I'm tired

It was a busy, busy weekend here. We worked out at the new house Saturday afternoon and all day today. Today was really busy.

Saturday morning we slept in. Not intentionally but I think that exhaustion just caught up with us. even I, who don't generally sleep later than 7 slept until after 9. J15 got up at 940 and mentioned that I didn't wake her up for Tae Kwan Do. I did go up and wake V at that point but they opted to not go to Kum Do at 1015. V and I made a trip to one of the home centers and then we loaded up the vehicles and headed out.

This morning we got an earlier start. I feel somewhat bad that we have been skipping church a lot recently but I've only got so many hours in my weekend and while I find it helpful for centering, I often get the same feeling of peace working in my garden.

I did get a lot done in the garden this weekend. I finally got my sweet corn and beans planted, as well as the cilantro and transplanting the dill seedlings my Mom brought me. This morning I weeded the fenceline and installed most of the rabbit fence around the garden. I got 3 sides done before I ran out of fence and wire ties. Fortunately, I got the 3 most difficult sides done. Now I just need to finish the barnyard side. But I need to put in fence posts to fasten my fence to. I did a bunch of weeding around the peppers and tomatoes but I've conceded that I'll probably never be 'on top' of the weed until we are actually living out there and I can spend a bit more time in the garden. I'm trying to look at this as a 'building year' (taking reference from various sports teams). I did discover that I have a few little peppers set on. It's quite exciting!! The tomatoes are blooming but I think it's been too cool for them to actually set. My eggplant have blossoms forming so we'll see what happens.

This afternoon I spent time ripping out the old subfloor in the upstairs bath. We are planning to use ceramic tile on the floor and the existing subfloor is the wrong kind. So it had to go. But now we are ready to install the tile backer, rip out the existing ceiling and put in drywall, tile the floor, finish the walls, install the new sink base and sink and then we're almost set!

The insulation is finished for the exterior walls in a portion of the basement so we are getting closer to being ready to frame J15's room. The upstairs bath and her room are the things that are keeping us from moving completely.

V did finally get the lights in the dining room finished today. Except for the bathroom, most of the main floor is about ready to move in (well, the kitchen island still isn't finished),

In more fun news, we spent a little time this morning looking online at the available cats and kittens at the local animal shelter. I told J15 that if we are still a bit slow at work this week we will try to go visit this week. I'm not ready to bring a cat home quite yet- we're still a bit chaotic, but we thought we would go see what they have. She has fallen in love with a 10 week old kitten that she saw on line but I told her she needs to meet them before she makes a choice. I'm worried that a kitten that young may have a hard time with the dog. They also have several 10 month olds who look very promising.

Tomorrow it's back to work and the 'real world' V needs to write for his paid job so I don't see much happening out at the farm tomorrow.

Have a great week.

A bit of perspective

I've been feeling a bit overloaded lately, feeling that I've got a lot on my plate. And I do, I mean, really, we're moving, fixing two houses, gardening and then I'm working full time. It's a lot. But then things happen to put it all in perspective.

Yesterday was a rough day at work. One of my co-workers informed us that she was requesting to increase her time back to 80% (she is currently working 60% since the birth of her twins almost a year ago) and was hoping we would support her with management. Ok, I have no problem with that but was wondering why she would choose now (with all our budget problems). Then she burst into tears and told us that she needs to increase her hours because she is contemplating divorce. Evidently her husband was fired from his job on Monday because he was having an affair with a woman from work (she was also fired). I have often wondered why she has stayed with him. He was fairly highly placed in investment banking and was never home, rarely helped her with the children (11, 8 and the year old twins) or anything around the house. She has essentially been a single parent since I've known her. The affair was the last straw. He, of course, has been telling her that it's her fault, that she didn't make him enough of a priority (how could she, he was never home!). She is devastated.

All this has made me realize that, as crazy as my life is at the moment, I'm happy with it. I'm grateful for the challenges and chaos. I may have a lot on my plate but they are all things I placed there myself.

Taking care of business

I've been a bad blogger. I've been busy and haven't been keeping up with everyone like I would like to do. But, I've got some business to take care of. I've received two awards!

Jennifer at Ramblings of a Country Wife has presented me with this one:

Thanks Jennifer! Of course, there are rules attached. I'm supposed to include this text:

"These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

and pass this on to 8 other bloggers.

