Calm Blue Ocean

Getting Ready for School

2011-08-20T00:28:00.003-05:00

I went shopping in a teacher's store today looking for new teaching materials for the new school year. A few hours and hundred dollars later, I emerged, ready to pop into my school to check how my classroom is coming along. The shelves in my storage cupboard were falling down in June. I had to remove all the boxes so the custodian could fix the shelves over summer.

I wanted to see if the shelves were fixed so I could start putting all the boxes back into the cupboard. While I was at it, I went through the materials and sorted, labelled, and reorganized. Who knows, maybe now it's so cleaned up, I won't know where to find what I am looking for.

Girl's Night In

2011-08-18T00:39:00.004-05:00

My three dear friends just left after a fabulous evening filled with food, fun, and laughter. Every month or two, the four of us get together at each other's homes. We use to teach together, but now are all at different schools. It's funny how we became such good friends. Two girls are in their early thirties and the other "girl" and myself are in our early fifties. We have been friends now for over ten years. We've supported each other through marriages, births, divorces, miscarriages, and even cancer. The age-gap is irrelevant. We enjoy each other's company and love to laugh together, often venting about life's circumstances.

Tonight was my turn to host. So first I cleaned my house (not a requirement but I enjoy entertaining in a sparkling clean house). Then I prepared the meal. We began our evening with mango margueritas and cold vegetables and dip. Then we had chicken fajitas, brown rice, strawberry romaine salad with raspberry vinagrette, and green beans with walnuts. I meant to take a picture but forgot. After we had coffee but no one had room for dessert, which would have been mango sherbet and blueberries. We ate outside in the gazebo and it was a beautiful summer evening.

Later we went in the outdoor hot tub. We had so much fun. Getting together with the girls once a month is definitely something I look forward to.

Count Down

2011-08-17T10:29:00.003-05:00

19 Days till the first day of school - Sounds like a lot but it's not!
7 of those days are weekends and a holiday Monday
1 of those days I have an all day meeting at school

That leaves 11 actual days of holiday!

Let me take a peek at the TO DO LIST BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS

RENOVATION CHORES:
- help husband rip down mother-in-law's old shed
- help husband build new shed (from kit)
- help husband drywall our basement washroom
- paint basement washroom
- pick out flooring for washroom (husband will install on his own)
- shop for/purchase/set-up furniture for spare bedroom/soon-to-be office
- paint spare bedroom

SCHOOL WORK:
- one full day staff meeting at school
- new for this year; put entire years lesson plans for every subject with curricular outcomes on a computer program (we used to just write up an overview without outcomes) This will probably take two days, IF I can figure out how to do it! New computer programs and me don't get along!
- 3 or 4 days to set up the classroom and prepare for the new year

MEDICAL:
- annual physical/bloodwork YUCK
- teeth cleaned and dental check-up (fingers crossed there are NO CAVITIES)

SOCIAL: Somehow I don't have trouble with this part of my list.
- monthly dinner with 3 supergood teaching friends: my turn to host dinner
- attend BBQ invitation at friend's house
- entertain and host two more dinner parties; one for good friends of husband, and one for extended family
- manicure/pedicure with my niece
- attend the performance of "Wicked" with my daughter and sister-in-law
- family picnic/baseball game
- any invitations that just pop up between now and then
- spend a weekend out-of-town, listening to my son's band perform
- babysit brother's dog for four days
- BLOG????????????????

Those are just the things I can remember and know about. Then there is the daily meals, dishes, laundry, housework, etc.

Can it be done before school starts?? Stay tuned.....or if I disappear for awhile, you'll know what I'm up too:)

Our Trip to BC

2011-08-10T11:11:00.018-05:00

We headed out across the prairies, across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and part of Alberta. The landscape is flat and most people say boring. I'll admit it is a bit monotonous after many hours of seeing the flat terrain. But I love the prairies - it's like being in a huge snow globe. You can see for thousands of miles all around you.
Slowly the flat terrain gives way to rolling hills and mountains in the distance. When I say slowly, I mean you must drive for eight to ten hours of flat prairie.

Along the way, we stopped in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. There we visited a small owl sanctuary. This is a little burrowing owl. Sadly, burrowing owls are almost extinct.

We also visited "The Tunnels", once used by Al Capone for selling illegal booze back in prohibition days. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but enjoyed the tour very much. They have actors role-playing parts in costume.

We also did another tour that took us underground to where the early Chinese immigrants were working in barbaric conditions doing laundry. It was a real eye-opener.

We arrived in Banff and Lake Louise. The scenery is breathtaking. Majestic mountains, lakes, waterfalls....

When we arrived in Vancouver, we visited Granville Island. It has a huge market where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables. We also visited Stanley Park.
On our way home, we headed through Kelowna, known for its wineries. We stopped at Mission Hill Winery. The grounds are gorgeous and we had fun tasting wine.

Hmmm?

2011-08-09T22:41:00.003-05:00

So I accidentally deleted the blogs that I follow. The links were on my blog page but are gone now. I followed the advice that I was given and see a list under Dashboard. But I would still like the links to appear on my blog page. Is this possible? Or has it been changed? Anyone know? Oh well.

So what did I do today? I tried to shampoo my carpets with a carpet cleaner that we have. It was frustrating. I spent a lot of time and ended up not finishing. First, I didn't use it correctly. I added water in the wrong place. Then after I sorted that out, I noticed it was leaking water out of the hose on the side. The brush on the end of the hose was also kind of broken. Very discouraging and a lot of wasted time!

When my husband came home, I told him to throw that piece of junk out. But being the mechanic that he is, he fixed the machine, and then being the angel that he is, he proceeded to clean both the areas rugs in our living and dining room. That man is worth his weight in gold and then some!!

Now about those promised pictures - tomorrow I plan on giving them a go. We'll see if I have better luck than with that dratted rug cleaner. If I do have trouble, I know my knight in shining armour will rescue me. One way or another, there should be pictures tomorrow.

Gone to the Lake

2011-08-06T13:02:00.002-05:00

We've barely unpacked and are heading out of town to the lake. My son is performing a musical solo and, since we're his number one fans, we don't want to miss it. My husband and I plan to spend the night and come home in the morning. All our at-home chores will have to wait. The summer is short and vacation time is ticking. More photo ops and fun to be had. Stay tuned. Pictures are DEFINITELY forthcoming!

Deja Vu

2011-08-05T23:30:00.003-05:00

I know it's been said before.....but....this time I really mean it!

I WILL BLOG REGULARLY!!

We just got back from beautiful B.C. and I have hundreds of pictures to post. Stay tuned!

Busy Weekend

2011-04-17T22:12:00.002-05:00

Once again, the weekend flew by. It snowed Friday night and by morning it was a winter wonderland. The trees were frosted with white icing and the ground was also covered. Not a sight you want to see in mid April. It was very cold. I would loved to have taken pictures because it was beautiful, even if it was unwelcome weather. But I was in a rush. My husband and I were meeting my brother and his wife, and my niece for breakfast.

My niece is living in Nova Scotia and she is visiting for a week. She invited my daughter and I to join her and her mom to go bridal gown shopping, as she recently became engaged. So we went for breakfast and then I dropped my husband off at home and picked up my daughter (who slept in and didn't come for breakfast with us.)

We managed to go to a number of bridal shops and my niece looked lovely in all of the gowns. So many dresses to choose from. I was honored that she asked me to come along, as this is a very special event in every bride's life. She found two that she really liked. Since she is getting married next summer (not the coming up year), she still has lots of time. At least she has a good idea of what she is looking for. Now she will see if she can find something like it in Halifax.

My son and daughter-in-law came to visit Saturday night. We had a nice evening together.

Sunday began with church and lunch, followed by a delightful nap to catch up on the lost sleep from Friday night. (My daughter had her boyfriend's birthday party over here and we only got to bed after 2:30am). My husband and I did some laundry and grocery shopping. We made supper and cleaned up. I packed up leftovers for lunches tomorrow.

That pretty much ate up the whole weekend. At least the snow melted, even if it is still cold outside. I sure hope the sunshine comes back tomorrow and it warms up!!

Spring Flooding...on Hold

2011-04-12T18:11:00.003-05:00

I just got home from work, after a long day of teaching. It was a good day but exhausting. I just checked my email, looked at facebook, and am now reading updated blogs. It is now time to cook supper and spend time with my dear husband.

I would like to write a little bit about the flooding but think it would be more interesting with pictures. However, I don't have time to drive around to take pictures. So the flooding story will have to wait until this weekend.

It was a lovely spring day today. The high was +12C and sunny. But we can't get used to this because tomorrow it is expected to only warm up to 1 degree above freezing. Brrr.

I'm Baaaack

2011-04-11T17:05:00.002-05:00

Hi to the few dwindling bloggers that may straggle by. Herman is so right. Blogging is fun and it is a shame so many people have abandoned it. Well, I am busy but am going to find time to fit in a blog even if it's just for me. I enjoy looking back over the archives to see what was happening. I hope some other bloggers will come back, too.

I have my school Spring concert tonight but will return tomorrow and will write about the spring flooding that is happening in my city.

Last Day of Holidays

2011-01-03T08:59:00.002-06:00

The holidays have been wonderful but all good things must come to an end, so they say. Tomorrow is the first day of school. I don't mind working, in fact, I enjoy it most of the time. But after entertaining and sleeping in and shopping, and generally having the time of my life, it's hard to get back to schedules and being disciplined.

I started cleaning up the house - corner to corner, drawer by drawer, closet by closet. And I am FAR from finished. We live in a tiny two bedroom house with a finished basement. So, while I constantly purge junk from the house, it seems we are always over-crowded. I must then be creative in finding ways to make more room. I am quite excited to try out a few new ideas. We'll see how it goes.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T17:19:00.002-06:00

Life is flying by. The days are great but too little time. We've moved from fall into winter and Christmas has already come and gone. The holidays are nearly over and then school will take over once more. I am loving my life. My walking clinic is going great. In Feb. I am walking half a marathon. I know! Who knew!

I got plenty of little toys to keep me busy - an electronic e-reader (Kobo) which I am loving and a Garmin GPS watch to keep track of my walking. Now if only I had the time and desire to upload some pictures.

10K Walk

2010-11-10T20:04:00.002-06:00

Imagine that! I signed up for a 10K Walking Clinic with the Running Room, a store that sells clothing and equipment for runners and walkers. They also hold running and walking clinics. Tonight was the first session. First the lady talked about what we would be doing and then we went out and walked 4K. It was a beautiful night since we are still experiencing mild weather for November. I had fun getting out and walking a brisk pace with several other women. There was a faster group and a slower group. I was surprised to discover that I didn't have any trouble keeping up with the faster group. I felt energized when I got home. What a good feeling.

It is supposed to turn colder out tonight and start to rain. It could turn to snow by morning. We are expecting our warm spell to end tonight. I hope not because I am loving the lovely fall weather.

Just Wondering

2010-11-05T22:49:00.000-05:00

Where have all the bloggers gone? A few dear bloggers have died. And a few just disappeared. Hmmm?

missing you

2010-09-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

I miss my mom and dad.

Fabulous Fall Day

2010-09-25T20:48:00.007-05:00

It was a gorgeous sunny day! After all the cool temperatures and rain that we have been having, we decided to forget about housework and take the day off. We drove out to Grand Beach and spent the day cycling in the park and taking pictures of the beautiful leaves.
This little squirrel was in our apple tree in the backyard.

