Up on the hill...

It has been a bit crazy up here on the hill over the past 2 weeks.  After my last post, I browsed through my blog, touching on old posts about mothering, and noted that several years ago I mentioned that luckily I had never had to take one of my children to the Emergency Room.  "That's still true!"  I marveled.

The following evening, the girls and I were at the table, finishing dinner, when L jumped up and ran to the door.  "There's Toad!"  she cried.  Toad is the name that she gave to the stray cat  that we had been seeing around our house for the past week or so.  He always ran away when one of us came outside, which was fine - I didn't really want him to stay.  Because we feed our barn cats outside, it becomes the snack spot for every coon, possum and stray cat within a mile radius of our porch.

I admonished her not to touch the cat, and the next thing I saw through the window was her petting it.  I again told her not to get too close.  "He's nice!" she said, "he's purring and wagging his tail!"  I told her that means he's annoyed and he's going to bite - sure enough, that's what he did.  So...we finished cleaning up, got in the car, and were headed down the driveway to go to the ER for rabies shots, when we passed the cat.  The recommendations if bitten by a stray cat are to catch it if possible and watch it for 10 days.  If it becomes ill in that time period, it will need to be euthanized, and it's brain evaluated for evidence of rabies infection, and the bite victim will need the shots.  If it is ok after 10 days, everyone is in the clear. 

We were able to catch the cat (carefully) and put it in Kali's big crate with a litter box, a towel for a bed, food and water.  The following day, JP was able to contact the local Humane Society, who agreed to quarantine the cat for 10 days, have it evaluated by the vet, given shots and neutered, and then it would be available for adoption if all was ok.  We received word last Friday that the cat was ok, and word today that it is not a friendly cat and will NOT be put up for adoption after the surgery.  We agreed to re-release him back here after the surgery since he is obviously feral.

still haven't been to the ER with the girls...(whispered)

Last week the girls had their final rehearsals for the Spring Musical.  JP and I went to see it on Thursday, opening night.  It was a small crowd - limited to 200 due to Corona precautions - but the small cast did a marvelous job, especially J in one of the lead roles.  JP worked on Sat and Sun, so I went to both shows on Sat (even took my mother out of the skilled nursing facility to see it too!)

I don't think that I mentioned that my mother is back in our town, but has been at a skilled nursing facility for rehab following her back surgery.  A week and a half ago, she turned her head and felt/heard something crunch in her neck and had instant pain.  Because she had a similar surgery there about 5 or 6 years ago, she used both hands to hold her neck still.  They put her in a soft cervical collar obtained by the PT department and took her by ambulance down to the Hospital where she had her surgery.  They determined that she in fact fractured her 1st cervical vertebrae.  There is really no other explanation for it except for the fact that she has osteoporosis.  She sees the doctor back at the end of this week.

I am trying to visit once or twice a week, but the facility has multiple rules and regulations regarding visitors, and it doesn't always work out.  I have been trying to keep up with her laundry as well, since we do many more loads/week than my dad does.  I have also been trying to keep her plants watered.  I inherited this amaryllis from her several months ago, and it just finished blooming.

The morning of my mother's accident, JP and I were in the car, driving down to VA.  We looked at, and made an offer on a piece of property there.  Since that time, we changed the offer to include 2 properties together totaling about 45 acres, increased our offered price, dropped out of the bidding, re-entered the bidding and increased the offer again.  We are now in the process of obtaining financing for the purchase.  We intend to re-sell about half of the property at some point, and in the future, hope to relocate there to retire.

Here on the home front, the asparagus is coming up.  I have cut a little bit on two occasions.  The strawberries and blueberries are blooming.  JP cut the rye cover crop in the garden and tilled it in.  Today I built a cold frame out of shelving, clear plastic, duct tape and clothes pins, and moved my seedlings out of doors to "harden off."

Our chickens are growing more and more feathers.  I have introduced them to dandelions, and they now devour a huge bunch of them daily.  It won't be too much longer before we can let them outside!

Our third well, which we have just been using since October last year, failed a couple of weeks ago.  When the well drillers came out to check things out, they found that the same thing happened as with the second well:  lateral subsidence had crushed the well and/or pump.  JP contacted a local geologist, who felt that it was likely secondary to long wall coal mining in the area.  He then spoke to someone at the EPA, who confirmed that there has NOT been mining within several miles of our location.  We are waiting to hear back from the geologist, and in the meantime, are back to hauling water.  I HATE this!

