Signing Off

I have too many unknown followers so I'm moving to another blog. If you didn't get my email with the new one, let me know.

Spring???

It is supposed to be 88 today. It is 60 now, before 6 a.m. That is not spring. That is summer. I do not want summer right now. Please come back for a visit, spring.

Up early to get school graded and prepare for the week. Didn't go to the gym, but realized I actually could have. I figured I'd be too sore, but I feel ok. We hiked about five hours yesterday to a waterfall. It was a nice one. The best ones are the ones where you can wade around in the water, which we could do at this one. Thankfully, since our feet were ready for a break when we got there. I told Evan I was so proud of him because he never complained. He told me, "You didn't hear me talking about the terrain." Funny to hear a six year old say "terrain."

I still have rosemary and several HUGE lavender plants to get in the ground. We will switch morning and afternoon schedules so we can work in the morning. Will do our school time together and then when Lil naps, we will work outside and then do individual school later, when it is 88 degrees outside. ADDENDUM--it is already over 90 at 12:40.

Didn't go to church yesterday. Still looking. Easter is like Christmas for me--not any holier than any other day. It is funny to think about the Catholic traditions that Christians eschew and then the other ones they follow without question.

Plans?

I am terrible at planning. Things always seem to change. Today, we had planned to work on the treehouse and the chicken tractor and plants fruit trees. Well, nutty friend came over yesterday and offered me some plants she wanted to get out of her yard. I will almost always take free plants, so I agreed to come over this morning and get them.

Alec, Adam and I went over while Ian baby sat Lily and Evan helped Dan plant fruit trees. We dug up two huge bushes, a crepe myrtle tree, a bajillion bulbs and some other bushes. I can't believe she just gave them to me. Well, I do know what it is like when you just want something out. I need to think of something to do to thank her.

She told me she wanted to come and help me decide where to plant it. She has studied landscaping. She every pointed out some nice plants I had that had been long neglected and told me what to do to them. Adam helped her plant a bunch of bulbs.

As wonderful as all this was, may I just say I am so unbelievably tired and sore I would not mind croaking. Wow. Also, there is still a fruit tree to plant and the other stuff never got done. Not even close. Still a good day.

I think we might go to a waterfall tomorrow.

Take Two

So, last Friday, the lasagna dinner never came. Finally called the gal and she said she had planned for the following Friday. OK, so fine, kind of annoying and embarrassing and funny all at once, but she got super defensive and started claiming I said things I hadn't said that proved it only made sense she meant the following Friday. That got annoying but I did my dernest to be gracious. So, I ended up telling her I didn't need dinner but just come over for tea. She is supposed to be calling me soon to tell me she is on her way over. Actually, she is supposed to have called and actually be here by now, but that is neither here nor there. No, I'm not annoyed.

Hip is less painful but I am going to the chiropractor later. Also promised a library trip. They have these things there called Playbacks. It is a an audio book in a little MP3 sized dealie that you just plug your headphones into. Adam walks around all day with one on his head.

Tomorrow they are working on the treehouse and the chicken tractor. Any maybe planting the fruit trees.

Learning Painful Lessons

So, I have been thinking a lot lately about learning through the difficulties of life. Because God didn't put them there to torture us, but to teach us. Today, I woke up in horrible pain. The pain I woke up with yesterday, that I think went away finally after some pain pills and moving, was back and unbelievable. Then, it kind of moved. Really. It moved from the front of my lower left belly to the back of the left side, by my pelvis. And everything hurt. Moving, not moving, breathing. Everything made it worse. I took some pain meds, put Unker's on it and a Thermacare wrap. It feels ok now, but for a couple of hours, it was horrible.

Instead of going into catastrophe mode, I thought about how to get through the next few minutes best and why God let me have this. Had to really focus on not losing my temper with the kids. But I did it. That for sure takes practice. Thought a lot about Ruby and her hip and how bad it must have felt to have the hip replacement surgery, knowing that it was risky. Seriously, I would have had major surgery to make that pain go away this morning. And I thought about how tiring it can be to hear people complain about their pain and yet, when you are in pain, it helps to talk about it and have someone give a rip. Not trying to be deep, just sharing my morning.

I had just told the boys last night, that after thinking long and hard, we would switch our morning and afternoon routines so we could do outside work before it got too hot. But, there was no way I could even imagine walking out back, so that didn't happen.

Lily just about stood up from sitting all by herself today. She is moving along. I tried to give her a bottle because I have been taking Advil to get through this pain. She would not have it. Could I have just one kid who was not strong willed? Guess not.

School got completed today but my bed is still not made.