Welcome to Welfyville

You can just call me "Professor Mom"

2011-12-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

I've been taking a professional development class in fourth grade science from the district this semester. I had to be pretty much coerced into taking it. I didn't want to take one more class - ever. It is being taught by a district teacher about half my age and a retired professor of education from Westminster College. I ended up liking both the class and the women teaching it. The former professor has also been to my classroom to observe a methods student who taught a couple of lessons to my second grade group. I ended up sitting with the two of them giving some feedback and helping the young lady see that her lesson hadn't been a total failure like she thought.

That evening the professor called me out in the hall. I, of course, thought I had done something wrong...me and my big mouth...but no. She asked me if I had ever thought about teaching at the college level and did I want to consider teaching the science methods course at Westminster? I was surprised and flattered. She told me the college had hired someone to replace her and was dissatisfied with them. She said she was going to talk to the dean. I thought, "Yeah, sure."

The very next day she emailed me and put me in touch with Westminster. Long story sort of short - I'll be teaching science methods for pre-service teachers next semester. It's considered an adjunct instructor position, but I can't get the family to stop calling me Professor Mom.

It fell in my lap, but it's something I've been thinking about for quite some time. Part-time work at a community college or university would be a great thing to do in another city, but most places won't hire you unless you have experience. And here experience came, knocking at my door. I am a bit intimidated by the caliber of the other instructors for the methods classes. I know one personally and have met with another. The level of discourse is incredibly high and I am hoping I have the ability to give my students the quality experience Westminster expects. Fortunately, a colleague is teaching the graduate level of the same course and has offered to share his materials and syllibus with me. He even asked if I would like him to come to the first session and help me get started. YES - of course.

Only time will tell if I have bitten off more than I can chew. I hope not. P.S. I kind of like being called Professor Mom.

Moving On

2011-11-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

We rented a truck this morning and loaded Sean's worldly goods into it. He moved out of the home he bought with his partner and into a friend's spare bedroom. Something went wrong between the two of them and while I don't know exactly what, I think things haven't been good for a while now. They appeared to part friends and we are maintaining a caring if strained relationship with his ex. Sean is disheartened. As his relationship is ending for a reason (or two or three - I haven't asked) he's feeling like a failure. His partner was the first person he was in love with. And though he acknowledges this is for the best in the long run, in the short run it just sucks. His new room mate is a nice guy and it should be a good place for Sean to regroup. Still, I wish my baby didn't have to go through this pain. (Isn't that what mothers always wish for their children?)

All I Want for my Birthday is...

2011-10-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

My family demands that I post this on my birthday and at Christmas. Trouble is, I have become accustomed to seeing something I like and just buying it. I guess I can come up with a few items I haven't immediately thrown money at, like this:

A shower curtain to go behind my shower curtain. Really.
This boombox so I can listen to NPR at work. No, they won't let me stream it.
To go along with the shower curtain this bathmat which isn't as awful as the one I now use.
And finally, this splurge nightgown size XL. I love Eileen West knit gowns. They are super comfortable and soft.
Is that enough? Or maybe this. Or this. Or even this.

Really, a meal cooked by someone else and a slice of THE chocolate cake would be enough.

Row, row, row your boat...

2011-10-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday at the Great Salt Lake with a bunch of insane people. Yeah, they were teachers, so??? We kayaked around a place called Egg Island that is literally covered with seagulls. Who knew there were three different species of those annoying birds in Utah. We don't have a Sea! We do not need seagulls. I had a great time even considering I fell out of the kayak onto some rocks. Yes, I do know how lame that sounds. My arms are black and blue. It's been so warm in my classroom that keeping long sleeves on was difficult. Explaining the bruises was even more difficult. So I put the long sleeved shirt back on.

Population Explosion in Welfyville

2011-08-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Welfybomb joins us here in Welfyville. Tay and Anna will be staying with us until she gets new job. I'm thrilled she's moving back into the city, but I'm a little anxious about our personal population explosion. We'll have six of us here once again. That's a boatload of people. Well, not like we haven't done it before. More kids? Bring it on!

Being a nice guy - er - gal

2011-07-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

I stopped by my new school today. There are two rooms across the hall from each other for the two new science teachers. I was expecting them to be essentially the same. But no. One looks like this:

The other classroom looks a little like this:

So what's a nice gal to do? I really, really want the larger room with the door out to the enclosed outdoor classroom and the lovely high ceilings and tons of storage. And I could just go into the principal and ask for it. I have seniority and more importantly, the principal is a friend of mine. So she would just give it to me. *sigh*

Well, I guess I'll just wait until we meet and we can look at the rooms together. Maybe she'll be the nice gal and say, "Hey, you've got seniority. Why don't you take the larger room?" One can only hope.

Mad Scientist makes Happy Teacher

2011-07-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Recently my days as a teacher left me feeling a little - um - frazzled. There's plenty to blame for the way I feel. But if I'm honest I'd say a good deal of my frustration comes from the fact that I've been doing the same job for several years now and I'm too familiar with the things that should be fixed and can't be. I'm guessing everyone pretty much has those experiences in their life, too. You'd love to be able to do some task the efficient way, the way you know will work and will benefit you, or your company, but there's a reason you can't. Maybe the boss is dead set against it. Maybe it's not economically feasible. Maybe you just don't have the time. Anyway, I've become far too aware of the way I wish things were. For instance, at the beginning of the school year I wish I had time for two important activities - planning the first few days of instruction, both alone and with grade level teams, and setting up my classroom. When I do have to come in for my first contract day what do we do? We sit in meetings where the administration tries to "motivate" us. We go over test results that we already went over the spring before. We listen to the new rules someone at the district thought up for us to have to follow. We get maybe 1/2 day to work in our rooms. It's disheartening, and most of all, totally predictable. I know I could come in a week early and have that planning time. I wouldn't get paid for it, though. So I whine (usually just in my mind) about it.

This year I've been given the opportunity to make a change. I was hired by my old principal, a person I greatly admire and work well with, to teach science all day long. I'll be working with students kindergarten through fifth grade on a rotation, seeing each class twice a week for about an hour. It's an extremely interesting idea and something our district hasn't tried before. I'll be working with another teacher who will be doing essentially the same job with the other half of the school. Together we have a chance to show the district what science specialists can accomplish in terms of raising test scores and contributing to excellent classroom climate.

I don't make a habit of writing about my work here, partly because I want to be careful about what I post about colleagues and students. Also, my life is not all about work. But my life has been a lot about science for a long time now. When I'm not in school I'm reading newspaper articles about the latest scientific findings. (Sometimes I argue out loud with the paper as I read. Mike finds this hilarious.) I look through science catalogs and think about ordering things. I don't generally order them, though, because I don't really have a place to use them. UNTIL NOW! Ha!

So now I'm feeling a little more like I can do a couple more years in the classroom. At least two and maybe three if things work out. It gives me a chance to try something I love. Besides, it'll be a while before I figure out what needs to be fixed that I can't do anything about. So I'm feeling a bit more like:

Oceanside - AAAAAAH!

2011-06-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

				The weather is lovely, the company has been wonderful (Ron and Deb from Phoenix) and the produce is abundant and inexpensive. Ahhhh. Kick back and take yer shoes off.
San Luis Rey Mission garden


Torrey Pines Golf Course looking out to sea. Almost makes you want to take up golf.


Winery hopping in Temecula. I was DD, but tasted just a little bit.

And finally the ocean, and my Don King hair. I need a cut. Know someone in Oceanside?

Party Time

2011-06-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Mike's retirement party was a great success. We started at 4:00 pm and didn't finish until after 11. That's pretty late for the "old" folks. It was fun to see all the band guys that have retired through the years. I wish I could have recorded the stories they told. Makes me remember why I joined the band in the first place. Mike got invited to a couple of gigs, so his idea of never playing again got shot down completely.

Mike and Garry shoot the breeze.

Larry, Jan and Pres hang out with... their wives!

Patti, Kaye, Mark and wife visit on the patio.

Dave, Mike, Stephanie, Bob, Randy and Melanie enjoy Carino's Italian.

Kiddos play blocks and trucks.

Kimmi and Lucas entertain Lincoln friends Joan, Barb, and Jen.

Richard and Mary visit with Bob.

Julianne relaxes with Lincoln colleagues Deonne, Barb and Joan along with Jen, and Dean.

Lucas kicks back with Taylor and Matt (Julie, where did you go?)

Amy created a masterpiece from the old band fridge.

Why I love Linus Torvalds

2011-05-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

Lucas got a job at one of the computer labs at the U. He will be providing help to lab users, but also doing various tasks to keep the computers up and running. Just up his alley. I credit the fact that he knows, uses, and LOVES the Linux operating system for this opportunity. He tried to teach me, but since I am an old dog, I chose not to learn that new trick. He's so pleased with himself I just can't tell you. It's so fun to see him enjoying himself while earning money. That's something we kept telling him would happen when he got to the right job. But secretly, I wondered if he would ever be in the position to actually get the right job. Thank heaven for Linus Torvalds. I would kiss you if I could. Though that probably wouldn't be much of a thrill for him...

Boy are we RETIRED now...

2011-04-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Mike joined the army when he was 19. It was the height of hippyville. He wanted long hair, so he bought a short-hair wig (see photo below) to cover the long stuff. He wanted to wear wacky clothes (after drill and at college) and he wanted to have facial hair (see mustache cut very short and damn, does it hurt when he kisses - oh wait, never mind.) The other thing he really wanted was an earring. But that was just impossible. Until yesterday when his daughters bought him an aquamarine stud at the mall and gleefully watched it installed. BTW - he looks great!

