Trashy things, garden ideas, and please, pray for peace today--

As predicted, it's wet and under 40 degrees at the moment. I pray that the sun comes out earlier than expected, but I'm a realist, too. Holly, Tim, and I will wend our way to Lisbon to the Community Field so that Holly can get to tee ball practice. I've promised a quick stop at Wildflour for a snack after. She's also heading to the movies today to see the Mario thing-- and I'll be heading to the grocery store to forage for sustenance.

Saturday, y'know.

I'd like to go out for dinner, too-- it's been a crazy busy week, and I'm feeling quite tired. And tomorrow I read at church. Then there's the monthly pancake breakfast! 

Where do weekends go, anyhow? 

I have a stack of 12 papers to read this weekend, and a bit of general housework, too. I wonder how those people whose social media photos declare that they go here or there and do all this fun and crazy stuff on weekends-- how do they keep their regular life moving along? I wonder if I'm doing "it" all wrong sometimes. When I take a day to go do something fun, I either have to frontload it for days before, or I pay for my pleasure for days after. Who does the laundry and the floors when people are off playing? I've been toying with the idea of getting a housekeeper in to help me with some of the deeper cleaning projects, but they all cost 50.00 an hour. I did see one that will charge by the project, but I hate to see what that might entail. All I know is, I am a bit overwhelmed sometimes, and I'm always tired. And then I trash a vacation week from school by cleaning. It's a vicious cycle, I swear. 

I'll keep pondering it. 

Yesterday, we consciously uncoupled with Casella Waste. The cost of monthly trash hauling has more than doubled since we moved in. Yes, I know that the cost of fuel is behind this new increase, but seriously, we don't make that much trash in the first place. So, Geoff went and got the car sticker and a roll of ten large town bags yesterday. I ordered two rolling bins. He swears he'll take the trash up weekly. I sure hope so. We generate maybe two kitchen-trash sized bags a week. Not a lot, really. And the odd occasion when there is a lot of cardboard, he can take that up and send it through the recycler. And we can sort out some recycling, for sure. Mainly, we have glass. Not a lot-- I'm pretty careful about what I buy. We don't have much aluminum, either--we don't drink soda, rarely beer, and I don't use a lot of canned foods, either. So, we should be saving money after this initial cash outlay and paying the last month of hauling. 

G also started some outdoor chores yesterday, as the weather was warmer and sunnier (and he had an extra day off due to the Easter holiday being his usual day off). The grape arbor is no longer at a 45 degree angle, and some other few things are sorted. The detritus on the deck has been cleared. We will be getting rid of our very old glider bench-- a huge ice chunk fell on it and dented it badly. It was getting really decrepit anyhow, so no problem. I'm a little sad to see it go, but we don't use it a lot anyhow, so... time marches on. I had to order a new gas grill cover, too-- winter was not kind to the one I put on the grill in the fall. It's times like this I wish we had a garage to put the bigger stuff into. 

At any rate, the new bins and the grill cover should be here in a day or so. I need to figure out if/where I could put two more raised garden boxes. We need the space if we are going to grow more veggies. Or plant fewer tomatoes. (We had a ton of them last year.) I want hard shell squash-- last year's drought ruined that plan. We got two. From a total of six plants. Not good. 

I am starting to get the spring "itch"-- what do we want to grow? And when should I plant? I won't even start to put things in the dirt til almost June-- Mother Nature has a spiky personality sometimes. 

I hope you have a good day. I'll be at the ballfield wearing layers this morning, dreaming of real spring. I saw the slender reaches of crocuses and daffies popping through the dead weeds yesterday...there's hope yet.

Love all you can,

C

ps the Pope has called for a universal, non-denominational vigil of prayer today. We need peace. If you can, tune in to see it at noon today EST. If you can't, please send up a prayer. Any help will be good help. The world is tired and sore.