Happy Christmas Eve

Hope you have time to relax and enjoy the evening with family and friends.

A different kind of Christmas video

Hooray!

Hooray!  School is out for two weeks and one day!!  Time for all teachers to take a *well needed* rest from school.  Now it's time to shop and wrap and clean and address and mail and get-ready-for-Christmas-time!!  While I will still probably wake up early, it will just be nice to not have to be somewhere at a certain time each morning. I can just relax and enjoy my morning coffee.  And after two weeks and one day, I'll be ready to go back and face my thirty-five ten-year-olds with renewed vigor and a fresh attitude!

In case you didn't know . . .

I am thankful for my family, my friends, my job, my health, my home . . . and so much more. 
Hope you all have a wonderful day filled with food and fun!

Just heard this on the news . . .

CHRISTMAS IS TWO MONTHS FROM TODAY!!!

Yikes!!  Here's my advice:

Hi Blogger Friends & Family

It's been a while since I've blogged.  But now that I'm an official Facebook "hater" I think I'll spend more time posting on my blog.

If you're not a Facebook user, you still might have heard in the news that Facebook has changed the way you see postings on the homepage.  I thought maybe I was one of the few that was frustrated by the changes, but no, now it's coming out that there are LOTS of us that liked it better before.  "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" is the refrain I hear most often.  They say they need to do it to "keep current."  They say "we'll get used to it."  They say more changes are coming that will make it even better.  I say I liked it the way it was!!!  And yes, I know that Facebook is free, but clearly Zuckerberg, et. al. seem to be making lots of money (via advertisers) so I think it is in their best interest to keep their users happy. And I am among those who are not happy with the changes!!!

Users not happy with new Facebook changes

          

As if I don't have other things to worry about.  Like a 6-ton satellite plummeting to Earth . . . and NASA having no idea where it might land.  Oh, I take that back.  They had an idea --- a huge swath of area from the bottom of the North Pole to the top of the South Pole.  Ohhh, that's comforting!  Luckily, it seems to have landed somewhere in the Pacific Ocean --- although they're not 100% sure.

So many things to worry about . . . Facebook, satellites, the sudden blackout in Southern California due to one man's actions in Yuma, AZ . . .

:-)  So many things to be blogging about!

Summer Fun

Spent a few days at the La Quinta Resort out near Palm Springs. The day we got there we were greeted with a short thunder and lightening show with some refreshing rain. The next day it hit 112 degrees. We spent the day at the pool, me in a 'floatie' most of the day. Came home with a sunburn on my back and upper thighs that h-u-r-t-s. But it was worth it. We had a GREAT time. La Quinta has beautiful grounds and a long history. We did a lot of walking around and enjoying the grounds. I didn't make it to the spa on this visit, but I've been there before and it is wonderful. This was a nice get-away and a much needed mini-vacation before school starts up again in a few short weeks!

"Week in the Life"

Ali Edwards project "Week in the Life" starts TODAY!  You can check this project out at http://aliedwards.com/projects/     Then grab your camera, and get started!  This is the second year I'll be doing this project, and it's a lot of fun!  This is the first time it's being done in the summer months, which for me, will be a lot different than when it's during the school/work part of the year.

(The picture above is from Ali's blog; my first picture of today was my cat Patches, greeting me as I awoke this morning, sitting on my bed.)

diets. friends. life.

Blew my diet last night.  Big time.

Met a friend for dinner.  At Islands.  And you know what that means???

 

CHEDDAR FRIES---Island Fries covered w/melted cheddar & scallions

Okay, they were GOOD!!!  And I did have a salad as my main course, so that cancels out all the calories of the fries, right?!?!

The best part, of course, was seeing my friend.  Talking.  Laughing.  Commiserating.  We don't get together as often as we should.  Life gets in the way.  And yet, what is life,
but friends, laughing, connecting?  

So what's a thousand calories among friends?

