Last Sunday we did “Spring Forward” with clocks.

I struggled during the week … nothing to do with the time change.

My struggle was with distractions: Ukraine (WW III, nuclear disaster), COVID 4th wave, my endless list of house stuff, working on a task that is not much fun but has to be done … etc., etc.

And mostly, nothing (NO THING) was accomplished.

And I so dislike being unproductive as well as feeling “stuck”

BUT.

Spring.

Spring cleaning!!

I will add the link at the end of this post, but I happened on a youTube channel about cleaning (house). “Angela Brown Cleaning” is the channel. Angela is so obviously adept and experienced and also enthusiastic … a professional cleaner, she had to pivot her business from actual cleaning to cleaning advisor (virtual) because of a horrendous personal situation. And HOLY COW! She stepped into the different realm of Internet and all – I don’t for a moment think it was easy. She has obviously worked as hard on her virtual presence as she did in her physical cleaning business.

For me, she is so darned enthusiastic as well as knowledgeable about current tools, products and methods that I got excited about cleaning :)

And it got me off my past week’s stagnation.

Yes, I cleaned … more in a bit.

But, I also paused and took notice of why I was feeling stuck.

I made a list. I asked for professional help for some of the items on my list. I have things set in motion to gather information that I need to make decisions. And I have a plan for the coming week: work, chores, fun with Emmett and Oscar, teaching Emmett and Oscar. As in the past, I find that a somewhat rigid schedule, helps me when I feel stuck and distracted by things that I have ZERO control over!

Ukraine – WWIII – Nuclear disaster. In a nutshell, it turns out that a nearby (150 miles as the missile flies) Air Force Base is home to a nuclear missile launch site and so a target. It is not a secret. I had never paid any attention. It was a bit eye opening, but as I spent some time researching about a nuclear attack … instead of focusing on surviving one, I thought about how things would look: animals, terrain, life… and came to the conclusion that if something happened as close as the AFB, I would rather go in the first strike vs seeing and living with the awful after affect. It might seem backwards thinking, but it gave me peace. I no longer focused on what will I do to live through this and came to a point of acceptance. It freed me up to let go of the fear.

COVID 4th wave. My primary issue with a potential 4th wave is not fear for myself. It is an incredible annoyance with the disregard for history: recent as well as 100 years ago. Recent: as COVID entered the US there was little notice and then SURPRISE!! no TP, etc. In the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu pandemic, after each wave there was relief and “letting down the guard”. The 4th wave was a surprise and a deadly one. Hmmm. And the pandemic itself came on the tail end of WWII when everyone was already “done” with rations and restrictions. Gosh. To me, it appears that we have learned exactly nothing from history.

YIKES – Might as well clean!! And get on with my life and enjoy … do the best I can for Emmett, Oscar and me while praying for the world and others.

After the window install and as I prepared for an intermediary decor whatever before changing out the kitchen trim … I noticed a LOT of grease on upper walls and cabinets. So… a bit of dish soap in warm water, a shot of steam from my new-ish Bissell “Shot of Steam” thing and I cleaned walls and upper cabinets.

The process went well and not a lot of time or effort at all!

After! It is hard to see from photos, but walls and cabinets look so much better. The valances are not finished … they are a kind of test of fabric folded and I need to cut and hem. But, they will be on tension rods, so nothing permanent. I hope to get the white trim replaced with “natural” fairly soon and then have no valances, but for now, the bit of fabric cuts the starkness of the white trim.

And in the living room … I saved one of the Roman blinds and reinstalled on the window behind the woodstove. That window “looks” into the bedroom, so this allows me to close that off at night and the shade softens the large window without restricting the outside view.

Sunday morning coffee…

Oscar the curious kitten …

Sunday morning walk

JOY!!

A sunny path on this first day of Spring.

Looking forward, springing forward with JOY in my heart :)

*** The Angela Brown Cleaning link

I am not sure that I ever did “Fall backward”. As a 1 human household, I eat when I’m hungry, sleep when I’m tired and the clock is only relevant for being on time for appointments and meetings.

AND, to my personal delight … the U.S. Senate passed a bill for staying on Daylight Saving Time permanently!!! If the House approves, it is to take effect in 2023 so I am guessing that means 1 more Fall back and Spring forward and that is that. YEA!

Meanwhile, clocks reset.

Emmett and Oscar’s inner clocks are a different issue. They are both set in our daily routine and remind me if I should forget.

Emmett speaks to me in a long groany-whiny-OMG sentence if I am late for a walk.

Oscar’s internal clock is funny. When I first put away his “kitty crate” that had his cave bed and toys, I put the cave bed in my bedroom closet.

It is on top of a stack of soft storage items with some older comforters and sheets. It is high enough to satisfy kitty height requirements … high is safer! I showed him the bed and opened the closet doors. I wasn’t sure what he might decide about sleeping.

