Back to the grind.

You'll all be happy to know we have survived two full days of school and we are no worse for wear.

At least I don't think so.

The weather has been nice - perfectly fall-like - and I have been busy tackling stuff I put off all summer while we were gallivanting all over God's creation pretending like the laundry would do itself and summer would last forever.

Summer's over, people. OH. VUR. (I'm saying this to myself and my children as much as anyone else.)

And sadly, there is no laundry fairy. Hmph.

So while we all adjust to earlier mornings again and the kids settle into their school day routines, I get back on task here at home. There is much to do. It's no wonder I always felt frantic when I was working full time and the house was chaos. Now I'm here all the time and trying to do all those extra little home maintenance things that got put off because we never had time. Oh, and some fun stuff too. And raise a coupla' kids and a few animals and some fresh tomatoes along the way. And write. Because writing = breathing for me, and breathing is important.

Also important: daddy! Steve is going to be home for the weekend and I can hardly wait. If I could keep him locked up at home and all to myself I would, but the likelihood of that it pretty slim. And that would be pretty selfish of me anyway.

I have a bunch of pictures from summer that I had intended to share, but in the interest of ... well, keeping things interesting ... I'll just post a couple of my favorites.

 Checkin' out Endless Caverns in New Market, Virginia.

Cool cavern pic.

Seriously, it was amazing.

 Pretty farm view. Just because.

This is what I picture in my mind when I think of Virginia.

 The kids taking in the view at one of the stops along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.

Butterflies and bumblebees. They were everywhere at this particular overlook.

My loves.

 

The story of my life. Blurriness and all.

I don't know why, this picture just cracks me up.

So there you have it - a glimpse at how we spent much of August. I have missed blogging and I'm happy to have a little more time to get back to it regularly now. Lots of little things I've been wanting to share just so I can remember them myself in a year or twelve. Onward!

A quick and random update.

Sam got the cast on his leg yesterday. Praise Jesus, it did not have to go all the way up to his thigh as the ER doctor had said it would. It ends just below his knee, and is much less cumbersome than the splint, according to Sam. What a relief. Also a relief: they took more x-rays and said the bones are healing nicely. We go back to that doctor in five weeks ... so Sam will (hopefully) get his cast off for Christmas!

The weather here has been weird, which has become the norm I guess. It was pushing 70 degrees over the weekend and this morning I have snow on my deck. Brr. I don't mind, though. I love those first few days of snow ... it really gets me in the holiday spirit. I do need a new winter coat, though, so I guess I better move that up the priority list.

This week the kids have a short week of school because they get the deer hunting opener (firearm season) off on Thursday, and then a teacher in-service Friday. Then next week is Thanksgiving, of course, and - HAPPY HAPPY! - Steve is flying home from Colorado for the weekend. I feel like I've been living in my truck lately and there's no end to it in sight.

And the dogs. Gunnar has bypassed Ladybug in height, and probably at least caught up to her in weight. His head is twice the size of hers. I do love this cute stage where he's half-puppy/half-big dog and really fun to play with, but I also look forward to the time when he will lay on my feet and not give a darn when the cats walk by. I'm really trying to take a few minutes here and there to play with the dogs and let them stretch their legs since they've been cooped up with Sam hobbling around here on crutches. Now that I've given them some time to run around this morning, I'm off to have lunch with Rachel at school. They have their annual Thanksgiving celebration in which each child can invite a guest. It's the one time during the year I get to experience school lunch again, Turkey Day style. And this is the last year I will do this, at least with my own kids ... as Rachel will be moving up to Middle School next year.

Awww. My babies are growin' up.

An observation.

Sometimes - like tonight - I feel like I've hit the jackpot if I open the silverware drawer and actually find what I'm looking for. Which is good because I might have cried this evening if I went to sit down with my General Tso's spicy chicken and didn't have a clean fork. It's happened.

How is it that there can be a whole dishwasher full of clean dishes, yet not a clean fork in sight?

Here's my observation: No clean spoons? Mom must have sprung for Reese's Puffs cereal. Or a bucket of ice cream. No clean knives? Must be a new jar of Nutella in the cupboard. No forks? Probably those single-serve microwave mac-n-cheese cups. (Don't hate. They're not that bad once in a while.)

My kids, when I buy foods they love, will eat the same stuff for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, using up the supply of utensils in the drawer faster than you can say "get a box of disposable ones." I'm sure they're not the only kids who do this, and I'm not the only mom in the world who doesn't care if they do.

