Work and Play

This Saturday had a little bit of rest...it was mostly filled with activity; together. 

I got up before the rest of my house and attended Benny's final soccer game of this "season." I'm sure there will be another season - outdoor soccer - starting soon. It was fun to see how much these kids improved over the season. 

Jared and Jamin came over to help Michael with a project of his choice today. They began hanging cameras around the outside of the house. 

While the guys worked Allie and I played with Noah. Stacia is housesitting for 10 days 40 min away from us so she is in and out these days. She popped in right at the end of the day. 

Trying out my no spill bubbles

feeding chickens

At some point in the afternoon Arielle showed up with Benny and Charles and the Bre dropped by with her crew. It is fun to have the yard full of kids again. Danny was THRILLED to get the battery for the car. 

Danny

Gideon and Jojo

Bre helps Trudy feed chickens

Jared plays the age old "stud finder" trick on Noah. 

Yes - no spills. It worked. 

Noah takes over the search for a stud. ::snort:: 

Feeding chickens is always fun for a bit. 

Danny

Jojo

Benny, Bre and Gideon

Noah and Allie powering Annie and Trudy. 

The plan was to keep him off the ladder and the boys on the ladder - it sorta worked. 

Jojo

Cousins

Bre played tball with the boys 

Playing "Ninja".

I enlisted the young guys to help me back up storm downed twigs and branches. 

Watch out world! Noah has the wheel. 

Still Allie and Noah powering Annie and Trudy. LOL

Sweet boy! 

Stacia helped GG with a puzzle. 

The photo says we did some hot tubbing in the evening. 

Up Planting

I DID go outside. I've been trying to get to this for a WEEK. 

I have heard one should wash pots before reusing them and not to reuse the potting soil....

I did 3 loads.

I've got all these ready to up plant seedlings. I need more...but this will keep me busy for now. 

I up planted 46 plants...and have 288 to go. If I run out of pots, I'll have Michael drill a hole in solo cups and use them again.  I over planted as I was using old seeds and wasn't sure of the germination, I hope to have grands helping and this way there are plenty if some are handled roughly, and I always lose some before they get into the ground in June. I planted a whole packet of marigold seeds and have only 2 teeny plants.  I have about 150 tomato plants - they ALL germinated. 

It was fantastic to be out in the greenhouse. It was 70* - lovely. I need to finish emptying the greenhouse, but I don't need a lot of the garden ware until I plant the garden. I guess I COULD move it out there now.  I was happy to see the spinach I started in the greenhouse dirt is coming up. The lettuce isn't.  I am happy to see a something growing while I wait for big enough tomatoes to plant in here or warm enough soil to plant in the garden beds. LOL Our last frost date is May 30th...but I wonder if they changed that due to the warm spring? 

The shelves are filling up.  I transplanted Mammoth Sunflowers, celery, Beefsteak tomatoes, Brussel Sprouts and 2 Marigolds. The 4 trays on the bottom shelf still need to be potted and that will fill the shelves up. 

I think it's about time to pull all the basil and start over. It's getting spindly and appears to be planning to take over the grow room - er family room. 

I find my shoulders and back are sore this evening. I used to tell myself last year that sitting in the hot tub after a day of yard work/gardening would make it all better...and so I'm off to test that theory.

Our Day

We love Alaska. There is no place we'd rather live; and we've lived in many places. We wouldn't trade the blessing of being able to reside in Alaska. 

