Seeing Red, Everywhere…

Yes, my mom is retired, vacationing – etc….

Someday, she’ll hanker for Colorado and want to visit – that leaves Me and my homestead to fill the need…

And (sigh) doncha know – she loves Red –

When I’m more on the (blue, green, purple fave of the color wheel)

And so – though I didn’t get all my pics from last weekends road trip properly sized/optimized for sharing – I realized, I could, at least, do the ones to post, of plants on ‘Idea’ list for area of permaculture, that blooms all summer, and will provide Mama a cozy spot to enjoy the birds, bees, flowers, etc.  as long as she doesn’t visit when it’s blizzard weather….

So…

In the Spirit of Red….

(Mom?  Post originally titled, “Mom’s Garden Spot” – alas, Seeing Red worked better for so many other irons I have in fire, just now – NO! You’ll probably never raise me, completely, up right – BUT, figure anyone who takes the time to read, will know what’s really what – 🙂  If Not?  Weeellll…. they should have been given the blessing of a reading Mama – is all I can say…  – – 🙂

The shared items below are the ones the bees were really loving and clustering around – cuz, ya know?   If plant pretty and perfect, but the local bee population ignoring – well, um, yes, Pretty – but how functional is it?!?

LOL – – – I know I drive you crazy, thinking about such things…but, you should know this is how it is – for me – for now….LOL)

 

Arrive to walk the gardens and try out my new camera’s Panorama settings – will see how it turns out – 🙂

Okay, okay – not flowers, but, the name has Red in it, and it was pretty – thinking nice addition to perennial beds for ground cover – have to learn if drought tolerant or not….
🙂

Yes, the bees all over this one! Not featured, in this post, the white offerings a few spaces away that were covered with busy-bees, doing their thing…think about it – let’s add some white into the garden, eh?
LOL

You love the SuperTunia Petunia’s from your sister’s palace of hanging baskets – 🙂 Lookee what I found! Red, Tunias AND, just as soon as I bend Dad’s rebar into supporting hanging basket, this is what will be on it – just for you…:)

Zinnias are good companion plants, and, I believe, aggressive self-seeders, which = perennial, to my mind…LOL – Have some seed for Zinnias that advertised pic come close to matching the red here – we’ll see…next summer….LOL

Um – yes, not, EXACTLY, red, but it is named “Archangel Rose” with some other words blended in – and so, why wouldn’t it work for me? – never fret – I’ll plant it in between my purple loves and your red loves – it will be a ‘transition focal point’ – – LOL

But I have to tell ya – I fell in love with Canna – think it will like where I live – have long admired the plant – they had Rose, Yellow and Mango displayed, but you know I was just looking at things other than blossom color – but here ya go – be forewarned, your lil Rose’s Garden is going to have some not true red stuff in it – – LOL

And, yeeeesss…..LOL

I observed the bees, birds and butterflies – I had my faves, too….

I fell in love with Ipomea – still need to research to find out how high maintenance it will be – for you know, beautiful addition to scheme of 3 lots – BUT – – so metallic/high class in muted forms, figure, it will be high maintenace/picky – – LOL

And yes, still awaiting resize/optimize pics are a variety of colors – some varieties that have “Antique” in the name – – LOL you know my heart – – 🙂

LUB, Mom – Glad you are having great time on your first “retired! vacation” – know I’m doing okay – still building, planting, planning for future – cuz, ya know me – it’s what I do….

Here’s the pic of what I actually carted home from my short road trip:

(Sing_Along!  To the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas!  5 Wild Roses, 5 Native Plums and 2 Nanking Cherry trees….. – nope, I didn’t buy #s of each based off what would work for sing-along – – – LOL )

As I Sit, Writing…

The sounds of the storm, rolling across the prairie, came to my ears while I clicked away at keyboard – –

And I learned, later, the gentle pattering of moisture, here, meant more fearful things, for others – not more than 60 miles away –

And while, I wrote tonight on specific perspectives of mine, the pattering of rain reminds me….

In the end….

The sound of falling rain reminds me of all the challenges we all meet – sometimes together, sometimes, via paths greatly divided.

