I did see their glass items, that sounds so cool!! I like a little pizza shop called Slices here. Otherwise I mostly don't want pizza.

[edit] I seriously don't understand how people cannot figure out WHEN things are. What time, what date, what do we need to do? I mean, seriously? I have sent you several papers, written a note or talked to you, and you STILL don't know? This is for parents of students as well as my youth group. I am soooo tired of explaining again and again. I mean, seriously!! I GAVE YOU A PAPER that listed EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!

So like today for instance, this one kid's big sisters came in the room... "mamma said to tell you, he NEVER brought that library book home. She has checked his bookbag EVERY day." - So I reply, ok thank you for telling me what your mamma said. I'll check the library again to make sure. (oh and this library book has been missing since November) (THIS CHILD HAS STACKS OF PAPER IN HIS FOLDER ---> meaning NO YOUR MAMMA does NOT check his bookbag EVERY day!!) And we've had like 4-6 parents be all like "When is my child's graduation program?" Umm well first of all PreK is not doing "graduation" we are doing an awards program and a picnic. AND IT WAS ON THE PAPER I SENT HOME that you removed from your child's folder - unless you are the above listed child and about 3 others. - In which case you need to LOOK IN YOUR CHILD's FOLDER!!! Like we told you at the beginning of the year. sigh

Then I got TWO texts and TWO phone calls (WHILE i'm at work for crying out loud!!) from youth group grandpa - HE says "oh I think you told us the wrong date, you keep saying June 18th is Saturday, its the 16th. NO ITS NOT!! Oh and he is all "I know you talked to my wife, but WHEN? WHERE? WHAT TIME?" GRRRR I also talked to YOU and told you this, AND told you it was in the child's folder I gave her.

Sorry. Had to rant. Just SO frustrating when no one pays attention to what you have told them, or the papers you have given them. Guess I will REPRINT and REGIVE the stupid paper to the grandparents for youth group again.

See, that would annoy me too. HOWEVER.. I'd also be the one that needs to be told maybe a second time, even though I immediately put stuff into my calendar and planner. So.. it's hard :P

It's REALLY annoying though, like. OK so. Rachel and my MiL were supposed to bring the girls to 4H on Sunday. I reminded them Saturday night, sent the address and what time.

Sunday, at the time they were supposed to be there, they were at the extension office, instead. When I had specifically told them all. And then when I sent the address again, and let them know that I messaged Miss Amanda that they'd be a little late, it was "Well, how was I supposed to know?!" I SENT YOU THE ADDRESS LAST NIGHT AND YOU RESPONDED.

I get that sometimes you need a reminder. Or you might loose it. But literally, this is like about a week since I talked to him, and only a day since I talked to her. And the kids papers at school? Literally TWO parents took the paper out, and the next day asked when the event was. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? DID YOU NOT LOOK? I even put it on the "return" side and not the "keep" side, to draw attention to it (also because we were asking donation of $5 per family for the food). So its not like it got lost in your kids art work.

Ohhk. First, I've been watching this 'tube channel that I've grown to LOVE called TheOfficerTatum. Listen to him for the truth on many aspects. :P

Second, I got my new garden dug out which wasn't too hard (in a way) b/c it was where the pool was that was seen in one of my lilies pics on Insta and I've been putting leftover young chicken shavings ... um, how do I put this - the stuff at the bottom of their indoor pen - out in this area b/c I knew I wanted to make a bigger garden that is more out in the sun. Gotta say there was some weird shit that grew in that area.
Anyway... I just finished planting artichoke. mixed lettuce, spinach, cukes, summer squash, yellow beans, sugar snap peas and a couple varieties of peppers. I've got a couple sections I laid down this landscaping fabric on so that I can have an area to walk in between stuff b/c it's a few times bigger than the original one I used to have. Really happy how the dirt seemed really good so that I didn't have to add bags and bags of additional dirt to it. I did grab a couple bags today but I was like, oh man if I have to carry this down the hill (my house sits on a hill so everything but the front yard takes a nose dive down to the backyard, which is also lifted on one side as well as lifted toward the back of the house. Makes mowing a bit more of a pain.), then I'm going to struggle immensely b/c my heart was pounding just lifting these in the cart, into the trunk and back out again.

