Tuesday, June 18, 2013

One Of Those Days

PicMonkey Collage

Yesterday was one of those days. A day where I have a ton on my mind and yet a million things to do (or so it seems).

The ram has been getting out for three days in a row. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were all started with getting the ram back into the field. He has become a pain in the rear and very destructive. He has broken two gates, the siding on two sheds, and has crawled under the fence. He is wanting to be with his ladies, but darn it(!), can't he just baa and complain like a normal sheep? Guess not.

Yesterday morning he actually got out twice and so I decided to do some sheep rotating and got him where he wanted to go. After all, what else needs to break in order for a ram to get his way. Nothing, nothing at all.

***

On another note, it seems that hard work always seems to make things clear. Things that have been fuzzy and lines that have been blurred. I decided to thoroughly clean and de-weed our green house yesterday. I am going to hang a few clothes lines inside and make it my 'dryer' for the Summer. The room is too hot to try to have plants in and so I figure I'll put that heat to good use and dry my clothes in there. It's really a perfect situation. I can hang and dry my clothes without the world seeing my 'dirty laundry', so to speak. Plus, my clothes will not get any tree junk on it due to the roof and we can go without using a drying for a while.

While I was spraying, scrubbing, and pulling weeds I was thinking about my decision of whether or not I should go off Facebook. I was also thinking about what else I needed to change in order to make my mental load seem less stressful. Honestly I don't have an extremely stressful life, but for whatever reason I don't manage well having a ton on my mind. Maybe that's the downside of my personality. I've always been a more laid back person and I am most definitely NOT a type-A.

Here are my two scenarios:

  • I need to practice more self-discipline when it comes to what I do in my day. That Facebook isn't the problem in and of itself, the problem is my lack of self-control when it comes to how long I am on it or how many times I check up on it. Do I really need to delete it if the problem has more to do with me? Am I just going to be replacing it with something else and so need to deal with the cause and not the symptom?

  • I need to get rid of the temptation all together and to rid myself of the struggle for where I'm spending my time. I know that I am a all-or-nothing personality and so want to take this into consideration. I'm not spending all day on Facebook mind you, but enough.

What is most convicting is, how can I make time for the computer and then get frustrated when the kids want my attention?

The duties that I have as a christian wife, mother, and farmer come before everything else. I still haven't made up my mind, but I'm pretty sure I'm leaning more one way.

Thank you friends for all your kind words and encouragement. It makes my heart glad to feel your support and know that I'm not the only one that struggles or feels this way. Lord bless!

9 comments:

  1. You definitely have to do what feels best for you and your family. What works for one may not work for another! While I personally know that your kids & husband adore you, you also have to feel good about your own decisions too. It's worse to continue a certain way then look back and possibly feel regret rather that making a hard decision in this moment.

    And don't worry about your "followers", we still love your blog. You might just have to remind us of new posts in a different way. I tend to be a forgetful, haha! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are right in recognizing that the problem isn't the computer or Facebook, it's a matter of self discipline. Back in the "old days" mothers still faced potential distractions, whether it was getting hooked on a soap opera or spending time gossiping over the back fence or on the phone, there will always be temptations to take our focus away from what's truly a priority - our family.

    I think it's important to have a creative outlet, and I so love following your family's story online - your spiritual insights are very encouraging. Deciding how much of a good thing is the right amount will be your challenge and I'm confident that you will prayerfully consider whatever direction you decide to take. Hang in there! Love & miss seeing you guys.

    P.S. Dave & I are planning a trip for Anselmo's pizza this week!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Anne! Let me know what you think of Anselmo's...I'm a bit jealous. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've been thinking about going off FB too, but not permanently, maybe just a few days, week, the summer, who knows. So I wouldn't blame you if you did and I do follow you on pinterest so I could get blog updates there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good Morning Noel,

    I enjoy reading your blog. I just have a quick question about your sheep. Do you make income from them by breeding or sheering etc or do you have them as a hobby. I am interested in having sheep but I was just curious about ways to make income from them. I would love to have them just to have them BUT that is just not feasible.
    Thanks and keep the Faith

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's me again. I forgot to check the notify me of comments. haha

    ReplyDelete
  7. Currently we haven't made any money from them because we're so small, but that is our goal. We want to raise sheep to feed our family and to sell to others, whether its meat, wool, or a breeding animal. I raise Scottish Blackface Sheep and their wool is in a class of it's own, and so it's limited in its use. It is used for carpets, mattresses, Scottish tweeds, and various other ways. So all in all depending on what you decide to raise you could raise sheep for meat, wool, and milk (http://www.weedemandreap.com/2013/05/milk-showdown-cow-vs-sheep-vs-goat.html) I really like the sheep I raise because their smart, hardy, easy lambers, and beautiful. I hope this helps!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Welcome to the world of the Blackface ram. There are pests and have broken out of almost every pen I have built. Plywood is the answer. If they can't see them they are less problematic. Facebook.......... Everything is good........ in moderation. Just check twice a day. A.M. & P.M. Cute Lambs.....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ryan your awesome, thanks!

    ReplyDelete

Have a seat, enjoy the conversation, and welcome to the farm.