Strange Day

Good morning!

Will anyone be in labor this afternoon? That is the question of the day. It isn’t likely there will be an induction, it being the weekend so we shall see if anyone is in labor. The way things went in May, there will be. The reason being that in May I was so ready it was unreal and no one ever was being induced or in labor. Now, it is June, it is another day of the week, and I am not ready mentally to go. Why? Read on.

Yesterday was mostly nothing like I was expecting. I thought I was going to make soap and that Margaret and Julia and Chantal were coming over and I did and they did. I thought I was going to go to Gardner and watch a movie with a bunch of girls as the designated mother and I did. I also took a shower which is a fairly normal occurrence, especially if I’m going to do something like go see a movie. Paul and I did go out to eat. I took Amena to a friend’s house for an overnight birthday party. Those were the expected things.

Last family photo.

In order to make soap, I needed to wash dishes, cut soap, wash molds, clear off the counter, and just generally get ready to make soap. I did all that and of course because I didn’t get started as early as I had planned and it took longer than I thought it would, I didn’t actually start making soap until quite late. Relatively speaking, of course; it was still morning. Margaret arrived and was excited to hear that Julia would be coming. When Julia got here, she was excited that Margaret was here. That was really cool; I’m really glad to have met and gotten to know both of them.

We got the lye done for two batches because I figured there would be time for two before I had to leave for the theater and we got the oils measured and melted and then while we were waiting, Jessica went out with Julia and Chantal to see the kids. Jessica came back in and said, “The mama goat is laying down and isn’t moving.” I went out to take a look and sure enough, she was on the ground, the kids were trying to nurse off her and she was very obviously dead. The thoughts that ran through my head were many but ultimately, things were the way they were and there was nothing to be done about it other than take the kids and put them in the goat pen to keep them away from the body. Julia took one of them and I took the other and then we all came in.

Minnie.

What happened? I honestly do not know. She wasn’t tangled up so strangulation wasn’t the cause of death. She’d given less milk than the day before but I just attributed that to being in due to the rain for the second day in a row. Was she too close to the rhubarb? I didn’t think so but these goats are really good at stretching and getting things you don’t think they can. I hadn’t had her in that spot before but some of the others had been there and hadn’t had any problems. Was it something else? I just don’t know.

We finished up the first batch of soap which was Neapolitan with Julia holding the dividers and Chantal, Margaret and I pouring. That turned out well; I’m really glad that I had so many hands for the job. Then I looked at the clock and it said 11:29. Really? No time for the second batch, I apologized for having to run, and did just that up to the shower. Julia washed up soap dishes and headed out with Chantal (who left résumés for Paul) and Margaret visited with Jessica.

Rhodes. (Not his name but I don't know what it is yet.)

I got to the theater early enough that the doors weren’t open yet so I waited and then went to the dollar store and then waited some more. The movie that the girls wanted to watch was The Fault in Our Stars. I didn’t know anything about it but they’d had to read the book for English I guess. It is about a girl (16 or 17 I’m guessing) who has cancer. She goes to a support group to please her parents and meets this boy who had lost his right leg from the knee down to cancer. They become friends and fall in love and his cancer comes back with a vengeance and he dies. It is a good story but the movie is ruined because there are just too many ‘swears’, as the boys would say, and I really see no point to their being in bed together naked. Anyway, it is very sad and I think almost everyone in the theater (at least half seemed to be from Hubbardston and/or Quabbin 7^th grade.

I brought Amena and one friend home and the triplet’s mom brought the rest to the house. They played outside for a bit. I moved Libby’s body over by the burn pile.

Seth's new glove.

Joseph and Seth were really bothered by Libby’s death. After watching the movie and being able to relate to the parents so well, and seeing my boys hurting, I just couldn’t deal with it for a bit. I went upstairs to collect myself for a few minutes and said a prayer and went back downstairs.

The girls had Sundaes and when they were done, the boys had some as well. When they were dished up, Jess and I had some.  While I was eating mine, I heard Joseph crying in the living room so I went and we cuddled for a bit and talked about things. When he was feeling better I finished my ice cream.

The girls left and Amena got ready for the birthday party. I cooked some spaghetti and then took Amena to the party and then finished the spaghetti and made sure everyone was fed. I called Paul to see where he was because he often calls on Friday to let me know where he is, about when he’ll be home, etc., but there had been no call and it was nearing 7:00. He actually didn’t answer so Cedric and I went ahead and left for the West’s. Paul called while we were en route and he was still in Shrewsbury so I figured I had an hour.

We got to the West’s and I visited a bit with Emily and Jeremy. Paul called and said he was home; I hadn’t realized I’d been there for so long so I left and when I got home we left to go eat. I kind of forgot that I hadn’t had lunch and I ate all my food which is unusual.

When we got home, the boys were in bed but the light was still on. I went up and listened to Joseph’s prayer and said good night and turned out the light. Then I went downstairs did night-time things before going to bed.

So, I should always figure that getting ready to make soap is going to take longer than I think it will. Making soap with three people helping is going to take longer than I think it will. Having a goat die is going to put a kink in the day. Watching a sad movie is going cause a reaction.

This morning has been interesting as well. I wanted to move the stakes for the goats to the field again so I did. Seth helped take the goats out, sort of. I washed my arms after moving stakes because I could feel my arms beginning to itch already and then we took the goats out. I washed my arms again after that while warming milk for the kids. The kids did not want to drink. They aren’t really old enough to be weaned but I can’t exactly force them to eat. We’ll try again this afternoon and see how it goes. And I guess that’s why I saved all the milk even though it isn’t fit for human consumption—if the kids get used to drinking from a bottle, there is two-week supply for them and that would get them to an okay weaning age; not ideal, but okay.

Other than real life interesting, I was plagued with very odd dreams including Libby coming back to life, the kids being almost dead and then reviving when their mother did. And then of us were on vacation and there was some really strange stuff going on and some really strange people that I seemed to know but I have no idea who they were.

And that has been the way it has been around here. Right now it is lovely outside but the pollen is voracious and the bugs are not cool.

Have a wonderful day!