Still have the front to plant my 'maters, but at least it's a small section. I like to make sure no random deer or anything else would eat the young sprouts, or squirrels eat on the tomatoes before I can get to them so I keep them close.

Responding to past posts... I was going to ask the same thing about Corning! lol Looove making soups but once the AC comes on, I can get back to soups again. Definitely is cheaper. The "cooler" stuff during the summer is cheaper, though. Salads and what not. I'm not ever going to be vegan or even close so I definitely watch for deals on meats and share them w/ Bria when she's around but generally, she likes the more "exotic" stuff I make, lol.

I have issues w/ repeating myself too, Kat. This comes into play when I first started training individuals many, many moons ago. If you're not writing stuff down and ask me half a dozen times about the same thing, then I hate you. A few years ago after being brought into my new position, the company came out w/ a new web format to put a bunch of documentation in (which of course, is going away b/c they don't want to pay for it anymore) I made ALL the docs necessary for a variety of things that our team does. I get asked about the same shit from people that have either been around no less than a decade more than me, or have school and experience in parts that aren't necessarily part of our team's job b/c these jackoffs DON'T want to read the stuff that I put hundreds of hours into. UGH... not even going any further into the level of frustration b/c have another problem I'm trying to deal w/ that came up on Friday where that experienced pos doesn't want to take the time to help me learn how he did s/thing that doesn't involve being schooled in. Simple docs work for me! fucker

Just going to revel in my accomplishments and know that I'll get my 'maters planted tomorrow. Then I gotta weed out the flower garden.

When I gardened I planted lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, the cabbage Nathan brought home from school. I tried broccoli, watermelon, raspberries and strawberries. If the birds/squirrels/other animals didn't get it, it rotted before it was completely ripe. I was so aggravated and I gave up gardening. I am so very tempted by a raspberry plant tho right now. I really like raspberries!!!

The berries can be finicky so as much as I want to start some bushes, I can't afford to pay for the plant for it to fail. I really need to get some organic berries and start from seed after enough research.

I've had some weird shit happen to plants - like one year I had a few WELL established tomato plants start turning yellow, but everything else was fine, or cukes that only wanted to grow in about 3in ball like things. LOL Sometimes it's the dirt, s/times it's just a fungus that gets into it (gotta watch that soil and I don't mean measuring the pH and being super expensive about shit AT ALL) or it's critters. That reminds me... there's plenty of bunnies around this year so I'm going to have to wall off my new garden. Extra work I don't look forward to. Lots of stakes. At least I have a WEEK or so before the sprouts come out.

I don't give up B/C of the food prices and shortages. I've been practicing this shit for many years now and the price/yield of planting seeds to buying plants that are already partially grown is significant. Using natural fertilizer and stuff like vinegar for sections to fry off weeds and such is an absolute necessity for not only those who can't afford the high priced shit people use, but if SHTF - people aren't going to have that! There are some people I call "high end planters" and they make it impossible for the natural things like WORMS to propagate in those types of gardens.

Wholly shit that reminds me... I nearly picked up the biggest damn brown spider with a big ole eggsack until it moved. I slammed down a heavy chunk of wet mud/dirt on it and covered it up in my seed row. Seriously, this is why I don't walk around barefoot in the backyard, even if I know it's really good for you. Look, I KNOW spiders are good for the environment but AAACCCKKKKK!!!!!

I know. I've tried to have berry bushes before. I have wild blackberries that grow. They are tiny and tart tho. My grandma used to have these giant rows of raspberry bushes in her back garden and my favorite memories are picking them and having berries and cream for breakfast!! Delish! This one I'm looking at says it thrives in a pot.....so maybe....