Or maybe they are, and I am. Oh well. What the heck ... it's summer and the livin' is easy.

Quiet.

It's quiet here. Breakfast is done, kids shuffled off to school, dog taken out. I can hear the clock ticking. The refrigerator hums. The dog's nails clickety-click on the tile floor as she searches for a spot to settle in.

I'm enjoying the last few sips of my coffee before I dive into whatever I decide to work on today - probably the master bedroom and bathroom. Because somehow that's where everything without a home goes to live. It's one of the struggles - and benefits, really - of having no place else to put stuff. We sure don't have a whole lot of room to keep more stuff than what we really need or use or love. And since clutter makes me anxious, and I don't like being anxious, I'm forced to sort and purge those things regularly.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."                   

~ William Morris

What a great euphemism for life: we should sort through the clutter occasionally, and get rid of or pass along what we don't want or need. Old routines that don't work anymore, friends who drag us down, commitments that have us ... over-committed.

I don't even watch the news much anymore. Which is saying a lot because the news used to be my passion. But these days, with plenty to keep track of in my own life, the alternative to not knowing every detail of what's happening in the world is knowing all the details and being in a constant state of emotional unrest. It doesn't mean I don't do my own small part to make the world a better place; it just means I have made a conscious decision to focus my energy on my family and my home and the things that make my world a better place.

I enjoy the quiet. I thank God I am able to take the time to watch the sun come up and feel it warm my house as I wake up and prepare for the day. I look around and I see a home that I love and pictures on the walls of people I love. It makes me happy. With all this, what more do I need?

Doomsday. Slightly less than ready.

Photo source

Every time I watch Hoarders on A&E (which I am kind of obsessed with) I get a little anxious and I'm prompted to get up and scrub the toilets or declutter a cabinet. In the same way, watching DVR'd episodes of NatGeo's Doomsday Preppers tonight with the kids has my head spinning, and now I feel like I need to make lists of things to do to prepare our family for a complete collapse of society.

Or nuclear warfare.

Or economic ruin.

Or a zombie apocalypse.

But I promised myself I would get to bed at a decent hour tonight so I can get up in the morning with enough energy to face my own two little zombies and prevent virtual ruin of life as I know it. Because seriously, there are days when I would much rather stare down the business end of a looter's gun than face the wrath of a certain teenager who doesn't want to get out of bed for school.

That said, the kids and I had some interesting conversation about our family's preparedness for cosmic events - extra food storage, sources for clean water, fuel, self-protection - and how some of those things come naturally to us as part of our way of life. I'm glad this is something they are interested in, because being prepared is never a bad thing, whether you're preparing for the end of the world or a short-term job loss. I'm not willing to spend 50 hours a week on it, though. Some of those Doomsday Preppers have quit their full-time jobs to spend more time creating their stockpiles of guns and food and training their family members to "bug out" in case of an attack on the homestead.

Not me. I'm not digging a moat around our property. I'm not adding onto the house just to store 55 gallon drums of wheat and corn. And I'm not spending my weekends instructing my children in tactical maneuvers. I'd rather get my fanny into bed early and pray that if the world ends while I'm sleeping the Good Lord takes me and my family with it.

Moving right along ...

Nothing too exciting to report from the homestead these days. Steve is settling in with his new job in PA, and the kids and I are holding down the fort here and making plans to go see him as soon as they have a long weekend from school.

The weather has been bizarre. Snow one day, rain the next, then snow and wind, then a 40-degree day. We're closing in on February and the kids have had three snow (or ice) days from school, all within the past week. My animals (the four-legged ones, not the children) are wanting to spend more and more time outside as if they can feel spring in the air. And I feel it too. After such a mild winter if we end up getting hit really hard with snow now I won't know what to do with myself.

I've been working on knocking out a few DIY projects and I'm excited to share them in future posts. I'm particularly happy with a second-hand light fixture I polished up and will hopefully hang in our front room this weekend. I just have to pick up a piece of hardware at the Depot, and get over my fear of any jobs having to do with electricity.

Sam is really enjoying downhill skiing. Every week when I go to pick him up from ski club he talks my ear off all the way home. I'm excited for him. It's a great wintertime physical activity and he has been working hard at improving his grades so he can continue skiing.

Today Rachel learned in art class how to draw a self portrait. She used those skills to draw a portrait of me tonight. She was so proud of herself, and I was proud of her. I love these days.

So we're movin' right along. Livin' life. Day by day. Tomorrow's Friday - yeah for the weekend! And I'm looking forward to having some time to just chill out with the kids.

