Author: Kay Krause

I fell into the muck pond yesterday afternoon. Not sure what happened but man I took a hard fall. I had a really bad night last night. I didn’t fall asleep until daybreak this morning. Whatever caused me to fall into the muck pond is gone today as I am back to myself. Sure wished I knew what causes me to fall into the muck pond.

After I got up this morning I went out and finished my mowing. It is a beautiful day to be outside as it is in the 70’s and there are bright blue skies and lots of sunshine today. Saw a baby bunny, a turtle, two baby birds and two critters they looked like small rats but they didn’t have a tail that I could see. I have lots of wild flowers blooming right now. I tried to mow around them as they are so pretty I didn’t want to mow them down. My yard looks a bit like a drunk was mowing it though.

Still need to go to the gym this afternoon and get a workout in. This evening Kathy and I are going to a dinner to celebrate our baby brother’s retirement from Westar. It is a beautiful day to have a party.

Set up a system so I can start recycling my trash. I am using cat litter containers to put the recycling goods in. They fit under a shelf in my pantry. I wrote on each what goes in it. They are easy to open and pull out to put stuff in. I have some totes in the garage that I will dump them in when they get full. Now I need to figure out where to take the stuff to when the totes are full. I had to dump the first full litter container last night. I’m a little late to the recycling program but guess it is good that I am finally getting there. Who knew the cat litter containers would come in so handy.

Found a volunteer opportunity for this winter in the Fiji Islands. I can choose how long I want to stay. Three months this winter in Fiji sounds like a great idea. Has anyone ever been there? Would love to hear about it if so. Going to Australia and New Zealand is on my 70 things to do list. Fiji is pretty close so I’m sure some side trips could happen. Love the possibility of it at this point. I will keep looking but this one feels good.

A week from today I leave for my New Mexico trip. It will be good to get away for a couple of days. It has been too long since I took a vacation. I need to make a list of the things I need to get done before I leave. I have a family that is going to come house sit for me while we are gone. So grateful for them! They have one of Roxy’s puppies. I bet their puppy and Kathy’s puppy have fun together.

Birds are singing. Dogs are napping. Chickens are crowing. Cats are hiding from the dogs. It is a beautiful day on the prairie today. All is well!

Made it to the gym yesterday. I did two circuits with 10 reps each at 20 pounds on each machine. I am a bit sore in the arms today but not bad. Just enough I know I worked out but I am able to do what I need to do without pain.

I mowed half the yard last night. I ran out of gas and daylight. Doesn’t look like I will get to mow today as rain is coming in. It was a bit slick in places last night when I was mowing.

I went into Emporia this morning to get gas, chicken feed and a few groceries. I didn’t do a good job with groceries though as I got things I was out of but didn’t get things to fix food for the weekend. I wasn’t hungry and nothing sounded good.

Nothing on my schedule the rest of the day. I do want to ride my stationary bike for an hour but am totally free other than that. I need to get my two lilac bushes planted but the weather isn’t right for that today.

Nicole called this morning. She had left work early as she barely has a voice. She has a very sore throat and is tired. Trusting she isn’t getting the crap I had earlier.

Fed my chickens their noon greens early again today as the rain is moving in. I picked up 10 eggs. I have seven dozen eggs extra right now so if anyone needs some let me know. $3 a dozen.

When I was up during the night I enjoyed the light of the full moon. It was too cloudy in the east to see it rise last night. I love watching the full moon rise. One of my favorite things to do on the prairie.

Quiet day on the prairie today. Cloudy, cool and rainy. All the critters are fed, warm and dry. Nothing pressing to do. Good day to read and rest. All is well!

Rain has arrived on the prairie. From the looks of radar the rain is going to hang around for a bit. I had thought about mowing today but guess that is going to wait for another day. I was also going to plant my two lilac bushes today but that is going to have to wait too. Grateful I didn’t have to drive in the rain yesterday on my adventure.

Had a power surge and lost Internet for a moment. Luckily I was able to reset my router and it came back up. So thankful I finally figured out I needed a power surge strip to plug my router and Sonos bridge into.

Grateful I did the chicken chores early today. I usually don’t take them their noon greens until around 1:00. I took them down around 11:00 this morning. I had gone out to the garage and noticed their feed container that needed carried down to the pen. I went ahead and fixed their greens and carried all down to them. Picked up eight warm eggs while I was down there.

Craig brought out some egg cartons and a sack of dog food for my Mother’s Day present. Wonder how many mothers can say they got a sack of dog food for their gift this year? It is useful! I know I am hard to buy for as I don’t like stuff anymore. I always appreciate something I can use. Thanks Craig!

I need to figure out what my plans are for Mother’s Day. I forgot it was coming up. I don’t like holidays like this one. Feels like a mix bag to me and it is way to commercialized for me. I’ll have to check with the kids and see if anyone wants to do something.

Sarah, one of my two guides on my first trip to see John of a God, has created a program called Free the She. As part of it she does a Facebook live event where you can ask questions to her. She is one of the better energy readers I know. Today I asked her about my energy and her response felt right on. Now to figure out how to do what she recommended I do. Guess if I knew how to do it I would have already have done it as I knew what she was going to say. She confirmed my need and maybe now I can allow the right person to come forward to help me.

There was a baby calf in my backyard this morning. Kathy watched the dogs guide it back into the pasture where it belongs. I’ll need to call my neighbor and let him know. Not sure how it got out but I am impressed with my dogs. They are good for something.

I haven’t made it to the gym yet today. I was going to go this morning until Craig called and wanted to come out for a bit. Maybe I will brave the rain and go soon. Now that I have the right shoes I have no excuses not to go.

