The ghost of Christmas past...

This Christmas was rough...I am ready to move on, to move past, and move forward.  One of the biggest quandaries I have been trying to resolve this year is the overwhelming thoughtlessness of people.   Apparently, the wonderful example that my mother has set for us in regards to being generous, thoughtful, considerate of others exists in a vacuum.  I should not expect the same from other people and from this point forward, I won't.  I'll just be pleasantly surprised if I stumble across someone who displays one of those qualities.

I have spent a lot of time this past week reflecting on better times, those Christmases filled with the innocence of pure joy.  As a child, we spent Christmas in Arkansas.  Both sets of grandparents were there and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins.  The days leading up to the trip were filled with wonderful aromas from Mom's kitchen and the unwrapping of gifts since we couldn't take them all with us.  I'll never know how Mom managed to get some really cool "Santa" gifts packed in the car without us knowing.

Christmas in Arkansas meant going to the little white church right next to my mom's parents house.  My grandfather donated the land and helped build the church.  We always left the Christmas service with a brown sack filled with fruit, nuts, small candy cane, ribbon candy and maybe a few other treats.  I am not sure that I ever appreciate the fruit, I know that Juju didn't but it was still a wonderful tradition.  I miss it.

Christmas Eve was always spent at my dad's parents.  My grandpa would have gone out in the pasture and cut down a tree.  They would wait on us to arrive to decorate it. We used the individual silver icicles and those ginormous outdoor sized multi-colored bulbs. I can picture it sitting in the front room waiting for us as if it were yesterday.  Grandma always had treats for us.  It is her recipe that Juju and I use for our peanut butter balls.  There is a family legend that Juju and a cousin sat at the table and ate a whole bowlful.  Grandma got mad. And after making them for the first time on her own, Juju realized why.  Those things just don't make themselves.  It is work.  A lot of work.  What I would give to make a batch and take to her as a treat.

This was the first year that my Christmas wasn't filled with joy and was pretty much overshadowed by "junk" for lack of a better word.  I can only hope that the lessons we have learned as a family stay with us and help us to avoid a repeat. I know that Boy never wants to have another Christmas like this.  But more importantly, I hope that he, as well as myself, have learned that actions have consequences.   We can't live in the Christmases of the past... as wonderful as they were.  We all have choices.  Make good ones.

PS: I do want to give a shout out to a few bright spots this season: My FF and her family were wonderful hosts in the Falls.  I truly enjoyed my time there and getting to attend their Christmas program.  It was uplifting and an escape.  Also, my BF rescued me on Christmas Eve's eve.  We went into town for a few errands and just let me be me.  Sad, pathetic me. No judgment.  So while I judged early in this blog that  there are not any  considerate people left in the world, I was blessed with two angels. And I am grateful.

Tumors, tears, and texts

Kind of a crazy title, but this is going to be about 3 blogs in 1.  First of all, I never got a round to writing the blog about the tumor eating Dad's filter.  Seriously, you have to find humor in the situation we have found ourselves in and Dad's loud whispers have certainly provided some levity.  Let me explain.  Dad has taken to "whispering".  Loudly.  Whatever he has on his mind at the time.  Exhibit A: We are sitting in the waiting room at the Center for Neurological Disorders waiting for him to get the staples removed from his biopsy site and he "whispers" to me, "I need a stretchy belt, reading glasses from WalMart, and a new brain".  Yep, everyone heard him.  And I am pretty sure that everyone in that joint would have liked a new brain.  We aim to please around here, so Julie brought him a stretchy belt that night and he got the reading glasses and the new "brain" for his birthday.  (It was a Cranium Brain Breaks game) We can now count on Dad's "whispers" for entertainment.

