Termination Dust 2024

 

Do you see what that is? I cannot believe it! I hadn't even begun to look for it yet. Termination Dust. That first sprinkling of snow on the mountain tops around our house. This date is significant because it is supposed to signal the end of summer and warn us to expect snow in 6 weeks. We shall see. 

Last year I noted the dust on Sept 5th, we had our first "pathetic snow" on Oct 11th, but our first honest to goodness snowstorm - it's here until May type of snow - was on November 9th.  Checking the calendar that first pathetic snowstorm was 6 weeks and 1 day from termination dust, and the storms started 10 weeks after termination dust. 

Surely, we won't have snow six weeks from now. That would be Sept 21st - which is a scheduled family celebration. This should make it easy to check.  

To get the dates for last year I looked at the index in the side bar...and saw all the posts through Oct and Nov...I can hardly believe we are coming up on a year without Josiah. I don't know if I'm ready for fall this year. 

Back to School Carnival

I was invited to attend the Salvation Army's Back to School Carnival with CoRielle. It was fortuitous I attended as Cory was home with a migraine and this would have been a hard venue in which to corral two active 3-year-olds, a baby and a 6-year-old. We began by signing in and getting a meal ticket for each of us. They also had backpacks with school supplies for kids 6 - 17.  

Benny was quick to visit the cotton candy booth. Danny had his first taste of cotton candy. He wasn't overly impressed. 

There was face painting and popcorn. 

All manner of carnival games were sprinkled throughout the building and outside. At each booth one got tickets, lots of tickets. No one seemed to know what the tickets were for, but the volunteers knew they needed to give them out. 

This version of musical chairs magically ends up with each child getting a king size Kit Kat bar or a package of Hostess donuts. 

After a hamburger lunch we were ready to move forward. A lady insisted we turn in our tickets for prizes. I thought she was a bit over the top excited about plastic prizes. However, we headed back in to turn in our tickets. They had amazing prizes, and they WANTED to give them away. "You have lots of tickets - pick a big prize." WOW - look at those prizes!  There was also a bouncy house and a bus and talk on bus safety. All for free. 

We decided we needed to stop at a quiet playground and let someone regulate before a nap was attempted.  Check out the giant mushroom - that is not the biggest one.  

I decided I also needed to regulate after the busy morning. I grabbed a cuppa chai and headed for a favorite spot overlooking the river.  I sat warm and snug while it rained. I prayed, processed big emotions out loud and took the time to polo my sister friends. I haven't gone through a coffee drive thru since May. 

I was in the correct frame of mind to re-eneter my life and headed home. Allie and I decided to get mail...with all the detours and what not it took 40 minutes to go the one mile to get our mail. ::snort:: BUT we learned we CAN drive the wrong way on the one way if we LIVE in the area and have no other way to get around. Literally none as they have big piles of dirt blocking the road to the mailboxes.  This has been fun to watch. We enjoy less traffic on our road. It does take longer to get places. 

We miss Stacia. She will be home tomorrow night. We had YOYO for dinner, Michael edited a couple of papers for Krista. She is so near the end of her doctoral program! GG has gone to bed. Allie and I are going to watch something she's found. 

Grace Notes

• Wind, rain and a raging river to match my emotions!
• Tea on rainy days. 
• Blustery walks with Allie.

A Grand Day with Grands

The day began in the garden as many days do.  I am working on memorizing a couple of verses this week and the garden is a good place to recite and pray them aloud. 

I took advantage of the break in the rain to check the status of the plants. I have been making an intentional effort to harvest things young and earlier. In years past I missed the bubble and ended up giving lots of stuff to the chickens or finding things a bit "old".... I harvested some lettuce, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, snap peas, zucchini and green onion with the idea of a stir fry for dinner. 

The grasshoppers and SLUGS are horrendous. I googled and it says to put beer or salt on the bed...but they are in the GRASS and everywhere....

Look at the slugs! 

Another sunflower

I met with my counselor today.... I left the office with two thoughts to carry into the upcoming weeks: forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation and I may be ready to offer "presence" but I'm not ready to do much more than that. That is a boundary to benefit all - and it won't be forever. 

Shortly after I got home Arielle and the kids came over. She'd made the mistake of mentioning going to Bachan's after school and quiet time. They got done early. Bre organized a shark party again for us this year. We put it off for today...I didn't mind the team arriving early. They hung out and these two helped stretch the dough. I love pre-schoolers. 

Bre is amazing with theme parties. She had tote bags and stencils for everyone to paint, cups, wrist bands, tattoos, treats - all in shark theme. Would you believe in the midst of the wind and the rain it was CLEAR during our party and we were able to be outside?

