Ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels?  Like nothing much is getting accomplished despite what feels like non stop work?  That’s how it’s been lately around here.  Lots of hurrying up to wait.

The chickens are still not giving up the goods.  No eggs.  Plus something keeps stealing the golf balls I’ve been putting in the nesting bin to encourage said egg – laying.  Our friend Heath brought over his trap camera tonight so we are hoping to catch the culprit on film.  Most likely it’s a ‘possum; it’s been too cold for snakes.  You’d think, though, that after 3 golf balls the critter would’ve learned that there’s nothing yummy to be had from that particular bin.  It’ll be interesting to see what develops!

Old decrepit house in Portageville, NY

I’m just about done knitting Neve’s cardigan.  All that’s left is to bind off the neck and knit the button band.  Pictures soon, I hope –  it’s currently sitting on my dining room table, mocking me.  It knows how difficult it has been to make it to a “knitting portion” of the day lately.  Maybe I need to forego sleep for a few nights?

We hooked up a small tank of propane to the fireplace since it has been getting cold enough that we have had a frost a few mornings this week.  That was when we discovered that the valve on our fireplace is bad.  Now I am awaiting a replacement and then we’ll hopefully be ordering a large tank that will see us through the winter.  I also found out on of those frosty mornings that the heat in my car is not working.  Nothing starts a day off better than three shivering  children whining about how evil you are to take them to the bus stop and wait in an ice cold car with frozen leather seats.  I am waiting (I know, big surprise, right?) for that to be diagnosed and fixed.  (Though to my credit I did add a quart of oil to the same car after the light came on rather than wait for the engine to explode).  I then continued my own transformation into ice – woman by driving to my doctor’s appointment without heat and was so cold, and apparently pitiful, as well, that my lovely doctor went and found me a blanket to wrap myself in.  ME.  Hot flashy, heat – hating, cold – lover ME.  What is the world coming to?

And while we are on the topic of frosty mornings – how is it that it can be 36 at 7 am when you get up and get the kids dressed and off to school and then at 3:30 pm when you get them off the bus it is like 78???  No wonder we’re all feeling a bit grumpy and out of sorts – clearly Mother Nature can’t make up her mind.

Somewhere between Portageville, NY and Nunda, NY

The dog peed all over the living room rug again today.  She only does this when Paul is out of town, and she loves to do it in such a way that no one notices until their feet get wet walking over to the couch.  I noticed it while vacuuming.  I’d pitch the carpet right this second but I have nothing to replace it with so I am (guess what?) waiting for a new one.  (Disclaimer: If this were the first doggie indiscretion on the rug I would simply give it a good cleaning.  However, this is doggie indiscretion number eleventy-billion, and I am sick of watching Oona and Neve roll around all over that nasty, stinking rug).

The laundry continues its assault on my mental well- being.  Not only is the dirty pile mountainous, but the clean pile that I started sorting out on Oona’s bed has become a veritable Mt. Everest of assorted clothing and towels that I am afraid might topple over and bury a small child should one wander in there to retrieve anything.  Every attempt at organizing and putting away this towering pile has been met with the inevitable wailing of children needing 378 other things from me.  (I’m hungry! I’m thirsty! I need more toilet paper!  I can’t find my homework!  I need help with the chickens!  The dog peed all over the floor!)

Portageville, NY

Right now we are in the midst of Massive Bug Invasion 2009! It started with the fruit flies.  That’s really nothing new – around here late August through December is fruit fly season.  It doesn’t matter how clean your home is or how air – tight you built it – around here you WILL have fruit flies.  But, on top if those we have been inundated with those huge mosquito hawk things.  It looks like some biblical plague has been visited unto our neighborhood.  Spend some time at the bus stop here and someone will mention it.  You can’t walk or drive through  without being swarmed.  They’ve gotten trapped in the many spiderwebs all over our house and now we look more than ready for Halloween.  I’d be pretty happy if we could get someone out to power – wash the place right about now – but I am waiting for Paul to make that call.

Making an early appearance this year are the lady bugs.  Usually they don’t start invading until around Christmas, but I am starting to see them make their way to our windows and doorways already.  Time to break out the shop vac!  Not much else you can do, unless you want to spray lots of poison; with all the animals we’ve got I’d rather not risk it.

On the goat front I am still looking at finding some lovelies to adopt.  There are a bunch out our way looking for homes but right now I have no shelter for them so I will have to wait until I can get something built that will be an adequate shelter.  I also think I need a llama.  Or an alpaca.  Both?

Somewhere between Portageville, NY and Nunda, NY

What we have gotten accomplished was a fruitful trip to Sam’s Club in the bus.  Yup.  We took the bus to Sam’s.  It was sort of weird but really fun.  And let me tell you – you can fit a lot of Sam’s Club merchandise in a bus.  It’s also a nice change to not have the kids whining and complaining and fighting for the whole trip to town.  I even almost got Paul to buy me a cute old – fashioned looking electric woodstove for the playroom.  It gets pretty cold in the winter since it’s over the un-insulated garage (geniuses built this house, I tell you).  Alas, he could not be swayed.  Oh well.  Maybe I’ll get some time to knit up some warm wool socks for me and the girls before the real cold sets in (Hey!  I hear you laughing!  Stop that!).

I also made 2 pumpkin pies so far.

Or, as I prefer to think of them, Breakfast Pies.

I also made a few loaves of Pumpkin – Oatmeal bread but they have not turned out as well as I’d like.  I’ll have to fine – tune the technique with those a bit.  Thanks to Oona I am waiting for some time to do that.  Currently she is laying at my feet shrieking that she wants to go to bed.  What she means is she wants ME to go to bed with her, and that should I dare try and get up once she is asleep she will at once awaken and cry and cling to me fiercely.  Therefore I am hoping she will tire herself out and either let me hold her in my lap or fall asleep on her own.  See?  More waiting. Poor cute little thing.