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Sometimes I think that my stubborn refusal to slow down and pay attention is my own fault, but then again I'm doing the best I can so sue me. The first one to debtor's court gets one of my dogs or a piece of vintage china. If things get bad enough I'll put the first only born up for bids with the gypsies. I can see her being one of their kindred. She has never lived away from the farm and at least I did that for ten years before I came back with her in tow. I don't regret that decision, even though it's been an expensive proposition to maintain, especially as a single parent. Houses built in the early 1900a tend to be a bit drafty. I spent the first ten years here cleaning out the basement and the next ten on the attic. Since then, I've been concentrating on the yard and living floor. The laminate floors which were my daddy's last attempt to keep us here, are cleaner than they've been in years. It's outside weather for doggies during the day so there's my plan for mother's day falling into place. Unless I have to work.

Faith is in up north for a sleepover and "the boys", Sam and Oscar, followed me all around the yard as I looked to see what's up. Beethoven is cranked up because it's pretty outside but I can outblast him with chick music when I really want to. All of the doors are propped open so the dogs can run in and out at will and I'm wearing shorts. No hint of asparagus yet, but it's been much more of a normal spring weather pattern so that's not a surprise. The redbuds just turned a little bit purple this afternoon and the hosta are peeking out. There's a pretty stout wind so it's probably not a good fishing day but you never know what might happen by sunset. Besides, you can't get to the really good sloughs right now because of the backwater. Gah.

I saw one particularly disturbing interview today with a firefighter in Japan who had left his family to go to work and returned to find their home demolished. Wife...son's family, gone. It is a marvel to me how many of us will do that for a cause if we really believe in it and don't just have to have the money to pay bills. Many Europeans live this way but then there's that pesky keeping up the royalty thing just like over here. I mean, for real. We'd all just die if we didn't have TV. Mine is on the way out, one more time. I figure as long as I pay the home internet bill and can check the weather at work, it's gonna be alright. I'll miss Chelsea and Jon Stewart but they live in the web too. Winter is over and it's time to to outside and play. It was at about this time of year when my ex had a full blown widow maker heart attack at the age of 39. I remember watching the playoffs with him in the hospital. Funny how the things that come back to haunt you are that simple. He is a good man and a good father doing his best to stay straight in a world where it's very tempting to say screw it and escape reality. His reality is trying to help others get straight, and I totally respect him for that. It ain't easy.

There is a hero in everyone on this planet whom nobody knows about because we are busy chasing customs, tradition and law. Greed is rampant, and the trickle down effect has been that we won't know what to do when we're up shit creek and have to survive. I used to actually TRAVEL with a box fan because I had to have the noise to sleep by. That got given up many lenten seasons ago. Now I don't travel unless somebody agrees to drive. I hate that crap! Definitely not good at navigation here. The spirit of Mrs. Council is riled up slamming doors with the wind so I reckon it's time to go admire her flowers that come back every year. The peony babies are showing where they're not covered in pine needles. One time me and daddy burned that pine bed off on a still spring day and it became my shade garden. It was eaten up with poison ivy and virginia creeper, and still is. Several of the pines have gone by the wayside, but there are still enough there on the line to block that strong wind. If I were a bettin' gal I'd say don't light the burn pile today because the odds are bad.

I hope ya'll got pinched today, is all I can say.

^j^