The Big 35

So yesterday was the day... the day I turned the Big 35, another year gone by and a day made fantastic by many birthday wishes from many peeps that I have loved... before now and forever. A fantastic fucking day. Hard to believe really ... that I could be so lucky...so spoiled to be here...with my kids... with my love... with my friends and family. I remember the Big 25, sitting in a restaurant having dinner with my folks, announcing it was time for ME, time for ME to do what I wanted, and to head off for yet another adventure to celebrate turning the Big 25. The plans were set, knapsacks packed, and I was heading west with my trusty dog Nishka and my good friend Jessica. Hitch hiking thru the nation to hit the west coast. Now as fate would have it, I would slip off a slippery curb only daze later, just enough of a fall to shred the ligaments in my foot once again...just in time to change my plans, just in time to NOT go west. Instead, limping my way down the highway, Nishka by my side, I made it to Wasaga Beach, to my sista's house, to the sunshine, the sand and the water... to find my love, to fall in love and then to be blessed and spoiled to have my kids happen along the way. Who would have thunk it... the girl at 25 declaring myself tooo selfish for kids, to selfish to stick around... a decade later, smiling and laughing with my family, enjoying the most perfect day in the sun, LOVING the life that is mine!

yes...I am a spoiled Loony... I am thankful for that every day, for my family, my children, my life...even if I have to be 35~!

We have been busier than stink around here lately, the usual for summertime on the Shoeless Acres where the driveway is like a revolving door...company in .. company out. We actually managed a road trip last weekend, trek'n off to Cambridge to help out the family with some windows, and to visit with the peeps who are and always be...part of my fam. A reunion of sorts with the folks who gave me soo much many moons ago, a teenage runaway who found a family full of love and support. I was happy all these years later to help out, to visit and reconnect. The best part of course was hanging with my brother Wayne. Chosen brother for life, my best friend and part of my family. He came from Montreal for the weekend with his own Love and his newest addition to the fam... his first born son...a handsome wee lad of just five weeks(now six weeks!)...William. Once a year I am lucky enough to see him, but now... after holding, snuggling and plain old falling in love...that will just have to change... a trip to Montreal will have to be booked in the calendar...cause damn it...seeing that little bundle of joy grow and change over the past week.... nothing is better... the smell of his baby freshness, the joy of watching him figure out how to get that little thumb to his mouth, the love I felt when he would look up and smile at his aunty Loony... Wayne and the fam left yesterday after a few daze here...I miss them already, but will be smiling for weeks ... I will not wash my sweater...I will snuggle and smell that baby freshness for as long as I can... I will remember how lucky I am...he is here and part of my family!

and on a general update on the Shoeless Acres... hmmm?? Our beach boy returns today for another week of fun. I have been holding his siblings back from the garden a little this week, so I we can share in the fun...the peas, the broccoli...its all coming in. With any luck...the raspberries will be ready soon too!!! woot woot for Fric Frac and Freak and another seven days of fun!!!

playing tourist this week with the family we found a most awesome spot just outside of town. A place to play, explore and hike up along side a waterfall...perfect for a picnic in the sun. We didn't even make it all the way to the top...but that just makes our return trip more exciting.

We have a new addition to the wildlife around here as well...one that was not planned, intended and even attempted to ditch...but one that seems determined to survive and stick around. Smokey Racine showed up on our door last week, and being the Loon that I am I just couldn't leave her to the wild to be gobbled up MORE so I gave her some food, some shelter, and daze later...requested my housesitter 'get rid' of the cat before our return from our trip. 'getting rid' of the cat resulted in a two block trip down the road on a quad... the cat jumping off and rolling into the ditch to 'not be seen again' ... on the road maybe...but the little furball managed to find her way back to our door, back to the Loony sucker that says... a survivor like that might as well stay...might as well join in on the fun around the Shoeless Acres. Little did I know then what I was in for or what I would end up doing...it resulted in ...eww yuck gross and gag.
(insert warning here... the following may be gross...but hell its loony reality and if you are here...you might as well know how crazy I really am!!)
It would seem as though our little kitty from the wild had experience some trauma on her journey here. her little kitty paw pads ripped and torn, and her tail...half missing ... chewed off, ripped off... it was not there, only half a tail for the little grey cat. So while bathing her up, and checking her out ... what should I discover? a large open wound on her remaining tail... and what should I find in that large wound... yes those unpleasant little things known as maggots!!! so hands washed and onto my laptop.... a google here, a phone call there, and twenty dollars at the pharmacy later.... I sat on the sidewalk equipped with some rubber(gloves) tweezers and some polysporin, some alcohol to kill the little fuckers and plucked away to make the little cat's day. Two days later it would seem I have fixed that problem... she may be a funny looker with half a tale, a short stubby pink nub at the end...but she is now our little funny feline. By my count...two lives (atleast) down and seven more to go. The newest feline friend to roam the acres... and I say roam cause she ain't coming inside. I lost one crock pot to a feline friend last year..and it ain't happening again

A World of Difference

So many differences in life...lifestyles and the generations of time. There is a world of difference between the loony I am now and the loony I was before...years before I was Mama. I would like to think I have the same ideals, perhaps less selfish, and have gained wisdom from my experiences along the way.

