@^$&*#! I just got a call from my computer guy and after replacing the motherboard and starting it up, they have determined the hard drive is bad. OMG! Crap! Crap! Crap!.

Ugh. I am depressed.



Hello to you all out there. Im still around and Ill back when I can afford it.

Im at my mom's this weekend for my dad's side family reunion. Its changed completely since the olden days when there was so much good homemade food, lively conversation, tiny babies and tons of cousins all wrapped up in a day at the city park I grew up playing in which was a lovely setting, btw. I looked at some photos from the seventies today and man, was there a lot of polyester!

Now it's KFC and Walmart cupcakes at a stuffy first cousin's house. I am rather picky about things, huh?

And all the original aunts and uncles of the Provance clan that started the reunion have passed except one aunt. 200 people easily were at the reunions and I couldn't remember half their names but there was always someone to play with or talk to and they knew me.

Now it's a whole new set of people I don't know and not many at that.

We are taking homemade meatballs, buttermilk fried chicken strips and fruit cocktail cake along with veg salad. I won't stray far from the table.

Next Wednesday E and I fly down to Orlando for the National Beta convention. E is competing in spelling. I can't wait to make it to the beaches near NASA. I rented a car and we will see how well I navigate. We stay at the Caribe Royale resort which looks scrumptious. The school is picking up the tab (except the alcohol, I suspect). Whoohoooooo!

Ill check in on my blogfolk asap. Until then, toodles.

Im thinner, more shorn than before, having cut my hair all off in a pixie cut and I am rather relaxed these past few days since shool has let out. Working in the outdoor classroom every day before school was out in addition to working several hours in the truck garden took several layers of winter and spring fat off. While I was working out so much, I noticed my hair was looking more like a rat's nest and less like a head of hair so off it came. I like the results now although I was initially afraid to look too manish. No women have flirted with me so far so Ive got that going for me....
My daughter turned 17 Wednesday. What a slap of reality! Seventeen YEARS OLD! I remember coming in to R's office and closing the door to share the results of the "test" and realizing I was going to have a baby like it was yesterday. And when my former mother-in-law walked in to the hospital room after E was born and I told her it was a girl, she burst out crying and hugged me. It makes me weepy just to remember those wonderful moments. I was so scared and not too bright especially given less than adaquate sleep to manage a newborn baby all day by myself with no one around until R came home from work. I was a mess. But it was frightening.
So she has made it to 17 in spite of me being her mother and it may be alright from here on out. Time will tell. She is a gem.

Im still thinking about all of you and wondering what is going on with you just like we are friends. Hope things are okay. Ill be back around when I can and certainly after I get a working computer.

Last day of school!-- hoorah! Words cannot express my joy. I need to make a trip to the liquor store...*hic*

No computer will be in use at my house for another few weeks on the inside. Got a lead on some work to do on it.

What a piece of news! The kid's dad invited me to his house for a Memorial Day bonfire/cookout along with several of our old and his current friends plus our children. Interesting....

I took on the job of starting the truck garden with the orchard guy. We have had so much rain earlier in the month we could get the plastic and irrigation laid. Last night we got it in and I planted 120 feet of tomatoes (lost count of how many) and 9 rows of sweet corn. The next few weeks I will be trying to get it all in plus my garden needs some stuff planted.
Im pretty excited since he is letting me treat it as my baby. He knows nothing about vegetable gardening. Could a person ask for more? All I have to do is try to make a profit.

I will look you all up when I have the chance at a computer. Til then, Toodles.

My brother's son graduated high school this week and this afternoon we had an open house and this evening a bonfire complete with s'mores and hot dogs at my mother's house. It doesn't take much to make any of us happy. Ben was very pleased.

Only three and a half days of school left. It really seems like we were just at this point but it HAS been a year. I am so ready. Many women at school are becoming increasingly hard to stand. I detest two-faced, lying, lazy bitches. Oh, my- that as harsh.

