Merci, Thanks, Gracias

So very much to be thankful for during this holiday week, here are ten!
1. Days off. Yay for Wed, Thurs and Friday -so happy you are here ;)
2. Mason jars. I bring you the adult sippy cup.
3. I phone. I just can't get enough of my phone. How did I function before it?
4. Cool fashion choices....teal, black,butterflies and sheer fabric...love it!
5. Nice parents. My conferences went great and I even got a gift!
6. Lunches with girlfriends. Something about gabbing over food is really just the best.
7. Rachel Maddow. If you don't know I can't explain it.
8. Great health insurance. We just completed the open enrollment paperwork and I am just so grateful that I have access to affordable healthcare.
9. Making room in my life by removing clutter. Still shredding stuff but the end seems near.
10. Amazon. No I am not being paid for this endorsement but really they make it super easy to get what you need.

Happiest if Thanksgiving to all of you! Eat well and enjoy !!

                                                 Making my way through the paper clutter.

                                                Love all of the uses of Mason jars!

A shot of my clothes :)

Ten for Tuesday: Confessions

Que the Usher circa 2004 , "These are my confessions..."

1. One of the best parts of my son having to wear a uniform is the perk of me solely shopping for myself at back to school time.
2. I have already been late to work once. Granted I don't teach until 2 hrs after my arrival time but still I haven't even been back to work 3 full weeks.
3. I suck at keeping date night on the calendar. My hubby and I need a matchmaker to set all of that stuff up for us. We manage to stay connected but the routine is just not us.
4. I have had the remnants of a manicure on my nails for a week longer than I should have. I plan to take care of it tonight but we shall see.
5. I love the reason to put my son to bed earlier at night. The getting into bed routine is such a chill time.
6. My bedroom is such a mess and I have NO desire to get it together.
7. I watch political shows and judge people who are not in the loop about politics.
8. I have a wee bit of an addiction to the computer and my iphone.
9. I keep my fridge clean just because I love the way all of the food looks in all of their assorted glass containers.
10. I have no desire to recreate all of the things I pin on Pinterest. I just like seeing all of the cool things out there.

So what confession do you want to get off your chest... I promise I won't tell :)

Ten for Tueday! Life is good.

eager faces.
crisp outfits.
same old books.
new lessons.
beginnings.

ten words to describe the new school year.
I am more than ready.

so you look up and a lot of time has passed

Sorry about being away. I have been so swamped. Then when I had a moment, I felt like being away for so long required a great post and that is some real pressure. Or I had a moment and moment seemed too short. Well, I am putting that all aside and just typing. Hopefully what I have to share will be worth it. You can humor me if it isn't m'kay :)
The end of the school year was a blur of activity and obligations. I do it to myself every single year. I leave so much writing and grading down to the wire and I like to have these creative finals. Yeah all that equals a stressed out mess. Layer on a nagging shoulder pain situation and I was begging for the school year to rap up. I did get some help from some unexpected places and my students were very cooperative. It was a busy time.
The end of the year was not all boos and self pity parties either. We had a few staff celebrations that were fun and festive. My niece graduated (if you can call it that) from the lower school and she was such a poised little graduate. She was practically the only little girl who managed to sit appropriately. I loved her white eyelet dress. It just screamed graduation to me.
Let's see, what else?  We went to Rehobeth, DE for a beach getaway. It was a nice trip and we got some sand in our toes. Certainly what the dr ordered for this lady.
We went to a fantastic wedding that truly felt like a date. My hubby and I danced the night away. Fun times.
I made a little lap quilt for my friend/co-worker who is abandoning me (she calls it retirement). It was fun to pull out the machine for someone who means so much to me. I will miss her support and encouragement :( But I am happy that she will get to sleep in and enjoy her family a bit more.
So June is off to an excellent start. If it is quiet around these parts it is just me trying to get myself in order. I do have some projects up my sleeve.

Sewing Again

I feel like it has been ages since I have sat down at my machine. Like blow,blow,blow away the dust long time. It felt good and a full bobbin in the right color was a bonus. I can tell you it wasn't that long ago when threading the bobbin was my undoing. Trust me I still have my sewing challenges but I can totally thread bobbins with no issues. Go me!!
There have been so many things that have kept me away from sewing and really it all boils down to post work exhaustion and tons of obligations. The impending summer brings the reminder to slow down and do what makes me happy. That includes lots of sewing. I finished a quilt that was originally going to be a Christmas  (2011) gift and now it is going to be a belated birthday gift. I guess that has just increased the amount of love that has gone into this baby...from picking the fabric to sewing on and off to looking at it in the sewing pile this quilt was always close to my heart ;) I also started a simple strip quilt for my friend who got married. The wedding was in November I still have a little time,right?!?

the finished one

      the new start

10 for Tuesday: Anticipation

a few things I am  looking forward to.

