OK, that was fast. May is now on the way out as of today! How on God’s green earth did that happen? Oh, I know. I blinked.

So how the heck are ya? Memorial Day weekend around here is typically a kick-off for the summer months. That, and of course remembering those who gave their lives for our country and freedom. 

Usually we go camping (well, now that we’re back in the Pacific Northwest, that is, since it was something I always did with family and friends as a kick-off for the camping and summer fun). But unfortunately the family members and friends I used to camp with every year this weekend now treat me as an interloper, what with me having moved to PA and ending up living there for 16 years. They don’t have time for me and my family, and I’m not one to invite myself where I’m not wanted.

We actually had no plans to go anywhere at all this past weekend, since we do have a lot of stuff that needs to be done around here – it’s been raining when we’ve had free time to spend in the yard, so it was looking a little raggedy. Well, not anymore, the hubby went out and cut the grass right after we got home – strike while the iron is hot, right?

The roof still needs all the winter debris cleared off, but the hubby’s been procrastinating because he’s afraid of heights, so I wonder if he’ll do it, or end up hiring someone to clear the roof before the HOA starts to nag…heh!

I’d go up there myself, but the pitch on the roof is really steep, and I tend to be a klutz, so Murphy and his Law would no doubt step in and topple me off the roof, and that’s the last thing I’d want to have happen. Plus, maybe I’m chicken just a smidge to be on top of this roof:

HouseYardAfter

That angle maybe doesn’t truly show the steep pitch – here, maybe this gives a slightly better perception:

HouseYardBefore2

Either way, it’s really high up there. Especially for a klutz. It’ll get done, though – one way or another, just to avoid any fines the HOA threatens with a warning about clearing off the pine needles and small twigs perched up on the roof (not pictured in these photos, since they’re old pics).

Even though we didn’t get a chance to go camping this weekend, at the last minute my aunt sent out an S.O.S. for some help at their cabin on a small lake up North they’re planning to put on the market soon. So we got to ‘rough it’ for a couple of nights and enjoy some tranquility on the lake:

LakeMemDayWknd LakeMemDayWknd2 LakeMemDayWknd3

Sure is pretty there! Hopefully when they sell the cabin and buy something at the ocean, we’ll get to enjoy their hospitality once again, this time at the beach.

The hubby helped rebuild a fence, we did a slow burn in the awesomely huge fire pit to eliminate the grass that had overtaken it, along with little tasks here and there to get the cabin ready for potential buyers. Even Little Dude lent a helping hand stacking a pile of logs (with the hubby’s help) and loved every minute of it. Well, mostly – there was bribery involved, but it worked all around.

When we left on Monday, we made sure the interior was ‘show’ ready so my aunt and uncle wouldn’t have to worry about the wild party we had (in our heads)…heh! It was nice to actually get away at the last minute instead of just being stuck at home on such a nice weekend when I was jonesin’ to go camping.

I didn’t take many pictures because we were too busy helping out (and relaxing and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows), but just as we were all loaded up and ready to head out, our favorite mommy duck with her four little ducklings came swimming by for the umpteenth time over the weekend:

LakeMemDayWknd4

They’re kind of blurry since I had to zoom in from far away, but I knew they’d be long gone before I raced down to the dock in paparazzi mode. This blurry image will have to suffice.

The kids were jonesin’ to go fishing, so I brought our fishing poles and got them all rigged up – but the dock was too wobbly and narrow for all of us to be standing at the end casting our lines, and the lily pads were stealing our hooks, so we decided we’ll wait until we go camping on a river in the mountains this summer to see how adept the kids are catching fish.

You never know, there is a thing called “Beginner’s Luck” and maybe they’ll be supplying us dinner on our next camping trip. Could happen.

It’s time once again for Leslie’s (aka Rory Bore) Tuesday Coffee Chat!

This week’s prompt or question is:

“What are you bored of? Has something reached it’s 15 minutes and needs to just go?”

The two words the kids will learn fast never to use are “I’m bored!” because I’ll put them to work in a heartbeat. And I have. When their summer break starts in just over three weeks, they better not be uttering those words as I’m starting to make a list to counter their boredom. They’ll learn.

