Happy National Tartan Day

 Last year, once we decided to garden, I feel like I was out in the mornings or after work doing things that needed to be done there.  This year, so far, I am having a hard time pulling myself out of bed.  When I start doing things in the garden, I want to keep going.  Today that was right before dinner.  It was just Gideon and I home for dinner.  We walked around the yard and garden, then he helped me transplant some of the geraniums.  

The geraniums are on the right.

It was really great to have a helper.  He did a great job following my directions on how to transplant and water.  I doubt gardening will win out for him over anything on the computer, but maybe he'll like it just a little.  Other happy things for today:

• Did I mention that the garlic is coming up?  It looks like something is already sampling it.  I decided to cut the two milk jugs I had in half and cover some of the garlic in hopes that it will be a deterrent.  

See that hole?
I wonder if whatever lives there likes garlic!

• Speaking of milk jugs, there is now growth in at least five of the milk jug greenhouses I planted in.  I didn't look into all of them.  Lettuce and Johnny jump-ups are coming up.
• This afternoon my friend, Amy, and I walked at Livingston Park.  We walked just over three miles.  There are budding trees and ducks on the pond.  Best of all was the great company!

Straight up.

• During dinner I remembered that I had tried putting some seeds into wet paper towels and bags to see if they would germanate.  Oops.  Three of the marigolds did and they are in the pots to the left of the geraniums above.  That fourth pot has some other geranium seeds that I don't expect to grow.

☮

Finished listening to: Goodbye, Things, by Fumio Sasaki.

Stay safe.

New Signs

 It was a day with no downsizing.  There were two boxes of books that I needed to do another sort of, and I did.  I'm hoping that some will be worth something on EBay.  My hope was to start off this week reorganizing the stuff I already have since lately I haven't taken the time to put every little thing away.  Instead I ran errands.  These were important too.  One of the things I did was to find a home for three of the books.  I got in touch with the case manager at the school I used to work at.  It seemed quite possible that one of the students I used to work with would like those books.  After some texting she said I could go to the school to drop them off.  It was so great to see her again.  I was able to give the books to the student and see them too.  We met out in the parking lot.  It was wonderful!  I didn't stick around to see others.  There is still a pandemic and besides, I would have started crying.  After leaving I had to remind myself why I don't want to work at a school again.  Other happy things for today:

• In order to get my steps in I got creative and pulled over and got out of the car to stretch my legs.  The first time along a rail trail, the second turned into a walk in a conservation area, and the third at the grocery store.
• I hadn't planned to walk more than a little bit in the conservation area but when I got there things were... different.  This is a place that I used to walk my dog fairly often when I lived in that area of the state.  I hadn't been on this trail in quite some time.  The first thing I noticed is that part of the area had trees tapped for collecting maple sap.  When I saw a sign, I was concerned that it was no longer part of the conservation area.  

Then I realized that the area that is tapped, is actually part of the nearby youth camp.  Parts of some of the trails go through the youth camp's property.  There is also another sign that is new since I walked through here before.  The trees have wooden tags instead of painted tags for trail markers now too.

• When I entered the trail I was on the phone with TF.  About a quarter mile in I realized that I hadn't remembered to turn on the MapMyRun app or my FitBit tracking.  So I did.  As I got closer to completing the loop I was on, I decided to do it again.  I finished the walk on MapMyRun when I was back at the beginning, then started it again and re-did the hike, only counterclockwise instead.  That is how I know I was about a quarter mile in.  😊
• There are a couple of places along the trail that require small hops over little brooks.  Some have strategically placed stones and some have boards over them.  In other areas there are footbridges.  The first of these small brooks that I went over reminded me of one that has a tree on it.  I used to hug the tree when I crossed the water there.  I didn't go that way today, but I saw it and it is still there.  One of the neat things is how I remembered where the rocks were.  My first time over I missed one that I thought was gone.  When I returned the second time, from the opposite direction, I saw that it was just a little more sunken under the leaves.

The rock on this root system reads, "Be the change."

☮

Currently listening to: Goodbye, Things, by Fumio Sasaki.

Stay safe.

Happy Easter!

 It would seem that I am going to have a hard time reintegrating myself with society.  It has been over a year since the pandemic began, but only about six months since I had a job and spent time with many people.  I've always been an introvert, but I could tolerate large crowds and found ways to manage them for myself.  Today we went to Zed's parents for Easter.  There were a total of thirteen people.  We stayed outside in a spacious yard other than to get food.  It was still difficult for me.  I went for a walk (1.4 miles) so that I could be by myself for a little bit.  Walking one or two people would have been fine, but it was easier to quietly go.  So I have learned that seeing people again will be a process and today was the first step in that process.  I know that this step had to happen.  It would have been harder with my family as it would have been a larger group.  It was hard, but I am glad I did it.  Other things I am happy about:

• On the walk, I went by a street with a bluebird perched on the street sign.  It flew away quickly, flapping that magnificent shade of blue.  The street name was Finch Circle.
• On the way home, I asked the family to stop at the walking bridge that goes over the Merrimack River and runs by the train tracks.  I didn't think that Gideon had been there before and it is a short walk over and back (.35 miles). 

• The cats missed us when we were gone.  

I missed the shot where Winston 
was rubbing his head into Zed's.

• Candy.

We edited and uploaded the last of the videos for downsizing during Lent.  I'm going to take some time to regroup and work in the yard and garden.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Stay safe.

