It's been so long!  I feel like everyday on the calendar is filled with new things and I am not sure how I feel about it.  I signed Ava up for ballet and I called today to make sure I hadn't missed the first lesson.  The studio was closed and so I left a message with a little "too much information", like "I am in a panic because I think lessons may have started today and I can not find the brochure you gave me...yes, I am one of those mothers, I'm so sorry...please call me!"  Creepy me.

I am still attempting to potty train Ava, but obviously not too diligently because success has been...slow.  I still use pull ups, I am tired of cleaning pee off the floor. Gross, right?  Want to come over?  Yeah, me either.  MDO (Mother's Day Out) is less than 2 weeks away and she is going back whether they like it or not.  They are the whole reason I even started to try training her! Drat those potty training zealots.

I posted an album on Facebook of my canning experience at Clark Gardens but I will post a couple here too.  It's funny, because I am sure pioneer woman would have killed for a Walmart, and I am longing to sow some pioneer oats, or at least take a class.  Whether I actually can anything on my own remains to be seen.

I think everyone is ready for fall, it was such an inviting entrance!

This was one of the fountains at the gardens.  It was raining that morning so everything seemed a bit moody, it was wonderful after weeks and weeks of drought.  Makes for good pictures too!

Just a little pond life

This is Mary, our instructor.  She is Mennonite and my new dear friend.

We canned peach jam and it was wonderful!

She did a pickling class in the afternoon that I did not stay for, so many people can great pickles around here but this was the prep

These were the jars to be put in the bath

There were several peacocks on the property and they just wandered around.  Not afraid of me one bit!

After taking the class, Mary, the instructor, has become a dear friend.  She was raised Amish and became Mennonite.  I am not sure how all that works, but I guess the Mennonites allow electronics because she drives, has a phone and uses internet.  But in every other way she is "plain", and her presence is restful to me.  She knows how to "visit", which I LOVE.  I have a feeling I will be having some very odd entries in the future regarding exposure to local agriculture.  At least very odd for me.  Something about sharing fat chickens.... She offered to make bread with me and we have been sharing recipes...I hope she will be a regular :)

Mary home school's her children and I asked her about her curriculum.  She gave me a resource that I was very excited about.  I have several books on he Charlotte Mason method.  But was not aware of any actual curriculum.  Well guess what Mary uses!  This is the resource she gave me, Queen Homeschool.  So far all of her children have had dyslexia and she gave me this very interesting resource that has worked with her children.  The book The Gift of Dyslexia uses clay to overcome it.  Pretty interesting, I hope someone googles this and has success!

I have also been reading the book One Thousand Gifts.  This book has had an effect on me over the weeks and I am very grateful that a friend asked me to read it with her.  I have been asked to read self help books in the past, and while I have good intentions, it never seems to happen.  This is NOT, by the way, a self help book.  It is just the account of a woman transforming her life through thanksgiving.  I have spent years in 12 step programs being told to make gratitude lists.  This book is about more than just gratitude.  It is a very enlightened read and I highly recommend you get a highlighter, a friend and a cup of coffee.

Right now I am off to listen to Week 1 of Homeschool Boot Camp, yet ANOTHER resource before I pass out....