dueling dogs and a hatchet job

let me start by saying that i was so relieved when i saw that one of my friends had posted something shortly after the news about the missing malaysia flight. one of my friends has been in asia traveling around and that type of news is just a little too close for comfort!

so now that that's out of the way, where to begin, where to begin...i never learn my lesson: that when i don't write for a long period of time, i have a whole lot to share.
what better time to catch up than at the beginning of spring break?!

so, one thing that happened awhile back was that i went to my 2nd semester real school gardens coordinator meeting. because i arrived early enough, they allowed us to go in to see the butterfly garden. i absolutely LOVED it!! the best part was that the sights and smells were tropical and very familiar! when i saw this butterfly, it reminded me of the times that i got to go with another missionary family out to the river, and catch butterflies, of the beautiful fluorescent blue variety.

while there, we went through a training on natural resources, one of those being sandstone, and making paint from the powder, and we made some native american messages:

i'm pretty sure this had something about the woman capturing the man...some discussion, and then i hope they used the fire to cook something else and that it was not a heated discussion that ended ugly...but i don't recall.

while there, i picked up potatoes and onions. we are doing the smart potatoes program-which means that we will be donating potatoes to the north dallas food center. they also informed us that we could pick up warm weather plants when we return from spring break.

when i found out all of the plants that they will have for us, i really wanted more space...i have never loved gardening, but now that we have one, and the produce is plentiful, it's really been kinda fun. so in order to get more space, i am going to venture to build three new beds over the break. i am going in tomorrow and we'll see how much we get done (we being i...the boys will come with me and explore a little and romp around, but they aren't very good with tools). and speaking of tools, i asked dad what he suggested to put a point on the posts, and he suggested a hatchet.

so i stopped in to walmart yesterday because where else can you get a hatchet, spaghetti squash, greens, a book and a hatchet in one stop? so i went to the sporting goods section, and i had to look and see if they had the ammo i needed-i wasn't holding my breath, because they are always out of 9mm. but they had it!! what?! so i found someone to find someone with keys to the cabinet. i was contemplating my good luck and apparently in all the contemplating i forgot the ketchup-which i didn't notice until i was in the checkout line. and then i spotted it. the lady in front of me had just what i needed:

i was close enough to snatch it, but i refrained. i really kinda wanted to, though. good thing my parents raised me right.

 when i got up to the checkout, the lady checker rang up the ammo and then saw the hatchet and i already knew what was coming before she said it. "no one's gonna mess with you!"

 

when we were kids, my parents would have probably been on the cps most wanted list because we used to chop tree limbs with the hatchet, trim the lawn with the machete and play with fake guns all of the time! the fact that my dad did teach us how to use a hatchet will come in handy tomorrow!

also planned for this week: make an appointment with the passport peeps.

 it will be good to put a fun trip together.

i know that you're all wondering, but i did see manny at school the other day. and it reminded me of this song (take a listen)...and that song always reminds me of the joke (kristi canady reminded me of) why did the elephant paint his toenails green? to hide in the lime tree...

it's manny!! in the first grade mardi gras float!

 and then there was the day that was beautiful out, so i took the boys to the park and we sat for awhile and just enjoyed the view...and the boys reenacted a duel. they pretended that they were vice president burr and alexander hamilton..

yep, they make me laugh!

i thought that the book i purchased would last longer....i finished it early today. i guess that's what i get for reading a book meant for teenagers. i require books that need some chewing. (apart from the academic books). i really need to reread NOT A FAN-that may be a goal. yep, i just set a goal. it's going to be a lovely, productive spring break!

julie