End of Summer Stress

...has made us rethink the spelling of August. The hubby and I had been blowing off steam by calling it Awful August to describe the stresses of the impending move's financing, shifting deadlines, and temporary homelessness as one house has to move out of the way for the next one while we humans have to also somehow stay put (tent? I still don't know!) to monitor all three cranky, pregnant and prone to milk fever goats (who are, as of today, officially overdue by the way) while fitting in a baptism of our newly adopted daughter with the accompanying party, along with meetings for me every stinking weekend of the month while my husband will be on retreat next week and totally out on a business trip (we may or may not join him) at the end of the month on top of the regular stresses of everyday life. Some things are slipping.

Luckily none of those slippery things have been our moods. My husband and I have managed to be particularly patient with one another--both carefully checking our mood at the door when the other one has that look of incipient tantrum. We have managed to remember that tantrums are remarkable smaller and quicker when countered with humor and patience. That Look and a rude sounding, "I'm handling it!" has been the worst offense of the day. Getting That Tone during a phone call was the worst of yesterday's. So far, so good.

So good in fact, we've decided it's not Awful August but Awesome. As in shut your mouth, there is no human way possible to handle all this so politely. None. You just have to know me to know that. This current good behavior and lack of serious pouting is all God's doing. He's got me firmly in hand and I'm not fighting it (much) mainly because early on in this month a friend knocked my inner control freak flat with a question, "Does the wind blow without your permission?"

I actually had to think about that one before I realized that it does. And thank God. One less thing I have to make decisions over is fine by me.

We're calling it August again. I've just decided to spell it Awegust. Yes, it sounds exactly the same. Like Anne Shirley's Ann with an e, it just sounds better knowing we're spelling it that way.

I'd love to end it there, with that nice hopeful ending and patting myself on the back about my good behavior so far because I haven't even made it a week yet.

The month has 31 days. It's the 6th. God, help me.