Danny, Bella, Benna, Bre, Annie, Gideon, Charles

Sometime in the midst of the crazy activity Charles did something which prompted me to get in his face and say, "Charles, I sure love you."  Maybe when he was going crazy with the water and paint...but in any event Charles doesn't often initiate or respond to emotional exchanges. I continue to tell him I love him when it's called for - as I do with all the kids. 

Annie

Sharks swimming in the center of the popsicles.

Jojo and Trudy 

Ellie

Trudy

Ellie

As the party went along Cory showed up to help Michael plant a cherry tree. Michael had saved the seeds from some Rainier cherries he loved. They GREW; which shocked me...and the tree has grown until we were ready to get it in the ground before winter.  Our two peach trees died...so they cleared them out and then planted another cherry tree. Cory moved dirt and helped with digging etc. Michael really appreciates his help. The fruit orchard is slowly becoming a cherry orchard as they grow and much else is dying. 

Cory and Danny 

The party wrapped up and everyone began to pack into cars. As I chatted with Cory and Arielle at the car, Charles piped up from the back of their van, "Bachan, I love you too!"  It made my entire week! 

Friday night is pizza night. Stacia is still housesitting. Michael has been very careful with what he is eating. Allie would be home late for dinner. I considered pizza...but I had picked the stuff for a stir fry. In the end I just didn't want to go the long way into town one more time today! LOL  The stir fry was good. 

GRACE NOTES

• Precious time with grands and daughters
• Wonderful son in laws
• A garden and a counselor

Gardens are for Rainy Days Too

Wet selfie

This time of year, it rains! Evidently, a lot!!!! 

I'm not quite ready to give up my time in the garden...

I have been reading, "Practicing the Way" and in it John Mark Comer says to evaluate where you hear God best or feel closest to God...and consider that may be a personal rhythm of grace, a spiritual discipline even. God has met me consistently in my garden. I can sit with grief and all around be reminded of new life. I can think, worship, pray, talk to myself, talk to Mom or Josiah or Grams...I can laugh and I can shed silent tears or big ugly sobs...and he is always there.  I'm glad I tried various kinds of lettuce this year. I have far too much lettuce - but at least it's colorful and pretty. 
 

Sweet potato sprout - will it have time? 

Head lettuce is nearly done

It didn't take very long before I was ready to move into the greenhouse. On the way, I discovered new blooms...

We will have a few beans - the greenhouse seems to be the safer bet for beans. Even then I'll be lucky to get enough for one meal. 

I think these are about ready. I'm waiting for Michael's recent tooth extraction to heal and then I WILL harvest them. Honest, I will. 

It's been raining all day. I ended up turning on the sparkly lights. This is just about perfect, quiet rainy day...with a candle, book, fuzzy blanket, sparkly lights and tea....and so I read. 

I'm reading, "Tell Her Story," by Nijay Gupta and a library book set in the US Virgin Islands...

I did venture into town to buy WEDNESDAYS paper for Dad - it wasn't delivered. Sunday's came on Monday so I hoped. We are no longer receiving it at home as they went down to a 2 day print delivery schedule and didn't adjust the price. $50+ for 2 days a week just doesn't work.  Dad isn't going to do a digital subscription.  I ran the road construction blockade and picked up our mail. LOL They are relocating our mailboxes soon. 

Yesterday, Vonda dropped by for a nice visit.  GG and I went out to dinner with Krista, Nolan and Mark and Mona (Luke's parents) and that was a nice outing as well.  

When I picked up the mail, I had an unexpected package! From QUEEN'S TEA PANTRY in KS...that could only mean one thing...new teas to try from a sweet friend. 

GRACE NOTES:

• Michael's sore jaw is feeling a bit better - I'm in a quandary about having my wisdom tooth pulled after watching this play out. 
• Rainy days and margin to enjoy them. 
• Friends. 

The Day That Went Off the Rails (and how I got it back on track)

Ah....

This day went off the rails! 

The only thing I had on the schedule was to deliver some eggs and take Michael to get a tooth extracted. 

Stacia is housesitting and showed up this morning because she didn't feel well. She has been fighting a cold, then felt better, then got a fever on Saturday and Sunday and a WORSE sore throat. This morning her fever is gone, but she had a rash. I called our doctor's office and was told rashes often follow fevers and she was most likely fine. They had one appointment, and I asked them to hold it for me while I talked with Michael about scheduling. They said they would. I called back 5 minutes later to take the appointment, and it was gone. The receptionist also told me our provider, who we LOVE, is "no longer with them." This is the second time this has happened to me at this practice. I chose to go with a small, local clinic so I WOULDN'T have to switch docs all the time (ala military) this is disappointing. The two docs now are both males and the girls and I prefer a female doc. 