HOWEVER, we have a bone to pick with the Matsu Burrough. We bought our house and THE BURROUGH had it assessed just at $300K. Seven years later they began by telling us it is assessed at $620K. Now they say the comps (homes of comparative size and such in OUR AREA) is $800K.  Shoot - if we just make it another year, we'll hit $1mil in assets. ::snort:: Even taking the rising cost of homes into account this does not pass the giggle, nor smell, test. We happen to have a top-producing son who is a realtor in the area. A house bigger, newer and with more land than ours sold in our area for $575K.  Another one just down the road which is still bigger but similar in age is assessed at $484K.  The reason this matters is our property tax is based on their assessment of the value of our home. Michael is a 100% disabled vet and does receive a tax waiver for the first $279K of our home (which was very close to assessment when we bought). We actually tried to buy a home which property taxes would be covered or mostly covered by the exemption.  In the past we communicated our disagreement when it had risen to 500K.    This year it went even HIGHER. $620k is just silly. Michael communicated again and decided to file a formal dispute with the Burrough. In the process we discovered our home went from being graded at 4.7 to 5.1, with no explanation at all. They offered to move it back to 4.8 which would take the value down by 40K.  They told us he gets a Senior discount starting next year. That doesn't matter in our case as he will get the VA Disability discount OR the Senior discount; they're the same.  Michael checked the home they said was comparable to ours. It is 57 miles away on the FAR side of Wasilla....we live on the far side of Palmer. All that to say Michael attended a hearing and had 5 minutes to make his case. In the end they said they'll agree to lower the grade which lowers our assessment by $40K and next year we can have the new tax assessor into our home. We did not have the previous one as he was hostile when we met him at the office and we didn't want to invite him into our home. They said Michael needs to submit more photos of the inside of our home. OK - until next year then. We'll know what to expect, have the new assessor inside and submit a lot of photos should we need to appeal again. Maybe the market will crash, or the new tax assessor will give a realistic assessment of the value of our home.  If need be, we'll be back. 

It was noted Michael made some good points about the sleight of hand going on with Burrough politicians lowering the mill rate, while at the same time the Burrough raises the assessments. We end up paying more ACTUAL tax while they pat themselves on the back for lowering the mill rate. They suggested he make the same points to the Matsu Burrough Assembly. 

Dad's Care Coordinator needed me to re-sign paperwork that was done in July 2024, because they have expired. I completed and mailed those. We are both expecting good news from the state, so we have gotten the screenings and such current - all had expired as we waited on the state. 

I have discovered walking to the mailbox gives me a prayer break, gets me outside, and gets a 1.5 mile walk in. Three goals at once. I dug my New Balance out of the closet. Look at the blue sky! 

It is much too nice of a day to stay inside. I'm going to take my seedlings out to the greenhouse and play with potting soil and dirt. 

18 Months...

We are profoundly lonely. 

It's been 18 months since Josiah's death. 

We are carrying on with life. 

We are sad, but hopeful.

We have all we need, but what we desperately want we cannot have. 

And so, we carry on.

I made Chicken Divan for dinner and I remember. 

Anchorage's New Assembly Members

Tonight was another bittersweet family milestone. Jared was elected to the Anchorage Assembly.  The election results were certified, and the newly elected members took an oath of office and were sworn into their roles.  The five of us drove up and met Jamin at the Library. The meeting started earlier but the guess was the swearing in would take place around 8:30 p.m. 

It turns out Stanley and Theo, friends, had saved seats up front for us. Most the family stopped short of the very front row which they had for us. I went right on up and Michael joined me before the ceremony. There seemed to be quite a bit of last-minute amendments to be discussed and voted on before the new members were seated. 

This gave me time to think. Josiah would have been right up on the very front row with me. He would have been in the middle of the picture taking and hugs. I ached to hear his laugh and teasing comments. As is, we can only imagine what he would have had to say to Jared on such an auspicious occasion. 

Finally, at 9:24 p.m. the elections results had been certified, outgoing members had shared thoughts, and they were ready to swear in the newly elected members. 

4 in the middle are 1st time assembly members; 2 on end re-elected

Taking the oath

Signing the Oath

First time assembly members

Jared, ?, ?, Yarrow Silvers 📷by Theo

How did I get such front on shots...went right up with the real photographers! LOL Jamin caught me. 

Jamin, Allie, Stacia, Jared, Michael, De'Etta

Good friends who stuck with Jared after the first campaign. It was fun to celebrate with them. 

?, Jared, Stanley, Theo, Jamin 

Theo grabbed a shot of the whole family with two extras. LOL 

There it is - it's getting real. 

📷by Theo

One more family photo. 

Stacia, Allie, Mike, Jared, Me, Jamin 📷by Theo

📷by Theo

It was surreal to watch Jared swear an oath to a political office...to see his name up there...and him on the dais. All those years of civics and history lessons ran through my mind. He determined early he would serve somehow in politics and here he is being sworn in to his first post college elected role. 

The view looking back as we left the room to come home. The meeting still had several hours to go...but we were outta there! Jared is the 3rd from the left on the dais.