It would have been hard for today to suck more. It sucked so bad that I don’t even feel I’m tempting fate- if there’s more, I’m so far down, go ahead and knock me. At least the fall won’t hurt as bad this low.

It was one front after another— Health, kids, personal, school, academic, financial aid, banking, finals, parking tickets, power companies, bill paying, elementary school, principals, school teachers, misunderstandings, food, phones ringing, stress, stress and more stress. Blood. Turnip. Frustration. Tears.

Everyone wants a piece of me, and there’s just not enough of me left to go anywhere.

Last night, I just about lost it. I have a final paper due today, and another final test tomorrow, and last night I had a lot of people here helping, fixing drywall, packing the kitchen, three kids wanting dinner, folks stopping by to see if I needed anything- and all I needed was to get my kids in bed and some quiet so I could write the damn paper. Then, the doorbell rang again, and it got stuck. It kept ringing. And ringing. At my wit’s end, I stomped out on the porch and in an effort to dislodge the button, the whole thing came off the house.

Tears of frustration. I finally go the kids fed and in bed at 9:30, which if you know me shows how out of control the night was. My kids are always always always in bed between 8 and 8:30. Come hell or high water.

We’re getting an echo now. The garage is stuffed, the forecast for Saturday is 57 degrees and rain all day. I might be having a yard sale on a Tuesday. It has to happen, no matter what… could just something… anything… be easy? My heart and nerves are ragged and raw.

Tiny little patch of sunlight this morning. I’m holding onto it. Off to turn in my final undergraduate paper. Wish me luck.

Remember the friends I said came over and pushed me out of the middle of the road? They came back today. These women kick some serious patootie, and not only is the garage sorted now into “moldy mess” and “yard sale” sides, but much more of my house is packed. Aren’t they beautiful? I love them:

While we all sweated in the uncharacteristic muggy heat and glanced at the imposing clouds threatening thunder and large rain, the kids played in the yard. I think Washington is trying to get me ready for Virginia. It’s been ridiculously humid.

And to top a highly productive and satisfying afternoon, when I check the mailbox, I found a gift from the lovely and wonderful Hairyshoefairy (neither hairy, nor a shoe)- I have more graduation announcements now than I do friends! If anyone would like one, please email me and I’d be happy to pop one in the snail mail. She did a positively lovely job on them, and I was nearly in tears at her thoughtfulness. I know some freaking amazing women.

I’m gonna go ahead and chalk this day up in the “win” column.

Yesterday I was dangerously close to the edge. Friends keep asking what they can do to help, and I’m so overwhelmed most of the time that I just stand and stare, like a deer in the middle of the night watching the oncoming mesmerizing lights that are about to knock it to kingdom-come. Then, two things happened. First, Abby picked these flowers in the yard and arranged them herself. Second, two friends showed up, and instead of asking me what to do, they just rolled up their sleeves and told me to get out of the road. After a few hours, this was the result:

Yes, that is my downstairs family room, once home to the amazing blue leather sectional Bean dissected long ago. It’s now empty. Not just empty, but spectacularly, beautifully empty. The results are thus:

One small corner (in the also cleaned out and nearly empty guest room) of things coming with me to DC, and…

One large pile of things for the yard sale. Which, by the way, my friends unilaterally moved to next weekend and told me to just quit stressing.

My craft room has been also thusly dispatched. An entire room of fabric, supplies, paper, and goodies has been distilled to four boxes. Exhibit A, containing only my favorite things:

And Exhibit B, the rest of the fabric that’s going out in bins for the yard sale. I’m thinking of letting people fill a bag and charging a flat rate…