do the Math.....

ok... take a $3000 bus bill.... break it down by trip....then divide it by how many classes went on that trip....then subtract the taxes from the total trip, and then add on to each individual trip...32 percent of 14%, and keep a separate category for the extra tax (the 68%)....write one cheque for the full amount to the bus company, but on the computer, you subtract each mini total (trip plus 32% of the 14% tax) from each teacher's acct, and the taxes come from the Miscellaneous tax. Then fill out the HST rebate form, listing all the information above.. and coming up with the total of the tax that I have taken out of the miscellaneous acct... hoping to get that back from AVRSB by Sept..... and try to do that amongst, band aids, phone calls, buses, parents, kids and staff...buzzing about....AND THAT IS ONE END OF YEAR INVOICE!!!!!

The answer to the above mentioned problem........ why does Donna have a furrowed brow on these last days of School.

On the up swing..... everyone else in the school is in much better spirits than last week (their report card week) and so that makes my crazy week this week... a little easier to take.

This week..... is the worst week of the entire school year, in my opinion. Sooooo many good byes. Some, too hard to even think about; others are sad for me, but good moves for them. Retirements...always fun. Its great to see people survive a career and move onto the real reason for living!! Some students and parents, you just hate to see go, and others you do the dance of joy when they are gone.... Besides the good byes, the workload is about 4 times heavier in the next 3 days than any other time of the year, even Sept. June..... never a good month.

On another UPSWING item.......My sister and brother in law, along with granddaughter #2, Emily, will be visiting on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Emily hasn't had a vacation in the valley by herself yet, and its her turn. So Gail will fill her days here in the Valley with the best we have to offer....Oaklawn Zoo, Dollarama, the playground,Kingston School, Peoples Jewelers... and Upper Clements Park. Gail ends her career of working for the computer business by taking her last two days of work as Vacation Days in the Valley. She is officially retired... Friday at 4:30. How exciting is that!!! And how nice is that, she will be spending her last day as a working woman...with me!!!! Yipee. What can we have for supper on Friday night, to celebrate!!?! Any suggestions.

I had a great weekend with my cousis...(cousin who is like a sister) at her "homes" in Moncton. We spent equal amounts of time at her "country" home in Coverdale, and her "town" home in Riverview. Its hell, really, having two homes.... but it will only be for this week. YOu know, where is the phone... which house has the can opener.... did you see the kids... which house are they at... hee hee... My weekend was spent filled with laughing, packing, unpacking, eating, driving, shopping... lizards (two of them.. Squirt and Heidi), dogs...(two of them.. Rascal and Allie) boys...(two of them...Dan and Andre)...men (two of them.... Paul and Terry) and beautifully voluptuous women (two of them....me and Sandra).

Sandra and her family (including lizards, fish, dogs and boys) are moving from the country to the city. Its time.... they are ready for the convenience of living less than 5 minutes from everything. The boys will be able to walk/bike to school and home. They will be within walking distance to friends houses, and its a beautiful home, with lots of space for everyone to get lost in. I can't believe I went all the way to Moncton and didn't bring a camera. I would have taken a million pictures of the house... the kids.. and all the family. but you will just have to imagine. Sandra... good luck with the rest of the move this week... and I wish I was there. Moving is sooooo much more relaxing than "doing the Math" I am doing!!!!!

Summer Project

Two falls ago, Terry build this much needed replacement shed by the side of the house. Then, last fall, he obtained a window from my brother in law (two actually, but one is across the street in the Estey's new shed). On a spring visit this year, Cricket suggested that we needed shutters and a window box for our little shed. I didn't even think of that, but she was totally right.Scott spent part of the summer last year, using up all the left over bricks from our back yard project to make a garden square for the "spare" garden I have at the side of the house. That garden was my spare garden where I put things I had too many of. Sort of as a holding space until I could get rid of them. Well, it use to be well hidden behind two lilac bushes. They got removed last summer and replaced with two small "yews" and suddenly my spare garden is now a wide open garden.

My summer project will be to move, remove, weed, mulch and beautify my spare garden!!!!

some garden pics....Columbine from the Walkers Gardens.

Patrick, frog watching. We have named the frog "Jumpy".

Ok, who said you were allowed in my yard!!!!!

Mollie was a little ticked off this evening after supper when the usual crowd of little birds that hang around the birdfeeder by the window, suddenly changed to the "arch" enemy of our yard.
She hates the chipmunks and squirrels in the back yard, who sit on branches way up high, and make fun of her. She actually stomps her feet (all 4 of them) and tries to make herself much tougher than she really is.

