just another manic Tuesday, whoa oh whoa

What a day! Wowza.

• While I was up in the barn with the ducks, my son who was supposed to be 'helping' me, accidentally let a goat loose - out of his pen - and into the wild blue yonder of the forest. This actually happened due to our 3rd child for the first time on Saturday, and Patrick had to get both the goats because I couldn't budge them. Not a bit. They tossed me around like buttah. So today, I figured - shoot. We lost a goat. Somehow I managed to get it back in the pen and then I wondered if I had shut the duck door behind me when I realized a goat was out. Did we have three loose ducks too???? ....ah. Thankfully not. The Lord had mercy.
• I dropped a knife on the top of my bare foot over the weekend. It officially hurts to have a shoe touch that bruise. ...I wore flip-flops most of the day.
• I hate moth season..... but although it started with a vengeance on Sunday, I think it is milder now. I know it's only two days later... but maybe this season won't be as bad??? One can only hope.
• I had to walk into my daughter's school this morning. I was uncombed, unmake-uped, with glasses and pajamas on. It was a walk of shame,.... but let me tell you, no one has ever walked into that school taller than me. I mean... wear it like you own it, right?? Even if you have the snot embarrassed outta ya.
• I shampooed carpets today. That rocks, right??? I think so.
• I made a new dish for dinner tonight. It looks like a pile of mushy goo, but I thought it was delish!! Quinoa, grilled zucchini, corn, red peppers, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onions, garlic,olive oil. There is mixing and cooking involved... but that is the gist. Yum-o. I will/would make that again.
• I feel a tremendous amount of guilt over not having grocery shopped lately and not having more meals planned/fruit available for snacks.... but I'm just so tired....  And frankly, tired of preparing food - even with the fun new dinner tonight. Why do so many people rely solely on me for sooo many portions of food every day???  #exhausting
• I am also deeply bothered that I don't have more plants growing and getting ready for the garden. I really want ground cherries this year and I don't even have the seeds started. I hope it's not too late.
• On day two of project "clean out the overfilled nasty cluttered girls room" - and making amazing progress. By tomorrow the room will be cleaned perfectly - every nook and cranny, every toy box and closet shelf. It will totally be worth it. :)

God answers prayers....

...but not like you think.

This post is completely inspired by my day's work today. I'm loading the dishwasher (obviously not right now... but a few seconds ago. heehee) and I couldn't help but smile and have a little inside giggle. That is when I decided to share with you.

When I was young. I mean... younger.... I read somewhere that after the age of 30 it is like, I don't know 10 times/30 times.... (much) harder to learn new things. Because of brain cells dying off and other scientific facts that I don't remember. (doh! - it's started!)

ANYWAYS..... (random, poorly typed blog shall now continue)

I was horrified. The article said learning a musical instrument or new language... anything was immensely more challenging after 30 .....da da da dum.... UNLESS (magical word there), unless you keep learning and don't stop. ie: most people just drive to work, eat food, watch sports.... routine, routine, routine. Nothing new. No new learning experiences = dead brain cells. You have to keep learning, and ...wah-la. You are okay. Brain cells won't die off so fast.

So I prayed. No, seriously.
God. GOD, 30 is too young to be stupid. Keep me learning my whole life.

I had no idea what I had just done.

I am over 30 now, and let me tell you. I think I have more brain cells now than when I was 7. He keeps the challenges and experiences a'comin!!

In the last couple of years, I have learned:

• How to split a log
• that watermelon seeds germinate faster if you soak them in milk
• cock a gun
• that goats need to have their hooves clipped every so often
• that ducks don't get feathers until they are 5-9 weeks old
• that flour doesn't make a dry shampoo
• that eggs don't condition your hair well at all if you plan on having a hot shower
• that basements need to have floating walls, studs must be 16 inches or closer, and bathrooms must have exhaust fans installed to pass inspection
• that yarrow can stop a nose bleed
• about ten 'new' notes on the violin
• about 6-10 'new' piano chords
• that cattail roots are edible but don't taste good
• 4 new piano songs
• that to get beet seeds you have to let them over winter
• how to make my own dishwasher detergent
• that if you rock against a dead tree for a couple of days, it will fall over, but you will be sore for at least two days more
• and a whole bunch of other stuff that would baffle you as to why I know it.

