Auto Reply

I feel like I need to set up an auto reply for my life. It would go a little something like this:

Until further notice, Leslie will not be functioning at full capacity. Blog posts may be few and far between thanks to a temperamental computer that needs completely wiped clean and started fresh. Photos will not be updated at Flickr regularly (see above comment about stupid virus-ridden computer). Due to the garden in the back yard, which is the size of a small house, many tasks will not be completed until well after autumn harvest and canning/freezing is DONE. If you happen to live close enough to stop by, you are always welcomed, but do NOT expect a clean and tidy house for the next, oh, 17 years, give or take another child or two. And while Leslie is trying her hardest to stay impartial to what others may think about her shortcomings (which are probably all self-imposed and unrealistically imparted onto unsuspecting friends and family), she may be constantly apologizing for all above-mentioned issues, even though she is thrilled with where her life is. What she will NOT apologize for, however, is dishes half-done if it means nursing a cranky 1-year-old, or piles of mail unsorted if it means listening intently to a 3-year-old's in-depth 10 minute story, or bag-mountains of clothes and items to be taken to the storage unit if it means looking up the answer to a random question of an ever-curious 5-year-old.

If I could only record that and have it start off every conversation, every meeting with friends, every entry into a room 15 minutes late, every time my door opens to family or friends, maybe I wouldn't always feel like I'm falling short. I'm sure, with just that simple explanation of our everyday trials, most would never think all the things I think they do. Maybe my nerves wouldn't be quite as frazzled from not keeping up with the standards I keep for myself - standards that are not at all appropriate for a home-all-day, homeschooling group of Mama and 3 children under age 6 in a house with no maid, no usable storage space, no play room, no spare room to hide all of the embarrassing piles of stuff in, and a Papa gone 6 days a week from around 11 a.m. until around midnight.

Enough of the wallowing! I am going to go take my B-vitamins, brew a cup of chamomile and get to rearranging my living room space. But since my computer has finally let me upload all of my recent pictures off of my camera for the first time in 2 weeks (YAY!), I want to share a picture of our new "addition."
Out with the old:

In with the new:

Isn't she beautiful? What is surrounded with the orange fence was last year's plot, now planted with peas, beans, onions, lettuce and strawberry spinach. She still needs her walls secured against our friendly neighborhood deer and rabbits, which should happen tomorrow morning, but for the most part she's done. And I have to brag, because Adam and I did the entire fence in two days with a big 2-man auger, which means I am incredibly sore today... I think she needs a name. All suggestions are welcomed. Heck, let's make this a contest! Out of the whole handful of you who check these ramblings occasionally who haven't given up on me ever posting again, I challenge you to come up with a good name for my garden. Anything that beautiful deserves a fitting name, don't you think? Her name will be voted on by my panel of experts (Adam, the kids, and me :-)), and the winner will receive a big ol' virtual hug from me and a shout out on this very blog! Woo-hoo! Help me exceed my expectations (I'm thinking I'll get 2, maybe 3 comments). It's easy to comment, even if you never have before. Just click on the part right at the bottom of this post that tells the number of comments, write what you want to say, choose your identity (Name if you don't have a blogger account) and hit Publish your Comment. I know there is family out there who has never commented before but reads the posts. So bring on the name suggestions!!