The 12th Day of Christmas, my Son came to me.

Nineteen years ago, on the 12th day of Christmas--January 6th--we finalized the adoption of our older son, FTD the special delivery. He came to us in the dark, early evening, during one of those snow showers that makes you glad you're inside. We heard about him 24 hours earlier. He was supposed to show up right after school. I was teaching fourth grade at St. Richard Elementary in Swanton at the time. My class had scheduled a press conference, of all things, to announce the opening of their community recycling center. I had to be there that day, to tie up loose ends, get my lesson plans in order, and explain to the kids why I'd be gone for a while.

We didn't have anything for babies in the house. CSB (the local child welfare organization) staff made it clear that there would be no healthy white babies coming through their doors. We said fine, we'll be very happy with a couple of rowdy little pre-school aged boys. So we had two twin beds, dressers, all sorts of stuff ready for toddlers. When our caseworker said the child was 4 days old, did we want him or not, all I could think was, "What's wrong?" She said, nothing and since he's healthy the hospital wants him out a.s.a.p. .

Holy cow. I've always maintained that you can never find a ranger when you want one, and I couldn't find mine. He was closing gates in the sloppy snow. When he got home, BadAmy came over, too. She was just 21, and needed more cash for college. Talk about a weird evening, college tuition and diaper pails all in the same conversation.

We decided to give it a go.

I got to school early the next morning and was greeted by a co-worker. She said, "Why are you here so early?" "I'm expecting." "That's fantastic!! When?" "Today at 3." Dead silence.

Baby didn't arrive at 3. We waited. We paced. We looked out the window at the storm. Our house was on a road with no other homes, and for city folks, it always seemed to be so far away from civilization. And yes, it is dark out here. All sorts of horrible scenarios raced through my head. The hospital changed its policy. The birth mother took the baby and ran. The agency found someone else. . . . the list went on and on. Finally, out the window, I saw two sets of headlights, slowly creeping down the road. Our caseworker came with the baby's caseworker to be sure they could find our house. The baby had spent the entire day at CSB, where there are lots of kids, but not too many 4 day-old, 6.5 oz. babies. He so enamored the staff that they didn't want him to leave. But he had to come home. He had a borrowed onesie, 2 bottles of formula, couple of diapers, and a quilt. That was it.




During that day, my sister had rounded up the troops and by the time we got home, there were bottles (I had no idea how to use 'em), diapers, clothes, car seats, high chairs, etc. etc.. (Baby crapanalia, I calls it.) We didn't have a bassinet, but like so many babies before him, he fit nicely into a dresser drawer.

The next three weeks held few memories for me. It's like a dream now. We did run into some issues later, given that he was our foster son, in a program called "legal risk adoption." We nearly ran that risk, but just under a year later, on Epiphany, he was ours. What joy.


Yep, the gifts of the 12th day of Christmas are the best.

YooperVille Goes Back Into the Boxes

I love Christmas~~the lights, the meaning, the cookies, the trees, the snow, the lights, the parties, rummaging through the boxes of stuff from our parents, the lights~~all that stuff makes me happy. So putting away all the stuff makes me not so happy.

I took the tree down on New Year's Day. We always get a live tree and this year's was a doozie. (See my post from 12/xx) It took up so very much of the family room that I decided to take it down earlier than usual. I haven't put the boxes away just yet, since I was birding all day on Jan. 2 and exhausted on Jan. 3 (not to mention DH is sick with bronchitis and very gloomy). We had a bit o' warmth, so the goofy inflatable train and penguin made it as far as the front porch from the front yard. The lights down the driveway stay up all winter, so the school bus can see where our yard is. It really is dark at frickin' 6:30 a.m. when the boys have to get on the bus. I used a lot, and I do mean a lot, of fresh greens all over the house this year. I'm slowing getting those taken down.


But the stuff I hate to pack up and put away the most is my YooperVille Village. Most folks put up nice Victorian villages. Uh uh, not me baby. If I could find shacks with tar paper on 'em, I'd use 'em. As it is, I use Lemax stuff and then change the names on the buildings to suit my own funky taste.

So here's a little tour. I had to cram the stuff differently this year--more stuff and less table. And thanks to blogspot's crappy picture handling stuff, this tour jumps from the UP to here to there and back again. Don't get whiplash trying to follow this.


It started so innocently~~four little fishing shanties from Lemax. I got them on sale at The Andersons on an impulse buy. Dang you Lemax! Now I own dozens of buildings, hundreds of trees, and I plot out ways to use the stuff all year! I'm possessed! I'm obsessed!




I found this addition this year--when I swore I wouldn't buy any more buildings. I had to give it a proper name of course~~there really is a Yooper Tourist Trap! And it's a riot.



Odd things happened in YooperVille this year. One morning I came out and nascar had taken over every building. Then there was the Giant Squid invasion. I'd move it, it came back. I gave up.

A certain someone had to add some other stuff. Hmm, would that be a kid who has lots of O gauge model stuff maybe?

On the back side of YooperVille is West Whereever, Wyotnana. These buildings will be properly named Bucks 4-T next year.
Here in Whitehouse, my friends the Rhoades are the suppliers of the Big D Family tree each year.BadAmy arrived on the scene this year, too. So much for me not buying any new buildings. She wishes she had a house sitting on a mountain.



Molly and Joe, Montana's bestest fishin' huntin' guides, do have a place. Okay, their cabin isn't quite this big, but they do have the biggest hearts. And that's DH's Old Yellow Bus--just like the one he drove in '64. Great stories, those. Ask him to regale you sometime.

Here's a bird's eye view of half of YooperVille, minus the Giant Squid.

But the best part about YooperVille is that we answer the age old question:
Does the Bear poop in the woods?Apparently not if there's an outhouse around.

Birding and Beavers

I must be sort of a grown-up or something. I was turned loose on my own to count birds on the Grand Rapids-Waterville, aka Oak Openings, Christmas Bird Count. My skills pale when it comes to my friends~~I'm lucky to know so many awesome birders. Compared to my non-birding friends, I'm pretty darn good. But whoa, when some of the best birders in the country are leading counts around here, I feel like a complete ninny. But this year, I got to put my skills to the test.

