Mad Dogs and English [Wo]men

Megan, Ann and I arrived at the old house Saturday at noon. 

We were greeted by the first bloom of the season.

We got to work right away. It took a lot of effort but we weeded the garden leaving only some garlic, onions, flowers, and what I'm pretty sure is zucchini but might be cucumber. John showed up shortly thereafter and cut the small patch of grass out back with the push mower that decided to work now that there wasn't a front lawn to cut. We threw out all the things that needed throwing out, and cleaned the whole house.

Results of the tidied-up back yard.

Final Harvest

I got sun sick and had to take some Tylenol and nap with an ice cold beanbag to get rid of the headache that was bad enough to make me queezy... but I'm glad it's done.

In and Out

Breathe with me... in, and out. 
In, and out. 
Again in, and out... 
Now out some more, 
out, 
all the way out, 
out til it hurts, 
then keep breathing out.

Life has rhythms. The tide has to come in before it can go out, you have to fill a dish before you can empty it, you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. That last one seems to be my lesson this life time.

I thought I'd learned after the psycho-ex, after the man-child, after the lump, but still I give too much too often and leave myself empty and running on fumes. There's no longer an anchor, a leech, or a vampire... now it's all me.

I'm saying yes to more than I can handle. I'm helping everyone under the sun except me. I'm making sure loved ones eat and sleep regularly, while ignoring my own physical needs. I'm putting on a brave face and powering through, when all I really want to do is sleep for a week solid.

Taking stock today: I haven't eaten enough the past few days, when I do eat it's usually junk, I'm dehydrated, I haven't been sleeping well, my bedroom's a disaster which keeps me from relaxing fully in it, I even haven't gotten to updating the address on my health-card yet.

This is not good.

I thrive when all my ducks are lined up neat and tidy. This chaos just breeds more chaos. I feel exhausted. I forget things. I feel too lazy to do the little tidying things that makes my room so much more comfortable. I'm too lazy to make food so I eat little besides what mom makes so I get even more tired. This is not a good spiral to be in. I want off this ride.

I kept telling myself that this month was a wash. Just power through and get-shit-done and next month I'll take the time to take care of my food, exercise, organization, social, and introspection needs.

That was a crappy plan.

Tomorrow's the clean-up of the old house. If I can I'm going to nap this afternoon, cuddle up with my sweetheart this evening, and spend most of Sunday taking care of my stuff so I can start the new week with less stress and more energy.

Time for a new normal

This has probably been the busiest month I've ever had and although it was full of awesome, I'm glad it's coming to an end. Between my move at the beginning of the month, Megan's move this past weekend, unpacking, work, and shopping for the bits and pieces... I'm just exhausted.

This Friday, John is moving out of the house and Saturday afternoon we're all going to clean it out and wash it down to leave it tidy for the owner. The next day is June 1st, the first day of the next chapter in my life.

Megan got the place!

It's right across the street. I'm going to see her all the time. Were both very happy about this. :D That is all. 

Long weekend.

Megan, her mother Ann and I have been busy checking out apartments and otherwise I've been trying to give her space and time to get done what ever she needs to do but talking to Megan Thursday I found out she was much more stressed than I realized and she asked for help. I told her I'd come over Friday for superheroes and then kick her ass all Saturday to get stuff packed and a decision to be made by where to apply to by Monday.

Friday night after work we saw FOUR apartments in TWO hours, WALKING from place to place. Oh boy did our feet hurt. 1st=meh, 2nd=nice, 3rd=nice, 4th=oh-hell-no.  Superheroes and take-out went well as usual but the funniest bit was when I reminded Megan that it was 10:30 so we should turn in and both her mom and John laughed thinking that Megan "never goes to bed that early on a weekend". I reminded them that we had a big day ahead and that if either of them were interested, breakfast would be served at 7:30. They laughed even more at that but we just shook out heads and went to bed.
 - - -
Saturday I woke up early and got the coffee and breakfast ready then woke Megan and we enjoyed a nice quiet breakfast alone before Ann joined us for tea and we planned the day. When John came upstairs at 9:30, I was helping Ann sort out the shopping list. He asked "so where's this breakfast I heard about?', Ann told him "seems we missed it" and he seemed so shocked that we had actually got up at 7. lol

We started packing and I only had to poke Meg a few times to keep her on track. :) I had a schedule planned out for us, an hour and a half of work, half hour break, then another hour and a half of packing before lunch. Throughout the morning I was called evil, slave-driver, drill-sergeant, you get the point, but it was all in good humour and although we were tired and sweaty by lunch time, we had accomplished quite a bit of the pesky tiny stuff.

During lunch we discussed the apartments we'd seen and the pros and cons of each and Megan eventually narrowed it down by process of elimination to...... THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME!!!!!!

