slowly but surely

Things are changing, bit by bit.

The snow is melting, aided by the April sun's attempts to warm things up. Our sump pump it running about every 15 minutes and we're downstairs twice a day to make sure that the lovely little rivers continue to flow where they should. The creek is going to be high when the surface ice breaks up and leaves.

We were at the orthodontist's office yesterday for the official start to little M's journey into orthodontics. Her upper palate is too narrow, giving her quite a crossbite, so an expanding appliance is in the works. It will be the start of little by little pushing the bones apart so that when they finally do fuse over the next year, they are in the right place and her teeth can be nice and straight. That little bit of joy will be followed by a smaller sport-model one to keep the space intact, and finally some braces to rotate the teeth properly. While the assistant was going over the list of possible results of orthodontics (speech issues, tooth looseness, trouble playing wind instruments), she came to "psychological issues", meaning the whole braces-stigma thing, I guess. We looked at M, who was happily deciding what color braces she would choose, and decided that likely wouldn't be an issue. She has plans for pink and purple ones, "and green and brown if I go hunting with Daddy, for camo." As soon as she found out she could choose colors and change them, she wanted to get the braces right away.

I ran yesterday. Yes, really. I, who hate running but struck up a relationship of mutual tolerance last year, have found myself wanting to run this spring. I think I was missing the way I felt after. Not during, mind you, just after. So, I did a short 1-km run. Nothing much, and not as well as I did before last year's mini-Tri, but better than I started out last year. So, slowly but surely I may get into better shape again this year. I was happy with doing it and did feel good after. It seems I am joining the dark side.

School is continuing and I can see the light of summer break at the end of the tunnel. History is reaching the end of the Middle Ages (Wars of the Roses, Henry V, Richard III of "a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse" fame, the Plague and the end of the Feudal system, the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans who were an empire - not just footstools, as you might have thought), Earth sciences is wrapping up and a potential group study on botany is on the horizon, and the book work is getting into the last 30 or so lessons. My plan this year is to have it all done before we leave for Bean's wedding. Who wants to come back to June, arguably the best month on the farm, after two weeks away, and do school?

A song for Bean's wedding is coming together. Quite nice and I am happy with it - I hope the bride and groom like it as well as I do. Nice without being too cliched, and I do like the music.

The chickens' end is in sight. Their rate of lay has dropped off to almost nil. Their ultimate end will likely be the stew pot. I don't relish the idea (no pun intended) but they aren't earning their keep and the planned influx of 10 new hens in June will mess up the pecking order. So,they'll make the one-way trip, come back to take up residence in the freezer, and we'll clean and disinfect the henhouse so there are no issues with the next batch. These hens have been good and healthy, but we don't want to take chances. Even R, the chicken girl, is her pragmatic self and is ok with it.

Slowly but surely, things are changing and spring really is coming.

rain, rain, keep coming

It is raining. Forecast for tomorrow: rain. Forecast for Wednesday: rain.

This makes me happy. Nothing like three days of rain to take away snow that has sat over our fields, languorously looking at me like a party guest who just hasn't clued in that they've overstayed their welcome. No matter how I sigh or look at my watch or yawn, it just doesn't take the hint.

Last night for supper we had an "I'm sick of winter" meal: grilled Italian sausage, potato salad, homemade lemonade, and popsicles for dessert. M was very excited about the meal and after we talked about how much we wanted warm weather to come, I said we could watch a movie as we ate, so sent her to choose one. Her choice? Ice Age. Hm.

This week we're back to school as usual, after a week of blistering through Historica projects. Each of the girls did a project and presented it to the group and while none of them were chosen to go on to Regionals, given the short time we had (1 week for research, 1 for putting it all together) I was impressed with what each of them had learned and with their presentation skills. All the projects there were of a very high calibre and it was a fun afternoon. R learned about the New England Planters, a rarely-heard-of group of people who moved from New England to Nova Scotia in the wake of the Acadian Expulsion. One of these land-grabbers was my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. Yes, really. I counted. Meanwhile, A, spurred on by curiosity as to who the guy is on the $5 bill, learned about the life and political career of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. M did a very good report on the history of the McIntosh Apple and brought some to share with everyone.

two out of three

Yesterday was a blur of school and then a rush to the mall, shopping in parts of stores I rarely see. The girls needed dresses for Bean's wedding.

Yes, our dear little girls who live in pajama pants, love camo, have no qualms about getting muddy, and give me that "mooooom!" look when I suggest a skirt, are dressing up. So after searching and searching, nothing in the mall was working. Though the girls did have fun using their saved chore money, M getting My Little Pony (surprise), A getting the newest Bionocle (surprise) and R finally spending something (that was a real surprise). After saving for months for an ipod that she thought she was still $30 from, we stopped in at a store and found them priced within her range. She is now the happy owner of a little green Shuffle.

