Going Home...

My grandmother passed away a week ago. She celebrated her 98th birthday the previous weekend and by all accounts she enjoyed the day spent with family and friends. And then, without too much fanfare, she left.

Sometimes life seems made up of all the routines that fill our days. It's easy to allow the constructs we call "reality" to masquerade as "life". So, passages such as this serve to remind us how little all that matters.  Routines were quickly put aside as arrangements were made to get from here to there and back again. John stayed behind and kept our life here intact. Actually, none of my brothers-in-law made the trip. They all stayed behind to tend to the business of life. But my sisters and I (and one of my nieces) went home. Not so much the physical place, but a place where family comes together to share collective feelings and memories; a place we lived in the past but carry in the present as part of our becoming. Getting to "be" there and with each other was a cherished opportunity. Life continues and Grandma's passing is a part of that, not an ending.

So, back to routine. John had his first occasion to travel to Vancouver, BC on Friday. Crossing the border has become "sort of a big deal" compared to my experiences in the past. He was questioned and questioned some more. The Canadians asked him to bring a letter of invitation should he need to go there to "work" in the future as they are very protective of their citizenry's right to work. The US Customs required the usual 3 pieces of ID to prove his right to be in this country (once he made it to the front of the line which took a fair amount of time). But he made it back in time for dinner. He'll be off to California tomorrow, but we've enjoyed the weekend together.

We got some rhododendrons to add more screening at the front of the property. We had hoped to plant them where the county dug up the bank to clear the culvert which flows into our stream. But on inspection by the head gardener, he pronounced it too gravelly and opted to put them along the road-side of the lawn/meadow/jungle clearing. In the past week, lots of green has appeared on the surrounding bushes. Once the trees leaf out, we will be well-screened for the season. The daffodils finally burst into bloom and look lovely along the driveway and throughout. The tulips have pushed up another two inches and will bloom before long. John saved the fuchsias from last year and they are growing well. They should be ready to hang in another few weeks. And the bird count is up substantially with more to come.

We ran errands yesterday so today I will hope to get a wall quilt on an actual wall and see what else the day foists on me. I'm glad to be home...

Spring is almost here....really....

Seems like we have been busy the past couple weeks (post-mouse incident). It's been raining a lot (4 inches in the past two weeks) so maybe we've just gone into hunker-down and deal with it mode. John had a little dental surgery but recovered just fine. He's been in California this past week and will arrive home tonight. And it looks like we may finally be free of the rain (or at least most of it). Last weekend we spent the time inside for the most part. We have one more dance class tomorrow night and then we probably won't take any more for a while. By the time they start up again, we'll be packing for vacation.

This vacation is a team effort with 4 couples coordinating international comings and goings. The farmhouse/villa in Tuscany is confirmed and cars have been hired, train tickets have been purchased, a guide for Sienna has been arranged, and on and on. We'll end up in Venice for a few days before heading back to the UK and then home. And it's less than 2 months away. I'm loading up the Kindle with books and I will get John one before we go so he can give it a try while he's on long plane rides.

I finished up my work for this quarter of school yesterday. Only one more quarter to go! I'll take two classes in the Spring but one of those is the Practicum. I'll be glad when it's finished as I have been missing some of my "time to do things spontaneously".

Spring is due this weekend. The equinox will pass and days will lengthen, hopefully allowing more time outdoors. I promised John I would learn to kayak this year and we want to get that under our belts before long. Who knows. I might take to it like a duck on water. It's that part where the duck goes under water that I'm not too keen about. Enjoy...

*Local* Wildlife

Once again life was disrupted by the presence of a small furry critter inside the house this week. John was away when it began but thankfully arrived home that evening to play the part of the hero and bring peace back to our little world here in Poulsbo. Chaos reigned during the morning hours when, at 4:45 am, the offender was discovered. Roosevelt had brought it into the house and did not want any other members of the household to "butt in" on his idea of *fun* (which meant lots of threatening growling). Zoe was relentless as she sniffed out and uprooted the mouse from various hiding places, even enduring Roosevelt's attacks and scratches. At one point, the mouse found his way to the top of one of the flat panel speakers (5 feet tall) and then attempted  to fly toward the fireplace, only to come up short and drop like a stone on to the back of the dog who was in the middle of a heated discussion with Roosevelt over mouse-ownership rights. Right then, over the sound of the dog/cat cacophony, I knew I had to get out. So I showered, dressed, and gathered my things to go to work. When I left, the mouse was on top of the other speaker and the cat was on the windowsill beneath it. I hoped that when we returned in the evening, the battle would be over and the house would be secured. Unfortunately, there was no proof of that when we ventured into the house (I should say that John went in first as in written in some contract somewhere -I'm pretty sure of this). So, the game was afoot for my Sherlock and he set about to ferret the little creature out of it's too-secure hiding place. Some hysterical moments ensued (for me) (and I don't mean hysterical in the "hysterically-funny" way) as John had the little guy in his hands at one point but it wriggled free to run under the couch. Zoe was called in to assist and with John's muscle and Zoe's speed, they were able to capture the offender. Hopefully, this will not occur again this year as the weather warms and the small criminals do not seek the shelter of the garage.

Speaking of weather, surely the cold is on its way out now to make room for Spring's arrival. February apparently made up for the lack of true winter weather this season  by cramming it all in 28 days. Today the sun is shining and there are  many signs that Spring is ready and willing to move in. We bought a couple of rhododendrons yesterday and John has cleared a fairly large area to plant the lilac bushes along with some other colorful plants. Soon he will be able to place the foundation for the shed. I'll be able to do a little pressure washing of the porch and the deck before setting up the outdoor living spaces that are so nice when it's warmer.

We went to the monthly Farm Breakfast yesterday and were joined by some wonderful friends. What a great way to start a weekend. John had some dental surgery on Friday and recovered from that without a problem. All the running-around errands were completed yesterday, so today will be a day to enjoy being at home. I will make some progress on my course assignments, but will take some time to read as well. Monday comes back soon enough. March is looking good....