Cheers!

End of an Era, Beginning of an Adventure

2011-04-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

On Monday, March 21st Mike was honored at a retirement ceremony for over 40 years of service to the 23rd Army Band. It was an amazing and very humbling affair where I learned that my DH has the admiration and respect of everyone from the new E3s in his unit up to the Adjutant General of the state. And there was cake.

Short History of Mike in the Military:

"The Wig"

Summer Camp at Camp Williams sometime in the 70s.

1986 with Lucas and Anna

Retirement Ceremony Major General Tarbet awards Mike the Meritorious Service Medal.

Retirement is just a long car drive away.

Two Old Fossils ready for a new adventure!

March? Already?

2011-03-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Norma is settled but not real happy in her new place at Atria. Marianne is back from her annual cruise (even saying "annual cruise" makes me a little bit jealous). Grades are done and turned in for the second trimester at school. I'm nearly finished coughing from a nasty virus. Mike retires in two weeks. It's been a busy little time here in happy valley. Too bad I still had time to read the paper, because following the legislature in their annual stupidfest was the last thing I needed to do while coping with the rest of all that.

Today is the first truly quiet day I've had since about December 31st. That's when Norma got sick and ended up in the hospital. After that all hell broke loose, as they say. We're still mucking up some of the mess. We have a house to finish clearing out so it can be put on the market. We have some items of furniture to sell and other things to find homes for including many, many dolls and miniature tea sets. Clearing out that house has left me with a much longer list of New Year's Resolutions than I normally make (which is none, BTW).

1. Never, EVER collect anything. Just don't do it. If you find you have more of something than you can remember, you have TOO MANY. Time to stop amassing them.
2. Value a good spouse over anything else in your life. Keep him or her happy. Give him back rubs and foot rubs. Rub whatever it takes to get him or her to hang around. A good spouse is priceless.
3. Stop drinking wine before bedtime. It will not help you sleep as much as it will upset your stomach. Even a tiny little bit will upset your stomach because wine does not love you as much as you love it.
4. Write down the awful, awkward, hurtful, and just plain hard things your parents do to you and plan to read those notes when you are in the same fix as they are now. You may save your child some pain.
5. Forgive everyone. Someday they'll have to forgive you.
6. Check before you buy a new toothbrush or bottle of aspirin. You don't need 27 of these things hanging around. No one needs 27 of them. And no one wants the ones you have hiding in your bathroom cabinets.
7. Figure out how to get around your city before someone has to take your car away from you. Then thumb your nose at that person as you hop on the bus.
8. Get help with your finances immediately if you find you can't balance your checkbook. Believe your child or spouse when they tell you how much money you have and don't spend more.
9. When the paramedics have to lift you from the floor to take you to the ER wearing dirty underwear trumps wearing no underwear. Don't take it off if you can't replace it.
10. Tell the people you love often and soon that you value them. Don't wait until it sounds like bribery. You want them to know you love them before they are obliged to take care of you.

There are others, but ten will have to do. I don't think I'll have much trouble following through on most of them. Though I do have a few too many toothbrushes hanging around.

Developments

2011-01-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

Shortly after going back home my mom decided she didn't like being there without use of a car. (Never mind that she never went anywhere except her senior center and the store, both of which we found ways of getting her to...) She "felt like a prisoner" in her home and decided she wanted to move to a senior living community. I am actually very happy for her and feel she has made a good decision. I think she'll be happier somewhere she can see more people daily. She enjoyed staying with us and if it had been possible we might have made that semi-permanent. But with no real bedroom or bath on the main floor it wasn't practical here. Marianne's house would have been better but for the dogs. They are big enough to knock into her and she is none too steady on her feet as it is. So the senior community is a good choice. It's jarringly expensive and her ability to get used to the routines there is questionable. But she has a room reserved and moves next weekend. Why do I feel as if I'm sending one of my children off to college?

Update

2011-01-14T18:50:00.001-08:00

Norma is still at our house recovering. She spent a few nights in the hospital, and now is living here. She may not go home but to assisted living. We're still looking.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve was a bit unusual. We got a call from the medical alarm company just before 7 am. Norma had activated her alarm. We rushed over and found her on the floor. She appeared unhurt, but pretty sick. We ended up calling the paramedics and having her taken to the hospital. Most of her test results came out fine, though there was an indication she had a bleeding ulcer. It took almost 8 hours before they decided to keep her and do more tests. Now we understand it really is a bleeding ulcer and she'll be in the hospital for a few days while they get her back to health. Marianne and I will be using that time to decide if she can still live alone. Meanwhile she's mad as hell to be sitting in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and wires. Happy new year all.

How do you feel about pot?

2010-12-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention that certain members of my circle of acquaintances are quietly smoking a substance that is at the present time illegal. I can't say I'm surprised by this. I imagine that it's quite common for individuals in any circle of friends to do things that are technically illegal. Like parking too near a stop sign, or speeding on the freeway. I personally know adults who have shoplifted and others who have cheated on their taxes. I'm not immune, either. I walked drunkenly down a street shortly after celebrating my engagement. I regularly go faster than I should on roads that are not near schools. I reuse stamps if they haven't been canceled. And I have knowingly kept several extra mints from the bowl at the entrance to Macaroni Grill. But the idea of smoking pot, well, that's kind of different. I worry about the rather serious consequences of the act even as I acknowledge that they rarely happen. I also worry about the problems caused when one is impaired. It likely isn't much different than the effects of alcohol, however, the results can be much more significant. So I wonder how others feel about this. My generation has had their go at laws regulating mind altering substances. What will the next generation do? Is it looked on differently? Should I worry about these friends or just smile and think perhaps I'm just old fashioned?

Forced to tell people what I want

2010-12-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

Along with the obvious, another reason I write this is that we had a dinner party yesterday. People there wanted us to share a memory from our childhood holidays. I have plenty of memories, just nothing I wanted to share with the group in attendance. How does one get oneself out of such a "sharing" situation without looking like a total jerk? When you know, let me in on it, because it made me pretty uncomfortable.

Now to the list:

This is a cute teapot and tea I've been wanting for some time. It doesn't have to be this exact one, but one similar at least.

I would love some Honey Sticks, though I'm pretty sure you can get them locally. And I don't care what variety as long as it isn't something crazy like lemon zest of jalapeno.

The Blind Side DVD

This book about online teaching

I would like a new carry-on suitcase in a color other than black.

I could use a 8 gb SD card for my computer and a new 4 or 8 gb jump drive with a STURDY way to connect it to my key ring.

27" half slip in extra large or size 40 in black.

A couple of seed starting items this and this. Though this is a big item and we're moving...

A back rub from Lucas (not a certificate which I tend to lose)
A dinner cooked by Kimmi
Dinner at Carrabbas from Mike

That's it. I can't think of anything else.

Following the Turkey down Memory Lane

2010-11-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving always makes me think of family. We aren't a big group - five cousins from my mom's side, three from my dad's. We spent our holidays in one of three places. We sometimes went to my mother's mom who lived in Brigham City. More often we went to my dad's mom who lived less than a mile from us. (I walked that route, rain, shine, and snow more times than I can count. I miss it, and her.) We frequently stayed home and people would come to us. We were the only kids in the valley at the time and it was easier, I think, for my grandparents and my aunt to visit us as they could send us off to bed when we got cranky. My aunt was much younger than my dad and had her children later. I was nearly grown when her first was born. We started spending holidays at her home so when her kids got cranky...well you get it. (Sorry, ladies, you did get cranky.)
Anyway, I miss those holidays. Even though our family has made its own traditions based on Mike's family and our own children, I recall moments of those holidays as though they happened yesterday. On Thanksgiving Thursday I made pies using the rolling pin in the photo. It belonged to my Grandma Haynes. (My younger cousins called her Grandma Lucy.) She made her pie crust with lard and cooked her chicken for HOURS. I could never duplicate her cooking. I very much love having something from her kitchen, though. Every time I use it I think about standing at her kitchen counter 'helping' her make something delicious. Yeah, I bet I was quite a help back then. Her kitchen seemed huge to me. Later when my sister was living in that house I realized it was tiny. I think it was Grandma that made it seem big. She had room for all of us in there.
Happy holidays.

Birthday Season

2010-10-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

It's birthday season at our house. It starts in September with Mike's sister Patti's birthday. My brother used to come next in mid-October. Mine is the 26th, then Lucas on the 27th. Finally, Norma's birthday is November 6th. I know we have a small family but it sure seems like the birthdays are squished up together rather than spread throughout the year. Our other birthday season is mid-March to Mid-May. I should really graph them to see if it's more random than it feels. Anyway, if you're a fall baby or know one, happy birthday to you.

Natural Design

2010-10-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

We took a trip up to Logan last weekend to participate in the charrette for the new Logan Nature Center. The team of planners was finding a way to fit a new building into the natural space of Logan Canyon. It was fascinating to see architects, city planners, Stokes Nature Center staff and members, and graduate design students all working toward a common goal of a beautiful and functional space for the site which is called "Second Dam." Mike and I watched and mingled, then helped clean up. Since I have taught classes at the current nature center I had a vested interest in how the classrooms were designed. Here's what I learned: I am a detail person and I have trouble sticking to the big picture. As they discussed their ideas it was all I could do not to cry out, "For God's sake don't put the outdoor classroom that far from the bathrooms! Do you know how long it takes to get twelve four-year-olds up a set of stairs like that????" I barely contained myself which was good because that was not the time to get into details, apparently. They were interested only in how they were situating the different aspects of the center onto the landscape and how the outside would function "in tune with nature." Not the detail of how to get a wheelchair and three dozen fifth graders across a busy parking lot and into a multi-level building. Ah well, my turn will come. I'll be the one crying from the sidelines, "I TOLD you those six-year-olds would need a place to leave their coats and lunches when they visited!"

