Good Afternoon

Amazing.  It's quiet in here.
The boys are up in the attic with Sweetheart "helping" and the girl is napping.
I've got the kettle on and an infuser in the teapot filled with dried mint from the grove.  I picked every little leaf I could before the frost hit and I am so glad I did.  I set out a beautiful cup and saucer for my tea time.
So often I just grab a comfortable mug that I can fill to the top with anything hot.  And then I pin beautiful pictures of teacups, dust the cups I've got and forget to use them when it is "just me".  Why is that?
Well, I know part of it is convenience.  I can throw a mug into the dishwasher for one.  Plus, as cute as the tea cups are, I am forever dashing back to the pot for refills.  I drink a lot of hot drinks this time of year especially.
I think I need to back off the coffee.  It's decaf, but still.  I probably shouldn't be drinking two pots a day.  It just really tastes good.  And it's hot which is a major bonus in this drafty old farmhouse.  Have I ever mentioned how cold it is in here?  ;)  I've decided I should not complain and was properly chastened the other morning when I saw the picture of this woman's kitchen.  It's not that cold.
The kettle just whistled.  I love that moment when the mint-filled steam rises and fills my senses.  Aah.  Instant relaxation.  In just a few moments, I'll be sipping it which brings a smile to my face.
I nestled the pot under my big tea cozy to stay warm as it steeps.  Maybe I should add some mint to the shop.  Hmmm...
Actually, the shop overall has been rather disappointing.  I was so excited and scared and everything else, finally did it, and....one sale.  Thanks, Kelli, by the way.  She was one of the first blogs I ever read over six years ago when I started.  I miss her writing and hope she ends her break soon.  Now, her shop is amazing.  Wow.
I definitely want to continue the shop and I have lots of plans for it.  The first should be taking new pictures without all the Christmas decor, but not this week.  I'm still cleaning up all the Christmas in my home.  The shop can wait.
I've learned some neat things about the shop and as I look at what to add I've come to the realization that shipping costs really matter.  No one, me included, wants to pay more for shipping than they pay for the item.  This will directly affect what I do add to the store.  No more wooden signs for one, unless I can fit them into flat-rate boxes!
Hold on, the tea's ready.
Anyway, I wasn't even planning on writing about the shop when I sat down.  Of course, I didn't actually have a plan when I sat which often results in rather rambly missives that I think I should probably delete, but post anyway.
In fact, I am rather impressed, but also intimidated by bloggers who do have a plan.  And more importantly stick to it.  It is almost guaranteed that anything I plan simply will not happen.  Blogwise at least, in real life I do a bit better.  Although I noticed that since the boys disappeared after lunch up to the attic, we'll not be doing math today.  It's ok.  They miss their Daddy and I've missed some quiet.  ;)
Sweetheart is hanging drywall in the attic.  This has been an amazing project.  And a really long one."Finishing the attic" has been going on for a year now, I think.  We had the attic insulated last January I believe.
But one cannot simply do the attic in this house.  Doing the attic has meant rewiring all the wiring on the second floor and putting in the new wiring in the attic.  The putting in of new was a lot easier than the ripping out and redoing of the old. To even get to the old wiring has required the removal of ceiling stuff in several rooms and parts of the walls in the boys' room and the downstairs bath.  It's a disaster around here.
It's not like he's worked on this every day for a year either.  It's been in between a thousand other projects.  All work stopped for spring and summer and most of fall due to planting and all that entails.  I joke he'll probably finish this spring with it all two days before we start planting.  It's not really a joke.  I am hoping it's done by then.
I am so excited to have it done.  It will finally give him a quiet place to work.  Right now, his office is our bedroom closet.  And it isn't a big closet at all.  It does. oddly enough, have a window.  Which is its only good point.  So, he'll soon (!) have the whole north part of the attic for his office.  He'll overlook the barn, the old cow (sohappyshe'sgone) pasture and the neighbor's house and pastures.
I'll get the south side.  Grin.  Big grin.  Other than overlooking the ugly garage, I'll see where I am planning to do most of the planting this year.  From beyond the garage, there are no other buildings in sight.  It's just pastures going on up the side on the valley to the mountaintops.
I'll finally have a place to spread out my stuff.  It will have been three years by the time it's ready for me to move in that I've had an area to create.
They'll be one table just dedicated to packaging all my market stuff.  All my labels, wrappers, raffia, ribbons, etc. in one place that's not my kitchen counter is such an exciting thing.  It makes me giddy.
I'll have a place for my sewing machine and serger and ironing board.  A place for all my paints, papers and all those little bits and bobs I've got squirreled away just waiting to become something wonderful!!!!!!
A neighbor dropped in this morning.  Yes, this still happens unexpectedly.  He and Sweetheart were talking about the attic.  Sweetheart mentioned it would be a place for me to do "all my stuff".  The neighbor asked what I do.  I hate that question.  I do all sorts of stuff, but haven't been able to do much of anything in so long, I hesitate to say anything at all.  But I'll sure be glad when I can.
Well, I just heard the boys clomp down the stairs which means I need to go up and get my sweet girl up. She can sleep through Daddy's sawing in the attic finally, but still wakes up whenever someone goes down the stairs.  Especially at the volume they just did it in.  :)
The stairs used to be so bad, I'd wake her up every time I'd get up in the morning.  She'd usually go back to sleep if it was early enough, but still.  We couldn't even go upstairs at all during naptime.  There was no way to sneak up or down at all.  A few weeks ago Sweetheart was able to make it so much better.  It was a big mess and took hours to do, but it's made life so much more pleasant.
Wish you were here to join me in a cup of tea.  Cupcake would probably join us and ask to be read to.  The boys would talk your ear off about legos.  But I'd give you my cozy chair in the warm corner and keep your cup filled. 
Have a great evening.