I Accept No Responsibility For My Actions....

I fell into the computer tonight. I sat down to clean the desk off, to ready myself for tomorrow. I sat down to do pay some bills, check my email...you know?!?!? Then I thought I'd just check on a few things...a daughter in law, a son, a friend..... (to be quite honest, I really dislike most of Facebook - but it's the only way to stay in touch with some of my family. Does that make it a necessary evil?!?!) But, I was just being a good friend, a good mom, a good aunt, a good ....

I was only sitting down at the computer for a few minutes...I swear...I know it was only a few minutes, but I was listening to one of the best Christmas presents -Pandora One radio (Thank you, Q!!!) and the next song was great so I had to listen, then the next one was perfect so I had to listen to it too, finally my favorite came on so I had to listen and this time I had to sing. Well, I guess you know my story. I just have no self discipline. (Hanging head in shame!)

Finally I blame all my friends who have blogs. Yes, you! I checked on all of you tonight. I was only being a good friend, right? Dag-nab-it, those of you who have so many interesting things to write about, books you've read, and so many great ideas.

So it really wasn't my fault was it? Good, now I feel better. I was only doing my duty, I was being a good friend!

There, I feel better now!
(Not really, but tomorrow I'll try harder...wait, my other favorite song just came on.)

I made a list

I made a list today.

A list of everything I needed to do when I sat down to the computer.
It was going to keep me on track.
It was going to keep me focused.
It was going to pare down my list of 'need-to-do's'
& 'must-do's'.
It was going to limit my time on the computer and help me actually find time to READ.
I made a list today.
I looked at it.
It worked - sorta!

Then why is it 10:45?? Oops...

Tomorrow my list better say, "Go to bed!"

Now, where did I put my book?

Cereal for Dinner

Ever had one of those days?!?!

One of those days when you can't even fit another thing in.... except cereal for dinner....it's been one of those days of too much to do and too little time, a day when nothing but cereal sounds remotely good....it's one of those days when the comfort of a bowl and a spoon sound just fine. It's such a busy day and night....where oh where did my three day weekend go? You were so lovely! I guess I'll just have cereal for dinner.

I wonder what's the perfect book to read with a bowl of cereal??

Sunday Thoughts

What a great idea...my brain (and head) hurt too much to do much more tonight. I also just thought this was a great idea to chronicle my day. (Thanks Suey at All About Books this was fun!)

Outside my window…..it's DARK...but it was a perfectly beautiful day!! Sunny, clear and cool. Arizona in January usually is picture perfect.Are you jealous??

I am listening to…..Pandora - My Canadian Tenors station! Right now they are playing The Prayer as sung by Celine Dion and Josh Groban!! Yumm

I am thinking...that I might have a book addiction! Get off the computer and read, young lady!

I am grateful for....Financial Peace University and the peace that has come into our lives since we took the course! I am grateful that Rich and I are on the same page and have the same direction. Truly, it brings peace!! (Oh, and I am also grateful for all the Ibuprofen I took today!)

I am reading.....The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva. What a great craftsman he is!!

I am photographing.....my white board in my classroom. It's a great thing to do each night before I go home. I keep it on my Droid phone and the next day I can start from where I left off.

I am listing..... all the things on my to-do list for the week. Instead of letting it keep me up at night!

I am creating…..a cute pink hat for Gracie!

On my iPod....new iTunes from a sweet friend.

To live my faith...I am trying to live like the Savior. My motto for the year is "Be Happy!"

I am hoping and praying….. for the shooting victims down the road in my old stomping grounds of Tucson. I am praying for tolerance and softened hearts.

Around the house…..the Christmas decorations are down!!

From the kitchen...I need to come up with a plan for dinner tomorrow night that is low in calories for several dieters who are coming to dinner (including me!)

One of my favorite things..... is watching football! Tomorrow night is the BCS Bowl across town in Glendale. Wahoo! Go Oregon! (Ya gotta support the Pac10 even though I sure like the way Auburn's quarterback can throw that ball! It will be weird to cheer for a team I cheer against when they usually come to town!) I also was able to watch some of the NFL Wild Card games this weekend. I am one happy football chicka!

The children this week....are getting ready to be so busy with their own lives. My second son, Paul, leaves for Officer Candidate School this week. How proud we are of him and how we'll miss him!! #3 son, Drew, is doing well going into week 5 at Air Force Basic Training. I am one proud mama!! The rest of the kiddos are safe, sound, and more than busy!!

A few plans for the rest of the week…..it's Conference week at school!! Long days but I have set up each student so they can conduct their own Student-led conference with PowerPoint presentations. Hopefully all will go well, then we have a long weekend AND then it's birthday weekend for me!! Party on!

On this date...in 2008 I got an iPod and was learning how to use it...my how things have changed yet stayed the same (I'm still not real good with all the iPod stuff but I am a champ at the SmartBoard!!) In 2009 I must have been so busy that I skipped blogging for a whole month. Last year, 2010, I finished and then blogged about June Bug.

