The time has come to bid Eau Claire, Wisconsin farewell. After 27 years, I am moving back to Utah. I am excited, sad and a little unsure about it all. Totally excited to FINALLY be going home. I have longed for, prayed for and petitioned for this day for many years. I never thought I'd be here this long. I expected 5 years maybe. I'm excited to be able to see nieces and nephews when they are newborns instead of preschoolers. I'm excited to climb the mountains. I am excited to see the temple daily. And I'm excited to get to know my siblings as adults.
I'm sad to leave beautiful Eau Claire; the green green grass that I don't have to water; the variety of trees that develop beautiful vibrant colors in the fall; and all the many friends I have made here over the years. I am mostly sad that I will leave one of my children here. He may be grown up and I may not see him more than 2 minutes a week from a distance, but at least I see him. This area of the country has become part of me. I have lived here longer than I have ever lived anywhere else. I raised my family here. When I speak of family I know I will envision my life back in Eau Claire. I won't miss the winters though!
Having been away from the close ties of family for so long, I am leery about the reunion. What will life be like after the honeymoon period is over? Every time I visit my family, I get to a point that I just want to go home, but I've never had a home in Utah to go to. I want to do my own thing, clean my own house, cook my own meals or go out. I get tired and frustrated. Every day seems like such a hassle and it takes FOREVER do anything. I try to be patient. I remind myself that they all have little ones to get ready and I don't, but it feels like things move at a very viscous pace.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Winding up and down and limbo
The garden is winding down. I was given some watermelon plants this year and took a chance and planted them kind of late in the year. I hoped to get MAYBE one, hopefully two eatable watermelon out of them. Well, tonight I went and harvested 5 nice sized melons. The biggest and heaviest one fell out of my arms and split in two when it hit the ground. It's beautiful red color begged me not to leave it there. It had landed on the rind, so I decided it was salvageable. Boy am I glad I brought it home. I haven't tasted a watermelon so sweet in years! It's as sweet and sticky as candy. I hope the other 3 are just as good. I took one to the neighbor and he said he'd be willing to take a chance on a garden watermelon. It's always a gamble for me. I can never tell if it sounds hallow when I know on watermelon; they all sound the same.
As the garden winds down, school and work are winding up. I guess gearing up is the correct phrase but it doesn't go with winding up and down.
I usually get a couple calls to substitute teach about a month after school starts. This year I started working the second day of school. Then I got a couple calls directly from the teachers asking if I could work which lead to being in the right place at the right time and getting more jobs. One of which was a full on, full day teaching job. I was so apprehensive about it but it turned out okay. Only one student took advantage of the situation but he turned it around by the time I had him at the end of the day. The worst part about being a sub for me is not knowing the students names. It makes it really hard to call on students so I end up doing all the talking. I hate that. The students don't learn nearly as much when the teacher does all the talking.
This summer I learned my ex had moved to Texas. To test it, because the source is not the most honest person, I sent him a large envelope with some paperwork. I sent it certified and restricted, which means only the person it is addressed to can sign for it. I sent the envelope was sent to his last known address and the post office immediately forwarded it to Texas. He was given 2 notices that it was at the post office and he had 15 days to pick it up. He never picked it up and it was sent back to me. Next, I talked to a lawyer to find out what my options were. After a bit of a conversation, he said I would need to comply with the court order, which is to send notice to my ex stating when and where I am moving, file the same notice with the clerk of court and then go; move; pack up. So last Friday I sent another certified, restricted notice to my ex at the last known address. I had to wait until Monday to file with the clerk of courts because they close at 3:00 pm. (I got off work at 2:45 that day). Now I wait. Wait for the envelope to either be picked up or returned to me. The first notice has been given. If it isn't picked up, it will be sent back to me on October 10. I should know by October 12 if I am free to move. Everyday I have little anxiety attacks out of what seems like nowhere. Then I realize I am thinking of that envelope sitting in the post office in Whitehall, and hoping and praying that he doesn't pick it up and it is returned to me on October 10. In the meantime, I'll close down my garden, work and finish a quilt or two for charity. Oh ya, and pack my house and 30 years of stuff.
Anyone know what to do with an old, not gonna move it, couch and chair? They are trash, not fit for human use (but the mouse/mice sure loved them!)
As the garden winds down, school and work are winding up. I guess gearing up is the correct phrase but it doesn't go with winding up and down.
I usually get a couple calls to substitute teach about a month after school starts. This year I started working the second day of school. Then I got a couple calls directly from the teachers asking if I could work which lead to being in the right place at the right time and getting more jobs. One of which was a full on, full day teaching job. I was so apprehensive about it but it turned out okay. Only one student took advantage of the situation but he turned it around by the time I had him at the end of the day. The worst part about being a sub for me is not knowing the students names. It makes it really hard to call on students so I end up doing all the talking. I hate that. The students don't learn nearly as much when the teacher does all the talking.