Lately I have seen a world of difference. Like the difference between teens now, and teens then...my loony then. And I confess just saying that makes me feel old! My young buck of a cuz and his friend stopped by for a few daze of holidaze around the shoeless acres and while things are the same they are also so different. I declared by whatever means necessary my kids will not grow to be clueless like these kids! And would even brag...I think my kids R already smarter! Never in my teen life would I leave home without the essentials(fishing pole sleeping bags rolled coins and mr.noodles), a plan($$$ for trip, map and a direction I was heading), a backup(couch surfing a few extra daze) and when all else failed two feet, a heartbeat and my thumb would get me where I needed to go. Now I realize the art of hitchhiking comes with new threats and worries in this day and age (OLD!) BUT I live in the north, its practically considered a form of transportation! When I was younger I was rarely only working one job at a time, and would basically do ANY job to make some money. (not to mention paying rent @ 17) Not lollygagging my way for a few extra daze 'on my way' to a job up the road, only to complain that 'some guy' got to the job first! Seems to me, many teens of today are more like DIVA's then young adults about to burst into the world. I razzed my sweet teen cousin all week about waking up to reality, his diva ways , laughed when he boasted searching the hometown for rentals cuz he is ready to be out on his own, but hopefully also pointed out a few things, a few thoughts to take home...it ain't that easy in the real world ! Aspen can make homemade bbq sauce, dumplings, her own lunch? These sweet teens wanted to know if you mixed 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter with their salmon for sandwiches!!! YUCK & WOW what a difference~!

Our first summer visit with the beach boy is coming to an end in a few more sleeps. I am sure we will all be sad to see him go, but the calendar is filled with marks, counts, and smiley faces on just how many more sleeps til he returns. My proud loony mama moment happened at dinner the other night as the beach boy proclaimed.... "ya know I don't think I will bother bringing the XBOX with me next time! I have barely played it at all here so why even bother" Nothing makes me smile more than hearing my boy say he doesn't need the video games!!! secretly my own success on winning the boy over to the world of imagination, play and exploring REAL life ..woot woot!

A watery world of difference has occurred in the yard with that notso free pool of ours too! In less than a week I have seen my wee Fric go from watching as Freak and Frac jumped off the side of the pool, canonballing simultaneously together to holding his big brothers hand, jumping with a smile as he disappears beneath the water. GOGGLES!!! With Ryki's birthday this week came a fresh set of goggles and snorkles for the kiddies. Fric is flying thru the water now, swimming like a fish, like a frog, summersaults...four in a row .... my boy swims!!! No more life jackets (knock on wood) no more whines just a boy in his pool having fun!!! yes its been a proud Mama week~!

Now if only.... he didn't start at 8am, the difference now? last week it was "i am hungry" this week is "can I go swimming" While my lifeguard duties provide me with the perfect excuse to avoid the housecleaning.... I need some new wool... happy hatting time sitting by the pool!

HOLY CRAP!!! ITS A BLOG'N CRIME

Man its been a while since I posted a blog. I am sure there are three or four drafts saved around here some where but that just shows how flip'n busy things have been! Road trips, broken bones, SNOW the last day of May. I am back in the gardens now so basically if the sun is shining...we'z outside.

so lets see ... a little ketchup around the Shoeless Acres

the end of April brought what we hoped would be the end of the family blender court saga...but of course things LIFE is not always that easy. We were lucky enough to have a fair judge on the bench for our day in court, settling all matters, providing the twat with a fair amount for us and her in child support and a bonus order of access made in our favor laying out in detail when and where to pick up our beach boy for visitation. I say Twat because she remains a thorn in our side . Less than a week after signing the papers in front of the judge, she reared her ugly head again denying us our May visit. The long weekend which we have had the beach boy in our care for TEN years running. The weekend where we celebrate with the family as the beach boy and my sweet Jane turn another year older.... ya... the twat said NO to our birthday visit. Needless to say dreams of affidavits began floating through my heads, and I had the pleasure of serving the bitch with contempt of court papers just a couple weeks ago. So once again the family blender spins into a courtroom near her ... so she can answer to the judge. If we are successful, her ass will be chewed out and come summer we will have the beach boy home with us for three solid weeks in July...21daze of Racine Crew FUN, and returning home to us again in August for a two week stay!

