2024 – Another Year, More Stories, And Retirement Loomning

The holidays have come and gone, and now we are one week deep into the new year. Everything is still wet after yesterday’s rains, but it is supposed to warm up a little, so everything will most likely dry out. Last week’s weather was seasonable with morning temperatures below freezing, and the days warming up to between 40 and 50 degrees. Yes, we kept a fire burning while we were home. There was plenty of sunshine save for yesterday’s rain. Colleen started back to school on Wednesday, and I spent the week piddling around the house. When Roux and I did go out for an early morning walk, she was in her heavy winter coat. She didn’t seem to mind, and we even got a couple of 2-mile walks under our belts. Colleen tried to walk Roux yesterday morning, but Roux, who is not a fan of rain, only managed to walk around the house before she had enough and wanted to come back inside.

Last Sunday was New Year’s Eve, and it was a beautiful day at that. Colleen and I had no special plans, and it was just a regular Sunday up here in our little hill. We did take down our Christmas tree. That took us most of the morning, having to find the right boxes for our eclectic collection of tree ornaments. Colleen made a lovely ham dinner in the afternoon. Most of the day was spent relaxing in front of the fire though. Colleen did find time to change the bedding in the hen coop. Anticipating colder temperatures during the week she added more pine shavings than usual and even stapled a covering of an old feed sack over the nesting boxes.

Monday was New Year’s Day, but Louis had to work, so I brought him down to the store so he could open at 6 o’clock. Colleen took Roux for a walk and then I headed out for a 3.5-mile walk. There were deer in the backyard waiting to say “Hello” when I got home. Colleen stripped the meat off the ham we had on Sunday and made some pea soup and a couple of ham pot pies. I spent the better part of my day sorting through baseball cards in front of the fireplace. Colleen and I did manage to get the Christmas decorations off the high ledge in the stairwell, but I didn’t have the motivation to take down the garland and lights on the porch or the house.

Tuesday was Colleen’s last day of Christmas break. We had a beautiful sunrise, and it wasn’t long after Colleen got back from walking Roux when she was headed out the door on her way to the laundromat. Louis was at work all day. I tended the fire and sorted more baseball cards. Roux camped out on the loveseat by the fire. Spring training starts in about 6 weeks, and I want to be ready for the card feeding frenzy that will accompany the start of baseball. I did manage to get a good walk in on the day after Colleen got back home. After dinner, Colleen made her lunch and got her stuff ready for school. She has another year and a half to go before she can retire, but she is ready to retire now.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Colleen left for school at her usual time before sunrise. I got Louis to work on Wednesday and Thursday. I opened the hen coop everyday right after the first light of day and then Roux and I headed out for our walks. Friday was particularly chilly with the temperature just over 25 degrees while we were walking. A friend of mine did stop by the house on Wednesday and we spent a good two hours in front of the fireplace just talking baseball. Both of us are getting excited for the upcoming baseball season. I knew I had schoolwork to do, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look at it, so it went untouched. Thursday, Colleen stopped at the market on her way home. I didn’t touch my schoolwork again on Thursday, and I spent most of the day relaxing, knowing full well I would have to get schoolwork done on Friday and Saturday.

Friday I hit the ground running. After Colleen left for school, I would open the hen coop and then take Roux for her walk. I built a nice fire when we got back, pulled out my computer, set up shop by the fireplace, and dove into my schoolwork. By lunchtime I had all my grades for last semester finalized, but I decided I had done enough schoolwork and shut it down for the day. Steven showed up after lunch. He and Louis refilled the firewood rack on the back porch. Colleen got home at her usual time. Since there was still time before dinner and the day had warmed up a bit, I took down all the lights and garland on the front porch. The lights on the house are still up, but I think I’ll take those down today. Steven hung around until after dinner and the boys ended up putting a nice fire in the fire pit to kill some time in the evenings.

Yesterday turned out to be the epitome of a dreary day! The rain made everything seem miserable. The air had a nasty bite to it, and we had to burn a hard fire all day long to chase the cool damp air from the house. The weather forced me to stay inside and finish my schoolwork which I did. I’m all set for the kids tomorrow. I do have a few small classroom maintenance things I need to do today, but that will be quick. Steven stopped by the house again yesterday and topped off the wood rack in the afternoon after the rain had stopped. I was able to take Roux for a walk before dinner. The evening was quiet, and Colleen and I both called it an early night and had headed upstairs by 7 o’clock.

Everything is still wet this morning and while the temperature is 35 or 40 degrees, there is a definite bite in the air again. It is a pretty sunrise though. Colleen will walk Roux and then I will take a long walk. I’d like to get the Christmas lights off the house this afternoon, but I think we mostly will spend the day getting ready for tomorrow and relaxing. We do have a long weekend next weekend though, and I have a week from this Tuesday off too. Unfortunately, it does look like we are in for more wet weather in the upcoming week. We have another round of rain heading our way for Tuesday and there is rain in the forecast for next weekend too. Colleen and I will just keep taking everything one day at a time though. We’ll find our way back up here to our little hill every afternoon, we’ll look around and smile too, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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January 14, 2024: Back To School Again, A Lot Of Rain, More Cold Weather, Thank Goodnees For A Warm Fire.

The sun is just starting to burn away the dark of night on the eastern horizon. It is a chilly morning too with the temperature a good bit below freezing right now. It has been a wild week of weather for is too. It rained all day Tuesday, and it was enough rain that they sent everyone home from school at lunchtime and then started school on Wednesday with a 2-hour delay because of flooding and power outages. If that wasn’t enough rain, we got hammered again on Friday night. Fortunately, the rain was gone by yesterday morning, we had plenty of sunshine all day, but then the mercury started to drop thanks to a polar vortex that pushed into the area. We’ll be lucky if we see 50 degrees for the next few days, and the mornings could get down into the teens. There still hasn’t even been the mention of snow in our area though.

Last Sunday was a chilly, but quiet day. I had all my schoolwork ready for Monday, so I spent most of the day keeping up with the fire and piddling around the house. Colleen got stuff ready for school on Monday and made an awesome meatloaf dinner. Louis had an eventful day though. Some friends of mine stopped by the house and then took Louis to the American Legion. I guess it went better than Louis had hoped, because he sure wasn’t looking forward to the ordeal. He did come back with some much-needed information about getting all his VA benefits squared away. At the moment though, he’s not keen on going back any time soon.

Monday morning, we got our new routine going around here. Colleen left for school at her usual time, and I took Louis to work shortly after that. I didn’t get my morning coffee until I got back home. I still had a good hour to go before the morning chores and when I had to leave for school. Monday was my first day back to school after break. It was the start of a new semester too, so things were a bit chaotic at school as kids needed to get their new schedules. I guess the day went okay though, and I got home at my usual time. Colleen’s school started the round of final exams, and she had a quiet day.

The rain started early on Tuesday, but Colleen had taken the day off anyway so she could give Alex a ride to and from having some oral surgery. By mid-morning, the weather was looking really bad for the afternoon, and we got dismissed from school at noon. Alex’s appointment was early enough in the morning that he was able to drive home right around noon. Colleen picked Louis up from work at 2:30 and ran him down to the credit union, so he could set up checking and savings accounts. He had been relying on CashApp which is convenient, but not the best thing for managing finances. After that, we just hunkered down and let the storm pass. Louis actually spent the night at a friend’s house, and his friend gave him a ride to work Wednesday morning.

Wednesday morning, I woke up to find my school was starting with a 2-hour delay. Colleen left for school at her usual time, and I didn’t have to give Louis a ride to work. With a two-hour delay, I had plenty of time to make necessary adjustments to my class webpages and even take Roux for a morning walk. Colleen’s school was still in the middle of final exams, so she had a quiet day. My day passed very quickly and without incident. I’m not sure how much rain we got Tuesday, but the creeks and rivers over which I drove on my way to school were all well over their banks, and the areas around them were all under water.

We spent Thursday and Friday trying to dry out for what it was worth, because we had another good rainstorm move through the area on Friday night. I picked up a couple of pizzas on my way home from school for dinner. It had been sunny for most of the day, but the skies were getting cloudy by the time I got home. The clouds built quickly too. After dinner, I thought I had enough time to take Roux for a walk. I figured we got a couple hundred yards from the house when it started to rain, so we turned right around and came back home. Fortunately, we got home before the heavy rain settled in for the night.

Colleen and I have a long weekend this weekend, so we decided to run our errands yesterday morning. Colleen walked Roux at the day’s first light and then we headed off to Walmart and Tractor Supply Company. We usually go to lunch at Hardee’s when we run around on Saturdays, but we were too early yesterday, and Hardee’s wasn’t serving lunch when we got there. When we got home, Louis was up, and Steven and Lily were here. The boys carried all the stuff we bought into the house for us. We didn’t do much else on the day, instead choosing to relax for a change. The kids eventually found their way in front of the fireplace and the TV. I got a bunch of baseball cards packed up for the mail and listed more for sale. Colleen put everything away and then sat down with her tablet and some hot coffee. I took Roux for a walk in the afternoon, and Colleen reheated some meatloaf for dinner. Steven and Lily even spent the night here at the house.

We should have plenty of sunshine today, but it will be chilly. I’ve already put a fire in the fireplace and got the coffee started. I’m not sure when the kids will get up, but Colleen will walk Roux with today’s first light. Colleen and I don’t have school tomorrow, so there isn’t any great urgency to the day. Maybe this afternoon I’ll take down the Christmas lights on the house with the help of one of the boys. Colleen wants to make some soup later today too. We’ll keep taking everything one day at a time though. We never know what will happen around here from week to week, but at the end of each day, we’ll look around and smile because we do know that all is right on the homestead.

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January 21, 2024: More Rain, A Double Shot Of Polar Vortex, And Lots Of Firewood To Keep Us Warm.