Work has been busy, busy for both JP and I. L is having more problems with school.  J is getting ready for prom and graduation.  She has been accepted into the musical theater program at YSU (don't get me started.)  Sometimes I feel like I can't quite catch my breath!

When I sit back and think about it though, on a quiet evening (after a tumultuous day), we are all ok, and that is the most important thing.

Normal

 I realized as I was cleaning downstairs today, that last year at this time, I was furloughed, JP was quarantined, and the girls were home from school.  How different it is this year!  We are all fully immunized, except for L, who is too young.  The girls are back to school 4 days/week.  I am working again, and doing many telemedicine visits.  The girls and I have masks to coordinate with all of our outfits.

This is our new normal.  We are going on with life.  We did our annual Easter Egg hunt outside on a beautiful April day.  J said that she wanted to continue to do this as long as possible because "I always win!"

Even Stella got Easter Eggs!

The girls are currently at their first dress rehearsal this afternoon for the Spring play, which opens in 10 days.  I am worried that things are opening up too much and too soon.  JP is seeing a huge increase in the numbers of positive COVID tests every day he works.  J is planning for prom.  I typically work at one vaccination clinic per week, and I see shots going into the arms of hundreds of people, but I don't see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow yet.

But we continue on - what else can we do?  J has been accepted at YSU (#goGUINS) and I am effectively blocking all of the emotions that go along with that - at least for the time being.  She recently sent in audition recordings for the theater program, and had a virtual interview with the director and several instructors of the program last weekend.

I keep cooking and baking, with many successes and several fails - such as this Angel Food Cake.

Spring keeps advancing - the tulips that we transplanted from raised beds in the garden to my flower bed by the house are in bloom.

The peeps were racing across the feed trough that we started them in, flapping their tiny wings ferociously, so we moved them into the hen house.  It didn't take them long to settle on the next-to-highest roost!  Unfortunately, I found one dead this morning of unknown causes.

The redbuds and the dogwoods are blooming in the woods.  The grass is growing.  JP will soon have to get the mower out!

My seedlings are going crazy in the house.  I am hoping that we can soon till the Rye cover crop in the garden so I can plant them because I am going crazy in the house too!

So embrace the new normal.  Keep going, because giving up is not an option.  Be careful, because the virus is still raging out there.  Dig in the dirt because it is good for the soul.

April Fools!

The lovely Spring weather turned backwards today.

You can see my apricot trees blooming in the background amidst the snow flakes.

We have had to work to keep the peeps warm - these 6 little girls came to Poplar Ridge about 2 weeks ago.

So, while the winds blow snow outside, I am cooking inside - I made homemade gnocchi for the first time, and for dessert, tiramisu.

One day spring will be here to stay.

Firefighter

There are days when I feel that all I accomplish in a day is putting out fires - with my patients, with my co-workers, with my family.  Yesterday was one of those days.

Today, the day dawned with pouring rain, but so many things happened that have soothed my soul.  I'm not saying that all the fires in my life have been put out, but I'm down to a manageable amount.

I finished another puzzle.

The girls had a 4 day weekend last weekend.  We didn't go anywhere, but we managed to smell the flowers.  I have a new Hellebore blooming, and the primroses popped out seemingly overnight.  The bees are busy buzzing the crocus.

JP and I planted my latest impulse buy:  a pussy willow - it's so cute!

J spent hours braiding L's hair in different fashions, that she called "Daenerys Hair" after the Game of Thrones character.

And to top it off, we had one of the best no-bake cheesecakes that I've ever made - Irish Cream flavored for St Patty's day.  (By the way, I used oreos for the crust and I did use chocolate chips, even though the recipe warned not to.)

My mother had back surgery last week, so I've made several trips down to the tertiary Hospital to visit - plan to go again tomorrow.

And so passed another week!

Corona-versary

Tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of the schools closing due to the pandemic.  Just this week, I have started to see a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the end of this pandemic.

I haven't written for a while, because things got really busy, but we've been here...plugging along.  We got more snow in February - hardly knew where to go with the piles JP was plowing off the driveway!

The girls started back to school 2 days/week in late February.  2 weeks ago, they started back 4 days/week, so all the kids are together in the building again.  J is happy with the arrangement.  L, who struggled mightily with remote learning for the past 6 weeks or so, is not - she got behind, and has been anxious about facing her teachers!

Once we turned the corner into March, however, the sun came out!  I made 50 little newspaper pots for planting seeds indoors to put into the garden later.

