The deck and the table

 Do you see the ugly, white metal table in the back?

 It was here. Behind the fencing is the A/C unit

 I decided to paint it. First I sanded as much of the rust off as I could. I know spray paint is not good for the environment but I really do love using it on stuff like this.

 See how even after 1 coat of paint, there is a lot of rust showing through?

This is the deck now. It will be beautiful and tolerable to sit in once I get through with it.

 After 2.5 coats of paint.

There will be at least 2 more coats.

productivity day 2

Today I re-assumed the productivity persona and got stuff done for my second day of summer break. Today involved going to the hardware store to scope out more stuff for my planter boxes, buying some major plants, fixing the fountain, plating more fillers in the pots by the house, creating a new annual bed in the front yard, starting my garlic seedlings, potting the meyer lemon tree, and ripping out/weed whacking tons of weedy plants where the new, big plants are going, and spraying weeds in the patio brick.
Then after dinner I went to Zumba
So loving the schedule. I could get used to this.
Tomorrow, working at the barn.

summer of productivity

Well it is summer break and I have time to do all of the things that have been put off. Today I was able todrop off a mountain of dry cleaning, get the oil changed in the car, finifh packing my classroom, have lunch with a friend, go to the bank, pick up the dry cleaning, shop for dnner food, and maake dinner. I am always amazed by the burst of energy that comes with the first day off in a while. I do still have a part time job a few days a week to keep me from doing too much around the house or getting slovenly. Thegarden center itself though is a great job for this busy teacher. I hope to keepthis pace up to not only catch up on pushed aside projects but, also get ahead on the things that will build up when school starts againg in August. Things I wish to do include: setting up my crafty stuff, tending to my already thrilling veggie garden, buildingnew planter boxes for a vertical garden on the deck, and many more!

in cognito

So, during the summer time, I hang up my teacher hat and pick up my gardener hat. It is a welcome reprieve from my daily usual. I love teaching music with every fiber of me but, I realize how much I love this break from teaching and learning. Working at the garden center is methodical. There are the same needs every day. Water the plants, ring up the customers, and all the other things that come with it.
Last year, I went back to school myself and spent the summer being a student of special education. It was wonderful but, I never left thinking about teaching. At the garden center, I thing about plants. Plants are so different than children. Their needs are all about the same and they don't change what they need.

Today I worked in the garden center store ringing up customers, watered, and planted large planter boxes. I then came home and worked on my own vegetable garden and  planters.

I love planting. Planting is so hopeful. Small little seedlings that have the potential to get so large and give so much. Unlike the full size plants they are easy to put into neat rows. In a few weeks the seedlings will be larger and stronger. No fruits or vegetables on them but more hope that they will provide us with food.

Happy planting to all and bring on the garden questions. I prepared with answers to your growing (plants that is) questions.

joy

Today in my second grade classes we listened to the 3rd movement of Beethoven's 6th symphony. This section is called "A Happy Gathering of Country Folk" and is a musical description of a community gathering.  I told my students just that and nothing else. I wrote on the board what they needed to do and stopped talking. They were to then draw what kind of a gathering they thought it was. The resulting images nearly brought me to tears.
Drawings of all sorts of celebrations now fill my room. From birthdays, to religious holidays, to friends sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows. One in particular jumped at me. It says "They are singing with joy" and is filled with people singing together.
*pictures to come when I take them*

Today in second grade there was a wedding. Q and U got married. The parents were invited and the kids all came to school dressed up for the event. It may have been one of the cutest moments ever for me to see at work. super love to the small people.

Also, today I had a first grade student ask about the guy holding a violin poster on my wall. They asked if it hurt his finger to play it. I tried to explain and realized "Hey! I have my cello here today because it was second grade string family day in my room. So, I let the kids come up to me holding the cello and let them chose to pluck or try the bow. What a great moment it was with all of them taking a turn, being careful, applauding their peers when they played, and then watching and listening with the biggest eyes ever. Sometimes you just have to throw out the curriculum and do what feels good for right now.

My Soapbox

To the possibly four people reading this, I appreciate your tax dollars supporting the education of OUR children.

I realize that having different viewpoints gives our world a better balance and keeps things in check. I realize that if everyone thought and acted and believed like I do, it actually might not be a good thing.
I realize that there are some who I can not change the minds of no matter how much I disagree with them. I know that yelling about my way is best will not work.
That being said, I cannot and refuse to understand why people, people who I love, think that it is wrong to be required to pay taxes to the school system when their children are not in the system. How if you own property in a place that is not near where your own children go to school how you shouldn't have to pay education taxes on it. How the teachers should VOLUNTEER to do their jobs.

I am a teacher. A music teacher. so this affects me personally both emotionally and in the pocket.
I am a teacher because I am one to my very core. I have a passion for early elementary students and the fine arts. I went into this world knowing that I will never be wealthy or even considered well paid by normal business standards. I get it. But, how is it that I should not be afforded a paycheck for my work? Do I not have lots and lots of expensive education that I paid for that makes me qualified? If I was in any other profession with the same amount of education and experience, no one would question that I was deserving of a paycheck, much less one that is enough to live on.

Then there is the issue of funding public education. Taxes suck. Yes, they do. Taxes cost a lot. Yes, they do. Sure there are other ways of funding schools other than property taxes, those places exist and they pay a whole lot more in income tax than we do. They are also much smaller countries full of fairly homogeneous people. It makes it easier. Why, we are a big country with lots of people with different backgrounds and ideas etc.
 We want to live in a world where people are educated. You might not think it, but you do. I am not talking about making every one a doctor or a lawyer or Ph.D in their area but, you want your world to be filled with high school graduates. You want the person behind the register at the fast food place to give you the right change, the right order, know how to work the computer screen they have in front of them. You want your fellow drivers to understand how the road works.
How do you get this, you pay your taxes and shut up.

Even though you may not have children currently attending the school system, even if you pay for private school for your kids, even if you home school, you want your neighbors to have an education. Plan and simple. Education for all is the best option. It is what our country needs. Education is not a reward for being wealthy in our country. It is a right given to all no matter where you come from.