I'd like to take credit for these photos, but my husband took them all. I haven't even uploaded my photos yet. His are much better than mine. I'd like to say it's his fancy camera, but I think it's the person behind the camera!

School

2010-08-30T19:17:00.001-05:00

School is just around the corner! I've been preparing my classroom and getting ready for the kids. Hope to get back to more adventures in Europe very soon.

Part 6: Milan, Verona, and Venice

2010-08-25T07:11:00.009-05:00

Before we head off to Milan, I just had to include the next couple of photos. Yesterday, after we returned from Isola Bella, we had lunch on the dock as I mentioned. Then we walked along the lake to return to our hotel. We waded in the water for awhile before we went to the pool at our hotel. After swimming in the pool, we relaxed by the lake.
We watched the sunset.

It was a perfect day. The following morning we drove to Milan, where we spent a few hours. This is an archway that leads to the Gothic Cathedral and La Scala Opera House. Along the way are the pricey designer stores.

We window shopped in a few of the exclusive shops, but the price tags were enough to keep us out.
The entire floor of this "mall" was made of ceramic tiles. This is a bull that is supposed to bring you luck if you put the heel of your foot in the "male anatomy" and spin around three times. Roy and I held hands and put our heels in together. Now I am sure we will have lots of luck.
This gothic cathedral was unbelievable. The stained glass windows and artwork inside were so beautiful.

From Milan, we stopped in Verona where we saw the balcony from Romeo and Juliet. We also saw the wall where people leave letters to Juliet. (From the movie, Letters to Juliet). Then off to Venice. Amazing, beautiful, breathtaking Venice. I LOVED Venice!!
We drove as close to Venice as we could and then we boarded a boat like the one in the picture. It took us to the Hilton hotel, which is pictured above. A very lovely property. After checking in we went to St. Mark's square. (I didn't post a picture.) We listened to an outdoor band and enjoyed their specialty drink, a peach bellini.
We took the above picture as we cruised to St. Marks in our boat and the picture below as we cruised home at night.

In the morning we went for a Gondola ride through the canals. The picture above are some of the people from our tour group.

After the Gondola ride, we took a walking tour through "Hidden Venice. It was an historical walk through the streets of Venice, which are very narrow winding pathways similar to a labyrinth, all kinds of twists and turns. We saw a glass blowing demonstration and visited Doge's Palace.

Venice was such an amazing place. More about Venice tomorrow.

Isola Bella Part 5

2010-08-24T17:09:00.007-05:00

Early in the morning we boarded a boat that took us across the lake to visit the Borromean Islands. It houses an incredible palace and stunning Botanical Gardens.
This was an island we passed along the way.
This is the side of the castle that we docked on.

We weren't allowed to take photos inside the castle, but could shoot pictures of the outside from the windows.

In the basement there were some incredible display cases. This is one case that had a scene made of paper mache figurines. The details were very intricate. Hard to believe they were made of paper mache.
The front of the castle was magnificent. It had many beautiful statues.
The grounds were covered in fabulous flowers. There were white peacocks roaming the grounds.

After spending a number of hours here, we headed back to our hotel. We had lunch on the dock overlooking Lake Maggiore. Then we went swimming in outdoor pool at our hotel. It was a splendid day.

Tomorrow: Milan and Venice

Pisa, Switzerland and Italian Lakes Part 4

2010-08-22T11:20:00.007-05:00

We drove for most of the day and saw the most amazing scenery, the Appenines. When you look at the mountains, it looks like they are covered in snow. But they are really covered with marble.
We stopped in Pisa to see the leaning Tower of Pisa.
Then we drove to Lugano, Switzerland. It is a very beautiful place.
We were in Switzerland for about two hours. We shopped and I bought a Swiss watch. Of course, we bought chocolate. It was made fresh and was the most delicious chocolate that I've ever eaten. We visited the inside of a spectacular church. (Although it appears every church in Europe is pretty spectacular!)

Then we continued on our way to our hotel in the Italian Lakes area. Wow!! We were in such a beautiful hotel. Our hotel was Old World Elegance. Our tour guide told us that as a tour group we would not likely get "lake view" rooms because we were getting discounted rates. However, should any of us get one, we were told to "Suffer in Silence". (So the other people on the tour wouldn't get jealous.) Well, my brother and his wife AND my husband and I, both got Lake View rooms! We were so excited. The rooms were so beautiful and the view so spectacular, we started jumping up and down and hugging each other, giggling like little kids. Then we said, "Sssssh, suffer in silence". Then we all laughed some more.
Below is the view from the balcony. Again, it looked way better than a picture can show. The bright blue is a glimpse of the hotel outdoor pool.
This is a picture of the lobby. The mosaic light on the ceiling was dazzling.
I didn't post pictures but there was a mirrored stairway that led to a hall full of artwork.
This is a picture taken on the way to our hotel. After all the driving and sightseeing that we had been doing, we had time to relax and enjoy this beautiful lake area. We swam in the pool and relaxed in the sun. Tomorrow I will tell you all about the magnificent Isola Bella, the premier attraction of Lake Maggiore.

San Gimignano: Part 3

2010-08-21T16:06:00.013-05:00

San Gimignano is one of Tuscany's most famous hill-top medieval towns. It is a UNESCO World Heritage town. As we drove to this site, we passed through beautiful vineyards and olive groves. Our tour stopped part way to San Gimignano so we could take pictures. It is in the distance in the above photo. Below is a shot with our telephoto lens.
The bus drove us up as far as it was allowed and then we walked the rest of the way.
Our guide told us many interesting facts about this place. In medieval times, the taller the building, the more wealthy the owner was. Because in those days, there was a lot of theft and even murder, to protect themselves, the wealthy people would build doors way up high. They used ropes to lower themselves to the ground. Also, the holes you see in the buildings were put there because they places boards across the bricks in order to build the next level. They left the holes so the could climb back up if the building needed repairs.

In the above picture, if you look closely at the middle building, the first door above the canopy would have been the original door. The lower doors would have been added later.
Below is a close up of olives that were growing on the grounds.
This is not just a tourist attraction. People actually live here. The local people we met did not speak English. We would loved to have chatted with them. We saw mostly older people.

This is the view from inside the walled city.
After leaving San Gimignano, we returned to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. We were in for a lovely surprise. We were taken to a little farm outside the city. The grounds were beautiful with lots of trees and flowers. We were given welcome drinks and then fed a most delicious meal. There were musicians that played music and serenaded us as we ate our feast. We felt like royalty.
Then on our way back to the hotel, our tour bus stopped at a look-out point that overlooked the city, so we could see the lights. It was breathtaking.
There was a replica of David, nearby. On our way home, our tour guide played, "Amore", to which our tour group sang along with. We laughed and had so much fun.

Siena and Florence Part 2

2010-08-20T11:20:00.010-05:00

After breakfast, we left Rome and headed to Siena. We enjoyed looking at the scenery along the way.
Sienna is a little town that is known for the "Paleo", which is a horse race that is held twice a year. The town square is turned into a race track. Thick layers of dirt are hauled in to cover the oval shape of the main square. Preceding the race is a grand pageant and then the race begins and ends in about 90 seconds. It is a 700 year old tradition and draws many tourists. Unfortunately, we missed the event by a few weeks.
We enjoyed wandering around the town, doing a little shopping and had lunch in an outdoor cafe.
There was a magnificant cathedral which we didn't tour. We only had an hour to spend in Siena. The line was quite long and since we had already seen a number of churches we felt we would use our time to enjoy a leisurely lunch. The alternative would have been to eat a sandwich while standing in line. Other members of our group did tour this cathedral and I viewed their pictures. It was spectacular and not to be missed. If we ever go back....
From Siena we traveled to Florence, or Firenza as the Italians call it. It was an exceptionally hot day and we were quite tired after taking a walking tour with our guide. We visited the Duomo and went into the museum that houses "David". We were not allowed to take photos inside the museum. The statue was amazing.
Here is a picture of Michelangelo's tomb. He is buried inside the Duomo, along with other famous people from the past, such as Galileo. It was a very busy day and we saw so many things. The whole day my head was spinning from side to side, trying to take in all the sights. Our tour director told us a lot about the history and stories about what we were seeing. And still I kept thinking, I can't believe I'm really here.

Tomorrow, Part 3: San Gimignano and a Fabulous Celebration Dinner!

Europe: Rome Part 1

2010-08-19T21:29:00.015-05:00

It's been a long time since my last post...and so much has happened. Sadly, a good blogging friend, Curtis, passed away at the end of July. His late wife, Ellen, got me started blogging. She was a favourite teacher of my daughter, and quickly became a friend of mine through her blog. Then, I got to know Curtis. His stories about his childhood were so touching. It is hard to believe that they are both gone. I will always remember them. May they rest in peace together.

At the end of June, school ended. And so began, the greatest adventure of my life. It was a dream come true and I can hardly believe it. My husband and I travelled to Europe for a month, together with my brother and his wife. They are more than family to us; they are very close friends.
Our flight began in Toronto and from there we flew to Rome.

After checking into our hotel, we met our tour director and fellow travelers. (For the first two weeks of our vacation, we booked a regional tour of Italy. The remaining two weeks we traveled on our own.) After a brief orientation, we were whisked to a restaurant across from the Colosseum. We were served a delicious mult-course Italian dinner.The wine was flowing freely. (Note my big smile!)

Then as we enjoyed our dinner, we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the Colosseum.
The following day we toured the inside of the Colosseum. It was amazing to think that we were walking on the very spot that Gladiators and animals fought for their lives to entertain the audiences!

We also toured the Vatican. Pictures simply don't do justice to the exquisite murals and statues. You can't imagine the beautiful ceilings. Simply spectacular. Especially the Sistine Chapel, which we weren't allowed to photograph.

Later we visited the famous Trevi Fountain. It was very crowded with people, but still spectacular.

Already I had to pinch myself to prove I wasn't dreaming. The first couple of days were incredible and there was so much more to come. Stay tuned for part 2.

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-01T08:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my son's 25th birthday. We didn't celebrate yesterday because he and his band were playing for a community centre's block party. My son used to work for this group for a number of summers. It is a subsidized community that consists mostly of newcomers to this country. Some families are very young teens with babies of their own. While he was employed here, he interacted with the kids and was a male role-model. We went to watch them perform. I was proud of all the members of the band, giving up their time to play a free concert. Besides being talented, they are good-hearted young men.

So, we are having a birthday bash BBQ for him today. It also happens to be Canada Day. After the BBQ, we will head to the park to watch the fireworks. I hope we have a beautiful day and the mosquitos don't carry anyone off!

Bye Bye Bun Bun

2010-06-11T22:55:00.006-05:00

We had a rabbit named Bun Bun for almost six years. I brought it home as a pet for my classroom at school, but it turned out to be too mean for a class pet. My husband became attached to the rabbit and so we kept it at home. This rabbit had the reputation of being an attack bunny, striking fear in the hearts of all who crossed its path. All, except my husband. The two of them had a bond. Bun Bun was as cute as a button, but it was a rabbit with attitude. Funny, how a little pet grows on you, even when it can be annoying. Bun Bun would stand at the fridge and beg for carrots. But, he didn't like to be picked up. When he felt like it, you could stroke his soft fur, but if he wasn't in the mood, he would hiss at you. Rabbits are supposed to be meek and mild, but not our Bun Bun. He would run after you and attack your feet if you were in his territory and you didn't want you to be there. As much as I thought I wouldn't miss him when he was gone, I do. Sadly, our little guy was attacked by a wild animal and killed last week. Rest in peace, little guy.

