Here is the story about the check as promised.

As mentioned at Square Peg I recently read The Secret. The same basic idea stated over and over again only worded slightly different from one page to the next. I borrowed the video from the library as well. Basically an audio of the book.
I've been known to have some far out ideas but at least I'm solid enough and logically inclined to appreciate that you can't always get what you want. That's pretty much diametrically opposed to the Secret's message. If you want it enough and believe you already have it then the universe will give it to you. Riiiight. So...where's my check for $500.00? (I decided to start small as the book suggested. You know, a test run sort of thing.)

I meditated (as I was sitting outside getting my daily intake of vitamin D) and envisioned myself receiving a check in the mail in the amount of $500.00. I felt the check in my hand. Saw the watermark on the paper. Thought about what I would use the money for. I was certain I would receive the check. It was just a matter of "when", not "if". I told my daughter about the check that was coming. She told Skip. Skip scoffed. He wanted to know who was sending us a check for $500. I told him I didn't know but it would be within a week. Dd filled him in on THE SECRET. (She's probably wishing for a pony, snake or little brother right now. Dream on, kid.)

On Monday I announced the check would arrive on Wednesday. I kept up the banter. On Tuesday I announced the check would arrive the next day. Hahahahaha.
On Wednesday I took the mail out of the mailbox and flipped through the group of letters. One was addressed to me. It was a check for $1,300.00. Dd flipped out. The tiny print along the right margin of the check was the only giveaway. "This is not a real check". It was a travel voucher to use if we upgraded a three day cruise that was TOTALLY FREE for Skip and I.

Funny stuff. It would have been hilarious if it was for $500.00! So, did the Law of Attraction work? I got a real enough looking "check" in the mail on the day I envisioned it. Coincidence? Or was the universe just toying with me? ;o)

Gotta type quickly before the Ambien kicks in...

On Friday I planted two short rows of stringbeans.
On Saturday I planted a block of strawberry spinach, red wing lettuce, and mache. I also sowed tatsoi between the cabbage plants. And since I had them, I planted a packet of cottage garden flower seeds along the chives border. I'm not too optomistic that anything wonderful will come out of it because it only cost 30¢ but even if one flower blooms it'll be worth it. Just like my 10¢ packet of beet seeds. ;o)

It was raining when I awoke this morning, continued to rain throughout the day, and is still raining right now. It's hard to tell where the goldfish pond stops and the yard starts. The cats are very unhappy.

I was able to apply a coat of stain to the roof of the playhouse on Saturday after soccer. Team Lightning won again. Undefeated still. It was close this time though. 2 - 1. Not their greatest victory. Anyway, Skip primed the doors and window trim. I need to get some rock to form a slightly raised foundation. I'll probably do that on Wednesday after the Ukrops coffee Social. Skip suggested I get a load of flagstone to extend the path from the patio to the garage. It's about time! I need to start taking some pictures so I'll have some decent before and after photos.

Dd went to her best friend's birthday party at Laser Quest this afternoon. She hasn't stopped talking about it. Every moment since we left she has been following me around going on and on about the laser tag. I told her to save some for tomorrow, lol. Skip walked her into the party and told me that she was the only girl there. My little tomboy. We killed time at the mall waiting for the party to wind down. Ate a steakhouse burger at BK. Extremely revolting. There was absolutely nothing positive to say about it at all. I'm not even sure it was beef.

Ok, I'm going byebye now. I'm asleep at the keyboard. Later taters.

It's getting tougher throwing tile on the wall now that it's above my head. I should be able to knock out the straight run bits in a couple of days. But I won't. That's not my style. My style is to think about it to death, and then get a wild burst of energy that is extremely short lived. I've got too many projects in the works. I'm still working on the playhouse. I got the stain a couple of weeks ago and still haven't used it. Shame on me.

I did a lot of yard work yesterday. I enlarged the planting bed by the fishpond and planted a Dwarf Alberta Spruce, some pinks, and snow-in-summer. Then, of course, I had to devise some means to protect it all from the chickens until the plants have a chance to settle in. Dd's soccer goal worked rather nicely....until the cat managed to wrap the netting around her throat. It's always something.

I moved two cedars and a holly from one bed because they were growing too closely to the brick walkway. One went into the shade garden against the fence and the other at the end of the veg garden. The holly is temporarily potted up until I can find a proper place for it. I have one bed left in the veg garden to prepare. I need to rake the big plot and get it ready for beans. I need to do that today. I've also decided to split the bed in twain by laying a brick path. We have the bricks so I may as well use them. Dh has steadfastly refused to extend the brick path all the way to the garage. It really would be nice.

That's pretty much it for the physical stuff. I'll have to save the spiritual and mental upheaval for another day. I should mention "the check" but I haven't the time right now. Maybe later after I've burnt myself out.

Dh is a real estate appraiser for the county. One day last week he had to go measure some buildings on some guy's property because the guy was building without a permit. It was a horse farm. He drove down the lane and was met by one of the farm hands. Dh explained what he was there to do and the farmhand told him he better wait for the owner since "he wouldn't like it". Dh convinced him it was no big deal and while the guy was calling the owner he went off to measure the new buildings. Minutes later the owner pulled into the lot blocking dh's car so he couldn't leave. The guy ranted about how dh was trespassing on private property and had no right to be there. Dh was driving a county car with the county insignia on the door and he was wearing what he likes to refer to as a "patch with a shirt on it" that also signified that he was with the government. The guy said that if he wasn't allowed on county property then the county wasn't allowed on his. Hmmmm...red flag there.

The guy called dh's office to verify his identity and then called the police. He moved his vehicle and minutes later two police cruisers showed up and blocked dh in again. He could have gone before the police got there but he told the guy he'd wait and in the meantime he got all the information about the buildings that he needed. Dh was blocked in at this place for an hour and a half.

Just a note here: The county does not issue cell phones or radios to the appraisers. The only reason why dh has a cell phone is because I insisted he get one in case he ever gets into a sticky situation.

When dh got back to the office his supervisor said he wasn't sure he'd ever see dh alive again. Apparently the owner of the property cannot set foot on the government complex or the courthouse without a police escort. He is banned from council meetings and public hearings. He has made threats. Dh's supervision knew this. Dh did not. He could have walked right into the barrel of a shotgun.

One of these days he's going to get killed while measuring a crackhouse.

What a trooper! She had soccer practice Friday evening. Standing water on the field and mud everywhere. The coach's son kept tripping her and soon she was soaked from head to toe. She still managed to take the ball away from him at every chance. She took the ball in the face at one point. A hard kick, too. She cried because it hit her dead on but the coach checked her out and said she had "adidas" stamped on her forehead and that made her laugh. Everyone cheered when she resumed her position on the field. She bitches and complains about soccer but once she gets her gear on and hits the field she is intense.

She will also be attending a new school next year. Her teacher nominated her and she's been accepted into the center based gifted program in math and english and will be going to Winterpock. I'm so proud of her.