i hate shopping. it's just not how i want to spend my time. but sometimes it's just necessary.
and, because it was that time for me, this sunday i headed to the mall to get some new summer work clothes. it was just necessary. and i'm proud to say that i not only got some cute things, but i got great bargains! i got 1 skirt, 1 light sweater-thingy, and 4 blouses/shirts. it was approximately $243 in merchandise and i got it for less than $78 total! that's right, people! booya!
somehow i feel vindicated when i get those kinds of bargains. like they didn't "get" me so badly. so, take that, mall!
Monday, May 03, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
where did april go?
remember when i said i was going to be busy with work events this month? yea, that was no joke. plus, i had a birthday, an anniversary, an out of town trip, and all those little and big things that go into maintaining house and home. all this activity has been great, but i sure am looking forward to slowing down.
a few weeks ago i made it up to ny/pa for my niece's first communion and a visit with a friend. here are the pictures.
we've also had several bee checks. this past week we put an additional super on both hives so they can keep building comb to grow more larvae and store honey. did i tell you we got a little taste of their honey? we had to remove stray comb from various places in the hive a few weeks ago and some of the comb already had honey stores. the taste really was just that-we licked our fingers basically. but it sure was good. very honey-rific.
still haven't had a chance to get all the seeds and plants in the ground. we've got things coming up in a bunch of places though. and i picked a few eensie strawberries from our back yard earlier this week. i also got a big flat of local strawberries which are yumms. i love this time of year when everything starts coming in.
i've gotten a lot of questions about the foster care stuff. we're still moving along with it. it's just not really anything very exciting. we've had to have doctor visits, fingerprinting, and references. we're trying to schedule dhec (department of health) and fire safety inspections right now. once we get that done we can register to attend the classes. we're trying to get the classes in may so that we can get it over with but i'm not sure if we'll be able to get all those things done in time. so things are slowly rolling with that.
a few weeks ago i made it up to ny/pa for my niece's first communion and a visit with a friend. here are the pictures.
we've also had several bee checks. this past week we put an additional super on both hives so they can keep building comb to grow more larvae and store honey. did i tell you we got a little taste of their honey? we had to remove stray comb from various places in the hive a few weeks ago and some of the comb already had honey stores. the taste really was just that-we licked our fingers basically. but it sure was good. very honey-rific.
still haven't had a chance to get all the seeds and plants in the ground. we've got things coming up in a bunch of places though. and i picked a few eensie strawberries from our back yard earlier this week. i also got a big flat of local strawberries which are yumms. i love this time of year when everything starts coming in.
i've gotten a lot of questions about the foster care stuff. we're still moving along with it. it's just not really anything very exciting. we've had to have doctor visits, fingerprinting, and references. we're trying to schedule dhec (department of health) and fire safety inspections right now. once we get that done we can register to attend the classes. we're trying to get the classes in may so that we can get it over with but i'm not sure if we'll be able to get all those things done in time. so things are slowly rolling with that.
Monday, April 26, 2010
my husband is the best
he sent these to my office today.
thanks, babe, for the flowers. and thank YOU for 7 great years!
thanks, babe, for the flowers. and thank YOU for 7 great years!
Monday, April 12, 2010
birthday wishes
i've had this song in my head all day. erica explains it here.
happy birthday, erica and mamaw/juanita!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
busy bees
we had a very busy and accomplished weekend. in addition to having some last-minute visitors for lunch on saturday, we also did our first bee inspection after installing them a few weeks ago. and i did a bunch of gardening both saturday and sunday.
the first bee inspection went very well. they're very active hives, which is a lot more than i can say for the hive last year. we found the queens in both hives. and both hives already had a bunch of capped honey, which was really cool to see. in fact, when we installed the hives, we left out one of the frames to give them a bit more room for the first few weeks. the result, then, was that they built wax and stored honey in places that they shouldn't have. so we had to remove the wax and honey stores from those places where they shouldn't be. so we got a little taste of the honey they're making. it's very honey-rific!
i also planted louisana purple pod peas, squash, zucchini, and tomato. i wanted to plant more than that, but it was just too much to do in one weekend. we're moving the garden to a different location this year, so we had to dig out a big section to make it ready. today we dug out a section of about 14'x5'. that's just for the tomatoes! i've still got cucumber, peppers, okra, and eggplant to plant. i don't know when i'll get all that done. but i'm very happy with how everything looks so far.
tonight we went for korean food with some of baldman's coworkers at dj house. i tried kim chee soft tofu stew. it was very spicy and excellent! now i'm so full and tired i just want to fall into bed.