I have bragged on Hubby before, but seriously need to give him some new props.  He has kept things going and cleaned and taken care of around the house since the beginning of November.  I was getting ready the other day and made the comment that "I" needed to do some laundry.  When I heard what I said, I started to laugh.  Hubby has done ALL  of the laundry in the house for the past 5 weeks. At least. Probably longer. He made a few funnies and comments about checking to see if I remembered what laundry was, etc... and I couldn't quit laughing.  Then I started crying.  And I couldn't stop crying.  It wasn't even about the laundry anymore.  It was about all of the other things that I had not let myself release since this journey started.  Poor Hubby.  He didn't know what to do with me at that point.  I just kept crying till it eased up and jumped in the shower.  I am still not sure I have gotten all of the tears out.  It doesn't take much to get them to the surface, but I push them back as quickly as possible.  

I bought the greatest text tone the other day on my phone.  It has brought me great joy.  It's the little girl's voice from "Despicable Me" saying "It's so fluffy".  I can't get enough of it.  It makes me laugh.  And that is better than crying.  Who knew that a $.99 text tone could bring such excitement and laughter. I can't say it enough.  It's the little things that matter and you have to find humor and happiness whenever possible.

And on a final note, I'll be experiencing some happiness when I get to take a trip to the Falls next Sunday and see my FF.  I am crashing their Christmas program Sunday.  Not crashing as in participating, but crashing as in showing up and sitting on the second row.  I. Can't. Wait.

Random thoughts from a hospital room...

*Live each day to its fullest.
* Always go in pairs to the parking garage.
*Diet Coke is just not the same as Diet Dr Pepper.
*An unexpected phone call to check on me made me smile all the way home last night.
*A flapping hospital gown = TMI.
*Nurses are one part medical care giver, one part waitress, and one part counselor.
*Getting a good nurse is like winning the lottery.
*Patient Care Techs are important too.
*Pops PCT put peanut butter M&Ms on his dinner tray.
*Kind of the same thing as winning the lottery.
*Fighting over clothes all those years with my sister seems really insignificant now.
*Being the only daughter to get “the belt” by my Dad is like a badge of honor.
*Getting “cut out” for not bringing Dad contraband cigarettes makes me laugh.
*Juju (the biggest anti-smoker campaigner in our family) bringing Dad an electronic cigarette makes me laugh even harder.
*Watching your parents hurt is not easy.
*Watching your family come together and increase quality time is priceless.
*Crying helps.
*Listening to great worship songs helps.
*Seeing a man in his hospital gown at the Starbucks cart caused me to do a double take.
*Sleeping 4 people in a room for 4 nights was kind of like camping.
*Without the sleeping bags.
*And without Mom’s awesome Coleman Stove Pancakes.
*An email with encouraging words made my day.
*Watching Pop’s face light up when he gets a visitor is really cool.
*Becoming aware of how you can serve others during their trials is an important take-away from our experience.
*Having a son not take advantage of you being gone so much is a blessing.
*Being able to walk in to the house and go to bed without worrying about laundry, food, etc… is priceless.
*My Dad is the toughest guy I know.
*I had an amazing childhood.
*I took take too many things for granted.
*My sister owes me a foot rub and a back rub.
*I bet my TV DVR is full.
*TV isn’t a priority anymore.
*But Mark Harmon (Gibbs) is still hot.
*Hospitals are not a place to get rest.
*As soon as your head hits the pillow it’s (a) time for a potty break (b) time for your pain medication or (c) time to take a trip for a test where you hit every speed bump on the way to your location.
*Why does a hospital have speed bumps?
*How fun would it be to have gurney races down the long hallways?
*Not with patients.
*Is there a special code on your driver’s license if you are a patient transport driver?
*Like a CDL?
*Class PT: Patient Transport.
*Does God laugh when you try to bargain with him?
*I love my iPhone.
*I love that Mom and Dad both got iPhones this weekend.
*Don’t put off until tomorrow what needs to be said and done today.
*God has a perfect plan.

