Lamb in Lion's Clothes?

 It's March, and I think it has come in as both a lamb and a lion!  LOL This weekend was gorgeous, and now... not so much! Oh well, what are you going to do, it's Indiana!

Old business:

• Still reading Boundaries, but very near the end... Land of Painted Caves, long way to go, but it is a big book!  LOL  New rhythm seems to be do read Boundaries over breakfast, and Caves in the evening.
• Trail Guide - back on the wagon, been reading it/doing workbook before I do fun reading in the evening.
• Magazines - still on the wagon.
• Neckersizes, about the same
• Given up trying to ride the bike, and have gone back to running, at least when I am in Marion.  I can go to the Wellness Center and just pay for the days I'm there.  Wabash Y is not nearly as accommodating.  They want a yearly membership.  I really only want it when it is cold. Sigh.
• Shoe organizer hung

New Business:

• Started weeding this weekend - go me!  I mentioned it was gorgeous, right?  Goes so much faster in the spring because there's just less of those suckers!  LOL And, I think it is an investment as they will not be going to seed making new ones either!
• Cleaned garage over the weekend, that really needed done. Need to figure out how to saw and sand outside!  HEHE
• Been painting again, that feels good.
• Been chipping away at pile of stuff on craft table to put away.

If you're gone...

...maybe it's time to come home... ah, but where is home.  I've lived so many places in my life, I'm not sure I know where that is.  I usually just tell myself it is where I am right now.  So I guess right now I have 2 homes.  And I guess that is OK.  I don't know why that song has been so big in my mind right now.  It is a chilly still summer morning, but we are definitely leaning toward fall.  And I suppose that makes me a bit introspective, and maybe melancholy too.  One more year coming to a close, closer to my goal, supposedly, but what is my goal?  I struggle with answering that.

Old Business:

• Still tabled becoming wise
• Weeding is done, now just maintenance.  Clippings are good in the bed, and now preparing for the winter decomposition, so that means building it up as much as possible.  Which, really, we have been trying to do all summer
• Garage, yup, still needs some tidying, but have become more regular at it, so it is more manageable
• Made some peppermint soap!  Now need to make more face, honey & oat, and pumpkin pie.
• Lost a couple more shrubs.  Think it is from drainage issues in the yard, and their feet are staying too wet
• Lost a dogwood, was able to replace it.  It is slightly bigger, hopefully this will help.  The one that I replaced this spring is doing OK, but I worry about it.  Having a hard time getting them to live past year 2
• Just when I gave up on the garden, whilst weeding, I found a tomato plant that must have survived being washed out as a seedling. We have enjoyed some very yummy tomatoes from it
• Have a test section of gutter apron done.  When I went do to it, realized this is what they tried to do to fix it.  So we did some modifications.  I need a good downpour. Probably not gonna happen until it is too cold to do the rest! LOL
• Shed trim is done! Yea!
• Tools still need rehung, but hardware is here for it
• Ramp, Back Stoop,  and Fence still need staining
• Roof is still problematic
• Two more layouts done, trying to get more consistent/habitual
• Less flying for me, now that school and cross country have started
• Lots of laughter during conversations.  Plus love hearing 016 becoming so much more like an adult with his thinking.  He is such an old soul
• Been to a couple cross country meets.  Always fun to watch all the boys & girls give so much of themselves.
• Fahrenheit 451 completed, but loving the notes in the back
• Have read more magazines
• Soap orders have increased
• Scrap orders have increased
• Massage appointments seem to have leveled off.  Been working on some promotions to attract new clients
• Church has been busy with district conference (making pie), a wedding, and summer speaking schedules

New Business:

• Make soap to replenish stock
• Make pies for progressive dinner next Friday
• Make promotions happen!
• Continue to scrap
• Continue to keep desk better
• Live in the moment more
• Get a new bed for 013 on his birthday
• Paint 013 bedroom for birthday
• Get kitchen ceiling scraped (another spot found and done, another spot needs done) so I can mud then paint
• Work on flowerbeds over at dad/s

April 2016 Flickr Upload

Well, I have somehow managed to get behind again, these are the last of what I have proofed, so I'm behind there too!  As always you can see the complete stream here (lots of GBA photos).  And my faves...