the first bee inspection went very well. they're very active hives, which is a lot more than i can say for the hive last year. we found the queens in both hives. and both hives already had a bunch of capped honey, which was really cool to see. in fact, when we installed the hives, we left out one of the frames to give them a bit more room for the first few weeks. the result, then, was that they built wax and stored honey in places that they shouldn't have. so we had to remove the wax and honey stores from those places where they shouldn't be. so we got a little taste of the honey they're making. it's very honey-rific!
i also planted louisana purple pod peas, squash, zucchini, and tomato. i wanted to plant more than that, but it was just too much to do in one weekend. we're moving the garden to a different location this year, so we had to dig out a big section to make it ready. today we dug out a section of about 14'x5'. that's just for the tomatoes! i've still got cucumber, peppers, okra, and eggplant to plant. i don't know when i'll get all that done. but i'm very happy with how everything looks so far.
tonight we went for korean food with some of baldman's coworkers at dj house. i tried kim chee soft tofu stew. it was very spicy and excellent! now i'm so full and tired i just want to fall into bed.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
easter in greenville
we had a great time this past weekend visiting friends, friends and friends in greenville. the highlights included great food, yummy bevs, excellent company, fabulous easter vigil service and a brisk hike. all around good times! nicole took a few shots and i posted them on flickr if you're interested.
"do you ever get stung?"
whenever i tell anyone about my hobby of raising bees i immediately get the obvious question about getting stung. "sometimes," i say. "but they're usually very calm."
well, for the record, i got my first bee sting this week. i wish i'd taken a picture of the sting because i tend to get a little bit of a reaction. i have only myself to blame, though, which is usually the case when you get stung. the bees honestly would prefer not to sting because they know it's their kiss of death, literally.
it was monday night and i needed to feed the hives*. but i didn't get a chance to go outside until after it was dark. that's rule #1: don't mess with the hive after dark. but i was stressed because i wouldn't have time to feed them the following day. so i thought i just HAD to feed them right then. so i went outside (without gear or the smoker) to the first hive and managed to successfully get the lid off the mason jar, pour the sugar water into it and screw the lid on with no problems. there were a few bees eating on the lid but i avoided them and they avoided me. done and done.
the second hive was where the difficulties started. first of all, there were a ton of bees congregating at the entrance to the hive. i wasn't sure what they were all doing there** because they should've, i thought, been inside their hive watching tv for the night or something. i was already nervous because it was past dark. and i was in a rush. and then i became more nervous because they were displaying behavior that was unusual to me. but instead of walking away and doing it later when the conditions were better, i heard the voice of my grandmother the food pusher saying i had to MAKE SURE THEY EAT!!! so i got the mason jar and pulled it out, turned it over and there were a bunch of bees on it. no problem, i work with the bees all the time. but i couldn't see very well and when i started to unscrew the lid i hit them around more than they wanted and one of them pegged me on the middle finger. oooh does that hurt!
after saying a few choice words and walking away for a minute i was able to get the food in the jar and put it back in place with no more stings. but the damage was already done. within a few minutes my finger started to swell. thank goodness it wasn't my ring finger because i hadn't taken my ring off like i normally do when i work with the bees.
tonight, 3 full days later, my finger is finally almost back to its regular size. at its most swollen my finger was so big that the wrinkles in the joints were gone. it felt like it was going to pop! and it was so warm to the touch. but no permanent damage. it's just very uncomfortable. and then very itchy! ice, ibuprofen and benadryl help a lot though.
so, to answer the question, my bees do sting when provoked. but let's hope that doesn't happy often.
*they get fed a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 sugar in a mason jar which is upside down with holes in it. it sits in a feeder that is placed at the entrance to the hive.
**the hubby pointed out in retrospect that maybe they were fanning themselves because it was a kinda warm night after a hot day and the hive has to keep a certain temperature.
well, for the record, i got my first bee sting this week. i wish i'd taken a picture of the sting because i tend to get a little bit of a reaction. i have only myself to blame, though, which is usually the case when you get stung. the bees honestly would prefer not to sting because they know it's their kiss of death, literally.
it was monday night and i needed to feed the hives*. but i didn't get a chance to go outside until after it was dark. that's rule #1: don't mess with the hive after dark. but i was stressed because i wouldn't have time to feed them the following day. so i thought i just HAD to feed them right then. so i went outside (without gear or the smoker) to the first hive and managed to successfully get the lid off the mason jar, pour the sugar water into it and screw the lid on with no problems. there were a few bees eating on the lid but i avoided them and they avoided me. done and done.