Just ... stuff.

Well hallelujah, Sam returned home from his first evening skiing with not a bump or bruise or broken anything. (!!!) As it should be. And on the 20-minute ride home from school - in which I was a wee bit tired because it was after 10 p.m. - he talked 100 miles an hour about who he hung out with, how he has to take lessons before he can ride the ski lift, what size his boots were, what he had for dinner, and on and on. And he cannot wait for next Wednesday to roll around. I love it.

He also talked about how cool it is that the kids are trusted to go off and ski, get a bite to eat whenever they are ready, and then meet back at the bus at a designated time. Ya' know what that's called? FREEDOM! I think he's pretty excited about that.

~ ~ ~

Today is Steve's birthday. Happy birthday, baby! I'm a little out-of-sorts because he doesn't get a signal on his cell phone where he's staying, so we aren't able to chat in the evenings like we usually do. But he called this morning and it was so good to hear his voice ... and I was able to tell him "happy birthday" when I finally remembered today is the 6th. Once the kids were both up and alert enough to talk, they called him and wished him a happy day, too.

This is the second year I haven't been able to be with Steve on his big day, and that kinda' bums me out. Birthdays are a big deal to me. But I can't complain because he's working and that's a good thing!

~ ~ ~

Poor Rachel has a dentist appointment this afternoon because she chipped a tooth. Or rather, a tooth chipped and she has no idea how it happened. So we're going to have that checked out and have her teeth cleaned and the usual X-rays and all that while she's there.

Do you think it would be too much to expect that once her sore tooth is taken care of her attitude would improve? Sheesh. Here's hoping.

~ ~ ~

Me? I've been on a housecleaning kick. Time to move some furniture around, catch all the dust bunnies and make everything look fresh. The Christmas trees come down tonight. We typically wait until Jan. 6 because a) we usually have a big bonfire for Steve's and his brother's birthday (yes, they share a birthday - his brother is exactly five years older), and b) it signifies Epiphany on the church calendar. We don't have plans for a bonfire this year, but it will be a good opportunity to remind the kids that the Christmas season doesn't necessarily end on December 25th.

Have a great day, y'all. TGIF!

Clean Slate Sunday: 10.30.11 edition

I've started so many posts over the past several days, but my brain is so scattered I can't seem to hold a thought for more than a few minutes. If that.

This afternoon was rather perfect in terms of late-October days. Breezy and cool. Overcast, but bright. The kind of day that makes me want to bake some bread and snuggle up on the couch with a book. But I did not make bread and I did not do any reading. I did take a nap when I finally decided it was about the only thing I could focus on. It took me most of the rest of the afternoon to do a few loads of laundry and, a little at a time, clear some clutter and do some sweeping and straighten things up a bit.

The other day when I took the dog outside first thing in the morning I couldn't help but think of how the thick layer of frost on everything made the trees look exactly how I felt: heavy. Burdened. That day it was because Steve was leaving to head back to work in West Virginia and I just wasn't ready to let him go. Every day since then the heaviness has hung on, but for different reasons. Tonight is no different.

Sunday nights have always been my "chill" time. I finish up whatever tasks need doing before the new week begins and I prepare for the routine of rising early and packing the kids off to school. It can be exhausting or exhilarating, or a little bit of both, depending on the schedule for the week. No matter what, I try to take the time to count my blessings, take some deep breaths and some quiet time, and approach the week with an open mind and a grateful heart.

Tonight it's been difficult to calm myself. Life is in upheaval, and while it would seem chaos defines the Pipe Lifers' day-to-day, this period seems to be extra intense. Despite lots of unknowns, though, life goes on and we figure out how to roll with it. One day at a time.


For now, it's late (or mega early, rather) and I need to try to get some rest. I wish you a blessed week.

Stopping the clock. For real.

I'm not sure I was even aware this clock I bought recently for the dining room had a glass face.





Stress the word had.

It fell off the wall last night as Steve brushed by. I think he barely bumped the wall.

That "CRASH!" and the sound of breaking glass? Yikes.

Fortunately no family members were injured; just the clock.

Oops.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could really stop the hands of time and just hang out here for a while? Well, I'd really like to get over this ugly cold (or whatever it is) that I have, but other than that I'm really enjoying these few days with my sweetie here. He'll be gone again before we know it, back to the daily grind. It makes me sad to think about him leaving in a couple of days, even though I knew it was inevitable.

Yes. Life - and time - goes on.