And yes aaaackkkk for spiders. I know they are good too but I don't want them near me or to pick one up lol

It's early enough, I think I'm going to plant these tomato seeds and make a new area next to the flower garden for this particular type of tomato. (Small, orange "honeycomb hybrid") ?? Never gotten it before.

My uncle had apple trees, and unbelievably long rows of tomatoes and many other things I wasn't interested in knowing about a long time ago and he had about half the backyard space that I do now. Was never really close to him, him being my mother's brother, they are both just out there but in many ways, he seemed to have been more level headed than my mom. He would have annual fish fries where it was no kids aloud, made multiple jars of some version of jungle juice, and LOTS of fish that him and his son had caught throughout the year and frozen. Man, he went all out in his backyard and he literally had one of the smallest houses I've seen. He was impressive, for sure.

My next venture is indoor growing and THAT is going to get tricky with the soil and such. I've tried it before and the lighting wasn't right, soil got too moist and got that white film over the top which brought on the gnats and they died... It's quite tricky.

I've got two apple trees in my backyard. Last year I had 2 apples on the granny smith, and about 5 on the red delicious. However NONE of them were edible, as the bugs got them :P Maybe this year I'll have more, as I saw TONS of blossoms on the trees this spring...and maybe this year I might get to eat one. Who knows. If not, I'll still enjoy having seen the blossoms.

I'm sure if I was to get more into the garden soil info and all that, i could grow stuff better, but I am just not that involved/motivated I guess. I agree that food prices are going too high its so stupid, but it hasn't affected me (yet) to the point I feel I need to be able to grow my own. Plus so many things I eat, I don't think I can grow on my own. (See previous posts about the foods I eat and my gardening efforts). lol But eh. I'll survive one way or the other, just as we all will. Do our best, you know? :) I think its great that you grow so much you use!

We grow squash, cucumbers and green beans, mostly, with a few other things. I do love cherry tomatoes, so we do some of those each year, too.

I don't worry too much about bugs and animals, because they need to eat too! So we just grow enough that we'll have enough to share.

We don't really can at all, but we do freeze green beans and squash. Alex smoked something like 12 spaghetti squash and then froze the insides, and we have zucchini in both rings and shredded, and green beans. I have berry bushes too, the only ones we planted were blueberries, but again, I don't fuss too much about sharing with the birds and the deer. We freeze a lot of those too, we just eat the blackberries and raspberries.

And we also have apple and peach trees, but mostly, they go to the deer and the bear, and I'm ok with that, too. Live and let live, around here.

Alex calls me a hippy.. but he's never complained about THIS particular philosophy, so. :P

Haha if I had enough growing I wouldn't mind sharing, but when the animals get them or ruin them all before I even get any ... Well. Gee can't they share with ME? 😝

Yeah, that's fair Kat :P We just always plant some extras. Though I will say, last year was the FIRST year I actually got tomatoes to eat! We moved where they were planted too, though, which made them grow better, I think.

Edit: You've earned the Hit the Jackpot! achievement!

Second time! On to 5? :P Thanks, Drills!

Guys. I don't suggest wearing natural deodorant to mow the lawn. I also don't suggest mowing the lawn on the day that they're spreading all the manure on the corn and tomato fields. It's a stinky day around here.

Congrats on your jackpot and achievement. P U Stinky!!! We had a neighbor who needed to fix their septic tank for years. I think they finally must have because forever it seemed every time it rained all I could smell was that. Yuck. Haven't smelled it this year. So I'm hoping it's fixed and I won't smell it when it rains and is hot this summer!!!

Oh gosh, that would be awful Kat! Normally the manure isn't that bad (heck, sometimes it's even nice... smells like summer!). But not today, because it's literally been sitting in piles for weeks and weeks and it's wet and just. Ugh.

