What I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

Blessings: this morning I woke up [sleepily] and went into the living room [alone]. The view looks west out into a valley ringed by hills. There were dark rain clouds on the horizon, but rays from the rising sun illuminated the the valley green and gold. A perfect rainbow arched gracefully as swallows soared through the sky. A light rain was falling.

You may have noticed in the past month or so that my blog posts have become less prolific. I used to post a couple to several times a week [almost every night Anthony was working], and now I'm writing once a week [barely.] I am not worried about this reduction in productivity [read here to find out why.] I am not losing interest in the blog, nor am I running out of things to say. Life is always changing, and my life has currently changed so that writing several posts a week is unsustainable. Today I thought I'd fill you in on what I have been doing [other than admiring the morning view from my window]:

1. Gardening. We are now fully in the planting season [up here in the hills our season is shorter - we are about 3-4 weeks behind the valley] and I keep my energy very focused on the garden's massive needs. Weeding, preparing beds, planting seeds, transplanting starts from my dad, and my [never ending] struggle with invasive morning glory keeps me quite busy. We are rewarded for our efforts, of course. From the garden [ours and my father's], we are eating herbs, lettuce, spinach, kale, swiss chard, broccoli, radishes, new onions, and our first peas. The petunias, pansies, and marigolds from my dad are beginning to bloom [as are my favorite spanish lavenders], infusing the garden with color. Our beans are off to a good start, the potatoes are looking awesome, the blueberries are flowering, the squash is growing, the cucumbers look slightly chilly, the garlic is two feet high, the corn was just planted, and the tomatoes are awaiting their beds in the greenhouse. Yes, we have been busy! 

Enjoying our first pea of the year

2. Sleeping. As I have mentioned before, I have become an early riser [which I love wholeheartedly].  My challenge now is to go to bed at a decent time: 10:00 pm ideally, 10:30 pm realistically, 11:00 pm in actuality. I used to value nighttime mama time more than sleep, so I would stay up late late late and hope the kids slept past 7:30 am. Now that I'm getting up early, however, the 5-6 hours of sleep I was getting before just isn't cutting it. My body is greedy - it wants [demands!] more. No less than 7, I shoot for 8. I am learning how to balance everything without all those lovely evening hours to myself.

3. Spending time with my husband. It's crazy, but I actually have to schedule time for Anthony into my day. I'm sure all you out there with small children understand what I'm saying. It's amazing how he and I can be around each other all day without really connecting [the kiddos absorb our attention so completely]. For a long time we were so exhausted once the kids were asleep that we both retreated into our separate worlds to recuperate. That wasn't doing anything for our relationship, however, so now we consciously make time to hang out at least one of the two nights that he's home [Anthony's a firefighter, so he works one day and has two off]. At first I felt a little bit like "my" time was being taken from me, but it has been worth it. Spending quality time with Anthony reminds me why I love him. In fact, I feel like I'm falling in love with him all over again...

Who wouldn't love this man?

4. Reading. I don't spend much time reading novels. But when I do, I get totally sucked in. Like I want to drop all responsibilities and just absorb myself in the book all day and all night [which doesn't get to happen, unfortunately]. Instead, I spend every precious evening hour lost in the story. Last night I finished my current book [stayed up way too late, of course. I kept saying, I'll stop after the next chapter, but no I did not.] The book is Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano. It tells the story of three generations of women from a southern Italian family. It is a captivating story, full of love, betrayal, and suspense. I really liked Marciano's style, even though at times it was pretty obvious that the book had not been originally written in English. If you need a quick and entertaining read, check it out.

5. Socializing. I am filled with gratitude for the wonderful community in which I live. In such a short time I have connected with so many sisters, and I am grateful. We are definitely not meant to be solitary beings [I'm not, at least], and especially with small children to raise, it is so much easier [and joyful] when there are other mamas, children, aunties, sisters, grandmothers, etc. to spend time with. Our life is full of friends, parties, play days, and adventures. How blessed we are!

The aftermath of a pancake and blueberry syrup breakfast, shared with beloved friends

And that, my friends, is why I have not been writing [as many] blog posts.

*Blessings*