3:37 am

Good morning to those of you who can't sleep like me. I must suggest having some decaf green tea and a maple glazed gluten-free donut for not feeling sorry for yourself at 3:37 in the morning. I was out of chamomile tea-quite an accomplishment as we have 25 boxes of tea in the cabinet, but I wasn't about to dig around and pull out every tea box out for fear of waking the dog. I did find Tazo "Awake" black breakfast tea. That was decidedly out of the question, because at some point this morning I would love to crawl back in bed and sleep for a very long time. I've always slept better during the day due to the Lyme; I don't understand it, but there you have it.

I thought I would write a chirpy little post about some of the things I love-things that get me through the day. The first is my wonderful, loving, holds-me-when-I-cry husband. From the outside it may not be as visible as it should be, but this man sacrifices everything for me day in and day out. I could not have asked the Lord for a more perfect husband to take care of me. He married me knowing I was sick, and I was diagnosed with Lyme 9 months into our marriage. How's that for your first year of marriage? But he took it all in stride. This is Joel, my wonderful hubby, who loves Farmall tractors (John Deere is not welcome in our house), gardening, sci-fi, computers, XBOX 360, and fixing and building things. And I LOVE him!

The second thing I'd like to highlight are some of my favorite blogs and websites. I love to crochet and Lucy at Attic 24 in England is my absolute fav. She constantly comes up with new projects to try and graciously writes tutorials so that everyone can crochet them. She has a zest for life that not many people have, and it is for the simple things that I love-bright colors, nature, and family.

The next blog is the Carpool Queen's Blog. My friend Susan is the author here. She loves coffee as much as I do, and shares all of life here-the nitty gritty and the sweet moments. I'm not sure her boys technically qualify as kids anymore. This set of triplets just turned 14. I met them all 10 years ago and they will always hold a special place in my heart. Susan, celebrate having a week with a little less chaos now that the boys are at camp.

By now, you all know how much I love chickens, and Backyard Chickens is the best website/forum for figuring out what you need to know. When your chickens are sick, you can't always run them to the vet, though to be perfectly honest, one time I did. Those days are over, and now I'm the vet. Backyard Chickens has so much information that with enough searching you can usually find the solution to your chickens' problems.

Since I am starting to get sleepy, I'll quickly highlight three books that I've really enjoyed this year. I'd been wanting to read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley for a year or two and finally picked it up. It was amazing! Thanks to Mary V. for lighting a fire under my tail so that I would read it. If you like classic novels about dystopian societies, you should read this one. It is my favorite so far.

My next favorite was Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It is a book about books-what could be better than that? Both books are about societal control and individuality. It is a great, quick read that will leave you thinking about it for days.

The final book that I enjoyed definitely surprised me. I don't typically pick up modern fiction, but The Paris Wife by Paula McLain was quite good. It focuses on Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley Richardson, and the intensity of their life in Paris. The author is a great writer and the book drew me into the world of the Hemingways, Fitzgeralds, Pounds, and the ever important Gertrude Stein.

Farewell for now, I'm going back to sleep. It's 5:34 and the birds are singing. Hopefully Adah the rooster is not crowing. But I wouldn't bet on it. Here he is in all his glory...

As much as I love these things and my husband, I cherish the fact that I might be well in the future. Please help us get there by donating.