My astute readers will have noticed that I did not have a knitting post last Friday. That's because no knitting has been taking place. I've been busy working at the shop, both behind the counter and teaching, and I actually got back in my sewing room and have been working on those boy bibs. Fourteen of them are in progress.
Dan has been making progress on the house and the entryway and hall are all painted. Next up, some trim work and then we'll have to decide on carpet. For those wondering, I have come up with no plan, yet, for those tall windows. We're trying to decide what to go to next: our bedroom, which entails scraping and shooting the ceiling, new paint and carpet; or new flooring for the entryway, hall, kitchen, breakfast nook and dining room. Yikes!!! Oh yes, and a new railing for the entryway.
Meanwhile, this has been the most perfect summer weather-wise. The days are warm but the nights are cool and lovely. At eight tonight it was already down to 70. Amazing. The fields are changing from green to gold and soon the combines will be running. Tomorrow is August! Back to school is just around the corner, but not for this retired teacher. Part of me misses that excitement, but the rest of me is so happy to be done. I'll buy some fun school supplies to include in our shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child for Samaritan's Purse and that will give me my color crayon/pencil "fix."
Today at the Dollar Tree they asked if I would contribute a school supply. I usually pass on contribution requests at the store, but I picked up a notebook for their pot. I have such compassion for families who must buy these supplies -- and teachers who buy supplies, too. I should have done more. Maybe it isn't too late.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working, we contributed the Christmas shoebox campaign. It was fun while it lasted, but not all employees were on board and it went away.
I'm sorry you're distracted from your knitting. That's what happens to me. I can keep up for a while, but then something happens.
Your house is a real project, and that might just happen here, too, though on a smaller scale (smaller house). I vote for not doing the flooring until all the messy stuff is done throughout.
You've got a good point about the floors and future messes. Dan got all the light fixtures back up, including new ones we got for the hall and it's looking so nice! NO carpet on the walls!! As I said in the post, trim will be our next step. Then ponder, ponder and more decisions...
DeleteMy old school came up with an idea years ago for school supplies. The teachers do all the shopping (this way we really get the supplies we want the kids to have) and the parents pay a fee for them when school starts. There is scholarship money available for those who can't pay and we never know who those people are (but of course can guess). It is a pain for teachers, but it does work well. I was very frugal and often didn't use all the $$, so that helped with the scholarship $$. I don't miss pushing a cart around Staples or Office Depot with 125 spiral notebooks, 25 packages of markers, a case of paper, etc., not to mention lugging it all back to school and sorting.
The cost of school supplies can be a challenge to any family's budget.
DeleteI so appreciated the attitude of an elderly neighbor. One of my kids needed a nylon for a school project and I didn't have one. She didn't either, but she canvassed her friends until she found it. She said, "If they need it for school, we have to get it. It's up to all of us to see that the children are educated." She said she considered it her duty to vote for the school. Collectively, we've lost sight of that, but maybe I'm being simplistic.
Loved your comments about fall and the golden fields.
I don't think you're being simplistic. You're absolutely correct--it is the duty of the community to educate it's young and it seems that many don't see it that way anymore. Think of the pioneers who worked so hard, and sacrificed, to get schools. And it paid off! There's so much complaining now, but not much help.
DeleteThe fee charged by our school was $15 per child for years and finally went up to $20 (though that may have changed since I left) and that was for the *whole year*. I had many parents tell me they couldn't have done it for that price if they'd had to shop on their own. That did help make up for the schlepping of my loaded cart of goodies. :-)
Glad you liked the mention of the fields. Imagine you're looking at some right now. :-)
Yes, I am looking at golden fields right now. A little green shows through here and there, and we know the farmers are particular about that. Our farmer doesn't tell us what he's thinking. Sometimes we aren't here when he shows up. Blink your eyes and you'll miss harvest.
DeleteI was chuckling to myself about the supply list I received when Hallie went to kindergarten (25 years ago). One box of facial tissues, it said. I wasn't sure what that meant, so I asked the teacher if I had provided the right item, a standard box of tissues. She said I had -- that the tissue was for her desk and she would draw from the supply the students brought. Then she confided that one child whose father was a physician had donated a tiny physician's sample pack. In his case I suspected his very social mother just wasn't putting much effort into it.
I might be late or possibly early, but either way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! When did August get here, anyway?
ReplyDeleteYou hit it right on! Thank you! And apparently August arrived four days ago. Amazing, isn't it? {I arrived a bit earlier... :-)}
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