Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books....

Well, day 3 of a brand new school year is complete and I am a happy teacher! Every year I get the most wonderful first grade students on the planet, and this year it seems especially true. There are many things to smile about each day,... One of the first things I do each year is make sure we can all say the pledge appropriately and respectfully. Following the pledge we sing, "You're a Grand Old Flag." As I watched the children singing I noticed that the words, according to one young man, were "...every heart BEEPS true." :)

This time of the year is also BIRTHDAY SEASON at the White Silk Purse. We had the summer bash yesterday and celebrated 7 Happy Birthdays all at once. Many happy returns to Jared (28), Monica (32), Clark (20), Michael (3), Chris (52), Emily (25), and Jackie (17)! We had burgers, dogs, chips, baked beans, potato salad, lemonade and mint brownies with candles for the birthday folks. Yum.

Have I mentioned that I love canning season too? I've been busy with jams, jellies, pie fillings, berries and salsa. I always feel so "settled in" when I have full bottles on the shelf. Not to mention that it just looks cool! My mother in law likes to have them out where everyone can see them. Maybe a good idea! Beauty in a bottle.

Settled In for Sunday Evening

It seems that Sunday evening is my catch up time. It is the time I read the blogs of the week, listen to my children visit, and wind down as the new week prepares to wind up.

This week I've learned (or begun to learn) the ancient art of caring for a linoleum tile floor. You know, the old checkerboard kind that your grandmothers (or perhaps great-grandmothers) had in their kitchens. It involves square-by-square scrubbing multiple times with ammonia and a special floor cleaning product. When at last the floor is so clean you can no longer get a speck of dirt on your sponge or rag, it is time to apply the wax. It must go on in a very thin and even coat, dry for 8 hours, and be followed by another thin and even coat. Following this time consuming task, 8 hours later, the floor must be buffed and polished. I found a "brand new" (very old) electric floor polisher for this step. Apparently the previous owner of this magnificent device didn't ever get the hang of it. Hope I do! -- According to what I've read, the floor ought to maintain it's new high-gloss shine for quite some time with regular mopping. The multi-step hands and knees scrubbing ought to be only a once annual event. We'll see!!!

This coming week ought to be filled with the rest of the end of summer household cleaning chores. The following week its back to school chores and ready or not, the new school year will begin.

I love the smell of new crayons and freshly sharpened pencils. I can hardly wait...