Words for Wednesday

  The sun coming up over the mountain was a refreshing sight on the first morning of 2021.  The past year had been filled with such a diverse assortment of fear, anger, and pain, it was almost as if the universe had conspired against all of them.

   She wished she could set all the clocks in reverse and start the year again.  Most of all, she wished she could take back the terse words she had said to family and friends when she had been nursing resentment.

    As she poured a glass of water over the smoldering remains of the small pit fire she had used to burn her list of regrets from 2020, she decided that she would consider the past year a dress rehearsal and a lesson in patience and compassion for the years to come.

*~*~*

Words for Wednesday is a traveling feast of creativity, and can currently be found [click here> on the Elephant Child's blog. 

macro geekdom

I found my macro lens!

For some perspective, this is what the sand stars look like to the naked eye...

creating origami German bell ornaments ...

    Work today was a mix of crazy back-to-back calls this morning, then nothing for more than an hour the latter part of my shift.  

     I spent my time turning some of this year's Christmas cards into ornaments for next year's tree using [click here> this tutorial from Pinterest to make origami German bell ornaments.  Next year I will find a different origami pattern to use.

     They were incredibly simple to make, however, be forewarned that some cards are difficult to fold and may tear at the small corners ~ an easy issue to hide when you glue the corners together.  

     Also ... glittered cards?  Glitter EVERYWHERE!  Do not put your hands anywhere near your eyes until you have washed your hands a gazillion times.  Trust me, I speak from experience.

     Finally, the instructions state to glue, then rubberband them until they dry to keep them from popping open.  Uh, hello?  Hot glue?!?!  I have absolutely zero patience when it comes to making crafts.  I admit, it is a character defect I am not likely to work on in the future.

     After folding each card, before I glued them and started on the next one, I wrote with a gold Sharpie the year and who sent the card on the outside of them.

     Photo cards get a place of honor on my refrigerator until next year!

A white Christmas after all ...

Lucy likes to eat snow. 

Gracie ... had more than enough snow when she was struggling to survive in the MI U.P. and now refuses to go out in it.  I don't blame her.

Charlie likes it, but I think he was glad that it wasn't deeper than he is tall.

geeking out on Christmas Eve ...

     I'm working today, and as to be expected, the calls have become so infrequent that my computer keeps timing out.  So I'm on an archeology geek trip ...

     A little while ago I saw a story online about [click here> a beach in Japan that was made up of stars.  My attempts to find a contact in Okinawa or Japan to send me some sand to look at failed.

     But then I was unpacking and came across a small bottle of beach sand from Guam that a past co-worker had sent me, and I wondered if the sand in Guam was close enough to Japan. (and to be totally transparent, she was super sweet to have sent it to me, but for the life of me now, I can't even remember where I was working at the time.  I blame trying to be more green and recycling my brain cells on a frequent basis)

     So today I dumped it into a crystal coaster, grabbed my magnifying glass with a bifocal, and began to explore!

     One sore neck and back later from trying to get as close as I can with my one good eye, I found stars!  And teeny tiny baby sand dollars!  And itsy bitsy teeny tiny seashells!

     As soon as I can remember where I put my macro lens for my phone camera (have I mentioned a gazillion times yet how much I hate packing, moving, and unpacking?), I'll update with better pictures, but for now, feast your eyes on this!

     I also have two other small bottles of sand from Thailand and the Philippines, but the grains are soooooo small, that I'm not sure I'll be able to see anything unless I get a much stronger magnifying glass.  I'm not even sure I'd be able to pick anything much smaller than these with my tweezers!

     In other not-as-exciting news, it is looking less and less like a white Christmas for me this year.  YAY!  It has been raining all day, and temps are in the low 50's.  Overnight, temps will drop to the upper teens, however, the rain should be ending and any snow before then may not stick because of how damp the ground is.  Ice, however, is another story.

      Charlie, the cats, and I have no plans for tomorrow except to sleep late, take naps, make phone calls, and maybe go to bed early.  Oh, and geek out over sand stars, watch dysfunctional family Christmas movies and laugh at how much they remind me of my own.

