Where has time gone lately?

It seems that since early March, life has sped up to breakneck speed.  Hunter and I are homebodies and just keep wanting a full day to stay home.  But looking at the calendar I'm not sure when that will happen.

Over the past 6 weeks, I've had ideas of things I want to write about but just not the time.  Now I've forgotten about those ideas and suddenly can't think of anything to write about. So I was thinking again about just giving up blogging.  But it's amazing - every time I think about that - I run into several people within a week or two who say "I am still reading your blog!"  Then I remember I like that connection with people, and I like writing, and I like how therapeutic this is for me, and OK.  I'll keep blogging as I can.  And hey, I love seeing Lilly's smiling face in the header every time I open up my blog.  :)

three of our four goats

Mornings have gotten busier for me as I have taken over Tabby's position as the official dairy maid.  Yes I am the one milking our goats.  (Thankfully just two of them.)  This is one more of those things in life I never imagined I would be doing one day.  But really, it is nice to be outside in the quiet of the early morning in the fresh air, and to see the sun rising behind the trees.  And there is something very satisfying in seeing those streams of goat milk going into the bucket.  Solomon comes out with me if he is awake then and he find milking time delightful.  He loves drinking goat milk!

Here is the current view of the top of my refrigerator:

That is all four of our goat milk soaps curing.  It's a satisfying and beautiful site to me!  We are going to be vendors at Hand of Hope Pregnancy Center's 11th annual Walk for Life and will be selling soap, Hunter's vintage Mason jar lamps, and possibly some children's jewelry made by Tabby. This event is happening Sunday, May 1, 2016 from 1:00-4:00 at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary, NC.  There will be a walk or if you are runner - both a 5K and 10K.  (Tabby is considering running the 5K.)   There will be entertainment, food, and vendors.  If you want to participate, just go to Hand of Hope's website, and pre-register.  A couple friends from church and I have rented a vendors tent together.  I'm really looking forward to it!

Tabby has been busy with track meets and rehearsing for an upcoming school drama performance of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility."  Tabby has the role of the youngest sister - Margaret.  It's a good role for her as she is spunky, like Margaret, and she gets to be in a sword fighting scene.  She's glad to not have a lead role, but really, the perfect role for her would be Marianne.  Tabby is so much like her!  She artistic, is very emotional, etc etc.  I remember re-reading Sense and Sensibility when Tabby was younger and thinking "She is so much like Marianne!  And I am like Elinor.  She needs to read this book one day and we can use it for some discussions on character."

Here is a picture of Tabby at a recent track meet.  She runs relay races and in the 3200 (2 mile race).  She likes it but says she likes running cross country best.

Next Thursday is the last day to contribute to Tabby's "Stop Hunger Now" fundraiser.  You can read about it here.

If you would like to help sponsor Tabby's participation in Stop Hunger Now, you can make a tax deductible payment online on her school giving page at:  http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/tabby-hollowell/2016SHN  Note that ALL the money that Tabby raises will be used for the Stop Hunger Now project.  Plus, for all the money she raises, she will get credits towards the cost of her Senior Service Practicum.  This is a missions trip that the senior class goes on to Costa Rica.

Hunter has been busy with experiments and projects of all kinds.  Yesterday he built a house for his collection of motors.  It was just made out of cardboard but even had real working lights!  I told him it was a shame that he didn't have a little sister around so that he could rig up lights and plumbing in a doll house for her.

Earlier this week, Hunter fixed our broken essential oil diffuser.  He dictated the explanation of how he fixed it to me:  "I cut the plug off at the end, and stripped off some of the sheathing, and examined the wires. There was one red wire and one black wire and when I stripped a working adapters cable, there was one red wire and one white wire. So I connected the white wire to the black wire and the red to the red by splicing and wrapping with electrical tape. Since it is 24 volts that is low voltage so this is OK. Then when I tested it and it worked!"
 

Solomon stays busy playing with trains, reading books, and helping me with chores.  He really likes helping look after the chicks.  They are growing so fast!  And there is always some antic going on.

Solomon also likes me to take pictures of him acting silly: