Yes, it's been a little more than two months since I blogged. I tried to get here and do it, but things have been a little more than busy around here! The spouse finally got a full-time job - he's driving a tractor-trailer over the road and he's not been here since the middle of September. Talk about a big adjustment..we went from him being home every day and just working 10-15 hours a week to him not being here at all. Emily misses him a lot and has what I call a "meltdown" about once every two weeks - life's not fair, she wants to see her Daddy, why does he have to drive a truck, etc. I try to tell her that it's better than the alternative of continuing to struggle to pay our bills all the time. She does understand, but it's still taking some getting used to. I had a lot to get used to also. I am doing all the outside chores around the house and am learning a little more about car maintenance, plus managing all the household finances (I was doing most of that already) and making sure both Emily and I are where we need to be when we need to be there. I have some amazing friends and neighbors who are wonderful about helping me get Emily to some of her activities and watching her when I have my night class or a meeting to go to; and others who have helped me with car "stuff". One friend in particular knows about everything I am dealing with and has been so wonderful and supportive, even telling me "I'm proud of you for hanging in there and doing this." That does my heart a world of good, and I know that I am doing the right thing. School is going well and homework keeps me busy. College Math is a bit challenging - having been out of college for 23 years has had me re-learning a lot of stuff but it's all interesting and I'm not struggling in any of my classes. Yay me! I'm still looking for a part-time job or the perfect venue(s) to sell my soap at. There's some holiday craft fairs/bazaars coming up that I am looking at participating in. They could bring in some additional cash which would be very helpful. I would still love to find a little bit of land to grow on and sell at the farmers market - the possibility still exists, I just have to make it happen.
Then there's the garden...
It has been exceptionally hot a lot longer this year. In fact, we really have just now started to cool off with daytime temperatures staying in the mid 80's instead of the low 90's. I didn't start all my seeds back at the end of August as I had planned because I knew they wouldn't survive, but I have gotten them in their little pots in the last 2-3 weeks. Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, spinach, lettuce and peppers are all in various stages of sprouting. I have had a bumper crop of basil, oregano and chives this summer; they are acting almost like perennials so they must really like the weather this year. My lavender plant is blooming too and it smells heavenly! A lot of people say you can't grow lavender in Florida because of the humidity but I am here to tell you that it can be done. I may buy a few more plants if the nursery has them, maybe I can get there Saturday and check out all the goodies. I love going to a good garden center/nursery, don't you? I'll post pictures of my garden progress starting next week. Happy Gardening everyone!
