One Month

I have achieved one twelfth of my 2010 goal...to write every day.

So, what did I do today? I didn't finish the mittens I started yesterday. I did sort through some magazines, did some dishes, kept the wood stove stoked up and cooked dinner. I also finished reading a book I started yesterday, Abandon. It's a modern day story with a parallel story in the late 1800's. It takes place in Colorado and involves a group of people going to an old ghost town to investigate why the entire population disappeared on Christmas Day. It was moderately interesting; interesting enough to keep me reading anyway.

There is no school tomorrow which is why "lesson plans" is missing from my "done" list. I will do them tomorrow although I would be very surprised if we go back to school before at least Wednesday. Normally they give us a 2 hour delay if there is a patch of ice somewhere in town, and the roads are still covered with stuff, apparently today it was slush, but since the temperature is supposed to be 10 degrees tonight, it will all be ice.

I know that we will end up losing most of our spring break for this, but I am not going to worry. I am just going to enjoy the time off.

Snow Day

We ended up with somewhere between 6 and slightly more inches of snow. There was sleet on top which served to tamp it down a bit.

It is very cold tonight; in the teens and maybe close to single digits so the three outdoor cats are in for the night, although, really I think they would be fine outside. One of them has already peed in the sunroom and scratched dirt out of the plant to cover it. Thinking that it was only dirt from the knocked over plant, I started to sweep it up and immediately realized what it actually was. Yuck. I cleaned that mess up and put a plastic container of litter out there. I put each cat in it and they all jumped out except for Shadow. She spent a few moments sniffing and digging in it and then did her business. Hopefully, they will all use it tonight.

I have been working on a pair of mittens. I used the sweater that I got from Goodwill and which I shrunk in the washer and dryer. I messed up the pattern so the sweater that I should have been able to coax two pairs of mittens out of will only yield one. I finished the first mitten; it is ok for a first try. The second one is shaping up better and I figured out some of the details, BUT, I ran out of bobbin thread and since I am tired, it will wait for tomorrow.

There is no church tomorrow. The roads, by all accounts, are bad. There is no way we'll have school on Monday either, although they haven't made an announcement. I would be surprised if we even get there on Tuesday.

Now I'm ready for some reading time on the couch in front of the warm fire before going to bed. Goodnight.

Snow

At some point, while I was lying on the couch in the den, alternately napping and watching Law and Order, it began to snow. It is wet and fluffy, and it began to stick immediately. There is a winter storm warning in effect until midnight Saturday night and we are supposed to get anywhere from 3" (looks like almost that much now) to 11".

I realized that we were almost out of cat food even though we have been to the store recently and Anne went to two stores today. We were also out of cat litter and Anne only had one pack of cigarettes...so, anticipating that the roads will be much worse tomorrow and Sunday, I went to the store.

There was NO bread...with the exception of some French bread, some bagels and a couple of other things like rolls. Of course, not only did I get the cat food, litter and cigarettes, I bought three half gallons of Breyers ice cream, pears, temple oranges, apples, tea, coffee, cheese, some other stuff and a large box of Milk Duds. I am preparing to be snowed in for some time.

Pictures to follow.

Pre-Snow

We are bracing for a winter storm tomorrow; we may get half a foot of snow. That's not much to someone who lives north of the Mason-Dixon line, but to us, it's a lot! And, the thing is, that the few days following the predicted snow are predicted to be COLD, so anything that falls won't be melting.

I guess I should send daughter #3 out tomorrow to pick up a few extras; we have plenty of food, plenty of wood and plenty of diversions to keep us busy, so snow on.

The only fly in this ointment is that any days we miss will come off of our spring break, and I would so much rather have the days in April while I am camping at the beach instead of now, but I'm just going to go with the flow and enjoy what I get!

Haircut

I made the effort to drive to Lexington after tutoring today to have Randy at Raffles cut my hair. I want to let the sides grow out a little and keep the back shorter. I used to have it like that but had gotten away from it. So, he did cut the back shorter, but we are going to have to let the sides grow out more.

We talked politics a little. He had heard something on the radio about the former sheriff Hege running again and we talked about how that is a disgrace; to let a convicted felon run for office and Randy agreed that his convictions were on minor charges, but everyone knew he was doing worse, but couldn't catch him.

Then Randy moved onto President Obama and how he is not that thrilled with what he is doing. But in reality, we both agreed a President could only change so much, that the things people expected of him weren't really possible. Tonight is his State of the Union speech and I haven't yet decided if I'll watch. I'm really tired. I may....don't know. I feel like I have already heard on the news all of the topics he'll address. Still it is a pleasure to listen to a president who knows how to speak properly!

Then finally, we discussed John Edwards and what a total sleazebag he is. Then on the way home, I heard that he and his wife had separated. Not a surprise at all; the woman is dying of cancer. Who wants to spend their last days dealing with a spouse who has fathered another child, while you were being treated for cancer. He is dead politically...and that is where he belongs. It's not the things he did, its the vehement denial of it all.

