Spring flingin'

Hello! Hope you are all as busy as we have been here at the Morris Ranch. We have been flingin' dirt.

The plan for the backyard was expanded upon and we decided to put down pavers for a 10ftX10ft patio. We had to dig way down in the back so that we could add the right amount of gravel and sand to put the pavers on. We even rented a little dumpster to dump the extra dirt in.

Alan did the majority of the work with some assistance from our newest neighbor Paul, digging and more digging. Then he used stakes and ropes and measured, leveled, and measured some more.

Mother's Day was spent working on it. We had to move the gravel (3 bags of it) to the area to spread out. Then we rented a compactor and smashed it down. Doodle played in the sand bag while we shoveled and moved all the gravel. Sand baby, yay!

Dad, don't bother with the manual, this is how it is done!

Then we had to move the sand. So doodle lost his play area but it meant we were closer to being done. After the sand level we were able to start laying down the pavers. It really went fast at this point. We are really glad that we did it and grateful that we had help from our neighbor.

We still have some stuff that we will be digging out, moving around, and planting but nothing compared to the Paver Project of 2013.

Not so secret garden...

This is the year. I am starting asparagus crowns that I will harvest in a year. I am starting raspberry canes and wisteria. I am growing lettuce, beans, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, and Alan is building me up some fancy boxes to do it. We finished one today when it was freezing out.

That and I finished my first pair of socks. Hear that? Two items that match, done.

Cross that of the to do before 33 list (ha, need to finish that list)! I gifted them to Alan so I could make myself some that are longer in the leg and now I just need to decide... Tosh Vintage in Cove or Water Lily? Pictures of the yarn yum are from google images and I am not sure who to credit...

I am in the middle of another fantastic class at the local shop, Insouciant. I went with a double strand of the Habu Tsumugi Silk in charcoal and light grey. I am slow to knit it up but it should be a good summer top.

I have another knitting project that is quite an undertaking. The recipient could be a silent lurker so no details will be revealed until gifted. I know, such a tease!

I have also fallen behind in my book challenge. 50 for this year. I need suggestions so shout some out. And I am not counting cookbooks in the count. :)

On top of life and knitting, I am hindering helping Shirley help a new neighbor. He needed some suggestions for his house (yep, from paint to lights, tile, etc.) so Pinterest to the rescue. I will have to post some before pics, mood boards, and after pics. Have I told you how much I love painting? I do!

Thoughts

I write this now knowing this is personal. Maybe too personal. I haven't said much about this to many but I need it out there. Maybe I will look back on it later and I won't be so sad or angry.

The place I worked in Oregon was a great place. Mostly kind, good people and good benefits. A group of people that really cared about things like helmets. They would basically pay you (through special funds) to buy a helmet to wear when riding a bike. I loved it and took advantage of it. I wear a helmet when riding a bike, it is a no-brainer. Do they help? I don't know, I am not an expert. But really, do they hurt? I cannot imagine they hurt. I am open to reading, researching, and understanding this better so inform away.

In Utah, I see a lot of folks who do not wear a helmet. It drives me bonkers. Especially when I see kids with no helmets. Or parents on bikes with no helmets even though the kid has one. As most of you know, I was in an accident when I was 10. Drunk driver, a bicycle, a 10 year old, and no helmet is a recipe for many years of pain. The guy that hit me was in jail for less than 2 hours because he had a heart condition. He died before we went to trial, liver failure I think. And to this day, I still cannot ride a bike without remembering every single bit of that experience. Hospitals, doctors, pills, and years of bills was a huge burden on my family.

Side rant:

Drunk drivers are attempting murder in my book. Sorry. No way around it. We know what happens to a human when they drink. We know what you need to operate machinery safely. Drinking and operating machinery do not mix. You as a drinker, already suffering the effects, cannot begin to be able to safely make the call of whether you can operate a car on X number of drinks. Don't do it. Don't guess. Don't just do it once. No excuses.

End of side rant.

My sister called me Monday. The kind of call where she kept calling until I picked up. When it kept ringing I realized I better wake up and answer. My Uncle C was in an accident on Easter night.

Details... I cannot begin to understand this. This that my family has had so much experience with.

He was not wearing a helmet. NOT wearing a helmet.

He was on a motorcycle. Going fast. Free range area. There was a cow in the road.

A life flight, a female figure from my past that lies to get on the life flight, and days later. He is still in the induced coma. There are multiple fractures, including a skull fracture. A punctured lung. So far no response. We also cannot find a living will. So much pain.

He has a little girl. My youngest cousin. She is 8. What a mess. 

I am trying to think this through. My Uncle C has always been able to remind us all of what not to do in life. I keep thinking, what is the problem here? Would the helmet mess up your hair? Do you need more examples of what happens without one? Did you just forget it? Do you even own one?

I have said this before and it crushes me now with complete despair. When you don't wear a helmet you must understand that your family will be the ones dealing with the aftermath of an accident. You will likely not comprehend much after the damage is done.

Please, not just for you, but for those around you. Wear a helmet.

I promise something on the lighter side soon. Hug your family.