The Autumn Push

Though we don't farm any of the miles of fields all around, late summer-autumn always meant a seasonal rush of work even in our family. Dad had to fit most of the plowing in of telephone cable after the crops came off, but before freeze-up.

And though that work was sold with the telephone company, these have been extra full weeks again!

Besides garden harvest, the post-mold-remediation house-rebuilding entered a new phase of finish-work. Dad spent days and weeks sanding and spraying paint and finish on woodwork in the shed until it got too cold. 

Then the work moved into the basement (through the window) where Mom and Elsa joined the action.

Meanwhile, Dad had prepared the new subfloor in the porch for tiling. He and I laid the tiles together, and I am still working on cleaning up in preparation for grout.

I also took two trips to town to get our Toyotas serviced - spending a couple hours in the waiting room each time (good knitting time) and running errands, which are huge wins in this healing journey - unthinkable a year or two ago!

It felt so strange to drive through town traffic and enter the grocery store I hadn't seen in probably a decade. To fight the rising stress responses of overwhelm, disorientation, and even grief over "lost" years, I chose to praise God and focus on the progress.

Then another rare event was my driving alone the hour to my sister's house for some lively family-time. The largest, multi-pronged carrot from our raised bed gardens was a hit with the littles!

Back home, I mowed lawn twice this year... a huge win.

A couple days ago Dad and I also got the roses covered for winter. First dirt, then leaves.

Mom and Elsa cleared vegetable and flower gardens.

And I picked in a basket full of bouquet-makings just in time.

This morning we woke to snow!