Aaargh!

Our forest is so stressed right now. I have taken to wearing a wide brimmed hat when I go outdoors to keep the caterpillars from dropping into my hair. Yes, they were doing that and I'd itch for the rest of the day just thinking about it!

Now the oak trees are showing stress signs too. Although this fungus is beautiful to look at and watch it grow in size, it is a sign of an illness. (Or so I understand.)

My Market Bag Made You-Tube!

I made numerous market bags to give to special women who worked around me last year. One was for the secretary and I worried that she might find it too floral. In response, she sent this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RVgAXA470

Sites featured in the video are:

Rogue River Gorge

Clearwater Falls

Whitehorse Falls

Watson Falls

Toketee Falls

Fall Creek Falls

Crater Lake

Rogue River Lodge

What fun! Thanks, Sharstin, I'm happy that you like your bag.

Poop Patrol

I've been busy trying to save a couple of trees and an old rose bush that the tent caterpillars want to call their own. I start my mornings with a cup of coffee then I check the patio for CPP (caterpillar pellet poop)! There is a ton of it every morning and evening. According to the internet, it is good fertilizer. Like I should sweep it and haul it to the garden!
All I know is that it is hard and hurts the bottom of my feet. Yes, I can usually be found barefooted - (Kari did not get her shoe fetish from me!)
I "wash" down the tree of any caterpillars I can manage to get and then hose down the deck. Hosing down the trees has become rather therapeutic.

Where's Amy When I Need Her?

Well, house is clean; now to get on with the BIG project that I want to do while Jack is away and that is making my scrapbok from my 2006 trip to France.

My problem is this: It took four years to prepare for the trip and I have four years worth of paperwork, references, ideas,  etc. to squeeze into the album along with the crazy things I saved to put into the album. ... like my worn out shoe inserts!

I could use Amy right about now... the Scrapping Queen.

OH my.... I just realized this doesn't even include the 3,000 photos I took! (I might have to ask Jack to extend his trip by two months!!)

I color coded my spreadsheets for the most expensive to the cheapest. I tracked whether the 1-star hotel (many hotels ended up being negative 1-star!) had a shower in the room or not. One spreadsheet is of all the places I wanted to visit and how much the trains were from one pit-stop to another vs. whether to use my Eurail Pass or not! I printed out the European keyboard to study.

Hours and hours and hours and hours of reading and typing and exploring ... all with a dial-up connection on our computer.

Now ask me....go ahead, I know you are dieing to ask me.....

"Did I follow my script?"

My answer is this: My new mantra became, "Serendipity...... Serendipity..... Serendipity..."

Preparations for my next trip will take up much less forest products!

Cleaning Machine

In the two days that Jack has been gone, I have cleaned more than I can imagine. It started last Monday after our trip to CA; a burst of energy came out of nowhere and hit me right in the middle of my solar plexus! Late last night, I decided to finish bleaching down the grout in the kitchen tiles. Whew! I am like a one woman cleaning machine. I'll let you all know just how long this burst of energy lasts; I hope for awhile because my "To Do" list is still way too long.



What's For Dinner?

Anyone who knows me well would know the answer to that question!

Popcorn for Dinner. Popcorn for Lunch. Popcorn for snacks!

One good thing about being home alone. ;o)



Off on the Red Eye

Bags are Packed....
         Jack flys out tomorrow on the Red Eye back to Upland. The siblings and cousins are gathering to make those very difficult decisions.... basically, what type of a facility Mom should move into. Arrrgh! I do not envy them the task and the emotional roller coaster ride that just seems to continue.
     I will remain at home, killing catepillars!
     Seeing Jack's luggage being packed again reminded me of this great song by John Denver. (The same link as above.) Circumstances aren't the same at all, but the song comes to mind whenever one of us is leaving the other.