On the Next Mountain

Found several of these antique jars in the shed!

My initial thought of the "camper plan" was, "Heck, no!"  Then, the idea grew on me...Outdoor living for the summer seemed pretty awesome, actually!

I wasn't thinking about the chilly, rainy days (like today!)...or the bugs and spiders...or the poison ivy (which is all over my left forearm!)...or how a camper feels like a combo of the fiery furnace and a sweaty steam room when you are cooking in it on a warm day!

I am overcoming these things one by one...(although I may develop a severe case of arachnophobia by September!)

Cooking...and eating delectable dishes...pastimes adored by both Don and me...are quite a challenge in a camper.  While wandering around Lowe's a couple of days ago, we were both drawn to the outdoor cooking equipment like moths to a flame...or a bright blue, giant bug zapper, as the case may be!  (More on that later...)  

We're thinking that our rustic little handmade campfire pit, while useful thus far, is not gonna cut for the whole summer.  Though a several hundred dollar investment, a nice grill with a burner or two on the side will be a worthy purchase for us at this time.  We'll probably use it daily, or close to it, for the next 5 months.  We plan to do some serious shopping this weekend, so if any of you have a favorite brand or grill, let us know.  Advice would be helpful!

Now in my early forties, I look back on my life and see a series of mountains and plateaus...with a few dark valleys here and there.

Moving to New York and right on through our first 2 years living there, we were definitely climbing a rather steep mountainside, struggling to keep our footing...and sometimes not knowing which way was up.

Then, we came to a bittersweet little plateau, catching our breath for a short while.




Now, we tackle the next mountainside; my intuition tells me this climb will not be as steep...And, I imagine we'll be working up this smaller slope for 6 months or so before we reach a plateau where our lives fall into a steady rhythm for a bit...at least long enough for us to take a deep breath!




Learning how to enjoy life during those challenging climbs has been key for me...for our whole family!  Taking pleasure in...even celebrating...the little victories along the way.  Reflecting on how far we've already come.  Taking time out to enjoy some well-earned "distractions" every now and again!

Last weekend, instead of digging deeply into the demo work, Don used his resources, aka. Nate and Rosie, to fence about a third of our hay field for the horses. Why? 

Frankly, we're running very low on hay...and horses gotta eat!  And, truly, at present we do not have adequate storage for the amount of hay this field will produce, so rather than waste it....

As the week progressed, we continued to work at taming the plant life that has encroached upon the house and the beautiful stonework surrounding it.


Don and Grace swear that the old lilac bush, the robust burning bush and one of the dogwood trees audibly sighed with relief as they freed them of the unruly vines that entangled and choked them!  Grace quoted Gandolf proclaiming, "Breathe the free air, My Friend!", as she yanked out the final leg of each vine.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Don also tackled the task of chopping down two enormous holly trees that threatened to push roots right through the foundation of the house...

Besides checking out grills, our visit to Lowe's included an appointment with their "project coordinator" to begin the conversation about working with together on our home remodel.  She was very helpful, and I will be spending more time both with her, wandering around the store, and on Pinterest, getting ideas of what I like, over the next few weeks.


House demo, thus far, has been slow and steady, but that may change this weekend - both of our sons will be around to help at one point or another, and destruction is their specialty!

Speaking of my sons, William and Nathaniel are 20 years old today!

How is it even possible that twenty years have passed? Seems like yesterday I was chasing around twin toddlers. And, what a privilege it has been to raise twins!  Not a "walk in the park", but we all made it in one piece and we've had lots of lessons, laughs, challenges and good times along the way!

Looking forward to spending some time with both of them this weekend, and showing William around the property - he's never seen our new PA home before!

Check back next week for an update and more photos, Friends.  Don wanted to have the demo work completely done by June 1 - We shall see!  Also, I am finally able to schedule my written exam for my PA cosmetology license - yay!  More on that next week, too.