So that's it for tonight. The couch, the fire, the warm bath...they are more attractive than the computer.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho....

I went to work today. I actually got some things done, but I felt a little off....a little headachy, not sick but just not great.

After work I went to the library and checked out two books, which are in the den and whose titles I can't remember. I fixed dinner (chicken, couscous and zucchini & carrots) and did about 5 minutes of work for school tomorrow. I just had to laminate something.

Andrea Horne's mother is in the hospital in Raleigh; she had called this house this morning and left a message to put her mom on the prayer list, so I spent some time calling the appropriate people and and trying to get in touch with Andrea to see how things are going. She broke her hip. So Andrea, my prayers are with you.

On my work this morning I went through McDonald's to get an Egg McMuffin and when I got up to the window to pay, Mark (the owner, who goes to my church) told me that the person in front of me had paid for mine! It was Teresa Price (also from our church). That was so sweet of her and I was so surprised that it didn't even occur to me that I could pay for the person behind me until I had pulled away.

There is a warm fire that I need to add wood too, and then I think it will be warm bath, reading and bed. I would stay in the den for a while but I usually don't like whatever Neal is watching on tv so it's annoying to be in there!

What I Didn't Do Today

I didn't go kayaking. The weather was warm, around 60 or so and sunny. Plus we had a mega-rainstorm last night so the lake would have been abundantly full of water, but I didn't go.

Partly I was wanting to get some things done around here, and I did accomplish some laundry, etc. The main reason I didn't go though is because it was windy with some pretty significant wind gusts and being on the lake in a little boat with 30 mile an hour gusts is not the smartest thing to do. So I passed.

I haven't been kayaking since last October, when I went to Edisto with Amy and I really miss going. The days are beginning to get a bit longer now so I need to make myself leave work one afternoon and just go.

I had the day off today; it was a workday and I chose not to work. Tomorrow is also a workday and I am going to work.

Anne and I opened a checking account for her at the credit union to make it easier to put money in her account when she needs it. We are so over Wachovia....they charge you fees for everything and then they don't pay you any interest either. The credit union is so much better.

Early to bed will make it easier to get up in the morning....so off I go.

Right. I need to just keep telling myself that.

Getting the Itch

I am getting the itch. Not a rash, but the itch to go camping.

I love camping at the beach more than anything in the world and no matter how much I do it, I always want more. Easter is the next time I can take the time to go so I have reservations at Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina. I am planning to arrive on Friday, April 2 but I am thinking of leaving on Thursday instead. They have ocean front spots available for that one night, Thursday April 1, but the reservation system will only let you reserve two nights, and there aren't two available.


I totally wouldn't mind camping ocean front for one night and then moving my tent. I wouldn't have to unpack everything for just one night.

Rachel has been to Hunting Island, as have several of the people I sometimes kayak with and they all sing it's praises as lovely and unspoiled. I am looking forward to it. Thinking of sand, the ocean and the sound of the surf gets me by.

My Heart Will Go On

I was looking for Law and Order on television and discovered that Titanic was on and I watched it....again. I have no idea how many times I have actually seen this film. And yes, I know it is schmaltzy and hokey and the love story in it would in all likelihood never ever would have happened, but the end always makes me cry.

The scene where Rose dies and goes back to the ship, walking past all of those who perished, always gets me. Just thinking about how so many people died, especially the less privileged passengers and workers leaves me feeling emotional and the idea of all of them smiling and happy and feeling no pain was a touching way to end the film.

And now I am watching the red carpet arrivals for the SAG Awards. Neal has gone to take my brother John out for dinner and I know that when he gets home, I'll have to turn the tv to something else. So, I'll enjoy "star-gazing" just a bit longer.

A Busy Day

This was a busy, eventful day. My assistant was out but I had Ms. Crump for a sub and she is really great; she is a retired teacher and is always good with the kids. Also, she has worked with us before so she is familiar with our routine. It is hard to have a sub whom you have to tell what to do all day long and Ms. Crump just gets right in there with the kids during centers and interacts really well with them.


The reason my assistant was out is because her husband had carpal tunnel surgery but he came through the surgery very well. We were all relieved with that. It's not a complicated surgery but any surgery can become complicated.


We had groups of teacher from Cabarrus County come tour our Pre-K program today. I enjoyed their visit and they seemed to like the things we were doing; one person even took a photo of my lesson plans to take back and share!


About 12:45 today I had a call from the office that the mother of one of my students was in the office and wanted to talk to me. I actually wanted to talk to her too because her child had the same clothes on today for the third day in a row and his behavior has been very challenging lately (including him and his brother getting written up for fighting on the bus). But she was very sad and had come to tell me that the boy is going to Mexico with his father and may not be back to school. The paternal grandfather is very ill so the dad is going. The reason he is taking my student with him is because of their four children, this is the one that gives the mother the most trouble so she feels that she can't handle all four of them by herself. Also, the dad doesn't have papers so the mother is worried that he won't even be able to get back, although he feels that he won't have any trouble getting back.