Mother Nature sure did want to remind us that we are in the middle of winter this week. Oh, we haven’t seen flake one of any snow, but the temperatures were cold. This morning the mercury is sitting right around 15 degrees. Yesterday, we never got above freezing. This is the second blast of cold air that the Polar Vortex hit us with this week. We started the week with cold temperatures too. Things will start to warm up after today and by the end of the week the needle on the thermometer will be reaching into the 70’s. Unfortunately, to go along with the warmup there will be plenty of rain too. Given all the rain we’ve had over the past two weeks, another round of prolonged rain will not do much to help things around here. The rain is supposed to start on Wednesday and last right through next weekend.

Last Sunday was a quiet day up here on our little hill. Steven and Lily had spent Saturday night with us, and Colleen and I didn’t have school on Monday. Lily wasted no time in making herself comfortable in my recliner after she got up in the morning. Colleen made a big pot of her Bolognese soup and then some Creole chicken for dinner. When the afternoon warmed up a bit, the boys helped me take down the last of the Christmas lights and garland that were around the front window after I took Roux for a walk. We did have the fire going all day though, because the temperature only managed to get into the 40’s and just barely at that.

I was up at my usual time on Monday morning to take Louis to work. Colleen took Roux for an early morning walk and was back home before the rain started. The news said there were snow flurries in the area, be we never saw any flakes falling. The rain came and was gone before noon, and after lunch, I went for a long walk. Steven, who had spent Sunday here at the house, picked Louis up from work and then he headed home. Colleen made a pot roast for dinner. After dinner, Colleen got her things ready for school on Tuesday. I didn’t have school and my schoolwork was caught up, so I just hung around and relaxed.

Tuesday morning, Colleen left for school at her usual time, I took Louis to work, took Roux for a walk with an icy fog clinging to the ground, and then when we got home, I lit a fire in the fireplace. The rain showed up right before lunch again, and the temperatures started to drop. The rain finished up before the temperature got down to freezing, but after the rain ended the temperatures just kept dropping. By 7 o’clock that evening, all the schools in the area announced they would be starting Wednesday on a 2-hour delay. Colleen got everything ready so she could head into school at her usual time so she wouldn’t have to make up her time.

It was cold Wednesday with the mercury dropping below 20 degrees. Colleen left for school at her usual time, and I drove Louis to work. With 2 extra hours to kill before I needed to be in school, I took Roux for a morning walk. There was no point in starting a fire since no one would be home, but I did clean the fireplace and bank a fire, so Colleen just had to light it when she got home. Steven picked Louis up from work again, and when I got home Colleen had the fire burning nicely in the fireplace. I took Roux for her afternoon walk and the sun had slid below the western tree tops, but the eastern lowlands were still in sunlight shen we got home. Colleen heated up some leftovers for dinner and we pretty much spent a quiet evening at home.

School started on time on Thursday. Colleen left at her usual time, and I drove Louis to work. My classes at school were short circuited a bit on the day because there were grade level meetings for the kids all day long. Colleen stopped at the market on her way home from school. Steven and Louis were already here when she got home so they carried the groceries into the house. I got home at my usual time, the fire was going, Colleen had just started getting dinner, so I took Roux for her afternoon walk before dinner. Louis was sound asleep when I got home though.

Friday morning, I woke up with what I thought was a sinus headache, but other than that I was feeling fine. THe day was partly cloudy and cold. The ice never melted off the top of the water in the pool. Colleen headed into school at her usual time, but I did not have to give Louis a ride to work. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home from school. By lunchtime, I realized my headache was actually a head cold. I made arrangements to take Monday off, and I left school early to try and shut the cold down as quickly as possible. After walking the dog and eating dinner, I took some cold medicine and headed straight to bed. I can’t say what happened Friday evening except that I ended up sleeping for 14 hours.

By the time I got up yesterday morning, Colleen had all the morning chores done. I cleaned the fireplace out and started a new fire for the day. I still had a little bit of head congestion, but I sure was feeling a good deal better than I did when I went to bed Friday evening. Once the fire was going, I set my computer up on the worktable in front of the fire, did some stuff with my baseball cards, and started my schoolwork. Colleen was in the kitchen cooking. She made a big pot of gumbo and some gumbo cookies in time for lunch. Colleen’s gumbo for lunch was just perfect for my cold. After lunch I took a 3-hour nap. Colleen kept cooking, making some banana nut muffins, a chicken pot pie, and a shepherd’s pie. Steven and Louis stayed in front of the fireplace playing video games. When I got up, I took Roux for her afternoon walk. Steven headed home right before dinner. Louis, Colleen, and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner of shepherd’s pie. Louis even went back for seconds. Our evening was quiet, and I went to bed early again.

Roux woke me up this morning at 4 o’clock. She was rather insistent about needing to go outside, so I quickly got dressed and took her outside before there was an accident. I really couldn’t go back to sleep after that, so I made the coffee and started the day’s fire. I sat outside for a little while with some hot coffee, and I got treated to a very colorful sunrise. Colleen will take Roux for a walk here in a little bit. I have some schoolwork to get ready for tomorrow even though I will be staying home. Colleen wants to do some more cooking for the week today too. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. We’ll handle what each day brings our way, at the end of each day, we’ll look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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January 28, 2024: Warmer Days, A Bizarre Thursday At School, And Colleen Gets A Head Cold.

We certainly are off to a running start for 2024. This is already the last weekend of January. We still haven’t seen any snow, the morning is steely gray, but Mother Nature has been on a neurotic tear this past week. Last weekend we were waking up to 20 degrees and hustling to get a fire lit first thing in the mornings. This weekend we’re waking up 60 degrees and are opening the house for fresh air. Of course, once it started to warm up later in the week, we got deluged with rain. Fortunately, the worst of the rains came on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights. For the week in front of us, temperatures should be falling back to seasonable, and Wednesday looks like the only day we will see any rain.

I picked up a head cold before the start of last weekend, so I laid low on Sunday. I had also made plans to stay home on Monday. The only work I did on Sunday was to make sure all the online work for my kids was ready to go. I did feel well enough to take Roux for her afternoon walk. Colleen did some cooking for the week, got stuff ready for our school lunches, and made Arroz Con Pollo for dinner. Louis kept the fire burning most of the day and played video games. Mostly, things were quiet up here on our little hill. I still called it an early evening despite being mostly over my head cold, figuring the extra rest would be helpful.

Monday morning, Colleen headed to work at her usual time, I brought Louis to work, and then I spent the rest of the morning in front of a warm fire getting caught up on my schoolwork. Steven picked Louis up from work in the afternoon. Louis had a date Monday evening, so while Steven who was going to drop him off, was waiting, he refilled our porch firewood rack. We have burned some firewood this winter. We have less than half of winter-ready rack left even with everything Colleen and I stacked last summer. We still have more seasoned firewood on the ground though, and it looks like I’ll be splitting more wood before spring gets here.

Tuesday through Friday were just supposed to be run of the mill school days for Colleen and me. Thursday turned into an interesting day though. Just about the time school started for Colleen, they had a bomb scare, and everyone at the school ended up in the football stadium, in a drizzly mist, for an hour and a half. Fortunately, the days had started to warm up by Thursday. At my school, our heating system went into hyperdrive, and most classrooms were hot. I had my classroom windows open, and my room was still over 80 degrees. The heat got the best of me, and I came home right after lunch. I ended up doing my schoolwork on the front porch at home.

Colleen headed to school Friday morning with some drippy sinuses. By lunchtime, she realized she had a full-blown head cold. I suspect having to stand outside in the drizzle on Thursday played a big part of that. My school somewhat tamed their heating issues, and I lasted the whole day at school. Colleen came home Friday afternoon and headed straight to bed at my insistence. Louis and I scavenged our dinners from the available leftovers. I spent the evening doing what I could around the house, so Colleen could rest.

Yesterday started warm with a little sunshine on the eastern horizon. I took care of the morning chores so Colleen could stay in bed. Roux and I even went on a 2-mile walk. A friend of mine stopped by the house to drop off some baseball cards and visit for a while. Colleen did manage to find her way downstairs in the afternoon, and she made a pot of spicy chicken soup and a pot of red beans, rice, and sausage soup. That wore her out though, and she headed back upstairs after she finished. We had some reheated leftovers for dinner on towards the start of evening, and after that, Colleen retreated back upstairs. The rain started right at dark, and it wasn’t long after that when I called it a day and headed upstairs myself.

I slept in a bit this morning, but I am still up and moving before everyone. The day is gray again, the coffee is going, and it looks like I’ll be walking Roux this morning. If I know my darling wife, she will be in the kitchen later today despite how she may feel. I have a little schoolwork that needs doing, and I really need to get the paperwork down for my retirement. If Colleen is up to it, she will pay our end of month bills later today. I have 20 weeks until my retirement, which I am quite looking forward. Of course, I have developed a good case of senioritis which is making going to school in the mornings a challenge, but I am taking this coming Wednesday off. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. We’ll find our way back up here to our little hill every day, look around, and smile because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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February 11, 2024: Out Of Commission For A Couple Of Weeks Thanks To A Nasty Fall!

Wow! What a couple of weeks we’ve had up here on our little hill. Unfortunately, I was in no condition to write a blog last Sunday, so I guess I need to get things caught up today. It’s gray and rainy this morning, but apart from seeing a little sunshine through the windows during the last two weeks and having the doors open yesterday because it was so warm, I lost track of the weather. It looks like the weather for the coming week will settle back into seasonable conditions, but the most I’ll be able to do is slide out to the porch occasionally. Even then, I won’t stay out there very long.

This whole chaotic saga started on Monday night, January 29th. I had gone out to the back porch, put Roux on her rope lead, and let her go down into the backyard for her last call of the day. Well, something got her attention, and she bolted towards the woods. I didn’t let go of her rope, got pulled off balance, crashed through the porch railing, and fell 10 feet to the ground. I don’t remember much after that. Colleen says when I regained consciousness, I crawled back to the porch stairs, walked up the stairs, and back into the house. The next thing I knew, the ambulance crews were taking me to the emergency room.

