Author: Kay Krause

Class is done for the day. It has been a productive day for me full of new learnings. It is always hard for me to put into words what I have learned though. Sometime soon I will have an experience and will realize I have reacted differently and I will know it is because of the class I attended.

One of the side benefits of attending his classes is reconnecting with friends in the class. It is always nice to see them. I’m sad that this is one of the last classes he will be teaching in Kansas. I’m going to have to remember to find reasons to see the other students occasionally.

I had thought about mowing Nicole’s yard for her this evening but we had a thunderstorm roll through around noon time and it looks too wet outside to mow. It is starting to sprinkle again although radar is showing the rain won’t last long.

It has been nice staying in Nicole’s house this time. Usually I stay in a hotel when I come for class. So much more comfortable in a house. Just wish Nicole was around so I could see her this trip. I’m going home tomorrow and she won’t be home until Monday.

I attempted to watch TV but couldn’t find anything worth watching. I do appreciate the music channel though.

I may go out to dinner with a friend tonight. I had lunch at Chipolte’s so I’m not hungry yet. I might stay in and appreciate the empty space and quiet. It feels like it has been a while since I had empty space to enjoy.

My high school holds an alumni banquet every year. Kathy and Keith were going to go together tonight. I can not believe it has been 46 years since I graduated high school. How can that be? I rarely go to the banquet. Just not my thing.

This class has affirmed the value of my 70 things to do before I turn 70 list. The list helps me clarify my values and vision for myself. I sit with the energy of one of the things on my list everyday and imagine it already happening. I have already crossed several things off the list.

Rainy day. New learnings. All is well!

I forgot to bring my iPad to KC with me. Hard to type on my phone.

Tagen spent the night last night. He woke up for a minute during the 3:00 am thunderstorm but was able to go back to sleep quickly. We had a fun quiet evening.

I got my trust papers signed this morning. He still needs to create one more document and that project will be done. Feels good to have that done.

I went to Costco and picked up a few things I needed. My cart was heavy as I got four cases of water.

I had a healing from my mentor. Always good to get confirmation I am on the right track for me new things are coming in for me when the timing is right.

Had lunch with a friend. I came to Nicole’s house to rest for a bit before class starts at 6:00 tonight. Almost need to turn the air on but it is to cool down tonight. I finally found both cats. They act like they have never seen me before. Silly cats!

City energy. Feels thick today. Missing my wide open space and I have only been here several hours.

I had trouble sleeping last night. I finally fell asleep around 6:00 this morning and slept until 9:00. I got up, put my gym clothes on and headed to Cottonwood Falls. There is a road construction project going on south of the railroad tracks in Strong City. After sitting in the line to get to Cottonwood Falls for 30 minutes I gave up and turned around and came back home. My heart beat was high enough I didn’t need to go to the gym! Ughhhh..

I was tired and cranky when I left the house and had no more patience to wait. I came home, took a shower and ate some breakfast. After I did my chores I went into Emporia to see my grandkids. I haven’t seen them for several weeks. They decided to come home with me for the day. Tim is at home with a hurting back. This will give him a chance to find an hour of two of silence and quiet. Michelle was able to go back to work today after being home earlier this week with some sort of virus.

The kids haven’t been out here for quite a while. They are having fun finding things to do. They haven’t even been on their iPad’s today. I don’t have a TV so they have had to get creative and find things to do. Right now they are playing with balloons. We are going to blow some bubbles in a bit.

Got the sheets all washed and the beds made up. I am going to wait to clean really good until mid-week next week. The friends I met on the Camino are coming in a week from tomorrow to spend the weekend with me. I’m so excited to see them. I need to finalize what I am going to fix them to eat and go grocery shopping sometime next week.

Michelle ask me to babysit next Wednesday and Thursday. The kids will get to help me clean house and do some prep cooking. I may be going back to KC Tuesday to help Nicole celebrate her birthday. I don’t usually do much for the kids birthday but this will be her first one since Chris died and I don’t want her to be alone that day. We went in together To buy a Costco membership and need to go to Costco together to get that finalized. She won’t be home this weekend while I am in KC.