the second hive was where the difficulties started. first of all, there were a ton of bees congregating at the entrance to the hive. i wasn't sure what they were all doing there** because they should've, i thought, been inside their hive watching tv for the night or something. i was already nervous because it was past dark. and i was in a rush. and then i became more nervous because they were displaying behavior that was unusual to me. but instead of walking away and doing it later when the conditions were better, i heard the voice of my grandmother the food pusher saying i had to MAKE SURE THEY EAT!!! so i got the mason jar and pulled it out, turned it over and there were a bunch of bees on it. no problem, i work with the bees all the time. but i couldn't see very well and when i started to unscrew the lid i hit them around more than they wanted and one of them pegged me on the middle finger. oooh does that hurt!
after saying a few choice words and walking away for a minute i was able to get the food in the jar and put it back in place with no more stings. but the damage was already done. within a few minutes my finger started to swell. thank goodness it wasn't my ring finger because i hadn't taken my ring off like i normally do when i work with the bees.
tonight, 3 full days later, my finger is finally almost back to its regular size. at its most swollen my finger was so big that the wrinkles in the joints were gone. it felt like it was going to pop! and it was so warm to the touch. but no permanent damage. it's just very uncomfortable. and then very itchy! ice, ibuprofen and benadryl help a lot though.
so, to answer the question, my bees do sting when provoked. but let's hope that doesn't happy often.
*they get fed a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 sugar in a mason jar which is upside down with holes in it. it sits in a feeder that is placed at the entrance to the hive.
**the hubby pointed out in retrospect that maybe they were fanning themselves because it was a kinda warm night after a hot day and the hive has to keep a certain temperature.
Friday, April 02, 2010
32
thanks to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes! yesterday was a really nice birthday. certainly much better than last year's when i had a car accident on my birthday. i kept remembering that all day, especially when i drove past the wreck site hoping that "lightening wouldn't strike the same spot twice."
i worked at a school all day yesterday but the kids were fairly well behaved and i thought it went well. on my break between classes i spoke with some family and got some nice emails and voice mail messages. then last night i went to a work event for my office, which was really nice. the weather was beautiful (in the low 90's yesterday) so we sat outside the cafe and had a few drinks with dinner. we had to leave a lot earlier than i wanted. but we had to get to church, which, of course, is good reason to leave. after church my hubby picked up a six pack and a cake for me at the store. so we continued to celebrate at home while i opened the rest of my presents and talked with more family and friends.
i took the day off work today so i look forward to lazing around a bit and putzing around the house.
so far 32 ain't so bad.
i worked at a school all day yesterday but the kids were fairly well behaved and i thought it went well. on my break between classes i spoke with some family and got some nice emails and voice mail messages. then last night i went to a work event for my office, which was really nice. the weather was beautiful (in the low 90's yesterday) so we sat outside the cafe and had a few drinks with dinner. we had to leave a lot earlier than i wanted. but we had to get to church, which, of course, is good reason to leave. after church my hubby picked up a six pack and a cake for me at the store. so we continued to celebrate at home while i opened the rest of my presents and talked with more family and friends.
i took the day off work today so i look forward to lazing around a bit and putzing around the house.
so far 32 ain't so bad.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
bees (take 2)
the bees are in! and installed in their hives.
i say "hives" because we have 2 this year. after our failed attempt at one hive last year we figured we'd double our luck this year and hope to have better success.
we took some pictures of the instillation this evening but i'll post them tomorrow, i think. i want to veg out to some dancing with the stars for now.
i say "hives" because we have 2 this year. after our failed attempt at one hive last year we figured we'd double our luck this year and hope to have better success.
we took some pictures of the instillation this evening but i'll post them tomorrow, i think. i want to veg out to some dancing with the stars for now.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
important (and fun) april events
you may be wondering "what can i do for fun and interest in april?" well, april is sexual assault awareness month (commonly referred to as saam). it also happens to be my birthday month and my wedding anniversary month. so, come out and commemorate all of these things with me at any and all of these events that my work is facilitating.
april 1: yours truly's birthday, holy thursday, and saam kick-off day! thought you couldn't jam all that into one evening? well, think again! join me and other advocates to end sexual violence as we celebrate at gotham bagel cafe on main street. we'll be there starting at 5:00 pm and free music and dancing starts at 7:00. i'll be heading out a little before 7:00 to go to holy thursday mass. if you're so inclined, you're welcome to join me for that too. it's one of my favorite masses of the year!
april 6: i'm facilitating a free child sexual abuse prevention training at newberry county library from 4:00-7:30. this event is free and open to the public so register at our website. it truly is a really great program, if i do say so myself--very important for parents and adults who work or volunteer with children.
