Life of the Party

      This transition or merger has driven me absolutely crazy. I hate it and cannot even fathom how everything will work out. As a customer, I'm so annoyed and the lack of answers by actual people is ridiculous. So, I guess it will be only online banking? With school, a toddler, and a small farm I have not had the chance to move everything over to a different bank. It wouldn't matter anyway, because I have a loan through them that will transfer to the Civic bank.      Ahhhh!  Today, our cards stopped working and I was so upset. I had forgot and didn't get money out of the ATM beforehand. They forget that some of us are over 30 minutes away from the nearest town! I guess cash is really KING! I just home all my automatic withdrawals don't mess up along with everything else. I have no idea how older people will get through this phase. Both my mom and grandmother don't even use computers and can barely operate their phones. Both of them have never even us...

      Summer has officially entered my very busy schedule. With farm chores, gardens, and a toddler I plan to take the days one at a time. Our first goal is to get all the doctor's appointments out of the way. I waited the last few months for primary care appointments. I had missed enough days due to surgery and waiting doesn't really matter. I don't really see why I have to go in so often anyway. All my major issues are covered by specialists. Taylor's appointments matter most! I do not wait for them. Two year old shots will be occurring next week. Keep me in your thoughts, because she gets really irritated and irritable.      I marked today as the first day of summer because I finally transplanted my tomato plants  directly into the garden. My squash has come up and is healthy! All this rain hasn't really made a difference  and I'm impressed with the gifted heirloom seeds. Honestly, I didn't think they would come up.      Time wil...

I must have a thing for reading series. Once I start one and discover that there are additional books, I cannot help myself. I haven't even started my summer reading list yet, but here I am listening to Cox's thrilling adventures of detective Alyssa. This book was a pleasure to listen to and the pacing was great. I love the last minute moments of uncertainty that this authors uses to capture the audiences FULL attention.      The narration was also very pleasing to the hear and I was glad that her family wasn't directly targeted in this book. It gets a little unbelievable when every crime is connected to Alyssa's family. I would rate this book a 3.9 out of a 5 due to lack of sensory details provided. I could not get a clear mental picture of what was going on or what the setting was. I love the story line though and would still highly recommend reading this series. I have already moved on to the next book which has completely took me in from the first few pages.  ...

Along with a small impressive garden of vegetables, I have an abundance of lilies. So far this season only the red and bright orange ones have bloomed. Although these are beautiful, my pink ones are to die for. One season, I planted some blue bulbs and they never emerged. I've always assumed that the light violet ones faded and are a product of the blue bulbs that I planted years ago. I should have shared my roses while they were in full bloom. They are impressive too.   

      It's always incredibly sad each year as I pack up my classroom for the summer Today was my last work day to finish our check out list. I took time to read through the various cards my students left me. I always save these for the last workday. Ending the school year on a high note also provides me with good vibes for the upcoming school year.      I stacked my desks and took a few moments to really take in the fact that one of the best groups I've had is going into the 8th grade. Man, this has been an amazing school year filled with projects, papers, and fun learning activities. Here's to another year in the books! 

      Ummmmm... Can I say fantastic? Yes, this book had it all and the story line had me completely  captivated! I was beyond impressed with how the story played out. Holly, the main character's daughter is and will always be on of my favorite characters.      I hope one day this book series becomes a movie. The detective's  ambition really plays out while they are actively searching for the missing girls. How much more trauma can her family take? I would rate this book a 5 out of 5. The narration was smooth and the delivery was amazing. I love Audible and getting to listen to books to and from work. I was on the edge of my seat during most of the chapters. I could not put this book down!

       My child is officially two and it has been a wonderful weekend of birthday fun. We started out with a small family gathering on Sunday and ended up going to the Zoo Knoxville on Monday. The very dreary damp weather made for a "seek shelter" walk through the zoo, but it was worth it. In between rain showers, we discovered that every 100 yards had covered areas for visitors to hide under.      Taylor enjoyed every minute of our visit. I was able to see her excitement while looking at the chimpanzee exhibit. Her high pitched giggles could be heard all over the zoo. The rain had really deterred many visitors, so we didn't really have many people to deal with. The staff was beyond accommodating and offered umbrellas, and rain parkas. I would highly recommend taking your toddler to the zoo along with being there when the door opens.      I don't know how busy they get during the summer months, but yesterday was amazing. I would rat...

      I can hardly even notice that I had surgery two weeks ago. The only difference I can see is the scaring and weird stomach sounds. I cannot believe how some people need more than two weeks for a desk job to return to work. I returned after a week and was fine for the most part.      I had to unload 50lbs sacks of feed today and I completed the task without having to ask for assistance. I think that's success in itself. I will be completely back to normal in no time.  Thank you all for the emails and suggestions! 

     I'm so over it. I'm over planning and inviting people. I'm not good at estimating how much cake and other goodies to buy. She won't even remember it anyway, so why even have a party to begin with? Next year, we will simply take her on an adventure and call it a day.      Feelings were hurt, but not intentionally. I don't like inviting  people because it's graduation season and everyone has places to go. My child's 2nd birthday isn't on their priority list and that is okay.   I just don't want to waste money and no one show up. 

    I will be spending my summer break taking courses for CEU credit, so my summer reading list cannot be too extensive. I hate having to give up that reading time, but I really need to renew my license. Each night after Taylor finally lays down, I will have roughly 1-2 hours of "me" time.       I'm currently considering reading the entire Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout, but I really need to branch out. The Seven Series by Dannika Dark has also caught my attention. I wonder if I can fit in both series in one summer along with growing an impressive garden?      Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina, is also high on this list. Any suggestions?  I really enjoy series, but stand alone books are just as sweet.