Monday or Manure Happens, so clean it up.

I was feeling pretty down and tired this morning after the kids went off to school. Felt miserable and could hardly move to get anything done. Part of me felt lazy. I wanted to berate myself a bit. The other part of me took a nap, then sat down to read the Psalms for the day.

One of the verses in Psalm 68 speaks of being exulted before the Lord, and filled with happiness and joy. I told the Lord I was so far from being filled with happiness and joy, it wasn't funny. I asked him to intervene and help me know what to do to be lifted up out of the post-holiday grief slump.

I spent a little time researching eco-friendly bread packaging. Answered a fraction of the waiting emails. Deleted a bunch of emails. Then put on my muck boots and went out to the barn

After a few minutes of housekeeping in Coco and Mary's stall, I determined to pick up a little windblown trash from the gully. Then proceeded to pick up trash and organize the tractor shed a little bit. Then got to work shoveling out the milking stanchion that has not been used as a milking stanchion for several months.

After a couple of hours, things looked a bit better and I felt infinitely better. I called up a friend to ask her if she would like to come and shovel manure with me this week. I poked around trying to find the sheep, whom I hadn't seen for 36 hours.

When the girls got home from school, I sent Rose out to search for those woollies. She couldn't find them anywhere, so we set off to the woods to see if they had escaped. Once we reached the high point of our property we could see them come over the crest of the upper hayfields.

Where had they been?

Rose thinks they were made invisible for a little bit to force her and Nora and me to take an afternoon walk up to the woods.

Maybe so.

I was thankful for work for my hands that helped keep me from sinking down lower than necessary. Disappearing and reappearing sheep, bellowing cows, prancing Mary and at least partially cleaner surfaces all helped to make me feel better.

Supper was good, too.

We had Venison and Broccoli Stirfry with jasmine rice on the side.

Nunnally's deer steak, cut into small pieces, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, toasted sesame oil and lemon juice, stirfried with mounds of broccoli.

Now, early to bed, to meet another new day.

Resurrection.