EKjourney Backup

I think we all have "things" that give us a sense of peace and calm.  For me, having an orderly environment is really important.  Mess, chaos, clutter makes me feel really uncomfortable, overwhelmed, and uninspired.  I have a hard time being motivated when I am surrounded by a visual disaster.  I have lived in a remodel mess with most of our belongings in bags and boxes for 9 full months now, starting with the packing and stacking in our old home on Silver Loop as we worked on fixing up the property/house and moving thing into storage.  And full force for 5 months as we officially moved into our new home.   Somedays, like today, it just feels like a crushing weight... I get so overwhelmed in all of this and feel like my "job" to school and parent children (especially with the special needs), prepare meals, shop/run errands, clean and keep up on regular chores like dishes and laundry, manage workers, farm management and responsibility, etc.. is just mor...

They burned all around our property yesterday. This is down our driveway and across the main road.   It burns down very fast. This is to the North.  The weeping willow is in our field. This is the looking down toward the bottom of our field to the East.  They burned the field beyond that tree block.  This is a favorite play place of the children.  This is a pond area in the wet months and it dries up to just a natural spring in the summer.  I love this beautiful view. I can't see it from the house because it is tucked away behind the trees. This is the view that I see out the North window looking to the Northeast.  It is partially blocked by the walnut trees when it is fully leafed out.

I can't even get over how beautiful the sunrises are on this little farm.   Phil's alarm went of at 4:45 and we were up by 5:00.  He left before 5:30 and I headed up to the kitchen and made coffee (I became a coffee drinker when we bought this place starting with the late night painting in March.  I can't do straight caffeine because it makes me jittery so a mix of caffeine and non with a little cream is just about right.)  In general, I spend a good chunk of time in the morning checking emails, doing research (reading articles, landscape ideas, farm information, curriculum, ADHD/Dyslexia), making plans or lists, arranging meetings/appointments/outings, keeping up on my blog, etc.  It surprises me how much the computer is the hub for how I organize, learn, make arrangements, shop, socialize, plan, etc.. I have struggled with Bible reading but I have also been trying to fit in reading and reflecting on a Psalm.   Luckily, I am a morning person and ...

After a busy weekend away, I had hoped for a low key start to the week.  No such luck.  It seemed like we had one issues after another that made it impossible for me to complete a full school day and it was quite stressful.  First, we had numerous issues with contractors and finish work that I had to deal with....denied inspections, contractors not able to get started, last minute clean up, etc..  Then, it poured down rain and we had lots of drips that came in through the West windows and some of the cupboards.  Poor Phil stayed up for 43 hours straight trying to get things ready for drywall.  We started piano lessons but had to postpone art lessons because all the landscaping plants that I ordered came in which required helping unload (at my brother and Tina's) and then hauling plants over here.  Brighton's tooth fell out again (it was just fixed last week).  And we added an Autumn party into the mix at Mrs. Richmans.   Things that were...