Ahhhh ... I'm not the only one!

"Not-so-simple" simple lives, indeed ... although we are all trying! So, in tribute to Amazing Maniacal Annete, blog-hop-host extraordinaire, here is my snapshot (Sorry no pics today, too busy!)

5:30 -- Get up, stretch, yoga, coffee, shower ...
6:00 --Wake sleepy son by letting dog jump on bed. Breakfast: power shake with foraged blackberries, our neighbor's hand-pressed apple cider, and PCC yogurt, banana, flax oil, protein pwdr. Help son prep for science test.
7:15 -- Out the door to take son to school.
7:30 -- Home and a bit of blogging; work on paper due for mid-term; unload produce from last night's pick-up (biggets Blue Hubbard you ever saw); mow back half of lawn Oy Vey! Can't wait to plant out some more fruit trees in Spring so I won't have so dang much lawn to mow.
8:30 -- Leave for work. Yes, I got a new contract -- which is good -- and am still in school full-time -- which makes it interesting.
4:30 -- Head home, pick up son from neighbor's, clear out half of strawberry bed, pick day's Scarlet runner beans--mine are really late in ripening, and some are still flowering! Also some of the strawberries are flowering again -- strange! Harvest some collard and kale; and some funky little squash that I think are ripe because the vine is withering on one end (but putting out blossoms on the other end!!) Clip some chives to have on the table for din-din.
6:00 -- Dinner--home-grown greens cooked with lemons from my cousin's tree, rice (not home grown!), PCC pork and home-grown beans in BBQ sauce (not home made!) Well, you do what you can.
7:00 -- Help son with homework, possibly this involves a bit of card-playing. What! You didn't know playing cards is good for concentration!
8:00 -- Put son to bed, clean kitchen, work on book chapter that needs some spiffing up. Check email. Yawn!
9:00 -- Stretch, yoga,
10:00 -- Head for bed, do some reading for class tomorrow ... 

and so it goes!

Newbie starts to see -- and taste! -- the fruits (or, veggies)

Ok, so I'm brand-new to this, never thought I could make things grow, a slave to the organic produce aisles and airplane apples from New Zealand. But being laid off (ok, I laid myself off) meant I had time on my hands --- and as a result, this has been my first official harvest season! Compared to most of the blogs in this blog hop I will admit I feel completely inadequate ... STILL ... as I was grocery shopping yesterday it was so great to completely by-pass the produce aisles ... and the juice aisle ... and the bread aisle ... ok, so I still buy milk, eggs, cheese and meat, but one conquest at a time I say! (Would love to have a goat ... pretty sure I can't make that work even though I have the space, I don't have a good enough fence.)
Next year chickens for sure, though I am still stumped on the coop. I know -- I have to learn to build -- but will someone puh-leez come give me a lesson? I know -- I will organize a chicken-coop building party and feed everyone. Any takers? Or are you all still so waaaaay ahead of me on this ... ! :-))) Thanks as always for the inspiration!

Bleee -- as my son pronounces it

How do all those other moms do it? I'm overwhelmed... in school full-time, maybe that would be enough, trying to dig up some beds that were devastated by voles this summer to lay down hardware cloth so I can plant some over-wintering onions, then there is just SO MUCH green stuff to trim, yank, cut, dig up, and then stuff into yard waste bags or bins ... just getting over the blessings of harvest and feeling quite overwhelmed at necessary preparations for winter ... how did our grandparents do it? Deeeeeep breath ... one day at a time ... maybe I'll go take a walk in the garden ...