Currently...T'was the night before School re-starts

It's been GREAT! 

I LOVE Winter Break.

I feel rested, relaxed, refreshed, fat and fluffy.

Listening:  To football! I adore football and basketball season. My U of A Wildcats won yesterday in college basketball and today is football WildCard Weekend....I am in sports heaven. Having the games on in the background was a great accompaniment while I cleaned and sorted yesterday and now today it's fun to blog, email and plan while my football boys duke it out on the field. I am definitely the sports geek in the family and I LOVE the big TV for my games. Bring it on baby.

Eating:  Too much!! I need to go back to work to get my healthy eating habits back. I think I made it a personal commitment to not deny myself anything this Winter Break. Man was that a delicious but bad idea! What did I get for Christmas?!?!
 #@*&%$^# pounds!!! I am relieved to be back in command. So...here's to my good health! (Walk away from the Cheetos, lady....)

Loving:  A new Yoga class. My new books. My organized work shelf. Tidy files. A clean slate - in more ways than one.

Reading:  The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen and Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough for Book Group this week. I was reading another book last night but after some pretty wild nightmares 2 times in the night I have decided to set that one aside for a bit. To be bluntly honest my heart can't handle tragedy and children...

Feeling: Quiet and content. I went to a therapeutic yoga class this last week and just got a different perspective on looking at things. It was awesome. I also just have a sense of still and acceptance that feels nice today. I will most likely feel different when 4:45 am comes tomorrow morning but for a change it feels cool to be ready for a new semester. Maybe having some ideas of changes I want to make in me makes a difference too. Nice.

Watching: Castle,Person of Interest,Jack Reacher,Les Miserables. Wow, oh wow! Jack Reacher was a fun and wild ride. Rich loved it and has been reading book after book since the movie. I laughed when we attended the movie over break as it was a 10:1 ratio of men to women. what a crack up.You had to be between 20-60 years old too. It was so fun to see the author of the series in a cameo role in the movie. I think I was one of the only people who noticed who he was but it sure made me smile. On a very different tone, I was in Les Mis heaven from start to finish at the movies on Friday afternoon. I promised myself I would not sing (too loud!) and I kept that promise. It's a good thing I didn't promise myself that I would not cry. I did. Buckets! Les Miserables has been my favorite of books for several years now. My favorite musical for even longer (okay, Wicked is climbing that ladder too..) but seeing the raw emotion and the stunning effects I truly came away with such a sense of redemption. A sense of awareness of how we can overcome the natural man and become better people. Rich and I have talked about it for days. Was it perfect? There were a few weak roles but it will certainly be MY vote for movie of the decade. (Too weird to read a vehement bashing of it by a good friend on Facebook this weekend. I wondered if she had really been to the same movie. Hmmm) Wow, that was a soapbox.

Wanting: A job for my husband. I haven't written about this hard thing in our lives but I decided to just lay it out there and put it in print. He is so amazingly positive and sees this as an adventure and has just begun to appear to show a little ...dare I say, doubt?!? Being unemployed after a certain age is not nearly as much 'fun'! Being the only 'employed' member of the family feels weird. I am grateful for my job and the security that I have. I am just wanting one for Rich too. That's all.

Thinking: How cool it was to hear from 4 of my 5 kiddos yesterday. I had a great talk with 3 of my boys and Jennie and I had a texting marathon of sorts. Love it. My kiddos are pretty darn incredible. I also feel so blessed to have gotten to watch little Tinsley over the break. Cuddling, cradling and rocking a baby has the best benefits. You get to think and relax too. It was amazing. 

This Week: Report cards, Book Group (Yeah!)Dinner with the in-laws, dinner with J&K, date night, seeing my work friends again,writing my resolutions down (in cement?!) planning a church lesson for next week and writing more thank you notes! The week sounds great. 

Wow, there is nothing like a great Winter Break to have me feel so relaxed and ready. Can we do this again??? 

Take me Away Thursday...

I spent some of my holiday in Key West. 

Kidding...just kidding.

Yet in a way I did! 

This middle-grade Newbery honor book was just the ticket for delivering a sense of time and place.

1930's Key West was good ol' tropical living, albeit depression living. The town of Key West declared bankruptcy and almost the entire town of Key West was on federal assistance for a few years before the grand idea to market their location as a vacation paradise came to being. This slim novel takes us back to those long summer days of barefoot living, alligator pear sandwiches, nicknames, sponge fishing, treasure seeking, and 'little rascal'-like antics.

Turtle has never been to Key West, never lived with crazy boy cousins or lived without her mama. Yet depression days are hard and when her mama gets a new housekeeping job with a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle leaves for Florida to live with family she has never met... for awhile.

Just like that the Key West sand works it's way into everything--Turtle realizes that she has become a part of the keys and the keys have become a part of her. 

This little novel had delicious 'voice' and it would make a great read aloud to middle grade readers so they could hear what great voice 'sounds' like. (I can't wait to share ideas with my class...wait, what am I saying?!?! I am NOT ready to head back to work--yet!)

This book, by Jennifer L. Holm, ran below my radar until a friend recommended it over the Christmas break. Wow, am I glad he did. I got a beach vacation and I didn't even have to pack!!