I spent Monday night and the better part of Tuesday in the ER. I ended up with two fractured ribs, three fractured vertebrae, a fractured sternum, and a mild concussion. Colleen was with me the whole time thank goodness. I guess it was right before noon on Tuesday when they fitted me with a back brace and sent me home. In all the confusion of the night before, valet parking had misplaced the key to the Trail Blazer, and it took them another hour to track the key down when we got ready to leave. When I got home, Steven, Louis, and Alex were waiting at the house. They helped me out of the Trail Blazer and made sure I made it to my recliner.

James showed up later in the afternoon thankfully. While Colleen and the other boys had work and such during the week, James had the time to babysit me for the rest of the week. James set up a bed roll in front of the fireplace and made sure the fire stayed burning while I was stuck in my recliner. If I needed a helping hand, James was right there. The other boys came over during the week to help with chores and check on things, but it was James that stayed right there with me. Thursday, I started coughing up blood. By Friday midday, Colleen decided it was time for me to head back to the emergency room, so she came home early from school and I was back in the ER by 1 o’clock.

I spent the next 24 hours in the ER, and it was pure torture. I was poked and prodded, scanned and rescanned. There were x-rays, EKG’s, and ultra sounds. Colleen went home at 1 o’clock in the morning to get some sleep, but she was back by 7 o’clock Saturday morning. Fortunately, the blood clots are only in my lungs, a predictable result from my fall and from the ensuing inactivity. The doctors put me on blood thinners and believe the situation should clear up in 90 days. Colleen and I finally got home in the middle of Saturday afternoon, and I was sore and worn out.

Sunday turned out to be a little bit better, but I was still struggling to get comfortable and get some much-needed rest. Al and Alysia came by the house to check on me. Alysia had spent all day Saturday cooking and brought over three large pan casseroles so Colleen wouldn’t have to cook for the week. Alysia made a stuffed pepper casserole, a shepherd’s pie, and lasagna. She made some cookies too as a treat for me. Al and Alysia stayed for a while to visit, but they needed to get back home as the afternoon wore on. Colleen and I were beat by the time Sunday night rolled around so we called it an early evening. With no one to keep the fire burning all night, I turned to an electric blanket to stay warm, and it couldn’t have worked any better. I don’t think I ever turned the setting higher than low. Fortunately, it hasn’t been getting too cold at night and Roux sticks around sleeping on the loveseat just to make sure everything is all right.

Colleen and Louis headed out to work Monday morning, and every morning thereafter, leaving me to my own devices during the days. I figured out how to get in and out of my recliner without pain, by myself, so at least I could get up and move around the house some. I managed to make it out to porch a couple of times too. My biggest accomplishment all week was making sure my kids at school had adequate notes and work to do in class. Fortunately, all my stuff is online, and I was able to do the work in the comfort of my recliner. Of course, when rains, it pours around here, and the Dodge Caliber we had been letting Steven use needed to go into the shop and then Steven’s truck broke down so vehicles are in short supply around here at the moment.

Slowly, but surely, my days are getting better. I’m moving around the house more and even spend more time out on the front porch. I keep looking at our gardens and wondering if I will be healed in time for spring planting. Yesterday, for the first time in two weeks, I made it to the 2nd floor. I still don’t think I’m ready to get in bed, so it will be a few more nights of sleeping in the recliner. Things are slowly getting back to a routine around here, but I am still greatly limited to what I can do. Spring training is getting ready to start for MLB, so I am trying to get everything set up to sell more baseball cards once the baseball season is in the forefront of everyone’s mind. At least I have plenty of time at home right now.

It sure has been one heck of a couple of weeks around here and I have been mostly confined to my recliner and a limited view out the front window. I will not be going to school next week and the doctor wants me to take some more time off after that. I’m still making sure all my schoolwork is available online for my kids, and they routinely check in with me to see how I’m doing. I’m not sure how long it will be before I can get back in the classroom, but I’m hoping it’s not more than two weeks. I’m not rushing anything though. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. Even with everything that has happened, every evening we look around and smile thankfully, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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February 18, 2024: Another Week In The Recliner, My Back Is On The Mend, And Things Are Still Crazy Around Here.

Well, another week has passed, and I’m still on the mend, albeit slowly. Being stuck in a recliner all week sort of makes the weather a non-issue, but the heavy rains that were supposed to start last week, didn’t turn out to be that much rain. Mostly, the bulk of the storms stayed south of us and when the tailend of the weather finally did get here, it broke up rather than turning into a steady rain. We had a good bit of sunshine for the rest of the week, and the temperatures even warmed up a bit. A cold front pushed through the area yesterday, and this morning, we once again started our day with temperatures below freezing. Apart from a few cold snaps, this has been an incredibly mild winter, and it looks like we are in for an early spring. I’m just hoping my back heals enough for me to get out into the gardens in early March.

Last Sunday was gray and rainy. We did get plenty of breaks in the rain, and Colleen was able to take Roux for her morning walk. Colleen spent a good part of the rest of her day in the kitchen making a chicken pot pie and a flounder and crab meat casserole. I took care of what schoolwork needed to be done, but my big challenge of the day was to get upstairs and into the shower. After my two trips to ER and more than a week of being confined to a recliner, that shower really felt great. Even still, it was difficult to move around, and the shower took a great deal more effort than I had anticipated. It was all worth it to feel like a human being again though.

Things finally started settling into a routine last week. Colleen would leave for school, and Louis would leave for work in the morning. I got to spend a few mornings on the porch with my coffee. I even started being able to move around enough to clean the fireplace and start a fire each day, but it took all the energy I had to do that. Roux appreciated my efforts. Our week was far from mundane though. Monday after school, Colleen took Louis down to the shop to get the Caliber. It needed a lot of work, but it still couldn’t pass inspection because of some sensor that needed to cycle and reset.

Tuesday, we let Louis drive the Caliber back and forth to work, and then he took it back to shop. The sensor still hadn’t reset. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home from school. Wednesday was Valentine’s Day, and Louis had big date after work, so we let him drive the Caliber. Unfortunately, while the date went very well, both Louis and his girlfriend got food poisoning. Thankfully, Louis did not have to work on Thursday. Louis got home Friday in time to go to work, still looking green around the gills, but he went to work. After work he took the car to the shop and the sensor had reset. The Caliber is now inspected and street legal.

Colleen stopped at the market on her way home from school on Thursday. I spent Thursday and Friday trying to get paperwork from my doctor, so I could spend the coming week at home. As much as I would love to get back to my classroom, my spine is still saying no way! It was later Friday afternoon when the paperwork finally came through, so I’m good to go and am anticipating going back to school on Monday the 26th. I suspect I may be a step or two slower than usual, but I will be glad to get moving around for real again. I am not a big fan of sitting around and doing nothing unless it’s first thing in the mormning, so I can enjoy the sunrise and welcome the new day. I certainly do not expect my retirement to be like this. Unfortunately, these old bones don’t heal quite as quickly as they used to heal.

Yesterday, things were buzzing around here. After Colleen took Roux for her morning walk, she filled up the porch firewood rack with what was left on our winter-ready racks. Alex showed up late-morning, and he and Louis cut up and split a good bit of an old, dead tree. There’s a nice pile of seasoned firewood down by the fire pit now. It still needs to be brought up the hill, but no urgency for it yet. Colleen ended up making a double-double batch of muffins and then a Ruben casserole during the afternoon. Louis ended up liking it so much he ate three times what Colleen and I had for dinner.

It’s kind of overcast and chilly today. Our day started well below freezing this morning, and we won’t see the mercury climb much over 40 degrees later today. The deer didn’t seem to mind as they made thier way through the front yard again. Colleen has tomorrow off from school, so she’s got a bee in her bonnet to get a few odds and ends done around the house today. I have some schoolwork work to get done and Louis and I will run the Caliber back to the shop so they can check out a leak it still has. February has been a rough month for us between the medical and vehicle repair expenses, but we’ll make it. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. We know that everything will happen in its good and everything will work out. At each day’s end, we can still look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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February 25, 2024: My Last Week Of Recuperating At Home, I’m Sleeping In A Bed Again, And February Is Coming To An End.

It’s a fine Sunday morning. There is a bit of a nip in the air, but it is bright and sunny. The weather wasn’t too bad last week. We still had a bit of a chill in the air, but it is still February. I spent the week at home in front of the fire again. We had lots of sunshine all week, except for yesterday. We did have some sunshine yesterday, but we got a good bit of on again, off again rain throughout the day. The rain and clouds are gone this morning though. It looks like the temperatures will warm up as we head into March this coming week. There is some rain in the forecast too, for later in the week. I guess the big news for next week though, is that I will be heading back into school for the first time since I fell at the end of January.

Last Sunday things almost started getting back to a normal routine around here. Colleen and I were up at dawn. After Colleen took Roux for her morning walk, she headed into the kitchen to make some potato pies and some quesadilla pies for our meals during the week. I noticed that the Caliber was leaking something again, so later in the afternoon Louis and I took it to the shop. The rest of my day was spent getting my online class work ready for my kids at school. Even though I hadn’t been to school since I fell, I have had notes and class work posted every single day for my kids. When I head into school tomorrow, I will spend the day reviewing.

Last week everything just sort of moved along without too much trouble. The weather was nice. Colleen would leave for school, and then I would take Louis to work. Bringing Louis to work only lasted until Thursday morning. The shop had the Caliber ready Wednesday afternoon, but we couldn’t pick it up until Thursday. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on Wednesday and at the market on Thursday. The politicians are saying our economy is getting better, but we sure don’t see it happening with the price of our groceries. Of course, with all the medical and vehicle repair expenses this month, money is very tight around here too.

I originally had hoped to get back to school last Monday, but my back said no, so I spent another week at home. Things really took an upturn on Thursday though when I tried to sleep in bed at night instead of in the recliner. Alysia had gotten me a wedge pillow that really makes a difference in bed too. I wasn’t uncomfortable, but I didn’t sleep all that well because I had spent almost four weeks sleeping in the recliner. Friday night I slept well though, and last night I slept very well. It’s only another small step but sleeping in my bed is a huge improvement from sleeping in the recliner. I’ve also noticed over the last few days, that after sleeping in a bed, my back doesn’t get as tired as the day wanes into early evening.

