Thursday

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach




"You have achieved success if you have lived well, laughed often and loved much." - Author Unknown




The female knot-tying weaverbird will refuse to mate with a male who has built a shoddy nest. If spurned, the male must take the nest apart and completely rebuild it in order to win the affections of the female.



(I posted the title of this blog as Thursday because I noticed that I wrote it and forgot to post it on Thursday and now it is Friday so the date posted will probably be wrong...I don't know.)

Today Ted is working from 7am-3pm and then he goes back to work at 9pm-11pm. Jake had swimming lessons (I didn't say we actually went :-) and tonight Grant and I have tickets to the cirque viola at WIU Western Hall. Mom is coming to watch Jake the Insane. I had to choose to miss wt. lifting tonight or to go to this event with Grant. While most mothers would not hesitate to spend a moment with their child, I spend all of my moments with them, so I really look forward to my wt. lifting class. But, Grant loves those Cirque shows. I hadn't even said the full name of the event before he was screaming and jumping up and down, "I want to go Mommy, I want to go! Can we go?" I could really see Grant being a high flying acrobatic tight rope walker or trapeze artist.





The water here is turning orange again and smells like metals of some kind. I called the calligan man to come and talk with me about some options because I am really annoyed by it all. I think what really set me off finally was when I filled some old milk jug with water from outside, (and yes I let it run for awhile before hand), and let the water sit for a day. When I came back today to water the plants with it, it was orange and there was a thick layer of rust looking sediment on the bottom of the jug. AHHHH! Grant told me today that he was going to fill up a bucket and Jake and him were going to get inside and swim in it. I was thinking about how we can't even fill a kiddy pool with water because of how nasty the water is. I hope it doesn't kill the houseplants I watered with it. The boys dumped all my collected rainwater into a fish tank to make "STAR WARS JUICE" and then dared each other to drink it. So I had to use the well water to water the house plants. I used to complain about the water back on the farm at home. I laugh at that now. I would drink that in a second compared to this. I could stand bad taste, and maybe even bad smell, but I draw the line at sediment. Our new washer is already stained. Our clothes look terrible. I gave up showering at home and shower at the YMCA. I give the boys showers after swimming lessons on their 2 days a week and then when they get really dirty I give them baby wipe baths!

How'd you like that garden

That's right, I got my tillin' on. How'd you like that garden? You should have seen the size of this tiller. I think my wrists are swollen. It was a beast! One time I saw an FS worker drive by slowly and he waved and then did a quick double take...like he was thinking, no way that gal is really doing that?! Or maybe he was thinking, man that dude really looks like a girl! Anyway, it's done, now. I didn't get anything planted and Jake was taking a nap while I was tilling, so him and Grant didn't work on their patch. Grant watched National Geographic Kids online again and worked on his writing. He made me laugh because I really had no idea what he was was doing when I was tilling I was just hoping he wasn't burning the house down. When I came inside he said "Mom, I did all of the writing in this book, but I didn't do any of the math because I'm kind- of sick of that, is that ok?" And then he handed me one of those K-1st grade workbooks that parents are suppose to do with them! I was shocked. Funny how expectations go.

I drank one of those Mocha drinks from McDonald's before wt. class and rocked that out too! If I hadn't I'm pretty sure my heart wold have stopped. Ok.... a little exaggeration...

I ended up watching a whole lot of TV last night after class because movement via cleaning, dishes, laundry, fishing things out of the toilet, and trying to find all of my stolen make-up again just wasn't gonna happen. I was thinking of Kelly and how she is rocking out 10 and 11 miles lately. I am so proud of her. I miss that feeling. It hurts so good to finish such a challenging experience like that. I know Beth is running on her lunch break when she can get a chance, which I also think is pretty insanely difficult when you are working. When do you eat... while you run? I know how it goes though, you have to find a way or it never gets in there. We can always find a way to do what we love, right anonymous? I'm pretty sure you reminded me of that during one of my complaining rants. See, I pay attention!

Well, today Ted has to go testify at court for work today. Grant has swimming lessons. I am going to actually plant things in the garden and figure out a way to keep all of the deer and critters out of the garden. Time for another dose of caffeine.

