Yeah Me!

I had one of those days today. I went to bed last night disgusted with my house and my out-of-control life! I had things on my to-do list that had been on there for weeks. I needed to finally do a couple of those things and not be disgusted anymore.

So, today I got up and got ready. Then I went and found some cheap apples ($6.00 for a 22 lb box of Galas - I bought four boxes) then came home and got to work. I cleaned both chicken coops (the one they are living in now, and the one in my yard that is empty but hadn't been cleaned out. See, I told you it was disgusting!), held a funeral for five baby bunnies that didn't live nearly long enough, transfered straw from one bin to a different bin for transferring to the new coop, made 33 chewy granola bars, canned 25 quarts of applesauce, made all the children actually do their Saturday chores, made pasta salad and foccacia bread for dinner, planned my lesson for church tomorrow, vacuumed the kid's rooms, cleaned my bathroom, had a long phone conversation with a good friend I haven't talked to in a long time, threw in a load of laundry, cleaned the kitchen and wrote this post.

I'm totally exhausted but it is a good kind of exhaustion. I feel very satisfied that some things that have been bugging me forever are done. My house is cleaner than it has been in weeks, and I can sleep deep.

Yeah, me!

Jill

Oh, the paparazzi!

Yesterday my chickens had a photo op. This photo op was arranged by their press secretary (that would be me) and attended by the paparazzi and other media people. It was crazy, and we weren't sure how we were going to get out of their safely without running over media with our get-away car. I don't know how the celebrities do it.

Ok, actually, it was one cool photographer, a really nice reporter from our local paper and her little girl (who is SO cute!). The location was my backyard and there were no cars involved. But I'm sticking by my title of "Chicken Press Secretary."

The reporter, Mara Stein, was from our local paper, The Gresham Outlook. She and her photographer, Jim, were here to interview me for a story they are doing about my chickens. We had a good time "talkin' chicken" and they took great pictures of the girls. It was a fun afternoon.

The article will be in The Gresham Outlook on this Saturday - September 20. I'll post a link if I can.

***********
My friend Kari called me yesterday and asked me if I was still going to can applesauce and pears this year. My answer was very honest and so telling of my life right now: "I want to do applesauce and pears this year, but I'm feeling very overwhelmed right now and I'm not sure how I'm going to come up with the time!!"

Someone asked me how I do it all and I laughed - until I wasn't laughing anymore. I don't do it all! There are so many things that I don't have time for right now. Like a clean house. *sigh* I do what I have to do, and the "optionals" slide. Unfortunately, right now, laundry, a clean house, and calling my good friends, are all optional.

But there are seasons in life, right? Right now is a busy season: new job, chicken fight, kids back to school, kids sports, family drama, and all the other stuff. Before too long, I'll be in a different season and scrubbing toilets, laundry and lunch with friends will be the have-to's, and media requests will be optional.

I just have to remember that time with the kids and the husband are NEVER optional!

I just wish sleep was optional - think how much more time I'd have!

Jill

Exhaustion!

How can working four hours a day make you so tired?? I think I'm trying to get used to a new routine, but for right now I can hardly see (and you should see all the typos that I'm correcting!). I spoke in front of the City Council last night and a lot of prep work went into it - maybe that is it? Maybe I'm just old. Nah, that can't be it.

I'm going to bed. I'm going to sleep 9 hours at least!

Tomorrow I will be able to function better. I hope.

Tomorrow I will post the Cottage Cheese Casserole recipe that I made for dinner tonight and everyone liked.

Tomorrow I will give an interview to The Oregonian (the major newspaper in our area) about my chicken fight.

Tomorrow I will blog. I promise.

Jill

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I caught the three of them on the couch the other day. I'm pretty sure Hubby had sat down and, like any normal 40-something man, sleep snuck up to him and attacked.

The other two just wanted to be like Dad.

They never outgrow it do they?

I'm so glad they don't.

Jill

You Know You're Getting Old. . .

This week has been a rough one. My schedule this term is different than I have ever had and I'm not sure I like it. I go to school only on Tuesdays and Thursdays - but I go ALL day on those days. I leave the house to drop my son off at 8:30 a.m. and didn't get home on Tuesday until 8:00 p.m. I have made some alterations which will allow me to drive to campus instead of ride the train which will same me some time in the future. On Thursday it didn't save me any time because I had to go straight from school to the PTO meeting at the elementary school (I'm the president of the PTO - I know, I know, don't I realize I can say "no" to some of these things?). Going to the PTO meeting meant that I wasn't home until 8:30 p.m. I have Monday, Wednesday and Friday off but I spent them on homework and volunteering at the elementary school and doing housework. By Friday I was exhausted!! I ended up going to bed at 8:45 last night and slept until 10:00 this morning. That is how I know I'm old!!!
I think it will be a good term (if I can get over the exhaustion). I am taking an American Short story class from a professor that I adore, Shakespeare's comedies and a class called "Gender Class, Culture" which is supposed to be an English department class. This Gender, Class, Culture class is dual-departmental with the English department and the Women's Studies department and it is much more Women's Studies than English! I was going to drop it but it is the last required class I have (the other two are electives) and I couldn't find anything to replace it with! I think it will be ok but it will be very different. With all of these classes I already have lots of homework.
Let's hope that my 12+ hours of sleep let me get something done this weekend.

Jill