Friday was a quiet day around here. Louis didn’t have to be into work until 10 o’clock, but he drove himself. I walked around outside a little bit, checked on the chickens, and looked at some of Colleen’s spring flowers. Steven showed up in the middle of the afternoon in his truck which he fixed and has running again. Steven didn’t stick around long though, he had to pick Lily up for the weekend. Colleen and I treated ourselves to Chinese takeout for dinner on Friday too. Even that is getting a little pricey, but you always get enough with Chinese takeout for a second meal which we enjoyed yesterday evening. When we headed to bed Friday night, I took my back brace off which made sleeping much easier.

Yesterday was a quiet day up here on our little hill. I had done all my class work for Monday on Friday, so the only schoolwork I had was to update my grade books. I spent some time online helping one of my kids with their math. Colleen did some housework but spent a good bit of the day relaxing. Since spring training games have started now, I even got to watch a baseball game. I’ll watch one today too. Colleen and I called it an early evening yesterday. My back brace came off again before I crawled into bed, and I got a great night’s sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep happened just in time too with me starting school tomorrow.

It doesn’t look like today will be too crazy around here. Colleen walked Roux at day’s first light. She will be in the kitchen today though. She wants to make a pot of soup and make a meatloaf for Sunday dinner. I will rest and get ready for tomorrow. Fortunately, my schoolwork is done so I can watch a baseball game and list some cards for sale online. Later today, I will make sure my backpack is ready for school too. It’s been a long four weeks of recuperating, especially not being able to do anything other than just sit here. It all worked out well though, so I am glad. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. We’ll find our way home after school, settle in for the evenings, look around, and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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March 03, 2024: Back To School, Retirement Paperwork Is Coming Along, Spring Is Coming!

Another week of our non-winter has passed, and spring is just over two weeks away now. Mother Nature has been playing around with the weather again this week. There wasn’t any snow, no surprise there, but we did see some rain, and our temperatures ranged anywhere from a low right at freezing to a possible high of 70 degrees today. I guess we got the most of our rain Friday night when the storms started right at sunset and lasted until sunup on Saturday. Everything was good and soaked on Saturday morning and even the fire pit was full of water. Overall, I guess the weather wasn’t too bad last week though. This coming week the temperatures are supposed to start warming up, but we are expecting rain again in the middle of the week.

After a month of sitting in a recliner and giving my back a chance to heal some, Colleen and I spent last Sunday getting ready to go to school on Monday. I was still a little stiff and sore, but I had been moving around well. Colleen made a big pot of vegetable and beef soup for the week and then spent a good part of her day turning the spare bedroom back into her workroom. I managed to get outside and check on the gardens. The gardens look rough, but the herb garden is showing signs of life with green leaves on the oregano, sage, thyme, and rosemary. I’m looking forward to spending time out there once I am on my spring break.

Colleen and I were up at our usual time for school on Monday morning. Louis left for work right after Colleen left for school. Since the Caliber is street legal and running again, I don’t have to give Louis a ride to work. I sat out on the porch with some hot coffee to greet the new day, and then headed into school at my usual time. My day started out in a flurry with everyone stopping by my room to check on me. The day didn’t go badly, but by the time I finished my classes, my back was starting to protest some, so the administration let me go home early.

The rest of the week was a little calmer than Monday. Tuesday, I left school early because I had an appointment to get my Medicare and Social Security squared away for my retirement in June. That went well, so I’m all set to go there. I just have a little more paperwork to do to get my pensions squared away, and I should be good to go for June. I stayed at school the whole day Wednesday and Thursday, and even covered bus duty on Thursday afternoon. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on Wednesday and then at the market on Thursday. I sure don’t know how the politicians can say the economy is getting better, because the price of groceries still seems to be going up.

Friday wasn’t a bad day, but I guess going to school all week was wearing on me, because my back was achy by the time I finished my classes on Friday, so I came home early. Louis had gone to work early on Friday and was already home when I got home. He didn’t stick around long though. He headed off to see his girlfriend for the weekend. By the time Colleen got home, my back was feeling better. Roux wasn’t feeling too motivated on the day either. We had a quiet dinner of leftovers, spent the evening relaxing, and headed to bed not long after dark. I guess I was pretty tired because I slept right through the night.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling very good, so I decided to try going through the day without my back brace. I wasn’t planning on moving around a lot, so I figured I would be okay. Colleen took Roux for a walk right as the rain was ending yesterday morning. They did get a little wet. After that, Colleen spent her morning in the kitchen making minestrone soup and pierogis and cabbage for us to have during the week. I listed about 60 baseball cards for sale on eBay and got my grade books up to date for the week. Of course, I did cast the baseball game from my phone to the TV while I worked on the computer.

The day was mostly gray, but we did see some sunshine late in the afternoon. Colleen decided in the middle of the afternoon that we would get Mexican takeout for dinner yesterday evening. We hadn’t had Mexican in while and since we got paid last week, we splurged. After dinner, my back started to get tired, so I spent part of the evening in my recliner. But by the time we headed upstairs for the night, my back was feeling fine again. I slept well, and this morning, I decided to go a second day without my back brace. I will wear the brace to school tomorrow though.

The sun is shining right now, but who knows how long that will last. Spring is just about two weeks away now, and I’m gearing up for my 3-week spring break. Colleen has a week of spring break somewhere in there too. I hope my back is well enough for me to work in our gardens. Colleen does have Tuesday off from school this week, and I am taking Friday off. Colleen has walked Roux already this morning and she is getting ready to do some house cleaning and cooking. I need to get my class work ready for school tomorrow, but other than that, it should be a quiet day. Louis should be home later today too. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. No matter what comes our way, we’ll find our way home every afternoon, and in the evening we’ll look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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March 10, 2024: Everything Is Starting To Bloom, More Time Out Of My Brace, A Wet Weekend, Again!

The skies are blue, and the sun is shining this morning, which is a far cry from yesterday. Yesterday was gray and dreary with rain falling off and on all day long. It was really the only rain we got all last week. Spring is definitely getting ready to settle in around here. Last week, our days were mostly sunny with high temperatures anywhere between 60 and 70 degrees. We did have some fog in the mornings, but that was the worst of it. The week in front of us is forecast to be about the same as last week. The needle on the thermometer might make it to the freezing mark tomorrow morning, but that will be the worst of it. By later in the week, temperatures could eclipse 75 degrees, but once again there is rain in the forecast for next weekend.

Last Sunday was a quiet day for Colleen and me. Colleen’s gardens had more spring bulbs blooming. Colleen took Roux for a morning walk while I enjoyed some hot coffee on the front porch. Last Sunday was my second day without my back brace so I was moving slowly to be on the safe side. Colleen spent the morning in the kitchen and then spent the afternoon upstairs turning the spare bedroom back into her workroom. I did my schoolwork and watched a baseball game. Louis, who had spent the weekend with his girlfriend, headed down to the base at which he had been stationed to take care of some final paperwork to get his VA benefits squared away. He was running late, stayed one more night with his girlfriend, but got up early and made it to work on time Monday morning.

Monday showed up and with it a screwy week at school, more so for me than Colleen. Colleen didn’t have to go to school on Tuesday, instead getting to work from home. I walked into a week of messed up scheduling. Monday and Tuesday the 11th graders were taking ACT’s, so I ended up in a classroom other than mine, which made any teaching difficult at best. Wednesday and Friday, the school was on short class schedules because of afternoon activities. I had already made plans to take Friday off, which I am very glad I did. Thursday was our only day when we ran a regular schedule. The real highlight of the week though was getting to see the trees in front of my school starting to bloom. I’m not sure how long the flowers will last, but they are nice to see while they are there.

The first thing I did Thursday evening when I got home after school was to take off my back brace. My plan was to spend my 3-day weekend without wearing it. Friday morning was very colorful, and not long after sunup, I took a short walk which really felt good. Once I got home though, I sat down on the front porch in front of my computer to list baseball cards online for sale. I over did that a little, and by midafternoon, my back was complaining loudly. I learned a lesson there. When you are nursing a back injury, it’s not wise to sit in one place for too long without getting up and moving around. Louis had a short day at work and got home a little after lunchtime. He didn’t stick around the house too long though. He headed down to the VA to drop off his paperwork and then he headed to his girlfriend’s place for the weekend. Colleen got home at her usual time, we had a quiet dinner, and then we called it an early evening.

Colleen and I were up at our usual time yesterday morning. My back was once again feeling just fine. Colleen tried to take Roux for a walk, but Roux balked, not wanting to go out in even a very light rain. Colleen spent the morning baking applesauce muffins, and I started updating my grade books. Steven, Ariel, and the kids showed up right after lunchtime. Alex stopped by the house then too. We had a little bit of a birthday party for the kids while they were here. Lily and Jaxon both turned 5. They sure do grow up quickly. After everyone left, I finished my grade books while Colleen did some housework. Colleen and I enjoyed a quiet dinner, and with the time change looming, we called it an early night.

Today will be a quiet day up here on our little hill. Of course, we did move our clocks ahead this morning. I love Daylight Savings Time, but Colleen, not so much. Colleen will be in the kitchen for a bit today. She wants to make an eggplant lasagna for the week and a pot roast for today’s dinner. I have some more schoolwork to finish for tomorrow’s classes. Louis will be coming home later today, but who knows when. I am looking forward to my spring break starting at the end of this week, and I expect plenty of crazy chaos at school this week again. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. We will find our way back home up here on our little hill every day, look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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March 17, 2024: A Quiet St. Patrick’s Day, Some Nice Weather, Time For Gardens Now!

