Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning

DISCLAIMER:   I'm sure in the last 10 years, thousands of people have written about their experience with September 11 with more eloquence, have written a more thoughtful story and one that is more articulate and less choppy, but this is not one of them.  This is extreme stream of consciousness writing here

One of the country radio stations we listen to is playing a remake of Bryan Adam's song, "Heaven" with voice overs of a little girl talking to her daddy in Heaven over the last 10 years - all the milestones she's gone through the last 10 years.   According to my vast (insert sarcasm) research on Google, I've come up with this link and believe it to be the most accurate version of the song we've heard on the Radio.

Maggie is so intrigued by this song.  On the way to my Bible study this morning at our church, this song came on the radio and Maggie and Will were asking me why that girl in the song is talking to her daddy in Heaven (which I couldn't believe they gleaned that from the song since there is only the implication that the daddy is dead).  So I told them today about 9/11 - it was strange having to explain it to them - that we hadn't explained it to them before now.  But then, it's not something that is easy to explain to children their age.  I  mean, let's face it, until it actually happened, I don't think that even the potential of such an event  even crossed anyone's mind. At least, it never had for me.  I know I was aware the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and then the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, but I guess I myself was too young to attribute to those events the weight they were due.  I was only 17 and 19 at the times of those bombings and in that self-centeredness of youth, those events did not register with me significantly.

Now, here we are living in a Post 9/11 world and I am driving through our little city of Butler trying to explain to my children, whose biggest fear is foxes and coyotes and who have no idea what terrorists are, what 9/11 is all about.  My rather inadequate explanation went something like this:

In New York City there are very tall buildings called skyscrapers.  Those buildings are so tall you would have to stack four or five of these tall buildings in Butler on top of each other to even get close to how tall they are.  Back before you were born and before Momma & Daddy were even married, some very evil men got into airplanes and crashed those airplanes into some of those tall buildings and  caused those buildings to fall down.  It is very sad because there were people inside of those buildings and not all of them were not able to get out of the buildings before they fell down and those people died.  


After having told them this much, I started to get a little worried.  You know how as a parent, as you're trying to explain to your child in an age appropriate way something that you think they might find scary, you have this other internal voice in your head talking out the conversation simultaneously?  For instance:

What I think I want to tell the children:  10 years ago, very evil men stole airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center.
Simultaneous thought:  Oh no!  I can't tell them that!  They are going to be afraid that evil people could hijack airplanes again and then they'll never want to fly - not that we can afford to ever fly anywhere - nor do I want to have to put them through all that TSA stuff if we did want to fly somewhere - but if we ever need to fly somewhere, they're going to be scared because of what I'm telling them.  I'm not even going to mention Flight 93 and the Pentagon!


Maggie then asked, "Was that girl in that song's Daddy in that building?"  I explained to her that the the song represented what might be the life of a little girl who lost her Daddy on 9/11.  We talked about the fact that many people lost Mommies and Daddies, Aunts and Uncles, Grandmas and Grandpas and on and on.  I really thought the conversation was going to blossom into a much bigger conversation than it did - I anticipated questions about what might happen if something happened to me and Erik, questions about how God could allow all those people to be hurt, why did those men even want to fly airplanes into buildings, etc.  Instead, Maggie says, "Will, aren't you just so sad that had to happen?"   Will responded with a very melancholy yet emphatic, "Yes!" and the conversation was over.  They had no more questions, no more comments, we were just silent the rest of our drive.

First Day of School 2011

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First Day of Preschool/First Day of School Eve

I wish I could update you on all kinds of exciting and fun things we did in August, but there's nothing to report.  We did the usual, mundane, everyday things to round out the summer and had a great time doing it.    All of a sudden I woke up this morning to The First Day Of Preschool and First Day of School Eve.  My little Willie J was up bright and early at 7:30 this morning after having spent the night in our bed coughing. ALL . . .NIGHT . . . LONG!  

