Planning for School

Well, as the garden is beginning to show signs of Fall coming, my thoughts are reluctantly turning toward school! I have our assessment on the 20th, which means going through all the school work and pulling out samples of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have no problem finding plenty of each. However, it's a tedious job that I'm not looking forward to.

Planning the senior year is a challenge, too! I need to check the state education sight and make sure we have everything done...the only sure thing I know she needs to finish this year is government. We will do another year of math, English, and finish World History - which includes her Literature studies for the year. Outside of that - I'm looking for a Home Ec or Art elective for her to do. On top of that, we have to figure out how and where to pick out a class ring - yes, she's going to get one, senior pics - we think we've found a photographer for that, and plan a graduation ceremony of sorts and a party. Any of you homeschoolers out there know some neat, simple plans for a graduation ceremony?

The job market around here is not being friendly to the teenagers! I know of at least 5 teens (my dd included) looking for jobs without success. Many are only hiring high school grads - regardless of age, or are not hiring at all. We keep looking, and filling out applications. It's the best she can do for now.

The garden is slowing down. Still colorful enough, the Baby's Blanket rose is still blooming, the Gayfeather is tall and breezy, the black-eye Susans are beautiful...so there's still plenty of interest, but some things are beginning to die back and turn brown. It's my least favorite season for the garden because while some things look great, others look forlorn. I actually like it better in the winter when some of the grasses, and coneflower heads are still poking up out of the snow.


One last chore for the summer has been to dig a trench from our new raised bed to the electrical outlet for electricity to our fountain. Needless to say, that was a chore we weren't looking forward to. So, since our dear son has been in need of cashless rent payments...he "volunteered" to dig the trench. Well, neither hubby or son expected to encounter what he's encountering. The soft maple tree roots are "surface-dwellers", but we expected that far from the tree - that they'd be little critters at best. Ha! They're big! And did you know that the best crop to grow in West Milton, Ohio is limestone?? So between axing out roots, and digging out limestone the size that would win awards at the fair for largest crops, the job is taking much longer than expected. Covers a rent payment or two, wouldn't you think? Chuckle, Chuckle.