Lemon Squeezy Farms

Before the Snow Flies: Making Room for the Moments That Matter

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Marcie Simpson

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Well, hello there, September!

I’m not quite sure how September arrived at our doorstep already, but here we are.

This is such an interesting time of year, especially up North. I’m looking forward to cooler weather and fall decorations. I’m ready to pack away my white jeans because, yes, I am firmly in the no white after Labor Day camp. And I may even cave and get myself a pumpkin spice latte.

But not quite yet.

Because this is also the time of year when I want to squeeeeeze every last ounce of life out of this strange, wonderful in-between season. Summer isn’t exactly over, fall hasn’t completely arrived, and winter is lurking somewhere off in the distance, waiting for its opportunity to barge through the door without knocking.

And this is when I have to remind myself:

Calm down. Look around. Take a deep breath.

Otherwise, I will overwhelm myself.

I do it every single year.

I look around Lemon Squeezy Farms and immediately begin making the mental list of everything that absolutely, positively MUST be completed…

before the snow flies.

Those four little words carry a lot of weight around here.

The problem is, completing anything “before the snow flies” in North Dakota can come back to bite you in the proverbial bottom because we never actually know when that snow is going to fly. There comes a day when Mother Nature simply flips the switch, and whatever is left on your list may remain there until spring and the thaw.

I do not like projects sitting in that particular limbo land.

But I’ve also learned through the years that it isn’t smart to plow through life simply because there are things to be done.

Marc and I became empty nesters in what feels like a flash.

Time waits for no one.

I remind myself of that because I need to hear it. Often.

I have to be intentional about noticing the moments happening around me. And sometimes, if those moments don’t present themselves, I have to go looking for them. I have to create them.

Those are the moments that fill my heart and allow me to really soak in all the goodness this life has to offer.

And recently, goodness came in the form of five tiny kittens underneath a shed.

Clementine Had Her Kittens!

We knew Clementine was getting close to having her babies, so Marc and I prepared a special place for her in the garage.

Perfect plan.

Apparently, Clementine had other ideas.

After she had spent the night in the garage, Marc told me as we were heading to work:

“I let Clementine out of the garage. She didn’t like it in there and she pooped on the floor. It was runny. I cleaned it up.”

I rolled my eyes and promptly informed him that he should NOT have let her out!

When we got home that evening, I took one look at Clementine and knew.

She was thin.

She’d had those kittens!

And that little bout of “diarrhea”?

Yeah.

She had been in labor.

Clementine eventually showed me where she had chosen to have her babies.

Conveniently…

under the shed.

Of course she did.

I could barely see them. I certainly couldn’t reach them. And I immediately began worrying about every terrible thing that could possibly happen to five tiny kittens underneath a shed.

We kept a close eye on Clementine and made sure she had plenty of food and water, but I especially worried about the tomcats from across the road. One in particular has earned the affectionate nickname Fat Head, and I did NOT want Fat Head anywhere near those babies.

Then last night, just after sunset, I went out to check on them again.

Happily, the little ball of fur babies had moved near the eastern edge of the shed. I still couldn’t reach them, but they were close.

Clementine came over, and I started petting her while she purred and purred.

I was also feeding approximately 4,000 mosquitoes and may possibly have malaria now, but sacrifices had to be made.

Then something wonderful happened.

The kittens must have heard their mama purring because one by one, three tiny kittens came toddling out from underneath that shed.

I was SO excited!

I scooped them into the crook of my left arm while continuing to pet Clementine, making sure she could see that I had her babies and that they were safe.

And then…

Two more little faces appeared.

I scooped them up, tucked all five kittens into my T-shirt, and high-tailed it toward the garage!

And suddenly, I was seven years old again.

There I was, five kittens swinging in the little hammock I had created with my shirt, wearing a grin like I didn’t have a care in the world.

And for that moment?

I didn’t.

No projects.

No mental lists.

No “before the snow flies.”

Just five tiny kittens tucked into my shirt.

I got everyone settled into the garage, and Clementine followed right behind us. She jumped into the Rubbermaid container with her babies and immediately started nursing them.

What an excellent little mother she is.

Naturally, I FaceTimed my daughter right away so we could properly ooh and aah over them together.

Then I sat there watching those five little kittens nurse, knead their tiny paws and make biscuits against their mama.

And I watched through tears.

They were exactly three weeks old the night I finally got them safely moved into the garage.

Three weeks old.

Safe.

Warm.

Well-fed, thanks to Clementine.

And now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The List Can Wait a Minute

Soon enough, that fall to-do list will start calling again.

Marc and I have projects to finish. Things need to be moved, fixed, cleaned up, put away and prepared for another North Dakota winter.

And we’ll get to them.

Because eventually…

the snow will fly.

But I don’t want to become so busy preparing for the next season that I miss the season I’m standing in.

There will always be another project.

Another chore.

Another list.

But there won’t always be five tiny kittens tucked into my T-shirt.

There won’t always be a daughter on FaceTime to call and say, “LOOK AT THEM!”

There won’t always be a warm September evening when I can sit in the garage and watch five little babies make biscuits against their mama while mosquitoes feast on me like I’m the evening buffet.

Those moments have an expiration date.

So this September, I’m going to try to remember that.

I’ll work on the list.

I’ll prepare for winter.

I’ll probably drink the pumpkin spice latte.

But I’m also going to stop.

Look around.

Take a deep breath.

And when life hands me a T-shirt full of kittens?

I’m going to carry them with both hands and enjoy every single second.

The snow will fly soon enough.

For now, I’m going to enjoy September.

One day. One chore. One kitten. One precious moment at a time.

Easy Peesey.

🍋 Lemon Squeezy Farms

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24

Cuddle time.

FaceTime Photo courtesy of my daughter.

Milk time! They are all so content!

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