After some experimenting, he ultimately decided on sleeping in the cat cave. He comes on the bed with Emmett and me until “lights out” and then sometimes plays in the living room and THEN … into the cave. At 4:32 a.m., nearly always, he leaves the cat cave, walks up my body … has a bit of a head bump snuggle and then finds a spot between Emmett and me. He sleeps quietly until I get up.

I don’t know … did Emmett and he have a discussion? Emmett is into routine also as he brings a toy or bone to bed and occupies himself at the foot of the bed until lights out. Then he curls against my back with his head on a pillow next to me. He sometimes gets down and sleeps for a bit against a cool wall, but by morning, he is back in “his” spot.

Whatever, I am the most restless of the three of us and am grateful that they are both such good sleepers … so far.

Oscar will be 6 months old 3/22. So far, he is interested in what goes on outside, but runs from open doors. Yea! And I hope that continues, although I had planned on getting a harness and having him out with Emmett and me on the front porch. We will see. And as far as night activities, as far as I know there have been no house mice since Oscar has been part of the family. If/when that changes … ???

The windowsills in the office and the bedroom are wide providing great seats for “kitty-tv”.

Emmett is loving the clear view from the new windows in the boy’s room! I am loving the light in that room and the gorgeous frames. I remain VERY happy with the new windows!

Most of the snow is gone and we have had a warm, windy day as another “atmospheric river” passed just to the south. Zero complaints! I hate to complain about getting moisture, but currently the ground is very wet and even muddy in spots. Typically, the ground on my property absorbs moisture very fast, but the combination of cold/very cold and the amount of rain has meant more standing water than usual, i.e. some mud. That also means a higher risk of tree fall over with the wind from this/these fronts.

After a quick errand run to Bigfork (7 miles vs 22 miles to Kalispell), I despaired at the state of my driveway which badly needs a refresh of gravel/pitrun … something! One more thing!

But … some scenes from the return … on the road home:

The wide view toward home (east looking).

To the west.

Wide view to the west.

Closer view to the East … the road home!

I wish I could convince them to smile!!! They look like they are being punished when I point the camera toward them :(

Anyway, we sprang forward and are all happy and well and enjoying almost Spring in our little house in the woods!

***I continue to pray for Ukraine, for Russia and for the whole world. I “listen” via my news feeds while also living my life the best I can. So much uncertainty, but mostly my heart breaks for all who suffer from this needless war!

We had a rainy-warmish week and then it got very cold … forecast for cold and wind and 1-3 inches of snow.

Cold and wind, but just a skiff of snow.

It is warming up and the light outside, late afternoon is lovely. Maybe because there is no snow and it looks more like late Autumn than almost Spring…

Emmett and I are taking at least 3 long walks on the state land every day! The footing is good, the bears are still abed, and it is wonderful to be out there. We should have another 6 – 8 weeks before bears are around and too high vegetation to see them, keeps us closer to home so we are making the most of this time.

This Friday evening … a cloudy afternoon as we transition from cold to a forecast high of 49F tomorrow – YIKES … heat wave!

But tonight…

A little snow!

It is supposed to warm overnight and change to rain, but we had a dark o’clock walk in flurries.

Lovely light: outside.

There is a lot of darkness in the world right now.

We could all use some lovely light!

From my house … as we approach Spring Equinox …

Lovely Light.

UKRAINE CRISIS | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

I know there are other charities and you can search on …

how to help ukraine – Search (bing.com)

I found a lot in …

25 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine (globalcitizen.org)

For me, it is challenging to live my life which is currently good and safe and relatively secure … while watching what is happening in Ukraine.

It is different [to me] than many of the climate and weather cataclysmic events. This is something that need not have happened. There is no good reason for this “war”. The devastation and life disruption is something that I thought we, as in humanity, was beyond.

It is not over.

It … as in devastation and life disruption … could come to us in the United States. And I wonder if we would respond with as much courage and unity as Ukraine seems to have.

Scenery-wise, it is not the most beautiful time around my property …

Not pretty, but VERY clear view of the melt down.

An atmospheric river has been giving us a lot of moisture. Temps have been above freezing day and night. There is not a lot of snow left.

Kind of blah out there…

Walking is now not too bad as in not a lot of ice on our paths.

But per NOAA’s advice … keeping the snow gear handy!! Last week, heading to Kalispell, I did see some baby cows and thought … OH!!, it could be difficult. I hope the new ones will do ok through this late Spring.

Oscar continues to be his normal self post op. Yes, nap time, but normal mid-late afternoon nap time and considering it is rainy-foggy outside … super normal.

Kind of ugly outside, but our view is clear through the lovely new windows.

***Ukraine. I have looked at International Red Cross, Doctors without Borders and other humanitarian sites. Also at the pleas from Ukraine for Cryptocurrency donations to help them fight. I am not sure yet what is the best thing to do so am holding for the moment. If anyone has insight, please comment!