Even the poor clock is back up on the wall, minus the glass, but working like a charm. 

And because in my world a broken clock can never be just a broken clock, there must be some great life analogy here, right? Like ... it's just what we do: when we get knocked down we pick ourselves (or each other) up, repair what we can, discard what we can't, and keep on moving.

Happy Tuesday!

The thing about grace.

I love the analogy I read on another blog this morning: (paraphrased) Some days are smoother than others; yesterday was like sandpaper.

Bingo.

A series of events over the past few days - little things - have got me in a tizzy. Each thing no big deal on its own, but all together a burden so heavy my heart aches from the emotions of it all.

I stay up late to chat with Steve about it and then I'm overtired.

The kids feel ignored and I think all my work is unappreciated.

I try to squeeze one more purchase out of this paycheck and then I'm over budget.

The laundry piles up. The dog won't stop barking. This broke. Something smells funny. The cat prince howls to be let out. Then in. Then out. Then in. Then to be fed. Then out again. The house plants are dusty. "Mom! She won't stop coming into my room!" Favorite pens get lost. The sewing machine doesn't work. It's too cold in here. We all overslept. It's hot in here. Nobody likes to try anything new for dinner. I moved a shelf and something fell on my head (I have a mark on my forehead to prove it). "Mom? Can I have a party for my birthday?" I can't find the box of Kleenex I just opened. The library books are overdue.

But. BUT!

It turns out the public library extends some grace to those who overlook their due dates. "These are late and I'd like to just pay the fine," I said.

"There's a three-day grace period," she tells me. "You're good. No fine."

Grace!

That's the thing about grace. The days when you think surely you don't deserve it, you still receive it. And it's a two-way street; the times you think you can't possibly muster the grace to offer someone else, somehow you do and you both feel better for it.

Do you know I just about skipped my way out of that library yesterday? All over not having to pay a 30-cent fine. Because after a crummy day just the smallest act of grace was a major bright spot. It made me happy. And it reminded me that I could show grace to others in very small ways that might mean the world to them.

Something to think about.

Woof.

Homegirl's been looking at dogs (and PUPPIES!) on petfinder.com. 

Do you know what this means?

It means homegirl needs something to do. Divert her attention! Say "NO!" and redirect! (Yeah, like you would at a 2-yr-old reaching for the candle burning on the coffee table. Hot!)

Yes, exclamation points! Because it's urgent.

I go through this every few months. Those feelings of missing our old German Shepherd come back around and I start fawning over the sweet faces of those babies needing homes. That's how we got our Ladybug. We had been without a dog for about five months and it just wasn't the same around here. We are animal lovers and our house isn't full unless we have a few furry friends around. I saw Ladybug's face and those silly hound dog ears looking at me from the computer screen and I fell in love.

How could I not?

I'm certain she's a former coon hunter. She still would hunt if we asked her to (and does even when we wish she wouldn't). But overall, for the past three years she has been a great family dog. She still has terrible manners like stealing food off your plate if you walk away (and I'm still working on her), but she's great with the kids and the cats.

See?

 They are obviously not bothered by the dog.

Though I'm slightly disturbed at how chunky Whiskers looks here. Obviously not her good side.

Anyway. I'm sleeping on the whole second dog thing. Again. I found listings (and pictures!) of another young hound dog and some puppies I would love to meet. And two gorgeous German Shepherds, but they're just far enough away that I'm not sure I want to make the drive. Oh, and the adoption fee for one of them is cah-ray-zee high. Which is probably a good thing because it makes me stop and think.

Seriously. What the heck am I doing looking at adoptable dogs? My heart turns to mush and I want all of them. But winter is coming and the last thing I want to do is house-train a dog in the cold. Again.

What's one more, though?

Eh. Twice the food. Twice the poop. Double the dog fur sticking to the baseboards. But it's so worth it, isn't it?

Ahhh, my eternal struggle. It's not like I have nothing else to do around here. I mean, did you read yesterday's post?

I'm backing away from the computer now. 

Slowly ... backing ... away ...

What? I am!

Going to snuggle my dog now. In all her bacon breath and gray chin glory. Mhmm. I'm gonna' enjoy the one I already have. And probably keep thinking about how she would luuurve another dog to play with.

We can't do everything.

The other day I was blog hopping and found a post from a mom who has gone scratch-cooking-gluten-free-no-sugar-and-I-can't-remember-what-else, and the gist of her post was this: we can't do it all. And ya' know what? She doesn't feel so bad about that.