One thing my coworker and I have been doing is taking each class for an hour and working on planting in and mulching the beds in the outdoor classroom with the native plants and trees. It is amazing how well-behaved even the most annoying child is when they are allowed to work on a project like this. Many try to outdo each other with lifting, toting, shoveling and instruction but I noticed them also having good conversation amongst them selves, talking in friendly tones and helping each other. Brenda and I sat back at one point and just listened and watched while they worked. It was inspiring.

Toodles until Monday.

So my computer guy says my HP has a motherboard issue. Like it needs a new one and they can't be found. I may be naive and he is just yanking my chain but since he has nothing to gain from telling me that, I assume its true. I have another source that I can verify it by.
I am so gonna write a letter expressing my disgust with a four year old machine that is not even used every day having problems to this extent. I know, I know- they will not even read it but I am still writing it. I should have done my homework before I bought it.
So as it stands right now, I have no computer at home nor will I unless I find someone with a used one that wants to lend. I haven't checked with my peeps.
I have had some withdrawal symptoms associated with no home computer. My Facebook account is slightly overloaded with "stuff" too. No biggy though.
My mom had been visiting since Saturday and doing some lovely housework for me. It's nice to go home and have no laundry or supper to cook. AND- she primered my bathroom so now I can slap a coat of paint on it in no time. It's all taped off and everything. I will so be ready to have my bed back and a decent hour of retiring. She keeps late hours, that one and I like my sleep. I was glad she came because she got away from the worries she has everyday at home.
The storm we had last week- the inland hurricane they called it was exactly that. My trampoline was once more wrenched apart and bent perhaps for the last time( my brother manhandled it until it fit back together last time), my Red Spire ornamental pear was snapped off neatly at ground level- ~sob~ so no shade for the patio this summer, and my downspout guttering on the front of the house was blown off. Luckily, I had not roof damage as some of the surrounding houses did nor were my big trees downed like some were.

Lunch duty calls.

Sandi, I messed up yours and Mathman's urls on my blog roll. I haven't left you out intentionally.
I'll get it fixed as soon as I get my computer back at home. 'Cause Lord knows I have zero time at school to mess around on the computer.
Hope all of you are good.
I still have yet to answer Anne's questions about trees. One might assume I was less knowledgeable about that stuff than Ive let on. *cough*

Sorry about that, Iamnot.

So much stuff last week at school and at home. Coming and goings of my offspring and myself.
Sorry Anne about forgetting about the recommendations for replacement trees. I think you are pretty much in my growing zone- 6. And for those dogwoods- they can receive sunlight but I think they like a bit of shade. I have a lot of favs, btw.
Working on putting together an at-risk classroom with my co-worker. She is actually doing the work of scheduling and set up but Ive worked and troubleshot with her and visited other schools with these classes in place so I have a hand in it. It's taken a while to get a handle on what we are after.
We have what we can have in place and the next move is to implement next year and change what works on paper but doesn't actually work in reality. I just wonder what I should really get paid when I start this. Common lament among teachers.
E went to prom Saturday night but since my computer decided to be finicky about something, I haven't been on to upload them. Wait until you get a load!
I spent the weekend making up a seed and plant order for the orchard guy's truck farm he's starting. I also turned my garden over, mowed the backyard (should have had J do that before he left for Dad's), transplanted tomato and pepper seedlings (don't know if I can get them big enough to use in my garden in time) black-eyed Susan and garlic chive volunteers from my beds, planted white pine and tulip poplar seedlings as a windbreak on the north side of my house, retrieved my daughter and 3 friends from an hour and a half away after their Saturday band contest so they wouldn't come slugging in at 3 pm and have 2 and 1/2 hours to get ready for prom (could you imagine only having 2 and 1/2 hours to get ready?!) but shopped for clothes before I picked them up, transplanted houseplants and moved them outside to live, cleaned and washed, cooked and baked for the week.
Good Gosh! I sound like ANNE!

Middle school Prom Better Known As Night of the Rolaid

All 8th graders except for J. Doesn't it make your blood run cold?


I will say, the DJ was doing a fabulous job when I peeked in. I wanted to stay and dance but it would have been a mistake.