     Merry Christmas, happy holidays that you choose to celebrate, stay safe and healthy...  and be kind out there.  It's been a hard year for everyone.

'Tis the season ...

... to be extra compassionate to each other.

 

Truth. 

To put things in perspective, I spoke to a woman on the 12th of this month who was struggling to hold it together that day. 

She was trying to get much-needed thyroid medicine, however, her credit card and bank account had been compromised and they hadn't been able to issue her a new one because she was moving in the next few weeks. 

She was moving because her house had burnt to the ground a month earlier, burning her father and 3 dogs alive. The 12th was also her father's birthday, and she was just so overwhelmed. One of her *friends* had told her that "at least her father hadn't died of Covid19." She cried that they somehow thought burning alive was better than Covid. We talked some more, prayed, hugged by phone. 

We never know what is on someone else's plate. 

Be kind to everyone.

Christmas week ... Wednesday

 

A panoramic view of the Allegheny mountain range from an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I believe that is the Shenandoah Valley.

I had an AWESOME visit with my sister and nephew.

Uh... cookies did not last 24 hours.  Can't imagine why.

My new favorite thing to get as a gift ... hand-painted rocks, painted by the giver.  This one was painted by Kat, and the quote is from Claude Monet.

Kat was amused by Charlie's underbite.

Charlie not so much by Kat's sense of humor.

Christmas week ... Tuesday

    So here is my new holiday season tradition ... since the majority of my Christmas ornaments are still in WI, and there *just so happens* to be a Christmas decor shop here that is open 365 days a year here ... whenever I visit family or friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or those that come to visit me), I'm going to purchase matching ornaments.  One to gift, and one to keep, that will remind me of the holiday spent with them.

    This first one for Kat and me is especially meaningful because both of our dads are gone, and folklore has it that a visit from a cardinal is a visit from a loved one that has passed away.

     I'm also going to find an origami pattern to make ornaments out of the Christmas cards I receive this year.  I've seen some on Pinterest that I really like.

     Busy, busy, busy!

Christmas week ... Monday

    I love how these girls can snuggle together like they did when Lucy could still fit in my hand.  Although, full disclosure, this cuddle session came after an ugly discussion between the two of them over who was going to fit where.

    Tomorrow, I will get to see my sister Kat whom I haven't seen in more than six years.  I'm super excited!  She doesn't know it yet, and I won't share here until Thursday, but I'm starting a new holiday tradition this year and she is my first.  

     One of the things I'm most excited about with finally getting my 'life' back is that I get to start my own holiday traditions.  If I'd had more time in late October and November, one of them would have been making the German Christmas cookies from my grandmother's recipes. 

   I received a Christmas card today from a friend in the MI U.P. that was a first.  It had goats on it!  And a pig!  Sara is an amazing person!  She and her husband built their home by hand, retiring the yurt they had been living in for several years.  They raise goats for milk and cheese; chickens for eggs and duh, chicken; pigs for bacon; and grow their own garden.  I wish I could have been like her when I was younger!  I will confess that she tried to teach me how to milk a goat once and I was a huge fail.

    I think my goals wall in my office is finally finished.  At least until I can travel again.  It would be so awesome to have pictures all the way up to the ceiling!

kitchen window ...

  Tho not quite the view as my Wisconsin kitchen window had, this one still offers promise.  My bird feeders are best viewed out the kitchen door window, but I may add some squirrel feeders here in the side yard at some point.  I'm already planning and plotting for hostas and other shade-loving plants in the spring.  My cherished lillies-of-the-valley, however, will be planted where I can see them from the kitchen door while I'm watching birds and adding to my eBird count.

   I broke down and bought myself a tiny European Cypress Christmas tree and found an origami tutorial on YouTube to make a star for the top.  My overachiever paperwhite is blooming.  I've wanted to force paperwhites for ages and finally found some.  When this season is over, I'll save them for next year and find a proper glass vase for them.  Ditto the Amaryllis.  My jade plants are slowly recovering from the freezing drive down, but the jury is still out on my Hens & Chicks.  

