Really, it is the beginning of summer!

Memorial Day plans began with NO ONE coming up for the weekend!  That was about 2 months ago, and while that is definitely a bummer, it happens sometimes.  So I was thinking it would be a quiet few days, plus some graduation parties, equaling a fun, but non-eventful weekend.  As time went on, plans began to change.  Both the Milwaukee crew and the Janesville peeps decided that Northern WI was where it is at!  Lol, or they decided it would be a nice get- away or something!  Most likely they were all over-whelmed with Mother's Day guilt and needed to come up and see mommy!  HAHAHAHA!

So as we were waiting for this bunch to show up, Jon, Sarah and Manny came in to town relatively early.  Supper was eaten and a walk back to little cabin in the woods was definitely on the agenda.  After all, it was NOT raining, which seems to be the trending weather pattern for right now, and Neither Sarah-Grace nor Jon had seen the spiral staircase.

We're coming!!!  Make way!

So, while the MA drove his truck back, loaded down with yet more gravel for the always forming dips in the woods road, we set off on foot.  It is getting a little mosquito-y, but we all wanted to get in a little bit of a walk.

Jon, Sarah Grace and Mannington

Just a few mosquitos

Almost to the cabin

There always is much to inspect and discuss on this project!  

Just a little nervous- don't worry Sarah!

A rare moment of sitting during the evening

Well pump discussions - you will notice I was distracted taking pictures from high places...

Pointing out some of the finer details of the staircase problems and solutions

Manny the frog

Meanwhile, preparations had been made for a little summer kick-off celebration!  It was nice, it was not raining, I had tequila and lime, and s'mores ingredients.......  it seemed obvious that a fire in the fire-ring was necessary!  You ALL should try having lime margaritas and s'mores around a campfire.  It is an amazingly good combination.

Margaritas makings- check!

Fire makings- check!

BEFORE the Margaritas- ready to party

Marshmallows for smores

Put another log on the fire......

Also enjoys a good margarita!

Beer for the boys

Why yes, these are awesome Margaritas!

New s'more taste treat- rolos or peanut butter cups

Too cold for mosquitos , never too cold for another toasted marshamallow

Margarita After math

Um, don't ask!

Night of gorgeousness

So I insisted that we stay outside until Greg, SarahJane and the dogs got here, and we did, though we ended up bringing out some blankets!  I have only blurry ghost pictures of when they arrived- too many  tequilas and frozen fingers!

I think this is Sarah Jane!  Lol

So a wonderful night was had by all of us!  The dogs tore around the yard, Toby came and visited me in the middle of the night at some point- 2 am kisses- yum!  Lol! But we all got up at a reasonable time and started the day......

With summer officially on!!

Looking forward to a summer of expected and unexpected joys.....

Parts of my day.....

I had a couple more pictures that didn't fit into the flower post.  I could have waited and put them on a Sunday Photo Post, but I liked them all for different reasons!  So here we are.  There was an amazing cloud thing going on last night, it was preceding the thunderstorms that rolled in over night.  It was a nice thunderstorm, we could have the window open a little and the rain wasn't blowing in- kind of a soothing rain and rumble.

Before the gentle storms

 I had this surprise for me hanging on the door at school yesterday morning.  This must have been 5 inches across- huge!!  A Cecropia- according to my dear friend Callen Harty.

Cecropia Moth at school

 In other news, Olivia was doing some art work (YAY FOR OLIVIA) and Kenray added his own unique touch to the moment.  We had some great laughs over these shots!!

I LOVE this ceiling tile- it is right over my desk

One of my very fav. ceiling tiles

Version 2 of the sky last night- taken from right down in the clover field

Little pockets of joygivers in my day....

Trending Purple (flowers) with hints of pink and white

So the Mad-Art Teacher had a nasty-ass headache last night.  It was in my sinus and in my forehead and in my neck.  Neck rubs helped a little, Ibuprophen helped a little, laying  down in my bed for a teensy nap helped a little, too.  But what made me forget about it completely is going on a little photoshoot around my yard.  I have a surprising amount of flowers in bloom right now.  Most of them are very subtle, not too showy or flashy.  Except for my azalea bushes, they are like blinking neon signs and they smell so good!

I have detected a distinct purple trend in mid spring flower fashions!  With hints of pink and white.... 

Here is the show-girl of my garden right now- "Pink Lights" Northern Highlights Azalea

Perennial bachelor button

Purple Perennial Geranium

Lupines in the garden

Chives

First Siberian iris of the year

Tattered remains of the creeping phlox

Spiderwort

Purple/pink drumstick Primrose

Heucherella bloom

Heucherellas

Rock garden Perennial Geranium

Bleeding heart

It was great to get down and shoot these closeup, walk around outside and find some little pockets of pleasure.  I also noticed that I have a LOT of work to still do in those gardens!  Too many weeds in some of them yet.  Guess I know what I will be doing this Memorial Day weekend, in between the rain showers!
Regardless, spending time in the flowers will give me some joy!

Messages on the ceiling- updated!

It is a tradition in my art room for the seniors to paint a ceiling tile as a farewell. And as a reminder of the wonderful kids that I have taught. Right now the present seniors are busily painting up their tiles, which caused me to look up at some of the old ones. Wow, such memories they brought up. Many of these wonderful people are my facebook friends, and I get to communicate with them regularly. Some of them I have not heard from since they graduated from Park Falls (or recently, Chequamegon*) High School.

I really wish I would have started them off painting tiles in 2003 or 04, which ever year it was that I started teaching HS. I don't remember exactly which year it was- that would cause me to do some math and it is WAY too early for that!

These are a few of the goofy things that my dear students have painted- 

This first one is one of my favs (sorry guys, it is!) along with another that I will photograph and update this post with in a while. The South Park figures are so funny, as they are such good representations of them, and ME! It was hilarious to be depicted, too, and the fact is- I was very touched and honored to be included in their tile.

Luv this one!

Here is my fav tile- right over my desk

LISA!!!!!

There are some really pretty ones!

I can not express adequately the pleasures of the stories and images that come flooding back when I take the time to read these. I have such fond memories of these students of mine, many many of whom I have known since they were kindergarteners. I hope they remember me as fondly as I do them.

Funnily enough, I have actually had a few kids apologize to me for their behavior when they were in HS. It makes me laugh, because at the time they thought they were so BAD. In reality, they were acting like every other senior/high school kid has acted. It is the time of their life that they are in, and it is our job as teachers to get them through those years with some semblance of sanity and hope that we can teach them about life as we teach them a subject. I don't take what they do too seriously, really, as they have so much they have to learn about life and I am happy to do my part to push them down the right path. The apologies come when they realize that life after high school is NOT what they are expecting. I give them my little spiel every spring- I did it about 3 weeks ago- saying: Don't hurry your way through the last few weeks of school. Don't wish your year away; life does not get easier than it is right now. Enjoy the time you are living in! They look at me skeptically and usually say- Yeah, yeah, but Mrs. O!!!

I smile and say- I know honey, but you will understand someday. And they do!

So, another batch of seniors is going off in the world. Some WILL be my facebook friends (and in some cases, my real friends) forever- and some I may never hear from again, but I will have the memories - and they can be seen as messages on the ceiling, waiting for me to read them again, and remember.....

One of my little joys in life.

* Chequamegon (pronounced shuh-wah-meh-gon) is the name of our consolidated school district.