Just a Journal

We're still in the grips of an 'Extreme Cold' weather warning. It is getting warmer though. Right now it's -29C, with a windchill of -39. At least that's what they say, but that wind is awful! I think I prefer -39 with no wind, over this. At least when there's no wind you can put on layers and your body heat stays well enough to keep you warm.

It seems like the wind can find the smallest of cracks in your layers of armor. It steals away all of your body heat. Once one part of your body gets cold, the rest of your body feels that chill. If you do happen to get a touch of frostbite, you feel it to your very bones. It takes hours to get warm again.

I'm certainly thankful that my hubby got all of my animal outbuildings shuffled around this summer! It used to take hours to shovel out paths to the doors so that I could tend to the rabbits and chickens. Running extension cords to power them all made for tripping hazards and meant he couldn't just plow around them with the skidder.

This spring he talked about running underground powerlines. He looked at me like I had a third eye when I suggested he move the buildings around for me a little bit, too. They didn't need to be moved far, just turned, some 45 degrees and some 180, and lined up better. Now, instead of being placed haphazardly, they are in a nice L-shape, with doors all facing out to the roadway. I can easily duck from one building to the next and we can drive right up to the doors to drop off feed and bedding.

Chore time in this weather has been cut down to less than half. The buildings themselves seem to be easier to heat, too. I hadn't thought of that when I was planning. It seems each building provides a windbreak for the one beside it. I'm also guessing that having enough snow to bank up along the bottom of the walls of each building is also helping.

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I'm feeling somewhat lost today. Back to looking at the dreaded mountain and feeling it may just be insurmountable.

These past few days of journaling daily seems to be helping keep me on an emotionally even keel, but it's taking up so much time.

Of course, I suppose, I might just be tired from shoveling snow and trying to keep warm. The stress of waiting on goats to be born and worrying that they will arrive in this bitter cold isn't exactly conducive to getting a good night's sleep either.

We usually breed our animals to birth in the Spring. We had a young buckling that had other plans this year though. I think about all the people I know that are intentionally birthing animals right now. It seems pretty crazy, but they swear their babies are healthier for it.

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December 31st

I've already figured out that this Just a Journal thread isn't going to work out very well for me. At least not here.

I thought it would be a grand and wondrous idea. I thought it would give me a little bit of accountability.

I've already blown it, by not publishing a journal entry for three days.

I'd already felt it failing with the December 28th entry which took me all day to write. I started in the wee hours of the morning and it was almost midnight by the time I hit the Submit for Review button.

I'm a busy lady, what with having a life and all. Okay, maybe it doesn't seem like much of a life, but it DOES keep me busy.

My writing time is just little snippets, stolen here and there throughout the day. When you have a home, farm, and family to tend there isn't much time left over.

This entry missed the 600-word count mark on the 29th and yesterday I spent writing a memorial piece for my sister on Medium.

I don't think I'll completely kill this idea. I just won't commit myself to daily entries. There's too much other creativity bubbling around my brain to be committing all of my writing time to Just a Journal. The other pieces end up left neglected when all I do is write journal entries. Besides, my day-to-day thoughts aren't really all that interesting anyway, are they?

This whole Vocal experience is just a matter of trial and error for me anyways. Some of my friends seem to think I have the talent to 'make it' as a writer, so this is just me, dipping my toes in the water, so to speak.

I've been told I should write a book, but I know that there are far too many things to write just one. I'm thankful for a place to at least get some of it out there.

Now, if my poor ADHD brain could just conform to an iota of focus and organization, I'd have it made in the shade.

Ah, well, I guess I'll forever be a work in progress!