Grandma Brigade Duties Began

My first full day's duties as part of the grandma brigade. My days will be Wednesdays, a wonderful mid-week responsibility. 

I am kicking around the idea of taking a musical theatre dance class on Mondays from 5pm to 6pm. "Perfect preparation for auditions" for the theater. Who knows, maybe I might find my second wind singing and dancing in musical theatre. 

I do believe being active as you possibly can throughout your life will help you in your later years. I now have more muscular legs from dance fitness than I did in my 20s. 

As a child born in the late 1950s, I loved to watch musicals on TV. It took awhile, in my child's mind, to figure out that people in real life didn't break into song and dance. It was a disappointing realization.  

I don't profess to be a good singer, but I love to sing. When happy, I make up my own songs and have done that for years. Still working on the tune for Mila.

Clearing the Garden Space and Dancing Happiness

Northern California received a soaking rain recently. It gave me a chance to try and clear more of the garden area for planting. I am using a small hand tool to pull the weeds out by the root. I don't want to use pesticides, (1) to protect any birds and critters, and (2) to protect us! 

Another rainstorm is predicted for later in the week. The goal is to work my way around the property. I am clearing the weed overgrowth away to replace a section of fencing currently missing. There is a blackberry bush that will pose a particular challenge in trimming and clearing. 

The burn permit for yard debris is only good through the end of this month. We have to time it between the rainy days and the unseasonably hot ones. 

Call me crazy but now I have signed up for TWO different tap dance classes. One closer to home at a community center, that being the less advanced class. I am also trying out Country Western line dancing at that same community center. This form of dance harkens back to my pre-kids life with my partner. There was a lot of drinking and sawdust shuffling back then. It is not my first rodeo.🤠

My grandbaby Mila is now 4 months old. I am the Wednesday scheduled grandma to be with her while my daughter is at work. She is able to work remote on Monday and Friday. Great news for everyone! 

Rebuilding a Life

I've rethought my gardening plans after the manic phase of my move and the rental of the storage unit ended. I kept 2 of the 150 gallon grow pots and sent back 4 for credit. The second grow pot soil is queued up to go from 50 yard bags to the grow pot. 

I had been purging eBay product for some time. When it got to a couple of $5 sewing patterns per week in sales, it was time for it to end. I've kept all of the eBay branded boxes and poly mailers. My seller's account is still open but nothing is listed. Maybe I will find something exciting to sell ...

The last lot of my move involved boxes of quilting books. I was ALL IN to the craft, and then I wasn't. By boxes I mean 6 of the small moving boxes full of books on quilting. We won't go into the psychology of why so many quilting books happened.🤷

Residing in my on-site storage is A LOT of fabric. I thrifted a plastic storage cabinet full of fabric remnants. Keeping in my stash are unique fabrics and yardage for future clothing projects. Organizing the remaining items in storage are a project for another day. 

Tap dance news - I found a class! My most favorite form of exercise. This studio is closer to where I live and the fee is cheaper. Another bonus is we learn tap routines to current music rather than old Broadway like Putting on the Ritz. 

College news - Drawing and Composition II is offered in the fall. It would be Tuesday afternoon at Folsom Lake College. I am greatly tempted to take this one. It would be my first on-campus Art class. 

So my world is being "righted," back to the things that I love and enjoy.💞 

 

My 150 Gallon Life

The next few weeks will consist of transferring garden soil into 150 gallon grow containers. 

There is one section of chain link fencing in the background. There are three other sections scattered around the property. The goal is to fence off the garden with chain link fencing.

My truck bed filled with 10 bags of 50 yard Miracle Gro organic planting soil. A big box retailer priced them at $9.99 a bag. I, among other avid gardeners, were snapping them up heading for a sell out. 

It took 8 bags of soil to fill the 150 gallon grow bag.  Planted here are three tomato plants and one artichoke.

Luckily, I had the foresight to fence the grow area because the deer came through that night and neatly trimmed all the roses of their blooms. 

