Hillbilly tree climbing.....

Now its time for the entertainment part of day....

My dad had the BRIGHT idea to hide one of the Easter eggs in the "crotch" of this tall tree. (like the kids would see it up there anyway)... but... someone threw it up there and low and behold there was a hole and the egg went "plunk" in the hole. So this was the "adult" part of the hunt to retrieve this egg from the tree crotch! Sounds bad don't it! ;) This is how hillbillies (yes, I come from hillbilly origins) climb trees. I can't believe these pictures are not blurry because I was laughing so hard.... As you can see, younger brother has received support for his backside and a good Carhartt jacket has many functions, not just to keep your carcase from freezing anymore!! He is intently focused on the destination and prize that awaits...... Well, he didn't get far before he realized this was not going to work and he did the only thing he could do, the only thing a real man can do when he finds out his hair brained, hillbilly idea is not going to work.... You get a girl to do it! Because we can do/fix just about anything you men screw up! Yep, Sam got up on his shoulders (screaming the whole way) but she did it and got the egg, then her dang, hillbilly uncle ate the candy that was in it! GOOBER! Sorry by now I was laughing so hard (ya, know the pee your pants kind) that I couldn't take any more photos, sorry!

This is my crazy family and how we spend our time together, wouldnt change a hair on their heads (which would be hard, because most of the men are bald) and you couldnt find more heart than whats in this bunch of country folk!

Good Grief Kids....Fight.....

So how did this start? Just like any other, He/She touch me, took this, looked at me funny...

You can see the intent on Sam's face she is taken Nate down..... And she did. You can see their younger cousin's take on the situation, "Ill just poke'm with a stick and see if they are DONE" Me, I just stood there taken pictures....

Cousin is getting a few good jabs with the stick, here comes the dog to get in on the rolling around.. HOW old are you two????

Ok, now Nate's Up, is he trying to help her up or get a few more good licks in? There were more giggles than screams, nobody got poked in the eye (because it is all fun and games until someone looses an eye!) and everyone kept there hair, so they were good to go, the only damage will be to their pride, when they see this SISSY fight posted for everyone to see, YOU two are a couple of goobers, and I'm glad your all mine....

Love, MOM

aka - "wee one" now that Nate has pushed past 6ft, he is calling me "wee one"

This weekend in the Willows.....

So I set out to get a few thing's done in the Willows this weekend....
Did I ever mention that my mom is also a stain glass artist?.....
This was my Christmas gift from my parents a glass house number sign, made by my talented mom...
This quilt made its way to Montana the week before last....

I have been itching to paint this bench red for the longest time, now its done and looks pretty snappy in front of the house...

Here is my huge forsythia bush in all its yellow glory... So the yard is mowed, the deck is ready for summer and the bonfire parties that should start shortly, wood is moved and stacked, now we just need to pull some from the woods, Pop's started plowing this weekend.. No turning back now...

We all have them

people that walk into our lives for a brief moment, a glimpse, a second.... Ones that you would like to stay, ones you have missed beyond measure, ones that are so entrapped in either their own pain or traumatic experiences they walk blind... to the saftey of our harbors....



He walked from the mountain mist carrying not but his scared, ragged soul.
His face the same but for the hollowed gaze from his once bright eyes.

He could not speak of himself but longed for the comfort and trust of a friend
from days far in the past. He was offered the safety and warmth without question
or attachment.

A strong weathered hand rests upon his shoulder in an attempt to quiet and sooth his bruised heart. But the closeness spins the earth from under his heavy feet, he feels less than deserving, forced to march a path not of his own making.

Fleeing, rabid in his motion to leave this place, he leaves in his wake a friend with a heavy heart, hanging head and a sense of loss so great that even the strongest wind will never ebb the flow of sorrow…



for those of you that have such a friend or loved one, take a moment to send them your love through a prayer or just a wish for safety and love....

