The "R" Word

Stick a fork in us, we are DONE!
Made it through ALL the performances and practices and auditions and doctors appointments and meetings and now we are back to just our normal busy life, which suddenly doesn't seem so bad in comparison.  Whew!

So, now we are looking at nothing but homeschooling, violin lessons, orchestra practices, Suzuki group, church, cooking, cleaning, organizing our home, Lenten disciplines, running, springtime eBay auctions (got a lot of clothes sorting to do!) and spring break and Easter!  I try to have part of my Lenten discipline every year be cleaning our house (a traditional thing) and organizing the children's clothes for spring and summer as well as their Easter wear.  So, I usually take this time to eBay all our good stuff that no longer fits and buy things that do fit...then I inventory and hit the stores for things we can't find on eBay.  Have to say, it is gonna' be a squeeze to get that all done before April this year.  February is not usually so very busy (thank heavens!)

Also working against us this year in everything we are doing is the "R" word.  (Can't even bring myself to say it anymore.)  It is coming down in buckets, yet again.  We have had an incredible year for precipitation.  Really, beyond anything I have seen, and I have lived here for 24 years (ack! 24 years! what have I been doing all that time!)  Usually by this time we would be covered in spring flowers and have started our corn planting.  This year, we are months from being able to get on the fields.  Even if it stops today, it will take a long time to drain away, dry up and the ground to be ready for plowing/planting.  We have had a few brief spells where things dried up a bit, but on the whole it has looked like this...

Or this...

Or this...

Making us feel 'bout like this...

Funny, how the weather controls so much of our outlook.  Growing up, I lived for several years in the South Eifel region in West Germany, where people joke (like in Seattle) about how much it rains and how rarely the sun shines.  Never gave it much thought then...didn't bother me a bit!  But, when you are accustomed to the sun shining and the weather being generally warmer, it is a HUGE downer for it to be cold, damp, dreary and overcast instead.  I remember a little old lady at our church telling me "we are just such sun-worshippers!" the last time we had a winter similar to this one.  Sadly, that seems to be true. 
Maybe we just need one of these...

Or a vacation here...

Or how about, just a little bit more of this...

right here at home.

Sigh.

Amy