My Weekend in Grand Forks

2010-04-27T21:30:00.002-05:00

I'm not a camera-carrying-picture-taking-kinda gal. So, I don't have photos. But let me tell you about my fabulous weekend. I managed to get my class covered for the last five minutes of the day, so I could zip off a few minutes early. Otherwise, by the time I dismissed my class, talked to the parents picking up their children, and waited for the cars around the school to clear, I would have been delayed by ten to fifteen minutes. My friend, who I used to teach with, picked me up and we drove to GF, after a quick stop at Tim's for an ice-cap.

We breezed through customs, and met the rest of our group at the hotel. Our group consisted of a total of 15 women, who either used to work at my old school, or are currently employed there. We began shopping at TJ Max, and then went to Appleby's for a late dinner. Then we all gathered in one room to chat, glasses of wine in hand. I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. Good thing we had a corner room, with the rest of our group's rooms adjacent to ours, so we didn't disturb the other guests. We were up till almost 2am, with some of the girls staying up even later.

In the morning we enjoyed the buffet breakfast. I love the waffle machine that flips over. It makes such tasty waffles. We shopped all day, in one store and on to the next, stopping for a quick lunch. By supper time we were ready to relax. We met at Paradiso, a Mexican Restaurant that serves taco chips and salsa while you wait for your meal. The margueritas were flowing and the food was good.

After dinner, we met in one room again, and this time had a fashion show, showing off all of our wonderful bargains. There was plenty of oohs and aahs, and where did you get that, are there any more? The funniest thing was the "Magic Blouse". At TJ Max, there was a pretty blouse with puffed sleeves in a purple pattern, and a wide elastic waistband in a jersey fabric. It looked fabulous on everyone that tried it on. (It came in a variety of sizes.) For a joke, about twelve of the girls that still work at my old school, all bought the same blouse. They are going to all wear it to school on the same day to see how quickly the kids notice that they are all wearing the same blouse. I think that will be very funny. At least it was funny after a few glasses of wine!

On Sunday, we got off to a slow start with the stores only opening at noon. After our buffet breakfast, we headed to Starbucks for some good coffee. Then off to the malls to buy whatever we still had left on our lists. We stopped at Target to pick up some grocery items that we can't get in Canada, like the fabulous whipped yogurts, and cheap cheese. Then a quick lunch at the Ground Round, and off we headed home. My friend needed to be back by seven, so we left early.

I spent more than I planned to, but found such good deals, it was worth my while. I bought jeans and running shoes for my husband, Bath and Bodyworks soaps, scented candles, sandals, black jeans, two bathing suits, some tops, a purse, two pairs of earrings, Caribou coffee, and some groceries. My funniest purchase was a lovely black sweater that my friend found for me to try on. It was only $5.oo. A longer sweater with a V-neck and one button. I tried it on and it looked great. When I got home, I noticed the label inside said, "Oh Baby, Motherhood Fashions". It was a maternity sweater! Well, I called my friend and we both laughed about that. But, I don't care. The sweater looks good and is perfect to have at work for cold days. I plan on wearing it and enjoying it. If I get a chance, I'll post a picture. It doesn't look maternity to me. I like it.

A New Stage in My LIfe

2010-04-01T10:04:00.002-05:00

My son is engaged! I am so excited for him and his fiancee. I am going to have a daughter-in-law. Wow. I know it's jumping the gun just a little...but before you know it, I could be a grandmother! We don't know when the wedding will happen yet, but they want a very small wedding with just immediate family. Although it's hard to believe my first "child" is getting married, I am so happy for him.

European Traditional Tour

2010-03-25T18:36:00.003-05:00

I am so excited. We have nearly booked our trip to Europe. We are looking at a 21 day tour, including England, France, Holland, Germany, and Italy. We will travel for 3 weeks with a tour, and then end our trip with one week of free time. During this time, we hope to visit family in Germany and perhaps, see some castles in Germany. The plans haven't been finalized yet, but it really looks like we are going. This is going to truly be a once in a lifetime adventure!

Planning our Trip

2010-03-17T21:23:00.002-05:00

It's a lot of work trying to plan a trip to Europe. The more I research, the more confused I get. It is overwhelming. We were going to do it ourselves but have since discovered a tour would probably be cheaper, since they get better rates. It looks like we will probably do a three week tour and end off with one week in Paris to have time to ourselves. This would allow us to visit family in Germany, if we chose to do so.

Some days my head is spinning and I feel like canceling the trip and just going somewhere in Canada. But, no. I am determined to go to Europe. Stay tuned.

Dare I Say It?

2010-03-12T14:38:00.003-06:00

Europe.

Yes, I really think we're going to go.

Now the tough part is deciding which countries to visit. Different people have offered advice. Almost everyone says it's too hot and crowded to go in July. Well, since that is when I can go, I guess so be it. It will be crowded. It will be hot. But that's where I want to go.

Some people say do fewer countries and see more things indepth. I've listened to the advice and now I've got to make up my mind.

Frankly, I think I'm going to stay with my first decision and choose the countries that first appealed to me. So, we haven't fully made up our mind. But I think we will go to Paris, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Now to look into hotels...

Report Cards

2010-02-23T17:57:00.002-06:00

Report cards are just around the corner. That means it is time for me to spend my evenings, going through the marks I've assigned and coming up with average percents, reading through the anecdotal comments I've made about students' work over the last couple months, marking recent work, and then, taking all the information and putting it together to come up with an accurate report of how each child has progressed. Time consuming, and tiring, choosing just the right words. Sweet relief when it's over.

Good News!

2010-02-16T16:09:00.002-06:00

Recently, I blogged that my computer crashed, (causing me to lose all of our photos), my Ipod was missing, and I had a bad cold. Well, good news. My son was able to get our computer going, saving the photos, and adding a new virus detector. Now, I need to make back-ups of our photos so don't lose them in the future.

Then, I found my Ipod! Can you believe it? All along, I said the last place I had my Ipod was in my purse. I looked in that purse a gazillion times. On Saturday, when we were going out for dinner, I pulled the purse out, (which I had previously emptied while looking for my Ipod). I thought to myself, I wish I had a dollar for everytime I looked inside of it for my Ipod, when, lo and behold, my Ipod was inside. How could I have missed it? On of the zippered compartments inside of the purse is very deep. I guess each time I looked, the Ipod must have been lying in the very corner. I really don't understand how I could have missed it. But I was so happy to find it.

Now, if I could only shake this cold. It has moved into my chest and I keep hacking away. I don't have a fever but this coughing is very irritating. Hopefully, it will be gone in a couple more days.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T10:46:00.005-06:00

On Saturday, my husband and I took our family and two girlfriends to the Round Table for supper. We had a lovely evening. Then, on Sunday, Valentine's Day, our oldest son and his girlfriend delivered a dozen white and red roses, to say Thank You. What a nice surprise.

Happy 32nd Anniversary

2010-02-11T22:20:00.005-06:00

Thirty-two years ago, I married my sweetheart. He made my heart go pitty-pat when I was a mere sixteen years old and he was a mature nineteen. His beautiful long flowing brown hair brushed his shoulders and his gorgeous blue eyes made my heart melt. I never thought he'd ask me out, since it took almost a year before he had the nerve to ask me on a date. I met him through his sister, who became a friend of mine when we worked together at a part-time job. Turns out my sweetie was shy. We both were attracted to each other right from the day we laid eyes on each other. I was a nineteen year old bride, much to my mom's dismay. A little too young, she thought. Certainly, I would not want my children to marry so young - and they haven't. But, for us, it was the right choice. We have shared a 32 year long honeymoon. Sorry, to be so mushy, but it comes from the heart. This is one happy couple!

Woe is Me...or not

2010-02-10T11:30:00.004-06:00

First, I am typing this on my little netbook because my home computer may have crashed from a virus. That means all of our pictures, or most of them are lost. Second, I am at home with a cold. And finally, my Ipod is missing.

Lost or stolen? I don't know. I had it when we came home from Mexico, two weeks ago. I thought it was in my purse. I was so busy, getting caught up with unpacking, school work, laundry, etc, that I didn't have time to listen to it. And then, I couldn't find it. I thought that I was always very careful with it. Always putting it in a zipped pocket, my backpack, or my purse. I never left if lying around. There is a possibility that it was at school in my bag, which I did leave at school overnight, the first week I was back. My room was unlocked and people do use the building in the evening. So, it could have been stolen. I think if I had misplaced it around the house, I would have found it by now. So, I really don't know what happened. It would be covered on warranty if it was stolen.

On the bright side, I am feeling a lot better, staying at home and sleeping in. My husband, who gave the Ipod to me isn't upset. He says it's just a material item. So, although I am a little upset with myself for not noticing when it went missing, at least I can afford to replace it, and my son will reload all my music again. I do wonder what happened to it, though. Was I careless? Was it stolen? I will probably never know.

Oh, those keys

2010-02-05T21:09:00.005-06:00

So, the very next day, after my exciting adventure, (locking myself out of the van and my school), I drove to work again. I stopped at the library to drop off some books. Again, 7am, very early, very cold, and very dark. This time, I left the van unlocked, but took the keys with me, lest someone steal my van, while I ran to drop off the books. I quickly ran to the return shute, and shoved all my books in. I had trouble shoving them down, so I gave them a harder push. My keys were in my big mitts and suddenly, just as the books slid down the shute, my keys fell out of my hand. My heart raced! Had my keys fallen down the shute with my books? I felt absolutely sick. But, then I noticed the keys were lying on the ground beside me, and were not inside the locked library. I was so happy. I wasn't in the mood for another adventure!

Cars, Buses and Taxi's

2010-02-04T20:56:00.003-06:00

I had an adventure last Monday when I got to work. I managed to lock my keys in the van. I knew immediately the second I slammed the door shut - but it was too late. Since it was -37 degrees or so, outside, I wondered what I should do. I was locked out of my van and I couldn't get into the school without my keys. My cellphone was in my pocket but it was dead. The rest of the staff usually don't arrive for another hour or so. It's pitch black outside and freezing cold. Hmmm. What to do?

I noticed a neighbour's car running in the lane. So I hurried over, catching him before he drove away. He let me use his cell phone to call my husband. Unfortunately, because of the severe cold, hubby couldn't leave his work. He is a mechanic for school buses and the cold weather was creating havoc over there. They needed him and couldn't let him go. I didn't have any money with me, either. So, the kindly, older neighbour and his wife graciously offered to give me a ride to a nearby McDonalds to get out of the cold. I assured my worried husband that I would take a cab to his work from the McDonalds. He would then pay the taxi driver. The neighbours said they would have given me a ride to my husband's work, but they had an appointment and his work was out of the way. Since they were perfect strangers, I was just happy that they gave me a ride to the McDonalds, because it was too far to walk in the brutal cold.

So, at the McDonalds, I borrowed busfare and caught a bus to my husbands' work. (I didn't want to waste money taking a cab both ways.) He gave me his extra van key and money for a cab to take me back. So, I called a cab and went back to work, arriving in time for the start of school.

I decided to look at this as an adventure. Instead of planes, trains, and automobiles, I'm calling it cars, buses, and taxi's. I ended up having a great day. I guess attitude is half the battle.

