Fall in Saskatchewan

Don't Look at Me That Way, Johnny*

One last hot summer day, in the swing.

There are a couple notes from Johnny Cash in the most recent posting on Letters of Note. He writes a billet à deux to his wife June, and a to-do (and don't do) list for himself. See them HERE.

*title from lyric of Surabaya, a song Bette Midler embedded in my brain many years ago with her Divine Miss M album. I haven't been able to find a video of her singing it on Youtube, but did find this other version that has me smitten:




Or maybe you'd like to see what Kenny Rogers is up to. He's just been at the Kansas State Fair; it appears that Pondering Patsy is a fan: click here.

Did You Miss Me?

My internet provider has had an equipment failure that kept me offline since Wednesday afternoon.

Scott thought I might suffer from withdrawal, but surprisingly, I haven't. Complaints would have started tomorrow though, had it continued, because by then I would have run out of work that could be done offline.

Harvest is in full swing out here in sweltering heat. Things are supposed to start cooling down today, which will be fine with me. I've enjoyed the beautiful summer but am looking forward to using the oven again without concern about heating up the house. With its new windows and insulation and doors it stays nice and cool in here, and I like to keep it that way when the heat outside makes me dizzy.

Everett's first full day of classes in Edmonton was Wednesday and he was feeling a bit overwhelmed and tired when we spoke by phone in the evening; I told him to eat something and have a nap, and things would soon look better. Hope that bit of motherly advice helped. Well, isn't it true that when your kid is cranky, he usually needs food and sleep? And this fact doesn't change much throughout life, either. Thank goodness Everett's well past needing a diaper change.

Speaking of mothers ... we have a new baby in the family. My cousin Nathan's wife Jacquie gave birth to a little boy so Aunt Reta and Uncle Carl are celebrating down in Phoenix.

And speaking of mothers yet again, my mother's cousin Judy (thanks for making me shed tears first thing in the morning, missy!) sent me the video below. I love the way this performer loves and appreciates his mother ... and does he not have the most beautiful, glowing face?
 


I have been hoping and praying that the three-year-old boy abducted in BC several days ago would be safely returned to his mother and dad, so was relieved this morning to hear on the radio that he's home safe and sound.

And now I'm off to upload Joanne's blog entries.

Quick & Dirty

-thanks to Maggie at Serendipity is Everywhere, for alerting me to this music video

Uh huh, I'm on the go. How come there are still so many "shoulds" in a nice quiet life like mine?
I've been up since Scott brought me a cup of black coffee in bed and asked me to make lunch and supper for him to grab in a hurry while he's in the field this afternoon and evening. Fortunately I didn't have to rack my brain long to come up with something to make; pork chops baked slowly in canned mushroom soup were already in my plan for supper, and we have a giant zucchini on the kitchen counter alongside a big bag of fresh corn on the cob. I've stuck the dead pig in the oven, tidied the kitchen and stacked the dishes, swept the kitchen and living room floors, done my Tibetan Rites, and eaten breakfast. I've washed and dressed, and as soon as this radio program about the invention of the vibrator is over, I'm off for a walk, and then to feed the cats, and then I'll come in and do the neverending dishes, and then ... sit here at my desk and work all afternoon.

It'll be hot out there already (it's 9:45); we're having fantastic sunny warm days, perfect for harvest. Technically it's still summer, but as far as I'm concerned it's fall. The oak leaves have begun to turn colour. There were three sandhill cranes in the swaths south of our yard the other day. I've filled the bird feeders in the yard with black sunflower seeds but the birds haven't rediscovered them yet.



- Barb&Deb posted this on their blog, The Middle Ages.

Jacks of All Trades

Above, Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto is filled with chalk messages in memory of Jack Layton, a man who died too soon.

Below, Jack Duckworth, longtime native of Coronation Street, leaves this mortal coil via a slow waltz with the spirit of his late wife Vera.

Here Comes Fall

My back yard.

You do not want to know me today. Cranky? Lord t'underin' Jaysus. Might just have to go buy a chocolate bar. That, or hit myself over the head with a hammer. A good brisk walk didn't help. Getting the dishes done didn't do the trick. Bah, humbug.

From Everett's "baby book." Click to enlarge.

He's off and running, into his new life. I sent him on the bus to his dad's yesterday morning with an undramatic farewell at the depot, and had turned away before actually feeling the jarring finality of it: the fact that he won't be home in a month.

This morning I pulled out his "baby book" (some kids have baby books, my kids have bulging binders) and have been reading through it, chuckling, remembering, and shedding a few tears.

Lord, this kid has been a lot of fun to raise and dammit, I AM going to miss having him around.

Sparrows and a Spaceship Cloud

Bath time in Foam Lake, Sask

One evening in August, she walked north.

Check out my tarot card for today: click here.
I am going to put my hair in curlers. Not!

Coming and Going

At Middle Lake, Sask

Next to Highway #5: a Rest Room for the Ladies

Here in Saskatchewan we go out of our way for travellers.

Open 24 hours!

And speaking of strange sights around the province, Trent Deerhorn has posted a photo of what appears to be an extra-terrestrial east of Saskatoon. Lookee here: click. You'll look twice, for sure.

Don't forget to check out the list of links at the bottom of my webpage here. There's some fun and interesting stuff to be found.