I am grateful for the gentle reminder sent to me, tonight –

While, somewhere, there sat a Farmer, who sighed, as moisture arrived to delay the harvest, for one more day –

There were folks who dealt with hail, instead of rain –

**********

Yes, for me, it really is, all in the perspective –

But tonight – for me – for now –

It’s good to be reminded of why I love my homeland …

Days Go By…

What Can I Tell You?

I’m in mop up operations – catching up on personal goals put on hold last spring – cuz some things just more important, ‘to-do’ and my personal to-do list just moved from back burner to front and center recently –

 

I have scads of Pictures….

I have dropped right back into taking a slew of pictures to capture the moment, instead of being professional and saving time/SD card space by only snapping the perfect shot – so sue me   LOL- 🙂

On To Do List

1. ..Resize/optimize and share with you the beauty of the Colorado Plains in June/July – of the wheat harvest delayed by rain not expected until official August monsoon (July harvests were delayed, cuz Mother Nature had fun…)
2. Post re: what makes our nation great – even when we snarl like feral dogs online over election-year-ideals –
3. How community is the glue that sticks us together, even when we are working to find steps to move forward to a more even playing field for all community members –  –
4. A house still in need of organization and I haven’t mopped my kitchen floor in 2 months ( WHAT?!  I don’t have small child units that eat off it – the dog, who might lick it, is responsible for dragging in the outdoor material that now litters the floor – and, presumably, already licked the ground outside and lived to tell the tale – WHAT?  I Ask You!  WHAT?!?  LOL …

(Seriously, you thought I could do the first 3 listed items AND clean my house so well I might endanger the life of my dog? All at the same time?  Are ya kiddin?   LOL)

I’m currently Livin’ off cheese and crackers –

Cuz I don’t have time to cook – just now –  do throw in deep bone broth, raw milk and some properly prepared jerky, just to get my good fats/protein quotas in –

I’m heartily disappointed in the social media and the laize faire attitude and taking my hits for trying to nail down, “Is You Is, or Is you Ain’t?” in online world – cuz not always readily apparent, to my mind – and if you expect me to like, love, share your take, which in my mind, is an “Ain’t” – well – we will have some difficulties to discuss at the time/place of your choosing….

Our country was founded upon compromise – which, today, is a dirty word – – Compromise is somehow determined to be a weakness – not sure when that happened – but, there ya go – – 🙂

Founding Fathers (yes, they were all white, male, rich guys – but still, we shouldn’t ignore them, just because our current icons in the category don’t live up to their work/dreams of better…right?… OhhhKay….Maybe not….)

“Maybe this committee can’t get ‘er ALL done, today, but someday, with this foundation – we and our country can work ever towards a better morrow based upon these principals….”

Beauty, Always, Shows Up to Guide the Way….

Had a great conversation at a family BBQ I was, quite frankly, invited to, as 3rd wheel interloper – one who spent the evening saying, “I’m not related to anyone here – I’m a friend, of the mother, of the son, who is dating your beloved (daughter, niece, grand-daughter, etc.-:) )

Being me, I did venture to ask two Aunties from the St. Paul, MN neck of our country woods, the following:

“What are your thoughts on the challenges  your community faced this past year/season?”

Usually a safe question – anymore, there are always challenges to be met – and you know me – want to hear all the various perspectives – – 🙂

Turns out, they think very much like I do – they remember their childhood, recent history and what they know now – and are sad they celebrated an ‘improvement’ that caused so much harm to others in their community, but they didn’t know it was causing long-term harm, at the time –

And let me tell ya – Janet has the crystal voice of a Lark and willingly led me to join in the sing-along of Sound of Music hits – 🙂

Seriously!  I yodeled my way through the Lonely Goatherd and wasn’t made fun of, not once – 🙂

What a spectacular evening, it was…. 🙂

(Although, Auntie Janet and I did get in trouble, before it was all over – apparently acoustics and my off-key singing being what they were, we were keeping a very young, over-tired, young one awake – down the hall – my apologies – I’ll just listen – and not add to the noise – – 🙂

There will always be the fertile ground…

…for disagreements regarding past, voter popular items – and, at this point, think my new motto is,

“Well, check with me in 20 years, I’ll let you know if I support or not…”