But looking at my life and this stuff... I can say that God does answer prayers.... just be careful for what you ask.

The Late, Late Show

Starring none other than your very own..... me.

I am alone (once again) in my house after 9pm.

Did I say alone? Oh, I'm sorry, I apologize. I mean awake.

It is "good Christian values" to not live with a person before you marry them. No, God believes in surprises and has an amazing sense of humor.

I knew Patrick (we didn't date the whole time) two years before we got married. In two YEARS everytime we hung out in groups or alone we lived on Tara time. ie: we were awake past 9:30.

Heck, 90% of the time we were up til 11 or so. I did have to be to work at 6:40 in the morning back then and I'm not a morning person. Really, I'm not. So I had to call it quits before midnight. I didn't want to get fired over a relationship with a boy! ;)

The problem is, that, I don't always think the things God allows to be super hilarious.

Like coming home to our apartment after the honeymoon, it was 8:30 pm and Patrick announced he was going to bed. !!

WHAAAAAAt?!?!?

WHO did I just marry. He had to be joking. Was he serious??? What had I done???

As I stood there in the livingroom/dining room/office of our apartment staring at the empty room and gifts around me and hearing him already 'snoring' in the next room, it dawned on me he was serious. Oh dang.

And so, on the first night back from our honeymoon I learned a very valuable lesson. Well several.
My husband is not joking when he says he's tired.
If it is 8pm and he announces he is tired, expect him to be sleeping within 10 nano-seconds.
If it is winter, he will probably be asleep by the time the sun goes down. We all hope he is home and not still on the drive there.... okay, he doesn't have a sleep disorder... that was too much. But hun, you know it's true that in the winter you barely make it much past sunset.

Look. I love sleep as much as the next person. I love my bed. I love my pillow and my feather comforter. Oh, I do! Ever heard that saying, my bed is the drug and my pillow is the dealer, and the alarm clock is the police?? Is that how it goes??? Yeah, well, I love sleeping IN.

So, anyway, here I am writing to you. We have a smallish house. I can't sing right now. I can't play the piano. Or the violin. Or watch a movie on the flat screen. Those things all make noise. I could try to clean, but that is also so limited. Dishes rattling, can't vaccuum..... and so I am here with you.

On the computer. That is where I live/work after 10pm if I don't decide to join the others. But it's not all terrible. I do like the alone time. The down time, and the personal, I can-do-whatever-I-want time.
And hey, God invented ear phones for moments like these.

Dear Edi Pettegrew,

This post is dedicated to you...

Have you ever?

Have you ever driven through an intersection and wondered as you entered the middle of it if the light was actually green?

Have you ever looked in your rear view mirror after said intersection to make sure you did not, in fact, run a red light??

Have you ever opened  your contact lens case only to see it was empty and silently scream, "OH My Gosh! Where are my contacts?!?!?" Only to realize they are still in your eyes and you intended to take them out?

Have you ever been offered a snack by the woman sitting in front of you at a meeting and got really excited, only find she was just joking around and didn't have anything other than... gum?

Have you ever wondered what that amazing smell was coming from your kitchen as you wandered the house, only to realize it was the onion bagel you put under the broiler 15 (FIFTEEN) minutes ago???

Have you ever been randomly and suddenly publicly volunteered by your friend in the row ahead of you to bring snacks for 200 people at 7am on a Sunday morning?

Have you ever publicly had to tell 200 people that you are, in fact, not bringing snacks, but you could be good enough to bring them a raisin instead???

I have.
I dedicate this post to April 5, 2012

Oh, wait, I said I'd dedicate it to Edi. Well.... she'll just have to share.