So, now the child's behavior has become a little more clear to me. Also the mom goes to work very early in the morning and the dad has to get the children ready, so that might be the reason for the dirty clothes. The mom told me that she and her husband have been so preoccupied with their troubles lately that they probably haven't been giving the children as much attention as they should.


This family is really on my heart now. The mom kept wiping away tears as she was leaving the school; I know she must be feeling so sad that she doesn't know when her son will return and she doesn't know if her husband will. After school I went grocery shopping and as I was loading up my cart, I kept wondering if the mom is able to get enough food for her children.


I will miss this little boy. For all of his difficult behavior, he really touches our hearts because my assistant and I have both felt that he didn't get a lot of attention at home. My assistant takes time to read a book with him every day. We can hold his pre-K spot for one month, but if he isn't back in that time, we will have to fill it with someone else. I hope he'll be back.


We went out to eat dinner at Shotos (a "Japanese" restaurant in town that is really not very good) for my father-in-law's birthday; he is turning 83. We're not sure when his actual birthday is. We think it is the 29th. The story is that he was actually born on one day but his birth certificate has a different date and the two dates are a week apart. We think the actual date is next Friday! My mother and father-in-law are both in poor health. Each time I see them I wonder if they will be here at this time next year. In contrast, my mom, who is a year younger, does tai chi, carrys meals on wheels, is active with her church senior group and likes to go on bus tours. I guess part of the difference is good diet, different attitudes and just plain old luck.


Sometimes I feel like I am too lucky and it can't last. I see people having all kinds of problems and I seem to slide through unscathed. But then, when I stop to think about it, I have had my share of problems too, I am just aware that it could always be so much worse. So, I do think I am lucky.


I got two bumper stickers for my car today; I ordered them. Now I am going to have to take two off because I think I am at my sticker allotment. Which will be the two to go? The Obama sticker...hmmm....I think that may have to stay. Anyway, here are pictures of my new bumper stickers.

The Snowy Day

No, it didn't snow today...I read this book to my class. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats has always been one of my favorites. It is the story of a little boy who wakes up to find that it has snowed during the night. He spends his day playing in the snow and then tells his mom about his adventures as she is helping him out of his wet clothes and into a bath.

This is a book that doesn't have detailed illustrations or a lot of text, yet there is so much to talk about with children. My favorite part of the book is the page showing Peter sitting in the bathtub. He recounted his adventures to his mother and then while he is in the tub "he thought and thought and thought about them".

We are so quick to dismiss children's play as nothing important but this book reminds us that life is an adventure for children. There is so much to discover and to learn about. Peter finds adventure by pointing his feet different ways as he walks, or dragging a stick in the snow. He learns important lessons, like he is not old enough for the big boys' snowball fight and he entertains himself quite competently as he builds a snowman and makes snow angels.

Unfortunately children are far too often confined indoors in front of a computer, television set or video game. Others are having the adventures and children are just passively observing.

Peter spent time reflecting about his adventures. We must always remember that children need this kind of time. We adults spend our lives in such a rush, living by the clock and by all that we need to do. Children need time just to think and let their minds go free, unencumbered by the constraints of our too-scheduled lives.

A child can remind us that we too need to take time for adventures and then, we need to sit and think and think and think about them. The world is full of possibilities. Lest we forget, the story of Peter and his snowy day will remind us.

Nothing to Say

Well, today I really have nothing to say. So I'll post some nice pictures. I eventually want to re-do my bathroom and make it larger, add a separate shower and make the entrance to the closet through the bathroom.

So, I found a couple of photos that have the look I'd like to achieve, eventually.
I don't want wood to cover the entire bathroom wall but I would like beaded board or painted paneling part way up. That look really appeals to me for some reason.

We have way too much wood in our house now, especially in our den, and as I redo things, I am gradually trying to paint as much of it as possible. No matter how much of it I paint, there will still be lots b/c of our wood floors, oak kitchen cabinets and the aforementioned wood box that we call a den.

Anyway, there is lots to do before I can undertake a major bathroom remodel; plumbing, electric and heat will have to be rerouted; a door removed and closed over and a wall knocked down and new one built. So, that will have to wait.

Until then, I'll just look at these photos and dream.

Rest In Peace Kate

I found out today that folk singer Kate McGarrigle, the mother of Rufus Wainwright, succumbed to cancer yesterday. I never met her but Anne did once, when she, David, Melissa and Corinne got to go backstage in Baltimore to meet Rufus. They told me that she was in the bathroom and kept talking to Rufus through the door and later, encouraged him to load up on food at the backstage buffet.

Even though she was known world-wide and was a successful singer/musician, I guess one never gets over the starving artist days. Musicians will rarely turn down free food.

She was a gifted musician and writer, irreplaceable to her family and the world is a little less brighter tonight for her loss.

An Anniversary

Today is the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and I have the day off from work. It's hard to write about him because what can be said about Dr. King that hasn't already been said?

He was a father, named for his father; a leader; an icon for his and future generations and a symbol that perhaps one day we will not look at people by the color of their skin, but instead by the substance of their person.