I opted to stay in the park this year, because two friends, Laurie and daughter Annie, decided they'd like to spend some time birding with me. This wonderful family has "followed" us around the country as I work. Vince, the dad, and Matt, the son, have been closely involved with FTD's Scout Troop. Vince and Laurie are both Really, Really Smart People, being professors of pharmacy stuff. Both of the kids are also Really, Really Smart and Talented. And the whole gang is rib-tickling funny. Anywho, they visited us when I worked at Acadia, and then totally surprised me in the middle of a program at YNP. Annie wants me to get a job in Hawaii next, figuring they'll come visit us there. I haven't got a handle on the logistics for that one, sorry Annie.

Laurie and Annie said they could meet me on Birding Day around 10 a.m., so I took the time between sun up and then to scope out the new beavers at Evergreen Lake in the Park. For years, one of our naturalists sort of joked about bringing beavers home with him from his camp in Michigan. We were never sure if he'd really do it or not. He swears he didn't do it, but the beaver are here and taking up residence. They were first sighted about 3 years ago--a road kill actually--then on Swan Creek just outside of the park. They've worked their way to Evergreen Lake, and have found a nice quiet spot to build.


I'll have to do some research, but I'm guessing beavers haven't lodged in this area for close to 100 years. Awesome. And the rest of the good news is that they're in an area where they won't bother anyone else's property.


Meanwhile back to the birdies. . . . .

We three birded from 10 to about 3, finding darn few birds, although many of the ones we did see were "lifers" for Laurie and Annie. Bluebirds in winter~~always a crowd pleaser~~cedar waxwings~~lots of 'em~~Golden Crowned Kinglets, and lots of the usual suspects. We walked a section of the Wabash Cannonball Trail in the park and were treated with red-headed woodpeckers, but missed the pileated by moments. One of the most noticeable things on this count were the low numbers, not only in species but also in individuals. Our section was no different. But driving back, we hit pay dirt. I was driving on the Parkway, when whoosh, a "flying cinder block" by Laurie's description, zoomed past, being chased by a nuthatch and a really ornery blue jay. This was Annie's first encounter with an owl in flight. It landed and took quite a squawking-to from the jay. (The first pic is for you, Loopy.)



Then the Barred Owl did us the favor of turning around and winking in the ever-so-brief sunbeam.

This event pretty much cements my title of World's Laziest Birder. They come to me.

Sa-weet.

Crafting with the Stars!

Okay, this is so goofy and so fun I just had to try it. Blogger Tam from SewDangCute is putting on the 2nd Annual Crafting with the Stars contest. I just sit around the house and twiddle my thumbs all day, so I decided to play along. Uh huh. Since I didn't take pictures of all 11 pairs of jammie bottoms I made for the Great-Bunch (the great nieces and nephews), entering the ho-ho-ho felty banner I made for wonderful SILs and nieces. There's also one that says Shalom and another that says badamy for you-know-who.

I didn't look at the other crafty stuff, cuz I'd never enter anything of mine, especially something so dang simple and easy and for me~~FUN.

Owling with the Lil' Ripper

If you want to have a magical night, take a seven year old owling.

Last week, Tuesday, the Lil' Ripper (my great-nephew) spent the day and night with us. We first went to the Toledo Zoo for the Lights Before Christmas, where my younger son, DD, was running his trains with the Swanton Area Railroad and Model Club (or something like that). DD is "in charge" of the display each Tuesday. He takes his responsibility seriously--in his own DD way, of course. Any who, all four of us and the little guy all went over. The highlight there was the octopus, which was actually moving~~and moving a lot! Big hit with kids of all ages.

When we got home, we were all bundled up and I asked Lil' Ripper if he wanted to go owling. Now mind you, he kept telling me over and over how tired he was while we were driving home. But he re-energized as soon as we hit the driveway (my guys all three crashed).

Some time ago, I had told LR how to walk silently in the woods, so we did. But somehow, with him in the lead, it morphed to "walk like a penguin--they're very quiet you know, Anna." I had a hard time being quiet since laughing out loud was what I did after he told me that. But dutiful grand-auntie that I am, I walked like a penguin.

I took him over to the scout trail across the street. For a kid who wants a night light when he sleeps, he was completely fearless walking in the woods in the nearly pitch black. I had my headlamp on as we started, but on the way back he told me to turn it off--it might scare the animals. Huh? and Wow! He also told me we had to stop every now and then and be sure to look back for animals, too. What a hoot.

After walking in a few dozen yards, I told him I'm try to call for owls. Have I ever mentioned that my calls suck? Try as I will, I never seem to get it right. But to a 7 year old with a high, squeaky voice it mattered not. I told him he should try it with me. We went for Barred Owl, as it's the easiest for a kid to remember. And what a joy to stand in the silent woods with darling kid and calling for owls~~and to savor the companionable silence in-between. Not a thing stirred or called back to us, but the fun is in the trying.

It really was cold, and I really was tired, even if Lil' Ripper wasn't, so we walked home. The Christmas lights were still on at home, and they gently lit our way. Of course, for a bedtime story it was Owl Moon by Jan Yolen, followed by North County Night by Daniel San Souci. Being a too-cool 7 year old means being too cool to snuggle for books very often, but that night we did. It might be the last for he and I, but if it was, it was the best.

Birding Time Again!

While most folks think of a nice relaxing Christmas break, lots of crazies are gearing up the the annual Christmas Bird Counts. Here's the deal.

Over 100 years ago, somebody said, "Let's see how many birds there are in the world." And thus began the Audubon Society's Annual Bird Count Census. It's organized now, as opposed to folks just running around the countyside yelling out, "Six creepers!" and stuff like that. We now have Count Circles--areas that are deemed to be birdily important or just plain fun (like the Rudolph Ohio Count--get it--Christmas count????) NW Ohio has several very important count circles. The North Coast, aka northern Ohio along Lake Erie, is a Big Time Birding Area. The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is there, along with Magee Marsh State Wildlife Refuge, East Harbor State Park, Maumee Bay State Park, and the Crane Creek area. We, of the Oak Openings, are west of the Lake, having been left behind by the ancient Lakes Whittelsey and Warren. And though it sounds like there is lots of land left on the lake, don't be fooled. Most of the marshland/wetland is gone. Conservation, as usual, was too little too late. But I digress.

