I’ve never had the pleasure of raising a boy. I love all the boys in my life immensely. But, I didn’t have to do all the things boy moms do like go to the ER every other week or follow along behind them catching everything that falls. I was treated to Teddy Bear Teas and “Let’s Put on a Show!” That was my mom life. Don’t get me wrong...dealing with girls’ hormones while you’re dealing with your own can be a trip. And don’t get me started about girl drama. But, I admire Boy Moms. They earn their crowns in an entirely different way. This little guy is as sweet as they come and his younger sister was a peach...my kind of energy. I guess I’m just a girl mom.

I always wanted a big family. It seemed big in many ways because my daughters always had friends over and they called me mom. I fed them and took them places, then I sent them home. Kinda like grandchildren, really. Daughter #1 married and has two daughters of her own. Daughter #2 married and they have four cats. One is not better than the other...just different. And they are all loved the same.

When I was rummaging around in the box with my late uncle’s flag, I found this photo at the bottom of the box. I don’t recall ever having seen this picture hanging in Grandma’s house. The frame is long gone...broken along the way somewhere with no money to replace it. When I looked at the photo in person, I didn’t notice a name written anywhere. But, now that I look at the snapshot I took of it, there may be some faint writing along the bottom of the woman’s white dress shirt. I’ll have to take a closer look when I go back to the farm on Sunday and maybe my uncle will recognize her.

I had a pretty productive day at the farm. The cabinets still had tons of food in them that had long ago gone out of date. It was one of those jobs I kept saying I’d get to, then there was always something more pressing to do. I’m amazed the place wasn’t infested with mice, but there wasn’t a single sign. My cousin dropped off some contractors bags for me and I filled two of them only half full and one I can’t even lift. I’ll have to use another bag and divvy up the goods so I can haul it out.

I never sleep well when the moon is full. It was going on 1:30 yesterday morning when I finally dozed off. I was awakened a couple of times by a bird calling in the Carolina Spice Bush along the creek bank. Bless its heart...it almost sounded like it was questioning why it was singing at such a crazy hour. It was quite pretty. I couldn’t identify it as I was unfamiliar with the call, and...it was the middle of the night. I really wanted to sleep.

Mr. FixIt got an early start on the tractor yesterday. I could see him on the security camera, sitting in the driveway, threading the new drive belt on the mower deck. I jumped up, grabbed my coffee, and headed out to join him. He got the mower deck on and running, but the new belt slipped off twice and it really shouldn’t do that. I took the push mower into the fenced area of the back yard around the pool and started mowing. It was rapidly heading to 80 degrees by the time I was half finished. 

We had a lot to do yesterday and in order to get it all done, we had to split up and share the chores. I ran to our little burg and bought gas for the mowers and picked up the mail that was held. Mr. FixIt headed to town to pick up the cat. 

The grass was really thick, and still a little damp with dew in the shady spots, but I got right to work. I filled the gas tank and topped off the oil and started the mowing. Things were moving right along...I had about 15-20 feet all around the edges of both fields and the yards done when...the blades stopped turning on the mower. No sound, no sudden problems...they just stopped turning. Although it’s never happened to me, I knew the belt had either broken or popped off the pulleys. Well, that was not what I expected.

I’m gearing up for a busy week both here on the Ponderosa and out at the farm. Both need mowing desperately. This is the time of year you can almost hear the grass growing. Warm days and spring rains bring everything to life here in West Virginia. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, you have to stay on top of this stuff or it can so get out of hand.

We got in last night exactly twelve hours after we pulled away from the condo. Although we were tired and felt like we’d gone ten rounds with an alligator, the trip itself was so smooth. I knitted for the first four hours or so, then switched off and drove the rest of the way. I so enjoy our time together and our conversations. Interspersed with stretches of companionable silence, we solve the world’s problems and share stories and laughter. This was truly a treasured trip I will always remember.

It was our last day and we wanted to do something fun so as soon as the temp warmed up a little, we gathered a few things and took off. Mr. FixIt has had his picture taken with a specific dog statue every time we have been here together, so we surely couldn’t leave before getting this year’s shot. And...since he was all masked up, I’ve decided you get to see him from the front without blurring out his face! Yeah, I know...you still can’t see him ‘cause his picture and his name is the only thing I keep close to my heart. The rest of my life is pretty much an open book. He reads most of my posts and...so far...he’s never had a complaint about any of the stories I tell. As a matter of fact...I think he kinda likes it!