When it comes to collecting crap stuff, my husband is the epitome of the phrase ‘the thrill is in the hunt’.
He’ll tirelessly scour flea markets and antique stores for that just right piece of crap treasure….. but once he owns it? It will languish in the closet or be left in a deserted corner to gather cobwebs.
And now?
His cat is displaying the same traits.
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Yes, that’s a half dead mouse.
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And just like his father….
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After he hunts it down, Lord Dudley Mountcatten could care less what becomes of it.
He’s come close a few times but was never able to pull the trigger.
I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen.
But today?
He actually did it.
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My husband finally sent in his retirement papers!
While most people dream of this day, my other half has been strangely dreading it. The man has worked since he was 12 years old and he’s going to have a hard time adjusting.
To be honest, he’s not handling the aging process well. Instead of looking forward to relaxing… he feels old and unproductive. Put out to pasture, next step death.
It’s been a constant struggle for me to lighten the mood and paint a rosy picture of our lives post employment. This shouldn’t be difficult, we’re debt free and financially secure….
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Well, that could be an issue…. but my workaholic spouse needs the challenge and feeling of accomplishment work provides, and keeping him upbeat is becoming a bit of a chore.
Our original plan was retirement in 2020 and then … sayonara baby, we were going to travel! But the global plague had other ideas and it’s kicked his health paranoia into full gear, so that’s out for now.
I have a honey do list that could keep him busy until the next millennia, but he doesn’t seem interested.
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That could work. But come on, how much time can you actually spend peeing?
The husband doesn’t fish, or carve duck decoys. He isn’t one for sitting still long enough to read a good book or enjoy a sunset from a rocking chair.
I know it sounds silly, but I swear he’s depressed at the very thought of retirement.
Any advice you can offer would be appreciated. My Suzy Sunshine routine is starting to wear a little thin.
Because I wonder if we’ll ever go back to “normal”.
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A tasty alphabet to be sure.
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I’m all for that.
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I’ve never seen that ridiculous show, but I did get a kick out of this.
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No doubt! Have patience with your servers… they’re over worked, under staffed and have to deal with the public on a daily basis. For that they deserve hazard pay.
The husband and I were driving to the grocery store the other day when he saw a sign for an antique show at the fairgrounds. And when my husband sees a sign for antiques?
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We spend the next 3 hours in drafty barns searching for treasure and endlessly gabbing with dealers.
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This little cart was sweet.
The $850 price tag? Not so much.
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Deer antler cribbage board? I’ll pass.
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Vintage clown with gaping open mouth ready to swallow your soul?
Hell no!
But the other half couldn’t leave empty handed.
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So we came home with an antique Boston milk crate with metal hinges and lock ..
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And a bottle of pain expeller with original box and insert.
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49% alcohol? That will cure what ails you.
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I mean really, just look how happy this woman was.
Fall is tree pruning time and since our two mature apples and one small crabapple were in desperate need, we hired a professional arborist.
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That’s him tackling the out of control crabapple.
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And that’s him strapped onto a branch thinning out our (probably 45 year old) Macintosh.
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There were branches everywhere by the end of the day.
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Which made me glad clean up was included in the price.
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Crabapple before, with a 2×4 holding up a broken section.
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Crabapple after. It looks positively naked, but he assured us it would fill back in nicely next spring.
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Mature apples before.
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Mature apple trees after. The lighting is bad, but trust me… they were thinned out considerably and are probably breathing a sigh of relief as we speak.
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The arborist was here for 5 hours and did a wonderful job trimming and cleaning up. He even raked the lawn.
(The pear tree was also pruned, but I forgot to snap pics.)
I often cruise the Facebook page of the wilderness rehab where we donated apples. They do wonderful work with wounded animals, and I like to check on the progress of the little guys we saw on our visit. This time I stumbled across a photo of ‘Pinky’ enjoying the fruit from our trees.
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Now that makes my heart swell.
And speaking of swelling…
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Today’s acupuncture treatment found 19 pins in my injured knee… and I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say my pain has decreased by a good 30% since starting this prickly journey.
Temperatures are dropping, as are all the pretty autumn leaves. Late fall is setting in and winter won’t be far behind. Pumpkins will be tossed … but before you do, consider this:
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Critters love pumpkins. And if you aren’t blessed with chickens? Please cut them in half and toss them in your nearest woods. Many creatures can’t cut through the rind, but they love the juicy interior.
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Funny, and very true. I’ve never canned a single thing in my life and don’t intend to start now.
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If you’re tempted to wear these on Thanksgiving? Please… for the love of all that’s holy… post pictures.
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
River's world..... 