A Little Known Fact

I believe in Bigfoot. Totally and completely. Really. I was reunited with my belief last night while watching the show Monster Quest on the History channel.

I think it all began when I saw the movie The Legend of Boggy Creek. There is a scene in the movie when someone is sitting on the, ahem, toilet and the arm of Bigfoot reaches in the window. It was horrifying!

In 1993, while driving across country for field camp we stopped in and around Mercer Pennsylvania for the night. I was keenly aware that there had been a sighting of the beast, in my childhood during a visit to my grandmother's in Erie, PA. I was anxious. While everyone relaxed on the coin operated vibrating bed, I was alert. Listening for any sign, that I may be privy to him. But nothing.

In 1996 I moved across country to attend graduate school. I did some field work around Mt. St. Helen's. The mountains and forests of Washington State is THE place for Bigfoot. My friend had given me a book, written by a man who had walked these very mountains in search of. As I lay in my tent I strained my ears. I saw banana slugs but no clumps of super smelly hair or ginormous foot prints. But not for lack of trying.

I have not traveled much since those days, but last night while watching Monster Quest it all came flooding back. The classic footage from the 1960's of him striding through a river in California. The Legend of Boggy Creek. My obsession. I wonder if I am obsessed with the mystery of it all and if in fact he was ever discovered I would be deeply disappointed.

In any event, I am glad to be reunited with my ridiculous obsession.

Congratulations and Crap

I have only smoked one cigarette in the past 14 days. Congratulations!!

I smoked it last night on the way back from picking up KD as his car died. Crap!!

Middle of the night re-design

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Guest Blogger - AUNTIE!!!

My big sister, affectionately known as Auntie, is our special guest today. Here is Auntie doing one of her most favorite things, being AUNTIE.


This is her first post here, but certainly not her last! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did for it is great! Read on Dear Readers, read on!



Frankly, I don’t have time to write this… I can’t afford the emotional, psychic energy or the time but then doesn’t all of life require these… Is there not benefit, even healing in traveling and acknowledging that travelling down memory lane?

I’ve taken up biking. Oh, I’ll be no Lance or shall I say Lancet Armstrong but in my mid-age crisis I’ve decided on this activity as a way to connect with my youth while attempting to extend it…one mile at a time, as it were.

Today I biked through Wampatuck State Park. Yes, through it, to the neighboring town only accessible to vehicles thin enough to pass through the gate. The gateway was more than a divide between towns for me today. In fact it became a time portal and the dividing line between the town in which all five of my siblings grew up and the town where the arrival of the owner of this blog and our younger sister made our house far too small.

Trying to get a few extra miles in before the rain arrived I found myself rather unintentionally in the playground of the elementary school where I attended 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. Of course, the building was smaller than I remembered but the window into my third grade classroom was still there. I saw myself, a seven year old, having been sent outside during science class on an adventure in full view of the class. I, with wet finger, would show the entire class how to tell which way the wind was blowing. I saw the playground where I came to my little brother’s rescue during recess from the strange behavior of one mainstreamed less then intellectually endowed bully. I saw the now overgrown playground where we played Capture the Flag with the “big kids” at summer camp. The parking lot—immortalized in beloved low tech home movies--where my Dad and my “Pa” took my brothers and me on a Sunday to fly planes-- is now a grassy playground with new and “safe” equipment. Gone are the metal and HOT slides and jungle gyms and the tetherball post.

How brave my parents were to let my brother and I ride our bikes one day to school for field day on these narrow rural roads. They seem narrow even to me now. I am back through Wampatuck to my current side of life and while not a mite younger, I like to think a tad bit wiser. And I wonder if it is youth or wisdom than noticed the lone blooming and tiny flower-- a shade of red / pink / fushia too beautiful for human words-- along that narrow road…

Pool Party

Yes, we went to the beach yesterday. No, I don't have any pictures. We are out of batteries. Suffice it to say that a GREAT time was had by all!

Today we hosted a belated end of the school year pool party.

The pink dot is Oldest. She was only one of two girls in her class and the only one here today.

As KD said, "That was a rockin' party!" I couldn't agree more. It was great!

We are going to the BEACH

Today we are going to my favorite beach in the whole wide world!!

Wingaersheek Beach

I can't wait!

It is HOT

The water, that is!!!

Last night:
I did three loads of laundry.
Ran the dishwasher.
Bathed three children.

Yesterday I washed my hair in cold water, hunched over the tub. This morning I took a long awaited hot shower. I shaved my hairy legs.

Simple pleasures. Simple.

Halloween or fashion?

Oldest wanted to try on her fancy Belle dress and the boys want to do everything she does...so we had a princess parade. Laugh out loud funny! Luckily I found some batteries to capture the moment! Love those kids!!

