All a Blur

Life's been pretty crazy lately, and I've been lazy about posting.  Thankfully Judy's good at guilting me, so I'm back.  Let's see...

Did a wedding for my 2nd cousin up in cache valley last week.  Lime green & hot pink.  Turned out great.  Really wish I'd gotten pictures!  But I took off before the setup was finished in order to get myself to camp.

We camped at Willows with the Whitmans (Mike & Lisa).  It was great!  Mike cooked, we shared campfires, played in the river, spent the afternoons chasing the shade & visiting.  It was a well needed rest.

Now we're home, the kitties have forgiven, and Oscar's been taken down a notch since his wing trimming.  He's a much better baby when he can't fly.

Other than all that, life's pretty boring.  Same list different day. Life's not too bad.
Live Long & Prosper!
~m

Summer

Been reconstructing dried funeral flowers at work.  It is possibly one of the most fussy, icky jobs i get assigned.  I've scrubbed and scrubbed & still keep finding grains of silica sand under my nails, in my hair etc.  Yick!  Finally finished them this afternoon.  I'm not a fan of dried arrangements, but it's what the customer ordered, so we do them.

Sider has a new trick where he snuggles with Yahzi or Spazz in their favorite resting spot instead of finding his own place.  So far both of them are putting up with him, but as the weather gets warmer I expect one of them will whap him for it.

My brain cells have jellied in the heat, I'm having trouble stringing thoughts together.  Sorry.
~m

Been Busy

My week evaporated!  Tuesday was major catch up time, Wed was chaotic topped off with a graceless fall, Thurs was a haze of pain and ibuprofen, and Friday was devoted to Matt & Sara's wedding flowers.  Saturday was their wedding & Sunday was recovery time.

Mom came down to help me out with the flowers and stayed over to help with the wedding day details.  Thanks to her help I was able to get everything I needed done and still have time to enjoy the event.  Even though she did guilt me into doing my hair & wearing makeup.

Matt & Sara are a cute couple, & years ago I told him I'd do their wedding flowers.  Little did he know that he'd ever get married again, and little did I know that it would take so long to actually happen.  But good things are worth waiting for, and I think they're gonna settle in nicely as old married folk.

Today was slow at work, so I was able to leave early (I rarely have trouble getting my 20 hours in a week and so don't mind at all when things are slow) and run errands.  I got everything I needed, as well as 3 bags of starbursts which I didn't need but were on sale & I will enjoy them (2 are experimental flavors).  After that I came home and attempted to diagnose our satellite tuner/dish problem.  I thought I had identified the problem, and after attempting to fix it 1st with a rope, then with a demo saw, discovered that the real solution is a ratchet.  *I hope*.  I've gotten out, climbed, and put away the ladder 4 times today.  Hopefully tomorrow 5 is the charm.  Have I mentioned that I HATE ladders?  But they are useful.

Oscar is working on sentences.  He keeps stringing together words he knows to express complex ideas.  It's often entertaining and very clever of him.  I'm sure few but me think the bird asking for "kibble-breakfast- too-right now" and then when I scoop kibble & turn to walk away demand "I want-breakfast" is cute & entertaining.  But I think it is.  He's also angry at & jealous of Sider.  Jumped off my shoulder onto the cat perch in order to chase him today.  Guess it's time to trim his wings and take his ego down a notch.  He also objects highly to the noise from tuning the satellite.  He's a moody little beast to say the least.

Wow, just looked at the clock, it's late & I've got chores to finish before bed. 
Nite all!
~m

Not Broken Anymore!?!

Don't know why but the login bar for blogger has been unavailable on my computer for a couple weeks.  Dunno why, but logging on while at mom's this weekend somehow changed things and I'm back!  There's prolly a serious technical issue behind it all, but as long as it's done pissing me off I'm willing to forgive and forget.

Scott just asked "Is that your blog I hear?" he was trying to chatter to me and I was distracted with key clicks.  Yes! and I've missed it.  So here's the short story of pertinent details since my b-day.

