Slacking

A confession.

I have been slacking lately. In my blog writing (you've noticed, haven't you?) and, I hate to admit it, in my household chores.

The dishes need to be done. The laundry needs to be done.

But I have excuses; are you ready for them?

My garden is planted!

This corner of my backyard:


Now looks a little different:

There will eventually be fence slats up on the posts but I'm waiting for the concrete (cement?) to cure. Someone once explained the difference to me between concrete and cement and I have since forgotten which is which...did you know there was a difference?

And I am reading "The Curved Saber" by Harold Lamb. This is one of my dad's books that I read in high school and he kindly let me borrow it again. I love it and was thrilled to get on Alibris books and discover that someday if I ever have spending money I can pick up my own copy as well as a few other of his books. I'm particularly looking forward to some of his biographical and historical narratives on Ghengis Khan, Charlemagne and Constantinople, The Crusades and The March of Moscovy. Many of his stories are being reprinted in collections or volumes with two due out this year.

Yesterday I sat out on the back deck and read while the kids played in the wading pool and then next thing I knew I was surrounded with kids and books and they had all joined me for a time of "reading"; each kid with a pile of books to look through.

And that, in my opinion, is a grand reason for slacking in the household arts.