Cathing Up

Yesterday 17 February
8:33 am - Gr and I slept much better last night. Well he slept better, I spent a lot of time trying not to move, because I didn't want to hit his foot. I don't remember how he moved into my bed. Anyhow I need to get going to the eye doctor.

Today 18 February
8:20 am - Mother just called to let me know I should look out the window in the yard. We had three deer out under the hemlock tree eating seeds from the cones. While my darling dog Gr slept away the morning in a chair. The deer look good, still very healthy.

2:48 pm - I've been plucking my way through my to do list. Most importantly I got Gr licenced for another year. I even dug out my St Patrick Day decorations. OK so what I'm really doing is killing time, putting off paying bills. My net chore. Oh and the snow has finally arrived.

8:47 pm - Sitting in the truck in Bennington in a snow storm. Little E is on his third class of CRASH. He got picked up at a party, under aged drinking, three weeks before he turned twenty-one. So the State took his driver licence for six months and the completion of this class. It's going to be a bitch of drive home.

10;25 pm - Still snowing hard, and I can tell you that the roads are slippery.

Christmas Trees, and Snowed In In Duluth

1:13 pm - A really good morning. Took Mother and Gr, and we went and got our Christmas trees. We cut our own at the Mattison Tree Farm. I'm sure that the tree I picked out will not make Big E happy, but I like it. We stopped at the cemetery so I could put Christmas flags and Dad's grave and on Nanna and Grampa's. Gr friend was there as soon as we stopped the truck. Some day I'll have to find out the name of that hound. When we got home I helped Mother get her tree in a stand, mine went in the barn until the 18th. I got a call from the guys in MN. C got a deer this morning. He said it was nice spike horn. The bigger news is that Little E might not get out of Duluth in the morning. They are expecting fifteen inches of snow. Big E and C are taking him down to the airport tonight. I got him a room at the Country Inn & Suites for two nights, just in case he doesn't get out in the morning.

2:56 pm - I should be doing a ton of things, but Gr is sleeping all cuddled up with me on the couch. I just can't bring myself to move and disturb him. So here I sit, curled up under a blanket watching old TV shows.

5:55 pm - So I finished wrapping all the gifts that are leaving the house. Still have things for Big E and the boys to wrap. This looks to me like a tiny Christmas in gift department. I just can't seem to find that perfect thing. I just called Little E and he is in the hotel. He said that Big E and C left about ten minutes ago, so I should hear from them about eight.

9:48 pm - Little wont be making it out of Duluth tomorrow. I just got the call that his flight has been canceled, because of the weather. So I guess I'll pick him up on Tuesday, if they get out. Big E is back at C's house, watching M run around in the snow. He says they have about ten inches already. I wish I was in MN with them.

Making Plans, Good For Your Mental Health

7:48 am - I forgot to close the dog door when I went to bed last night, so Gr woke me up at one-thirty, when he went out the look things over in the bright moon light. I got him back in, closed his door and went back to bed. Than Little E had me up at four when he left to go back to camp. I went back to sleep. Than Big E came home at six-twenty to shower before his meeting. I gave up at the point and just got up for the day. Hey at least it's going to be a bright sunny cold day.

11:51 am - I feel much better now that I'm making plans for a Christmas shopping trip. It's something [maybe the only thing] I have control over. Something to look forward to. Now if I can just make myself stop worrying about money and the business, I might enjoy myself and start to feel like the Spirit of Christmas is with me.

7:20 pm - There my trip for Christmas shopping is set and planned. Now I feel like I can move on with things. I needed to have something to look forward to, a plan. It took me almost three hours to book a flight and four hotels to cover this seven day trip. Let the shopping begin.

9:40 - Little E came home again tonight. He says that he hit a deer on his way to camp this morning with the Toyota. I hate to admit it but I've gotten used to having him around in the evenings.

Wo Its Snow

12:24 pm - It's snowing!! I meet Cy at the office and got her to clean up a few book keeping things that I wasn't sure how to post taxes. I'm grabbing lunch at Friendly's before I head out to run errands, than back to the office for a couple more hours. Not to say that I have a sad little life, but the high light of this day will be that Friendly's has brought back their Peppermint Stick ice cream for the Christmas season.

3:41 pm - I finished up the running around. Than I took Gr for a walk at the Manchester Rec Park. He is like a little kid going to a candy shop, when he knows there is about to be a walk. Big E called me to check in from hunting camp. They've gotten five deer so far, not bad for the first weekend.

9:46 pm - Little E was home doing a paper when I got home tonight. He's going back into camp in the morning. I think I've finally figured out what has been causing the slump in my mood over the last few weeks. I've lost the routine of my life. I think what I need to, do even if I hate the thought of leaving Gr again for a few days this soon; I really need to plan for a Christmas shopping trip. Every year for the last six years I go to Maine for a week and wrap up my shopping, I need to do this, this year. I need my routine, my habits that put an order into my life. I need to feel like I have some kind of control over my life. Right now I just seem to be drifting.

Pies In Gray Skies

7:29 am - Gr is being cuddly with me. He went out than came back and got on the couch with me, instead of going down to Mother's. She is sort of locked in house right now. Her door handle is froze up. I'll probably wind up having to change it for her. I just got my third call on the house in Manchester. Man, I wish someone would buy that thing.

10:42 am - The critters are jumpy in the woods today. We saw six white tails legging bail up the mountain beyond V's meadow. There was a fresh pawing about ten feet up in the woods from our yard.

2:13 pm - It's a damp rainy cold afternoon, and I'm happy to be home and just put on my PJ's and spend the rest of the day cleaning house. I'm starting buy putting away my summer clothes and getting out the winter things. The only thing that would make this day better would be if the rain turned to snow.

6:23 pm - I've been cooking for hunting camp. Two pies and big pot of chili. I was going to make peanut brittle and another pie, but they'll just have to wait until next week.

8:27 pm - Big E called to find out when his flight home is tomorrow. His trip to IL has ended with out a deer. Gr is hanging close to me. I'm watching House on USA. Little E is at hunting camp with his friend Jammie, getting an early jump on the opening weekend.

A Gray November Day

7:59 am - I understand why things in our economy are tanking. I know I feel defeated. Money scares me. I'm wondering if sticking your head in the sand, turn off the news, wouldn't be a better way of life. It would at least save us from stress.

10:44 am - We just got back from a walk in the woods. Its a dark gray and wonderfully beautiful crisp day. Just a joy to be out in the woods. Besides Gr is so unbelievably happy to go for a walk, and his joy makes me happy.

12:46 pm - I just watched a guy drive around the Post Office three times, so that he could park right next to the door. Talk about lazy.

2:01 pm - I need to get my head out of my butt. I am just now having lunch. I'm in Manchester with only about half of what I need. I planned a deposit, left the money home. I forgot my book
which I normally read during lunch. I would have gone to the office and scrapped coming up here, but I had get Big E's prescription at Rite-Aid. Right now I just feel like going to sleep, like a waist of time.

6:05 pm - This is a picture perfect night. It's cool, clear, with a full moon. I could be outside hiking in the woods all night and wouldn't Gr just love that. We got back from Bennington and picking up some groceries to see three deer standing under the pear tree. They are enjoying this great night as well.

10:22 pm - Its been a nice evening with Little E here, although I think I bug him. Dinner wasn't quite healthy, I had a pint of Ben & Jerry's. It's great to be the adult.