It was a relief to read this from another mom. She has made the choice to feel good about the positive changes she and her family have made, and to not feel badly because they choose not to do other Potentially Really Good things. I totally dig that. Because for heaven's sake, who are these people who make us feel all sorts of guilty because we don't recycle our glass bottles or cloth diaper our children or make homemade bread from sprouted grains (whatever the hell those are)?

I read that particular post at the same time I was kicking around the idea of writing a sort of stream of consciousness post here. I thought I'd set a block of time, like "preparing dinner" and jot down every(unrelated)thing that came to mind while I did that one seemingly simple task.

Uhh. I decided my somewhat ADD self didn't need one more distraction while I'm cooking. But I couldn't get over the idea, so I thought I'd try a "virtual" stream of consciousness. (Does that even make any sense? Ha!)

OK. Imagine I'm making banana bread. Which I really am going to do today.

Here's what's happening in my head:

Banana bread. Good way to use up the bananas we didn't eat. Score one for not wasting food. Too bad we can't grow bananas closer to Michigan. That whole "eating local" thing. Too many bananas, need to double the recipe. Two cups times two is four cups. Rachel needs some help with her multiplication. Add flashcards to the shopping list. No, we have 3x5 cards, we'll make some. We don't need to buy things we can make ourselves or do without because eventually everything ends up in the trash. I wish we didn't create so much trash. I wonder how much of a difference it makes that we burn our paper instead of putting it in the trash. Definitely a good choice to toss all the fruit and veggie scraps outside instead of in the trash can. Maybe someday I'll actually have a compost pile again, to use on the garden. Deer ate it all last time; bad location. Deer ... I'm so proud of Sam for bagging his first buck. Venison will be back from the processor in a few days. I wish Steve was here 'cause he'd cut it up himself and save the cost of processing. But at least we have the cash to pay to have it done. We have the cash because Steve is working, and having a job is a good thing. Do I miss working? What am I talking about? I still work every day, just not "out there." I work for my family. Part of what I do is home cooking and making shopping lists and following a budget so we can live on one income. Add flour to the shopping list. I should probably start stocking up on baking supplies with the holidays coming. Lots of flour 'cause I want to try my hand at making pies. With crusts from scratch. How can I be 35 years old and never made a pie? There are moms out there teaching their 5-yr-olds how to make pies. Mmmm, apple pie. Do I have enough apples for pie? What are the best kind of pie apples? Note to self: look up pie recipes next time I get on-line. Or maybe I should forage for apples. We have lots of trees around here. Then they'd be free(!) and we all know the best kind of apples are free apples. I'll check into that. Even if they're not good for pie I can make some applesauce and freeze it. Freezers ... I really need to make an inventory of what's left in the freezers and make sure there's room for venison. Make sure to add cinnamon to the applesauce if I make it, 'cause Rachel loves cinnamon. I'd love some nuts in the banana bread but the kids don't care for nuts. Maybe some with chocolate chips and some with nuts? I should just make it how I like it and if the kids don't like it they don't have to eat it. But this is what I planned for an after-school snack. What time is it? Will these be out of the oven before the kids get off the bus? Hey! I bet I can find a flashcards app on my phone. I really need to cut back on the kids' TV time. Some people live without TV and survive just fine - better, even. So they say. Ah well, my kids love TV and it's a great reward after they do their chores. Chores? When was the last time I paid them for their chores? I need to make a new chore list. Maybe it should include helping make dinner. But I'm home all day, I can make dinner. And breakfast, too. I should do a menu plan and do once-a-month cooking. Then we'd definitely need freezer space. Where's the damn dog? On my bed again. I give up! She needs a bath, though. Has she had her heartworm medicine this month? Check the calendar. Crap. School pictures coming up. Another check to write. What a racket. I really want to have family pictures taken sometime. I'd like to lose some weight first, and I'll never do that if I eat this banana bread. 'Cause I like mine with a lot of butter. But it's so much better than buying boxes of snack foods at the store; at least I know exactly what goes into this bread. Sugar. Like my kids need more of that. Maybe we should try cutting back. I can't control what they do when they're not here, though, so they're gonna' get sugar anyway. What time is it? They'll be home an an hour and a half. Should I be driving them to school? I'm not crazy about some of the things they hear on the bus. But it would be crazy to use all that gas when they can ride the bus for free. Man, I really wish I had a stand mixer. Definitely need to invest in one before we start making our Christmas cookies this year. Gotta' stock up on those supplies. Wouldn't it be fun to do a cookie exchange with some girlfriends? I'd really like to have a get-together. Need to do some cleaning, though. Put spray bottles on the shopping list so when I use up all the cleaning supplies I have I can make my own. Natural cleaners are a good thing. But I'm not crazy about the smell of vinegar. What's that candle over there? I should swap out summery scents with fall scents. I like these candles that are made in the USA. Pumpkin pie candles make me want pumpkin pie ... hmmm ... maybe I can teach myself how to make pumpkin pie. And make several, and put them in the freezer, for the holidays, when we'll be making cookies, and budgeting so we don't spend too much on stuff we don't need, and I'll be using that new mixer (hopefully) to whip up some bread dough but I'll be damned if I'll use sprouted grains. I can't do it all! Oooooh, warm banana bread.

