Short evenings, oops, Maggie, Mama’s diet success

If the days are slowly getting longer, it is difficult to tell. This is the time of year when I have less tan two hours to get anything done at the farm in the evenings. By the time I get home, there is less than two hours of light left. So, anything that needs to be done outside has to be done quickly or put off until the next available evening or wait until Saturday. Yesterday evening I was home later than normal because I stopped at Lowe’s on the way home to get some repair parts for Nate. Even the thirty minutes that delayed to my arrival the farm was significant. I always help Mama feed in the evenings, and she was home a few minutes after I was. So, we got a late start. Finishing just before dark. I did one little thing on the lot I am working on before we went inside. That was all I got done outside – except moving some feeder for Mama so she would not have to do all that this morning. I did that after dark when I went out to close up the coop and shut the weanlings in the pig building.

I have some projects that can be done in the shop, but they are not urgent. The more current critical tasks that need to be done are being done through the long evenings inside. Tax work mostly right now. But that is far less fun than anything I could be doing outside. Soon enough the evenings will extend into the early night hours, but not yet. Tonight is a church night so there will not be any extra time for outside chores – or inside ones for that matter. And the month goes on. We are chewing through January quickly. It may seem like only eight days of the thirty-one are gone, but Mama will be gone all next week. We will be traveling together all the following week and after only a week home will be in Honduras for two weeks. When we get home from our visit with Nate, Cori and the kids, half of February will have been used up and Mama and I will be pressed for time to get all the work done for the beehives we are starting, the swarm traps we need to build and set out, and calf stalls we need to complete to start two bottle calves. So much to do. So little time. I suppose that is what makes this so much fun.

Mama is heading to the Apple store in Southlake this morning. At least, that was the plan last night. I messed up her phone by loading my iTunes music to it in an attempt to get music on her phone. Because of that error, her phone does not recognize her iCloud account any longer. She has not been able to back up her phone since I added my music to it. Who knew? Anyway, she will hopefully get the help she needs to rectify the account so that her phone will work properly. I am hoping there is little or no cost to the service; that the phone can be fixed on the spot versus leaving it at the store to be repaired and having to make the return trip to pick up the phone. I am not sure just what she will lose in the process of restoring her phone, but at this point it is unavoidable. She has struggled with it long enough.

Next week could be a pivotal week for us. I will reconnect with my friend that needed some training help and potentially follow up on that tentative job offer. Also, our house in Lawton was supposed to be completed this week and be offered on the market next week. Whether or not either of those things happen remains to be seen, but they are both tentatively on the docket.

Maggie let Mama know that Aaron’s next duty station would be in Michigan, patrolling the Great Lakes. I believe she will find it colder than Juneau in the wintertime, but not nearly as rainy. We have not been told where in Michigan, but they can officially plan on the move to that area. I think, Maggie will regret not spending more time at the beach in Wilmington when they settle down in the more Northern location. Mama and I liked Michigan when we were in Port Huron for classes a year or so ago. Mama even keeps in touch with a lady she met during that time.

Mama has met with some success in sticking to her anti-inflammatory diet. Less pain in her joints – especially her knees. Some weight loss. Less inflamed bowels. Sugary snacks have been banned from the house. All good things. I do not notice the difference in what we eat. I know we are not starving ourselves, but I am not sure if I am following the diet as strictly as Mama is.

So far so good.