Distractions

Homemade Apple Butter

I'm supposed to be reading/responding to student papers, but instead, I'm doing all kinds of other things. Like making apple butter. And cutting out the raspberry vines. And researching having backyard chickens in town. I was hoping to have all the papers responded to by late this evening, but at this point, I'll be lucky to have one section of the four completed. With each semester, I'm finding it harder and harder to make myself sit for any length of time to read student work.

I had every intention of getting up early this morning to get started on the papers. I did get up at a reasonable hour. It was before 8 am, and for a Sunday, that's early for me. I fixed myself an egg white omelet along with some bacon and coffee, and read a new book while I ate. I figured I'd start in on the work after I finished breakfast. Instead, all I kept thinking about was the apple trees laden with lovely red apples we'd come across on a piece of property for sale not far from town. No one is living on the property as the house isn't even suitable for pigs to live in, so I said to Hubby, "Let's go pick some apples." We loaded up the ladder and set off.

This piece of property is about three acres, with a pole barn and another smaller, older barn that has three stalls inside. I can very easily envision having chickens, a couple of sheep, and maybe a goat. One part of the property is perfect for a large garden. There's the two mature apple trees as well as two mature pear trees. Though the house is a tear-down, I wouldn't mind living in a mobile home while we build exactly what we've always talked about having. Of all the properties we've seen over the years of my dreaming of moving to the country, this piece really does offer exactly what I've always yearned for. I was thinking this morning, after picking the apples (and no, I didn't call the owner for permission; I probably should have, but it was pretty obvious no one was picking them given the amount of apples covering the ground under the trees), that perhaps we could buy the property and make it our "vacation" spot during the next few years. We could pitch a tent every weekend and enjoy being there, cleaning it up, and prepping it for the house we want to build. Hubby doesn't think this is feasible. Yet, he is the one who took me to see it several weeks ago, saying, "I'm trying to buy you your house in the country." And now, now that I am really into it and can see a way to make this happen, he's suddenly stepping back, saying, "There's no way we can do this." Huh?!? Frankly, I think it was kind of mean of him to take me to see it in the first place. But I am glad to have found the apples.

So, now that I'm having to come down out of the clouds and back to the reality of living in town, I'm researching owning chickens within the city limits (it's illegal right now, but I'm going to see about getting this back in front of the city council) and planning more gardening through the fall and winter months. Both of these things are not helping me read/respond to student papers. I know, though, that my work will get done. It always does.