Tuesday, August 12, 2008

My Glimpse of Life

Oh how I miss my days of leisurely blogging. I love writing and have missed all of blogging friends so badly. I try to keep up and read your blogs, but have not had time to comment.

Someone emailed me (and that someone wished to not have their name in this post) and asked "just what exactly do you do at this job of yours"? That made me think......I really don't have a title there, but do not need one. I am the farmer's daughter.......I do whatever needs to be done.

Let's start with last Friday: Both the boys are beginning to get coughs and runny noses again. They have both been up and down for almost all night. I get up at 3am and fix hubby's lunch, back to bed until 5am. I get up, get ready and straighten house, put supper in the slow cooker, boys up, we all have breakfast, get them dressed and out the door by 7am. I take them to preschool and then go to open the market up for the day.

SOMEONE ELSE ASKED WHY DON'T I BLOG FROM WORK? WE DO NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS THERE. NOR DO WE HAVE A CASH REGISTER..........GO FIGURE, THAT HAS WORKED WELL SINCE 1956!

I open the market up for the day. I go through all of the produce to make sure and remove any bad items. I then sweep, clean the bathroom, wipe window seals, clean the porch off, clean the doors and rugs. I also am waiting on customers during this time as well as answering the phone.

I have a couple of special orders to get ready for the day as well. When we wait on customers we have to refill the cups and baskets of produce sold to them. This is a large part of what we do each day. I then clean off the desk in the office and write out the bills for the week. Still while answering the phone and waiting on customers. By now it is around noon. I fix a tomato sandwich and eat in between customers. By now it is 1pm, my Aunt P (that works for us) arrives. I then take the garbage to the big garbage can outside, feed the cows and haul off the rotten produce.

I come back and wash the buckets out. Then I call for load times on trucks, for the afternoon. We then load 2 trucks for the markets for the the next day, all while waiting on customers.

We are running short on peaches for the market, so we wait for the truck from the orchard. It arrives and we unload a hundred or so baskets.

By then it is 5:30pm, time to pick up the boys.......Hubby arrived just in time. He picks them up and I work on until 6pm. We go home, eat supper, do bathes, read and play. I clean up the kitchen and start on laundry.

Boys are in the bed by 8pm. We finish some laundry and clean up the bedroom and I take a long hot bath. Bedtime at 9:30pm. Long day tomorrow (Saturday).

Saturday we are up at 4:30 am for good. I have been up most of the night with Tiger, he is feeling pretty yucky. We get ready, get the cooler packed and leave instructions for Ms. KK. The boys clothes are out and ready for them. Ms. KK arrives at 5:30am . As we are leaving Tiger wakes for the day.

We (hubby and I) go and pick up the loaded truck for the market and stop for a to-go biscuit and start out hour and 20 minute drive to the market. I eat and then sleep the rest of the way. We arrive at the market and stay until 1pm and then drive back home. On the way home Ms. KK calls and say Tiger has spiked a 102.7* temp. He gets meddy and we hurry home. He acts fine as we arrive and I start him on Omnicef (his nose is running green). I think he has a ear infection. We take the truck back to the packing house and unload what's left. Then back home we go. Tiger's temp drops and we have to leave again to pick up supplies for the market (home market). We drive the hour and buy supplies and eat a bit of supper. We get home and I cook supper for my parents, after we unload the supplies. Hubby helps my Mom pick the figs (there is almost 20 gallons).

The boys are in the bed by 8pm and I shower and am in the bed by 9pm. Hubby stays up until 11pm.

By Sunday morning I am going on 2 hours sleep. Tiger fussed and whined all night. He is running a low grade fever. Hubby goes to his Dad's to meet his sisters to finish going through their Mom's things. The boys and i stay home from church. I call hubby at 11am and tell him Tiger's fever has reached 103.7* and is still climbing. the Tyneol/Motrin is NOT working. Hubby gets home and we get the boys to the doctor. They both have ear infections. Tiger's is much worse. Monkey has a yeast infection on his bottom. We get prescriptions and head home. We eat out again.....the boys still do not eat much. We go home and do bathes. Then we go and pick up my parents supper and us a piece of pie. We play with the boys and just cuddle. By 7pm the fever is finally broke. I am in bed right after the boys at 8pm.