Back to count circles. A point is picked and a circle with a diameter of 15 miles is drawn on the map around that point. Ta-daa, a count circle. Teams of birders go out on a given day, from mid-December to early January, and count all the birds they can find. We count species and number of individual birds--it's a census.


NW Ohio has several count circles: the Toledo, the Islands, the Refuge, blah blah blah, and the Big One: The Grand Rapids/Waterville Count. The other name for this one is the Oak Openings Count. Birders spend their holidays scoping out where the good stuff is, and I ain't talking candy canes here. Maybe Sandhill Cranes, though. With or without this rotten head cold, I'll head out with my fellow birders for a day full of chickadees, titmices, hawks, and who-knows-what else on Sunday.

Kidding aside for a moment, this is an incredibly important chunk of research. Because of the longevity of the counts, we can use this citizen science for important longitudinal studies, not only of a given species, but of trends. For example, the trend toward having more boreal species in more southernly locales was among the first research-based evidence of global climate change.

Now back to the funny stuff. Oh, wait, I'm all out of funny stuff--the head cold does that. Anywho, there are birders all over the place scoping out what may or may not be here, and any rarities that turn up a week before or after Count day are tallied, so it all counts.

But here's where I need your help. Yes you! Fill your bird feeders, and if you live inside the Oaks Count circle, check your feeder on Sunday to see what and how many of the whats are there. Email or text me, so we can add your numbers to our tally. It really is important.

And if you don't live in my count circle, contact your local Audubon Society to see if there are still counts going on in your neck of the woods. Really, get out there and get birding.

Ho, Ho, Ho,More Quilting Time~~ I wish!

After getting 11 pairs of jammie bottoms made and delivered for some of my grand-nieces and nephews, and 6 little felt ho-ho-ho oh-oh-oh banners for the grown-up girls done, I can now think about the next project.

Hmmmmm, the Badlands quilt needs a backing, quilting, and binding. IOW, the hard part. I'll shelve that for a while. Then there's FTD's Log Cabin quilt. I can't think of my self as a quilter yet, since I haven't done some of the basics--like a log cabin quilt. That is a repetitive process, and I think I could multi-task that one with other stuff. DD will get a quilt with hobo signs on it. I found a wonderful book at the Greybull WY quilt shop last fall which I'll use for his. Lesee, also on the list, the YNP postcard quilt, which will take a bit more creativity than I can muster at the moment, and several "quilt-by-number" things (as my cutie SIL calls them) that are easy, but take a chunk of time with no interruptions. So which will it be? Or I could win a give-away and add to the stash! Ya-hoo--now there's an idea with merit!

So here's my plan. Enter a quilt stash give-away contest. Lots of bloggers do this somehow--you know, the bloggers that actually make some dough off their blogs. That sounds like work to me. I guess I need to post a pic here from another blog. (Now I'll probably get tagged or something weird.) Then I write a "Queen for a Day" story about why I need more stash.
Well duh. Doesn't everybody need more stash? (Actually, I don't. I'm trying to live leaner--for our space considerations, financial considerations, and well, just for living leaner. But a girl's gotta quilt! Need more material--need stuff for the quilt-by-numbers projects, for the postcard project, and DD's hobo quilt. So, okay, here's a shout out for freebies!)

Oh wait, what a ditz! I'm supposed to write about what happened on our Christmas Eve. Wait, I did that--remember the 11 pairs of jammies and 6 felt banners? Now I remember what I did on Christmas Eve. I had promised myself 2.5 months ago that I wouldn't be at the machine on Christmas Ever--or worse, Christmas Day. Well, my bad. At least I was done on Christmas Eve. And wrapping is a snap around here, since I've been using cloth bags for like um, 20 years or so. Soooooo much beautiful Christmas material, and so few walls for any more quilts. So I make bags of all sizes for wrapping. Sew the bottom and sides, fold down a hem on the top, done. No lining, no finishing seams, no even bothering to change thread color. Cripes, the kids just yank the bags off anyways, so why worry about the details. The family thinks I should make them and sell them, but even with on-sale material, the cost/price/hassle ratio just isn't there. Then it would be work, not fun. See a theme here? So anywho, a nice big, new chunk o' fat quarters would just about round out my stash. Just about. . . . . :)

Holiday Home Tour

We had a nice turnout for the 3rd Annual Whitehouse Community Library Holiday Home Tour last Sunday. Numbers were a little bit down, I think, from past years. In part, it was due to the weather. We finally got some snow and of course it started right at 1 pm when the tour started and by 2 it was really coming down. At our house, we took turns shoveling the front steps.

We not only got the house decorated nicely, but it forced us to get several much needed fix-it/do it projects done. Since we didn't exactly finish the house 15 years ago when we finally moved in, we're now faced with repairs and finishing all at the same time. Among the 'do it' jobs were painting all the closet doors (only one left to do--the pocket door on the pantry), putting up a hand rail on the basement stairs, and trimming the bathtubs. Tom got them all up, now they all need to be painted. I hid several of the ickier looking trims with old woolen Pendelton coats. Yep, buffalo plaid was my decorating scheme. Among the repair jobs was to rebuild the bottom two basement steps. When we had the new floor with hot water heat added, the steps ended up being the wrong height. He made a new set and they look terrific and work terrifically.

And now that the Tour is over, and the house is clean and decorated, I actually got to spend some time sewing up jammie bottoms for the great nieces/nephews. 5 pairs down, 6 to go. I stumbled upon the world's easiest, one piece pattern so I can do one pair in less than an hour. Since the kids will all outgrown these jammies in a month or two, I really whipped through them--no pinked or finished seams, etc., etc.. If only I had some elastic here. Oh well, guess I'll have to make another trip to the fabric shop. After all, I used up my first coupon, and have one that's only good for the weekend. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Things I Wasn't Planning

I'm a list maker. When I make a list the item at the top is always: Make List. Then I get the satisfaction of crossing at least one thing off my list when I'm done.

