Another Lifetime to go

12th September 2016 

I really needed to get something done, the events of yesterday overshadowed my workflow.

Today Kelli was going to to do the visiting and I would do the furniture.  Greer was going to travel down from Grand Rapids and both would visit Brenda.

I started by fitting the new rocker, that went remarkably well considering my current mishaps.

Once Kelli and Greer left I was left with the animals to keep check on. The best option was to have them outside, they could then pee and poop to their heart’s content.

This was my opportunity to trim the holly bush.

Of course the darlings wanted to help although I didn’t want the debris spread over the garden.

It is like having small children about, the one branch Tateo has Winnie wants and so it goes on.

But dispite the bedlam that ensues I managed to get most of the bush shaped.

I think it tired them out, we had a quiet evening all the dog were asleep, peace prevailed.

11th September 2026

Well today turned out different from expected, although it started the same as any typical Friday. There was the usual shopping expedition,  buying things that we yearned for,  because even the scrapings for the fridge had been used.

We got back home as fast as we could because we don’t like keeping Winnie and Tato in the cages for too long, and I needed to do some work in the garage.

Having three dogs has forced us to adopt a different morning routine. Winnie just goes crazy and wants to play with Tateo all the time, so they have to go out for wees and poos separately. The timing is important, get it wrong and there might be a steaming dookie on the floor.

I wanted to work on the latest dresser to give Kelli something to work on.

The next thing I knew, Kelli ran out of the house having just had a phone call from Matt saying the Brenda was in the hospital. According to him she had a bad pain in her back and couldn’t breathe. He rushed her to the ER and later said that she had a heart attack. We both rushed to the hospital ( families need to stick together at times like these).

By the time we got there Brenda had undergone a series of test that established that she had a blockage on the right side of her heart. By the time she emerged, and back into the room they had fitted two stents. She will probably have to stay two nights, and then consider what life changes she (and Matt) will have to adopt.

Giving up smoking is a must unless she wants to die next time, the doctor was insistent on that.

Now that is a challenge for both of them.

10th September 2016

I only had one job to do.

Not totally true, Kelli had a doctor’s appointment, then UPS to return stuff, plus negotiating the road closures, two hours later we returned home.

As we were headed out, Kelli noticed my T-shirt was the wrong way round, so not caring what the neighbours thought, I removed it, and put it back on, unaware that I put it back on the wrong way again. This meant taking it off in the car, but not caring what the other motorists thought, I managed to correctly complete this usually simple process.

Yesterday Matt brought me a piece of burr maple the he wanted me to work on.

He wanted me to machine out a recess in the maple to house the infamous inkwell. Also a pair of grooves to place the pens. No problem, I thought. 

Once the chores of the day were completed, I wanted to make a start.

“ Should be done in half an hour” I said to myself.

I set everything else up as I have done many times. I was using the masking tape and super glue trick to hold down the wooden strips that the router would ride against. I usually do light cuts, so off I went, no noticing that one strip had moved. Too late! I mucked it up!

Now in a panic I had to enter repair mode, that was after I called myself all the names under the sun.

Repair mode was to make the recess larger, but that would have looked like I had cocked it up.

Kelli suggested lining it with an alternative wood.

Brilliant! I had a block of walnut, I will make a piece to fit exactly into the oversized hole.

I spent the next two hours routing, cutting and sanding the piece to fit.

Finally I got it done, just needs a finish then it’s done.

My mental anguish was over, but a lesson to be learned , don’t ask Pete.

9th September 2016 

The latest dresser was picked up this morning, the lady, (who got a good deal on it) was buying it for her son who was buying his first house.

I had things to do, like paying my phone bill, buying the meat for the dogs and generally following Kelli around looking for a birthday present for Brenda, Matt’s wife. For some apparent reason she wanted an ink well. Now they have to be as rare as hen’s teeth, and most people don’t even know what it is. Needless it was a fruitless task. We were rushing to get back, one, for the dogs and two, Matt was coming over to work on a song he had just composed.

The roads around the town are full of traffic,  because of some major roadworks going on. 

We eventually found our way back just in time.

Matt had been using AI to produce a melody for lyrics he had written, I have to admit the song is great. I have dabbled with it myself, and found it truly amazing,  my little brain can’t understand how it works, you insert a file with the lyrics on it, and in seconds out comes two alternate versions, it’s as simple as that.

 He wanted to swap a chorus around, which meant I had to import the song into Protools to manipulate it.

After a few mind numbing moments I successfully did what he wanted, and taking it into account that was the most productive I’d been all day.

Just as he was leaving he handed me an inkwell that he had bought for his wife as a birthday gift. Kelli and I were gobsmacked, we had wasted time looking for the same thing, don’t these people ever talk?

8th September 2026

The sun was shining down on me as I headed towards Wyoming, it was going to be a good productive day. I was determined not to get annoyed, and give John plenty of things to keep him occupied.

When we got to the barn, as usual the first order of the day is coffee and biscuits.

The first job for John was to change the sanding disc and round off the wood tablets that he was making for the church. I searched around for timber to make these. We cut them to size, thicknessed them and he sanded them. 

It feels so strange because I’m in his shop, and giving him orders, but I try to make him laugh. We talked about the game of conkers. Of course he had never heard of that. I told him the rules and he chuckled, I should find a couple, string them up and have a game, that should make him laugh.

I managed to do a bit to the lounger, sanding one side frame and making these seating frame.

