Starry night on the prairie

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.