But today is also the anniversary of something much more personal to me. Today is the 46th anniversary of my father's death.

My father, also named for his father, died in Kenbridge, VA on Jan. 18, 1964. I was ten years old, the oldest of four children.

I remember that our landlord Tommy Maybush and a police officer came to our door in Staunton to tell my mother. Her first words, as I remember, were expressing concern for us, her children.

My father fell from a water tower that he was painting in a distant town in the southwest corner of our state, away from his family. He was a steeplejack; a person that painted tall and dangerous structures like steeples, bridges, water towers.... As best as anyone knows, he became overcome by the odor of the paint and fell down the inside of the tower. They told my mom he was probably dead before he hit the bottom, but I don't believe that. I think that is something that people tell the loved ones so they won't suffer as much, thinking of the pain that such a fall would bring.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a savior of sorts and the death of my father in a way brought salvation to me. My father was a troubled person, an alcoholic, who struggled with his life and who had tried to end it on more than one occasion. I have often wondered what would have happened to our family if he had lived. I don't know if we would have even had a chance. He drove us in his car when he was drunk; he threatened the lives of our mother and us if she would ever try to leave. He was a binger and we never knew when he would show up, drunk. Who knows what would have become of four little children in such an unstable and volatile environment?

The many good qualities of my dad were overshadowed to me by the realities of his alcoholism, though I have long ago dealt with the facts of his life and death. It's not even that painful to me anymore, but on this day, a day when we celebrate the birth of someone who brought hope to so many people, I feel emotional thinking about it.

I loved my father. I wish that he could have been healthy and lived. I missed him. I still miss him, not so much that he died but that he lived in a way that he could not be a real father.

He was handsome. He was charming. He was an alcoholic. He was my father.

I Wish I Could

I wish I could make everything right for everyone. I guess that is a typical female approach...when loved ones hurt, you want to fix it, to make it all okay, to make them happy.

Only it can't be done. As children or others that you love grow up they meet challenges that are hard for them. At times the challenges they face are overwhelming, or can seem to be so. It's hard to sit back and let them struggle. It has to be done though. If you keep your child from experiencing pain, if you can fix whatever is wrong, if you can make things better....you shouldn't.

Adult children, no matter what the age, need to learn to handle their own problems or they will be forever unsure of their own abilities; they will never have confidence or faith in themselves. Some of us have such a hard time with finding our own path. Too much help can be forever disabling.

Children of all ages need love, support, caring....but we all must learn to walk the road which we choose, knowing that eventually, it will lead to a destination. And then we can rest for a while.

Extremely Unproductive

For most of the first part of the day, I laid on the couch and watched television. First, Law and Order, Criminal Intent and then HGTV. A variety of shows.

But I did make soup for dinner with ground turkey and vegetables. And I made an Apple-Pear Tart for dessert for tomorrow.

Rachel is stopping by on her way from SC back to DC so we are having lunch. Mom is coming over too.

The Menu: ham, cheese spaetzle, peas, biscuits and the tart.

This is the third Sunday in a row that I have cooked a really good lunch. I hope everyone doesn't think I am going to keep doing it....

Tired and Allergic

Today I went to visit a co-worker that is recovering from surgery. I stayed for quite a while even though I was under attack the entire time....from my allergies.

She has a cat and a rabbit. I am really, really allergic to rabbits. If someone has a rabbit fur jacket on, I can't ride in the same car. And that is for a dead animal...you can imagine what a live one will do to me.

I live with three cats and yet, they don't bother me much, in spite having cat allergies. But, I think you kind of get used to your own cats. Strange cats will really give me fits.

Anway, my eyes hurt and I am tired...the aftermath of an allergy attack. I think I will go to bed and read, even though it is only 8:12 PM. Or I may go lay on the couch and nap.

So many options.

My horoscope today says that my mood is aggressive, but that is so wrong because I don't feel aggressive at all. I'm not even going to argue with my husband about letting me watch Law and Order on tv instead of the old movie he is watching.

I am just going to fade silently into sleep. Until I begin snoring.....

No News Is...No News

I was thinking that I could call this post "No News Is Good News" and then I started thinking about how that just isn't true at all.

Some cliches are cliches because they are more often than not, correct. But not this one. Think about all of the terrible things that can happen and you just haven't found out about it yet.

So, I just decided that No News was just that....No News.

Some Good, More Bad

The good is that the person who bid on my Ebay auction and had neither communicated with me nor paid finally paid, so now I don't have to relist the items.

The bad is that Jason did not get the job he was poised to take; the company lost half of their business from a very large client, and they had to rescind the job offer. Not only was this a crushing blow to him but also to Rachel. She is so lonely there without him and it is difficult financially with two apartments and two sets of utilities.

It is difficult to stay positive in light of such disappointing news, but he will make a great employee for someone, and I know he will eventually land a job. But right now they are both very disappointed. And I am disappointed as well. I am a firm believer though in looking on the bright side of life. A door shuts, another door shuts, eventually a door opens. And you go through. It all works to shape our life experience and help us grow to be better and wiser.