Meanwhile, we enjoyed the changing leaves in Sardine canyon on the way up and a chance to get away for a night from our busy household. Happy October.

Gettin' Beat Up

2010-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

I had to go have my pacemaker repositioned. It was sticking out in an uncomfortable manner and caught on various things including my bra strap. The doc was afraid it would erode the skin. I was afraid I'd just pull the dang thing out one day while reaching for a bowl in a cupboard. So it had to be re-placed. That's as opposed to "replaced." So now it's under some muscle and much less apt to catch on things. Unfortunately I'm a little bruised and battered. I'll be off work until Monday. I'm grateful for it to be over, but dang - I didn't want to do it over this quickly. I knew I'd have to have the thing messed with after 5 or 7 years. Ah well. Done now and I'm on the mend.

Model U.N.

2010-09-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

So here's the official mix for my classroom this year:

Languages - 6
English
Spanish
Kirundi
Vietnamese
MaiMai
Farsi

Countries - 6
United States
Cuba
Mexico
Kenya
Iran
Burundi

Native American Tribes - 3
Ute
Paiute
Navajo

Students being pulled for special services - 5
Students in gifted program - 0 (students who should be there - 1)
Boys - 11 Girls - 14 Total so far - 25

Teacher aides - 0 Assistants - 0 Clerical help - 0
Cost of living increase this year: -0.5%

Motivation to retire when Mike does - 98%

Cheers!

Back to it

2010-08-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning at the school sorting through the stuff I've purchased or ordered. Found out I double ordered colored pencils and red pens, but hey, those things are always useful. I had some helpers put together the little boxes of pencils, crayons, scissors and so forth while I moved boxes of copy paper off the counter and into storage. The books are in the reading center again and the kids' names are on the cubbies, though those will change when we get the move-ins and move-outs list. I almost feel excited about starting again - almost. It's hard to look forward to the new year when nothing's really new. Of the three different jobs I could have moved to I got none. I'm back where I was last year. I just can't seem to get charged up by that. Ah well, it will be a year of differences. We have a new principal and vice principal and they are both very young. And with Mike retiring in May and Kimmi working at the school with me it should be a different year in some fundamental ways. Just not the ways I was hoping. Well, welcome to 2010-11.

Home again, home again

2010-08-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

We pulled in around 5 pm yesterday. Didn't hit the big caravans of SUVs and motor homes you sometimes get on Sunday afternoons pulling back into Utah. That was a nice surprise. Thanks to the kids we got the cars unloaded in record time and I put my feet up by 8. I think one of the big reasons for travel is to come home. It feels so darned good to sleep in your own bed and spelunk for food in your own fridge. I remember coming home with tired, dirty children and thinking how nice it was when they were washed and in jammies. Good to go, better to return. Ahhhh.

Just Another Happy Day in Paradise

2010-08-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

We're in Oceanside enjoying 70 degree days and 60 degree nights. The beach is lovely and crowded (Well, that's to be expected!) and the sky is the most amazing color of blue. The kids got here Saturday and we drove in from the band tour last night. Bare feet, sand everywhere, sunscreen fragrance, beachy haze burning off by noon. I love the beach. Wish we could live here.

Anna made me do it

2010-07-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

She took this quiz, so I had to try it. Our results are kind of different.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.6
Mind:	7.8
Body:	5.8
Spirit:	10
Friends/Family:	7.8
Love:	9.1
Finance:	8.9
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Far Out

2010-06-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

I finally got tired of the old green background that was really for St. Patrick's Day. So now Welfyville is just a little far out...

Update on the grant our school district wrote and won. Two middle schools will participate in the grant this next year. They are adding quite a bit of time in seat for the kiddies, and much more time in seat for teachers as well. There will be professional development "until your eyeballs roll" was the way the district liaison put it. Since our school is next on the hit list I went to the meeting last night to hear what they were planning. Also, there is an Ed Tech job available at one of the middle schools and I am applying for it. Not much chance of getting that as I didn't even get a second look at the jobs available at the district, but hey, I'm building interview skills.

Anyway, I'm going to put a survey on the side of the page to see who likes the new blog look. If they did a survey of who likes the new school schedule I can only imagine what people would say.

Have You Noticed?

2010-06-30T13:49:00.001-07:00

That Welfyville is always near the ocean? Well, it is.

Test Questions

2010-06-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

I spent the past three days writing test questions for the science end-of-year assessments. It sounds kind of easy. It was HARD. I mean REALLY HARD. I've written to a prompt before. This was the mother of all prompts. We had to write a question that assessed the content, that gave some information about how students were doing with the intended learning outcomes, and that wasn't too hard or too easy for fifth graders. Oh boy.

It was an incredible experience. The other teachers were there because they really wanted to be and the group I was with was intelligent, creative, and funny. Even working hard from 8:30 am to after 4 each day I was able to write only 12 good questions. Others wrote more, but 12 was average. It doesn't sound like much when you realize that was only four questions per day. But it really did take that long to come up with questions that met all the criteria.

I'm proud of the work we did. We won't see any of these questions on a test until 2011 or 2012 at the earliest. Still, it was incredibly interesting and I get to go back tomorrow to try writing questions that use flash graphics. FUN!

Finally

2010-05-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

About nine years ago Mike and I added a patio and pergola to our backyard. We've loved sitting there in the afternoons and evenings, especially in the spring when things are beginning to bloom. When we finished the pergola we planted clematis and wisteria hoping they would eventually twine over the top of the structure creating an arbor. They both took off, spreading up the supports and over the top of the pergola just as we planned The second year the clematis bloomed in shades of pink and dark purple. By the third year we had to trim back the foliage. We lost one of the wisterias and replaced it with another. They had yet to bloom. We've found we could grow fuchsia against the house as it's cool enough for them there.

We winter them over in the garage and they bloom in there before we can even move them outside. But the wisteria continued to remain bloomless. Until this year.

Whoot!

ConGRADulations

2010-05-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

Sean D honors degree in gender studies and psychology. Welfycat BA in English. Whoot!

Good Luck and Goodbye.

2010-05-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

Great timing, Pauline. If I had been writing it as the climax of a novel it couldn’t have been better executed. Bide your time while showing more and more disdain for your daughter and her choices. But wait, wait until the time is exactly right before playing your ace. The graduates are all seated. The music has stopped and the dean of the college has risen to introduce the commencement speakers. Now. This is the moment to announce that you are leaving. You “just can’t take it” any longer. You hide behind dark glasses, though when you remove them your eyes look suspiciously dry. Then, instead of actually leaving, you hang out in the restroom three steps from our seats. You were easy to find. I imagine it was stupid of me to try, but I sometimes miss the obvious. I ask you to stay, still not getting it. You use the moment to deride your child, say horrible things about her that we both know are not true. How can you pretend they are? I don’t know why I thought you would want advice. When I try to give it you sarcastically tell me I must be “the perfect mother.” I realize it is a lost cause – that you are a lost cause and I leave. I don’t know how you will get back, but when we arrive your car is gone. No one misses you. Your daughter asks if she can finally cut the last string. I used to be your cheerleader. I kept thinking your daughter would be sorry if she cut you off completely. How foolish I was. She is the wise one. She had years to judge your character. I should have listened to her. She is changing her cell phone number and canceling the email account you use to contact her. I will not take your calls or your email. You have two more daughters to raise. Good luck with that, Pauline. I hope they find someone who will help them cut the string when the time comes.

Big Ugly Changes

2010-04-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this article: http://www.sltrib.com/education/ci_14894766
Our ever-popular (not really) superintendent decided to take the money. It's always about the money, isn't it? Anyway, they chose four schools to reconstitute and ours was one of them. I'm not sure if I've calmed down enough to actually write what I'm thinking about this turn of events. For years we have said, "If only we had the funding we could make so many important changes." Things like a longer school day or more days of school were out of reach for us, and yet they could make so much impact in catching our students up to their peers.

So now the federal government is willing to give us money - lots of money. Enough money to really make those types of changes. But not with the teachers currently working so hard to make these kids' lives better. Nope. Half of us will be asked to leave because apparently we don't have the vision or the dedication, or the whatever, to do the job. It really feels like a slap in the face. I can't think of a faculty I've EVER worked with that has done more professional development, has worked harder to develop a learning community, or to support students and parents than are at my present school. What a shame that every underperforming school is painted with the same brush. Sucks to be us right now.

Spring Break

2010-04-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe it isn't Cancun or Hawaii, but at least I'm kicking back and putting my feet up. It's spring break at last (or already!) and I don't really know how to enjoy it best. It's tempting to just sit down in a comfy chair and do nothing. On the other hand, there are projects beckoning, dirty corners crying for attention, and interesting places to go tugging at my mind and don't forget taxes. We've let ours go until the last because we'll owe some and who wants to pay that too far in advance of the deadline? So far I've had three days of relative quiet - took Norma and Kimmi to a play, spent Sunday reading with a few minutes of yard work thrown in to prove I wasn't completely lazy. I spent this morning going over all the stacked up paperwork that needs attention. Tomorrow is tax day and Wednesday I'm going in to work (yeah, it bites, but there are things that must be done when there are no kids there). Thursday so far is free. Mike is home on Friday and we're contemplating an overnight run out to Park City or even just downtown SLC. I love quiet times at home, though, so I'm thinking I'll recharge right here in my nice comfy chair after all. That is until Sean shows up to work on the coffee table/display case for the Millennium Falcon. Happy spring, everybody. I wish you a couple of days off with nothing much to do.

