How do I explain why I've only written three posts in the last two months? I don't. Instead I give you a list of a bunch of junk that I didn't write about while I wasn't writing. Do with it what you wish. Just don't throw things at me. I'm delicate. Like a flower... a weedy little flower that just keeps coming back no matter how many times the lawn mower runs it over. Yeah, something like that..
Signs of Almost Spring:
Washington is not normal. In the last three days we have had bright sunny skies, torrential rain, hail, lightening, light snow, heavy snow, and fog. Often in the same hour. Despite the crazy weather I did find signs of spring when I went looking a little while ago. My yard is greening nicely as the moss creeps toward my front porch and on the back patio the algae is in bloom! I would take pictures but I don't want to make you all jealous.
My dogs are incapable of reproducing through normal means so they have conspired to create puppies out of their own shedding hair. Dust Bunnies are nothing! Despite daily vacuuming we are in danger of being over-run by litters of fur puppies. The weather simply makes things worse by being warm and sunny for three days, encouraging loose hairs to jump off the dogs in anticipation of summer, and then snowing for a week so that the dogs grow new fur to keep them warm.
Delaney's school has a yearly spring play. Traditionally it is an elaborate production with roles for a hundred kids plus at least one scene with teachers, principal, and occasionally the district superintendent. It's a spectacular show. This year, instead of using a purchased script the director and a few others actually wrote the show. Last week I joined two other Moms and the art teacher to turn pictures drawn by third graders into scenery for the show. We had a lot of fun painting rolling hills, squat hen houses, leaning skyscrapers, and a huge rainbow. I wish I could share pictures here but it's a SECRET. It's like Christmas morning and the theater is a big present in the hall closet. Parents aren't allowed in... and it's driving some of them insane! (and I do mean insane.. one of them had a fit yesterday when she was told she could not watch rehearsal) Opening night is Thursday!
Signs of the Apocalypse / Signs of Recovery:
It's hard not to shake in your boots when the stock for the company your livelihood depends on goes into a spiraling nosedive and loses half of it's value in the first two months of the year.. after losing two thirds of it's value in the last three months of the previous year... but the day that the closing price is 6.66 certainly feels like the end of the world. Of course, it's not. Although the rain, hail, snow, fog of the weekend didn't do much to relieve me... and the fur puppies were approaching the size of small horses... Oh! and the earthquake! Did I mention we had an earthquake too? It was just a tiny one. I'm sure there really isn't anything to worry about. However, if you hear that a volcano in Washington state has erupted without warning you might want to find your Bibles and start reading. Oh, and pray for my soul, because we are right in the path of the pyroclastic flow if Mt. Rainier blows.
Despite the moss, algae, dog hair, insane weather, and shadow of the volcano business, I really do love my home and my neighborhood. We live very close to the largest Army base in the country and a huge percentage of my neighbors are military. They are fantastic neighbors. However, when they are transferred they have to sell their houses and go, no matter how bad the economy is. Our neighborhood is large and the builders (three separate companies) are still building new homes. In January great big yellow AUCTION signs started appearing on the streets where the model homes are and the paper published an article about foreclosures in our neighborhood.. not on individual homes but on the builders lots and models. So I was feeling awfully bad for the four neighbors on my street trying to sell their houses in this mess. Then.. in the last two weeks the signs went away, the builders started three new houses, and all four of the houses on my street sold. I don't know if it is really a sign that things are getting better.. but I sure am glad that the bright yellow signs of despair have been taken down.
Signs of Change:
Bob left yesterday for his first business trip since the accident. It was hard for me to let him walk out the door and head for the airport but I am so glad that he is able to.
Ian called me on Saturday to ask for advice. He wasn't sure if he should pay $16 a week for health insurance through his new job. I'm so happy that he's going to have insurance and even happier that he has worked at a company long enough to qualify for it.
Signs that it's time to stop rambling:
It's 1:30 and I've got to vacuum and get dinner started before heading to the theater for a dress rehearsal. If you made it this far, thank you! You are a true and wonderful friend for still being around to read my ramblings even though I just abandoned you for a few months. I promise to be a better blogger in the future... at least as long as that volcano stays dormant!