And it goes on like this all. day. long.

Aren't you glad you're not inside my head? You'd probably get motion sick, or at least a little dizzy.

I hope all that blather helps me demonstrate a few things.
1. We can't do it all. Most of us have to make choices about how we're going to contribute to saving the planet and/or humanity. Are we going to go "green" with our choices in building materials, household cleaners, transportation, food consumption? Are we going to become activists for wildlife? Are we going to focus on the political aspect and encourage others to only elect leaders who make the environment and/or high moral values their focus? Will we homeschool our children? Start a farming co-op? Fight the power?

2. Parenting is tough. Mom, dad, single, married, co-habitants, alone, surrounded by family and friends, whatever. It's hard. A few years ago I flooded a social worker with questions upon questions about raising children and you know what I was told? Just the fact that I was thinking about how I parent and questioning some of these things was a pretty good indicator that I'm a good parent. Whew. Hello, validation. My children are fed and clothed and have a roof over their heads. And they eat red meat. And boxed cereal and chicken nuggets. And they drink Kool-Aid and juice boxes sometimes. And milk! And I don't make them wear bicycle helmets. But I let them use power tools and occasionally drive my pickup down the driveway. I say "I" because for the most part I do the parenting while Steve is away. *shrug* I think we're doing fine.

3. Perfectionism can be incapacitating. I like to call myself a recovering perfectionist. In the past, if I didn't have time to do something perfectly (or whatever my vision of perfect was), I wouldn't even get started. Dieting, hanging pictures on the wall, writing a letter, folding towels ... any number of things I wouldn't do because I didn't have the time or energy to make it perfect. I have learned that it's OK to do some things "good enough" and save the pickiness (is that even a word?) for the things that really matter to me. Bonus: this has freed me from being judgmental of others' imperfections. *ahem* Mostly. What can I say? I'm a work in progress.

4. Don't take it personally. If I don't see you stopped next to me at the light, or I don't look up from my list when you walk by me in the grocery store, I'm probably having one of those stream-of-consciousness moments. Go ahead and nudge me. (Well, not with your car, but tapping me on the shoulder in the grocery store is alright.) I might just appreciate the escape from my own brain.

Aaaaand, this seems like the perfect spot to stop rambling for the day! At least publicly. Rest assured it will continue in my head. And I really do need to get baking. Ciao for now!

Someday when they have children ...

they will say, What do you mean you're bored?!?

When I was your age my mom kicked us outside and told us to FIND something to do. And we did!

And we were happy about it!

 Toys?!? We didn't have TOYS. We had sticks and rocks and snapping turtles!

 

They were better than all those crappy toys anyway.

 We played with them for hours. We even commandeered our mom's bird bath to make a pool for the turtles.

And we watched them swim. And they loved it. And we loved it.

But then we had to let the turtles go because we had to eat dinner and go to bed. 

Early. 

Because we had to get up at 4 and walk the 20 miles to school. 

Barefoot.

Uphill. 

In the snow.

And we did it with smiles on our faces.

Don't give up!

Ever feel like things aren't going your way?

Keep calm and carry on.

 

Ever feel like you're totally rockin' this New Job thing, or this New Mom thing, or this Diet & Exercise thing, and suddenly you hit a roadblock?

Yeah?

Well go around it. 

Push through it. 

Or ask someone to help you move it 

out of your way.

Then get back to rockin' it.

Because you can.

 And for heaven's sake, do something nice for yourself.

 Because you deserve it.

Today's motivational post brought to you by the letter G.

For "goofy" and "girl" and ... "good grief."

Feels like Fern Gully.

The owners of one of the properties adjoining ours have been doing some logging. Which is fine. They haven't been waking me up early or anything, and certainly haven't disturbed our property at all. But with it being so wooded behind our house we can't really see what they're doing, only hear it, so while I don't know how close they really are to the property line at times it sounds like they're about to drop a tree right on my back steps.

