Gerta's 10 Ranch House Rules...

1. Don't dust until the dark wood end table looks grey on top.  This will take about 2 days.

2. Sweep only when you feel lots of crunchies under your feet.  This will also take about 2 days.

3. Limit steam-cleaning carpets to 3-4 times a year.  Even after cleaning, they will look pretty much the same after a week.

4. Expect the dogs to get loose and run though the fields, then merrily come back into the house and trample the carpets with black mud from the creek about 2 days after steam cleaning the carpets.

5. Two tips for #4: 1.Wait until the mud dries, then sweep up.  2. Do not panic when all the dog footprints still faintly remain; they will blend in with the general condition of the carpet in a week.

6. With no air conditioning, leave the still-broken back sliding door open for air.

7.  Keep a screen-less kitchen window on the opposite of the house also open; this way the flies that come into the house have a way to fly through and not get stuck inside.

8. Note: when sweeping, be sure to dust off all windowsills and counters of the dead flies; some of those critters are not so smart, and with 50 degree temperature swings each day and night, they often croak.

9. Juggle the front windows open for cool air, and closed because of all the dust from the road out front.

10. When the dogs come in from a run and proudly place a dead gopher on the carpet in the living room, do not scream.  Tell them 'good dog' and quickly place in the garbage.  This happens often.

A Moment of Reflection....

Haven’t posted in months.  

Why?  I don’t think I’ve had anything new or interesting to say.

My life seems pretty normal- at least to me.  I live way up high in the mountains of Montana, in a valley called the Cinnabar basin, and watch elk and now horses out my back window. 

I have frequent discussions with my house regarding what is the acceptable level of cleanliness that does not cause me distress.  

I’ve realized I talk to myself waay too much (conversations with the house not included), and trying to keep silent when alone is a challenge. (Thank goodness for our dogs; at least they offer a legitimate reason for vocalizing!).   

We had snow in June, and 2 weeks later temps in the 90’s.  

My big daily fashion decision is which pair of jeans and T-shirt I should wear.

 

Not exactly normal for most folks, I agree.  

Friends and family call and ask me what is new; my response is usually “Not much.”  I’m mostly content living my day-to-day, watching the many moods of the mountains.

Once upon a time, I was determined to make Big changes in the/my world.  Whatever I was going to do, I felt compelled to do it in a big way.  I had to be the best damn student/daughter/wife/designer/ creative director/mother/writer/ realtor in the land.   

Obviously, these were not realistic goals.  While pretty good at a number of them, there were just not enough hours in my day to Change the World. 

I’ve made my peace that the world will do just fine, thank-you-very-much, with my input or without it.  Looking back, I keep thinking ‘whew! how exhausting.’  All that energy put into attempted extra-achieving. 

Perhaps if I’d let my Inner bitch come out and play more often, I woulda had more energy at the end of the day.  You have to admit there is something freeing about flipping forward your first thoughts and actions without worrying how others will feel.  Getting older does give me a more relaxed perspective…

May your days of reflection bring a calmness to your soul…. And if that doesn’t work, bring out that Inner bitch!

Bwah-hah-haaa... Gerta Gets a Taste of Country Cottage, After All

Gerta and I are coming to an understanding- she can keep her tom-boyish ways, and I can spiff things up, within reason. 

Dan and I decided to update our bathroom, since it's a room we both visit several times a day.  :) 

Here's a photo of what it looked like:

It was typical 1970's decor- dark, dark wood and trim, beige floral wallpaper, off-white linoleum floor covering that never looked clean no matter how much you cleaned it, etc. 

At this point, we had already installed a larger medicine cabinet and the shelf unit over the toilet (seems we must have 'bathroom stuff' issues, and didn't have enough room to store all the stuff).

Thanks to all of Dan's talents with paint, wallpapering, installing flooring, new trim and accessories, etc., this is our 'new' bathroom:

Yay!  Bright, white, clean, and cottage-y.  Beadboard on the walls and the new cabinet doors Dan made. And I love the new floor... the new stick-em' tiles of today are awesome!  'We' even used them to cover the shelves. 