Tagen wants to spend the night but Ellexia wants to go back into town. She is worried about her daddy and wants to help him feel better. He has a doctor’s appointment and she thinks she needs to hold his hand at the doctor’s office. There have been times I wished someone held my hand at a dotocr’s appointment. She is such a sweet, caring girl.

Feeling a bit tired today. Travel is good for my soul but it usually takes me a day or two to recover from the journey. Having the kiddos here today has helped me find new energy. We have had a lot of fun doing simple things.

Need to pack my bag as I need to be in KC by 11:00 tomorrow for an appointment with my attorney. I have a 1:00 appointment with someone else and then class starts at 6:00. I will be done with class Sunday afternoon.

My empty space will feel good again when I can find it again.

Kids playing. Sun shining. It is a beautiful day on the prairie!

Home sweet home! We arrived home around 11:30 this morning. It is so good to be home!

My house sitters took great care of the critters and my house. They even had mowed my front yard! I only need to do my laundry and I will be back to normal around here.

We had a glorious trip. Every placed we stayed was clean and quiet. The condo worked beautifully as we each had our own space.

I am tired of eating out. I need to go into Emporia and go to the grocery store so I can eat dinner at home tonight. I leave for KC Friday morning and will be gone until Sunday evening. I am going to a retreat my mentor is teaching. More eating out is in my future. Wish there had been more space between adventures but I didn’t get to choose dates.

It was a long drive home but it went smoothly. Bless Kathy’s heart she drove all the way to and from Santa Fe. I drove in New Mexico so Kathy could sight see but she drove the long way home. It was an uneventful trip home which is just what I wanted. My ass is tired from sitting so much. I may go to the gym this afternoon to stretch my tired body out. The soaker tub is calling to me to take a bath and relax.

I had two doctor bills waiting for me that I had already paid. I called both and got them fixed. Both offices had messed up and credited a different patient. What’s up with that?

I have a very quiet, relaxed mind this afternoon. It feels so good to sit in my corner chair and look out over the beautiful green prairie. It is good to be home.

The concert last night was pure magic! They were ever bit as good as they were several years ago when I saw them in Phoenix. They give me such hope for the future of our country. When several hundred people come together and chant peace and love it has to help the greater good of all. I love how they keep their egos out of the evening and end the night in silence. Gregg Braden and his wife were at the concert. I heard him say he got to attend as a civilian and not as a presenter tonight. He seemed to be very gracious with people who recognized him and went up to him.

We got up early this morning and were on the road a little after 7:00. After a Starbucks run we headed to Dodge City. We stopped somewhere for lunch and arrived in Dodge City a little before 4:00. We lost an hour on our drive today coming back into Kansas. We drove through some rain, a bit of ice, snow and sleet this morning but had clear to cloudy skies the rest of the day.

We came through Colorado this time. The mountains were beautiful. The tallest ones are still snow-covered.

We were all tired this evening and tired of sitting in a car. We will be glad to be home tomorrow. It has been a wonderful trip but it is time for it to end.

We had dinner at Applebee’s. It was the only chain we have eaten at this trip. Part of my boneless chicken wings were raw so they didn’t charge me for my meal. Thinking I like the Ma and Pa places better. Where ever we ate lunch was a little locally owned place and it was really good.

What a fun trip this has been. Zip lining was amazing. The concert was magic. Spending time with my cousin Pam was special.

Headed for home! There is no place like home!

A quieter and slower pace day in Santa Fe. We went to the Georgia O’Keeffe museum this morning. I can’t say that I was impressed. I love her flower pictures and abstracts and they didn’t have many of those. We walked around downtown for a bit and then returned to our condo. Parking in downtown Santa Fe is a challenge! Kathy walked to meet us and Laura and I took the car.

We all took naps when we returned to the condo and rested. We finally went out for a late lunch. The restaurant we ate at was in the mall so we walked around for a bit after we ate. I went to the nearby Sprouts Market and got a jar of Manuka honey. Kathy and Laura walked around the shops in the mall.

