Library Day in Knoxville

We love the library in Knoxville. The kids section is isolated in the upstairs, the librarian really friendly, and the set up is just calming for the kids. They do well at this library.

Not all libraries are kid friendly, even if they try to be.

We also had a connect 4 tournament and LILY almost beat me! It was a draw.

I love Knoxville, but it is 45 minutes away, so my goal is to create experiences closer to home for the summer and drive less. I may have to if Chad can't fix my car, whoo baby is the farm truck expensive to drive!

Baaaaaa Humbug.

We have a bottle lamb. That's what I will say took  me from blogging this week, (not the real reason which was that I was frantically and freakingoutedly submitting carefully reworked and reworked and reworked again pieces for submission and meeting deadlines like a BOSS).

So, as an apology, which is made of the stuff that heals relationships.....I present to you (and to Aerica) pictures of baby lamb!

We had to tote it to town with us when it was getting feeding every 2-4 hours.

But then she wouldn't poop and got lethargic. Oh. The things we do for lambs.....I got grumpy about her living in the kitchen too. In my dream kitchen there will be a mudroom with a tiled, with drain, heated animal/lamb area.

We got her to poop finally. We asked for a couple tips. One of them was don't feed her like this.  Put the bottle much lower to the ground than I am showing here. Isaac was just too cute though. He stuffed all his grapes in his cheeks and grabbed her bottle. Oh honey.

No worries, we got her running and jumping and pooping. SO MUCH POOPING.  Our schedule is now just three feedings a day and she stays outside in a pen with another sheep after lunch, gets brought in at bedtime. The other ewe (Cream Puff) is not a cuddler and it is still cold here. 23 degrees and SNOWING this morning.

So that's what's up here. I'll fill in the other missing pieces tomorrow, but stay tuned for more cute kid pictures, two recipes (Chicken and Dumplings and Venison Roast), and a waxing poetic about waxy poetry.....and another, less happy story from the farm and why Cream Puff is up by the house. Don't read that one if you are hormonal and cry easily. It's not nice.

Planting Happy

Goals

One of my goals has been to blog everyday. I mean, of course I miss some days and prioritise tasks, but I have been averaging 25/30 days and I think that's pretty darn good! It has also served as  a reminder of how amazing the life we live is, searching out happy to photograph and share everyday has been glorious and lovely. It adds a bit of sunshine and gratitude to the mundane. So I don't see missing three days in a row to be a failure to my goal. It isn't a pass/fail kind of life we lead.

Another of my goals has been to empty the draft drawer, the one that has been growling at me for almost twenty years. Oh that's a long time! I did it though. Every last poem in that drawer has been either retired, revised and sent out, or formatted into a collection and sent out. It was a lot of work. Almost 40 hours of intense revision, another three formatting, and 2 hours entering data into duotrope. This has taken a lot of time over the last three weeks, but well worth it. I sent the whole collection to a book prize with one of my favourite poetry journals, photographs to Flyway, and followed through with that 15 year old revision request. Yes I did. Finally. It is done. Now, it isn't a regret that I get to carry with me and it doesn't get to push me around. I did it.

New goals:

• Continue to send work out. At least a submission a week, researched and carefully selected. I can do this.
• Create a work space at home. A just for me space, with my computer and my books. A corner of a sunny room. 
• Blog food at least once a week. 
• Clean up the porch and hang my swing. 
• Make iced tea every day.  
• Clean the baseboards and windows.
• Take the kids camping and fishing as soon as it is warm enough.
• Walk a mile outside everyday that the sun is shining, ride five miles on the bike inside if it isn't.

That's it. That's the list for the next three months. What are your goals? What are you doing to move towards your dreams?