Thursday, June 13, 2013

End of the school year, already?

Ok, so it's not *exactly* the end of the school year, but it will be in 2 weeks. This week, however, is the last for this year's snack program, for which I volunteer. Today's my last day. It's going to be very strange not going in once a week!

When we moved here last July, I didn't know anyone in town. No one, except for my husband, who'd come up a few months earlier to ready the house. In late August, the girls were offered a mini-tour of their new school (small town, small school.... small tour!) and I was asked if I wanted to volunteer with the snack program. I agreed, mainly because I thought it might be a good way to get to know some of the other parents from the school. I thought I'd try it out for a month or two, and see if I wanted to continue.

Turns out, I kind of loved it.

So I've been doing that all year, going in once a week, sometimes more often if someone was ill or couldn't get in, as I was geographically the closest person to the school. And about a month ago, the lady in charge of it asked me to take over for her next year, as she didn't want to run it anymore. I was a bit flabbergasted, because like I said, I haven't even lived here a year yet!

So next year, I have this huge responsibility, but I think I'm looking forward to it.... almost. I'll know better when it actually happens. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

It's that time of year...

... to start gardening!

So our little town has started this year with community gardens. Now there's apparently been some confusion. I've heard that apparently some people think this means free vegetables for whoever wants 'em. Not so! In this case, it means anyone in the community who hasn't the space for a garden can come reserve a plot & plant what they want & weed & water it, and then eventually harvest it. Most of the other people are older (50+) single ladies, or are in apartments. I have a house (ok, a trailer...) and yard, but the yard isn't very big, and the soil is questionable for planting, as the people who lived here before us had a workshop out in the yard. What this means is that my garden plot is 2x the size of anyone else's, because mostly they are feeding 1 or maybe 2 people, and I have a family of 5. The nice part is that 2 of my friends have plots right next to mine, so we can all be chatty more than we already are, haha.


What I've planted: 3 regular tomato plants, 3 cherry tomato plants, 1 yellow tomato, green & yellow sweet peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, romaine & leaf lettuces, radishes, spinach, and both green & yellow beans. Whew! Lots of work, but it will very tasty when it's all harvestable. Another good thing is that it's halfway across town, so I will get a bit of exercise just going back & forth!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Hello again!

Has it really been over a year since I've posted here? Good heavens, I *am* derelict, aren't I?
Of note:

1. I moved!
 

Back to hard water. *sigh* Hard water wreaks havoc (I can no longer say "wreaks havoc" without thinking of Jonny Harris ) on my hair & skin. BLAH. Also, the water tastes funny. It's clean, but it's tastes kind of chlorine-y, like a swimming pool. At least, the town water is safe. The cemetery, on the other hand...




 2. Still stitching & sewing, but not, y'know, *completing* a whole lot. :P





3. Still baking!
  Honestly, this trailer (yes, I said trailer -- every single storm I start thinking about how tornadoes aim for the damn things...) hasn't really got much in the way of insulation, so over the winter I baked a lot to keep the place toasty. Never you mind how much padding that put on me, either!

4. NOT WRITING. I hate to admit that. I have a pile -- like, this huge, really -- of unfinished stuff that really needs to be finished. I actually was writing shortly after we moved, and then ... I don't know what happened. I'd like to say I got busy, but with what? Well, it'll happen when it happens.

5. Hopefully by the time I next remember to update here, I will have: finished Liv's skirt; finished that pink quilt I'm making; finished any of several cross-stitch projects; baked something beautiful & tasty; finished a story or two. Fingers crossed!