This evening is the concert. I attended one of their concerts several years ago in Phoenix but this is the first one Kathy and Laura have gone to. Deva Premal and Miten make beautiful music together. I love how they keep their egos out-of-the-way and allow their music to shine. I’m looking forward to the concert tonight.

It felt good to have a quiet day. I was getting tired of sitting in a car. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow and Wednesday and it felt good to stay out of the car most of the day.

The condo has worked really well. We each had our own bedroom and it has a comfortable living room to relax in. It hasn’t felt like we were trapped inside a small hotel room. We each could get some private space here.

There is a little park next door so we stopped and walked in it on the way home. We had a bird’s eye view of the city. Beautiful!

A few sprinkles today but the sun keeps returning. It is so nice and comfortable here if you stay out of the direct sun. The evenings are so cool they make good sleeping.

Nicole called today. I hadn’t talked to her for several days so it was good to hear from her. She is leaving Thursday for a motorcycle adventure. I am staying in her house next weekend as I will be in KC for a retreat. I’m sorry she will be out-of-town and I won’t get to see her. She gets home Monday and I am returning home Sunday evening.

I get home Wednesday and leave again Friday. Wish I could have spread out my adventures a bit but both were dictated by someone else setting the date for the thing I wanted to do. I bet by next Monday I will be glad to be home and stay home for a bit.

Every time I travel it reminds me I need to do it more often. I forget to go places. Our country is so beautiful and so varied. Lots of things to do and see. I learn something new about myself every time I travel. It also helps me fall in love with my house again! There is no place like home!

Another night of very little sleep. I got up a little after 7:15 and took my shower and got dressed. We left the condo and went to Starbuck’s for coffee. We headed out to Abiquiu so we could meet up with our cousin Pam.

We drove out to Ghost Ranch and then up to Echo Canyon. After Echo Canyon we went on North another 30 miles or so. We turned around and headed to El Rito for the best Mexican food anywhere. After we ate we took Pam back to her truck in Abiquiu and then headed back to Santa Fe.

The weather was perfect for sightseeing today. Bright blue skies and mid 70’s temp. The scenery is breathtaking. This is the only place I can find where I would move to. I love the wide open vistas with the mountains in the background. It is nice and cool in the evenings.

We are all exhausted this afternoon. Lots of miles again today but it was so fun and beautiful. Pam is so fun to be around. We laughed until I almost peed my pants.

Ready for a nap.

Tomorrow we are going to try to stay out of the car as much as possible. The concert is at 7:00 tomorrow night. Tuesday we will head for Dodge City and then home in Wednesday. It has been a fun adventure so far and more to come.

Kathy had me up at the butt crack of dawn this morning. We were eating breakfast by 7:30 and hit the road around 8:00. We went to Angel Fire Mountain Resort to go zip lining. The drive through the mountains was absolutely beautiful. The higher we climbed the colder it got. There is still traces of snow on the north side of the mountains. The air was crisp and clean when we arrived at Angel Fire.

After a rather long check in process we finally got to the ski lift and rode it up to the top of the mountain. We all managed to get on and off without falling.

Some young kids met us at the lift and took us to the zip lining area. They carefully strapped on all our safety gear. We were the first guests to ride the zip line this year other than the employees.

Laura and I went first. There is a double line so two people can go at the same time. We counted down to three but neither one of us went. Finally I kicked off and Laura followed me quickly. You sit down as if you are in a chair and hold on to the handles with your head leaning to the right. We flew over the tops of the trees. The line was 1,600 feet long. We got up to over 50 mph. It was over quick. The only fear I had was at the end as I couldn’t remember what they said about the landing and it felt like I was coming in too fast. The line hit the brake and I slowed down quick. The guys on the receiving end helped me come to an easy stop.

Kathy flew in after we were released from the lines. She yelled the whole way across. She has done lots of zip lining and knew what to expect.

