I'm Struggling with Juggling-Time and Organization

Normally I tend to be a very organized person. I like lists and routines. I am usually very good at both of those and following through with them. These days tho it seems as if the lists and routines are not helping and I feel as if I am running in circles. School activities have started for the girls and I think that and a wedding have absolutely worn me out and gotten me so farm behind that I just feel like I will never get caught up. Let me give you a rundown of what the past 2 weeks has been for me. My oldest had a study skills class to take and we were gone for 3 days, yes it was only a 3 day course. I also had to make sure all her paperwork was in for 2 classes she will be taking outside the home and boy let me tell you those people believe in paperwork. They also believe in asking tons of questions! So we had those three days of classes, then the afternoon of the last day we had ballet, piano, and guitar. We left the house at 8:15 and didn't get back home until almost 6:00. Three very very tired girls. On Thursdays I go over to my mom's house to help over there with whatever I can help with (laundry, yardwork, feeding the birds, etc. etc.) and to visit. I also take her eggs and milk for the week and whatever I have from the garden that she might like. Her health is not good these days and just seems to be getting worse. She used to love her garden and I planted it for her this year and kept it weeded once a week. I picked several things from it at the beginning of the season, but she just wasn't able to even get outside to water it and it eventually croaked. It is so hard watching your parents age to begin with, but watching a degenerative disease that has no cure turn your parent from an active full of life person into someone who can barely stand at the stove long enough to cook herself some pancakes is really tough. Anyway, back to the craziness that is well....driving me crazy. This week we were gone on Monday for a teacher intro for these 2 classes that Petunia is taking, Tuesday we were home, Wednesday we had ballet, piano and guitar, Thursday at mom's, Friday a party for a wedding couple, Saturday a meeting for parents in the program that Petunia is in (those folks believe in meetings), and then Saturday afternoon a wedding. This morning we would have been at church which sometimes is not as relaxing as it should be, but instead I was chasing pigs through the woods away from one of my neighbor's lakes. They had discovered the lake and were having a blast. Don't really know how long they had been out, but they are three tired pigs today and looked like they had had a good time. I did find something interesting while looking for the pigs...a small fawn tucked into a clump of grass. I am glad the dogs were not with me, but I really don't think they would have done anything. So now, my house is a wreck and I am so exhausted that I simply can't think straight. I really have to get a handle on this year's organization otherwise I will drive myself nuts. Mondays and Wednesdays we will be gone at least half the day and then Thursdays we will be gone most of the days. Sundays is church as long as the critters don't get sick, die or escape. I love how they wait until Sunday morning to do those things. I am sure God understands. At least I hope He does. So that leaves Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays that we don't have to go anywhere (at least for now). I am not sure how I am supposed to homeschool, keep house, cook, clean and run a farm with that time frame. Somehow I will work it out, but for right now I am struggling for the first time in a long time and just the struggle is exhausting. Blessings from the farm, Kat

You've Got to Be Kidding Me!

I simply can't believe this, we are having a severe drought in this country. Farmers are having to sell off their entire herds, families have been burned (yes burned) off their lands and out of their homes, towns have run completely dry and there is no water for livestock, and yet......our government is sending 105 million dollars for drought relief in Africa! Really, you have got to be kidding me!! I am simply dumbfounded. I may sound cold hearted and so be it if I do, but when is our government going to start being concerned with the people of THIS country?! When are they going to decide to let other countries handle their own problems?! We have enough of our own and if they would keep their eyes at home they might see that. I for one am disgusted, since we all know that this money will never get to the people who actually need it. The dictators always take it...they always have and they always will. I feel bad for Africa, I really do. The situation there is horrible, I understand that. However, our own countrymen are in dire straights and yet we are going to flush more money down the toilet. Disgusting, just disgusting! See article here

That Time of Year Again

Well, it's that time of year again when the school year is getting ready to ramp up into overdrive. While we never really stop schoolwork completely, our summer is a pretty light load with more reading than anything. Many of our extra activities get put on hold also for the summer so that we get some sort of break. However, now is the time to make a plan and since both of the girls have a pretty heavy load. So, we are spending the week getting the house in order and streamlined. Things go much more smoothly around here when I can clean the house in one day rather than doing the same things day after day. Since the girl's educational activities this year will have us away from the farm 2 days a week or so and then there is church on Sunday and church activities Sunday nights we need to be super organized and clutter free to maintain the house and farm without me going nuts! Each room of the house is getting a good going through with the trash bag and the get rid of box. It will be a busy week. During the summer we are so exhausted from the heat that clutter can get the best of us. There is also the canning to do and garden to maintain, so basic cleaning is about all that we can manage. Unfortunately, this means that things get pretty out of order and chaotic. I cannot stand out of order and chaotic, it simply drives me nuts. Although to be honest sometimes I am just too busy to notice how chaotic the house has gotten until I take a deep breath, sit down and then ....wow, what happened around here! So, now is the time because later will just not be good. My plan for the week is to get everything with the house streamlined and finish planting for fall crops and then clean up the corn field. If I get all that done I will be a happy, happy woman. So ladies and gents....is it that time of year for you too? Grab your trash bags and donation boxes...ready, set, clean!!!!Blessings from the farm, Kat