If I start seeing the tops of my trees rustling or find red X's on any of 'em we'll have to revisit things.

Amid the constant hum of saws and logging trucks, everything is growing like it's a rain forest - hot and humid - around here. My veggie gardens are going like gangbusters. Rachel has harvested a couple handfuls of green beans and I've got all kinds of tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers comin' on. This is the summer of my Raised Bed Experiment and I've already determined it a success. No tilling, minimal weeding (almost too little to even mention), and lots of enjoyment.

Plus, every raised bed I put in the front yard is that much less grass to mow. Win-win.

This morning has been overcast and cool - a welcome change! So I have the air conditioner turned off and the windows of the house open. I'm going to take advantage of the cooler day to get some work done without sweating like a ... well, more than any woman should.

Enjoy your day!

A list.

Because I like lists. And I'm feeling very ADD this morning with my brain being pulled in about a bazillion different directions.

OK, maybe just 50 different directions, but that's still too many for one person, isn't it?

1. YAY for clean hot water! We had our water heater replaced yesterday. Steve and I had been discussing what to do with the water heater situation because a) ours was 11 years old and we had never done a thing with it in terms of maintenance and that was beginning to give me a very bad feeling, and b) in the midst of this conversation the hot water from every tap in the house started smelling like rotten eggs. Yeah. Not so great for showering in. Thank God we live in a part of the world where clean water - and hot water on demand - are a normal part of everyday life.

2. I am ready for this school year to be done. Kaput. In the books. Over and out.

3. We have barn swallows living in the cross posts of our clothesline. This is a bad thing in so many ways, except for this morning when I saw them dive-bombing Patch the Kitty. Funniest thing I have seen in a long time. Because Patch, of course, was doing somersaults in the air trying to catch those birds. I'm hoping I can get some of that on video before I ... ahem ... "take care of" the birds.

4. Everything is greenin' up! We don't have much of a lawn, but every day I walk around and check out the places I planted my clearance perennials last fall and most of them are popping up and looking quite healthy! My hosta plants are beginning to make an appearance, and spring wildflowers that have been creeping into the yard over the years are providing some color. This makes me very happy.

5. It's time to do our annual spring yard cleanup before people start asking if we're running a flea market.

6. Steve has been wrestling with some frustrations at work since the day he went back. I feel for him. I can't do much more than listen to him vent about it and encourage him and pray for God's guidance, so that's what I do. And I try to tell him often how much I adore and respect him for all he does for our family.

7. I can't wait for garage sale season to get started around these parts because I'm in the mood for some thrifty shopping. And can I just say? Shopping at someone else's garage sale is much more fun than managing your own. We've got a big one coming up at grandma's house and I'm wondering what I had been drinking the day I offered to take that on.

8. Rachel finished her book for the Young Authors competition this week. It's called "My Dad" and she used a bunch of family pictures in it and wrote a sweet story. It's really nice. But I'm afraid this poor girl has inherited some of her mama's perfectionism. It came out guns ablazin' when she asked me for help with the book. Eeek.

9. I want chocolate.

10. I should really try to remember to turn the thermostat down when I sleep with a bedroom window open. Especially when it's going to get down to 30 degrees outside overnight. Oops. I guess I get demerits on my frugalista card. What? I wanted to listen to the crickets.

11. Twice now in recent days I've discovered a raccoon munching away underneath my bird feeder just after dusk. I can't tell you how tempting it is to RELEASE THE HOUND! I totally would if it didn't mean I'd have to go find the hound after she treed the stupid coon. I just pray I never look out there and see a freakin' bear.

Pffft. Well that list didn't help clear my brain fog at all. Maybe I need more coffee.

Or less coffee.

Or a walk outside in the sunshine. 'cept I'll have to wear a helmet for fear of those angry birds.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y'all. Make it a great day!

Sick and tired ... to sunny and quiet.

That about sums up my day.

I've been sick for ... oh, I don't know ... going on a couple of weeks. It started out as a sore throat and sneezing and watery eyes - I chalked it up to allergies brought on by springy weather - and then after several days I felt really good for ONE day and thought "oh, thank goodness that's over" and then the next morning I woke up with this rattling in my chest and started coughing. And I've been coughing and sneezing and sniffling ever since.

