Today began my new routine. My day began at dark; Drew began his new job today. He must be at work by six, so I must be up at five. I got up, dressed and began to wake him up while fixing him a lunch to take. After I took him to work and came home, it was MJ’s turn. He was up when I got back, so I heated him some leftovers for breakfast and made his lunch as well. He left about six thirty and then it was Christopher’s turn.  He gets up pretty easily, showers and eats his breakfast. He eats his lunch after class.

 Once Chris is gone it is my time. I sit in the quiet home and read my daily bible. There are several passages I read daily, and then I move on to other reading. I tidy the kitchen and decide what else needs doing that day.

Today will be a restful day, the hustle, bustle and rain of the past few days has taken its toll on me! The laundry is done, the house is presentable, and the dish washer has last night’s dishes in it.

Today, after a bit of rest, I will get out a different set of dishes. I have a few and have decided to see how it goes, using the dish washer. Filling it  will take two days of dishes, so I will use an extra set of dishes today.

I want to walk in the garden too, but I will wait, with all the rain there is a ton of mud, I think though it will be dry enough after lunchtime to go out.

I also need to work on my apron, until I figure out why my sewing machine jumbles my thread; I will work on it by hand. It is almost done, just needing ties at the waist.

A dear friend sent me some wonderful books and dresses this week. They smell of an old farm house. You know the fragrance, old wood mixed with other scents. Though I enjoy the scent my allergies do not! The books are airing in the office, the dresses having been washed with vinegar are airing in the closet, with each taken and hung in the bedroom the night before it is to be worn. Soon they will be scented with the Texas scents of dust and grass. I find it so interesting how places have their own scents. I had never thought of it before. Now though, I realize the scent a Texas mobile home is not the same as the scent of a Virginia Farm house. Though neither is better than the other, they are distinct and each is loved by a different person. It is funny too, how we do not notice our own “local” scent, but have a visitor, and they will notice.

Well today is Friday, July 2^nd.  Drew turned 19 yesterday; I can hardly believe my boy is all grown up! He is now a hard working man, instead of a carefree child. Yesterday was full of cooking for his birthday. I made two casseroles, fried zucchini, 3 kinds of cookies and a cake. All made from scratch. I made tortillas too but those came in a mix, I just add water to it and roll. I have not yet found a from scratch tortilla recipe I like.

 Well my guys are off at work, Chris finished his math class yesterday, now he must go in for a test on the 6^th, then he will be done with school until August. It bugs me how the school has moved the dates about so much. I remember as a child, we got out the first week of June and went back the first week in September. Now they get out late in May and go back in mid August. Oh well, one more year and it will not be on my mind anymore! I can not believe in 10 months I will not have nay boys in school! In the beginning these years stretched out before me as a never ending line, and now, it feels as if we barely began!

Well today was a day of cooking, so today will be a day of cleaning up! Even though I tried to keep up with it yesterday the kitchen still looks as if it exploded during the night! I was so worn out! There are two things that wear me out fast, going into town, and cooking a huge meal. Since our guests did not appear yesterday as planned, we have many leftovers to consume!

The rescue kitten has developed a love of biting on us. The guys think it is funny, I do not. I do not encourage her to bite me, and she lands on the floor with a thump when she does! I will not tolerate biting animals.

I found out one of my pleasures yesterday quite by accident. The thought struck me suddenly, as if it had been hiding for just the right moment!  I love walking barefoot across my kitchen floor! I do not know why this is such a revelation to me, it just was. I can hardly wait to replace all these carpets with wood. In the baths and kitchen I plan to use some form of tile but the rest of the home will be wood. It will be years, since there are things I want first (like a fenced yard!) but it will eventually happen!

Well friends I must go get the dishes going, and the one load of laundry.  Have a wonderful 4^th weekend! We will be watching the neighborhood fireworks since our grass is so high this year! I can barely wait for a mower! I plan to get one or a guy to tractor the land in about 3 weeks!

Hugs and Blessings!

Mel