Evening all, Well Ive had an incredibly busy., busy, busy three days and Im crashing at the moment. Id love to suck down a couple glasses of wine as I type this but Im not allowed the calories at the moment. (end of that whine) Anyway, Friday I got ready for my weekend seminar. I was supposed to work on it all week long but didnt get myself downstairs until Friday so a very full day crossing my fingers that all the printers and copy machines were going to cooperate so I could get the classroom handouts done. All worked fine, I finished up what needed doing by 6:00PM and was able to help my neighbors three almost adult children. The daughter asked if Id take their portrait (there are three of them)so she could get an 11 x 14 printed up to give their parents for a 25th wedding anniversary present. What great kids! Pic turned out quite nicely. Got to class on Sat and we had four new students to the group I paint with here so now Ive got a steady twelve students instead of eight. The new ladies from VT were fantastic painters and really fun to work with. The Gang has decided they can come back any time. LOL Last night eight of the students came over for a garden tour and dinner so after class I zipped home, washed up the bathrooms and passed the vacuum quickly just got it put away when they showed up. Sent them home around 8:45PM, ran down the street to wish the neighbors a happy anniversary got home, crashed. Got up at 5:30AM spent an hour and a half watering the containers, filled ten orders the students wanted, headed out to class, taught all day, got home did a bit of SALATING, had dinner and now Im fried to a crisp. So the new ladies also decided to sign up for the September three day seminar that my local students wanted scheduled and for which Ive not yet painted the piece. Yikes, worse news, they all bought the trays we are painting in August that I havent painted yet either. Ive got ten signed up for a class that they dont even know what color the piece will be. Too funny and everyone was laughing about it this weekend but Ive seriously got to get some work done in the next couple weeks. Every time I decide that Im really going to quit teaching they come up with another project idea I just have to do for them, find a weekend everyone can come, collect deposit money and say of course you can do this as they hand me the money. Im easy. Anyway Im sure I was the cause of the torrential rains that came through here this afternoon because Id spent an hour and a half watering this morning. Have you ever noticed how that happens and that if you dont water you dont get the expected rain? The tropical plants are loving the humidity and are putting on some lovely growth at the moment and the containers get more filled in every day. LOL Denise and Kathy, I actually have a cool garden apron I modified from a painting apron I had. The apron has criss cross straps that go over the shoulders so none of the weight of the tools is on your neck. I should show it to our seamstresses here as the idyllettes might want one. The pockets on the bottom are like a carpenters apron pockets and go all around the bottom of the apron which wraps around. Then there are various loops for putting trowels and cultivators through so Denises image of me with this massive tool belt isnt too far off. I also do have a very neat roll around cart that holds most tools and I get that out for my all day marathons. I prefer the apron because it has everything I need and I dont have to back track at all to find what I need. The cart is great because I can store my stakes in there too. Brenda great photograph of the crop duster. Ive got to send that one along to Doug. BTW, my watering wand leaks too! What a pain in the a -. Every time I put new washers in it and tighten it up it works for a couple days then if you knock it about it starts leaking again. One of my gardening pet peeves is leaking hose joins and watering wands and sprinklers that dont oscillate as they should. Yes indeed, I miss EP and her insights. Jerri, that solstice ceremony sounds like it was interesting. Great clematis Martie! Love the name. Happy Anniversary to Chelone and Helpmeet! Michelle, that baptisia is gorgeous and especially beautiful with the poppies. I cant get over that you dont have to stake it. ~~ Love that rainbow photo! Kathy, some of those daylilies on that site are unbelievable along with their prices. Mary, sounds like you made out big time at the plant sale. Any photographs would be much appreciated. Sue, youre such a party animal! Snoozing in the daytime, whats next geritol? Te he, giggles. Sorry Im heading off to bed myself as Im going to fall asleep with this computer in my lap if I dont put myself to bed soon. Nite all, Deanne

Jen, LOL...Funny you said that, ran into the owner this weekend and he asked me what I was doing this summer. I said looking for another job and he said hmmmmm. I told him I needed a career again, not a summer stint. He said well what you doing next weekend and the next and the next. I said hopefully NOT working here..:) Anyways, we had an awesome time this weekend, weather was perfect, we saw 2 blue herons flying on the lake in front of our site, they were around for a while looking for fish. Saw a dead deer on the side of the road driving back, I always hate that. I wish they would at least give them to a shelter for people to eat. Our dog met 2 new friends, someone pulled in from Virginia and had a beautiful Golden and they played for hours. Then we came home and worked in the yard all evening putting down mulch, weeding and planting flowers. My sons girlfreind made a great dinner, it was a good weekend. How was yours? Glad you had a good time on your trip the other week too. Jerry, No sporting goods store for me, no way. I would be their worst employee I'm sure. I work in the medical field and plan on staying there. Hubby can fend for himself. :) Lynda

Thanks so much for all your kind words. I was both very happy and very sad all day long yesterday. Happy because my son is doing what he wants to be doing and enjoying it very much, and that he was alive and healthy; sad because I worry so incredibly much about him over there and was wishing selfishly that he was safe back home again . . . that they all were. But, his unexpected call (just as I was typing the last words of my post here) was fantastic! We actually had a nice long chat. It was so good to hear his voice and to know that he was OK. Afterwards, I headed down to Albuquerque so that I could meet up with his birthmom near to her office. We had a great lunch at a place called Brava Bistro and while we ate (gazpacho and bruschetta . . .yumm!), I filled her in on family , DS's call and passed along the message that he'd be calling her later that evening so that he could talk to his (half)sisters, too. It was a good seeing her again. I love that she and DS look so much alike. Same coloring, same beautiful pale blond hair, same features, same smile. She and her two young daughters (she's divorced) have become like family to us over the years and have even spent some holidays here with us. I both love and admire her very much . . . plus, she's a lot of fun to be with! As usual, we had someone take a couple of pics of us to send to our (hers and mine . . . we share him now) son. But, please don't think I'm some kind of saint about all of this, I'm not. If she had turned out to be some nutcase, I wouldn't have this kind of arrangement with her. But, she's a wonderful, down-to-earth, very good person (awesome, actually) and everyone of us has benefited hugely from this openness and sharing. Anyhoo, it was a fun lunch. Below is a (cropped) pic taken of us at the restaurant. It shows my special ring. I had them take one to show DS I was wearing it once again. Lynn And here's a pic I took of DS on his first birthday. I gave his birthmom a copy of it. he had a Cookie Monster birthday cake, hence the bright blue icing. Not the greatest idea for a birthday boy in a white outfit (LOL!):

Bus will depart school at 11 so they will get home about 30 minutes later. They get dropped off at the start of the long private drive. I guess its about a football field from my front door. I walk half way to meet them but being able to see them the entire time. Today I'll walk the whole way as we have our songs to sing...No more pencils no more books...and Schools out for summer...lol at the top of our lungs. its very overcast so I'll have umbrellas. The next week will be all fun and games for the boys than 30 minutes a day every day to brush up on things they have learned this year. The school sends home *summer work* things they will be doing next year. Its really great how they send enough, a page of math and a page of vocabulary words, one for each day of the summer. So 30 minutes a day goes a long way. I never have had any flack from the boys over doing this and hope I don't this year. There's no strict time for them to do this..they can pick their own time. I only ask it be done and given to me by 8 pm. Bed time will of course be extended...LOL but us ually after a long day of play and a evening shower you can see while sitting out on the back patio them wanting to drop off around 9'ish. Can you tell I'm happy that Schools Out For Summer!