I think I might have mentioned before that things went a little smoother when I didn’t watch Jim work on the dozer. Well…..I somehow thought… that things would be different when he had the green light to tear down everything in his path (remember all those pesky Virginia pines). I mean, how could I find fault in that?!? Unfortunately, I did! As much as I hate to admit it….it was painful for me to watch him work.
Jim working on his toy and me not complaining…yet…
You see, the thing about me and Jim….is that we work differently. Like veeeerrrrry differently. Like mutually exclusive kind of differently. He has a system and so do I. And they are NOT the same. They are ALWAYS very different. He starts in one place and ends somewhere very different. I KNOW he has a plan and a method to his madness. I just have no clue what it is. NO CLUE!!!
I love Jim and pretty much everything about him- except his pork rind habit. I really dislike that! I mean, YUCK! Sorry! I love pretty much everything else about him though. Yep, still totally dig that man after all these years. Unfortunately, I still don’t understand the way he thinks. Not. At. All!
Do you remember that book Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus? Well, I actually never read it because when it was published I think I had just met Jim and thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. And then we got married and entered the wedded bliss honeymoon stage. Ahhh, the happily ever after marriage. Who needed to read that book when I was married to Mr. Wonderful?? I have to admit that I have since considering reading that book-Just to understand the way he thinks!! But I’m a little bit afraid. Obviously, there is ALOT-let me say that again-ALOT going on in the depths of his mind. And honestly, if the situation were reversed would I want him trying to understand the way I think? HA! That’s a scary thought! I don’t even understand the way I think most of the time!! Example: How did I get off onto this subject about my scattered mind when I’m supposed to be talking about Jim’s crazy methods of clearing pine trees??
Anyway, back to the subject at hand…. Watching Jim clear those Virginia pines was soooo frustrating for me! He would push some over here and then some over there and then move to another spot and push something over there. Looking back, I think he was playing on his new toy still, but it still bothered me. Wouldn’t it make more sense to clear in a somewhat orderly fashion? Maybe clear in rows or sections? Maybe finish one spot before you move to another? Just a few suggestions from little ole me…stuck on the ground….with the kiddos…in the middle of summer…
Jim’s method of clearing. It obviously works! What was I complaining about anyway?!?!?!?!
I know what you must be thinking at this point. First, I’m complaining about the trees he knocked down and now I’m fussing about how he knocks them down. I promise I am not a control freak! But I’m guessing you might be able to understand why he has occasionally referred to me as The Warden?
Jim puts up with a lot. ALOT! He’s kind of a Saint really. Yeah, we can probably ALL agree that Jim is a Saint. A SAINT. When you see him feel free to call him Saint Jim. Ohhh, that has a nice ring to it, huh? Saint Jim puts up with my issues 24/7. It’s a running joke at our house that whenever someone asks me, “What is wrong with you?” I reply, “Oh, we ain’t got that kinda time! You have to narrow that question down a little.”
My issues are pretty much universal and after almost 20 years of marriage Jim knows them all. I thank the Good Lord everyday he still loves me!! Otherwise, he might’ve blown a fuse when I asked him what his method of madness was? And why it was taking so long? (Never mind that he was fighting with those Virginia Pines for every inch he cleared.) I might have even offered a few more friendly tidbits of advice about maybe dozing in straight lines or something similar to that. You know it’s hard to remember those exact words….
This is handsome Saint Jim and he is liable to kill me when he reads this post AND sees his picture on here so….SSSHHHH!!!
I love my husband with all my heart! I really do! He is an amazing man with an amazing heart and mind. But I will probably never understand the way he thinks OR the way he works on a dozer. For the record, I’m guessing that Jim doesn’t understand the way I think either but he normally doesn’t complain. Hence the Saint Jim name!
Anyway, once again I decided to stay away and let him do his thing. Okay, actually I had to do some soul searching, praying and really asking the Lord to give me the peace and the strength to walk away and let him do his job in peace. Regardless of how crazy it seemed to me! It sounds silly, I know but we’ve already established I’m probably certifiably crazy so, why does that really surprise you?
So, I fell into a routine of picking up sticks or glass until the kids were threating a revolt and then I would take them to play at the creek. I would get to watch them smile and laugh and explore. One of the best parts- I would get to REST. Ahhhh…
Jim would join us for lunch and goof off with us for an hour or so and then head back to his non-linear, disorganized, demolition frenzy-without me watching. You know he was sooooo happy! And I’m sure he got triple the work done without my suggestions.
This is what the farm looked like in late summer. It’s AMAZING what Jim can get done without ME in the way.
We had finally found a routine that worked for us again. Jim was making progress on the Virginia pines (and I was NOT watching how!) and the kids and I were working/playing. (Even a few minutes of work counts, right?) We made some wonderful memories and we remained married. Win, Win!