... all is calm ...

    A co-worker recently asked me how my dog liked the new house and state, and it occurred to me that there has been a significant change in Charlie since we arrived.  A reflection, I was told by a friend, of the change in me also.

    In Wisconsin, he barked constantly.  At every sound, every car door slam, every dog bark, every shadow of someone walking past the house.  He was constantly on edge and defensive.  Which when I thought about it, made sense.  He never knew who [or rather what] would be coming through the door.  An angry man, a drunk man, a high on meth man.  He never knew if someone would slam in the back door, the front door, break a window, rip out a screen and come in a window.  He never knew if the man would be alone or with other drunks, and high, angry men.  If they would play loud, electric guitars all hours of the night with amps that popped and terrified him.

    Here, he has rarely barked, and even the few times when a stranger was at the door or in the house to make repairs, he was quickly forgiving and welcoming.  He is relaxed.  Peaceful, and sometimes I catch him just sitting calmly on the back patio, enjoying a spot in the sun, watching the world go by.

    There is a dog one lot over that barks constantly.  Charlie could care less.  Cars come and go on the street, much closer than they did in Wisconsin.  People get in and out.  Charlie could care less.  Although he does still hate the UPS driver.

     When we go for rides around the area, he has a sense of curiosity about him, rather than apprehension.

     The birds here seem to be a little unsure about my intentions with feeding them.  I've had feeders out for the past two weeks and they still appear to be full.  I finally put some food in a tray on the patio table to see if they just didn't like what I was offering.

    I think it is just that there is an abundance of 'wild' food available.  I haven't seen any chickadees, but tufted titmice are the local comedians.  There are three of them that I've seen at one time, and they sneak down to the tray like they are little thieves, grab a sunflower seed and dash off like they are afraid of getting caught.

    The cardinals, however, just settle in and eat their fill, completely ignoring the other birds.

    Carolina wrens are really the only ones I've seen at the feeders, and they are pretty happy with not having any competition.  I'm hoping that I will see more birds in the spring and that I can finally identify the trees in the back yard.  It is a toss-up between green ash or dogwood.

St. Nick's Day ...

Image Source: Pinterest

 

 One of my favorite childhood memories was of waking up the morning of December 6th to see whether or not I got candy or coal in my shoes.

  As an adult without children, I would try to evoke those memories again with (ex)-husbands.  New slippers.  Annual tree ornaments.  Fishing lures.  Guitar picks & strings.

  This year, I unpacked a little.  Decorated a little.  Got happy a lot.

  The tree topper angel on the wall is holding a place for what will be a wall tree with no-damage Scotch hooks.  The TV table is doubling as a fireplace mantle for my stocking.

  My futon arrived a week early, Charlie approved.  I still need to get a rug and after doing some rearranging, I realized that there will be room for a bar height dining table and four bar chairs.

  The office is slowly coming together.  The wall to the right, across from my desk, is my "goals" wall, which is currently featuring photos and mementos of places I've been.  My goal is to travel again.

  Behind where I sit are photos and "encouragers."  Words of wisdom that will be seen in the BigBossCam that watches me while I work.  I'm still hopeful for a supervisor slot.  

  Here's to holidays filled with happiness, growth, and new beginnings.

Lost on mountain roads...

  Charlie and I decided that today would be a good day to continue exploring our new home, and on a whim after dropping mail off at the post office, I decided to go see the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery since a sign across from the post office said it was only four miles away.

  When committing to a narrow, winding mountain road with hairpin turns, one-lane bridges, and tunnels you must be sure to have a full tank of gas and not a full bladder of coffee.  There are usually no gas stations on the road, no restrooms, and not many areas wide enough to make a U-turn.

  A quarter tank of gas into the drive, when it felt like the coffee was backing up into my kidney, I backed the truck up onto a 90-degree angle dirt driveway and reversed our route. 

  We stopped briefly at Tuckahoe Lake (hoping for some privacy for a lakeside bladder break, which was not to be).  We never did find the fish hatchery, even though there was another sign pointing towards it along the road.

