Had To Give

Back in the day, some 25 or so years ago, I did a brief stint as chairman of the library committee at church.  Now, in my church, you served on a committee for three years, then rotated off, but I only did a year or so.  The previous chairman had stepped down, and the nominating committee asked if I would finish her term.  I agreed, but when they asked me if I would serve another term -- a full three year term this time -- I had to decline.  

Cody was little, in first or second grade at the time, I don't rightly remember, and he was getting active in cub scouts and soccer and little league, and of course, you know my job is very demanding.  I felt like I couldn't give the library the time and attention it deserved, so I stepped down.  But that's neither here nor there...

One Wednesday evening, I was in the library chatting with another church member, and I mentioned needing to get the oil changed in my car.  

My friend gasped in horror and exclaimed, "I just realized!  You have to do everything!"  She went on to say that oil changes are something her husband normally did, but it had just then occurred to her that I had to do all of it. 

Of course, she didn't offer to help me with anything, but still....

I think about that conversation from time to time, especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed with how much needs to be done, and it's only me there to do it.  Such was the case Monday afternoon.  I was looking around at all the stuff I need to get done, and how little time I have to do it, and how do I trust a contractor when I've been cheated so many times already, and getting overwhelmed, so I said to no one in particular -- because there was no one there to hear me -- "I can't do this all myself.  Something's got to give."  

This week, that something was the blog.  I needed a break.  I've been so tired trying to get back into the swing of things at work, and feeling pulled in so many directions, I just wasn't up to trying to write anything coherent. 

Which brings us to today, Saturday.  I wanted to be able to take it easy today, but no....I had to wake up at 3:30 in the blessed ay em, and couldn't get back to sleep for the life of me.  I lay there and lay there, and finally gave up and got up shortly after 5:00.  

Not much went on, because as I said, I wanted to take it easy today.  I did laundry and Swiffered the bathroom and kitchen floors, changed the sheets, and that was about it.  In the midst of all of that, I finally found time to listen to the new record my sister in law sent me for Christmas. 

When it was finished, I said to myself, "Self, while you have that record player out, you ought to listen to more of your records.  You've been wanting to do that for weeks."  So I did.  I listened to several of my Christmas albums up until it was time for the ball games to start.  

That music provided the perfect backdrop so I could get that second baby surprise jacket seamed up. 

Yarn:  Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Stripes

Colorway:  Crayon Box

Pattern:  Baby Surprise Jacket, by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Needles:  US 8/ 5 mm

I don't know why I hate seaming so much, but I do.  I mean, it's not hard at all, but it took me longer to convince myself to start seaming than it did to get the whole jacket done.  Once I finally convinced myself to get started, it went pretty quickly, and that's it for baby surprise jackets -- at least for a while.  I don't have buttons on them, but I'll have time for that.  I'm thinking I'll send them to my great nephew for Christmas next year.  They ought to fit him then.  

But then, I hate sewing on buttons, and it may take me the whole year to work up the umph to do that chore...

In other news, my deer are getting a treat this week, but not because I'm altruistic or anything like that. 

Nope, my motives were purely selfish.  I was too tired to wrestle the plain corn that comes in the 50 lb bags, and the apple flavor comes in 30 lb bags, so that's what they're getting.  

Then I got home from the store yesterday evening, and moved firewood.  Go figure. 

Exhausted as I was, I was able to get that entire front stack of wood under cover before the rain started last night. 

They're predicting low 20s for the next few mornings, so that fire will feel good.  You know, one of these days, I'm going to figure out how to start a fire without filling my whole house with smoke.  Today was not one of those days.  Some times I'm successful, most of the time, I'm not, and I can't figure out what I'm doing differently.  Oh, well...

Here's a bit of good news.  Do you know what that is?  

It's a bluebonnet seedling from that last pack I planted a week or so ago.  I found five coming up so far, but I didn't take photos of all of them.  They look just like this one.  My older ones are still going strong, 

and I'm hopeful I might finally get a stand going well enough to re-seed itself every year.  Even so, I bought a few extra packets of seeds to plant in September.  Just in case.  

On a similar note, looky what I found in the Walmart garden center?   

When the ground dries out a bit more, I'll go out and pin my barrier down, and take the bricks out of my bed.  They're starting to put out the garden stuff, so sometime in the not to distant future, I'm going to buy some bark mulch and put it down over the top of my plastic barrier.  It'll look much nicer and even if something digs in the mulch, it won't be able to dig deeply enough to disturb the roots of the plants.  At least I hope not.

By the way, I had to redneck my belt a bit.  I knew it was about worn out, and a new belt was already in my shopping list, but it had gotten so thin in one spot, I was worried it would break before I could get to the store.  Thus, I had to break out the handyman's secret weapon:  duct tape. 

It may not look like much, but it bought me a couple of days.  

And finally, I started the second classical music course at Hillsdale College.  This one only has four lessons and a concert at the end.  I'm hoping I can get it finished over the long weekend.  That's something else I haven't been able to do since going back to work.  When I get home, my brain is too tired to try to learn anything...

Now that I've got you all caught up, I think I'll go get me some hot chocolate on this chilly evening. 

Laters.