Well, imagine when this little beggar shows up and starts packing in all the little birdies special treats (ok, sunflower seeds). Not impressed!!!!!

Are ya sick of Gardening stuff yet? Sorry....but I am not

This weekend has been 100% gardens, plants, greenhouses, dirt and lunch at Wheatons. My sister in law, Kim, and her friend, Sandy came up to the Valley for the day, and we drove from Greenhouse to Greenhouse, looking at plants. Kim bought a few plants to pot up into planters and Sandy bought some sweet waxed Begonia's and two little containers. They both bought Spirea from Wheatons and we stopped for lunch. Kim and I split the Coconut Cream Cake.... my second time... yum.

I bought tons, and planted lots last night, and finished it off today, after a family trip to Den' Hanns. I didn't take many pictures of my pots, cause they look thin and spindly right now. They need about 2 weeks to fill out, and then I will take pictures. My gardens are at their absolute prime right now, before the maga heat, and sun. I even have a pond visitor as well. He is at the bottom of the picture of my little waterfall, with a larger shot to the right.

Iris.... they are so regal.... without foliage, but stunning when they bloom.
On Friday morning, I arrived at work... with the usually hustle and bustle going all around the office. But sitting quietly and sweetly on my desk was a set of handmade note cards, with my initials on them (the way I like them tooooooo "dp"). they were adore with sweet ribbon, with two bows and a tastefully stamped little PeaPod..... One of my favorite little novelties.... peas...

Its a funny thing really..... I hate peas. Absolutely... repulsed.... but I love the look of a sweet peapod, and seem to be surrounded by discreet little peapod items around my house. A candle in the kitchen, dishcloths embroidered with them, a soap dish... earrings... two necklaces.... My cards were left "anonymously" but I think I can figure it out....can you?

Cake anyone?
Michelle and Scott have been dying to try a new "cake" recipe since our Kraft "Whats' Cooking" Magazine showed up in the mail. So, Saturday evening while Terry and I put together some flower pots, Michelle and Scott created....

This cake is made with pudding, cool whip, oreo cookies and Ice Cream Sandwiches.

We Celebrated our yummy dessert by having Corey over for supper tonight, since it is his birthday tomorrow. If you are at Superstore on June 11, please stop by Customer Service Desk and say "Happy Birthday" to Corey Barton. Even better, why not sing it to him. hee hee.

The finished product photo is actually off the "Whats Cooking" website, since we forgot to take a picture of the finished product. Our Cake looked exactly like this one, and we did some chocolate sauce swirl on the plates first and then laid a nice slice of the cake on top. Corey's had candles added.

Fun.......... a trick you can wow your friends with

http://unclutterer.com/archives/2007/06/the_end_of_the_chipclip.php

Just Pictures... too nice to not post

Cottage living..... nothing like it. This time of the year, the Canada Geese are plentiful. They walk the beaches each morning, but because we were too close (while gardening), they took their little families on a "swim past" instead. How adorable is this little family.

the Hummingbird situation at the cottage is busy, and sometimes violent. It is a RARE moment, that I could get a pic of these little rascals. Have you ever tried to take a pic of a hummingbird in action. They know....they just know... that you are waiting to take a picture. They only show up when your not ready. And even when you are ready, the digital camera is just not as quick as a hummingbird. In all my attempts over the past couple of years....this is my first pic of the little darlins'. But it doesn't even begin to capture the awe of how amazing they really are. There isn't a minute....while your on the deck, that you don't have a hummer...buzzzing past you.

Cottage Dreamin'

Our trip to Grand Lake was hugely successful in that the weather was perfect, and we got all our gardening done in one day.

the Kitchen Window Garden (named because you see it beautifully, while doing the dishes) has been extended by 6 feet and a nice sized rhubarb has been added. We pulled out a huge patch of Creeping Thyme and transplanted it to a shady spot for the time being so we can use it down by the newly constructed beach wall. We pruned, trimmed, weeded and mulched all the gardens. This the view of the newly added to Kitchen Window Garden. The rhubarb that was transplanted from my garden.

We even spotted a little visitor in the garden the next morning. Can you spot him!!

The front of the cottage is all shade so we added a few shade plants that will, over time, grow amongst the rocks and give the front some softness and color.

Gail is there this weekend, to build a sunny flower box, and fill it with Scarlett Runners, Morning Glories and Sunflowers. It will change the look of the Red Barn