Backyard Progress!

We are slowly making progress on the backyard!!

The last few weeks, Chris and I have been hard at work. We constructed the raised beds, brought in soil to fill them up, and created our gravel walkways. Whew! Backbreaking work. It is so exciting to see our dream come together though!

Last weekend, we started building the trellis'. We plan on growing squash, zucchini and all those vegetables that sprawl out over the land. How are we going to accomplish this in our little space?? We are going vertical of course!




I am really excited about the couch in the back by the fence. My goal is to put a water feature in the middle of the four main beds (even a bird bath would be nice) and then spend my summers outside, gardening and reading on the little couch.

Our goal to start planting this weekend. Chris is currently working on the irrigation system. We are investing in a drip system which we will be able to tweak as seasons go on, depending on where we are planting the different veggies from year to year.

After the irrigation system, we need to build a fence to keep the chickens from the main garden. Then, it's planting time!!!

While Chris is working on the backyard fence and irrigation, I will be planting some flowers and such in the front yard. Last year we completely redid the front...took out the lawn, but in a sprinkler system, cut down a tree, built a porch and put in a new walkway. We still haven't landscaped it though.

Overall, I think we calculated that we would have a total of about 650 square feet of vegetable/fruit space. Hopefully our first season is successful. We want to be farmers, but no one said we were farmers yet.

Sad, Sad Week

So, I haven't updated the blog in a while, although we have been doing a lot of neat stuff.....

This week has been stressful, emotional and long. The Spokane School District is having huge budget issues because of state funding....Therefore, they decided to lay off 103 of the least senior teachers. (NOTE: This does NOT include the 180 teachers who were on one year contracts...they have about zero hope for a job next year...)

Unfotunately, I received a phone call Monday evening from my principal...I was one of the 103 teachers to be laid off. Although I was expecting to be laid off, it wasn't easy to hear. I love my job...I love where I work, my students and the people I work with.

Tuesday morning, I go to work. We have department meetings and I find out two other math teachers were also laid off, and a total of 8 teachers from Roger's. One of the other two math teachers was number 103 on the seniority list. He missed the cut-off for the layoffs, just barely because he took two unpaid personal days off last year.

So, at our department meeting, there was a total of 11 teachers in attendance (a couple were gone...) and out of those 11, three were laid off, and three are on one year contracts. Half the department will be gone next year....

Tuesday is my long day, I don't have a prep period because of our weird block schedule (and this week I have a practicum student from WSU watching me...this adds some stress, not a lot, but a little). I was trying so hard not to show anxiety or sadness to my students...but students are smart and they can tell. Also, I teach freshmen and we have small learning communities at Rogers. This means that all the students I teach also have the same science, english and history teacher. Their history teacher also got laid off. Therefore, two of their four core teachers will/could be gone next year. It's devasting to those kids.

Then, in 2nd period, I get a phone call from a newstation. They wanted to hear my reaction. I was a little rude to them...I mean, really?? I just got laid off and you are calling me in the middle of the school day when I am trying my best to still be an awesome teacher for my awesome kids??? Anyway, my 2nd period kids could tell I was flustered and then we had to have about a 10 minute conversation about the layoffs. Luckily, they were my honors kids and could get back to the math...but it was still stressful.

So, Tuesday finally ends. Thank goodness! Wednesday is a little better, but I have to attend a meeting for all the teachers laid off. All in all, I learned I am number 75....This is actually pretty good. When they start to hire teachers back, they will first start with number 103 (the math teacher in my department) and then go to 102 and then 101 and so on....So there are only 28 teachers ahead of me.

My biggest concern right now is: Where will I be next year? At a middle school? At some other school that isn't as awesome as Rogers? What will happen to my students? I have developed some really strong relationships with these kids. I want to see them grow up..get older...Some of these kids do not have a stable adult relationship in their lives and live in constant turmoil. I've earned their trust...Showed them I'm not giving up...that I'm not going anywhere...oh wait, yes, yes I could be going somewhere....I had one student tell me today that she isn't going to be at Roger's next year. What's the point? Two of her teachers will be gone...

I am not ready to leave Roger's yet......

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I love to read. It is one of my favorite pasttimes. And now that I have discovered the library...I've been reading a lot lately. So, now and again, I will be writing about recently finished books or previous books worth mentioning.

I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This book was recommended to me by Chris' mom, who also loves to read.

A synaposis, taken from the Spokane Library:http://spokanelibrary.org

"In 1946, as Londen emerges from the shadow of World War II, author Juliet Ashton is having a terrible time finding inspiration for her next book. Then she receives a letter from Guernsey Island, and learns of a unique book club formed on the spur of the moment as an alibi to protect its members from arrest by the occupying Germans during the war. Captivated, she sets sails for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her life forever."

My opinion: A lovely read. The entire story is written through letters. Letters written between the various characters. At first, it took some getting used to, and then I was pulled into Juliet's story, the German Occupation and a previous world...a world where people actually wrote letters....a world where people were eager to hear each other's stories, get to know each other, and help in any way possible. I highly recommend this book....delightful indeed.

I give it 5 stars!


Currently in the middle of: The Shack by Willliam Young and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Amatuer Cheese Makers!

Thursday evening, Chris decided to try making cheese. I was skeptical at first, but in the end, his 1st batch of cheese turned out very nice. It was similar to a ricotta cheese...it was pretty uneventful in flavor. Chris seasoned it with basil and chives. It sorta took on the flavor of the seasonings...

I don't have much to say about it...we will continue trying and hopefully get better at it. I will close with the pictures of the process.