They took us in an ATV back to the ski lift and we rode it down the mountain without incident. It was really cold at the top of the mountain. None of us had dressed to be out in 30 degree weather. But the sun was shining and our laughter warmed us up.

We had lunch at a local restaurant in Angel Fire and then drove into Santa Fe. We checked into our condo around 4:00. It is very nice and clean and will be a great place to hang out until Tuesday. It has three bathrooms and three bedrooms.

Tomorrow we are meeting my cousin in Abiquiu at 10:00. We are going to Ghost Ranch and doing some sight seeing up that way for the day. Pam knows the area well and is a great tour guide. Monday we will go to downtown Santa Fe which is a ten minute walk from our condo. The concert is Monday evening. Heading to Dodge City Tuesday and then home on Wednesday.

The ski resort turns into a mountain bike track during the summer months. There were lots of riders today. There was some sort of race this afternoon. The ski lift has several lift cars for the bikes. The trails are really muddy as they got fresh snow last week that is melting quickly. The riders were coated in dirt.

I drove most of the way today as Kathy wanted to take pictures. I have seen the scenery before and this is her first trip to New Mexico. I think she fell in love with it. We saw lots of antelope and deer in the pastures. We were hoping to see a moose but no luck for today at least. Maybe tomorrow!

This has been a super fun trip so far. We are tired tonight but guessing after we rest for a bit we will get back out and find dinner and a grocery store. Putting lots of miles on the car but have enjoyed the scenery so much. So good to get away for a bit. Grateful to my house sitters for allowing me to get away.

It is 70 degrees in Santa Fe this afternoon with bright blue skies. It cools down to the low 40’s at night and is to warm back up to the mid 70’s tomorrow.

Made it to Clayton, NM. We drove through lots of rain today. It is only 48 degrees outside right now. I did not bring cold weather clothes. May need to find a store and get some warm socks and a heavier jacket. The forecast is for sunny skies and warmer temperatures the next couple of days.

We stopped for breakfast at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Walton, KS. Kathy and I had discovered this place on my many trips to my foot doctor. They have wonderful home-cooked soul food. We had lunch at a burger stop somewhere. My body did not like me eating white flour though. I had a hamburger. I only ate half the bun and some onion rings. Not a good idea to have onion rings. We made a gas stop and a couple of potty stops too.

Glad we didn’t try to go all the way to Santa Fe today. I think the cloudy skies and rain made all of us tired today.

We had a big wind storm come through during the middle of the night last night at home. I had my bedroom window open a crack and the wind was strong enough to blow out the screen from my window. I thought a picture had blown off the wall. I got up and discovered the screen had blown out. I mopped up the water and then toured the house to make sure the rest of the windows were closed.

When I went back to bed I dreamed the chicken coop had received damage and I lost part of my flock. It was the weirdest dream as I remember telling myself it was only a dream and not real. Then I would go back to sleep and continue the dream. Not sure what universe I was in for a while last night. I seemed to have been in two different ones at the same time. I don’t often remember my dreams but this one is still vivid in my mind.

I was relieved when I went down to the chicken coop this morning to find all was well. Their straw had gotten wet but no damage had been done.

Laura had gotten to my house before the storm blew through yesterday afternoon. I about peed my pants when one of the thunders went off. It was very loud and the Lightning was sharp and close. The wind blew hard for a bit but no damage was done that I am aware of. Grateful I escaped the tornado stuff that was dancing around me.

Tomorrow we will drive into Santa Fe. We can’t check in until 4:00 so may do some sightseeing in Santa Fe o

I was at the gym by 7:35 this morning. Increased the weights on most of the machines again. Getting stronger each time I go. No one else was in the gym. They fixed the radio and when I first walked in the DJ was having a conversation with a lady about weight lifting. I thought there was some one else in the gym talking for a bit until I figured out it was the radio.

I drove into Emporia after my shower and breakfast to get more dog food and chicken feed. I went to Bluestem for chicken feed and while there I remembered to get a wrench so I could take the nut off the bolt on my mower so I can clean around the gears. One the workers ask me if he could help me. I told him the 7/16 was too big so I needed the next size smaller. He said they don’t make a 6/16 so I would need a 5/16. He handed it to me and left. That didn’t make sense to me so I looked myself. They make a 3/8 size! Thinking he needs to go back to school and take a math fraction class.

So when I got home I tried both the 3/8 and the 5/16 and they are both too small. What size goes in between 7/16 and 3/8? I used the crescent wrench to get the other side off but this one is too tight and I need better leverage.

Making my list and checking it twice for my trip tomorrow. I am doing laundry and then I need to pack. I had to make sure my critters have what they need before I could pack myself.

My friend that is traveling with us is coming this evening for dinner and she will spend the night here. We will get gone sometime tomorrow morning. We are only driving to Clayton, NM tomorrow which is a six and one half hour drive. No rush to get there. Saturday we will drive into Santa Fe where we will stay until Tuesday morning.

Sounds like I may get some weather this evening. It feels thick outside today and the clouds are starting to build. I am going to have Kathy and my friend park their cars in the big barn for the night in case we get hail.

Nicole had to fly to Dallas yesterday morning for work and she flew back yesterday afternoon. Both flights had been delayed so she had a long day. She was ready to get home and take her shoes off and have a beer. Her landlord was to come by and finish fixing her dishwasher. Next week someone is coming to fix her A/C as it isn’t working. Nice she can call her landlord and he has to pay to have those repairs done.

I managed to get Roxy’s pill down her today. She spit it out three times before she finally took it. She seems to be doing OK running free. I see her napping more than normal which is good.

I need to finish cleaning my house and then I need to pack and I will be ready to go tomorrow. So looking forward to getting away for a few days. I forget to go places sometimes. I haven’t really taken a vacation since I took Tagen to New York last summer.

Storms are brewing. Bags are being packed. Critters food supply is stocked. All is well on the prairie today.

Wow! The wind is really really really in a hurry today. I was out mowing for a couple of hours and had to come in to get out of the wind for a bit. It blew one of my deck chairs to the far north corner of the deck last night. Not sure if I can get all the grass that has blown into my hair, ears and eyes out. I ate a grass salad while I was mowing.

I got about an inch of rain last night. There was quite a lightning show during the night. Grateful I was spared the tornado activity. No damage that I have noticed around here.

Legend had not run off since I brought Roxy home and put her in the garage pen. Neither one were happy with me for penning Roxy up. While I was mowing this morning Legend helped Roxy break out of the pen. They stayed out of my sight while I was in the yard mowing. When I came through the garage after I was done with my mowing I noticed her pen had been broken into and Roxy was missing.

Down by my chicken coop is where I used to have a garden. It has some tall grass on the west end of it. I saw Legend out there but didn’t see Roxy. I fixed the chickens their greens and headed that way. Roxy was curled up and keeping her head down so I wouldn’t see her. Unfortunately for Roxy Legend was standing over her licking her which gave away her hiding spot.

I admit defeat and will allow Roxy to stay out of the pen. I think she will heal faster being with her best friend. Trusting he will let her rest and will not hump her any more.

I had lots of straw from inside the chicken coop outside in the chicken yard today. I have been leaving their little door open at night. Guessing the winds were strong enough last night to make the straw circle around inside their pen and fly out the little door. Their coop has two windows and both are opened. The windows have screens on them though. The board I use as the chicken ramp from their little door to the yard had blown down to the fence. The chickens didn’t seem to mind as I picked up 13 eggs this morning before noon. That is more than I usually get this early in the day.

Got three bedrooms cleaned this morning before I went out to mow. Just need to do the main living area and kitchen and my house will be ready for my house sitters. With this wind it seems pointless to dust. I told someone the other day next time I buy new furniture I need to get dust-colored end tables so no one notices if they are covered in dust.

Sat up for over an hour during the middle of the night watching the storm. I love watching them roll in and I enjoy watching the lightning unless it is really close. I could tell last night I wasn’t in danger. Such power in Mother Nature.

