March 2022 Daffodil check

 I love daffodils. Plant them and you're finished! They return every spring bringing bright bursts of yellow all around the yard. 

I did a walk around the yard to look at them and make a short video of what's blooming. 

A Sobering Conversation

Until recently, the spousal unit and I kept well clear of political discussions. We agree in our views, so a lot of conversation hasn't been necessary. With the 2020 election, all that changed. 

We are angry. Something is very foul, very wrong, in the United States when hatred of one man can poison a nation. And the poison is still spreading. I've yet to figure out what he did that was so onerous other than send idiotic tweets. 

We are concerned about the recent events in Ukraine, and today our discussion turned seriously morbid. 

If the United States is invaded, we can not fuel our armed forces. We can't feed them. We can't get medical supplies to them. Our oil pipelines are shut down and truckers who effectively go on strike are made into heroes. 

We not-so-jokingly said if the country is invaded, we'll give the dog as gentle a death as possible and then we'll both take an overdose of sleeping pills, go to bed and hold hands, and that will be that. 

Our three thousand rounds of .22 ammo can't hold off an invading army. We have nothing of real value to invaders so our chances of survival are pretty slim.  All I've ever wanted was to get to the stage of my life when I can spend my days on the manor enjoying a long retirement. It's about to be snatched away from me. 

Our country is at risk and the youth of this nation are not going to fight for their own future. Why should we fight for them? 

Yes, it was a theoretical conversation, but sobering nonetheless. 

What is not theoretical is this: Climate change is a ruse to push us toward a Socialist government, a government that will tell us what to eat, what to wear, where to work, what cars to drive, and what types of homes we can live in. Surely I am not the only one who sees that. 

It frightens me that my husband, a man who fought cancer twice just to stay alive can so calmly talk about the particulars of how to end his life. 

It's time to THINK! To very carefully THINK about what our rulers are telling us.  One wrong move is all it will take, and there is an idiot at the helm. 

All our days are numbered, and the number is paralyzingly small. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Plans are rarely static

The old saying is, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." It's often true, but sometimes the more things change, the more they change. Take my retirement calculation, for example. 

On the surface, I have 57 total work days, or 11 weeks, until my retirement date. I don't work Mondays, so do the subtraction and we have 46 days. Now let's figure in the new twist. They want to throw me a retirement party on Sunday, May 22. 

You know that after the party, I will not go back into the office. 

So do the subtraction and we have 39 days, less one Friday when a friend is coming into town for one day and I'm spending it with her. So we're left with 38 working days. 

Thirty-eight working days. 

Thirty-eight days I'm not looking forward to.

Thirty-eight bittersweet days. 

I'm excited and sad, contented and regretful, all at the same time. For such a long time, I thought all I'd feel is relief. There is some of that - I'm sure I'll be relieved when I walk out of that party. And my conscience will be clear. I've done the very best I know how to do. 

But maybe the most surprising thing is how worried I am about spending 24/7 with the Man of the Manor. Yes, me and the spousal unit have some different ideas on what MY retirement should look like. I'm sure it will work out. If he annoys me, I can call Deuce and take off for the woods where the man can't follow us. That may seem like a cold thing to do to a disabled person, but it's not if he drives me to it. 

I'm a fan of making lists. I may not follow them with strict adherence, but a list is part of my thinking process. It's putting my thoughts and ideas down so I don't forget them. There is value in that. Does it matter that items on Monday's list don't happen until Thursday? Probably not. The Monday critical items will likely be done first and what falls to the wayside are just notions. I can deal with that. 

So I think I'm off to make a list of ideas for the Summer of '22. Maybe I'll jot down a few things and then engage the spousal unit and see if he has any different ones. We can then "discuss" them. It should make for an interesting afternoon.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

A Mid-March Snow

It's not at all unusual for us to get a measurable snowfall in March, but then again, it's not an every year occurrence. We didn't expect it this year, an expectation based on the daffodils and the fact the maple trees have red tips. But this morning we got four inches of white powder. It was 36F when I got up at five-thirty, and now at two-thirty pm, it's only 24F. And, as the snapshot shows, we had a casualty. 

Being curious, I went to a website run by our local meteorologist to check out snowfall totals in a single "biggee" snowfall that happened in March. March always has a few flurries, but I didn't feel the need to look at those.  

March 5, 1902 - 15"

March 18, 1928 - 13"

March 7-9, 1941 - blizzard conditions, 13"

And a special one: March 29, 1942 - The famous Palm Sunday Snowstorm. 23.0" of heavy, wet snow that fell trees and power lines, damaged roofs, and collapsed buildings. Higher elevations had up to 48" of snow. It was 53F on the 30th and by April 3, the snow was completely gone and it was 65F. Wow!

March 6-7, 1962 - 10.5"

March 13, 1993 - 20". I remember this one! I couldn't get my car in my lane and had to walk in and out. This storm affected an area that stretched from Alabama to Maine. 

March 14, 1999 - 12.5 " of really heavy snow. Lots of tree damage (read that we had a lot of firewood for the next season).

We are way overdue for a "big one" in March. I think I need to be happy we only had 4" and go knock the snow off my chair and set it back on its feet. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Tête-à-tête

  

For the past several years I've been gifted with a mini-garden planter for Easter. The violas last until the weather gets hot, but the small miniature daffodils are perennial keepers and I've planted them in various locations. 

Last spring, I needed to separate some of the clumps of daffodils that have been growing on the manor for many years. This past weekend, I walked through the woods looking for green sprouts and was pleased to see more than a few breaking ground. I don't expect many to bloom this year, but future springs should be yellow! 

I was surprised to see the tête-à-têtes blooming already. This little clump is really out-doing itself. I hope there are others I haven't spotted yet.

It gave me a feeling of hope following the long, cold winter just past. And it was a hard winter in many regards. My grandmother often said the colder the winter, the better the bulbs bloom. 

Time has proven her correct about many things. Here's hoping! 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

A simple fix - fake ivy

Several...good grief. It's been almost FIVE years.

Five years ago we put railing up around the sunroom porch. We were concerned a young Deuce would jump off at the back end, and it's a six-foot drop. The installation did not "go off without a hitch." It was July and it was hot. The good news is that once it was installed, we liked it. It gave the porch a more intimate feel on those evenings we sat out there to watch the deer meander through the woods. 

Not long after the installation, the base of the center post fell apart. The center post drooped a bit and we knew we'd need to replace it. That never happened. His health took a turn and we were busy with doctors, and it just didn't get done.

I've snarled to myself over the way the railing looks for several years. It's a two-person job to fix else it would have been done long ago. 

Fast forward to me scrolling through Amazon one day very recently when I somehow was given links to "silk flowers" when I was searching for "flower pots." I saw a set of ivy vines for $10 and wondered if that would be sufficient to hide how the railing sagged. 

The answer is yes! That's not a very good photo, but the fake vines are just the ticket. They hide the sag and soften the edges. It's very pleasing to my eye. 

I'm going to look at it for a while before deciding if I need another set of vines. I'm on the fence about it and probably won't decide until I can put the umbrella up and actually enjoy some time out there. 

The post base still needs to be replaced. Maybe this summer, once I'm home, I can ask one (or two) of the male cousins to come to help me out with my To Do list. I bet they could whip right through it. It's a thought, anyway.

Until then, my simple, inexpensive fix works just fine.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Freezing rain encases the manor

It was drizzling when I went to bed last Thursday night (February 24), so it was no surprise as daylight rolled around to find my little manor encased in ice. 

My first thought was something along the lines of, "oh fuck I have to go to the office and I can't get out of it today." 

Yes, I do sometimes use THAT word. Get over it.

As daylight crept over the mountain, the world took on a different appearance. The trees began to shine and the woods came to life with new creaks and groans, and the occasional 'thump' as a limb gave way under the extra weight of the ice. 

I had to go to my day job office, but I didn't need to hurry. I decided I would enjoy the morning.

Deuce was ready for his morning stroll, so I bundled up and out we went. We didn't go far - he's very good at making short work of his outside activities when it's wet outside. So what if Labs are water dogs? Deuce knows the difference between wet feet from the creek and the cold, wet ground. 

We made a circuit around the yard and I took a few pictures to share. Not too many because I don't like the cold, wet ground under my feet, either. 

A short while later the sun began to burn through the clouds and everything turned to crystal for a few short heartbeats. Just as rapidly the mist began to rise and it sounded like rain as the ice melted from the trees. 

Such ice storms are infrequent here at the manor. We just don't get the freezing rain that coats the trees very often. I feel blessed to have been witness to the rare display of beauty, and relieved it left so little damage in its wake. 

Country living brings an ever-changing vista to my door. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

A short video I took as the melting began can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQoWa8wfowU

Preparedness

 

What is preparedness?

For most of us, the world took an odd turn in the year 2020. One day we’re going about our day-to-day lives and the next we’re behind closed doors wearing a surgical mask. Was anyone prepared for that change? 

Most of us probably were not prepared, or at least not as prepared as we wished we were. I remember my first trip to the local grocery after the state I live in went on lockdown. The empty shelves were sobering proof we had more than a medical crisis. The stories told to me by my grandparents of living through the Great Depression echoed in my memory. 

I got real serious real fast about preparedness. As the pandemic drags on, as the political climate becomes unstable, as the economy declines, it's more and more obvious just how our daily lives are at risk. 

This series is simply to share what I've done and what I will continue to do to maintain a level of food and resource security. It won't be enough to survive a total collapse, but I believe I can lessen the day-to-day impact of what is coming over the next few years. 

To read more about my journey, please click to go to What is Preparedness?

And no. It's not clickbait. This blog is not monetized. 

The topics in the series are:

What is Preparedness?

Why concern yourself over being prepared?

Take an inventory

Preparedness is not Doomsday prepping

How much does an adequate pantry hold?

Home food preservation - is it safe?

More about jars and lids

Yes, you can afford to build a pantry

The get home go bag

Do I need a dehydrator or even a freeze dryer? 

I hope that sharing my journey to being better prepared will help you in yours.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Ashes and old loves

 
An old love of mine died last week. The news came as quite a shock, especially as he was five years younger than me. It's been years since we saw each other, but we greeted each other in that chance meeting with affection and parted with a friendly hug. Never in that moment would I have believed that I'd never see him again in this life. Never would I have thought to see two of my old loves die, but now it has happened, the first back in 2009. 

Kevin came to me through my late cousin Phil. My first marriage had recently - formally - ended and Phil knew Kevin through a friend of his. He called me and had me come to his house to meet "a guy you'll like," and Kevin was there helping him paint the outside window frames. 

My cousin was correct. I did like him. The next Monday night, Kevin showed up at the bowling alley "to see Phil" and we spent two hours chatting away. That led to a proper date which led to us becoming a couple. And while we eventually went out separate ways, there was no acrimony between us. We simply needed different things. 

But, oh, did we have fun together! He didn't bowl but he did practice Tae Kwon Do. The guy had a mean spinning back kick and the trophies to prove it. He had worked his way up to a second-degree black belt before we parted and, to my surprise, during our chance meeting he told me he'd given it up. 

He lived along the Potomac River and we walked the C&O Canal towpath, fished, camped, and floated on inner tubes. He was a big movie buff and we probably went to the movies three out of four Saturday nights. 

Even though Kevin hasn't been a part of my daily life for over thirty years, it tugs at my heart to know his light is gone from this realm. He was one of the good guys. 

Rest in peace, Kev.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Apparently, it's difficult to let go

I learned a new phrase: contract knowledge. It wasn't what I thought, that being someone who has knowledge of contracts. As it was suggested to me, it's someone who retires but agrees her replacement can continue to call her for assistance at an agreed-upon rate.

Let's just say that blind-sided me. What part of RETIRED do you folks not understand? 

As of today, February 6, 2022, I have no more than 57 workdays left at my place of employment. With a few vacation days due me, Friday, May 27, is my very last day. It could even end up being May 20. We shall see. 

This notion that they will be able to call me for help is for THEIR convenience, not mine. I've already put it out that I do not carry my cellphone with me everywhere I go here at The Hideaway. If I'm outside, it's not in a pocket where it could get damaged. If I agree to their proposal, it has to be at MY convenience. 

I'm not hardwired to be one of these people who can't let go when it's time to move on. I've seen a lot of pain caused by people who can't let go and force relationships into a swamp, and I refuse to allow myself into those situations. 

I think a clean break is best, but perhaps I should give them until the end of this calendar year. It has been a good job with an excellent pension. What I won't do is sign paper on the deal. If they won't trust me, there is no deal. 

It feels good to be the one in the "position of power."

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)