They are mostly all sprouted by now!

We have been taking advantage of the sunshine!

That's J up in that tree!

Just like clockwork, at the end of February, my Hellebores started blooming - I have 3 varieties blooming so far, and looks like a new one is budding.

This morning, I worked 4 hours at the vaccine clinic, then drove over to the High School, where the girls were painting props.  I joined my friends in painting some of the 100 dresses for the show!  I came home to find a package came in the mail from my employers as a thank you for helping out during the craziness of last year:

And now, I'm heading outside into the sunshine to throw balls for the dog.  Enjoy your weekend!

14 Degrees

That's how cold it was when I was kneeling in the snow and ice yesterday, changing a flat tire.  I'm sure it was a few degrees colder 15 minutes earlier when I was kneeling in the snow and ice at the bottom of my driveway, removing the chains from my tires.  Our driveway was so icy on Tuesday, that we had to use chains to get up and down safely.  The roads on Tuesday evening however, when I took the girls to vocals rehearsal, were mostly dry.  I guess we got more precipitation overnight, because I slid around a corner, off the road, and hit a post on my way to work yesterday.  That's how I got a flat tire, AND a dent in my front fender (luckily nothing worse.)

When I got to work 25 min late, everyone was in the parking lot as the smoke alarms blared continuously.  Power was out in that end of town - rumor had it that someone had hit a telephone pole.  40 minutes later, after the fire department inspected the premises and shut off the alarms, I was sent home and some staff were sent up to the hospital to use their computer system to cancel patients for the day.

J made it to school on Tuesday, and the girls had vocals rehearsals in the evening while I did a zoom meeting in the car in the parking lot.  Wed was a virtual day, and remote learning was scheduled today because of snow (no more snow days, kiddos!)  Perhaps L will finally get a chance to go back to school tomorrow?

In any case, I am extremely grateful that I had a warm home to come back to, unlike many, many folks in Texas (plus JP broke up the ice on the driveway while I was out, and I didn't even need chains to get back up!)  I am also very thankful for the man who stopped to help me change my tire - true, I had already removed the flat, but he finished putting on the spare while I tried to rub feeling back into my fingers.  Thank you, sir!  I'm so relieved that I had an unexpected day off in which to get my tire repaired, and lick my emotional wounds.

Today there will be more shoveling of snow, and I feel that I MUST get this on the record:  I AM SO DONE WITH FEBRUARY!

Tedious

I'm currently working on an extremely tedious project.  Water was accidently spilled on the last puzzle that I put together a couple of weeks ago, and just this week, I realized that a bunch of the pieces were falling apart.  I have been trying to match up 3 separate pieces of over 3 dozen puzzle pieces and glue them back together.  It's awful!

In the meantime, we have had more snow.  The shoveling is becoming tedious as well.  They are calling for more snowfall tomorrow and Tuesday.  Great.

The girls were supposed to return to hybrid learning last week - going to in-person school 2 days/week.  J went on Monday, Tues was virtual due to snow, Wed was virtual for cleaning, Thursday was virtual for snow, and Friday was off for President's Day weekend.  Sheesh.

The birds have been here in droves, despite the snow.  Look at all the prints under the feeders!

My new sewing machine arrived last week.  It took me a couple of tries to figure out the bobbin filling and threading the machine and all that kind of boring stuff, but then I started right in to finishing my half done t-shirt rug. 

It turned out terrible - looks a bit like a caterpillar.  I'm thinking it is a result of the loose tension from my old machine, followed by appropriate tension from the new one.  Regardless, I need to take it completely apart and start over.  It's very disappointing.

We have also been trying a few more recipes.  L made chocolate lava cakes in 2 different styles to determine which was better this weekend and last.  The first one had a ball of chocolate ganache in the center.  The second was baked for a shorter time, resulting in a gooey center.  They were both delicious, and the second version was definitely easier and less time consuming, so...we have a winner!!

I also made Rosa Parks' featherlite peanut butter pancakes in heart shapes in honor of Black History Month and Valentine's Day.

We tried a bit of veterinary surgery yesterday, and removed a large skin lesion from Stella's neck.  It was a joint effort between JP, L and myself:  JP removed it, I stitched her up, L held the patient, and dissected the lesion afterwards.

The poor puppy seems to be doing fine today.  We are using an ACE wrap to hold her bandage on and keep her from scratching her stitches.

We will keep on trying to make it through February day by day - loooooong, dark month!