The phone rings at your desk

And it is the fire chief in the town where you live.

That is not a good sign.

Luckily all is fine, the furnace was smoking black smoke.

Oil company delivered and called in the smoke.

If it isn't one thing, it is another.

Day 2

I noticed on Monday that the hot water was a little weak. Our last oil delivery was in May so it is not out of the realm that our oil tank would be dry which would mean no hot water. Our oil company from last season was so short on customer service I couldn't stomach using them again.

When I left for work yesterday I had planned on calling a new company for oil. I did call that new company only I called at 4 p.m. They couldn't deliver oil until today unless, of course, I wanted to pay a $105 emergency delivery fee. "Uh, no."

So here is the dilemma. I skipped a shower yesterday, my hair looked pretty good and washed my face with cold water. But today? My hair needs a shampoo and I just can't handle the thought of a cold shower, it is too barbaric, really. So should I wait until the oil company delivers oil, take a shower and head to work? Or work from home today and not worry about it? Or pull up my hair, wash my face with cold water and just deal?

Decisions. Decisions.

He

Got his first hair cut today!!!

(if my camera was working there would be a picture!)

Oldest for President or something like it

I just put on the news, the World News. There was a picture of Barrack Obama. Oldest said, "Look it is Orock Obama. I hope he is getting ready." "Getting ready for what?" I inquired. "Getting ready to be President. We should write him a letter...

Dear Orock Obama,
I am so excited for you to be President.

Love,
Oldest"

I love her!

Sneezing Cat

Cash has an upper respiratory infection, most likely induced by stress. He has hyper sensitivity and pees all the time, even when his bladder is virtually empty.

He is currently on a muscle relaxer and antibiotic. 2 times a day for 10 days. These would be pills, not liquid. It is not going to be easy.

The staff at the vet's office was very kind to KD and Cash. Now to figure out a way to give him TWO pills!!!

Help!!!

Note to self

Check itinerary prior to parking at the airport. Departing airline may not be the same as returning airline. Which may necessitate a very long walk. In the dark.

Eccentric

When traveling I pack an exponentially greater number of underpants than I could ever use. But as you know I have a problem. So having more is better than having too few.

2:07 a.m.

I pulled into the driveway with a sleeping cherub. He was so very brave as he was poked and prodded. He slept through the doctor's exam, cried through the blood draw and fought hard during his x-ray.

He told me that leaving without a diagnosis was a probability, but the tests will tell us something. All the tests came back normal, thank God. He was a little wobbly this morning and perhaps very tired, but overall he seems fine.

I am in Florida for my client meetings and hate being this far away when we are supposed to be watching. KD spoke to our pediatrician this morning, she reiterated much of what the ER pedi had said last night. Most likely his pain and hunched over walking last night was due to growing pains.

Why, if it were growing pains, would only his right leg hurt? Why was his pain so sudden and discreet last night? These are the questions I may never have answers to, but I will look and if I have to learn how the pituitary gland regulates growth hormones then I will. I don't want him to be in pain. Surely it isn't fatal, but it causes him discomfort and as his mother that is intolerable.

5:30 a.m.

Was the time that my alarm went off this morning.

6:30 a.m. was the time I pulled out of my driveway
6:40 a.m. was the time I pulled into the parking lot of my office, to retrieve my laptop, put on my out of office assistant, send an email to my department about my whereabouts for the morning.
6:49 a.m. was the time I pulled into Dukin Donuts
6:58 a.m. was the time I hit the highway to make it to my 8 a.m. meeting. Yes, it was early and yes, I would arrive ridiculously early. But I prefer it that way.
7:45 a.m. I drove around killing time.
7:50 a.m. I pulled up in front of the building
7:52 a.m. I signed in and waited.
7:59 a.m. I was greeted by my client
8:01 a.m. the meeting began, with me, alone in the meeting room while he went in search of chairs to accommodate the other attendees.
9:05 a.m. was the time that one of the attendees said, "Don't you people have spell check?" I was seeing red! This woman is so very difficult. Not a pleasure to work with in the least and so I responded, "No we use dictionaries and an a abacus." I did not look up nor did I give any inflection that I was kidding.
9:55 a.m. I was in my car speeding back to my office for another meeting at 10:45.
10:42 a.m. I dial in to my meeting, good news is they have decided to abandon the project I was basically in charge of. PHEW! I remain on the call until the bitter end.
12:04 p.m. I dial in to my next meeting. We run down all the information from the meeting I attended last week and begin to attack an issue we need to provide a solution for, only 3 out of the 5 of us need to move onto another meeting, no resolution. Schedule another meeting. We conclude our call at 12:37 p.m.
12:59 p.m. I dial in to my next meeting. This call is either always comical or horrifying. Today it was neither. It just was.
1:35 p.m. Call complete.
2:00 p.m. Dial into my pre-meeting prep meeting. Need to move it to 4:30 and will need to stay until 5:30.
2:04 - 4:30 I scramble to complete tasks and to remind others of tasks that must be completed.
4:30 p.m. I dial in to my final meeting of the day. It is productive, I think. At least my stuff is done and good.
5:39 p.m. Call home to check in. Leave and pick up Rx for Oldest's case of swimmers ear and milk.
6:05 p.m. Pull into driveway.