If the fencing looks a little wonky, it is. I tried to straighten it out. There is the finished tomato pot, and one awaiting more soil. It too has wonky fencing - hey, I tried my best.😏

I received my first gramma training, part of the Grandma Brigade with the grandbaby. There are so many new gadgets for babies like automatic milk warmers and cribs that convert to beds. 

I bought a two person padded lawn chair so I could sit outside with the baby. So far I am scheduled to have one day a week with her. The routine will be flexible depending on my daughter's work and the other gramma's schedules. 

Vegetable Garden Prep

It has been awhile since I found thrift shop art worth highlighting. This piece even had glitter!

The stick figure's expression pretty much sums up my current mood on this project - hopeful. 

Construction debris have been moved to a take-away pile. Part of that is seen in the foreground. Weeds are being pulled out by the roots. It is a race against heat which is heading into the 90s. In MARCH. Ugh. 

The fire pit is comprised of a circle of cement blocks. A  burn permit was obtained to destroy the dry vegetation. Requirements for burning include a 10' diameter around the 4' burn area. 

I am shopping now for above-ground planting containers, (1) Because the soil is too contaminated with God knows what, and (2) ease of access. 

While the vegetable garden is undergoing a transformation, I am also undergoing a change. Recent events of a move and an injury have me questionning everything. I don't want to do any of my previous activities (with the exception of tap dancing but I can't find a teacher now). No eBaying, quilting, sewing, or thrifting (greatly reduced). No art classes (not while my hand is injured - going to rehab). I did have the intention of joining in the April AtoZ Challenge but am on the fence with that right now. The theme reveal image was taken at my previous residence and it doesn't "feel right." 

So readers stick with me, the focus right now is my grandbaby and gardening. I am also totally intrigued by @bigmerla/shorts. She plays rock and metal songs using her kids toys as instruments. I want to do something along those lines for grandbaby Mila. The Grandma Brigade will be activated in April. Care of Mila will be shared by the two grandmas, and another grandmother close to the family. 

Plowing through the estates

The lead off image is a 40+ year old apricot tree that has sprung back to life. It was destined for the burn pile when we noticed it had flowered.  

Nearing the end of organizing my estate, my mother's estate (now gone 4 years), some of my former partner (still living), and some of his daughter's remnants. I am motivated because part of my furniture is in a rented storage unit. The sooner I make room, the better. 

The move to a small 9'x8' bedroom meant there was very little storage. You bet I snapped up the thrift shop find of a $15 IKEA covered wardrobe, still in its box original unopened packaging. I assembed it the same day. 

Here is another image of the apricot tree. While not quite the size of its former glory, I hope it will continue to thrive. The ground was soft enough to place fruit tree fertilizer spikes around the drip line. In the background is a mature walnut tree, a favorite stop-over spot for squirrels. 

This tree survived the hatchet chopping my son inflicted on the trees some 30+ years ago. A cherry tree did not survive that event. 

Just like that apricot tree - I have survived through adversity. 

I have been planting

I took advantage of the break in the rainy weather to plant two rose bushes, an elephant ear, and a snow giant peach tree. The first time I have planted hairy vetch seeds as an organic groundcover. Left to plant in the front is a yellow rose bush. 

The proposed vegetable garden is still in the beginning stage. The burn pile is in the foreground, garden plot in the background. 

There looks to be a 7 day run of good weather here in Northern California. With the recent rain, it is an opportunity to pull weeds at the roots rather than poison them. 

I have been busy organizing the storage shed at the house so I can end the offsite storage rental fee. It is a race against time. The monthly rent is $99 through the end of March. The rental fee then jumps to $199 a month.😨

Very little has been written about how a grandbaby can be the catalyst for change for a grandparent. In my case, I had to choose between a long-time partner who wanted to travel and my desire to be with the baby. Grandbaby won! In fact, I have absolutely no desire to travel when the granddaughter is in her baby stages. 

Granny hobbies of sewing, needlework, and quilting have fallen by the wayside for now. Once I start grandbaby sitting in April of a couple of days a week, I can pick up the needlework projects waiting for me.