Now We Find Out

2010-03-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have managed to lose the entire set of photos from our summer vacation. I know I made a disk for someone, so they're out there somewhere. I just don't have them anywhere here. Not on my miraculous tiny jump drive, not on my computer, not on my camera and not on Mike's computer upstairs. Likewise I haven't burned myself a copy of them and I didn't transfer them to the portable hard drive where all our other memories reside. I'm really chapped by this and I've decided it's not so much the memories I've managed to lose. It's the idea that I CAN'T FIND THEM. So now we find out just how important that is to me. Will I a) let it go gracefully knowing that they may turn up if the universe deems it appropriate, b) ask around to see if anyone might have them and then just wait it out, or c) keep digging like a crazed dog for a bone. Yup. It'll be C, I'm thinkin'.

Introducing Athena

2010-02-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome Athena. For those of you who can't immediately recognize it - Athena is about one year old, domestic shorthair kitty who is absolutely adorable. Welfycat is head over heels in love with her.

New House for Sean

2010-01-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. Sean and Andrew finally signed on their first house. There were some last minute issues with the financing but it resolved itself and they officially spent their first night in their new home on Tuesday, January 12. They still don't have a stove, microwave, or refrigerator. Lots of take out pizza and Subway sandwiches. Mike and I have been helping them move things as well as installing blinds, sewing curtains, and installing everything from curtain rods to smoke detectors. We're even helping build a wine rack and tray storage for their kitchen. It's a nice little house and I hope they'll be happy there. A big party is being planned for sometime late in January - if we all survive the move-in. Here are the photos, though I realize I don't have a photo of the outside yet.

Looking out of the living room

Main floor bathroom

Kitchen (what there is of it)

Living room and dining area

There are two bedrooms and a bath on the main floor and another two bedrooms and bath downstairs along with a nice sized family room and an open area for the washer and dryer. The person they bought from "flipped" the house so he cut a few corners. But all in all it's nice and they're over the moon. I hope that feeling lasts through the first round of payments!

Congratulations, Sean and Andrew.

Ta Da!!!!!

2009-12-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Holiday Stuff

2009-12-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

I could have titled this post "Strange things on people's heads."

Or maybe "Where did all the other people go?"

Nope, I think I'll call it "We finally got everyone in a photo and no one is scowling."

Happy Holidays, Everyone!
From the Welfys

Winter Outing Worth the Drive

2009-12-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Ever since Anna has been in Logan we've talked about going out to Hardware Ranch to see the elk. Mike and I have never been out there. So last weekend we went up to see Anna and Tay and talked them into going out there with us. It's a half hour drive from their house up the canyon through Hyrum to the place they feed the elk. The drive was lovely, snow on the sides of the road, but none on the road itself. The air was cold but not windy. We found the visitors' center and bought tickets to go on the sleigh ride out to the pasture where they feed. You can see plenty from the side of the road if you didn't want to take the ride, though.

That day there were about 300 elk on the meadow - mostly cows and older calves with two or three bulls. The wagons were wearing their "dry" tires rather than their sleigh treads so it was a little bumpy. The ride is about 20 minutes long and the driver and guide both know lots about the elk, the ranch, and the horses that pull the sleigh. If you haven't gone out there it's a great little getaway. I bet all my friends and family with little kids would love it. I was surprised it only cost us $5 per adult and children are less or free if they're very young. They have a small dining area in the visitors' center where you can eat a picnic lunch (we stopped at Burger King before coming up the canyon) and real bathrooms - the kind with heat and air dryers. It was all in all a great experience.

Calliope!!!

2009-12-05T08:37:00.001-08:00

Calliope arrived by plane on Tuesday. She remembered Sean and Mike a little bit and she seemed to remember the house. She walked right up to where the water bowl has always been to get a drink. Then I got home and she REALLY remembered me. I attribute that to the fact that I was "mom" and you always remember mom. I can't wait to see what she thinks of Anna. She's a well mannered, but playful, adult dog now and we're so pleased to have her. Yes, that's a string hanging out of her mouth from her tug toy. Sean and Andy will be taking her to live at their house eventually, but for now it's fun to have another big dog in the house. Besides, she's keeping my feet warm.

I AM A WINNER!!!!!!!

2009-11-29T18:42:00.001-08:00

Final word count for this year's Nanowrimo: 52,617 words. Thirty days, one novel. I am amazed by how quickly those pesky novel characters took over the writing and told their own story. This is the first year I have been a winner. Two years ago I wrote until I got bogged down with the boring details of a regular life. This time I had a chance to work on the final twenty thousand words this weekend. Amazing that the story I was telling took almost exactly 50,000 words to tell. I can't decide if that's because I fudged it up or down, or if it's just how long the story was supposed to take.

Yes, yes. I'll be resting on my laurels for a while. Then I have to start editing as I am seriously considering trying to get this one published. It turned out pretty good, I think. I'm going to have Kimmi read it for a second opinion about that. It's hard to judge your own work.

Well cheers to all of you out there who didn't spend the last 30 days writing a novel. It feels really good to be finished. Sort of like not having a bus parked on your foot anymore. ;)

Back from Logan - AGAIN

2009-11-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

I seem to spend a great deal of time lately traveling up and down I-15 between here and Logan. Anna is hanging in there as she feeds her kitty soft food every hour and a half. We got in some time for a meal and shopping, though. It will be good to have her here for Thanksgiving. She needs a break.

Goodbye and Hello

2009-11-21T12:27:00.001-08:00

Anna is on terminal watch for her dear kitty, Rosy. She so wanted a kitten back when she was 10 that she called the pet store herself to make sure the cat people would be there, then dragged us over to help her pick one out. She pointed to Rosy and said, "That one," and the rest is history. Rosy has been a wonderful addition to our family and I missed her when she went to live with Anna full time. She's 14 now and we'll miss her when she's gone.

On the lighter side, we got a call from Guide Dogs about a puppy we raised. Many of you (are there even many of you who read this?) will remember Calliope was a cute little black lab puppy we had for nearly a year back in about 2005. She went on to another raiser for the last couple of months and then back to Guide Dogs where she was placed with a woman in California. We thought we would hear nothing more about her. But just after her placement she became big news when she saved a life by alerting her owner to someone in distress in the next apartment. Now her owner is in poor health and we got word Calliope is being retired. They wanted to know if we would like her back as a pet. You bet we would. Andrew and Sean are going to take her to their new house. Meanwhile she'll be hanging out at the Welfyhouse getting used to snow again.

Passing Notes

2009-10-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

I don't usually talk much about what happens in class - or maybe I do. I haven't looked back through my posts lately. Anyway, the little girls in my room have decided this is the year to pass notes. Not nice wholesome notes "Johnny says he likes you." or "I'm having pizza tonight, wanna come over?" No, these are naughty, evil little notes "Sarah says she hates you. And so do I." "You are so mean and I'm never going to talk to you again." (Oh, but I'll write stupid notes to you...)

Anyway, I have talked to these young things over and over about how hurtful these kinds of things can be, but no luck. Still passing notes. So I'm putting it out to the universe. I know most of us passed notes in elementary school. Can you recall a really good solution or punishment you received? Or maybe a teacher handled it in an unusual or unique manner where you actually learned something. I'm pretty done with the whole note thing and made them stay after school tonight and write what they were going to do differently. But I'd like a real solution. We've had the meetings and the discussions but it's not getting very far. So help me out here, friends and family. It's annoying, messy, and distracting along with being just another form of girl bullying. I've never seen a group so wrapped up in it before. Let's think of something really useful to do with this situation, 'cause the bad ass in me wants to make them all write "I won't pass notes" 100 times on the chalkboard after school...

For my family who keep asking what I want for my birthday

2009-10-01T16:27:00.002-07:00

This is the one I originally thought would be nice.

This is the one I found the other day and wonder if it would be better: http://www.amazon.com/T-Fal-FP4121002A-Emerilware-Food-Processor/dp/B001BHOWZK

Mike - I certainly don't want BOTH, and I really, really want to see both options before I buy. One is at Macy's one is at Dillards. Let's go shoppin'

Other items I would like to have:
These come in two sizes and you can sometimes find vintage ones that are new rather than used. Mine are becoming too roughed up to be safe - bacteria in all those little bubbled areas, you know. Anyway, ebay is your best bet and you can just search for Tupperware Mix & Stor (go figure) I'd rather have new or at least very nice used. (I already have very used.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Tupperware-8-Cup-4-Cup-Mix-N-Store_W0QQitemZ250505336422QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a53481666&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I would also enjoy a digital food scale. Don't care which one.
It is kind of crazy that everything I've listed here is for the kitchen this time. Some non kitchen items might be tickets to a movie or a DVD of a movie we didn't get a chance to see. You guys always please me, so get what you want. Just having you around is a gift.

