Yesterday John had the day off so he finished and brought home my Winter present. He does not do Christmas and Birthday presents he makes winter presents. Last year it was a chicken tractor. This year it is a free standing home made hay feeder. I took a photo of a NZ one when I was travelling and he set to and made me one of my own. Isn’t that wonderful. 
The idea is that the cow puts her head through the uprights to get the hay and remains in there to chew it so all the falling and trailing hay goes back in the pile. There is limited sideways jostling so the cows get to eat in peace. It works remarkably well. Now when Aunty Del comes back she will not be bullied out of her dinner. Elsie is king of the castle at meal times!
The car feeder is now for minerals and grain. 
It is getting a wee bit colder so the chicks got their heating mother table back. They say it does not work in low temperatures but it is ambient heat so if a chicks back is against it the warmth will be there. It does not heat a space it heats the chick. I actually don’t think they need it but you know how I am. And as I will be away Friday and Saturday nights when it is getting even colder I am setting everyone back up for cold. It feels like a step backwards. but I need everything to be in order while I am away. Once the cogs are all balanced the farm runs along in a gentle productive state.
This was the thought I had lost the other day. Balance. Thank you to MeadowMice for using this word in her comment yesterday and jogging my memory. When I put on my clown suit otherwise known as bib overalls in some places- (I am still wearing the insulated ones – it snowed yesterday and the temperatures are plummeting but we will not DWELL) – anyway when I put on my clownsuit over my inside clothes I stand and push my feet into the overalls one leg at a time. I place one foot through settle that foot onto the floor, sliding the trouser slightly up my leg, shake out the other trouser and then lift the remaining foot, pause, steady my balance, pause, then slide the second foot into the other trouser leg, stand with two feet on the floor and pull the overalls all the way up my body.
Now you may think that this is such a simple thing. I mean we all put our trousers on one leg at a time: you do this too right? We all stand, step into the one leg, stretch that leg, place the foot down then put the other leg in, all the while balancing on the first foot then through the second foot goes, foot down, two feet down and there we are – safely dressed.
But it is that PAUSE I keep looking at. When one leg is partially clothed and one foot is on the ground and as we lift the second leg, our foot leaving the floor we pause for a tiny second, collecting and stilling our balance so that the next step goes smoothly. It is a moment of pause when we re-balance ourselves in preparation for the next movement. That is what I am looking thinking about.
This pause I call the Pants Pause. This is one of the most important pauses. This is when we make sure we are balanced, in order and ready for the next step. Our mind checking for this balance before proceeding. If we do not do the Pants Pause we fall over. Simple really.
I think we need to instill the Pants Pause in our daily lives. As a conscious thing. Moments of clear thought before we take on the next task. Checking. Nodding. Proceeding.
I have a bad habit of rushing through my day (and my planning) without pausing to think, balanced on one leg. I am hopping here and there. not finishing things, doing three things at the same time, thinking of the next three things as I go. Not watching. Not collating. No Pants Pause. No balance.
That was my thought. Balance. I am going to change the habit of rushing and instill moments of perfect balance.
If we achieve balance in our lives we have to be stronger. The balance between stress and down time. Working and resting. Communicating and Thinking. Building our team and feeding the team. Planning and Planting.
Balance. That was my thought.
The milking machine is ready to go. The pump has been cleaned and oiled and primed or whatever it is you do with pumps (without John on my team I could not do this stuff at all – I am deeply mechanically challenged) – the parts arrived and the entire Works has been assembled. We are ready. No births are imminent thankfully so my weekend away should be ok. 
I am dying to begin milking. I love that time. And I love cream! Oh how I miss cream!
Below is an odd little picture I took for Jake with my cell phone. (Good Lord I have gone from Low tech to Mid tech – I can take a photo and send it.. the mind boggles)
One of the pullets has begun to lay. We both started our Rhode Island Red flocks at the same time and his have been laying for weeks. Mine are only just catching up. He has lights though. But once all my Rhode Islands, and the pretty baby flock I brought in from the barn, start to lay (combined with my old girls who never stopped), we will be racing ahead!
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Is it time to get nervous about Portland?
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
64 responses to “Balance”
Have fun in Portland! If you have time in your itinerary to go to Powell’s, you won’t regret it.
And yes, balance. I find that rushing from thing to thing and next to next removes all opportunity for celebration and satisfaction. I’ve taken it upon myself to start recognizing and acknowledging the “little wins” each day, and to have my team at work share theirs with me as well. What is the point of the next-next-next if we never pause to appreciate the done-done-done?
I want a welder for Christmas.
