Paper Whites, Simply Beautiful

Each year I start paper whites. They smell so good and really brighten a dreary winter's day. All you need are bulbs, rocks and a container. Set the bulbs on the rocks and water to the bottom of the bulbs. It doesn't take long for it to feel like spring.
I prefer not to purchase the kits, since I have containers. Ravenna Garden Shop in Seattle sells paper whites by the bulb. This is a simple way to keep things cheerful after the holiday decorations are back in the attic.

Bail Out or Bale Out?

Yesterday afternoon, the guys were bailing or baling, the water was rising and soon it became obvious that we couldn't keep up. It was stressful, I felt a bit like Noah's wife must have felt. It gets a bit tense. BIL Bill and nephew, Levi came to the rescue with a pump from the farm. Going out to the Thiel Road presented it's own set of hurdles. The pump had a hose problem, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed with duct tape and cling wrap. Fortunately, I had some festive green cling wrap. Whew!

So, since they got the pump running, we have turned the pump on for fifteen minutes every two hours and kept the flooding from overtaking our furnace and floors.

Special thanks to Bill, Levi, Hubby and Sam and Max. Hubby and Sam set alarms through the night and ran the pump every two hours all night long. It is much like having a baby in the house again.

I can not imagine what others with big flood issues are going through this week. Please pray for those fighting the water, those who are not able to stay in their homes and for the many, many people affected by the flooding. It is still raining but most of our snow has melted. It was very different to look out the window yesterday and see grass. It had been a long time.

Hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow...

Weather You Like It or Not

What a difference a week can make...


Here at the Stone House, our crawl space is flooding, this is where our new furnace and hot water tank are stationed. We tried bailing, now we are looking for a pump. The ground is so saturated with the floods that the water is coming up out of the ground. Not so fun, yet very minor compared to so many others.
Someday, when it's funny, I'll write about this morning, my drive to Starbucks and how I almost floated away on Main Street. Still not funny yet.

This is funny:
*Quote for the day from museum docent, Ben Boxum, "Weather. Everyone talks about it and no one does anything about it."

We need to keep our sense of humor.

Monday, Monday

It's melting...

After all the parties, snow, debauchery, a stress fracture in my foot, wining and dining...Monday has come. Time to get off the couch! I went to boot camp this morning, it's been three weeks, it's hard to go back. But it felt good. Routine felt good. Even my muscles hurting felt good, in a weird sort of way.
Sam went back to work, Max went to school (kicking, whining, grousing every stinkin' step of the way), Hubby and I are home today putting the house back together again. Also, putting Ad's place back together again this afternoon.
Routine, schedules, peace and quiet, clean flat surfaces, it's all good. Even the Eat Less, Move More is good. I'm rested and ready, bring it on!
Although, nothing could have prepared me for just how cranky Max was this morning...

Night Sledding Party

My sister, Jodi called tonight and asked if we wanted to have a sledding party... tonight! We made some calls, Max loaded some firewood for a bonfire, I gathered everything for hot cocoa and at 7:30 the party was on. Bill and Jodi live next to a super hill. Perfect weather, lightly snowing and about 30 degrees, conditions were great.
It's dark out there so the photos are not high quality but you get the idea.







Bill held the flashlight while I made hot cocoa for everyone. Truly tailgating.


My BIL, Bill challenged me to a race, face first. Sure. Fifty year old women should not try this at home. Photo is a happy shot taken before the race. Now ibuprofen and bed for moi. We decided it was a draw and that we didn't need a rematch.

R E L A X

Many bloggers are setting goals, vowing to take a photo 365 days in the new year, choosing a word to focus on in the year 2009. Making resolutions and lists!

Um, me, not so much. After Christmas, after driving to George, after Danny's visit, after all the parties and dinners, working, more fun than anyone should have, I am doing nothing! No goals, no projects, nothing. And it is pure bliss.

I'm sleeping, (until after ten this morning!), I'm eating (I'll pay later), watching movies (I've watched more movies in 2009 than all of 2008), reading (author Marcia Willett, a Rosmunde Pilcher wannabe), lounging (I am surprisingly good at it!), and making soup (3 pots, after all I still have to feed the guys).

It feels good! I don't even have a 2009 calendar. I am in the land of Denial and doing quite well, thank you! It's time for tea, again. Later.