I'm not sure if this coughing is illness related or allergy/season related.  Maggie went through a bout of it after the Farm Show earlier this month, and still has coughing spells.  Now Willie has it pretty bad and he decided it would be best for him to keep his dad and me up all night because of it.  Apparently that made him feel better because he slept like a log where as his dad and I were not so chipper this morning.  The fact that Willie went to preschool this morning is beyond belief.  I don't feel like any of my children are old enough to even be in school, let alone three of them.

Yesterday, to celebrate, Mimi came over and took the kids on a quad ride picnic lunch.  She always comes up with fun things for them to do and I really appreciate her doing that for them.  I allowed them to take the little camera with them and they had a great time and some of the pictures are so funny.

This day has been creeping up on me all summer, yet I am still surprised it is here.  I've been doing all the required paperwork, completing forms, making appointments and still, the fact that Maggie and Walker start school tomorrow is completely shocking to me!  

As is required, we did the back to school pictures with Willie today.  He had a great time except for the 15 minutes at 8:45 this morning that he stubbornly refused to go to school.  

 I thought it would be awesome to take a picture on the new outdoor sofa I got at Rogers Auction for only $1.  It desperately needs repainted and new cushions, but it is very sturdy and my attempt at a slip cover and pillows brightens it up and hides its flaws.  But, it was in full sun and Willie was not cooperative.

 So we moved to the side steps where the impatiens look so beautiful.  And of course, everyone had to get in.

 I have a picture of Walker sitting similarly to this on his first day of Preschool.  I love those little guys.

I also wonder if they will ever look at these pictures and the ugly insulbrick on our exterior and ask, "When did our house have that green stuff on it?"  Strike that.  I HOPE they look at these pictures and the ugly insulbrick on our exterior and ask, "When did our house have that green stuff on it?" because I hope by then we will have finally finished the exterior!

 Willie at school.

Willie and his classmates coming out of his classroom to meet us.

Willie and his friend, Ellie, after their first day of school together.  

We've known Ellie just over a year, and a while back, I made a comment (because all of our kids are the same ages) that we should just go ahead and betroth the first three because we like each other and the opposites match up.  Willie and Ellie have taken the joke to a whole new level acting like an old married couple all ready.  They seriously act like those old couples you see out at the mall, bickering at each other, but holding hands and supporting each other.  It's so funny.  And kind of strange.  Because the "love" seemed be reaching a kind of inappropriate level in terms of seriousness with them, we have had discussion about being good buddies, not boyfriend/girlfriend, etc., but they refuse to cooperate.  Both Willie and Ellie (from hence on to be referred to as "Wellie" have relatives planning weddings and so marriage and weddings are in the forefront of both of their lives and randomly, they will announce to us (the mothers) "When I marry Ellie, I will . . ."  and they will proceed to tell us the plans of their wedding,  where they will live, etc.   So now they get to experience preschool together and if they ever do make it down the aisle as they are predicting, we sure will have LOTS of cute pictures of them together for their wedding slide show.

Now I'm off to prepare for our supper and get the kids ready for their first day tomorrow.  Walker has to be up at 7 am to catch the bus at 8 and Maggie has to wait until 12:30 to leave for Kindergarten.  It's going to be an interesting day.  

Goodbye, Summer.  It's time for a new season to begin.  I can't say I'm looking forward to it yet, but I know there are lots of good things to come.  So I'm officially declaring this to be the FALL O' FUN here at Goodness Grows Farm.  Let the FUN continue!

Winding Down

I was looking at my calendar yesterday and realized there are only three weeks left of non-school filled summer for us.

This is breaking my heart.

I am not ready for summer to be over.  I know, I should focus on the three weeks we have left, but when you factor in the week we will be spending at the Butler Farm Show,  the preschool orientation, the Kindergarden orientation, and the last few appointments we have of the summer, there aren't many days left!  Even though there have been days where my kids are picking and fighting, screeching and screaming, whining and begging, I am not ready to pack them back up and send them on the bus/drive to preschool.

