Going on a Journey... I'm Not Scared

Well everyone, I am going away for a few days. This morning I shall embark on a journey to see a good friend of mine. Stephanie lives in Binghamton and is eagerly awaiting my arrival sometime this afternoon. I haven't seen Steph in a couple years and we always seem to have trouble getting together. So, naturally, her place is one of my first stops on my two week vacation. We have to get together when we can you know. I shall not be back in the area again till Wednesday, but don't miss me too much. I'll probably see you during my vacation too. I'll try to remember my camera this time. Especially since last time I went away with Adam, we forgot the camera. (Arg!!) Well, see you all soon... have a good coupla days till I return. Lots of love to all!

No Time for Play

Hello there! After a long week of not blogging (I had better things to do like, um, work...), I have finally come to it. I had a VERY busy week... It started last Saturday by going to the Public Market and buying good fruits and veggies. Lettuce, potatos, onions, cherries, etc... Oh and a bargain of organic broccoli for $1.00... Very good buy. It was because of the rainy weather... that the man sold it to us for so cheap. After the Market excursion, Adam and I decided to drop everything and become world travelers for the weekend. We drove down to Corning and took a tour of the glass museum. Very cool and old stuff there. They have quite a vast collection of glass artifacts dating back before the time of Christ. We spent the night down there at a hotel and then on Sunday we drove up to Watkins Glen and walked up the gorge. I highly recommend this state park to all... except if you don't like walking. The last set of stairs really wore me out! I almost didn't make it... But after a bottle of water and a giant icey at the top, I was ready to walk all the way back down. Good excercise. Yup.

Then we come to my long week of waitressing. You see one of the girls who waitresses during the day went to Europe with her family this week and that left the other two of us to fill in for her. So Tricia and I worked together everyday this week. And it was a very busy week too. I believe it was so busy because for the next two weeks the restaurant will be closed as our boss, Mary, was leaving for Greece this week in addition to the other waitress being gone. It was just best for us to close for a couple weeks than to have Tricia and I dying of exhaustion working nonstop for three weeks till Peg got back from Eurpoe. (Is everyone following this okay?) So needless to say, I have had to time to blog, visit with friends or family (except Hannah, when she went with me to get my oil changed on Wednesday after work), go swimming, clean the house, walk the cat or anything like that. Speaking of which I should go back to cleaning my house. And next week (my first week of vacation) I am going to visit my friend Stephanie in Binghamton for a few days. All by myself. That should be fun...

By the way, the picture at the top of the page was merely for your entertainment and because I have had no time to visit friends this week. That's what the next two weeks are for. And for visiting my Mom and Grandparents and such... You never know, I may come to visit you next!

Yuck

Today I don't feel good, but I have to go to work :(

Butterflies and other Bugs

Today I went to teach my dear young friends. Here, in the picture, you can see Katherine (in the back), Rebekah and Josiah working very hard on their schoolwork. We are trying to finish our workbooks before the next school year begins. They will have to do many pages but I think we can do it. Today we did something different in the afternoon. I had gone to the library yesterday and borrowed several books about butterflies. I had been inspired last week by all the butterflies flying around at the kids home. Josiah and Katherine seemed especially interested in them, so I thought maybe we could learn about them a little. All the kids (even the older ones) sat around the table reading or at least looking at the books. I told Katherine and Rebekah (and whoever else happened to be listening) about metamorphosis. How the caterpillar changes into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly. They thought that was pretty cool. Joe spent most of the time looking at the Insects and Spiders book. Everyone wanted to see that one. Joe asked me if next time I could bring a book about frogs and fish. They are currently his biggest passion. We didn't study a lot, but I think the kids all took away little nuggets about butterflies or some other kind of insects. They asked me if I could bring the Insects and Spiders book back next time. When I got home tonight, I looked it up on Amazon.com and found for sale for as little as 50 cents. Looked like a good gift to me... Can't wait to get it in the mail so I can bring it over for them!

Pulling Weeds 'n stuff

Yesterday, after a long day with the kids I teach (we had a vacation day and played outside in the little pool and with the hose), I went over to my parents house for supper. Adam had to work overtime again and I didn't feel like being home by myself. They were glad to share some supper with me and I was glad to have thier company. I helped Mom in the garden a little after dinner... There are Japanese Beetles eating the beans in her vegetable garden. They are bad news. Mom took a little can with bleach in it to put the beetles in as she picked them off the plants. Bleach is bad for bugs. We picked some blueberries (first of the season). They were sooo good. Soon I shall have to bring some home to share with Adam. He loves blueberries. I also weeded around the beets a bit and in the flower garden. Weeding always makes my hands dirty. But it does help make the garden pretty, so I guess I don't mind too much. Anyway, I'm always glad for the chance to help out in Mom's garden because I don't have one of own and I don't really have enough time at the moment to take care of a garden all by myself even if I did have one. Was that a run on sentence? Oh well... So if you live not too far from my parents, stop by and get some blueberries... cause them are good... and say hello to everyone for me...