My list for today included: Make List. Make meatloaf for supper. Email Home Tour map to print shop. Go to Library~~pick up wreaths and take to Invite!. Get check and gift certificates for Home Tour. Go to Print shop and pick up maps. Because of the Tour, I have time-specific things for Friday and Saturday, making today's list pretty important to get through.

Here's the abridged list: Re-decorate the Tree. See rest of list.

At 5 a.m. this morning, DD came into our room and said, "Mom, a bunch of your old special ornaments got broken. The tree fell down. Oh, and there's water all over the carpet." Had his list stopped at 'tree fell down', I'd have gone back to sleep. But DH and I both shot out of bed at the one about the water.

Damn.

For me decorating the tree is a process. We always get a live tree from our friends~~Rhoades Christmas Tree Farm in Whitehouse. FTD's Scout troop helps out cutting and lugging trees for the customers and in return the owner makes a generous donation to the troop. DH and FTD have spent Sunday mornings in December over there for the past 4 or 5 years. This year, FTD didn't sign up for a shift working, but we did go pick out our tree. Much to my surprise and delight, both boys actively helped out picking just the right one. We have criteria: can't be a pokey tree. Can't be any taller than DH can reach. Must be fat, but not too fat to fit in the family room. Since our home is on the Whitehouse Library Home Tour this year, I gave the boys the option of putting a ginormous tree in the living room~~a good 12 footer, or a regular one where we always do. I was sure they'd go for ginormous. Again to my surprise, they want it where it's always supposed to be. How sweet.

We slayed the tree and brought it home last Sunday. It went up easily and this year we didn't prune much off the bottom, since there won't be many presents under it. And the boys got an actual chuckle when I told them that they both asked for stuff like video games, which take up no room at all. They both laughed and got my point. (Verra verra unusual that.)

We let the tree stretch out it's branches for a day or two and then put on the lights. Then the pretty little angel on top. Then the snowmen garland, then the red bead garland, and then the ornaments, all of which is done over a couple of days.

This year I decided to do something super special, partly for the home tour, but mostly because the boys would get it~~I got the ornaments from my Mom and Dad's out. I showed them the Woolworth and Shiny Brite boxes and told them which were Dad's special ornaments and which were Mom's. The boys haven't had a knock-down-drag-out fight in the house for a long time, and I figured the ornaments would be safe this year. So much for best laid plans of mice and men.

I don't have time to grieve over the loss of a dozen or so glass bulbs. There will be time for that when I pack the boxes away in January. But grieve I will. For a part of my childhood that's gone, for the ever present grief of missing parents and especially the boys' grandparents, and partly for my life now which never, ever goes as planned.

Thanks for the Birthday Wishes!

Wow, it's been overwhelming, really. First, more than 60 folks show up for Tom's birthday party last week and now dozens of folks sending me greetings on fb. Say what you will about fb, I find it to be fun. I love being part of my friends' lives again, keeping up on issues that are important to me, and just plain goofing off.

DH and I had dinner last night at the best restaurant in NW Ohio--Mancy's Blue Water Grill in Maumee. Perfect dinner, once again, beautiful venue, awesome staff, the complete package. If you haven't been there, you've really missed out. All of the Mancy's restaurants are simply the best. And I'll bet it's been more than a year since DH and I sat down together for dinner~~just the two of us. And after all these many (many, many) years, it's still a nice time. (And we went out last night because I had a couple of cavities filled today--not such great planning on my part.)

We had some birding fun this week. A friend posted on Rarebird that the students in one of his classes wanted to go owling. I volunteered the house and GL volunteered his awesome owl-finding skills. We've had weeks and weeks of warm, pleasant nights~~until Tuesday when the class was here. It poured and poured a nasty, cold, pounding rain right out of the north the whole day and night. Now mind you, we really really needed the rain. But it could have waited another couple of hours. And believe it or don't, GL wasn't able to call in one single bird. Some folks thought he got an Eastern Screech, but I didn't hear it. We did hear a huge tree fall in the woods--answering the age old question. I've gotta hand it to the students for putting up with this deal. Several of them were just wearing sneakers--I guess they figured we wouldn't actually go tramping through the woods. Surprise! We birders are a tough breed.

So thanks, Friends, virtual and otherwise, for making my birthday bright.

Another Birdie Day

This could become addicting--siting on the back deck while the birds buzz my head. It was so warm again today that I spent as much time outside as I could. That included catching up on some reading on the back deck. The birds must really be hungry because they just couldn't stay away. This is a pic from last winter, by the way, but I don't have any with no snow. I was quite surprised at the activity~~almost frenzied. And the birds really could have cared less about me sitting there. In the winter we let the kids sit on the deck with seed in their hats and wait for the chickadees to dine. I've rearranged the feeders in my never ending attempt to keep the squirrels and raccoons out. So far--no coons. They must not be desperate yet. But now the chipmunks have invaded. If they weren't so dang cute.

Later in the afternoon I was doing some computer work on the front porch, and saw the hawk cruise through the woods just across the street. Couldn't id it, but I'm guessing red-tail. It's been hanging around so I'm hoping it stays all winter.

On another note, the Whitehouse Library Holiday Home Tour is one month from today--had to believe with such great weather. And Sunday we set up the trains for the Toledo Zoo Lights Before Christmas. Way before Christmas this year!

Sometimes the Birds Beckon

I've had a feeling of ennui today. Partly its the adrenaline let-down from DH's party~~which was tons of fun. So many good friends gathered altogether. The sun has been shining and the weather pleasant. I should be in the basement sewing, but I can't seem to drag myself to a room with so few windows. I tried working on some graphic projects on the computer sitting in the sunshine but I still couldn't concentrate. So I packed it in and headed out.

Our yard is 90% mature trees, with some brushy understory. In the summer, it's so thick we can barely see anything, but its nice and cool. The reflection of light off the leaves turns every room in the house to green. This time of year is among my favorites. I can see the landscape and the trees make interesting and ever changing shadows. Today I was hoping to see birds.

