All The Unpaid Work

Parents and moms in particular get to handle all sorts of unpaid physical and emotional work. I have designed a life where I have the time. I have un-pedistalled that ‘achievement’ of being overly busy. Yet, here I am, finding my body grinding to a halt in order to reject my over-taxed nervous and endocrine systems anyway. Just because you have time doesn’t mean important things will stop finding you. And sometimes, like now, you just find yourself in a season of important unpaid work…

I absolutely blame this administration and the amount it has emboldened individuals to let their ego drive at the expense of the common good. A lot of the work that I do is with people who are actively being paid to dismantle important things. They count on us not having the bandwidth to respond. And, in cases like these I think it just makes it that much more important to respond. I would love to drop some workload but I can’t see anywhere to cut that isn’t critically important. Let me walk you through some of the stuff I have been trying to handle recently on top of facilitating our off-grid homestead.

• I have spent between 10-20 hours a month for the last year in a half trying to help craft an IRC Standard for tiny homes. My understanding was the goal was to finally address the wheels. I was wrong, the goal SEEMS to be to increase size while also eliminating DIYers from the housing segment. The proposal has identified itself as anti-DIY so now my hours of involvement are ramping up as I prepare to oppose this code change, possibly requiring me to take a whole week away to fly to the hearing in Orlando. Heartbreaking.
• While my state passed a bill to allow public funding to go to private and religious schools, they have also seen fit to propose a bill that will eliminate my school of choice (virtual charter schools) from our future options. This is devastating news which has required me to write several letters, likely in vain, to my legislatures and representatives. Who knows what our options will be for next year but it will likely be a whole lot more limited and much more expensive for us to homeschool. Heartbreaking.
• I am nearly three years into negotiations on a water right lawsuit with The Nez Perce Tribe and the Federal Government. It is ongoing. This takes a couple hours every month and I wish it would move forward faster because I am in agreeance with all parties. I have found the more un-impacted parties involved, the longer it takes. Especially when you have a roomful of lawyers pulling a bigger paycheck to delay progress. Regardless, I can’t just stop showing up. Frustrating.
• I homeschool Miles. This is my joy but even that is being strained as I have to spend more hours of the day dealing with the previously noted wildfires.
• Hazel’s school is having their biggest fund raiser this week. They are a charter school and as such don’t get the same extra funding non-charter schools (used to?) receive. Her school is incredible and it is important to partake in this fundraiser so that it can remain that way. The kids and I will be baking goods for and helping with concessions.
• Many friends have been devastatingly impacted by the mass lay-offs occuring in federal circles. While some still have a job, their teams and their funding has been decimated, leaving them with much uncertainty. When people feel loss, they need community and it’s important to be there for them.
• I have to grocery shop. Meals need cooked. The house desperately needs deep cleaned after a long winter. I have to build a water catchment system and prepare my garden beds for planting.

Three weeks ago my body collapsed in a fit of rage over all I was asking it to do. I was sick like I have never been sick for two solid weeks. I haven’t been physically overtaxed in the least but it is amazing what work your body has to do to counter emotional exhaustion! My body is still trying to fight off the after effects. I slept for 36 straight hours and lost my voice for three days. Now I have a whole lot of catching up to do!

In the middle of all that my dearest daughter turned 11! She is of course a joy and even if we are overwhelmed, there will be no skipping her special day! We made treats for her class, her wild school friends and prepared a birthday party with some of her school friends. She and her grandmother nearly share a birthday so we always try to make a trip up to have a group party and we are grateful we got to do that again this year! Such fun and her aunts and uncles and grandmother always build this girls up so much. Fun was had by all!

This is just a quick update for those of you who followed me here when I left social media. That’s why I have not been good about updating, life just got wonky. I hope to be back more consistently soon as I catch back up with all the crazy! I do feel lucky to have some bandwidth to do all of this work because all of it is important. Without our school choice, our life would be a lot less magical. Without our tiny house, our life would be a LOT less manageable. Other people should always have the same options so I feel a duty to do my part to help protect the options.