August 26th 2009

Seriously,  IS IT EVER GOING TO COOL OFF?   This summer has been goofy.  It is Florida, and it is HOT, but not AS HOT as it usually is.  Which means absolutly nothing to anybody but a native.  So, I am wondering if that means that Fall and Winter will be cool and cold all the way through.  Last Fall and Winter was bizzare, it started off COLD, then went to HOT, and finished LUKEWARM.   I am just thinking that the planet’s weather climate groove is OFF a bit.   Sigh.   All I know is that I am sick of heat.  I am tired of A/C.  I want fresh air in the house.   How does it feel to want?  Empty.

We are 8 days into our new school year.  Every couple of days, I add another subject to the schedule.  I am up to math, science, U.S. history, art, Japanese language ( for Todd ), reading (for Nathan).  By next week, I will have added language arts, Contact Sign Language (for Nathan) and hopefully a writing course.   A full load.   A full time job.

My next door neighbor finally decided to home school her 8 year old son.  She is very happy and feeling liberated already!  I am glad for her.

My borrowed daughter turns 17 tomorrow.  I can’t believe it.   She is a senior at the local high school.   She grew up WAY to fast.  I blinked, I guess.  Heck, my oldest son is 14 and taller than her.  He is a freshman this year, here in home school.  Then there is the youngest son, who is 10 and starting puberty.  God help us all!   I really don’t know where all the time went.  I don’t think I have enough pictures to remember it all by.  That is the bad part of memory.  All the little details get lost over time.  Sad, really.  So, they all are growing up.  I am growing old.  That is how it should be.

Warning.. random thought here…..  It would be really cool if I could lean back in my desk chair and watch tv on the ceiling.

On that note, I shall move on.  To bed would probably be the best place!!  Apparently, I am tired and loopy.  

Time is flying by! It is August 6th 2009

AND  there is only 140 days untill Christmas!!  Sniggle.

Meantime, it is still Summer!  WOW, it is HOT in Florida.  The temperatures are pushing mid 90’s every day, and when you factor in the humidity.. the heat index brings up to 100 degreees or more.  Stuff melts in cars at those temps, and eggs CAN be cooked on the sidewalk   I REALLY wish it was September!  It is still hot, but not as hot.  Snort.  This summer, most people have seen their electric bills go way above the $300 mark. That is a first for most people.  The Mafia.. I mean the electric company made rate changings and kw useage billing structure changes late last year, and we are all feeling the pain now.  I wish it was September. I might be able to suck it up and turn the air off in the evenings.  Sigh.

The tropics have been deafeningly quiet this year..so far.. NOTHING is brewing out there.  Thankfully.   The reason for lack of activity is probably also related to our below average rainy season too.  Rainy season started with a big bang,  for a few weeks and then fizzled out.  July was mostly dry in our area.  It is now back to raining again, but who know how long it will last.  Without a tropical something, or a wet winter, we will be in a drought before to long.. AGAIN.

Okay, so September brings more comfortable evenings from the heat.  It also brings the new planting season!!  Oh YES!!  Time to start those seedlings and preparing the ground for the veggie garden.  A lovely lady named Melonie started our very first Community Garden!   It is so very exciting.  A local landowner donated the use of her empy lot for the garden and the city gave it a blessing.  I have my 20 x 20 plot, and I look forward to growing crops I just don’t have room for here at the house.   I am found some nicely well rotted free city mulch to build up my garden.  I have no intentions of breaking ground.  I will create a raised garden bed, in some seriously rich compost.  My goal this year is to grow tons and put it up for my pantry.  We must find a way to cut back on groceries.  The price of living isn’t getting any cheaper!

We are trying to gear up for school.  I started and stopped in July.  Life got in the way. ROFL  But we have been doing a little here and there… just trying to get back into the swing of things.  I can’t buy curriculum right now, so I am searching for free stuff and working on piecing together my own lesson plans.  I have been doing that for years now, but I was so looking forward to moving on to curriculum done for me.  I was looking forward to not having to work so hard at this!! LOL  Good thing I enjoy it.

So, for biology we are going to start with  some mini worm farming.  We got the worms and the container.  The kids tested the soil and recorded their findings.  After the worms have done their work, they kids will test the soil again and compare the changes.  Pretty neat.  Then I was turned on to a website with free science curriculum.  It is called the Jason Project.  Very neat and well done.  I will be using the weather unit.   Theat would be Earth Science.  We also just started the Planets and Universe unit.  The kids don’t know it, but they will be doing an art project to hang the universe from the ceiling.    Anyway, there is much planning for all the academic subjects.  I have much to do!

Next week in the Annual Home School Orientation meeting.  I look forward to hosting that.  My home school group is stepping up to support the cause and I am feeling very positive about the group’s new school year!

While time marches by, there is much to be done!  The garden calls, the classroom calls and my couch won’t let me go!  ROFL.   Enjoy the rest of summer everyone.