Worked on E’s new tree house most of the day. Got walls up. Back wall even has a window. Planning pulley system, chalk board, tire climb and rope ladder for the rest. Going to add swing set later. She was very happy with progress. 99% built from scrap lumber, tires and mostly pallet wood, which was free.
Ladder materials and pulley system will add about $40.
T going to help move stuff from farm tomorrow. Plans to start a beehive this fall to go between the garden and fruit trees I want to plant when I build mounds for them. Need to clear top of hill tomorrow anyway, I think we’re getting a tractor. More equipment we get, the better this land is becoming. Moving some tires out to camping area tomorrow. I’m thinking of building camp chairs out of them somehow.
We already have a huge coffee table made of pallets. Just needs sanded and stained.
I have a list of house projects a mile long and yard projects two miles long, hoping to keep me busy this fall and winter. Last year sucked SO bad. I was depressed about my family, then E gone 8 hours a day at school. I spent WAY too much time moping around, being depressed. Don’t want to waste time like that this year. I have too much I’d like to do. Plus, I’m hoping more exercise and less depression will help keep the pain from getting so out of control. It always hurts more when I sit and have time to dwell on it.
B

Couple of quiet days. Worked on E’s scrapbook for the past school year Tuesday. As usual, it won’t be finished until she’s already in the next grade. I’m going to have to get a new bookshelf in the office to hold them all. I picked the biggest binder available and still had to use two of them for this one year. They give them SO much paper at public school. I haven’t even added our personal pictures yet, just her school stuff. I even threw about 25% of it in the trash… Worksheets she’d only half finished or were repeats that she’d had over and over.
Next week we’ll get to find out who her teacher is.
Today we watched movies because it rained all day. The most ambitious thing I did was color my hair and wax.
I think tomorrow we are going to go play in the creek. I want to do fun stuff this next week and a half instead of working. I can knock out projects while she is at school. Hopefully this year, I can stay a little more focused instead of watching reruns and being depressed. What a waste that was. I’d love to be able to say I have a publisher by Christmas. It would also be nice to have several chapters of my book written. U guess we’ll see. I also have house things, yard projects and exercise I want to get in. Maybe I’ll be too busy to mope about. 😉
B

15 days till school starts. Does it seem I’m counting down? I guess I am. Not bc I’m in a hurry to send her off though. I’m hoping I do better this year and do something productive while E’s at school, instead of sitting around here, depressed and thinking about things that should be long dead to me and left alone. Last year was rough.
Already I’m thinking, “Just one more lunch and errand day together before I go back to shopping alone.” Getting grown up SO freaking fast… And about to come into that age that I can still remember vividly from my own childhood. Tunnels through wild roses, riding my purple bike with no breaks down Hollyhock. The apocalyptic rock fight with the Murphy’s. Rich’s little brother siphoning gas from Mom’s car. Getting a tape recorder for my 8th birthday and my first 2 albums- Thriller and She’s So Unusual. Collecting Bryer horses. Playing with Patrick and Jerred in the back yard.
I wonder what she will remember? I try to make good memories for her. Things she can look back and remember us spending REAL time together. I want her to be confident in herself now. She’ll need all she can get in about 5 years. For every great memory I have of how epic it was being 8, I have an equal number of horror stories I can recall from 12-17.
We had lunch together at El Caporal today. Opened her a savings account. She spent the afternoon playing with toy handcuffs from the grocery store.
Supposed to make cobbler tomorrow. Maybe we’ll find time to go to the woods for a bit.
B

Felt like a short weekend. Took E  to library on Saturday while T went to creek to deliver cucumbers. Told not to visit because they were too tired, but kept him there talking until after 3. (His observation, not mine) Spent rest of afternoon playing a little WOW, then grilling burgers. I was fine with a weekend off. Too much peopling makes me cranky.
Sunday built a spice rack from pallets. I need to find more stuff to make from them. Spice rack turned out pretty well. Still need to stain, but not sure of cabinet color yet, so I’ll wait.
Next weekend Harrison, which always wears me out. SO MUCH going on and always wall to wall people. I have fun, but need several days to recuperate. Almost feels like a hangover after.
School starts in 16 days. Mixed feelings. I get SO used to having E home, but I also need to get back to writing. Have to force myself to work on projects this year, get book published. I keep changing the big book. Although I have an ending now, which may help the rest move right along. I want to do a bit more character development before I launch into the edgy scenes. I thought about taking supernatural aspect out, but then decided it was more fun in.
T got approved for mileage, hopefully we can get some things caught up now. Need new tires on both vehicles. Licensing coming up too. I’d really like a new sewing machine.
Keep considering my mother, then deciding against trying to fix. Thinking about M is usually what puts me off making the effort. All those lies and so much fake. I wonder if she is capable of telling the truth? I’m sure she’s told some whoppers in past year, thinking we are gone and she’ll never have to answer for them. Like the ones she tells friends she thinks I’ll never meet. Has made for some awkward moments in the past.

Have to get to sleep. Will soon be getting up early to take E to school again.
B