Our birds are awfully dang smart. If I'm in the front yard, I hear something out back and vice versa. Today was no exception. A hawk was calling from the back, maybe over in the neighbors property. I looked and I looked and I looked. Even with few leaves to block my view, it eluded me. I was also looking for the noisy thing that must live in the brush in the neighbor's ditch. It just kept telling me to "DO-it" over and over. But I sure couldn't find it.

All was not lost though. A small buck white tail was crossing the neighbors field when he realized I wasn't a tree. We looked at each other and I took one step forward. Off he went in that beautiful run, run, leap-soar that deer do. He stopped back at the tree line, and must have wandered back onto our property, but I couldn't spot him again. He was a young buck, just 2 tines on both sides with bit of another on one side. I don't think I've ever seen a buck on our property before, just does and fawns. It's not like out west, where the wildlife--elk, bison, wolves, and bears--wander through the yard. Deer are much more skittish, so this was quite a treat.

Just me and the deer and the birds. Ennui gone.

Quiltin' Time!

Last night was the first night I ever slept under a quilt I made. Yep. I've made lots of quilts to give away, lots of quilt pictures to hang on walls, to eat from, to use in programs, but never one for me to sleep under. It was nice.

I bought a kit about a year ago called Three Bears. I'll have to look the designer's name up. Dope that I am, I thought it was sized for a wall hanging. I started the first block last spring on the Gathering of Quilters retreat. I went with the the stars first, because I figured they'd be the hardest, and they were. Then I went with the mountains, and log cabins, and the bears, then the trees. There were lots and lots of trees. Then the fill squares. Some where in the middle of making the forest it dawned on me that I was making lots and lots of stuff. I looked at the front of the pattern page again and what do ya know--right on the front it says BED QUILT. I'll be danged. Basically its for a double bed, and of course we have a king. So then I had to start adding strips to make it long enough and wide enough. So then I had to keep adding more and more strips to make it fit over us when we sleep. Covering the bed is one thing. Covering two largish people who are trying to sleep is entirely another. I spent as much time figuring out how to add strips and what material to use as I did on the whole rest of it. That time also includes the time it took to make several more runs to the fabric shop.

I took the quilt over to Corner Quilts in Wauseon, Ohio for the quilting and binding. They have a gigantic machine for quilting and they also do the binding by hand. That's a ton of work. I dropped off my pine tree quilt for quilting, but I'm bound and determined to do the binding. Wish me luck.

The Elder Aunties of My Tribe

Many American Native cultures celebrate and revere the "Elder Aunties of the Tribe." These women are considered to be the Wise Ones, the gentle ones, the strong ones. Maybe it's simply because they just physically outlast men, but I like to think it's because they carry so much within them. Men and boys take care of problems and joys in the here and now. They beat the crap out of each other, and then it's over. They get drunk and rowdy with each other, then go back to work. Women don't operate that way. We ponder. We wonder. We do act out of impulsive anger and joy, but not usually the way the guys do.

My Mom was one of those women--and interestingly, so was my Dad. Both kind souls, who could say nary a bad thing about anyone. They just took care of those bad people in their own devastating ways. You didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of their 'campaigns.' They got the things done that had to be done, and didn't sweat the small stuff.

But I've been thinking the past couple of days, as I do 'wimens' work (arg) about the Elder Aunties in my Tribe. My Mom had 5 sisters, all of who lived in the south. Mom moved north after the war and saw that there was a whole 'nuther world out there and she loved it. A world where black women could be serve in the Army with her, where women could be involved in politics, where churches didn't preach hate and fire and brimstone, but peace and justice. Dad had one sister, who, although I saw her every Sunday, was more of a ghost in my life. She was sort of here and sort of not. Although my relations, not my Elder Aunties.

I knew that my Elder Aunties were out there, but I didn't know it at the time. (Yeah, that's what I meant to say.) So here's a shout out to my Elder Aunties:

My best friend in Perrysburg was Sue B.. Her Mom and Dad were a full 10 years younger than my folks, which amazed me at the time. We all went to Church together. Susie didn't have a sister, just 3 brothers, all really nice guys. She and her Mom were really close. They welcomed me into their circle. How I loved them for that then, and still do now, even though I haven't seen either since Susie's Dad died several years ago. Mrs. B. lives near here somewhere. Just knowing that makes me feel better.

My bestest friend is Ginny. We met at Church camp about 1964. She lived in Van Wert, Ohio then moved to Farmington, Michigan. There were 5 or 6 of us kids who grew up with each other this way--the Cool Studs. We saw each other once a year for five years. We were pen pals. What fun for us. I hope kids today enjoy their e-pals as much as we did. By the time we reached high school we decided that once a year wasn't enough and convinced the camp staff to let us celebrate the New Year at camp, which we did. Then we learned to drive and were able to see each other more often. We went to each other's sports events and plays, proms and homecomings. We visited each other's colleges after that. Most of us kept in touch in a vague sort of way, but Ginny and I remain very close. We married within a year of each other, our kids are close to the same ages, and no matter how long its been since we've seen each other, we pick right up. As I reflect back, I realize that Ginny's Mom is also one of my Elder Aunties. I'd breeze into their house every few months and was one of her kids. Just like that. The lessons she taught Ginny, were lessons that reflected back to me. Thanks, Mom Perry. Love you.

There were others. . . .the wife of my college mentor, Mrs. Kapp. She taught us gracefulness and the true meaning of hospitality, with just a couple of contacts each year. Several women at my Church in Perrysburg--getting things done and doing them with grace and poise and clarity of purpose. When I worked for the Girl Scouts, I was all of 24 years old, trying to lead women 20 years my senior who were already moms. Several of them chewed me out constantly--nothing I ever did was right because "that's not the way we do it." But for every one of the crabs, there were half a dozen women who smiled, gave me that wise nod, and stood by me. Thanks, girls.

I so hope I will be remembered as one of the Elder Aunties. I know its a role I seek, but realize its a title I have to earn. Maybe someday.

A Post You Could Care Less About

I've been cleaning for the past few days. Okay, for over a week. I haven't done a deep clean for a couple of years, and with all the sunshine we've had this fall, it was clear that some serious elbow grease was in order. The push this time is because we're having a surprise party for DH on Sunday (the surprise is that he turned 70!) We're having 30 or 40 folks for for an open house type deal. And that means: clean the pit.