And as disappointing as this is, there are a lot of people in Haiti right now who have lost their home, their friends, their families...everything. And I have to think that as difficult as it is for Rachel and Jason, they still have so much.

A friend at church lost her daughter this past fall. She died from an allergic reaction after she injected what she thought was a drug that she and her boyfriend were using. They were both drug researchers. I never met Carrie, but by all accounts she was brilliant, a brilliant researcher with her PhD; an exceptional person and liked by everyone who knew her.

I'm thinking about her because she would have been 30 this coming Saturday; only four months older than Rachel. I still have my daughter and Marianne doesn't.

When I was talking to Rachel earlier, she said that life is not fair.

No, it's not. Life is never going to be fair, but fortunately we are more than that. We can get up and keep going. When we miss our boyfriend; when we miss out on a job; when we lose a child; when our country loses many children.

No, it definitely isn't fair. But good or bad, it's just life.

Dinner Out!

Tonight was Mr. Gattis night for our school; the restaurant will give the school a percentage of the sales, depending on how many people from our school came to eat. I handed out homework passes for the first hour and 20 minutes, then Neal, Sarah and Anne came and we ate dinner together. There were a lot of people from school; several staff members and a lot of students and their families.

When my girls were little, we used to eat there often. The restaurant charged 25¢ per each year of the child's age, up to age 12, so when they were little bitty things it was a cheap place to eat lunch. Plus, they had a room with a big television and cartoons, so my girlfriends and I could sit and talk and the kids were entertained too. Those days are long gone, but I guess it is in Anne's and Sarah's blood, because they still don't mind eating there. Although we don't sit in the cartoon room anymore.

Not much to say today. I took my car to get repaired yesterday so I am driving a little rental Hyundai. I'll be glad to get my car back. This one is fine but I am uncomfortable, thinking that something is going to happen to it. And, I just like my car better.

I brought a log of work home but I don't think I'll do it; I think instead I'll go take a warm bath and read my Newsweek. I also have a new book from the library, Cutting for Stone. It's the book club book for this month. I know nothing about it.

I have built the fire up from the ashes that were there when I got home, but the house is still chilly, so I think the warm bath will win out over the hearth. And maybe even early to bed tonight...

I Wonder....

I wonder, if you ate something really cold, then drank something really hot, would your teeth crack?

I took my car to get fixed today. Before Christmas a woman who lives down the street from my school ran into me as I was pulling up to a red light and she was pulling out of her driveway. It wasn't terrible damage and no one was hurt, but I have to have a new door and some other repairs. I have a rental to drive while they are fixing the car.

So, I got home close to 5:00 today, popped some popcorn and watched Law and Order on tv. A second episode came on and then the next thing I know I woke up and it was almost 8:00. Dinnertime had come and gone, but fortunately there were some leftovers. I followed that with the ice cream, then tea, which led to my initial question.

Fortunately my teeth seem to be fine, so I guess I am ok for now.

A Poem

She wakes in the afternoon,
A scowl on her face.
She pours coffee,
Smokes a cigarette.
Who is she?

I birthed her,
But I don't know her.

Breaking Up Christmas

There is an old-time song called Breaking Up Christmas, originating from the mountain custom of having a party to end the period of Christmas celebrations, coinciding roughly with Epiphany. With the end of the Christmas season, came a return to regular life. I already returned to work from Christmas break, but today I took down the Christmas tree.

As they are for many families, the ornaments on our tree are special. There are ornaments that I made in the early years of our marriage, when we didn't have much money to spend on decorations; there are ornaments that the girls and I have made in school or at home over the years; there are ornaments that we have received as gifts and there are ornaments that I have collected.

So really, our tree is a story of our lives reflecting our travels, hobbies and growth over the years. I found myself thinking about the ornaments as I took them down; the places where they had been purchased, the people who had bought or made them, and I begin to reflect on our life as a family.

This year at Christmas, Rachel had just finished her first semester of grad school; when I take the tree down next year, she'll be beginning her last semester. Her boyfriend is close to finding a job so that he can join her. What will life bring for them a year from now?

Next year Sarah will be finishing up her last semester in her quest for a second bachelor's degree. What will her future bring?

Anne has been home for a little more than three months now. After a difficult last few years with the many challenges she has faced, is she getting ready to move forward? What changes are ahead for her?

And Neal; after spending 2 1/2 years to get his Associates degree, he too is seeking a new direction, a new job after working a lifetime for his family.

Maybe there are family members and friends who won't be with us next year; we can be certain that our lives will change in the coming year, for better or for worse. I don't know which. Maybe some of both.

If I could see into the future, would I want to? I don't think so. Sometimes it is tempting to know what lay ahead but I think I'll just take life as it comes, say a prayer and hope for the best.

TGIF

It's not a very original title, but I am thankful that it is Friday. I don't feel so good and I'm glad I am home with nothing that has to be done.