As for me, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that reached its 15 minutes and needs to just go. There are times, if I’m being totally honest, that sometimes I think I should just throw in the towel and quit blogging, as I’ve started getting bored with it after almost 8 years, and I’m sure those who have been around from the beginning can see that.

But then you all bring a smile to my face with your kind comments, so I can’t quit you.

I should, however, do what I’ve been wanting to do and switch gears to make it less boring for me – which means less boring for you. So I’m going to mull on that for a bit, and we’ll see what happens. Stay tuned! And thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty and patience.

That’s a wrap for this week – you know the drill, link up and join in the fun, everyone is welcome, random or not. And that means even if you don’t have a specific Random Tuesday Thoughts Rebel post posted, you can still link up, I’m not picky. You don’t even have to add the badge, just link up so I can come harass you on your blog. I promise to play nice.

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Keeping the random alive (barely) – feel free to snag a badge and play along – one for my wino friends:

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And one for my non-wino friends:

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19 Comments

    1. Thank you, Terra! I’m pretty sure they won’t have any trouble selling the place – I think they’ve already gotten several offers on it, so the bidding war will commence shortly. 😉 I’m looking forward to seeing what they find at the ocean for a getaway! 🙂

  1. Yes, every now and then I feel like I should quit blogging but I think what I have done is create a space where just enough people come to justify it and it has remained a place where I can write freely and archive my life for myself, if nothing else. I take a couple days off and then I come back; that’s a good enough break usually.

    1. You do have a point, Claire – I can’t tell you the number of times the hubby (or someone) has asked about ‘when’ something transpired, and my response is “I’ll check my blog, I know I wrote about it!” LOL! So if nothing else, it’s a great time capsule for future reflection. Taking a break now and again is always a great idea for rejuvenation – clear the mind and start fresh again. I’m definitely going to be shaking things up around here soon…I *need* to. Not for any reason in particular, but for me. 🙂

  2. I’ve gotten a bit blase about blogging recently. I keep thinking about jazzing it up and being more attentive, but it slips away from me. So I’ve reduced the amount I blog and am thinking of ways to come up with more original content. Maybe blogging for me and not worrying about other people reading so much. Turn it into my outlet again with less structured content. Need to think this one through some more though, because when I do think about writing with out prompts, I stare at the blinking cursor and go blank.
    More thinking is needed, but I also need to take action as well. Maybe you can inspire me? We shall see where this blogging thing takes me…

    1. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, Vandy!! Or you somehow read my mind… 😉 I used to blog every day, then reduced it little by little so now I’m doing a whole whopping 2 days a week that’s really not enough. And I keep thinking of ways to come up with more original content, too – get back to how it was at the beginning, not this redundancy that seems to have taken hold. I have the same problem you do – when I sit in front of my screen without some sort of writing prompt, I can’t come up with anything clever to write. So I don’t. Then I get mad at myself for having a brain fart. 🙂 Maybe we can inspire each other and jump in with both feet! Let’s do this!! 🙂

  3. Stacy, I think blogging bored is more or less tiredness of doing the same thing. Consider stepping away or shaking things up, but I repeat never, never, NEVER walk away completely. We would miss you SO much if you did. 😉 I don’t like heights, either. You have to be careful walking on shingles because if any are damaged, then they can tear away and send you off the edge of the house. Whew sounds like y’all holiday weekend was busy cleaning, but at least you got to do it in a pretty place. 🙂 Have a good day, my friend!

    1. Awwww! Thank you, Cathy! I don’t think I could ever simply quit – but definitely want (and need) to shake things up a bit. Get back to the joy it gave me back in the beginning when it was fresh and new. 🙂

      Ohhh! I hadn’t thought about the shingles sending me tumbling! Yep, I’m definitely staying off that roof!! 😀

      Luckily the cleaning we did really didn’t take much time, so we got to enjoy the tranquility and have some relaxation. Totally worth it! 🙂

  4. One place where i’m blessed is i’m not quite tired of blogging yet, and i hope that doesn’t happen any time soon. It’s really my only outlet.

    What would your former camping buddies think if you planned a trip and invited them, instead of waiting for them to invite you? It might well get the message across that you are ready to be back in action.

