I know, I know… the first day of spring was March 20th. But up north where we live, March can be pretty harsh. It doesn’t really feel like spring until at least April to me. April brings sunshine, fresh turned soil, pussy willows and colorful blooms from the bulbs we planted last fall. The earth is whispering awake again. And most importantly, spring brings renewed hope. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some bright color, a refresh, and renewed hope back in my life.
Planting bulbs in the fall is an exercise in hope.
Spring is full of new growth and wildlife babies
Little lake life has been a whole different type of wildlife entertainment than when we lived up on the mountain in the woods. From out home tucked up in the mountains we would see deer, turkeys and the occasional moose.
Momma turkey watching over her young and the frequent deer we would see in our yard at our previous home in the woods.
We would see the rare moose at our home in the mountains, but this momma moose drinking out of our bird bath was a once in a lifetime sight.
Here at the lake, we observe great blue herons, eagles, muskrats, tons of different ducks and even the occasional otter. The otter stopped by the other day to roll and play on our dock for a short time. If I were an animal, I would definitely want to be an otter. They just enjoy life so much.
This playful little otter (left) showed up one morning on the dock at our new home. The wood ducks (right) marched right through the garden gate.
Meet our new neighbors
Life is chock full of wonder, if we are aware and open to it. Such is the case with our neighbors. When we moved to this house last fall, we had a couple welcome us to the hood. They stop by unexpectedly and bring joy, smiles and entertainment. They are not your typical neighbors. They are a geese couple (geese mate for life) and while they roam the lake, they usually stop by here once a day. While many geese fly south in the winter, this couple braved the cold and stayed on. It helped that the lake did not freeze over in this unseasonably warmer winter.
Since they are here so much, I decided they needed names. Not just any cute animal name, but something quirky, fun and with a meaningful story behind it. When my mom was growing up, she had a beloved chicken that she coddled and carried around. The chicken’s name was Genevieve. My grandpa, who gave my parents this property, had the middle name Isaac. So, the couple have been crowned with the names Genevieve and Isaac. It fits them.
Genevieve and Isaac come visit us every day.
We enjoy their company. However, if they start leaving messes on our dock or yard, I will be chasing them off. My dad has fond memories of my mom getting up in the morning and going outside in her robe, armed with a broom, to chase off the geese that would come up in their yard. Perhaps the apple does not fall from the tree… we shall see. I might need to buy a new robe.
Hope springs
The bright colors and wildlife that emerge in the spring are signs of new life. Signs of fresh starts and hope. May you take the time to enjoy the wonder of spring!
Easter is a little early this year, but spring is in the air. The flowers are blooming and the wildlife are emerging. Easter and spring always remind of new hope and fresh starts.
I have been busy filling eggs, preparing decorations and stuffing Easter bags (instead of baskets) for the grands this year. I saw these cute little Easter jars on IG, so I created a couple of them to give away as well.
Easter gifts!
We will be hosting our annual family Easter brunch and egg hunt again this year. We have a little smaller crowd this time, with only about 30 people. (Yes, that is small for this extended family.) It has come full circle. My parents started the tradition of the Easter brunch and egg hunt years ago when my kids were little, on this very property. Maybe there will be a few eggs hidden in the lake again this year for some brave finder… just like old times.
My kids and their cousins after an Easter egg hunt years ago at my parents’ house at the lake, where we now live.
We were ruthless in giving away items when we downsized last year. We just did not have the space to keep so much crap. Besides, we don’t want our kids to have to go through all of our stuff when we leave this planet. One of the precious items that survived the cut was the Easter basket from my childhood. I remember the excitement of finding it every Easter morning filled with a large chocolate bunny, real-colored eggs and always a little chick perched on the handle. My oldest son used it for his Easter basket while he was growing up. Now I keep it to decorate with every Easter. It is filled with fond memories and good mojo. Keeping a few sentimental items gives an anchor to our history.
Son #1 (blue jacket) when he was about three years old, hauling around the Easter basket from my childhood while he hunted for eggs out at my parents’ home on the lake (left). I still decorate with that Easter basket every year (right).
I hope that you and your family enjoy a wonderful day and that you find new hope and fresh starts in the joy of spring.
This is the inevitable fact of aging… we are going to need health care. It does not matter how many squats you do or how much broccoli you eat, it you live long enough you will need to access the healthcare system. I have worked in healthcare my entire adult career and I have seen enormous changes over the years. An appendectomy used to require an incision, and a five day stay at the hospital. Now it is done with a scope, and you go home the same day. Advances in healthcare have been amazing and will continue to benefit us. On the other hand, healthcare has also declined – often referred to as a broken system.
Put on your best old geezer voice and say, “well… it wasn’t like that back in the old days.”
My recent rub with a broken system
A few weeks ago, I needed to go to urgent care for a minor issue. I checked in with the friendly clerk who was having trouble with the computer system. I knew I was in for a long haul when I looked around the waiting room and realized I would be about the 9th person to be seen.
