It's raining, it's raining

Bug and I drove down to Ocala on Thursday and picked up Christopher.  His Dad, my youngest brother Tom, had driven him up to meet us and will drive up to meet us at the same spot to take Christopher home.

So far he has worked on rebuilding a wooden box that was built about 25 years or so ago and had come unglued and was in 7 parts.  He has glued and nailed and I have to say his woodworking skills are improving with each day he works on it.  He should be able to finish it off tomorrow.  He has also been learning to sew.  He is pinning and working on my sewing machine, a Husqvarna.  I love my sewing machine.  It is not fancy compared to many machine, but it is a work horse.  On top of those two projects he is helping me with all the meals, and even made dinner last night.  He also helped me to propagate azaleas cuttings.  He has worked with his Uncle Bug on the hydraulic system of the boat motor, and today he helped with changing the front tire of the scooter.  He also has been riding on both scooters and the golf cart.  He is having an okay time so far.

He is working on a merit badge.  Something about raising amphibians/reptiles.  We had the tadpoles, so that inspired him to start working towards this badge.  He has collected about 6 tads and moved them to a wide mouth jar and is feeding them lettuce.  He is looking up information on frogs and tadpoles and will take the tads home with him to finish the project. 

Normally when you have someone coming to stay with you the last thing you want is it to rain the entire time, but there have been enough breaks for us to spend some time in the yard, either working with plants or riding on one of the toys, and he is learning new skills, which is fun and also hard.  Trying to teach your hands to move and act differently.  But he is starting to relax into it and accept it is part of learning something new, you are not always instantly good at it.  But with a few deep breaths and stick to it, you can do it, and he is.  He may not have cut the boards, but he has taken a pile of wood that was taking up space and turning it back into something useful, a box.

We will spend more time learning skills and learning more about plants and gardens.  We will go to the grocery together next week and he will plan the menu, shop for the food and then make the meal.  I only have so much time with him to try and share my skills with him.  Will he become a chef?  Who knows.  A mechanic, a gardener?  I doubt either of those since he is not found of getting dirty.  A tailor?  He hasn't seemed to enjoy the pinning very much, but I think tomorrow when he sees what he has completed he will be much happier. 

Monday he will go to art camp in the morning.  We discussed him going to an acting camp, but it would mean that he would be in camp the entire time he was here and not get to spend anytime with us on the farm.  So, we will work on projecting and presentations here at home.  Maybe we will go up to the Opera House for an hour or so after camp this next week and have him work on the stage. 

If the weather clears we will go fishing or scalloping in the boat, if it continues to rain we will don rain gear and go for a walk.  I really don't care one way or the other, I just enjoy getting to spend time with my nephew.  He is 13 and I am just grateful that he still wants to spend time with his wacky crazy aunt. 

Tomorrow is Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.  After that I hope to get some time in the garden with our little Bug, and the rest of the day will be spent finishing projects we started this week so Monday we can start on some new ones.  I am happy.  I know I am no very social, and I know that I owe all of my friends a note, a call, a text, an email.  Something.  But I am sorry, I am being very selfish.  I know, but it is still very hard for me to reach out.  I am just so much more comfortable keeping to myself in my little world of gardens and tadpoles.  A world with a sweet man, who suggests that maybe I should call friends, but even though I am not sure he understands, he lets me be.  I am surrounded by animals that follow me around like puppies.  Well, two of them are dogs, but the cats and the chickens tend to follow me around the yard also.  And I stop a minute from whatever I am doing and I look up and I am happy.  The chickens have free range now of the two acres and they cluck and scratch everywhere.  Everywhere you turn there seems to be a chicken or two.  Wicked chickens, happy chickens.  Chickens running towards treats as John C Bennett clucks and scratches showing them a rich cache of bugs or worms or fresh seedlings.  Then off they head in another direction, just as focused.  The raining afternoon is spent taking sand baths under the boat in the carport.  I could sit forever and never accomplish a thing as I watch my chickens and hold Henry and scratch his head.  Throw the ball for Bob.  Throw the ball again for Bob.  Throw the ball......well you understand.  And Edna, she can sit leaning her back against me and I rest my hand on her head and scratch her ears.  The rain starts and stops, sprinkles, mists and pours.  It feels like a rain forest here, and I love it.  I love the sun.  I love working outside, in the sun.  But right now it is the rainy season and it is raining.  Gray, slow, relaxing, curl up and read a good book or take a nap.  I am just enjoying being alive, getting to spend time with my sweet man and my nephew. 
I just seem to have a full appreciation these days of my life
our life
of gardens and leaves dripping big drops of rain,
flowers bright against the gray skies
chickens, dogs, cats and big bunny filling our lives with joy,
eggs, entertainment,
love,
and learning how to live together
happy
happy
happy
it is raining, and I am loving it
and I am happy.

Monday is my PT scan.
Okay, not a problem
life is good
and I am happy