The Turquoise Cat

Good morning, good morning! Why is it that even mornings when I think everything is under control, someone is on the verge of missing the bus? It drives me crazy! However, I know it’s just because I can only effectively control my actions. I cannot control the speed with which my children (think Seth here) eat. Or get dressed or how much time they spend in the bathroom. Today was a cereal or toast day for breakfast since we did eggs yesterday. Eggs every day would be okay but when it takes half a dozen for four children, the eggs disappear very quickly. Especially when you add to that Paul and possibly Laura or Joanna and baking. Not to mention the fact that there is as much protein in a cup of goat milk as there is in an egg. More actually: 9 vs. 6. So, add in the fiber and cereal isn’t a bad deal. Toast is even better because it isn’t full of garbage. I supposed rolled oats would have been good but we had that two days ago and I can only stomach so much of the quick cooking stuff; it’s great in cookies but the regular stuff is much better for eating for breakfast. I guess I need to make more cookies (or throw a cup in when I make bread) to get rid of all the quick cooking stuff we have.

Yesterday = crazy day. Holy crud. It was okay in the morning before I left for class. Pretty normal milking, getting everyone out the door, showering, etc. Even getting things together for class was pretty okay and not rushed. Then I got to the Mount and holy crapolla! They were directing traffic (they being campus police which is kind of a joke) and there literally was nowhere to park so they were having people park on the grass just inside the entrance. I was the last one they could fit.

Class turned out to be okay. It’s an honors class and one that has to be taken as part of the program or you can’t be in the program. Last fall it was mystery fiction which I think would have been okay even though I’m not a big fan of mystery fiction (I just really like other stuff better so I’ve never really read many mysteries. Those I have read, I like). I was wishing I’d have finished the semester when I saw that this fall it’s The Literature of Harlem Renaissance. I thought, “Oh, jeeze, there is absolutely nothing I want or need to know about literature that comes from Harlem.” Well, after attending class yesterday, I think it is going to be quite an interesting class and that we will be able to delve into some pretty deep issues regarding race and discrimination and inequality. All things I have definite opinions on so participating in discussion shouldn’t be an issue. Yesterday, she wrote “Renaissance” on the board and wanted to know what comes to mind when we think of it. There were lots of ideas but they all included the one thing I think of which is CHANGE. Then she wrote “Harlem” and I said the first thing I think is that I don’t want to go there because it’s city and I don’t do city. As I was sitting here, I thought, “Harlem Globetrotters,” but it’s a little late for yesterday’s discussion.

After class, I drove to Fitchburg to get Jonathan and Elizabeth. Ostensibly, Jonathan was going to open a bank account but that never happened. I started cutting things up for supper because the boys all had soccer practice yesterday afternoon. Elizabeth went with me when I went to pick Cedric and Seth up from school to take them to practice. We got stuck behind a bus so we were a little late but we got there and they had a great time. Elizabeth and I visited and also had a good time. When they were done, we hurried home and I got Joseph and took him for his practice. There were only two other vehicles and they soon left. So we went home and I checked my email and discovered that Joseph’s practices start at 5:30 and he should have been to one last week. Good grief! So, I did more to get supper ready and actually got it finished (Laura had made a salad) and we left again. It didn’t look very promising but we got out and walked around and discovered a bunch of little people in the far corner practicing soccer. Joseph had a lot of fun as well.

When we got home, we ate quick so that I could get Amena and Laura to church and take Jonathan and Elizabeth home. Everyone was going out and I went to get the key and it wasn’t there. I looked all over the place. Laura looked all over the place. We looked in the truck, in the van, in the red van, all over the window, I opened the window because last time it fell out of the little palm tree when I did, nothing. I thought that we could pile into the truck but upon looking at the volume of stuff in the back seat, I said to Laura, “How am I going to do this?” She said, “You aren’t.” So we went in and looked more and Jonathan joined the search. Finally, I glanced at the little palm tree in the window and . . . THERE IT WAS!!! All three of us had looked there and did not see it. What’s the deal with that?

We got to church, Laura and Amena got out, and we left for Fitchburg. I was going to go down 140 to 2A which takes you right into Fitchburg but, lo and behold, 140 south is closed at night this week. Seriously? So we had to go all the way back to Gardner to get on 2 to get to 2A. Other than using fuel and taking time and the fact that I was pretty much ready to go to bed at that point, it was just annoying. We did it, and they got dropped off. Yesterday morning I had never driven to Devon’s, by the time the day was done, I’d done it twice; and with only two wrong turns (and one of them turned out to not be, I just didn’t realize it until later).  The boys all fell asleep between Fitchburg and Gardner.

This morning I got up and Joanna got up and we got to Gardner and were too late. So we came home, Joanna went back to bed, the girls and I went out for our morning walk. We went down to Daniel’s grave and I visited with him for a couple of minutes. It was nice out. I really like that time of day so I’m kind of glad that I have reason to drag myself out of bed to enjoy it even if it doesn’t last long enough. When we came back in, I got stuff ready for milking and went out and did that. The bugs were awful; I’m going to have to use bug spray again tomorrow, and I didn’t get much milk from Goldilocks which I expected since the boys spent the night with her (Cedric brought the goats in alone when we got home last night and I didn’t have the heart to make him go back out and put them in the crate).

And there you have it. Amena, Cedric, Seth and Joseph are at school. Joanna is in bed. Laura is getting her lunch ready to take to work. Paul is eating breakfast and telling me what idiots the Democrats are (my word, not his—he just said that their opening song at their convention was “We All Belong to the Government” and they had to adopt deity to their platform in spite of much naying and booing because they were being a hard time about it). I am going to be fixing a pair of pants and two teddy bears, making supper, and doing school work today. I don’t know how much excitement that will provide, but you never know.

Have a fantastic day!

PS If you want an explanation for the title today, you have to ask.