Where Am I?

Proof again that no one is reading this. I have not posted in more than a month... I suppose that not telling anyone that this is here might have something to do with the lack of traffic. Hummmm. We are still here, alive and kicking... clawing actually in beautiful sunny always smiling Brayton, IA. Many ups and downs... many. It is now nearly the Summer Solstice... but before we even get there - Anya's birthday is this weekend. She will be 4. Wow. Time flys... I remember her birth as if it were last weekend. And now she is walking (running actually), talking, and swinging from things... a personality is emerging that is full of light and curiousity. I know that everyone says that their kid is smart... but she really is... you can see the little wheels turning as she problem solves on the playground and in the livingroom. It is very exciting to watch my daughter as she learns new things... because I learn as well by watching her discover her world and how it works.
My goal this week is to not get hosed by my landlord - who sprung on me at the last minute that mowing the lawn was "my responsibility" - I had asked about mowing back in March - and got told by the maintenance guy not to worry about it. His mower sat broke for a while. Like knee high grass a while. I emailed the landlord and said no prob... Next time I go back to Iowa City I would be happy to bring mine back and do the mowing. Somehow she missed that line in my email. So, in the meantime... someone was hired to mow... and now I am paying for it via. cheap labor by installing windows. (?!) Something got way lost in the translation... but whatever. I'll do the stinking windows and just let it go. It is easier that way.... path of least resistance... I'll just let it be something else...
It seems like southwest Iowa is in some kind of psychic slo-mo - which I am only now coming to understand. The only way I can think to describe it is... did you ever get your cat wet... you know how they suddenly seem like they are very very heavy and can't move until they shake off all the water? Yeah, it's kind of like that... except add one step forward and two steps back. I get it now... I understand how people get stuck here and never leave. Never. There might need to be some Vikings invoked around here... which should be easy considering the number of Danes living here... !
Coming, there are updates with pictures. We are going to NE to celebrate Anya's BD - we have friends who are helping us do a party in Lincoln. Fun, there will be belly dancing and fire spinning. : )