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Sometimes you have to look closer to find something beautiful.
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These daisies caught my eye a few days ago and I knew I had to get a shot – then when Spun With Tears named their subject for the Thursday challenge – well, I knew exactly what shot to use.
It is pretty cool how nature is reclaiming an abandoned paved driveway. Go, nature!!!
As part of my “real” job I co-facilitate some groups. I’m not a counselor – my duties are varied. But I learn – oh, how I sometimes learn – if the class participants think it is painful for THEM . . . well, it can be painful for the facilitators as well.
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One of the things we tell them is that they need to work their program – in simple terms we all need to be self-aware and deal with the everyday things in a proper manner. It does us little or no good to become upset or worried when things happen around us over which we have no control.
thus -we work our program. I’ve noticed some changes in me since I began the job – driving along the highway and getting cut off – yesterday I caught myself saying out loud “you can handle this – breathe – you’re fine – 1 – 2 – 3Â . . . ” etc. I self-soothed.
I won’t minimize anything here by saying I never come unglued – or that I have never lost my temper. I have – but I am learning that it’s okay – I can handle these things – I know how to soothe myself.
😉
for instance – the mangy little dog next door that keeps yapping outside my office window – ohhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm – breathe – I can handle this. (the fact that the texasusedtobes insisted on putting the dog run in between our houses instead of on the other side of their house where there is a vacant lot that THEY own . . . breathe, moosie. You can handle this, too.)
yap, yap, yap, bark, bark, bark . . .
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sigh.
It is hard to believe just how much was stuffed into and around the bedroom closet! I have been working on it off and on all day long. You know, work until the back and knees give out and then take a ‘puter break – or eat – and then get back to it.
Hubby is working until tomorrow – he has been gone since Wednesday, after having worked last week from Tuesday through Saturday. Only home a couple of days before he was called back in. He is on call for a local agency that houses children and teens who are “in the system” and unable to live at home for some reason.
He’s been doing the “family teacher” position – that is, he is with the kids from 7 am until 10 or 11 pm when the “awake night staffer” comes on duty. Then he gets to go to sleep until the next morning. It is tough work – because you can’t really get away from it. You are essentially on property for 24 hours. They wanted him to work again this coming week – after a day or two off. He said no. We’ll see how that works out.
So, I am essentially the equivalent of a (north) slope wife. Phooey! I tried to g-search that term and it doesn’t seem to be out there – it’s a pretty common term hereabouts – enough so that whenever you say it, people nod their heads in understanding.
Basically – the spouse goes to work up near Barrow – clear up at the northern tip of Alaska – for a week or more at a time. It’s common for the workers to work a two and two – which means two weeks on, two weeks off. But there are other duty tours also. It depends on which company you work for and what your job is.
The spouse who keeps the home fires burning is considered the slope wife. (I’m trying not to be gender specific here, but it is generally the man who works on the Slope and the woman who stays home – although . . . ) At any rate, the term is not always used in a nice way. Sometimes the hubbies get up there – 500 or more miles away from their honeys – and they listen to their buddies who tell them that honey is back home doing all sorts of things. In reality she is generally making sure the kids are fed and schooled, the bills are being paid, and the groceries are kept stocked up. She is the master of the castle so to speak while he is gone.
So, all that said, I have felt similar to that these past two weeks. Although, hubby moose is in town and only a phone call away, unlike the slopers, who, while they are only a phone call away, are several hours away by plane. Still he cannot just run home if I have a problem. It is up to me to figure out how to overcome it – much like the sloper wives.
During the week I have done my regular job – but the past two weekends I have been busy cleaning, sorting and tossing stuff out. Today it is our bedroom closet.
Hubby came home a couple of hours ago – he left one house to work at another house for tonight and had a few minutes to kill – anyway . . . he came in, saw all of the clothes strewn about the bedroom and said “are you moving out?” Later as he left he wondered if HE were being moved out. *insert raised eyebrows here.
So, I have piles – some things will be going to Lessa’s house for her and the Girl and, maybe the Boy as well. Some things will be going to Ladybug’s house. Some things will be going to the local women’s shelter residents. And MUCH stuff will be going to the dump – on Monday – after hubby moose comes home and catches up on his sleep. I’m thinking the Boy will be asked to help out. I have filled all of the cans and there are bags full, too.
Okay – I’ve rested my back a bit – think I will go back in and bag up the things for the various places, take out another bag of trash, and get it all done before bedtime. I’d like to be able to sleep in my own bed tonight – right now it is covered with sweatshirts. Who knew I had so many???
And, while I’m asking THAT sort of question – where in the world did the very brightly colored rodeo shirts come from?????? They’ve never been worn! Hubby moose loves cowboy type shirts, but I doubt that he would ever wear these.
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For the life of me I canNOT remember if I bought them or if they were a gift from someone. If it was any of you out there who might be members of my family – please do not take offense. They are just not his style.
Okay – with that, I am outta here. Enjoy your Sundaty!
Last night Lessa and the grands and I went to an Alaskan Salmon Bake hosted by a group of local Alaska natives. Good company and yummy food! What more can one ask?
Well, the drumming, of course. How much fun when the Pup was invited to join in. She was really wanting to do it – you could see the yearning in her whole body. So, she joined in and the older two groaned. 😉
 
 
 check out our girl in action. (Thanks for the link, Lessa!)
and, thanks, too, to Lisa who sent me the following story about a man riding his lawn mower from Barrow, Alaska to Virginia.
I write about this over at the knitting blog – but the end is drawing near – so thought I would mention it here as well.
Do you wanna save some boobies? This is your chance – check out the auctions and make your bids – last bid taken July 14th – that’s the day after TOMORROW!!!
Good luck to you – but, hey, don’t steal MY thangs, okay? Well, you can if you wanna – it’ll just cost ya. heh.
🙄 
 :dizzy:
Clicking the button will take you to the auction site.
All proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
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