I stick my half-drunk cup of tea into the microwave and turn the dial to 30 seconds to reheat it. Dare I admit that it’s the second time already this morning that I’ve turned that dial. The first time I forgot to take it out. It probably is totally uneconomical to do that, but it’s faster than making a new cup.

Minutes count during this part of the year. So it is really important that we use them wisely.

I’m an early riser by choice. Once I’m out of the bed it’s easy and the quiet of the morning is a special time for me.

I make my first cup of tea and set about putting on the washing and hanging out the one from the evening before in the garage. Our house is mine without interruption. It’s amazing how much conversation interrupts your workflow, because I want to be part of it and hear everything that goes on.

I had two extra days off for midterm and it was a great chance to catch up with housework. The yard takes priority these days. Tim made one request of me “any chance you’d make a bag of scones?”

Regularly I make a bag of brown scones and put them in the freezer. Ideally, I try not to let them run out. They make a basis for an easy lunch for the men. They defrost in 30 seconds and go with anything from beans, soup, smoked mackerel, paté or whatever might be in the fridge. They keep Tim, Colm and Diarmuid going while I’m at work.

Time poor

I take out the big bowl and weigh out the flour. My recipe is simple, 8oz of white flour, 8oz of brown flour, one teaspoon of bread soda, 2oz of margarine rubbed in, 1oz of sugar and buttermilk to mix. No bextartar allowed for renal diets, so I buy the buttermilk. I have the buttermilk plant from time to time, but I keep killing it.

I feel the grit of the lovely Macroom flour. It’s definitely the best on the market for decent, crunchy bread.

As I wet the flour mix to turn it into bread, I see the crooked lampshade hanging from the ceiling. For some reason it has gone sideways. I noted it the last time I was baking bread and still haven’t remembered to straighten it out. I won’t do it now because time is precious and I’d have to take my hands out of the creamy dough.

I also see a hook or two broken on the living room curtains. Sometimes I come back and find a curtain half down as a result of so many hooks having been broken by someone in a hurry to block out the sun, or watch something on the telly.

The curtains need to be pulled gently, not dragged with force. My men do not get this. Regularly I climb on the chair and replace the hooks. Most of the time, the offenders don’t even know they have broken hooks. Ignoring it or feigning ignorance to the crime means I continue to fix them.

Again, it’s a job for another time. House maintenance is critical, but it will have to wait until the calving season is over. Right now I am time poor.

The shed fills

The hum of the ovens is going in the background. We all know our own, one is running at 170°C and the bottom one is set at 200°C. Eight times the recipe gives me almost 100 scones. In early January I made a few dinners and froze them to get us over the busy days of calving.

I still haven’t taken one out, always waiting for the more chaotic day. It would certainly be a real asset on busier evenings. I might well end up with dinners in the freezer after the season. It’s time I started using them.

We are probably at our busiest time now. There are nearly 100 calves in the shed. Hopefully, the Friesian cross and Angus cross calves will go to the mart soon. The calf-rearers are pushing hard for movement. However, Tim likes to have good, sturdy calves for the mart. It’s a conflict point.

A full shed runs the risk of disease taking hold.

So far all is well and calves are bounding about after their feeds. It was this week last year that difficulties began. I’m beginning the week with positivity one minute and trepidation the next. At the end of the day, all any of us can do is our best. We continue to work through the fatigue barrier. The bucket of electrolyte remains closed. Long may that last.

A better week ahead

Scones in the oven, I take a few sips of tea. It’s cold. I reheat it. I write, I shower and I get ready for school. More calves are born. When I come home in the evening, Tim says:

You left your cup of tea in the microwave.

I make an excuse. He smiles.

Managing our time no matter what we are doing is critical. It is something we must all take seriously. Doing things the same all the time and expecting a different result never works. It is important to carry out tasks in order of importance and to delegate where necessary. I like to complete the task myself. It is a stupid habit when Tim or Colm can assist.

Time is precious and none of us know when it runs out. So it is time to plan and budget my time more appropriately. I need to enjoy a cup of tea. This week I’m going to do better. CL

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