Another day of empty space. I’m on the edge of not being comfortable with the empty space today. I am going to do some energy work on myself and see if I can slide back over to the comfortable side of being with it. This feels like my stuff today and not universe stuff but not sure I can tell the difference. I’m thinking what Sarah said stirred up some of my own stuff and sitting with it is making me feel uncomfortable. It feels important to me that I allow this to be what it is and learn how to be with it until it passes. This too shall pass!

Rainy day. Empty day. I need to empty out before I can refill myself. All is well on the prairie today even if I don’t like it.

I went to a birthday brunch for a friend this morning. We had breakfast at the Saddlerock Cafe in Council Grove. It is fun to eat with a group of friends. While I was in Council Grove I stopped at a store and noticed they were selling lilac bushes so I got two of them. I had been looking for some and this is the first time I found them.

Afterwards I drove to Manhattan. I bought some gym tennis shoes, an outfit for Santa Fe, and some Capri pants. Then I went to visit with two dear friends for the afternoon. I didn’t get home until almost 8:00.

It was good for me to get out of the house and visit with friends today. I forget to get out and do that sometimes. It is good for my soul to spend time with others. I get in my comfort box at home and forget to go out.

The house feels warm tonight. It is to cool down tomorrow and stay cooler for the next several days. No breeze tonight to bring in cooler air. It is cooler outside than inside tonight. I walked down to gather the last three eggs of the day and give the chickens feed and water and to take the trash down to the curb and noticed how cool it is.

I got the information back from my attorney today so I will need to review it tomorrow and get it back to him if there are any corrections or changes. He needs me to come to his office to sign papers after we get everything correct so I will get a visit scheduled. I’m not sure if he can wait until the end of the month when I have to go to KC for a class. If not I’ll have to make a special trip up to see him. I’m glad to be getting this project completed.

I haven’t made it to the gym yet so it will be on my must do list for tomorrow. Not sure if I will ride the bike tonight or not. I am hot and tired right now. Maybe if I can get cooled down I will ride it and read for an hour.

The dogs are MIA this evening. They must be out doing their final check of the day. I sure don’t like it when they are gone. Wish I could afford to fence in most of my property so they stay home.

I got names of two more people to talk to about doing a long-term, international volunteer mission project today. Trusting one of them can help me get connected to the right project for me. I’m still looking at the Peace Corps – just not sure I want to commit for two years.

Beautiful moon tonight. Beautiful sunset. All is well on the prairie tonight.

Not much sleep again last night. I finally fell asleep around 6:00 this morning. Makes for a long night when I have nights like that.

Went into Emporia for groceries late morning. I forgot to put on my list shoes for the gym so forgot to get those. I did get a small propane grill so we can start grilling our dinner outside and not have to turn the oven on. Kathy volunteered to put it together for us.

I didn’t make it to the gym last night but I did ride my stationary bike for 36 minutes. My plan is to go to the gym this afternoon and do a circuit of the machines. I want to start riding my stationary bike at home daily again. It does help give me more endurance when I am out and about living my life. Not sure I will build back up to the three hours a day I was doing before the Camino.

It is another summer like day. The wind has returned blowing hot air around. It is to reach at least 85 today outside. Thunderstorms are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday. That will help cool things back down a bit.

The coconut milk ice cream is OK. I had a small bite after dinner last night. It is just sweet enough to satisfy. I can’t eat much of it at a time though as it is way too rich. You do have to like coconut to like it. Next time I think I will add some half and half to cut it a bit.

I need to put on my shopping list an outfit to wear to the concert I am going to in Santa Fe. All I have in my wardrobe is jeans and walking pants. I rarely dress up to go anywhere these days. Not my thing any more. The one skirt I do have is too big for me now.

Still looking for a service mission project to go on. Have a couple that sound interesting but nothing that has grabbed me and said this is the one. I would love to find a local volunteer project to do too. I’ll keep looking as I’m sure the right thing will find me sooner or later.

Empty space today. Bright blue skies. It is a beautiful day on the prairie.

OH my goodness. We have a taste of summer today. 85 degrees outside today. There is enough of a breeze the house doesn’t feel too hot inside as long as I am not doing much. Way too early to turn the air on.

I finished chopping down the weeds in the garden patch. We have decided it is hemlock. After the chopped weeds dry out I am going to burn them and then I am going to treat the roots so it doesn’t come back. I need to find some one that can come Roto tiller it so I can get the dirt worked up.

I took a nap this afternoon. I didn’t sleep again last night and felt tired today. I will take sleep when ever I can find it these days.

My plan is to go to the gym a bit later today. Kathy went this morning but I wasn’t in the mood to go when she went. I’m not sore today from my yard work yesterday and Friday. I was sore yesterday so I’m glad I’m not sore today. I thought I was getting a blister on my thumb from using the loppers but it seems to have gone away.

Finally remembered to mix up the coconut milk ice cream. It is in the freezer now and I am to whip it every hour until it gets solid. I made a mess using my food processor to mix it in. We lost a part to my blender so didn’t have that option to mix it in. I have been craving ice cream so hoping this will hit the spot. It doesn’t have sugar in it.

Need to go to town and get some groceries once I decide what sounds good to eat. When it gets hot it is hard to think about cooking. May need to get a grill so I can grill meat and veggies outside. A grilled hamburger sounds good. I also need to get a pair of shoes that I will only wear when I am at the gym.

I haven’t gotten my chicken coop cleaned out yet today. I still plan on doing that when I get back from working out. The farmer I buy straw from hasn’t delivered the new straw yet but I have enough left to get the coop done at least one more time if not two.

Lazy day today. Another quiet mind type of day. I feel my body slowing down to its summer pace. I lose energy in the summer due to the heat. I function best between 60 and 75 degrees. Once it hits the 80’s I start slowing down and if it is over 90 I almost come to a stop.