I will be traveling this week, Wednesday through Friday. It is exhausting when having to do meetings all day AND prepare for being out of the office.

I am ready for the weekend and it is only Monday!

Undiscovered

One thing I love about living in an old home, is the discovered. Or rather the undiscovered. Yesterday we were out in the yard and the kids were using the new golf set that KD had purchased. We have lived here for 4 years and every year I think of different ways to reclaim the overgrown space of our yard. Last year I transplanted some dianthus and in years prior I have transplanted day lilies from our "wilds." This time something red had caught my eye, as I stood at my kitchen window. As they were chipping their shots I decided I would investigate.

As the kids continue to make wild shots with their new clubs, I wandered over to the edge. I couldn't believe my eyes. Were these raspberries? In order to be sure, as I have no experience with this berry or bush, I ran inside to the internet. It is confirmed, we have RASPBERRIES! I have never seen these here before, so how could I have missed them in the past? I recall this winter when we were burning having to deal with huge thorny branches, which I now know were the remnants of the raspberries. I collected a fair amount and although I do not especially care for raspberries, I did indulge. There really is something special about growing your own bounty. Even if you don't like it.

This I know for sure, we did not plant them nor care for them. That is the part I truly love about living in an old house discovering what other people have planted. And reaping the rewards.

More on Pumpkin

It has been one month since Pumpkin died. We have adopted Cassius and Lily and our affection for these two fat cats grows daily. But our hearts still ache over Pumpkin. I am even still bitter of the visit we were paid on July 4th.

After the raw emotions settled, I spoke with the hospital administrator and set up a payment plan to honor our debt. Today, one month to the day of his untimely death, the last payment is due. KD received a call today from the hospital, they called to tell us that one of the staff who called her dad to bring her cat, Nash, down to donate blood to Pumpkin, donated a $150 credit to our account.

This cat was something very special and we were glad to be part of his world, even for a short time. Tears of deep, unspeakable gratitude sting my cheeks.

Legs and sneezing

Middle complains with infrequent regularity that his leg(s) hurt. I always inquire, "Inside or outside?" He doesn't always articulate where or how it hurts, but last night it hurt him for sure. After I finally got him calmed down he was able to tell me that it hurt right above his ankle but not all the way up his shin and only on his right leg. We got the ice pack on it and he seemed ok.

I have learned that indiscriminate nondescript leg pain in children is generally classified as "growing pains." As I mentioned Middle's bouts seem to be of increasing occurrence. Although there does not appear to be any rhyme or reason to when they strike. Now I will begin tracking them to look for any correlation between time or day or activity that induce the pain.

Do cats sneeze with any regularity? Cash seems to be sneezing as if he is allergic to cats! Any and all advice welcome on the feline sneeze please.

When Auntie is here and the night is balmy it is the best time for all to look for the moon and listen for their magic birds. Their Auntie loves them so!

We are GREEN

And neighbors with Kathy! I can't believe it!

Birthday gathering

Yesterday we went to my brother's house to celebrate my nephew's birthdays. It was F.U.N! In part, this is why it was so fun...

But the biggest reason it was so fun? The water slide!

Unfortunately, not captured by camera, was the kids climbing and going down this water slide. It was hilarious! The shreiks of glee upon going through the sprayer and plunging into the pool at the bottom, it was great! Oldest and her cousin, L, went up and down, up and down for hours! They had the greatest time! The only two in pink bathing suits, of course. Even wild/timid Middle joined the fun, but only after the big kids were busy playing something else.

They sat and ate their candy from the pinata together.

After the night turned cool and the slide was deflated, Middle was the main attraction from his perch.

And today brought progress and set backs, Middle went from this just a few days ago...

To this. Up until today he would either hang on the side like above or hang on the ladder, but never into the pool.

But inbetween his progress, there was time for relaxation in the kiddie pool. They are cool brothers!

And today brought a fever for Oldest. Although she was a little down and out she too was able to spend sometime in the pool to cool off, just not to be captured on film. This was her on the 4th. She spent time today on the pool bricks laying on her towel.