I felt Stacia's rash needed to be looked at. It didn't look like roseola to me...and my kids usually got that as toddlers not as 19-year-olds. 

I got GG up and got him settled for the day. 

We ran to urgent care for a walk in appointment. It became apparent the time was going to be close to get home to pick up Michael to take him to his tooth extraction. While Stacia waited in Urgent Care, I visited the new to me doctor's office that shares space with the urgent care. It's not as local BUT they have 3 doctors, one is female, and I've heard good things about her - she's been recommended by two people to me - they take Tricare, and the receptionist say none of the docs plan on leaving.  Michael's neurologist/motion disorder specialist moved out of state. He was the only one we'd found that lived here and specialized in Parkinson's...I sent out an SOS as the time we HAD to leave approached. Arielle and the kids said they would come over and watch GG until Stacia could get home. Michael would meet us in town, and we would drive on to Wasilla, Stacia would take my van to the house....watch GG and then go home. 

UNTIL STACIA TESTED POSTIVE FOR STREP THROAT and has Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. I knew the blistering rash needed to be seen.  We had 20 minutes to head to Carr's to get the meds. Michael planned to meet us at the pharmacy. UNTIL they said it would be a 30 min wait and they had lunch break too so an hour.  I drove Stacia home, and she got her car. 

I pulled in just as a load of lumber showed up (another pop up in the day). I disinfected the car. Michael came out and we headed to his appointment. Arielle and the kids stayed with GG rather than Stacia to avoid exposing him to her mess. We are glad she is housesitting - quarantined away from us. She wore gloves and socks when here. The kids and Arielle stayed outside.  GG will go out with them - so that was a great option for all. 

We ran to the dentist for Michael's tooth extraction. He said it was the first time he was awake for an extraction. I told him the oral surgeon said we HAD to be awake for him to pull teeth. The whole thing is odd to me. I KNEW people had been asleep before when their wisdom teeth were pulled. They gave us a prescription. We KNEW Fred Myers won't take Tri-care and were told they don't take VA either. Carrs DOES take Tricare, but they don't accept VA. We went to Walgreens because they DO accept VA. They told me at least 1 1/2 hours. Walgreens is in Wasilla....it was 30 min home...Michael was bleeding and in pain. I drove him home. Chatted with Arielle and the boys, disinfected the house (just in case) and then drove back to Walgreens.  I don't think Walgreens is going to be a good pharmacy option for us when Carrs closes down and FM won't take Tricare or Medicare. 

At home, I made GG dinner. I picked things up, finished a few tasks... It was just a HECTIC, frazzling day.  In a sermon last month Britt had shared the practice of asking "Where did I feel closest to God today?" and "Where did I feel furthest from God today?" I have been doing that at the end of the day - it's a great practice.   I am also reading, "Practicing the Way," by John Mark Comer and I read today one should note where, or what, or when they feel close to God and THAT can be a spiritual discipline/practice/rhythm of grace etc.  I had read this at the dentist. I immediately knew I feel close to God with a cup of tea in my garden.....Sunday morning is too busy for such...and this morning was interrupted. GG was reading, Michael was icing and reading.  

I made a cuppa decaf Vanilla tea and headed out to the garden. And it was the right decision. My frazzled emotions settled back into place. As I began to look around, I noted the MINT in the corner of the bed you see in the above picture. I planted TWO plants in a corner of a bed....and when I was weeding on Saturday, I discovered what I thought was weeds is actually MINT...everywhere. I harvested mint. 

I didn't pull the plants, I simply cut them way back. Maybe I'll get more before winter.  As I sit here, the dehydrator is full and running...and the air is filled with the smell of mint. I used some of the leaves to make a cup of fresh mint tea....and I plan to save these for mint tea this winter. I am also growing Stevia and may mix the leaves for a blend. 

I sure wish I knew how to change the sizes of my photos back to something normal. ::snort::  Oh, and while the day was crazy and full of the unexpected...this also happened. Jamin went to vote...he was there before they opened so he could cast the first vote for his little brother, Jared to be their district's state senator.  Early voting has begun. 

GRACE NOTES: 

• Accurate diagnosis, meds and rest for Stacia.
• Arielle and the kids jumping in to help. 
• Quiet time in the garden. 
• MINT.