These are the days I rejoice that Steve is home, even though his being here means he is not out there working for a paycheck. He has been cooking and taking care of the kids and generally making sure the house doesn't fall down around us. Oh sure, we would figure it out even if he wasn't here, but it's so much nicer that he is here.

One night my head was so heavy and I felt so cruddy that I went to "lay down for a while" at around 6:30 in the evening and never got up. Around 10 I woke up hungry and stumbled out to the kitchen for a snack. Steve had tucked the kids in and the house was quiet.

God bless this man of mine.

Seems like the universe knew exactly how I was feeling because the weather we've had over the last few days matched my mood. We got a nasty storm Sunday afternoon and evening that covered the ground with snow again. Then a wicked thunderstorm (which I actually enjoyed) wiped most of that snow away again. Yesterday: dreary and drizzly.

But today is sunny and beautiful and it's a welcome change. It's amazing how a little sunshine can lift my mood, even when my whole body aches and I feel like my head is about to explode. A nap with the sun shining through the window is like a cure-all.

So I've been puttering around the house today, clearing a little clutter here and tossing a load of laundry into the washer there. Catching up on some reading. Being inspired as I flip through the pages of the magazines that have piled up recently. Enjoying a good cup of coffee. Watching the kitty stretch and turn as he naps in a chair.

I'm sick and every time I get up to do something it saps what little energy I've garnered. But the sun is shining and I have time to relax and take care of myself, and for that I am thankful.

A do-over.

Go figure.

I had just about gotten everything how I wanted it on my new laptop and something went awry. It wouldn't boot up for me the other day.

One stinkin' week with the new thing and something was already on the fritz. Gah!

Nobody's sure what happened, but whatever it was, it's fixed now. Some quirky thing even the computer gurus couldn't figure out. Leave it to me.

But it's all good 'cause we're back in business. Again. With everything wiped out and reinstalled clean. Again. So I get a do-over. Back to setting preferences and marking bookmarks and transferring files. It's the perfect kind of day for it though - rainy and dreary - and I spent most of yesterday cleaning house so I have a nice, cozy nest to just hang out in today.

Maybe I'll even throw in a load of laundry.

I have a feeling I will eventually end up with a paint brush in my hand, or pulling out the sewing machine, or otherwise finding some way to check something else off my to-do list.

Maybe.

SUNday!!

OK, well it's really Monday, but the sun is shining today and it was shining yesterday and the day before. And I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see the sun shine.

I don't know what's up with me lately but my ambitions don't get much further than being added to my list of things to do before I crap out on 'em. I try to hit the ground running in the mornings (ok, running might be a bit of an exaggeration) but often I end up getting off to a good start and then I'm ready for a nap by lunchtime.

What the heck?

Maybe I'm still trying to shake the vacation hangover. We did lots of chillaxin over Christmas break and it was so nice. Lots of good food, lots of long naps, just hanging out and enjoying having some family time. Then as it all wound down I was geeked about getting back into a routine and getting organized and planning projects for spring and getting caught up on things I need to finish ... but the past few days I feel like I've been dragging my butt through a foot of mud.

I really hope I'm not fighting off another round of illness. Actually, if I'm fighting something off I hope I'm successful.

I tend to be pretty hard on myself when I look around and see that I've accomplished a whole lot of nothing during the day. I tell myself I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be a homemaker, the least I could do is use my time wisely.

But today? Today I am going to listen to my body. The sun is streaming through the windows onto the couch and I hear it calling my name.

The list will still be here tomorrow.

10 things.

1. My son said some very hurtful things to me last night. I still love him. I might not like him very much at the moment, but I do love him.

2. My daughter continues to scream bloody murder at the slightest offense. I still love her.

3. There is potential for snow in the forecast this week. I'm OK with that.

4. When I got back from dropping the kids off at the bus stop this morning I saw some object hanging from the gutters near the front door. It was Rachel's coat. I got nothin'.

5. Patch the kitty has recovered from his head cold quite nicely. He has now begun to torment the other cat. Whiskers does not appear to be amused.

6. I'm not really feeling it at the moment, but I will force myself to have a good day today. My strategy includes playing good music, burning yummy candles, and wearing fluffy socks.

7. Lately we sound like a family of frogs in the mornings. It's time to get the humidifier going.

8. I paid to have some modifications done and new tires installed on Steve's truck yesterday. It felt good to have the cash for all of it.

9. I now have to stretch a little to get up into the truck. It makes me feel like I'm back in high school.

10. I miss my husband. I just saw him on Sunday and it's only Wednesday, but I miss him like crazy. Some weeks are harder than others.