Right now...it is after 7 and need to get breakfast together soon.
This weekend...was a good one, all things considered. On Friday Bret had off, as he had worked late every night through Thursday. He used the morning to haul hay for the livestock and drop Una and Sebastian off at the library. I showered, made beds, did a load of laundry, made a batch of Elderberry-Echinacea syrup and tried to tidy up so that we could spend the afternoon with friends, which we did, and it was very pleasant to watch a dozen kids--we each have 6--interact and play all afternoon without any conflicts. We ended up eating cheese pizza over there for dinner, an getting home around sevenish, at which time Bret milked the cow. I am wondering now if the late milking contributed to the cow now having mastitis. Yes, we went through that with Nuala recently and decided to go ahead and dry Nuala off and milk Fiona instead. Well, now Fiona has mastitis, and we will be on tight rations until it is cleared up.
On Saturday, Bret had to pick up feed at the Mennonite community, and afterward we went in Bowling Green for grocery shopping. Not very interesting...I spent the afternoon putting things away and making dinner, while Bret went into his shop to catch up on a couple of Etsy orders. We sat down to watch The Lion in Winter in the evening, a movie I love, but which is very hard to watch with chatty little kids about, as it is little action and much dialog.
Mass was nice, but with most of our priests off giving missions for Lent, we had only two priests present for Mass, and it seemed a little odd. Most of the time the priests outnumber the 4 or 5 servers we have. At home I looked at sock blockers online and worked out what sizes we will start with if we make some for our Etsy shop, and then I got dinner together--a big roast chicken, sweet potatoes, mixed greens and corn. The kids enjoyed having dessert--some unadorned chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream--since we have cut out desserts for Lent except for Sundays and solemnities. Bret had the passive mortification of first finding out that the cow has mastitis and then having the milk bucket fall and spill a gallon of milk all over the very messy and overcrowded pantry/laundry room. So he had a major cleaning job to do at 5 o'clock on a Sunday evening. I couldn't help too much, making dinner as I was, but the kids gave him a hand. The laundry room looks better than it has in months!
Some plans for this week: Today will be busy, as I have a bunch of receipts to write into my checkbook, two Etsy orders to finish-sand, package and label for shipping, chicken in the fridge to trim and re-package for the freezer and an insurance guy coming by today to look at some storm damage to our roof (I'll direct him to the pile of shingles in the front yard that blew off in the last really rough storm). After the busyness of last week, I really have no major plans for this one except to school and pay bills and look for Easter shoes for Una online.
If I find some time for myself, I would like to...work on my knitting (I've started another pair of socks and want to cast on something bigger...a spring sweater for Gemma, perhaps?) and finish reading How the Irish Saved Civilization.
I am grateful for...our tax return, which means I can make a few purchases we've been putting off--like a new bed for Gemma and some dental work for myself. Also grateful for the sunshine today...it makes a difference in everyone's disposition around here.
Some special prayer intentions for this week: for our Holy Father and for his successor; for Josiah, who has a birthday on Wednesday; for our cow's mastitis to clear up, as we really need the milk! For greater humility and the grace to focus on God throughout each day in spite of all the many distractions and activities.
Something that makes me smile: My kids having a grand time.
