Lest We Forget

Remembrance Day. One huge, emotional wallop for yours truly. I actually have a hard time articulating how I feel every November 11th, it is a big jumble of gut-wrenching sorrow, incredible patriotism, deep deep humility, fierce joy, intense thankfulness, and some more humility thrown in for good measure. Enough said.

This afternoon, Husbandly One and I finally took a drive to the new windfarm that has been erected not far from town. A half hour of driving brought us to this amazing, amazing place. I had our camera with me, but I was so awestruck as we drove around -- and at one point, just sat in one place for ten minutes, watching the blades turn in the wind-- that I didn't take a single picture. It was so awesome, the idea that we are producing electricity by simply harnessing the power of the wind. Unreal, and so exciting!

Because it is Remembrance Day, there weren't a lot of people actually working there today (they are still installing the last three of 32 windmills). We passed through what appears to be their construction headquarters, based on the number of trailers, trucks parked, etc. And on the very edge of this area, I spied what I think is their garbage dump. It is several giant piles of wood packaging: wood pallets, massive wood boxes the size and shape of coffins, and hundreds of low wood boxes, just perfect for square foot gardening. These open boxes were 3 by 5 feet, and about ten inches tall, just sitting there, waiting for me to liberate them and grow vegetables in them!

Sadly, we didn't see anyone we could ask about these fabulous boxes, so of course I didn't take any...as sorely tempted as I was! I ALSO saw, throughout the site, entire BALES of abandonned peat moss. Whaaaaaaat? Do you have any idea how much that stuff costs, and how good it is for your garden?? I suspect the bales of peat moss are somehow used in conjunction with the large cranes they use to construct the windmills., as they were most prevalent in areas where cranes are still operational. I ALSO saw many bales of hay, which would be fabulous in a compost pile.

Anyway, I digress. I surely did want some of that abandonned peat moss, and I surely did want those abandonned wood boxes, so when we got home I sent an email inquiry to the company that owns the wind farm, simply asking what happens to the wood boxes after the contents are unpacked, and if it would be possible for me to get permission to take and/or pay for some. We'll see how they respond to THAT question....if favourable, I will also inquire oh-so-nonchalantly regarding the hay and peat moss.

Not bad for a lazy afternoon drive!

The other news in my very boring life (yes, it is boring, I have made peace with that and learned to embrace it!) is that yesterday I discovered Husbandly One doesn't know when my birthday is!

Let me set the scene: every year on my birthday, Husbandly One leaves work during the afternoon to go shopping. When I get in our truck at the end of the day, there is always a big shopping bag in the back that I'm supposed to pretend I don't notice. When we get home, either he locks himself in our bedroom to wrap my gift, or he just hands me the shopping bag. Every year. And it BUGS me, particularly seeing how I look forward to gift GIVING very much, and so always have his birthday or Valentine's Day token ready waaaaay ahead of time, with much thought and love put in to it. It hurts me, quite frankly, that when it comes to giving ME gifts, it always feels like he forgot, that he didn't care enough to think about me ahead of time.

Yesterday, we got home from work, and he declared he needed to, umm, go get a haircut, yes, a haircut, I really have to go to it today, it can't wait, I need a haircut. And I thought, "Squeeee!!"

He came home two hours later, with several shopping bags he thinks I didn't notice, that he stashed in the basement. And he didn't HAVE a haircut. More squeeee-ing from me, because I was so excited that he was planning ahead of time to give me a gift. (Seriously, this is a FIRST)

Around 10pm last night, he re-emerged from the basement with a big, beautiful gift bag, and put it in the corner of the living room. Like, not putting it near me, just in a corner of the room where he could store it until later. I said, "Dear, you can't leave that there, the animals will get in to it." And he looked at me a little strangely, a bit perplexed.

At 11:50pm last night, I stood up and said, "Well, that's it for me, I'm going to bed."

Him: "Why now? If you wait ten minutes, it'll be your birthday."

Talk about a dash of cold water. No more squee-ing for me.

Me: "No it won't."

Him: "Yes, in ten minutes it'll be November 11th, and it'll be your birthday."

Me: "No, I ASSURE you, it will NOT. My birthday is NOT November 11!""

Stomp stomp stomp to our bedroom.

I was beyond hurt and angry, I was wild. After all these years, how can he not know when my stupid birthday is???

But sometimes God smiles on us, and gives us a gentle poke in the ribs, because by the time I made it to our room, I was giggling. Then laughing. Then in crying in mirth over how stupid I was being.

So tonight, November 11th, NOT my birthday, Husbandly One cooked me a very elaborate, very special meal. And opened a very long cherished, very rare bottle of wine. And then raised a glass to me on my "non-birthday." And as we touched glasses, I was reminded once again that he may be an idiot, but he's MY idiot, and he loves me.