Rotten Mood

Every time we blog we try to tell things with a lighter twist,
now you are gonna read about a rotten mood.

It wasn't a good mood day.

To start with there was no one certain thing that made the day a rotten one.
Just everything.
On days like this I feel a little guilty.
For one thing, I totally try to FAKE it.
I put on a FAKE smile, and cringe when I have to be cheerful.
I see so many people in a day that I have found if I let my true mood show, people get so freaked out! They act like I should never have a rotten mood. That even makes me in a worse mood.
So, today even waiting for one car ahead of me in line at the cleaners,
irritated me for the wait (which wasn't long).
I won't list all the irritations.
Because it wasn't the people's faults, it was just my rotten mood.

You've all been there, done that.

Home, is so wonderful.
On a rotten mood day, just closing the door behind me as I enter my house is a wonderful feeling.

Safe from FAKE.

These days are needed, so that when we have good mood days,
we will know the difference.

The Farm

Nick and I just had three days at our farm.

Before we went to the farm Nick and I watched a slasher movie(we weren't sure it was one til after so much time was invested we felt we needed to finish it)
In this movie a couple were staying in a cabin way out of town and people knocked on the door and then proceeded to torment them and eventually kill them.

The first night I sorta started thinking of that movie.

Now, I do not normally get freaked out or scared very easy, unless it's over a mouse.
As bed time approached, my mind started playing tricks on me.
Sounds outside, my heart would race.
Finally, I say to Nick "are any of your guns loaded in here?"
"Yeah, the ones in the corner, the pistol in the closet, why?"
"I just feel a little spooked, thinking about that movie"
As I settled into my pillow, to sleep, I think how far the nearest person is to the farm.
As sleep takes me over, I have a dream of running from bad people, people trying to kill me, and Nick can't save me.
I must have ran from the bad people all night because when I woke the next morning I was sore all over and still very tired.
I won't be watching slasher movies ever again even by accident!

The days and nights were fine after that first night.
We rode the fields and woods in our Ranger. One deer feeder was torn apart, screws and all. After some detective work Nick determined it was a racoon's fault.
Nick repaired it and off we went.

Nick's younger brother came down to see us two of the three nights. One of those nights he killed a wild hog. Good riddance...they tear up the land so badly, all farmers hate them and their destruction. The next day the buzzards were very busy with the dead hog. It's amazing how God has made everything with such a plan and purpose.
Buzzards...even their name seems so sinister.
But, they have a purpose...so cool.

I walked some and sat alone in a deer stand, to watch the wind whip around, and the birds at play. I didn't get to see another animal even though I was patient and quiet.
It's like that sometimes.
Then other times, we can sit on the porch and see deer like crazy.

No matter.
The time spent at the farm is a refresher for us.
It's a time that we can reconnect, with each other and our selves.

Nick comes in all dirty, with a big smile on his face. Something as easy as driving the tractor and pushing trees out of the way of a path that have fallen.
You can tell, it just feels good to him.

When the days came to a close and the dark enveloped us out there in the bottoms, it's a simpler place and time.
A happy place.

Valentine's Day

I'm going to tell you about a Valentine's Day a long... long time ago.
It started one Christmas.
1976.
I was a senior in high school and one adorable (and super cool) Nicky Neel and I had been going steady for six years with only a few break-ups throughout that time.
We had been talking marriage a lot, we even started buying household things like pots and pans and such.
(we started our own hope chest; for you, that remember that term)
Here comes Christmas time, and my birthday...I'm really expecting a ring and a formal proposal, I'm handed a long narrow box. We are in his parents living room, everyone's eyes on me.
I hold the package a moment longer than normal, my mind is racing.
I take the ribbon off. All is quiet.
I unwrap it quickly to get this over with..and I think..."WHAT?!"

It's a .22 rifle.

Nick instantly grabs it up and acts sooo proud of his purchase, showing it to his Dad and brothers. My disappointment is sidelined by their enthusiasm.