Snow Day

2010-01-25T18:17:00.002-06:00

I was hoping for a Snow Day - a day where schools are closed, due to dangerous road conditions. This is a delightful day for children and grown-ups alike. Children delight in staying home and playing games. Parents delight in lounging in their pyjamas, drinking steamy cups of coffee, and everyone has an unexpected holiday.

Alas, it was not to be. The mini-blizzard managed to make the roads outside the city very treacherous, but inside the city, it wasn't too bad. The side streets were covered in snow, causing cars to get stuck, but the main roads were clear. All the school buses were cancelled. So I only had 11 children in my class today. This gave me time to work with small groups of children. They got extra time to learn subtraction with "borrowing". They also had art, math games time, extra reading, and some free time. It doesn't make sense to teach new material when so many children are away.

So, even though it wasn't a snow day, it was a great day.

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-24T12:05:00.003-06:00

As I've told you before, when it comes to flying my mantra is, "PLEASE GOD, DON'T LET US CRASH". This time I decided I was actually going to relax and enjoy the flight. So just as I settled in for a nice flight, the pilot announces that we can expect significant turbulence for the first hour and a half of our flight. I immediately imagine dropping thousands of feet in the air, and possibly crashing. So much for enjoying the flight. I did try to remain calm, but now I was nervous for the rest of the flight. Which just plain annoys me because we hardly had any turbulence at all! I guess I just have to accept that I will always be a nervous flyer.

We have been home for a week now. The weather has been fabulously mild, hovering above freezing. We got a dump of snow on Friday and Saturday night. Tomorrow, it is supposed to go back to seasonably cold. Brrr. I hope not.

It has been hard getting back into the swing of things at work. Planning, teaching, marking. Getting caught up for the week that I was away. My house needs a good cleaning, and the laundry is still not caught up. I guess it's time to get back to work. I'm still in holiday mode.

Snorkelling

2010-01-18T17:24:00.013-06:00

My husband's passion in life is snorkelling, and I enjoy it, also. When we plan a holiday, we try to choose a destination that provides us with this opportunity. So, when we arrived in Mexico to cool weather, we were a little worried that it would be too cold to swim in the ocean. Fortunately, after a few days of wearing long pants, and hoodies, the sun came out and smiled on us

We happily jumped into the ocean with our gear and snorkelled right off our beach. One day, we travelled to Xel-ha and snorkelled in a protected inlet. It was like swimming in an aquarium. We were surrounded by the most beautiful, colourful fish. Such an amazing time! Check the video out and you will get an idea of what we saw, only it was so much more vibrant. If you get tired of watching, fast forward towards the end, it is more colourful and you can see some of the structures.

Mayan Riviera: Coba Ruins

2010-01-17T09:33:00.008-06:00

We just returned from a week's trip to Mexico. One of the highlights of our journey was a visit to the Coba Ruins. This is a city built between 600 and 900 AD, and then abandoned for unknown reasons. These ancient Mayan structures were covered by jungle overgrowth with excavations beginning only in the 1970's. There are several smaller structures, with the largest one, being 42 metres high. To get to this ancient site, you travel through the jungle, either on foot, bicycle, or you can hire someone to give you a ride on a three-wheeled bike with a cart to sit in. We rented bikes and enjoyed riding along the path.
We climbed to the top of Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid. It has steep uneven steps that lead to the top. There is a rope going up the centre of the pyramid that you can use to help your balance. Going up wasn't too difficult, although about half way up, as we watched people nervously making their descent, we almost reconsidered going all the way up. We looked down and it was a little scary. But we kept going, wanting to see the spectacular view from the top.
We were elated to reach the top. The view was worth it. I didn't go too close to the edge but some people did. One man stood on the very edge with his back to the cliff so he could face the person taking his photo. It made me nervous to see him.

Finally we went back down, carefully, taking our time. Going down was more difficult than going up. Some people scooted down by sitting on each step. Some people walked down without holding onto the rope. This surprised me, especially one man that held on to the hand of his son, who was about 8 years old. I thought he was rather cavalier to put his child in such danger. It would be very easy to slip, especially with a child. However, no one fell while we were there. Falling could definitely mean severe injuries, even death!

Jan. 2

2010-01-02T15:21:00.002-06:00

I think a new tradition has begun for New Year's Day. We were at my brother's house yesterday to help "empty out" the freezer before my brother and wife head to Texas for the winter. We were treated to a grand feast of steak, lobster, shrimp, caesar salad, baked potatoes and brownies and ice cream. It was amazing. I know if I emptied my freezer I would find a couple chickens, ground beef, and some bags of tomatoes. Certainly not the extravagance of seafood and steak that my brother supplied.

Apparently my brother had bought steak and seafood in summer from a travelling salesperson. The food was restaurant quality and a good price. (Still pricey, but the quality was superior to what is available in the marketplace.) So he put it in his freezer, waiting for a special occassion. He and his wife explained that whenever they discussed serving the food, the occassion was never special enough. Finally, here it was the end of the year and they needed to use up this food before leaving for Texas, so it wouldn't get freezer burn. My husband and I, along with my twin brother and his wife, happily helped our Snowbird brother and wife, eat up all the seafood and steak. Along with this fine dine, the wine was flowing freely, and we had a lovely evening. We made a lot of toasts. I said "Here's to the first annual New Year's Day Surf 'n'Turf. It was a great way to start 2010.

Now my eldest brother and wife are off to Texas, leaving us in a cold snap. It is brutally cold today, with more cold in the forecast. I sure hope we don't have a weeks worth of indoor recesses next week at school.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:54:00.002-06:00

My husband and I spent a quiet evening at home watching the first season of "24". Our daughter got us started watching this show and we enjoy it. At midnight we toasted the New Year with a glass of bubbly. We phoned our children to wish them a Happy New Year at each of the locations where they were celebrating with their friends. Now we look forward to a fresh New Year.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T09:58:00.010-06:00

When I first started writing this, it was Christmas. But, since it's taken me so long to upload pictures, it is now two days past Christmas. I hope everyone had a wonderful time sharing this special time with family and friends. We had a good time celebrating with my family. In the background, there is a photo of my mom and dad. This was our first Christmas without both of them. I thought of my parents throughout this month, and memories of the times we shared are special to me. The Old World Santa and the tree skirt are special to me because they are hand-made gifts sewn by my sister-in-law who is a not only a relative but a close friend.
This manger scene is a ceramic set that I painted many years ago. I would like to get a bigger manger because it's a little crowded. I'm guessing the original manger may have been crowded, also.
Pictured here, are a collection of cards from friends near and far. We received two cards from the Netherlands and one from Australia. Thanks to all those who thought of us.
The little green card is from my dear friend Herman and his wife, Elisabeth. The card is very intricate and hand-crafted by Elisabeth. This picture does not do the fine details justice. Like Herman, I save some of the special cards that I receive. This card (and some of the others) will be treasured for many years.
We took the above picture to send to my daughter's friend in Australia. Last year we had the pleasure of having him stay with us for a few days over Christmas. It was so much fun watching him enjoy the snow and go skating and tobogganing. So, this year we dressed in our hockey jersey's and sent him our best wishes from the snowy outdoors. Last year it was so brutally cold, you could hardly enjoy the outdoors. But her friend loved it and they played outdoors in the snow and ice, anyway. I think a favourite activity for him was making a snow angel in his bathing suit and then jumping back in the hot tub.

This year, thankfully, it has been wonderfully mild, with only a couple of abnormally cold weeks. The rest of the time we have been having beautiful, mild weather. There has not been much snow, which I am glad for, since driving is easy and we don't have to shovel. But many others have been wishing for snow. It arrived just in time for Christmas.
It was a white Christmas after all.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas!

Saturday in the Park

2009-11-22T11:41:00.005-06:00

Unbelievable weather for November 21st! The past few weeks have been unseasonably warm, with highs of 12 degrees. Normally at this time of year, we are used to mounds of snow, scraping ice from our windshields and blasting cold winds, with temperatures below zero. Usually, by now I would be wearing a winter parka, winter boots, a hat, scarf, mitts, and even long underwear! (I'm not kidding!)

We took advantage of this gorgeous day by walking to Assiniboine Park. This is about a 30 minute walk from our home. To get there we travel along Wellington Crescent, one of the fanciest streets in our city. Old and new mansions are set far back on large properties. The street is filled with huge oak trees and the river runs along the crescent on the north side of the crescent. (I guess I should have taken some pictures of the beautiful mansions. Maybe next time.)
This is a picture of my husband and me, standing in front of the pavilion at the park. Inside this building is a ritzy restaurant, Tavern-in-the-Park, and an art gallery on the upper floors. We didn't visit either place today. Instead we went to the Conservatory. Inside, we discovered "The Festival of Trees" was set up and a band was playing music. Festival of Trees is a fundraiser to raise money for food for the homeless. Christmas trees are decorated in themes and then donated to be raffled off. Although we will not likely win, we bought tickets to support the cause, and then stood beside the trees that we would like to win.

This is a picture of the tree that I would like to win. It's called Champagne and Chocolate because that's what the gift basket that goes with the tree is filled with.

This is the tree that my husband would like to win. It is a tree donated by 10 000 Villages. It is covered in handmade ornaments made by people from developing countries. It won a prize, as you can see from the attached blue ribbon.

There were also some fabulously decorated gingerbread houses on display. Our camera ran out of batteries or I would have taken pictures. They were incredibly original and detailed. All I could think of, though, was how hungry I was for a gingerbread cookie. So hubby and I headed home and went shopping for ingredients for Christmas baking. Tomorrow we will bake.

After picking up the groceries we took our family out for dinner to Casa Grande Italian restaurant. We had a great time.

Staff Retreat

2009-11-12T18:31:00.003-06:00

Our staff took a couple days off of school to attend a retreat in a nearby resort. This lovely sunrise greeted me in the morning.

We've been having warmer than normal temperatures this week. I'm enjoying each day, knowing that winter is just around the bend.

On the weekend, I had family over for a BBQ. It was almost nice enough to eat outside. (but not quite.) This weather can't last, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Will We or Won't We

2009-10-29T22:43:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking more about Europe, or the sun room, and it's a tough call. You see, I'm afraid of flying and don't like to be away from home for too long. I like the idea of traveling but worry about actually going. It would be a fun adventure, I know, but I'm a bit of a wimp. My friends and family are talking me into going, telling me that all I need is a glass of wine (or maybe the whole bottle), and flying won't be so bad. I'd really like to visit my husband's family in Germany. At night, I think, no, there is no way that I can go, and in the morning, I feel brave, and think, yes, I want to go. I like the idea of planning the trip, and get excited, thinking of all the places to go. But the reality of actually going is a bit scary. How funny, my daughter traveled to Australia for six months with two girlfriends when she was only 20. This is a personal challenge for me. Building a sun room would be so much easier.

Europe?? or All Season Room and Deck??

2009-10-22T22:25:00.003-05:00

So, I've come across some unexpected money and now must decide what to do. My choice is to go to Europe or add an all-season sun room and deck onto the back of our house.
The pros for the sun room and deck are
- we will enjoy it for as long as we live in our house
- the back landing won't get wet when we come in from using the hot tub
- we could enjoy the sunshine in our long, cold winters
- it would give us a little more space in our very small home

The pros for the European vacation are
- we are healthy enough to travel
- it may be our only opportunity to visit my husband's German uncle (who is not that well)
- we could visit Herman!
- it would be exciting

What do you think?

