Empty Nest

It's been almost a month since my last post, and up until this week, it's been really busy!  J & L finished up their jobs and went shopping for back to school.  We did take a couple of day trips before they had to leave for their respective colleges.  We went to Wheeling for an evening - did some antiques shopping, ate at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, and saw the Hospital where JP & I used to work being torn down.

We also spent a day at Ohiopyle, where J introduced us to the "Natural Waterslides."

We took L up to school on the 21st (a Wednesday) and got her all moved in to her room.  She did not want to let us leave!

J had to be back at BGSU on Friday.  We stayed long enough to take J and her friend out for dinner, and they showed us around in their ceramics studio.  P sent me a "First Day of School" photo of J on the following Monday.

In the meantime, the garden kept producing, and we have enjoyed the harvests!  I've also canned plenty of tomatoes and beans.

Tomatoes, tomatillos, beans, carrots, cucumbers & okra

Beans, tomatoes, corn, eggs and Honey Crisp apples

Dinner from the farm:  cantaloupe, corn and tomato sandwiches

Canned tomato puree

In addition, I took my Board Exams the week after taking J back to OH (found out this week that I passed!!)  After finishing my exam, JP & I drove up to Pittsburgh to bring L and her roommate home for Labor Day weekend.  I also finished making a T-shirt rug for L's dorm room.

That weekend we had a bad storm, which seemed to exhilarate L's roomie!  We had several trees down around the property and blew both clothes lines down.

The storm also blew all the pears off our tree.  The girls and I salvaged what we could from the ground, and I was able to make 3 pints of pear butter.

This week I started working longer hours at work, and on my days off, continued to work on cleaning up from the storm and getting the pool cleaned out at well (it was full of leaves.)

We had a bit of rain this past weekend as well, which is a good thing.  Our creek across the road is bone dry - I've NEVER seen it like this in all the years we have lived here!

I posted a few more fridge facts, which I have now discontinued since it's just JP and I at home, so here are the last 2:

Misc Edition

The Last One

Here's hoping your back to school has gone well as have your transitions to Fall!

It's Almost Summer!

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I last posted.  I guess I can actually believe it...there have been half a dozen times over the past several weeks that blogging has been on my short list of  Things To Do, but didn't get done.  Yikes.

Suffice it to say, things have been very busy in our home lately!  I have had a count down calendar running until L was finished with school because I have just been exhausted dealing with her homework and activities lately.  We just have one week to go!!

L had a short Spring Break around Easter, during which she & I and a couple of her friends went up to Pittsburgh to see the Titanic exhibit.  It was pretty interesting.

This chandelier was from the 1st Class Smoking Room

Early April, L, JP and I went to the Eden Hall Campus of Chatham - this is about 45 minutes NE of the main campus.  This is where their Sustainability School and Environmental Science Schools are located - on a big, sustainable farm.  L will likely move to this campus after her 1st year.  

This big solar array is right at the entrance to campus.

A few days later, L took an "Educational Day" and she, JP, Stella and I drove out near Akron, OH to see the eclipse in totality.  We got there a couple of hours before the big moment, so JP and I hung out in a little Public Library.  Poor L was not feeling well and slept in the truck with Stella most of the time.  

I have done a couple of events recently with a group of friends, which has really helped to improve my outlook on life.  We did a Murder Mystery Dinner at a tea house just south of here in WV that was really fun, and the same group of us went back a couple of weeks later for a Shakespeare Literary Tea.  A different group of friends are going out for Pedicures next week.

This was my "costume" for the Murder Mystery Dinner

J spent a couple of extra weeks at her apartment in Bowling Green, hanging out with friends.  She came home in early May, just in time for L's prom.  

Since then, there have been a flurry of award dinners for L, who won a couple of scholarships from local organizations.  She and I also went on a couple of Bird Walks since one of the organizations was the local Bird Club.  I'm always just as interested in the plants as the birds!