Can't Believe How Time Flies

2009-09-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

My last post was over a month ago! Where have I been? Well, it's the start of the school year so I've been:
Making lists of students (over and over and over)
Testing every student in reading, math, reading, reading...
Attending meetings
Sorting through paperwork
Creating a homework system
Fighting with my grade level partner about lesson timing
Correcting homework
Correcting schoolwork
Correcting quizzes
Correcting grammar
Correcting spelling
Reading essays
Moving students around for better behavior
Talking to parents on the phone
Talking to parents in person
Writing notes to parents
Discussing behavior issues with the discipline team
Planning lessons
Gathering materials
Searching the Internet for resources

Well, you get it. I'm trying to get back to posting regularly now that the big hit at the beginning of the year is over. I have 27 students this year, up from about 22 last year. You wouldn't think that five would be such a big deal. But it's a big deal. That's another five of everything that has to be taken care of. I really do enjoy my job. It's just kind of daunting at the beginning of a new year. Makes me think I am getting too old to do this. I need a quieter, less stressful way to earn tons of money. Oh yeah, I don't make tons of money now. So maybe I just need a less stressful way of earning enough money. Have a great fall. It's my favorite season of the year. I'll try to post more often so come back soon, y'all

Time to be a B-- A--

2009-08-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Trying something different this school year. I'm kind of tired of being the only thing that must change. If only I get more training or change my attitude children living in abject poverty with parents who cook meth for a hobby will suddenly become able to overcome their circumstances and pass some arbitrary test, proving to all that they are educated. Well, students in my classroom ARE educated. And this year I am going to remember that fact when someone tries to pin all the ills of the world on my shoulders. Yup, I'm planning to be a Bad A - - this year. Nothing you can do, I'm just saying. Think I'm gonna get myself a pin with BA on it. ;)

Ouch!

2009-08-15T12:57:00.001-07:00

Last day of vacation Lucas helped me down to the water with a kayak. He misstepped on the bottom stair and sprained his ankle. It ballooned up immediately - I hate those injuries where you just can't decide if it's bad enough to go to the emergency room. This one was a no brainer. We found out that the hospital in Florence is a fine place with very kind people working there. The doctor even called around and found us some "after hours" crutches that were delivered straight to the hospital for a total charge of $20. And he put all the x-rays on a CD so we could follow up with our doc here at home. Nice guy. Lucas is feeling a bit better after a week, but his ankle is still painful. It's a yucky shade of purple and yellow now and he'll be going in to see the doctor again next week. This is why we need national health coverage, people. He has no insurance because he isn't employed and can't get coverage because of his prior problems. So we'll be getting a final souvenir from Oregon later this month. We're just grateful it wasn't worse than it was.

Water Sports

2009-08-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Today was aquarium day. Anna had an appointment to visit with the director of membership at the Oregon Coast Aquarium near Newport. Mike's favorite part was when they fed the otters. He went back a second time to watch. Lots of normal aquarium stuff along with some pretty weird little animals in a rotating exhibit. We ate at the cafe and shopped the gift shop. Pretty touristy of us...

2009-08-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day here. We headed into town about noon, took a wrong turn on the tiny, steep, scary gravel roads and had to back uphill out of a dead end. When we got to Heceta beach the sky was clearing with low clouds/mist breaking overhead. The ocean water is too cool and too wavy there, so we didn't do much more than wade. But we did get Grandma out to the shoreline, not too near the water, to sit on a big log and watch the kids play. Lucas hyperextended his knee and fell as he ran along. We got him a knee brace and some Advil at Fred Meyer and he seems better now. Later in the day we toddled down (a LONG way down) to the dock where I helped the girls get out in the two person canoe, wrenching my wrist in the process. Mike had me go out on the paddle boat with him. It's built for short people or something, because I kept getting a cramp in my thigh. We nearly ran into an overhanging tree because the wind was blowing a bit and the paddle boat wasn't going anywhere even though we were paddling as fast as we could. It's definitely a fair weather craft. Sean and Andrew set out in the two kayaks and went all around the area of the lake we can see from here. You can go to google maps and type in Mercer Lake Oregon to see the lake and surrounding area.
At some point the kids decided to jump off of the dock and go swimming. Sean has very good judgment much of the time, but he wanted to dive off the dock without first checking out the water below. Sometimes I forget they don't have much experience in outdoor things. I made him swim around there for a while before diving off. Turns out it's at least 10 feet deep. Kimmi and our friend Mike were afraid of the spiders on the dock. There were several of them, but come on! They are just spiders. At one point Anna said, "We are such city kids."
All in all it was a wonderful day.

Pretty Things

2009-07-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Some days I wish I had no pets and that the kids were living elsewhere. And here's why:
Yup, a cat or a goofy kid could transform a thousand dollars of elegant art glass into a small pile of pot shards in a matter of seconds. So even though we visited the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, we didn't buy stuff at their lovely, if a bit overpriced gift shop.
Instead, we watched a guest artist, Josie Gluck, create a glass watering can,

then walked across the Dale Chihuly Bridge of Glass.

Photos don't shatter, and they're free!

The Bluest Skies You've Ever Seen

2009-07-27T18:05:00.001-07:00

Mike and I are hanging out near Seattle today. We drove through Mount Rainier National Park where the skies really are blue and beautiful, except over the mountain where clouds form nearly every day. We went to see a friend from the army band yesterday evening. He lives in Gig Harbor so we crossed over the Tacoma Narrows bridge. You may have heard of the bridge before. Back in 1940 it did a very creative wind dance before shattering into the sea below. The locals call it Galloping Gertie.
The bridge's gyrations inspired a young inventor to create a new way to utilize wind power to create electricity which you can see here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224763.html
Even the worst disaster can have positive consequences. Lucky for us it wasn't windy the evening we crossed the bridge.

Just Another Sunny Day in Paradise

2009-07-10T15:11:00.001-07:00

It's 92 degrees in the shade according to my digital thermometer - 72 in here, 79 in Salem and partly cloudy. Ahhhhh. I really loved the rainy weather this spring and early summer. I guess Oregon will be a good choice for people like us who don't mind dark skies and damp sidewalks. We'll see. Meanwhile, Anna just wrecked her little car - no one hurt but the car's a goner. Andrew was promoted at work and is thrilled, at least now, before the real work begins. And I have applied for a different job. I am not particularly likely to get it, but it's teaching science to sixth graders all day, every day. What a lovely thought. Again, we'll see. That's the news and weather from Welfyville. Happy Day, People!

They Make Me Feel Like Dancing

2009-06-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I didn't bring my camera last night as Mike and I watched members of the 23rd Army Band rock band play a concert in Tooele Park. I wished for it as we watched tiny children running, jumping, twirling and tumbling in time to the music - or not. There was a pair of little boys, maybe 5 or 6 years old, using a set of bleachers as a jungle gym. The smaller boy was agile and graceful. The larger child desperately wanted to keep up with his friend, but couldn't quite get the knack of skipping down four steps and jumping over the fifth to the grass. He would stand at the top and lean out like a baby bird contemplating its first flight, then take a staggering first step and stop, second step, stop, third step, fourth step, stop and consider whether the distance to the grass, and then a careful fifth step before hopping to the ground.
Speaking of baby birds - it's Peregrine falcon season in SLC. Good luck to "Early Bird." You can read more about him here: www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_12717742 (sorry, "insert link" isn't working for me today.)

Being Bored

2009-06-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'd like a day or two to get bored this summer. It's not happening. A list of things that I've done this summer so far - and recall that summer didn't start for me until June 10th.
1. Our washer went out and we had to go shopping for a new one. The old one was at least 16 years old. So we bought a new set which precipitated number 2 -
2. We had to change out the door to the laundry room because the old door wouldn't clear the new washer's door. That caused us to have to do number 3 -
3. Buy paint and paint a new door and door frame.
4. I went to the dentist for a cleaning where they cleaned off a gold crown. Literally. Now I need a new one. So I went in again for them to prepare the tooth and am still waiting for the final appointment.
5. Cory started having difficulty going up and down stairs. $750 later she is better, has about six fewer teeth, and does not have a herniated disk as we feared.
6. Kimmi, who has been in Spain on a semester abroad decided belatedly that spending an extra week in Madrid with two other young women from her class was a bad idea. She decided this after they spent several very late nights out drinking and gleefully told her just how much cheaper drugs were in Spain. I think she made the right choice, but it was too late to change her flight and send her home early, so we spent two days online with each other setting up a week in London for her so she could visit an old high school friend (who hopefully does not stay out past 2 am and do drugs.)
7. After two years I got word that the people at Qwest who provided a grant for our fifth grade now wants a report on how we spent our money. They wanted the report yesterday. I had to go back into work to find the materials I needed to make the report. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to Qwest for the money and we used it well. I just didn't need one more job right now.

Well, that's about it for my first quiet weeks of vacation. I'm looking forward to those boring days sometime in the future.

School's Out for the Summer

2009-06-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Isn't that a song? The kids left yesterday at about 12:45. Well, more like 12:40 since I heard the wrong bell and let them loose. This group bolted for the door and most didn't look back. I forget that when it's a hard year for me it's often a hard year for them as well. Meanwhile, my partner across the way spent fifteen minutes after school crying and hugging her group. Don't know which is worse - hating to see them go or having them hate to stay. Next year there will be only two fifth grade classes, so we each have about 30 students. That's a huge increase over the 18 I had this year. I'll miss the calm that a small class brings. The most rotten part is that the classes could get bigger and there would be nothing we could do. Once the number of teachers is set it takes an atom bomb to make the district change anything, even if it's blatently obvious something NEEDS changing. Still, I have a whole two months to recover (Yeah, it's the 10th and I go back on August 12th or so. Though school doesn't start for kids until later in the month.)

