Simplicity, Priority, and mad ramblings of a woman who talks to herself

Not just that I blog to myself...it's all the time lately. I'm thinking my thoughts through in "blog" format and I don't even blog that much!!!

I've been thinking our life is off course. I'm starting to think it all lays in simplifying our life, getting back to the basics. Also the need to prioritize what is important to us. I'm thinking this in all areas. If you'd been in my kitchen this week you'd think Martha lived here, well till you saw the wreck the rest of the house is in. I've made sombrosa's for supper a few days ago (a deep fried homemade hot pocket type thing) I've been making a "soup of the week" lately. Last week was butternut squash...made from actual squash, bought at the farmer's market, that needed baking, not a can. I've also baked Pumpkins for pumpkin muffin's, 2 batches of pumpkin seeds, Cookies, homemade flat bread, and I'm contemplating trying actual real bread tomorrow. OH and tomorrow’s supper you ask? Potato soup (they had lots of potato’s at the farmers market this week). Did I mention I don’t cook?

For my birthday last week we went camping and Hubby's gift to me was to let me go nuts in the Amish stores near by....What did I buy? A quilt? a cedar chest? Nope....15 lbs of oatmeal, 5 lbs of whole wheat flour, a few jars of nummy stuff, and a produce cookbook (yes ME a cookbook). And to top it off Hubby told me the last people who lived in our house left a canner in our Shed. It's scary how excited this has made me!

I don’t know what brought this on. It could be turning 30, The idea of another move, The environment going to hell while all the politicians have their freaking ads out complaining about stuff that won’t matter when the earth blows up in 35 years? Who knows? But I think a lot of it was by thinking of what’s important in life. What’s really a “need” what’s a “want”. Is the want worth not only my money, but also the hours it takes me or DH working to make the money, the cost to the environment of manufacturing or producing it, and giving up other things the money could be spent on.

I think lately I’ve met one too many people who are concerned about what they look like, what brand of purse, or jeans, or car they buy, how prestigious the salon they go to is, etc. I couldn’t figure out why all this “chatter” was grating on me so till I was reminded by meeting a single mom at the park the other day who all she wanted was to be able to afford to rent a house so her kids could play outside more. I also happened across a documentary at the same time about the foster care system, and a few days later one on Africa. It reminded me that while we can’t afford (and I really don’t want) designer anything, we still belong to the “have’s” not the “have not’s” Despite the mom from my group saying there are “bad” area’s of Florence. For the record, the “BAD” area’s are like where we lived in Austin off Manchacha and Slaughter. Our current neighborhood is only slightly better.

So where does this all lead? I’ve vowed to start living more simply. Making more food from scratch (it’s healthier, cheaper and I don’t need to worry about DS getting more red dye or sugar then he can handle), buying as much as I can from the farmers market, or next year, growing my own. To stop eating out so much. We’re working on no more then every two weeks now. To not worry about how we’ll buy the next tank of heating oil, to not buy anything we don’t need without considering my above questions. To do my Yoga tape 3-4 times a week since while I never seem to do it, I do feel much better afterward. And last but not least……. My experiment of growing my hair out to see if I can really be comfortable in my own natural and very gray color. I think the last one will end shortly. Hey I can’t break off all ties with the real world.

ahh moments and insanity

Today is going to be an incohearent bullet type of post.

-First the Ahhh moment.....I was getting ready for work the other night and being asked a million and 10 questions by #1, Why do you wear a red shirt? Why do you have your nametag? What does your nametage say? Why do you brush your hair before work? on and on...then came Mommy, why do you have to go to work, to which I respond to make money to buy things, and so we can do fun things sometimes like go for ice cream like we did last night, to which he responded, I have money in my bank so you can use that to buy things so now you don't have to go to work. And to clarify I work 18 hours a week while hubby is home with them, they're not being neglected, although they seem to think they are.

- Who's bright idea is it to give our children a Friday AND Monday off school??? I'm going to go insane and it's only 9am Friday...I suppose I should get dressed and haul them somewhere fun.

- We would play out side but it's FRICKEN COLD OUT!! supposidly this is just a cold snap going through and it will warm up. I hope so since I'm halfway through caulking and painting the front window's and we're suppose to be headin out camping to check out the fall colors next weekend.

-I think we've missed the fall colors, I think they peaked either last weekend or this weekend, but of course I've had to work both Saturdays and Sunday's are our catch up days around the house with out of wich I'd be lost, especially since in addition to my 18 hours at the big red bullseye I'm actually been doing 2 days a week of daycare consistantly for the neighbors the last few weeks.

- The real reason we're heading the direction we're heading is I heard about an Amish Bulk Food store out that direction, and I'm thinking mabey I can stock up my pantry for winter with more less procesed foods, since I've been on a healthy non-processed food kick again, and I can't keep up with it. Hopefully it will be much cheaper then the local healfood stores, and more like a farmer's market. There's actually 2 that way and one has a playground, deli, and picnic tables (lunch anyone?)

- I think we'd better give #1 a heads up as to what to expect in the diffrent customs and dress. I'd hate to end up with some massivly embarressing comment coming out of his mouth. I do well enough on my own. Then I got thinking yeah, they're might be some very well behaved children, and parent's who's children are very well behaved and I'm bring my monster's in the mix.

-Mabey the Amish thing with the kids isn't such a hot idea? Oh well I'm going besides it's MY Birthday that Sat.

-I woke up the other morning and my glasses we're broken on the floor. The not me gost did it. Currently they're being held together with tape, but being on repair and bent into shapes they never we're ment to be. I have contacts to wear out, and we really didn't have the money right now so I ordered another pair off a website for $39 complete + shipping. I'm still waiting to see if it's a scam or not. Something about "if it's too good to be true" ringing in my ears. I realize they may not look great since you can't try them on, but right now I don't care. I wear my contacts out most of the time, just need glasses to break up early morning fights between children.

-Yesterday I took the day off. I dropped #2 off at school, and instead of coming home cleaning the bathroom, doing checkbook, and planning supper, I went to the library, then Panera for a coffee and Souffle. Then I brought #2 home, played waited for #1 to get off the bus, ate lunch put the BOTH down for "rest" time and I read some more.

-Dragontails is just about over so it's now time for me to go get dressed and make sure the tv goes OFF like I said it needs to when it's done. I'm feeling amitious, think I'll make oatmeal for the kids.