White trash minus the pond

Yesterday morning I transplanted a Yarrow plant that was over taking my garden. Yesterday morning was rather warm. The kids were in and out of the house in vary stages of pajamas. Upon finishing, dripping with sweat, I decided to head straight to the pool. I knew if I went into the house to find my bathing suit I would never actually make it into the pool. So I told Middle to "come on," and headed straight for the pool.



I took my shirt and pants off and jumped in! Middle was hesitant to join me until he had his bathing suit on. The family began to trickle out of the house to join me. KD made his way out whereupon I said, "Who cares, it's our pool!" "Absolutely!" He concurred. Oldest came out and said, "Hey mom you are swimming in your underwear!" She is so observant. She stripped right down and joined me, sans underpants. Upon entering the water and swimming to me, she said, "I FEEL SO FREE!" KD and I looked at each other and laughed out loud. Children are so innocent and real. Then we looked at each other and said, "Blog!"

I am bitter

Yesterday we were casually hanging out with my brother, my mom and my sister. Literally, my sister was draped on the couch and I was draped on the big chair, when someone approached the house. "Are they walking by the house or walking to the house," I inquired of my mom.

King Daddy went outside to greet the pair. I recognized the man, the woman I had never seen before. They came to visit TJ aka Pumpkin. By the time I joined the trio, KD had already shared with them that he had died. "I am sorry," the man said. He was clearly, ahem, out of it.

The woman, Tina, was being consoled by the man, Karl. Evidently, Karl lives across the street from us and Tina, his "better half" was visiting for the Holiday weekend. Pumpkin was Tina's daughter's cat. He had lived most of his life, indoors with their three children. Her daughter's husband was deployed for three years, overseas, they could not bring the cat with them. Tina brought the cat to Karl's in the hopes of making him a barn cat. "What could I do, I had two cats of my own," she explained.

I shared the story of how he died and about everyone who cared for him. I shared the story of the man who hit him and how he stopped and helped us look for him. We showed them Pumpkin's garden. She asked if she could bring the kids over to see the garden. "Of course," I said. They told us that they have another cat who is pregnant and if we wanted a kitten we would have first pick. They told us how sorry they were again and wished us a happy 4th and walked down the driveway and were gone.

After this exchange I was angry. I was really angry. I was protective of his memory, of my memories of him. He was our cat. When he found us, he was beyond skinny and obviously in need of food and love. He was not neutered. I had no idea if he had his shots. Even in our dire financial straights back then, we knew he would need to be neutered as well as receive shots.

How do you make a cat who had been primarily indoors, with a family, into a barn cat? How do you have a cat, in this day and age, and not have him neutered? Why not bring him to a shelter, when it was determined that the cat would not be able to move too? What exactly did you think would happen to him?

Oh and by the way, I spent about $2,000 on the cat that you are so concerned about!

See, I am bitter.

Tinkle Tinkle Little Star

It went something like this:

Oldest: "Why are you only wearing your underwear?"
QM: "I was hot so I took my pants off."
Oldest: "Oh."
Middle: "Mom, I see your underwear," giggling.

A little while later:

QM: "Do you like my look?"
KD: Snickering, "It's better than the wet look."

My mind began to race, with thoughts such as these, "How could he see, I didn't think it was noticeable, OMG, if he could see then what about the people at the store!"

I looked at KD and said, "You could tell?"
KD: "Tell what?"
QM: "That I wet my pants?"
KD: "Um, no, I was referring to your pants that were wet because of the hose you were spraying while gardening."
QM: "Oh, yeah right. I wet my pants at Old Navy, not full on, so I thought that is what you meant."
KD: "Stop it, you are turning me on."

Strike two
It happened again. Last night. I was getting the kids their drinks. I couldn't stop it. My pants and underwear are still on the floor in the bathroom to prove it.

After work and daycare

Some of us mow the weeds for mom.

Some of us get our bums wet.

And some of us swim.

It is official

They have moved in.

Here they are, brother and sister, feeling at home. Safe to relax only when the children are asleep. Cash is on the left and Lil is on the right. They are so different from Pumpkin and yet so similar. They knead my stomach as if it is bread dough. "At least it is helpful to someone," I proclaim to KD. Cash touches my face ever so gently with his paw, mostly my eye. I wonder what he is trying to express? My fondness grows every day as does their familiarity with our home. They still spend most of their time in the barn, Lil has only ventured out a few times. Cash is not all that interested in being outside and luckily for me, they are both afraid of the road. Lil has spent time in the bath tub drinking the water that always drips from the faucet.

They are funny, curious creatures and we are glad to have them