We went to Lava, stayed at AuraSomaLava next door to Randy, Ashlee, Chuck, Penny, Steve, Susan, Max, Zoey, & Tessa (the last 3 are dogs). It was a lot of fun, mostly relaxing and good times....
other than....The weather; Off & On hail, rain, thunder, high wind; the resort's hot pool was out of order from the flooding,  the STUPID people at the state hot pools who confiscated Scott's crutches while we were swimming "because we didn't want kids to mess with them" and then expected him to HOP to the office to collect them (they yelled at me and nearly didn't let me collect them for him); and then my back being generally pissy whole time. 
We did have an exceptional motorcycle virgin transport adventure, and then carpeted the trailer with little hassle and discomfort while we were there.  We biked around a bit, I broke in my shiny new helmet, & found the RIGHT fairy sticker for it.

Earlier this week I wandered around at Lowe's and found some perennials I just had to have.  We planted them along with the sprinkler set we bought just before I went camp-hostining 2 years ago and everything went on hold.  We now have lilacs, russian sage, verbena...& I love it!

This weekend Scott was feeling a bit put out from all the coming and going we've done lately.  So I went north to create 19 carnation puppies with mom.  We started with 17 white puppies and 2 pink ones (the supplier was out of white).  They were real cute, but then we tried out the JFF flower dye, and they got even cuter!  We made one of every color, and a few custom colored pups. 

Spending the weekend with Mom was nice.  It's been a long time since I got to do something other than be a florist for Memorial Day.  We talked, did silly daily details, and just sleeping in my old room with the familiar sounds of rain on the roof was plain ol' pleasant.

Yesterday while I was enjoying peaceful time with Mom & Glenn (I think I've talked her into letting him have a Shnorkie *Shnouzer-Yorkie* pup), Scott somehow managed to throw his back out (please note it was was not part of  my demanding wife weekend adventures).  So today I split my pleasant though rainy memorial time with guilt and came home to fetch ibuprofen and massage soar muscles.  Not to consider the kittah and
Birdah guilt!

Good thing The Christensen Ranchette is my other home to go to.  I visited there last night and was summarily accosted by Sambo the the lil' black kittah (we met back a christmas & he remembers me).  While we were negotiating tummy skritches Eric & Josie brought Poco the new Yorkie-Shitzu pup home.  Needless to say Poco & I are now buddies.  I am a soft touch.  I anyone ever doubts this send a helpless furry critter to snuggle me.  They always win.

So I'm back, I'm behind, I'm hoping that tomorrow when I want to update the login bar is still there.  Wish me luck!
~m

Another Year Older

So I turned 29, didn't notice any difference.  I think I'll stop here.  29 from now on. 

Saturday Scott & I took off for Park City, and did NOTHING.  It was grandly lazy, and quite enjoyable.  In fact it was so grandly lazy that I have nothing to report except watching some crazy tv show about a man who tames "cats from hell" by teaching their people not to have screwed up expectations.  Go figure, on our night away from home without our "children" we watched a show about being better cat parents.

Today I woke up early, spent some quality time with Oscar (we sang), and did yoga with the cats (it lends a whole new layer of complexity to the experience).  It wasn't at all a bad way to start the day & I'm hoping
to make time for more of the same soon.

This weekend we're hauling the cycles, trailer, and camper to Lava to recreate with some of our chosen family.  Every year the Ashlee & Randy come home from their big trip full of  joy & it's always right between or right on Mother's Day or Memorial Day.  This year it's smack between them & we jumped at the chance to go with.  They're renting a cabin & we're taking our rig (I'm feeling pretty satisfied about bringing my own bed & kitchen along).  Both of their parents are gonna be there, and they're some of my favorite folks.  There's much fun and relaxation planned.

Wednesday I get to hang out with 2 of my favorite girls Ashlee & Emily.  Should be a great visit.  Yay for girl time!

Gotta get out there and finish cooking dinner (yes, we eat late, get over it).

Live long & prosper.
~m

It's gonna be interesting.

I'm not sure that things at work can or will improve, but I'm learning not to let it get to me.  I'm also learning to hand unreasonable expectations back.  I really hope things settle down and work out.  But I'm done worrying, analyzing, and sharing about that.  Thanks for the awesome advice & moral support I've gotten lately.

Spring is definitely here, and once the flood threat goes down I think we're all gonna enjoy this summer.  The other day a mama duck and her 12 ducklings cruised right past the door at work.  She was so determined & they were all in such a hurry I just had to chase after them and snap a pic.
 