May go into town this afternoon to get one more sack of dog food and a bag of chicken feed. I’m pretty sure I have enough to last until next Wednesday but I don’t like to run short. I can’t ask my house sitters to have to go to town to restock if I run out.

My mentor had a glitch in his on-line class yesterday and only one person got in to see it. He is going to do a repeat class next Tuesday. We will be driving home that day but if we time it right we might be able to watch it if we can find some place with Internet on the road. He will tape it and we can listening to it that way if needed. I was glad to hear the glitch was on his end and not mine. I never know for sure what I am doing with technology stuff and usually assume I am the one doing something wrong.

Windy day on the prairie today. Roxy is with her buddy. House is almost clean. All is well!

Another hard night to find sleep for me. Finally fell asleep around daybreak so slept later than normal. When I got up I got dressed in my gym clothes and went to do my workout. I did two circuits with 10 reps on each machine. It feels good to get my workout done first thing in the morning so it is over with.

After my shower and breakfast I went into Emporia to pick up Roxy. She looks good but is pretty pissed at me that I put her in the garage pen. Legend is even more pissed. The Vet recommended I pen her for two to four days depending on how she does. I will be lucky to keep her in the pen for two days. She and Legend had rearranged her pen’s fence panels trying to get her out so they can be together.

Got the laundry room cleaned. I like to hand mop that floor when I clean it as the cats make a mess with their litter. It had been too long since I cleaned it and their box really smelled. The cats are spending most of their time outside now. Maybe this summer I will figure out a way to feed them outside and they can stay outside all the time. The dogs carry away their feed bowls. I had spilled some chicken feed in the garage and Star cleaned it up for me.

I have a class I am taking through the Internet this afternoon at three. My mentor is going to be teaching a monthly class for the next twelve months. He is taping it so I can watch it again if I want to. I always enjoy his material and it helps keep me focused and grounded.

Another windy day on the prairie. Sure feels like it might blow in a storm later. There is a haze on the distant horizon today.

Kathy grilled again last night. I wasn’t hungry but I did eat some of the pineapple she grilled. It was so good! I had some left overs of the pineapple for lunch today.

Hoping to get two bedrooms and two bathrooms cleaned this afternoon. I have house sitters coming Friday to cover the chores while I am in New Mexico. I want to make sure my house is clean and ready for them. I so appreciate them coming. They take really good care of my critters.

When I picked up eggs yesterday there was an egg just slightly bigger than a quarter in the nesting box. I broke it open and it had a clear colored yolk. When chickens lay their first couple of eggs the eggs can be small like that but I haven’t seen that before from more mature chickens. Even the first eggs have yellow yolks. Must have been a quirk of nature.

I rode my stationary bike for 48 minutes yesterday. The back of my shirt was wet when I was done. I never used to sweat and it surprises me when I do now. The house got up to 85 yesterday afternoon but cooled down nicely last night. I won’t turn the A/C on until it stays warmer at night.

Starting to have more energy since I have started working out. I am almost five months without sugar and two weeks without white flour. I am liking what those two changes plus working out is doing to my body. I don’t like sitting in my chair as much as I used to. I want to be up moving my body much more of the time which is a very good thing. Movement is my word for the year and it is proving to have been a good choice for me.

Windy day. Blue skies. Roxy is home. All is well on the prairie.

Took Roxy to the Vet this morning to get fixed. I took her outside on her leash before I went into town so she could use the bathroom. Big mistake! Legend was around and Mother Nature called him to her. They did their thing while she was on her leash. I bruised my fingers trying to keep hold of the leash and to keep one of them from breaking a leg with the leash. Grateful I won’t have to go through this again. Wonder what it says about me when my dogs get more action than I do?

Star is still not showing signs of being in heat. I would like her to have a litter of puppies but not during her first heat. She is too young to have puppies yet. She won’t be a year old until October. Trusting I can get her isolated soon enough to prevent a pregnancy during her first heat.