Road Trip'n Fun ... I honestly forgot how much I love life on the road~! The fun of getting lost, seeing sights unknown, and familiar places that bring back childhood memories of times gone by. While the most part involved a job far away, adventures were had and time was spent with family saying hello~! The hounds got to play, visit and hunt...bringing home a fresh Turkey one Sunday for a family feast. (well they didn't bring it home exactly, My Love had to do the fetch'n but the turkey trophy record in our fam goes to the dogs now!) I made it to the big smoke...the city of Toronto twice in one week, driving in the crazy traffic, cursing people, taking pics at the red lights, curling into the fetal position as a passenger in the back seat with my cousin, ... let me say I would be a transit queen in the big city cause otherwise I am pretty sure my heart would pop from the pressures of drving in that crazy fucking traffic! My Aunt Stix arrived for her first holiday of the summer season on the Acres, only to slip and fall breaking her wrist when she first arrived. That took me back to TO as she required a part time chauffeur. While I love the big smoke, I can't say that I will be returning tooo quickly, but it did involve a rare occasion of Loony on the loose without her kids (on the loose...six houses down the street from Jane sleeping with a babysitter on duty) it resulted in a very late night and me somewhat molesting a cement lion along the way...its been a while since I was that Loony!!!.

A highlight in our road trip'n adventures of course was meeting Jake... an online pal for the past couple years, a fellow fan of rosie, a hug I new would be great...it was fantastic. With any luck the next time I am hanging with Jake, Glamma and Pam....it will be in my neck of the woods around the fire with a brew (shot?jager?? in hand) watching the stars in the sky!

So May seemed to fly by, my babies hitting the age now where damn...they are just growing up a little fast. Alex turned TEN~! a whole decade of his smiles in my life ... NOTHING is better than that for this loony Mama, and Aspen ..well lets just say her attitude and smiles seem to age a decade with every year. A diva in the making as she explores the world of 'hair products' and hair straighteners, choosing carefully her first summer purse and hanging her summer dresses in her room, planning her summer events.

And now its June, the end of the school year, the season to prep and plant the garden, get the coup ready for another season of farminals. I am a lucky loon this year...first by finding a young local lad will to do 'chores' I have made a deal to up his $5/hr pay to ten bucks an hour if he is willing to spend a couple hours in the coup. There is lots of shovelling in there and a chore I would like to avoid. Hoping the chickens will arrive by the end of the month...laying hens this year!!! so lots of work ahead prep'n for that...happy hens lay lotsa eggs eh? and watering the garden just got easier as the neighbour works part time for a well drilling company, by the end of the week the creek will be sporting a new water pump system giving the Shoeless acres water for the gardens, farminals...and yes the kids too, straight up the hill from the creek~!

ahhhh summer!! if it would just stop snowing around here we could get on with the season. Daze of gardening in the moo~moo, lazing by the pool, swimming at the rock... visitors to come...and the HUGS!!! this will be the year of the HUGS on the acres too!!!

funnies....

sometimes it is nice to just think about the funnies in life don't ya think? instead of the daily stresses and pain in the asses that just won't go away. The funnies that take you away from the daily grind of life, that make you smile and warm your heart.

With three dogs running around the acres now, I can say...its NOT funny to be woken at 5am with a smack in the face by a giant paw, but is funny how fast the same paw and dog can nuzzle in and slurp up your face (and the blood) just to say...'oops I am sorry....I didn't realize what a BIG goomba I am"

with the quad back out of the barn and on the trails its funny to hear the squeals of my children ... "LOOK at the mud on me now Mom" the mud can be a funny thing now, once again as the washing machine is fixed...working ... washing...ahhh!

and the looks on the kids faces when they wake up Sunday morning after sleeping in...past 7am only to find their Dad who was Grizzly Adams the day before ...was now shaven...clean ... well almost...but still sporting a goatee. Ryki running back to the bedroom yelling for Jane..."Jane come see dad...he looks like a psycho!! wait til you see what he did" He was called a psycho with the beard...and the looks on the faces of the neighbours and friends? Surprised to say the least....everyone thinks My Love is looking skinny now....guess they never realized how much hair~ FUR there really was on his handsome face. (note on this pic...My Love will kill if he knows its posted...he is more anal than the prettiest women I know about his face and skin...he is the 'girly man' in our family, treating, pampering and maintaining his face...another funny in my day. I have been instructed NO PICS til he is in better shape...ie/ without the happy hat tan line, the red skin from being covered in hair all winter, but I managed to sneak this shot..another funny~! my handsome love!)

But the best funny of my day ...the end of the day, time for good night kisses and the nightly 'tuck'n in" I found my Ryki, up on the top bunk on his hands and knees with his ass an inch from the light. 'what are you doing Ryki' I asked...

"I am just charging my butt Mom! this light works the best and I want to be charged up for the night" the charge, the cute little butt and the glow in the dark undies that covered it.....a gift in the mail from our friend Gail. Thanks Gail...nothing better than a smile and a giggle before bed!