Procrastination

2009-10-15T18:51:00.003-05:00

We picked up some fast food for supper. Nothing like a nice chili burger and fries for supper to warm up the insides on a cool, wet fall day. Now I'm ready for a relaxing soak in the hot tub with a steamy cup of coffee. After all that unwinding and relaxing, it's time to get down to the business of some serious marking.

Seems like I keep dragging the same pile of marking home each day, just adding to the ever growing pile. Yes, I admit, I've been a little delinquent in the marking department. By the time I get home, I have other obligations and before you know it, the evening is done, and I'm too pooped to mark.

Parents want their children to bring home homework, which of course, needs to be marked. I can hardly keep up with the day-to-day work. I enjoy my days at school, but really would like my evenings free.

I guess you can't have it all.

Don't I know You?

2009-10-06T20:15:00.002-05:00

Now, Sharon has inspired me to tell a story about my little great-nephew, who just started grade one. At Sunday School, a little girl pointed to a picture of Jesus and told him, "That's Jesus". My little nephew nodded, and said, "Ahh, I thought He looked familiar."

Ain't Life Grand

2009-10-04T17:39:00.003-05:00

Life is good. I celebrated my birthday last week. My hubby surprised me at work with a dozen red roses. Later he prepared supper for the family while I had a little predinner nap. Our son came over and we had dinner and cake together. My husband gave me a little netbook computer that is very small and light for transporting. I can use it at work, and bring it along when we travel.

My children gave me a blouse and earrings. I love it when my daughter chooses clothing for me. Unfortunately, the blouse didn't fit and I couldn't get the same one in my size. So I ended up picking a different, but similar style blouse.

Friday night we went out for dinner with my son's girlfriend's family. Then we went to the symphony. They played music from Cirque De Solei, and there were six performers doing acrobatic acts while the symphony played. It was mesmerizing!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2009-09-18T17:36:00.002-05:00

Well, actually time flies, even when you're not having fun, but you are super busy. So far, my school year is going grrrreat. I love my kids and teaching is fun, again. While it is lots of work to start at a new school and a new grade, it is well worth it.

I carpool with my husband, which is good AND bad. Good, because we love to spend time together (stuck in traffic, grrrr), and bad because he starts work at 7am. Not a fan of early mornings! So, I pack up my lunch and school bag, get my clothes laid out, and make sure I am ready to fly out the door by 6:35 at the latest. I have a hair blower and curling iron at work, in case I have to leave with wet hair. It's a small price to pay though. My kids can use our second car and we save money on gas. And my sweet husband always makes sure I grab my coffee mug in the morning.

Aging With Grace, I hope

2009-09-09T18:29:00.002-05:00

I guess I'm officially an "older" woman. One of my little sweeties, softly rubbed my hand as he walked out of the classroom. He said, "You look like my grandma." I asked him if he meant my hands, or my face. Cutie-pie smiles and says, "All of you. I miss my grandma, so that's why I'm so happy to see you."

I'm used to being called "Mom" by my kids at school. "Grandma" is new. Since I am not yet a grandmother, it was a bit odd. I took comfort in the fact, one of the teachers who knows his grandmother, says she is a young looking woman. I'm not going to question it. I'm happy my little boy is pleased to have me for his teacher.

Later the same boy was doing some writing about his favourite summer activity. He asked me how to spell Starbuck's because that was the name of the waterpark he went to. "Only, it's not Starbuck's". I asked him if he meant Steinbach. "Yah, that's it". He came back two minutes later and asked me to write it down for him because "I keep forgetting. I keep thinking how fun it is. I'm really not focusing on my work." His comment made me laugh... not focusing on his work. I wonder where he's heard that before.

First Day of School

2009-09-08T17:09:00.002-05:00

A blur of activity and here we are - my backpack is loaded with things to do tonight AND I have an orientation meeting at church for an Alpha Program that I am helping with. So, I only have a minute to tell you, it was a good day. My little darlin's were on their best behaviour and the honeymoon is still on. I have 16 boys and 4 girls, all sweetie-pies (so far). A good start, considering we had indoor recess due to rain, already! Hopefully, tomorrow will be a sunny day. Now I have to get busy with my backpack of work. Guess it's grilled cheese for supper.

Summer Holidays Are Over!

2009-09-07T09:30:00.003-05:00

I spent a lovely evening swimming in my friend's pool on Sunday night.

There was a beautiful sunset as we drove home. Metaphorically, the sun has set on my summer holidays.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I am filled with excitement to start a new school and new grade. I taught grade three when I first started teaching, but it has been a few years. I am looking forward to a great new beginning. In the past I have stressed far too much. This year I am going to enjoy my job and enjoy my students. (If I do not love what I am doing, I will be looking for a new profession.) I want to enjoy each day.

I have been preparing the class for the last few weeks. Organizing books and sorting through things, dragging my stuff to school and setting up the class. I've bought new books and read through teaching materials. I attended a two day math inservice. I'll be going to school today for a few hours to get ready for tomorrow. Do I feel ready?

Well, of course, not. You never do. There is always more to do. BUT, this year I will be relaxed, because what doesn't happen today, will happen tomorrow. And what doesn't get done, maybe, it didn't need to be done.

I can hardly wait to see my troup of twenty children - a mixed bundle of energy - some happy, eager, excited - some dragging their heels, not so happy - some nervous and scared. I hope to meet their needs, academically and socially. I want their grade three to be a year to remember with joy.

Winnipeg Skyline

2009-08-16T13:42:00.005-05:00

After an evening out with family, my husband shot these photos of the city centre. He is becoming quite the camera buff.

Assiniboine Park

2009-08-02T07:46:00.006-05:00

Over the summer, my husband and I often cycle to the park. We especially enjoy the English Flower Garden. My husband took the pictures above. The flowers are really beautiful and growing well. I can't say the same for the tomatoes in our garden. We are just not getting enough hot, sunny weather.

We just finished the third coldest July on record, and just completed the eighth consecutive month of colder than average temperatures. We've also topped the average 71mm of rain with a whopping 101mm.

I guess hubby and I will have to take a little tropical vacation to get some fun in the sun. We are exploring our options now. We love Mexico but I've been thinking of maybe trying someplace new. The big draw for Mexico is the economic prices, the next-to guaranteed fabulous weather, and the fantastic snorkelling in a warm, aqua ocean. It's odd to be thinking of winter holidays in summer. Our summers are usually so beautiful. But this summer has many people thinking about travelling to a warmer climate!

Gone But Never Forgotten

2009-07-31T09:31:00.004-05:00

Thinking of you - how blessed our family was to have such loving parents. Remembering the happy memories. Missing you both. May our family be reunited again someday.

Cycling at the Forks

2009-07-23T09:57:00.005-05:00

At the Forks there is a Salisbury Restaurant on the bridge.

The walking part of the bridge is beside the traffic bridge.

While eating in the restaurant, you are overlooking the river, where boats frequently travel. It is a fun place to have a hamburger.

In this same location, the Human Rights Museum of Canada is being constructed, with an opening date of 2012 (I think). I've forgotten the date and can't read the sign.

Enjoying Summer

2009-07-22T23:06:00.002-05:00

I've been having a relaxing, enjoyable summer with my hubby. We enjoy leisurely mornings, sitting outside in our gazebo, sipping our coffee, making plans for the day. We went strawberry picking on Monday - so I've made strawberry jam, strawberry tortes, chocolate covered strawberries, and of course, my favourite - strawberries on icecream.

We cycled to The Forks one day and had poutine at the restaurant, Muddy Waters. MMMMmmm good.

Another day, we cycled to the zoo and visited the flower garden.

We've been entertaining guests and having BBQ's. Summer is awesome.

Happy Canada Day

2009-07-01T09:20:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I hope to make everyday count. It was a very long year last year, filled with stress. Yesterday was a happy day with my students as we said goodbye. Next year I will be working in a different school, teaching grade three. It should be less stressful for a number of reasons which I won't go into. But there will be different challenges. I want to make it a great year that I can be proud of and make a difference in the lives of the children that I will be teaching. If I am not happy and feel overly stressed next year, I've decided it's time to make a career change. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

Moving On

2009-06-11T22:45:00.002-05:00

There have been a lot of changes. I lost my job in the first week of April and my mom died April 22nd. Since then I've found a new job, teaching in a school where there will be less stress. I know this because I have taught there in the past.

I am looking forward to the end of this school year. I am packing my things up slowly each day. Counting the days until summer holidays. This has been a very long year.

Farewell Mom

2009-05-26T20:22:00.002-05:00

We buried my mother today. It was a beautiful, sunny day and a lovely service. Mom would have been so proud of her grandchildren, who read poems, tributes, sang solos, and played guitar. My brother made a slide show, set to music, that brought back many happy memories. It truly was a celebration of a beautiful life. My mom, skin as soft as silk, beautiful inside and out. She taught me so much. She will live in my heart forever. God bless you, Mom. May you be with Dad. No more tears, or pain. Free at last.

A Golden Heart Stopped Beating

2009-05-25T07:36:00.003-05:00

My mom died on Friday morning. Although she had health issues for a number of years, it came unexpectedly, and rather quickly. We are happy that she is no longer in pain, but we will miss her dearly. I know it is a blessing to have had her to the age of 84, but it is painful to lose your mother. I pray she is dancing in heaven with my dad, and someday our family will be reunited.

Unemployed

2009-05-07T20:08:00.003-05:00

So, on Monday I learned that there will only be one grade four class next year. That means I will be unemployed at the end of June. I have mixed emotions about this. This year was stressful, but since I dropped the art, I was enjoying this grade level. Next year would have been easier because I already have things planned from this year. I was really excited and already planning my room for next year. I had bought over $100 worth of resource materials that I can no longer return. This lay-off really took me by surprise.

I doubt that I will find another teaching job since they are very scarce. I will either work as a substitute teacher or look at another line of work, perhaps. I'm a little disappointed right now, but I also feel excited about the future. They say a change is as good as a vacation. There are definitely a lot of things I won't miss - writing report cards for one. Maybe this will end up being a blessing in disguise!

Guess those long, lazy days of summer may be a little longer this year.

Now You See It, Now You Don't

2009-04-19T10:34:00.002-05:00

Spring visited for a blink of an eye, giving us a taste of sunshine, and then Mother Nature, once again, turned the skies gray, and filled the air with icy wind. But the promise of Spring is here, the snow is melted and parkas are packed away. My province is experiencing the second worst flooding in history, which doesn't affect me personally since I live in the city far away from the rivers. The last bad flood was in 1997, the Flood of the Century. I helped sandbag that year, but my back is in poor condition so I am not volunteering this time.

Work has been busy at school, with no end in sight, until the very last day in June. You would think it would ease up the last few months but it doesn't. There is pressure to finish the curriculum we have not yet covered, ongoing assessment, and then final report cards. I need to try to raise the grades of the struggling students, challenge the excelling students, and keep the misbehaving students entertained. I am counting the days - 51 more to go. How I long for those long, lazy days of summer. (or not so lazy, since we have plans to get things done around the house!) I'm trying not to think about holidays, just concentrating on each day.

It's been hard to get computer time around here with both my university kids writing papers and studying for exams. They are always fighting for computer time so I get a little time here and there. My son bought a computer online and it will be here next week. After that I will only have to compete with my daughter for the computer. I will love having the computer to myself in the summer when she is at work.

Well, that's it. I'm getting booted of the computer now. Talk to you soon.

