March 6: Corrections and Mouse Poop

I must issue a correction for one item in my last update. Sarah didn’t cut the carrots by herself. Carl did that part. However, this week Sarah did cut zucchini with Carl supervising. 

Speaking of corrections, we needed to correct the radon situation of our mountain house. Ideal radon levels are below 4. When we tested our levels in late autumn they were over 200! Yikes. So we had a company come test again and then do some things to fix the situation. Now we monitor the levels continuously and things are mostly good, but not quite steady. We came to the mountain house this weekend for the first time since Thanksgiving. Aside from mouse poop and shredded linens deemed mouse-nest material, all is well and it is wonderful to be here again. I did, however, throw away a pillowcase, two dishrags, a dish towel, and some cloth napkins that had been shredded beyond acceptability. I also found mouse poop and seed hulls in the pocket of my bathrobe! We don’t keep any food where a mouse could get to it, but they bring in seeds that they find outside. So far we have only used live traps when we are here, but I admit that this latest poop-a-palooza has me wondering if we need stronger measures.

When we arrived at the mountain house I reminded the kids that the water might splurk and sploosh out of the faucets at first since it had been turned off for so long. They did an energetic interpretive dance of the water splashing and splurting.

Carl and Amy had a wonderful time skiing yesterday, while Sarah and I stayed snuggly at the house. Sarah’s new favorite song is “Love Shack” by the B-52s so we listened to that many times. Good thing I love the song too. We also drew some musical notes and Sarah drew a staff with notes above her rendition of a penguin. She recently rediscovered a love of Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton, complete with musical notes scattered over the cover. Sarah’s penguin is a large smiley face with stick legs and earnest round feet. 

Sarah continues to enjoy talking about the hitch in my get-along and how I have run out of padding in my get-along. I continue to limp around physically and swing all around emotionally. When I walk almost normally and don’t hurt, then I think I have been making it all up and I don’t really need surgery. Other times I am hurting a lot and or incapable of walking normally and then I know I need the surgery, but I’m scared and sad about it. Realizing that I am like a car with a flat tire and that even if I am not in pain I just need a new tire to be structurally sound has helped me accept the need for intervention without feeling guilty or like I have failed in someway. 

Love and earnest penguins to you.