After I got home from Emporia this morning I cleaned my bedroom and bathroom. I found way too much dirt which tells me it has been too long since I detail cleaned it. I washed woodwork and moved the bed so I could clean under it. I even got the last bits of paint splatters cleaned up. It only took me three and one half years to get those cleaned up.

Not sure I am going to do more cleaning today. I want to go over the whole house before I leave Friday but with the windows open the dust blows in and by Friday I’m not sure you could tell I cleaned this week. I do want to get the laundry room cleaned either today or tomorrow as I want to change the litter box and trash goes to the curb tomorrow night.

As I was cleaning up the paint splatters I realized I have changed something internally. I used to be a really good procrastinator and would put little things off forever. For some reason I am not doing that right now. I have a quiet sense of urgency to get things done right now. Not sure why the change happened but I’ll ride it out and see where it goes. Maybe it is a reaction to Chris’s death and having a better understanding that tomorrow isn’t promised to me.

I have also noticed making a to-do list feels uncomfortable to me. If I see something that needs done I just do it and not put it on a list to do later. It only hits my list if it is something I can’t do right now. I used to love making lists and crossing things off. Not so much now.

If it isn’t raining I need to mow Thursday before I leave on Friday. I’ll see what the weather does. It might not get done. Too soon to mow today or I would do it now.

My floors took a long time to dry today. The humidity level must be climbing. It is going to be in the high 80’s today. There is a gentle breeze today and right now the house doesn’t feel too hot. Way to early to turn the A/C on.

Kathy grilled chicken breasts and veggies last night for dinner. It was so good! She had marinated the chicken in an Italian dressing she had made. I could eat that meal everyday of the week.

Still sitting with the idea of going to the Fiji Islands for three months the first of next year. It still feels like it is the right thing for me to do. The conditions are a bit rustic but I think that would be good for me. They do have a resort a bus ride away from where I will be staying and it is my understanding that most of the volunteers go stay at the resort one night a week on the weekends. You can take a hot shower, sleep in a comfortable bed and eat really good food at least once a week that way. That makes it feel more doable to me.

A friend of mine is walking a 1,000 mile Camino right now. She just started walking yesterday. Her posts are bringing back some wonderful memories of my walk. I’m jealous of her right now but don’t think I am being called to walk it again. Just craving an adventure and Fiji sounds like it would be an adventure of a different sort. Wish I didn’t have to wait until January to go.

Getting excited about my trip to New Mexico. I got hold of my cousin yesterday and we are going to hook up sometime during the weekend. It is always fun to spend time with her and her husband.

Grateful for another beautiful day on the prairie. All is well!

Remembered to go to the gym this morning. I went before I took my shower. Easier to get it done that way although I am not usually a very good morning workout person. I am up to 25, 30 or 40 pounds on the various machines. Gradually moving on up! I did two circuits today with 10 reps on each machine. Getting closer to calling the trainer and getting more serious about my workouts. I was the only one in the gym this morning.

The wind is in a hurry again today. I need to spray my hemlock patch and burn what I cut down but way too windy for that today. Hoping I can get it done before I leave for New Mexico Friday.

I put Star’s collar on Roxy this morning so I can leash Roxy when I take her to the Vet tomorrow. You would have though I was killing Star when I was taking off her collar. Legend tried to help me put the collar on Roxy. What a circus! Roxy manages to get her collar off every time I put one on her. Kathy got Roxy put in the pen this morning so I can find Roxy in the morning. She can’t have anything to eat or drink after 10:00 tonight and that is the only way I can feed the others but not Roxy. I’ll have to remember to set my alarm tonight as I have to have Roxy to the vet by 8:30 tomorrow.

I made egg salad for lunch. I have lots of extra eggs right now so decided to use a dozen up. They are at room temperature and they peeled really easy today. I had some Triscuit crackers I ate with it. Trying to avoid white flour. I sure like Ritz crackers better.

We are going to grill chicken and veggies for dinner. May have to put the grill in the garage as windy as it is.

