Down on the farm and other random thoughts

It is 8:53 a.m. and Ella is STILL sleeping. Tired girl. I guess we wore her out this weekend. We (my SIL, sister, nephews, neice and mother) went to a festival at Salomon Farm on Saturday. And it was really cool. It’s this beautiful farm sitting off of Dupont Road in Fort Wayne, and I’ve always wanted to go, but not sure what they have or when to go. I knew they had Wednesday night Farmer’s Market, but it just never occurs to me on a Wednesday.

Anyway, my friend Holly told me they were having an event and we went right at 10 a.m. when they opened. It is a beautiful property. Big red barns and rolling fields. They had free hay rides, a really nice petting zoo, a pumpkin display, awesome-looking organic produce and some natural soaps and other products. The kids loved petting the animals. The baby pigs were especially a hit and Ella met a horse name Ellie.

I also found out about this CSA program – Community Supported Agriculture. Basically it’s a subscription to local, organic produce. You support your local farm by paying ahead for your produce and in return you get a weekly allotment of seasonal, organic produce. I’m probably behind on this whole concept because there’s a Web site here that lists them nationally. Anyway, I think I’ll try it next year. The smallest allotment is 10 lbs a week for $25 a week. That may be more than I spend on produce weekly now, but I’m willing to try it.

Sara asked me this weekend if I still worry when Ella’s not in my eyesight. I told her not so much about Ella … I’m now worried about what she’s doing to the house when I don’t see her. She may be emptying a box of tissues or coloring on the floor. Then Sara told me yesterday she’s in phase three of worrying: Wandering what her older kid is doing to the smaller one. Guess it’s always something.

My SIL Rachel had a campfire for us all Saturday night. Hot dogs, smores and fruit pies. We were all raving about the hot dogs. We’re easy to impress I guess. Except my dad, who said the fruit pies needed a cup of sugar to be good.

I’m attaching some photos. Wish I would have gotten some of the barns and property, but when you’re with four kids and looking at stuff and chasing Ella … there’s not a lot of time.

In need of motivation

Oh man, I’m glad it’s Friday. It was a fast week though.

Working in Fort Wayne one night and Steve being out another night kinda gave the week a less routine feel. The weather is gorgeous too.

Unfortunately we have some moletraps in our front and backyard that are keeping us from playing out there though. So we’ve been on walks and to the parks lately, which is good.

I’ve been thinking about eating better and getting more exercise lately too, and I have done a decent job of it this week (by decent I mean not pigging out on ice cream at night, and working out once for 15 minutes), but I haven’t really made that commitment in my head, you know?

It started with my trip to North Carolina. I ate a lot. And I can tell in my clothes. And I really need a bathing suit that has more support. And a skirt. It’s a little depressing.

So, anyway, I hopped on our elliptical (which just sits in our bedroom taking up space) the other night while watching The Biggest Loser. If that show doesn’t inspire you, I’m not sure what will. Those people have a long way to go and they are being worked HARD. There was puking and crying and I think once they mentioned working out for 3 hours. 3 HOURS. I can’t imagine doing a three hour workout. Also, one man said he burned over 3,000 calories in his workout. 3,000! My elliptical said I only burned 120 calories. And my legs were burning.

Anyway, fast forward to the next night when I thought, ‘Eh, my legs are kinda sore and I worked out last night, so I don’t need to tonight.’

Then to the next night when I had worked the night before, then turned around to work a very early shift, then watched Ella all by myself all night  … you see what I’m getting at. I didn’t work out that night either.

Anyway, I don’t have a plan. I’m sick of the gym. There’s no way on God’s green earth I’m getting up earlier than I do now. And The Biggest Loser is only on once a week. Last I checked you need a little more workout time than that. Anyway, how do people do it? How do they squeeze in physical activitiy? If you have the answers tell me!

By the way, I loved your Sarah Palin names, Mullett, Buster and Commando!

Just call me claw

Well, I hit a nerve with my “in the dumps” post. I had a record 9 posts. OK, one of those was mine, but still. I guess a lot of my readers can connect with having a bad day or being mad at their “trashman.” By the way, the trash was emptied when I got home that day and I think “trashman” was not real happy with my post. I reminded him of all the great things I’ve said about him.

Anyway I heard something that made me chuckle last night. Someone has created a website that gives you a name as if Sarah Palin was your mother. Here’s their tagline: “There’s Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Ever wonder, What would your name be if Sarah Palin was your mother? Well now you can find out!” So then you put your real name in and it gives you a new Sarah Palinish name. Hillarious. I mean, I happen to really like her kids’ names, but I think it’s pretty funny. My Sarah Palin name is Claw Washout Palin.  Go here to find your Sarah Palin name — and be sure to share if you get one!

By the way, did anyone see Tina Fey’s impression of her on SNL? It was dead on! She did her accent perfectly, which I didn’t even really notice before. What’s even funnier is Sarah Palin made a comment about how she dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween once.

In the dumps

It’s Tuesday, my Monday, and it totally feels that way. My to-do list is frightening and I keep getting pulled in more directions, leaving less time to do each. Somehow I’ve managed to stay on track so far, but at this point I really need to take a breath, perhaps get a latte, to make it through the next stretch.

Should it really be like that? I don’t know, but at least it’s not ALWAYS this busy. It’s just an unpredictable and unbalanced job I have in journalism. Anyway … I was just reading a story on CNN about a serial rapist who’s suspected in a 19-year-old college student’s death. I can’t imagine being at a college where that is going on. Or being a parent of one of those students! Guess it puts my stresses in perspective.

Also on my mind today is trash. I won’t go into details, to be fair to my husband and because we all know every story has two sides. But what happens if one person, I’ll call him “Trashman,” agrees to take care of the trash, but leaves the cans overstuffed, heaping for days beforehand? What if you remind him, only to get a look of disgust, then the next day after trash has already been put out on the curb, that trash is still there? What if he tells you that’s not how his “system” works? Or that perhaps your trashcans are not big enough if they require emptying before every Tuesday? Or that he wasn’t given “ample notice?” How do you get through to “Trashman?” EDITED BY “TRASHMAN”!

I guess I should have blogged yesterday when I was all calm and happy from zoo storytime and Ella and I had a nice, long visit to Target where I bought birthday gifts and home things and even just browsed at stuff I didn’t need. Instead today it’s all deadlines and overflowing trash.