse finished its descent.  Earlier in the day, whilst I was buzzing Drox's old bald head, we heard a loud crack and the outhouse gave up its valiant fight, falling face first onto the ground, losing its roof completely and spewing National Geographics and Reader's Digests as it went. (Sometime after 1000 and before 1100).  Three minutes another loud crack and a shower of branches signaled the further fall of the tree.  Eight to ten minutes later alot more cracking of branches and it settled more definitely into the branches of the trees downhill and away from the trailer... kinda towards the resting place of the green monster.  Then peace for almost eight hours was followed by a loud crack and a thunderous crash as it took its final plunge to the earth.  

Ddonn enlisted ElCid and Drox and the fallen giant was measured... 100 feet (and that is with the tip broken off).  Its major claim to fame* is wiping out the facilities at Grammy's house I hope it was worth the 15 minutes*!

We leave to return to civilization in an hour or less!

my kids will remember to call when they arrive home safely!

I am just jealous that I am out in the wilds while Wil and spouse (what name DID I give to her cute husband?) arrived back in the USA last night '8-ish', safe and sound I am sure, and Tiney gets to see them... and hug and kiss them... today ! ! !  And all we have is an ever increasing lean to the outhouse, two rafts inflated making their maiden runs on the American River... Drox and Ddonn selflessly making the initial journeys, and dutch oven cooking on the menu for dinner.

Hooray for all my children being on the same continent!

Love and condolences to my Aunt and my cousin's family, children and ex-es, on his passing Monday, 16 June 2008.  While it was not unexpected it is still sad that things worked out the way they did.  My memories are all of our youth, happier days by far!

I will still love being out at my mom's in the middle of "nowhere"

and enjoying the peace and quiet!  We made it here later than plan A but still in good time, about 2200 local time 15 June 2008.  We were sure the squirrels would sleep in late... they were eating their breakfast at 0600,  so much for 'sure'.  Ddonn didn't look at the clock until 0523 so isn't sure exactly when they woke up... I played possum until 1000 myself - unabashedly.

Allergies are still plaguing me otherwise it is great out in the midst of national forest with the river running fast and only a little bit high.  Fred is an especially avid fisherwoman and George just soaks in all the freedom while Jr is in heaven surrounded by innumerable collectable rocks.

A tree fell on the outhouse yesterday or this morning in the wee hours.  I noticed when I went to use the facilities that I was on an angle that threatened to slide me off and out the door.  I called down to my mom that the outhouse was on a slant and she dismissed it as poor memory on my part.  THEN she went up to use the facilities and by golly, it was on a definite slant.  SO she walked around to inspect and discovered a tree 12 - 18 inches behind the building had rotted off at ground level falling forward (downhill) catching on the right back corner, crushing the edge of the roof and lodging its top in the branches of a tree downhill and to the right.  It caused the left back edge of the structure to lift up off the foundation a couple of inches.  As long as the wind doesn't decide to blow in the next day or two Pat should be able to fell it before it can do more damage.  We are talking about a tree well over 50 feet tall.  Good thing mom got a composting toilet in the trailer last fall so the outhouse is optional!

Visited Blackwood Manor today and Drox got to see the puppies... if you can call five 14? month old Irish wolfhounds puppies.  The chickens have to stay penned up now,  the dogs took out all but 3.  The rabbits, sheep and peacocks stay clear of them so Carol is looking at being able to plant in the back yard now that the creatures who kept eating any and all vegetation are no longer venturing there.  It is amazing what she has accomplished in creating her dream of an olde English manorhouse.  Tons of work and truly amazing!  The slate floor is paint on concrete, something you would NEVER suspect to look at it.  I love the kitchen, the view, the setting... it is just amazing.

And there was the little matter of a flat tire which I am sure Ddonn will cover, since it was her tire... and no one is claiming ownership of the offending screw, suffice it to say that Grammy Bailey knows people who know people and an hour and $7.50 put Bunzo back on her own four tires.

My mom has one of those shade tents with mesh walls that they set up today with the table and benches DG made years ago inside, marvelous for eating outside.  The plates, plasticware and chips are all in the storage areas built into the benches and meals are a breeze to set up for ;-}

Our thanks again to DG for the sturdy furniture!

WAY past bedtime, I doubt anyone lets me sleep til 1000 tomorrow!  The rhubarb is up and begging to be pie or crisp!  Too bad my mom is obeying the doctor, avoiding oxalates and rhubarb is chock full of 'em.