Murderous Chicken Killers, Cupcakes and Other Tales of HIGH ADVENTURE and Goodwill!

Art Dog rode "shot gun in the rocker" just like Granny Clampet, not sure he wanted to leave The Yaak :-)

New Bedroom

Peas in a Pod

Fiery and Mist

Matthew gives Archer a talk about women, bbq and life

Sweet 16 Party

My Patio

Girls Room

Kitchen

Dining

View off master bedroom balcony

The past month has been nothing but a BLUR! Somehow amongst moving every weekend, work, children and the like, I seem to be unsorting the details of my life and neatly putting them away just like the contents of the box after box that comes through my front door. I have so very many stories but nary the time to tell them.

My husbands 40th birthday was pulled off with a bang! It was only a week or two after we'd moved in and there were boxes all over the place. It seemed crazy to throw a party but I couldn't imagine NOT having a party for his BIG 40 so after working back to back 12 hour nights, I invited a few close friends and threw quite the shin dig! It was hilarious fun playing "Catch Phrase", bbq and just hanging out together. Despite my better judgement, I blared the "Red Solo Cup Song" and whooped it up in his honor ;-)

My daughters Sweet 16 was within the same week, and again, boxes filled the place. I questioned my sanity, again, but how could we NOT throw a sweet 16?!?! So with gritted determination, I did nothing but smile when she announced she was inviting a big passel o' girls for a grand BBQ! Turns out, that too, was outrageous fun! Girls flocked in, especially after my crazy friend Teeny Beena brought a van full from a neighboring city. My friend Kim Possible was there too, making it crazy fun. The mad herd of chicks flocked to the play yard of a nearby school to play "Lightening" and us women folk sat on my patio in the sunshine sipping tea and laughing about a lot of life that only women married 20 plus years can fully appreciate ;-) After a big BBQ, extraordinary cheese cakes and decadent German chocolate cupcakes, the kids settled into my living room and began a music session that I will never forget as long as I live. Those kids rocked my house, all the while shocking and compelling me with raw talent rarely seen. One of Teeny Beena's girls, whom I'd known since she was a wee one was all grown up and singing worship and country songs better than the people on the radio stations do. Clear, confident, rich and powerful, this girl belted it out and there was no questioning why she is headed to Nashville when she turns 18. The presence of God encompassed the place and moved us all in a way only He can. No rich spoiled girl could have been given a better sweet 16 than my girl, surrounded by friends who love her and serenaded by a forthcoming star.......

Now I wish I could say that it was all that simple of a week, but as fate would have it, Miss Libby showed up with a warm dead chicken clutched in her mouth. Dread overtook me and I knew what must be done. After a good whopping with the chicken, I marched her over to the neighbors only to find them gone. I left them a detailed note promising to make good on their chicken and even throwing in a case of beer for good will as I noticed from the front porch that they were of the beer appreciating variety. I promised that if she ever committed such a heinous crime again she'd be shot or returned to the pound or both. After all, once a dog is known as a chicken killer, she's marked, and bullets go a looking. The next day the note was gone and so was one of the neighbors beer boxes. I went down 3 more times that day, but no one was there. The next day I returned the dead chicken. Not wanting it to be too traumatic for its owner, i put the injured looking side down and neatly placed a plate of scrumptious cupcakes near its carcass as a gesture to ease ones grief and anger. The next day, chicken and cupcakes were gone as was another beer box but no person. I was becoming more and more puzzled by the sporadic smoke in the chimney, missing notes, bodies and food. Who was this elusive neighbor and why did they never answer their door? Finally after at least 5 visits, I left a frustrated note asking them to call me. Then one day the boys shouted "somebodies down there"!! With an air of dread, baby on one hip and dog on the other side, I slowly descended hoping for the best. I kept imagining some elusive elderly woman pining the loss of her prize hen. Turns out it was the wild spirited owner of the property home from his travels for a few short days. He laughed the whole incident off and wouldn't hear of taking money or sending me back without a couple dozen fresh eggs. I couldn't help but give him the beer I'd promised, I was so relieved my dog wasn't on a hit list, though my husband remained unimpressed with my peace offering. The mystery was solved when the kid who stayed there showed up later on telling me he worked odd shifts and only slept there. Miss Libby is free for now, but should she take to a murderous Jekel and Hyde side again, well, she's on her last chance for grace. I can't have her doing such things. Its hard, but she'll have to go back to the pound if she does - pray God delivers her from such vices......

My last story is about our house back in the Yaak. Every weekend, even Easter weekend, when normal people are enjoying themselves, we're slaving over that house back there. Endless loads, endless packing, endless projects seemed to await us. The kids began dreading those trips back there, and so did I. I wanted to just stay home in our beautiful new home, and enjoy my husbands days off. This past weekend was different though. My friend, Elasta Woman, had volunteered countless times to help me with moving and countless times I'd told her we were fine. This last time I told her I could use the help painting. Little did I know how much I really needed her. I was getting so tired from working all week and weekend and it seemed like it was never going to end. Then in the darkness, The Incredible Family arrived armed for action to save the day! Elasta Woman, true to her name was like a hurricane. She painted circles around Saphara and I at super heroine speed. Her husband, a master carpenter, also VOLUNTEERED the day to us as did their children. He put a rubber glove on his head and balked like a rooster. Then he began shouting orders to kids and adults and possibly even pets. He had us all running in different directions carrying out the impossible. He looked at impossible projects that I've looked at for 10 years and spit in their gnarled faces. In a short time he had made very doable solutions for things that seemed to be unsolvable. In minutes, he had fixed or constructed or planned what I imagined would take us months to do. I was utterly flabbergasted. Then all around me Elasta Womans capable arms reached around me painting too and fro. All the while her children cleaned and followed their dad's instructions. By the end of the day, I stood amazed and extremely humbled seeing a transformed house that had real potential for being ready to list in the near future. Few things humble me like the power of true friends who give of their time and energy just for the joy of giving. Selah......

And so as we begin to get settled, many adventures begin to unfold and many which I don't have the time or space to tell. Sufficient to tell that our days have been full, rich, and well lived.