R and R - Range Style

 

I worked from home all week, on a large pile of paper full of technical language designed to annoy attorneys, so a little of the household stuff got done in the evenings. But after being away for several weeks, which followed only a few days off, prior to which was another big trip, it was good to be home.  But there was still stuff to do.

Breakfast was simple;  an egg shaped like New Jersey a perfectly cooked egg, venison maple sausage and homemade tart cherry scones.

Then I unpacked Big Bro's "Swiss Army Submarine", that I brought home to remind me of him.

One fin was a pencil sharpener, the other side was a little box cutter, so it went in my checked bag on the flight home. There was also a little pair of scissors hidden away in it.

Then it was time to sort out a box o'rummage sale tools picked up for next to nothing.  There were a few good ones, and well, perhaps one not so good.

Why Mr. Wrench and Mr. Hammer should not play together.

Then it was on to the mail. There was this catalog where everything was $14.99. I almost went for the Gnomeland Security lawn ornament (just for the tiny set of handcuffs).

But you lost me at the motion sensor farting gnome.

Into the trash, with the rest of the junk mail they went. Then  it was time to organize some stuff in the shop, including some quick labels of some parts.

While Partner in Grime mowed the yard, I called Dad.  He was happily watching the Kentucky Derby.  I asked who won.  He thought about it a minute and said "a horse".  But he had a beer and his home health aide was making him roast chicken and baked acorn squash for dinner and he sounded much better than he did a few days ago.

Then it was time to fire up the grill.  

A cheap $4 round steak (enough for two meals) had been marinating all day in the rest of the homemade Taco Salad dressing and would soon be ready. Baked potatoes were finishing up and salad was made.

It's been a couple of very difficult months, losing two family members that meant the whole world to me, that in a way, protected me and healed me from a sometimes difficult past.  Dad is not much further behind them, I am afraid. But life renews itself, and I am blessed for this simple home, with a husband who loves me, for friends, both on and off the blogosphere, that just stop in and say, "hello we care, thanks for being my friend," even if I'm not around much lately to do the same for them.

Thank you, all of you.

For all of you at the NRA event who sent their well wishes through Midwest Chick and Mr. B., my thanks as well. For those of you who used my crash pad as your NRA weekend base of operations, leaving my freezer full of a bunch of Amish bacon and homemade cookies in my absence, even better.

It makes it all bearable (but seriously, pass on the whole farting gnome thing for Christmas)

Life is good.  God is great.
-Brigid