So here we are...

with spring in .... winter out... and now the work begins... I see bright flashes of yellow everywhere as the forsythia bushes bloom. Carpets of brown are turning green... Learning curve is in full swing, maintenance on machinery is new to me but I know now how to change the battery and the oil in my 184 International tractor. I have let the chickens out of their pen so they are roaming the property in the quest for a tasty treat. Now the dogs have tasty treats to hunt in the wake of the chickens, gross, licks from the pup's are here by suspended until further notice, YUCK!

Cleaning out the flower beds is accomplished and the job of re mulching is in full swing, half done.
I removed an eye sore fence this weekend, stacked wood, cleaned and removed small junk piles.

I took Friday last week off from work and took the kids on a short road trip to Howe Caverns and the Iroquois Museum for the day. They never cease to make me laugh and this trip was no acceptation. Many jokes about how mom didn't have to duck in the caves or in the boat, they were reminded if they kept it up that Mom didn't need to pay for lunch either.... We all were fighting to get the cave kisses for luck... We had a newbie tour guide that really had a hard time controlling the boat, so we kept slamming into the cave walls, I ended up in the front... umm well it was kind of unnerving, I kept looking for the brake peddle to slam on.... yes, that thumping noise was me trying to slow the dang thing down, Sam kept elbowing me, "Mom, knock it off", I couldn't help it normal reaction, the guy behind me started chuckling, but chimed in when he almost had a rock ledge for lunch!

The blue heron is back, scoring his tasty treat of little orange goldfish from the pond, there are ton's of goldfish, they made huge orange swirls in the pond as they came up to sun themselves this weekend, doesn't look like he has put a dent in the population over the last two years, to think it all started with six little goldfish from the county fair.... I told the kids what ever you do, don't win any fish,(i hate cleaning fish tanks, smelly, pukey) your not going to keep them so what did they do and despite their SCREAMING protests, it was in the pond with their little golden treasures and their little tearful speeches about how they will never survive, YA, RIGHT!

So some hard work and fun mixed in... next more wood to stack, more mulching, maybe I will get a moment to sit on the deck to enjoy the scenery for a moment with a nice glass of wine...

A Photo that describes you....

Sometimes you find a photo the describes you to a "T".... Well not every moment of my life just the "fun" ones..... I hope I never grow up....





And well this IS how I feel about Barbie.....Its a Barbie"Q" !

Bad Aunt Witch....

Well, after we left the office, got McDonald's the littlest niece and I headed home to do chores
and wait for her mother to get done at the doctors...

We were having a conversation (I am forever picking on her, sorry, its just too fun) about her pre-school... and I said isn't that the school that smells like stinky feet. Well, big mistake...

She crossed her arms,brought her eye brows together and informed me "that she had had enough of me, her school doesn't smell like stinky feet (well maybe the floor does) but the rest doesn't and she was going to tell her teacher on me...." I so wanted to bust a gut....

Then she told her mother on me.... and I was told once the teacher got wind of this I was not going to be welcome at pre-school.... Whew, that was close.... I got out of that by the skin of my teeth.... (a room full of screaming 4 year old, yikes)

Wonder what I can come up with next to get out of kindergarten duty.... Hmmmm... Your teacher looks like ??????? I don't know I have a few months to work on it....

I know, I know BAD BAD aunt witch.....

But after what my brothers pulled when my two were little, its my turn.... Like telling Nate to call farmers in green hats, Chicken Pluckers, well, we all know that is not what came out of a 2 and a half year olds mouth.... Every time I saw a green hat, I couldn't get my hand over that kids mouth fast enough.....

And in our town you can't spit without seeing a green hat, so I was really busy.... I can't believe I survived now, reflecting on it... people must have thought I was insane... maybe that is why some people still run the other way.... hmmmm....

OK a funny for today....

