Just an update

Well, Mom is home and seems to be staying home this time. She is actually doing pretty good for the moment. However, I am still trucking over to her house most days to do little things for her or just check on her. My time seems very limited these days and the days just keep speeding by. It doesn't help that everything around the farm was pretty neglected for over 3 weeks. You just don't realize how that little bit of daily maintenance and attention keeps things running smoothly. First the house was a wreck, then the porch had become a bad "catch-all", the chickens had made an escape route and several were roosting on the front porch (yuk), something happened to the electric fence controller and it no longer works so the goats spent 3 weeks escaping into what once was the garden (yep all fall produce gone), the garden fence has decided that now is the time to start falling apart, etc. etc. etc. So life lately seems to be a mad rush and now I am starting things around here much earlier because if I don't they simply won't get done. There have been times the past couple of weeks that I wonder if it is all worth it. Maybe it would be easier to live like the majority of people do and just get what I need from the grocery store, live on less land with less to maintain, and hire a housekeeper. Then a neighbor comes by and we sit out in the front yard and watch our children play, the baby goats play on the woodpile that is still taking up the front yard, listen to the pigs grunting at the fence in anticipation of goodies and watch chickens scratching for bugs under the bushes. What more could a girl want? Of course reality hit, when she left and the little one had to be bathed, cheese still had to be made, the kitchen had to be cleaned (again!), the critters had to be fed and a multitude of other things had to be done. But for that moment that she was here I had that chance to look around and say "Yeah, it's all worth it". I've never tried to paint this life in anyway other than real. It can be a hard life at times. I guess like any life it has it ups and downs, joys and disappointments. This life is hard work and even though on a daily basis doesn't seem to take much extra time you learn just how much time is spent when you are away for 3 weeks and unable to give the garden that hour each day or check the fence controller. But at the end of the day...yeah, it's worth it. Blessings from the farm, Kat

Taking Care of Parents

Sorry to have been gone for so long. Things have been nuts around here. Mom, is not well and has been in and out (mostly in) the hospital for the past 3 weeks. She has congestive heart failure and initially went into the hospital because she was having an episode that we thought was another heart attack. During that time her sodium levels dropped way too low and well lets just say during that time she was a candidate for the mental ward. Once all that was straightened out we went home and were home for 4 days before we went back in. This time she had an E.coli infection which the doctor suspects was from her being catheterized during the first week. So, there I was another week practically living at the hospital. Her fluid levels went up and we had a couple days of panic as she could breathe due to the fluid build up in her chest. For those who don't know about congestive heart failure it isn't that the heart doesn't pump it's that the heart doesn't pump well, which causes fluid build up in the body and especially in the chest. Fluid building up in the chest causes to person to feel like they can't breathe (pressure on the lungs) and can eventually lead a weak heart to stop pumping as the pressure builds. What complicates matters with mom is that she is a chronic pain patient and is on loads of pain meds. Unfortunately, pain meds can aggravate her condition with her heart as they cause a decrease in respiration and slow her heart rate. Without the pain meds though the stress of the pain she would then suffer would finish off her heart. She is in a catch 22 situation and she is only 69 years old. I have had several conversations with friends lately that are going through similar things with their parents who are about the same age. What happened to that generation that so many of them are in failing health so early in life? My dad died at the age of 58, yet his father died at the age of 90 and his mother at the age of 81. My grandfather was active up until the last year of his life and still growing a garden until he was about 85. What I see different is food and lifestyle. My grandparents farmed, they were physically very active and they ate what they grew and produced. My parents generation had the option of more processed easy convenience meals from the grocery store and that is what worked for them because with the women's revolution it was no longer acceptable for women to stay home and cook wholesome from scratch meals like my grandmothers did. Their lifestyle centered around social gatherings with friends after work..cocktail parties, dinner parties, etc. Liquor was abundant and smoking was THE thing. Now my parents were the older version of the boomer generation and didn't partake in some of the "recreational" activities that the younger boomers did. By the time the hippies of the late 60s came around my parents were firmly settled into careers and thinking about children. Still because they both left the physical activities of the farm behind to live a more sedentary life along with all the parties, I believe they both have suffered from it. My dad never got a chance to even see his grandchildren. He missed his youngest child's high school graduation and her naval academy graduation. Mom too has missed out on so much piano recitals, ballet recitals and classes, times at the park and many times just being able to get out of bed long enough to play or color together. It's tough for my generation because we still have little ones to raise and now we have our parents in failing health that take so much of our time. My parents didn't have that as their parents were still taking care of themselves and living full lives. How do you balance it all? I simply don't know as I am struggling right now trying to figure it out. Sometimes I have to admit that I find it unfair that the boomer generation has done this to my generation. I know...life in unfair and I am being selfish. However, I see the toll that has been paid by my husband and children as they have had to live without mom for 3 weeks. And it's not over as I am now taking more responsibility for mom's care and spending more time taking care of her. I know one thing that has come of this and it's that I am more resolved than ever that I don't want to be that way. I want to be like my grandparents, teaching my granddaughter to make jelly when I am 78 years old and taking trips through the woods to watch the grandkids play in the creek, growing a small garden in my 80s and putting up food every year. I want to teach my grandchildren those lessons about life and living that it seems only grandparents can teach. My grandfather taught me so much and my children have missed that. I want to make sure that my grandchildren don't. I am more resolved than ever to grow my own food and suffer the hardships that come with farming as I am convinced it is all worth it in the end. Blessings from the farm, Kat

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