Such a young wee one to have already discovered man's favorite repast: zoning out in the recliner!
The last few days have been rainy and gray, so it's been a good time to relax and recharge. The kids have been going strong since the sun came back out for spring and I don't think they realized just how tired they can get. They all have been taking it easy during the day, but they are still sleeping pretty soundly at night as well. It's a good thing it will be nice again this weekend: they'll have all kinds of energy stored up that will need burning off!
As for needing a recharge, I'm definitely at the head of the line here! Remember the walking I'll be doing all summer long? Ahhh, yes, the Relay for Life event in June and the 60 mile 3-day walk in August... Recently added to the program was the Race For the Cure 5K event this coming Sunday. My doctor asked me to join his team with the other patients, and I thought it would be a great little practice session. The team is participating in the non-competetive division, so I don't have to be training for the olympics or anything. But it will be a great way to get in some more walking! Training has been lagging behind. The weather and my schedule have both hindered getting out and hitting the trail. After this walk, I'm going to have to clear the table of some of the more unnecessary committments and make it the number 1 priority. I'm still excited about the events, but I just haven't been able to really focus on them. And it shows! My fundraising is at a standstill, and my shoes are hardly broken in! Ok, the last thing is not quite true. My shoes are well broken in, I just haven't gotten around to buying a new pair to break in for the actual events. My current pair won't last to the big day!
Today's agenda includes planning the vegetable patch planting. It's pretty late in the season to start this process, but the weather this year didn't really encourage any work in the garden. I think the last frost has FINALLY passed (although in Michigan, you never really know if it has) and the seeds will survive in the soil from this point on. Last year the garden included lettuce, spinach, zucchini, acorn squash, watermelon, tomatoes, beans, peas, jalapenos, green peppers, carrots and sunflowers. This year needs to be scaled back. We couldn't eat everything that we grew, the garden produced such large quantities! I do plan on having spinach again, but still not sure on anything else. That's my goal for today: what to grow, and what the layout of the beds will be.
Also on the agenda today is finding some patterns for kids clothes that are cute yet simple. I have tons of fabric in my stash, and it's quite obvious I'm not going to be using a lot of it in a quilt anytime soon, so the kids will be getting some new things to wear out of it. I don't have the time to quilt like I want to, and when I do make anything in that arena, I use the new fabrics that are coming out along with the patterns that have been created for them so they can be used in the shop. We have a ton of quilts at home already, so I may as well make something that's practical. But it should still be cute, right? Besides, even though it isn't organic content, it's making use of something we already have. A good thing on the eco-minded side of life! If I don't buy as many of the kids' clothes, then I'm saving not only money but also the gas used to drive to the store, the pollution caused by driving to the store, energy used to make more of the outfits I purchased, and less plastic packaging/hangers/tags going into the trash due to the additional production. Yes, it's a very miniscule amount of the larger scope of the kids' clothing industry, but just think about it. If every mom (or dad!) out there handmade just ONE item of their child's wardrobe each season, and even if they purchased the rest of the clothing needed, how many of those little plastic hangers and hangtags would not be needed to be made?
As I get ready to shut off the computer and get the day started, I am taking one more look out the window at the gray, rainy weather. Honestly, I like rainy spring/summer days. They are soothing to my soul. It makes me feel like the rain is washing away the stress and hassles of the daily grind and I get a more relaxed feeling about me. And it also makes me think of the smell of freshly baked bread. So before I even take my shower and make my morning coffee, I am going to get the ingredients into the bread maker for some wonderful, organic, honey-wheat bread! What a heavenly smell that will be to come home to later on....
Enjoy your day, everyone! May it be filled with joy, laughter, and the comforts of all things wonderful (like the smell of bread baking)!