With the exception of seeing me in my jammies, this is a pretty good nutshell of what's happening en mi casa!!

It's the Little Things

It's the 'little' things in life that tend to make such a BIG difference! From quarks (the smallest elements of matter that we know of today) to a kind deed; it's the 'little' things that I want to remember in this coming year! On that note, I better start practicing....so here I go.

It was one rain drop that led to another to produce this great storm that just left today. It was perfectly delightful to hunker down and stay inside on a very rainy yesterday. We read a 'little', I crafted a 'little', cleaned a very 'little' and watched a 'little' football. It was the perfect storm!! Rich also put up a 'little' bit of plastic on the roof of his 'castle' (read "workshop") and it weathered the storm well. Now if we could say the same for the broken window that is still awaiting repairs!!


It will be 1 'little' degree that can make the difference if our lettuce freezes tonight as well!! I have loved the rain but I still want salad!! I think I'll go harvest right now.

Rich and I had a great time being Santa's 'little' elves on Christmas Eve. We visited a friend in the hospital, dropped off goodies to more special friends and made sure that all the gifts were wrapped and ready to go to for Christmas day!! You know, being on e of the Big-Guy's 'little' helpers was great fun.

It was the 'little' gem in the middle of this 'little' hat I crocheted that really adds the bling! Hero, our 'little'-est granddaughter loved the sparkle. Thanks, Jennie, for recommending the 'little' touch.


It was one 'little' rocker arm in the 2nd cylinder of our car's engine that caused our rough ride and need for the car doctors!! The awesome car doctors were able to fix it with a very 'little' HeliCoil. Gosh, one 'little' thing out of whack sure did undermine our mighty carriage!! We love our car and are so glad that she's back in great shape and that the repair, although major, still came in a 'little' less than OUCH! Can you believe how the 'little' things can make such a big difference?!?

The power of letters!! They are the 'little' things that make up the words in the books I read and 1 letter makes all the difference!

Because I have small-type ones that may read the blog I did the unforgivable and edited this cover. It's just one 'little' letter, but it makes all the difference when you know those of impressionable ages - AND you're a teacher - AND you're someone they watch!! But gosh-darn-it, this was one funny book. I read it in 2 days. Snarky, acerbic, and much more of a dishy take on Alison Arngrim's experiences on Little House on the Prairie. I enjoyed Melissa Gilbert's memoir back in the early fall, but I do believe that this is a 'little' better. (No, not a 'little' a LOT better!) Ms. Arngrim portrayed the girl everyone hated - Nellie Oleson. Ms. Arngrim loved her experience playing Nellie, she loved the cast members she worked with, and this book left me with such a positive feeling for appreciating what we have. Ms. Arngrim did not have an idyllic childhood but she's not one to sit and mope, NOPE! She has met her adversities with a terrific sense of humor. She has lost herself in volunteer work and causes. She believes that it is the 'little' things that make all the difference. And so do I!!

(Please forgive me, Book-police, for taking the liberty of editing for my audience ....ME!)

Book Group Choices 2011

This doesn't look like much but it is actually the annual Book Group yearly choice night!! (Those little scraps of paper are titles or GoodReads lists!)

Book Group Selection Night feels like a beauty pageant as we parade our nominations...even the swimsuit competition comes into play as we show off covers and artwork! But fun it is!! You can see people writing down rejected titles too - they appealed to some, not all, I guess! It is all in good spirits and it is one of my favorite nights as we select old favorites and new to read books! I love it because it feels like a long book commercial. (Our only stipulation is that the book be available in paperback OR that the library have enough copies for several people to share!!)

I used to be in a Book Group in Tucson that chose a theme for the year and all of our books revolved around the theme. It really exposed me to a world of books I would have never read. (A lot like blogging does for me today!) Maybe someday we'll try that! Until then I guess we'll go along as we've been doing for a while!! I've been a part of this Book Group for over 11 years so we've got quite a reading history together!! Our choices this year aren't new books, as a matter of fact there is even a book I read back when I was in high school!! It will be great to become reacquainted with it again. Oh, how I love the camaraderie of friends who love books!

Our choices for 2011.....drum roll, please!

January ...... Fat Cat by Robin Brande
February ......The Help by Kathryn Stockett
March - it's Mystery Madness - we read any one of three OR a mystery of our own choice and share a little about it....it's a mystery!!.....Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins or O'Jerusalem by Laurie R. King
April .....All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriott
May.....The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
June.....Dewey, the Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
August .....Uglies by Scott Westerfield & Maze Runner by James Dashner
September.....Doing School: How we are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic and Miseducated Students by Denise Pope
October.....Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
November.....The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Want to join us?? We'd love it. The more the merrier!
I can't wait to start.

Merry Christmas!!

For unto us a child is born, a Son is given...and His name shall be called; Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace...

Enjoy a Merry Christmas!!