  Once home, Google Maps showed that the initial sign I saw for the fish hatchery was facing the wrong way, and if I had turned left instead of going straight, it would indeed have been just four miles from the post office.

  Instead, we went 38 miles into Virginia and very nearly into North Carolina.    Note to self:  GPSs are only as good as the idiot drivers that use them.

Visitors with wings ...

  After three days of zero activity or interest at the bird feeders I placed outside the kitchen window, I decided to move them to just off the back patio where I had previously seen a cardinal and Carolina wren.  It proved to be a good move because not only did I see the Carolina wren at the feeder, but also inspecting one of the birdhouses I have hanging in the trees.  I have started a new list to the right of birds seen at the feeders, and hope that the numbers and variety increase the longer I am here.  I think they have just not been fed here in the past, and don't expect feeders.  My eBird checklist has several new species I didn't see in Wisconsin, so I am excited to be looking for new faces at the feeders.

  I've seen at least one grey squirrel, but haven't yet told Charlie.  He seems to be unsure of what to think about the nearby dog that barks whenever I go outside with him.  I have to wonder if they sound different than Wisconsin dogs, or if it is just because he can't see it.  Knock on wood, he is much quieter here than he was in Wisconsin, but I think perhaps it is because we left the drama llama there, and this house doesn't have the negative energy that was in Wisconsin.

  Speaking of energy, there has frequently been an aroma of flowers in the house at odd intervals and places.  I haven't quite been able to pin it down to anything specific that I may have packed and brought into the house, such as the dryer sheets I packed with my clothes.  I'm choosing to believe that it is angels blessing the house and the move.  Especially after being graced with the presence of a cardinal while moving in.

  Things are slowly coming together with unpacking.  There will be more furniture I need to get for the living room and book/storage shelves for all the rooms.  I briefly thought of getting beanbag chairs for the living room that will be easier to move later than larger furniture.  But the one bean-chair I got to sit in while watching TV after getting up from the floor was nearly an Olympic feat has become a Senior Olympic's feat.  These old bones are not made for sitting on the floor or in bean-chairs.

  My "office" has a goal wall that I am using to decorate with artwork and photos of past trips to remind me of places I want to travel to again.  I'm looking forward to adding to it, but at the same time, it reminds me of mementos I had left behind in storage in Wisconsin.  I'm torn between finding a way to retrieve everything there, or just letting it all go and getting new items from future travels.  I know that most of what is there would be unused here, just more clutter in an expensive storage unit.  If I were to just let all that "baggage" go I could put the funds spent on that unit into a travel fund.   Hmmmm.  I think the decision has been made...

Giving thanks ...

Safe travel from Wisconsin to West Virginia, in spite of snowstorms, winds, freezing temperatures, and road construction.

The three F's:  Faith, Family, and Friends.

Staying healthy, and that my family and friends have also stayed healthy.

A job that could move with me.

Watching the sunrise, drinking [click here> Blueberry Cobbler coffee on the back porch, and listening to my wind chimes that are tuned to [click here> Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme which is from one of my favorite movies, Somewhere in Time.

That the insanity of the year did not completely alter our normal as I watch and listen to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Tuesday...

More unpacking today and getting settled.  I did a little bit of exploring, finding my way to and from Walmart without the assistance of Google Maps.

  I stopped on the way home at the stables across from the [click here> Greenbrier resort to see some of the horses.  In the distance, I could see a falconry class going on.  There is so much to do there!  Bucket list time!

  With Christmas just around the corner, I stopped at [click here> the Depot where they have an amazing Christmas shop all year.  I also looked at the schedule for trains between my sister's house and mine and was excited to see that they have a route that runs three days a week.  

  On the way to Walmart, there is a road that goes through a tunnel.  I don't know where it goes, but maybe next week when I have a day off I will take it just to explore.

  The mountains around me are just amazing to see, and that is with most of the trees bare of leaves.  I'm sure it is stunning in the spring, summer, and fall.  I've also noticed that the number of stars I can see in the night sky is just incredible.

the road trip from ...