    1. I’m right there with you, it’s not that I’m tired of blogging, but I’m definitely wanting to do something to change things up because the passion seems to have ebbed. It needs to flow again! 😀 I’m gonna be working on that for sure. 🙂

      Oh, I’m not waiting for them to invite me, I’ve written them off. The biggest offender is my sister-in-law who doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with my brother’s side of the family, she’s all about her own family and her sister-in-laws on that side (married to her brothers) are treated like sisters, but the sisters of my brother (who she’s married to) are treated like *just* in-laws she ‘puts up’ with maybe once a year, if that. I kept trying to plan stuff to include them, or let her know we’d like to watch their girls play soccer, or do stuff with them, but kept hitting brick walls, so I got the message loud and clear. It didn’t used to be like that, so it’s a grievous loss, especially since my daughter is only a year younger than their twins, and they’re growing up strangers.

  5. We are two weeks into summer and so far “I’m bored” hasn’t been a problem.

    Blogging is one of a love hate I have learned over the last 8 years. I go through breaks and always comes back. I love your space, please never, ever leave!

    1. In a way I miss those days when the kids were done with school in May. But not starting in August makes me not miss it so much. 😉 2 weeks already! The kids still have 2-1/2 weeks to go before they’re sprung for the summer. They can’t wait! 🙂

      Excuse me a minute, I seem to have something in my eye… 🙂 You are so sweet!! See? It’s bloggy friends like you that make me NOT want to quit blogging. I’d miss the camaraderie for sure. Small breaks are always a good thing, it helps rejuvenate. Thank you for hanging in there with me as I postulate some changes! 🙂

  6. I’ll do it!! I have zero fear of heights and I’ve been on barn roofs much higher. LOL
    And I will work for wine too, so I’m cheap. Well, besides a flight ticket. ha
    The lake looks like the perfect long weekend spot. Even if you were working on vacation. And you know, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head of why I am never bored: uttering those 2 words, I’m bored, when I was young, meant you got put to work straight away! So we always found something to do.
    Whenever blogging feels like it’s losing it’s shine, I take a break. Being a writer by nature, I can never stay away for long, but it’s usually long enough for me to get some fresh ideas.
    Or, I just change how my blog looks. LOL

    1. You’re hired! I’ll pay you in wine. Have to figure out the transportation mode, though…heh!! The lake was a great long weekend spot – and at least the work we did there wasn’t that big of a deal (to us) and we’re fast workers, so we got to relax more than work over the weekend which was a major coup. 😉 Yes, I’ve taken mini breaks in the past that have helped, and absolutely agree – like you, being a writer by nature I can’t stay away for long. 😉 Funny you should mention changing the blog look – I’ve been contemplating doing that here, too! I’ve only changed it a couple of times, the last time being many many years ago, so maybe it’s time for a new look. A makeover, if you will. 🙂
      StacyUncorked would like you to read ..Drunk On A Plane, Yeah? No – how about a Pontoon instead?My Profile

  7. Looks like a really beautiful place and so happy you had a chance to get away and relax. I lost some friends down the street. They sold their house very quick I must say a week & a half later. Can you believe that & their packed and left this afternoon. They moved to Texas. 🙁 I’m back to no more friends in the neighborhood. Bummer.

    1. Thank you, Marie! She did great buying that place years ago – I’ll be sad to see her sell it, but look forward to her getting a place at the ocean so we can go hang out there instead! 🙂 Awww! So sorry about the friends moving away – that’s always sad. It was a bummer when our nice neighbor moved out back in PA and a really nasty one moved in instead. Definitely fast-paced our desire to get out of there! We have nice neighbors here, but just a wave ‘hello’ as you pass, not really a ‘make friends’ group. Maybe you should move here!! 🙂
      StacyUncorked would like you to read ..Drunk On A Plane, Yeah? No – how about a Pontoon instead?My Profile

  8. Oh May was the busiest month for us. It always is and never ends until the last day…or into June.

    Glad you got to hang out at your aunt for awhile and in tranquility.

    And NOOOO, don’t go on the roof if you feel klutzy 🙂

  9. I don’t know where May went either. Time seems to go faster, the older I get. Lovely views from your aunt’s cabin. Sounds like you had a productive weekend. I’d like to just sit and watch the wildlife. Good luck getting your roof cleaned off — carefully.

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