I was actually sort of energized to do it because the basement has really come together. Except for some more electrical work and the drop ceiling, we're pretty much done. Even with the ugly pipes and filthy joists, the basement has taken on a really cozy feel. The crafty corner rocks, DD's train layout is great, and the Man Cave is still a work in progress, but that mess can be contained. DH's workshop is so crappy I cringe going in there but hey, not my problem. And the most luxurious place in the whole house? The basement attic. A few years ago, DH went crazy and bought 8 or 9 matching, heavy duty grey metal shelving units. We put them together and lined them up on "my" side of the back of the basement. I can get all my crap on the shelves, including all the camping gear, all the linens and cooking stuff for the apartment, all the old books, and all the Christmas stuff down there. And here's the cool part: I can find all of that stuff. Wow. Luxury indeed.

Having such a huge 15 year undertaking so close to finished, and certainly usable like it is, gives me that urge to clean the crap from the upstairs. Then I realized there isn't much crap anymore, so a good deep clean would really make this wonderful. Now mind you, I HATE TO CLEAN. AND I HATE TO CLEAN UP AFTER OTHER PEOPLE. Oh, my, sorry about yelling. After nearly 30 years of being married to a slob, a fact of which I was fully cognizant when I married him, and worse--20 years of children who can't tie shoes, much less make a bed, has been frustrating. I've tried the passive-aggressive approach which is do no cleaning, but they don't care. They really, really don't care. That makes it my problem. I have laid down several new laws this fall. Both boys are now "doing" their own laundry. Not there yet, not even close really, but in a year or so they should have it down. DH sorta does his laundry.

So look out Martha, here's Ranger Anna's tips for cleaning:

1. Okay, I'm stealing this one from Martha: Make your bed. Everyday. Having a nice, neat bed in which to climb after a long day really is grand.

2. No dirty dishes in the sink at bedtime. A couple of years ago a friend of mine and I decided we both needed to do this. So we checked up on each other and now it's just habit. BTW, psychologists say that if you do or don't do something for 30 days, it will become part of your routine. True that.

3. Don't use outside spray-with-the-hose window cleaner. DH tried it 2 years ago and the windows seem to be pitted now. Damn.

4. Clean the damn windows twice a year. Easier to get a little dirt off than a lot.

5. Our whole house vaaccuumm system really sucks. For deep cleaning it's awesome. For quick messes it's just a drag. The 30 foot hose is cumbersome and requires wrangling, but boy does it clean. And since the motor is in the basement, it's nice and quiet upstairs. We have a crappy vaccuumm for the usual messes. We also use that out west.

6. My newest favoritest cleaning thing: A Libman quick mop. Works as advertised which is really nice. I also use a Libman mop for the big jobs. I almost never promote a brand name because I figure they should pay me for advertising, but this is an exception.

7. Keep paper towels, window cleaner, handiwipes, bowl cleaner, scrubbers, etc. in each bath. Lots of folks have a basket they lug from room to room. Nope, uh huh not me. Keep that stuff right under the sink in each room. So easy to do a quick clean anytime with out having to find the stuff and getting distracted along the way.

8. Don't carry junk mail into the house. Go to mailbox. Get mail. Walk back to house through garage. Stop in front of garbage can. Sort mail. Pitch crap out. Seriously, this cuts our junk in the house by about 3/4.

9. If you buy something new for the house, be prepared to get rid of something old. Houses do have carrying capacities. I've reached mine and now really have to weigh the 'cost' of having something else. I've done this with my clothes for about 7 years now. Really, really helps to focus on stuff that really is right. (Trying desperately hard to teach DD my incredibly materialist one about this concept. He just wants it all.)

10. I don't really have a tenth thing.

Good News, Bad News

Good news--no more horrible political ads. Bad news--the results.

Lovely Time of the Year

It's a luxury, to be able to enjoy this time of year. The sun comes up late and sets early and stays low in the sky. The leaves are off the tress, save for the mighty oaks, exposing the forest's secret hiding places. For most folks, that's a bummer. For me, it means the sun shines in every room of the house, exposing not only all the otherwise unlit and unseen spiderwebs, but it also paints the rooms in lovely ways.
In the morning, the sun shines though the front windows, painting moving shadow pictures with the pines. In midday, the family room's south window, usually deep in shade, is tossing light everywhere. In the long twilight, the sun stretches all the way across the family room into the kitchen and in the dining room to the foyer. I opened a kitchen cabinet, the one holding the everyday glass ware, and for a few fleeting minutes, the sun bounced around in and out of my glasses, shining as if lit from inside.
When the sun sets, the view from all three bedrooms is amazing--the woods seem to be glowing from within as the sun goes down. On bonus days, the full moon then rises, giving the bare branches light and glory, so intense that I have to go outside to see if it's real. And it is.

A sunset in autumn in Ohio is one of the greatest sights on earth. These are the days to savor.

Long Time, No See

Gee. I just checked and it really has been months since I last posted. My cop-out story is that with limited computer time at work, and this year's record breaking crowds leading yours truly to be really tired at the end of the day, I just didn't write.

But I'm home now, safe and sound. Back on Eastern Daylight Time, both boys are back in school, and we're back to normal. Well, as normal as we ever get.

I've also composed some outstanding posts while driving. Sadly, I can't compute and drive simultaneously, so those totally awesome thoughts go unwritten.

The one I should have written was going to be called "Happy Trails and Happy Feet." Another great summer season and new boots that fit! Woohoo! The longer version I was composing as I drove across South Dakota was much better, but not quite so succinct.

Today's post, were I not doing a round-up post would be called "The Perfect Day." The best month in NW Ohio is October. Last year was the most stunning I can ever recall. This fall hasn't been quite as dramatic, but today was a stunner. Wow. My friends in New England and the mountains both say they have the most beautiful fall foliage. They only say that because they haven't been here to experience a real fall. Someday they will be lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful fall day with us. So come on over, sit on the front porch, and enjoy a cuppa with us soon. We'll be looking for you.