Snow, Snow Go Away

2009-03-26T00:28:00.002-05:00

Almost Spring Break, and we are in the grip of another winter storm - snow and ice pellets and blowing snow. The beauty and wonder of the dazzling white stuff has long ago faded into the endless blur that is shovelling and scraping ice off the car, running from house to car, and car to house. My energy is sapped. I don't cook supper - if someone else doesn't make it, I order in or eat toast. I crawl into bed after supper, pull the covers up and doze away the evening, until it's bedtime. Then I brush my teeth and go to bed. Please, spring, hurry up.

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-03-08T11:32:00.002-05:00

Life is rushing by at a frantic pace. Last week my school had a special evening for the parents to showcase the art and music program. Since I taught 6 to 8 art up till Christmas, and still teach grade 5 art, I was very busy preparing for this event. It took a long time to mount all of the artwork. The other teacher made a lovely video and set up the display with the students. It was a successful evening. Pictures will follow after I'm finished report cards, which leads into the next area of work, work, work.

The past two weeks have been a blur, together with trying to prepare for the artshow, I have been testing students for report cards and a special math assessment required by my school. I have a mountain of marking and need to write up my report cards. Each report card takes about 30 minutes per student. Once I am finished report cards, we have two evenings of parent-teacher interviews. I can hardly wait until all of this is finished. Then spring break will arrive and it will feel like we are in the home stretch. This time of year is stressful for teachers and students alike, because everyone is just a little "testy". (Yes, that is a play on words.)

My personal life is hectic also, because my mom's birthday, son, and daughter's b'days fall within a week of each other. Celebrations are fun, but the birthdays fall at an awkward time for my work schedule. But we'll squeeze in some time for birthday fun. My aunt (who has little family left) turns 90, and my brother turns 60, and my MIL also has a b'day early in April. These are also anticipated events which call for celebrations. Right now, I have little time to think of the planning for these events, but fortunately, I will be on Spring Break and have time then.

Last night, my hubby and I attended a concert which featured a Bee Gees tribute band singing with the symphony orchestra. We loved it and thought they were very good. No one will ever replace the Bee Gee's but this group did an excellent job. It was a lot of fun. Now it's time to get back to work.

Translation

2009-02-27T07:11:00.006-06:00

So here is the translation: Good morning. I'm happy to see you. My name is Dolores. I am learning sign language. I am a teacher. I am married. I have three sons and one daughter.

This is not a direct translation because the grammar in sign language is different from English. Also, I messed up a bit, too. I signed marry for married and when I signed good at the beginning, I mouthed the word good so it looks like I'm starting with a kiss. In case you are wondering, I signed my real name, not my blog name. I use a fake name because I don't want my students googling my name and finding my blog. Not that I write anything too personal or about my school, I just like to have my privacy. Should a student or parent stumble across it, it would not be a big deal.

Anyway, I really wasn't satisfied with this little clip since I took all of 5 seconds to whip it up and didn't prepare in advance. Hopefully the next one will be better.

ASL

2009-02-22T13:58:00.003-06:00

As you know, I've been taking ASL classes for almost two years. I finally had my husband film me while I signed a short message. I really should have made a script because once I sat in front of the camera, I didn't know what to say. So, although I'm not entirely satisfied with this little video, I posted it anyway. Since it was so easy, I will try it again, maybe next week. I will translate my message for you tomorrow. I'll keep you guessing for now.

Feb. is almost over

2009-02-20T16:30:00.003-06:00

February is running out. That means I MUST post a blog with a video of me signing if I am to meet my New Year's Resolutions. I am going to aim for tomorrow.

I just came back from a two day conference out of town with my school colleagues. The children had two days off while the teachers and administrators headed to Brandon. We stayed at a lovely hotel and were served wonderful meals. We had time to relax in the hot tub, and swim in the pool. Yes, there were meetings, too, but, surprisingly enough, they turned out to be inspiring also. So, it turned out to be a little mini holiday and I feel refreshed and ready to begin report card work on Monday.

Blogging Thoughts

2009-02-14T03:36:00.002-06:00

The longer you wait to blog, the harder it is to do it. I have written at least two or three blog entries and then deleted them before posting. Too boring, too personal, does anybody care...those are the thoughts that go through my head. I love reading your blogs, whether they are about everyday events or stories from the past. Some of you are so funny and all of you are so down-to-earth. I've noticed most of you are blogging less often and hope you keep updating from time to time because even when I don't write, I check your blogs when I get home from work, and would miss you if you were gone. I know how busy life gets but hope you save a little time for blogging.

So, here is my update. I have just celebrated my 31st wedding anniversary. I couldn't have married a better man. He sent a dozen beautiful red roses to my work and we went to a very fancy restaurant for a fantastic dinner. But, that is not what makes him special. My husband tells me he loves me everyday. He compliments me, flatters me, and lets me know I am the love of his life everyday. It's not just the words, but his actions. He prepares meals, he washes dishes, he cleans the house and helps me in anyway he can. He notices when I am down and he cheers me up. He knows me inside out and can make me laugh even when I'm in a bad mood. He looks at me with eyes of love and I know I am the most loved and cherished woman in the world. I know I am the luckiest woman in the world to have married this treasure. P.S. He's handsome, too.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-15T19:35:00.003-06:00

It's already the middle of January so I guess it's time to make some New Year's Resolutions. I love the idea of starting fresh and becoming the wonderful person I've always wanted to be. Since I usually break all the resolutions I've made in the first week of January, I figured this year I'd wait a few weeks before starting. That way I can enjoy the first couple weeks of January, guilt-free, with the knowledge I will soon begin changing my ways. Up-til-today, I hadn't even thought of any resolutions to make. Well, I've been around long enough to know I'm never going to be ALL that I can be, so I may as well accept myself as I am. However, just because I can't be the very best me, all of the time, doesn't mean I can't try to be the best me, some-of-time. So here are my Resolutions. I am putting them here to keep me accountable to my blogging buddies.

1. Eat dark chocolate everyday.
2. Have a glass of red wine every evening.
3. Get at least eight glorious hours of sleep in my lovely new bedding
4. Watch a stress-reducing comedy at least once-a-week.
5. Stop for Tim's coffee every morning before work.

Oh wait, I already do that. Except when I run out of wine and chocolate and don't have any change f0r coffee, and stay up late watching the news. Guess I'll have to work a little harder towards my goals. I promise to try harder blogging buddies.

Now here are the resolutions that I will find a little harder to keep.

6. Compliment my children at home more often, rather than nagging them to wash the dishes, and change the toilet roll. And, yah, take out the freakin garbage, for a change. Instead, I will say I love you, I'm proud of you, and I'm glad you are my child. (Grown-up kids that live at home need to hear that too, even if they pretend they don't.)

7. Compliment my children at school more often, rather than correcting them. It's easy to forget when you work in a "school of excellence". You always are pushing them to do a little better and sometimes you forget that they need a pat on the back.

8. Compliment myself more often, rather than beating myself up for not achieving perfection. My "school of excellence" is always pushing the staff to be more than the best than they can be. They forget that sometimes teachers need a pat on the back.

9. Train for the half marathon. (Just kidding, I was just checking to see if you were really reading this or not. If I can start walking for 30 minutes a day, I will be happy. Just as soon as it warms up to balmy -20. I will not be walking in -40 weather. Not even in my dreams.)

10. Blog at least once a week. (Okay, I'll be happy if I can do one per month, but I will try for one per week, with a picture to go with the writing once a month.)

11. For Herman, I will film myself doing ASL and post it before the end of February.

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T19:08:00.009-06:00

My husband and I didn't go away this Christmas to a delightfully hot location. Instead, we stayed home and enjoyed being together with our family. My daughter was away last Christmas, so I really wanted to be home. A friend of hers, that she met in Australia last year, came to visit Winnipeg over the holidays. He stayed a few days at our house and we enjoyed his company. We did find it incredible that he would want to venture over here to experience -35 degree weather and snow, when he could be at his home in +35 degrees and sun. However, he was a great sport and seemed to really enjoy his adventure in the land of cold and snow. Even in the bitter cold that we have been experiencing, he went skating, toboganning, and snowshoeing. He especially liked hot-tubbing in our outdoor hottub and then jumping into the snow to make snow angels. There wasn't a bit of undisturbed snow in our backyard.

The holidays passed quickly. We spent our time, happily, with friends and family, visiting, eating, shopping, sleeping in, entertaining, and generally spending time as we pleased. Now, we are back at work, with regular schedules, wishing we could sleep in. The first week back to work was pretty good. My schedule is lightened considerably, so I wasn't like a hamster on a wheel. I still teach everyday, but have more preps, to do marking and planning.

Calm Again

2008-12-23T09:21:00.002-06:00

This school year was supposed to be different for me. I wanted to love every minute of it and I did not want to be stressed. Well, I don't know what I was thinking because I accepted a grade four position AND a position teaching grade 4 to 8 art. This is possible because my students get French, Music, gym, and Social Studies with another teacher, leaving me time to teach art.

So, I was learning to teach a new grade (4) AND learning to teach art to middle school students. This was much too heavy a workload. I was working very long hours, evenings, and weekends trying to keep up with the planning, preparing, marking, organizing, and all the extra curricular areas. It was very stressful and I realized quite quickly, that although I love art, I was in over my head. I was still taking sign language for four hours every Saturday, and meeting with a classmate two evenings a week to practice.

I am happy to say, my principal agreed to hire someone else to teach the art in January and I will just teach grade four. The weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulders and I will be able to enjoy life again. After I get caught up with all the things that fell behind in the madness of September to December.

2008-12-04T18:20:00.002-06:00

Reading about Sharon's acrobatic adventure triggered a memory of my own. A few months ago, my husband and I were getting ready to go out. I was on the landing and I leaned over sideways to grab my purse from the ledge along the stairwell. Before I knew what was happening, I lost my balance and started somersaulting down the stairs. It felt like I was in slow motion. Since our stairs curve around a corner, I thought I would stop rolling on the wider step that curves round, but, no, I continued to tumble all the way down to the bottom. My husband was just behind me and saw the whole thing happen. He was horrified. He thought I'd had a stroke or something because he saw me topple down but didn't know why I had fallen. My son and some friends heard the CLUNK, CLUNK, CLUNK, as I slowly rolled head first down the stairs, and came running to see what was being thrown down the stairs. I was unhurt but embarrassed.

But, that reminded me of another incident from a long time ago. I think Sharon will appreciate this story. When I was in grade two, I was wearing those pretty, shiny black patent shoes. The bottoms of those shoes are very slippery and I slipped down the stairs at school, clunking my head and ending up with a big fat bruise. A few days later, I went to visit my grade 1 teacher to say hi, which little kids always like to do. The teacher took one look at the goose egg on my forehead and asked what happened to me. I told her that I slipped down the stairs. The old witch gave me the evil eye and said, "You were running down the halls, weren't you, weren't you, weren't you", until poor little me (quaking with fear) whispered y-y-y-yes. (Even though, I hadn't been.) So, Sharon, I take back my teacher admonition, and give you a big hug instead. (After I stop laughing at the image of you falling.)

P.S. I would NEVER do that to my of my little kiddies at school, even if they did run down the hall.

Crazy Buzy

2008-10-14T17:54:00.002-05:00

School is in full swing. I've already written midterm reports for middle school art students and am looking ahead to report cards shortly. I have marking up the wahzoo and a workload that is weighing me down. It's a bit of a rollercoaster ride, some days high, some days a little low. Except when I start to panic at night and can't sleep, I am pretty happy most of the time. I'm keeping an open mind about whether or not to do this job again next year. It's too early to judge. The first year in a new grade is always tough, and it's doubly tough teaching art, which I'm not familiar with. Hopefully, things will go well.

