Stream of consciousness

I'm winning the battle of creepin' crud. Reno wants his belly itched, and he wants it now! The shedding blade isn't even tough enough for him. If I stop itching and walk away, he trots after me and gets in front of me and swings himself around, just in case I can't remember which spot it is he needs scratched.

Our trees are in bloom and my walk to the barn is beautiful and sweet-smelling. I need to stay on top of Princess' fair nose. She sunburns easily with that bald face. I have to get my desk under control this weekend before I am gone to the hospital for several days with #3.

The lame chicken is now walking and scratching! Today will be 3 weeks since Handyman splinted her leg and she was scratching in the dirt of the flower bed last night! We were so pleased. How we'll ever move her back to the flock, I don't know. John would be so lonely.

Piano recitals are done. Awana has wrapped up. 4H is getting into full swing and the girls have already slept in the tent in the front yard. Sure seems like summer already.

Re: parenting...I want to give praise to the Lord for growing me through the most recent issues which involve my ability to "shut my yap" when I have amazingly cruel sarcasm on the tip of my tongue and to turn away from invitations to go at it. I have asked for strength and received it. I have asked for patience and have had many opportunities to grow it and I have asked for reasons to not bail out and they have shown themselves readily. The Lord does provide. He does know best. He does speak if I will hear. He is faithful. The question is, as told to me by Clarence Thomas in his book--who learned it from Bobby Knight in his book (in rough paraphrase): Am I willing to do what it takes to win, not just willing to win. Everyone wants to win. But winners are willing to do all that mundane, routine sloggery; to cover the details that others want to skip, in order to succeed.

Parenting teens--it's not for wimps. I saw a Mother's Day shirt that I want. It said, Mom is Wow, upside down!

Tonight we are celebrating my mom's 65th birthday. She was 48 when i got married. That is 3 years older than I am right now. I have one child who would just be going into Kindergarten at the same age as my mother was marrying off her only child. Hmmmmmmm...I hope I live to be 100 or I'll never get it all done.

Don't have pasture seeded--the rental seeder broke--don't have garden planted yet. I've got to get a strawberry bed going. Don't have a riding ring yet. But, it's not cold anymore.