OK, I got a gun.

After our family gathering, and I return home everyone asks me to see my finger, expecting to see a ring...

I pull out my gun.

For days the phone rings from friends, everyone wanting to hear the news of a new diamond, and I have to tell them...

I got a gun.

Well, my feelings are a little hurt. Naw, my feelings are demolished!!! Of course, I discuss this issue with him, heated at times, but he would always say...

"I've got my own way, my own time."

A couple months go by, Nick even buys some new towels for our hope chest and adds them to our collection, of course all the while professing his undying love for me.
We regularly target shoot with

MY NEW GUN.

Now, it's Valentine's day. This is it! He will do it today! How romantic! This is what he was waiting for! How memorable!

He grills me a steak and bakes me a potato, gives me a small box.

I take it in my hands, start unwrapping it, I can't believe it!!!

A case of .22 shells for....

my new gun.

I cried. Right there in front of him. oh well. We should share our grief and I was so sad.
But, time went on, we didn't break up and somehow I understood my strange and unpredictable, cool and adorable, smart boyfriend.
He was smart enough to know we needed to wait to get married for several reasons.

We did get engaged, October of 1977.
We got married December31,1977.

His way, his time.
He said "We've gone together forever, so no need in a long engagement, and if we marry before January 1st I can claim you on my income taxes, your mom will understand".
Well, as crazy as this makes ME sound...I always knew Nick had my heart. I always knew however it went, we'd be happy. Yes, I'm a trusting soul....

Here we are many years later and
we both agree there's no need for fancy cards, or pretty flowers.
But he cooked me the best boiled shrimp and potatoes, and his own homemade shrimp sauce!
So, this is our 38th Valentine's Day.(7 years of courtship; 31 of marriage).

And even after all this time he still thinks

a gun is the BEST gift ever!!!!!

Pleather Beauties!

We have this couch and love seat that has been a pain in the a-- for the last 6 years...

Let me start at the beginning.
When we got the mobile home on our farm in 2003, it came with a couch and love seat that is the "pleather" fabric.

Plastic, pretending to be leather. ug. and ugly.

Nick dug his heals in and REFUSED to let us change the furniture for something more comfortable.
Nick's argument was that it was PERFECT for the farm, it wouldn't get dirty when other people came in with mud and such. (No one has ever come in terribly dirty)
Nick also thought it looked manly and good.
So, for 6 years we STUCK to the couch in the summer and FROZE on it in the winter.

I hated those couches.

Finally, we bought new couches for our house and took our old blue couches to the farm.
Finally we now have comfort at the farm!

Nick insisted we bring the "pleather" ones home to sell them in a garage sale.
Today was our sale...I heard comments like "those are pretty rough" people talking about the "pleather" beauties.
One lady talking on her cell phone says "Hon, I'm looking at them and they are bugared up."
Nick is kinda getting the idea by now...
Final draw we load the "pleather" beauties up to take them and donate them to Good Will.
The dog pound of all bad merchandise where it goes to die....
Nick still feels confident that HIS couches will find a home soon...
As Nick hops out of the truck to unload his treasure, the young guy in charge of all the donations left there in his charge, says......

"I can't do nothing with that"

Nick looks like a deer caught in headlights!
Nick says "WHAT?!"
The young guy says "we can't sell that".
Nick is lost for words...
Then Nick says
"What am I suppose to do with them???"
The poor guy says nothing. What's there to say?
Could he say...."not my problem"?
Nick gets back in the truck and I'm holding in the laughter.
Nick's face, ears, neck is bright red!
I CRACK UP!!!!!!!!!
As we are driving away, Nick says "I'm starting to think my couches aren't as good as I thought."
I'm thinking, "No Shit, Shurlock!"
We both start to laugh all the way home.
Very seriously, Nick says "What will we do?"
Very seriously, I say "I'll call bulk trash pickup for Tuesday."
Then we both CRACK UP laughing all over again.