Who's in Charge Here???

It's the middle of February! It's like that feeling one gets while driving the same route each day and suddenly you realize that last few miles have gone unnoticed. How did I get here? It's actually not quite like that as each day I know exactly where I am. But sometimes when I pause to consider where that is in relation to the rest of the world construct, the calendar part surprises me. And here we are...

Yesterday, we did those things that must be done but cannot get done during the working week. I'm coming to the conclusion that housekeeping is incompatible with a 40-hour work week. Really. And it's not that we're generally messy people because we're not. But there's a fair amount of general "keeping the place in a hygienic state" tasks that have to get done on a somewhat regular basis and they get done on the "weekend" (the time not spent at work). And they get done at the expense of something else that might otherwise be done during that time; maybe immersing myself in a quilting project or a watercolor or a good book, Even just deciding spontaneously to drive 4 hours to see something remarkable and then spend 4 hours driving back. So, we will have to find a way to deal with that and I'm considering using some of that 40-hour paycheck to hire a house cleaning service. Because, more and more, I want to spend those not-at-work hours not working.

Zoe may be getting up there in years, but she is still the protector of the property. John discovered a dead rodent in the yard yesterday. We still don't really know what it is, but it was about 9+ inches long, quite thick in body, with a long tail and a stubby face, gray fur and white belly. At least that's how he describes it. I haven't actually seen it and I am thankful for that.

John planted one of the new fruit trees yesterday before the rain came in and put a halt to his farming activities. The other one will likely go in today. And we got two new lilac bushes. These are much larger starts than our first attempts and will hopefully survive. I just love the fragrance of lilacs. Springtime is at the door and pounding to be let in. It's reassuring to see the swollen buds on the foliage everywhere. The bulbs are pushing up and will burst into bloom certainly by month's end at this rate. Soon we will not be able to see the neighbor's house through the woods and, likewise, our house will be obscured from easy view. It's like getting a big hug from Mother Nature.

I am a week behind and a project pending in my homework so that will have to get some attention today. John will be off to California in the morning and we'll mark off the days on the calendar.  Another week begins...