Need to check the feed supply for all the critters and make sure I have enough to get through next weekend since I will be gone. I do a better job of feeding them most times then I do myself. Wish I could eat the same thing all the time and be OK with it like they do. Sure would make grocery shopping easier.

I added a retreat to my schedule. It is being held June 16 – 18. Willow Leenders is the co-host. Willow is bringing two of her friends to present the retreat. Daisy Lee is a Qi Gong Master and Terri Nash is a veteran home birth midwife and a long time student of Tibetan Medicine. The retreat is called Half the Sky – Women’s Healing Empowerment. They will be using gentle Qi Gong exercises, mediation, music and laughter to weave a nourishing and supportive circle for deep inner well being. Details available on my website which is: www.starrynightontheprairie.com

I’m sure adding the retreat to my website will be the hardest part of this retreat. Not a good day for me to do technology stuff. Struggled to make things work today. Oh well, that part is done and now the fun can begin. It will be a powerful retreat! Hope you can come!

I am cranky this afternoon. Thinking I need to go out for a walk and let the wind blow some of this crankiness away. Either that or a nap. I need to put myself into time out for a bit.

Windy day. Bright blue skies. Summer is coming soon. All is well on the prairie except for a cranky Kay!

Another beautiful spring day. Went out and finished my mowing. Kathy did the weed eating again. I planted my two lilac bushes in my front flower bed. Trusting the critters won’t eat them.

I sent an application to the Fiji mission project. A lady called me today. It sounds interesting. The school closes during December so I would have to wait until January to go. If I stay under 12 weeks the Visa is reasonably priced. If I stay longer, it gets expensive.

I read some of the reviews about their program. Cold showers, if they have water available, and very limited if any internet is the most common complaint along with bugs of all sorts. Trying to decide if I can handle tropical summer heat with no air and limited electricity. It is in a rural area so no luxuries of any sort. Meat and fruit are considered a luxury. You take your own linens and from what I read sleep 12 people per room on a very thin mattress. Hmmmm.. I wanted something out of my comfort zone!

I was told women are asked to wear a long skirt and our shoulders must be covered during the time we are with the children at the school. Although English is considered the official language of Fiji it is often times the second or third language children learn. The class size is about 150 kids and there is only one paid teacher. Volunteers may end up with 20 or more children by themselves.

Travel insurance is a requirement as the local medical care is very limited. They fly patients to New Zealand for anything very serious. I asked what happens if I can’t handle it and want to come home. There is no binding contract I have to sign but they don’t refund the unused portion of the program fees. If I have to leave due to a medical emergency either for me or someone back home then the travel insurance covers the unused portion of the fees.

Now the question is can I picture myself doing this for 12 weeks? Long enough period of time that I will hit the wall several times and have to dig deep inside to climb over it. No rush to commit and I want to check out a few other programs to see what else is out there. For some reason this one feels right but I don’t want to act too quickly.

There is a 17 hour time difference between Fiji and Kansas. It is tomorrow there already!

Certainly exciting to think about the possibilities! I have been craving an adventure and this certainly sounds like an adventure. I have been attempting to become more conscious of my life choices and am thinking this will take that to a whole new level. I will sit with this and see where it leads – or not.

Got hold of my attorney and he answered the questions I had about the paper work he drew up. He needs to make a few revisions and then it will be ready to sign. I need to call Monday and make an appointment to go see him to sign the documents. It will be good to have this taken care of.

Roxy goes to the Vet Monday to get fixed. I noticed yesterday she has come into heat and I don’t want her to have another litter of puppies. Not sure she can safely deliver them herself and her C-section was expensive. I keep watching Star for signs of her first heat as I need to put her in a pen to keep her from getting pregnant. She is seven months old so it may happen anytime now.

We had a fun time at Keith’s retirement party last night. It was a beautiful evening to be outside. Abrahm showed me his chickens and ducks. Afterwards we stopped to see Chad and Jill at their bar. It was a nice evening.

I need to go to Matfield this afternoon for a funeral for the mother of a friend of mine. It is a beautiful day for a drive.

All is well on the beautiful prairie today.

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.