Almost Here

Mia collected Hannah and Luke in Buffalo last night and took them to a hotel for a good night's rest. They should be at the farm when I get home today. I gave up cleaning around midnight and Matt had to shake me awake at seven this morning. There is only so much you can do with a barn apartment with no closets. My "alternative agricultural" lifestyle is fine for me, but when company comes, even if it's two fun-loving grandkids, I get a bit uneasy about the clutter. And then there's wading through the sheep to get in and out the door...and the squawking chickens underfoot, and the kittens climbing up your jeans leg...and the dogs barking all night long, and now the flies are out. But they were excited to get on the plane as they left their weeping parents behind to go to Omi's Farm. Yes, the Omi thing. People ask me where that came from. Let me explain. Omi is a derivation of the German Oma/Opa. My parents were stationed in Germany post WWII and had my two brothers there. They came home speaking German and started the Oma tradition. In Swedish (my father was 100% Swedish speaking in the home, etc.) my name would be Farmoor (father's mother - mother's mother is Mormor). I didn't want to be Farmoor as I can't get used to the sound of that. So I became Omi, kind of a combination of Oma and Maggie. The other grandmother is grandma so it kind of worked. Anyhow...the weather is hot today. I won't be surprised if we are swimming in the pond tonight. I am always a bit concerned about how to compete with their fabulous California lifestyle, with ocean beaches, dirt biking in the mountains, tennis courts behind the house, etc., but I have something they don't have there - horses! Brookfield is loaded with horses! And bonfires! The bonfire is piled as high as I am, but I think it's a tad too dry now. We might have to wait for a drizzle for this fire. Last year's sofa is ready to go. What a blaze that will make! Have to stop and pick up marshmallows on the way home. So excited...