slowed to a crawl

The lender wimped out. Seems that the bankruptcy disrupts things indeed for 2 year... and the date that counts is the date it was finalized -- in April of last year -- so we must wait until April of next year to try.

The "private lender" also wimped out, which gets us out of the contract for the place where we could not get DSL or cable; the 12 acres is likely out on that account as well, but friends are asking neighbors of that place how THEY connect.

All in all, it looks like we are stuck in "the most ghetto trailer park" for now. I am posting "wanted" signs in all the mom and pop convenience stores and any bulletin board I can find; thus far it has generated one call, from a homeowner with a property that was listed on MLS in the $100+K price range. On two acres. Right...

But on a more positive note, spring has sprung, the birch and beech trees are sporting new bright green leaves, flowering trees and bushes are ablaze (lilacs! forcythia! and others I have yet to identify) and all it takes for me to feel a wonderful sense of contentment and "I am home" is to go just about anywhere, driving down those country roads. I feel our place is out there, somewhere... just trying to find the right space/time continuum stream to slip into and secure it.

I love the fact that it is warming up in the daytime, and that I have a garden to dig and plant in. Props to my friends Anne and Todd, who are sharing their newly tilled, first-year garden plot. And thanks as well to their unnamed neighbor and his equally unnamed calf, for it was T and A's help in hunting down and capturing the wayward bovine that prompted the owner to bring his tractor along and till the plot as a return favor.

I have planted a bunch of my old seeds from last year, just on the chance they will grow and last weekend went out to some of the local growers and got leaf and head lettuce starts, celery (to try) broccoli and cabbages as well (2 kinds) and accidentally a flat of cauliflower and one of Brussels sprouts. I also planted a few hills of Peruvian purple potatoes and some red Chilean ones... tiny little things, the seed 'taters were. I got some dwarf grey sugar peas that I had hoped would be sugar snaps but appear to be the kinds used in stir fry instead... oh well, we like them too. Sugar snaps seem to be hard to find, but I am going to a field day at the MOGFA
the end of the month, and they will have vendors, including one of my favorite growers, Johnny's Selected Seeds, so I still have hope. I soaked the peas overnight, as I also did the spinach. I am not holding my breath on the spinach giving a good crop as my experience says it likes a plot that has been recently heavily dressed with manure compost. But we will see...

Those are all in the ground. And I have a few packs of tomatoes and peppers waiting for weather to dry and warm again a bit. Tradition here (the old timers) want to plant everything the end of May; I have heard "after the May full moon" for 'maters, but the next few days are supposed to be rainy, at the least, if not cooler as well.

We still have the flannel sheets on the bed, though we had a couple of nights that had me thinking it was time to switch out to plain cotton ones. Of course I am not sure WHERE they are, so the last trip to town I hit Kmart, where the 100% cotton Martha Stewart ones were on sale. I like that brand; they have deep enough fitted bottoms that they FIT my mattresses and do not shrink down badly. Unfortunately queen is a popular size so the color selection was shrunken, but I did managed to find a nice sage green set AND additional sets of both King and standard pillow cases! so we have a complete set that matches, including cases for all the pillows! Now all we need is weather that does not, at bedtime, call for flannel! LOL

I am truly enjoying the cooler nights and early mornings, though. When the sun is out for much of the day it warms enough that I was wishing for shorts and a tank top at the garden last session.

To catch up on other threads, the meeting with the developer went well and he will most likely become my second Maine client.

I attended a workshop for artists and made some good connections that likely will lead to my participation in some local craft fairs, and this evening was the opening reception for the SMBIZ4ME conference, which will continue tomorrow.

And I have a new camera!! After making do with my oldest digital cam, the result of having accidentally dropped my Sony just prior to the move, an outstanding invoice was paid. I had mentally earmarked it for a replacement camera and so there is now a battery for my new Sony a200 charging in the kitchen.

I am looking forward to many wonderful photo shoots as I wander about my new home turf.