Happy first day of Summer vacation my friends. I hope today finds you well rested and ready to take on another week. For those of you retired and enjoying weeks and weeks of Saturday’s – happy Saturday 🙂

Lot’s on the agenda this week, this afternoon I’m picking up my daughter from the airport in Seattle. Her family attended the Cure SMA conference in Disney Land – she called every night with updates on how things were going. It was heart warming to hear the stories of the families they met, information she gathered, and their stay at the hotel. She says she’s not going to the one next year, but for some reason I do not believe her. We shall see how it goes. I was moved while I listened to a few minutes of their panel of speakers, the theme this year was “It’s a Wonderful Life”, (it’s a Facebook link, so I’m not sure it will let you access it, and it’s 2 hours long, but give it a few minutes if you can), it’s touching) one lady was talking about this being the only time of year where she is surrounded by her peers – that truly she didn’t have peers that were around her at home. I think it will be the same way with my daughter – she will have friends that are mom’s – but not mom’s that understand what it’s like to fight with the school district to have her daughter’s needs met, not understand what it’s like to have a child that does not have all the physical capabilities as other children – it’s different.

This week Mom has two doctor’s appointments, and a health check-up from her nurse with her insurance company. I do have to say that I am impressed by her United Health Care plan, she gets around a hundred dollars to spend on wellness things – like food, health aids, and vitamins. I’m even able to order meals from a place called Mom’s Meals, she really enjoys them, so it’s a win-win – when I actually remember to use the benefits, they expire every month, and I’ve forgotten the last two months that she had them. The also have a yearly visit from a nurse that comes out and lays eyes on her to check her out. Not that any of that is helping with the falling, but it’s more support of some sort.

I will go into work on Wednesday to tie up some loose ends, make plans for next year and get squared away to start my 17th year in education. Kinda crazy! I’m on step 7 of 8 in my pay scale for the district. Who knew I would ever be making this kind of money – of course the price of gas being $5.69 not 1.99$ a gallon stamps are 60 cents now compared to 32 cents and housing around here being over 500,000$ for a run down shack – I’m really making the same as I was when I was 25. Heck, I remember when stamps were 25 cents….mom chats about them being 10 cents….times change, prices go up on most things.

This leaves me with the only possibility of having some sort of time to throw clay on the wheel on Friday. We will see how it goes. I just ran a load in the kiln yesterday, I’m looking forward to unloading it this morning. Check out the updates on my clay page. It was still 244 degrees when I went out to check a half hour ago.

The weather continues to be poor – cold, wet and unforgiving. According to the forecast summer might make an appearance by the end of the week, but we shall see. My garden is not doing well. There is no reason to even attempt pumpkins with the season being so short. But we shall see what Joe talks to into. The perennials are doing rather nice -the maxamillion sunflowers are doing amazing, and make great greens for the bouquets I’ve made for the only client I’m doing flowers for this year. She seems very pleased with them. As soon as they start producing more, I will start to make little posies for the market I am doing on Wednesday nights. I have some Nigella that is popping up in the poppy area – I put that stuff over there two years ago and it never came up – it’s super pretty, but I really like it for the seed pods, so I’m enjoying watching them grow in the untended part of the yard. The volunteer poppies are making a splash of color in the patch of weeds. While on the other side of the yard, the poppies that I purposefully put in are doing nothing….dang it! I will have to try again next year. It’s one of those windows that if you miss it, it closes quick! I might get lucky and have them pop up next year, but we shall see.

If I think I’m going to get anything done today, I better get a move on. I have a few sewing projects that have been waiting for me as well, and of course I want to do a little baking – there’s only 70’ish days to do it in. I didn’t want to count the days out exactly, I don’t wand to ruin my vacation by counting the days, but indeed they are numbered. Until next time my friends….hugs to you! Take a moment to enjoy & savor your favorite food today!