april 10: we're partnering with richland county sheriff's department and the ymca to provide a free self defense course for teen girls and women from 9-1:00. this event is also free and is really fun. the teens must be at least 14 years old and have to have a parent's permission. sign up here.
april 14: walk a mile in her shoes. calling all men! we need you for this event! join us in five points at 6:00 pm for this walk to raise awareness about sexual violence against women. we're asking men to literally walk a mile in women's high heal shoes. women are encouraged to join as well, but they don't have to wear heals. the event is only $10 and you get a t-shirt included in registration. it will be a fun and purposeful event, so please join us! register here.
april 21: denim day. encourage your company or office to allow their employees to wear jeans on this day to remember victims of sexual violence. denim day is an international event commemorated around the world. click here to read more about why we wear jeans on this day.
april 24: we have two things going on this day. we're hosting another child sexual abuse prevention training. this one is in lexington from 9-12:30. we're also going to have a booth at lexington kids day. lexington kids day is an amazing and fun event and if you have kids i encourage you to attend. in the park behind the courthouse in lexington they have a big festival with free games, food, and other vendors for children. stop by anytime during the day to see my agency at our booth. we'll be distributing free information about child safety.
april 1: yours truly's birthday, holy thursday, and saam kick-off day! thought you couldn't jam all that into one evening? well, think again! join me and other advocates to end sexual violence as we celebrate at gotham bagel cafe on main street. we'll be there starting at 5:00 pm and free music and dancing starts at 7:00. i'll be heading out a little before 7:00 to go to holy thursday mass. if you're so inclined, you're welcome to join me for that too. it's one of my favorite masses of the year!
april 6: i'm facilitating a free child sexual abuse prevention training at newberry county library from 4:00-7:30. this event is free and open to the public so register at our website. it truly is a really great program, if i do say so myself--very important for parents and adults who work or volunteer with children.
april 10: we're partnering with richland county sheriff's department and the ymca to provide a free self defense course for teen girls and women from 9-1:00. this event is also free and is really fun. the teens must be at least 14 years old and have to have a parent's permission. sign up here.
april 14: walk a mile in her shoes. calling all men! we need you for this event! join us in five points at 6:00 pm for this walk to raise awareness about sexual violence against women. we're asking men to literally walk a mile in women's high heal shoes. women are encouraged to join as well, but they don't have to wear heals. the event is only $10 and you get a t-shirt included in registration. it will be a fun and purposeful event, so please join us! register here.
april 21: denim day. encourage your company or office to allow their employees to wear jeans on this day to remember victims of sexual violence. denim day is an international event commemorated around the world. click here to read more about why we wear jeans on this day.
april 24: we have two things going on this day. we're hosting another child sexual abuse prevention training. this one is in lexington from 9-12:30. we're also going to have a booth at lexington kids day. lexington kids day is an amazing and fun event and if you have kids i encourage you to attend. in the park behind the courthouse in lexington they have a big festival with free games, food, and other vendors for children. stop by anytime during the day to see my agency at our booth. we'll be distributing free information about child safety.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
happy birthday, david
today would've been baldman's dad's 56th birthday. in honor of that, here's a smooth picture of him with a wee baldman.
Monday, March 22, 2010
dss update
it's been a while since i posted about the fostering process, so i figured i'd just give a little update. last week we handed in the application to our caseworker. from the date that we handed that in (3/15) they have 120 days to get us through the whole process. it could take less time if we move quicker with it, but i have my doubts that it'll be anything less than that.
we have a few things that i know we must work on (i.e. medical reports, fingerprinting, references). but i'm also just waiting for our caseworker to call us with next steps. more likely, i'll be waiting a few weeks for her to call and when she doesn't i'll call her.
we have a few things that i know we must work on (i.e. medical reports, fingerprinting, references). but i'm also just waiting for our caseworker to call us with next steps. more likely, i'll be waiting a few weeks for her to call and when she doesn't i'll call her.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
ok, last trip down memory lane... for now
we liked birthday parties in my family. this is my sister's 6 birthday as my dad lights her candles. of note in this picture is our long time family friend, robin, to the right. she is now married and has kids.
here's my family eating breakfast. i loved our kitchen when i was a kid. actually, i still love the kitchen. there's a lot i really like about the picture. and i wonder who took it if my mom, dad, brother and sister are all in the shot. did i take it?
look at these cuties in their uniforms. we wore those things from kindergarten till 8th grade. and then traded them out for another set through 12th grade. every year we took a picture of us on our first day of school. this shot must've been before i started school since i'm not in it.
