I just found a fascinating series on You Tube: BBC Wartime Farm, a several-part series about a year running a farm in the same way they did during WWII. The bits about the recommended practices--the government advising farmers to switch to gas or electric stoves because coal was needed for the war and how that was hard because most farms weren't on the electric grid so they needed generators--and coping with equipment shortages so that the blacksmiths suddenly became very important again is fascinating.

There's also series for Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm. The historical stuff available on You Tube is wonderful.

I think I'll check out the Coursera and iTunesU stuff -- I'm unemployed, so I might as well do a bit of self-improvement, right?

That was my reasoning, Theo.

This temp agency I signed up with has a bunch of instructional courses available online, too, I'll be exploring those next.

I've clearly been spending too much time unemployed and short on disposable income -- I can't remember the last time I stayed at a hotel. Based on vague memory, though, the first thing I'd do is kick off my shoes, and either collapse on the bed or go look out the window.

That sound fascinating, Connie. I'll check them out.

Timelies all!

Got all my errands done yesterday. One of the Jiffy Lube guys managed to break off the door handle on the rear passenger side door. They've ordered a replacement part, so I'll have to go back when it comes in. Sheesh...

Yikes, Sheryl. How does that even happen??

We had a super social day yesterday, which was awesome, but now we're all tired and sloungy and the house is a mess. It was a really fun day, though. First we spent the morning cleaning the house and running errands, then we had our friends with tiny twin babies come over for a few hours, and then after they left we had a couple hours to tidy again and make dinner, then we had four friends over for dinner. It's a nice feeling to have friends here that we've known for a while now, people who knew us when we had just moved to town, before we got married, before we had a baby. It helps me to remember that we actually have some history in this town now, and a nice little community of friends that we've put some time into building up.

I'm sitting behind a nursing screen at church just outside the sanctuary. This older couple is on the other side and I don't think they know I'm here. The wife is scolding her husband for not waiting for her. It sounds like an argument they've been having for years. Neither is upset; it's just odd to hear someone's unguarded conversation like that.

This doesn't really need it's own post but I am just so crabby this morning. Frisco's choir sang in church. He wouldn't wear the dress shoes I bought him which isn't shocking but is annoying and a waste of money. And he didn't want to sing and he just stood up there looking around. He sang a little at the end but still he didn't really participate. And then he had a total freak out because he thought the snacks were all gone but they weren't. So that was for nothing and he got his snacks just fine.

I don't want to be mad at him but he wears me out. All morning he was rude and disrespectful. Some days it would just be nice to be able to hit an off switch for a while.

Kids are hard. I'm sorry Frisco had a bad morning and stressed you out, Stephanie.

Meanwhile, for the first time in my life, I woke up early and rested after DST spring forward. Very confusing.