Life is CRAZY!

We had an early start to Spring this year, weather-wise, and it has caused my life to go on fast-forward....we opened our market early this year (www.redwagonfarm.net) because everything was growing so quickly....and had slushy snow and freezing temperatures on opening day!

I'm still trying to catch up on getting everything ordered and in for the market, even though this is our third week open. I have our summer schedule drafted out for the employees...but have yet to share it with them!

And surprise, surprise! Home school takes more time than I'd planned, too! We had a flurry of co-op year-end events -- choir performance at the year-end celebration and graduation, picnic, rushing to finish US History and Science binders, and we've still got lots on our recommended reading list!

Awana finished in the midst of all this, too, and we had the year-end awards/ice cream party that everyone enjoyed.

The weather, after that first nasty week of cold, has been beautiful, and with everything else that really needs to get done, I took a break today and planted flowers at home -- a few more irises, wallflower (yeah, there really is a flower with that name!), alyssium, Jacob's ladder, bell flowers, snap dragons, salvia, dyanthus, fuschia, and a few others whose name I can't think of right now (they're really pretty though!). Also have lots of herbs in -- a whole bunch of cilantro (since I discovered a great salsa recipe consisting of just tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and whatever hot pepper you want to put in -- whirled in the food processor...YUMMY!), rosemary, and thyme. I have basil seeded but still have to transplant it. Now I just have some shade plants for the planter outside our front door and the sunny, sandy spot along the driveway to finish up -- along with our little home garden (tomatoes, onions, and orange watermelon are waiting to be transplanted, radish, carrots, and peas seeded. That'll wait until next week :)

Still trying to find time to do our big annual update on the market's website, guess I should at least do an update on the front page, hm? It does let everyone know we're open! And...Carter's Red Wagon Farm Market is on facebook -- follow us on there! It's quicker to update that with what's available and events coming up.

I did find time to pay the bills on Saturday...but still have to stick 'em in evelopes and mail them! Oops....

And again, in the midst of all this, there were extended family things, too. My sister-in-law Lori threw a lovely combined birthday party for all her sisters-in-law in the area...since four of us have birthdays within five weeks of each other. We also sadly said goodbye to Tony's sister Rita and her family as they headed back to the Philipines.

Tomorrow Luke and I head out to the Cities for a two-day sales trip for Greenstar -- the company I represent here in Minnesota whose products we buy (ALOT) for the market -- jams and jellies (pure fruit, sugar, and pectin!), salsas, snacks, Amish-made noodles and sauces, etc. I'll be making about a dozen sales stops during those two days.

It's also graduation time! And we make a point of trying to get to open houses of current and former employees (who invite us, that is!) -- this year there are eight former employees and one current employee graduating. Wow. Time sure does fly!

I'm also trying to keep up with my Watkins business, making scattered calls when time allows in the evenings and sometimes during the day. No parties scheduled for a few weeks, just because there is no time on my schedule to do any! But sales are going well, and I'm thankful.

On the farm, Tony has been crazy busy planting -- corn, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, and more. We've been picking and selling our own lettuce (several varieties) this year as well as asparagus. Thankfully, the frosty weather a few weeks ago didn't get any strawberry blossoms -- we should be having an early year for those, too! All of the calves have been born -- and all have survived, yippee! And if he doesn't do enough already, Tony has ventured into the chicken business with a friend. He has assured me that there are no eggs to collect (I love fresh eggs, but I don't want to go looking for them!) -- they're raising only pullets to fatten up then butcher and sell. Anyone want to put an order in for some fresh chicken now? It'll be ready in about a month or so....

I'm not even going to tell you about how horrid our house is...other than let you know I'm blogging right now rather than folding the five overflowing baskets of laundry that has been waiting to be folded for at least a week. Well, it isn't going anywhere! And the kids know where to go when they need clean clothes -- just this morning I overheard "I don't have any clean underwear!" "Luke, just go downstairs and get some from the basket." I'm a horrid mama, aren't I? It'll get folded tonight...I have to get some clothes packed for Luke and I -- and they're all in the baskets! (Plus, I have three hamperfuls of laundry to wash...and those full baskets of clean clothes need to be emptied so they can be refilled!).

I did get the kitchen floor swept last night...after Tony cut Luke's hair. Luke was happy but sad. He wants to grow his hair for Locks of Love to help the people with cancer who don't have any hair...but his hair was pretty long and is very thick...and full of tree sap from when he and Susanna tied their babysitter to the pine trees on Saturday. It's also tick season, and my boy loves crawling through bushes. Need I say more? He decided after it was cut that too much was cut off (I'll post pictures soon) -- and he wants some glued back on.

And my conscience is bugging me. I gotta go fold clothes. Or fix supper (okay, reheat left overs). Life is crazy busy...but I'm thankful for it!