Musings From The Farm Comfortable living in your own skin

  “Try to Remember”, pretty sure that was a song in the 60’s but sometimes it’s hard to remember what I had for breakfast or even if I did have breakfast. Lately we have had the grandkids here a lot. Three of the older four are usually here two afternoons a week and guess what? They love working at Alabu and are actually helpful. So that’s an added bonus especially now in Alabu’s busiest season.

We have also had a few overnights with our son’s oldest ( 3 and 18 months, so not so old) while mom and dad were busy with their newest baby. As you can guess, that kept Papa and Grammy pretty busy too. I even heard a rumor that Papa got to change a dirty diaper, but I did not witness said adventure, although I do have a little too much first hand experience with it myself.

You are probably wondering where the “Try to Remember part of this story is right? Well our daughter asked if we could watch her four ( the older grands, 9, almost 8 and 5 & 5) for a few hours in the afternoon ( I suspect it was for Christmas shopping, the kids said they weren’t allowed to ask). Turns out we had unexpectedly, had the younger ones for an overnight again and all that morning. When our daughter’s kids arrived in the afternoon, they happily helped me finishing boxing the Alabu Replenish. After that three decided to go outside and play. It was about 38 degrees out and they came back in exhilarated and ready to play. Their new level of energy was a little more than I was happy with and I yelled at them a few times to quiet down. But it was no use, with the excitement of Christmas around the corner they just could not contain themselves. I tried a few times to teach them a quiet game but it was no use and fairly hysterical. So while Papa took over and had the kids sit in the living room for story time ( he eventually gave up and turned on Mr. Rogers) I started dinner and tried to remember what it was like to be so young and unable to contain my excitement about Christmas coming. I think I do remember and I hope you do too.

I am so amazed and thankful for our grandkids attitudes about work. For the most part they love to help. They were always eager to help when they were very young, but have actually gotten to the stage where they are actually a big help, but trust me in didn’t start that way. You do have to let toddlers help when they want to or when they are old enough to really help they won’t want to. Now they all love to help with Alabu, boxing soap is their speciality right now. In the barn they will help clean the paddock, collect eggs and they love to groom Caddy or give him a bath. In the garden, they plant, mulch, weed and harvest.  They all want to help with whatever they find us busy doing.  They are pretty good at sticking to the task until it is finished. Although sometimes they get distracted by worms, bugs, snakes, cats and dogs, but that is a good thing too. I try to keep reminding myself when I’m trying to get a chore done :o)  I’m so thankful that our grandkids are learning to be responsible adults, exploring their world with love and curiosity.

This time of year it seems nature is in denial. The stores have already moved on to Fall, no turning back.  I took this picture the first week of August, really halloween already? I know that Summer is almost over, but please don’t rush it. Some parts of nature are moving towards the next season, like the male hummingbirds are not in denial, they have already migrated, they always leave first to get the best spots for the ladies who join them later.

The hundreds of noisy grackles have flocked, cackled and passed through on their way south. Some of my vegetables are done but most of the gardens are at the height of production.  The Fall crops are ripening and the elderberries have all been eaten by the birds ( except for some I was able to get to first). The late raspberries are a sight to behold ripening on bowing branches. I’m having a hard time keeping up with them and all the cucumbers, zucchini, pole beans, melons and tomatoes.

The weather seemed to be gradually moving to more Fall-like weather last week and then the 90 degree days and hot nights were back! Here and there are small signs of foliage losing their chlorophyll and changing color, but for the most part it seems greener later than usual. So as I contemplate the seasons changing and look forward to the next, I’m going to take time to appreciate the last glow of summer here on the farm, maybe I’m a little in denial.

Our daughter Nell, I think her children will some day rise up and call her blessed (proverbs 31:28). We think she is such a good mom.  Her four children are a testament to her good nature and patience. 

Her children don’t always want to help out in the garden, but they always do. The other day we needed to do lots of weeding. Some of the kids were grumbling a bit about it, you know they said things like it’s too hot and it’s too hard. But mom turned it around by turning weeding into a game; 1 point for pulling the weeds and throwing them over the row, 3 points if they get it over the fence. Suddenly they were all weeding and having fun doing it.

Her children are far from perfect but Nell deals with them patiently and with an understanding of where they are in their stage of development. She lets them be kids, getting dirty and all the bumps and bruises that come with healthy explorations and adventures. Whether they are up here in the great outdoors or home in their house, Nell uses every opportunity for learning.

This year she is home schooling all four children; her 9 year old, 7 year old and 5 year old twins. It’s a big job, but the kids are eager to learn and doing very well. Great job mom!