Eliza Jane

Yesterday Elisabeth came over. She is my good friend. This blog is dedicated to her... Now I shall name thirteen things about her because it is Thursday.

1) I met Elisabeth at the homeschool gym night when I was 10 and she was nine.

2) The first thing I said to her was "Um, your fly's undone..."

3) She invited me to her 10th birthday party.

4) One of our favorite games used to be "push each other in the snowbank" or "push each other off the picnic bench."

5) We always used to get together for birthdays.

6) Once, Liz got me a beanie-baby snake for my birthday.

7) I used to call her "Eliza Jane."

8) We liked to bake and decorate cakes together when we were younger.

9) We drifted when we got older, but then started hanging out more often again later.

10) Liz always liked cats. But the neighborhood dogs were a pain.

11) She was one of my best bridesmaids.

12) And is one of my best friends.

13) There is no one quite like Liz. She's a special! And she's good at playing Snood too.

Ellie Mae Clampett Rides Again

Well folkes, now here's a good story...

It happened on Monday that a few farmer men came to a restaurant. (Now I'm about to tell you why Ellie Mae Clampett doesn't make a good waitress, so be prepared.) And this was a quaint little restaurant, so these farmer men caused quite a stir. Because, you see, they happened to be driving Jed Clampett's very own vehicular automobile- complete with three old, dirty white vinal seats with the stuffing coming through the worn out sides, a turn crank to start the engine, kerosine headlamps, no roof or sides so Granny and Jethro could fit all their favorite redneckish items in when they go camping and, best of all, an old horn that went "ah-ooo-ga!" Now I'm not sure how they acquired this old beast, but it sure beat all! Maybe Jed sold it to 'em after he moved out West, when he heerd these farmers needed some help haulin in them ripe cherries. Or maybe he used it to cross the Genesee and couldn't get it back to California 'cause it wouldn't pass inspection. I don't know, but any how it was a beaut. So these old farmer men drove up to this little restaurant for lunch... as they usually do, and parked thier little car right in front of the diner. All who went in and out of the place for lunch that day would stop and stare and gawk. Now, Ellie Mae was workin' that day, as a little waitress. There she was rushin' around gettin people there food as quick as she could, trying to keep up with the lunch crowd as it was quite busy. She was getting rather curious why there was a crowd of people gathring round the windows and peered out for herself and took a look. By golly, there was the most perty little car ever! Fit all up with white fluffy seats. Some were saying the seats needed replacing, but Ellie Mae thought they looked just fine. Ooo, her heart started beating, and she just wanted to take that little car for a spin. It was quite a distraction to her while trying to serve food to the hungry townsfolke. But she consentrated the best as she could, and soon the tables began to empty and the restaurant cleared out a bit. The farmers were still there finishing thier noon-time meal, and Ellie Mae's boss comented how she woulda liked to have taken a ride in Jed Clampett's own car. "Oh," whispered Ellie. "So woulda I." Soon the farmers were leaving to go back to work. The boss walked over and asked 'em about taking a ride sometime. Oh sure, they didn't mind. They'd give her a ride right now if she liked. Ellie Mae spoke up and requested that they come back when she was ready to leave, so she could go for a ride as well. Her boss said, "Oh, come on! It'll only be 10 minutes. Everything will be fine. The other waitress'll take care of eveything!" Ellie Mae was so excited! She dropped everything just at the thought of riding in such a perty car. Her heart pounded with joy as she and her boss climbed up and plopped themselves in the middle bench seat. They had to hold on tight, cause there weren't any doors to hold them in if they were to fall. "AH-ooo-ga!" went the horn. And off they went. Ellie Mae quickly forgot any of her waitressing duties as they drove off. Around the corner they went and then onto the highway. "Oh," thought Ellie Mae. "If only my friends, or at least someone I knew, could see me now! What fun I coulda have!" It was a short ride, but long enough for thoroughly enjoying. Soon they were back at the restaurant. Ellie Mae cheerfully walked in ready to go back to work. She peered around the corner. There was a lady sitting at a table. Quickly Ellie went through her memory. That lady was there before... I took her order... she wanted coffee, a salad and a pocket special. She now has coffee and a salad. I got her neither. Oh my goodness. I musta completely forgot 'bout her. The other waitress must've gotten the salad and coffee. She walked quickly up to the lady whe was sipping her coffee. "I see the other waitress got your salad for you?" "Yes," the lady quickly replied. "And she got me my salad, took my order and she'll get the tip too." "Oh, I'm terribly sorry..." Ellie wasn't quite sure what to say. How had she managed to drop the ball and drop it so badly? She mumbled a few words and a dozen apologies, but how could she make up for lack of professionalism? Of consideration? Of anything???

The excitement of her joy ride quickly faded into the past...