Action Packed Holidays - Or Where Have I Been for the Last Month!

Oh blogging and blogging friends - I have missed you. I have missed the purposeful thinking that blogging creates when I post. I have missed reading your blogs and seeing what's cooking in your lives and at your casas.

So, what the heck happened?!?!?

How did I lose the whole month of December?

Need I say more?!?!

 I couldn't believe it. It was another murder trial. I must look like a juror to some. It's as regular as clockwork at this house. Every 18 months and I get called again. 

My computer bit the dust and was out of commission....argh! Boy, did that put a hitch in my get-a-long. Thank you, Mr. Insideabook for bringing "Dell"a the Desktop back to life. I really missed this ol' girl.

A HUGE observation for work hit at the beginning of December and every minute of my life went into that!! It really cramped my bloggin mojo but it was for a good cause....my job! I did just what I was supposed to do and just kept teaching. Yep, the stars all aligned in heaven and it went fantastically. Whew....
Add Testing + Grades + Holidays and more == December; a wild month for all of us!

I played nurse for mom again after knee replacement. Just a few days off work but serving her feels like such a blessing. And, the patient is doing so well, thank you. She's amazing.

Recitals, Parties, Traditions, Shopping, Christmas

Ahhh....now all is well, computer fixed, School is a memory for another week (I am loving the sleeping in and reading part!) Christmas was a family-filled success and we are still counting our blessings.

PLUS...look what Santa and my family brought me....

Yep...A Team of Rivals even arrived twice. Lucky me, I took one copy back to my favorite book store and promptly got store credit. Any recommends on what I should buy with my credit?!?!? 
I am searching for recommends! What's your 'must read' of this year that I might have missed?

I got to babysit little Tinsley this week. She heartily approved of me reading to her so I finally finished Mr. Churchill's Secretary. She and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. Little Tinsley just didn't see some of the twists coming. Can't you tell?!?

 This little bug is growing so fast... Only 10# still and she really can't sit up yet but I was dying to put her in my great grandma's rocking chair. 5 Generations of readers have listened to stories in this chair!!

I intend to try to catch up with life and enjoy every remaining minute of 2012 and the New Year, 2013. I can't let memories slip through my fingers like they almost did...I'm grateful for a place to record and share via this blog...I'm grateful for good friends, good books, good food, good fun, a good job and great blessings. 

Off to read and catch up with everyone now. 
Yep, all is almost right with the world....

Blogging Buddy

From blogging to lesson planning to emailing....he's my buddy!

Summer is FINALLY over & Sunday Salon

Yep, Perfect!

Come visit...Summer is FINALLY over!
It was actually cold yesterday - the high was 61 degrees and it was cloudy, rainy and breezy.
We loved it.
Last night it got down to the 30's in some areas.
We actually are thinking about getting out the hot chocolate.

Catching up with my week.....

Best memories of the week - Spending the day baking for a family gathering with my daughter in law, attending the musical Annie with two of our sweet grand-kiddos - our little friend Haley Reed was the star and she was incredible!! (If you live nearby don't miss her...she's a star!!) We were so grateful to be a part of blessing sweet baby Tinsley and having 60+ special people support her, brunching and lunching with friends and family! We packed the house. It was fantastic. Finally, seeing that sweet baby Tinsley wearing the same dress that my mom and I wore when we were christened and wearing the same ring my grandma wore, my mom wore, that I wore and that my daughter wore - 5 generations of only or oldest women!! Such heritage. Her daddy cradled her in his arms and my eyes filled with tears. It was a great day.

On the Book front - School continues to occupy even my off-contract hours and my reading suffers. I did finish our Book Group book for review this week. (Of course, 84 Charing Cross Road is about 2 minutes long so it wasn't too much of a challenge, but I'm happy to have one book under my belt!!)I am reading Midnight at Austenland by Shannon Hale in hardcover and Desert Wives by Betty Webb on my iPad. I heard both authors speak within the last few months so reading each one is like having an extended conversation with the authors. 

Perplexers - Technology continues to both amaze me and frustrate me. MY computer gave up the ghost yesterday. Keep your fingers crossed that resurrection is possible with circuits and power supplies. 

Grateful for - I am so glad that we live in a country where we can vote for our leaders. 

That said, I am SOOOOO glad the election is over!!!!

I never knew how many 'friends' I had. 

They telephoned me daily and asked me to vote for them. 

I am so glad that they have stopped calling. 

Funny, no one has called to say 'thank you!'

Loving - Are you loving November?!?! It is my favorite month of the whole year. I love the attitude of gratitude, Veterans Day AND my very favorite holiday - THANKSGIVING!

Thank you -  So proud of my Airman 1st Class on this Veterans Day(and everyday.)

 He's a man of integrity and honor. 

I feel safer knowing he's patrolling our skies for the Air Force. 

Thank you, Drewboy!

Love ya, sweetheart.

Currently

Loving Fall!

Our Little Miss Tinsley just looks good enough to eat! I knew I loved pumpkin before but now I REALLY do!

I just LOVE fall...

the smells, the activities, the food, the fun.

Enjoy your day...

Happy November!