The View From Here/Up For This Week

The View From Here

A day late, I know… It's been a very strange and eventful couple of days. Our latest batch of guests are two very special almost-fifteen-year olds and their dad, and they are camping with us. So it's more of a full-time deal than the previous batch, who were staying with our dear friends 'up the hill.'

I've had 'work' things to do, so haven't participated in the fishing trips and beach hikes yet, but have been cooking and baking a great deal. Here they are proud with their first two silver salmon on Sunday, and we built a fire-pit on the edge of the bluff to cook the salmon for them.

But yesterday evening, their dad fell through the hatch in our bunker and broke three ribs. Obviously this is a deal-changer - last night he slept in a real bed at our friends' place up the hill, and Phil slept in the tent with the boys. That's why I didn't write yesterday! I don't believe that accidents are just 'accidents:' every accident I've ever had has been 'for a reason.' And yesterday I was running around with my head cut off, which is often an accident-prone situation for me, so I almost felt like I had caused it - but more so, I felt a pang of realization of how little I'd realized the stress he is under, trying to make the best possible trip for his boys. 

It's socked in and pouring right now, and we're up the hill with our friends, reevaluating how to make the next eight or nine days work.

Up For This Week

I'm so happy to be harvesting all these greens! Too bad I've been feeling so sick from chelating, I can barely eat anything… I'm looking forward to having my Vita-mix arrive - maybe blending up greens will work better than munching salads every meal.

Turnips and carrots - including our first decent carrot - they've all been funny and gnarly so far...

Yesterday, I harvested the most beautiful cauliflower - beautiful to look at and so delicious!

I am trying to keep up with my editing/translating work and more importantly (but harder to fit in when it's this crazy) my own creative writing. I know that if I don't do this for a few days in a row, I start to get loopy and cranky, like a cow that hasn't been milked! Yesterday, I did some typing work to help out a friend from Writers' Group here - I typed for six and a half hours! - And got up early to make piles of food, rushed home for lunch, then in the evening. I was glad to help out typing, and glad to make a little more money, but am not sure that typing all day was the best thing for me! I couldn't sleep last night, I was in so much pain in my shoulders and arms. Speaking of which, I'd better keep this post short! Back to the question - do you accept all kinds of work just to get some more money, or do you have stricter limits? For me, when it's also helping someone out, it's very hard to say 'no.'

I'm hoping to continue to post photos and stories here this week, but I really don't know what kind of posting schedule I can have.