It has been a busy week. It doesn't help any that we had freezing rain/sleet all week. It makes all chores that much harder to get done. My baby chicks are doing very well. The chickens are now laying up a storm. I found a new drake for Mrs. Duck so all is pretty well in the barnyard.
I will be spending the day getting my textbooks in order once again.
I already tutor 3 days per week. It is time to make Rakieta work harder on academics once again and I have another girl who was once a host child of ours who was adopted by someone else whose educational experience in America has been less than successful. So what I thought was part of my past I am finding is very much part of my present. That is ok, because I really love teaching.
In other educational news, Michigan is beginning massive educational reform and I am very glad. I will be watching closely to make sure that the cure isn't worse than the problem. What the public schools are doing with Granholm's standards, at least in the rural schools is atrocious and will ruin a generation of kids if it is not cleaned up ASAP!
Family news is all good. we are just all really sick of winter, but other wise, both birth and adopted family is all doing very well.

Balance

Ol' man winter needs some of that, balance. We have been all over the map temperature wise, we are finally getting into the right temp range for March, BUT our nights are still very cold some days. Weird. We woke up to rain, and now it is snowing AGAIN. The rest of the week seems more tame. Thank the Holy Lord.

In spite of the wretched winter we are finishing, seeds are sitting in bags waiting to be planted, trees have been ordered, chicks too, and I will be ready to incubate my own in a few weeks. It feels good to be thinking spring.

The costumes and show preparations are coming along swell. I can't say enough how much I love that barn.

All of our girls, here, there and everywhere, are doing well. Being a parent of adult children takes some getting used to, but honestly, I am just as busy now as ever. And I am definitely not lonely. I always say: Girls never really leave you, they just keep bringing more people home. Very true.

So, lets see: farm on track-check
dance program on track-check
daughters all doing well-check
"stuff" getting reigned in-check

All this =balance. It feels good and I love it!

Rain , part 2

On top of our not all melted snow, we are now to get heavy rain today and tonight. I am grateful for a few things:
1. That we have concrete near the barn now. Otherwise it is just treacherous doing barn chores.
2. That we have no dance classes this weekend. The driveway needs a rest.
3. That rain always means above freezing. I can't take any more snow and cold.
That about covers it. Otherwise the weather sucks. Again.

Upside, I am beginning to work on spring activities and that ALWAYS cheers me up.
Today I am megacoupon shopping. That means lots of supplies like pasta and farmy stuff. I am also winning the battle with the "stuff" that was supposed to go to Burkina on the trip I just took. The "extra room" aka the den will be clutter free by Sunday. Yippee!

Can't Warm Up!

Today started out sunny and calm. Unfortunately, the sun gave way to clouds by lunchtime. The temps are mild-35*, but the humidity must be way up. We can't seem to stay warm. I am not looking forward to the weird weather we will be getting over the next 24 hours. Rain, sleet, more rain and then some snow. It should be a disgusting mess by Monday.
Well, I am off to tutor. I will finish this a little later.

Finally Cooperative Weather!

Well, the sun is shining, the temps are supposed to be in the high 30's and the majority of the snow is melted. Finally manageable outside working conditions. So I shall be a very busy girl today. I am looking forward to it. Over to the barn I go to work on costume and fabric issues. Have a great day all.

And it was a wonderful day! The barn was about 50* and working with the fabrics and costumes was very therapeutic. I love my barn and I missed my fabrics....a lot. I didn't think that was even possible but it was.

Rain, Well I Guess it is an Improvement

Yes, today after a week straight of snow, we are getting rain. You know what that means?! Yup, MUD! Lots of it and around here we have to take the mud seriously because of the clay. I grew up up north where it is a sandy loam mix. I had no idea what a mud room was or the need for it when I first got here. I just thought it was a cute name for a coat room. Wrong!!!
Mud room means exactly what it says. You keep a mud room so the muddy clothes and boots can come off before you get to the rest of the house that you want to save from the disgusting filth and sticking that the mud in the thumb of Michigan brings to anybody trying to transport themselves around outside on any area that is not covered in concrete. If you aren't sure what I am talking about, let me say this. In the spring time or after a heavy rain, if you walk on bare dirt, you are likely to get your shoes or boots sucked off. In addition, this stuff leaves a caking on your shoes that can be quite thick. As it dries, it comes off the shoes both in chunks and in a powder that seems to get on everything. This applies to coats, gloves and pants too. Hence mudroom.
It is going to be an interesting week for dance class and parking.
Well, time for laundry and correspondence.

SNOW!?*&% Part 2

This time we are getting the smaller amount, south of us is getting 4-6 inches. This isn't Alaska or even the Keweenaw peninsula. What is the deal? Global warming my tusche.
I have to try to run errands in this stuff, Everyone has to go to work. Going to be an interesting day.
Even the animals are begging for relief. They usually don't have that much of an opinion, but they seem to this time.
I need to get into the barn to start working on costumes, but everything is buried in the SNOW! I don't mind the cold, although it has been very unusually cold at night, I just hate this SNOW!!!!
I know I need an attitude adjustment. I'll try to be better next post.