Trading places

I would give anything to put myself in Harris Room 704 right now and take the pain away from my Dad. (aka Daddy, Papa, Pops)
We have begun the second leg of this journey, the treatment.  In order to accomplish this, Dad went back into the hospital yesterday to have 2 ports installed; one in his chest and one in his skull.  What we thought would be about 2 days in the hospital has now been extended to a week. This news was not received well.  Dad loves his patio time, talking on the phone, watching the birds and yes, smoking his daggum cigarettes. This extended stay has really dampened his spirits.  
Plain and simple, nothing but the truth, last night was a hard night.  Deservedly so, Dad is frustrated.  He knows the long journey ahead.  In what part of “fair” does someone get cancer twice?  He was so amazing and strong during the first battle.  My heart breaks that he is facing this ugly disease again. It’s not fair. I know I can say it a million times and it will not change anything but I can’t stop myself.  It’s not fair.   My prayers today have shifted from not just healing but for peace and comfort and strength for Pops.  It’s selfish I know, but I want him to put up the biggest fight he has to beat this thing.  
Dad’s room has a view of the parking garage elevators and I joked with him about keeping watch on us when we leave the building at night.  Careful what you say… after a little visiting with Pops, I went out to Mom’s car to get her some clothes for today. Before it got dark of course.  I am Chicken Little.  While I was headed back to the elevators, a man in the parking garage starting speaking to me and I couldn’t understand him.  This caused him to almost get to see me go ninja on his bad self.  Here is a little lesson for you, Mr. Crazy Parking Garage Man, DO NOT TALK TO ME, especially when you are not making any sense.  Thank goodness Mom carries 500 keys on her key chain because I was about to turn that thing into a lethal weapon.  I don’t know how the pink fuzzy ball hanging on the ring would have helped, other than wiping up the man’s blood when I clobbered him with a half pound of jagged steel.  Regardless, I got into fighting position with a death grip on those keys.  That was the longest elevator ride of my life and it was just one floor.  Next time I will jump back out just as the door closes.  Lesson learned.
Julie and I did our best to keep Pops focused on the positive.  I know it must be frustrating to hear other people who are not the ones with the IV line dangling out of their arms, or the prospect of having a reservoir  to deliver chemo inserted into their skull, telling you to “hang in there, stay positive, we are praying, God is big enough” and all the other one-liners. But I want Dad to know that we believe those things.  We are trusting in the Great Physician and our faith will not be shaken.  When Julie and I left, (always best to travel in pairs when leaving the building for the night. Lesson learned) we got into her car and God spoke again through song. Playing from the speakers were the following words, “A peace that passes understanding is my song, and I sing, my hope is in You, Lord.”   I immediately turned to Julie because I knew she had  posted a link to this song on her fb during Dad’s first hospital stay and I have it first on my iPod’s God’s Playlist.  We acknowledged that this was indeed another God moment and we need to hang in there, stay positive, keep praying and claim that God is big enough.  Pops, if you are reading this, I love you and I believe in you.  Look down at that bracelet on your arm and believe, God is big enough.

God’s Playlist…

God’s Playlist…

Last Friday began a journey that no one in our family was prepared to take.  For a while now, my Dad’s health has been declining.  We have been keeping watch, encouraging him to eat more, go for walks and try to regain some strength. He ordered an exercise bike last week. I made a deal with him that when he could walk on the treadmill for a mile and bike for 30 minutes I would take him and Mom to the Hill Country for a little vacation.  That deal is still very much in place.  Back to the journey… Sunday, October 30 was a turning point.  Dad seemed to have all the signs of a stroke.  He had an appointment with the doctor to set a surgery date on Wednesday.  Thursday was an appointment with his primary doctor to check out the other symptoms that continued to concern us.  That led us to a cardiologist, which led us back to Dad’s primary care, which led us to an MRI, which led to the emergency room, the 6^th floor, surgical waiting room, Neuro ICU, and currently the 5^th floor.   Quite the journey.

We have been down this road before.  Dad was diagnosed in 2006 with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  During that phase of our life, our family witnessed a miracle.  After one chemo treatment, Dad suffered a strangulated hernia.  While normally that would be an easy repair, if you suffer this after one round of chemo, your body has no defense mechanism against infection.  A miracle was the only way out.  We believed and received. Dad made it through surgery, and he made it through 5 more chemo treatments into remission.  Our faith was strengthened.

Journey’s like these don’t come without your moments of doubt and worry and fear.  It’s human nature.  On Dad’s first journey, my sister was driving to the hospital and came upon a van with a bright colored poster board which was duct taped to the outside with the message “Prayer Works”.  This “sign” came at a time when fear and worry had taken over.  After sharing that encounter with the family, we claimed it and believed it.   3 days ago, Julie was out in the waiting room taking some phone calls from family members and was unable to sit still.  A cleaning crew member who was vacuuming around her noticed her uneasiness and came and spoke to her.  His name was LaVon and this is what he said “when I get anxious my God tells me to be still, don’t worry, I am here and ALL things are possible.” As he turned to go he looked back and told me “not to worry…that HE has got this…HE’s Got this!”

That feeling of peace had eluded me and so I began to claim what Julie was feeling for myself.  I was struggling to let go of the worry and I wasn’t “hearing” anything from God.  The next morning when I got in my car to go home, shower and head to work I began pleading for the same kind of peace. I asked God to give me a “sign”.  My FF and I have shared songs and lyrics several times, using them to encourage one another and to lift each other up.  We call it God’s playlist.  I recalled her saying that one day she needed a word from the Lord, turned on her iPod and hit shuffle and waited for God to speak.   I was already about 2 songs in when I decided to ask God to send me his playlist. I picked up my phone and hit shuffle.  This is what God sent…

Song 1: These Are the Words I Would Say (Sidewalk Prophets)

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know
God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

**My FF had sent these same words to me the day before and it is no mistake that God used them as the first song to get my attention.

Song 2: Listen to the Sound (Building 429)

Are you in over your head
Are you in water so deep you're drowning
Do you think you've been left
And there is no one to feel your hurting
Well, everybody has been there
And everybody's felt lost
If you're in over your head
Lift it up, lift it up
Oh, listen to the sound of hope that's rising
Up over your horizon
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound
And listen to the sound of a new beginning
Oh, this is where the old is ending
Listen to the sound, listen to the sound


Song 3: Move (Mercy Me)

I’m not about to give up
Because I’ve heard You say
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days
I won’t stop I’ll keep my head up
No I’m not here to stay
There’s gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days


My Dad is still in room 585 awaiting the results of a biopsy on his brain.  We believe in miracles.  We are claiming another miracle.  We believe there’s gonna be brighter days.  Like a little trip to the Hill Country.

Edit: After writing this entry, Dad was discharged and is now home.  He has an appointment with his oncologist tomorrow.  We are ready for the next phase of this Miracle Journey.

Mt Nebo (you are going to want to read this one...)

Mount Nebo

It was once again time to load up and head to northwestern Arkansas for our annual family weekend in the cabin at Mt Nebo. We have been going in the fall for the past 11 years or so. Back to loading up. We take everything but the kitchen sink and I almost mean that literally. Food, check. Lawn chairs, check. Hiking sticks, check. Tennis rackets, check. Cameras, check. More food, check. Clothes for all weather, check. Clothes for all activities, check. Hats, check. Multiple pairs of shoes, check. More food, check. Games, check. Prizes for games, check. Ex Husband, check. What? Go back. Ex Husband? Yep, took Too Tall to Mount Nebo this year and there is a completely logical explanation. Keep reading.