LIfe List Additions

I'm not a hard-core bird or animal "life lister" but I can add a couple more this week. First, we have one Trumpeter Swan on the Madison this summer. These birds often winter here, but we only have a few breeding pairs. We haven't had any breeders on the Madison for at least 3 years. So now we have one Lonely George, or Georgette. And we hope it can seduce a mate to stay with next summer.

Two days ago at the Junior Ranger Station, I was doing a bison program on the back porch, due to the 50+ bison in the valley. I caught a glimpse of something on the picture window, figuring it was one of our pesky ground squirrels. Not. It was a long-tailed weasel. Really pretty critter. It was running from hole to hole trying to find ground squirrel babies for breakfast. We didn't see it with any, but farther up the hill, we did see a mama ground squirrel give the weasel a run for its money.

Not a bad day at work. Yep, it's tough being me some days.

More Quick Trip Tips

Gosh, I have time to write for a change!

I haven't seen my yard in June for two years--this has been interesting! The back yard, where we had to take several trees down looks like a rain forest! Speaking of which, NW Ohio has had two record-breaking months of rain. Oh, shucks, I missed most of it.

I took a quick stroll in the front today--quick because my knee is killing me and because the skeeters nearly carried me away. Last spring I stained the front deck marine blue. Sadly, it turned out to be North Toledo Blue. Way too much of a good thing. This year I found some "fern green" stain, and DH re-stained it last week. Much more soothing on the eyes. I like it enough that I think I'll ask him to do the boardwalk this week.

And my flowers! Actually, they're mostly weeds, but that's the way I roll. Six or seven years ago, milkweed showed up in the rocks around the foundation in the front of the house. Since this is the host plant for Monarchs, I let the milkweed stay. Now it's growing like crazy, and looks really good around the house. I also bought a butterfly weed plant and a holly for each side of the porch. All are doing well. And wow! Today I found two itty-bitty catepiggles! I miss 'raising' Monarchs out west, so this has been a nice bonus for this trip.

The weedbeds between the yard and the road are looking good, also. Lots of native phlox and Sweet William that came from a can of seeds eons ago are also doing well. The Sweet William had several Tiger Swallowtails around.

The down side of Ohio in the summer? Humidity and mosquitoes. I managed to get about a dozen bites in my short foray. I know I'll be attacked by buffalo gnats in a couple of weeks, but at least I get to see buffalo! Nothing exciting about mosquitoes. All of my Claritin is out west, so I took a Benedryl--which induced a weird nap, complete with drooling. Sheesh.

The sky is dark and menacing now, thick with heat and humidity~~we're under storm watches for the evening. DD and DH are out rail-fanning with DD's club, FTD's best bud spent several hours over here, but when all is said and done, all is right with the world.

A Quick Trip Home

I've mentioned before that I don't often fly for trips or vacations. I prefer the car or the train, so I can see what there is to see out there. I also like to stop hither and yon and see what stuff the locals like in their own communities--especially if there are Junque stores and quilting shops.

But for FTD's "graduation" a flight home was necessary. DD and I left Bozeman at 1:00 Mountain Time and landed in Toledo at 10:00 Eastern Time. Amazing. And except for severely twisting a knee standing up after 4 hours of sitting, all is well.

Ohio is green and lush and humid. We left Wyoming in cold and slop, it's sunny and warm here. I know I shouldn't be amazed about this, but I am. Some folks take flying through time and space for granted. Those of us who don't do it often continue to stare out the windows, trying to pick out landmarks below, instead of looking sullen and bored with the whole affair, acting like the article in the journal is the most important thing in the world. (I suppose if the person reading is a brain-surgeon and the article is about the next day's surgery, well, that's okay.) But come on, traveling by air is remarkable (and probably not really possible). Do me a favor and act amazed about it.

DH and FTD have enjoyed being bachelors. They eat when they feel like it, didn't bother with all that cleaning crap I insist upon, and enjoyed the quiet. FTD finished his classes, with DH sending him to school even on Senior skip days. I would have let him play hookey, since it's part of the 'experience' of being a Senior. DH has no concept of social life, and since FTD's even more clueless, I guess it all worked out. Sigh. FTD will be in high school for two more years (maybe), so this social graduation is an exercise in just making it this far. When we planned his Eagle Scout ceremony last spring, we had in mind that that would serve as his "coming of age" event. And it was a great day.

Tomorrow will be bittersweet, more so for me that for most parents. Something like 90% of the AW grads will be going on to college or the military. My son goes back to 'job skills' training in high school. His name can't be published in the program, so as to protect him if our insurance company or the draft board decide he's out of school. All of the kids get blank folders tomorrow, but Tommy's will stay blank for at least another year. In a perfect world, he'd be able to get better insurance (and after getting several bills this winter, Medicare might actually be better), and a job where he's treated as a valued worker, not just the token disabled guy. In a perfect world, he'd fall in love with a charming young woman in a few years, and they would embark on a journey together. But this is our world. At least FTD is in love with me--that's one more person than many folks with autism can love. And I will love him and care for him until our dying days, high school diploma or not.

T-Minus 4 Days and Success!

It worked. Two of DD's teachers pitched the idea of staying at his regular high school for another year, and he bought it. Wow. I am such a wizard. It really wasn't as hard as we thought it would be. His teachers added a couple of incentives--one of his jobs next year will be as an office monitor, the kids who run notes around the building and stuff, and he's now "training" to be a gym assistant next year. And according to him, he'll get to drive the golf cart around as part of his gym job! What!!!!!! omg. If they think he can do it, more power to him. So DH and I are really pleased that the system is finally working for him.

I took a busman's holiday today and drove out to Magee Marsh to check out the warbler action. I had more fun watching the warbler-watchers than anything else. I did get glimpses of 2 birds, and took some pics. I put my contacts in before I left, but they must be really dirty because I had to take them out when I got there. Taking pictures with glasses on is a pain and I'll have to re-learn how to do it. And our long lens is hard to focus. The auto focus is really weird, so I keep it turned off. But I also haven't come close to mastering it with or without glasses. Something to work on this summer.