On the way home I was strategizing, wondering about making something for them to wear, when a chance stop at Winners yielded The Perfect Dresses for A and M. Simple cut, pretty but not over-the-top, A's in a grey damask and M's in a dusty rose damask. Same style and fabric, just different colors. I smiled and did my happy dance inside. Now we just have to dress R. Well, and get shoes. And take in D's suit. And I need a wrap. To wear, not to eat.

At least we have two out of three dresses.

lost

My head is swimming.

I've gotten all the stuff I need to send to CCLI (the Christian Copyright License people) that makes my songs 'officially' copyrighted. Song sheets, lyrics, signatures, all is in a neat little pile to be sent away. It's good to have that crossed off my to-do list.

So what do I do with this newfound status? Hm. Well, I'm not in a position to start touring to get my songs more well-known. D and the girls might have something to say about that. What does a songwriter do to get their stuff available to other people? Lots of searching today online has yielded a bit of info, but so much that I don't really know how or where to start.

How does an indie writer get out there? I know the most direct method is to cut my own CD. When I have the many hours and even more dollars needed for that, I'll get right on it. Our church has been singing my music (cool yet strange) and the conferences where I've led have had some, but what else?

And then there's keeping the balance. I think I have it, but that's dangerously like looking down on a tightrope - think you've got balance, and you're starting to tip. I'm not in it for the money. If I were, I'd be in the wrong business. Seems simple enough. But it's not simple.

But I have these songs. And I do think they're good. And I'd like to share them with other people. What, precisely, to do?

This is why musicians and artists have agents. The promo and logistics are screaming at my brain, which is skipping merrily around singing, "la, la, la... ooh, isn't that fun? hey! I have another idea for a song! whee!"

not so soon

I still look out of my windows onto a sea of white.

Saturday and Sunday saw the biggest storm in years, with another 52 (60? 60? 972?)cm covering the already high drifts and snowbanks. When the strong winds were added to the mix, we had what I think of as a good ol' fashioned blizzard. With all the snow falling and the truck with all the church's sound equipment here, D made a few runs up and down the laneway Saturday evening in an attempt to help move what he could. Sunday morning we were up at 5:30am, plowing the snow as it continued to rage and howl in the dark. Not as much was falling, but the wind made up for it. This is madness, I thought.

At 6:45am the very welcome call came that conditions were just as bad, or worse, in town (drifts 4 feet high in the roads, cars that got stuck and were simply abandoned in the streets) and so church was off. I called the band in case anyone else was so silly as to try to get in, went out to spell D off the tractor, and then realized we had a very rare thing: a day of pure family time and a quiet Sunday morning.

The snow did stop and that afternoon the blue sky blazed over all the new whiteness. And it proved that for me, the adult "enough snow already!" can still be roundly defeated by the child "whoa, look at THAT!" reaction to a big snowfall.

Our kitchen window, usually four feet off the ground, has had snow much snow fall off the roof in front of it that yesterday Archie the Wonder Dog was looking me eye to eye through the window as I stood inside. The drifts along the driveway are over the height of our tractor's snowblower. The snow fence that has been working so well for us and preventing drifts is now useless, as the snow is level with the top of it and simply blows over, laughing as it goes.

Sunday afternoon, Seren, RSH and Gaffer came over for some food and much hilarity taking the sleds up and down the laneway behind the car. It was our secdon time but this time D was able to take part in the sled surfing. Both he and RSH provided some spectacular crashes. Good winter fun.

RSH's comment, just before D did a header into a snowbank: "this driveway alone is worth the price of the place!"

For all the plowing and potholes, a day like this one really does make it feel worthwhile. I haven't laughed so hard in a while. Kids and dads (and the moms in the car) loved the outing.

Our banks and drifts are high, but nothing compared to in town where people simply have no place to put it. Banks there are over people's heads and by Monday, a good 30 hours after the storm's end, I drove in along our mostly clean country roads to a friend's house in town for a day of scrapbooking. Her street had not yet seen a plow. People only got out by following tire tracks left by the few who had four-wheel drive vehicles.

Spring? Not so soon. But when it does come - I'm wondering if I should start building an ark. There's a lot of frozen water waiting to melt out there.

And this week? It's March Break - no school but research for this year's Historica project is on the go. Yesterday morning was spent touring RSH's fire station and learning that I could have a job carrying firefighter's gear, if my duties required that I sit around. Otherwise - not a chance. The girls loved that visit and learned a lot. After that it was over to the Farm Show for all things agricultural. Then in the afternoon and evening, a final head-to-head editing session with Seren yielded the almost-complete-just-needs-a-check-for-perfection copy of her novel. And it's good. Not just because it has the word 'apiary' in it, either.

Today I really should order my seeds for next summer's vegetables. But really, it is so very hard to picture the green today. And much as I try not to admit it and be a truly adult person, I do think it's pretty and I want to go out and build a fort.