summertime, and the livin' is easy

It is the first week of my blessed summer!!!
I have not worked a bit, no siree! ;-P
Just cleaned the main part of the house from top to bottom- laundry room, playroom, family room, ad my bedroom. And all my paper clutter and piles of files, mail, bills, finances, and what-not are G-O-N-E.

The month of May was a blur for sure! So many days, packed to the brim with activity and busy-ness. Graduation for CIAS's fifteenth graduating class went off with precision and little-to-no drama. We chose to "go smaller" with the after-reception, and that worked out very well. Twenty-one seniors this year...time flies on. This year's end-of-school activity was a trip to Adventure Island in Orange Beach. We all had amped-up fun with arcades, laser tag, go carts, and bumper boats. The kids had a blast, judging from their numerous FB posts!

All this spring, I have been gardening and getting more active. And in the meantime, I have lost 15 pounds!!! I have great energy and stamina, and am sleeping well and keeping up with household activities with renewed vigor. And I had my hair trimmed almost five inches, but it is still pretty long comparatively. I like the feel of the shorter length, thickness, and bounce. :-D

I finished my education degree in May; that was a looooong road that I was glad to see finish...since 2007 it was! Summa Cum Laude, Phi Theta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, & two Scholastic Achievement Awards later, I am exhausted. I was accepted at Regent U in March (YAY!!!), and all my registration and paperwork is completed. All that is left is the final stages of student loans and promissory notes. I am taking some Bible classes right off the bat. I think that I am out of my mind as well.

Sarah and I are busy beavers in regards to weekends and bakery wedding cakes. We did two wedding cakes last weekend, have two to do this coming weekend, and one next week. It's a blur of beauty that never slows or stops. I will be glad once July heat hits, and we will get a reprieve from the pellmell of cakes. :-)

Marie Brunner is getting married tomorrow to her Amos, and I am missing it due to previous cake obligations. :-( I have known her for over 20 years now, it's hard to believe. So many of my former students are getting married this year...I just received an invitation for Graeson's wedding for later this month!


MOVIES
Last Saturday, after our workday was done, we went to see my first theatre movie of the year, "Snow White and the Huntsman." It was a ethereal and sinister take on the story, with brilliant digital and blue suit work...kind of a cross between Peter Jackson's work in "Lord of the Rings" and a medieval "Robinhood." Really enjoyed it! Besides, the "man candy" was nice! ;-)

Now that all our favorite tv shows are on hiatus (Castles, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: LA), I have been rifling through our movie stash and watching one every night. Last night it was "Tuck Everlasting" and tonight the modern version of "Pride and Prejudice."


And BOOKS!!!
Now that it is summer, and I am not in college classes, I have been reading in earnest. First was Todd Burpo's Heaven is for Real, about his son's experiences in heaven during a short surgery interval. I am finishing Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts this weekend. SUCH a good and challenging book!!! I have been doing her 1000 Gifts challenge on this blog this year, in a haphazard fashion.

Next up is Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Francis Chan's trilogy of Crazy Love/Forgotten God/Erasing Hell, and to finish Randy Alcorn's Heaven.

stubbed toes and falling rain

Monday, my team and I presented our Autism project. It went so well, I was proud of us!!! About a third of our class was absent; I had noticed that the parking lot was largely empty when I pulled up. Wonder what was up with that?!? Got this e-mail from Dr. A later in the week...

"Your group did an outstanding job on the presentation. I wish all groups would put in the time your group put into yours."

We did good!!! :-D

We endured a horrible storm on Wednesday..a cold front was pushing a rainstorm our way. It rained so hard that our front yard and the school's yard were 6-inch lakes. I was appointed the "go-get-lunch" girl. I got out of the car, trying to balance my purse withan umbrella, drink, and bag of BK. After three or four steps, the strap of my flip-flop popped, and everything went flying. I stubbed my toes badly (broke one nail about 1/3 back...ouch!!!) on the parking rocks in my attempt to  clutch everything. Ugh. Lost my fries on the ground and smashed the sandwiches. Was totally soaked by the time I got inside. Had to start right back to teaching. Sarah rescued me and lent me her sandals, since I had an interview at 5 (Thank you, boo!). What a day! :-(

The rest of the week went better. Two new student interviews. Testing again on Friday.

