My goodness! It's been over a week since I last posted and I have to say that's a good thing. I have been busy preparing for workshops, coffees and visitations out with entrenched community members.

Next week I teach my fist clinic on fall garden clean-up and am hoping to get a couple people to show up. Sad statement to me but I'm hoping the longer I'm here and the more I hammer away at the concept of workshops the higher the attendance will begin to be. Keep your fingers crossed!

I am also scheduled to head out with a new friend, Hillary, and the Fort Belknap Community College book-mobile. We're going to load up her trunk with books and bring the library to the other remote communities. It sounds like a fun activity and time with Hillary is always time well spent. :)

I filled out two job applications for Scott today, here on the Reservation and am hoping he gets one of them. I am struggling terrifically with homesickness. I have "clicked" over into my fall mode and I just want to sleep. I am a bit worried about slipping back into depression but knowing the signs is a step ahead of where I was last time. I am going to call my doctor, who is great by the way, and ask for a referral to a counselor/psychiatrist because I feel like that is something I need to do. Please keep me in your thoughts because I'm feeling as though I need a lil pick-me-up lately.

I am excited at the possibility of my aunt and uncle from Kansas coming up for a visit while my parents are here over the Labor Day weekend. I haven't seen them in a very long time and I have to say they are some of my favorites! :) Another set of fingers crossed please for this event.

Mom and dad are coming over Labor Day weekend to visit, drop off a load of firewood and a truck, and help me fix some stuff around the house that we didn't get to last time. I am really, really looking forward to this! Scott is set to visit the third week in September and words cannot describe how happy this makes me! My friend Jenna is always telling me Scott and I are disgustingly close for siblings and I am grateful for that closeness. :)

I have a pumpkin! One softball sized Sugar baby pumpkin has emerged and I think there might be some other ones on the way. I will have to get some row-cover material because people tell me it freezes good in September but October is beautiful. I hope so because my acorn and butternut squash are just now blooming! I've put in an order with mom and dad to bring over a bunch of produce from home when they come so I can can, freeze and dry my brains out! Living in the Yakima Valley has really spoiled me with regards to fresh produce - I miss it!

I was invited to a memorial this weekend by a co-worker and am excited to be included in the community. It came a bit quicker than I thought. Traditionally a show of acceptance like that takes quite a while. The memorial is more like a wake than what a white person would equate as a memorial. The family is hosting a kids rodeo, an 'old-man roping', a feed and a give away. Not quite a party but a happy time to remember the good things about the person.

In addition to the memorial, I have big plans to mow the lawn and let me tell you what this is going to take all day Saturday I think. I have been OK with mowing the inside of the fence but the outside has been neglected due to a lack of funds for gas. It takes two tanks to mow the outside and one tank to mow the inside. I tell myself I'm lucky to have a nice big lawn but when it comes time to mow...sometimes I forget! LOL I also am thinking of planting some garlic and onions in pots that I have so I need to get some soil for that. Busy Saturday - thank goodness!

I ordered a new mini-laptop and it should be here next week. Now if only the communications company would get their but in gear and hook-up my Internet. School starts on Monday and I would like to be able to do my work at home! :) Also, when mom and dad come up they are bringing Lil Guy over and I am not only excited for him to get here, he's got a great personality, but I'm hoping he'll wear Yotee out so they all sleep at night. Yotee has been waking me up in the night because he gets bored and wants petted, or to play. It's wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule! :)