Exciting News (For Me, Anyway!)

2008-10-06T19:02:00.002-05:00

My house just increased in size by one-third. Well, I guess my math is a little weak because it really didn't get any bigger. One of my three children moved into his own apartment. But surely, gaining one extra bedroom and losing at least five pair of big footwear at the back entrance counts. I am really happy for him. He found a great apartment with a pool, hot tub and sauna. It's as nice as a hotel. We didn't lose a son; we gained a party place! (shh, he says there are no parties allowed. So we'll have to be quiet.) Now we can go to his place and leave empty toilet rolls and throw the wet towels on the floor. Just kidding. He is a great adult and I am thrilled for him. He's happy to have his own space. I'm happy cause he's still close enough to see often.

One down, and two to go... If only they all live nearby, I'll be a happy momma. No moving to Australia, hear that, daughter-of-mine!

Half a Century

2008-09-28T14:09:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to me! How did I get so old so fast. When I turned 30, I wanted to be in the best shape I could be. I procrastinated and turned 40, a little while later. So I readjusted the time frame and decided to be in the best shape ever for my 50th birthday. Guess what! I'm gonna have to aim for 60 or 70 because working out just doesn't move up on my priority list of things to do. I finally decided to let the arm flab, flap in the wind, and accept that it's just not going to happen. I'm in the best shape I can be for 50 and leave it at that. If there's cellulite, so be it. I'm a well-loved woman by a man who compliments me daily. I couldn't be happier. In his eyes, I'm a super model and he's my Brad Pitt. We've nearly finished raising our three children who make us proud. We have our health and look forward to growing old together. But before we get "old", we have a lot of adventures and living to do. Happy Birthday to me! I can hardly wait to get on with life.

Don't Blink

2008-09-26T18:55:00.002-05:00

Whoa! The weeks are flying by so fast, I'm feeling dizzy. I can not believe it is the end of Sept. and, sadly, the end of summer. We are having a gorgeous fall. It seems like yesterday a few leaves were slowly turning colour and today, on the way to work, the streets were lined with golden leaves. I enjoy fall, but am sad to think those lovely summer days are behind us. I miss the long, long days of sunlight. Already the night is falling so quickly. I dread the bitter cold and icy roads. Snow is pretty and sparkly but I don't like the driving and scraping ice off the window, and freezing my butt off. But enough of winter...it's only fall.

School is so hectic. The days are still very long and I am always running behind. I enjoy it and keep thinking how much easier next year will be. Since we only get paid once a month, my first check will be at the end of Sept. I KNOW that will be a pick-me up.

I would love to hire someone to clean my house. Think I'll have to get on that.

The Weekend is Here

2008-09-12T23:37:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how fast the week flew by. I've decided not to give up my ASL classes. Tomorrow morning is my first class and I was excited to discover my first instructor will be teaching this class. This is great because we really liked him and also, we could barely speak to him in level 1. Now that we are starting the 4th level, we should be able to have a decent conversation.

My Saturday ASL class is four hours long but I am leaving an hour early so that I can go the North Dakota with my husband, son, and son's friend. The boys (men, really) want to hear a particular band in the evening, and my hubby and I want to pick up a few things. So we decided to drive out together. We will be coming home very late, I suspect.

Sunday will be an especially busy day - church, visit MIL, laundry, dishes, groceries, clean house, and do some work for school. Don't think all that's gonna happen. When I visited my mom this evening and she heard my plans, she reminded me that Sunday is a day of rest. Hmmmm. I really need a maid - no - make that an entire staff!

Power of Prayer

2008-09-11T06:37:00.001-05:00

My daughter's friend was involved in a very serious car crash and is in critical condition. If you believe in praying, please pray for Courtney. My prayers are with her and her family. Please pray that she will survive and be well.

Thrilling yet Ambiguous

2008-09-09T18:11:00.002-05:00

I really and truly love my job. It is exciting and fun. I absolutely love the age group. The kids have a sense of humour and are fun to be with. BUT....crap, there is just so much preparations and planning to teach both a new grade and an art program. My days start early and run late. And I am exhausted at the end of the day. Did I have fun? Yes, but I don't know if I can do this for a whole ten months. I wait for the weekends, drag more work home with me, and start sweating on Sunday cause I don't feel prepared. I hope I can do this year - and - do it really well (cause I am a bit of a perfectionist). I just keep thinking how much easier this will be next year.

The thing is I want to have a life outside of school. I haven't given up my sign language yet, but might have to, because of the workload.

Anyway, as long as I am having fun, I know this is the job for me (this year, anyway). I love my kids. They are a great bunch of kids. Surely, it will get a little easier as time goes by. Sept. and Oct. are always a little tough.

They're Baaack!

2008-09-03T19:05:00.002-05:00

It was a whirlwind of activity. The kids were thrilled to be back to see all their friends. Since I taught half of them grade one, they were excited to be back in my class. Just as I was thrilled to be able to teach them again. It was a busy day. So much to do. I got to work before 8 and didn't leave school till after 6:30. I ended up bringing home a whole backpack of work with me. Since grade four is new for me and I've never taught art before, there is a lot of prep work. I'm especially excited to do the art. If only I have the strength to do it. I'd rather crawl in my hot tub with a glass of wine. Hmmm?

First Day Back

2008-09-02T18:11:00.002-05:00

It was a busy day. Fortunately it was an inservice day. Time to meet with staff and go over policies, schedules, duties, extra-curricular activities, etc. It was a good day. Tomorrow the kids come. The night before is always a time of excitement and nervousness. I brought a ton of work to do before tomorrow morning. So it will be a late night. I'll probably have weird "school" dreams tonight.

Official Start of School

2008-09-01T18:25:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow it's official. The first day back to work. It seems odd since I've been working at school for most of August, trying to clean and organize my new classroom. But, starting tomorrow I can't come and go as I please. I am returning from a year leave-of-absence. This year I am teaching grade four, except my Social Studies will be taught by another teacher. To get full-time hours I am also teaching grade 4 to 8 art. It's been a lot of work cleaning out the classroom and organizing materials. I haven't actually had time to plan my year. I went to a full week of inservices to learn more about grade four subject areas, also. But, I haven't had time to prepare for the coming year. I could really use another week to plan lessons.

Back to Work

2008-08-06T22:48:00.002-05:00

All good things must come to an end, or so they say. My leave-of-absence is over and I am returning to my old school. I will be teaching grade 4, as well as art to grades 5 through 8. (Another teacher teaches my class social studies so to fill my schedule to fulltime, I was given the art, which I am excited about).

Since this is a new grade for me and I have a different classroom, I went to school yesterday to have a look. The room was a mess, with things falling out of the cupboards when the doors were opened. The bulletin boards are covered with cloth which is quite dusty. (I painted the bulletin boards in my old classroom three years ago and the paint is so much brighter and cleaner than cloth, which tends to wrinkle and fade with time.)

Like the Tasmanian Devil on Bugs Bunny, I tore around the room, ripping things out of the cupboards, grabbing books from one end of the room, creating whirlwinds of messes in my wake. I opened paint cans and tested colours here and there. I ripped cotton fabric and border trim of bulletin boards, flitting from one thing to another. Despite spending the greater part of the day at school, I ended up making a huge mess and accomplished very little.

Then today, I awoke at 4am, unable to sleep, thinking of the huge mess I left behind. I tossed and turned and finally got up at 6am and headed off to school, working till 5:30pm, stopping for a quick lunch that I brought from home. On my way home, I got a flat tire. Just what I needed. My body was aching and I was starving. Luckily, I was almost home and my husband came to help me.

Tomorrow I'm off to buy paint and start painting the bulletin boards.

Gone But Not Forgotten

2008-07-31T08:40:00.005-05:00

My Dad died one year ago today. Here is a picture of my parents on their 60th wedding anniversary, 8 months before he died. They were blessed to have shared so many years together. Mom says there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't think of him. I think of him often, as well. He was a wonderful father who loved his family dearly.

I am thankful that we had this day of celebration with so many friends and relatives.

I love you, Dad and miss you.

Shopping in the USA

2008-07-27T22:33:00.006-05:00

After all that excitement camping, my husband and I needed some R&R, just the two of us. So we headed off to Grand Forks for a little shopping. After trudging through every store in sight, we found many treasures to bring home, patio chairs, clothes, jewellry, school supplies, just to name a few. We discovered a restaurant called Texas Steakhouse that we had never noticed before. Apparently we don't get out much because our children laughed at us when we excitedly told them about this place. They said there are locations everywhere in the states. It's an inexpensive restaurant also known as a peanut bar. There are barrels of peanuts and you throw the shells on the wooden floors. The food was very tasty and we had a great time. Now my poor hubby has to go to work tomorrow. I feel summer slipping away....Must hang on!

Camping at Caddy Lake

2008-07-24T14:50:00.013-05:00

My daughter is working two jobs and has little time off. So when she got a couple days off midweek, she asked if my husband and I could go camping with her. Sweet, yes, but I won't let it go to my head because I also know none of her friends had time off. (At least we're not the last people on earth she'd rather camp with...)

I'm really a Holiday-Inn-Kinda-Gal but thought it would be fun, so we packed up our boat and tent and off we went. (Anyone that camps will know that is not how it goes. First you spend the entire day ahead of time, gathering sleeping bags, airmattresses, pump, matches, coleman stove, fuel, ice, water, groceries, pillows, plastic dishes, old cooking pots, can-opener, fishing tackle, life-jackets, filleting knife, mosquito coils, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, hand soap, dish soap, towels, dishcloth, clothing for hot and cold and rainy weather, etc. Then you stuff your vehicle full to the hilt and wonder what you've forgotten. Which you won't remember until you get there and it's too late. But, I digress.)

We arrived at Caddy Lake and set up our tent on a spacious campsite.

There was a doe and her two fawns that came wandering into the campsites. We were very close to them but they moved away when we photographed them.

We wasted no time and got our boat on the water. The best part of fishing at Caddy is going through the tunnels.

Unfortunately, we only caught baby jackfish which we released. Sigh, no pickerel for supper. Good thing, I packed hot dogs and beans. Plus, I remembered to bring a can-opener.

Although I didn't catch a big fish, I enjoyed taking pictures of the beautiful scenery and soaking up the sun.
My daughter didn't catch any fish at all. She had a lot of practice catching weeds, though. Oh well, maybe next time.

The next day was cloudy and windy but there were beautiful cloud formations.

Let me tell you about our night. After having a campfire, we went to bed fairly early since we were all exhausted. A few hours later I woke up and heard soft rustling outside our tent. I listened intently and heard a snuffling sound. A bear! I woke my husband and said "I hear a bear". He went outside and checked but didn't see anything. But by now every sound was definitely bear sounds. He finally went and slept in the van. Not cause he was scared of bears, but he didn't want to hear me keep saying, "Is that a bear?" I lay awake, listening. Occasionally waking my daughter, with "Do you hear that?" I finally realized that I was listening to the snoring of the people in the campsite behind us. My husband finally came back and we all slept in. (I guess that's why when I told my niece that we were camping, her reply was, "On purpose?") I told you I'm really a Holiday-Inn-Kinda-Gal. I hope my daughter will still camp with me, but I'm thinking probably not. It's really her fault cause she gave me a book to read the day before about bears and people camping. What was she thinking?

