Down to Three

It's been busy here on the farm this winter. With John home, there was one extra mouth at lunch, an additional personality to blend into the mix. With EP's life changing, turning from high-school-based-adolescent to college-and-Army-man, we were flexing and fluxing all over the place. Grandma has been here a year now, and her own special idiom is now blended into our household. And don't get me started on whining about the critters. Don't.
This morning dawned early and bright. There's still some snow, and it's not as warm as we'd like it, but it's a new day. And an all new farm household. John headed off to work this morning. This good wife got up early to have coffee with him (although I confess I did not make his breakfast; he had already done that when I stumbled into the kitchen) chit-chat a little about the new job starting, and wipe some leftover cinnamon roll icing from his clothes so he didn't have to be embarrassed. (Maybe I just did that, anyway?)
It was especially tough to get up this morning. It wasn't just the new routine. I must admit that having an unemployed husband makes for late nights watching videos and equally late mornings. 9:30 has become 7:00 again, and it wasn't all pretty. This was compounded by the fact that EP left early this morning (3:30) for a spring break trip to Mexico.
Now, before you all comment that I'd better get my head examined for letting him go off and party for a week, consider this. He's heading to the border to help a mission pastor there with his work. Yes, there will be partying; this IS a Lutheran pastor, after all! But they will also build something necessary this week, clean something nasty, sort through clothes or VBS materials, and eat a lot of homemade Mexican food. So give the kid some credit. He and Vicar were up late, doing laundry (do you know laundromats are closed on Easter Sunday? Vicar found out!) and laughing over YouTube comedy videos. I know they'll sleep on the plane, but I won't be on any planes today...although, I have to admit, the videos WERE funny and I DID sleep fine...just not long enough.
OK, and, just in case you didn't think I had enough to whine about, seems with all the menfolk gone, I have to feed cattle this morning (uh-oh, you DID let me whine about the critters!) And, it seems, EP did not bring hay out of the loft. I have to go fetch it. John seems to think it would be easier for me to just drive over and pick up some hay from Mike the Hay Guy, but I'll be climbing a ladder later this morning.
Did you notice that comment? "with all the menfolk gone..." Yep. It's just us girls this week. Mary and I will be setting up her Sanctuary (that's farm talk for the room under the stairs where she can make messes and not bother Grandma.) That has to get done this week. So does all the framing and sorting of a decently large pile of photography I have in the corner of my room. And there's blogging; gotta have blogging. But I'm sure there'll also be a lunch day and a clothes shopping day. We gotta be girls, after all! Finally!



Added later; In YOUR spare time today, find time to read this article. It's not fun, but it's necessary to remind us of ALL who work to protect our freedoms.