A Good Monday

I started to write a "Monday, Monday" post when I realized this has been a rather fantastic Monday. To be sure it BEGAN with me racing across to the next town to get labs drawn.  I received a text telling me I could check-in with my very own phone. Which I did. Then, I waited and waited. I waited for 40 minutes, 30 minutes beyond my appointment time, to ask when my turn was coming up. They called me right back, and we discovered they did not have the lab order. My provider assured me they'd sent it on May 7th.  Alas, I was at the lab and the lab request was not. I'm fasting and I'm getting hangry and am in danger of going beyond 12 hours and not being able to do the labs.  Eventually, the doc's office sent the request again and I had labs drawn. Shew. 

The day was significantly better when I stopped and got a tea and muffin (which I've not been eating because of the sugar/carb content). 

Meanwhile, Stacia had driven to the other side of Wasilla for a job interview. She felt the interview went well. As the day progressed, she was called for two other interviews much closer to home. She may turn the Wasilla offer down as it's a 30-minute drive and pays less than the others she is interviewing for. 

I got home and spent an hour in the garden! I picked up things that were left out from yesterday's workday. I folded and stored the bed covers, took garden fripperies out to the garden, watered the things we'd planted and generally puttered. 

This is the bed Michael put together at the end of the year. I filled it with garden trash - vines and such at the end of the growing season. We topped it with soil and it's ready to go. I think I'll be able to hang a plant from the back of the rocking chair I refuse to burn.  The wood chips have really helped with weeds. There are a few that I'll start getting after immediately (see below). 

I wanted to put the seat so that I could take in the entire garden...but then I REMEMBERED why one doesn't sit with one's back to the woods while in the garden.  I'll start with the chair here. LOL 

Everything in the hoop house and the greenhouse are still alive. 

tomatoes & cucumbers

Starts, tomatoes and spinach

I have been keeping my pantry items on the black table. Most of the seeds are done now so I pressed the growing shelves into pantry shelves. I was happy, until I realized there a bunch of buckets and tubs UNDER the table, I don't have a place for, I must think. 

Stacia took a study break to make scones. Since I just had labs... I enjoyed them. Each scone is one ounce and is the perfect size to taste a variety of types without eating 3 scones in one setting. LOL 

Stacia wants it to be known she had TEA at this tea party instead of hot chocolate. This is a first. She discovered the "peach water" she remembers from Japan's vending machines was peach tea. I am happy to oblige and purchased peach tea. She did use her Winnie teacup. 

This evening, we watched campus and dorm tours with Allie.  It turned into a fun day with our youngest doing all the adulting things. 

Mother's Day 2025

Mother's Day hurts. I miss mom. I miss Josiah. But I have so MUCH for which to be thankful. I try to focus on the thankful and pull out the grief when I have space for it. That may make no sense to you, but it works for me. 

CoRielle hit upon the perfect Mother's Day gift last year. They helped me prep my garden for the season. They let us know they'd like to come over about 3 p.m. today and gift me a prepped garden again. YES. It's hard for us to attend our church in Eagle River and get back to the valley in time for Sunday events. We opted to attend Wasilla Community Church for Mother's Day. We came home and I got two racks of ribs in the oven...pulled together the fixings and we had a leisurely lunch here at home.  The girls brought out their gifts.  I love pottery mugs. I have some ceramic mugs the kids made 20 years ago. I've been told they are adorably primitive. Allie gifted me this perfect mug - it's POTTERY with wildflowers...and it almost looks like she could have painted it in 5th grade. LOL 

She also filled an index card with activities and items she wants to do for me...with instructions this coupon is to be used and not put in my drawer. I recently found a bunch of coupons the kids gave in past years. ::grin:: They were too precious to surrender and use. 

Stacia gifted me a block of Velveeta - or so says Michael. 

I collected Starbucks travel cups when we lived in Asia. She found me a water bottle from Starbucks...insulated, pre-stickered with darling scenes from Japan, just 16 oz and shaped so I can hang onto it.  It's great. 