The Joy of No Homework

2009-05-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Try telling a roomful of fifth graders that we're having a "no homework" week. They just have to read every night for at least 30 minutes (hey, that's not homework) You'd think I gave them a million dollars instead of a break from math and spelling.

Off to Spain

2009-05-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/oviedo.htm
http://www.ayto-oviedo.es/en/oviedoCityCouncilWebSite.php

Kimmi is off to Spain to complete her language requirement for her degree. I'm slightly jealous and a little nostalgic. She's traveling with two other girls and will spend a month studying the language, then another week or so touring the area around Oviedo and Madrid. What an adventure! She had to hug us all at least two times before she could bring herself to step into the line for security check. I knew that once she found her friends at the gate she would be fine, though. I remember winging off to England twice while my family stood at the gate wondering what the heck I was thinking - running off to traipse around some foreign country without them. I survived just fine and in fact recall both trips as life altering. I know most young adults get such an experience, and I'm happy as can be for Kimmi. She's come a long way. But I can't help but be a little jealous for the chance to shed other responsibilities to go adventuring in another country. Ah, well, retirement beckons and perhaps there's some adventure left for me down the road.

Faaaaabulous!!!

2009-05-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

How fabulous can you get in a $6 thrift store dress? Do they know how to shop or what?

Another year - Another candle

2009-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

(I'm sure she dropped me right after the shutter clicked.)
Happy Birthday, big sis. You're another year older whether you want to be or not. I'll always remember the things we shared as kids:
* We played horse in the backyard and I always got hurt. I would try to jump that d***ed broom between the lawn chairs and always got my feet tangled up in it while you just sailed right on over.
* We played horse in the house and I always got dirty knees. How yours stayed clean is a mystery to this day. If it's true you must crawl before you can walk we must be two of the best walkers in the world.
* We drew horses. Yours were graceful, lovely, and realistic. Mine were quirky, oddly colored, and not so realistic.
* We petted horses. They adored you. One tried to kick me, another bit me in the chest. What was that all about?
* We rode horses. You rode tall, graceful thoroughbreds and learned how to jump and do dressage. I rode small, nasty ponies and learned how to duck and fall off.
* We dibbsed (is that a word? As in "I dibs that horse.") horses on car trips. Since I generally sat in the middle I got a lot of brown horses that you didn't care to dibs.
* We went to Lynnleigh Farm where you groomed horses and fed horses and rode horses and I watched you. Oh, wait, we're still doing that. I'll be over next weekend to let Mom see you on Mother's Day. I guess we still know how to have a good time even if it does involve horses more often than not.

eMINTS

2009-04-29T16:44:00.001-07:00

It's eMINTS night again. Gotta learn more about using technology in my classroom. I guess you can learn something new every day, but I'm sometimes at a loss as to what I can pick up that's new on this subject. I've done nearly two years in a masters program in learning and technology, then three - count them - three years in these classes essentially covering the same material. I love my classmates and enjoy visiting about what's new in our schools and our classrooms. But learning some new way to teach is getting more difficult. Then there's the exhaustion factor. While it's only 5:45 it feels a whole lot like 10:30. Why do I get tired just thinking of staying out past 6:00? I'm a late-evening wimp. Well, we have only two more classes before we're done for good. So here's to eMINTS may the next group find something new to learn each and every session.

Comcast Day

2009-04-25T19:09:00.001-07:00

Comcast folks came to our school today to volunteer. They washed stuff, painted walls, and planted trees. It was strongly "suggested" that the teachers should show up too. I did, but worked mostly in my room rather than scrubbing hallways. I really appreciate all the volunteers did, I do. But this is going to be a very short weekend. As I get older I need a full two days to recover in time for the next week. Oh well, it was nice seeing so many people out caring for our school building.

Still Kind of a Kid

2009-04-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

Sean's gift to himself for getting through another year of school. Don't ask how much it cost. Noah, if you see this, just hold out - he'll tire of it someday and it will all be yours (bwah haa haa haa)

Happy Birthday Anna

2009-04-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the twenty-fourth birthday of one of the great environmentalists of the 21st century. Most parents learn from their children. But generally that has to do with getting along on less sleep, or having less money to spend on luxuries. Anna, on the other hand, taught us more practical lessons. Here are a few:
1. Toddlers should wear their pants below their belly because they feel better there.
2. Grandma has better food (she had white bread and candy).
3. Only Mommy can be your Girl Scout leader.
4. People who wear banana costumes are scary.
5. Sometimes a person's just got to have a cat.
6. Guide Dog puppies and new carpet go together.
7. When you fall in love you accept quirks as part of the package.
8. Graduate school should be undertaken when you have a REASON for it.
9. Logan has some pretty good restaurants and a new Marriott.
10. Love can travel through time, space, and the Internet.

I love my daughter more every day. She has become the kind of person I value as a friend - loving and kind, intelligent and hard working. She is patient with everyone, even me. It's a real pleasure to spend time with her and I miss having her close. I am comforted by the fact that she is successful and happy and by this strange new world of electronic connections that allows us to remain close. Happy birthday, baby.

30th Anniversary

2009-04-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

The first of April was the 30th anniversary of Mike's and my first date. I had invited him to bring his dog to dog training classes at the old Salt Lake Armory on Sunnyside where I was teaching. We both showed up that evening to find that the armory floor had been waxed and they weren't holding classes. He asked me if I wanted to go to dinner instead, so he dumped his dog at his house and followed me back to my house before taking me to Arrowpress Square downtown for dinner at Two Guys from Italy. He brought a bottle of wine with him as this was back in the day when you had to brown bag it if you wanted a glass of wine with dinner. It was the first time I had ever had a drink with dinner. He treated me like a grown up. And he had fabulous big blue eyes. I was intrigued. We only dated for about six weeks before becoming engaged. We were married July 28th only 4 months after our first date. So this will be a year of 30th's. I'm looking forward to a year of celebrating with my best friend.
This week we celebrated at Olive Garden because Two Guys is long gone. I'm glad Mike stuck around for 30 years. Here he is in first class where he truly belongs. I think I picked good.

The Big (not so) Easy

2009-03-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

New Orleans is still alive and kicking. If nothing else - the restaurants are opening up and there's PLENTY to drink. I was able to keep a lid on things during the day and attend the science convention which was my excuse for being there. At night and on Sunday I got a taste of a fabulous city. Mike and I kept turning to each other and saying, "Why haven't we been here before?" What a wonderful place. It was sad to see the poorer neighborhoods that hadn't come back from the hurricane where the middle class and upper class ones had. And it was amazing to hear people tell us their personal stories of that time. It's an area of the country with great diversity and great beauty, and we'll go back.

Gotta Brag on Them

2009-03-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

I wish I could name names and show faces, but just let me say that Saturday my students were among the best of the best! We took five projects and nine students to the district science fair on Thursday,and on Saturday three students representing two different projects won first place in their respective categories. We compete against well funded east bench schools where parents take science fair seriously. The kids at those schools have plenty of help and lots more time both in and out of school to work on their projects. So it's gratifying to see our cute kids do well in such a competition with a very uneven playing field. Congratulations to all nine young scientists. They won just by competing.

OMG -- Taxes!

2009-02-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon figuring our taxes. All I can say is - I hope those folks in Washington are enjoying the fruits of my labor.

No Valentine's Day for Me!

2009-02-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

I know lots of people love a good Valentine's Day gift or card. Mike and I have never really celebrated the holiday. Seems like everyone and their uncle is out to dinner that night and you end up buying things for each other just because of the date. I guess we rebelled against it early on and haven't looked back. Tonight we went out for dinner alone (rare in a house of 6) and there were no crowds. So that'll count for Valentine's Day for us. But happy Valentine's Day to all of you who will be celebrating on Saturday. I hope you have a lovely, romantic time.

Lazy Weekend

2009-02-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes all you really want out of life is a lazy weekend. One where you don't have to go anywhere or do anything, even fun things. This has been one of those weekends, although I still have to get the laundry out of the washer and into the dryer before the end of the day. Ho Hum.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted since before Christmas. How did that happen? Time seems to be compressing lately. Today, however, was so special I want to remember it.

My class watched the inauguration today on live streaming video. This is the first president who looks like them, who appears to understand the life they live. It helps that he is young, good looking, and has children approximately their age. They are enchanted with Barack Obama. They cheered parts of his speech - yeah, they actually listened to it. At least most of them did. They seem to understand the importance of the moment. I hope they will remember it when they are my age.

My own memories of things presidential are not as uplifting. I remember when John Kennedy was elected but I also remember when he was assassinated. I remember watching the Watergate scandal unfold during my first year of college. I saw Reagan shot and Clinton impeached. I want to replace all those negative images with the picture of Barack Obama walking down Pennsylvania Avenue on his way to the White House after his swearing in ceremony. He's like a rock star president. The multi-racial, language challenged, marginalized fifth graders of room 20 and I wish him great good luck.

Tag, I'm It

2008-12-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

My cousin tagged me for Crazy Eight. So I'll give it a shot.

