A Day Off?

Serious icing on our power lines and an impending snow storm has ensured a vacation from school for at least the rest of the week. I am glad I "stocked up", if you know what I mean. Lorraine sent this weather on from her neck of the woods and I'm gonna send it on to Indiana, Ohio and on to AMKingsfield and Anne. I predict a day spent locked in my room, having retreated from the noise of Guitar Hero and " The Breakfast Club" 's one millionth playing.


I had a bright idea to make some money on my source of pecans from my parent's two trees. We end up with many bushels of pecans each year and bestow them on our friends and loved ones. I decided to try my hand at selling them to my co-workers so last week, I offered samples of 3 different styles of toasted pecans and put a sign up sheet for any takers. By 10, I had sold 117 1/2 cups. Now I KNOW what I will be doing today.


My daughter and son are itching to get on the computer but I've been parked in front of it since they got up...AT 6:30 THIS MORNING! Why is it they can't get up at the regular time to go to school but they wake up at the crack of dawn on a day off? That reminds me...I have this I have to pass along.



Anyway, I plan on making them crazy as I sit here taking my time surfing and reading. And the rain is not gonna stop and the sump pump is not sounding too spiffy so I may be under the house for a bit. That damn thing. Power outtages are happening to the west of us, moving our way so I have a bit of prep to do as well.







I was realizing last night over a nice glass of merlot and a lovely few hours to myself, I haven't been reading or working on things that make me happy for many months now. I just read Lorraine over at http://dothedishesfirst.blogspot.com/and she was saying the same thing. I haven't experienced the same blah as she has. And I'm working on being a more positive person in my thoughts and deeds. I was becoming too cynical and mad.
I have some interesting ideas for some exciting future business ideas and opportunities I have discussed with a good friend. It involves a sort of summer day camp for 4th and 5th graders, maybe older and revolving around exposing them to music, art, books and their discussions, cooking, gardening, and some other subjects. I can imagine this actually coming to pass. As well as putting her land into christmas tree production. There is a lot of things to study on that subject.
I have the school planting ideas I haven't been working yet.
I have a good book on my side table that begs to be picked up and more to start if that one gets finished.
My crafting of altered art objects has taken a nose dive due to time constraints. That's something I need an extended block of uninterrupted time since I am slow to find pleasing combinations.
I have several subjects I'm interested in to study, one of which is the history of gardening. I would love to collaborate on a novel involving that subject. That's a daydream but who knows? Wildman is working toward a different occupation or two that involves fewer pricks and more satisfaction and I am interested in his new ventures. Perhaps more on that later.

Well, a big breakfast has been demanded but the last time I was posting and the ankle-biters wanted pancakes, I promised myself they were going to learn how to make them themselves so today begins the journey. Then I will set them on to shelling pecans. Thank god for slave labor.

Happy Thursday, everybody.

Quote of the Day

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning" -Catherine Aird

My first TAG

Thanks, Kate, for tagging me. I didn't take much time to come up with those really strange things. In fact after having read everyone else's blog, I realize I sound infinitely boring. And to top that off, I don't even have 6 different people to tag so forgive me for breaking the circle.


Six things_

1. I can not drink just one beer, glass of wine or alcoholic drink without getting a headache so that means I must always drink 2 or more or abstain.
2. I am a germophobe. I am successfully passing it down to my children as well although perhaps my son wasn't following the procedures laid down so vehemently since he is coughing and snotty-nosed as we speak.
3. I would rather buy seeds, plants, trees or shrubs for my yard than to eat( and have done so on occasion though not lately).
4. I must have ketchup on my white beans and ham.
5. I have a dominant daydreaming gene. I can fall into a deep daydream any time of the day. My son possesses the same gene apparently since his 5th grade scores are plummeting as his hormone levels rise. (I don't know what I pushed to make this italicized)
6. I am a consummate kisser. I know this by the swooning of men I have kissed and because I won a Valentine's Day kissing contest when I was in high school. I know this is a subjective conclusion. Perhaps all in my mind...

Brainless Post

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Is this not the funniest thing?

The Good With the Bad

A big-ass mug of steaming strong coffee and tons of blogs to read...now that's the way to spend a Saturday morning. Well, there are better ways but this is highly enjoyable.

I stayed home yesterday from school with my son while he was recovering from a stomach flu (yuck). He actually woke up feeling fine but he didn't wake up till 9. I ended up getting those little jobs done that pile up so high. Plus we spent some time playing "Runescape" together. He wanted me to get into playing some "Dragoon" on Playstation but I am not a hand-eye kinda girl. He totally enjoyed it as I did.
Since it was payday, it called for the perfunctory poker night with the kindly folks from the elementary school (the principle, the middle school counselor, the gifted program teacher, Title I reading and math teachers, the speech teacher, the P.E. coach, the art teacher, plus husbands and peripherals). Buy-in was only $5 and I made it last quite a while winning one hand. I suck at poker but it's a fun group.

E goes to St Louis Thursday for her leadership conference. I take her up early to get her settled and then get home so I can be here for J before evening. Got to get up there on Sunday before noon to attend the closing ceremony. I hope it is as useful to her as it looks like it will be. It looks impressive when I look at the itinerary.

