OHM-OHM-OHM-OH-OH-OHM-OHM

I'm much better today. I sat myself down and had a serious talk, I listened to the advice of some very wise people indeed, thank you Ms. Jane, Natasha and Auntie Lis. I think it was the Hokey Pokey this morning that finished my transformation from crazy  to cautiously calm. I even listened to my own advice, which may prove to be a mistake, and started writing things down, and made myself a calender so I can break this all down into little chunks of stuff to get done.







Today this goof ball gets to go meet his new vet. I get to work on getting our guest list together all in one place and putting together a mailing for everybody about things to do and places to stay. I think I will include my friend John's family motel down in Vale...yes..really...The Bates Motel! John's Aunt and Uncle own it now and the family name is really Bates. From what I've been told there are fresh homemade cookies everyday.

I guess the reviews of motels here in Ontario aren't so great. I'm not surprised, customer service is a joke out here! Most of the decent places are right off the highway on the east end of town. My best advice is if you can't find anything here, try Baker, or over in Idaho. I don't think there is anyplace in Payette or Fruitland, maybe Caldwell or Nampa?

These two guys can't wait to see Ms. Jane! It's less than a month now! I need to stop procrastinating and get on that guest list...so many scraps of paper...baby steps...breathe...put your left foot in...

xo

MY HOW TIME FLIES

It's hard to believe that we left Portland two months ago, one day short of two months. So much has happened, it feels more like six!

In two months, we've sorted and packed all of our belongings, driven completely across the state, bought a truck, bought a house, I've gone back to work...WOW...



Both Nick and I have remembered lessons learned as children, lessons from parents and grandparents. We have truly been able to slow down a bit, relax a little, and enjoy time together.

We've seen snow that doesn't cripple a city, sunshine, and yes even rain. We've looked to the sky and seen more stars than I've seen since I was a kid on the beach.

We've seen snow covered mountains...

and majestic buttes...

it hasn't been easy...we've had our bumps...but through it all we have all been able to keep in sight what really matters most...we are together, and we are in love. We might not be rich, but who cares!

Well, it's off to work with me.
I hope your day is filled with love, wonder and beauty.

xo

HAPPY DAYS!

Happy Saturday! Wow, Saturday's are different here, busy, but at a slower pace. Like everything here, people are just not in as big a hurry. It's sort of hard to adjust to but it's nice. People take time for family and friends on the weekends. Of course I work weekends, have forever, wouldn't know what to do if I didn't, but part of the beauty of moving here is that, I have more time to spend with Nick and Bruno!



This is the first really warm weekend we've had, and Nick has the gardening bug bad, yes you can't get a shovel out of his hands for long. Brunotopia is a real mud pit when it's wet and a dust bowl when it's dry. We want to get some grass seed down before Ms. Jane gets here so that she and Bruno can sit on a nice cool lawn, but, it's still getting cold at night. I don't know.

Maybe soon. Nick has struck an uneasy truce with the neighborhood hooligans by promising them pumpkins at Halloween and he's started them. Wow, our friend Anton, aka, punkin head won't need to worry about pumpkins for a while!

He's even gotten quite creative when it comes to containers to start his seeds in, his basil for instance is in P.B.R. cans! Bet your not surprised Johnny V! That's my Nicky!!

I think Ga'mom and Ga'pop would be proud of his resourcefulness!

Well, Happy Saturday! Hope your all well and happy and check here on Monday afternoon for a big announcement. No, Ms. Jane I will not let you in on it before I announce it here Monday! Sorry!

Have a great weekend!
xoxo

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

I love the sky here...it's big and expansive...usually blue. Coming from the lush Willamette valley to the high desert of the Treasure valley is a big change. One that I celebrate every day, with or without wine. Life is good here once you get used to the smell of the onion juicing plant.

I spent my day off baking bread, grocery shopping and hanging out with my two favorite guys. Living here is simpler, less rushed, and happy. I have plenty to do. Plan a wedding, finish decorating not one but two houses, work, but I'm not crazy stressed here,  my attitude is more...get done what has to be done and the rest will fall into place.

I think Bruno enjoys the changes the most, his people aren't going nuts, I get to spend more time at home, Nick is actually starting to relax a little, and there is fresh bread, once a week. The smell of bread as it cools is something that really gets him to focus.

One of these days he is going to swipe at least one of those loaves right off the table, I just know it.

That tongue sort of gives his little plan away, he doesn't fool me! Angel dog my hinney! Future bread thief! Oh well if he does and it makes him happy I won't get too upset.

I really enjoy working the morning shift, it forces me out of bed so that I get to enjoy the sunrise. My walk takes me east so I can't miss it. I can't believe that I live in a place where I get to see this.

I hope your day is full of beauty and silly puppy faces!
xo

WHY NEETIE MAE'S HAT BOX?

Nettie Mae was my great grandmother. Simple as that, she was a hard working, loving, beautiful woman who I loved and respected even though I really didn't know her that well, she passed away when I was 13, and my family might accuse me of romanticising or idealizing her life, but if I am please keep it to yourself. I didn't even know that her real first name was Nettie until this summer when my hero, my grandfather died, I knew her as Grandma Richards or Grandma. She lived in Payette Idaho, which is only about 10 miles from my new home in Ontario, and played a big part in our decision to move east(that and the fact that, in Portland Oregon we couldn't move far enough west to get away from the jerks without drowning)to the high desert.

We started planning our escape quietly in June or July. The Oregon coast sounded like heaven, I spent a very big chunk of my childhood there. Let me tell you,it's expensive and jobs are very hard to come by. Central Oregon has the same issues. We bought a big map of the state and lived with it on our kitchen wall,running over to it looking for places that had something to offer, a low cost of living, a job, low land prices, it was the same every evening around our place for quite awhile, check the map and then check the web. We fell in love with Sumter, but how to make a living? The idea of being snowed in and house bound with Nick and Bruno was beautiful, but love doesn't put food on the table. One day, while I was at work, Nick went on line and googled the company I was working for. There was a location in Bend, one in Redmond and one here in Ontario. We planned a trip out here to see what it was like in October. To say that, initially, we were underwhelmed would be an understatement, but we decided to give it a couple day to explore. Boy am I glad we did! This town is great for us, the people are friendly, the sky is blue, the town is flat and there is great coffee! So that was that, the decision was made, Ontario it is.

I gave my notice at work, we picked a date and we started packing. There were a few times when I asked myself if this was really the right thing to do. When I had those moments all I had to do was look over at Nick, I know that beside him is where I want to spend the rest of my life, and that when we work together to achieve a goal we can't fail.

So here we are, at the Ontario Inn, our temporary home, waiting to hear if our offer on our dream house is accepted. The proud owners of a newly acquired 1980 Datsan pick up truck. Two people and one dog who love each other and want to build our dream life together.