My Country Life

We moved out to Willow Road back in August. I fell in love with the property the first time I saw it. A small, somewhat run-down 150 year old cottage on 5 acres that's bordered by a forest preserve. There's a very small stream of fresh water that runs along the north side of the driveway. Cold and crystal clear. There are grape vines and blackberry bushes and a couple of apple trees.

The house itself needs a lot of cosmetic work. The kitchen and bathroom both need a piece or two of drywall to be finished up. The kitchen floor is old cracked tiles and even when it's swept and mopped doesn't look particularly clean. The Living room is a putrid shade of apple green and the bedroom is a pale pink disaster. Those two rooms will be painted come spring. But, this old cottage is sturdy and well built. No cold air is sneaking through the windows like in newer homes I have lived in. So, even in the below zero temps we have had this winter, we stay warm and toasty inside.

There's a small basement that works well for storage. Other than that there are three main rooms (kitchen, living room and bedroom) plus the bathroom and a small room off the kitchen that I use as a pantry/library.

We've picked grapes and blackberries. I've made grape jelly and fresh grape juice. Earl has found arrowheads up in the woods.

We've watched a family of skunks wander the fence line, a raccoon enjoy the catfood that the landlord leaves out by one of the outbuildings for the MANY cats, and the other morning when I woke up I saw three white-tail deer bounding out of the field and disappearing into the woods.

This summer we saw a million fireflies at night. I hadn't seen so many since I was a kid and would go catch them in jars. And the stars......I love going outside on a clear, cloudless night and looking up into the heavens. The stars truly are like diamonds in the night sky. Living in larger cities and towns for the last decade or so I hadn't been able to see the stars at night. Too many lights I suppose. Out here the stars ARE the lights.

Winters of Youth

"Winter came down to our home one night. Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow. And we.....we were children once again. "~Bill Morgan, Jr.

When I looked out my kitchen window this morning I was greeted with our first real snowfall of the season. Snow dusted like powdered sugar on the ground and frosting the bare branches of the trees. Took me back to the days of snow angels and sledding and playing "king of the hill" on top of those huge Wisconsin snowbanks.......

Winter and I were companions then.

Now, decades later, I much prefer curling up with a warm throw, a creamy mug of hot cocoa and a good book to being outside in the cold. But, when I look out the window and remember the winters of youth, I smile......

Words of Wisdom

Pause, Relax,Breathe.....words that I think I will follow.

It's Not My Fault

OK.....I'm a cashier. I'd really like to greet you smiling like this.





But when you come in the store like this......


Forgetaboutit!!





I did not purposely ring your purchase in at the wrong price. Each item is scanned in by computer and I have nothing to do with how it rings up. If it is, indeed, the wrong price I will happily fix it for you. However, don't get offended when I ask another employee to do a price check for me first. Sometimes you read the sign incorrectly and sometimes you just plain lie hoping to get the item cheaper. Sometimes it's an error on our part and we need to know this so it can be fixed.

When you call to tell me that I neglected to ring in BOTH $3 off coupons for the two products you bought, please be sure how much your coupons were for. In this case one was for $1 and one was for $3. And they are, indeed, on the receipt you insist on bringing in the next day when you complain to the manager.

Do not think you have to have exact change to pay for your purchases and take 10 minutes digging through the bottom of your purse while I have a line of people waiting behind you. It does NOT make it any easier for me when you give me exact change. I could care less. Especially when you have a $4.98 cent purchase and insist on giving me $100.98. The hundred dollars pretty much messes me up. Especially first thing in the morning.

Please understand that if you bring in 10 rolls of film that I cannot possibly have them done for you in an hour. For one thing, the machine can only handle so much at a time. The hour thing is based on one roll of film, and even that depends on how many are before yours. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

If you want to use a coupon on something you need to have that coupon with you. I can not ring in a coupon that I haven't been given. Likewise, I can't take a coupon good only at another store. I am not allowed to do that. Don't tell me about how another store would have taken it. Go to that other store then.

There will be more. Stay tuned.

My Favorite Poem

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Robert Frost

A Walk In The Park

Here's another photo taken at the forest preserve down along the Rock River. I love that I was able to capture how blue the water looked. So peaceful and calming. There were a zillion mosquitos, but the walk was amazing.

Photography

I have recently found a new hobby~photography. My youngest son and I have gone on a couple of excursions, cameras in hand, and I've gotten some beautiful shots. This photo was taken in the Hononegah Forest Preserve in Rockton, Illinois. I love the way the shadow and light play in the leaves in this shot.