I don't feel productive.

It seems like it has been a really long week. And it's only Monday. That's the problem with working 6 days in a row. It just makes things seem LONG. But, on a brighter note, this means that I've got a 4 day weekend coming up. WOOT! Of course, we have plans so I won't have much down time but at least I don't have to go to work. And we're planning some fun stuff. Friday the children all still have school but V and I will be home. Hopefully we can get some projects done or at least progress made. One of my goals is to sort my closet this weekend- we'll see if that actually happens. Saturday will be busy. V and J16 have Tae Kwon Do and Kum Do in the morning, there is the farmer's market and then I13 is having a friend come over in the afternoon... A GIRL!!!! Ack. It's bad enough having one interested in the opposite sex, I'm just not sure I'm ready for two. Evidently they have been talking about video games and I13 asked her if she would like to come over and play. And she said yes! Oh how quickly they grow up.

But the highlight of the weekend will be Sunday. We are planning to go to Mt Pleasant to the Midwest Old Threshers and Settlers Reunion. This is an annual event that we have been to multiple times. I've been going since I was a child since my grandfather and then my father were exhibitors of antique tractors. It is SO much fun to watch the old steam tractors in the cavalcade of power every day at noon. They parade around the grounds and every steam engine blows its whistle at noon. They also have teams of draft horses, demonstrations of threshing, veneer making, sorghum making, a blacksmith... you name it... if it was done by the early settlers it's probably done somewhere there. The children love it. It's nice to see them excited about looking at museums of "old time" tools and washboards and (not too) graphic descriptions of hog butchering. They also have a buckskinners camp and last year they had Dexter cattle and goats. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures- I usually do.

Monday- we don't have plans but I'm sure things will be busy around here.

But, it is another Monday and I usually do my Independence Days update. Here goes:

1. Plant something- nope

2. Harvest something- tomatoes (not too many), eggplant, hot peppers, pattypan squash, cucumbers, herbs. I noticed this evening when I was out that I'll have to harvest and process the edamame tomorrow. It was getting too late to start.

3. Preserve something- hmm, not much. Made some refrigerator pickles but that's about it. Things have slowed down enough (except for cucumbers) that we have been able to eat what's coming out of the garden. Well, except for the peppers- we could probably eat hot peppers every day for the next two weeks and still have plenty. I'm waiting for a few more to ripen then I'm going to start drying them.

4. Waste not- nothing out of the ordinary. More repurposing, as usual.

5. Want not- Not much going on here. I've been too busy to do much.

6. Community food- hmm, I didn't get to the farmer's market last weekend and haven't been much of anywhere recently.

7. Eat the food- we're not doing too bad here. Things are starting to get back into the crazy busy evenings with activities for the children starting up again now that school is back in session. I've been pretty lax over meal planning over the summer but V and I were talking this evening that we need to get back into the swing of things and get organized again so we don't end up resorting to convenient junk.

So, my goals for the week- a) plan the menu, b) finish the laundry that didn't get done because I worked the weekend, c) sort my closet (or at least part), d) pick and process edamame, e) register J16 and I for our bellydancing class. Oh, all that and having events for the children both Tuesday and Wednesday. Our class will begin in a few weeks on Thursday evenings so that will make three nights that we need to be places right after dinner. sigh. And so it begins....