Mystery bird pics-- since everyone else was taking pictures of them and going, "oohh" and "ahhh" and "great bird" and today's most uttered phrase, "That's a lifer for me" I decided to post these crumby pictures. Feel free to post id's for me! More (and better pictures) later.

Kudos to Kim Kaufmann for pulling off the "Biggest Week in American Birding." I have long maintained that if you want to promote something just print up glossy, full-color, tri-fold flyers and it becomes true. Kim went waaaaay beyond that to promote this. I have also long maintained that something like this should happen. My hat is off to Kim, and Julie Shieldcastle (founder) and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. For those of you who don't know Kim, picture me, but on heavy duty steroids! Way to go, ladies!

T-Minus 6 Days and Life Interupts

The good news: We'll have plenty of room in the cargo trailer. The bad news, a really tough school decision looms again.

For a couple of years, DD has said that he wants to go to Penta Career Center, the local vocational high school. As an added bonus, they've moved into a beautiful, amazing new building with all the coolest new stuff. DH and I thought we knew that the programs were all about. Last week we met with reps there and started being able to read, or listen, between the lines.

Kids in with disabilities are usually entered into the "Skills Center" where they learn "job skills." What we didn't pick up in our other conversations is that the kids in these programs aren't exposed to much in academics, or in particular careers. It's more a matter of finding a task that the child is capable of doing, not really picking up career skills.

First, remember my posts about parents of kids with special needs being in a constant state of grieving. Here we go again. We understand and recognize that our kids will probably never be rocket surgeons. Or brain scientists, either. But we still hold out hope that they will be able to find jobs with a higher level of skills. All parents want that for their kids. But now that we're nearing the cusp of adulthood, we're becoming painfully aware that even if we push and shove our kids to do more, they will never be 'fully employed.' Ever. So why do we worry about it? Why don't we just let them relax and enjoy the pleasures they do find in life? Why do we think our kids will be able to find jobs when there are plenty of able bodied and able minded folks out there? But even knowing that, we now hope that DD can stay at AW another year, so he can have another shot at picking up some academic skills.

Selling this idea to him will be tricky. Really, really tricky. I think--I hope--that if the teachers he loves at school pitch the idea to him, he might go for it. They'll have to be completely sincere and fully believe that it's the right thing for him. I've only been mulling this idea over for about 24 hours, but the more I think about it, the more comfortable I am with it. If only. . . .

T-Minus 7 Days and Counting!

Okay, so I really don't have time to blog. But I need a break from clothes packing hell! The good news is that the kitchen/linen/uniform stuff is done and ready to go into the trailer. The food stuff is close to done and easy to finish. My civies won't take too long, and most of them are still packed from last summer anyway. That leaves. . . . teenager clothing. Arg.

If we were all four going out at the same time this year, or if two of us go out now and 2 follow later, and if we were all coming back at the same time, it would be a snap to pack. Unfortunately, since we've got an utterly wacky schedule this year, packing is going to be a real trip.

First, DD and I need traveling clothes. No problem. We throw the stuff the 2 of us need for traveling in a big ol' suitcase and call it done. But! I have to be sure he has clothes to wear when we come home for FTD's graduation in June. Okay, so I leave some of his least favorite clothes in the closet. But wait! Then he and DH have to drive back out, so he needs traveling clothes. Okay, pack a separate suitcase for that. Done. But wait! Tommy needs clothes out west, so I'll have to take those now. But he also needs clothes for 3 more weeks of school. Why do you ask, do I need to pack the suitcases for the boys now? Because DH is totally clueless as to what the boys wear, what they like, what they need, what fits, etc., etc.. God only knows what they'd show up with if I let DH pack.

I'm worried enough about letting him pack his own clothes. He keeps saying things like, "Well, I'll be 10 pounds lighter when I get out there, so I'll bring the 'skinny' clothes that I kept/purchased all these years." Take a deep breath, Mama. Think happy, serene thoughts. As kindly as I could, I says, "You know, Love of My Life, that we have no extra storage space out west for clothes. . ." "Oh. Yeah. Well," says he. Says I, "If you loose some weight while you're out there, we'll go buy you new stuff." "Hmmm," says he, "but I've been collecting this stuff for so long, and never got to wear it." "Hmmmmm," says I, as kindly as I can again muster. And so it goes. I've no idea what he'll bring out, but I did set limits on how many boxes he can bring.

The other fly in the packing ointment is that all three of them will drive home in mid August for school. They'll wear uniforms at Penta, so I don't have to worry about getting all their clothes home in August. I'll send traveling clothes, and pack the rest away to bring home with me in the trailer. Three grown size male humans in the butt-ugly Aztec with traveling gear is all the car will hold. (What an odd sentence.)

DH just surfaced to say he's got some of the fishing gear ready. Translation, "I might have it done by Thursday or so."

Back to the pack I go. I'm stalling on getting the office supplies done, I don't know why, but I can't seem to take enough stuff. I don't really need all that much stuff, but what if . . . We all have our Achilles tendon, and mine is office supplies. Oh. And books. Did I mention books. . . .

Madison, Hayden, and Lamar just sit back and laugh at me. Rotten little scoundrels.

More Hiking with Kids!

I've been volunteering with the Metroparks again this spring. For alleged fiscal reasons, they fired half a dozen part-time naturalists. These good folks picked up most of the weekend events, so the full-time permanent staff could cover weekday events, like school groups. While I'm totally aghast and ticked about the action, I also fully believe that the importance of getting kids out into the field is more important that the ridiculous political goings-on of the current park administration. And so, I offer up my talents.

Today, I had the chance to take a dozen energetic first graders from Hiawatha Elementary School out for a romp in the Oaks. They were fun and lively and very very well behaved! Great group! They have perfected their chick-a-dee-dee-dee calls! And they were soooo quiet when we were listening for frogs. What a delightful way to spend the morning.

My group with Madison Wolf, Lamar Bear, and Hayden Bison.
Inspecting a salamander. Cool!
School chaperone who was up close and personal with the salamander. Great find!
The Furries with a new friend! A Timberwolf from Hiawatha Elementary!
Hayden, Madison, and Lamar wishing someone would share lunch with them. Or in the case of Lamar, that someone would be lunch!