1. Warmeer temps...what the heck happened to the warmth. 43 degrees?!? Bring on summer.
2. The decision on our last day of work. Our school year was extended due to inclement weather but there is a slight chance that that day may be excused.
3. Celebrating my good friend's big birthday this week.
4. Going to see Think Like A Man. It has gotten great reviews and I don't like to be out of the loop.
5. Catching up with my bestie. We have had our conversations interrupted and it would be nice to really chat it up. Soon though we will remedy that one.
6. Spending some good time journaling. My hands are itching to create and write.
7. Basketball watching. It has been a few days since I watched my Miami Heat and I need a little fix.
8. The relaxed pace of summer. I can see it coming and I am getting excited.
9. Blog reading. I haven't been doing that in a bit and I miss my online connections.
10. Some professional plans that I have brewing. Improving my self and being reflective too. Love it.

10 for Tuesday: My thoughts

5:35 am: I am late, thank goodness I packed up last night.

6:38 am: Aww, the little duck family is the perfect lesson for me: go slow

7:05 am: Why am I still listening to the kid music? The little is already out of the car.

8:25 am: I should have packed me a lunch last night.

10:55 am: If I gouge my eyes out will this lunch end any faster,ugh.

1:25 pm: Yay for unexpected kid free time- off to get a laundry list of things done.

2:45 pm: These sewing club girls rock!

3:40 pm: Wrap this mtg up, I am ready to head home.

5:00 pm: Love talking to my Momma.

6:00 pm: I am not in the dinner cooking mood.

what thoughts ran through your head today?

10 for Tuesday in Pics (mostly)

 My son's lunch box. I made him the guilty Momma breakfast of grilled cheese, spiral sliced apples and chocolate chips. Trying to make up for not forcing him to get more sleep.

2. My messy desk- grade, email, Pinterest, repeat :)

 3. My work buddies who keep me sane.

 4. My quilt that my buddy helped me photograph...worked on a few glitches.

 5. These boots almost made ut the whole day but alas 7am- 8pm is too long for most shoes.

 6. A lovely Thank you from one of my students: milk chocolate goodness.

 7. Oh my love affair with Gatsby is nearly over but the narration is pretty good.

 8. My date with Carol's Daughter washes away the tired quite effectively!

9. Someone is starting the Thanksgiving yumminess and it is not me :)

10. This little boy jammin' on his new "Woofer".....awesome!!!

10 for Tuesday

1. Started my novel for the National Novel Writing Month and well if I put it in here it must be so :) One month 1627 ish words per day= a 50,000 word novel. No worries about revision yet.
2. I am going home next week. I am getting so excited...sunny Florida here I come!
3. Great day in sewing club. The girls are really getting into their sewing and maybe a quilt is not far off.
4. I love pop culture. It makes me happy.
5. Can you believe today is 11/1/11. Looks so crazy, huh? 11-11-11 is pretty freaky too.
6. My son's Halloween Candy has no chocolate. What is up with that? No temptations for me!
7.I have 3 vases of flowers. I feel pretty special.
8. Tomorrow is a good day at work and although I always overestimate what I can get done during my long hour of planning, I am still happy for the time.
9. Cute meals. I love making cute little dishes for my son. He loves eating them too.
10. National Novel Writing Month, YIKES!!

Nat'l Day on Writing

Was mostly a success. Some smartie pants tried to steal my joy....that is the hazard of teaching high school boys I tell ya. But it was fantastic. My students wrote some phenomenal things...there were tears shed, depression was told to take a hike, they vented about school, parents and their super full schedules. The ones who stepped up to the challenge were so amazing.  I even got to share my lesson with my colleague and her class...they were the babies but they responded really well. I enjoyed them.
My favorite line that I used during today was:

"Words allude me" and it was in response to grown-ups and not the kiddos go figure!

Anyway the question of the day was, Why do you write?

I write to free my soul.

Tell me, tell me. Why do you write?

that moment

Do you ever have a moment when what has been blurry becomes crystal clear? Well my last post was about feeling overwhelmed and just dreading Monday. Monday morning came and things did not seem to be getting better. My dear son had a rough night's sleep and I woke up at 6:05, we normally leave home at 6:20. Yeah, things were not looking so good. Oversleeping, no lunch packed and a 2 yr old who moves like a snail. Not good, not good. And on top of it all today is the day that I only have one planning period instead of the two that most teachers get daily. SO as I was talking with my neighbor during our 4 min chats while the kiddos come into the room, he asked me if it was my "BAD" day. You see, I always refer to the day with one plan as my "bad" day and it was like someone was answering for me because I responded along the lines of, "Nah, it's not my bad day. I only have one planning period but I won't say that it's a bad day. Today is a fantastic day because that is the kind of day I am willing it to be." What the what?! I guess being the daughter of someone who says, "Make it a great day!" on the answering machine is really paying off. Today was a fantastic day and it was only that way because that was they type of day I welcomed into my life.

What was great about today?

* I made it to work on time. My son had a yummy breakfast and my lunch was pretty tasty too. My hubby was super helpful with getting us out the door.
*I planned a great lesson for the National Day on Writing that I hope will inspire and challenge my students.
*I was able to make dinner for the next couple of nights.
*I volunteered to read to the preschoolers at my church....my son will get to go and help me pick out a great book to share.
* I am carving out a little me time: blogging, getting inspiration and just vegging out.

