A Fishin' We Will Go, a Fishin' We Will Go

Thursday we did something.  The Hubby's oldest brother set it up with a fishing guide to go fishing on Lake Eufaula for the day for crappie.  I love fishing, I have a lifetime fishing license.  It's really been years since I've even caught a fish.  I really wasn't too keen on going because I'm not a fan of being on a boat but I knew he wanted to do the experience with me.  So onward.

The drive early, EARLY in the AM on Thursday was a bit sketchy because there was so much fog but it was drivable.  We made it and his brother and wife were excited to show us their new house they are nearly finished in building and to go to breakfast.  Finally, we were headed to the boat launch and we were off.

The water was so very still and quiet that morning.  It was a bit cool as we were speeding on to the crappie spots but I had my shirt and The Hubby found me a great hat that I LOVE!  We slathered on SPF 100 sunscreen and were set to fish.  I caught several but after four hours I was hot and baking on the water as the temperatures started climbing.  

The clouds started coming in as I knew the weather was bringing rain later in the evening.  It made for wonderful photos to paint.  I took lots of pics and then insisted, after the four hours, that I was DONE and needed, urgently, a bathroom.  So they headed in to the brother-in-laws dock area where his wife, sister-in-law picked me up, because they guys were heading back out.

I was concerned for the BIL because he is on oxygen but he seemed to be fine as long as he was seated and he was having such a great time.  I told SIL that we would have to get after them at some point because neither brother wanted to disappoint the other by stopping.  After another three hours they FINALLY came in, only because they ran out of bait...LOL!  

All in all, between the three of us we caught about 40 fish, which the guide cleaned for us.  Friday night was fish for dinner.

After that long day we drove back home, gathered our stuff and food and headed for the cabin for a long weekend, after a stop for a quick dinner.

The drive was just beautiful.

Once there we sure hit the bed early.  I wanted to go on Thursday because I knew it was supposed to rain all day Friday and The Hubby LOVES to be there when it rains.  

We got up Friday morning and of course it was raining.  I got a nice fire going in our porch fireplace and kept it going Friday and Saturday.  So SOOOO very nice.  

Saturday morning the rain was gone and the fire was blazing as the morning was clean and bright.  I filled my bird feeders and kicked back to enjoy the day.  The evening before I went to see my friend Lesa for a drink and she wondered if I was going to watercolor.  She is a novice and I told her I would help her learn.  I got my watercolors out and piddled and she came in the afternoon and we had a great time painting. I really felt like I'm an artist, that I really know what I am doing.  

At some point before she popped over I took a golf cart ride to the meadow and was treated with these beauties.  The club has planted several patches of wildflowers and they are STUNNING!  And they are full of bees just filling the air with buzzing.

It was a most perfect weekend.  I love retirement.

A New Normal

This retirement thing.  It is a bit weird.  Really, I've been partially retired for a long time now, but this duo retirement is a whole new ball of wax.  Every morning for years and years and YEARS the alarm clock has gone off at 5 am.  I roll over, tap the shut off button, and we are off an running for the day.  Mostly he was off and running, but I was still up.  There are still times I roll over and look at the clock dial to see what time it is and it's 4 or 5 am but we don't get up.  I still do occasionally, especially at the cabin in the spring and summer.  I LOVE to wake up and sit on the screened porch and listen to the birds start to wake up, now I can hear them through the windows but I don't get up. 

Now we are trying to renegotiate a new normal in our lives.  He sleeps in, I sleep in.  Before retirement I would hit the stop alarm, turn the TV on the the news and we would get up.  He would fix his bowl of cereal and coffee, and I my coffee and protein bar.  He would sit in the living room eating and watching the news.  I would go to my chair in the bedroom and turn the TV to Charmed, something I've watched every morning for over 20 years.  After a bit it was the bathroom stuff, get dressed, brush teeth, etc.  Now it's cockeyed a bit.  We get up with no alarm, just a normal gradual wake up.  Now it's me with no Charmed, him watching his recorded stuff or on his phone.  It's like 8 maybe 9 am and we are still trudging around.  He still has stuff to do at the shop, mainly getting the units ready to rent, paint the fence, fix a leak in the roof, stuff like that.  I might go and paint, do a little book work, pay some bills, IF I WANT TOO!  

It's also awkward moving around each other in the kitchen, the bathroom.  We had a rhythm, but now it's a bit broken and we bump into each other, are in each others way.  It will take some time but we will work it out, I'm sure.  We need to create a new normal.

I have been hoping to spend more time at the cabin but that has not happen with watching kiddos and stuff, but it will, soon.  Summer will help with that.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

Honestly it has been a weird Mother's Day.  I haven't seen my girls but I've talked to them.  I also had Snicklefritz stay with us for the weekend and had an awesome time with her.  Lives are very busy in our world and I do totally TOTALLY understand.  I think it's weird because I am really feeling the loss of my momma today.  It's been 17 years but the hurt and loss still creeps up on me at unexpected times, especially on Mother's Day.

 

I'm really missing her because she is missing sooo much in our lives right now.  The birth of three beautiful granddaughters and a grandson.  She would have been a most awesome greatgranny.  It really hurts my heart that she is missing all of that.  

I also miss my sweet mother-in-law.  Gosh she loved her grands, especially the girls because she had three rambunctious boys.

I'm also missing my friend Gail.  She was an awesome mother and was taken just before her first grandchild, a granddaughter was born, something she was so excited for.

I miss her laughter and smile.  I miss the chats we had. 

Happy Mother's Day in Heaven

Workshop and Kiddos

Last Friday was a bit of a whirlwind.  I participated in an acrylic painting workshop at the Art 302 building in Broken Arrow with the incomparable Chantel Barber!  

OMG, acrylics are not in my wheelhouse but I wanted to try it and Chantel was the perfect instructor to help me pull it off.  I haven't finished the painting yet and don't want to share till I do at this point.  The workshop was a 3 day workshop and by the end of the first day I was ready to toss it in and go get my oils, but I decided to stick it out, to learn.  The last time I had worked with acrylics I was 14 years old and hated them then.  I'm still not a fan but it was a great way to reintroduce myself to the medium.

Chantel is absolutely was one of the best instructors I have ever had.  I learned a ton and she was kind and generous enough to share her knowledge.  She's promised to return next year!!!

After 3 longs days of learning art stuff I was then tasked to take care of the 3 year old again.  Sadly Mighty Max Sunday morning woke up not feeling well and by the end of the day Min was dropped off at her Auntie Biff's for me to get later in the day while Max was taken to the emergency room.

A baby with half a heart needs to be watched closely and quickly in the evening his temp was rising.

Poor little guy had pneumonia.  It's a common thing in these heart babies.

They quickly put him on strong antibiotics and they kicked that pneumonia's butt!  By morning Monday morning the pneumonia was gone and he was smiling.  This baby....

Min spent one more night with us but so very happy to be able to hug her little brother again.  She was really so good with us, not the potty training regression (thank GOD!)  With her getting a bit older she is so much more fun to hang around with, yet it is tiring.  I just couldn't get her to leave the house.  I really needed to go to the studio but she did NOT want to leave so we just hung at the house.  

I'm very glad that all is well with this little guy and that they are all home. Today they had to go to OKC to his cardiologist to check the heart with an echocardiogram and all turned out fine!  That's a good thing.