Calling up the manager we made sure it was still available then came down to fill out the paperwork. Mom and sis were out for the evening so I had Meg and Ann over for dinner.
 - - -
Sunday, I just needed a day off. I did my laundry but didn't put it away, or do groceries, or anything.... we just watched Modern Family and I tried out my new food processor by making hummus. Yum.

 - - -
Tomorrow I'll be working on the holiday Monday so I'll be hanging out at work making the big bucks. :)

Running

I mentioned to a friend the other day that I didn't think I had any errands or chores planned for after work Thursday, and that made me feel like I was forgetting something. She understood completely and said it was just because I've been so busy lately. I have to agree. With moving, hosting the house-warming, unpacking, setting up house, work, having a cold, helping my sweetheart find an apartment, and still trying to squeeze in a social life of some sort... I've been going non-stop for a month now. It's probably half of why I'm sick.

This morning I was pondering my financial situation and coming to the same conclusion. I finally have a little wiggle room to breathe and after years of confinement, it feels weird and wrong like I'm forgetting a bill somewhere and it's going to bite me in the ass any day now.

I pictured it this morning like I've been running a race for years now, barely ahead of the others. I pushed so hard on one stretch that I lost my map, and then suddenly I looked around, and I have no clue where any of the other runners are. I'm either so far ahead that I can't see them behind me, or I took a wrong turn some where and when I find my way back to the track I'll be so far behind I'll never catch up.

This is why I like being super organized. It allows me to not only plan for the future, but relax in the present knowing exactly what I can and can't do. Unfortunately I've been too busy to sit down and get all the ducks lined up. I DID get everything planned out leading up to the move. I had the next two years sorted out so I could pay everything and have a nice nest egg at the end of it. It's just that I know life never follows the plan and I haven't been updating it to reality so I'm scared I'm way off track. 

I've been running all my life. Running away, running toward, running from, running in place, running the household, running my life, running around my brain, running off my mouth, running ahead, running behind... I've been running so long I don't know how to take a stroll through the park any more. I've NEVER been on a proper leave-town-for-2weeks-vacation. My few trips have been air cadet summer camp as a child, weekend trailer park "camping" as a young adult(on someone else's dime), or moving to another city. It may be that all this running is just running me into an early grave, but I don't know how to slow down.

I'm hoping the next few months will give me the opportunity to learn.

Packing and Pixels

Thanks to some old electronics boxes from Megan's work and a bunch of wine store boxes, I got plenty of packing done on the weekend, and now there's just a few odds and ends that need taking care of. Been keeping busy with work and getting all the stuff surrounding the move organised. Today I brought home another box of boxes from the wine store because if I don't use them all, my housemates surely will.

I've also been messing around with MSPaint stick people as a new blog has started to emerge from my brain called Miss-Overheard. The basic premise being that I overhear(and likely mis-hear) many things day to day and I try to recreate the silly places my brain goes with those snippets of conversation. I use red text to indicate what I though tI heard. the rest is pure fantasy. An example:

I try to keep it flowing at a steady every-other-day for now. I may be able to do more after the move.

Come on Spring....

So today started rather dismally. A nice inch or so of snow blanketed everything and... well really I'm just glad it didn't happen next week after things started sprouting.

I found this pretty but soon to be dead planter as well as some rabbit prints on the way to work.

After a rather average day at work I stopped off at the post office to get the modem that was shipped. 

I picked up the package and sent of a birthday surprise for my lil sister. I know she reads this... but it's not like I said what the surprise is. :)

Weekend Transformation

This weekend it was time to tackle the front yard. 

Perfect for gardening.

Obligatory Before Shot

Last fall we got London Landscape Inc. to tear up the overgrown lawn, put down some proper topsoil, and cover it all with landscape cloth to keep weed seeds out. It was completed on time and on budget and I was very pleased. Unfortunately the snowplough decided to tear a strip off the yard near the side-walk. Yay.

Friday on the way home I grabbed some Growers Cider cause I knew after a long day of gardening I was gonna want something sweet and cool to drink. Saturday I spent the morning poking around the house and after brunch around noon I got to work.

First thing to do was go out back to the shed for some tools. as I was opening the shed I heard something behind me and managed to take this pic over my shoulder without startling the lil robin.

So Cute!

The yard was going to need edging and stepping stones in order to look tidy and be functional. I started with the heavy stuff first(thank goodness). I lifted the landscape cloth I found a few surprise grass sprouts, then started digging a trench for the edging stones. Around the edge the new topsoil wasn't nearly as deep so I quickly hit what was out original soil. I packed the gaps with dirt and rocks to prevent run-off. 

Clay and sand are not the best soils.

Four done, plenty to go.

Grass has got to be my most disliked weed.

Last fall when London Landscape Inc was coming I dug out the rosebush meaning to keep it in the basement over winter.... It over wintered in the carport. I'm not 100% certain that it'll grow again but roses are insanely resilient (I had a bush trying to grow from a 1" clipping last year) so there's no harm trying. I burred it deep and watered it well.

