defining balance...

I completely hate disturbing my big cuddle bug when he is deep in sleep.  But the bird screeching in the back doorway had me terribly concerned I was getting ready to have a feathered friend.  When you try to move a 50 pound puppy you aren't going anywhere fast.  Luckily his sister hurried into the kitchen to see what the ruckus was, so no bird friends today.  Thank goodness.  I love birds - outside.  

I'm off to a slow start today, I'm fairly sure it has a lot to do with the thunderstorms that rolled through this morning.  They woke me early and were so loud that I never fell back asleep.  I'm also fighting with myself.  I want to get busy, I have quite a bit to accomplish today, but I am also aware that my right knee is aching and swelling.  That knee is still the original, so to speak, and both are/were terribly damaged.  I need to rest it, that is what it is telling me. My chores are telling me something very different.  I wonder if there is a happy medium?

.... okay happyish medium?

I've been bouncing between writing, chores and helping Hubs for the past few hours.  I feel very unstable in my routine today.  I normally get up and get to it.  I am used to working my way through my list without hiccups.  I think the hours I have spent canning lately are the reason my knee is scolding me, that and climbing the stairs repeatedly, I still lean into it primarily for activities to keep the other one from aching.  What is it I keep saying about balance? It is evidently a very difficult lesson for this stubborn woman to grasp. 

I finally got all of the treetop garden planted yesterday evening, I wanted it done before the rain.  I am so glad I did, I am fairly positive those delicate young plants wouldn't have stood a chance in the wind and heavy rain we were blessed with. Yet they all survived beautifully in their new pots.  

Hopefully my new raised bed for the backyard arrives today.  I am anxious to get the rest of my plants in dirt, these ones will come from seeds, so the longer it takes to plant the longer it will take to get harvesting.  I had planned to put it at the side of the house.  Now... I'm just not sure.  I am fairly positive it I gather up some of the rocks and soil they removed when they put my post holes in I could put them along my back fence line, where I could see them and make sure they aren't disturbed, instead of on the hill.  I don't know, Hubs and I will look at it more in-depth when it arrives. I am also trying to figure out how I can plant some pumpkins.  Any ideas?  Those don't do extremely well in planters and my raised bed will be 3 ft off the ground.  I would just love to grow pumpkins.  Listen to me.  I still need to get the lilacs in the ground and here I am planning pumpkins?!  I need to stop. 

I finally went through my vast cookbook collection.  Most of it will be available at the yard sale and then my local Savers on Saturday.  It is not coming back into the house.  Although I had a few treasures that I had forgotten I owned.  Including 5 older canning books.  I was very excited to find those.  I have canned off and on for over 30 years (now that was a shocking number to write) and have collected different books on the subject.  But with a multitude of moves (former military spouse remember?) and jobs that required so many hours, I had forgotten that I even owned them. FYI - those stayed.

I also started cleaning out a book collection that is so old I could almost read them all again and be surprised.  I did keep a few that I simply don't recall ever having the time to read.  The rest, oh they will be available too, including a 17 year collection of leadership books that I frankly never want to open again. 

They will be right beside a very professional wardrobe that I no longer want or need.  I plan to be highly unprofessional for the rest of my life.  I will keep a few nice outfits for those unavoidable times that you are expected to look and act like an adult, but those are going to be few and far between.  Jeans, sweats and shorts make up the bulk of my wardrobe now and I love it!  Not going back!

I also cleaned out some of the cupboards of one off's.  Those random craft or kitchen gadgets that we thought we would use, but the truth is, it's simply not going to happen.  The Pampered Chef Mandolin is history, before I harm myself with it - I have determined those things are lethal weapons, at least for me. 

Today is going to be haphazard, I've determined I am alright with that.  In a few I will head down to my girls house, I am going to tackle the catnip and mint, since we had so much rain it will be a super easy job.  I also want to do it nicely so that he yard doesn't look like a crazed person got loose. Hopefully it is cool enough that any little snakes choose to stay somewhere warm.  And then I will get busy on decluttering the house again.  I don't like doing yard sales, but I don't like clutter even more, it's time for it to go somewhere else. 

this one cracked me up, he touched her while 
she was getting loves... she moves fast...

Remember we have to define balance before we can create it... 

love and peace...