GBA briefing - first flight, training new formation pilots.

First flight, training.

I see a lot of this in my life.  Not complaining mind you, but I like seeing the other side of his head sometimes too!

Debrief last flight of day, and unwind.

First time running the 3200.  For those of you metrically challenged, 2 miles.  He did awesome and then decided it was his favorite!

Pancake breakfast flyin for WMU.  It was fun to hang with a friend and his Yak.

Finally got my car to fit!

New house, front view, before any plantings.  There is now a new bed along the driveway, I know, surprising!  And it will continue on to the east along the front as i get plants (and time!)

012 building his desk.  He did great!  I did not get any shots of 015 doing his, but he put his together too.  Very proud of both of them and all the extra stepping up they have done lately.

Running the 1600.

First Ice cream of the season!

Lime City Relays.  It was a rainy nasty day.  Check out 012 and I in our hoods, out on the stream.

Spring band concert, last of the year!

And their dad, who got them into running.  He drove far away to be a running guide for a blind guy.  It was totally cool.

August 2015 Flickr Upload

As usual, you can see the entire upload here....
and here are a few of my favorites....

 Car show at Gilmore Farms, it is always so much fun.  I loved this little Isetta.  It's the original Smart Car!

 We put the Willys in the MVPA display along with a few of our friend's heavier equipment.  It looks so tiny!

 Having fun over at grampa's.  Nothing like some time in the pool to cool off after a hard day's work trying to demolish the shed!

 Driving the big truck around....

Future Circus Strong Man Star!

 Flying with this man never gets old!  Hooligans doing a flyover for the race in Norwalk, OH.

 So proud of him being in Pep Band... First football game of the season.

 Growing more yummy things in our garden....

And so proud of him being in Cross Country.  This was after the first meet in Manchester.

Wish you were here now...

I think we are back to summer this week, I'm so confused, must be Indiana.  But I know fall is right around the corner, they have been busy getting the crops in.  Actually, it is probably past the fall equinox already, so yea Fall!

Old business:

• Still (not) working on church files
• Website is not done
• We still have a ton of carrots, they are so good!
• State Certification - closer!  Started doing the practice tests, so far I have passed them all.  So I think I just need to get it scheduled
• Financials are not done yet
• Waiting on Heart and Soul work until certification is passed
• Part of the last batch of soap was Honey and Oat, my favorite, but some of it got too hot I think.  Not sure if it is salvageable.  I don't think I'll be able to sell much of it, but I can (hopefully) still use it.  Honey just really turns up the heat and being in the fridge wasn't enough!
• Still working on August pictures - about 1/2 done.  There were lots of flying pictures, plus cross country meets and football games
• Massage appointments have been light this week again, but that is OK.  I know they are out there and it gives me time to concentrate on other stuff too
• Ortho appointment went well, will probably get rubber bands in November
• I ended up cheating on the snacks and buying, but they loved them all 
• 014 liked his haircut but 011 is not sure
• Got both boys' glasses fixed last night
• Did not mow!

New Business:

• More soap!
•  Have started taking up the living room carpet.  There is beautiful hardwood underneath that just needs sanded and re-polyed.  I am using a poly that has a light stain to it, but it is not enough to change the color, just helps some of the lighter spots to blend in.  So last night I went and bought a bunch of felt pads to put under everything.
• Met with a new realtor, I think this is going to work out much better
• Need to take For Sale sign back to hardware store!
• Working at church today
• Have started the process of thinning out some of my perennials.  It is a great, economical way of getting new plants.  Plus the repetition of the plants is good design
• I should mow soon
• Due to selling the house, after I get the living room back together, I will need to start a general purging/storing of the house a bit and trying to get it a little less cluttered.  I don't ever think that it is, but it probably is.
• The next project will be to work on the mudroom.  It needs some drywall or some type of boarding added to part of the ceiling & 1 wall and then PAINTED.  I'm going to use up some of the paint I have in the garage.
• I also want to put a vent in the wall between the downstairs bedroom and the living room to allow for better heat exchange
• I want to replace both the front doors and back door
• This weekend is homecoming weekend for 014.  We also have the Tennessee Warbirds  Fly-in this weekend.  I will have to leave before the game.  I feel a bit guilty about this, but he keeps insisting that he DOES NOT CARE.  So I am trying to trust him.

