Plum Crazy Millers...where purple, passion and peace reside.

Sorry...been out. Had some minor surgery on Monday. Way more info than I should share here. Couple words for you..Biopsy..netheregions...waiting...no pain...starting school...busy....will know results soon. Ta ta for now!

So school is over, camp is over. and the 1st of July has arrived. We leave for what will turn out to be a very fun, very long vacation. We headed to Irvington for our annual 4th of July celebration. As you can see the guys, once again had a "blast" blowing things up for over an hour. Want to see what approximately $15,000 worth of fireworks looks like? That's a pool table's worth and then some! Crazy I know, but we have a fabulous time every year. Our hostess vowed not to invite so many people next year though. There were 7 couples and their kids, two singles and their significant others and one loner. Totaling 18 adults, 14 kids and 5 dogs. We filled two houses, a camper, a tent and an RV. Talk about crazy!! Here's the crew after all was said and done...another successful year!

From here, on the 5th we drove 9 hours to Myrtle Beach. No neighbors to meet us there like last year, beautiful weather and the anticipation of some good friends joining us for the weekend. And they were cooking!!! We were a little nervous at first because of our previous experiences with friends coming on vacation with us. You know how there are some people you can take anything from and others...well, let's just say, it's not always such a pleasant experience.

Anywho, these folks are proving to be people we really get along with. Their son is in J-man's class and a great kid. They are both Italian and fabulous cooks!! More about food tomorrow ;0)

...sometimes life just happens. I thought I'd have all this free time this summer to sit, play on my 'puter and catch up. Yeah..well, let's start from the beginning shall we?

School ended in May for me. It was a bittersweet time. We have a pre-kindergarten graduation as that is the last "class" if you will, to pass through our school before they all part ways going to different schools for Kindergarten. Let me tell you, I have not a clue how I will make it through this May when J-man #2 goes through it...let alone my class. Yes, I've been gradumated up to the 5 day Pre-K Lead Teacher role. Hmmmm.....no pressure!

Then I get this brilliant idea to teach a camp. The more kids the more $. $900 to be exact for 12-15 kids. Well that was all fine and dandy until I realized it wasn't going to start until the 2nd session...I had a week off to prepare I 'spose and then get started. I was doing a camp on Space. Sun activities planned for Monday, Moon on Tuesday, Stars on Wed, Planets on Thursday and Review on Friday.

Well, we had the camp in my classroom that comfortably fits 10 or 11 kids..I had 14. It rained on Monday. So we switched to Thurday's plans which had no build up so they really didn't get the concepts. Tuesday, it rained. So we did moon activities and made crater cakes with no astronauts because I couldn't find them in time. We had cute little flags though. I also had this bright idea that we should make our camp shirts using buttons to make planets. My assistant (H) was there the first day...we did great. The second day her daughter was getting an award so she asked if I minded if she were an hour late. No problem we'll just switch out activity time and play outside. It rained.

Then next day I walked in to find her crying hysterically to my Director and then she disappeared. Come to find out, her whole family lives in little cottage-like houses on her grandparents farm. She walked out her front door to see an ambulance across the road at her aunt's house, her nephew had committed suicide some time during the early morning.

Yikes. Needless to say H did not come back for the rest of the week and we were scrambling to find someone to help while at the same time setting up a schedule to help get a couple of dinner's together for H's family. Not a fun week.

The year all in all was a great one though. I have never been in a job where I couldn't wait to get out of bed in the morning and get started. Here's to another great year!!

Internet's fixed, my page is back and everyone thinks I've dropped dead...might be a good thing. ;0)