I hurry, hurry to get things done...

"Autumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day."~Elizabeth Bowen

I am so ready for spring.  So ready.  Yesterday a sign as a flock of sandhill cranes flew over head with their unmistakable call.  I ran to the door, to step out onto the porch, looked up to see their formation overhead against a clear blue sky.  My heart sang. 

I look out the window now at a clear day…and oh so much brown and grey yet.  The landscaping this year is going to be a challenge, and a chore.  There is so much to do! I am excited by it and feeling slightly overwhelmed.  I did my usual January/February perusal of some gardening sites, made a list of plants, thought about pots and planters.  Walked around the yard to begin a list of the areas to concentrate…can I just put down “four sides of the house”?

We just returned from a short vacation, business related, to Jamaica.  To see bright colors, hear moving water…glorious.  Inspiring even and that may be why I am feeling it so much today…that itch to get outside and get started.  I hold myself back on these “Fooled ya!” early springlike days to keep from digging into the dirt but oh, I plan.

I hope to surround the house in color this year.  There will be loads of dirt and rock to contend with but also plants and flowers.  I am starting completely over in the moon garden area as the soil there needs a bit more help, and well, we’ve lost a couple trees over the winter which is going to change the sunlight and I hope will give me a couple more options for planting.  This area is really important to me, however, so its made its way back to number one, may two,  on my list. I’m also going to be using a “dry creek bed” design for one of the downspout areas and have, oh maybe 50 pictures saved on Pinterest.  Hubs keeps reminding me he has to drive the lawn tractor through this area so not to get carried away.

 

Late winter always brings yard clean-up as the first activity..sticks, sticks and more sticks. The deer have been active in our yard this winter and leave their proof everywhere.  Raking, burning and more sticks.  Hubs and I started the perusal of the yard, the listing of the many projects we still have yet to finish and even had to call in a downed tree on the power lines yesterday.  More wood to cut up.  On top of the more routine annual projects we still have the deck railing and stairs to build. 2018 is going to busy it seems!  But, yet, it was gentle and warm enough before the sun went down last evening for us to sit down by the lake, watch the full moon rise and look out to a single, playful loon.  Nice to slow it down, 2018. Nice. 

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Do you boil?

Last week we went through a couple additional days of some very intense snow, maybe another 12 to 14”.  It wasn’t, as the weather man reminded us, a blizzard as there was no wind, no whiteouts, but it was cold and lots and lots of snow.

That did not deter us from having a family get-together, share some seafood and good times.  This particular event is better outside, I must say, as it is kind of messy.  But, it was also lots of fun and good eating.  For those of you who see my Facebook page a couple of these pictures may look familiar.  It’s not the first time we have done a seafood boil, and also not the biggest crowd.  I didn't realize I was on a two-year schedule with these boils but that's what Facebook tells me. Key to the seafood boil is friends, family and a willingness to eat with your hands!

I have a few non-seafood eaters in the family.  I know, right? We had pizza for the kids and adults (1, there was 1) that didn’t want seafood.  There was also a fair amount of wine and beer, which is perfect with seafood, and homebaked French bread, which was also perfect.  I did all the shopping ahead of time but in the past have folks bring a bag of shrimp, crab legs or smoked sausage to dump in.  I included corn, onion, lemon, crab boil seasoning and new potatoes.  We served 13 adults and there was some left over, but, I admit…this is not good leftover stuff. Keep in mind the shrimp and crab are already cooked so I just thawed those bags of goodness and layer on top, maybe long enough to steam up a bit.  (Full disclosure.  This time I used two roasters and one had better shrimp than the other as it was in the boil less time.)

After layering the dining room table with paper and removing all the chairs…that’s right, you had to stand, and providing plates for those that just really wanted/needed a plate, and three rolls of paper towels.  A big bowl, huge, a hand me down from my late mother-in-law, in the center for shells and corn cobs, half eaten potatoes.  Yes, the potatoes with your hands, too.  Just grab it and bite.  3 cast iron skillets for butter and a couple bowls of just mixed cocktail sauce.  You get the idea ~ it’s a free for all.

We had a good time.  A nephew discovered the key to removing large slivers of crab from the legs and handed it to others gathered around the table, to make sure everyone had their fill, cause he's like that, bless his servant heart.   We were barbarians.  The Olympics on in the background, kids supervising kids, and life is good, folks, life is good.

The 2018 Indoor Crab Boil - 13 Adults and a good time. 

2016 Crab Boil - my pot overflows. 

2014 Crab Boil for 4th of July for about 30 adults -
with grilled asparagus even 

2012 - For family and visitors
with cod fillets instead of sausage

2010 First Crab Boil

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Winter Break Camp GiGi

Week one of 2018 was a Camp Gigi week.  I met my daughter halfway or so and we switched vehicles...her SUV packed with 4 of the 5 grandkids and all sorts of their stuff to survive winter at GiGi and PaPa's for a few days.  