Geraniums

The downsizing for Lent challenge that Zed and I have been doing is over.  Well, the recording part, there is still a bunch of editing.  Zed and I had a long talk about what the next steps should be.  I still have a bunch of boxes.  It has been 46 days of going through boxes and finding places to put things and get rid of at least one thing from that box.  When I wanted to keep everything, I worked on another box.  I think that only happened once.  It has been challenging and fun, but this week -at least the end of it- has been overwhelming.  Tomorrow, Easter, there is no plan to go through a box.  Zed and I are planning to continue on some level until my boxes are sorted and I have less stuff.  This coming week though will be a regrouping.  I don't want to lose the momentum, but I also don't want to completely burn out.  When we started this I feel that I was mostly on top of the things I normally do.  The last week or two things have started to slide.  The pile of boxes in my bedroom has grown because I have put trash or recycling in boxes and then left them in my room instead of taking care of them.  After a week of playing catch up and cleaning I will get back to the boxes.  I am so thankful for the friends who suggested getting rid of things for Lent.    Other things I am happy for today:

• Today was National Find a Rainbow Day.  It is all about finding beauty, hope, or wellness.  My kind of day.  Here is more information on the holiday.
• For the month of April I joined with a group of people to do a pilgrimage.  We each log how much we walk and see how many miles we can do.  I went on a short walk around the property today, only three fourths of a mile.  I decided to cut through places that have no path again.  The little brook was babbling so I stopped for a moment to listen.
• Standing still I can listen.  The sounds of cars and children playing fade toward the back and what comes forward are the bird song and dried leaves rustling as the breeze carries them to somewhere new.  

• The cats are getting along today and they are super cute.

• The geraniums are starting to look like geraniums and not just leaves popping through soil.

I know it is hard to see, but some leaves
are getting the right shape to grow into a geranium.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.

Re-reorganizing

 If my parents had some kind of shady past that they kept receipts for, I feel like I would have found them with this last box I went through.  Mom kept pretty much everything when it came to receipts and cards and mail.  In my case, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  If I ever had any doubt that I was my mother's child, that would be gone too.  I now have some of the hospital receipts from her stay when I was born.  I found some for one of my brothers, but not the other.  It is quite possible that I just missed them.  Had my birthday not caught my eye as I was going through the papers, I wouldn't have seen mine to save it.  Will I continue to save it?  No.  It is currently with things to keep, but I plan to go through many things again and scan or photograph them and then get rid of the paper.  Having this box behind me is huge.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Keziah and I reorganized the piles of boxes that I still need to go through--again.  I touched almost every single one this time.  There are only a couple more that I expect to be horrible like the one I just finished.  We did a sort-books, craft, photos/genealogy, and misc.  The craft and photos/genealogy are going to stay where they are for a bit.  Ideally we are going through the book boxes tomorrow for the last official day of downsizing.  After at least one day off (Easter) I am going to try to continue doing a box a day.  It feels good to have a little more of a plan for which boxes to go through next.

Today before the sort.

Today after the sort.

• Watching the cats play on the toys that Keziah has purchased and built for them.

Nanni and Winston.

• Before dinner I took a nice walk out back and around the yard, about 1.6 miles.
• The garlic is starting to come up.

• There are shades of green starting to show.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from today.

• It is Minecraft night.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.

Not an April Fool Kind of Day.

It was a cold, rainy, snowy, doldrums sort of spring day. 

The last of my father's generation, his twin brother George, passed away today. Going through my box for downsizing I found a receipt where the person who wrote the receipt got the wrong brother. 

One of my first memories of my uncle, he was pretending to be my dad. Good memories. 

The twins.
Pretty sure it is my dad to the left and behind
and Uncle George on the right.

 The day ended on a good note. My happy things for today:

• As Baroness of Stonemarche it is a wonderful thing to be able to see members of the Barony receive accolades from the Kingdom. Normally people would meet in large numbers to witness these. In a pandemic, our anachronistic medieval rituals have been moved to the world of Zoom meetings. A month or so ago Baron Keziah and I started going to people's homes-if it can be arranged-and wishing them a hearty Vivat (long life) from outside a window. It may seem creepy, but we do get permission from a household member before doing this. Tonight we drove north and cheered on a person who has done great service.  We got to have a short visit outside in the cold to wish the family well.  They gave us things they made for us.  Such wonderful people we have in our Barony!
• Driving north, the skies cleared and stars shone.  

Just a little before we left, the sun set.

• Driving home, singing with Keziah.

☮

Currently listening to: Goodbye, Things, by Fumio Sasaki.

Wear a mask.

Turning Dirt

 Three boxes went through today but nothing as fun as yesterday's old pictures.  Most of the things I got rid of.  Well, there were a bunch of old clothes and pieces of fabric that went back into a box for Keziah to use.  It is still gone from my list of things to sort.  I found one of my favorite skirt sets and it is in the box for Keziah.  It will never fit me again and will probably not ever be in style again either.  Honestly, this is me, it was probably not in style when I made it.  Other happy things for today:

• This morning I went to see a friend and shovel sheep manure.  It has been over a year since we have seen each other (pandemic) and it was a nice visit.  Also, I got more manure for the garden.  I borrowed a spindle of hers last time we saw each other, had it in the car, and I forgot to give it to her.  Guess I'll have to help her shovel again soon.  
• After talking with Zed about getting a tiller, I went out to the garden with a pitchfork and turned some of the dirt.  I may be jumping the gun.  Last year I felt like we started late, this year early.  The ground wasn't frozen at all.  This is the part of the garden that I had insect problems-squash bugs and squash vine borers.  Disturbing the soil may reduce the number I get this year.  The squash will also go in a different part of the garden.  It is a nice feeling to have this started.

This is the first of three rows I will need to do just to
get the area that I had squash and pumpkins last year.

☮

Currently listening to: Goodbye, Things, by Fumio Sasaki.
Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.