Note to self:  spend more time with good friends.  Try to stay on your diet.  But don't forget to enjoy your life, including the occasional cheese fries!

 



Make every day a scrapbooking adventure

visit the awesome creator of this video at http://www.shimelle.com/

Red, White and Blue

This is what I wish the front of my house looked like for the 4th of July.

http://secondchancesbysusan.blogspot.com/

Soooo cute!!

Portland

Had a wonderful week in Portland, Oregon, visiting family and friends and seeing the sights.

 

 

 

 

Dave and me with his two brothers and sister-in-law (having some Pinot Noir at a winery in the Willamette Valley).



Reconnecting with old high school friends . . . priceless!

It was a great way to get the summer started!

doodleart by Stephanie Ackerman

School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks

Well we got no class
And we got no principles
And we got no innocence

We can't even think of a word that rhymes
School's out for summer
School's out forever

School's been blown to pieces
No more pencils
No more books

No more teacher's dirty looks
Out for summer
Out till fall

We might not go back at all
School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely

Memorial Day 2011

Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

eight.

only eight.

only eight days left of school!!

ahhhhhh . . . . . . . .

Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there,
and especially to MY mom!  

Happy Easter, Peeps!

Happy Easter everyone!  We had a great day with family, a large  brunch, and lots of Peeps.

I love Peeps.  Always have, ever since I was small.  Don't know the allure of them, but I always buy them for Easter.

This year, I was intrigued by Peeps Week from Love From the Oven and other blogs showcasing Peeps.  So, with my packages of Peeps at the ready, I decided to try some new and different ideas.

First up, I tried to recreate the "dipped Peeps on a stick" I saw at Love From the Oven.  Here's what it looked like on her blog:

Here's what mine ended up looking like:

Okay, they don't look quite the same.  But they tasted GREAT (if you like a huge sugar rush!)



My next attempt was to make the "Tuxedo Peeps" from Babble.  Here's what they look liked on that site:

And here are the way mine turned out:

MUCH closer to the original than my attempt at "Peeps on a stick"!! 



To add to the Peep-a-Rama happening here on Easter Sunday, my mom brought me some packaged Chocolate-Covered-Peeps:

(Although according to one blog I read, the prepacked Peeps aren't sugar coated like regular Peeps so the chocolate will stick better on them. But if you dip your own Peeps at home, you get to put the chocolate on top of the existing Peeps that come covered with sugar already --- thus leading the the sugar rush!!!)
 
And my sister brought over some Chocolate-Mousse-Flavored-Peeps:

 

Fun times with Peeps!!   :)

Hope you had a great Easter too!



one hundred things

         Have you heard about the 100 Thing Challenge, where a 'guy named Dave' decided to live with just 100 things for a year?  Here's what he said about it:
        "The 100 Thing Challenge has been a way to personalize my efforts to fight American-style consumerism and live a life of simplicity, characterized by joyfulness and thoughtfulness."
         I like things.  I especially like my things.  In fact, we joke at my house that I may having hoarding tendencies because I have a hard time parting with things sometimes.  (I watch some of those shows about Hoarders to try to inoculate myself from ever actually becoming a full-fledged hoarder.)
         Living with just 100 things?!?!  Yikes!  I think I have 100 things just in my bathroom cupboard, under the sink.  (I'll count how many things are under there later, and report back).  In fact, I probably have 100 things in one of my drawers in the bedroom, where I keep odds and ends.  (I'll have to count in there, too).
         However, I do agree that we all have too many "things."  I am acutely aware that in America, we have more stuff than we know what to do with, especially when juxtaposed next to countries we see on the nightly news where a person can haul all of their belongings in one container on their back. 
         I also know that I could NOT live with just one hundred things.  So, here's my own 100 Thing Challenge ---  I am going to GIVE AWAY 100 things.  I'm going to go through my house and find one hundred things that I can give away to charity.
        Just getting RID OF 100 things will be my personal challenge.
        I'll let you know how it goes!