I was cleaning out some old folders yesterday and came across this "letter" from a newsletter of a MOPS group I used to attend.  It was kind of my unofficial motto for summer without me even knowing it.  I gave up on any heavy duty chores for the summer, which is why my house now looks like I am prepping for an episode of hoarders .  The cobwebs are killing me!  I literally have them everywhere.  In fact, I left my Kitchen Aid mixer on my counter last night and this morning there was a cobweb from the mixer to the cabinet!

I was talking to a friend yesterday who told me she had spent an unreasonable amount of time at a local shoe store trying to get her four children fit into sneakers for the coming school year.  As she told the story, I vowed that I will not take my kids back to school shopping.  They don't need anything and I am going to try to avoid the realization that school is going to start as long as possible.  As I finish out these fleeting summer days, I am going to keep this letter on my refrigerator to remind me that these days are going by way too fast and my job is to create memories and have fun with my kids.

Just for this day.

Just for this morning, I am going to smile whenever I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let you wake up softly, all rumpled in your flannel and I will hold you until you are ready for the day.

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you outside to play.

Just for this morning, I am going to eat a huge breakfast , with bacon eggs, toast and waffles, and you don't have to eat any.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the
computer off, and sit with you in the garden blowing bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to 'fix' things.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you put all kinds of barettes in my
hair, and put lipstick on my face, and I will tell you how pretty you have made me look.

Just for this afternoon I will take you to McDonalds and buy us both a Happy meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born, and how much we love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the bathtub and not get angry when you throw water over your sister's head.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the
porch swing and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours and miss my favorite show on t.v.

Just for this evening, When I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.  I will think about the mothers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers who are visiting their their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer, and when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.  It is then that I will thank God for you, for all that I have and not ask for anything, except . . . just one more day.

When everyone is in school, I will have time to tediously clean my house, clean out the kitchen cabinets and wipe down all the contents, and do all the mundane cleaning I feel that I should do now.  And someday, no one will be here except me and Erik, and I will be like our neighbor and invite the neighbor kids down to play because even though I haven't vacuumed in a month, there are no foot prints in the carpet.

So, today, when I thought I was going to "crack down" in an attempt to get our lives back on track, I looked at this letter again and decided the kids didn't have to match their clothes, comb their hair, or clean up the playroom like I had originally intended.  I will do the chores that must be done (if I don't fold and put away clothes today, no one is going to have any underwear) but after that, we will see where the day takes us.  Because all too soon, I am going to be telling them, "In just one more day we go back to school."  

Water, Second Edition

We were blessed last week with some rainfall.  Unfortunately, we got short, hard deluges of rain, which dropped anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch in a few short minutes instead of a long, misting shower over the course of a day.  While this meant there was TONS of water, it was not able to do much because the ground is so hard that the rain was quickly running off the ground and away from the areas that needed it most.  

Thursday afternoon was one such storm day here.  The storm clouds rolled in just as we finished a mid-afternoon swim.  I had hustled the kids in the house in anticipation and was just getting all of the towels off the deck railing as the rain began.  I was quickly soaked in just a few seconds, glad to still have on my bathing suit.  As I came in the house, I realized we had moved the buckets we were keeping under the downspouts and they needed put back, so I ran back outside to do that.  Well, we don't actually have downspouts everywhere yet.  We re-roofed a few years ago and while we partially put up the gutters, we haven't finished the project, so most of our gutters are open ended, which causes water to gush out the ends and alongside the house, which in turn, despite our french drains, causes some leaking in the basement.  You would think that since the problem could be easily solved, we'd actually do something to fix it, but we haven't yet.  We are good project starters, but not so good at the finishing details.

I knew the water coming out of the downspout would be a problem, so I rushed to gather the five gallon buckets we were using to catch the run off.  I knew there was a problem when I put the bucket under this gutter and it literally filled in less than 20 seconds.

On a side note, I want to give a huge SHOUT OUT to the Tyvek people.  Our sunroom has been wrapped in Tyvek for years and other than some fading and dirt on it, the Tyvek is still in place, protecting the interior of the house from the elements.  If Tyvek was offered in colors, I would buy it and just put it around my whole house and say "DONE."  Yes, of course, I want siding and proper mill work around my windows, but until the day comes when we can finally do it right, yellow Tyvek would really do the trick!

