We Have Eggs!

Last Saturday, Mike found our first egg from this spring's baby chicks in the layer boxes. It was an extremely small egg, even for a pullet egg. Since then, we have gotten about a half dozen, all of them small -- about the size of a golf ball (only egg-shaped). These are the smallest pullet eggs we've ever had.

The girls are very personable and friendly. One even comes up to Mike to be petted. I can't go outside and speak because they will all come running, which makes it difficult for my clients to leave, fearing they'll run over one of them!

I am so happy to have chickens on the place again!

Another Cardinal Game

This time it was a win! Joel's first win -- the jinx is broken!
Poor Joel. He'd gone to three games with us and each time something "bad" happened. His first game with us as a family we experienced our first rain delay and then lost 10-1 to the Brewers.

The next game was with excellent field box seats behind the visitor's dugout. We lost again. But that wasn't the worst of it. It was to the Cubs on 4th of July weekend last year. We were surrounded by Cub fans (how do they get such great seats in OUR stadium?) who were rude and obnoxious. The only good thing about the day, besides spending it with my kids and the great weather and seats, was that we witnessed Albert Pujol's 300th career homer.

Then this year when we went in mid-May, we were ahead by a couple runs in the early innings when a major storm rolled in and the game was cancelled. Sigh. So this was the game we got our tickets exchanged for.

We played the Nationals who are so far out of the penant race that it should have been an easy win. Not so in the beginning. They took the lead early but then we caught up and never looked back, winning 9-4. It was a fun game and a wonderful time with the kids.

What was really surprising was the weather. We were expecting to sit in a sauna since it was the last Saturday of August, but the weather this year has been more than unusual (as I sit and type this in my sweatshirt & sweatpants). The humidity was nonexistent and the temps were in the mid-70s! Wow, what a nice day!

New Homeowners!

Tara & Joel closed on their first home on Friday and slept in their new bedroom on Saturday. I'm so happy for them. Joel's folks were there to help them move in and clean the old apartment after the movers cleared it out of stuff. Mike and I are heading over there this weekend to do the odd repairs that need done around the house. I can't wait to see it!

The Kids Have a House!

Well, the first house we thought the kids had fell thru -- fortunately. It was at the top of their price range, only had one bath, had several outbuildings that they really didn't want, and had neighbors too close for their preference (across the driveway). The sellers were being 'buttheads', missing every deadline the kids asked for and being difficult about inspections and the results of those inspections. We're unsure if it was just the sellers on those missed deadlines or if their realtor was slow off the mark. Whatever it was, the kids decided that since they couldn't get the septic system inspected that they would pass on the house. But the sellers said that they were going to sue the kids and make them take the house! What idiots. The kids' realtor had done everything by the book so the sellers didn't have a leg to stand on with that threat. They also didn't want to refund the kids their earnest money, which by right, was to be returned since it was the sellers who didn't want to comply with things. So then the kids decided to take them to small claims court and that put a fire under the sellers and they came to an agreement on the earnest money. So that saga is over.

The kids then started looking for houses again and found a nice place just three miles west of the original house. They like this one much better as it had fewer outbuildings (none), an extra bathroom, attached garage, and was $30K less expensive. They put what they thought was a low bid on it, figuring they'd have to come up a bit, but the sellers took the bid. So they wound up getting the house for almost $38K less! The only thing is that the property itself isn't as nice as the first house which had lots of mature trees on it and a creek running thru the back of the property. This house is much like mine -- flat and plain in the middle of corn and bean fields. But the kids are thrilled. And it's in move-in condition. There is some remodeling that needs done, but it's not anything they can't live with for a bit.

So they close on August 7th and I guess are moving in that weekend. That's the weekend I'm in Lansing for an obedience trial, but we are going over to the kids' on the following weekend to help paint the apartment and have Mike work on some 'handy man' things'. I can't wait to see the place!

Life Lessons

Written by Regina Brett, writer for The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

I Wish You Enough

This passed thru my inbox from my cousin in the Quad Cities and I liked it enough to share it here.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess..

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good- bye.

Makeup Game

Well we ordered our replacement tickets for the rained out game. We will be going to a Saturday evening game on August 29th. We could have gone to a Cubs game which was not allowed the first time we got these tickets (they were promotional and had restrictions), but the last time we went to a Cards/Cubs game we were surrounded by the rudest Cubs fans. It really ruined the experience for us. So instead we will be watching the Cardinals play the Washington Nationals.

The Cards shut out the Cubs in the first game of the series with Pinero throwing a complete game shutout. They won the second game 2-1, with the Cubs scoring their run in the eighth inning. Hoping the Cards win tonight to sweep the series!

Rained Out

The Cardinals game we went to on Friday night was rained out in the second inning. Actually, it turns out that they could have gotten the game in after the first hour into the rain delay, but the radar showed lots of rain coming from the west so the umpires called it on that assumption. Turns out that it all scooted north of the city and there was no more rain the entire night. Ah well, it would have been a real late night if the game had continued. The only bad thing was that the Cards were on top 2-0 with men on base when the game was called and they won't count when they replay it on Monday. Ah well, the rules are the rules altho I can't figure out when they continue a game and when they cancel one -- too many grey areas.


