Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

Whew! Do you ever just feel like there aren't enough hours in the day? Or enough energy in your body?

I think I usually feel like that. There is always a long "To Do" list for tomorrow that never gets all the way done and keeps getting rolled over to the next day. It just seems like it's been particularly bad lately.


This time last year we had just moved into our new home and were so busy getting it put together and then getting our land cleared in a panic (I swear I'll tell you that story someday!) and then with drill and my best friend's wedding, the whole summer just disappeared and the yard, with all of it's flower beds and overgrown gravel, was sorely neglected. We're paying for it this year. It's been a lot of work to get it back under control. We're still not there, but we're getting close.

Trouble is, we're also trying to get fencing done, pastures cleared, cleaned up, graded and seeded, arena-to-be's done, the barn fixed and stalls put in. We also need to get piping ran from the well house to the barn and various pastures for water. Most of the inside of the house still needs painting and we're planning to pressure wash and re-stain the exterior and the decks, after we fix a few boards. All while we're doing a cutting show series and practicing on buffalo once a week, along with my drill practice once a week, on top of full time jobs and all the other fun stuff that comes with being a responsible adult and home and animal owner.

Geez, no wonder I'm tired all the time. Just looking at that list makes me want to take a nap!

Problem is, I also like having atleast a little bit of a social life. And riding my horse in the arena. And going for trail rides. And spending the day at the lake. And laying out in the sun. And I love, love, love reading. And taking pictures. And blogging. And reading other blogs. I would also like to have barebeque's with friends and family and get togethers and do fun stuff like that. There just hasn't been much time for any of that stuff lately though. Yard work has been consuming my life!

Another "Someday" project is to rip up our entire front yard and redo it. It's not level, which drives the boyfriend insane. It's got lots of humps and bumps and a couple pretty good holes that I swear I hit and roll my ankle on every single time I pass them. I also want to get rid of about two-thirds of the insanely huge flower bed in the front, make it part of the lawn. I figure if we bring it in tighter to the house and just have a few azalea bushes or something it should be pretty low maintenance. And another hundred square feet or so of grass to mow will be nothing. I like low maintenance. Low Maintenance is my best friend when it comes to yard work!

Until we get to that Someday though, I have a crazy big flower bed to take care of. It's currently growing more grass then our pastures. And some black berry bushes. And clover. Have you ever tried to get rid of clover in a flower bed?!? We have the stuff that has the dark leaves and the root system on those suckers is freakin amazing! Drives me insane. And since I didn't weed much last year everything is reseeding itself like crazy this year. Grrr!

And then, silly us, we decided to plant a veggie garden this year. What were we thinking?!? It was fun to put it in! I'm sure it will be fun when it starts producing edible veggies (assuming it survives me and my "Black Thumb of Death"), but until then, can you say high maintenance?!

We also have raspberries that got completely out of control last year. Of course since it was the longest, grossest winter ever this year and still frosting in May (!!!) we didn't get anything done with them to get them back in order before they started their season. Oops! I'm currently chipping away at the very tall grass and weeds that is trying to completely over take them, but it's a lot of work and there are new shoots every where and I have to crawl around in between them to get everything cleared out. Did you know raspberry bushes have thorns? Not big ones like blackberries, but little needly ones. My arms were toast after Round 1. I looked like I had been in a fight with a bunch of cats. Seriously. It's been a lot of work to get them freed up. Almost done though.

I have tons of before pictures of projects we've been working on, but it seems like every time I really start making some progress on one, another more urgent one comes up and off I go! One of these days I'll get them finished up so I can do some after pics.

I'm also dying to read thru the Twilight series again. And I have a crafty projects that I owe people. And I have Lover Avenged to read. And, since I'm a dope on a rope, I started yet another series that I'm totally diggin'. And I have lots of DVR'd shows to catch up on. And lots of other things that I'd absolutely love to be doing.

But I know the satisfaction of having my yard under control will be worth it. If it ever gets there.

Someday.

4 comments:

Paint Girl said...

I so hear you on never having enough time to do everything I want to do! Oh wait, I do now, I remember when I worked full time and never had enough time to do everything!
I know what you mean on flower beds, and yes, that clover! Oh. My. Gosh! I just weeded the flower bed by my back patio, the clover decided to take up residence, what a total pain in my A**!!
I hope you get to enjoy time with friends and family, go trail riding, and all that other fun stuff we all love to do! Don't work too hard, save yourself for some fun days!

Jessica said...

You are speaking my language girl! I'm so with ya! You know I'm more than happy to help with some projects...let's plan a flower garden date night or somethin'. Plus, I bet Kuntry Boy wouldn't mind helping at all with the running pipe out to barn/pastures. My prediction is that by next summer you will be feeling a little less overwhelmed & things will start falling into place. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but I feel like that's how it's gone for me. First year is crazy with setting things up, second year seems like a bomb has gone off and created 101 projects and by the third year it's starting to come together. Kinda. ;) My advice is don't forget to still MAKE time for the fun stuff. The work will ALWAYS be there...even when "someday" comes. Soooo overwhelming at times. But aren't we lucky to have the chores that houses, property, horses, etc. give us? Even if we do want to lay ourselves down in front of the riding lawn mower at times. ;)

Maybe we could look into cloning...then our cloned selves could do the chores while we ride, take pics, read, blog, catnap. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I'll get to work on that & let you know what I come up with. :)

Amers425 said...

All I can say is WORD!! I don't own my own home so I don't have to deal with that aspect. But all the other stuff. Man I think I don't have a life of my own anymore sometimes.

Mom said...

Ahhhh, the spring yard control is like a wild animal, eh? It took me 20 years to get a doable routine. Enjoy what your doing. A little at a time. Take some vitamins, & lots of coffee!!! I like the family time idea too. Miss ya tweety. Hugs, Mom