All week my chest has hurt on the left side; asthma, I think. Finally today I broke out the inhaler and got very minimal relief. I've had the inhaler for a while so I checked the expiration date: October, 2008. I put in a call to the pharmacy, who sent a fax to the doctor's office, who returned a call or fax to the pharmacy and a few hours and 35.00 later, I had a new inhaler.

It helps, but I still feel tired and the symptoms are not completely gone.

We had a two hour delay for school today. There was snow forecast last night and it did snow for about five minutes, then it turned to a light rain. With the sub-freezing temperatures we are having I suppose there were icy patches. The only ice that caused any problem for me was the ice holding my car door stuck. I had to use both hands to pull it open.

About 1:00 this afternoon the receptionist called down to the room and asked if I would come translate for a parent who was in the office; our translator was in a meeting at the high school and apparently there was no one else available, even though we have four other staff members who are fluent Spanish speakers. So, I went and did the best I could. The lady said that her son was not at school today because she didn't understand about the delay; there was a phone message but it was in English. She didn't understand the information on the television and her son is only in kindergarten so it wasn't like he could translate for her or anything. They had waited for the bus at 7:00 and it when it didn't come, she didn't understand.

She said that she doesn't have a car so she couldn't bring him (a friend had brought her to the school) and that she works so going to school later is a problem because there is no one at home to watch him. I agreed that it was.

The challenges that families face are so numerous. Those of us who have easier lives have a hard time relating.

These are topics to reflect upon at a later date. The couch in front of the fire, my easy life, awaits.

Martha Stewart Is Crazy

I was eating a piece of Dove chocolate the other day and after popping it into my mouth I stopped to read the message inside the wrapper. It was a suggestion from Martha Stewart. It said to include your children in holiday preparations by letting them write a newsletter to send to friends and family.

Wow. I can only imagine what our newsletter would look like if I let my kids write it. It probably would not be the type of thing that could be read in polite company.

But, that made me wonder what Martha's daughter would say if she were given free reign to write their family newsletter? Would she echo Martha's image of home and hearth? Or would she say her mother was crazy?

I became convinced that Martha Stewart was dangerously unbalanced several years ago while watching her television program and observing her obsessive system for cleaning and storing her table linens. With a completely straight face, she instructed viewers on the proper techniques for washing and folding the linens, complete with tissue paper (which had a purpose that I have forgotten). The most disturbing part of the show was the faraway dreamy look she got in her eyes when she described how she coveted the linen closets of a family for whom she once babysat. I fully expected her to begin drooling as she described in detail the many storage cabinets and how she had always wanted to have linen cabinets like those.

It's not all craziness in Martha's world though; a few years back, when she was promoting her bed linens for Kmart, she actually starred in a video demonstrating the proper way to make a bed. My sister took our children into the store and made them watch it. I don't know that it helped. Our kids never learned to make a bed with a top sheet so tight you could bounce a quarter on it, but I don't blame Martha. Her instruction was flawless.

H1N1

Today I got shot...the H1N1 shot that is. They had a nurse giving them at work and she was great...I didn't feel the needle go in at all. So now I'm reasonably protected from both the flu and the uber flu.

Work went well today....and I brought some work home to do....it's still really cold. I will take my work to the den where it is warm. There are only three pieces of wood left out in the wheelbarrow, so Neal has graciously agreed to go get another load.

I love having a wood stove. It's a good thing I have a job or I would probably spend the entire winter on my couch in the den....I completely understand the rationale of hibernation.

The Kids Came Back

Today was the first day back with the children. It went well...they always seem very happy to come back to school after a long break. They all seemed very tired too.

Since it was so cold, we didn't go out to play till after rest time. Only one of the kids had gloves in spite of the fact that I had given them all (donated) gloves before Christmas. I have extras in the classroom so by the time I made sure that they were all zipped up, hats or hoods and gloves on, we only had about 20 minutes to play. They discovered that the water on top of the sandbox cover had frozen and they had great fun using it like their own personal ice rink.

Lesson Plans.....
After work we had a staff meeting to talk about restructuring. Our school has not made Adequate Yearly Progress so we have to make significant changes to raise our test scores. It is extremely stressful for most of the staff. Today our principal went over 12 expectations which included things like having lesson plans visible each day. It is hard for me to understand how teachers, people who call themselves professionals, can think that they can come to school each day without plans. I mean anyone can wing it once in a while and be fine, but to systematically teach the SCOS, you need to plan. Mindboggling....I really feel that if teachers can't even fulfill the most basic requirements (like showing up with lesson plans), well, there are other people who need jobs, people who will be happy to show up with lesson plans.

Prayer in School....
I think it is safe to say that I pray everyday in school. I am passionate about my job and care deeply about my students. I pray for them and their families. I pray that I can give them what they need to succeed and grow to be responsible adults. But, I don't want to pray in staff meetings.

Today after our principal's presentation, two staff workers got up and spoke. I don't know if they had asked to speak or if they had been asked to speak. The first one gave a talk that I guess was supposed to be inspirational...I'm not really sure. But it wasn't....it was mildly amusing at times and did have some truth and good points, but mostly a waste of time.