It's here!

Spring Break is here!!
I am SO happy!!!!

(Spring blocks from: http://karismaheartsavannah.blogspot.com/)

A great way to start the weekend . . . PHOTO

Don't know why the picture I took of Mike during our packaging stint on Saturday isn't showing up on the blog.  If you click on the little x on the post I did earlier today, you should be able to see the picture.  I'll also try to post it below . . .  but you may need to click on it, too, to see my handsome son.    :-)

A great way to start the weekend

My son Mike and I started Saturday morning by packing food to help feed the hungry in San Diego, Haiti, and Japan.  I've been wanting to help out for awhile, and finally signed us up to help.  Over 2,400 people were expected to show up over the weekend, to package 500,000 meals!  The packaging included a vitamin packet, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables and rice being put into a bag, then sealed and packaged.  Mike handled double duty, placing the vitamin packs in the bags and helping place the items in the bag.  My task was the dehydrated veggies (seen in the lower right hand corner of the picture).  The organizers made it a fun event, with music playing and everyone in a good mood, very encouraging and excited about the task at hand.   The packages we put together can feed a family of 6.  The whole event makes you think about how EXTREMELY lucky we are!!

Maybe it's just me . . .

With everything that's been happening in the world recently,

Japan earthquake and tsunami . . .

Libya unrest, United Nations Resolution and
subsequent air and missile strikes . . .




. . . I just can't seem to get this song out of  my mind . . .

Good job!

Congratulation to my hubby, who in his retirement,
decided to take on a part time job.

Two days a week.

Had to learn a new computer system,

which almost sent him over the edge.

But he persevered.

And was his usual charming self with his coworkers and customers.

While attending his company's annual "Awards Ceremony"
in Los Angeles,

he called me and said he had quite a surprise that evening.

"Guess who was named  'Associate Manager of the Year'?"

Yep.  It was him. 

We both had kind of a good laugh over it.
So unexpected.

But it really speaks to the kind of person he is.

No matter if it's his 'career' or his part-time retirement job

 (the better to keep us in "wine money"),

his dedication and hard work shines through.

Congratulations, honey.

(Don't let it go to your head!)  :-)



Tuesday night dinner

Could this kind of thing be in your genes?
  My mom loves frozen yogurt.
  Now, I'm hooked on it too.
My favorite is the tart flavor at the
In the Mix Yogurt Shop in Poway.

I try to get the non-fat or low-fat variety.
But when they have the Cake Batter or the Red Velvet flavors,
I add a dollop of them too,

because the flavors are too yummy to resist.

:-)   Mmmmmm!

Can't seem to get enough of these . . .

Baby Laughing Hysterically at Ripping Paper

Inspiration

I think I need to watch this every morning to get the inspiration I need to teach my students, and to remember how I wish to interact with others that I come into contact with each day!

Keep Calm and . . .

I've always liked this sign:

Wikipedia says about the original poster:
Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, intended to raise the morale of the British public under the threat of impending invasion. It was little known and never used. The poster was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private sector companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of other products. There are only two known surviving examples of the poster outside of government archives.

The Keep Calm and Carry On website shows this about its history:

 The original saying, however, has begun to morph into other sayings and uses. I have used some of the knockoff sayings on some holidays:

I started to look around the Internet for other sayings, and did I find a lot!

Thought I'd share a few here.

 

 

I like this one, which basically states
the opposite of Keep Calm and Carry On . . .

 

Of course, being a fan of coffee
(can't start my day without it),
I really like this one . . .

I know some people who need this
one posted close to them
(though I won't name names)  . . .

Being a teacher, this one makes me smile . . .

I personally never watched 'Sex and the City"
but I loved the play on words

that this one has . . .

Speaking of a play on words,
this one made me laugh out loud . . .

Yes, this is another one that some
people I know could post . . .

A political one . . .



A few more . . .

And the one to end this blog entry:

Have a happy and calm rest of the week!  : )