Rabbit Rabbit! Heralding the Arrival of June

So...I have this super girlfriend. On the first of each month she says "Rabbit Rabbit". And it must be said before you speak any other words. I think its a good luck thing. I had never heard of this tradition before. I've tried it. Hasn't garnered any luck for me at all. Maybe it only works for my friend? She is pretty lucky. Think I'll have to find some kind of good luck charm for me... rabbit's foot? lady bug? bamboo? Nope, tried them all. Nada. Nil. Zilch.

Oh well.

Ok. Here we are. The beginning of June.

Rabbit Rabbit.

On the job front:  Hubby is working. He's not crazy about his job but he's gotten a few other offers so he's keeping his options open.

As for me:  Nada. Nil. Zilch. Not for lack of trying. I'm still sending out a gazillion (or so it seems) applications and resumes. Had one interview that I thought went well, but apparently didn't as no job offer was forthcoming.

However....I'm beginning to wonder if the non-job status is fate stepping in. You see, my youngest son is leaving the military. This week. He and his wife and 3 children are heading north to regroup. And they'll now be stationed at my house. Yup, you heard that right. My little tiny cramped 50's ranch. With the postage stamp sized yard. Oh boy.

We've been going crazy trying to rearrange the place to accommodate 5 more people, 3 of which are under the age of 10, and 2 more dogs. Child proofing. Dog proofing. Making room. Emptying closets and bureaus. Installing a girl's sleigh bed (thank you to a very generous friend!) and multi-colored bunk beds for the boys (found at a bargain price on Craig's list). Setting up a second guest room in our finished basement (which meant closing up shop on our home gym downstairs-but I figure I'll get a workout just keeping up with the grandkids and dogs). Reconfiguring all the rooms of the house and the backyard.

Lists have become our new best friends. We check off each item as we move along at a rapid fire pace to get things in order prior to the big day. This weekend was the final preparations: yard sales to pick up some good used toys for the kids, yardwork and installation of new doors. All that's left is to fill up the cupboards and fridge with food for the homeless troops about to appear at our doorstep.

Actually, the renovations and changes we've made since we received this proclamation from young son have us thinking this might just work out okay...if only on a temporary basis. And with me not working, I can be here to oversee our new housemates and enjoy time with the grandchildren who I adore. My mood is always lifted when I'm with them. They're fun, and funny. They're sweet, and loving. Never a dull moment. And its summer and there's so much we can do that I couldn't do otherwise if I was bogged down with a job. The zoo. Parks. Museums. Festivals and fairs. The beach. Fishing (um, that one they can do with grandpa...just sayin'). Blowing bubbles. Taking care of grandma's butterfly garden. Working in grandpa's vegetable garden. Walking the dogs. Visiting family. Backyard b-b-q's. Or just laying on a blanket in the backyard and watching the clouds roll by. And at night, the constellations.

So many fun things!

And maybe, just maybe...it's fate's way of filling my soul just when I need it most.

Or is it luck?  Rabbit...Rabbit........

Wordless Wednesday - Paradise Found

I dream of this everyday ........

My Backyard - Museum of Work & Culture - Woonsocket, RI

"Embracing the Past to Inspire the Future"

Nestled in the center of this once bustling industrial city is a cultural gem. Housed in a former dye mill is the Museum of Work and Culture. The focus of the Museum is to present the story of Woonsocket's history, specifically the sacrifices and struggles of the immigrants who flocked to the city by the river and enabled it to grow from rural farmland to a thriving industrial region at the turn of the 20th century. 

 

I began the tour on the first floor where I learned of the origins of the first Canadian settlers who emigrated from the Quebec area to Woonsocket in the late 1800's. Interactive displays illustrated the rural life that the immigrants left behind to journey to an unknown promise of a better life in the United States. As I moved further into the Museum I found replicas of the spinning machines found in the textile mills where the immigrants toiled for long hours for meager pay in harsh, dirty, loud working conditions. I learned that Woonsocket once had many such mills, some were dye houses and others manufactured cotton fabric and woolen goods. Most of the city's population, including children, were mill workers.