It was a good time. We were under a snow deluge that kept us from actually going anywhere except out in the snow.  The youngest girl was not a big fan of the snow.  This meant I spent a lot of the time shooing the bigger kids out in all their gear and staying inside carrying the 3-year-old from window to window, following the older kids as they went from snow bank to snow bank, encouraging her to fall in love with winter play…not successfully. So, it didn’t go exactly as planned, but, it brought the grandkids together here, gave their parents a bit of a break, gave them a bit of a break and I hope, created some memories.  I survived numerous cups of hot chocolate, enough marshmallows to choke a horse, and only three major spills.  Those came on one day, within about two hours of each other and only slightly tested GiGi's patience and good humor.  

I am in a county in Indiana that is known for its lake effect snow.  Ten miles away could have zero snow and we’ll have a foot of the fluffy stuff.  I am really not kidding when I say snow deluge.  The week of Camp GiGi, initially projected for an  “accumulation of 1” to 3” possible”, drastically changed to dumping 24” to 30” of snow.  Yes, that’s right…30” of snow in about 3 days.  It is magical, yes, and beautiful to be sure, but, come on.

 

The good news was there was little to no wind so there was no drifting, the roads were very clear, considering the amount of snow.  Secondly, it remained super cold and the snow remained light and powdery and fun.  It did trash the ice on the lake so our planned skating was a bust, but, the days of snow without end really went very well.  I had planned a family gathering for skating and brunch.  Skating was out but snow play and brunch was in.  We had a great time together, as we usually do, eating way too much and enjoying each other’s company.

Now, the kids are back in school, the parents are back at work…we are back in our routine.  I look forward to 2018 and trying a new program for staying organized called Bullet Journaling.  You can find out more about it at bulletjournal.com  I am going to incorporate budgeting into this format, too.  This time next year both hubs and I will be retired and our income significantly reduced…I have some lofty goals for 2018, and am spending this next few days setting up the format and our budget.  Have also made the Christmas returns I needed to make and scheduled some medical appointments that have been looming.  Reminding myself again of my word (see last week’s post) 2018 has begun and I am in with INTENT! 

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Word.

Timing and trying to get some small details from the remodeling finished up, I didn’t put up a tree or the decorated garland this year. Oh, I intended to and I did put up some decorations, and received a great “Merry Christmas” banner from my husband as an early gift, which filled up the peak in the vaulted ceiling beautifully.   I ooohhhed and aaaahhhhed over ornaments in shops, and even purchased a couple that struck me as special in some way.  Now, I have spent the last couple days packing up holiday decorations to be stored away.  I admired each small decoration as I placed it in the tote, saying a silent “thanks and see you later”.  I gave the house a “once over” this morning, my eye searching out that one decoration that didn’t make it back into the tote.  There’s always one, one that you notice in February or so, long after your husband has lugged totes heavy with glitter and pine up into the attic.

 

Originally, this post was headed in a completely different direction, my intention being to write of the holidays, of family, of friends, of celebrations.  But, today, I find myself reflecting on the year a bit differently, and with a different theme running through my head.  That’s the weird thing about writing, it can ~ and believe it ~ have a mind of its own.

 

I came across an advertisement on Facebook (there’s THAT again) for a company that wants you to pick a word as a goal, or an accomplishment or desire and then hammer that word into a metal circle, okay, a washer and then fashion a piece of jewelry. Now I am not big on wearing a washer around my wrist or neck on a piece of leatherette but, the idea is fun, and it’s just that it isn’t my style, not that they aren’t cute.  As I reviewed the ad, I wondered if I had a word.  Some pieces they featured offered the usual “courage” “hope” “faith”.

 

Oh, the word I would choose. I thought about my focus of 2017.  Family? Lake? Grandkids? Joy? All of these.  How many words can fit on a brass washer? Can I really only pick one word? Maybe I need more than one bracelet? After all, the word I choose today may not be my word tomorrow. Then what? Perhaps Procrastination would be a good choice for me.  Indecisiveness.   If Joy was my word for 2017…and I finally sort of narrowed it down to Joy…then my word for 2018 would be – what?

I thought about ALL my words.  I have too many words, woven together over the course of my days and are more like a weaving than a washer. Cloth to make a fine garment, a cloak or cape to envelope me, and to introduce me, and yes, to protect me.  2018 is soon to be added to my weaving, to my coat, and one of the words that will guide me, I hope, is INTENT.

Good 2018 to you.  Make it soar.  

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