…there are many in our nation shouting loud and proud because they have exhausted every single way of being heard and taken seriously – they’ve done the ‘proper channels’, to effect change – to no effect –

And before you fly off handle and say, “Not Heard?  Not Important!  We are a Democracy!” I will confess –

IF I view one more landowner who is watering the air/evaporative rate at noon in the dog days of summer, I swear, I’m gonna lose it!   Even quicker to lose it when they pooh-pooh my place, and counsel, if only I would water, things wouldn’t look so wilted – bet they wouldn’t feel the same way if I was using up their drinking water quota for the day, to irrigate my Palace of Versailles type lawn/garden – eh?

Democracy – America – She ain’t easy, eh?

Yes – Relying on aspirations, idealism and art forms to convey my thinking on this matter – cuz having a hard time finding what I want represented in rather pure, real-life form,  just now – so personally okay with depending upon the idealism of Art being the lighthouse  that illuminates the path to possibilities – – 🙂

Here in my locale?  Well – the same-same-ole playing out – – -Different topic, same game – –

• There are those who believe the tax revenues from legalizing the sale of marijuana within town limits will be our saving grace – we will have the funds to shore up crumbling infrastructure – FINALLY!
• There are those who have put their home up for sale, (given the increasing home sale values- what do they have to lose? Are we racing pell mell towards another crash?  Cuz recent adversisements remind me, oh so much, of marketing run in 2004 or so- – ) Yes, there are those who believe legalization of sales will be our wrack and ruin – -And thus, via either greed or rats fleeing a sinking ship status, are taking to abandoning ship – but feel compelled to wax eloquent about what our town is considering – even though they chose to not live here anymore –

(Yes, I have certain hard-arsed feelings about this – if you left – if you moved, if you took your chance to ‘better’ your lot, well, as far as I’m concerned, “Thanks for your feedback – but, since you are decided you no longer wanted to be a daily participant in our community well…talk to my/the Hand.”

Can’t help myself – I think I’m fairly tolerant, but, overall, I’m still of mindset –

“You gonna dig in, and stand to meet the challenges? Stand beside the rest of the community when decisions go all to hell?  Pony up to work and find solutions?  Well, okay – go ahead…

But if you bugged out to save your own skin, pursue your own wants – while benefiting from the plusses given to you by this community,  while no longer actively being a part of the solution community – well… to my mind…

• You have the right to complain -BUT, also,
•  I have the right to ignore you while I instead spend time on what CAN be done – here and now – 🙂
• And if you ain’t here/living it – well, your take is second priority –

Why do i say this?

Cuz, I’m still doing research on the interesting web of Facebook culture – 🙂

And, quite frankly, much like those before me who choose to research such things, I’m so amazed and shocked by the results, I can’t tear my eyes away – –

So, figure, my job, that I signed up for, is to comment upon such things – –

Sadly, recent forays have not gone well, in these areas (actually, every area, actually…I must face it, and might as well be honest…)

• Attempts to remind those who are spending hoped for tax revenue before ever it is collected do not want to be reminded that to preserve our quaint existence may mean collected funds first put towards infrastructure and services just to ‘hold the tolerable’ line – and could cost more than collected  –
• Attempts to caution those who say, “Prices are good, now, and why wouldn’t I sell, now and move just out of the town limit?  Good for me and mine, won’t live in town/pay taxes if THEY are going to do PASS THAT!!!….”, have, thus far, gone unheeded OR, soundly ridiculed/dismissed, because, I might, after all, be on the dark side (‘they’ are still trying to decide if I’m a demon or not…) – –
• I’ve been encouraged to start my own Mary Jane Farm – to earn money, so I can provide affordable websites/content management services – doesn’t matter that I’m currently running about $70-90/hour below the front range average for such things – LOL –
  • I laugh at such suggestions  of farming for profit – biggest gamblers on the earth are those who earn their living from farming –
  • 2 years into legalization and folks think a good profit margin to jump into market?    It MAY have been vastly profitable when it was illegal, if you were willing to risk – Now?  Nope – LOL:)
  • Not complaining NOR do I need to charge more for my services – I know what I’m doing and what I’m working towards – for me, my community – and, if you disagree, one question, “do you know what you’re working for?”

