Shall we muse over ice-tea and applesauce cake? Lets!

Cole returned home from his two week school trip on Friday. Home sweet home! Mending fences, building sheds, chicken coups, milking cows, eating foods that have a “health taste” were all “interesting experiences”, but I don’t think farm life is ever going to be the life for Cole. My kid discovered when we were in Italy that he does not like pigeons. Every time a pigeon would approach us, he would jump and move in the other direction. Now, he has never been afraid of bees, snakes, spiders, or anything else that is creepy or crawly, but pigeons make his skin crawl because, as he told me, they have awful looking feet. It seems that chickens’ feet have a similar effect on him. So, he declined on gathering eggs or having any interaction with the chickens. Farmer Cole, he is not…

What impressed me the most about the trip was the three teachers that went along to chaperone fourteen 15-year-old kids. For two weeks, these committed teachers worked alongside our kids, planned and cooked three meals every day, played basketball, swam, and navigated teen drama. They remained mindful of the stories that would go home. You know, like the one time they said in a ‘threatening’ tone, ”Please knock it off.” Or were not appropriately sympathetic to the pain of having a hangnail and the teen later shares the story with the parent, who then decides their sweet angel was a victim of  teacher trip abuse. Our teachers are not paid more or given extra days off. They travel with their classes twice a year because they believe the kids will benefit from the experience. Waldorf teachers rock!

Speaking of trips—Cole and I leave for Ireland in a week. Have a piece of applesauce cake while I tell you our plans.

My mom and a friend are coming to stay at my house and take care of my precious furs while we travel.

Rascal my Jack is so spoiled I can’t imagine leaving her with anyone but my mom for eight days.

My schipperke bless his heart, is so neurotic that he just needs to be in his own home. Always.

My beagle, Scooby, lives in his own world. So, I’m not sure he will even notice we are gone.

Camp is officially closed for the week. Almost.

We are flying into Dublin, spending a day and night before renting a car and taking a road trip. Nope. I have never driven on foreign soil, but I have been told if I keep my ass on the line we will be just fine. How hard can it be? Ok. Don’t even answer that…just pray for our safe return. I am taking every piece of electronic gear I own and will only stay in places with Internet. I do not disconnect. So, if one morning you wake up and check to see if I have posted El Morno and it isn’t there…pray a little harder. This trip has been very loosely planned. If you have been to Ireland and want to share a “must see” with us, we would be thrilled.

Before we go, I have a million things to do. If you don’t use Evernote—Oh boy do I recommend it. I keep absolutely everything in Evernote (no affiliation other than love).   Evernote is keeping me from going crazy and helping me remember to buy things like extra rolls of toilet paper because it will make my mom feel more secure if we have more than one package of toilet paper in the house. Believe you me, my biggest priority is keeping my mom and her friend that are traveling 1400 miles in a van with a Doberman and a Border Collie to care for my pups happy! If it is extra rolls of toilet paper, you will never ever hear me complain!

I must get high behind…Jimmy Magic is coming to clean my carpets (Mom is coming, you know.), and I want to wipe down the baseboards and sponge off the light switch (Mom is coming, you know.) before he arrives. But before I go, I must ask you to leave a comment and share your summer plans or the reasoning behind hoarding rolls of toilet paper….or share your first drive-in movie experience (The first drive-in opened today in 1933.).  Just talk to me because Odd Loves Company!

♥
Kb