Well, this post will be a bit different in style than my usual posts. I just don't have the energy to post new pics of our baby chicks, even though they are very cute. Next week, then. Mostly, I am just under a lot of stress and I don't really feel like reporting on any of our creative endeavors at the moment. Except I will tell you this- We had 9 chicks hatch and I think we are going to build a bigger hen house and possibly start to sell farm fresh eggs out of our front yard. That should be fun.
I just started a good book- It is called Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. It came out on the 100th anniversary of the original Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favorite books, and I would recommend the movie as well. Anyway- I will let you know my thoughts on this new book. We'll see if Budge (what kind of a name is that, anyway?) can do Anne Shirley justice.
Hmm, let's see, back to my stressful life. I just have too much going on. The worst part is, I don't believe in busyness. I think everybody ought to take it easy. And that's what I plan to do starting May 15th or so. My semester is just a pain in the booty right now. Let me just give you run through of my week. (Please bear with me, I just need to vent and then I'll drop it.) Monday: Every 2nd and 4th Monday I have MOPS steering team meeting. This is something I WANT to do, but because I have so much else, it seems like an obligation instead of an enjoyable commitment. Tuesday: Drive to Batavia at 8:15, do internship, drive to Brockport, go to class, drive back to Batavia, more internship, drive home at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday: Internship 3:30 to 8:00. Thursday: Class, 5:30-9:30. Friday: Thanks goodness I don't have any obligations here.
All I want to do is stay home! Please let me stay home till I actually want to go somewhere.
And, I really want a dog, but I don't have time right now, and Joe isn't sure that he wants one. So, that feels like more stress even though it shouldn't.
Okay, thanks for listening. It's amazing how a little wine, I mean whine, can make you feel better.
Hmm, now that I feel better, I will tell you something more interesting. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but my mom got me a subscription to Countryside magazine for my birthday. I LOVE it. I have gotten a lot of good ideas and useful information already. Here are my two favorites from this month's edition.
1. How to throughly clean a cast iron pan- Throw it in the fire. Any fire will do. It just burns all the gunk off and then all you have to do is rinse it and re-cure it. SWEET! This method means that now if you see a nasty old cast iron pan at a garage sale that you normally wouldn't bother with because of the amount of elbow grease it would take to get it clean- you can buy it and clean it up like new!
2. How to simplify your life even if you don't want to become Amish- Turn off the lights one night a week. Joe and I are going to implement this neat idea as soon as I am actually home one night a week. The way we are going to do it is when he gets home from work on the chosen evening, we are going to turn off all our electrical appliances and cook, eat, and socialize by daylight and/or candlelight. When we get our woodstove (Thanks Uncle Sam, for the extra cash) we won't even need to use our stove to cook. Should be fun, and a great way to save on utilities!

Well, I have two crying kiddos, better go see what it is they might need from me. Most likely it is just hugs.
Have a great weekend!
XOXO
~Joce