Wheel in the sky keep on turnin'....

...I don't know where I will be tomorrow.

Well, that's probably not true.  I do know.  Here, like always!  It has been a long time since I've given any kind of life update here... so I'll see if I can't catch you up.

The last time we heard from our heroes was back in May and it was still cold! 

• I was able to get 014's birthday pictures done
• I was able to get the Hooligan's pictures done
• I have been around the flowerbeds for 1 complete circuit.  The Zakinator Weedeliminator was also able to stay on top of the garden plots and the beds around the gardens until he left for his dad's for the summer.  I haven't been able to splurge on mulch this year due to limited finances.  And some of the beds need another good covering yet.  I was able to do 1 truckload to finish off around the garden plots.
• Still working on organizing the church files.  I got all done and then found more, so I need to start a new round of labeling.  Larry has gone through some of his stuff and removed bids and other things that are 20+ years and we don't need to keep them anymore.
• I graduated
• I finished the Pfrimmer Level 1 and Level 2 classes
• We have done so much flying with the group it is crazy!  But it is too much fun to complain!
• We went down to FL with the family to see our niece get married.  It rained most of the time we were there!  It was crazy.  But fun.
• Got the church website moved over to GoDaddy, and with O365 email 
• School is back in session (sheesh that didn't take long!)
• 011 joined cross country this fall - so excited for him, he does great.  He's the #5 team scorer.  not bad for his rookie year
• 014 joined jazz band again this year, and plays in the pep band.  So we got to see him play at the home game a week ago.  That was so cool!
• We had more cucumbers than I knew what to do with
• No tomatoes :(
• We enjoyed several meals with our green beans and broccoli
• We harvested a ton of carrots

Looking forward...

•  Need to keep studying so I can take and pass the State Board Certification
• Need to get the new files labeled at church
• Need to get the past years' financials updated at church (giving, where it is earmarked for, etc.)
• Need to get the church website redesigned and up and running on the new site
• Once I pass the test, need to get the website up and going for my massage business
• Have people coming for visit #2 on the house Wednesday evening.  Lots of prayers/happy thoughts that they want to buy it and then I can buy the house that will allow me to practice from home.  And get into a community that is safe for bike riding and running.
• Need to get more soap made - new varieties and old alike

June 2014 Flickr Upload

Here are some of my favorites, you can see the whole stream here

 Someone has inherited my love of coffee.  Whipped cream makes it even better....

 At Gilmore Farms they have the Gnome car from a Disney movie.  It is huge, to make the actors look small, like gnomes.  It was funny!

 Fresh strawberries from the garden.  I can still smell them, they were delictable!

 More additions to the garden walkway.  I really like how the planters help define the pathway. There are a lot of new plantings there too, but they are hard to see in this picture.  I can't wait to see how they look next year!

 See what I mean?!  Isn't he handsome too?

 Sitting in the trunk at the drive-in.  Lots of fun!

Having ice cream with Grampa.  Yummy!

Crazy...

Ah, one of my favorite Patsy Cline songs... however, I'm feeling nervous & anxious kind of crazy.  Not love-stuck crazy!  Trying to get storm windows for the house, transplant flowers from the parental unit's homestead, get the last of the much put down. Oh, and my first big quiz and research paper due next week, another quiz the week after that, the week after that, yet another quiz AND my first practical.  Sheew!!  Time to breathe.  Good thing we talked about stress management yesterday in class.

However, totally excited about the storm windows, and the garden is looking FABULOUS and this WILL BE the last load of mulch.  May surprise dad by taking a load over to his house when I drop off the truck.

Super-stoked about the Special Olympics Fly-in Saturday at the Wabash Airport, the Nappanee Applefest, and the Michigan game flyover.  Should be a really fun weekend!