Lion's Club Student of the Month Picnic

Ralph K Bell Memorial Bird Club Scholarship

On a bird walk near Tenmile Creek

Her last official day of school was on Friday.  We realized that we never got a "First Day of School" photo this year, so we got a "Last Day of School" one instead.  Next week she has Grad practice for 2 days, one day the students walk the halls of the schools in their caps and gowns to say goodbye to the teachers, there is an awards night, and then graduation next Friday!!

JP and I also spent an hour or so last weekend taking pictures of L around the property to use for her graduation invitations.  We got some nice ones!

J has already spent most of her time with friends since she has been home.  She starts work on Tuesday in her Summer Manager job, the same as last summer.  She has also decided that she needs more money, so will also be working evenings at Dunkin.  I'm not sure when she starts there.  She did make dinner for everyone a couple of days ago, which was nice.

In all my "free time" when I'm not helping L, I have been studying for my Boards, which are scheduled for August 30th, and working in the garden.  I do finally have some seeds planted and the tomatoes in.  I have been picking strawberries for about a week, and the asparagus is actually done.  It was pretty sad this year - we only had enough for about 3 meals.

I re-made a throw pillow out of JP's t-shirt from the Philippines, since mine wore out!

I've had my green lights on the porch for Mental Health Awareness month in May,

And I've been keeping up with the Fridge Facts:

Puns Edition

Inspiration Edition

Rain Edition

Chicken Edition

Dog Edition

Bird Edition

Fake Emily Dickinson poem, "Do" Edition

Gardening Edition

I am typing through a thunderstorm, which sounds fantastic.  I might have to go out on the veranda to enjoy it.  The wild roses and honey suckle are absolutely screaming their fragrance - it's intoxicating!  Summer is almost here, folks.  I can almost taste it!

Easter Break

We finally have a bit of a breather here at the end of March - March literally marched straight through with little time to do anything but crazily try to accomplish everything possible every single day.  JP is working today, Easter Sunday, so we had our Easter dinner yesterday.  I made hot cross buns again.

Notice the blue tea?  L and I found this at a tea shop at the Mall last week, it's called "Blue Raspberry Crush."

Since Spring has now come, and the days are longer, I guess I will need to close down the puzzle station.  Here are some of the puzzles that I did this winter:

L finished her last show of HS last weekend.  The prep was frustrating because of the actions of the past director, but the new director and the kids pulled it together in a fantastic way!  It was a bittersweet time for her because she has so many great memories from the shows.  She did an amazing job as Snoopy in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

"Curse you, Red Baron!"

"Suppertime!"

Curtain call...

It has finally hit me since the calendar turned over to 2024, that I will have an empty nest next Fall!  All these moments have been a bit bittersweet for me as well.  (Except for the 5:30 AM calls for a 2 hour delay - I won't miss those at all!)

Here are some of the senior's parents after the last show!

L won the Rachel Carson scholarship at Chatham University, so will be heading there in the Fall (Go Cougars!)  Right now she is working on other scholarship applications, since her tuition is covered, but not her room & board.

The end of the 9 week grading period was last Monday, so L is trying to get caught up and stay caught up this final grading period.  I hope and pray that she can!

J spent her Spring Break near Philadelphia with J's brother-in-law and sister.  She and her friend, P, wanted to do a wood firing for pottery, and he and a friend helped get that going.  They went back through our area on the way to Richmond, VA for a pottery convention with 3 other friends from BGSU last week.  I managed to see her for an hour on her way home, since P's Mom invited all the students for dinner and I tagged along.  She will be home for the summer at the end of April, which is not that far away!

I just realized that I will need to take my Board Exams again this year - can't believe it's been 10 years already!  My study guide arrived yesterday, and I am looking at mid-August for the test date.  Sigh.

In the meantime, I have continued my weekly Fridge Facts:

Hodge Podge Edition

Flowers Edition

Sunshine Edition

Early Spring Edition

Egg Edition (for Easter)

L and I just returned from a walk outside.  The leaves are budding all over the place and there are flowers to be found all over the place.  Enjoy the sunshine and Happy Easter!