Dear Bloggy Friends,
My life has become an old movie. A chick flick, at that. Did you see "Under the Tuscan Sun?" My life, sort of. The female lead takes a trip to Italy to recover from a divorce and on impulse buys a charming but dilapidated villa. She hires a family group of Polish men to remodel the house. It is an inviting little flick as she becomes involved in each of their lives and YES, finds happiness for herself.
I'm moving back to the country, where the buildings have become stagnant and fences have drooped. Bob and Geno are the whiz kids who supply me with laughs, as I watch them take on a multitude of jobs. Each job is their masterpiece. They're building a greenhouse and often add little surprises for me. Today they ordered the dirt for the raised beds. I made a little video showing a big fancy truck shooting the dirt from a conveyor belt onto just the correct spot.
As in "Tuscan Sun," their family has become my adopted family and I share in the problems. The next big project is taking apart the studio floating dance floor and making a dance floor in the red barn that you will see in the video. Both men are talented; Geno an accomplished artist and Bob, an agronomist and jazz musician. We've become a collage of weird but meaningful projects.
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Awww how lovely to be living the film!! Good luck with your greenhouse and dance studio!! With your adopted family to create these - they're bound to be gorgeous! Take care
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That's AWESOME!! I thought you were joking until I saw the video - I thought we were bred tough downunder, but we've got nothing on you!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot of work is getting finished.. thats a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI can see a glimpse of your beautiful countryside through the slats of your greenhouse.
'We've become a collage of weird but meaningful projects.'
ReplyDeleteSounds perfect.
Manza, I love the new image in your banner.
Manazanita, I am sooo happy for you! It looks like a beautiful spot and the greenhouse is making me green with envy. :) What a perfect idea! Fresh organic food, homegrown, and the vistas around your place are wonderful. All that and a dance studio in your barn. What good news this is.
ReplyDeleteWhoever ran the soil elevator had good aim. Is your neck feeling better now?
ReplyDeleteI thought you were kidding too...but, no!!! you're on another adventure. Keep us posted...
ReplyDeleteSoooo happy you have gone country. Green house, dance studio, and open air, how wonderful. So glad you have found great workers.
ReplyDeleteWow! I am so impressed with your spirit of adventure! Most of us (Okay... my husband and I, anyway) don't even want to contemplate the idea of uprooting and moving somewhere else. Yet, here you are, embracing the challenge. Looks well worth it, too. That greenhouse is gonna be awesome, and so will your new dance studio in that barn. Congratulations! With your attitude, you'll be young forever. (You should reward yourself with a chihuahua or two.)
ReplyDeleteIt looks great--& I love your new banner!!
ReplyDeleteHi Manzanita - you are a tower of strength .. and just keep going - mind you that's the way to do it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent a dance floor - looking forward to seeing the outcome of these projects .. while the soil slinging looks fun! Muscle men too - you're in good company ..
Now that flamenco music I could listen to for hours ..
I've given you a shout out for your Hunza's on my 2nd reflections! post .. cheers Hilary
What fun to be doing all this and what a beautiful countryside you have. Your preparations could not be any better my friend.
ReplyDeleteHi there. I love your header photo! Wow! how I admire you for taking all this on. That glimpse of the beautiful countryside all around you, looks wonderful. That is quite a decent sized greenhouse you have there, and what a brilliant idea to have all those raised beds like that. Wishing you good luck with everything.
ReplyDeleteWow living in a movie, saw that one, wasn't a bad flick. Good luck as everything gets built.
ReplyDeleteA rainbow of dirt! I love it.
ReplyDeleteManzi, you're my idol! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteDear Manzanita, . . . that machine throwing the dirt into the raised gardens was nifty! Thanks for showing that in the video. I'm excited for you. This growing older is so wonderful because we sort of let go of fear and grab hold of joy.
ReplyDeletePeace.
Love how you appreciate where youare in the here and now. Kudos to you and sharing this zest for life. Kudos also to Hilary who recommends I visit here. Peace 2U.
ReplyDeleteKitty : It came to me in a bolt of lightening. Hey, I'm living a movie.
ReplyDeleteRed : Awww shucks.....ain't nothing. Most days we all just do what it takes. Ha
Terry : WORK..... OMG. But as I told my son, its all under control. He thought I was kidding, but I'm not.
Suze : Oh thanks but those magpies drive me crazy. They eat all the little bird's food. They are also smart and crafty birds.
Teresa : Thanks for stopping. The greenhouse may not be ready this season. Have much to do in Bozeman yet, to wind that up.
Delores : I had 4 sessions with a chiropractor and they are never my choice but that was what's available in Helena. He does sports injuries and was was gentle enough and I do feel better. Thanks for asking.
Turquoisemoon : Not so much another dventure as going home. I've missed the solitude.
Patti : Thanks. The only one who doesn't get "it" is my youngest son. He's always lived in a fairly large city. For me, it's like going back to my roots.
ReplyDeleteSusan : I know, the moving sounds awful and I'm not looking forward to the actual packing and stresses that goes with it but I've owned this place for a long, long time and it's just returning, really.
Fishducky : Thanks for the visit and for noticing the new header. Probably not new for long as those magpies annoy me. Ha
Hilary : Oh thank you for the shout-out. I can't believe the A-Z is all over already. M'Lady, your castles enriched the April days. And they really do come in all shapes and sizes. :)
Rubye : Thank ye kindly. Time passes so quickly and each day I'm kinda chomp'n at the bit to make haste.
