Ups and Downs

While we were in Michigan, we had a photo session at my Grandma's house. She immigrated to the United States in the early 1950s, and for almost the last 50 years, she has lived in the same house. My Mom would take my siblings and I to visit in the summer. Grandpa would pass us Wilhelmina peppermints to keep us quiet during church. Grandma would feed us endless pieces of delicious white bread and butter with chocolate sprinkles. We would sit at the bar in the kitchen and indulge.

On the 4th of July we would have sparklers. After dinner, we would eat Klondike bars. We would bike trails for miles around. When my Mom and Grandma would sew in the sewing room, I would sit under the table and pretend to be Wonder Woman. Grandpa had retired by the time I was about 5, so I remember him in his coop, wood-working, head almost brushing the ceiling. Some years I slept in my Mom's childhood room. Some years I slept in my uncle's.

On this day of elections, I am honored to have a little celebration of the American Dream. I hope that if you don't have such happy childhood memories, that your children and grandchildren will.

For us, it was an up and down day. Phil headed out first thing to pick up our newly welded tractor buckets. He made it to the shop, and the truck wouldn't start. Apparently yes, our alternator is bad, and rather than the battery recharging as the truck drives, it only draws down. (Phil thought about trying to repair it in the barn after dark, before he realized that he had parked it on the grass and cannot move it. Hmm.)

We got the next shipment of blocks and cement. The delivery guy had made this trip for the second time, and he told us a funny story about his cat and its devotion, bringing him mice and pushing them towards him with its nose. Such kind, kind people come to the farm.

Phil finished a half bag of mortar and 30 knock out blocks, enough that we can pour most of the beam. He did all of those in quick order, without aid.

But we realized that we hadn't quite ordered enough rebar. Oh, the guilt! He had suggested I lay out the rebar yesterday, but since I didn't think it would take very long, I delayed until today, after the delivery that could ostensibly have brought more rebar. What to do? Pour a wall or two now? As it gets colder, though, there will come a day when we have to heat the water. Is it better to pay for an extra delivery? Or to carry on with what we have? Down, down, down.

In the end, though, Phil recalculated and figured we actually do have sufficient rebar to pour all we can (excepting the ramp area always). I don't know that that's an up, so much as simply a great relief.

I fell asleep yesterday at 8pm and woke at 4am much refreshed. I've been hoping that we can shift our sleep patterns earlier, but that might be a bit extreme.

Tomorrow: we begin to grout. I hope.