His date came with her own corsage but decided it would be nice to wear J's too. Even those points he scored didn't manage to save him in the end. Things fell apart midway through the evening.
Dancing with another girl, even if it is your best friend and not putting more than finger tips on her while you dance and not even with your date dancing with another girl? at the time is reason enough to keep you out of trouble. Boy, was he bummed.





He was certainly feeling stylish and he smelled very nice. He has a little dance move he does when he is feeling particularly happy and I saw it a lot last night.

Really, one could look at middle school prom two ways.
1: It's an excuse for 6th, 7th and 8th graders to have tremendous amounts of money and time spent for a dressed up, too grown- up experience.
2: It's an opportunity for those kids to learn some lessons on how to act responsibly and with better manners than in daily
life. And to experience the excruciating pain and drama that an 8th grade girl can inflicted on a slightly numbskulled but well-meaning 7th grade boy.
Such is life.

In between making the deviled eggs and the shrimp salad we took these.

Not a bad bunch.

Very good songs on the mp3 to take a walk to-
Incubus- You Are Stellar
Jet- Cold Hard Bitch

Anyone care to give tips and advice on vacation car rental options? Even though the school is paying, I would like to make an effort to spend wisely.

Easter egg hunting time. Heading to my mom's for our get together.

Everyone enjoy your weekend.

Oh, no. NataS has left the blogsphere. A sad day....

'Gran Torino' - loved the movie. 'Taken'- what predictable story line and incredible crappy ending.

I helped with our first swim youth invitational at the Y yesterday. Lots of elementary and middle school kids I know competed. Their first year of competitive swimming and their first meet and they took second. Well done, Sharks!
I saw some one's double there yesterday. I did a double-take.

E took the ACT for the second time. We cut it close getting to the school conducting the test since we got behind a real slow-mo. Sliding in on two wheels, she got in and given directions -not accompanied- was shuffled to three different rooms in three different buildings finally to settle back into the first building where the instructions were already in progress. Nerve-racking but she managed to explain to her instructor the reason for her interruption and to apologize for being later than planned. It turned out ok in the end.

I washed the egg off my house from earlier in the week. I decided to just wash the whole front of the house while I was at it. The siding looks much better as well as the front porch. One down, three to go. Quite satisfying. I really am a menial job type of person and not corporate material, not that anyone was convinced otherwise..

I looked forward to strawberries and shortcake last night. The first flush of berries are here from California. If there was a dessert table offering the richest chocolates and a bowl of strawberries with shortcake, I would ALWAYS choose the strawberries and shortcake. I don't even need whipped cream.

Egads! I just remembered I need to do my state taxes! I have the form somewhere around here...

The girl's play was fun. "Altar Egos" was the play's name about the way families, brides and grooms and peripherals go nuts when it comes to planning a wedding. E played the Grandmother of the bride who comes in during the last ten minutes and sets everything right.
J cracked me up and made me equally uncomfortable by sitting next to his GF and holding hands- right in front of me and her parents! He did at least shake the mom and dad's hands when he met them without any prompting which made me feel good. So I had a talk about mine and his dad's expectations again- a representative of our family and all that jazz. It seemed to make him stop and think. Sigh- that boy tickles me and makes me nervous.

Where is Gnomeself Be True?

Sandi- I can't get a comment box on your blog. Just know I am thinking about you and hope things smooth out soon. Lots of people are on your. Take care.

Stepping up my exercise regimen. Im trying to walk/run a half hour in the mornings and ride my bike or at least do some Pilates at my house in the evening mixed with plenty of weight reps although I only have 5 lb-ers right now. Mixing that with the exercise ball kind of makes me believe I am doing some good. My blankity-blank metabolism needs a boost. I just can't shake this tired, slow-witted point I am at.

Tomorrow night E is in the Drama department's play. She plays an old grandma and while she was developing the character according to the drama teacher's wishes, she adopted a pretty good northern accent to deliver her lines with, much like my mother's and all my Yankee relatives. It's funny and Im looking forward to seeing it.