Diane/thisisme : Thank you my dear. I guess most of us need projects. I've come alive since I started this.
Pat : You know, that really was a good film, even though it might be considered primarily a chick flick.
Su-sieee : Only a laconic phrase from you could set me smiling for the day. Thanks.
JJ : Thanks. I always try hard to live up to my obligations to you. We always try to spread that sunshine around a little.
Dee : Hurray.... isn't "older" a great word. Now we can settle back and harvest what we've sown.
Liara : Thank you for visiting. I visited you in return and your posts are a ray of positive sunshine.
It does look like a beautiful spot. Several times in my life I have made a leap of faith move and every time it was wonderful. The last time was when I moved here--20 years ago! I guess I'm staying put now. Good luck to you in your new home!
ReplyDeleteStand by for Easterner ignorance: You're moving to the country? Isn't all of Montana country?
ReplyDeleteFull Disclosure: I would love to live in Montana.
What a beautiful place! The views are breathtaking! You're very fortunate! Ah, to have a greenhouse! The video was great! I love getting a glimpse into other's lives. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh what a wonderful place Manzanita - I am a wee bit jealours...
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]
That looks like a pile of work going on there. You must be feeling better and the weather looks great. Be careful Manzanita!
ReplyDeleteHi! My mission...which I chose to accept...was to continue to visit as many A to Z Challenge participants as I could even after the challenge is over because I didn't want to miss out on any great bloggers out there! Lovely blog...good luck with the rest of the year and I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteDonna L Martin
www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Well, awesome doesn't begin to express this change of yours. Moving into a very particular community of kindred souls. (I'd have said "peculiar" community, but some might have taken offence.)
ReplyDeletePlease tell us more of this human collage into which you have moved. And why you've done this.
Blessings and Bear hugs.
Good for you for moving to the country. I'm sort of deep rural in NE Georgia and love it. Only complaint (minor) is far from ethnic markets.
ReplyDeleteBest regards to you.
I enjoyed your post and loved your bio. You sound like such an interesting person.
ReplyDeleteWhat great ambition! Best of luck. Be careful!
ReplyDeleteGalen : It's a matter of water. Go where the water is, like a duck. Ha
ReplyDeleteAl : Ha Ha Ha : To some that could be true. To others, it's crowded.
Irene : The work is non-stop. It's strange but after a soaking tub bath in the evening and a fabulous sleep, I'm ready to go again in the morning.
Anna : Thanks. It's remote and not everyone can live in such seclusion.
Chuck : I should listen more carefully to you. My neck finally healed and I must have thought I was 20 again and I unloaded 20 bags of organic soil ..... oops big mistake.
Donna : And you are on an ambitious agenda. So many good blogs this year. Good luck and thank you for visiting.
Bear : Peculiar works too. You "get it" don't you. Many people don't.
ReplyDeleteAnthony : Oh, do I understand about the ethnic markets. Take fish sauce, for instance. And any old fish sauce just won't do. I have to order just about verything.
DC : Thanks for visiting and for the kind comment.
Susan : I guess living is being able to make choices. And bless the variations.
This is charming. I like to think of my life as a "duckling flick," since I'm no chicken, but this is close enough.
ReplyDeleteRoxanne
Building a greenhouse sounds like fun especially with dirt moving conveyer belts. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletethis all sounds wonderfully fascinating--saying hi from the az challenge!
ReplyDeleteNow I hope all those changes don't keep you from bogging for ever?
ReplyDeleteYou're an inspiration to me. You just keep on having adventures in your life. Hope all is going well for you.
ReplyDeleteYour new adventure sounds like much fun and work! I am a new follower. Good luck with your projects!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
GraceinAZ
Well, I left my last comment while logged into my Green Living blog and signed it with my Grace blog name. Didn't mean to confuse you. I am following from both of my blogs..
ReplyDeletePat (GraceinAZ)
Well, I left my last comment while logged into my Green Living blog and signed it with my Grace blog name. Didn't mean to confuse you. I am following from both of my blogs.
ReplyDeleteHugs, GraceinAZ (Pat)
Hope everything is well with you and that you are not overdoing things.
ReplyDeleteMissing you and hoping it all goes well for you:)
ReplyDeleteI loved the film. I'm glad you're having fun with your adopted family.
ReplyDeleteSorry to have been slow in getting back to you. I've been busy, trying to get my medications (and thus my life) reorganized a bit. Fewer meds is better, I think. So does my doctor.
ReplyDeleteHappy fourth of July. I hope you had a wonderful time, and that it was not too hot — either from the sun or any aberrant fire. (Some fires are entirely too anti-social)
Please, do tell us more about life in the country.
Oh, and, in response to your observation: Yes, I do "get it." And when intentional community works, it is wonderful!
Dear Manzanita, I hope that you are simply busy living your life and that you have not been ill. Take care of yourself. Peace.
ReplyDeleteI like your story, ok, i’ll bookmark this site and return here in next few days.
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful to see a comment from you on my blog this morning, but darn! I guess you're not feeling like writing any posts yet, huh? I hope all is well with you, and I just noticed this post went online as 12:34 AM. That made me smile. That's my "magic time", and it's when I post mine, too. Take care.
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