And....I had Saturday OFF!!!! Was able to get the November billing done for Mama. Odds and ends. Beckey came over to pick up the parakeet food that I wanted to pass along (don;t know why we still have it; we haven't had a bird in years!). Ran over to Cori's to drop off several things that came in from eBay for JM, but she hadn't unlocked her door, so I couldn't get in. Something about being dizzy and not able to get up. Anyway. Drove with Mom (to keep her company) so she could pick up some fish tacos at Cactus Flower. Then home to cook.

I pan-fried okra and made our delicious peach cobbler. Sarah came in for dinner after her bike ride with Daniel downtown to the Arts Festival. Tricia cooked a pork roast and baked sweet potatoes. Delish! She also rented two DVDs (RedBox!!!) for our evening: "Prince of Persia" and "Toy Story 3". The first was scarily great, the second was scarily horrible. How many little tykes are going to be scarred from that film?!? I hope my nieces never see it...made me think of my five-year-old experience of watching "Les Miserables" and having nightmares for a year afterwards! :-(

Our south-end bathroom remodel is in slow progress, but it's moving along. The Hogans were here this week, chipping up old cement and relaying the combined plumbing. We are hoping Daniel will get it all done by Christmas!!! Fingers crossed.

Today, I am working on a comparison-contrast paper about B. Franklin vs. J. Edwards. It's interesting, to say the least. Also have some papers to grade, and finances to organize for this past paycheck. Tricia is making salmon croquets, mashed potatoes, and baby limas for dinner. I LOVE our southern cookin! And Rascal Flatts' "Life is a Highway"...good ol' country!

That cold front is here in force...it's in the 30s, and the heat is on. Our weird and varied Gulf Coast weather! Meg got a knuckle bone this morning and chewed it right down. She's currently sitting at my feet, patiently waiting for another throw of her toy.

payroll taxes & hershey's syrup

It's a headache that I dread once a month, and hate once a quarter. Well, the better part of  today was spent doing the 3rd quarter 941s. And, in reading all the materials that IRS sends, I discovered that there are three new things to do.

1. w-11s to be filled out for the fed gov's new HIRE employer incentives
2. i-9s to be filled out for the USCIS by all new employees who are employment eligible
3. All new hires have to be registered with the FL DOCF (to track/catch deadbeat parents not paying child support)

Yay. More paperwork to do. But it is done for now.

Enjoyed breakfast this morning with T & Mom at the new Hardees on Navy. Good coffee and conversation!

Taking a break with a tall glass of chocolate milk, then on to a big editing project that I have been putting off: combining both school handbooks into one and getting them printed. Meg is sleeping beside me (for now, anyway). I am listening to Chris's new CD again today. Good stuff. He needs to get some radio time and do worship gigs!!!

Yesterday, we went over to Cori's, and I cleaned her kitchen and then made the Thai coconut/lime soup that we planned. It was so delicious...even better than Siam Thai's version. I will def make that again!

I am on a period film kick right now; I stayed up waaaaay too long last night watching some Austen films and parts of another called "The Painted Veil." I would like to see an edited/cut version of the whole thing. It is set in China and is a story of forgiveness and pardon.

September daze

September is my favorite month of the year. I wait all year for it to come around again. I blink, and then it is gone.

I was born in September.

The weather is starting to cool off just a bit. Not enough to go camping, but enough to notice and appreciate it!

Autumn commences...my favorite season. Also some of my favorite tv shows start their seasons.

I always get bit by a "reading bug" in September!  I have Cindy Woodsmall's new book The Bridge of Peace  ready to go, and Mom has just gotten Beverly Lewis' The Thorn and devoured it.

And this year, I can add the "period movie bug" to the list! :-P  I watched "Bertie & Elizabeth on youtube last night. It is the story of King George VI (Albert)  & his queen Elizabeth (the current Elizabeth's parents). Fabulous story. I wonder if all the parts about Edward VIII (David) and his twice-divorced wife Wallis Simpson were accurate.

We began a remodeling project in the house in September...combining the back-to-back half and full bathrooms into one large bathroom with a walk-in shower for wheelchair use (one day we'll need it for Tricia and maybe Mom). Consequently, I have lost my shower for the next several months, and Daniel has moved the laundry room from the hallway into Sarah's old bedroom. Daniel is doing all the dirty work. I was in on the planning, buying, and budgeting parts with Mom and Trish. It will be so nice when it is done, which realistically, will be December.

I started cleaning out closets this month too. Old linens, clothes I don't wear, etc. It is nice to be able to walk into closets again. And store things we really use and need, instead of accumulated belongings that we have had who-knows-how-long. :-)