mom and a friend in her bedroom. people say i look a lot like my mom. guess i see it here in this shot. i always loved that wallpaper, by the way. it had cool birds and flowers on it and i remember staring at it whenever i was laying on their bed.
don't know who the dude in this picture is. if any of the family knows, you can post it in the comments. my brother, of course has a cape on. that was quite usual for him as a child. actually, it wouldn't be that unusual for him now as an adult to have a cape on. and the brown corduroy couch! we had that couch until i was in high school and my mom and stepdad moved out of philly. that was the best couch in the world! so big and comfy!
we always used to sell lemonade when we were kids. i don't remember a lot of people buying (it's not like we lived on a busy street), but i do remember a few people having pity on us and purchasing a dixie cup of that sweet goodness. i love my brother's little visor. dork! and i think that might be my grandparent's car in the driveway.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
more vintage waldie
here are some more shots of my childhood that the family has been passing around over the past few weeks.
my brother and sister are on either side of my mom as santa and i'm in front. i love that we're all wearing matching IUP outfits. my granddad worked for the university for many years so we often got IUP stuff for christmas. (this might be the only time you see my sister as a child not in a dress;)
me and my sister in front of the fireplace. what was up with the stockings and shorts?
notice on the left side of the mantle there's a glass-domed clock. that clock is famous for being broken at some point after this by my brother. unruly kids!
my 4th ? birthday party. mom always made a cake and decorated it however we wanted. i can't remember how this cake was decorated. one year i remember i had casper the friendly ghost cake.
my sister's 5th or 6th birthday party. i think the dining room is a different color by this time.
my brother and sister are on either side of my mom as santa and i'm in front. i love that we're all wearing matching IUP outfits. my granddad worked for the university for many years so we often got IUP stuff for christmas. (this might be the only time you see my sister as a child not in a dress;)
me and my sister in front of the fireplace. what was up with the stockings and shorts?
notice on the left side of the mantle there's a glass-domed clock. that clock is famous for being broken at some point after this by my brother. unruly kids!
my 4th ? birthday party. mom always made a cake and decorated it however we wanted. i can't remember how this cake was decorated. one year i remember i had casper the friendly ghost cake.
my sister's 5th or 6th birthday party. i think the dining room is a different color by this time.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
blast from the past
my mom sent me these pictures today. how sweet are they?
this is the house i grew up in (until 4th grade). i loved this house. it was big and old but it had some really beautiful things about it - the huge porch, the iron fence, the big trees around it (which gave me plenty of leaves to jump in during the fall). we used to play baseball in the driveway. and (though you can't see it) there were big cement steps that led up to the porch. i used to pretend that the steps were my bathtub and i would take sidewalk chalk and make a spout on the side of the step. even back then i loved baths.
speaking of baths...
AHHH! brilliant! i love that my sister is pretending to sing into the hose. that's classic "rachel." man, that was a great tub! check out the claw feet on that thing! and, gotta love the vintage 1970's towels. we used those things until they were rags.
how sweet are we with our little stuffed toys? my bear didn't have a name but he had a badge like a police bear. my brother's bear's name was geegee (is that how you spell it? correct me, ben). he has kept that bear all these years and now his daughters have it. i don't know if rachel's doll had a name. but she sure is nappy, huh? i think i remember having this picture taken. we pushed mine and rachel's beds together and we were being all goofy. i think mom had to bobby pin my brother's hair to make it stay down.
here's my sister on the swing on our porch. we later replaced this swing with a bench swing. what i love about this shot is the yellow bushes in the background. those bushes were so beautiful when they were in bloom! this shot is looking toward the front of our house onto the street so you can see the catholic school across the street. that's where i attended kindergarten through 8th grade.
this is the house i grew up in (until 4th grade). i loved this house. it was big and old but it had some really beautiful things about it - the huge porch, the iron fence, the big trees around it (which gave me plenty of leaves to jump in during the fall). we used to play baseball in the driveway. and (though you can't see it) there were big cement steps that led up to the porch. i used to pretend that the steps were my bathtub and i would take sidewalk chalk and make a spout on the side of the step. even back then i loved baths.
speaking of baths...
