It appears to me that having a "shtick" of some sort for these diaries helps to generate ideas and makes creating them perhaps go a bit more smoothly. So, I've decided mine is going to be writing about things I HAVEN'T done, as opposed to things I have. Though, of course, I'm not ruling out writing about things I HAVE done, if I think they might be interesting in some way. All of which essentially leaves me free to write about just about anything. Just gives me a framework to do it in.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
We have split up the publishing duties, but we welcome everyone in IAN to do daily diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news! If you would like to write a diary, let us know in a comment.
Ok, we have a current diary schedule. If you would like to fill in, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMom a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FSNMom is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday: BadKitties
Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac
Wednesday: Caedy
Thursday: weck
Friday: FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:broths
Sunday: loggersbrat
If you'd like to be part of the Itzl Alert Network, please leave a comment asking to join, or send us a message asking to join. We'd love to have you. The bigger our network, the less likely someone will be stranded all alone.
So, not altogether unexpectedly, I'm going to do an exception to my basic framework and write about something I did. This past Friday, the 4th of April, 2014, I persuaded my older son to come with me to help some friends move. These particular friends were acquired through my late husband, and became friends of us both, when he acquired me as companion and spouse.
I should perhaps mention that my husband's friends fell/fall primarily into two groups: those that were friends through his interest in vintage SAAB automobiles, hereafter referred to as "SAAB friends," or "SAAB buddies," and those that were friends through his participation in dance activities of many kinds, or "dance friends." These friends are SAAB friends, quite a bit younger than my late husband and I, in fact, closer to contemporaries of my sons, than of my generation, but friends deeply regarded and appreciated for their many good qualities, regardless of age. (I might also mention, as a further aside, that my "growing-ever-dearer friend," whom I've spoken of here before, and who will hereafter be referred to as "GEDF," is a "SAAB friend," too.)
What made helping these particular friends move a bit unusual, was the distance my son and I went to do it, which was from the greater Portland, OR area where my son and I live, to a small town east of Seattle, the friends' now past location. The friends themselves were relocating a significant distance, from their small WA town to an island off the WA coast near Bellingham. Which meant that a ferry was involved, which is also a bit unusual. It was a big endeavor and they needed a lot of help, and I needed a bit of an adventure, so off my son and I went. Like most moves, things did not go entirely according to plan, however, they went, and so did we. Libations, new territory, and scenic views, not to mention the satisfaction of helping friends, were our reward. It also gave my son and I some quality time together, which is not always easy to come by with grown children. So, though I spent the entire next day resting, and not doing much else, I considered the entire endeavor time well-spent. Not to mention that I know how to get to the friends' new home, having helped them move there.
My "haven't done" subject for this time around will be the topic of yard work and particularly, ridding my yard of a sizable invasion of wild blackberry brambles. Though I do not like the idea of using poisonous chemicals in my yard, I've pretty much come to the conclusion, after consultation with others more experienced than I, that it may be the only practicable answer to successfully eliminating the invasive species from my property forever. Those knowledgeable on the topic are invited to chime in with tips and advice.