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and a fine Sunday it is too. Last week’s weather couldn’t have been any better for the last week of winter. Spring starts this coming Tuesday. We did get a little rain, but not much and it certainly wasn’t at any inconvenient times. I think I drove home from school on Thursday in a light sprinkle. The temperatures started out cool last week, but by the end of the week the thermometer was well into the 70’s by midafternoon. It looks like this coming Monday and Tuesday will be cooler around here, but with the start of spring the temperatures are headed back over 60 degrees. As of right now, there is no rain in the immediate forecast, but it does look like there is a good chance that next weekend could be wet. We shall have to wait and see though.

Last Sunday was a bit out of the ordinary for us, mostly because we were adjusting to the change to Daylight Savings Time. Colleen had the coffee made and Roux walked before I ever made it down the stairs. I got my coffee and settled on the front porch to do my usual Sunday writing. Colleen decided she wanted to make an eggplant lasagna for the week, and she spent most of the morning putting that together. I did manage to go for a short walk after lunch, maybe a half mile. I really want to start walking regularly to build up the muscles in my back again. Like usual, I spent the afternoon getting my schoolwork ready for Monday. Colleen made an awesome pot roast for dinner. We both decided to call it an early evening though to get some extra rest before we headed into school in the morning.

Last week was my last week of school before my 3-week intersession, spring break. Colleen’s spring break doesn’t start until a week from tomorrow. Anyway, I knew it wouldn’t be a difficult week with things wrapping up for the quarter. What I didn’t count on was all the schedule changes for various activities the administration had planned. By the time I got done teaching every day, I could feel it in my back protesting. I guess it was just all the moving around. Thursday was the worst day because the weather was changing. I’ll be a son of a gun if my back doesn’t go haywire now when we have a front moving through the area. The storm ended up moving out of the area right after dinner though, we had a lovely sunset, and my back returned to feeling normal. I sure hope this isn’t a permanent thing. Colleen had a relatively routine week, stopping one afternoon at the laundromat and another afternoon at the market.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. Colleen was up well before me, had the coffee made, and had taken Roux for a walk before I got downstairs. That was where her motivation for the day ended, and she ended up spending the day relaxing, which I highly encouraged. I spent the latter half of the morning and early afternoon working in the gardens. I got the herb garden cleaned up and then planted some green bunching onions, and I cleaned out a second raised bed garden and transplanted a couple of strawberry plants too. I still need to cover the strawberry plants with a screen to keep the birds and critters away from the berries. The real highlight of my day though, was spending nearly three hours in a fantasy baseball draft yesterday evening.

Colleen was up again before me this morning and had walked Roux before I ever came downstairs. I suspect it will be a quiet day for us today. Colleen will do some cooking like always. I have some baseball cards to package up for tomorrow’s mail. I don’t know if I will get back out to the gardens today, but whatever I do, I do not have to do schoolwork! I would like to try and take a little bit longer walk than usual today. I’m tired of being limited to what I can do. I don’t intend on pushing myself until my back hurts, but I do want to rebuild my strength. I am feeling much better and getting better every day. Colleen and I will just keep taking things one day at a time though. At the end of each day, we’ll look around and smile because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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March 24, 2024: A Sunny Week, Time In The Gardens, A Fire Today To Chase The Morning Chill.

My first week of spring break has passed, I still have two more to go, and Colleen started her spring break Friday afternoon. The weather was fantastic last week, except for Friday night and yesterday morning. We had lots of sunshine and the daytime high temperatures got over 70 degrees. That all changed right around dinner time on Friday. The skies turned gray and right before sunset the rain started. The rain woke me up during the night too, and it lasted right into yesterday morning. Behind the rain was a cold front and even though the skies cleared up by yesterday afternoon, the temperature started to drop. This morning the thermometer needle was sitting on the freezing mark. I lit a fire in the fireplace before I got my coffee this morning.

Last Sunday started out slow with Colleen and I sleeping a bit later than usual. Even after Colleen got up, I still stayed in bed for a while. By the time I got downstairs, Colleen had taken Roux for her walk and was already in the kitchen. I had my coffee and then headed out for my walk. The day warmed up nicely, and by midafternoon we had the doors open in the house to let in the fresh air. It was the first full day of my spring break, so I didn’t do a whole lot on the day. Colleen ended up making a couple of casseroles for the weekend, and then she made Arroz Con Pollo for dinner. The evening was quiet, Colleen found her way upstairs to relax in bed, and after I finished my cigar in the front porch, I let Roux out for her last call of the day, closed the house up, and headed upstairs myself.

Monday through Friday quickly fell into a new routine. Colleen would leave for school, Louis would leave for work, and I would take my darn, old, sweet time getting out of bed. After a cup of coffee, I would go for a walk, just about a mile. I’m planning on stretching it out a little further this coming week. I’m still not covering anywhere the distance I was covering before my fall, but the walking feels good, and my back is doing well. I did have a productive week though. Monday, I took care of the needed paperwork to get my retirement in June rolling. Tuesday and Wednesday, I spent crime in our gardens cleaning out four raised beds. I planted some bunching onions, radishes, and more snap peas to augment the peas that had overwintered and were flowering. I even transplanted a couple of strawberry plants.

Friday started out to be a lovely day and in the evening, Colleen and I treated ourselves to takeout pizza for dinner. I was glad to see the rain on Friday evening though, because the gardens needed watering after the dry weather we had all week. James swung by the house Friday evening and brought some fresh eggs which Colleen especially appreciated, and then he and Louis took off to run the roads. I’m not sure when they got back because Colleen and I were already in bed, but James ended up spending the night sleeping on the sofa in the family room.

Yesterday, I woke up to a dank and dreary morning. James was enjoying a cup of coffee when I came downstairs. Colleen stayed in bed, because with the rain still falling, she wasn’t going to take Roux for a morning walk. A buddy of James’s picked him up around 7:30 and we didn’t see him again until later in the day. When Colleen got up, she enjoyed not one, but two cups of coffee, because she was on her spring break. Neither of us did much the rest of the morning. Colleen eventually made her way into the kitchen to make some banana muffins, but that was all she did. I was glad she took the day off and relaxed though. The skies cleared up nicely by midafternoon and I went for a walk again. I suppose it won’t be too much longer before I start taking Roux for an afternoon walk again.

The temperature really dropped last night, and this morning I lit a fire in the fireplace to chase the chill from the house. I may light one again tomorrow, but after that, I suspect the hearth will stay cold until next fall. The skies are blue this morning, so Colleen will take Roux for a walk. She wants to make a corned beef and cabbage dinner for today, because we didn’t have our traditional dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. It should be a quiet day up here on our little hill. Colleen and I are both home on spring break this coming week so nothing urgent is pressing. We’ll just keep taking everything one day at a time. In the evenings, we look around and smile contently knowing that all is right on the homestead.

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March 31, 2024: Spring Break, Rain, Sunshine, And Work In The Gardens.

Good morning and Happy Easter. We have a beautiful Sunday morning after somewhat of a tumultuous week of weather. Wednesday and Thursday were a mess. We had gray skies and plenty of rain. Fortunately, our gardens needed the rain, but it also meant Colleen and I couldn’t do much outside in the yard. The temperatures were cool enough for us to light a fire to start the week, but they started to warm up once the clouds and rain moved out of the area. Yesterday, we almost got up to 80 degrees, and today, we most certainly will eclipse that mark. Things will stay warm until Wednesday it seems, then we’ll get a little bit of a cool down as we head into next weekend.

Things started out cool enough last Sunday, so I put a fire in the fireplace to chase the chill out of the house. Since Colleen and I would both be home on spring break from school, there really wasn’t much that absolutely needed to be done on the day. I did my usual Sunday writing. I even took a nap in the recliner in the afternoon. Colleen made corned beef and cabbage because we didn’t have the traditional meal on St. Patrick’s Day. Neither of us did much else on the day. The evening was quiet and relaxing. My biggest accomplishment was to get some baseball cards packaged up for Monday’s mail.

Monday morning brought Colleen and me a little more motivation. It was still cool enough for a low fire again. I spent most of my day working with my baseball cards. I did a bunch of market research, sorted and organized a good many cards, and listed a bunch more for sale online. Colleen decided it was a sewing day. About mid-morning, she headed up to her workroom. I had a couple of pairs of overalls that desperately needed some patches. After lunch, Colleen whipped up a new sauce for pasta. It turned out to be a great first run, and now, Colleen is considering adding some chunks of fresh vegetables to the sauce when she makes it again.

With rain expected on Wednesday, so Colleen headed outside to clean up a few of her gardens first thing Tuesday morning. I went out to help where I could. I ended up raking for about 20 minutes, but that was all I could do before my back started to object. Colleen ended up getting most of the top tier of our terraced front yard cleaned up and even clipped last year’s dead flowers off the hydrangea bush at the end of the driveway. Colleen was worn out after lunch, so she spent the rest of the day relaxing, but she did make a delicious fish casserole for dinner.

The rain was here Wednesday morning. Colleen and I decided it would be a good day for a run to Walmart. We thought we only had a short list, but we ended up filling two buggies. Colleen ended up getting a flat of begonias, a flat of some sort of ground cover, four bags of red mulch, three bags of garden soil, and another half dozen solar powered garden lights. I got baseball cards and some Brussel sprout starts for the garden. Of course, we did have to restock our supply of dog treats for Roux too. On the way home, we treated ourselves to burgers at Hardee’s. Between loading everything into the Trail Blazer at Walmart and then unloading everything when we got home, the better part of Wednesday afternoon was spent trying to get dry. The rain did turn everything a bright green though.

The rain stopped fairly early Thursday morning, so Colleen and I decided to get outside. I planted the Brussel sprouts and quickly realized my back was not going to like me doing a lot of bending on the day. Colleen seeded the open area of the top front yard tier with clover and then covered everything with some new garden soil. After that, she cleaned out the garden by the tree stump, planted the ground cover and started spreading the mulch she had gotten at Walmart. Colleen wasn’t quite done yet though. She headed down back to change the bedding in the hen coop, and she got a couple of eggs for her trouble. I decided my day would be better spent taking care of my grade books for school, so I ended up sitting in front of the computer. By the time dinner rolled around, all my grade books were up to date and ready for the new quarter at school.