AHHH! brilliant! i love that my sister is pretending to sing into the hose. that's classic "rachel." man, that was a great tub! check out the claw feet on that thing! and, gotta love the vintage 1970's towels. we used those things until they were rags.
how sweet are we with our little stuffed toys? my bear didn't have a name but he had a badge like a police bear. my brother's bear's name was geegee (is that how you spell it? correct me, ben). he has kept that bear all these years and now his daughters have it. i don't know if rachel's doll had a name. but she sure is nappy, huh? i think i remember having this picture taken. we pushed mine and rachel's beds together and we were being all goofy. i think mom had to bobby pin my brother's hair to make it stay down.
here's my sister on the swing on our porch. we later replaced this swing with a bench swing. what i love about this shot is the yellow bushes in the background. those bushes were so beautiful when they were in bloom! this shot is looking toward the front of our house onto the street so you can see the catholic school across the street. that's where i attended kindergarten through 8th grade.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
ok go did it again!
i posted a while ago about the amazing videos by ok go.
check out this new one:
brilliant! it makes me happy.
check out this new one:
brilliant! it makes me happy.
Monday, March 01, 2010
free tax returns, anyone?
just finished filing my tax returns. urgh. i hate that process. but it was made all the easier and cheaper this year. beehive.org allows for free online tax preparation for households making less than $58,000/year. it leads you to an h&r block site and it's really easy to use. check it out here:
http://www.thebeehive.org/money/pay-taxes/file-your-taxes-free-online
locally, united way of the midlands also provides free tax preparation, but the income bracket is a little lower ($49,000). click here for more information on that program.
http://www.thebeehive.org/money/pay-taxes/file-your-taxes-free-online
locally, united way of the midlands also provides free tax preparation, but the income bracket is a little lower ($49,000). click here for more information on that program.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
anybody want to garden this summer?
every year around this time of year i get spring fever and start envisioning my summer veggie garden. and inevitably i start looking through seed catalogs and lust for 1/2 the things in there.
today was a gorgeous day so i sat outside on the swing in the backyard and looked through southern exposure seed exchange's catalog, circling a million and one things that i want. of course, the problem is i never really know what's going to work and not work in my garden. the other problem is they send a ton of seeds in each pack, way more than i need for my little garden. so i'm putting a call out to my dear readers to see if anyone is interesting in splitting seeds with me.
i've listed below the seeds that i'm thinking of ordering. if you're interested in any of them (you don't have to want all of them), let me know in the comments section or send me an email. if there's something not listed here that you found in their catalog and you want to order it, let me know. i might be open to splitting it with you. the seeds found at sese are mostly heritage, organic seeds and have a history of being grown in the south. some of them work in the north too though so if your garden is not in sc, check out the links to read the information for the plant.
louisana purple pod pole beans $2.85/pack
hickory king corn $2.75/pack
marketmore cucumbers $2.25/pack
early black eggplant $2.65/pack
powder puff asters $1.99/pack
memories of mona cosmos $2.45/pack
wild garden perennial insectary $5/pack
even' star winter arugula (if they have it in stock soon) $2.50/pack
winter bloomsdale spinach $2.35/pack
cilantro $2.10/pack
sage $1.99/pack
creeping thyme $2.30/pack
cosmo romain lettuce $2.50/pack
evertender okra $2.85/pack
amish snap peas (if they have it in stock soon) $2.50/pack
carolina wonder bell peppers $2.50/pack
tromboncino squash $2.50/pack
arkansas traveler tomato $2.25/pack
neptune tomato $2.75/pack
today was a gorgeous day so i sat outside on the swing in the backyard and looked through southern exposure seed exchange's catalog, circling a million and one things that i want. of course, the problem is i never really know what's going to work and not work in my garden. the other problem is they send a ton of seeds in each pack, way more than i need for my little garden. so i'm putting a call out to my dear readers to see if anyone is interesting in splitting seeds with me.
i've listed below the seeds that i'm thinking of ordering. if you're interested in any of them (you don't have to want all of them), let me know in the comments section or send me an email. if there's something not listed here that you found in their catalog and you want to order it, let me know. i might be open to splitting it with you. the seeds found at sese are mostly heritage, organic seeds and have a history of being grown in the south. some of them work in the north too though so if your garden is not in sc, check out the links to read the information for the plant.
louisana purple pod pole beans $2.85/pack
hickory king corn $2.75/pack
marketmore cucumbers $2.25/pack
early black eggplant $2.65/pack
powder puff asters $1.99/pack
memories of mona cosmos $2.45/pack
wild garden perennial insectary $5/pack
even' star winter arugula (if they have it in stock soon) $2.50/pack
winter bloomsdale spinach $2.35/pack
cilantro $2.10/pack
sage $1.99/pack
creeping thyme $2.30/pack
cosmo romain lettuce $2.50/pack
evertender okra $2.85/pack
amish snap peas (if they have it in stock soon) $2.50/pack
carolina wonder bell peppers $2.50/pack
tromboncino squash $2.50/pack
arkansas traveler tomato $2.25/pack
neptune tomato $2.75/pack
Friday, February 19, 2010
fostering update
a few weeks back i gave a vague update on the fostering situation and our progress with dss. for documentation sake (a NECESSITY when dealing with this preposterously bureaucratic agency), here's what's been happenning.
