Buttercups and Violets

(cue big sigh) I remember running around as a little girl collecting
these. I was SURE there were fairies and they lived near these sweet
flowers.

Happy Spring, everyone!

Tadpoles

Here're the kids dashing off the the pond adjacent to my parents' property. We're starting to go regularly to check on the toads' growth progress. We haven't seen any eggs yet, but with as fast as everything's coming up around here, it should be any day.

As you can see, Sophia Fish is in her element out here! She adores splashing around the pond and then tearing off after the ten thousand rabbits out here. Crazy, shameless, toothless whore.

We are in the final stages of readying the house. It has been some hard work... plastering those ceilings tested our patience and determination, but really, it looks very wonderful.

All we've got left are the final second coats on the ceilings in the kitchen and living room, and the final second coat in the living room. As far as plaster goes anyways.

For everything else, we have to lay down the laminate in the kitchen, hallway, and living room. We've gotta put in the kitchen sink, and rebuild the bathroom i.e. put in the toilet, vanity,  faucets, mirror, and lights. Oh yeah, we've also gotta do the kitchen backsplash, but I think that's going to get done once we move in.

I really can't wait. It's been six months of being at other people's places and we're ready to have our own space. 

Odds and Ends, and Just Plain Odd

We met one of our neighbors today. His name is Goat and he has a hunting dog named Buford.

I shit you not.

The good thing about him is he's a very friendly fireman with the local department and he's offered to till our garden for us and help us put in our floors. The odd thing about him? His name is Goat and he has a hunting dog named Buford.

We put peas in at my parents' garden, so the great garden experience has begun. I've gotta sit down and plot out planting times and where to plant things. My parents have these little garden beds dotted all over their property, nice to have that space. Now we gotta make sure the damn rabbits don't reap what I've sown.

An end... got a letter from Epic Systems. May I say that they made a mistake of epic proportions (sorry, that was just irresistible for me) by not deigning to grant me even a first interview. Durn it.

Another odd... all of you weirdos out there who don't like posting on my blog! How is it that every single one of my friends doesn't like posting?! That's okay though, I really like all your e-mails and phone calls anyways. : ) Love you guys.

A Shout-out to Collette!

Gotta give Collette mad props! 

Not only did she respond back, but she responded via tokbox, which rocks!!!

You can send video messages, and you can have video calls, and video conference calls, too!

I'm already on skype, but this program seems superior already. It's at www.tokbox.com. Go get hooked up!

Anyways, in the video message she sent (which I was so delighted to receive) Collette looks very, very happy, and the house they are living in overlooks this lovely, large, placid lake. She mentioned having tea over at the neighbor's house, so it sounds as if other people might be appreciating our Marquise as much as they should!

Thanks so much, Collette. Where's your blog? : )

Prometheus Prodigy

What payback do I get for making fun of Robert's worrying over our
little fire?

My dad asking me to help him burn back two acres of their prairie.

That was some mighty scary shit.

I tried to look cool and capable and not like some big city pussy, but
I admit, I was alarmed. For good reason as it turned out.

After giving me a glance over, he said, "Good. Looks like you're
wearing cotton. If you had rayon on and caught on fire, you'd go up like a human torch. I don't think you'd be able to do acting anymore."

Confidence-inspiring. Thanks, dad.

I, ultimately, was fine. My dad, on the other hand, singed off his
eyebrows and the tongue of hair he has over his forehead when a huge
blaze flared up at a particularly strong gust of wind.

Sweet Christ in heaven.

He's planning on doing this every year from here on out now that I'm
nearby to help.

Pray for me.

Drill master

That's right, American Clay!!!

Who's your mamma?!?!!!

This stuff looks AMAZING. But this shit is seriously hard work. We
had a big learning curve since neither of us have plastered before,
but now the clay bows down before us.

We're going to try and post a video soon, so stay tuned!

We're in!

So last Monday we closed on the house, and we've been so busy since then that I haven't been able to post. Robert wields the whip harshly! 

There he is in the top picture trying not to look nervous about burning back the mini-prairie we've got along our driveway.

I'm next with my safety goggles, working on priming the ceiling with this sanded primer stuff that is hell on an eyeball if it gets stuck there.

And that's the scaffolding we're using tomorrow to start applying the clay. In the next picture, our master bedroom, you can kind of see the primer on the walls. That's the first room we're going to plaster. It'll be an experience I'm sure!

The next picture's of our future girl's room, however she shows up... once we're settled Robert and I are going to be getting certified to be foster parents and we're going to see if we can find our little girl. : )

And the next room is Max's room. He wanted a red room, so we compromised and I used the red on an accent wall. It looks really good in person. You'll have to come check it out for yourself.

Finally, a red-crested woodpecker, flew smack into one of my parents' windows and stunned itself for a little while. My mom rescued it and let the kids hold it while it was till in a dazed state. They let it go very shortly after getting to look at it up close.

We're aiming to get completely moved into the house by April 21st. I think we just may be able to make it. We've just got to plaster the walls, rebuild the bathroom, and lay down the floors.

Robert laid the floor down in our little office, and he did a great job. I'll try to get a picture of that, too, my phone just ran out of juice today.

Okay, my lats are killing me from running that roller over my head all day.

It's a good sore.