I filled every other bucket and container I could find 

I even put our giant cooler under a gutter and we still had water gushing out of the gutter and pooling around the house.

I quickly called Erik because every available container I had was filled with water and I needed something else. Something bigger.  Earlier in the week, Erik had picked up his huge, I-don't-know-how-many-gallon-water tank from a friend who had borrowed it.  Since it requires the skid steer to load and unload it, he just automatically took it to the barnyard and unloaded it there.  I suppose this was partly because we were not anticipating any rainfall, but also we didn't really think twice about it.  That is until we had rain on Thursday and he wasn't here to load the tank with his skid steer and move it under the above mentioned downspout.  

The final words of the call were, "You can drive it, honey.  You've done it before."   Mind you, the only times I've used the skid steer before is when we have been working on a project and Erik has been right beside me shouting explicit instructions on what I was supposed to do every single step.  The one time I did use it by myself it was just to move some dirt that was already in the bucket up to where I wanted it and even then, I just shoveled the dirt out of the bucket.  This was big.  HUGE.  So, I slipped on my Mary Jane crocs, (you know, typical footwear for the seasoned farmer) yelled to Walker, "Come on buddy, you're going to have to help me!" and headed out to the barn to get the skid steer.

We get out there and the bucket is attached to the front of the skid steer, so we have to unlock it and get it off.  The process for starting the skid steer is pretty simple, you climb in, sit down, pull the safety bar down (it has an automatic safety that if this bar is not down, you cannot drive it) and push an overdrive button, then use the handles to move the machine forward or backward.  I put Walker in the drivers seat and he did all of that and it would not move.  He shut it down, and started it back up to try again and just as he was going to back up, I noticed our Banty hen had her three tiny baby chicks under the skid steer.  Luckily one of the kids had left his or her butterfly net out in the barn, so I was able to reach under and scoop up the baby chicks one at a time and put them on top of the lawn mower and safety.  This, however, put the mama in a tailspin, and she was NOT coming out from under the skid steer until she found her babies.  I finally got her caught in the butterfly net, scooped her and her babies up and put them inside one of the feeding troughs so they would be safe.  Walker tried to back up again and it didn't work so I told him we had to switch places.  I don't know what we ended up doing, but finally we got it to go in reverse.  Walker climbed in with me and we backed out of the barn and headed toward the hoop house shed where Erik typically keeps the fork attachment for the skid steer.  We meandered through the obstacle course that is typical for this time of year to the back shed and it wasn't there.  So, thinking that after all that, we have to give up, we start back towards the barn to put the skid steer away when we see the forks on the other side of the barn.  We spent a good 10 minutes in pouring rain trying to get the forks on the skid steer.  

Just so you know, driving a skid steer is easy.  Operating the bucket/fork attachments is very difficult.  Our particular skid steer has pedals on the floor boards that operate the arm function.  The toe and heel area of each foot controls a certain operation of that arm.  The right toe and heel raises and lowers the bucket/forks and the left toe and heel lifts the arms up and down.  If you do not have  firm grasp of this, you look like I did trying to get the forks set on the arms, jerking up and down, raising the arm up above the top of the skid steer.  It is a really delicate process, and if you ever have the opportunity to see an operator in action and see how smoothly they are able to do their job, it is a thing of wonder.  Walker understood that each toe and heel movement performed a specific function of the skid steer, but due to the loudness of the machine itself, plus the pounding of the rain on the steel roof of the skid steer, it was hard to hear him giving me directions as he helped me line up the arms to put the attachment on.  Finally, he climbed back into the skid steer with me, would lean down and push the toe or heel that was to do the work.  He was like my Annie Sullivan for the skid steer world.  Once we got the forks on, he jumped back out, locked them, and we were able to easily put the tank on the forks, drive it up to the house and put it under the gutter.  