And so – I recently took a short road trip, to sooth my nerves and talk myself down off the ledge of  contentious year – If I remember, I’ll post to let you know how it all turned out – 🙂

🙂

Our most basic common link, is still, to my mind:

• We all breathe the same air
• We all cherish our children’s future
• We are all mortal

And so – conclusion, for now:

• You may be of my country, or not –
• You may be of my culture or not –
• You may be of my race or not
• You may be of my gender or not
• You may be of my religion or not
• You may think me the devil’s handmaiden, or not –
• And in the end – you and me breathing the same air –
• You and me, still care for our loved ones
• You and me still yearn to spend our days working on the things that matter –

You, if you’re smart and like me, hate to go shopping – – LOL

As you have, surely, by now,  guessed…

I’m Still trying to walk the path between:

• Personal Experience and Accepted Status quo
• Current Mores and the Lessons of History
• Joy and Sorrow –
• Angst and Hope

It’s Rarely easy to Be Me –

That’s okay – I’ve healed enough, I voluntarily signed up for being a target, for saying such things, out loud and online, once again –

Sigh – how much things change and how much they remain the same – –

🙂

This post dedicated to all the Americans that are flumoxed by current news –

… to my bloggy pals in other countries that wonder what the Average American is thinking, just now….

…Oh…wait…  scratch the last bit – – I’m becoming more and more convinced, I am not qualified to represent ‘average’ – BUT – have fun digesting this lil window into the soul of another – 🙂

 

 

It’s Scary to take the Step –

…But – There are so many ways to hold those who are dependent upon you and your promises hostage – by denying financial freedom – by denying you a viable choice to go with another option –

Seriously?  Between leaving a bad situation where me and the kids were low on priority list (pretty life important), to taking care of customers who couldn’t even get their own domain name/website wrested away from their first hired website provider (um, yeah, holding someone hostage is, in my game, bad juju – no matter what the forum – –

There will always be  those personages  who want to hold on tight, reap the benefits of what is given, but do/take whatever they want – and, was shock to me to learn of the late date quoted in this article, regarding when police  required to file a report for a Domestic Violence/suspected DV call –

In Colorado, in 1991 – when call came in – report WAS done – even if it only comprised he said/she said items and someone was not staying in the home that evening – even if they were counseled to go stay with a friend – so even with, what I thought I knew, I realized, there are areas in our great nation still in need of  huge updating – 🙂

Kudos to you, Raisin ‘Em Real – for having the courage and fortitude to plan and do what you knew you needed to – and thanks for having the courage to share, so other’s (like me) understand, “I had this option, but others, DON’T” – 🙂  And to share, so those who have no experience with this nightmare understand, “It’s not all fun and games….)

Congrats on your education and the hard road you walked, to rebuild your life – 🙂

)

Here’s a link to the full story…. http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/32564323/domestic-violence-survivor-explains-how-she-broke-away

via WMBF In Myrtle Beach Did a Wonderful Job With My Story — Raisin Em Real

Achievement! I Guess….

I logged in tonight, just to try to catch up on some reading – saw my 3 posts, with the nagging, bolded DRAFT status – yes, they are waiting for the re-sized/optimized pics for insertion, before hitting the shiny, PUBLISH button – weeded from the 400+ pics sitting in the “to optimize” folder –  sigh – –

But, wouldn’t ya know – the Holy Grail sits in my upper menu bar – all shiny gold and s**t – and I think –

“Hmmm… Holy Grail image?  On my WP Admin Bar?  Oh Crappola!  The World really IS coming to an end!”

But, it’s not the Holy Grail – maybe, a trophy?

Apparently, the icon announces an “Achievement”

6 years ago, today – (the notification announces…) I got my free WordPress blog –

I disagree – I know when I did and apparently, somewhere along the line, some older posts got dropped – cuz I was blogging well before my retreat to the Abbey in 2010 – perhaps cuz I haven’t signed up for an upgraded account – Or data migrations didn’t go just as planned Or, perhaps, my earlier works were on the WP sites of collaborative effort team members…that could be it – and I’m just doing revisionist history –

Humans do that, quite naturally, doncha know –

All I know, is, back then, on this date,

I stilled lived in the town above the clouds, surrounded by mountains and evergreens and aspens….

I could see Pikes Peak outside my window every day as I wrote and worked – I lived in a townhouse and struggled with various container garden plans while frowning over all the wide open areas of manicured lawns that COULD provide gardening space, but a no-no –

I chafed against all the room we didn’t really need – (seriously!  My DIY equipment was mostly relegated to the garage, while un-needed space just became handy place for male-units to drop dirty clothes and still walk on carpet from here to where they wanted to go….)

I was trying to recover from 3 major disasters and heading towards 6 others I would have never guessed, at the time, were fast approaching- –

(traveling at the speed of light, doncha know….I’ve tried to learn better – but, don’t hold your breath – I’m human, thus….

Ya can take the bull out of the china shop – but the bull usually can find their way back home… 🙂  )

Ahhh… The memories –

That single, teeny-tiny, lil gold icon and message brought forth….tonight – –

I think about all that has happened & how I’ve changed/evolved, since then – since that first sign-up/start –

(um, yeah, my outdated theme, pic hasn’t changed – just yet – I am easing up on actually doing it – Queen Research has stopped, Ms. Pondering and Mr. Fermenting, and “Let’s take our time and enjoy the process – what’s the hurry” committee members still dragging their feet – 🙂

Note this – ya ever want something done in a timely fashion, Do Not, under any circumstances, allow a committee to be in charge of it – my little gift of wisdom for you – 🙂

The dust has settled

…somewhat, here – from the frenzy of this past year of life-markers, new adventures embarked upon by those dear to me and big projects.

…Still have details hanging out, here and there – to declare some project finalized, complete and do the victory dance, and house rather in some dis-order, but near as bad as two months ago (thank the heavens!  I’ve nearly lost my mind the last 6 months – there is a reason so many marriages end and contractors die over remodels – it’s all related to piles, mess and chaos that wears one’s spirit away, daily, minute by minute – – – 🙂  I now, better understand how the news headlines and stat reports displayed on counselor sites come about….

Order slowly being restored, bit by bit – but now, that I’m the only one that has to live with the chaos left to ‘organize’….so, I figure, “What’s the rush?  Let’s take it slow and do it right – ”

(well, yes, Oakely lives with it, too, but she’s low maintenance – and, when I ask, “Shall we do the dishes/organize the kitchen/cut and place drywall… OR   shall we dance, take a walk, play hide and seek or keep away (yes, she doesn’t do ‘Fetch’ – why would she?  She’s a Border Collie not a Labrador!  C’mon now!  what were we thinking?!?…  LOL ) 

Everyday, I’m reminded of what a well matched pair of roommates we are – we know how to work and do our jobs…on the other hand, we also know when it’s time to dance through life – –

🙂

I promised myself, back in 2008 (after about 6 years of thinking about it) and made the firm commitment in 2010 –

I will create a life I don’t need a vacation from – or a keg of beer, and/or Roman-export-transport-sized flask of wine to numb myself for….

…and, though not easy, with the events of the past decade,  I move ever closer to my goal – yes, I still get stressed, but not as much and I’m learning better.

My pendulum did swing a little too far after the stroke –

(humans do wide swing pendulums, often – if you don’t believe me, just look at this election year….Yes, you can always count on us to not get it Goldilocks Just Right the very first time)

…and was rather on my way to being a hermit – But that little over correction is slowly being brought closer to the a mid-way – – at least for now – unless all the rest of you go bat shit crazy over the election/world events, then, I’ll over-correct, yet again and hide again – – 🙂

Moderation in all things, ya know – –

So, here’s to you – both old and new bloggy pals –

Whether you knew me 6 years ago, or just found me 6 days ago (cuz you, too, thought you could do a caulking job without wearing gloves and are now wanting to know how to get it off your hands….LOL)  –

Hope You Know, I appreciate our community, here – and thanks for whatever time we walk beside each other in cyberworld  –

Here’s to another 6 years of dancing through life – even when it doesn’t feel like we or anyone, is ACTUALLY dancing:)

Lookee there – 1,000 word count, exactly – 🙂