You pause more than you realize in order to take your photos. I keep the best, non fulfilled, intentions to pop my little camera in my pocket whenever I go out to feed equines, chickens, walk dogs,tend to gardening, etc., but it often gets either left behind or forgotten in my pocket while I rush about to get all things done in time. I think the camera is a great way to add pause, and I’ll keep working on it!
I read this earlier but was called away before I had the chance to comment. What was it I had to say… Yes. I had a picture of you in the Barn, trying to balance on one leg and keeping the other out of the way of all the tenents. I was picturing all the animals looking quizically and chorusing: “Mama Celi has lost it!” 😆
Portland will be a blast, bloggers are fun people to be with. A demonstration of donning the Clown suit would have them rolling in the aisles!
I have another way to try donning those trousers.
Sit down,
Put one hand through the leg from the bottom up to the waist ( one leg scrunched up on your arm) slip your foot in and use your hand to hold the end of the house trouser leg and pull with the other hand the trouser up to above the knee and let the foot wiggle out at the other end while still keeping hold of the trouser leg! Repeat for other leg. That sounds clumsy, but it isn’t and I do it all the time in winter.
The hay feeder is just genius.
No need to be nervous about Portland because a) Portland will love you and b) you will be fabulous because you ARE fabulous.
I must remember to do the pause thing… I’m ok when I’m in motion and everything is running smoothly but if there’s a glitch, I’m thrown off kilter… that’s when I need to breathe – pause – reassess – re-gather. Handy hubbies are worth their weight in gold! Be excited about Portland 🙂
Love the hay feeder. I’m glad Auntie Del won’t have anyone pushing her around. Enjoy your trip to Portland!
‘Pants Pause’: brilliant – now I know how to call my own regular lack of balance 🙂 ! And ain’t it true!!!! I absolutely love the feeder Big John made for you – I remember the ultra feminist sayings way back that women only seemed to get vacuum cleaners, irons and mixmasters for their birthdays: supposedly terribly ‘chauvinist’ – well, what if a woman was dying to have one . . . like a feeder: how would it work!! Terrific present methinks!! Portland . . . am following the WordPress emails daily . . . OMG, wish there was streaming . . . I ‘d put all else aside to see you on Saturday afternoon and evening!!!
You wish has come true https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/press-publish-livestream/ 🙂
As you get older, that balance is harder to keep. Used to be able to jump into pants in a flash & now my other half laughs as I jump around on 1 foot trying to keep upright! However, the shoe (or pant leg) was on the other foot when I caught her doing the same thing.
You can both hop around the room laughing at each other! c
Hi Cecilia – Looks like the Kiwi ingenuity is passing onto John. And I like the idea of a winter present. We have decided that it is crazy to give each other, or our grown up children, Christmas presents and so we make a donation on their behalf to a charity helping the less fortunate. My son got a Goat in Afghanistan this year. And Pants Pause – we have been having hilarity here recently. The Architect had a hip replacement a couple of weeks ago and so now I have to help him into his undies and his pants. Should take some photos to share with his small and my very big grandchildren?
Oh no! That would be more than cruel – he he.. c
I’m afraid I have that questionable habit of rushing hither and yon and always thinking ‘what’s next, what’s next’ and never allowing myself the satisfaction of ‘there, that’s done.’ I am trying to make my plan, do one thing at a time and pay attention to what I’m doing but it’s hard. I think it comes from having to be the ‘weekend warrior’ for so many years, working full time and trying to take care of the “home stuff” at night and on weekends. I need to remind myself that I actually have the luxury of time now.
Your John is a treasure, what greater gift can someone give you than their time spent doing or making something you want. Anybody can pick up a bouqet at the florist or prettys at the jeweler but to actually take the time and make the effort is wonderful. My John will do the same and I am so very grateful for him, even though he can aggravate me to no end sometimes!
This was a good post for me to think about… just how to put “balance” in my day? This time of year gets crazy busy for me… and now I add baby squirrels to the mix. Can you believe I mowed today? Yes, we are mowing already in the South!
Your hay feeder is grand. I love gadgets that make life easier! 🙂
We definitely have the pants pause in common….at this critical moment I study the hard, wood, pointed corner of my chest of draws thinking of the result of my head hitting it hare….this seems to ensure I stay balanced. The day this goes wrong will be a bad one! Can’t believe that weather…young Molly, our cat, is still having a “hottie” in his bed in the outhouse even though the weather is comparatively mild..I don’t think he’d do well if his little house was on the prairies:)
[…] paused on one foot three times yesterday to recover my balance and looked back and forward. The Pants Pause really did help me focus. I was less fractious. And actually got some jobs completely […]