Thankfully, it was still raining by the time we got it under the downspout and while we didn't manage to catch as much water as we could have, you can see we have about five inches at the bottom of the tank.   A good start for sure and an adventure with my oldest boy that he will hopefully remember and laugh about and cherish when he is older.  

Water

When we first bought our house, taped onto and inside almost half of the cabinet doors of the kitchen were notes on what to do if there was no water.  Since we completely renovated the house and replaced the holding tank for the well, we never were particularly concerned.  Our only apprehension was that the well itself was drilled adjacent to the house and incorporated into the basement structure of our house.  Along the driveway, there is a large concrete surface about 18 inches above the ground and in the basement (which is actually a cellar) you skirt through the parts that would be behind the house and in the back is where all the gear for our well is.  It's a damp, dark, desolate room that I try to avoid as much as possible.  In fact, I think I've managed to only visit that area two or three times in the eight years we've lived here.

Most places we've been or looked at tend to have the well drilled away from the house.   In the "old" days, people used to put those sweet little rounded stone walls with a roof on their wells so that they could draw water from it with a bucket.  In fact, there's a farm near us that has a beautiful field stone well wall in their yard from days of yore.

We were not so lucky.  All we got was a white and green, aluminum clad, falling down, double seater, faux outhouse.

(this is not a picture of our faux outhouse but is quite close except our roof was dark green)

Yes, that's right, I referred to an outhouse as faux.  Why might I do this? Because although the outhouse was equipped with everything from the half moon door to the double seats inside,

 there was no ditch for the "function" portion of the outhouse.  We attempted to move the outhouse several years ago to use it as a shed near our now non-existent garden, but as soon as Erik lifted it with the skid loader bucket, it fell apart.

Anyway, the well is located basically beneath our house.  In the almost eight years we've lived here, it's never given us a lick of trouble other than our holding tank at times not being able to keep up with our demand  and that is usually only when an animal has knocked the automatic waterer off the base and caused the trough to overflow or if the kids have decided to crack open one of the frost free's

and make mud puddles, mud pies, or cover each other in mud.

That is, until now.  

The last few months have been abnormally dry around here.  About three weeks ago, we started having problems with water.  Our first fear was that our well was running dry.  We'd have periodic spells where we'd be running water and then all of a sudden, the water would stop.  Not good.  We immediately implemented our best conservation practices; doing a few loads of laundry at the laundry mat, restricting showers (the kids take a nightly bath in the pool except Saturday when we wash them in the shower and wash their hair), unplugging our commercial icemaker (I'm sure this seems frivolous to many people, but having a limitless supply of ice for Erik to take to work daily, especially during this recent heat, is almost essential), not running the dishwasher, etc.  When you think about what is required of our well daily, just on the human population alone, you can see the well is really put to the test. I am so grateful we have a well and don't have to pay for water!  Add in our barnyard critters, which the goats, alpacas, and donkey alone drink at least a gallon a day draining about 75 gallons of water daily!

Erik would hustle down to the well-room and wiggle the pressure gauge on the tank and he would hear water start trickling in the holding tank again.   After about a week of this stop and go water, Erik finally had the time to run to the plumbing supply company that we frequent and was able to buy the replacement parts and fix the gauge.  So far, the water has not run out like it was doing before, but there are times, on days when I really push the well to its limits, that we have very low pressure for a few minutes.

All of this background story is to tell you about the adventure Walker and I had on Thursday afternoon during a BIG storm!

But that story is for another day.

For now, please whether you have city water or a well, please conserve your water.  When you are running your water while brushing your teeth, or waiting for the hot water to come through the pipe,  think about the portion of the USA that is in a severe heat and drought crisis and pray for them.  I've read in farming publications that portions of the Southwest haven't seen a drop of rain since September 2010!  Many farmers/ranchers are selling their cattle at a HUGE loss because they no longer can feed or water them.  The heat is especially bad for our crops too.  Many of you know sweet corn was behind schedule (and supplies are limited as evidenced by Ambrose's selling out of corn by 11 am most days) because the heat and lack of rain is horribly detrimental to our crops.  While you may think this only affects the farmers and ranchers, it does not.  If corn harvests are bad, prices will rise yet again.  If you think the oil industry caused trouble because of the prices rising, imagine what the impact will be if food AND fuel cannot meet demand!  If you're not really a praying person, now would be the time to pray not just for rain, but for those folks depending on the rain, not just for relief, but for their lives.