Summer Heat Doldrums

It's official, I really am tired of summer (especially this summer). It has been so hot and so miserable (as many folks across the country can attest to). I do count my blessings....we have had rain, the garden has done well despite the heat, and I didn't lose any rabbits due to the heat extremes. However, here I sit at 6:25 in the evening and the heat index is 103 degrees. Who needs to go to the health club to sit in the steam room, just pull up a chair on the porch and steam away. It really is too hot for the children to get outside and spend much time. It really is so hot and humid that just a few mornings pushing past my normal come in time has me wiped out for an entire day. The other day it was cloudy and overcast with the temp hovering around 95 and not much of a heat index above that. I sat outside and commented on how nice it felt. My prayers really do go out to the folks in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and the other states are are slap burning up...literally. They are in much worse shape than we are. At least I am not having to give away my livestock because I can't feed them, or having to haul hay from other states to feed them. Most folks out there gave up on their gardens long ago and there are many that are now worried about wells drying up and not being able to water livestock. So, we do have our blessings here at Whisperwind. I am still tired of it though and don't think I will ever complain about winter again. I think we have been cooped up in the house more this summer than we ever have in the winter time. Now I know what cabin fever truly feels like to those up north. Ok, I guess I am done complaining. Time to get ready to melt and head out to feed the critters. Ya'll have a blessed night.

Working in the Heat

This summer has been tough. We have dealt with temperatures ranging from hot, hotter, and blistering hot. Unfortunately, things still have to get done and the farm still has to be taken care of. So what is a girl to do. Here are some of my tips for surviving the summer heat.

1. Be willing to adjust your routine so that you are outside during the coolest part of the day. Mornings are my most productive time since the humidity is still so high in the evenings.

2. Work in the shade. Keep moving around with the shade and don't stay in the sun any longer than you have to.

3. Drink water...lots of water. Keep a cool water bottle and a frozen water bottle with you so that you can constantly be sipping water.

4. Take breaks often. Work for a bit and then sit in the shade for a bit sipping water.

5. Wear light loose clothing designed to breathe. My two favorite fabrics are cotton and linen for this very reason, they breathe.

6. Do outside stuff in the coolest part of the day and do inside stuff in the heat of the day.

7. Don't eat heavy meals....seems like they take forever to digest. Heavy meals raise your metabolism for a longer period of time which raises your internal core body temp. Not fun when you are fighting a heat index of 107 degrees.

8. Keep a bandana or light cloth that you can dip in water often and just let it run down your neck. Often I will turn on the hose and wet my head and hair. Instant cooling effect!

9. On the hottest days, do what is necessary outside and leave the rest. It really will wait until tomorrow.

10. As long as it isn't lightning or thundering work outside in the rain. This is my favorite. It is so refreshing and the 4 year old loves it too...lots of puddles to jump in!

Take it easy this summer and be safe. I have had heat exhaustion and it simply is no fun and quite scary. You are also never the same and can never extreme heat again in the same manner that you used to. It's like it permanently messes up your body's internal temperature controls. Blessings from the farm, Kat

Chickens are Driving me Nuts!

Yes that is exactly what I said, they are driving me nuts. It wasn't so bad when we had a dozen chickens or so, but the chickens have taken over and I am tired of it. About a year ago our rooster and a few hens decided that they did not want to go into the coop at night...they preferred the goat barn. Ok, that wasn't so terribly bad. They roosted on the gate and their droppings were easily swept up with the other droppings each morning. They were safe so I simply didn't worry too much after several times trying to convince them to go back to the coop. Then I got more hens and now have over 30 chickens. The new hens and some of the old ones have also decided that the chicken coop is no good at night. Only 5 of my chickens go back to the coop at night now, the rest are in the goat barn. This is a problem! They are roosting everywhere and leaving their droppings everywhere and on everything. My poor goats have even woken up with chicken poo on their backs. It is simply too much. Add into the fact that the 30 something flock of chickens has decided that prime free ranging territory is my house. My front porch, my side porch, my driveway, in between the house and garden gate....anywhere and everywhere close to us and where we are. I have even had chickens looking in the sliding glass door. They have 10 acres to roam and eat bugs, yet they choose to spend their days on my porches leaving chicken poo everywhere. I am sick and tired of it. Having lived with livestock all my life I understand that there is a level of "germs" that goes along with the territory, but I DO NOT have to live with chicken poo absolutely everywhere. I DO NOT have to live with chickens walking and pooing on my table on the porch or on the chairs that I would like to be able to use. My goats should not have to suffer the indignity of being pooed on at night! I should not have 30 odd chickens running around my feed room (small by the way) pecking my feet every time I go in there. That is it...I am done! The chickens are getting their own yard where they will be confined with the exception of a couple hours a day for bug patrol. If in those couple of hours in the afternoon they still continue to be a menace then they will never leave the confines of their yard again unless it is to enter my stew pot. I am beginning to understand why my dad use to say that he hated chickens. I can't imagine growing up with over 2000 of them (yes they had that many). If they can't be trusted to free range on their own then they will just have to be confined and I will bring the free range to them with all the grass trimmings and garden trimmings. Stinking chickens are making life around here miserable and boy are they in for a surprise. Just a bunch of juvenile delinquents...that is all they are. So guess what I am doing today. Yep you guessed it...building another fence. My arm is already killing me from cutting saplings yesterday for fence posts, but it absolutely must be done because I am covered up in chickens and their droppings everywhere. Hope you all have a great day! Think about me while I am in the heat building that fence. Blessings, Kat