Shortly after lunch Jared and Noah dropped by. They brought a lovely card, a jewelry keeper with Noah's thumbprints and a pack of forget me nots. 

Jamin brought some lovely roses. 

CoRielle arrived with a bouquet of flowers and a tin watering can with handprints of the grands. Arielle has a few more prints to collect.  

We had a dilemma. CoRielle had scheduled this time to work, and we value their work....but the others were coming to visit. Ah well, one learns to go with the flow of family life if nothing else in a large family. ::snort:: Semper Gumby. These men put the trampoline together for the season. They were cheered on by all the grands. 

I took the weed eater around the garden line so we can set up the electric fence when the time comes. This is a constant part of my garden routine. 

When Shannon and Lindsey gave us the playhouse, I envisioned the grands spending hours in it playing "house," cooking etc. Danny has turned it into a drive through window, and he is intent on giving his customers great service. Noah and Charles are happy to oblige.  I love doing life with these kids. 

Danny & Noah 

Another happy customer

Jamin and Jared

GG supervises from the deck

Benny

Elleira (Ellie or Lyra) and Arielle

I had told Michael the beds were in pretty good shape, but I would like Cory to help him get the hoop house put back together for the season. They got right to it. 

Cory and Michael 

Jamin and Jared gave them a hand when it was time to attach the plastic. 

Arielle and Stacia weeded the rows in between the woodchips. Alex later rototilled it. 

Still weed eating...

Allie weeded the greenhouse beds so I could get tomatoes in the ground. 

Allie (back) Stacia

Nolan helping in the green house

We had to turn over and fluff all the beds...Charles wanted to help. The pitchfork broke and; the ice scraper was pressed into service. 

It's never too early to start fostering a love of gardening in little ones. Right? 

Bachan - let's plant these tomatoes. OK. 

This is the wild side of the garden - the space I've not managed to reclaim as of yet. We get a bit more of it tamed every year. 

Beds all weeded, topped off and ready to plant...now do I HAVE to wait for June 1st, or can I go ahead and plant???? Some say after the full moon in May (now), some say when the birch leaves are the size of squirrel's ears (now), and others swear the almanac's prediction of the last frost (May 30th).  I'll probably put some out and if they die, I have plenty more starts....and the carrots, radishes, lettuce and spinach should be fine. Right? 

Michael and the guys put up a temporary fence. We then moved the chickens to the space. We hope they'll eat well and turn it over for us...let me tell you herding chickens is something else. Made for a fun family activity. 

Were they happy? NO! Some renegades got into the garden and dug holes in the artichoke bed and elsewhere. 

Bre and the kids came by with another lovely card and beautiful paper bouquet. They joined in the fun. We planted some tomatoes in the green house and the hoop house. 

These two were tasked with planting cucumbers...which they sorta did when they weren't digging up ones I'd already planted. ::snort:: Seriously, none of us gardened while moving with the military. 

Bre and Arielle

Annie

Bella

Michael thought it was a great time to clean the chicken coop. This wasn't on any of our lists. ::Snort:: Alex was great and helped him. I know working was probably a drag for the kids but the amount of work we got done helps us immeasurably. When we bought this place, we still had four young adults at home. Now the two at home are working and in college...and we find we need to find a few young adults to rent in order to keep up around here. And then, I tend to work when trying not to let grief get out of hand....

Alex got the smelliest job

I am a blessed Mom. I was able to touch base with all the kids except Krista and family and Carrie and the girls...but one can't be selfish. ::snort:: 

The day didn't feel complete without a bit of time alone with my thoughts, emotions and memories at Josiah's place. 

I thought Mother's Day was a mixed bag when we had many miscarriages. It was plain hard when Mom died. Having Josiah gone makes the day a whole new hard. It's o.k. to acknowledge the pain with the JOY. 

I am blessed with both. 

God is with me always.