I left that to set, and after out last cup of coffee we headed back, but not before we stopped of at one of his mates for some popcorn. This is one of his favourites along with walnuts. He was pleased that the time for collecting walnuts is rapidly approaching. He dries them out for several months before de-shelling them ready to eat.

As I drove back home I was happy, I had given him my attention, had some laughs and did some wood work, good day.

Kelli had finished the latest dresser, it was unusual because it had glass handles.

7th September 2026

Labour Day means no postal deliveries, not that I get much, but Kelli, she went through withdrawal, poor girl, she didn’t know what to do with herself.

What we did know is, we needed dog food, and materials from Menards. The added bonus was a trip to Zeeland to pick up a dresser. “ it just need a fresh coat of paint” the seller said, but it turned out to need a shed load more work than that. The handles were wrong, and god knows what’s under all that paint.

I had a plan to cut back the forsythia bush that had grown wildly, and needed a severe trim.

That is just the start of our autumnal pruning exercise. The plum trees will need a lot of cutting, I did a little in the spring, but that didn’t scratch the surface.

There is intrigue over the latest guests staying at Larry’s old house. They are two young  chaps who have kept the curtains drawn all day, even though there is a good view of the lake. They only emerge at night, maybe they are vampires having a long break?

So Labour Day marks the end of summer, soon the snow fences will go up at the beach and the nights will get colder, and the warm clothing will replace all the short sleeves shirts, and we’ll descend the steps into the winter months.

The only thing that will look forward to will be the soups, stews and pies, but certainly not working in the garage.

6th September 2026

It’s Labour Day weekend, so there is preparation being made to celebrate it.

The grills that haven’t had much use (pretty rare) were being polished and bags of charcoal have been purchased in readiness. 

Then there is us, who have no plans at all. It might be a good day to light a bonfire, with all the outdoor cooking no one would notice the billowing smoke coming from our garden.

I gave the grass a good cut, as I was cutting the back garden I was sad, I think the Somme had better grass them we have. It doesn’t help that Winnie tears round the garden churning up the ground, maybe one day the grass might grow back.

We had a customer come to collect the latest dresser, the chap came with two of his Mexican buddies cramming it into the back of their Honda van with ease.

Then we went on the regular visit to Kelli’s mums for ice cream, a large bowl of cookie cream

5th September 2026

I decided to make today a work day as yesterday seemed to get swallowed up with shopping and stuff.

I wanted to get the replacement rocker cut out from the piece of red oak that I found at John’s barn.

A good sharp blade was inserted into my jig saw, now I was ready to start.

I started on the outer curve, slowly following the pencil line. Suddenly it stopped, the battery had run out. No problem, I went over to the bench to get another one. I inserted that one, and continued where I left off. I got about an inch and it stopped again. Looked like that wasn’t charged, I cursed to myself, I went to the bench to find another, this time choosing a double size one that I use on the lawn mower. I inserted that one, that did less than an inch before stopping.

This meant that all the batteries on the bench were empty, I cursed agin, loudly! 

My only option was to go to the shed and get one from the lawn mower, luckily they were fully charged. I was now able to finish cutting the new  rocker.

I picked another bucket full of elderberries, so far there are four big bags full in the freezer, I would estimate there should be another four bags. The bush in the back garden was a little disappointing, a lot of the berries had fallen, so the yield is not good at all.

I had to go to the corner store to get a few things we had forgotten yesterday. There was a little drizzle in the air, I decided to take my bike, what’s a little drizzle? I’m English we are used to such weather.

However in the time I was in the shop, the rain got a bit heavier, by the time I came out it was pouring, but I set the speed to turbo and set off.

I was like a drowned rat when I got home, it felt like I was back home in Blighty.

4th September 2026

 It was shopping day again, the dogs had to be put in cages again which we don’t like, but we just can’t trust them together without supervision. This gives us a strict time to get things done, but we buy them treats to reward them afterwards.

There was a tremendous storm last night, it woke Phoebe up which in turn woke Winnie. I had to get up and try to calm them. It was raining to hard to let them out to do their business so we hung out all together.

A lot of activity seemed to be overhead, I kept an eye on all the trees around just in case they were struck. 

There is usually the sound of chainsaw buzzing, but this time it was quiet, no tree down.

The humidity is still oppressive even after the rain, so many people are looking forward to the autumn when things get back to normal.

I had to go out later to meet up with someone who was selling quail eggs. Kelli has been giving them to the dogs for their late night supper, yes they are spoiled. That all started when I gave  the dogs any scraps left from dinner, now it has become a feast, they get yogurt, fruit, the quail eggs and any bits of leftover food.

It is now part of their regular feed, and they know it. They hover around waiting for the movement by us, then they circle like buzzards ready for the kill.

3rd September 2026

The elderberry harvest is in full swing. The crop this year is far better than last year. The bushes at the front of the house are hanging low with the weight of the berry clumps.

I can fill a bucket in minutes but it takes considerably longer to de-stalk the berries and fill poly bags and drop them in the freezer. 

All these will eventually be turned in to syrup by mixing with honey and cinnamon. 

Did a couple of hours of scraping on the rocking chair, that is hard on the fingers, but breaking it down into small time periods keeps the focus. Getting the old paint from all the joints takes time, with a pick or scalpel blade it makes a good job.

Since getting the second dog life had been interesting, both Tateo and Winnie have their regular tussles, it frightens me sometimes, very to keep my hands well away from those teeth. I am assured that it is all friendly banter, mmm, I’m still not taking any risks.