Spring Forward

and wait.

Yep, we changed all of our clocks in the house, and left the alarm clock by the bed a few minutes fast, compliments of dear toddler who pushes the buttons repeatedly. One learns to rely on your 'inner clock' after a while.

So this weekend not much was accomplished here on the farm. On Saturday it was windy. Southern California Twin Pines Road windy. Ask anyone who ever spent the night in our house in CA what windy is like, and they'll tell you a story. Speaking of stories, I had the pleasure of being told that I always seem to have a story behind everything. I took it as a compliment, and am proud that there is a story behind me. And everything around me. Most, if not all of the household items in this home are second-hand and I really take pride in that. A few points that come to mind are: 1. they're here, and not clogging up a landfill somewhere. 2. I have been blessed to receive these 'gifts of old' from people who saw a need, and filled it. and, 3. there is really something to that age-old adage; One man's trash is another man's treasure.

For instance, this cabinet door, in all it's shabby-chic glory, and it's three other mates, had been made into a box, of sorts, and was sitting in the back of the barn. Hubby took them apart and put them up in the kitchen. They are lovely, handpainted and look very, very old. I shudder to think of them in the landfill, or rotting away somewhere unappreciated.

While today the temps should reach 65* F, the night lows in the high twenties and low thirties keep me chucking wood into the fire (how much wood could a wood-chuck chuck, if a wood-chuck could chuck wood? a LOT. I have been trying to estimate how much heat an old farmhouse can eat, and I can't come up with a figure. All this to say Thank God that we haven't had to pay for wood yet. ) and wearing my down vest from sun-up to sun-down until I sink into our hand-me-down bed, with hand-me-down linens.

Yesterday I DID manage to pull away the pile of brush we've been clearing from the gravevines on the southeast portion of the property and clear up the pile of magnolia limbs and leaves I'd accumulated last Friday before it started raining. And, I divided up some Day Lilies and gave them to our neighbor friends, along with a starter for some Amish Cinnamon bread. The wife returned the favor with some candied pecans which I am having trouble not eating for breakfast. Nuts have GOOD fats, right?? And protein. So maybe I won't argue with myself for too much longer. Justification. It's a habit of mine.

Today, I plan on dividing more Day Lilies and planting them in some other areas of the property. Run into town and pay the homeowner's insurance premium and do a couple other errands. And, as always, toddler chasing is on the agenda. Which leads me back to spring.

I'm so grateful for the change in seasons. For confirmation of this, see this blog in mid-August when doing dishes in cold water brings on the sweat. At least I get my pores cleaned out once a year.