Hard Week

I've kind of neglected my blog for a little while because of numerous things that I could totally use some prayer for! The 1st draft of my thesis is due before the end of Carnival, and I am so not finished with the research. I feel like I have to wear hip-waders in order for me to be able to get through some of the information. Have you ever sat for three hours straight trying to decipher faded nineteenth century handwriting? It's fun, like, the first time you do it.

I have another class I'm taking on the methodology of Oral History. My project is on my husband's National Guard unit. There are four other students participating in this project, so who automatically got chosen to be project coordinator? That's right, yours truly. So now, I'm having to communicate with the Colonel about getting soldiers to interview. Have you ever needed the help of an Army Colonel? Let me tell you something, you don't take long in your request, you make it as clear and concise as possible, you thank him/her profusely, and then you don't ask for anything else. Dude is busy. Okay, the people in my group don't seem to get that. It's understandable as they weren't raised in the military like me nor did they marry into the military like I did. However, even when I try to explain it, they just expect me to ask him to do everything and get answers like...now! (Starting to sense some of my frustration?)

In this same class I have one take home test to complete, journals to write, three homework assignments I'm behind on, one book and ten articles to read, arrange a class meeting with the unit chaplain, find a soldier to interview, and the transcription of the interview to finish. (Transciptions usually take 10-15 hours for every one hour of interview conducted.) I'm still working 5 hours a week and spending a little over 20 hours a week in the archive for my thesis. (which technically is so not enough) Then when we get home, hubby and I have to budget out time for school work, sermon writing, family time, etc.

On top of all this, my house is an absolute wreck. Not the normal "oh my goodness, I'm sorry my house is a mess!" kind of wreck either. There are piles of dirty clothes, stacks of dishes, papers every where, a pet stain from Scooter (just happened this morning), dust covering every surface, and random electronic devices scattered here and there. Now, my hubby and I tend to slightly be clutter-ers. He hates for the house to be a mess - me...I can live with it for a short while. We have surpassed that time limit, and I have no idea when it is going to get done. If we were to take one day off just to clean, we would put ourselves behind in school work and church stuff.

Obviously typing on my blog is not any sort of work that needs to be done, but it is definitely therapeutic as I wait for Thomas to get out of class. I don't think I spelled that right. Anyway, there is a lot that needs to be done, and there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day or night. It's been a hard week. Thank you for letting me share.