My Saturday Evening Post

Lots of things are happening here at the Ranch. Last weekend, we went to Denver to a Mammoth game. The Mammoths play lacrosse. That was my first lacrosse experience, and I was totally unprepared. It was kind of like watching hockey players run around with little baskets on sticks and beat one another with them. No ice, but just as volatile and violent. Fist fights on the field. A sponsor of the ranch has a daughter that is a cheerleader for the Mammoths, so he invited all the Ranchers to go and watch the game and meet the mascot, the cheerleaders, and the players. This guy is a contractor who remodeled one of our houses for free. So aside from mistaking me for one of the residents, I think he's pretty cool...now that I'm over feeling insulted and self-conscious.

We got a new resident last month, who lives in the house I work in. Rodney. He's okay. Like everyone, he has his things. He really likes Marfa and Sthwan (the rest of us know them as Martha and Juan), and that guy who works in the office with Suann (that guy is Art, and he works with Suzzanne.) Rodney has a pretty good personality, loves to joke and tease, and pouts like a 5 year old when he doesn't get his own way, more or less like everyone else who lives on the Ranch. Hasn't a tooth in his head and has a cartoonish way about him.

Last night we had a wing-ding over at the Galeton Elementary School. We put on a supper with chili, ham and bean soup, and turkey vegetable soup. It seemed to draw a good-sized crowd. I ran into my cool contractor and made sure I mentioned to him that I wasn't a "Rancher." It may remain a joke between us, now that he knows I've never been diagnosed as mentally defective and I know that he didn't intentionally insult me.

I'm heading to Texas to pick up O in Houston at the end of March. Mr. P. is going with me. I thought about leaving him here, but I prefer not to travel completely alone. He's not much of a map-reader, but really is a pretty good dog. Anyway, O and I will get to visit with my daughter and her husband. I know he's looking forward to that, and so am I. I wish that I'd had more time to spend with them both when they were out here in December. They seem so happy together. I really want them to be happy.

You know, sometimes family gets so involved in doing what they think is best for their relatives that they actually do more damage than good. I hope I never become one of those meddling, gossipy in-laws who make my kids or cousins or family members sorry that they ever included me in anything. I know it happens, and if I become like that, I hope my daughter will have the wherewithall to tell me to butt out of her business and go find something else to fill my time. And if that comes to pass, I hope I have the good sense and good grace to do just that.

The biggest concern for me, at the moment, is what to do with Celeste, if she gets to come. I don't know if she will be suitable to work at the ranch like Porter does. Her personality is very different than Mr. P.'s...not so calm and patient. I wonder if she can even be at the ranch, since the rule is only one dog per house. So hmmm....

I've been spinning some. I got a pretty spindle with a couple of flowers embedded in a clear acrylic whorl, and have been spindling up some blue wool with white silk carded into it.

I realized last weekend how little I'm working on fibery projects these days. I miss it, although I've got the second sock syndrome with three pairs of socks. I ordered a big Rose spindle from Lisa Chan over at Grippingyarn.com, and really can hardly wait to try it out!

Chilly these days

On Monday, the temperature dropped WAAAAY down below zero. With the windchill, Cheyenne was at -47 deg F. Without the wind, it was a balmy 12 below. Not so bad. There was almost no snow, and it was so cold that no snow stuck to the road at all...I think it blew on east to Nebraska or beyond. My pipes didn't freeze and my house was intact when I got there on Tuesday morning. Porter was so whupped by the cold that he headed right for the bed (complete with electric blanket) and didn't come off it till time to go back to work Tuesday afternoon. At the ranch, the overnight low was predicted to be 20 below, but this morning it was only -12 on the west side of the house and -8 on the east side, at 6:45. I know we didn't break past zero, but at least the sun came out and warmed the inside of the cars.

My big news is that my daughter is getting married!
My little girl
She brought her guy out in December to meet the rest of the family, and we all decided he was a keeper. I think he was relieved, and we were too. He called me last Friday to ask me if it was okay to marry her. I almost bawled right there on the phone. So nice to have a young man be as considerate as that! What he didn't tell me was that I am also on the verge of becoming a grandmother...at the end of July.
The kids!

Really??? Me??? A grandma??? I never imagined myself as a grandmother, although I am looking forward to it. I don't know if it requires an attitude change or if I can go on being the way I am. I look at my older sister, who has become this doting, clucking mother hen of a grandma over her first grandchild, and I know that I am not and never have been a mother hen, and don't know if I will ever be. I am thrilled beyond my own imagination, but wonder if I will be a success at grandma-ship.