Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Keeping it real


The 100 Happy Days web site says that 71% of  people do not complete the challenge, citing lack of time as the reason.

I think it's not that we lack the time to be happy, but more that we lack the time to blog/post/tweet about it.  Most of us are so busy that we enjoy those moments, however brief, and don't feel the need to try and hit the pause button while we share this happiness with others. We are living in the moment, and sharing it with those most dear to us, rather than the world at large.

As for my Homesteading Happiness challenge, it has truly been a challenge to put these things online, or to remember to run and grab the camera, as well as to take the time to upload (I don't have the apps on my phone for all this because I own an ancient android) the pics. Thus the batches of happiness as I can steal a few minutes here and there.

My schedule is generally not as crazy as it has been the last few weeks, and I'm hoping to slow things down a bit after this week (which is packed every. single. day.).  Actually, I'm supposed to be writing an article right now, as I sit in a McDonald's waiting for Little Sis, who is attending a meeting nearby.  This particular McDonald's, by the way, may require a hepatitis shot on the way out. Ew. But I digress.

I'm looking back over blog posts and wondering how on earth I thought I was busy before.  If that was busy, this is a tornado of time-sucking.   Almost every single day has a work obligation, and the ones that don't, I do my best to visit the grand babies or spend time with Little Sis (thus Warped Tour).

I have not cooked a meal in at least three weeks.  My time in the garden has been limited, and my cooling-off breaks from mowing/weeding/maintenance involve answering work emails and reaching out for interview contacts.

My house hasn't had a proper cleaning in far too long (everyone pitches in, but face it, dad and teen clean is most certainly not Mom Clean).  Spiders are proliferating all over the house, inside and out, and the house is desperately in need of the fresh exterior paint job I had planned for this summer. My bedroom still cries out for that face lift, but for now, I'm happy if the bed gets made (thanks, Love!) and the laundry gets put away.

It helps that I am doing something I love.  I enjoy meeting new people, learning new things, and stretching my wings.

Will I be able to continue to homestead on the scale I have been?  It remains to be seen.  This year, my garden is a tad smaller than in previous years.  I estimate it's a scant 14,000 square feet, compared to the 16,000 plus of previous years.

I still have about half the stuff I put up last year in the pantry, so I'll be sharing a huge amount of produce this year, and dehydrating like mad.  Dehydrating has to be the *best* way to put up produce -  it takes a lot less time to toss things into the dehydrator than it does to can. Bonus: dehydrated stuff keeps longer.

Eöl, bless his heart, mentioned firewood today.  Egads!! How can it be time for firewood, when I haven't painted the house, or even mowed the yard completely (I get started, it rains, I come back to it, and by the time I'm done, it's time to start over)??? 

Harvest will start in mid-August and last through early to mid-September.  By mid-September, we will be facing frost weather.  By October, we could either warm back up, or, as has happened in the past, have snow on October 12.  We'll be heating the house, likely starting in late September or early October, until mid to late May, which is the norm. That's 8-9 months of heat.  What. The. Heck.  Why do I live in a place with such a short summer? WHYYYYY??? I hate the cold.  I love heat.  I should move south.

Sigh...anyone need a journalist in the south?  I'll gladly review all bids! :)










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