Jeanne-ology: Dog With a Bone

Hi There - it’s Thursday and Jeanne remembered her Jeanne-ology commitment even before I had to remind her. PROGRESS. She may be a little stabby this week because we’ve been short staffed. Let’s see. - Rebecca

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Thursday seem to come quick this week! This past week we have been VERY SHORT STAFFED. That means that I have been in the shop (on time) to make all the fruit pies. My 16 year old grandson has been working at the shop this summer and we moved him from the cream pie table to the fruit pie table since we were short. He is excellent! I could work with him every day! He listened, read the recipes, asked me questions, asked my opinion, and produced a beautiful product! I also need to add there were never any complaints! What a sweetheart. I suggested to Rebecca that we need to hire him full time and forget school. Her side-eyed look came my way. (Rebecca editing to add: well, I agree that he has been a delight this summer and we are super happy he will stay on one day a week in the afternoons when school starts. That said, he knows the way to his Mawmaw’s heart - and that is to listen to her AND wipe up the table clean before starting a new flavor of pie without being asked.)

Today, however, my grandson was scheduled off. Rebecca was my baking partner. We did pretty well, just a few verbal scraps now and then. She would ask me how I wanted the fruit mixture to look. I tried to show her. Wrong move! She said just tell me instead of showing me! “Ok! Ok!”, I shouted. I would rate her a notch below my grandson on working together. However, in all fairness, it was hard for her to stick with me on the baking schedule. There were too many interruptions from vendors needing her attention or seeing a customer coming into our store that she wanted to visit with. We did make some beautiful pies and time went by quickly. (Rebecca editing to add: Jeesh, that’s rough. I thought I did well today!)

I took a quick break after the baking schedule to run some errands and then returned to the store. She was responding to potential job applicants and talking with the other staff. I stood there. She looked at me and said, "you are wearing out, so just go on home". We had planned to do some administrative stuff. What administrative stuff, I wasn't sure. (Rebecca editing to add: um, all the emails, August calendar planning, review applicant resumes, balancing the checkbook, editing our merchandise orders, reviewing the August schedule, sorting out items for the garage sale, visiting PJP Nifong to check progress…)

On the way home, I thought about what she pointed out to me. She is right. I do mission work. I work as long as I need to get the job done. Mission accomplished. I do the same thing working at home. I mow the yard, weed eat, sweep up grass clippings. If it takes two hours or six, I will stay with the job until it is finished. Cleaning is the same way, I move like a mad woman until everything I want to accomplish is finished. My husband will always tell me to take a break or to finish it tomorrow. That is not an option for me. It is one of the reasons I tire myself out so quickly. I focus so hard on the task to be done that I zone out any noise or other possible distractions! I am always all in or all out. (Rebecca editing to add: I often say she is like a dog with a bone. Nothing can dissuade her once she’s started on something. It is both one of the best things about her and one of the most trying things about her. But mostly the best.)

Today at noon, I was out!