Christmas... and on into the New Year.

Christmas came and went pretty quickly this year it seems....

though we did manage to get the immediate family group together with some efficiency this year.

But we are all, apparently, wondering, "Where did it go?"

Today... a reprieve in some ways...

And so the first snow day of the 2009-2010 school year begins...

Though the snow must be moved, somehow it is a little better to take with a new, auger-style snow blower...
Not everyone enjoys it as much...
Otherwise (since October.. but at least not since July like someone-who-will-not-be-named), the days have been filled with reports, assessments, Thanksgiving with a delicious dinner at my parents' house

visiting and being visted by Kate, a visit from Molly, meetings at school to prep for new students to the program and to monitor the progress of others.... books to read... and now preparation for the Christmas holiday....

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Farmer's Market 2009

If you get your Fort Farmer's Market card marked every week that you make a purchase for the WHOLE summer....you get a t-shirt!! This shows the completely filled card...the combined efforts of this household and one friend with my money (for the week I took Kate to orientation and we drove past the place too early for the vendors... ). SO, the t-shirts should arrive tomorrow for the last Farmer's Market of the season. WOO.. :o)
Annnnnnnd... here they are!! I know... small pleasures.... :o)

What not do to with a book bag..

Exhibit A.

Oh, has it really been 30 years?

There are places I remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever, not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life I've loved them all

Curb Appeal

We started this project because this wall (once wooden planks) was falling apart.... so we decided to replace it and, ultimately the rest of the edging, with bricks. So this photographic summary represents today's work... From right to left when facing our house... and around the corner.... We still have a small square surrounding the tree in front of the picture window and small section off the patio in the backyard, but not bad for a day's work. :)

School Days....

Already the feeling of autumn in the air..... and it seems like it has been kind of lurking there all summer here with the weather pattern we experienced this summer. Not that I am complaining about the lack of beastly hot temperatures, yet it somehow defines summer.

For the last couple of weeks, preparations have been under way for the 2009-2010 school year... in various ways. Classroom prep.... Summer Academy classes, where I learned just enough Spanish to be dangerous or look foolish in the attempt and just enough about an assessment tool to drive my anxiety..... determining what the class list looks like and who will be serving whom where... Open House/Meet Your Teacher last Thursday (and the ice cream social)...the official First Day of School for children in the WUSD is Tuesday, September first... as well as for many others in the area. A time of transition, which is not easy for some of my young charges... so sure to be exciting!

Molly starts her classes for this semester on September 9th at UW Stout.... all summer she has been working at The Home Depot... and taking on some new responsibilities in Kitchen and Bath... hanging out with Ella >^..^< ... visiting with us, friends and new neighbors... While we were away, she came to Fort to hang out with her sister for a few days .... to further "bond" with her sister. :) The house was still standing when we returned. All was handled well!

Kate will continue to work at Nasco for most of the month of September.. as the rest of summer help dwindles away. She will begin her new adventure at the Illinois Institute of Art - Schaumburg officially with Move-in Day on October 1. The Institute runs on a quarterly system so the fall semester has a slightly delayed start. She will have four 4 credit courses... two are confirmed.. two are awaiting approval to over-ride the cap. She photographed her first wedding job in August.. and will have another on October 2nd.. between Move-In Day.. and the first day of classes.. whew!

Charlie has been kept busy with the transition to new leadership in the district (and has brought Jamie in on the fun with that one a couple of times)... and the gradual and sudden reappearance of the teaching staff... who want everything done now...amongst his other responsibilities. He goes out and hits a little white ball on occasion to get rid of some of that stress. :)

Best wishes to all who are beginning new things! Hope it will be an exciting time for all.