You see a very raw cross section of humanity in emergency and urgent care waiting rooms. After all, everyone seeks healthcare at some point. We often insulate ourselves in our little world of friends and family – people who have similar values and lifestyles as us. But a waiting room throws all of humanity together, when they are not feeling their best, in a little enclosed box.
Two people were in masks and coughing. Then in walks an older woman with matted hair, coughing and hacking. She was clearly ill. When asked to wear a mask, she waived it off. The clerk firmly told her she needed to if she wanted to be seen, so the woman held a mask up loosely over her face while germs spewed out the sides. I am not here to debate COVID or requiring people to wear masks. I will leave that for people with tougher skin than me. I am just suggesting that we respect other human beings and try not to spread our germs.
After a two hour wait, I was seen by a competent nurse practitioner (NP) who was clearly overloaded. My visit was quick once I was finally seen and I was grateful to get out of there without catching something else. I recovered and then about a week later, I sadly found myself back in an ER waiting room.
He was the rock of my childhood and has been our entire families’ example of how to live life with integrity, wisdom, commitment, faith and a little humor sprinkled in. While my dad is 98 years old, he has been very healthy. Until recently, when the very thing he dreaded happened… he fell and broke his hip.
It was a Friday evening and the E.R. was buzzing. Patients were left on gurneys in the hallways because the beds were full. Hospital staff stopped by briefly but most whizzed past us to care for more urgent patients or were glued to their computers at the nurse’s station. As you know, it is heart breaking to see someone you love in pain, especially when you can’t do anything about it.
Like any profession, there are some excellent health care providers and some that are just there to get their paycheck. Most are friendly and competent… and all appear to be overworked. When you are ill and at your most vulnerable, you are thrown into this overstressed healthcare system. You are at the mercy of overworked healthcare providers who are trying to do their best but are spread too thin.
Once admitted to the hospital, you may have a surgeon, a hospitalist, NP or PA, and perhaps a specialist. You also have an RN, several CNAs that move in and out, a team that turns patients, one that starts the IVs, respiratory and physical therapists that tend to those specific body functions, a transport team that moves patients between units, and still another person that does the discharge planning. We were never clear on who had the overall picture. It felt like a very disjointed mix of care. And this is coming from someone who has a pretty good understanding of healthcare.
Why the system broke
People that go into healthcare do so because they want to make a difference in people’s lives. I know that was the catalyst for me. Sadly, as with most things in life, money has become the driving force in healthcare. There are too many people that are uninsured and those that are do not have much control. The insurance companies and Medicare determine which providers you can see (in network), what tests are allowed (i.e. what they will cover), how long a patient can stay in the hospital, and ultimately the number of staff a hospital can afford. Litigation has also driven up costs, which includes not just the process itself, but the costs behind the scenes to monitor and prevent it, as well as the common practice of defensive medicine.
Many competent people left the healthcare professions during COVID, deciding it was not worth the heartache and risk. Those that stayed were then short staffed. This increases workplace stress, medical errors and burnout. The main reason people leave the healthcare profession is not because they suddenly do not like their chosen profession, but because they cannot provide the kind of care that was the very reason they went into the profession to start with. It is a broken system that affects all of us.
Healing
The healthcare system is very complicated with thousands of moving parts. The upside is that technological advances continue to improve it. But more importantly, the broken system is made up of many wonderful healthcare providers who are doing their best. Healing comes from competent people who truly care about their patients. My dad’s surgery went well, and he is in the slow process of healing, thanks to some very skilled providers.
On a happier note, March madness is in full swing. My team fell out in the second round of the Big Dance, so now I am rooting for Arizona. Go Wildcats! I am still hopeful that my bracket will stay strong in the family bracket competition so I can get some of that money back from my kids that I put into braces, sports camps and college tuition. 😊
In early March we traveled down to Las Vegas with my brother and SIL to see the Zags win the WCC Tournament.While we were there, we went to see The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. It was a magical experience.
And… I think spring might finally be on the way. The days are getting longer, and the daffodils are getting ready to bloom. Hope rises.
Our favorite weather saying in the PNW is, “if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” That is especially true in March and April. I can’t complain, because we’ve had a relatively mild winter this year. But just when we were thinking about crocuses popping up, we got hit with high winds and our worst snowstorm of the year. Of course, it happens when Mr. U is out of town.
The night the lights went out
Mr. U and I had been on a short trip, and I was flying back early. My flight was delayed several hours so I ended up not getting home until 2:00 a.m. during a high windstorm. (Just for the record, I HATE turbulence in a plane.) Branches broke, trees snapped and the wind gusts made it a challenge to keep my car on the road while driving home from the airport. When I pulled around the corner into the bay, I noticed that it was exceptionally dark. None of the neighbors had their lights on. Hum.
