Turning Over A New Leaf

Camille and her mom, Olga, are much more ambitious than I.  The other day they brought up a little trailer load of yard trimmings for the goats.  We dumped it over the fence and watched the girls tear into the pile, picking out special tidbits.  I'd explained that goats really are selective and are firm believers in "eating dessert first."  Dandelions were the first to go down gullets, followed by daisies, and then the quince and apple leaves and twigs.  Olga noted that the rosemary did not seem to be a favorite.  "Of course not, rosemary goes with lamb."  It took her a minute.

Some years back, a recipe made the rounds for Asian Chicken Salad with cabbage and dry ramen noodles.  The dish showed up at every office party and potluck because it was easy, economical, very tasty, and made a lot.  It seemed to go out of vogue, probably from overuse, but there I was with a cabbage in the fridge and the other ingredients in freezer and cupboards.  It was every bit as good as I remembered:  it was good on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  It may be awhile before I make it again.

With the best of intentions to stay on top of things (and there are so many things needing attention), time slips past before I can blink.  To my surprise, it seems I'd not balanced my check register in three months.  I would have sworn I did it just the other day.  I spent yesterday afternoon catching up.  I'd started the project the day before, but gave it up when I encountered a data entry error that I didn't want to face and had no time then to chase down.  (Found and corrected.)  I'm making a resolution to do everything(??!!) in a timely fashion this year.

The new bedtime routine seems to be working; at least I'm not being pushed to the edge.  The cats, however, have adapted and worked out a system of their own.  Instead of working in unison to shove me over, they now divide to conquer, one on either side of my legs to pin me down beneath the cover.  Like two-ton bookends, they effectively prevent me from turning over.

Five full years ago, on January 13, 2010, I wrote the first entry about my days on Farview Farm.  Five years!  Did I not just say how swiftly time passes?  Joy and grief, excitement and tedium, birth and death:  a prime example of the more things change, the more they are the same.  It was a good day, then and now.