Colleen was worn out still on Friday. She did manage to get our monthly bills paid in the morning, but after lunch she laid down for a 2-hour long nap. Colleen doesn’t usually take naps. I spent my time organizing and then listing more baseball cards for sale online. Colleen really didn’t look like she wanted to make dinner when she got up from her nap, so I suggested we get Firehouse Subs for dinner. That worked out perfectly, and even Roux got to enjoy the short ride when we went to get the subs. I sat out on the porch after dinner and spent an hour on the phone catching up with an old friend.

Colleen was back out in her gardens yesterday morning. The begonias got planted and the rest of the red mulch got spread out. She managed to get her new garden lights put out too. Needless to say, Colleen has decided we need more flowers and mulch for the other gardens. I went for a walk in the morning. My back is handling my walks just fine, and I’m covering almost 2 miles now. I spent most of my day with my computer on the front porch though, cleaning up class websites and getting them ready for next quarter. Fortunately, I still have another week of spring break. Dinner was just some leftovers, and after dinner, I hung out on the front porch waiting for Colleen’s garden lights to come to life.

It should be a quiet day today up here on our little hill. The deer are wandering through the backyard. Colleen wants to cook a ham for Easter dinner, but the kids won’t be showing up. We should have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. For the rest of the day, Colleen will be getting ready for school tomorrow. It’s going to be warm today, so I will spend my time on the front porch, most likely working on my computer. Whatever happens today, Colleen and I will handle everything as it comes down the road. We’re very good at taking things one day at a time. At the end of the day, we’ll look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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April 07, 2024: An End To Spring Break, More Time In The Gardens, And Wild Temperature Swings.

And so another week has passed, and with it comes a close to my spring break. Tomorrow, I will head back into my classroom. Once again last week though, Mother Nature had the thermometer swinging all over the place. For the first part of the week, it was warm and almost early summer-like. Wednesday, we woke up to thunderstorms. Once the rain moved out of the area, the mercury started to drop, and yesterday morning and this morning, that old thermometer needle started the day below 40 degrees. It looks like things will start warming up tomorrow, but there is a good bit of rain forecast for the back half of the coming week. Of course, there is a solar eclipse tomorrow. My school decided that we should run on a short class schedule, so the whole school could have a field trip outside to see the eclipse. I just hope none of the kids look at the eclipse and burn out their eyes.

Last Sunday was a quiet day up here on the hill. Colleen took Roux for her usual morning walk, and when they got home, Colleen treated herself to breakfast with fresh eggs. At least one of our hens has started laying again for the spring. I took my usual morning walk and am happy to say I’ve added more distance to my route. I am now covering just under two miles. Since it was Easter Sunday, it seemed appropriate that Colleen baked ham for dinner. She also made twice-baked potatoes to go with the meal. Unfortunately, last Sunday was also Colleen’s last day of her spring break.

Colleen left for school at her usual time Monday morning. Roux and I laid in bed for another hour after that. I had my morning coffee and then went for my walk. It didn’t take me long to figure out the weather was changing because my back started to feel uncomfortable. After lunch, I headed down to Lowe’s garden center. I got more flowers for Colleen to plant, and I got strawberries, peppers, and basil to plant in our vegetable gardens. Colleen had her typical day at school. Once she got home, we ate some dinner and enjoyed a quiet evening.

Tuesday morning, I got out to the front porch in time to see an incredible sunrise. Colleen headed into school at her usual time. I spent a good part of the morning and early part of the afternoon in the gardens. All the garden plants I bought Monday got planted, but the lion’s share of my time got spent building PVC frame for the netting I wanted to put over the strawberries. Without the netting, we won’t see any strawberries between the squirrels and the birds. Needless to say, my back hadn’t been asked to do that much work in a good couple of months and I spent the afternoon relaxing.

Wednesday morning after I went for my walk because there was a break in the rain, I started the taxes. I got through all of Alex’s by lunch and decided I had done enough taxes for the day. We didn’t get as much rain as had been forecast during the day, but there was more than enough rain to water the gardens. The deer even made their way through the backyard despite the rain. Between the rain and warmer temperatures, our bunching onions finally sprouted, and the clover that Colleen had seeded on the upper tier of our front yard really came to life. The “Oil Change Required” light came in the dashboard of the Caliber, so when Louis got home from work, we ran the car down to the shop and left it there overnight.

Thursday morning, I got up with Colleen so I could give Louis a ride to work. No big deal there because the store is only a mile down the road. After I went for my morning walk, I tackled Louis’s taxes and had them done by lunchtime. When Louis got home after lunch, we headed down to the shop to get the Caliber. The only thing wrong was a sensor needed to be reset because I had the oil changed about a month ago. Colleen stopped at the market on her way home, and once again the prices of groceries had me muttering under my breath. The idiots running this country obviously don’t understand the daily expenses that are chewing up people’s paychecks.

Friday morning was chilly, but the sunrise was gorgeous. I took my usual morning walk, but by the time I got home, clouds had swallowed the sunshine, and the morning stayed chilly. Colleen had her usual day at school. Louis had a quick day at the store. When he got home, he cleaned out the Caliber and then cleaned up his bedroom. It wasn’t long after that when he headed out to spend the weekend with his girlfriend. I worked on my computer out on the front porch for most of the day. Colleen got home at her usual time, and we decided it would be a good evening to get takeout pizza for dinner. Our evening was quiet and peaceful thankfully.

Colleen had Roux walked and the coffee made before I ever came downstairs yesterday morning. Colleen was running low on motivation and energy yesterday and after making some ham salad for lunches this week, she spent a good bit of the day relaxing. After my morning walk, I set up shop on the front porch and knocked out all the class work I’ll need for my kids tomorrow. Alex showed up right before lunch and cleaned up the backyard for us. He cut and piled up all the firewood on the ground and then even mowed the backyard. I finished my schoolwork about mid-afternoon and was feeling so good that I took Roux for an afternoon walk before dinner. It was the first afternoon walk for Roux and me since I fell at the end of January. When we got back to the house, Colleen was making burgers and air-fried okra for dinner. The kitchen got cleaned after dinner, but not much else got done.

Colleen was up before me again this morning. She has a bit of a busy day in front of her making up for what she didn’t do yesterday. I have some odds and ends to sew up for school tomorrow, and I’d like to get started on our taxes. Taxes are due a week from tomorrow. I hate tax time every year! Fortunately, what I don’t finish on the taxes today, I can finish on Wednesday because neither Colleen nor I have school. Whatever comes our way this week, Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at time. At each day’s end, we’ll find our way home, look around, and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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April 14, 2024: Today Is My Birthday, School Was Crazy Last Week, And We’ve Got Some Beautiful Weather!

Last week was a little bit crazy with Colleen and I both back to school, and both of us having last Wednesday off. We had some pretty typical spring weather around here too. The mornings would start with the thermometer sitting between 45 and 50 and the daytime high temperatures would end up anywhere between 65 and 80 degrees. We were supposed to get one heck of a rainstorm Wednesday night into Thursday, but the storm split and went east and west of us. We got some rain and a whole lot of wind. Fortunately, the gardens needed the rain we did get. Today, we have a bright and sunny morning, the mercury should climb into the 80’s, and by the middle of the coming week, we could see 90 degrees on the thermometer.

Last Sunday was a beautiful, quiet spring day up here on our little hill. Since I had been off for three weeks and my school was getting ready to start a new quarter, there wasn’t any schoolwork I needed to do. Colleen did spend some time in the kitchen, but not very much. I took my usual walk in the morning, and with my back feeling better every day, I took Roux for a walk in the afternoon. Colleen tried a new recipe for dinner, breaded fish on pasta with a form of Alfredo sauce. It turned out quite well. She also whipped up a tropical pound cake with bananas, pineapple, and coconut. That cake was gone before this weekend.

Colleen’s week at school went reasonably well. My week was a nut house and my room was upside down after a three week break! Monday my school decided to run on a short class schedule on Monday so they could have an eclipse party the last two hours of our day. I call it a party because we were nowhere near the 100 percent zone. Our administration billed the thing as an educational experience. Tuesday was a quiet day, actually, and on Wednesday, Colleen and I stayed home. Thursday was back to crazy at school. Some seniors had a field trip and the rest had CPR training that teachers didn’t find out about until the last minute. Friday, we had to evacuate the school because it smelled like natural gas in one of the halls. Nothing came of it fortunately. The administration scheduled grade level meetings for the kids that day too, and I had to work my quizzes and tests around those. It looks like there will be chaos again this coming week. On the bright side, I did turn in my letter of resignation affective on June 28th when I retire.

Colleen stopped and did laundry Monday on her way home from school and stopped at the market on Thursday afternoon. Even with our senior discount, inflation is definitely eating up way more of our monthly budget when it comes to groceries. Friday evening, Colleen and I were wiped out and decided on takeout for dinner. We did takeout again yesterday evening too. Wednesday, however, turned out to be a very productive day at home despite the wacky week. The boys’ taxes got done and sent into the government, and I finally got around to doing our taxes although I didn’t send ours out right away.

Yesterday almost didn’t seem like a real Saturday. Colleen took Roux for a walk at first light and then headed into the kitchen to make some Cuban bread. I went for my walk, packaged up some baseball cards for the mail when I got back, and after that listed a bunch more for sale. When Colleen finished baking the bread, she made a batch of muffins for this weekend. I finalized our taxes and put the state taxes in the mail. I refuse to pay $20 for the privilege of e-filing. I will e-file the federal taxes today. Colleen and I had everything done by lunchtime, and we did very little all afternoon. We got Chinese takeout for dinner on a whim, and after dinner, Colleen made a couple of pulled pork quesadilla pies for the week.

