It really sucks to have one of these days in the middle of winter when kids are at school, and I have nobody to fall back on to watch the youngest child or make him lunch or do barn chores. Fortunately today #3 and #4 took on barn chores, #1 cleared the table for dinner, and after much delay, I did manage to throw together a meal that the kids actually ate.
I have found that to get through these slump days, it seems to help clear the fog if I can force myself to do just one productive thing. It doesn't even have to be a big thing, just one thing that I can hold on to as "hey, I accomplished this today." And the neatest thing about this is that it often leads to other accomplishments. Today I made dinner. And you know what? I cleared the table and washed dishes too. And I plan to take a shower once I post this blog. That's a lot to accomplish for one of "those" days. I'm hoping it doesn't leave me exhausted tomorrow too because I really do have a lot of stuff I need to do.
Next week Tony has his out of state training. It's required for managers, and I know it's coming up. I've made arrangements to be able to get to my appointments without him, but it's still causing anxiety. The seminar is two days long, plus travel time. I try to keep in mind that some people have jobs that keep them away from home for longer times on a regular basis, so I shouldn't complain. But on the other hand, my husband calls on his lunch break to check in on how things are going, and as soon as he's off work to let me know he's on his way home and ask how my day was, and if I need anything on his way home. Two days in another state is a big deal for me. I'm sure everything will be fine, but I'm a worry wart.
And here as I wrap up my blog, I smell the lovely (gag) country fresh scent of skunk wafting into the living room through the fan in the window. Just another perk of living with nature. I met our resident skunk down in the field by the fruit trees several weeks ago. He put his tail up and warned me, I called the dog away from him, and he wandered off. We have a mutual respect for one another. But he owns the night here. After all, he lived on the property before we did. Besides, skunks eat bugs, so if he wants to live here, we're happy to have him, so long as we give each other proper space and respect.