I've also received an award from Sue at Making a House a Home. Thanks Sue!

Here are the STEPS of this Award:
(1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
(2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
(3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
(4) Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
(5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
(6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
(7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

What is with all the rules! Sheesh. I dislike rules. I'm one of those people who break chain letters. But I'll play along a little. I'll at least list the 7 things that people may find interesting about me.

1. I didn't start having children until I was over 30.

2. I used to work as a contract archaeologist (so did V)

3. I am a reformed school teacher- seriously, I have an education degree and taught high school special education for a few years before going back to school for my current profession.

4. I've been in 49 of 50 states and 9 countries. Somehow I've managed to miss Louisiana.

5. I lived on a dairy farm in Western New York state for 6 months during my junior year of high school.

6. I HATE malted milk balls. They are probably the only food I can truly say I hate. There are other things I don't like or would choose not to eat, given a choice but, eew! they're like eating chocolate covered chalk.

7. I'm really a very disorganized person. My papers are in a jumble, I tend to lose things, My desk at work... just shut the office door. I'm also a packrat. I have a hard time throwing things away. I mean, you never know when that may come in useful, right....

Ok, here is where I'm going to break the rules. I know of so many creative and wonderful bloggers out there that choosing them is too hard for my tiny little brain right now. So, if you are reading this, consider yourself chosen for one of these awards. Take your pick.

Varmints and local fare

We've got a critter problem! And not just the mice out at the farmstead. We have, on the North side of the house, what we affectionately call 'the bump'. It is a spot where the kitchen overhangs the foundation by about 2 feet. It is the spot where we have kept our firewood that we have used in the outdoor firepit (we don't have a fireplace). Other things have accumulated there over the past few weeks, part of the old chainlink fence, a wooden workbench top, you know, stuff. V noticed yesterday that we have a new addition that we're not too fond of:

Notice the dirt pile- not good!

We have had a groundhog (or woodchuck, whichever you prefer) move in under our wood pile! Definitely NOT something we expected near downtown. We moved all the wood out to the new house today but are wondering how to get rid of the uninvited tenant. My thought was to call the city animal control but evidently, if the animal isn't damaging anything or a threat, they won't do anything about it. We could get a live trap ourselves I suppose but I really don't want to go to the expense. My first choice would be to just shoot it but there are several problems with this: 1. We don't own a gun (although we've thought about it with the move out to the country) 2. Discharging a firearm in town is quite a bit illegal. V did some research online and found mixed results from pouring ammonia down the burrow. He also found something about feeding it Bubbalicious bubble gum. My guess is that it gums up it's insides and kills it. While it would be effective, I'm not in favor of it. It seems a rather slow and cruel way to get rid of it. So, any suggestions? We already removed the woodpile it was under and filled in the top of the hole. It has evidently just moved in so I don't think the burrow is terribly deep yet. Hopefully we have discouraged it enough that it will move on but I'm not going to hold my breath on it.

In local fare, I thought I would introduce to you one of our local products:

Yum, vanilla yogurt! Now I just need some peaches or strawberries.

This is made in a tiny town about 15 miles South of us, They are a new company, started by a guy who moved into the area and wanted to do something to help out the small farmers in town. Many of them are Amish and it gives them a great outlet for their milk. We also get our eggs from a small company there.

The product isn't at all like commercial yogurt, it's much better!

I know several people who have tried it who don't like it. It isn't stabilized with gelatin like most commercial products so if you jostle it too much it gets a bit liquidy, and it has a cream top, not homogenized in. I've found it to be much more like homemade. So I can get my yogurt fix and feel glad about supporting a new local company.

A lovely day

I had a lovely day.  It was a slow day at work so my co-workers sent me home early.  I did get a bit of painting done at home (the window mullions in our bedroom)  in the afternoon.  Then we had a lovely dinner at the Wig and Pen.  We had a 'Flying Tomato' pizza...deep dish, lots of cheese, fresh tomato slices.  YUM.

Then we came home to have cake.  V and the kids baked me a marvelous cake.  Decorated especially for me.

The white bison cake

I have always loved bison.  I have several stuffed ones and some hand carved wooden ones.  So for my birthday they made me a bison cake, complete with chocolate droppings.  And I love the 21!

A mini bell from K9.

I got lovely little china bell from K9 that he picked up at the Herbert Hoover Museum on their last field trip of the school year.  They also cleaned the house for me: dusted and vacuumed the living and dining room and even packed a few things.

So, it was a lovely day.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes.  Have a wonderful rest of your week.

What to do for dinner?

I'm at a loss.  I don't know what to have for dinner tomorrow evening.  The rest of the week is all planned out.  The week's menu looks something like this:

Monday: Burritos

Tuesday: Spaghetti and tossed salad

Wednesday:  Mommy's choice

Thursday:  Grilled pork loin, potatoes and broccoli

Friday: Pizza

But I don't know what Mommy's choice will be.   You see, tomorrow is my birthday and by our house rule, I get to choose what's for dinner or where we go if we go out.  I'm personally thinking about going out but where....

It needs to be somewhere family friendly- with food the boys will eat and prices that won't break the bank.  There are a few possibilities

The Brown Bottle (Italian)

The Mill (American/Italian)

The Wig and Pen (Ok, it's really mostly a bar but they have KILLER pizza)

A mexican place that I can't remember the name of right now (my favorite mexican restaurant that was just a few blocks from us closed last year :(

There are a few of the standard chain restaurants- the ones we call the brass and fern places (come on- you know which ones they are) but they're never my first choice.

I'd really like to go out for Thai food but I know that would never fly.  The boys will eat chinese food but most of the restaurants here that are sit down places are REALLY expensive and I'm torn about take out.

Too many decisions.  

Oh and in case you're curious.  I'll be 47.  Man, I don't feel that old.

Independence Days- take 2: week 6

It feels like it's been a slow week.  I've been back at work and just can't get as much accomplished as I did when I was off.  I realize that there are 9 and a half hours less in a day that I can use (8 hours work, half hour lunch and 25 minute commute each way) but I guess I still hold myself to a high standard- that and I'm impatient.  I haven't gotten much big done but lots of little things have been accomplished.  

I still like Sharon's Independence Days Challenge because it helps me organize and see how much I have managed to get done, even with working full time.  

1.  Plant something- Transplanted a yellow cherry tomato seedling from our town back yard into the garden and planted cucumbers.  V and I got the trellis built for the pole beans but I haven't gotten them in the ground yet. I have been battling the weeds and the weather.  I have had several chances to get out and weed when there has been a break in the weather but it seems that everytime I go out it rains again shortly thereafter and replants half the weeds I hoed up.  But at least the trellis is up.  

2.  Harvest something- Lettuce, chard, mustard greens, radishes and a few green onions. Yum, salad!  I think my peas are a bust for the year thanks to overly friendly bunnies.  (sigh)

3.  Preserve something- no

4.  Reduce waste- pulled more boxes out of the dumpster across the alley and picked up boxes from work.  Packing has been on a hiatus since I'm out of boxes except for really little ones.  I've got about a dozen more now and packed up three from my craft/sewing room this evening.  My stuff from that room is about all packed.  Now it's just V's guitars and sound equipment. Otherwise on this category, recycled, composted and used cloth bags as usual.

5.  Prep and storage- Hmmm, I don't think so.  I haven't been storing much of anything recently.  Still working on prepping the house.  It's taking SO much longer than we had hoped to get things done out there.  We're trying to fill in the gaps in the epoxy coating on the floor (they did the floor coating after they had built walls and installed equipment so there are now bare spaces) and it seems that it is taking forever.  But once that is done we can start putting up the insulation and drywall in the basement.  We did choose a light for the dining room this evening.  I found it strange that there was no overhead light in there and we wanted one.  I guess that's kind of prep.

6.  Build community food systems-  I talked to one of the RNs today about canning.  She would like to learn and I told her I would give her some help when her garden starts producing.  She also moved last fall and has her first garden.

7.  Eat the food- I think all meals except Wednesday are planned out of stores this week.  I'm still debating on what I want to do on Wednesday, have V cook or go out.  Hmmm... too many choices.

Ok, I guess all in all not too bad of a week.  I REALLY want the weather to cooperate with my schedule so I can get my beans and sweet corn planted before it's too late.  Maybe I'll see if I can divert J15 from what V has planned for her tomorrow to weed a bit for me.  It's so frustrating to know that they're all out at the house working while I'm stuck at work.  Normally I love my job. It's just interfering with my life right now.