8 shows I love to watch:
Good Eats
House Hunters
Football with Mike (but only with Mike)
Mythbusters
Um...cheesy old movies
The Office (with Kimmi)
How it's made or Made in America
The fireplace channel (Oh wait, that's really a fireplace)

8 places I love to eat:
Carrabbas
Olive Garden
Cheesecake Factory
Little America coffee shop
Applebees
Sonic
Our house when Mike barbecues
Guilty pleasure - Big Macs at McDonalds

8 things I did yesterday:
medicated a cat
gave gifts to 21 fifth graders
drove home in a snowstorm
had a nice nap in a big chair
cooked omelets for 5 people
helped shovel out Norma
used a glue gun
wore glitter home on my face

8 things I'm looking forward to:
Spring
remodeling our bathrooms
the boys moving out
ANYONE moving out ;)
Mike and I moving out - to Oregon or ???
Mike's retirement
the end of emints classes
reading for pleasure while on vacation

8 things I love about fall:
cool air
leaves underfoot
school supply sales
goofy Halloween stuff
Thanksgiving food
meeting a new class
taking out the window AC
my birthday

8 things on my wish list:
clean air
clean water
starry skies
time to enjoy my family
enough money to retire someday
good health
happy children
peace on earth

8 favorite eye candy
Mike
Tom Selleck
Pierce Brosnan
Johnny Depp
George Clooney
Harrison Ford
Kevin Klein
Jim Carrey (really - but only when he's serious)

8 people I'm tagging:
Nope, not tagging anyone. I don't really have anyone to tag.

More Tales from the Credit Union

2008-12-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

My friend, Becky, teaches second grade. Her students were showing off their loot after receiving gifts from the credit union yesterday. One child, Becky thought, appeared less excited than she should have been under the circumstances. When Becky asked her what was wrong the girl said she was grateful for the presents, but all she really wanted was a book. Another child piped up that he, too, had asked for a book and not received one. Across the room a third little boy pulled two Dr. Seuss books out of his gift bag and gave them to his two classmates. Yup, they do sometimes listen when you explain about giving being better than receiving.

Credit Union Day

2008-12-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Every year at Lincoln five hundred little miracles happen. A local credit union takes the names and wishes of every one of our students. They fill a tree with ornaments listing what the children want, then they and their customers adopt each child and buy gifts from their wish lists. On the day before we leave for Christmas break they bring all the gifts over to the school and we have a giant opening party. Each grade goes into the gym where presents are passed out and opened. There's lots of squealing, lots of paper tearing, lots of mess, and lots of joy. I've had children ask for everything from roller blades to baby dolls. The ones that break your heart are the kids who ask for blankets, or coats, shoes and socks. Sometimes they will ask for something to share with a baby brother or sister. One child in my friend's class asked for a bed. Really. The family had no furniture. They were literally sleeping on the hard floor with just a blanket. We found a bed for them and realized when it was delivered just how incredibly poor they were. For some of these kids the things they got today will be the only things they get. Well, excuse me now, I feel like adding to my "I'm Thankful" list. At least I have a bed, a blanket, and food on the table.

Merry Christmas, Friends.

The Briny Deep

2008-11-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

Jumping right in and making a brine for our turkey this year. We tried it last year and it made the bird very moist. We want to see if it really was the brine or just a very good turkey. I'll keep you posted. Check out the recipe I'm using:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
Thanks Alton.

Grades the New Fashioned Way

2008-11-21T20:56:00.001-08:00

Add this to your acronym list: ESIS

I have no idea what it stands for. It is, however, the way I'm required to fill in report card grades now. Last spring I participated in a study testing the system that has you fill in the grades for all students online, then sends them off to the district office where they are mysteriously printed, then returned to the school looking like a report card. It worked moderately well, with a few glitches. So this fall everyone in the district is required to do it that way. Unfortunately they didn't work out the glitches yet and the training was practically nonexistent. Guess we'll see how things work out on a large scale.

One way or another my grades are finished for fall trimester - Woo Hoo.

Goodbye Old Friend

2008-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

We had to say goodbye to Heidi this week. She was 16 which in dog years made her just a little older than Whistler's Mother. When her muzzle started showing gray a few years back I warned the kids she was getting old, but I didn't believe it. She still took the stairs in one long leap and tore through the backyard to bark at the fence. When her eyesight began to get bad I warned Mike she wasn't going to last forever, but I hoped I was wrong. She still got around just fine, and she still chased the little dog away from her food at night. She would skip around under foot as you tried to feed her. When we had to start hollering so she could hear us at all I mentioned that she couldn't be that far from gone, but I prayed she would last just a while longer. She got so it was hard to go down the cement stairs into the yard, though she still climbed the entire flight to sleep with Mike and me in our bedroom each night, then down once or twice in the night for potty and a drink. Back up again, she could still make it. Mike built a ramp for her last spring to make the cement stairs more manageable. She learned to use it so well I kidded myself into believing it would buy her another couple of years. We took to leaving a lamp on downstairs so she would think someone was still up. That way she wouldn't try to come up to our room anymore. She was sleeping 20 or 22 hours a day. When she couldn't keep from having accidents in her sleep we decided it couldn't be much of a life. No eyesight, no hearing, can't control your bodily functions. When I'm that old I hope someone takes me to the vet.

I miss her terribly. She was a good old dog. Mike hasn't broken down yet, but it's just a matter of time. She was his dog, really. No, we're not planning on replacing her. Couldn't imagine getting a dog any better, and we're worn out from the constant care she required at the end. I'm not sorry we got her and I'm not sorry we helped her go - just sad she couldn't have lived longer and better at the end.

Social Studies Coordinator - the Maytag Repairman of the School District

2008-10-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Someone finally came out and said it. It was a school district coordinator, so I guess it counts for more. I was at a training and he said, "There's not enough time in your school day to teach the entire core. So social studies is pretty much relegated to whatever a teacher can get around to." The legislature in Utah along with the federal government has mandated this and mandated that to the point where teachers have little say in how their day is organized. Reading - important. Math - really important. Science - sort of important. Social studies - way down there. (Don't ask about the arts.) This is a sad state of affairs as we are supposed to be raising the next generation of citizens. With the push to pass reading and math tests no teacher has the time luxury to present social studies (or any other topic, for that matter) in any depth. Sure, we try to integrate history and civics into our reading lessons. But we no longer have a learning environment in which children can explore the richness of American culture, or the importance of its history. We say the pledge (mandated), but we can't take time to explain what it means. We post a sign in our hallway saying, "In God we trust," (mandated) while not trusting teachers to do their jobs. We'll celebrate Lincoln's Bicentennial (mandated), but without the requisite understanding of why his life and death were important. It's kind of social studies fast food. Spit out the salient points and dump the rest.

It may sound like I'm disheartened by what the man told us today. I'm not. It was the first time someone spoke the truth about this issue. Doing so put this district specialist on our side. He is willing to help find resources and help us carve out a little time to take back a subject that is incredibly important. No one should dumb down history.

Hooray for UEA

2008-10-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to have a couple of days off. The convention coincides with fall break at the U so Sean and Kimmi are on break as well. I'm going to see a speaker tomorrow - Alfie Kohn - who writes books on how teachers screw up their students. Well, not really. But he does have some pretty wide reaching criticism of everyday practices. His book, Punished By Rewards, talks about how making rewards extrinsic doesn't allow students to develop their own reasons for working hard. The latest installment is a book about how homework doesn't work. I'm curious because I see homework as a necessary part of education, particularly for students like mine who need to catch up. We have so little time and so much for them to learn. Practice becomes something they must do at home if they hope to compete with students raised in better circumstances. I wonder if Mr. Kohn can tell me what I should do about that if, indeed, homework isn't effective. And, of course, I want to wander through the vendor area where you can buy stuff for your classroom. Not that I need anything else, but it's lots of fun and I always seem to find something to buy.

My kids having fun in the rain

2008-10-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sean, Taylor and their friend Mike decided to go to the "lake" Saturday. The news crew was coming back from covering some flooding west of us. We stopped by in time to see them videotaping the boys trying to navigate Lake Constitution.

Unnerving Dinner

2008-09-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sean and Andrew met me at a sandwich shop near my school for a quick dinner. They were on their way to volunteer for Obama and I was just off work and heading home. The young man making the sandwiches was exceedingly slow, which was really no problem while he was making our dinners. I asked for three additional sandwiches to take home for the rest of the family and that's when the trouble began. Another customer was standing in line and I suggested he could just help that person, then get our other three finished. While he was laboring his way through a single turkey on wheat three new customers walked in the door. They were covered with tatoos and piercings. That's pretty normal for the neighborhood and nothing to worry about. It was the gang tatoos on their knuckles that made me a little uneasy. The boys finished their meal and would have left but for the fact that my three extra sandwiches weren't even started yet and there was no one else in the shop but the very slow sandwich maker, three gang members, and me. It's hard to leave your little old mom alone when a gang meeting is taking place before your eyes. I finally sent them on their way, waited out the gang, paid for my extra order and left. It was just a little unnerving. Maybe I'm getting too old to work in an inner city school, because it's a cinch I couldn't have outrun them. If you're going to get a tattoo, why not get a useful one? I liked these. The owner doesn't have to look up the spelling.

Silly Fun

2008-09-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

The sing-along version.

Kimmi dragged us (well, not dragged exactly). We went at 9:30 pm so nobody was really there. Just us and a few other vocally challenged people. What a nutty experience - Just follow the bouncing ball!

Six Languages

2008-08-28T18:55:00.001-07:00

That's how many languages are spoken in my class this year so far. Let's see if I can remember them all: Enlgish, Spanish, Greek, Arabic, MaiMai, and Navajo. I have a couple of Spanish speakers who are new to the country. And the two who speak MaiMai are refugees. Other than that they do a pretty good job with English. Although there's always a disparity between their social language skills and their academic skills. All in all it's been a good start to the year. I'm looking forward to getting to know them all.