Inevitably, the wind had knocked the electricity out. Now I had to enter a dark house that was still fairly new to me, in the middle of the pitch-black night during a powerful windstorm. I pulled into the driveway and sat in my car while I considered my options. Earlier in the evening, my sister texted me about the storm and offered to have me stay with her. I was wishing I had taken her up on her offer at this point. I considered getting a hotel, but I don’t even know if you can check into a hotel in the middle of the night. Nope. I just needed to put on my big girl panties and go into the dark house with my cell phone light that had a low battery. It was cold and scary. Your imagination can get carried away in the dark of the night.
Fortunately, I keep a lot of candles (both real and battery operated) around the house.
I was able to get a couple candles lit to find my way around the house and was relieved to find that there were no boogeymen lurking in the closet or under the bed. (You never outgrow some fears.) I piled every blanket I could find on the bed and listened to the wind howl outside before I fell into a fitful sleep. When I woke up in the morning the lights were back on and the heat was pumping through the house. It lasted for a full day and then we got a snowstorm and out went the electricity again. This time for 24 hours.
24 hours off the grid
You do not realize how much you use electricity until you do not have it. Fortunately, our gas fireplaces work without electricity, so I was able to keep the house reasonably warm. The first several hours I was totally frustrated. I kept flipping on switches, forgetting that it would not do anything, and turning on the faucet that could not produce water.
I went to the store to stock up on water, batteries and some food that did not need to be cooked. Then I called Mr. U to complain. There was no running water, no lights, no heat, no internet, no T.V. and you can’t even charge your phone, Kindle, or laptop. We are way too dependent on our devices. Once I accepted all of this, I settled in.
A cozy, peaceful evening at home off the grid.
Turns out we don’t need all of those electric devices to enjoy an evening at home. It was cozy and oh so quiet. I have a couple little chargeable lights that cast a nice glow. Between those and the candlelight, I was able to settle in under a blanket and spent the evening reading and writing by hand. My blood pressure dropped, my heartbeat slowed and my soul was able to catch up with my body. It was exactly what I needed. There is peace in the pause that we seldom allow ourselves time to lean into.
It was so nice to have a couple of these little rechargeable touch lights. Note to self, keep them charged in the winter.
Back in the ole days
When I was a kid, growing up in this very spot we now live, the electricity was guaranteed to go out every winter… several times. We got more snow and colder temps. back then. I specifically remember one year when I was around seven years old, and the electricity went out for five days. I thought it was magical to sit by the fire and read by candlelight. I imagined myself to be Laura Ingalls Wilder from the Little House on the Prairie books that I devoured. The one negative that I remember is that the porcelain toilet seat was really, really cold! I am quite sure my mom and dad remember a lot more negatives.
I can’t imagine having the electricity out that long with five kids at home. They pulled out the camp stove, put blankets over doorways and stocked up on water, firewood and candles. No battery-operated lights or candles in those days. We did not miss our electronic devices either since there weren’t any to miss, other than the T.V. and radio. (I am starting to sound really old.)
Maybe we need more nights off the grid
I guess I forgot how much our electronic devices control our brains… until I didn’t have them for 24 hours. It shocked me how restless I was at first. I was anxious and wondering what I was going to do for a whole night. But once the quiet took over and settled into my bones, I felt such peace. I would not recommend coming home from a trip at 2:00 a.m. in a windstorm to find your soul. But maybe we should schedule a no devices day every week. Kind of like a sabbath from electronic devices and social media. Could I do it consistently? Could you?
Being without electricity is a good excuse to stay in bed a little longer and enjoy a slow morning.
Last week I wrote a post about The Staff of Life. Fresh bread, made without preservatives, will get stale sooner than white plastic bread from the grocery store shelf. But don’t be too quick to throw stale bread out… it makes delicious croutons.
Toasting up some croutons from leftover rolls.
One of the benefits of being retired is having more time to pay attention to the little things. Things that make your life cozier and more gratifying. For me, one of those is making my own croutons. They are quick, easy and taste so much better than store bought. Besides, there is something very satisfying about using food up in new ways instead of throwing it away.
Croutons are simple to make. You just cube dried bread, toss with a little olive oil (and/or melted butter) and some seasonings. Lay them out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake. Viola! You have croutons to sprinkle over a salad or toss in a bowl of soup for a little crunch.
Not that you need a recipe to make croutons, but this is my favorite.
The croutons last quite a while in an airtight container. But, if you have more than you can use, just crush some of them up and use as toasted breadcrumbs for some of your favorite dishes.
When you are cooking for just one or two people, the leftovers seem to pile up. (Except wine.) Like you, I hate wasting food. It makes me feel over indulged and I have visions of the poor starving kids in third world countries. So, I am always on the lookout for creative ways to use up leftovers. If you have any that you like to use, please share them in the comments.
Lover of flip flops, waking up without an alarm, fireside chats, street tacos, waves lapping up on shore, creativity, family, the cork and all things garlic.
