Our New Library

I really miss the library in Aurora. The Smoky Hill Branch was the most awesome library I've been too. It was mostly due to Woody's Coffee and Smoothie shop within it. He had really tasty strawberry truffle smoothies and on cold days I loved to get a caramel cider.
The library we go to now is pretty small. The fines are outrageous and they have no coffee shop. I know we were spoiled, not every library has a coffee shop in it. But I do miss the smoothies especially on days like today (103 degrees) and I am craving something sweet.

They do have pets in the library though. They have a guinea pig, a dove, two Australian walking stick bugs, fish, a tree frog and a gecko. They are all down in the children's section of the library.
Rhett fell in love with the guinea pig named Coco. He thinks the dove is sad because they keep her in a cage and she cannot find her babies. I wonder where he got that from...
They have a small playroom with couches and a couple of toys and a few puzzles. We are still learning where things are there and of course they don't have as many books on certain subjects although we can request books from other libraries.

I haven't found many homeschoolers so I've been toying with the idea of putting up a notice on the board there. I'm sure there has to be more than I've already found in the area. This is supposed to be an awesome state to homeschool in with very little regulations. So far no one in the new neighbourhood homeschools their children and the school is a little ways away. There is a performing arts school down the street and an elementary school built within a very ritzy hoa neighbourhood that I think is only for the kids who live in that area. I think I like to keep my children with me so we can explore and have fun rather than have them sit in a classroom getting in trouble for wistfully looking outside and thinking what might have been.

Sad...

A good friend of my mother's died yesterday morning. She and her daughter always had encouraging words for me and mine when my mother died.
We knew she was dying, but it is never easy. I cannot make it out there for the memorial talk and it makes me sad. They were there for my mom's.

Getting Settled

We are finally getting settled in the new house. It isn't home yet. I don't know if it will ever feel like it. We are renting so there is only so much we can do and I keep telling the kids what they can and cannot do...
I can't wait til we can buy another house. We are still waiting for the one in Aurora to sell. I hope its soon as we cannot afford two places.

The house here in Boise has three bedrooms and one bathroom. We are trying to make it work. The house's saving grace is that it has a really huge backyard that the kids and pups can play in. The front yard is fenced as well. We have been keeping the kitties inside since they do not know the neighbourhood (and its filled with dogs) and might get lost. Oh! Did I mention that hawks carry off kitties around here???
The backyard also has fruit trees, raspberry canes, lemon balm, mint, sage, rosemary and blackberries. Someone started an herb wheel but never planted the herbs. There are also three raised garden beds one of which I've already planted some things in.


We are on the outskirts (unincorporated) part of Boise. It takes 20 minutes to get to downtown. People in the neighbourhood are pretty friendly here. We had chocolate chip cookies waiting for us on the counter the morning we got here. The neighbour lady across the street from us has a bobcat for a pet. There are backyard horses here as well as chickens. Down the road from us is a huge corn field...

I will have pictures later. Some photographer I am...always forgetting my camera.

On hiatus

Since I am in the middle of packing and trying to sell the house, I am taking a temporary hiatus. Hopefully when I get settled in Boise, this blog will be more active with some more interesting stuff.

Did you ever...

Did you ever think that you could accomplish anything only to find out that you can't? Did you ever feel that you are on top of the world only to find out that you are at the bottom of the pile? I think that is where I am now. I know...you are thinking "Oh no. Not another pity party for her." Actually its not a pity party. I'm done with the pity. I know it doesn't get me anywhere and I know people don't want to hear it.

Anyway...

I was working on the basement getting it all packed but I have to do it in spurts. I don't know what it is, but something is setting off my allergies really bad. So it has set me back a couple of days. I don't know whether to finish the rest of the house on schedule and come back to the basement or to just finish the basement and let it take longer to pack the rest of the house.
On top of that, Dusty is getting sick. I think it is his allergies compounded by whatever is in the basement and is now having a hard time breathing.
Off to the doctor's on Monday to get that taken care of. Right now I have him in the shower with some eucalyptus oil to help clear up some of the breathing problems. I am going to make him a little pillow with flax seed mixed with eucalyptus and peppermint. If it gets worse then I will have him inhale some smoke from a lung cleanse herb.

I found some papers that my mom had stashed away. I have someone coming to translate them for me. I think one is an official marriage license from Japan as well as one in English. The others I am not sure. I think one may have something to do with her brother whom I have spent the last 10 years looking for. I really want to just go to Japan and search for him. I think that it would be much easier than putting ads in newspapers or online sites.
It has been seven months since the accident. I still miss her terribly.

The house goes on the market on June 1st. We don't really expect it to sell. The market is horrible here.
Too bad it tanked.

So that is where I am at now.
I have most of the basement done, part of my bedroom done, all of the books done. (That was a chore in itself. We can open a small library.) Oh and the garage is mostly done.
This weekend we are removing the wallpaper and painting. I wonder how many coats of primer is it going to take to cover a dark blue wall?

Destressing

I do have to say that in the past 9 months I have had my fair share of stress. I think I have hit all the markers for that stress test doctors give. I miscarried, my husband decided that he no longer wanted to be married to me (then keeps changing his mind.), my mother passed away, I was diagnosed with a heart problem and had to be on meds, my oldest son moved away, and now I am moving...oh and can't forget the job that I was supposed to start, but never quite did.
I don't think I have had time to process everything that has been going on.

So I have set out to find a way to destress. I know it really isn't possible at the moment since I have to pack up the house and get it ready to put up for sale within a week or so. (And here I am on the computer writing...)
I would love to get a massage. I could really use one. I would love to just sit and draw or paint. Veg out in the backyard watching the birds and squirrels.
I'm thinking of getting a loom and a spinning wheel. I think that would be a wonderful de-stressing tool. Not to mention it would be great for the business I want to start. I already have a lot of yarn I've spun. I have some wool that is ready to dye and be spun. I have to decide what colour. I also have to find the time...
I got a book from the library on Chinese knot tying. I've always found it fascinating so I figure I'd give it a try.
I really hope the library in Boise is as good as the one here. Guess that will be one of the things to check out when we drive up there at the end of the month.

Well, times awasting...back to packing.

Where are all the children...

Blog: 5/15/09

I am wondering where all the children are. It is noon. It is sunny. It is a beautiful day outside. I am sitting here at the park and there is only one other child out here besides my four year old son. I know the older children are at school, but where are the younger ones. This neighbourhood has a lot of children in it…I’ve seen them.
How can children be indoors on a beautiful day like this? I think it inhumane. I should be seeing children running in the huge grassy area here or zipping down the slides.
It makes me sad that my little one has no one to play with. His older brother is off with friends and his oldest moved to Tacoma four days ago. He misses him terribly.
I think about how children today are stuck more indoors not getting enough exercise and sunlight. How children are losing their playtime because of busy schedules and such.
I would love to see playgrounds full of children, laughing and running. Making up stories and pretending and not t.v. based play or characters. I would love to see children outside and not stuck indoors playing video games or stuck in front of the television with mindless blank stares on their faces like a zombie had eaten their brains.