Season2 of the Goonies on the Acres Begins

Despite the fact it is pouring rain today...I am a happy Mama. Following a week of nothing but sunshine it is nice to see the snow melting and the green popping around here again. And even though that also means endless hours of raking, digging, and planting...I can't wait for summer to finally be here.

A busy week around here, and the official start of the season of Goonies on the Acres. Between my two Goonies and the Goonies down the street there has been more running, laughing and mayhem then there has been in months. There is of course the usual reminders...don't climb sooo high in the tree boys, stop swiping Dad's building materials for forts...cause you never put them back...get the stuff cleaned up before your father gets home, and stop fighting over "property lines" it my property..not girls vs. boys. Funny how they team up and bug each other, the boys casually dropping mud on the freshly cleaned kitchen, or the girls swiping the nerf bullets from the boys and their guns ..just to bug, annoy and torment.

And now a new mission, as I have discovered our winter track for skidooing at the top of the mountain is actually a giant sandpit under all that snow!!! Time to make some quad runs with buckets because this summer...I am filling the wrecking yard with sand. I had been eyeing up some sand by the creek, but the labor involved in keeping the kiddies OUT of it while I let the sun bake the 'fish' out is too much work, and to be honest last years method was too hard, and not enough sand. Being the cheapskate I am, and not wanting to pay $6/bag we would go for a swim to the beach down the road, with empty knapsacks in toe....kiddies swim while I stupervised filling the sacs with sand...that's not theft is it???

The hounds are getting along like bandits one week after the arrival of Trixie Tracee. While Daisy is still enjoying having someone to boss around, they play and play and play some more. Turning out to be a great addition our new little friend....as long as you R watching her of course...she is a chewer...anything she can grab, gnaw and chew works for her...not so much for me!!!

its the laughter, and the running and the smiles that remind me how much I love it here, how much no matter what else is going on we have this space, our acres, our peace of paradise to just be....happy!

I can't wait to see what adventures are had, what creatures are caught, and what flowers bloom....ready for another season of the Goonies on the Shoeless Acres!!!

play'n with the links...music is the link today!

Last month I got news of a loss to the world of blues, it brought back memories for me, of times long gone, spent nightly listening to the sounds of live music...jam'n .... life!

Mel Brown was Tuesday nights, jam'n with the folks, playing the blues while I tapped my foot, smiled, and even danced. I will never forget the night I turned 20, a trip with friends and many a shooter downed he sang the blues, then he sang for me...Happy Birthday while my friend Riki Neu beat on the drums. An amazing musician, and since hearing of his death I have found myself looking up the others...the musicians, the peeps that filled my nights with smiles, that let me dance and be free to the music. This blog is for them...and of course the only way this loony can learn how....here goes nothing.....

the blues....Mel Brown

one of my fav's of all time, a travelling buddy, a sista friend, a voice that still gives me goosebumps all these years later...Erika

some reggae.... Errol

a true Canadian Musician...Danny

and last but not least for the hippy in you...my buddy Ricky Neu and the band Diesel Dog .....more miles were driven, more adventures were had, and more drums were beat with my friend Ricky Neu...how I miss those days!

I will have to add more to my list of fav's one day....but all those listed here are those true musicians, that keep the music playing, that brings smiles to my day, and remind me to keep the music playing!!!

Check them out.....dance a little, and smile that there is music in your day!

Home...stuck in the snow whatever can we do?

I am stuck a little right now on the word home? where is home? where the heart is? where you live? where you grew up?

Sunday I was packing the brats into the car and heading back to my sister's for cake and ice cream, and when my Mom asked..."where are you going" I said..'home for cake and ice cream'

She corrected me and said...that is not your home?! and while I know ...it is not MY home, I really consider it home, because that is where my sister is, my nieces, my family.

For us ~ going home usually means back to the farm....Uncle Fred's. A crusty old farmhouse lived in by a crusty old redneck. You know there is a stack of dishes on the counter, dirt on the floor, and you better check the couch...just incase the old man was removing porcupine quills from one of the dogs and left one behind. Not the ritz...but always home. You know you can do what you want...including staying in PJS for a couple days, you can say what you want..including Ryki running thru the kitchen yelling..just going to take a piss don't change that channel, and even in a snow storm when its tooo crappy to go outside, when the cupboards are bare...cause lets face it...old single rednecks generally don't eat alot you are home.

Uncle Fred searches his stash and manages to bake a chocolate cake, find the last of the balloons to have some fun, and presents Aspen with a stack of newsprint...something they wrap the flyers in now...but also giant paper for ART~! and of course the usual round of 'teach us how please...we want to call the birds too.

Home is where the heart is.......

Home to me is unconditional welcoming...unconditional love...no expectations other than be here...be well...and feel at home

it was GREAT to be home!