February

I promised a few friends that I would get back to my blog. I guess I am always surprised that anyone reads it or wants to see more so kind of let it slide. I think of things all the time to share but then sometimes I feel as if I am in a rut. So, here I am back again with same old things and new things and life goes on.

Jim seems to be enjoying his job, working with a great bunch of guys. What I like the most is that he is out interacting with people and also getting great workouts. The place is huge and he does a lot of walking which is wonderful for his health and something that I could not get him to do on a voluntary basis. I know he is sleeping much better no thrashing around, so I am sleeping better also,lol.

My job has slowed down a bit after the holidays and no bad weather in my area. I feel much calmer and confident most of the time, what I struggle with is to be faster on the phones. It is hard for me to be curt and cut people off which I think is how lots of the people manage to be so quick. I usually try to find them the phone numbers they are looking for or help them as much as I can. I do now try to direct the conversation to the facts and not let them rattle on about the whole situation. I hate to do this, but am tired of the notes that I am not fast enough. I am keeping my eyes open for another client that might be more along the lines of Lands' End where you are not penalized for trying to help people.

The chickens are thriving and with the warmer weather laying more. The young ones will start laying in a month or so and the egg business will increase. I had to raise my prices a bit as the feed prices are going up. My plans are to take them to a farmer's market this summer where I will be able to get a much higher price for them. Hope to also have herbs, peppers and some produce to take also.

The office area is pretty much together, still some more filing to get done, I have tons of papers to go through, I am making up for years of shoving things in boxes and moving them from spot to spot. Now I will finally be able to clear so much stuff out and it will feel so good. I am also making progress on the craft side of the room,have even come up with what I think will be a nice color scheme. I am thinking cream colored walls and some sort of border. It currently is a bluish with a baseball border so need to cover that. Of course once again all this depends on Jim getting the roof sealed and a new ceiling in. I have so many plans and it drives me crazy to have things all up in the air. With no place to put things and clutter everywhere it keeps me off balance and cranky.

I am determined that this is the year things are going to get done, I hate to be a nag but will if that is what it takes. Jim just has no interest in things being organized, he is a piler. I clear off tables or counters and he busily fills them back up. I keep tearing out pictures of colors and curtains etc. If need be I will pay someone to come in and patch holes etc so I can paint and paper. Having grown up with women who made a career of nagging I will not be able to do much of it as it makes me even more upset.

I have been busy planning out the garden, so many catalogs coming in I want it all,lol. We have a larger area planned and that should work out very well this year. Piles of compost to use and I think it will be successful. Time will tell.

My goal is to make this all come together and be successful. I also have help coming in the Spring so that this will also be the year my shop gets done. I have quite a few people who want to have me teach them and also others who want to work with me. I am going to make this happen so that we can back on track with the finances. I am going to be smarter about things and not try to do it all myself as I have in the past. Watching the cake shows has really helped me to plan things out better, all of them have several people working with them that do the "grunt" work. At my age I need to be more in the planning and less in the physical. With very little overhead I have a real shot at making this work and being successful. My job will provide the money for supplies and also I need a bigger mixer. My two Kitchen Aids are very old and have done a wonderful job but I know they will not last forever.

So plans are made and God willing and the creek don't rise it should all come together.

Love to you all and thank you for all the wonderful comments, they mean so much.

Barbara