Mount Nebo took on some special meaning this year. We are all getting older and the trip is getting harder. We came to the conclusion that this might be our last hoorah going to the mountain on Columbus Day weekend. We have been booking the cabin for Friday-Tuesday and unfortunately, those days are not working like they used to. First of all, my kiddo is no longer getting any days off from school for this holiday. Secondly, Hubby always has a Professional Development Day and cannot miss, which means I have been going solo for the past few years using my personal days at work. I am a pretty conscientious teacher and don’t like being out of my class, but I make the exception for family. Mom and Dad driving the 7 hours isn’t as easy as it used to be. Decisions had to be made. I could go with Boy and we could leave Monday like we did last year, which is a day early and I could cry all the way down the mountain because my Mommy and Pops were still at the cabin, or we could risk Hunter losing his exemption from Semester Tests because of the number of absences and create a real hardship on him with make- up work or, I could be selfish and say I am staying until Tuesday and Too Tall can drive to Arkansas and pick Boy up and get him home for school Tuesday while I stay on the mountain. I was joking. Sort of.

Before I go any further into the story, please know that I had 100% support of my Hubby before any decisions were made in regards to Too Tall coming on this trip. Too Tall and I have been apart for 10 years but we have a great relationship. Hubby knew how important this trip was to me. He knew how much it hurt having to leave early last year. He spoils me. He would do anything for me, other than missing a Professional Development day at work to go on this trip. (Sorry, couldn’t resist Honey! All future travels will occur during Thanksgiving. We didn’t rebook the cabin for October)

After several versions of how this would work out, Too Tall ended up driving my car to the mountain with Boy as his co-pilot and me sitting in the backseat like the princess that I am. We followed my sister, Mom and Pops. Awkward, but great. Everybody is getting what they wanted. Too Tall gets a vacation. Boy gets to hang out with his Dad and share the experiences of hiking and eating that have defined this weekend for years. I get to spend precious time with Juju, Mom and Pops and other visiting family members. Oh yeah, family. We always have aunts, uncles, cousins that stop by to visit. Explaining Too Tall’s presence was easier than you might think. Let’s face it. I dated a lot before I settled down with Hubby and my family had met at least 2 other guys that I had brought along on this trip. I just told everyone I was rotating back through and Too Tall’s turn was up. Just kidding. Just kidding. He was there to take Hunter home early. Simple enough. I have always been told that divorce is harder than death, but when you have a child, divorce shouldn’t mean death to a relationship. We still have a job to do together, raising Boy.

I hope you had a chance to check out our pictures on our facebook while we there. Mount Nebo is magical. This trip was important. I have the best family in the world: Hubby, Parents, Juju, Boy and even Too Tall.

Disclaimer: This blog was approved by Hubby and Too Tall before publishing.

I quit

I quit.

Yep. I gave up blogging. I got so bogged down with life and work and pity, party of one, that I quit blogging. Judging by the response to people asking me where I went, my quitting had no lingering effects on the people who have occasionally visited my very small corner of the interweb, world wide net, and cyber world.

I quit...

Blogging.

Sending cards to friends, family.

Treadmilling.

Attending church.

Being OCD about the cleanliness of my floors.

Getting my gray hair colored.

Being nice to random people.

Couponing.

Cooking. (yes, I had actually started planning 3 meals a week)

Counting calories.

Reading.

Being excited about decorating the house for the holidays.

Obsessing over pictures on vacation.

Saying yes to everything.

Worrying about what people think.

Believing in the good of people. Some people are just bad. Feeling sorry for them won’t change it.

Trying to be a people pleaser.

Using my filter. (my 6^th period can attest to this when I read announcements one day and added some commentary then had to ask if that was my “outside” voice and sure enough it was, they laughed)

Pretending that I am EVER going to get all of my pictures organized.

Things I want to quit.

Buying so many clothes.

Letting Boy’s driving drive me crazy.

Staying up late when I need to go to bed.

Driving Hubby crazy.

It's time to say goodbye to summer

I have been back to work for one week and things are going well. It seems like the last few weeks of summer flew by and I neglected my blog, I neglected my diet, I neglected getting enough rest. Here is a rundown of what's been on my plate and on my mind.