Colleen was up and walking Roux with the first light again this morning. I will go for a walk later. There is a little bit of schoolwork I need to do for tomorrow, and I need to file our federal taxes. I hate tax time, and we always seem to have to write the government a big check. Since today is my 65th birthday, Colleen is making Cuban sandwiches for dinner later. The best part of today though is knowing I only have eight weeks until I retire. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time though. We’ll make our way home up here on our little hill every day, we’ll look around and smile too, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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April 21, 2024: A Warm Week, A Wet Sunday, Only Seven More Weeks Until My Retirement!

After a very nice week of weather, this morning is dreary and dank with a bite to the air. For most of the week, we had ample sunshine and warm temperatures. The thermometer even reached 85 degrees a couple of times. Today, we’ll be lucky if that needle on the thermometer reaches 55 degrees. On the bright side, the gardens certainly aren’t going to complain about the rain, and the temperatures won’t get cold enough to hurt any plants. Everything will start to warm up tomorrow, and we may very likely see 85 degrees by next weekend. Needless to say, my still recovering back is letting me know it doesn’t like the cold and damp weather. I sure hope this built in weather gauge that I now have doesn’t decide to become permanent.

Last Sunday was my 65th birthday. How I’ve made it this far, I’m not quite sure. Colleen let me sleep late, and I didn’t do lot a whole on the day. I went for a long walk after I finished my morning coffee, and later in the afternoon, I sipped on some 14-year-old scotch and enjoyed a cigar I had been saving for a special occasion. All the kids checked in with me throughout the day and I got literally hundreds of texts and Facebook notes which blew me away. Colleen did a little cooking during the day, and for dinner she made one of my favorites, Cuban sandwiches. Fortunately, I had finished all my schoolwork on Saturday, so I wasn’t scampering Sunday evening to get things ready for Monday.

While the weather was wonderful last week, the same cannot be said for school. Colleen had a typical week, but my week was chaotic. Monday wasn’t too bad. The principal signed off on the resignation form for my retirement in June, so everything is in the county’s hands now. We were supposed to start mandated county benchmark testing on Wednesday, but it was club day, we were running on a short class schedule so the testing got moved to Thursday. My back started bothering me on Wednesday, so I stayed home Thursday. I was back at school on Friday and we were still in the middle of testing. Of course, there were all kinds of meetings during the week for seniors who didn’t have to test, and the kids were in and out of my class all week.

I took it easy on my back on Thursday and spent a good bit of time on the porch with Roux. I watered the gardens and took Roux for a short walk in the morning. I took advantage of the peace and quiet of the front porch to get all my schoolwork done for Friday. I even found the time to spend with my baseball cards, packaging up sold cards for the mail and listing more cards for sale online. Colleen stopped at the market on her way home, and I helped her get all the groceries into the house when she home. Colleen also picked up a pre-made meal of street tacos for dinner which was a treat for us. With not much to do Thursday evening, both Colleen and I got to spend some time relaxing.

Colleen started her day early yesterday and had the coffee made and Roux walked before I ever got downstairs. By the time I got out to the front porch with my coffee, she was working in her gardens. I went for a walk after I finished my coffee. Colleen headed upstairs right after I got back to start making new window screens. Most of our windows are not double hung, but rather large 5-foot by 2-foot frames that open like doors, so we had to improvise for screens. I spent the afternoon in the vegetable gardens. The were more peas to be picked, I planted cucumbers, did the prerequisite and I was pleasantly surprised to find berries on our strawberry plants. I had finished all my schoolwork for Monday on Friday, so it was a real treat for me not to have that hanging over my head.

The rain didn’t start quite first thing this morning so Colleen got to take Roux for a walk. She wasn’t home long though before the rain started falling. Colleen does want to do something cooking today to get ready for the upcoming week. I, on the other hand, don’t have anything that absolutely needs to get done. If this weekend is anything like being retired, I am going to love it! My last day of school is June 7th and my official retirement date is June 28th. Neither day can get here soon enough. Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. At the end of each day, we’ll find our way home, look around, and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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April 28, 2024: Chaos With The School Year Winding Down, Six Weeks To Go, Finally Some Beautiful Spring Weather.

Well, it’s a bright and warm Sunday morning with the sun just coming through the trees now. The day has started with the thermometer at 60 degrees, and we’re headed to 80 degrees later today. Last Sunday, we had gray skies, cool temperatures, and rain or drizzle most all day. The weather did improve considerably as the week wore on though. The temperatures gradually warmed up to where they are today, and the only rain we had during the week was Wednesday around noon. Although the rain wasn’t expected, it was a good soaking rain and did our gardens well. It looks like the weather for the week in front of us will be mostly warm and sunny. There are thunderstorms in the forecast for Wednesday, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Colleen was able to walk Roux before the rain started last Sunday morning, and then she headed into the kitchen to get some meals ready for the week. I had all my schoolwork done, so I took it easy all day. I guess I was practicing being retired. Louis and Maya showed up later in the afternoon coming back from visiting Maya’s mom in Virginia. It was the first time we met Maya. Colleen fixed them a mini-Mexican buffet for dinner since they got here after we had had dinner. After they ate, they visited for a bit and then headed on their way. Colleen and I spent the rest of the evening relaxing.

Monday morning Colleen was up and out of the house at her usual time. I struggled to get out of bed. My back reminded me that it was still damp and chilly outside, and I knew I was walking into a week of chaos at school. Tuesday and Wednesday were set aside for benchmark testing and Friday was designated as a wellness day on which students could not be assigned work. Fortunately, I had already arranged to take Friday off, so I didn’t get stuck babysitting. Just to make things interesting, Friday was also an early release day for the kids, and the teachers had meetings after the kids left.

Colleen stopped at the laundromat on her way home from school on Monday and the market on Thursday. I was busy the whole day Friday at home. I took Roux for a walk first thing in the morning and then spent an hour online helping one of my kids with their math. After lunch, I worked in the gardens for a while and then got caught up on my grading and started my grade books for the week. I took a look around the place too, and it’s a good thing I am retiring in June because there is some work to be done around here. I could have started putting my class work together for Monday, but I was waiting for our weekly email to see how screwed up this coming week was going to be. I know we have benchmark testing on Monday again, so I really didn’t need to put together any class work, and I was just waiting to see what was going to happen during the rest of the week.

Yesterday turned out to be an awesome day. Colleen took Roux for her walk, and then I went for my walk. Colleen headed into the kitchen to bake when she got back. When I got back from my walk, she was well on her way to making a double batch of muffins. I spent the rest of the morning finishing up my grade books. After lunch Colleen sat down to pay our end of the month bills, and I headed outside to cut some grass. I had no trouble firing up the lawnmower, and I cut the side yard and part of the backyard. I primarily cut where Roux goes because tall grass tends to attract fleas and ticks. I didn’t push myself though and was pleasantly surprised that my back felt just fine when I finished. The weedeating and edging will have to wait for another day. The email about school showed up late in the afternoon, and it looks like more chaos and confusion for the week ahead.

The sun was up by the time I got downstairs this morning, and Colleen had already taken Roux for a walk. Everything is green, especially Colleen’s field of clover. My schoolwork is done for tomorrow, so I will take a walk and spend the afternoon, most likely, listing baseball cards for sale online. Colleen has some cooking she wants to do today and then get things ready for our lunches this coming week. As for the coming week in school, I’m just going to keep my head low, and I’ll keep marking off the days until I retire. Until then, Colleen and I will just keep taking everything one day at a time. As our day is winding down, we look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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May 05, 2024: Five Weeks Until Retirement, Warm Weather And Rain, Summer Break Is On The Horizon.

After a very pleasant, warm, dry week, we are getting plenty of rain today. The rain started early yesterday morning, and while our gardens have gotten a good watering, the whole weekend has been a washout for doing anything outside. Summer is about six weeks away now, and it seems that Mother Nature has finally given up the last vestiges of winter. Colleen and I are waking up to 55 or 60-degree mornings, and our afternoon temperatures are quickly approaching 90 degrees. Even this morning with the rain falling, it was 65 degrees, and we should easily see 75 degrees by mid-afternoon. The forecast says the rain could last until Tuesday, it’s supposed to get hot after that, and then we have more rain for next weekend it seems.

Last Sunday was quiet up here on our little hill. Colleen did some cooking for the weekend, got things ready for lunches during the week, and generally tried to put some order to our house. Since my school was getting ready to start another round of mandated county testing, I didn’t have much in the way of schoolwork that needed to be done, but I did manage to work a nap into my afternoon. Colleen stole the idea of patty melts from Friendly’s, an old New England based restaurant we frequented growing up, for our dinner. It really was quite a nostalgic treat. After dinner, we both relaxed in anticipation of our early start on our early Monday morning.

The school week proved to be low key for the most part. I had to administer a county test on Monday, and I was stuck in an uncomfortable chair. By the time the test was over and lunchtime had rolled around, my back was screaming, so I came home. Colleen stopped at the laundromat on Tuesday. Wednesday my school ran on a short class schedule to facilitate club day in the afternoon. Thursday was a big day. Colleen stopped at the market on her way home from school, and I took the day off for an eye doctor’s appointment. I hadn’t seen an eye doctor in a good many years and with retirement looming, I figured it was time.

I really didn’t know what to expect from the eye doctor, so I had Louis give me a ride to the office. I knew I would not be able to drive after the appointment if they dilated my eyes. As it worked out, technology has come a long way in the past years. Instead of dilating my eyes, they used a retinal scanner to get images of my eye. When all was said and done, the worst that can be said about my eyes is that they are old. There were no signs of glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration. I do, however, desperately need glasses. The glasses will be ready in a week or so. Anyway, that’s one more box checked on the list to retirement.

Friday came and went uneventfully. It really was a beautiful day too. The biggest decision Colleen and I had to make was what to get for dinner. It took us most of the day, but we finally decided on pizza which I could pickup on the way home from school. We had bounced around a few other ideas, but neither of us seemed to have the motivation to leave home once we got there Friday after school. I had given quizzes to all my classes at school and used that quiet time to get my schoolwork done for tomorrow, so Friday evening was mine to enjoy on the front porch. Colleen didn’t have much to do after dinner either and got to spend the evening relaxing too.

