What A Day!

Spring- Love it!  It means things in bloom and our wedding anniversary.

Tuesday was our 31st wedding anniversary.  Scott did not take the day off from work but I did. Well, I planned to anyway.... Scott began his day at 4 am, getting up with the alarm clock, eating breakfast and having that first cup of coffee....then out to chore.  Animals fed and watered, all while I rest quietly in the bed...what a great wife I am huh?!   But being a midwife means your often up all night, and yesterday I was at a birth all day, early morning until later in the afternoon-at least it was a day time birth!  Two days before that, I had been at another birth most all afternoon and night, so I still had not really caught up on my lost sleep....the older I get the harder it is to catch up on that really!

 I no longer get up with him and fix his breakfast.  Haven't for years.  That is just the way it is when you work outside of the home!  But I did manage to crawl out of bed and go out to say hello to him, at least I could do that 'today'.  There that makes it special-I guess!

Well, today I had planned to take the truck- go see one of my clients who had just delivered a week ago, -then get some mulch that a farmer advertised for free.

So off I went to Amish country, saw the client, then off to the Amish home where I would have some cow manure loaded into the back of my pick up truck.  (we have a nice size garden and just not enough from our sheep and goats, even though there are so many of them!)

From highway 20 -I went north to highway 120.  I drove along on the back roads, winding around fields with men out plowing with these huge Clydesdale type horses...until I was on highway 120.  I looked for the house, but no such luck.

So I turned around in a business driveway, a bakery, and went back down the road -driving slowly-but no such house with the address that was listed.  Bummer.  Did I write it down wrong?  I turned back around again, heading back in the other direction...looking-no I did not miss the house, there is no such address on this highway -so I look at the index card I wrote the address down on.

Oh man!!! I was to be on highway 20 NOT 120.  I had just went out of my way, and now had to go back south were I had started in the first place!  That calculates out to be at about 15 miles a gallon with this beast, at about 6 miles north and then another 6 miles back south---@ 1.25 gallons of gas which means about $5.00 wasted.  I hate that.  Thankfully it was not any further I had driven out of my way!

So I turn again into the bakery, planning on turning around again, but decide to go in.  I want a pie for dinner and I would like to eat some lunch too from here.

 Today is our anniversary after all, and I really do not want to bake.  A rhubarb/ strawberry pie sounds great!

So I go in and ask if they take visa (I only have my debit card with me, no cash and I am out of checks) and no, they only take cash and checks.  So I leave, oh well-I guess I will not have pie with dinner.  We never get pie any other time, so it is fine.

As I leave I hear a woman ask me if she can help me ...I turn and see a woman working in the flower beds around the building, and I say no-but she asks again.  So I tell her, I just am out of checks, and did not bring cash, and to go home right now is too far and come back.  She tells me to go in and pick out the pie and she made 'other'arrangements for me to pay.  How sweet!  I tell her its our 31st wedding anniversary, and this is really nice of her!

So I leave with lunch and a pie and a fork-which she suggested I take even though the lunch was finger type food, sloppy joe on baked fresh buns, and fruit cup and chips-the good kind...but the suggestion of a fork was a great idea, it did make it much easier to eat that sandwich which was full of very tasty meat!  It was great!   I love fresh baked bread.  It is the only way to eat bread, buns and stuff!

I do not see a web site for them but here is a link to get info.  It is worth the trip to get some lunch, or baked items! AND very tasty!!!   Next Door Neighbor Deli and Bakery

So then I was off to go back south for the compost/cow manure.  I pulled into the farm, and the owner was shoeing those big horses!  The owners of the horses stood waiting, a couple from up in Michigan-I did not go in and disturb them, as I would not want to spook those huge horses!  So I waited for about 20 minutes until the gentleman took a break and came to ask me what I needed.  I told him some mulch, and he called his son over to help me.  They had me back the truck up into the pasture, and he loaded the mulch with a skid loader, into the back of the truck.  OF course hubby called right then as I am backing up the pick up truck, and I tell him I will call him back-it is hard to drive let alone back up while on the phone!

 He tells me that he will be working over today-so much for having the whole evening together.  I tell him I am unable to meet with him at his lunch time like we planned because I just wasted time driving north and now back south and am waiting to get the mulch loaded, then I have to go back north again...so I will come to the factory at his break in the afternoon, and then we will exchange autos.

So the mulch gets loaded then I leave and head north.  Into Sturgis to do some banking, then fill the truck which is currently sitting on 3/4 of a tank.  It takes $50.00 to fill it.  Sheesh!  Only to see one client (and about 14 miles out of my way) then a young guy bums a ride across town.  I usually do not pick up hitch  hikers, but after praying felt it was ok.  I told the LORD if the young guy plans on killing me to at least make it quick.  I take him across town, and he is texting the whole way...not answering questions or listening to a word I say.  He did tell me he just got a job at Morgon Olson, (hummm where my husband works) but I think if he is this distracted he might not survive working there if he cant put his phone down long enough!  I warn him to pay attention to his work when there AND actually to work.  (hubby says most young people do not stay long if hired in because they just seem lazy and do not want to work.  sad)

So after that, I go to hubbys job-wait for about 20 minutes until he is out on his break and we exchange autos.  No since me driving the truck around all day, the car gets a few more miles to the gallon!  (4-at least)

Then I go fill the car...its on a 1/3 of a tank-only 45 dollars to fill it.  Well there went a 100 dollars today!

I go to colon to see a new mommy and baby, then thru coldwater on the way to fort wayne...to see another new mommy and baby.  Then finally home.  That is my day of "not" working. Drove all over, took all day...and only saw 3 clients.  Wow!

So I start supper, was gonna grill steaks but decided I was too tired from 2 births with first time moms the past couple of days, and not sleeping enough so fried the steaks.  Starting the grill is more work than I want to do right now (we do not use regular grills, we use old fashioned charcoal or wood fire to grill)

I also made potatoes and gravy and then some corn from the garden last year (I had frozen) and the pie! One thing I did not have to cook/bake!   I just wish I had been able to stop and get some ice cream or whip cream to go with the pie!  But Scott liked it, even the slightly burned corn-cooking like a new bride! (I got tired and almost fell asleep cooking!) We ate late, (I dont like that) but he did not get home until after 7, almost 7:30.

And today, I must fill the car again, and it cost another 40 + dollars.  I am pouring everything I make into the gas tank.  Well for those of you who might have wondered, there it is ---the story of a old married couple and their anniversary.  Maybe by this sabbath, we can actually rest and enjoy some time together just sitting out side and watching the farm animals!