Alas, my only contribution was choosing the wallpaper that was uber-cheap on sale.  (Price was great, but Dan said it was a bitch to work with.)  Oh, and giving Dan lots of moral support.

Gerta seems to approve of the new look- so far, no home disasters or dramas.  Just goes to show you that even old-timers can like a new change.....

Oh, What A Time We Had

Today's a quiet day with snow on the ground and temperatures around 10 degrees.  Yesterday we took Erika, Ben and Juno to the airport to return home to Scotland.  I didn't feel sad; we had so much fun and enjoyment over the past 3 weeks I was happy and grateful for the time we had together.  Being a grandparent is a blast!

In a couple of weeks we'll have Rachel and Paul coming to visit for Christmas and New Year's.  It doesn't get much better than this.

Here's a few fun photos for everyone to enjoy.....

Thanksgiving Daze 2011

It's been a while since you've heard from me..... wonderful bliss!  Life has been uneventful, with no traumas or dramas... just an easy flowing speed that has been deeply enjoyed.  Not even anything exciting has happened to report.  Dan and I have waited many months for such ordinary times.

This Thanksgiving, Dan and I have been delighted to spend time with our daughter Erika, her husband Ben, and our adorable new granddaughter baby Juno.  It's been heavenly!  Simple days with good food, laughter, baby talk, and hugs.... even the grown ups have been having fun!

Our dogs Pepper and Chilli have quickly mingled into the new family dynamic as well.  Here's a few photos over the past several days to share:

 

Compare THIS to Life in the Suburbs...

Consider this my weekly whine.... (actually, I don't whine that much, but I'm due)

Wake up this morning to coyotes yipping in the distance.  (In the east, it's ki-yo-tees; out west, it's ki-yotes.  Still getting used to that.)

Get my shower ready and hear a steady 'clunk-clunk' on the back deck.  Look out the window and see Chilli and Pepper chewing on an entire leg bone of some critter.

Get dressed, then freak out when Chilli comes in the living room with a gooey hoof- seems that the leg bone belonged to a deer.  Throw the hoof away in disgust.

Go on a killing spree and knock off about 14 flies buzzing around the house (apparently this happens every year about this time).

Attend the morning work meeting; seems the guys are going to 'blow out' the water lines for irrigation.  I'm not needed, so I go back home.

Feeling unmotivated, look around the house and ponder things to do.  Stare at the end table that is covered in dust, which I dusted 1 1/2 days ago.  I know I mentioned before that dust was not my enemy, but it sure isn't my friend, either....

Decide to do the many mundane things I so love to do, like laundry, sweeping (even though I swept last night before the dogs came prancing in with hundreds of burs stuck to them and everything they then touched), cleaning the kitchen, blah, blah...

Look out the kitchen window and see my 2 dogs prancing across the front yard, each holding an end of a nasty, smelly deer hide (that apparently was in the same vicinity as the earlier deer leg).

Freak out again and run after them to get the disease-ridden thing away from them and put it in a trash bag.

Then drive up to the work barn to put the trash and the putrid deer skin indoors in the garbage where other wild animals can't reach it.  (Sighted 2 wolves on our side of the basin on Monday, and the neighbor on the other side of the valley shoo'ed away a grizzly and 2 cubs trying to get into his garage).  Idly consider the fact that whatever eats a deer would probably see both of my dogs as appetizers.

Get back home and look at the clock- it's only 10:30.

Sigh.....

The Chilli-Pepper Bone Dance

I've mentioned before that our two dogs have become the best of friends.  They spend most of the day playing, and a new favorite game is the 'bone dance.'

Both dogs grab one end of a bone, and play a tug of war/dance together.  It's all play; no growling or aggravation allowed.


Here's a few photos of the two in play:

You get one end; I'll get the other

No, we're not kissing cousins!

Whose turn is it to lead?

Say what???

Didn't they do this in Lady and The Tramp?