Home Grown Blues...

So...

Yibbyl and I put an offer on a house about 6 weeks ago.

The house was up for a short sale just prior to being foreclosed on. We did not hear anything back regarding our offer. The house went up for public auction on the court house steps. Yibbyl was there and nobody made an offer on the house at all (opening bid was several thousand dollars higher than our offer).

Then we hear that foreclosure and auction papers will not be entered at the courthouse for 30 days while they go back and consider our offer.

Meanwhile, the house has been left unlocked at least twice that we know of. The second time it had been vandalized and both bathrooms had damage and missing stuff.

We go weeks and still do not hear anything so we amend our offer and drop it $14k because we are fairly frustrated at the whole lack of response that we're getting.

This house needs a ton of work but it has some really neat things going for it like a 2 acre lagoon off the backyard that you can fish or kayak in.

Waiting sucks.

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls...

Yibbyl and I ignored that advice.

Yesterday, we took a scenic drive north to Dunsmuir and walked to Hedge Creek Falls.
Then we drove to McCloud and visited the Lower and Middle Falls.

We had a lovely day of sightseeing and spending time together.


This is the front of Hedge Creek Falls.



And this is the view from behind the waterfall.



This one is Lower Falls on the McCloud River.
Is that a stone Tiki head on the right?



This one is Middle Falls on the McCloud River.



And this was the view of Mount Shasta as we headed home.

I'm a Grandma!

She is such a cutie pie!

What Makes Me Happy?

Spending time with this guy.
That makes me happy.
The ocean is nice, too.

More Flowers...Awash in Color.

Weekend in Eureka...Flowers Galore!

Smoke From a (not so) Distant Fire...

Yibbyl and I drove right by Lake Almanor on our way home from Reno this last Monday afternoon. We had to have been in the area just as the fire began. This is truly lovely forest land that is being engulfed right now. The morning news stated that they have been having 100' high walls of flames. The flames have been creating their own weather patterns by shifting wind flurries as the tops of trees explode.

Current statistics about the "Moonlight Fire" can be found here.

I know that no "human" homes or lives have been lost yet but the animal world has certainly had casualties. The air is very smoky and many people are having breathing issues. Please, send positive energy this way.

The First Week...

I finished the first week at the new school and I was about the most exhausted that I have been in a very long time!

These young boys bounce off of the walls like squirrels on crack!

The week culminated with Yibbyl following me to work early on Friday morning so he can measure the closet in my office for shelves. School doesn't start until 8:30 but at 7:45am a little boy stumbles into the classroom wearing only flip flops, swimming trunks, and a towel. I ask what he's doing here so early and he tells me that he slept outside all night and could not get dressed for school because his mom was hitting him. He was hungry. He was tired. He was half-dressed. And he came to school because it was the safest place he knew.

I get a t-shirt for him and give him a hug as the principal comes in to see what's going on. Mr. G takes him to his office where they can fill out the paperwork (CPS) and call mom to bring us his clothes, food, and medications.

During all of this Yibbyl was right inside of the office in my classroom and I can only guess at what he was thinking. This is the world of working with severely emotionally disturbed kids. They are a package deal with their families and all of the baggage that comes with that. And, as a teacher, you can never, ever condemn the family. In most cases, they, too, are doing the best that they can. You can only provide a safe place, give lots of love and support, and make reports when you hear and see things that you know are not right. And even then you usually only have a small piece of the whole story. Family dynamics are often quite complex.

This is already looking like it is going to be a very interesting year.

Today's Plan: Relax and enjoy my own family.

Comedy of Errors...

Yibbyl and I took the Goobers to the airport to catch their plane to Missouri to their dad's.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong airport.

We were in Sacramento 2 hours before takeoff and had to scramble to get to Oakland.

We arrived at the terminal as the plane was loading but it took off before they could get through security.

Of course, it was the last plane of the day heading to Kansas City.

What else could we do but find a hotel room, buy some toiletries and clean undies and hope for some good luck with standby status the next day.

We were too late for the 6:40am flight but they had room on an 8:30am flight.

The boys are now with their dad and only one of them will be coming home in 2 weeks.

I'm heading in to the school to pack up some more of my personal stuff and clear my old classroom out.

Some memories you just can't put into a box.

Today's Plan: Breathe deeply, smile, and turn in my keys.

It's Official...

I'm unemployed, without medical insurance, and recovering from a kidney infection.
My blood pressure was the lowest it has been in ages this morning.

Life is good.

Really.

We're going rafting down the river later today.
I'm nervous but getting back in the water will be good for me.

Today's Plan: Relax and enjoy...

Bite me...

No, thank you!

Six yellow jacket stings were more than enough.
Stinkin' buggers attacked me in the front yard while I was watering.
The swelling was spectacular to behold but it's much better now!
I'll be on Keflex for 10 days due to the bacterial infection.
I don't even want to know what they were chewing on before me.


July 27th will be my last day at work.

Life will get better.
I will feel much less stressed & depressed.
I will rejoin the living.

~M~