On Your Mark, Get Set........

2008-08-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

My classroom is all set up, copies are all made and paperclipped together. Now all I need are the kids. Tomorrow I start my 33rd year as a teacher. Granted, there were a few years there in the middle when I wasn't in a classroom, but most years I've taught something to somebody! You know, after that many years I don't even get butterflies anymore. I kinda miss them, so...

What Do You Think?

2008-08-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the beginning of the new school year. Our principal challenged us to join her in making the commitment to a complaint free world. We're reading this book: And we're wearing purple wristbands which we have to move from one wrist to the other if we complain, gossip, or whine. The idea is to go 21 days without complaint. It takes the average person, they say, about 6 months to accomplish this, as you must start over each time you make an error. I'm giving it a try, even though I don't wear the band on my wrist. I just can't get used to the feel of a bracelet. (We even discussed whether that, in itself, was a complaint. Anyway, it will be interesting to see if a bunch of teachers can do this. Wish us luck.

Still Using 'Em

2008-08-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to break our own world record, we went to the store yesterday and spent $411.83 on groceries in one go. The sad part is that they all fit in one cart. Well, not really. I did need another cart for the dog food. The good news is that they all fit in the reusable bags we've been taking to the store since last Earth Day. That's when my cousin sent me a shopping bag with our family name on it (big white bag in photo) on the very same day I got online to buy a set of reusable bags (the cute blue ones with the earth on them). I took it as a sign. We've added various additional bags like the two we bought up in Logan that are insulated (Smith's Marketplace $1.99 each!), when we needed to carry some cheese home from the cheese factory. It's quite a mix of types and sizes now and the store folks always comment on it. But they've been universally supportive of the effort even though it takes them more time to pack the groceries. Hooray for the little things we can do to make a difference.

Abundance

2008-08-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Anybody Want Some???

While we don't have this many, we have way too many summer and zucchini squash. Those tiny plants I started from seeds in March were just so cute I couldn't resist planting them all. Now I have so many squash we can't possibly eat them all. I've given all I can to neighbors and friends. At least school starts next week and the excess will disappear like snow in July if I leave it out in the faculty room.

My favorite new thing from the garden - cucumbers! I've never planted them before. The two little plants I put in the ground have produced several large cucumbers which I've pickled immediately and we've eaten already. I expected we'd can some, but probably not. The refrigerator pickles are easy and good, so who cares!

So far we've had a handful of lovely baby potatoes, two or three batches of green beans, many many squash, the cucumbers, and a few tomatoes. We have yet to see any eggplant or corn, though there are some coming on. And the tomatoes just aren't doing as well this year as they did last. By this time last year we had harvested at least 100 tomatoes. We had about 400 total last year. (Yes, Mike counts them.) Well, I hope we have a late frost. Maybe we can catch up.

HA! I beat my cousins!

2008-08-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINE!

You were the apple of your mom's eye and a gift to the whole family when you were born. We had all been waiting for years to hold another baby. Here's a few photos I found in my albums to commemorate the great event. I wish they were baby pictures, but I'm betting your sisters will have some of those posted before very long. Here are some of the memories I have of you and your family over the years. The last three were taken when you were just a baby (that's you who's getting a drink from your mom) taken at Norma's house. I think it was Easter. Have a wonderful day, cousin!

Done

2008-08-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

The colonoscopy went fine. I am all screened and done for the next ten years. I'd post the lovely photos I got as a parting gift, but you really don't want to see them. Cheers!

Stuff You Gotta Do

2008-08-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

When you turn 50 your doctor will start pestering you to have a screening colonoscopy. If you're sneaky you can put it off until you're 53. Well, it's been "time" for three years now, so tomorrow I get to go in. I'll let you know if I survive. In preparation for the procedure I had to go off some old familiar medications and use a different one instead. It's injected. And I have to inject it. It has given me a whole new appreciation for the millions of other people in this world that have to inject themselves daily for diabetes and other problems. My tummy is sore from the shots, and I'm trying not to whine. I'll stop the shots on Friday. It makes you appreciate the stuff you don't have to do on a regular basis.

Hummmmmmmmming birds

2008-08-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

I think it's lovely that hummingbirds visit in the summer when I have time to enjoy them.

Summer Projects

2008-07-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Mike and I spent our 29th anniversary doing house projects. Mine was creating a bookcase bed with Kimmi. His was tearing out the front fence and replacing it. We started yesterday. Needless to say we're not finished. He talked me into helping with his fence demolition this morning. He's out dumping the old fence materials. I'm in a chair trying to recall when my forearms last felt this rubbery. Swinging a hammer is harder than it used to be. Since he was to be at the dump anyway, I rounded up all the old paint to go to hazardous waste. Amazing how many coats of paint we've put on this place since we arrived. There were even some colors I couldn't recall ever using. I wonder where they came from.

I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills

2008-07-16T19:57:00.001-07:00

The Black Hills of South Dakota (my 26th state) were amazing. This is the view from our driveway. The long drive through Wyoming was worth it. We stopped at Devil's Tower:
We spent more time right outside the monument at the prairie dog town:

We went boating - something we don't ever do at home. I wonder why not?
We panned for gold:

And we went to Mt. Rushmore.
We even petted kangaroos and alligators!
All in all, a very fun if not too restful trip. My favorite part? Being able to see the stars again. No light pollution to ruin our view of the Milky Way.

Want it?

2008-06-30T11:13:00.001-07:00

Going cheap this desk would be perfect for your basement or family room. It's 8 feet long (can be cut to make it smaller) and both the countertop and the filing cabinets are in perfect condition. Not even scratched. I have the little metal name tag holders for the filing cabinets and keys for the locks - just don't use them. Family and friends can have it for free if you come haul it away. Comes with a perfectly awful looking but comfortable computer chair in cracked black leather. Just email or call me. You know the number.

Perks

2008-06-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

There's that joke about the three main reasons teachers love their jobs - June, July, and August. I enjoy my job immensely though I often wish for a more flexible schedule. Right now I'm able to visit my daughter as often as horrific gas prices will allow. We went last Thursday to see where she works. Oh my, I am envious. Her office looks plain enough:

Then you look out the window and see this:

And this:

And when she gets bored she hangs out here:

Or with this guy:

And imagine sitting back to sip your break coffee here - twenty steps from her door:

Even though I know her job is tough and it stresses her out sometimes, the perks are amazing. She deserves it, too. She worked so hard to get to the point where she could have a job she loves doing something she believes in. Besides, I'm hoping she'll let me come visit every now and then. Too bad it will have to be in June, July, and August.

Hiding a Pretty BIG Secret

2008-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago Marianne and I were out shopping with our mom. We took her to a cute little bead shop where she sat in a chair while Marianne spent way too much time looking for beads to make a necklace for her stepdaughter's wedding. When I went to check on Mom she wasn't looking good. We ended up at the emergency room where she had a bunch of tests and went home with a heart monitor. Last week I took her for a follow-up with my heart doctor and on Monday she was in the hospital getting one of these:

Now we have matching pacemaker/defibrillators. Well, not really. Mom's is made by a different company. Well, at least now we know where my heart defect came from. The other side of the family can rest easy. Mom's doing well after staying overnight in the hospital. She's a little the worse for wear, but if my experience is anything to go by, she should be back to her old self very quickly. I'm glad they found the problem when they did. She is very healthy otherwise and I wouldn't want to see her go before her time.

School's OUT - WooHoo

2008-06-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

My last obligation was yesterday. I had a final class to attend to complete 6 hours of university credit. I had already completed the assignment we were supposed to be working on so I got to basically mess around while others worked. I just can't work in that class. They tell us to start something and then turn around and talk and talk. Drives me crazy.

Now I have six whole weeks with nothing much to do. Mike took today off and we went to Ruth's Diner for breakfast. We spent the evening out on the back patio eating birthday cake (Kimmi's birthday) and being silly. We have a little - really little - fire bowl so even though it's been awfully cold lately, we stayed warm using old fence slats for fuel. Ah, summer!

Happy Birthday, Sis

2008-05-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

So another May 4th arrives and it's my sister's birthday - again. She's the big "double nickels" this year. She said that, not me. Anyway, I think she deserves five plus five reasons why she's the greatest sister on the planet. So here goes:
10. She knows how to do every crafty or artsy thing known to man. Or at least she's purchased the stuff to do it with.
9. When someone finds a baby bird they know exactly who will agree to raise it, even if it means taking it to work on the train in a shoebox and hiding it from her boss all day.
8. Her hair is the color of spun gold and her eyes change colors with her moods. When she was younger I thought she should be the heroine in a fairytale because she was so pretty.
7. Even though it took her three attempts, she finally found a guy worthy of her and she wasn't afraid to keep trying until she found him.
6. Her "hare brained schemes" are more fun than most people's planned activites.
5. If something awful is happening in my world she is always there to give me advice, even if I don't really want it but I need it.
4. I can always count on her for a crazy story to regale my friends at work with.
3. We can share out Mom so we each only have to listen to half as many repeated stories. (I really miss Denny sometimes. We could have split three ways. Maybe he knew.)
2. We can share out Mom so we... oops. I mean, The kids love her because she has spoiled them continually since birth.
And the number 1 reason my sis is number 1:
She loves me as much as I love her, and that's not always easy!
Happy Birthday, Sis. You're the greatest!