I am stressed to the point that my brain is on autopilot because if I think about it too much, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to function. I'm barely getting by right now, but I have kids who need me, and a job I can't afford to lose, so the show must go on.
I had the kids bring Gypsy's kittens in for a while again so we could handle them and get them used to being around people a little more. She had four this time. She's always had three, so this is unusual. I gave them all names. Pierre, Charlotte, and Isolde are all well on their way to being friendly house cats. Unfortunately little Eloise is frightened of everything. Every movement, every noise, every new smell, sends her into a crouch and hissing. I spent several hours today just sitting there with her on my chest. She did eventually relax enough to take a nap. Her eyes are always wide with fear of everything around her. She still needs to be with her momma for now, but as soon as the kittens are weaned they'll be moving indoors to learn the finer points of being a house cat. How to use the litter box, how to get up on the couch, how to use a scratching post, and so on. They'll have a two week crash course on house manners and handling and socialization before they will be available to new homes.
Luna has a litter as well, this time only four for her. I did peek at them when they were first born. Two white (one male, one female), an orange male, and a black male. Luna hid her kittens last summer when we handled them more than she was comfortable with, so we've been leaving her chosen nest area alone for now. The kittens are tiny yet, so they're not really missing out on anything right now. Once they're a little bigger and the weather warms up, we may try to move them to the screen porch - though Luna wasn't impressed with this move last year. My interest is in keeping the kittens safe and tame. Nobody wants a feral cat. Her kittens have not been named yet.
I've been so focused on all the background stuff that I didn't get to winter sow again this year. My mind is honestly so overflowing with things right now I can't even offer more than a passing thought to the lack of plants this year. I know I should take time to get some containers out, even if they're late season. It's still early enough now. Perhaps if I have time between work and everything else going on right now, I will throw a few containers together just to try to get something started anyway. I do love having fresh tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers and beans and peas in the garden, and tomatoes and peppers won't grow unless they get a head start in our short climate. I'm hoping I have the time and energy to do at least a minimal winter sowing attempt to get some fresh food this summer.