The second teacher gave a short talk and also led a prayer with the staff. This bothers me on so many levels....first of all, this is a PUBLIC school...open to all faiths and lack of. Yet her prayer was specifically to God, the Father and Jesus. I am a Christian; my faith is very important to me, yet prayer in public places is very disturbing to me. It reminds me of Christ in the Bible chastising the Pharisees for their public display of faith. So, I didn't pray, didn't close my eyes and on the short survey that we had to turn in on our way out of the meeting I wrote that I thought prayer at staff meetings was very inappropriate. I wonder if I will hear any feedback about my comment.

I was tired from staying up late for the last two nights, so after the meeting, I took my Ebay packages to the Post Office and then went home and pretty much crashed on the couch for most of the evening. It's a little after 10:00 now and I am headed to bed very soon.

First Day Back at Work

This was the first day back at work for me; it was an optional workday, but I chose to work since I didn't bring any work home over the holidays. I got a fair amount done, but never enough and I have to finish my lesson plans tonight.

I also sold several items on Ebay (some Spode Christmas tablecloths, Spode tea kettle and some Waechtersbach china) so I have to package some of those up and take them to the post office tomorrow. When I sell something I like to ship it as quickly as I can after receiving the money so that people receive their packages quickly.

I went to the postoffice today to mail my New Year's cards and also to send a package. Since I was right down the street from my friends the Pachecos I decided to stop and give them the caramel popcorn and jar of muffin mix that I made for them for Christmas. I had been carrying it around in my car for the last week. Unfortunantly they were not there, so I left it. They called later to thank me and it was nice to talk to them.

Soooo...big news for today....it is cold, cold, cold. When I got home from work the ashes were very deep in the wood stove and no one had kept the fire going. I don't like working all day and coming home to find that no one has kept the fire going; now it will take the rest of the evening to catch up. Anne has been in Asheville for a week but now that she is home, she'll take care of it.

I am curious as to how my students will be tomorrow. Usually after a vacation they seem eager to return to school and to the routine. I have some criers this year and I wonder if they will cry after being at home for two weeks. I hope not.

We have lots of fun activities planned for the next few weeks. We will be studying about winter, weather and clothing, so I stocked the dramatic play area with scarves, hats, coats, gloves, etc. Of course, there are a couple of sparkly fantasy outfits in there as well!

Rachel said that Jason's job interview (in DC) went well today and he will know by Friday. I do so want for him to get a job in DC! He is one of three contenders out of 280 applicants...he would be great at the job. If he gets it, then there are two other people that won't get hired, but I am going to feel selfish and I really hope he gets it.

Tomorrow Rachel has an interview for an internship; the project she would be working with is called Paper to Pearls and it is an initiative where Ugandan women refugess make these beautiful beaded necklaces out of paper! They are finished with an acrylic and they look like glass. They are really lovely and with the money they earn, the women are able to feed and clothe their families, and even buy extras. It is a wonderful program and I think it is very empowering for women to know that they can support their families.

I am hoping for the best for both Rachel and Jason.

Now back to lesson plans......

Sunday

I stayed home all day today. It is cold, really cold for here; in the low teens this morning and not even close to above freezing today. So, I stayed in, kept the fire going in the woodstove, fixed a Key Lime pie, rosemary bread, scalloped potatoes and a roast for dinner and did some reading and Ebay listing.


We have three outdoor cats and even though they have incredibly thick long hair and are used to being outdoors, it is exceptionally cold, so last night I made them a bed on the front porch with an old sleeping bag and extra blankets. They seemed to like it; this morning they were all curled up together, but I decided to improve upon it. So I made a top by using two folding chairs, a board and another blanket. I think it will keep them even warmer since they are now completely enclosed.
(I don't know where the other two cats are...Jamie seemed to be the only one taking advantage of the new accomodations.)


I go back to work tomorrow but the students don't come until Tuesday. It's great having Monday for a workday because I didn't bring one single bit of work home for over the holidays. Which is unbelievable for me because I am always thinking about my job. But I wanted to have a vacation where I didn't need to think about it and in fact, the other day I was having trouble remembering my student's names......

A word about laziness. I have always thought of myself as lazy. I do work really hard at my job and on other projects that I choose to do but sometimes it takes me a long time to finish things. And I rarely ever seem to accomplish as much as I want to do. Or think I should do. Days go by when I don't do anything at all except read, lay on the couch, surf the web or watch reruns of Law and Order.

But I have been thinking that maybe I am not so lazy as I am just undisciplined. I don't seem to have any trouble giving myself permission to goof off. I think I need to look for a balance between working really hard and not doing anything at all. It seems to be feast or famine with me. Part of why I am writing this blog is my attempt to insert some discipline into my life. Maybe it will help. I hope so.



A picture of my den with both windows and the curtains I put up yesterday.

Day Two

I stayed up too late last night so I got up at 10:00 this morning with high hopes of maybe cleaning/organizing my bedroom. It didn't happen.