Gross. :P

And thanks! Even though it was only a 10k jackpot :P

I tell you, the best smell of summer is fresh cut grass. Or hay. Fresh cut hay is fabulous (of course, its grass hahahah)

Anyway. Just got in from Nathans therapy session. And I think we just moved in an excellent direction. She introduced us to a new therapist, a younger male (27). He and Nathan seemed to hit it off, and Nathan was waay more animated on the ride home than he has been in a while, telling me some of what they talked about. :) YAY

Fresh cut grass (and hay!) really is the best smell of summer!

lilacs are the best smell of spring. I kept stopping my mower by the lilacs to deep inhale :P

And YAY, that's GREAT news! Hopefully things start looking up now, then!

My lilacs didn't even grow leaves this year let alone blossoms.maybe I pruned them too much or damaged the roots when I was trying to dig out a sapling that was growing up inside it ☹️

Awww oh no.

Mine have a sapling growing up too, but I'm letting it go. I think they'll end up murdering it. If not.. oh well, we have a tree, too?

Well we don't like this tree. It has thorny pointy things. We cut down the actual tree years ago, but these stupid saplings keep growing up from the stump and root system.

So today was interesting at school. Little one who has gotten 1/2 days at the other school was absent the last two days, sick with cold. Comes back today. I had texted the bus driver the past two days, and lead-teacher texted his other teacher about it. SO....today, 1110-1115 comes, no bus. Ok, she's running late a bit, no worries. 120-1130 comes. I text her to see if perhaps she's on the way? No response. 1145 comes. Text reply from bus drive "I'm not in today, I don't know why they didn't send someone to get him" So by this time also, the other teacher has texted to see if he was at school today (at 1040). Lead teacher has texted back, yes (while we were waiting on bus driver). Then texts, bus has not come for him yet. Finally, we go in from recess (now 1155), we don't know what to do, bus driver is not coming, so we decide to just contact parent and see how child will get home since he is not at other school? Me, I thought earlier that maybe we should ask in the office what to do since the bus didn't come, but lead teacher says Nah, we'll just ask his parents how he will get home, no worries. (I mean, she didn't actually say these words, but that was basically her thoughts) Ok. Sooooo uuumm sister comes to pick him up and office staff tells her to leave, he isnt' here, she's insistent she needs to pick him up. Office staff comes to the room, to ask about t his lady who is INSISTING to get Ben and he "isn't even here, is he?" Umm well yea, actually he is - WHY DIDN"T WE TELL OFFICE STAFF? umm hahah well that is on lead teacher not me. Guess I should/could have gone with my gut and walked up there with him after checking on the bus three times instead of going outside to see what lead teacher wanted to do.

Also tomorrow is our "awards/family picnic" I am SOOOO Hoping that most of the kids will go home with parents after picnic lunch and we have a VERY quiet afternoon.

And I have decided to let Nathan attend only tomorrow and not the other 3 halfdays - as only one teacher said he had a final to take tomorrow. Monday and Tuesday are only make-up days anyway and if he WAS going to make up work, he could do it at home on his computer anyway, but at school or at home I guarantee you he won't do any work.

Oh noooo, what a mess! Communication was.. not great, apparently!

But hey, you're almost done!

We have all of next week to go, but I am excited for the end of the school year. Like. I'm just over it.. and that's only as a parent! The other day, Amber and I literally CHEERED with the custodians after the elementary concert. Done with music stuff (for us, anyway!) until August 8th. ... well, after our picnic on Sunday. THEN we're done until August 8th :P

Oh yeah, I'd get a pickery tree out, too. That doens't sound very fun! Mines a maple tree. It's fineeee.

Also, we have this giant bush. I don't know what it is, I've only heard it called a butterfly bush. Anyway. I told Elly it ate the suet feeder and she needed to find it and dig it out, and she reminded me of this squash plant we had last year.. the thing was seriously leaving the garden and climbing up the garage. Like, it wanted to take over the world. She was like "WE CAN'T HAVE TWO CARNIVOROUS PLANTS MOM THIS IS TOO MUCH".

And.. IDK that's my story.

come back and chat with us!