I got to sleep almost all night, only up once until 3am. Monday the boys feel well enough to go to preschool and ear infections are not contagious. I decide to keep them home and they cry to go to school. I call the preschool and they tell me bring them on. I take them to school at 8am and come back home.

I shuck and silk a bushel of field corn and cut it off (and scrap the cobs) for the freezer. I also put up a basket of peaches for the freezer. I use an 8 quart basket of squash and make squash pickles. I do 6 loads of laundry and clean out my freezers as well. Then I cook fried chicken, fresh peas, stewed potatoes and fresh corn for supper, make a gallon of tea and cut up a basket of okra for the freezer. I run to the pharmacy and pick up the boys meds and drop my Mom and Dad's supper off.
I have to be at work at 1:30pm. I then write more checks for bills and count up for this week's banking. We load a truck for the market and we are still waiting on customers. Hubby is home before 6pm. He and I go pick up the boys. We stop back by my parents on the way home and visit for a few minutes. Home we go, eat supper, play with the boys, bathes and lots of book time. They are in the bed by 8pm. I clean up the kitchen and start laundry again. I get a bath and am in bed by 9:30pm.

I tried to check my email, since I had not checked it in over a week. I could not wait for all 2022 of them to come through. So, if you have emailed in the last week and need something immediately, please leave a comment.

The boys are at preschool and I should be putting up the other basket of okra sitting on my counter but i am visiting with my blogging buddies. I have to be in the orchard in an hour and have some calls to make before then, so I had better go. I have to be at a market this afternoon.

I hope you all have a great day, less busy than expected. I hope you enjoyed the peak into my life. Many blessings!!!!!!

6 comments:

Kylie's Mom said...

Oh. my. gosh. I think my eyes crossed while I read that LOL.

I would love for my kids to see how farm kids work...maybe then they won't complain about having to unload the dishwasher occasionally.

You are one busy lady!!!

Steph at Problem Solvin' Mom said...

Hang in there, Marva! I can't say I know what you're going through, but I can sympathize from having friends who are farmers.

Looking forward to when you have a bit more time to "visit" come winter!

Blessings,
Steph

MyKidsMom said...

I grew up in the Midwest amid cornfields and other various produce-growing farms. Those farmers were always out in the field, doing something or other. Such very hard-working people; and that's just the field work. It was common to see a pick-up truck off the side of a huge field where they would have corn or other produce piled high for sale. Would you believe I remember corn being 12 for $1? Anyway, I have always admired anyone who farmed for a living (like our many forbears). It can be backbreaking work, but benefits our whole country in such an important way.

Your reference to the farmer's daughter reminded me of that old movie with Loretta Young(?). Of course, it's possible no one will know who I'm talking about, LoL. I know more old-time actors names than modern ones;)

I will keep the boys in my prayers. It is so stressful when your little ones are sick, especially when they are at that stage where it's hard to communicate exactly how they're feeling. Take care, and try to keep yourself healthy too. That lack of sleep can really drag a person down, but we all go through it once in a while. Looking forward to slower days for you soon.

ADMIN said...

I know you're loving every minute of working on the farm! I grew up on a farm and I know it's in your blood.
Life gets easier as the kids get older.
Enjoy your busy summer!
Hugs, Mimi

mamacantrix said...

My dear Marva,

I have nothing to say but that you are in my thoughts and in my prayers. Hang in there, girl, winter's a' comin'!

Love,
Deb

mom2twins04 said...

Hey, hope that all is well... I have goofed on the coupon train... I have lost Vanessa's address... Please send me her address... I will try to keep up with it as long as I can, although school starts on Monday....
email me if you can... miss reading your blog. Mine has slowed down quite a bit as well...