Today is a lovely blue-sky day with just a few wispy clouds. We have the patio all cleaned off after the winter snow, the grill all uncovered and ready for service, the chairs all out and I am sitting at the table with my laptop FINALLY blogging again!
It's been a busy four weeks since returning home. Lots of unpacking and putting away, tax papers all gathered and sorted and given to my best-ever son in-law who does our taxes for us. Catch up time with Angel and friends and some spring cleaning..... yes, while the mood strikes I have been doing some of this. Cleaning out some cupboards and closets, I have a few bags and boxes in the attic to take to the next rummage sale.
This is the beginning of a new era in our lives as my hubby has decided, with a lot of persuading and urging from his family, to really retire at the end of June this year. We will take in the Fix-It Shop sign and get a new phone number. Now that he has accepted his decision I think he is really looking forward to it. The good Lord willing, we hope to take a few small trips here and there this summer with the little Gypsy Wagon, visiting friends and relatives and some places of interest we have never taken the time to see.
As we think back over the years, since 1970 when we first started the Fix-It Shop, we remember some funny things that happened. One story that we never fail to laugh about is the time I went out chimney cleaning with Dennis. We did a couple of jobs and the last one for the day was on the other side of Springfield. It was a bit of a difficult chimney and after getting it cleaned, Dennis hollered down the chimney from atop the roof to me. I was in the basement by the clean out door. I wasn't sure just what he said so I leaned down close to the opening where the old soot and yuck lay waiting to be shoveled out to ask him what he said. He thought I was confirming that I was to close the clean out door. He then dropped a brick to see and listen to it fall, letting him know he had successfully removed a pocket of stubborn soot. Of course I HADN'T closed the door and the brick fell pretty quickly and quietly down the clean chimney landing in a thump in that pile of soot. That soot exploded into a great cloud just in front of my face! Too late I slammed the little door. He came down to empty the soot from the clean out and got a great laugh when, in the dim cellar lighting all he could see was a pair of eyes looking out of a black face. I didn't think this was at all funny. Especially since soot is NOT easily brushed off or not washed off with just a splash of water from our water bottles. SO I had to ware my black face home, back up through town where there were people who could look into the truck and see this black faced lady out for a nice ride. This was the very last time I went along chimney cleaning!! The chimney cleaning business was sold a few years ago but was only one facet of the Fix-It Shop.
Sitting here looking over the back yard, I can see where I will be working this week. Maybe if I get an early start, I can stay ahead of the weeds in the flower beds this year. Some things need to be cut back too. My little circular garden is becoming a big circular garden! I haven't even thought about the veggie garden too much yet. Need to get some good seeds but no sense in planting until all these frosty mornings are past. I have been looking at the seed catalog though. While we were on a little ride earlier this afternoon, we stopped at a year-round farm stand and saw fiddle heads for sale there. I didn't think they were ready yet. So I will go looking for some after supper tonight. I haven't had my dandelion greens yet either. Spring just mustn't pass into summer without enjoying a few meals of these.
Forsythia
Blue-sky day in the backyard
"The Joy of Living comes from a heart of Thanksgiving!"
"Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway!" found at God Vine on Facebook
