Time for an update
I've been really bad about updating this... better do it now while I'm thinking about it. :)
This summer I took my English 101 and 102 classes that I needed for my Nursing program. My professor was really cool, and she let me do an independant project instead of the assigned papers. I ended up with a 44 page mini book of stories from my 11 years of working in EMS. I could probably enlarge it into an actual book, if I expanded and expounded on some of the things that have happened. I just don't know if I want to commit the time to yet another project. I have an awful lot on my plate at the moment. I may post it somewhere, if anyone is interested in reading it.
Mom decided about a month ago that we need to get our barn built here. She has gathered up funds from various places that she had them invested and we just barely have enough to get a 30x48 foot pole barn built. The guys that are going to be doing the site prep will be here next Thursday. Mom and I spent last Friday getting the yard ready for them. They are going to be taking sand from our large front field to fill and level the site. Apparently I've got 4 feet of sand under the topsoil here before the clay layer, and it's LOTS cheaper to use that than truck in fill from elsewhere. In order for them to get to the sand, we had to brush-hog the front field, which I let grow wild normally. We rented a walk-behind brush-hog unit from the local hardware store and spent a couple of hours whacking down the long grass and brush in the field. I was doing most of the mowing... at least until I decided to clear the clogged up chute. I was smart enough to turn off the blades, so that I wouldn't lose any fingers, but when I leaned down to clear the chute, I didn't notice that I'd put my left hand onto the VERY hot muffler... at least until I smelled something burning, and felt the heat on my hand. Thankfully I was wearing a pair of heavy leather gloves, and they took the brunt of the damage. I had just got them the day before, and spent $13 on a pair of GOOD gloves that actually fit my hands. I found out just how fast I could whip them off! I still ended up with a good sized 2nd degree burn on the heel of my hand. I've been very careful to keep the blisters intact, and it is starting to heal up nicely. Still... owie.
That killed my plans of going camping at a weekend SCA event, so Mom and I ended up daytripping it on Saturday, instead. Sunday, we went to a large craft fair in South Haven, and had a really good time looking around. I loved all the different things that people were doing with gourds, and I want to plant a bunch of different kinds next spring. Mom and I talked to one lady that had some really interesting shapes in her long handled dipper gourds, and she told us some of the tricks to get them to spiral and knot. If I can get them to grow, it will give me something to putter with next winter... if I have any spare time. After the craft fair, I stopped by the Maritime Museum, where I've been trying to find time to volunteer. They have a tall ship that goes out for sails, and I found out that they were doing a stargazing sail that night at 9:30pm. They had 2 spots left, so I bought Mom and I tickets. Mom really wants to go on an Hawaiian cruise, and she has pretty much given up on that in order to get the barn built. It wasn't an Hawaiian cruise, but Mom had a good time, anyway.
Hopefully, in a month or so, the barn will be done, and I'll be putting in a craft room at the one end. I'm going to frame up some walls and insulate them, and put on a ceiling, so that we can store stuff overhead. I should be able to heat the room then, and work on stuff during the winter. I've been having fun designing my perfect craft table... adjustable tilt, built in marble block for leather working, magnifying light for tiny projects, divided drawers for holding tools and parts... *glee* I've got woodworking tools, and I know how to build stuff thanks to my Grandfather and high school shop class. This should be fun.
This semester, I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology classes, both at the same time. They are 4 credit hours apiece, and it's really not recommended to take both at once. I've had them before, at Hillsdale, though, so I'm not too worried. I do need to go and get some homework done for tomorrow, so I'd better quit for now.