What is great about your day? Week, Life?

two things

two things
not grand in size
made me smile
super broadly
this week.
work was not all bad :)

a super yummy surprise frap from a great friend

the sewing club getting started and the kids are cool too!

Labor Intensive Labor Day

Our plan to head into DC and look around was changed because of the yucky weather. I decided to forgo plan B which was to sit around and do nada. Doing nada with my two fellas home is really not an option. So I did a marathon grocery trip and came home with enough supplies to make and freeze a variety of meals. It did feel rather strange to buy the huge family size of chicken breasts! But getting home and home having dinner already ready will be a HUGE lifesaver as we are getting back in the school year routine.

So the yummy food that I have cooking is:

Sausage and Peppers

Chicken and yellow rice

Spaghetti

Oh, and bonus points for already getting out our outfits for the week. This Momma was on a roll :) What have you done to prepare for your week/ make your life easier this week?

ETA: I also made a whole chicken, banana muffins, salad fixins' and chilli. I rock :)

it's so hard to say goodbye

The kids are back. Summer is officially over. I know the date that school is supposed to end next year already too. But only because all teachers know this information. I am not rushing it- that is not really my style. I can't wait to get to know my new students. All 140 ish of them. My hope for the year is that I can make an impact on the kid who likes to fly under the radar, convince the big voice to also listen to the quiet moments, spark an interest in some writer they would not have known and to get papers back in a timely manner. Unlike my students who came dressed in their new duds to show that they are ready, I am wearing my clean slate. I am not jaded, I am not all meetinged out (I know it is not a word) and my desk is clear. So summer is a cool memory and I am ok with that. Look out Eagles (our mascot) it is time to soar :)

Two days

I am hella antsy. This yr needs to wrap it up. While I appreciate the luncheons and half days with the students, I would appreciate the awesomeness of summer much more. SO I doubt I will be too productive but I will be done and that my dear friends is what really counts! Wish me luck as I try to keep a wee bit of focus.

well, well, well

I spent a good portion of my day reading research papers so the light at the end of the tunnel is in my grasp. I wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow but alas the freaking never ending school year continues! I hope that my day flies by so that I can return to my silly stack of papers.

Because I was busy reading the research papers with no research I did not get a chance to hang out on the interwebz. I missed it.

Tell me please what did I miss? Any sites I must check out. Late breaking stories of infidelity, births, erratic behavior by celebs...give it to me! But if you are a parent or a person who loves some parent/child related humor. Check out Samuel Jackson's reading of Go the F* to Sleep on audible. It is free and so worth it! I am still chuckling! Go, go now and check it out!

now that was awkward

I work with some loons. Plain as that. Yeah, there are some great folks there but the scales are unbalanced and unfortunately the crazy ones prevail. And what is worse these folks are influencing fragile teen minds. Yep, they are touching lives alright. But anyways. Just so you know I am not a Facebook friend collector...I like to keep my "friends" to a minimum. So I often ignore friend requests from people who I don't want in my biz. So put all of the above together and what do you get.....a conversation with a loony coworker at a retirement party where she wonders why we are not Facebook friends. She feels like we are but when coworker X is mentioning some of my Facebook stuff she is lost. That brings her to informing me that we should be Facebook friends and she will friend request me later that night. Ugh, ok. Luckily she hasn't done that because 3rd request or not she won't be on my short list. I like to leave the work crazies at work and not have them/their status updates interrupting my home/sanctuary time.

Oh the possibilities

Today was graduation. The kids looked great and were all aglow. I couldn't help but thinking about the possibilities. These kids are on the cusp of greatness or tragedy. There really is no way of knowing which way they will go. Made me pretty reflective. It was really a lifetime ago that I stood in there shoes and thought that I would conquer the world, not really I was never a conquer the world kind of gal BUT I do remember thinking about all that was out there. That big open place that was mine for the picking. Has it lived up to the hype? Nope. But could it have ever been as grandiose as I imagined. All I know is that the possibilities are still there. My mind is still hungry for learning. I want more and I expect more. There is still enough of that 17 yr old gal in me to stand and hope and I am so grateful for that....I treasure the possibilities.

today

was rather sucky.

it was a monday.

being a teacher is pretty dang thankless.

i still have papers to grade.

BUT

it got better.

my son, semi-listened.

hugged me a lot.

my husband offered wine.

i chose chocolate.

tomorrow is a new day.

full of possibility

and wonder

amazement

LOVE

His love to sustain me.

comfort and keep me.

I am truly blessed :)

Tuesday's Ten

1. the number of suitcases I want to take with me/ pay for

2. the number of B family members traveling this week

3. the number of days before I head out

4. the number of hours I can allow for my hair beautification efforts

5. the time for dinner reservations at The Melting Pot

6. number of top tier grand-daughters that will be attending my grandparents celebration (bottom-tier only related to age)

7. (oh, this is getting hard) 7, 7 ,7 million papers to grade- well maybe not million

8. time N has been asleep before for the past couple of nights, woo hoo

9. how much it costs for me to get a little over 2 gallons of gas...like can't go anywhere with that

10. my life....a perfect 10!