Can you believe it?! We got egged last night apparently in the middle of the night since I never heard it happen. I raised my shades in the living room this morning and was met with a splattering of yolk and white with a shell fragment hanging on the sill outside. I did a double take and with investigation, we learned about five missile had been thrown. Yuck. Nobody at school opened their mouths so Im chalking it up to an April Fool's Day joke. I don't want to think about pissing someone off for anything else.

Raise your hand if you wish you were on a crusie ship like Kimmyk? (both hands and both feet raised)

Hints From HeloGreeny

Some helpful hints when shopping for clothes.

* take a portable battery operated fan so the sweltering dressing room will stay somewhat comfortable under the strain you are experiencing.
* When you are not having luck finding the clothes that fit "like a glove",
change dressing rooms with a new armload and it seems this improves one's luck.
*take a small mirror with you to check out the "back view". You don't want to ask a stranger to give you a report on it for you. That opens up a whole can of worms...
* Try on the largest size of the jeans and pants so you can save time not bothering with the smaller sizes if that pair works. However this may produce fits of anger if one expects the smaller size to have fit and one finds the larger size is needed instead. Conversely, if the smaller size fits- do a little dance.

Some other helpful hints for grocery shopping .

* It is so true- don't go down the Easter candy aisle if you are hungry. Remember the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs?! Gah!
* Always insist on double bagged liquor and allow nothing else in the bag with it- such as a gallon of oj or your garage will smell like rum for days and the cat will act a little funny PLUS you can't open and enjoy the bottle of Mojito mixer you bought especially for Sunday.

I have noticed lately I don't have the prowess behind the wheel I used to, expecially when it is raining. Tonight I drove home on a two-lane road in a rain and I really had a hard time even though I know the road. I suppose I need some glasses (sniff) and I will be applying Rain-X to the windshield of this new car since the wipers just glaze the window with the water instead of wiping it clean. Of course Ill put new wipers on, too.

We are expecting snow this weekend. #*!%&@ and GRRRRrrrh and all that kind of stuff! Possibly 6 inches. Heehee. Then it's back up to 60 on Monday.
Just like normal Missouri weather.

The girl and I are going to be in Orlando, Florida June 18th through the 21st. Anyone gonna be down there then? Pencil us in, okay?

My dishwasher just shot craps today.

Break is now over. Im back at school. One more week before our MAP testing begins. I walk down the hallway and see teachers with sweating, looking alarmed or worse, taking a swig from their flasks stashed in their desks.

I traded for a car over the weekend. A bit newer model with many fewer thousands of miles on it. It is a rocket.

I bottled my pear wine over the break and omg, it's good!

Nothing much else to report. I am more boring this week than last week.

Spring Break Moments with Your Host, Greeny

I sit here and consider my Internet relationships and find it an amazing oddity. Nothing that other people haven't thought about before me. People weaving in and out of relationships with thoughts and words. Sharing and caring, fighting and bickering, arguing and joking about everything and nothing. People come and go, arriving with hoopla or in silence, leaving perhaps in the same manner. Sometimes a very real bond is formed among several or a few. Most times there is just a pleasing sense of a circle of friendlies that demand nothing from each other but the joy of expression and an interesting topic. Plenty of support to be found. Plenty of empathy, sympathy and humor. All in all a wonderful thing.
I think of you all as part of my life, part of my daily (or almost daily) routine to check up and check in with you all. I follow you, with silence mostly but never without thought.

Ive lost a reader in the past few months that still bothers me but not to the point of distraction. When I'm reminded occasionally, I wonder why I was so invested. Thinking about how invested I was ONLINE is way freaky. I think I might need to guard against letting that happen again.

Have you ever been involved too heavily for your own good online?

One more thing: Have you heard the robins squawking up a storm? That, my friends, means SPRING!

Things I was thinking about while washing the dishes-

I am doing much better on my mother role than I did on my wife roles.

I dont have the energy or interest to even begin to try another relationship.

My son was on a porn site in the past few m0nths, much to my chagrin. Working on that one...

Spring Break has started and my to-do list is filled.