Despite our unrestful night, we still had fun. My family likes to poke fun at me and now they have a little new ammunition.

When my children were little, we had a little travel trailer and we spent every summer camping at the lake. This is more my style. Hard walls to protect me from bears. Here's a picture of my daughter and me from many years ago. My middle son is poking his head out the door. I may be a little paranoid (okay, a lot paranoid), but we do have many happy memories camping together.

Luvin' Summer

2008-07-18T12:34:00.004-05:00

We went berry picking a week or so ago. My MIL looks forward to going each year. We can't leave without picking 11 pails cause it's "Pick 10 pails get one free". It doesn't matter if we only need 5 pails - there is no way we are leaving without our free pail. Luckily, there are plenty of people willing to help us eat these sweet, juicy morsels. Of course, we actually get another bucket free because we eat at least a bucket while we are picking. Gotta keep up our strength to pick all those strawberries.

This winter we ran out of our homemade jam and had to rough it, and eat, (yuck) storebought jam. For those of you who don't know any better, the bought jam will do - but once you've tasted homemade, you just can't go back. So we made plenty of jam to see us through the winter. Then I made a couple of strawberry tortes covered in whip cream. We gave away a few backets to family and friends who are unable to get out.

But we saved two baskets for our chocolate fountain. Silly me, I forgot to take a picture. We bought a two-tiered fountain that you fill with melted chocolate. Then the chocolate cascades down and you dip your fruit in it. We bought canteloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple, apples, bananas, marshmallows, and I made angel food cake. We had a fabulous party. (I promise to take a picture the next time.)

We've also been out cycling a few times a week. We have some nice trails and cycling paths.

I started going to Boot Camp every morning. This is an outdoor torture session that you actually pay for. Pictures are not allowed. The other girls would take your camera and stomp it flat. Onlookers are not welcome to watch us sweat and huff and puff. I'm feeling "the burn". I hope by the end of four weeks to notice a little more strength and endurance. By that I mean I hope I am able to do at least one push-up. I've got some work to do on upper body strength. My arms are limp noodles hanging out of the ends of my torso. I've been going for five whole days and my aching body is screaming for relief. Thank goodness the weekend is here to recuperate!

So Much To Say

2008-07-09T13:39:00.004-05:00

I have a long explanation for why I haven't been blogging. If you don't want the (boring) details you can skip to the last line of this entry. I know you can't tell from this picture but typing is incredibly hard. I am perched on a tall stool with my feet on the first rung of the chair to keep the keyboard level. If I sit on a lower chair, I am too far away to read the monitor, and work the mouse. So, the keyboard is balanced on my lap and tends to fall off whenever you apply pressure to the keys...basically every time you try to type. This has been my computer set-up since March when my daughter came home from Australia.

As I've mentioned before, we live in a rather small bungalow. We have two older model computers. Before my daughter went to Australia, we had one computer set up in the basement on a large desk. Our other computer was on a desk in my daughter's bedroom on the main floor. This worked well since my daughter used the computer in her room for her university work and my son used the computer in the basement for his university work. My husband and I used the basement computer when our son was out (which was usually fairly often).

Then my oldest son threw a wrench in the works. He got a great deal on a sectional leather sofa, chair and two little tables. He bought them, thinking he was going to be transferred to another province. Since our house is very small, this extra furniture was jammed into the basement, leaving little space to move. We no longer had access to the use of the computer in the basement. But that was okay, because my daughter left for Australia for six months. Since nature hates a vacuum, we quickly adapted and used her room as the computer room and to store any extra junk we didn't have room for.

This was fine till our beloved girl returned home, and our dear son changed jobs, didn't get transferred, and is still living at home. Once our girl came home, she reclaimed her room, with a fury, I may add. The computer was promptly taken out of her room and put on my dining room table. Since we use that table every day for meals, that didn't really work for me. As well, any other "extras" being stored in her room was unceremoniously dumped in the hall, outside her bedroom door.

After nearly 30 years of dealing with a "small space", it was time to get creative once again. While my son is looking for an apartment, I'm not in a hurry to push him out the door. He's a good kid and will move out in due time. So, what to do? We discovered there was room in my second son's room for the big computer desk and we moved one computer in his room. Then we put the other computer into the little hole in the wall and that's where it's been for the last four months.

I've been waiting to buy a small corner desk for the computer in the basement. We finally found the right one and now my computer is set up once again.

Long story short, I have access to a working computer again. Pictures will have to wait. I want to get rid of some extra furniture in the basement so it looks nice. Then I'll take a picture for you.

A New Computer Desk

2008-07-08T21:33:00.001-05:00

Hurray! We just bought a computer desk and now I have a place to blog once more. The evening is almost over so I won't post any pictures but I am very excited that I have access to typing once again. Tell you more tomorrow.

Remembering Kayla

2008-05-04T12:37:00.004-05:00

My heart is sad for Susan's family. Her niece died on May 2nd after a valiant fight with cancer. Through Susan's blog, I was introduced to Kayla, a young girl with a huge heart and a gentle, caring spirit. She fought so bravely and gave to others even as her own life was ending. Susan's entry about Kayla's graduation broke my heart. Kayla's family and friends are in my prayers as they mourn the loss of this beautiful life. God bless them and help them through their grief. May Kayla's memories bring happiness. An angel on earth, now an angel in heaven.

Mexico Vacation

2008-03-09T11:50:00.008-05:00

(Our suite was on the main floor and the boys where on the second floor.)
Already our week away in paradise seems like a distant memory. My husband and I went to the Mayan Riviera with our two adult sons, the second last week of February. It was their Christmas gift. Our daughter is off in Australia, so rather than the two of us spending two weeks, we decided to go for one week and bring our sons with us. We thought everyone deserved a bit of paradise to break up this brutally cold winter. It's a little investment for the future. Someday when we are old and lonely, we can pull out the "we took you to Mexico" card and our children will have to come to the Old Folk's home and come and visit us. Although we'll probably have forgotten we ever went to Mexico by then.

Anyway, back to our little slice of heaven. We had hot sunny weather everyday. We could snorkel right off the beach, although the more spectacular fish were in other locations. Acumel beach was only about ten minutes from our resort. Here we swam with sea turtles. We spent a day at Xel-ha, which has the most spectacular snorkelling we have ever done. There were caves and "cenotes" to swim in. The underwater life was amazing. We saw fish of every kind, including a stingray. The pictures don't do justice to what we saw.

Besides snorkelling, we enjoyed shopping in Playa Del Carmen and swimming in the many beautiful swimming pools. We drank margueritas, soaked up the sun, ate fresh fruit everyday and had the time of our life. All too quickly we had to return to real life, where winter awaited us. Now we look forward to enjoying springtime and hopefully summer will soon be here.

Counting down the Days

2008-02-13T17:02:00.003-06:00

My girl left for a six month trip to Australia with two girlfriends in Sept. This is a picture of the two of us at the Going-Away BBQ we had for her. As you can see it was a beautiful, sunny Autumn day. The smile on my face hides the apprehension inside. The smile on her face is beaming with the anticipation that she feels. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and never let go. But let go I must. And so began my girl's adventure of a lifetime. She knew how very hard this was for me. So she made me a paper chain for every day that she would be gone. Each day I would rip one off and it would be one day closer til the day she would return. The chain was so long, I draped it over the high windowsill in her bedroom. She colour coded it so that every Monday is a red chain, so I wouldn't get mixed up if I forgot a day. Well, my little chain is short enough that I can almost wear it around my wrist. Today marks the one month mark. In only one more month, my little girl comes home. We've been able to keep in regular contact with e-mail, MSN, and phone calls, but nothing compares to having her here in person. I can hardly wait.

Happy 30th Anniversary

2008-02-11T17:36:00.000-06:00

Thirty years ago I married my high school sweetheart. I can hardly believe how fast those years have flown by. We can look back on those wonderful years with thankfulness. We have been blessed with three children who have grown into adults that we are proud of. Our lives are full of family and friends. The trials have been few and the joys many. We enjoy each other's company more than the day we met. Soon, we will travel to the Mayan Riviera to celebrate our anniversary. I am truly thankful for finding the love of my life. I couldn't ask for a better life.

Skating

2008-01-29T08:22:00.000-06:00

Perhaps you have heard about the battle between the capital city of Canada, Ottawa, battling Winnipeg for the bragging rights to having the longest skating rink in the world. Well, I'm pretty sure that Winnipeg will soon be in the Guiness Book of Records for this honour. We headed out to the Forks on Sunday and skated the pathway along the river. I haven't been on skates in many years, so first I had to go out and buy a new pair of skates. Then away we went. It was so much fun. There are warm up shacks along the path, some with fire pits blazing. There are rest stops with benches and a booth set up, giving away free apple cider. It was a wonderfully mild, sunny day.

We discovered that the path extends almost all the way to our house, so the next time we can walk to the river and skate all the way to The Forks, have lunch or a snack, and then skate back
home.

Wonderful Weekend

2008-01-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

For Christmas our children gave us a gift certificate to The Keg and tickets to the symphony. We couldn't get into the Keg because it was too busy so we went to The Forks and tried The Beachcomber restaurant. We had a delicious meal. I love their menu because they have a lot of fish and seafood dishes. I had pickerel stuffed with shrimp and crab. Yummy. Then off to the symphony we headed. Now in all honesty, my husband is the lover of the symphony. However, it was an evening of well-known dance music, complete with two dancers who also sang. It was very entertaining and I enjoyed it as much as my husband. Thanks kids, for a wonderful Christmas gift. We had a grrrrrrrreat evening!

My Mom's Locket

2008-01-10T18:04:00.000-06:00

After reading Susan's blog, it reminded me of one of my keepsakes. I'm sorry the picture isn't better. You can't see how pretty it really is. My dad gave my mom a goldplated locket before they were married. It has her initial engraved on the front and his name with Love engraved on the back. Inside is a picture of the two sweethearts. As a child I use to say to my mom, "When you don't want your necklace anymore, can I have it?" My mom promised she would give it to me. It has a lot of sentimental value for both of us, although not much monetary value.

A number of years ago, my mom gave me the locket. The chain it came with wasn't that nice so I hung it from a different chain. The locket hooked onto the chain but wasn't a complete loop. I thought it would be okay even though it wasn't completed latched on. I wore it to work and stopped for groceries on my way home. When I got home, the locket was missing. I had the chain but no locket. My heart dropped to the floor. I was so upset. I didn't want to tell my mom. I knew I had it when I left work so I retraced my steps to the grocery store. I searched without success.

I could have opted not to tell my mom. She probably would never ask about the locket. But I felt so horrible, I felt I had to tell her. I phoned her and gave her the bad news. I knew it broke her heart. I felt just awful. After phoning her, I tried to put it out of my mind by working out. I started with some sit-ups. When I layed down on the floor, I felt something cold touch my chest. It startled me. I took a look and sure enough, it was the locket. Somehow, it had fallen off the chain and into my sweater. I don't know how I didn't feel it until I layed on the floor, but it was such a thrill to find. I hopped in the car and went to see my mom, to show it to her, even though it was quite late. She was so happy that I found the locket. That night I gave the locket back to her. Even though she didn't wear it anymore, I wanted it to sit in her jewelry box. She bought a gold chain and had it attached so that it can not be taken off. After a few more years passed, she gave the locket back to me. Now I can wear it without fear of losing it.