Yesterday was bleak and dreary, but the tress are filled with leaves and everything is green. There was a long enough break in the rain for Colleen to walk Roux in the morning, but that was all either of us did outside. I spent the morning on the front porch packaging up sold baseball cards and listing a bunch more for sale. Colleen spent the morning making potato pies for this coming week. After lunch, I took a nap and Colleen sewed another custom screen to fit our weird shaped windows in the house. Colleen made hamburger steak for dinner and after dinner we sure didn’t do much.

The rain is steady this morning, but when it does let up, the cicadas start droning. Our front yard is pock-marked with holes from where the little beasties emerged. I don’t think Roux will be going for a walk today. Colleen will do some cooking this morning and get our lunch things ready for the week. I have a little schoolwork to do, but not much. With my retirement just five weeks away now, my energy level to do schoolwork is ebbing quickly. Still, Colleen and I will keep taking everything one day at a time. We’ll find our way home in the afternoons, have dinner and relax, look around and smile, because we know that all is right on the homestead.

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18 Replies to “2024 – Another Year, More Stories, And Retirement Loomning”

Robin Hoffman says:

March 10, 2024 at 9:30 pm

Thank you for sharing your life with all of us readers. I live in northern California, close to the town of Blue Lake, out in the country on Redwood Creek. I am a retired Postal Worker and my husband is a retired log truck driver, owner-operator. I really appreciate reading about your life on the homestead. I am so sorry about your accident. You are in my prayers for continued healing. I really appreciate how you end each of your writings with an up-beat message. God Bless you and your family!

1. Pops says:
  
  March 17, 2024 at 1:13 pm
  
  Thanks… We can only take care of the things in our control. No sense in worrying about everything else.
  
  Hope you have a great day…
  
Nadine Biggers Froderman says:

March 11, 2024 at 12:05 pm

Good Monday Morning,
We have a beautiful day with sunshine and 48 degrees. Local tv says we could get up near 70 today, but by the end of next week, winter is likely to pay us a visit. Well of course it will, it’s high school bb tournament time! My spring flowers are up but a long way from blooming. Our snow has melted and our area is in a high fire danger warning, it’s so dry. We are in dire need of moisture in whatever form. Yesterday I made Irish Soda Bread. Have a new phone to learn so no picture of it, but it tastes very good and I’ll be making it again soon. Your back will take time to fully heal and each time it’s irritated adds to that time span. Mine took 2 yrs to fully heal. Patience is key. Y’all have a fun St. Patrick’s day. Enjoy.

1. Pops says:
  
  March 17, 2024 at 1:08 pm
  
  Thanks… Might be the first year in a long while we haven’t had a gathering of the clan for corned beef and cabbage though..
  
  Have a great day…
  
  1. Nadine says:
    
    March 17, 2024 at 5:32 pm
    
    BUT, you’re all alive and well (or nearly so). Enjoy whatever the day holds.
    
    1. Pops says:
      
      March 18, 2024 at 7:17 am
      
      Yeppers… and that’s a good thing!
      
Colleen Dawn Hoeg says:

March 13, 2024 at 1:23 am

The nurse in me makes me ask you if you are following doctor’s orders for your back brace? It’s early for healing in your spine. Take care. Had a fall with rib fractures, but pain was gone in 3 to 4 weeks. Also, I retired almost 3 years ago, and love every day of it.

1. Pops says:
  
  March 17, 2024 at 1:07 pm
  
  The doctor really didn’t give me any instructions for my back brace. All in all though, my back has been feeling good, and I working on building my back muscles back up by walking. I am taking it easy though.
  
  Have a great day…
  
Nadine Biggers Froderman says:

March 24, 2024 at 1:31 pm

Good Palm Sunday. We are getting more snow, as predicted, but it’s not as heavy as some places are getting. YET. My spring flowers were up and growing nicely but I’m sure this cold will be the end of most of them for this Spring. However, we are in dire need of moisture in whatever form it comes. Meanwhile, roads must be slick since there’s been several roll-over accidents.
My mouth has 80% healed but my denture won’t seat, so I’m still limited to soft foods that don’t require chewing.
I so miss seeing your daily posts. Mr Glover can but the Homesteading group is no longer and option for me on my computer, and that saddens me. Hopefully the last few months of school will pass quickly and calmly. Enjoy your Sunday.

1. Pops says:
  
  March 24, 2024 at 6:36 pm
  
  Thanks… Don’t know why you wouldn’t be able to access my posts in Homesteading. Have you tried searching my name? I suspect it’s just some FB tom-foolery. Hope you had a great day…
  
Nadine Biggers Froderman says:

April 1, 2024 at 12:31 am

We spent a quiet Easter. We went to church this morning but the rest of the day was…SLOW. Rain/snow had been predicted but didn’t materialize. The wind, however, was strong, cold and damp. This trio is predicted for tomorrow, too. Bending is a no-no, as ySu’ve discovered. Your back will feel better when you reach your 1 yr. anniversary, so long as you don’t push the envelope too hard. Speaking from experience, sadly.
The temperature and some snow put the kibosh on the bulb growth outside. Time will tell if they’ll bloom, but we’re not going to hold our breathe. I have the flower seeds I hope to plant, and no store has bedding plants yet. TOO early for Zone 3/4. I hope the rest of your school year will pass quickly, and that neither of you will have any potholes. I’m not even sure yet what our district’s last day of school is. Thank to the mild winter there’s only been 1-2 snow days taken off. Happy Spring!!!

1. Pops says:
  
  April 7, 2024 at 1:05 pm
  
  Thanks… Actually bending isn’t a problem, it’s working with my arms outstretched in front of me. It’s getting much better though and I haven’t had much in the way of problems this past week. Hope you having a great day!
  
Nadine Biggers Froderman says:

April 7, 2024 at 4:12 pm

We hope you are getting moisture but not in excess. We got a wee bit in the early hours and more is coming, we hope. In another month, we’ll think about planting our garden and flower beds, and moving houseplants outside to the deck. I will have a check up Wednesday and I know it’s not going to go well. Soft foods still have carbohydrates and I’m still limited to those. The dentist thinks I’ll end up having to get implants due to the way my mouth has changed in such a short time. I think I’d rather endure the pain than deal with a loose denture. I’m ready to eat real food again!!! We aren’t in the path of the eclipse. I saw the one in 1977, so I’m good. Thousands have descended on my hometown in AR to view it. Glad to hear you all are well, or nearly so. Give Roux a hug from me and you ALL take care.

Nancy S says:

April 14, 2024 at 8:23 pm

Happy Birthday! I hope your final weeks go great for you at school.

1. Pops says:
  
  April 21, 2024 at 12:07 pm
  
  Thanks… Hope you had a great week!
  
Nadine says:

May 5, 2024 at 2:05 pm

I sense time is dragging for you about now with your much-anticipated retirement looming ahead. It used to feel slow back when I was a student before graduation. That was a lifetime ago and yet I still remember. The rains have made your garden’s look lush. With any luck, our garden will be planted in another couple of weeks, as will flower beds, pots and planters. We’re told that our summer and fall will be very hot and very dry. I’ve an appointment with my oral surgeon to learn if I have enough bone to install implants. The denture needs retrofitted in order to wear it. For 2 posts, the cost is $4k and it’s not covered by my insurance or Medicare. Shortly after that I am scheduled for tests to find where I’m leaking blood. I’m very anemic. Guess all this means no vacation again this year, per usual. How are your chickens faring? Is Hug-me still alive? One can hope. Enjoy and revel in any accolades the school might shower you with. And for goodness sake, STAY HEALTHY.

Kevin says:

May 5, 2024 at 8:27 pm

Pops, you have to love those state assignments. 🤣 Glad that this is your last round of them before retirement. Have a wonderful week.

1. Kevin says:
  
  May 5, 2024 at 8:29 pm
  
  Assessments, not assignments.🤦

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Blog Navigation Panel

Entry Index – 2023

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January 07, 2024: Cold Weather, A Warm Fire, The Start Of My Last Semester Of School.

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January 14, 2024: Back To School Again, A Lot Of Rain, More Cold Weather, Thank Goodnees For A Warm Fire.

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January 21, 2024: More Rain, A Double Shot Of Polar Vortex, And Lots Of Firewood To Keep Us Warm.

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January 28, 2024: Warmer Days, A Bizarre Thursday At School, And Colleen Gets A Head Cold.

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February 11, 2024: Out Of Commission For A Couple Of Weeks Thanks To A Nasty Fall!

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February 18, 2024: Another Week In The Recliner, My Back Is On The Mend, And Things Are Still Crazy Around Here.

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February 25, 2024: My Last Week Of Recuperating At Home, I’m Sleeping In A Bed Again, And February Is Coming To An End.

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March 03, 2024: Back To School, Retirement Paperwork Is Coming Along, Spring Is Coming!

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March 10, 2024: Everything Is Starting To Bloom, More Time Out Of My Brace, A Wet Weekend, Again!

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March 17, 2024: A Quiet St. Patrick’s Day, Some Nice Weather, Time For Gardens Now!

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March 24, 2024: A Sunny Week, Time In The Gardens, A Fire Today To Chase The Morning Chill.

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March 31, 2024: Spring Break, Rain, Sunshine, And Work In The Gardens.

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April 07, 2024: An End To Spring Break, More Time In The Gardens, And Wild Temperature Swings.

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April 14, 2024: Today Is My Birthday, School Was Crazy Last Week, And We’ve Got Some Beautiful Weather!

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April 21, 2024: A Warm Week, A Wet Sunday, Only Seven More Weeks Until My Retirement!

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April 28, 2024: Chaos With The School Year Winding Down, Six Weeks To Go, Finally Some Beautiful Spring Weather.

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May 05, 2024: Five Weeks Until Retirement, Warm Weather And Rain, Summer Break Is On The Horizon.

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18 Replies to “2024 – Another Year, More Stories, And Retirement Loomning”

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