 ... you know where.  It is 2020 after all.  The places and times I stopped were great.  It was the driving part that nearly did me in.

  The trip started by almost NOT starting.  I very nearly had to delay by 24 hours but introduced someone to my inner Amazon and *she* convinced him that not only had I just become his worst nightmare, but it was also in his best interest to 'comply.'

  We made it all the way across the Michigan Upper Peninsula on Monday, stopping in St. Ignace after dark at the foot of the Mackinaw Bridge.  My intent with going that route was to retrace my trip to get 'there' and emotionally erase my past.  It was a bittersweet journey, reminiscing about the people I had met, and the bridges that *he* burned to keep me from establishing many close friendships.  There is actually only one person I have stayed in touch with, and only because she was my co-worker and not someone we knew jointly.

  Of course, Charlie was thrilled to be on a road trip.  The cats ... not so much.  I finally realized they did better if there was no noise.  No radio, no running commentary to Charlie, and the GPS as silent as possible.  I was not making the mistake of the trip to Texas in 2010 when Oreo escaped and spent two years living wild before I was able to make it back to Florida and apologize.  (It still took him six months to forgive me).  Gracie and Lucy were not only harnessed and leashed, but the leashes were attached with a clip ring to the travel crate with limited movement allowed in the truck.  Still, they spent most of their time in the crate, only occasionally venturing to the front seat to voice their displeasure with me or nap.

  Mackinaw Bridge was scary the first time across in the daylight, and there was no way I wanted to cross it in the dark, with snow and high winds. There was no snow the next morning, but still windy, and still scary.    About an hour after I crossed the bridge I had to stop for a life-changing phone call.   My divorce is final!!!!   I stayed the night in Okemos/Lansing Michigan to spend a few hours with the cousins I saw on the drive up in 2014.  It was so good to see all of them again, and one cousin I had missed the first trip up.  Of course, Covid-19 limited the hugs, but not the laughter.

  Wednesday was the worst and longest travel day.  I think when (not if) I go back to visit those Michigan cousins or my sister in Pennsylvania who is an equal drive distance away, I will find an interesting town halfway there to stop for the night and play tourist.   I had the hardest time staying awake during the morning, and stopped a few times to doze, even with driving into the rising sun.  Not sure if the stress of that, combined with the exhaustion of the entire week had just taken its toll on me, but what I had planned to be an 8-hour drive day turned into a 12-hour one.

  This was the point where I crossed the Ohio River from Ohio and into West Virginia.  Within an hour I was driving in the dark ... in mountains that I'd never been in before ... and in construction zones.   I arrived almost three hours later than I had planned, utterly exhausted.  I unloaded what I needed from the truck for the night, opened up my mattress in a box that had been shipped ahead of me, and slept on the floor...

  ... for about 5 hours.  Strange house, strange noises, strange dreams.  I woke up at 3:30a and spent the rest of the day going nonstop.  Put together a new bed frame, unloaded the trailer as soon as it was light out, returned it, did some shopping for necessities, put together a table for a television center, unpacked while waiting for the television and internet to be connected, put together a desk for work, got my computers set up and ready, showered (after not having any hot water for most of the day it was amazing to just stand there and let it pound my tight back, neck and shoulder muscles loose), then I finished "dressing" the bed and collapsed at midnight.  I almost overslept this morning and was nearly late for work.  One of the many things that I forgot in my rush to leave Wisconsin was my alarm clock.  

  Charlie and I did the tourist thing a little bit when we returned the UHaul trailer and ran errands to find Walmart and pick up a box that had been misdelivered.  He was so excited to see things and made a point to bark at every dog he saw (farting on me in the process which I did NOT appreciate).  The cats have no interest in exploring so far, although Lucy did find the only place in the kitchen that she could get stuck and after four hours I finally found her behind the kitchen corner cabinet and had to pull her out.  Needless to say, I took steps to make sure that never happens again.

