2/16/08 Saturday
This morning I must make a list of things to do. I haven’t been doing that and as a result many things have gone undone. Scheduling my life is one of the things I was taught at the Brain Injury Institute but it doesn’t do any good if I don’t practice it. On top of the list is to finish the seed starting shed or at least get it to the point we can start using it. Then I need to start mixing dirt for this purpose. Yesterday I went into town to see what’s available to test ph in the soil. Lowes had the same kind of tester I got at Tractor Supply so I don’t want that. Home Depot had nothing electronic, only the one time use chemical test kits. Ace Hardware has a kit that tests nutrient levels in addition to ph and contains enough material for ten tests each. At thirteen bucks it beat out the four dollar one time use kits by a landslide.

I asked to see the lawn and garden managers at Home Depot and Lowes to see if we can make an arrangement for me to pick up the bags that often get broken open. I got a lot out of both stores last year by going in and asking, but it was always a hit or miss proposition that required them finding a manager who would make the decision. I got lots of mulch, composted manure, and fertilizers that way. They would charge me various prices depending on what manager they found and how he felt. So I will ask them if we can develop a relationship where I come on a regular basis and remove this stuff for them. The people I need to talk to weren’t in yesterday but I got their names and will hopefully catch them today.

So that’s part of today’s schedule. The to do list I’m making won’t be just for today but a list of projects that need doing that I can check off as done. Tonight there is a valentine’s social thing at church that we will go to. Hope I do well but should as there will be many people from our Sunday school class we are familiar with. That will reduce the stress of new and unfamiliar circumstances so will reduce the chance of a slow down.

Speaking of our Sunday school class, one member was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and it is a particularly aggressive strain. The first round of Chemo was not as affective as hoped so they flew him to Dallas for intense treatment and a bone marrow transplant. For those of you who pray I ask that you lift him up in prayer. His wife sends out a daily letter she calls “Robert’s Journey” where she reports on his progress. Her bravery as she faces this incredibly hard time is an inspiration to say the least, but pray for her too. Even the strongest can lose heart during trials this hard.

They are predicting precipitation today. It may be freezing rain or perhaps snow but it’s wet so we hope to get a lot of it. We haven’t had any rain for quite some time now so it would be good. The rye is growing slowly despite my constant watering. It takes a week for me to cover the three acres with the two sprinklers we have and by the time I start over the soil has been bone dry for a few days. So rain would be good.

If I have time I will run the tiller today, give it it’s first serious workout since rebuilding it. Hope it holds up.

Time to get out in the cold and get to work. First job is to scrounge through the lumber I’ve been gathering to locate enough two by fours to finish the inside of the seed shed. The oak I got from the landfill has been a great help in providing wood for the stove to keep us warm. That frees up a lot of my time as it’s quick and easy to cut with my chop saw.