Back to School

In spite of, or maybe because of, a few curveballs that came our way this week, I have had a really good down to earth spring break. Somehow it managed to be everything that I needed, both mentally and practically: a new job, lots of time in the garden, good visits with friends, lots of big chores done, and lots of relaxing at home with Matt and by myself. Miraculously, I managed to achieve everything I set out to do on this break. What a wonderful feeling- that so rarely happens! I started to really miss school these last couple of days, and now I'm feeling prepared to dive back in to my new classes tomorrow.

I had a really nice weekend spent mostly at home, with a couple visits from good friends and their wee ones, and lots of time spent in the kitchen. I did lots of baking and cooking and freezing in preparation for what will be a very busy quarter, and now the freezer is full of cooked beans, cake, cookie dough, and still plenty of meat and fish. We have a menu plan set for the next three weeks and are stocked up on groceries.

(Click on Photos to Enlarge)

Jam drops made from this recipe on Gooseberry Jam's blog. Super easy and delicious recipe (and a beautiful blog!) Some with passionfruit jam from Hawaii, and some with homemade strawberry jam.

A fall treat in the spring! Pumpkin pie made with frozen squash puree.

The basement is clean and organized, as is the garret. The bathroom got a deep clean, Matt scrubbed out some mold we found in our closet, and I got a chance to do the kinds of small tasks that are easily put off and not pressing, but so nice once they are done:

 The "tupperware cupboard," before and after.

The kitchen linen drawer, before and after. 

It was nice to have more time to spend with the animals this week. Out in the garage, the wee bunnies are growing up quickly! Princess' two surviving kits are at the horrendously cute month-old stage right now, fat and round with fluffy, bear-like faces:

Duchess's brood of eight are getting much bigger, and their ears are getting longer.

While I'm looking forward to returning to school, the next couple of months are going to be pretty crazy for us. In addition to my new job (which I am very much enjoying, by the way), which is 24 hours per week, I will continue to work 10-12 hours per week at my internship, in addition to a full course load of evening classes. Unlike previous quarters, I have no back-to-back classes this term, but one class each of three nights per week. Wednesday and Thursday nights, I won't get home until about 10 PM. In a major shift from previous terms, I simply won't have any non-class time on weekdays to do school work, so homework will happen late at night, a lot on the weekends, and on my lunch break at work. It's going to be challenging, especially since Matt has the opportunity to work at an urban farm on Saturdays (in addition to still looking for a full-time job), which leaves us with very little time together. We're both confident we'll manage, and have set aside one night per week as a date night when we're not allowed to make other commitments or do homework. Also, we have the benefit of knowing that this hectic schedule is finite: both my classes and internship end in mid-June, and then I'll have three and a half months of just working part-time before school starts again.

These next two and a half months are going to be a practice in time management and maintaining mental health! I will definitely continue to blog, but I'm sure you'll notice that posts are fewer and further between. I hope you all are enjoying your spring (or fall, if you're in the southern hemisphere) and all that comes with it.