in early january i started making phone calls to dss. i left a message on the number i found online and didn't receive a phone call for a day or two. so i called back, got a human being who stressed how much dss needed foster homes. she asked me which county i was from and gave me another number to call. i called that number, left a message and a few days later i got a phone call back. naive me didn't document the dates of these first phone calls, but i'm fairly certain that at this point it was either the week before or the week of MLK day. the man i spoke with during this hone call was an intake worker who took my general information (name, address, etc) and then said that they would mail me a packet of information and a case worker would be in touch with me shortly to schedule a visit to come to our house and speak with us about the process. at the time when i talked with him i though he said that all of this would happen within 3 days. but 3 days came and went and we didn't hear anything. so then i thought maybe i misheard him and it was really 3 weeks. so i waited 3 weeks.
3 weeks to the dot a package arrived in the mail. it had pages upon pages of applications but no information about the fostering process that would answer any of our questions. so i waited a few more days for a phone call. nothing. so on friday, february 5 i called back and left another message. that monday i got a call back from a supervisor who apologized and said that it was possible that they may have assigned me a case worker who was on maternity leave. she said if that was the case, they would give us another case worker. but her intake coordinator was not in the office that day so she said she would have him call me.
tuesday, february 9 i received a call from the same intake coordinate who i had spoken with previously. he remembered doing the intake with me but he said they could not find it so he had to do it again. i asked how that was so if i received a packet in the mail and he thought that was odd. so we redid the intake. i asked when i could expect a call back and he said he was going to give it to the case worker that day and he said he wouldn't be surprised if i got a call back that afternoon. he said "definitely by the end of the week."
two days later, no phone call from the case worker. we did, however, receive another of the same application packets in the mail. thanks for the expedience on that one, dss. by the end of the week i had not received a call back.
on wednesday, february 17 i called the county dss number again to find out why i'd STILL not yet gotten a call for a home visit. i actually got a human being instead of an answering machine and she gave me our case worker's name and number. she said the case worker was not in the office that day but indicated that i could leave a message and she would call me back. so i left a message with the CW telling her about how long this process had taken and that we wanted to get the ball rolling by having her come out to our house.
no call back.
this morning (friday, february 19) i was at a work event- an internship fair for social work students at usc- and i just so happened to see that there was an adoptions supervisor from dss there. so i went up to him and explained my situation. he was very upset that we've not been helped and have gotten the run-around. so he gave me his card as well as the name of our CW's supervisor. he said call the supervisor and tell him our predicament. he said the supervisor was very good but he said if for some reason we didn't hear back from the supervisor, call him directly and he would help.
so this afternoon i called the supervisor. he wasn't in the office and did not have voice mail so i had to leave a message with the woman who answered the phone. when i told her what was happening she said that she would give him our message and that our case worker was in the office today and i could call her now if i wanted (she couldn't transfer me). i told her i would call her, but i didn't get a chance to because the case worker pretty much called me immediately back. i guess if you involve a supervisor you get results!
she said she didn't get my message from the other day because she "was not in the office on wednesday and was not able to retrieve her messages." (whatever that means?) so we proceeded to talk about scheduling for her to come and visit with us at our home. she said, "when is good for you?" and i said that my husband and i would be available next week during any evening except tuesday. and she said "evening!?" i said, yes, we both work during the daytime. she responded "well, that's not going to work for me because i work 9-5." i was stunned. surely we're not the first working people in the world to want to foster a child through our dss system!
"when is your lunch break?" she asked. i laughed. "my husband and i are both social workers. we don't really get a lunch break," i responded. she was being very unhelpful so i said to her that i was shocked (yes, i used that word) that this wasn't an issue for most people. i said, "aren't there other foster parents who work and can't meet during the day?" she replied that most people will meet first thing in the morning or meet at the end of the day at like 4:30 and "if it runs over to 5:15 or something that's okay with me." well, ms. case worker, i'm so glad that you will inconvenience yourself 15 minutes for me considering the fact that we will take off work to come home and meet you for what is YOUR JOB!