You Might Be a Farmer's Wife . . .

I found this and am reposting.  So funny!  I highlighted the ones most applicable to my current life, although, several others apply to me as well.  Kudos to all you farm wives out there - especially the ones that work WAY harder than I have to.


You Might be a Farmer's Wife . . .

---

• If your name is taped to the side of a cakepan:
• If you call the implement dealer and he recognizes your voice:
• If the vet’s number is on the speed dial of your phone:
• If you know how to change the flat on your car, but can’t because the spare is on a flatbed:
• If your second vehicle is still a pickup:
• If the folks in the Emergency Room have a pool going for your kids and it involves the type of injury and when it will occur:
• If your husband has ever used field equipment to maintain your yard:
• If you’re in the habit of buying foodstuffs in bulk:
• If a "night out" involves the local 4-H club:
• If the word "auction" makes you tingle:
• If you’ve ever washed your kids or the dishes with a pressure washer:
• If "picking rock" is considered a chance to get out of the house:
• If "wild game" reminds you of dinner and not the bedroom:
• If "a little bit of lunch" involves 6 courses and a dessert made from scratch:
• If the "fresh ingredients" your recipe calls for reminds you to do the chores:
• If taking lunch to the field is as close as you get to a picnic:
• If that pail with a hole in it is a flowerpot in the making:
• If your rock garden was hand-picked:
• If you can mend a pair of pants and the fence that ripped them:
• If you’re on the lookout for new uses for "Jell-O":
• If the shopping list in your purse includes the sizes of filters, tires, overalls, chains, belts, lights, cables, spark plugs or shotgun shells:
• If "Farm", "Ranch", "Country", "Cowboy" or "Antique" is in the name of your favorite magazine:
• If your tan lines are somewhere below your shoulder and above your elbow:
• If "Lacey" or "Frilly" refers to a farm animal but not your nightgown:
• If you ever went on a date to the rodeo:
• If you’ve ever been grateful for fingernail polish, because it hides the dirt under your nails:
• If you’ve ever called your husband to supper, using a radio: (cell phone)
• If you buy antiques because they match the rest of your furniture:
• If being taken out to dinner has ever included a talk by a seed corn dealer:
• If your driveway is longer than a stone’s throw:
• If your mailbox looks like a piece of farm machinery:
• If your kids’ wading pool has ever doubled as a stock tank, or vice versa:
• If the daily paper is always a day late:
• If you have a yard, but not a lawn:
• If you have lots of machinery and each piece is worth more than your house:
• If the leaky barn roof gets fixed, before the leaky house roof:
• If duct tape is always on your shopping list:
• If the neighbor’s house is best viewed with binoculars:
• If the directions to your house include the words, "miles," "silos," "last," or "gravel road":
• If the tractor and the combine have air conditioning and an FM radio but your car doesn’t:
• If your storage shed is a barn:
• If you measure travel in miles not minutes:
• If your farm equipment has the latest global positioning technology and you still can’t find your husband:
• If you consider "hot dish" a food group:
• If your husband says, "Can you help me for a few minutes?" and you know that might be anywhere from a few minutes to six hours:
• If you plan your vacations around farm shows:
• If Zaa Zaa Gabor is on your list of "Most Admired Persons":
• If grass stains are the least of your laundry problems:
• If your refrigerator contains medicine, livestock medicine:
• If your car’s color is two-toned and one color is gravel road brown:
• If you knew everyone in your high school:
• If you’ve ever grown your own wall decorations:
• If you’ve entertained the romantic notion of living in an old, country farmhouse with a fireplace, but gave it up because firsthand experience tells you that it’s cold, drafty, smoky and sooty:
• If you use newspapers to help keep the kitchen floor clean:
• If you’ve ever said, "Oh, it’s only a little mud.":
• If you need a pair of vice grips to run a household appliance:
• If your husband gave you flowers, but you had to plant the seeds yourself:
• If you've used the loader to reach the windows when they needed washing:
• If you’ve ever used a broom to shoo a critter:
• If you’ve ever discovered a batch of kittens in your laundry basket:
• If dinner is at noon and lunch is before and after dinner:
• If you don't need the recipe to make Rice Krispies bars:
• If you shovel the sidewalk, with a skidsteer loader:
• If you can find a use for that old tractor seat:
• If you've ever found mice in the underwear drawer:
• If quality time with your hubby means you'll have a flashlight in one hand and a wrench in the other:
• If you know the difference between field corn and sweet corn:
• If you buy your husband's "dress" socks at Campbell's Supply:
• If family "pets" include deer, coons, squirrels, foxes or birds:
• If you can make a meal that can be ready in six minutes and will still be ready in two hours:
• If your basement is really a cellar:
• If "sharing a cab" has nothing to do with a taxi and everything to do with getting across the field:
• If your job in town is considered a farm subsidy:

Heatwave: July 21st Edition.

All you folks out there that complain of 6 below temperatures this winter, I have one questions?

"Are you happy now?"

Personally, I'd take 20 below over 95 with a heat index of 105 and humidity ANY day.

Seriously!

I'm not exactly going to say I long for days that look like this, but I could handle some cooler temperatures:

Sure, a lot more clothing is involved, but has anyone noticed it is far easier to HEAT a home than it is to cool it?  Well, at least at our house where our fuel is not only free,  but abundant.  It would take us a long time to burn all the trees on our property - if we had to.  We don't have to - don't yell at me about the environment.  We only burn already fallen trees or trees that are starting to die or will not grow because of the over growth in the vicinity.

Not that I'm complaining though.  We are very fortunate that the pool is FINALLY set and we've been swimming constantly all week.  We actually got the liner correctly last Monday, scheduled water for Tuesday and got all three tanker loads in with NO incident.  We even managed to work together to cut the liner for the skimmer and patch a few small holes that we got in the liner due to the overworking of it the previous two weeks.

It is heavenly.

Everyone in the family LOVES it and we're happy to have our friends over to swim with us!

 The kids are exploring all the new pool toys I've been able to buy on clearance since summer is half over : )  I'm thinking pool toys/rafts/beach towels will be GREAT things to stock up on for stocking stuffers and Easter baskets.  Someone please remind me to do that as I do not ever want to leave the house again since I can stay immersed in the pool all day!

The people we bought our pool from used had a box of pool things they threw in with the pool.  In the box were some plastic sharks, dolphins and an alligator.  Willie loves that alligator.

 Hello, Walker.  These giant green goggles are the only ones that fit him.  I cannot find any goggles to fit my kids faces.  Even the Youth 4+ goggles I found at Walmart, where the eye pieces are the size of quarters don't fit them.

We had my niece and nephew stay with us for a few days.

 Our schedule went something like this:
Wake up.
Eat
Swim
Eat
Swim
Eat
Swim
Make kids get out of pool and rest even though they don't really want to but bribe them with a movie and a sweet snack.
Swim
Eat
Swim
Eat
Brush teeth
Bed

The times of these events really don't matter - in fact, I'm relearning that when you have a pool, the time doesn't matter.  You just rely on your carnal instincts to tell you what your body needs.

Today some of the girls from my book league managed to drag their sweaty bodies to my house for a swim party.  We were supposed to also discuss the book we recently read, 

but apparently only me and one other girl (who was unable to make our meeting today) enjoyed the book, so our discussion was pretty much just a poll of who actually read the book, who liked it, and then silence.

But we got to visit with this little fella.

And everyone hung out in the pool.

The kids jumped and played and swam.

 and noodled

 and splashed

and smiled.

And I smiled.  Because we were fortunate enough to be able to put in this pool and we have wonderful friends to share it with us.  These memories are what will keep me warm when the days once again look like this: