Don’t Worry, Be Happy
We have four sump pumps in our crawlspace because we live in a seasonal swamp, and we don’t want our house to pop up and float away. I’m not entirely sure the sump pumps will keep us from sinking though. We’ve got our fingers crossed on that scenario. Particularly since the seasonal swamp we live in is situated very, very near a fault line.
I say seasonal swamp…tis the season. It is mud time here. Winter is leaving mud in its wake, like it always does as it takes its last bows. I love that spring is in the wings, I do. And there was plenty to love about winter this year…the frost and snow were enchanting, ethereal, inspiring. But I’m feeling just a little conflicted about the mud.
Mud and I have a bit of a history.
(…About Mud, and Other Nonsense)
First. Mud was my oldest daughter’s original bogeyman. She is twenty one now and laughs at the notion of a mud phobia that she cannot remember anymore, but there was a time (when she was around four years old) that the mere mention of mud would send her into a fit of hysterics….arms, legs, feet, hands…every part of her wrapped tightly around her daddy’s legs as she screamed with sheer terror. Caution: small children shouldn’t watch Star Trek. The end.
Later this same daughter would be uber fascinated with fantasy and sci-fi (and she remains so, all grown up), but as a very little girl, seeing a Star Fleet space craft mired in evil mud (yes, evil mud…turns out the mud was in fact a heartless, merciless monster) was beyond traumatic; it messed with her reality.
Also. I mentioned we live in a swamp. Time passes, and gradually I’m finding I can be happy in a swamp (it helps that it is seasonal). But our beginnings were not so auspicious. We chose to build our house here, on purpose (one of the more clueless ventures of our grownup lives). Which, resale value aside, meant we were quite unpopular with the plumbers (imagine plumbing in a crawlspace where your feet are sucked a foot and a half deep with every step), and that we narrowly avoided becoming a graveyard for stray pets and heavy machinery. Until building this house, my husband (and a few other seasoned men) had never seen a backhoe stuck up to its axles, with no apparent way out.
The bloodhound was smart enough to stay on the scrap lumber that floated atop the muck. But seriously, it could’ve got her.
Well. The mud is here. It will probably stay awhile. On the bright side, mud means spring is on its way…which is such a lovely, happy thought. I adore the smell in the air (well, for the most part, barring a few of the livestock smells) as the soil thaws out. Earthy and full of promise. I’m so looking forward to playing in the dirt again…once the mud has had its day.
(new calves arrive daily in a local field)
(Little Punkin Pie’s Happy Almost Spring Dance… can’t get enough of this)
By The Way (Important News Flash):
Our “Lovely Little Giveaway” has a winner! Joann Macdonald is the lucky girl. Thank you Tabetha at “A Closet Intellectual” for putting it all together!
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Thanks for visiting my blog. I have loved looking through yours. I am meant to be doing baking for school lunches but your blog has taken over!! I love your photo’s, your honesty and your writings. It drew me in. Keep up the fantastic work
Thank you so much Karen! Wow. Lovely. Thank you.
Awesome photos! Looks like you have a real spring with mud, we don’t have real snowy winter in DC and I really miss it!:)
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Elena recently posted…33 weeks
Thank you Elena! You may not have lots of snow…but you’ve got those world famous cherry trees! Coming up soon I hope!
What wonderful photographs! So glad you left a comment on my blog as now I’ve had a chance to discover yours, and its lovely!
Thank you Emalina. You do have a beautiful blog; I’ve bookmarked it.
I don’t have that kind of history with mud (or Star Trek), but I loved reading about yours.
Oh to Be a Muse recently posted…Inspiring Style: PoshGrid
Hi Lynaea!
I remember that phrase “don’t worry, be happy” in Jamica while vacationing there a long time age! I love it! If only I could stop worrying……
Your mud & swamp house story is too funny!
Btw, the last photo of your daughter is precious!! Both the girls are so gorgeous as are you!
I loved your dancing skirt post, too!
Thank you for your kind comment Jeannie. And I’m glad you liked the swamp house story. May your day be worry free!
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting on my blog! I feel your pain re: living in a swamp. I lived in a townhouse for years with a depression in the backyard that filled up with water every time it rained (which was almost every day… it was in Vancouver, BC).
I’m loving your sewing and refashioning posts! I hope you’ll come back and share some of them on my blog’s link party, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday 🙂
Danielle @ Poor and Gluten Free recently posted…Waste Not Want Not Wednesday #21
Thank you Danielle. I’ve loved visiting Vancouver…but I think the constant rain would be hard to live with. Hopefully you’re on dryer ground now. Thanks for visiting and yes, I’ve linked up with a green smoothie recipe I believe.
fantastic blog..
Thank you!