I did hem a new pair of curtains for my living room/den. They came from Ikea (I love Ikea) and match the pair I already had. I had used one pair for two windows with each panel pulled to the side. I wasn't happy with it so I bought another pair to actually hang a full pair at each window.

My den is a big wooden box. The walls are oak boards and the floor is oak and it is all stained the same color, so the effect is less than overwhelming. Or it is overwhelming...just too much wood. So I am always looking for ways to soften it and add more color and variety. I think the new curtains look nice.

Word of caution: when you buy curtains from Ikea and you plan to shorten them; do NOT measure from the bottom; take the extra time and trouble and measure from the top. Ikea leaves the bottom of their curtains unhemmed and they include a handy iron-on hemming strip with each pair so that you can easily customize the length. BUT the curtains are likely to be different lengths, so if you measure from the bottom (as I did to start) you may end up with curtains of different lengths. Just a word of advice.

So, I neglected to send out Christmas cards this year. Again. I bought them. I composed a very short newsy update to include. But I never sent them out. Instead I created and printed a New Year's card complete with my short newsy update, finished addressing the envelopes and have the cards ready to mail. Except that I need stamps. I put my coat on over my jammies and headed down to the mailbox to leave a check for the mail carrier in hopes that he would have stamps today. No luck, because as I started down my driveway, the mail carrier was pulling away. There was no way I could catch him, so the letters are sitting by my computer, sans stamps. I will have to actually go to the post office on Monday.

I cleaned out the guinea pig cage and as I was washing my hands a car pulled up. It was an acquaintance of my husband's who had brought a friend by to visit, only mi esposo was not present since he had gone to run an errand. I invited them in our nice warm house (it is really cold outside) and we chatted while waiting for Neal to return. In between chatting and checking on the soup I was fixing for dinner, I wondered if these two men found it curious that I was in my pajamas.

After dinner I finished putting together a shelf I bought at (where else) Ikea. This is part of my reorganizing of our back hall. Last week I put together a bench with compartments for shoes but the shelf did not go together as smoothly. I had to set it aside until later...which was today. Using my new screwdrivers and drill bits that I got for Christmas and with some help from Neal and Sarah, I finished assembling the shelf and got it mounted. It has a double row of hooks, a shelf and compartments so it will prove to be much more useful than the single board with Shaker pegs that it replaced.

I would post pictures of all of these things but it seems that the card readers and USB ports on my computer are not working. So now I get to figure out what is wrong with them...NOW...I really want to post the photos!

UPDATE:

Thanks to following Dell's on-line help topics my card reader magically appeared! So, here are the photos from today's projects.

Here is one of my windows with the full pair of curtains. I took this without the flash to reflect the warmth that I see when I look at my den.

Here are pictures of the shelf w/compartments, the bench with shoes and the two together. It's wonderful now that we do not have shoes strewn about everywhere. Especially since I am prone to tripping over them in the night.

January 1, 2010

Today is the first day of my life as a blogger. This is my New Year's resolution; to write every single day.

I don't like getting to the end of the year and not really being able to remember what I did during the year. Today I was at a party and someone remarked that they had seen me there last year on New Year's Day, only I don't think I was there....I'm pretty sure I went kayaking that day. Anyway, I guess what I really want is a record of my life. A searchable, organized record of my life.

I can't really hand write a journal because I have carpal tunnel syndrome and it's hard to write a lot. And my handwriting is messy and hard to read. So it was pretty much a given that I would type my journal. But why make it public? To be honest with myself, I don't know. I just did. So. I don't really intend to put deeply personal material in this blog or to use it to vent or pour out my deepest feelings; I just want it to be a record of sorts.

So, today, Jan. 1, 2010 I begin my life as a blogger and I am committing to writing something every day, even if it is just a sentence.

I feel hopeful today. This is not just a new year but a new decade. This is the decade in which I will retire, although near the end of the decade, but this is the one.

The last few years have been difficult and I have high hopes for continued improvement and that the difficulties and heartache I have experienced will be left behind. For a while.

Today I went to the annual Carlin/Smith Household New Year's Day party. People came to visit, eat and play music. I didn't take my bass but I did take food. I saw Alice G., Tom M., Lynn M and his girlfriend Cindy, Debbie and Aaron M., Rich H., Steve T. and their friend Ralph. That's about it.

Alice told me about her new 8 month old puppy, Willie, and we discussed the current energy situation. We agreed that we like to see the giant windmills that some people think are so ugly because it represents renewable power. We moved on to the health care crisis and discussed how angry we are about the poor insurance and high prices that everyone must pay for the poor insurance. It is a somewhat hopeless feeling that our elected officials care more about politics and money that actually working together to create a solution that works. Oh well....

Now my daughter Sarah is cooking split pea soup and it smells good; a Law and Order:SVU marathon is on television; there is a fire in the woodstove in the den and the Christmas tree is still up with it's colorful and welcoming lights. So, it is goodbye computer and hello comfy couch.

Here is to 2010. Happy New Year.