Computers!!!!!!

Whatever economic or political doom and gloom raining on our lives today just has to wait it's turn for my attention. I have bigger problems. COMPUTER problems. It actually goes back a bit. The ol' 98 puked before x-mas. Now you say "Oh come on Cyndy, what are you crying over a 98 for"? Well, the dance kids write their papers on it and we do a lot of publishing on it, plus it has the translating software on it which I desperately need. That one can be fixed. We just need the time to rerun all the cd's to reboot it. The thing has 99 lives. It just needs it's reboot fix every so often.
Then there is the terribly slow windows xp. The thing is as slow as molassis, but NEVER breaks down. It needs a new cooling fan. Again no time to fuss with it. That one we really encourage for dancers since it seems indestructable and we really won't lose any sleep if it does croak.
Then there is Grandma's taking up space and being a dust collector. She can't remember how to use it any more, BUT since she is 84, has cancer and can be a bit of a pill, we will just leave it for now so I don't have the stress.
Matt and the girls have a pretty high powered newer xp that they shanghied me into. I leave it alone since they fill it full of viruses and crap constantly and I don'y have time to clean up their messes.
That leaves the 2 laptops. They aren't fancy. But they do what they need to. They roam the planet with the Kalinowski clan and really make life nice.
However, yesterday one of our very tiniest, very adorable dancers spilled a little water on one of the laptops. I don't know yet if it's a casualty or not. Right now "she's a drying out some more" in front of the pellet stove.
Of course this is messing up everyone's groove and creating moaning and groaning around here.
But we shall purservere. I just don't have the time for this. Computers are absolutely wonderful when they work. But when they don't ##@@@&&%%****!

Babble

Grandpa was up again last night. Grandma was actually lower key about the situation than normal. So tonight he got a sleep aid with his Aleve and "juice." Hopefully an over the counter will work.
One of my chickens is sitting on eggs already.
Young love-Geesh. Between Rakieta and Jeni, I don't know which girl is sillier. Merry is just playing the field so not too many worries there. Although she is the one I thought would NEVER play the field.
I am finally in charge of my MySpace and Facebook.
Today Mark Lavin read out of some Nazi playbook. It read eerily out of today's headlines. People need to wake up. We're still carining over the cliff.
However, at least I'll go into servitude as the master of my Facebook.
Busy weekend ahead.

Something to be Grateful For

Today was a nice spring day. Temps were nice. No jacket needed. Not too windy for a change. As I went out to collect eggs, I was forced as usual to reflect on the quiet dusk noises. Even with dancers coming in and out, the barnyard is quiet and peaceful. The chickens were underfoot looking for their warm water. The birds were making their settling down for the night noises, the farm across the street is finally quiet, no traffic, the ponies are nickering "Hello" and it is just always the same. Each time I go through the motions of evening chores or early morning, I always find God. I am not always looking. Sometimes I am just too busy being busy. But I always come back in the house having just found my spiritual center.
Once chicks are born I just love to sit on my stool and watch them. They grow a lot each day so the changes are very rapid. That also makes me sit in awesome wonder.
Tonight Grandpa came home from the companion's and as is so usual since his sickness, he came in and had a surprised grateful look on his face. He is surprised because every thing he does is like the first time, but his gratitude is over that he finally remembers nothing but our home as his home. He is grateful that he remembers this is home. I sit in awesome wonder.
He came and gave me a hug and told me he loved me. I sent him in to find his wife and took him out his popcorn. Every night he is surprised and gleeful that I make him popcorn. While I never signed up for this when I married my husband I am very glad for the opportunity to spend time with this very happy go lucky man at this point in his life.
I called Rakieta today-late. She never complains too loudly. She is just very ecstatic that I call. She is borrowing her tutor's phone shell since hers took one too many falls. He gives it to her gladly so she can talk to us. I sit in awesome wonder at how they have so little but give so much when they need to.
She will call her brother to tell him to go pick up his tuition money. He will ride many hours by bicycle to pick up the money and will not complain. He will only send me a lovely thank you e-mail in English that he has worked tirelessly on. No American I know would quietly live one day of their lives. I sit in awesome wonder.
Our dance program is growing in spite of the horrid Michigan economy and we are being presented with very special people. This promises to be a wonderful, fun show. I sit in awesome wonder.
The US is a wreck. As I write this, we are all hanging by our fingernails on the edge of a cliff. I sit in awesome wonder that so many Americans are losing sleep with me. That a country that has been so lackadaisical and silly does have a lot of great people who realize that we have to fight and fight hard or we may no longer have the great life we have all taken for granted.
I think I will sleep good tonight. I have been praying for some signs. I think my signs are that we should just not give up hope, faith or prayer. God is always near.

Rakieta's Mystery Illness

Well, it looks like Rakieta has worried herself into a bleeding ulcer. She is supposed to be going to the doctor this week. So we'll find out a little more. However, they do not have the scanning equipment we have to get things done. So.....it will be an old fashioned diagnosis.
I am sending her over all the things Americans use to deal with that kind of thing plus I told her to lay off the really spicy/eccentric flavored stuff and eat a lot of bananas and bread which are easy to get there. Remember it is French W. Africa.
My last orders to her-"You are going to have to stop worrying so much." I know, easier said than done for her.

Just Checking In!

It has been a little bit since I posted last. We sprung forward and the weather is finally cooperative enough to get some stuff done outside and the show is looming overhead. So it is the "Oh My God, I Will Never Get Everything Done Time of Year" again. It is Cinderella this year which means a lot of props and costumes. But so far we are on schedule. I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop which inevitable always does.
Today it is raining softly and the wind has finally died down to a nice breeze. We haven't received all the horrible weather that all those out west got, but the wind we got about made up for it.
Paperwork from the in-laws is finally beginning to ebb. A big relief. So, Knock on wood, I am hoping for a pretty status quo kind of summer this year.

The Adventurers are Home!

Merry, Jeni, Heather and Helena on board the Carnival Victory

Well the girls are home. They are beat, dog tired, but all reports are that it was a really nice trip. No weird creepy sickness this year. So after a long siesta they should be good as gold which is good since we are very, very busy this week.
Cruises are a great way to see the world.
And trust me from experience, at the end of a long day, it is great to be with Americans eating American food.

Farm Stuff

Matt working on stall #2. I have waited a long time for a barn this nice. We have electricity, water, and lots of room. It is wonderful!

Stall #1. They are huge! The girls will be so spoiled.

Yes, horses really do lay down and go to sleep. It was so balmy in the yard next to the barn. They slept through Matt's colorful working on projects language and all the noise of the saw, drill and moving lumber around.

Well it is bright sunny and at least 50* today. As usual around here we are missing spring weather. It seems in the thumb we go from winter to late spring right away. It has been a very long time since we had those kind of brisk 40* days that take us from winter to spring. Oh well. I am not complaining.
Anyhoo, I did get outside today and have gotten a lot done. This time of year I really have to discipline myself as I want to be outside all the time, but this is show season so I have to split my time between sewing and costume prep and farmy stuff. Good thing I love doing both. But I am usually pretty exhausted by June.
Today I am posting some neat pictures.