 Yesterday on our way home from petsmart (the kitties were starving & Sider didn't have a harness to go to the vet on Wed) we saw a family of goslings that were just as cute.  Gotta love baby animals.

Wednesday is vet day.  We shall load all the children into the camper (it's much easier than trying to keep unhappy kitties in carriers or the car) and visit their least favorite person.  She's really a pretty good vet, as long as we don't buy into all the expenditures she 'recommends'. I anticipate that Yahzi's ears will be dirty (they always are since Shadow isn't here to sit on his head and groom them anymore), Spazz will HATE the nose drops and make much noise about her abusers.  Sider's a new adventure, I hope he's better behaved than Royla (who's other mom hasn't contacted me in  a month & I'm letting that be, since I believe a tenative home with her in her new place is much better than being an outdoor cat at mine).  Based on last nights grooming experience I have high hopes for Sider.  He thought that having his belly combed was some sort of awesome game, as long as he got to claw hold my toes and threaten biting while it happened.

I recently posted a BUNCH of my camping photo's on facebook, they're all awesome but I specifically want to share this one here.  I've talked about my moose, and he's a beautiful animal who I really enjoyed watching.  Here's my Moosle photo.  He came through Willows every Wednesday like clockwork.  But I didn't get a good photo of him until I quit AL&L and camped a weekend at South Fork.  Go figure.

And these other two are from Antelope Island last week.  I think the rabbit's half as big as the coyote.

Happy spring y'all.
~m

Meow.

Just in case anyone still reads this silly blog.
I've somehow been overflowing with stress and negative the last few weeks.  Pretty sure I know the source.  I'm doing what I can and very thankful to Scott who is an excellent example/counselor when it comes to shedding stress dumped on you by others.  I am learning many techniques & finding what can work for me (I'm not nearly as good at it as him).

Let's see, the cars had a pitty party, I believe I've mentioned that.  The Hillyards had floral tribute funeral flower day for Kim.  It was a beautiful (if cold) day and it is always amazing how working on something that intensely personal & just being together is just comforting to the heart at a time like that.  I burned up all of my upright time getting the tributes done & working what I needed to in order to get the time off I needed, so I missed the funeral.  I felt horrible, still do, but I'm hoping that everyone understands when I say if I had to choose between the flower day when I'm useful & involved or the funeral day when I sit on the sidelines and mostly just feel useless.  I'd choose the flower day every time.   Not that I wouldn't rather be to both.  But if I only get one, I'm glad it was when I could DO!

I spent a full weekend forcing myself not to aggravate my spine, mostly kitty time.  We put a bit o' effort into repairing and researching cars, I rode my bike a bit &WASHED IT! 

This weekend we hauled ourselves to Antelope Island where we camped next to a bunch of cub scouts who set up their tents while wearing bicycle helmets, and had next to no respect for boundaries.  Their tents started blowing away around 11:30pm and we felt they were much better neighbors after that.  Also there was just enough snow to make it an adventure.

The tulips, grape hyacinth, and daffodils in my yard are out.  I LOVE bulbs.  One of these days I'm going to haul off and plant a whole plethora of mixed bulbs just for the fun of watching them come up.

Which brings us current to today.  Work is gearing up for Mother's day.  Today has been on the calendar as a day I needed off for a month plus.  Yesterday I was informed that me being gone was a major inconvenience (too bad they couldn't say that a month ago when they approved the time off).  So I dropped my plans shuffled everything and went to work early.  With absolutely no acknowledgment of my efforts, and a miserable environment to work in.  Needless to say I did not have a great day.  But when I got home I was able to spend a bit of time with a very clever & cuddly Oscar, spend some time with Scott in the back yard mowing our ridiculous lawn.  Both things I've been guiting myself about.  I've since managed to break the microwave, research it's repair, and absorb the mandatory quantity of Spazz drool for one night.  So yay.  Prolly gonna have a whole week like that and be expected to be thankful for it, don't that sound like fun?

Let's see, Scott & Kirk are planning to tear apart the transmission of his car in our garage this weekend, Mom's putting together commencement flowers and favors, and Health Days is on my birthday so I'm planning a rain compatible celebration.  That's a fairly condensed explanation of the last few weeks, and I make no promises of an update until after M-day. 

Live Long & Prosper.
~m