  Thursday morning while I was unloading the trailer, I was 'visited' by a bright red cardinal, which I took as a good sign and plan to get feeders filled as soon as possible that I will be able to see from my kitchen and office windows.  I will share photos soon of the house, and area when the weather warms up enough for walking.

the countdown begins ...

 We survived the election week from hell.  Much like this year has been, it was uncomfortable, frightening at times, and annoying.  I was so grateful to finally be able to watch the morning news and see actual news unrelated to the election.

 The cats are enjoying some fall sunshine in the front window.  Charlie and I started what will become our Sunday ritual today... a car ride into town to get the Sunday (or in this case Saturday) paper, coffee, and a donut.

 The house is 3/4 packed, with my office [the MOST cluttered room] still remaining to finish this week, and here I am procrastinating getting started on it, with small spurts of activity between writing.

 It will be a busy week no matter what.  I'm being considered for a supervisor position, and interviews will be early this week.  

 I've been researching my new home2be and am getting even more excited about the opportunities there.   There is a [click here> small zoo less than two hours away that is working to save the red wolf population and reintroduce them into the Allegheny Mountains.  They have volunteer opportunities with their education department, and I'm super excited to get involved with them. 

 Fingerstoesandlegscrossed that the [click here> WV Dandelion Festival will take place next May.  It was the inspiration for the name of the blog.  I want to fill my new home2be with art from the area, and [click here> Lee Street Studios is one place I'm going to look for it, and ... drumroll please ... they offer classes!  But I am especially excited about the [click here> Lewisburg Literary Festival in April!

anxious anticipation ...

 I could not fall asleep Friday night.  I think the anticipation of the upcoming move and road trip had me anxious.  The journey will retrace the one I took to get here, with an extra stop since I don't know how early I will be able to get on the road the day I leave.  There will be much to do that day, the last of which will be loading up the fur kids, and relinquishing the house key.

Finally, at 4a Saturday, I gave up trying to sleep and got up, showered, and began my day.  This resulted in being completely exhausted by 4:30 in the afternoon, and so to bed, I went.  I slept for about 15 hours with bizarre dreams of an ex-husband, a junior high school crush, dogs waiting for me at the rainbow bridge, and a house I have not lived in for over 23 years.  My body was rested, but my brain confused.

Today I have been listening to the Minnesota Vikings (my favorite team since the days of Fran Tarkenton) and the Green Bay Packers football game, purging and packing my living room clutter, and shopping for furniture.  Since I can only take what I can carry alone I've been ordering larger items and having them shipped ahead of me.  For the first time in over eight years, I am decorating again according to my preferences and not someone else's.  Furniture styles I like, not something picked up for free on the side of the road.  Colors that bring me joy, not something related to a college football team favored by someone who never finished the 9th grade.

I am excited at this time of new beginnings and creativity.  The future is bright ... and not a bright garnet and gold.

Al~ah~gain~ee

Image Source: WeHeartIt.com

 It's close enough to when I will be moving to share a little about where I will be going.

I've lived on the west coast (California) and the east coast (St Augustine, Florida); the saltwater Gulf of Mexico (Panama City, Florida); smack dab in the middle of the country (Killeen, Texas); the Northwoods along the shores of the freshwater Lake Superior (Ashland, Wisconsin).

I'll now be moving to the Appalachian Mountain Range, a small community in the Allegheny Mountains.  The name Allegheny probably comes from the [click here> Lenape or Delaware First People's words "welhik hane" or "oolikhanna," which means 'best flowing river of the hills' or 'beautiful stream'. There is a Lenape legend of a tribe called "Allegewi" who used to live along the river.

Moving from an elevation of 673 feet above sea level, I'll be at a lofty 1,880 feet above sea level!

hello ...

         If you followed my journey from Panama City, Florida to the Michigan Upper Peninsula to Ashland, Wisconsin ... thank you, and welcome to a place that is "almost heaven" according to John Denver.  It will be a long journey to get here which I will share in future posts, but in one month's time, I will be in a new home, starting a new life filled with hope and adventures.

     I hope you will follow or subscribe to this blog and join me on the road to finding happiness, peace of mind, and ... dandelions.