I have the littlest niece today and she gets to my office and is all sad, lip out the whole nine yards...
So I ask her why she is so upset.... She got a time out at the babysitters today... Why, sprite? Because I just couldn't stop singing!, I couldn't, it just had to come out and I woke up the baby.... Poor kid, she seems to have a similar affliction to her Aunt Willow, my mouth often gets the best of me....
So I told her that was too bad, but if she was going to be sad, we couldn't go to McDonald's and get a Happy meal, I would have to get her a Grumpy meal! What is in a Grumpy meal? .... Crabby paddy, moldy fries and sour milk...YUCK that would make me puke! (This kid, KILLS ME) So I told her to suck in her lip and smile and we could get the happy meal instead, So out came this grin, all I could think was god I hope that grin doesn't freeze on her face, Ill have a heck of a time explaining that....
But first, when she comes to the office I get her to empty all of the individual employees shred boxes in the the big locked shred box, I have convinced her that there is a monkey in there and he eats all the paper.....* i know that is evil to trick the kid* but she gets a kick out of it and the employee that sits next to the box kicks the side of it to make it sound like a monkey is in there moving around, she usually shrieks and everyone laughs their butts off, because she is just sooooo cute! *i know, i know, bad aunt witch*

by the way, I keep laughing this butt off and it keeps finding me, whats up with that????

How to hang on....and not loose your mind

I have been talking with a co-worker that is going through a very hard time in life, not like my situation but a ruff, devastating situation that is breaking her heart. She asked me a question that I have been asked so many times in the last few months that I think it is prudent to maybe share. "How have you stayed so strong and not fallen apart and into a million pieces?"

At first the question takes me back a little because I do not think of myself any different than anyone else, but I guess my outlook is different. The answer or my answer is being strong is a choice... You can chose to wake up this morning and be strong or you can chose to let yourself sit in a puddle of your tears.... I try very hard to look at what I am dealt in life as a series of choices that have to be handled everyday and I chose to let the bad things go... I chose not to let the bad things have control over what life might bring me today, why spoil the cake in the afternoon with the vinegar from this morning....

Imagine the situation like walking through a cobweb, you know how it gets stuck to your face and hands and you have that, Ewwww... look on your face, you peel it off and flick it off your hand into the wind... Deal with it AND LET IT GO.... You could hold on to it, contemplate the distaste of the yucky feeling, let it ruin your day or you can let it go, keep walking and see what is around the next corner.... (OK unless there was a Gosh Darn HUGE Spider on the dang thing, that might make me dance a little, OK ! A LOT)

Everyday, I chose to keep walking... and on my recent walks, I have found things that make life wonderful and the way I have handled myself gives others around me hope. We should never let the past have control over the future, ever.... It limits our possibilities not just in life but it limits who we become... You know the bitter-cranky-rotten people you run into everyday, they have let something in the past turn them into who they are today, miserable...

Now, I am not perfect and I did last week have a day in the puddle... I had surgery on my hand, was in a lot of pain and found myself feeling really low and sorry for myself and someone so unselfishly came to my rescue, driving hours and made me feel like the most important person in the world to them, Thank you , sweetheart you are just wonderful, love ya to the moon and back... Ok maybe a lot farther than the moon....

Who knew...

Some days are just meant to be about "self-discovery". So what have I discovered other than I will never fit into my high school jeans or be able to bounce up from split with gusto... Or make pancakes that are not gooey on the inside *sigh* (to admit such a failure is awful)...

When I graduated from high school, as soon as the cap was in the air, I knew I was free... I walked from my parents home that evening, not looking back, not even a glance... Because that was me, I didn't need permission, approval, I KNEW I could take care of myself and I have, always...

Even as relationships in my life happened I have fallen in love, but I never needed anyone, one very important part of myself I would never let another person have control over, I could always take care of myself, no matter what... through anything and everything... maybe this was a mistake... I think needing someone and having them fail you or use your need against you would be far worse than someone breaking your heart... I thought it was a sign of my strength, a trait to be admired... Now I know it has been the one thing that has always held me back, my true weakness, trusting someone enough to need them, to count on them in times of strife and pain, to let them in and see my worse fears, or maybe it was meeting a person that could see all of it despite me trying to hide it... Not sure... but I do know my shoulders are a little lighter, my eyes a little brighter and my heart is softer, today...