It's the WEEKEND!

Today is our weekend. Ted has today and tomorrow off. We are all busy right? Different busy, but busy. Today Grant has his six month cleaning at the dentist, Jake has parent tot swimming, I had to rent a tiller and I hate having to do it but I just bucked up and called the rental place and did it. I hate having to borrow equipment to do things for myself, I always have... I think I will start a tiller fund. I'll take about $15 out of each paycheck and put it aside until I can afford one for myself. I want one that can bust through hard clay soil. Our ground at the new place has mostly clay in the soil. I am going to have to work with it to make make my garden prosper, but it will be a fun challenge. Planting season here was this week, so I really wanted to get my garden in this week. Mom's will be next week-ish and on up north it will follow. I am tilling a 45 foot by 30 foot area here at our temporary home in a clearing where the previous owners had a smaller garden. It's ambitious, but nothing more than I have done before. I rock at vegetable gardening. I am going to have to work with some erosion prevention due to the slope. I can handle it. I love the feel of digging up the earth with a giant machine and seeing the fresh dirt turn over on the ground. It's like a fresh start...a new beginning. It is ready for new life.
We have the tiller for 4 hours this afternoon. After swimming lessons I am headed to the store to get some materials for the kids to work on a little garden bed of their own close by-----but far enough away that Daddy can keep them safe. I'll take pictures when we are done.
By lifting class tonight I think I'll be spent. Come to think of it, it is 9:18am and I already feel spent. I think I'll try that drink from McDonald's Kelly was telling me about. A Mocha Frapacchino? I think that was it.

We really are just animals...creatures co-existing

I have been practicing taking the emotion out of things. While I don't think I should, it was simply an experiment in my own mind and a trial and test of human nature. We are all animals. We act like animals. Not necessarily savage beasts ready for a kill or a carnivorous creature stalking others with only one thing in mind in life. Well, most of us anyway. If you you have ever watched national geographic "nat-geo" :-), you can see such similarities in the basic reactions of even the smallest creatures compared even to the most complex creatures. Somethings are always existent: agendas, manipulation, protection, defensive behavior, offensive behavior, anger outbursts, setting others straight, getting a point across, the desire for food and water, the desire to reproduce, the desire for connection, (even if it is only at one point in the creatures entire life), and the need for enjoyment, play and freedom.
A concept that always surprises me about humans is their lack of ability in understanding that if you push another human (animal) into any sort of perceived corner, cage or restriction, they WILL defend themselves. Some use a fight mechanism and some use a flight mechanism. Yet, there is also a encoded defensive mechanism in place for all creatures that reminds them that a skunk will make a horrid stench if you bother it, a porcupine will shoot sharp and painful spurs if you challenge it, a tiger will pounce if you antagonize it, a dog will bite if you get near its food...and the smart creatures won't make the same mistake twice. I know that humans are more complex and have the amazing gift of communication, speech, forgiveness, faith, hope, etc, however, sometimes our animal nature is stronger than any of these things.
Ted and I were talking about the dynamic of relationships in which you feel wronged so you are an animal on the defence. They treat you poorly no matter how hard you try to mend the relationship and your animal nature ingrains a strong sense and desire to avoid these people. After all, no matter how selfish it seems, we are animals and we must survive.

My first laugh until I cried of the day

DStv Fire station Pole dancing Commercial-
You will have to cut and paste the url b/c sometimes I can get links to work and sometimes they don't.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UGpMNqHXvI
Enjoy, and, hey Ted...
get to work :-)
Second laugh, although I saw this the other night on TV when I was really tired and I laughed so hard I fell out of the recliner. I think I might have identified:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLrsCnBvQFo

How to Start a Gratitude Journal

How to Start a Gratitude Journal: Click the highlighted test
Grant and I are going to start this project tomorrow after we build his giant outdoor toad-terrarium-Disney-world extravaganza. I think we should have to start charging the toads for the whole experience!

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version - Official

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version - Official
Hey Dan! We could have done this for sure right?