Bright blue skies. Lots of warm sunshine. Birds are singing. Chickens are crowing. Dogs are napping. It is a beautiful day on the prairie.

A friend came for the day. We met four others at Ad Astra for lunch together and then she came to my house for the afternoon. It is always a fun day when you spend it with a friend and have the time to have a good conversation.

I worked at cutting some more weeds down this morning. I was a bit sore and thought it might help work the soreness out. It must have worked as I forgot I was sore this afternoon. I haven’t made it to the gym yet today and doubt I will go. I didn’t sleep much at all last night and am very tired. If I do anything I will ride my stationary bike at my house for 30 minutes.

It sure warmed up today. Lots of blue skies and sunshine. The house is over 80 degrees inside this afternoon. Not sure I am ready for heat just yet but I will take it over the damp and cold we had last weekend. The dogs look over heated already. They do not like the heat.

Another free week coming up for me full of empty space. No excuses built into my week to keep me from going to the gym.

I have a quiet mind this evening. Probably from being so tired I can’t hold a thought in my head for long. Trusting tonight is the night I finally sleep longer than one hour at a time.

Kathy and I joined the gym yesterday. We went back in the afternoon and did our first work out. I put the weights on each machine at 10 pounds to start and did most of the machines just enough to figure out how to use them. I can’t figure out a couple of them. Kathy looked like a pro working out. Me – not so much!

I went back this morning and did 20 minutes on a bike and then did one round at each machine I know how to work with 10 reps each. I wasn’t sore this morning so I increased the weight to 15 pounds on each machine. I do not like to get so sore I cry when I have to sit on the toilet because it hurts so bad. A little soreness to tell me I have moved my body I can handle. Starting very slowly and I’ll see where I go from here.

On the way home I stopped at the hardware store and got a pair of loppers. I had some dead branches on my peach tree I needed to cut off. I have a big stand of some sort of tubular plant growing where my garden used to be. The plants are over my head they are so tall. I didn’t get them all cut down but got a good start. After I get them all cut down I am going to pour some vinegar on them to see if I can kill them off. I also got my yard all mowed. After being outside for almost four hours I decided I better stop. I came in and took a shower and then went to Ad Astra for a hamburger. If I had known I was going to do all of that yard work I probably wouldn’t have gone to work out today. I got enough of a workout doing yard work.

It sure feels good to be moving my body! Trusting I didn’t overdo today and I won’t be sore tomorrow. I have a friend coming for the day tomorrow so won’t get to work out at the gym or in the yard.

Today is one of those perfect spring days in Kansas. Mid 70’s and NO wind! They don’t come any nicer than today is. It was a perfect day to get my yard work done. It is to be clear tonight and there is a meteor shower. If I don’t sleep tonight I need to remember to go out and see if I can see some meteors. Tomorrow and Sunday are to be more of the same type of perfect weather.

Sunday I need to remember to clean out my chicken coop and give the girls some fresh linen. I remembered this morning to contact the person I buy my straw from and arrange for some more to be delivered. I am almost out.

Feeling caught up on things that need done around here. That feeling usually doesn’t last very long but feels good for a bit. I don’t have anything on my to-do list right now. I’m sure if I think hard enough I could come up with something to put on it but I think I will sit and enjoy the empty space instead.

Two weeks from today Kathy and I plus a friend of mine are heading out to Santa Fe for a couple of days to go to a concert. I love New Mexico and am looking forward to getting away for a few days. The following weekend my mentor will be in KC and I am going to a workshop he is conducting. The weekend after that my friends from the Camino are coming for the weekend. Three busy but fun-filled weekends ahead of me! Looking forward to all three.

Yard work done. Work out done. Time to enjoy my empty space. It is a beautiful day on the prairie today. All is well!

I put a request on Facebook yesterday for egg cartons. A sweet young lady from Strong City drove out to my house last night to bring me three cartons. Today I went into Emporia and a nice lady that is allergic to eggs gave me over a dozen cartons. She had been at the recycling center and noticed they had a stack of egg cartons. She had picked them up as she thought someone could use them. A friend gave me over two dozen cartons in exchange for two dozen eggs. I have another friend from Cottonwood Falls that has some for me I am going to pick up this afternoon. Thanks Facebook. That problem is solved for a bit. I can always use more egg cartons so my offer of a dozen eggs in exchange for a dozen egg cartons is an ongoing offer. Let me know if you want to barter! I use at least one carton a day so I go through them fast.

Yesterday afternoon I got restless and felt uneasy. I finally rode my stationary bike for 30 minutes. Kathy went for a long walk and when she came in we talked about my feelings. Come to find out she had felt the same thing. I put a post on Facebook and found out others had the same thing going on. This is the first time I have gotten confirmation that the restlessness I get from time to time is a universe thing and not my stuff. Wow! That changes my perspective on my restlessness. I think I knew this before but didn’t fully accept it until now. Now to remember this the next time it hits and to figure out a way to let it pass through without dragging me down. It did help to move my body to help it pass.

This afternoon Kathy and I are going to the new fitness center in Cottonwood Falls to check it out. They have a summer special for Seniors. It is only $60 plus tax for a three-month membership. I need to make my core stronger and build strength in my legs and arms. Since the Center is open 24/7 I can go when ever I want to work out. It is only 10 minutes away. I have tried gyms before and have never stuck with one long enough to get results. On my 70 things to do before I turn 70 list is to be able to lift a 50 pound sack of chicken feed easily. Maybe this will help me get there. That list is really helping me decide how I want to spend my time.

Just heard that the House passed the Affordable Care Act Repeal. This makes me very sad. I know the ACA had issues and needed fixed but from what I have read I think the replacement takes us even farther from what we need. Sure hope Medicare is available when I turn 65 next year. Our political system is much more broke than the Affordable Care Act. This one upmanship shit needs to stop! I guess it is true that money talks. I’m in favor of making medicine non-profit and more like they have in Canada. We have a system that encourages people to get sick and stay sick so the stock holders can make more money.

What a beautiful day today. A tad windy but almost 70 degrees and bright blue skies. My yard will dry out nicely with this wind. Guess I will be mowing tomorrow.

Kathy cleaned my garage for me! What a blessing she is!

I had lunch while I was in town today at Bruff’s. I ordered my normal veggie burger. It was as hard as a hockey puck. I had to send it back as I was afraid I would break a tooth trying to eat it. I rarely send food back. Every kitchen can have a bad day but I was hungry today and couldn’t eat what they sent out. They had given me regular fries instead of sweet potato fries too. The waitress handled it very nicely. The replacement meal had sweet potato fries and the veggie burger was much softer.

My egg carton supply has been restocked. On my way to crossing off another item on my 70 list. My garage got magically cleaned. It is a good day on the prairie today. All is well.

Happy birthday daddy. He would have turned 91 today. Hard to think of him being that old. He had such a young, playful heart. I think of him often, especially when I am around my animals or mowing. I’m so very grateful for all the things he taught me and I feel his presence often.

I got another inch of rain overnight and this morning. It is another muck boot type of day on the prairie today. Looking forward to this weekend as it is to be sunny and warm all weekend. I’ll need to mow as soon as it dries out a bit.

Went into Emporia today to pick up a few things this morning. I needed some smaller pajamas as I kept getting all twisted up in my other ones as they were too big. Guess that is a nice problem to have though. Picked up ingredients to make some coconut milk ice cream that is sugar-free without using artificial sugar. I plan on making it tomorrow as I have to chill the coconut milk overnight before I can make it.

Finished cleaning my house yesterday. I love having a clean house but I don’t love cleaning it so it doesn’t get done often enough. May try to get the garage cleaned this afternoon if the mood strikes. It really needs it.

I have been trying to figure out the doctor bills from my two different foot surgeries. It seems to take a long time for some of them to bill me and for me to receive the insurance information on what they paid. Still don’t understand why the insurance company can write off so much of the bill. It all seems like a racket of some sort to me.

My mentor is going to be teaching a monthly class starting the 16th of May. I was excited when I saw the information on the class. I love the stuff he teaches and it helps me make sense of what is happening in the world right now. I have missed having a regularly schedule class to attend. He is coming the last weekend in May to teach a class in person in KC and I’m excited about that too. I have made good friends with several people I met through his classes and it is always good to see them as an extra bonus of taking his classes.

Another empty space type of day. Another rainy day on the prairie. All is well!

In spite of not sleeping much at all last night I have gotten a lot done today. The living room, dining room and kitchen are all clean. Up next is my bedroom and bathroom and the guest bathroom. I have even washed rugs and cleaned light fixtures.

Kathy has been out weed eating. Bless her heart! I hate that job. She figured out how to thread the auto feed spool with string. She loves being outside even if it is to weed eat.

I have a pot roast in the crock pot that is starting to smell good. Not sure why I have been cooking so much lately but it is nice to have real food to eat again.

I have been off sugar for over four months. Next up is getting off white flour products. I sure feel better when I avoid white flour products. Now to adapt my diet to accommodate that. If I can eliminate sugar I can eliminate white flour – right? Amazing how much of what is served has either sugar or white flour or both in it.

Another food I have been avoiding is white potatoes. I feel so much better if I substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes. I even do that in my pot roast. I order sweet potato fries instead of French fries if where I am eating at has them. White potatoes cause my gut to swell and bloat. Sweet potatoes don’t do that.

I noticed the last two or three times I have bought groceries I rarely go down an isle any more. I shop the outer parts of the store for produce and meat. I’m getting much better at not buying and eating processed food although I haven’t eliminated it completely yet.

Lots of empty space for me this week. I feel the urge to find something to do and then I remind myself that is one choice I can make but doing nothing is another choice. This has proven to be one of the harder habits I have had to break. I had programmed myself to do – not to be.

I have been searching on the internet for a service program that I could go on a long, volunteer mission. I am looking for a two to three-month trip, preferably in a foreign country. Most of what I have found are only two weeks at most. I’ll keep searching. I’m sure the right thing will present itself when the time is right. I looked at Peace Corps but they want you for two years. That is a little more than I am thinking I want to do.

A friend is taking 88 days and walking a 1,000 mile Camino starting next week. Not sure I want to make that journey again. We live in a big world and I would like to try a new adventure this year.

Clean house! Love it when that happens! All is well on the prairie today!

Happy May Day! May is one of my favorite months of the year. Flowers are blooming. Grass is green. Trees are green. So much hope in the air!

I went into Emporia this morning to get groceries. I’m fixing Bierrocks for dinner. Got stuff to make a pot roast for tomorrow. I have invited the kids out for dinner but not sure they are free to come. Nicole wants me to freeze some left overs and bring them next time I go to KC. Bierrocks are a family favorite.

Took greens down to the chickens and the rooster came after me again. I had my stick with me and hit him good a couple of times with the stick. Usually after I hit him hard he leaves me alone for a bit.

Wow is the wind in a hurry today. Hopefully blowing away all the clouds and rain for a bit. I am ready for some blue skies and sun shine again. It is starting to warm up some but with the high wind it is hard to appreciate the warmth.

I am a touch sore today from my weed pulling adventure yesterday but not too bad. I haven’t had to take Advil yet. It feels good to move my body and be a touch sore. I don’t like it when I can hardly move because I am so sore. My feet are both cranky today but I think that is because of the weather change. They didn’t like me wearing my muck boots yesterday.

I have a pile of loose straw in the garage so It can be put down for fresh bedding for Sophia’s pen. When I opened the garage to go to town today the straw blew all over the garage. Time to get a tote and put the clean straw in it. I need to get hold of my straw people and get some more ordered for summer. I am almost out. I didn’t count on having puppies and using so much if it when I ordered it last time. I use it for the chicken coop bedding.

Still need to figure out a good way to back up my blog material. I have it being sent to Dropbox but it copies and sends all of the blog not just the text. At this rate I will run out of storage space with Dropbox. It also sends it as a zip file and I can’t unlock it with my iPad. Sometimes technology and I don’t like each other. It seems so simple yet I can’t figure it out sometimes. I really don’t want to loose any more of my blogs though. I lost all of last year’s and until April of this year’s material. Maybe I just need to print it out daily and keep it that way.

Windy day. Bright blue skies. Sun is shining. All is well on the prairie today!

Four years ago today Craig and I signed papers selling our remaining two stores. We were so burned out and tired of fighting Corporate. I was not sure at the time we were making the right decision from a financial perspective but knew we needed to do it from an emotional and physical perspective. It turned out to be a great decision. Both of us are healthier in many different ways since we sold our stores. Already feels like we owned the stores in a different life time.

The sun popped out late morning today for two hours. While it was out I went down by the barn and pulled weeds. I was going to put them in a five gallon bucket and then dump them in a trash can but I couldn’t keep up with dumping them. I got three buckets full in less than ten minutes. Wonder if there is a good reason to haul them off or if they will decompose and not cause a problem if I let them sit out where I pulled them. It has started raining again so they will need to sit at least until it stops raining.

I pulled weeds for about an hour and when I came back in the house when I was done I took some Advil as I have a feeling my back didn’t like me pulling weeds. My feet didn’t like being in my muck boots for that long but it is a muck boot type of day on the prairie today. Feels good to have moved my body though. I may need to take an Epsom salt bath earlier than I normally do this afternoon.

It is a lazy day on the prairie otherwise. The rain this afternoon is making me sleepy. Not feeling very motivated to do much.

I sold seven dozen eggs yesterday and I already have two dozen more to sell on my cabinet. The extra five hens really help the egg count each day. They also help the feed supply not last as long as it did before.

Nothing on my calendar until Saturday this week. What to do with a whole free week ahead of me? I always have cleaning I can do if the mood hits. Unfortunately it doesn’t strike often! It is to rain again mid-week so might be a good time to get the big barn cleaned out and organized. I want to get that done before the heat of the summer hits. I also need to get my garage cleaned out.

Empty space. Rainy day. All is well on the prairie today.

Kathy and I went to Pioneer Bluffs early this morning and took supplies to make feed sack tote bags. The group there seemed to enjoy making them. We took at least 25 feed sacks and Kathy said they finished making all of them.

I left around 11:20 to head to KC to see Nicole and to do some shopping. I picked Nicole up and we went to Chipolte’s for lunch. Afterwards we went to a sports store and I got a day back pack and some walking sticks. After that we went to Nicole’s old house and worked on clearing out a room. Nicole was able to get through all of it. Due to the rain we didn’t haul any of it away but all the contents have been sorted and the room will be easy to empty when we have boxes and a dry day.

We then went to another store and I got a new purse. My old purse had a broken magnet on it and it wouldn’t stay close. That purse was over 10 years old and it was time to replace it. After that long it is going to take me a while to get used to the new purse I got.

After I dropped Nicole off at her house I stopped to see a friend and deliver some eggs. We had a nice visit and then I drove home. It rained on me most of the way to KC and most of the way home and almost all day in between. I can’t remember the last time it rained all day long.

I’m tired tonight. It seemed like the drive to KC today was extra long since I started in Matfield Green this morning. Driving in the rain made the drive a bit more stressful than normal too.

Always good to see Nicole and spend time with her.

Nothing on my schedule for tomorrow so I will have a day to rest and recover. Looks like it is going to be another rainy day. Good day to stay inside and read. Glad we got rain and not snow like western KS got.

Think I will take a hot bath and go to bed early tonight. Maybe tonight will be the night that I remember how to sleep more than one hour at a time.

Grateful for a safe trip. Grateful for rain and full ponds. All is well and wet on the prairie tonight.

Tim and Michelle brought my mower out to me last night. They also brought their five laying hens. They have decided to get out of the chicken business as the chickens were tearing up their back yard too much. I fed the kiddos pancakes, eggs, and bacon for dinner. After the kids had a bath in the big soaker tub we went down and introduced their chickens to my chickens. It was not love at first sight by either the new chickens or the old ones.

All chickens are alive this morning. When I took greens down to them late morning the five new ones were on one side of the yard and the others had the other side. I’m sure it won’t take long before they all start playing nice and everyone likes each other. The new ones are not used to having a rooster in the mix and seemed to be doing their best to stay out of his sight. Can’t say that I blame them.

As soon as it dries out a bit I want to get out and mow before the rains come tonight and this weekend. I was able to back the mower off the trailer last night. Things like that can be a challenge for me so I was proud of myself I was able to do it.

I was talking to Nicole last night on her way home from work. We were still on the phone when she got home. She was so surprised when she got to her house that her yard had been mowed. We had been talking about needing to mow and she was not looking forward to it. Found out later if was two of her good friends that had come over and mowed not only her new house yard but her old house yard too. They had even weed wacked it. What nice friends! Her old house yard has something Nicole is allergic too in the back yard so it was especially helpful they mowed that yard for her. She told me she felt very loved by their kind action.

Plan A for the weekend is I am going to Pioneer Bluffs in the morning to help make feed sack tote bags. I am hoping to get away by 11:30 and then I am going to KC. I have several things I need to get and then Nicole and I are going to start working on clearing out her old house. Not sure how much we will get done but wanting to get it started at least. I plan on packing an overnight bag so I can stay over and we can work some more on Sunday if we want to. It feels like a very big project but it may be easier than we are expecting it to me – at least for part of it. It is supposed to be a rainy weekend so it is a good weekend to have an indoor project.

We may switch to Plan B which is I go to KC and get the things on my list and take Nicole out for dinner and then come home. Nicole may change her mind and not be ready to clear the house yet. Lots of emotion in this project for her and it can only happen when the time is right for her.

I have another completely free week next week ahead of me. Nothing really pressing on my to-do list right now. A friend suggested something to me and I want to investigate the possibility of taking a long mission trip sometime later this year. I will have time to do some investigating next week. Excited to think about the possibilities of this idea. This may be the adventure I have been craving to find and go on.

I went into Emporia this morning to pay for the mower repair and to get a second trash can with a lid on it. Came home feeling very tired and drained. Town energy can do that to me but usually not unless I stay most of the day in town. Hoping once I get out and mow I will feel more energized.

Cloudy day on the prairie today. Warming up nicely though. Time to go mow!

Had a very nice lunch with my friend and her husband.  He checked out my propane issue and came up with a game plan that matched what my other plumber had recommended.  I will wait until I don’t need either the fireplace or the furnace and proceed from there.  Grateful for his expertise and the time he gave me.

This morning was so beautiful.  No wind and lots of sun.  The clouds have moved in, the wind has returned and the temperature is dropping.  I am so ready for summer to arrive and stay around.  I don’t like the yo-yo of warm to cold back to warm and back to cold.

I called John Deere this afternoon and found and they finished repairing my mower this morning.  Not sure why they didn’t call and tell me it was ready.  I’ll have to sweet talk either Tim or Craig to bring it to me.  They had to replace the blades but were able to pound the housing assembly back into place.   It is to be nice tomorrow so maybe I can get my yard mowed.  It needs it badly.

Feeling better today.  Not sure what happened yesterday but grateful it was short-lived.

Grateful for friends who share their expertise.

The sun is shining at last today.  It has been a cold, windy and cloudy day today.  It is nice to end the day with the sun popping out to say hi.

I didn’t sleep well again last night so I took a long nap this afternoon.  I’ll see what tonight will bring.  At this point I am welcoming sleep when ever and how ever I can find it.

I talked to Nicole this afternoon.  She had a fun trip away.  It was good for her to get away for a few days and have fun with her friends.  I’m glad she went and had a good time.

A friend and her husband are coming for lunch tomorrow.  He is a plumber and is going to look at my propane issue and see if he can see something the others have missed or at least point me in the right direction as to what my next steps should be.  I don’t know enough about this type of stuff to know if I am being taken advantage of or not.  I’m grateful for his help and expertise.

My trash man didn’t pick up all my trash today.  I had four bags from picking up beer bottles at the lake in my trash can and had to set my regular trash beside my trash can today.  When I went down to get my trash can I picked up enough trash off the ground to fill the can up again.  He usually is very good at picking up extra stuff I set out.  May need to get a second can for overflow days like today.  Now next week is going to be another overflow day too.  When it is so windy out I can’t keep a lid on the trash can when I set it out.  Animals had gotten into it and there was trash everywhere.  Although there were some full bags that had not gotten broken open too.

I’m not feeling 100% this evening.  I had a hot flash earlier today and felt light-headed.  I was playing with energy when it happened and may have lost my grounding and I haven’t felt good since.  For some reason I am not hungry tonight like normal if I don’t eat dinner.  Hoping I am not coming down with something new.  I’m over being down for the count.

Kathy and I were able to free my rooster from the string that had wrapped around his legs last night.  Kathy grabbed him and I cut the string away.  He held very still while I was working on him as if he knew we were trying to help him.  He can get mean when he wants to so I am glad we were able to help him without anyone getting hurt.

Feeling a bit disconnected tonight.  Not sure if it is because of the long nap I took or what is going on.  Something feels off somehow.  Trusting by tomorrow I will be back to normal – whatever that is.

 

A big weather change is coming in.  The day started off nice and sunny but the clouds are taking over and the temperature is dropping.  Supposed to get close to freezing tonight with a chance of thunderstorms this evening and tomorrow.  Think I better turn the furnace back on tonight before I go to bed.  Tomorrow the high is only to be in the low 50’s.

Kathy and I went into town to get the supplies we need for the feed sack tote bag project Saturday.  I had no idea duck tape comes in so many colors and patterns now.  I also picked up groceries for the lunch I am fixing for my company that is coming Thursday.

The kitten litter containers are working well for the chicken feed.  They are light enough it makes it easy to carry them down to the pen after I fill them in the garage.  The mice haven’t been able to chew through them either.  I knew I saved those containers for something.  It is rare that I save something if I don’t have a specific purpose in mind for it.

We saw Chad at McDonald’s while we were in town so stopped to talk to him for a few minutes.  He caught me up on my remaining McDonald’s family members.  Not too many are still working there that worked for me.   Hard to believe it has been four years since we sold the stores.  So glad we did though.  It is certainly a different business now than it was 29 years ago when we opened our first store.  Owning the stores almost feels like it was in a different lifetime than the one I have now.

We have watched truck after truck full of cattle go down the road in front of my house the last couple of days.  It is nice to see pastures full of cattle again.  The dogs are in heaven with something to watch and take care of.

My mind is quiet today.  Nothing seems to stick as thoughts fly through my head.  I like days like this,  I feel very grounded and at peace with being.  Nothing pressing to do on my list and able to relax into beingness instead of doing stuff.

Nicole is flying home today after being gone for a couple of days with friends.  I haven’t spoke to her yet so trusting she has had a good time.  She needed to get away for a short vacation and be with her friends.  She took tomorrow off so she can have a recovery day after being gone.  A short, two-day work week will be good for her.

Quiet, relaxing day.  All is well on the beautiful green prairie today.

 

What a difference a day makes.  Still bright blue skies and lots of sunshine but the wind has returned in a big way.  It sure is in a hurry to go somewhere today.

I hardly slept at all last night.  None of my usual tricks worked to help me fall asleep.  Thinking a nap may be in order today.  I don’t have anything I have to do today so might as well sleep if I can.

A dear friend of mine  is coming Thursday for lunch and bringing her husband who Is a plumber with her.  He is going to look at my propane issue and see if he can figure out my next step.  I totally trust him and have heard how good he is at looking at things and figuring out the root cause of problems.  Keeping my fingers crossed he will find something  the others have missed.

Saturday Kathy and I are teaching others how to make feed sack tote bags at Pioneer Bluffs.  I have lots of empty feed sacks and all it takes is a feed sack, a pair of scissors, some patience and some colored duck tape.  Come join us if you want to learn how to make one.  If you can wrap a present you can make a tote.  We will get started around 9:00 in the Rogler Prairie Heritage Center at Pioneer Bluffs in Matfield Green, KS.  We will be selling the tote bags we make in the gift shop which is in the house on the grounds of Pioneer Bluffs.

Craig offered to bring his riding mower out so I can mow my yard.  I decided to wait and see how soon my mower might get returned.  It is too windy to mow today.  If I hear I won’t get my mower back for another week or so I will have Craig bring his out tomorrow.  My yard does need mowed and rain is in the forecast for Wednesday.  At least in the country we don’t have yard police so no danger of getting a warning if my grass gets too tall.

I called the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve today to see if they sell senior lifetime passes.  They don’t and they told me the closest place is in Wichita or Independence, MO.  Think I will order one on-line.  They charge an extra $10 to get one on-line but it is still a bargain at $20 as it is a lifetime pass.  Thinking it will come in handy when I do my 49 state road trip sometime in the future.

I need to go to REI next time I am in KC and get a day-backpack and new walking sticks.  I still want to figure out my bike but am also thinking I want to be prepared to start walking again.  The walking sticks I used on the Camino were so helpful but they didn’t make it back to Kansas with me.  I also need a good day-backpack to use.  The one I used on the Camino I left in Spain as it had holes in it.

Lots of empty space this week.  Today it is feeling comfortable and I am enjoying it.  Funny how that perspective changes often.  Sometimes I love and cherish the empty spaces and other days it makes me restless.  Still haven’t figured out what causes that shift.  I have learned when I am restless if I can sit with the restlessness and allow it to be what it is it passes quicker then if I am in resistence to it.  Remembering to allow it to be what it is is my challenge.

Listening to the sounds the wind creates as it blows.  Enjoying the bright blue skies and sunshine.  All is well and windy on the prairie today.

What an absolutely beautiful day.  Low 70’s and no wind.  Bright blue skies and lots of sunshine.  Doesn’t get much better in Kansas than it is today.

Kathy and I enjoyed a couple hours outside today attending the local Earth Day Celebration in Cottonwood Falls.  There was a nice crowd this year.  Lots of little ones flying kites, blowing bubbles and enjoying the beautiful grounds of the Millstream Hotel.   Sophia enjoyed the day too.  She sure attracts a lot of attention.  She is such a mild mannered dog.

We took Sophia’s folding pen with us.  A friend brought three baby goats for the kids to pet.  The pen worked perfectly for that purpose.

I fixed goulash for lunch today.  I have been craving it lately.  It was really good.  Comfort food!

i am in a much better mood today.  Not sure why I let stuff get to me so much sometimes.  Most of the times these days I can let stuff slide away and not allow it to stick.  It surprises me these days when something does stick and drag me down.  Wonder how I used to live all the time before when I let everything stick to me.

Nothing on my calendar for this week until Saturday.  It feels good to have lots of empty space ahead of me.  Hoping I can get my mower back early in the week so I can mow.  I always have house cleaning I can do if the mood strikes.  Need to get the big barn cleaned out and better organized.  My garage needs a really good cleaning too.

The big dogs are in heaven.  All of the pastures around us now have cattle on them for the spring pasture season.  They love having something to take care of.  Not sure all the ranchers appreciate their help though.  Usually after a week or so the cattle get used to the dogs and the dogs get used to the cattle.  The dogs do a check on the cattle once or twice a day to insure they are good.  I bet the dogs would love having two horses to watch out for if the horses get to come  stay for a bit.

Sitting with an empty, clear head this afternoon.  Feels good to be in this space.   Need to remember to get outside more and allow Mother Nature to help me clear my head.

Loving this earth day.  Couldn’t ask for a more perfect day to have an outside event.  All is well on the prairie today!

 

 

I am in a bit better mood today than I was yesterday.  Still not back to where I want to be but moving in the right direction.  The sun popping out for a bit today helped.

Someone came over this morning who may rent part of my pasture for four months to put two horses on it.  I don’t have a water source for them so they will have to haul water and put up a line of fencing.  They are to let me know later next week if they are interested.  They are nice people and seemed to know what they are doing,

Kathy and I went into town today to get chicken feed and a bike rack for my car.  I need to take my bike where there is a paved road to ride on until I get more comfortable with it.  Kathy has used a rack like it before so hopefully we can figure out how to use it.  Nicole told me I needed to get elbow and knee pads to wear.  Wonder why she thinks that?  Probably a good idea but I didn’t get them yet at least.

When Kathy got home yesterday she asked me if it was safe for her to come in.  She must have read my blog before she came home.  Thankfully by the time she got home I was in a better mood after I took a nap.

I broke down and took Advil again this morning to help my feet quiet down.  They have been cranky the last couple of days.  Not sure if it is weather related or something I am doing they don’t like.  Not sure they are impressed with me wearing tennis shoes.  The tops of my feet have been especially cranky since I started wearing my tennis shoes.  Sure wish they would get over themselves.  I’m tired of feet issues.

Roxy is putting more weight on her hurt paw.  She keeps it lifted up when she wants to run.  It is looking better but obviously still is bothering her some.  Sure wonder what she did to hurt it.  I need to take her in to get her fixed but decided to wait until her paw healed more before I do so.

We got another half inch of rain overnight.  I was surprised that was all I got as it sure sounded like I was getting more.  I’ll be glad to get my mower back next week as the grass is going to need mowed soon.  I didn’t hear from them yet so am hoping they will work on it Monday as promised.

I have lots of empty space on my calendar for the next couple of weeks.  I may spend a weekend or two in KC if Nicole wants help getting her old house cleaned out.  Other than that I don’t have much on my schedule.  It usually makes me feel a bit uneasy to have too much empty space.  I had an old habit of being busy and when I am not busy now I can get restless and uneasy.  When I remember to allow it to be what it is and remind myself I don’t have to be busy to be good enough the feeling usually passes.  Old habits die hard sometimes.

The clouds are moving out and blue skies are returning.  Maybe the clouds can pull this funk I have been in out of me and carry it away.  I always feel better when there are blue skies and sunshine.

It is becoming a beautiful day on the prairie.  All is well!

I stopped by John Deere on my way home from Emporia this morning.  They said they might get to my mower this afternoon or it might be Monday before they can start fixing it.

Went by the Vet Clinic and got flea and tic medication for all three big dogs.  That stuff is expensive!

i am cranky and sleepy this afternoon.  I came home cranky from the board meeting yesterday and can’t seem to shake it off.  May go back to bed and see if I can wake up in a better mood.

Kathy and I had fun picking up trash at Chase County Lake yesterday.  We didn’t find much around the lake itself but discovered the waterfalls.  Both of us will be going back to the waterfalls when we have time to sit and enjoy them.  We drove west down Lake Rd looking for trash to pick up and hit pay dirt.  Filled four trash sacks with beer bottles we found in the ditches about two to three miles west from the entrance to the lake.  We won the prize for finding the most trash.  We were impressed with how little trash there was on the lake grounds.

The weather today is cold,  windy and rainy.  Not even over 50 degrees yet today.  I had to turn my furnace back on this morning as it was down to 60 in the house.  I have had my fireplace going too.  I’m ready for warm weather to get here and stay.

My feet are a bit cranky today.  We walked a couple of miles yesterday picking up trash.  I wore my tennis shoes for the first time since surgery.  Not sure my feet liked what I did yesterday but oh well.  They just need to get over themselves!

So thankful the sustainability fair I was going to organize for tomorrow got cancelled.  The weather is not going to be good again tomorrow.  Thankfully it is to clear up and be nice for the Earth Day Celebration that is being held on the grounds of the Millstream Hotel Sunday afternoon in Cottonwood Falls.  Lots of live music and other activities going on starting at 1:00.  Bring a lawn chair and come enjoy the music and fun.

This has been a good day for Kathy to have to work and not be around me.  Not sure why I can’t brush off this cranky feeling.  I sure don’t enjoy days like today.  I’m not fit to be around others today.  I’m just waiting for someone to give me a reason to yell at them.  It certainly doesn’t take much to irritate me today.

Just one of those days I guess.  This too shall pass!

Feeling disconnected today.  Allowing it to be what it is.  Knowing all is well even when it doesn’t feel like it is.

 

We got half an inch of rain last night.  The thunder sure was loud at times.  I love hearing it roll across the hills.  I am grateful for the rain I got.  Chance of more rain coming this weekend.

I have a busy afternoon ahead.  I have a board meeting at Pioneer Bluffs at 1:00.  At 5:00 Kathy and I are joining a group to clean up around Chase County Lake.  It is to be a beautiful afternoon in the low 70’s so it will be a good day to walk around the lake picking up trash.  With all the burning that has happened you can really see the trash in the ditches.

Friday and Saturday I have completely open.  I’m ready for two days with nothing I have to do.  I miss my empty space when I have several days in a row of things to do.

I enjoyed the soup fundraising dinner at Ad Astra last night.  The bowl I picked out is beautiful.  It was hard to choose one though as they were all beautiful.

Star is terrorizing the cats on the deck today.  Not sure why she can’t leave them alone like the other two dogs do.  I forget Star is a puppy though.  She is only six months old.  She is now bigger than Roxy and still growing.

Need to remember to take eggs to my meeting today so I can sell some.  I have seven dozen in my refrigerator.  I get it emptied of eggs and within a week I have another bunch to sell.  When you get a dozen a day they pile up quick.

My Carbonite subscription ran out.  I need to figure out a way to back up my computer, especially the photos I have on it.  What do you use for that?  Thinking maybe Dropbox?  I hate paying for a service when there are other options available.  I don’t really have much on my computer any more that I would hate to lose other than the old family photos.

Feeling very unattached today in a good way.  I really am freer when I don’t fear losing anything.  There is not much that is very permanent anyways.  When I remember that I feel freer and lighter.

Still stuggling a bit to make anything important.  Maybe that is a good thing.  What is really important anyways?  I function best when I have lots of empty space to sit and live in.  I feel confined somehow when I make commitments of any sort these days.

It is a beautiful day on the prairie today.  Bright blue skies and lots of sunshine. Gentle breeze in the air.  All is well on the prairie today.