SL Core 100 Week 15 E May 27 to June 2, 2018 PROM

SL Core 100 Week 15 E 

May 27 to June 2, 2018 

PROM - Not an academic week--

Hello, Friends!

This was a very unusual week for us all---Dd had *prom* this week!  I never went to prom so I was figuring this out along with her.  The organization that runs it calls it the: Christian Homeschool Formal, held at the Felt Mansion in Holland, Mi.  They charge to attend the event, but we saved a lot of money finding all of her outfit at thrift stores!  We had months to search and the looking was actually a lot of fun, even for me!  

I'm eating my own greens now, it sure will save us a lot of money during the summer!

Salon: Tuesday
In downtown Grand Rapids there is a student studio for Aveda; where students do people's hair for a discount since they are still learning.  Dd really wanted to get her hair done, with some highlights, and I wasn't wanting to pay very much, so we tried this salon.  Normally I do all her haircuts, as she does mine, but this time, for prom, we splurged and went for the highlights.  I was surprised when she came out, almost five hours later, with not much difference done to her hair.  They only had these benches in the front, no backs, but I managed to hunker down and make some progress on my bible study while I waited.  The student who worked with Dd was super friendly, which was nice.  As a parent, and to say a very 'parent' thing---for $70 I did hope for a little tiny bit more of a change to her hair.  I'll share the 'before' and 'after' and you can see what I mean.  Regardless, I'm so glad she got to see what a real salon is like and she said how much she enjoyed being fussed over and treated special.  I do think it would be fun to do that once in a while--neither one of us have ever had a manicure or pedicure or anything like that and I'm sure it must feel nice.

Before Salon:



After Salon:



Thrift Store: Wednesday
Dd still hadn't found a clutch (small handbag/purse) to take with her to prom so we went back to our favorite store to look again.  She didn't find a new one, but one that we had considered last month was still there so she went ahead and got it.  She also picked out a cute necklace, but in the end, it didn't make the cut the night of prom.  I think her dress was $8.00, her shoes were $2.00, her clutch/purse was $2.00.  Dh and I joked about keeping her prom dress less than what I paid for my wedding dress--$11.00, just a simple, on sale white dress from JC Penney!  She did great, she found one for less but we actually, over the months of looking, found three!  Each one cost around $8.00 and she figured she already has a dress for next year's formal.  She does a great job being thrifty with me!



Prom: Thursday
Dh got off work early and came home so that he could drive with us to Holland and have a 'date night' with me while Dd was having her dinner and dancing with friends.  The formal was held in a wonderful old mansion and there were still rooms that were left as they were, which Dd really enjoyed the history lesson!  She took a few pictures of the beautiful wallpaper from two rooms and the library.  She said the dinner was nice and the dancing was awesome!  She said she danced up a storm and just had a lot of fun!  Fun!  I'm so glad!  



Hair:
Dd made her Hair Accessories from polymer clay, baked them, and put them on bobby-pins, she the white pearl looking things in her hair?  She did it all by herself.  This picture was taken just before she put on her prom dress; she did her hair first.

I'm so glad I finally researched exactly how to prune our grape vines, the fruit this year is going to be a LOT!  These look like little green clusters of pre-grapes---exciting!

Mexican Restuarant:
Dh and I found a great place to eat and enjoyed just chatting away without having to rush.  We drove around Holland, a town we didn't know and enjoyed looking around.  Eventually, we just went back to the mansion and parked in the lot with the other parents who had driven from far distances like we had.  Dh and I had a nice evening together.

Dh trying to snake out the line---he spent two days on trying this.

I had to find new homes for all the tiger lily's we had to remove so Dh could redo all the PVC work for the AC drain.  I didn't get pictures of this job very well.  Under the lily plants is the drain from the AC/GeoTherma unit that comes outside from the utility room in the basement.  Dd first trip to clean out the drain with three different 'snakes' to no avail.  He spent two days trying to clean out the pipe before digging into the dirt to see the line.

Then he realized he had to actually cut out the broken line, revise how they had put it in since they didn't have the correct angle, at all, right.  He designed a new method, bought the pipes and fittings to do the work and then had to dig out the two different areas.  He had to undo the pipe in the basement and attach this new line and then put in TWO air vents to help the water flow out.  I don't think the previous owners had any air vents for their line, which might have been part of the problem.  Dh spent a solid week working on this problem and did a great job repairing and improving this area.

Air Conditioning: DH Big Repair Job!



This week was very hot and humid so we turned on our AC for this first time for the year.  



Well, just like last year the water from the AC had a problem flushing out of the pipe to the outside.  



Grampy and Dh had fixed it last year, but it somehow was broken again this year, as I found water in our utility room.  



So after 1 1/2 days of AC it had to be turned off again!  Dh has a new project to work on if we are going to be able to use our AC again this summer, he figured out what he needed and got started on the project on Saturday.  The bright side is that we will save some money not being able to use it!  



HOT WEEK:
I had three watering cans outside for the chickens and one inside.  You can see the one little white chicken, in the back, beside the back waterer with her wings lifted.  When the chickens get hot they raise thier wings like that to let the heat out and they pant with their beaks open.  Poor girls were hot and miserable!  I put on the hose and watered down their dirt a few times to help cool things off.

Amitriptyline:
Well, I am SO happy to share that Tuesday I took my last 1/4 of a pill to conclude my weaning.  Boy, weaning off that med was extremely difficult.  My eyes were blurry and got worse through the day until I'd get my dose, not to mention all the headaches, migraines, nausea, insomnia--not falling asleep, waking up in the night a few times each night, and then waking up way early, just to mention a few of the side effects.  It took five weeks to wean it down, but I had hoped to get through the process faster than that, but the side effects were too severe if I went down too much too soon.  Anyway---I'm done with it and hope my brain can improve and maybe my memory will improve.  I had been prescribed this medication to prevent migraines, but one of the good side effects was that it helped me fall asleep faster, sleep better, sleep longer, and not clench my jaw.  I really am going to miss all that good sleeping!  But, this way I will get more done in each day.



Raccoon:
Dd saw a RACCOON by our pool this week.  This lead to a major rehaul of our chicken coop.  I stopped putting the chickens in the tractors this week too, as the raccoon showed up in broad daylight!  Also, our neighbor told us she saw a fox in her yard this week too.  So, I am really determined to sure-up our coop any way I can.  I'm thinking I'll go much higher on the thick wire and then put up netting to close off the top. I started working on the improvements on Saturday. I know a raccoon or hawk could get through the netting, but it would be a lot of trouble and I'm hoping they won't want to! 



 Friday, Dh bought a "live trap" to see if the raccoon is getting inside the coop after I make my revisions.  I have seen raccoon prints in our top coop, so I know that outer area is exposed and needs improvement.



Annual Used Booksale Prep Begins:
Once a year I go through my closet of boxed up books that are either duplicates or not one of our favorites or something I had bought, hoping to use, but we never got around to.  It is a big job as I have about 20 of these boxes to go through, organize, and put in fancy plastic milk crates instead of boxes---at least as much as I can fit in the crates I have, which is about half the books.

I come around the corner, and find Dickens in this crazy position.  He does it every day!  Such a weird cat---really.

(Almost) New Doctor:
I've had the same doctor since I moved here, but dislike having to drive 45-55 minutes away to see her.  When we first moved here we lived in an apartment in Grand Rapids and her office was just down the street and very convenient.  So, I went to a new local man.  I thought it went good, but then I realized he kept saying I needed to hurry and go catch the nurse to give my blood sample before she went to lunch.  He kept bringing that up no matter what I said, and I was trying to get through my list of concerns and questions, but he was just determined to get me out.  So, I somehow need to figure out what to do now; obviously not stay with this guy!

I brought in around 12 wheelbarrow loads of our finest compost, then about 8 loads of the humus from the woods, and mixed in a bit of peat moss to fill in the new bed.

Teen Training Volunteer at Library:
Saturday Dd had her first training session at our local library so she can help out with the summer programs.  She is especially hoping to help with children's programs and the Ruff Readers program where kids read to dogs.  She is equally excited to be with the dogs as well as the children.  I'm so proud of her for thinking this up and jumping in with both feet.

Our new raised bed, inside our garden.

We move the umbrella around to either keep us in the shade or to help new seedlings that are adjusting to the intense hot sun this week.

Sleep-Over:
After her training session at the library, I drove Dd to her friend's house in Grand Rapids to spend the night.  She had a lot of fun swimming in her pool and being together with friends.

Our new raised bed, outside the garden.  Dh and I built a new potato bed, outside our fenced in garden area, just for potatoes.  Last year we had it just with a wire, but this year we built a really sturdy raised bed.  Critters don't eat potato greens so they can be outside the fence.

Dh bought three kinds of potatoes for us to plant, but so far only have planted two.  On the other side of this new bed, we planted a lot of potatoes over there after I took this picture, see picture below.  Yay, the potatoes are started!

Garden and Chickens:
Every morning, during the day, and evening....it never stops!



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