This summer I learned my ex had moved to Texas. To test it, because the source is not the most honest person, I sent him a large envelope with some paperwork. I sent it certified and restricted, which means only the person it is addressed to can sign for it. I sent the envelope was sent to his last known address and the post office immediately forwarded it to Texas. He was given 2 notices that it was at the post office and he had 15 days to pick it up. He never picked it up and it was sent back to me. Next, I talked to a lawyer to find out what my options were. After a bit of a conversation, he said I would need to comply with the court order, which is to send notice to my ex stating when and where I am moving, file the same notice with the clerk of court and then go; move; pack up. So last Friday I sent another certified, restricted notice to my ex at the last known address. I had to wait until Monday to file with the clerk of courts because they close at 3:00 pm. (I got off work at 2:45 that day). Now I wait. Wait for the envelope to either be picked up or returned to me. The first notice has been given. If it isn't picked up, it will be sent back to me on October 10. I should know by October 12 if I am free to move. Everyday I have little anxiety attacks out of what seems like nowhere. Then I realize I am thinking of that envelope sitting in the post office in Whitehall, and hoping and praying that he doesn't pick it up and it is returned to me on October 10. In the meantime, I'll close down my garden, work and finish a quilt or two for charity. Oh ya, and pack my house and 30 years of stuff.
Anyone know what to do with an old, not gonna move it, couch and chair? They are trash, not fit for human use (but the mouse/mice sure loved them!)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Garden journal
As the 2012 garden season winds down, I have been thinking of all the things I've learned about gardening. One thing that I think has really had a huge impact on my thinking this year is the fact that fewer and fewer people are gardening as a way of sustaining themselves through the winter. Gardens seem to be getting smaller and fewer people are preserving what they harvest. I told my son just the other day as I prepared the beans for the canner, that he was going to have to learn how to can the produce from the garden because chances are, his wife will not know how.
So, what I have learned so far; Each person needs 100 square feet of garden to produce enough to eat through the winter; planting a few seeds of corn at a time instead of the whole packet at once is a lot easier to manage at harvest time. (I had to replant my corn 3 times this summer because only a few seeds sprouted each time. Now, at harvest time, I have picked a few ears of corn at a time. Just enough to eat and process without becoming overwhelmed.) 70 seeds of beans produces just about enough beans for me for the winter. My colander full of prepared beans is enough for the 9 jars in the canner. Don't plant the winter squash next to the beans unless you have a really sturdy support for your beans. Next year I will plant the 3 sisters (winter squash, corn, and beans) in just that order to help reduce the squash bugs and bean beetles and keep the squash from growing up the bean supports.
And lastly, 32 pepper plants are a lot of plants! Nathan is experimenting with pepper seeds this year. He wants to see if the packet is right when it says the peppers will be ready in so many days. He is really enjoying the plants. He recorded the days of germination for each one. He waters them faithfully, and checks on them 2-3 times a day; Just to see what the flowers look like, how big the peppers are and compare the size of the plants. (there are supposed to be 5 kinds of peppers in the packet.) He says they are "more fun that a pet" and calls them his "babies. " He says it will be hard to pull up the plants this fall.
So, what I have learned so far; Each person needs 100 square feet of garden to produce enough to eat through the winter; planting a few seeds of corn at a time instead of the whole packet at once is a lot easier to manage at harvest time. (I had to replant my corn 3 times this summer because only a few seeds sprouted each time. Now, at harvest time, I have picked a few ears of corn at a time. Just enough to eat and process without becoming overwhelmed.) 70 seeds of beans produces just about enough beans for me for the winter. My colander full of prepared beans is enough for the 9 jars in the canner. Don't plant the winter squash next to the beans unless you have a really sturdy support for your beans. Next year I will plant the 3 sisters (winter squash, corn, and beans) in just that order to help reduce the squash bugs and bean beetles and keep the squash from growing up the bean supports.
And lastly, 32 pepper plants are a lot of plants! Nathan is experimenting with pepper seeds this year. He wants to see if the packet is right when it says the peppers will be ready in so many days. He is really enjoying the plants. He recorded the days of germination for each one. He waters them faithfully, and checks on them 2-3 times a day; Just to see what the flowers look like, how big the peppers are and compare the size of the plants. (there are supposed to be 5 kinds of peppers in the packet.) He says they are "more fun that a pet" and calls them his "babies. " He says it will be hard to pull up the plants this fall.
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SWAT Team
The SWAT Team from the local PD did some training in the house down the street. All the officers lined up behind the first guy who was holding a sheild, and they all marched to the house and "raided" it. There was a picture of a very buff sweaty guy with a big rifle just inside the door of the SWAT van.
Stuart the leprachan
I think he got this at Lagoon
