Break up redux

Gaze upon the reawakening of nature

that is around us now that it's spring:

the new growth on trees, the greening

of bushes,  the fuzzy pussywillows.

They serve as a perpetual reminder

of the resurrection promised by Christ

once we have passed through

the winter gauntlet of our existence.

- paraphrased from a church bulletin

Woke up to the sound of H crashing to the floor. He'd slipped on unseen dog vomit in the hallway. One of the furry beasts threw up a small bit of bone. Yuck. 

That set the tone of the day.

I was looking at our checkbook and was shocked at how quickly our balance is being depleted. So I figured out approximately how much we spent on taxes, utilities, insurance, phones, etc. last year. We had a family meeting to discuss it (including O on the phone) just so everyone is clear on how much things cost. 

O advised us to have a food budget. He's right. We spend way too much on food, and it's been uncontrolled over the past month with The Virus worries. "Better get this, just in case!" He said he's tightened his food budget and has lost 15 lbs. since Christmas!

H has PMS or whatever the male equivalent is. Grousing all day long. I put a rotting potato start covered with mold and little fruit flies out of the house. You'd think I'd murdered the thing. There were dishes in the sink and it was like the place hadn't been cleaned in a month. And the dirt and debris near the entryway from our mud-caked boots was unsightly. So I washed the dishes and swept the hall. No biggie.

Then it was my turn to be exasperated. "Where does the muffin tin go?" asked T. It's been stored in the same place since before he was born. "What do I do with the wet dish cloth?" Urg. 

Looked over the art worksheets M is supposed to turn in for his class. He was frustrated because the definitions were no where to be found in the text he read. And several of questions on the worksheet were misspelled. I had to nag him to finish. It's busywork. Just annoying. 

I cleaned out the back hall. Put the skis, poles and other winter gear away. Swept it out and shook out the rugs. Then I moved my boots to the boot tray as it's warm enough to leave the muddy boots out there. Then I washed the dog towels.

H, T and M worked on a vehicle in the garage for a while. One of the projects that was on the to-do list since December, it was too cold to work out there before now. But we've been paying insurance on it for the last six months I reminded them today, hence the spur to get it done now.

Day 21

Anyway. Kind of a crappy day. Everyone is grumpy. And it's raining out. 

puddle or pond?

I went for a walk by myself for about a half hour. Wandered around the neighborhood to places I don't usually linger. The roads are a mess: potholes, puddles, frost heaves. Wishing to gaze upon the beauty of nature in spring, but its a palette of browns and grays, no green can be seen.

potholes

frost heaves

I stopped by the creek. 

I love the sound of rushing water,

it's so mesmerizing.

looking upstream

downsteam

Too early to be spring.

Still break up. Xtratuf weather.

 another branch of the same creek

I saw someone walking on the snogo trail,

so the tundra is still frozen.

trying to gaze upon the reawakening of nature...through the rain

On my way home, C texted, so I met up with her and we walked our usual loop. Nice to visit in person!

Besides keeping us all on edge, what else has been the result of The Virus? T was going to his friends' wedding at the end of May in the Lower 48. The bride-to-be told him the wedding will be small and the reception delayed until....? So, he's not traveling anywhere until perhaps the fall.

O was supposed to travel west to be best man at his friend's wedding at the end of June. His friend now plans to get married in a less-than-10 person ceremony at the beginning of May. Unless the bride's parents have their way; they want a big wedding celebration later when everyone can attend. O planned a year off to travel...

10pm and stll light out