"I don't know how you do it all"

"I don't know how you do it all." 

Today already, I have already made and had coffee, played with Spirulina, walked Reece over the entire 9 acres while checking the fencelines, straightened up the workshop, and am currently blogging. It is 7:39am. After I post this, I will clean up all the empty feed bags and trash from the barn, make some peanut butter cookies, and then head over to the local animal shelter to see a dog that needs a little help. All of these things I enjoy. A clean barn makes me happy, but during the week, I am in a hurry to get everyone fed after work, and I just leave my messes. Peanut butter cookies will be my mama's recipe, and I just cannot have a Sunday without a sweet treat... and then of course, seeing and helping a shelter pup is rewarding in itself. AFTER THAT, I WILL DO NOTHING ELSE THE REST OF THE DAY! I just manage my time well. It isn't that I do a ton... Christian also assumes I stay 'busy' too much as well, but I actually do have a lot of down time every day.....

As far as all the things I love to do, I could have less land and less animals, but then I'd be miserable. The first 10 years Christian and I were together, all I talked about and daydreamed about was a farm. The 10th year, I rescued Eli & Ellie and had some chickens on a friend's land in which I cared for the sheep fas a trade for me having my animals there. Year 15, I got my very own farm. It wasn't ready for animals when we moved here, but I busted my ass to get it ready and in a few months my whole crew was here.  It had been a dream for so long that I don't know that I would ever not be ecstatic that this is my life!

I can't imagine not having all the things I do, fill my time outside of my daily grind where I am planted at a desk for several hours five days a week. You see, this movement after sitting all day makes me feel alive. It isn't me being 'busy'..... I just am doing what I love. Most of my close friends know that I tend to all the land, animals, and farm responsibilities myself, while Christian keeps up the house for the most part. The farm life was my idea, and part of convincing Christian that we needed to live here rather than some concrete city (like LA where Christian lived for almost a year back in 2008-9), was that I assumed all responsibilities of the farm. While most people would think that it is tiring work, I enjoy it most of the time. Sure there are some things I dislike, like cleaning the chicken coop, fixing all the things that Eli destroys, weedeating, having to manually do a lot of things that most farms have a tractor for, but those dreaded things don't have to be done often, and if Christian isn't working, of course he helps.

I also have at least a few hours each day that I use to meditate, ground myself, sit and just listen to the birds outside, or blog, and on Sundays I do almost nothing after noon. Sunday is the only day Christian and I have off together, so I make sure any chores or shelter dogs I need to visit, are done before noon. Then it is good food, tv or movies, and maximum vegging out with Christian.

The farm animals I care for, and Reece - although it is difficult at times, it is a rewarding thing. I enjoy seeing them each day, and although some of the farm crew are a bit harder to care for now in their golden years, I am happy to know that they are here getting what they need... Eli and Misty have been harder to keep up as they have aged, so it is a bit of work to keep weight on them and due to that they have a special diet. Bonnie, Ellie, and Ellen are all the easiest to keep up and don't require much at all. Hazel has a few masses that I have to tend to and will have her eye removed in a few weeks, but she still has a great appetite and at 37, is still chuggin' along.....

The land upkeep is a strange therapeutic practice. I LOVE my little lawn tractor and anytime I can hop on that for a few hours is its own kind of meditation. The sound drowns out anything and everything except what I choose to focus on.

Since I am going to the shelter in a bit, I will share the peanut butter cookie recipe HERE because it is a repeat of one I have already done! 

Happy Sunday, y'all! See you here tomorrow with a few updates! <3