My gear

I went to the local Harley-Davidson store today. I found my helmet. It's a Scorpion EXO-700 Black Dahlia. It is also expensive. There is even matching clothing. Also expensive.

I saw some gloves and boots I liked. Again expensive.

And I saw that Kohl's is hiring.


We received an email concerning what is required in clothing for the course. Over-the-ankle boots, full-fingered gloves, long pants and long sleeve shirt or jacket, eye protection, and a helmet. Of these things, I have the pants and jacket. Maybe my gloves will be acceptable. I may still have skiing goggles. They do provide helmets. And motorcycles.

Gary is not too pleased to have to buy stuff for this class. I don't mind.

He Passed!

Gary passed his test and has his learner's permit for a motorcycle. We are now signed up for the safety course.

Gary's mom thinks we're crazy. Who's going to take care of the kids when we die in a crash, she asks. My parents don't have much to say about it. Gary's dad and Judy are rooting us on. It scares me a little thinking about riding, but it scares me even more to try to learn without this class. I want to ride. But I also want to be a safe rider. So take this class, I shall.

Our second week

Our second week went as well as the first when you take out the Mom buying factor. Gary's mom made some purchases our first week, and our sales the second week were down by the amount she bought. There were also less people the second week, but we sold almost as much. We were in a different location, but I forgot the camera to document.

We will not be there this weekend, since we will be at the shore relaxing and eating some Mack and Manco's pizza.

We placed another order and will hopefully have more to offer next time.

Farmer's Market

It went much better than we thought. We went through most of the coffee and over half the cider. We sold out of the pumpkin spice and sold more vanilla than we thought. Apparently no one is seasoning any poultry yet or doing any pickling. But people are flavoring soups and such with bay leaves and basil.

We had many people comment it was nice to see a spice place again, since the local spice store closed. Some said they'd be back next week. We had three people requests, but no actual orders. We are going to be placing another order and will probably include them since they aren't obscure items and others probably would buy them.

We plan to continue up until Thanksgiving, when the market closed until next year. Than what? We don't know.

We had some good advice from several people, too. And some repeat business on the coffee. Gary made his pumpkin spice coffee and mulled the cider using the spices we were selling.

Myrtle admonished me to take the camera so I could document our big day. Gary's mom was a big help in packaging spices last night, and she packed us a treasure trove lunch. He had forgotten about eating lunch, so she surprised us with food. My parents took the kids for the night and watched them until the market was closed.




Here is the background for our labels. I took some cinnamon sticks and some white paper and took a photo. It looks nice as a watermark background with our name Kulp's Spices in brown lettering. I am hoping to get a sign with it as background for our stand, as you could see in the photo we haven't any identification of who we are in big letters.

Help please

Well the novelty has worn off. Monday and today were awful for Ellie getting on the bus. Monday, she and Gary walked nicely to the bus. Once the bus came and her friend wasn't there, Gary had to put her on the bus crying and protesting greatly. Tuesday she was better. Her friend was there, and even though she still didn't want to go, she got on the bus with minimal protests and tears. Today, her protests started before leaving the house, though she went without force. Unfortunately again no friend, and Gary than had to physically move her to the bus, weeping and wailing and great protests. There seems to be no problems with the afternoon bus ride.

Do we continue to make her ride the bus in the morning, or do I drive her to school? If I drive her, we feel like we're giving in to her, if we make her take the bus, we feel like we're being mean. Either way, we feel like everyone loses. Is she just not ready for that morning bus ride?

Please give us some advice.

I passed!

I got to the licensing center a little later than planned. I waited in line, several times, took my test, and passed. I had four wrong answerd, the highest amount allowed to still pass. One more and done for. I waited in line again and walked away with the little paper that says I may drive a motorcycle in practice for my license. I am quite pleased and a little scared. Motorcycles are powerful little machines and a bit intimidating to drive by myself.

Corn, corn and more corn

I have in my freezer over two hundred ears of corn. My parents bought a hundred ears on Thursday, and my mom and I husked, blanched, decobbed and froze it on Friday. And Gary and I bought a hundred ears on Saturday, and my mom and I processed it today. If you're talking corn, we are set for the winter.

Unfortunately and quite sadly for me, I do not have in my hot little hand a learner's permit for riding a motorcycle. We failed to notice that cash is not accepted for payment at the testing center. And of course when we left the house yesterday, we had not taken the check book with us. So we had to leave after realizing that cash or credit was not an option. I never made it back. It was lunch than nap time. Gary went back, because he has less time during the week to go. But he didn't pass. So we both have to go back anyway. I plan to be there first thing Tuesday morning.

The Bus - part 2

Ellie's school day is 8:30 to 11:30 am. Today she arrived home at 12:55 pm. She should arrive home around 11:50 am. Even though her principal called the bus company once and her mother called the bus company not once, not twice, but thrice, she was somehow still not on the schedule for the afternoon bus run. She sat around at her school for an hour waiting. She apparently has not changed her opinion of buses, though. When First Student finally brought her home, she was happily sitting in her seat, enjoying the ride and having the "bus" to herself. [It was a student van that brought her home.]

I, on the other hand, was a bit annoyed. I was not, however, concerned about her whereabouts, because I actually didn't expected them to pick her up. I somehow knew they would not have her on the schedule, but also thought that maybe since they picked her up, they'd bring her home.

Her school did called to say that she wasn't picked up, and that they called First Student. And that someone was one their way to pick her up and bring her home.

I will be giving First Student another call.

The Bus - part 1

Ellie has been excited to take the bus. Her parents don't share her enthusiasm. But we put her on this morning, none the less. It was a bit hectic getting ready, and our procedure needs some work, but she was at her stop on time. Or at least a stop. Gary and she headed out but were soon back when Gary saw bus #20 drive right on by. So we got in the car to try to catch it at another stop. As we drove I could see people still standing at the stop after Ellie's. So I drove to that stop, we recognized the pastor from Grace Mennonite and his kids. Gary got out to talk to them. It turns out that they take the same bus, and Ellie didn't miss it. Gary had failed to realize that the bus he saw was a North Penn School District bus and Ellie's bus is First Student.

So, now Gary will walk to the stop where our friends are every morning and then walk to his bus stop. I am very glad Ellie knows other children on her bus.

Ellie was quite content sitting in her bus seat, waving as the bus rolled away.

Motorcycle safety course

Yep, you read correctly. Gary and I are signing up to learn how to drive a motorcycles. First we need to take a test and get our permits. I am very excited. After we complete the class we will have our motorcycle license. Then we can drive Gary's dad's motorcycles, because we won't have funds of our own to purchase any motorized two wheeled vehicle for a long while.

We're on

Well, Gary is anyway, for the Farmer's Market here in Lansdale. He is going to try his hand at roasting, brewing, and flavoring his own coffee, selling mulling cider, selling his homemade vanilla, our home grown tomatoes and herbs, and if they still have nice flowers, our neighbor will be cutting some fresh flower bouquets.

I am not so sure we really fit into the farmer's market catagory, but they are letting us have a table for one day, so Gary's going to try it. We'll see.

Ellie's first day

Here's Ellie on her first day of kindergarten.

I think she had a good day. All I could get out of her were yes and no answers. She says she doesn't want to talk about her day. But she wants to go back, so that's a good thing.




P.S. I added another post on August 29th about our vacation. It was added after the one about orientation but the date places it before it, so you might have missed it.