And He Could Play and Sing, Too.

Half 'n' Half

We never get tired of the ever-changing sky.

Kittenfish

Beatrix and Birdie.

“Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going.” – something like that, Flylady.com

Grimacing through the video Shine Your Sink, an ode to clean kitchens as if they bring with them a host of angels that will help you get to the apparent heaven of a perfect house and orderly life.


And yet, this house is my domain. It’s where I want to be. I want it comfortable, orderly, clean, pleasant. And one must start with the basics, not? And the basics are – food and shelter. Dammit.


***
Everett's message:
Don't dig up.

Crapola

Junk left between two granaries

It wouldn't hurt to get a truck in here, fill it with old crap and take it to the dump.

Will I ever get around to it? Will Scott?

My guess is: no.

Message from Everett:
Clean up your own messes.

When the Day Breaks

Walk with Me

I often drop off my jacket early on.

Occasionally it's just a casual stroll through the old farmyard across the road.

Half the time I head north

That grain elevator is six miles away; see it? Click to enlarge.

My entourage precedes me as we return to the yard

Hot Summer Times

Scott and his brother Bruce bale behind the house

It's super hot and those poor b_sta_ds are out there working in it.

Bruce flexes his muscles in the evening shade

Cathy has just left; thank goodness for air conditioning in vehicles. Here in the house it remains cool enough for now. The slow cooker's been on the go since noon so we won't wholly escape the heat. With luck things will cool down tonight and we can open up all the windows and let the night air waft through.

Cathy heads back to the city

We had a relaxed time of it. Drove Emil to and from town a couple times so he could visit with Cathy here but sleep in his room at the group home. Swapped a tarot card reading for a massage that put me in tiptop shape — sigh ... wonderful. Had company on yesterday's walk, gotta love that. Drank coffee in the mornings, pear cider in the evenings, tea in the afternoons. Need to do this more often.

One enchanted evening

I'm visiting with my friend Cathy, and all you get is this lousy picture!

Maggie's Bargain Shop Panties Hang Out

Maggie with her Bargain Shop Panties

Haven't heard the song yet? Watch the music video here: http://www.littlemisshiggins.com.

I've already pointed you to Maggie's blog, right? If I haven't, here it is: Serendipity Doo-Dah.
Maggie and I have known each other since we were young crones.
I mean, crows:

Guess I should speak for myself

Since we hung out in airports and handed out flowers while chanting and dancing.
Bwa Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!
Those were the days weren't they my friend?
You laugh -- I recently found out this was a rumour about me around the area.
Too funny.
Maggie and I met when we did a volunteer tour with Katimavik, a youth program sponsored by the federal government.
We share fond memories and good friends.

Hoe-Down Ready

It’s been to Marc and Michelle's wedding and, three weeks later, the piano is home again! It needs a good dusting after riding in the back of a truck, but that didn’t stop me from sitting right down and playing the four songs I have learned. They are simple, with sparse chords, but my fingers remember what to do even when my eyes are frantically lost among the notes I’m reading.

When I slip up, I curse loudly (according to Everett, but what does he know? He doesn’t notice that I also whoop with the pure joy of it); well hey, at age 52, I should be able to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star without screwing up! The other three selections in my beginner's repertoire? Silent Night, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory, and Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes. Not too impressive, nor do I care. I am having fun. And here’s the amazing part: I can’t sing and play guitar at the same time, but piano? I can chord, play the melody, and sing harmony! How can this be? I don’t know, but it feels good.

Now that the piano's back, I'm ready for the talented people to show up and party. I've got Mom's accordion, and a harmonica, and my bass guitar. Enough to fit everyone up with an instrument and have a kitchen hoe-down.

So far this fairy seems to be keeping the cats out of the flower pot.

********

You can help starving people -- yes, you can! -- by clicking on this link for The Hunger Site. It takes you to a page where you make one click and voila, more than a cup of food is donated to those who are in such great need right now. You can do it once a day, so bookmark the link and make it a habit. Every little bit helps.

The Babyest. The Babe. Babeski. Chuk. Nugget.

This is my little sister, Joan. Isn't she cute? Always was, too, right from the first day I saw her. She was a smiley, happy baby as I recall. I was nine when they brought her home from the hospital, and very excited, though disappointed that Mom and Dad —or as she called them, Dum and Mad — didn't listen to me and name her Suzie. Doesn't she look like a Suzie?

She's not a frequent blogger (perhaps that could change if you all go to her site and leave a comment, and for god's sake send something for her photo challenge so she'll stop whining! this week she's asking for your photo of something you can't live without), but when she does post an entry, it's always a good one. In her most recent effort she talks about feeling as if she had a charmed life up until Mom got sick. I can relate to that; when shit happens, suddenly it's brought home, real hard, just how vulnerable we and all our loved ones are. And how if we're smart we'll make the best of the time we have, right now. (October, Joan. I plan to visit you in two months! and maybe this time I'll actually make it.) We all know this, but seem to need to be reminded constantly.

Her husband, who is really still just a baby at age 47, had a heart attack a short while ago, and while he is one of the luckiest men on earth (my sister married him, didn't she? damn right), it's been a shock, an eye-opener, and a hell of a scare for him, for them, and for all of us. Fortunately our Gary has come through with flying colours and now we can all live happily ever after. Amen.