Frazzled

fraz·zle  (frzl)

1. To wear away along the edges; fray.

2. To exhaust physically or emotionally.

I guess I have too many irons in the fire.  I am feeling a little frazzled. I do not like feeling frazzled.  Feeling frazzled wears one out . . . makes one grumpy . . . and makes one not pleasant to be around.  Life is getting a little hectic around the ol' homestead and it is causing a little fraying emotionally.  Nothing like a good frazzle to kick-off a good lament!

Let us begin with the sun . . . actually, the weather.  It is the last day of March here in Montana and we are sitting in the mid-seventies--not typical Montana weather for this time of the year.  In fact we have been having abnormal temperatures for a couple of weeks and it has been playing a number on Mother Nature.  With the warm temperatures Mother Nature has let loose and everything is greening up and blooming.  The wife sees this as an invitation to get a jump start on everything in the gardens and yard.  A day does not go by that she doesn't make some sort of a hint about this or that being done in the yard--weed the flower beds, rank up the leaves, scatter mulch, plant grass, and on and on the list goes.  Sounds like a lot of work for me.  Of course, these are not actual requests for work, they are just thoughts she has.  I married an extrovert who does her best thinking out loud--for the whole world and me to hear.  They are not actual items to add to the every expanding "honey do" list, just thoughts that she is having.  Explain that to me as I am ripping out renegade grass growing in her flower beds--it didn't feel like much of a suggestion!  It was more of one of those things you do in order to keep mama happy so everyone else is happy.  Thanks to this premature spring-like weather I have been relegated to more and more work in the yard--two months early!

"Expectations: Please aim low" . . . that is what the mini print says in the picture above.  In the next month (April) there are a lot of expectations on the table.  In the next couple of weeks these are the following expectations: (1) a grand-daughter is to be born in Colorado; (2) Holy Week and Easter; (3) Ministers' Retreat; (4) youngest son graduates from college; and, (5) relatives coming to attend graduation and stay at our house.  With each of these expectations come more expectations that compound the original expectations.  Again, the wife has some "thoughts" about each of these and is more than willing.  Buy a nice gift for the graduating child.  Make everyone happy.  Entertain.  And, the list goes on and on and on!  The wife's out loud thinking sets the standards high, but she has gotten used to me aiming low.  Talk about piling on the frazzle!

The tax filing deadline is approaching!  Yeah, it is the annual fleecing of the taxpayer that I have always put off until the last minute.  The Internal Revenue Service and I have always had a wonderfully strong "love/hate" relationship.  I hate to do my taxes, but they love to take my money and make my life a living hell.  As of this date I still have to file my taxes.  This is always an adventure that has everything that a top of the line thriller would have and no one knows how it will end until the credits are rolling.  The wife has no ideas about this topic and usually allows me to go into my downstairs office, lock the door, and ignores all of the swearing that emanates from behind the closed doors.  It adds to the frayed feeling I am having at this time.

Piling on to all of this is the fact that tomorrow begins Holy Week.  Tomorrow is Palm Sunday . . . it is also April Fools Day.  Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?  Holy Week brings its own list of expectations--the flying palms of Palm Sunday, the communion laden Maundy Thursday, the darkness of Good Friday, and the expectant joy of Easter morning.  As a clergy type this only adds to the frazzleness one is feeling.  But, hey!  As I stated earlier, who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?  Holy Week is kicked off on April Fools Day . . . the joke is on us.  I read somewhere that during Holy Week the most Christian observance of it is not in the churches, but in the world where Christians go forth to protest.  In this line of thought the idea is that Christians should go out into the world during Holy Week to confront that which Jesus confronted--Christians should not sit in the pews and reflect.  I like that idea . . . I like it because it saves me a lot of work in preparing services.  But, despite it all, I will be ready for each and every service we celebrate during Holy Week.  I like my paycheck.

So, is there a cure for being frazzled?  A cure for being a little frayed around the corners?  I'd like to know . . . 

I'd like to know because this is no fun.  It makes my head hurt.  Pain is no fun.  Pain hurts . . . but I guess it is a reminder that I am still alive--still have a life (even if it is frazzled)--and that there is always tomorrow.  But, remembering the previous blog, there is better living through chemistry.  There is always the cure that comes in beer.  I am pretty sure that is what I wrote yesterday . . . a couple of beers and everything feels fine!  Frazzled?  Ha!  I have a frig full of micro brews . . . I think I can survive.  If not, and you find me wandering the streets, please return me home.