Some day I will..

It has been a busy week. Thursday a girlfriend and I headed two counties down to watch granddaughter, Lauren show her FFA project steer at their county fair.

Loved getting to see at least a few of my grandkids, talk to old friends, kick the dirt, step over cow pies, get sprayed by the kids washing their animals in the wash rack. Sneaking in the main building to see how my corpsman grandson's photos placed.

While we were down there and close to the old bunkhouse I picked up a few things that had gotten left behind. A tea pot, some old crocks, and a banged up enamelware pitcher I had found in the dump at the home ranch long ago, treasures all.

I asked Marymine if I could pickup some meat. Didn't need much, as there is just Dad and I, but it's real beef.  

"Take all you want, mom!"  

Did you hear the angels sing, "Glory hallelujah!" I did, cause you are never going to get this type of beef or sausage in a store.

The girlfriend and I loaded up on roasts, steaks, ground beef, pepper & jalapeno beef sticks, and packs of homemade pork sausage.  I split the bounty with my friend, as she and her guy have been good to help me when I needed it.

We were good to go, except for the last piece of the load.  It came with the big house when Marymine & her husband bought that ranch. A very big, very heavy garden statue of the Virgin Mary. Since no one else seemed to want it, including the previous owners, I asked Marymine if I could have it. I wanted to take it up to her grandmother Mary's grave site in RB. It seemed a fitting place.  Well, it languished there in a corner of the yard hidden behind a lilac for years, as there never seemed to be help available to move it, or someone going my way, or... This time I had help with me, and was bound and determined to get it where I thought it should be. 

I worked it out of the flower bed, took one end, and put my girlfriend on the other, and with much huffing & puffing, we packed it a few feet, stopped to rest, packed it a few feet more, stopped to rest, and finally were almost to the open back door of my suv.  Then my girlfriend tripped over her own feet and dropped her end of the statue and was going head first into the side of the suv. Nothing for it but to drop my end and grab her and keep her from caving in her noggin. The GF saved, the large statue of the Virgin Mary, not so much. It had busted in big chunks on the concrete. My girlfriend said, "I am so sorry, I think we can glue it back together." Ah, don't think so...  "Just let it go, wasn't meant to be."  "Load up, let's get this meat home before it thaws."

Dang, my hardheaded determination to put that statue on the headstone of the mother-in-law, I dearly loved, brought about it's demise.

Some day I will find the perfect one to put there, the one that was meant to be there.  

Rounding Up...

We have had much needed rain and not needed high winds.  Thankfully most of the oak trees have not fully leafed out yet.

Between storms, a couple friends and I have been chain saw massacring trees that were dying and/or overtaking the garden. Couldn't believe what the tree guys wanted to charge to do this. Friends settled for a steak dinner, and a few stiff drinks to sooth our sore muscles.

The knees are healed up, with just another set of scars to show for my lack of forethought.

Dad is healing up nicely from his radiation, and his voice is getting better every day. He now has a headset for his long phone convos with WWW. One of my BIL's has been taking him fishing, so he's a happy camper.

I've managed to upset the status quo at book club. The last book was not interesting or well written in my humble opinion. When it came my turn to give my synopsis of the book, I told them what I thought.  OMG, the stunned faces. So I told them, don't ask me what I think if you don't want to hear my honest answer.  I'm still in the group, but for how long...?

My shooting mentor is leaving for a month of hunting in Africa. Seems like he and his wife just got back from a summer spent in Alaska, hunting, fishing, and flying. I love their stories and pictures.

Range buddies had another hanger built, and the latest goodies are out of the paint shop. They are wonderful, honest, super hardworking people that make a difference in a lot of lives...

T showing her brother the new paint jobs.

My granddaughter Lauren is working with this years show calves. Won't be long til fair time.

 And LOL, I contacted Flash (remember when I had a BF last fall) about a balm recipe. He is doing well, and since he was so in love with me and totally devastated (his words) by my decision to have us go our separate ways. He's gotten engaged!  Guess I wasn't all that devastating after all... 

All choked up...

Marymine went on a personal mission seven months ago to improve her health and get in shape.  She has worked hard to make it happen.  Three days a week she works out with a no mercy personal trainer, and the rest of the time on her own.  Not an easy thing for a very busy mother of four, who always puts everyone else first, but she has prevailed.

She called the other day to tell me she had signed us up for a 5K (whatever the heck that is) in March.  

"Who is us?"  I asked.  
"You and me, mom!" she said.  
I choked on my coffee...  
She said, "Mom, you get to wear a sparkly green shirt."  
I choked on my doughnut...  
"You get to wear a tutu, Mom!"  
I choked on a chocolate kiss... 

  "It'll be fun, Mom," she said.  
I choked on my last bonbon... 
 "You don't have to run it Mom, You can walk it." 
I choked on my indignation... 
"I'm all in, and screw the walking, I'm running. I'm 69, not dead!" I  laughingly said. 

So, in order to salvage a bit of my foolish pride, I have gone into training, with Willie as my personal running partner. We head out early mornings in a manner befitting berserkers. Willie wearing his mangy hide, and I wearing my Sacred Heart rummage sale running shoes, holy yoga leggings, a Cabela's tee under a Coeur d'Alene rugged issue sweatshirt, and a BEEF is Best ball cap.

 

I'm already dreaming of burning the tutu while drinking a Guinness at the end of the 5K.