Working Girl.

It's official.  I have a "real job".  Please use dramatic air quotes when you say that...mmmkay?
Because heaven knows I have plenty of other (non-monetary paying) jobs to go around.  Plenty.
So, I am a lunch lady.  Not a glamorous sounding title, but I quite like it so far.

I love the ladies I work with, it's only a few hours a day, the kitchen is warm
(which is fantastic for a cold blooded creature like myself)--I've even been a bit too warm a couple of times--dare I say--I might even go so far as to say--sweaty, the kids are super cute, I get to wear comfy scrubs to work (hello? most new clothes i've had in years. courtesy of the school district) and since we all match I don't ever need to wonder what to wear--just throw it on and zip I'm ret-to-go.
  

This is Monday's outfit.  It's the perkiest one we have.  I mean, c'mon, who doesn't want lunch served to them by lovely ladies with frogs and flowers on their shirts?  Hmmm?  Nobody, that's who.

I work in a different school district then my own kiddos.  Which is good and bad.  Some of our vacations don't line up and I work on Fridays when my punks are out of school (remember? four day school week in P-town).
I'm just gonna go ahead and shoot straight with you here...I was more than happy to walk out the door Friday.  For the record, I think it's just kind of a cruel joke to start school in the middle of the week- go to school for two days- then have a three day weekend.  Seemed like a tease to me....but, what do I know?
I suppose what I am so delicately trying to say is this---I think I won't cry myself to sleep at night thinking about the days my punks will be home and I'll be gone for a few hours or the days that they will be in school and I get to stay home by my lonesome and not go to work.  I know, I'm just sort of a rude mother like that.

After a 17 year hiatus from a "real job" (remember, dramatic air quotes) where I clock in and clock out it does seem kind of strange to be back at it.
Strange, but good.
I think I really needed something like this in my life, plus it makes me miss my little buddy Grant Delish a wee little bit less.
And since I was such a picky eater as I child I never would eat school lunch
--even though I was supposed to and my dear old mother paid for it and I threw pretty much all of it away every day until I was ratted out by one of the lunch ladies and got a talking to about being wasteful from me mum and even after that I only ate a tiny bit more and yes when I think about that I kinda want to go back in time and slap myself upside the head (I hate waste now)--
so I get to redeem myself.

School lunch.
It's a good thing.
Peace out.
:o)

First Day.

Well, would you look what showed up at my door step this morning??? 
(Actually for the past two days...let's pretend I finished this yesterday, 
which was the official first day of school.
kthanks)

That's right--the Big Yellow Ticket to Solitude returns.

And when it left....

 ...it took all of these lovely people with it.  

 Adam.

A junior this year.  A JUNIOR.
That means we there's only one more first day of school for this guy.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Hello??  His birthday is Friday...and he'll be 17.

Did you catch that???  I said he'll be 17!!

Two years and he's off on his mission.

Holy Crap.

 

Audrey.

This lovely young lady started high school today.

I think she's been ready since 2nd grade.

I don't worry about her not being able to handle high school,

Frankly, I wonder if the high school is ready for her.

 

Lucy.

Goose is in the 7th grade this year.

She is such a funny girl...not really a fan of posing for the camera.

This was the closest thing to a "normal" picture we got.

She was pulling some pretty weird poses.

 

Elsie.

Elsie is in 4th grade.  

This girl is a lover of school.

I think mostly because it means she gets to socialize with more people.

What a cutie.

 

Grant.

My little buddy is in kindergarten.

It's kind of a killer, I quite enjoy this little man's company.

When I asked him if he missed me he replied,

"Well, no mom.  I kind of forgot you were even alive."

Ummm, okay. I'll try not to take that too personally.

 I'm just glad he had a fabulous day. 

Now, boys and girls, are we working on our counting?

Did everyone count up how many children got on the 

Big Yellow Ticket to Solitude??

That's right, Five.

And how many children does farmgirl have??

Yup, Five.

.......

It's SO weird.

SO WEIRD.

The 'How was your first day?' reports are in.

To sum it up...

A good time was had by all.

:o)

Abundant Harvest

So, did you ever hear the one about the lady who was buried alive by zucchini?
No?
Well, it's me.
No joke, I currently have 45 zucchini sitting on my counter.  And we have already shredded and frozen enough zucchini to make multiple batches of zucchini bread and brownies.  Plus there's more in the garden ready to be picked in few days.

I know a picture is worth a thousand words, and believe me when I tell you I would LOVE to photo document this craziness.  Unfortunately, my camera is lost.  These are the pitfalls of letting the children find ways to entertain themselves during the summer.  They take the camera, make crazy movies and take crazy pictures and before you know it...Look Ma, No Camera.  Eh, well.  I'm assuming it will turn up when the dust settles.

Of course I would like to have pictures to show you, but more importantly I'm going to need documentation to present to my dearly beloved husband next year when garden planting time rolls around.  He's a good man, but has a short memory for these things.  I need for him to remember that our plants are massive and produce more than all of Franklin County could consume.  I need for him to remember that the plant sizes range from a mere 6 foot diameter to a staggering 15 foot diameter...and that's plenty big.  I need for him to remember that NO ONE needs 12 varieties of zucchini and squash planted in their garden.

Please remember People, I'm no gardener.  I'm terrible at it in fact.  Sure, I try to fake it. But, who am I kidding?  I've spent so very little time out there this summer, I'm plant neglectful and a weeding fiasco. Imagine how this garden would do with someone who really knew what they were doing and put their heart into it.  Kind of frightening if you ask me.

Peace out.
If you need me I'll be shredding, blending, grilling, breading, frying or steaming zucchini.  And in my spare time I'll be pickling beets, like 14 quarts of them.

Love,
farmgirl

that's farmgirl. not gardengirl
could someone please tell mike that.

Hackee addresses Hacker

So, I really did get on here to post today.  For reals, it's all legit.
And then I discovered I was Hacked.
That's a really weird feeling.
It's like being spot lighted in Primary or something.

Good, and weird.  But good more than weird.
Thank you.
Everyone should get a shout out now and again, so thanks for giving me mine.

Now....who did it!?
There's brownies in it for anyone leading me to information about the culprit.
:o)

Hacked ;)

Attention everybody!

This Blog has now been hacked!

This Hacker would just like to say that this lady....

 

This lady right here...

This awesome, amazing, fun, incredible person....

 Is one of the most...

Is by far one of the greatest...

Most inspiring...

Most caring...

and above all...

Most loved person...

That this hacker has ever encountered.

So lets give it up, ladies and gentlemen, 

for this fantastic blessing that the Lord has given us all.

This is a tribute...

 

To one who has done a many great and wonderful thing.

People of the World...

I give you...

 The ever Loved...

Farmgirl.