so basically we left it that i have to talk with the hubby to find out when we both are able to take off work so that we can come home and meet her during her working hours. every supervisor that i've spoken with so far from dss has stressed to me how badly they need homes for foster kids. if they want to know how to get more homes, perhaps they could talk to their case workers about flexibility and working evening hours if it's necessary. oh yeah, and about returning phone calls.
in early january i started making phone calls to dss. i left a message on the number i found online and didn't receive a phone call for a day or two. so i called back, got a human being who stressed how much dss needed foster homes. she asked me which county i was from and gave me another number to call. i called that number, left a message and a few days later i got a phone call back. naive me didn't document the dates of these first phone calls, but i'm fairly certain that at this point it was either the week before or the week of MLK day. the man i spoke with during this hone call was an intake worker who took my general information (name, address, etc) and then said that they would mail me a packet of information and a case worker would be in touch with me shortly to schedule a visit to come to our house and speak with us about the process. at the time when i talked with him i though he said that all of this would happen within 3 days. but 3 days came and went and we didn't hear anything. so then i thought maybe i misheard him and it was really 3 weeks. so i waited 3 weeks.
3 weeks to the dot a package arrived in the mail. it had pages upon pages of applications but no information about the fostering process that would answer any of our questions. so i waited a few more days for a phone call. nothing. so on friday, february 5 i called back and left another message. that monday i got a call back from a supervisor who apologized and said that it was possible that they may have assigned me a case worker who was on maternity leave. she said if that was the case, they would give us another case worker. but her intake coordinator was not in the office that day so she said she would have him call me.
tuesday, february 9 i received a call from the same intake coordinate who i had spoken with previously. he remembered doing the intake with me but he said they could not find it so he had to do it again. i asked how that was so if i received a packet in the mail and he thought that was odd. so we redid the intake. i asked when i could expect a call back and he said he was going to give it to the case worker that day and he said he wouldn't be surprised if i got a call back that afternoon. he said "definitely by the end of the week."
two days later, no phone call from the case worker. we did, however, receive another of the same application packets in the mail. thanks for the expedience on that one, dss. by the end of the week i had not received a call back.
on wednesday, february 17 i called the county dss number again to find out why i'd STILL not yet gotten a call for a home visit. i actually got a human being instead of an answering machine and she gave me our case worker's name and number. she said the case worker was not in the office that day but indicated that i could leave a message and she would call me back. so i left a message with the CW telling her about how long this process had taken and that we wanted to get the ball rolling by having her come out to our house.
no call back.
this morning (friday, february 19) i was at a work event- an internship fair for social work students at usc- and i just so happened to see that there was an adoptions supervisor from dss there. so i went up to him and explained my situation. he was very upset that we've not been helped and have gotten the run-around. so he gave me his card as well as the name of our CW's supervisor. he said call the supervisor and tell him our predicament. he said the supervisor was very good but he said if for some reason we didn't hear back from the supervisor, call him directly and he would help.
so this afternoon i called the supervisor. he wasn't in the office and did not have voice mail so i had to leave a message with the woman who answered the phone. when i told her what was happening she said that she would give him our message and that our case worker was in the office today and i could call her now if i wanted (she couldn't transfer me). i told her i would call her, but i didn't get a chance to because the case worker pretty much called me immediately back. i guess if you involve a supervisor you get results!
she said she didn't get my message from the other day because she "was not in the office on wednesday and was not able to retrieve her messages." (whatever that means?) so we proceeded to talk about scheduling for her to come and visit with us at our home. she said, "when is good for you?" and i said that my husband and i would be available next week during any evening except tuesday. and she said "evening!?" i said, yes, we both work during the daytime. she responded "well, that's not going to work for me because i work 9-5." i was stunned. surely we're not the first working people in the world to want to foster a child through our dss system!
"when is your lunch break?" she asked. i laughed. "my husband and i are both social workers. we don't really get a lunch break," i responded. she was being very unhelpful so i said to her that i was shocked (yes, i used that word) that this wasn't an issue for most people. i said, "aren't there other foster parents who work and can't meet during the day?" she replied that most people will meet first thing in the morning or meet at the end of the day at like 4:30 and "if it runs over to 5:15 or something that's okay with me." well, ms. case worker, i'm so glad that you will inconvenience yourself 15 minutes for me considering the fact that we will take off work to come home and meet you for what is YOUR JOB!
so basically we left it that i have to talk with the hubby to find out when we both are able to take off work so that we can come home and meet her during her working hours. every supervisor that i've spoken with so far from dss has stressed to me how badly they need homes for foster kids. if they want to know how to get more homes, perhaps they could talk to their case workers about flexibility and working evening hours if it's necessary. oh yeah, and about returning phone calls.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)