Monday, December 15, 2008

Smartened up my attitude a bit

Joined the boys outside in the afternoon. Sledded with them down the little hill that drops to our neighbor's yard. Ours slopes down and then drops fairly steeply to the headwaters of a little creek so I'm more comfortable with the guys on a property with a level run-out. In a fit of enthusiasm I strapped on some skis and turned a few times down our driveway. Then we took a little tour of our wooded acre. Very pretty covered with several inches of white in the afternoon sunlight. Some animal tracks, though surprisingly no deer. We even get a herd of elk that wanders through sometimes, but no sign of them.

Got a visit from a hummingbird this afternoon. I hadn't thought ahead so the poor thing was greeted with a frozen feeder. I'll do better tomorrow. The woodpeckers have been hard at the suet feeders and I spread some seed. Tomorrow I'll get some lard to spread on the pine cone hangings and press some seed into them too.

So, let's see if tomorrow is a Better Day.

Westside (west of the Willamette River) schools are closed tomorrow. Connor is rejoicing. I've forbidden him to tell Scott, who goes to an eastside school. If I play my cards right tomorrow I can still get a little time alone tomorrow. Connor wants to go over to a buddy's house. They live on 20 acres with a good sledding hill.

Now, if only they don't close the eastside schools tomorrow.

5 comments:

Mrs. Spit said...

Oh, I thought of you many times today, trapped in a room with 14 grade nines that were wild. . .

Oh, many times.

Wordgirl said...

Oh yes, you know it's a relief to read another mother who finds that snow days aren't the joy of the world -- even when G calls me sometimes to pick up W early -- he can hear the hesitation in my voice -- I adore W -- but so value my time too -- which is a whole other scenario in trying to conceive another --that's one of the many reasons why I enjoy your blog -- I really understand what you're feeling.

And your property sounds so lovely. I wish I lived in the pacific northwest. It is one of my favorite places in the world.

excavator said...

Mrs. Spit, I feel your pain. Only I think yours surpasses mine. You're a lot better sport about it than I am too.

Hi, Pam.

That's what helped me be sanguine about my MIL's hint that there was something 'wrong' with a mother who wanted a break from her kids--rock-solid knowledge that other mothers who I respect greatly feel the same way. I'm glad that my frankness about it can provide a sense of relief to you, just as other mothers' has done for me.

I would be lost without my 'whine'! It's saved my sanity. Actually it's having empathetic ears which to unburden that's saved me.

Do you ever visit the Pacific NW?

Wordgirl said...

You know I used to visit more often because I lived in Missoula -- which was only an eight hour drive to Seattle -- and I have a cousin in Spokane -- and one of my dear dear friends moved to Portland -- she ran the Writers in the Schools program there -- but she's since moved back East and I never made it to Oregon -- or Powell's or the coast or anything -- damn it.

G and I went to Vancouver & Vancouver Island a few years ago and fell in love. I just miss the change in atmosphere in the West -- its different there -- I grew up here in the Midwest and I find it kind of stifling. pfffblppt. *sigh*

excavator said...

But Pam, I heard that Minnesota is the cool part of the midwest!