Thursday, July 26, 2012

Summer

Summer is rolling right along here. It's been a coolish Summer and a coolish Spring preceeding it. The pastures are green, green, green.

I'm making a lot of progress with my gardening this year. I almost want to say that I'm pushing so hard at getting things planted, weeded, and tended, that I'm not enjoying it quite as I could be. But, I have a goal of at least getting my roses growing and filling my main flower bed with flowers. The soil here on our property is mostly clay and rock. So, I put on steer compost, but I can only do so much and the soil still remains a challenge.

I recently planted two more rose bushes. My sister in law gave me four or five roses and I planted one of them where I had a blank spot and one where another rose died. I have to find spots for another two or three. I'll either have to plant them in an extra challenging flower bed and/or dig up something in my garden block flower bed. I'll have to share pictures soon, but I don't have any handy. Quite frankly I want to get things better in bloom before taking pictures.

I feel like summer is slipping away from me. We raise cattle for extra income. Because of that my husband is extra busy with pasture and hay season. I also have my step-daughter with me for a month and a half of the summer season, bring the child count up to five. She's a good girl, but being a step-mom isn't easy.

I think step-mom's have a bad rap. One always feels badly for the child that is being tossed from home to home. But, I don't know how being a step-mom could be easy. A step-mother might say, "I want you to do your chores like this...", the step-child naturally, even if respectful, says, "we don't do it that way at my other house". A step-mother might say, "Please do XYZ." A step-child is more likely to ignore her. A step-daughter might complain that she doesn't get the same privileges she gets at her other house, yet the same child wants to be involved in all the other types of fun activities you do here.

My step-daughter and I usually have a major collision about halfway through her one month time period with us (and also once during the extended time we get during Christmas and Spring Break). And I find I have a difficult time relaxing for much of the summer. Somehow, I am usually broadsided by the conflicts, as they don't happen during the short visits with us. I always hope to be more prepared emotionally and therefore have a more relaxing summer.

Also, like most any person out there right now, we are struggling a bit financially (no one is unemployed but our business continues to go down). We can pay our bills (just barely), but we don't have a lot of leeway. To some, I'm sure, this might not seem like a big deal, but we are facing maybe not going to our county fair this year, or not going to the beach due to hotel costs, and not eating out to eat at restaurants. Our cuts are just that type. But, it is stressful. It is stressful not knowing what the future brings. Really, I think these cuts are good for the kids, so they can appreciate what they have more.