I have been mulling over the problems with the inadequate accommodations in the dad's/girlfriend's house as well as the insensitivity and immaturity of the girlfriend and the oversite of the dad. As these things usually go, the relationships between them all started out great. Then problems arose, which is normal. But it is progressing without what I would call constructive attempts to remedy these problems.
Ultra-sensitivity and jealousy on the girlfriend's part, having 2 sets of rules for hers and his, treating E and J like they are second class citizens- there have been many incidents that go under one of those headings.
I am not naive enough to believe my kids are perfect or that they haven't colored the incidents to their own benefit. However, my daughter is not a "Daddy's girl" so she isn't jealous of Jenn or maligning or undermining her at every turn. J isn't a rowdy, mouthy, mean-spirited sort of kid. They are pretty well-behaved kids who tend to enjoy anyone they are with as long as they are treated fairly. Many people have even said as much. And as my daughter said- if there was just a bit of give and take, if there was just a bit of trying on the other's part it would mean a lot and she could relax. I am at a loss for what to help on or to tell my kids. I have tried to be positive and nurturing, to explain how these things take time, to give them an approach for different problems and because of that, they have been motivated to change things. But these problems still exist in their enormity and more are cropping up.
We all lived through this very problem with my second marriage. The very exact same problem and I was guilty of sitting by and letting it happen in an effort to keep HIM happy. I can't let it happen again and the very real problem of the kids not having a relationship with their dad that they can carry into adulthood is the motivating factor here. I can't let that happen. So I will continue to work on it and send emails and phone him but it looks sad really. I am working on having a positive outlook and leaving cynicism and sarcasm alone.

I didn't get the urban forestry job but they have my resume on hand. It may prove to be the humor that gets them thru another week. Actually I didn't feel too bad about how it read, so there!

Thanksgiving will be spent at the parent's with just us 3 and them. But my sister's 49th b-day will be that weekend and her son and daughter-in-law will be in from Kansas with my grand-niece(oh,jeez,it hurts!). Should be fun, emphasis on "should".

Happy weekend, everybody.

Whatever comes out of me, I apologize. Im going to channel myself now in an effort to come up with a post. (eyes rolling back in head- a lot like last night on the couch) (moooooaaannn.)

I wish I had more time to sit here and read my fellow bloggers. I need to catch up.

I am heading into the great shopping mecca alone in a few to begin the tedious task of finding really good xmas gifts for very little $ -perhaps the hardest thing this weekend to accomplish.

I am preparing for a lovely eve with Wildman to ponder the wonderfulness of our 2 years anniversary. I must paint my toenails.

My children, especially my daughter, age 14(says a lot) dread going to visit with their dad on his weekends. He has moved into his girlfriend's house (says a lot) so the turf is no longer his or the kid's. Interestingly, my daughter slept on the couch in the living room and now they have sold the couch (says a lot). Actually it's been sold for about a month and a half and they just took a trip to N.M. And there are two sets of rules-one for hers and one for his. He is either oblivious, stupid or afraid to have an opinion. I am debating as to what my next move should be, because the problems have been mentioned to him before. I hate this.

My innards to my kid's bathroom toilet need to be worked on since it keeps running and costing a small fortune in water bills. I hesitate to touch it.

My mother is fighting depression and she will NOT move toward medicating even for a while. I worry about her health and wellbeing.

My father is becoming much more difficult. He had a moment when he recognized he was sick and said as much. Im glad I wasn't there for that. Head in sand.

It's raining and cold here and a day with movies and hot chocolate sounds better than a crowded city.

This is very exciting for me. I am on the commitee to write a grant for an outdoor science classroom with plants, bird feeding stations, a pergola, weather instruments, etc. I also have been asked to put some landscape plans together for the entrances of the new school buildings and our elementary. I realize we are talking "free work" and the school recognizes this, too. They call it "cost effective". I was thinking of taking Master Gardener classes this fall and winter so I have some more credentials. This all may be working towards a new job, maybe. I had a friend at school hand me a job discription for an opening at an urban forestry company. The pay looked good, the job discription screamed 20 year old. I don't want to appear negative however, so Im going to apply.

Happy weekend everybody.

A parable

I loved this and it was timely, I must say. I have had a bit of a go around with myself lately as to what the hell I am about and what is going on in my head, where I want to head( hmm, that was funny to read just now) and what kind of vibes I want to give off. This post of Lee's last week was exactly what I was thinking about for myself. I am so hard-boiled lately and not finding myself in a very positive frame of mind. So unlike my earlier years when I was upbeat and happy-go-lucky. Now I am cynical, sarcastic and somewhat hateful toward life. It drains me. It has no constructive use. It gets me nowhere. I need something like this post cross-stitched and hung on my neck so I can keep it upper-most in my mind. This and a bottle of fine merlot, I think. I've got the merlot part handled...

I know, I know, it looks like I have a crush on Lee -and I do. I've posted about his posts before. But I love intelligence. It's sexy. It's engaging. And timeless....

An egg, a carrot and a little coffee...
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see.""Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water."Which are you?" she asked her daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour . If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. ...
Gosh , I hope he doesn't read this,,,,
http://leekennedyf.blogspot.com/
posted by Lee at Wednesday, October 25, 2006 15 comments

Halloween 2006

Good friends and peppermint shnapps make for an interesting evening and many screwed up students viewing their adult roll models(yes, I am that vain to believe that) in such an alternative learning experience.









I tried for a cross between Lucille Ball and Joan Crawford and managed to act more like Joan according to my daughter when I sent her comrades home at 10:30 PM.














This is J doing some decorating on Sunday..

















Said daughter looking quite ravishing for a 9th grader. HHmmmm.













This is j with his best bud Ceejay.













My wonderful group of nieces, nephews and kids during a family outing earlier in the month.




Nothing earth shaking to post on, just a bit of drivel.
Happy Wednesday.