This is all that can be seen of the poor rosebush I dug up in the fall and left in the carport.

At this point it was almost supper, rain was threatening and I was tired so I figured it was time to call it a day.

Borders complete, stepping stones placed, rose bush re-situated.

I put up my feet for a bit and enjoyed a cider before dinner. After Dinner, Meg and I cuddled on the couch and watched some TV. The cats slept nearby keeping us company.   :)

A well earned drink to relax with.

They're so cute when they're not fighting.

- - - - - ~ - - - - -

It rained Saturday night and I slept fairly well but woke up sore all over. I am SO glad that all I left was the planting. I settled the stepping stones a little lower in the soil for stability, made and anchored a trellis, and made a little... entry arch? near the porch to show the intent of the stepping stones and that they're not there just for some weird artistic reason.

I bought a nice blend of perennials and self-seeding annuals for the base/filler from West Coast Seeds. I bought a bunch of bulbs from the dollar store, and I still have a variety of various seeds from previous excursions into gardening. I wanted it to be a nice low to no maintenance garden. Other than watering I think the only work involved might be taking the dead nasturtium vines off the trellis in the fall. I didn't plant anything to... obviously food... in the front yard but there's some useful plants in with the just-for-decoration flowers.

I planted some helpful flowers like lavender, chamomile, and calendula. To most they'll just be pretty flowers but if the new renters know their herbs, they'll be happy to have them. I also planted the whole length of the neighbour's driveway with garlic and onions. If they're recognised they'll be tasty, if not, they'll be basic greenery with the occasional round flower ball. :)

Sunday morning from inside before I started.

All Done.

Now I know garden folk love progress pics and I will let you know when everything starts sprouting, but I'm moving in two weeks so I won't be back to take pics regularly... just occasionally. :)

A sure sign of spring

Looks like the grocery store is ready for spring. Anyone started working outside yet?

Sorry It's been a while

I'd like to say that I haven't been writing because I'm packing, or because my social life is blooming, or because I've been working on the garden... I won't though because those things haven't been checked off my to-do list either. Mostly I've been spinning my wheels and worrying.

I have however, written some poetry and made some very terrible MS Paint comics. The poetry I'll be posting on here bit by bit. The comics have their own blog and will be released every other day for now, maybe more or less as time goes on.

Good Thing We Didn't Have Grass This Year eh?

I saw the plow tracks and the damage done, 

a little strip torn off of every lawn, 

ooh-oh the damage done again.

Week's end will be time.
Edging down, bulbs in, seeds sown.
Fingers crossed; no weeds.

Harvests recorded.

Brought the cost vs harvest page up to date:

http://barefoot-squarefoot.blogspot.com/p/cost-vs-harvest-2012.html

Harvest Update

Almost forgot to tell you! 

We harvested another 6.1oz (179g) of salad greens and parsley on Wednesday!

Sooooooo taaaasty!

Blooming Success

The roses are flowering nicely; even the onions are ready to bloom, and the garlic isn't far behind

The first pea flowers are opening!

The broccoli's looking good.

The Return of the Cat

Willow's twin, Gracie

There's been another new cat hanging around and I had assumed it was another like Dribble who had been left behind by students. It looked a lot like Willow and had a habit of napping on the neighbour's porch/yard.  A few days ago I found a missing cat poster in the local laundomat and called the number. I got "the voice mailbox you are calling has not been set up yet".

I tried again yesterday and it turned out to be a neighbour from down the street. She came right away and called her kitty over to her. They looked very happy to see each other again.

First Harvest!

3.5oz (99g) of salad greens

The greens were getting crowded so I had to pick some even though there wasn't anything to pick with them.

Yay Rain!

Amazing what a two hour thunderstorm can do.

Yesterday

Today

And not only is the rain barrel 3/4 full, the garden is watered so I don't have to use any of it yet. :)

Raccoon Rescuers!

Last night, we watched Thor and The Incredible Hulk so Meg and I had all the backgrounds before we see The Avengers. This made for a long evening, and as everyone was headed to bed, Racoons were heard chittering out back. Looking out the window revealed Momma Racoon extricating one of her young from the netting hung from our conduit garden trellis's. We thought it best to just leave her to it because at the very worst she'd just chew through the net.

Ten or fifteen minutes later, the chittering had escalated to screaming, and further investigation revealed the first Kit freed but a 2nd Kit was caught in the chain link fence. It's a double fence along the back and he had managed to get himself through one fence but and had one arm forward and through with his other arm back and stuck in the second fence. Not only that, he had somehow flipped around so his belly was facing the sky. Momma Raccoon was unable to get him forward because his shoulder was stuck but she couldn't get him back wards because in wasn't possible to manoeuvre his panicky butt backwards through the other fence.

Wow

After all the excitement tonight... I'm going to bed.

I'll tell you about it tomorrow.