Treading water - check. Still breathing - check.

I know I am in trouble for not posting the usual sustainance lately.
I wish I could give you a great reason for it, or even tell you how successful I've been at getting something else done.
Alas, it is a sad case of:  Keep Your Head Above Water
You know the game, if you don't keep your head above water...  you drown. Haha.
 Drowning is just not an option and I've learned that if I can tread water for a while, I may eventually come out of the haze.
As it is, treading water is not so unpleasant:
The children chip away at school which is mostly reading right now.  The three biggest are really excelling in this department.  The little ones listen a lot and our pens are fast running out of ink too.
The garden is pretty tired but there are some things ripening that I'd lost hope of seeing this year, for instance the boys dug up some sizable potatoes.  This was an accomplishment because we were under the impression that Potatoes set  when they flower.
Ours never flowered.
The boys think they are the Non-Flowering variety, but I think we got lucky. :-D
No more bear-in-the-trash escapades.  No wildlife spottings to speak of (I don't count squirrel), but still plenty of tracks.  The kids are finding new mushroom varieties left and right - some are rather beautiful... in their own way.  It's amazing what you can spot when your eyes are searching for hidden treasure.
I am really enjoying my new fireplace.  It warms my feet, my hands, my heart.
I am teaching Zachary to take over dish-washing.  It started out with a bang, but it's been good for both of us to have to work on follow-through.  You know, a quality job, done in a timely manner with a cheerful heart takes practice.
I'm sure I'll learn something from him before we're through with this lesson.
And I'm pretty sure that when he really gets it down, I'll move him on to something else and start fresh with the next one in line.
It's going to be a process.  Maybe I'll be able to let Zachary train the next guy...........
We get gravel delivered tomorrow for the driveway in front of the house - that is a big baby step.
This weekend we tidy up the house, make arrangements for Winter plans, and pack.
Just for a family vacation.
AJ and I have talked about seeing the Fall color on the East Coast some day and have finally decided to go.
With all the children and a camera (but I don't know about laptop), we are going to New England to catch the Fall color!  With stops in Colorado, Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virgina, we will circuit through Maine and see some other things just for fun as well.
Maybe Niagara Falls again?  The Columbus Zoo?  Lake Champlaine?
We're pretty excited and looking forward to being together for some memory making.
I'm looking for the end of the haze.
(Will it come?)
Wait... don't answer that!