The Great Piggie Adventure

Sorry about being gone for awhile, things have been kind of crazy around here. The computer crashed and it was a couple weeks before I could get it fixed, then the garden is in full swing, chickens are driving me nuts and finally the pigs were doing what pigs do...escaping their pasture. So I thought I would start back with a funny story about one of their escapes. You know they say if you want to find out how good your fence is put a pig in it, they will show you how good it isn't. Well, our three little porkers have done just that, but this particular story is called the great piggie adventure for a reason. The pigs had been escaping into the garden and coming to the garden fence looking for me. We were trying to figure out where they were getting out but simply could not find a way that they were. However, it didn't bother me too much as they didn't go anywhere except the garden gate and when they got there they would squeal for me. I would go and put them back since they would follow me absolutely anywhere. This became a several times a day habit. Then there came the day of the adventure. My husband and I were working out in the yard and happened to hear our neighbor on the far corner yelling at something. We couldn't figure out what he was yelling at for a long time. Well, we thought he might be yelling at the horse since she shot out of the woods like a rocket. Often I imagine that she reaches over the fence to nibble the grass on the other side, which happens to be his yard. You know the grass being greener and all. However, she didn't seem to settle down and we couldn't really see anything since that corner of the pasture is heavily wooded. We still went on about our business since the day was getting hotter and we wanted to finish up before heat stroke claimed either of us. In a bit the horse was getting more anxious and running around the pasture like something was definitely after her. So we stopped what we were doing and walked over to her fence looking intently across the pasture down toward the woods in the direction she was looking when she wasn't running around like a maniac. It was then that I saw them....three little piggies desperately trying to figure out where they were and where "mama" (me) was! How did they get over there! I should have caught the horse then because there was no chance to do it in the 90 seconds that followed. Not only did I see the little piggies, but she did too and in that instant she decided that they were devils that needed elimination. I called the pigs and as they came running she charged....scattering little pigs in every direction. It was a harrowing few minutes as I called pigs, tried to calm the horse as she was trying to stomp them into oblivion and they made the desperate attempt to avoid her hooves and get to me and safety. By the time they did make it through the fence they were terrified and scattered in all directions, still running for their very lives on their very short little legs. After a little while of me talking to them and calling them they came to me and stood at my feet looking up at me as if to say, "Where in the world have you been!?" So off to the other side of the house and through the garden I go to the pig pasture with three little exhausted pigs trotting along behind me...too tired to even squeal. Apparently, what had happened was this. Normally when the pigs got out they turned left and went up through the garden paths to the garden gate next to the goat barn and would squeal for me to come. They did some rooting around the gate while they waited, but nothing too damaging. They were after all quite small little pigs, not having long left their pig mama. However, this particular day for some reason they turned right and found themselves through the garden fence on the opposite side and on the neighbors property where they turned right again. At this point instead of turning around, they simply kept going figuring they would get to their destination eventually. They trotted along the outside of their fence line until they got to where it ended...the road. It was at this point that the little pigs turned again with their fence line and continued trotting alongside it and the very busy road. Unfortunately, they missed the next turn which would have brought them down the driveway and safely back home. Instead, they continued along the road because I am sure the ditch being wet was a great piggie mudhole with lots of rooting opportunities. Along the entire front fenceline and road they went until they found themselves in the opposite neighbor's yard. It was at that point that he saw them and started yelling. And from there you know the rest of their harrowing trip up the hill with a very large critter desperately trying to squash them flat with all four feet. Needless to say the next two days were spent fortifying the piggie enclosure in which we finally discovered where they were getting out...the gate. They could wiggle the gate just enough that they could slip through between the gate and the fence. Needless to say that was heavily fortified so that they gate no longer wiggled. Piggies are safe and now much larger having doubled in sized from that day. But they were three very tired little piggies having been out adventuring goodness knows how long. They flopped down in their mud in the shade of a sweet gum tree and slept the entire afternoon away. Having little piggies is like having a band of two year old toddlers...seems like they are always looking for mischief. Blessings from the farm, Kat