We are trying to find a date that will be good for us to exchange our tickets for. Looks like it will be later in the season -- and HOT.

Good News!

Tara & Joel have had their offer on a house w/ 2 acres accepted. Pending an inspection, it is theirs! They are very excited about this purchase.

It is located on the west side of Indianapolis near exit 61 off I-74. Very convenient for the parents to get to and from. And since they both are now working nearer the northwest side, it's a better location than Fishers which is on the northeast side.

It is a 3 bedroom ranch with recent updates and improvements so it is move-in ready. Tara said that the only thing she'd like to do is some painting, installing a dishwasher, and updating fixtures in the bath (only one bath in the house). Appliances all come with the house and are fairly recent. Has a covered farmer's porch on 3 sides, a heated 2-car detached garage and a huge Morton building that Mike is dying to move here. The bonus is the acreage itself -- lots of mature trees and a creek! Downside is that there is one very close neighbor next door and one across the road (they would have preferred like what we have here, but . . .). Rooms are not huge but not tiny either. No basement but Joel said there was a "basement" in the garage. Tara didn't see it so she doesn't know how big or deep. House sits on a crawl space.

I don't know what the timeline is for closing/moving. They have a pre-approved line of credit so that should cut down on the time to settle this. Unfortunately, I am busy the next 3 weekends and wouldn't be able to help them move which sucks as I'm thinking they will want to try to move out of their apartment before their next month's rent is due (if I'm remembering correctly that would be the 13/14 of June which is my first free weekend). But we'll see what happens.

This is SO exciting!

Quarrels

It is absolutely amazing how quickly a quarrel can crop up around here. We have a TV in our bedroom, have had from the first day we got married over 31 years ago. I have gotten so used to it that I cannot easily go to sleep without it on low. Over the years, Mike's hearing has gotten worse, partly due to the fact that he works in a factory. So the volume on the TV has gotten louder and louder as his hearing diminishes. Of course, he won't admit that he can't hear as well as he used to, heaven forbid!

So last night, I was in bed before him by a few minutes which is normal. I had the TV on and the volume loud enough to hear but not obnoxiously loud. Mike came upstairs, heaved a huge sigh, grabbed the remote and raised the volume HIGH. When I said that it was a bit loud, he went off on a rant, yelling that he can't hear the TV over my snoring and loud breathing and that when I fall asleep in the living room, the loud TV doesn't bother me. It was very unusual for him to go off like that so suddenly (that's usually my MO).

I wound up going into the other bedroom with Beckett so that I wouldn't disturb his bedroom TV watching with my bedroom sleeping habits. Sigh. At least I got to try out the new bed . . .

House Hunting

The kids have found another house they are interested in. It is in the right area, has plenty of space and acreage, and is within their price range, altho at the highest end. It is a nice ranch with a crawl space (apparently Indiana doesn't do basements), a detached garage with a heated shop and a newer Morton building. The best part is all the mature trees and the creek that runs thru the propery. I hope they can get the owner to lower the price a bit and that they can get it.

Another Sign of Spring

The new baby chicks arrived yesterday afternoon. Six black puffballs are happily chipping and chirping in their brooder in the garage. I really like having chickens. They are easy to care for (much less work than ducks) and the Barred Rock breed is very mild tempered. I can't wait until I get my first pullet eggs in July or August!

Think About This

"If someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it."

Spring is Here

Spring has officially arrived. The Cardinals have been playing for almost a month (with a winning record), but that isn't what officially heralds spring here in central Illinois -- it's the mowing (or perhaps the Cubs losing -- again/still). Mike hopped on the tractor yesterday after work and mowed his ditches (he's fanatical about keeping them neat), the parklands and the half acre. I am going to pick the yard of dog poop later this morning and when the dew dries, get the yard and orchard mowed before it gets out of hand. Flash is doing her part by keeping the green lot grazed low and the pastures won't need hit for another couple weeks since they were overgrazed last fall.

This starts our three-day cycle of spring mowing. We have three acres which is broken up by horse fences and each area has a name. In order to stay ahead of the mowing, we do 1/3 of the mowing each day on a rotational basis. That way we're not mowing for hours on one day and if it gets rainy it doesn't all get ahead of us to where it needs baled.

Sometimes this cycle gets to be inconvenient, but as summer approaches and the spring flush of growth slows, we actually get several days without mowing. So if we can get thru the next four to six weeks of rapid spring growth, things will settle into a more leisurely routine.

On Life

Just as you're going along thinking everything is fine, life sends you a curve ball. Out of the blue, you get news. It can be good news or bad news, but either way it can change your life forever. How you deal with that news and the changes it makes defines you as a person.

I have lost several family members in a relatively close amount of time. I lost a nephew in 1998, my mom in 1999, my baby brother in 2003, my dad in 2004, my heart dog in 2004, my favorite horse in 2006, and my nephew also in 2006. Each of those loses were devastating and made me think about my life with and without them.

Life without them in it is not as sweet as it was before they passed. But their passing has strengthened me and showed me that life and all that it gives us is nothing without the love of family and friends. I found a lot of friends I didn't realize I had during this dark period -- friends I am eternally grateful to have in my life.

Life can throw you a curve ball, but whether you take it as a strike or knock it out of the park is up to you.