*Hubby came home one day after a meeting and shared what he had heard in a meeting regarding teachers and social networking. Yikes. It's risky to put your personal business on the interweb/world wide net. After going through my district's training, I removed all professional/parental contacts from fb. It wasn't easy. I know it probably hurt some feelings, but I felt it was necessary to follow this advice... Better safe than sorry.

*Boy has had a banner summer. He's had the privilege of 2 vehicles... and I think he has finally settled on the H3. He and Too Tall (Dad) have been on a tour d'restaurants in the Wise/Tarrant/Denton County area along with all the car dealerships. I just realized he needs a hair-cut. Ugh. I prefer his long hair. It changes his look dramatically with short hair. He looks about 10 years old. Well, a 6'2 10 year old.

*Hubby has been my hero. He has continued to take care of me and pamper me and encourage me to get as much rest as possible. He has helped with the cleaning, cooking, laundry, yard work, etc... He searched and searched for a recliner type chair for my room at school and found one this weekend. He picked it up and delivered it to my classroom. He also assembled a new desk chair for me with nothing but an allen wrench. I think he wished I had spent the $8 to get it assembled.

*I haven't been on a treadmill or gone on any long walks since.... well, I don't even remember. I need to get back in the groove. I know it would make me feel better and I need to start training for our hikes when we go to Mt Nebo in October. Hmmmm wonder if Too Tall will let Hunter drive us up there in the H3. Now that's traveling in style. If not, my little Amy Lou mobile will make the trip just fine.

*I'm only about 3 chapters into my book "Fatigued to Fantastic" but what I have read has certainly made me realize it's not all in my head and I am not alone. I have tried to really curtail using the phrase "I'm tired". I am trying to put mind over matter and fake it till I make it, etc... but I also realize that it is physiological. My body needs rest. I can't keep up the pace of what I am used to. One day at a time.

*Speaking of tired... I'm there. I'm not proofreading. Forgive my grammatical errors, spelling errors, etc... Thank you for sticking with me as I blog.

Back to School

As a rule, I do not comment much or post details about my job, other than the fact that I love teaching. Every job has its ups and downs. Every work environment has its own dynamic, positive and negative. But as my summer winds down and teachers head back into the classroom and parents send their kiddos back to school, I want to share with you one thing you could do (if you are a parent) that would make a difference in someones life. Thank a teacher. It's simple, it's free, and it means more than you will ever know. I was attending Ia workshop yesterday and a teacher from the elementary school came up to me and introduced herself as the mom of one of my students from last year. She wanted to tell me how much her child enjoyed my class and that he often spoke of me and what we were studying at the time. That moment will be tucked away with me as I start the new year. When I hit my first bump in the year, and there will be bumps, I can pull out that compliment and remember that I do make a difference. I may not see the result of it right then, I may not ever be aware of it, but I know that it happens. A fellow teacher that was sitting next to me overheard this exchange and commented that as she was going through her desk this summer, she found a card that I had given her, as a parent, thanking her for taking the fear out of math for Boy. It had made her feel good when I gave it to her and it made me feel good and confirmed what I already knew... thanking a teacher makes a difference. So if you are reading this and your child comes home and says something positive about one of their teachers, let them know. It's simple. It's free, and it means more than you will ever know. , it's free, and it means more than you will ever know. I was attending

Family Reunion

We spent the weekend in Arkansas this weekend for a family reunion. If you read my Family bonds... post, you know the players and size of the family. We had a great turnout. 15 out of the 26 grandchildren were there. The food was plenty, the memories were precious and it was worth the toll it took on my body to make such a fast trip. I am so grateful for my sister who served as "captain" and drove us up there. Here is a run down of the events and I am trying to use pictures, but I am not the best at adding them to the blog.

*** Please note that in a previous blog I talked about "The 3" and as you can see, "The 3" have hit their marks on the front row. It's how we roll.

*Our first stop was to visit my Aunt Sena Bell at her new digs. She moved into an independent living retirement home. This was a big move for her and her family. She is 91 years old and is a firecracker. She still quilts, crochets, goes to church and visits other homes singing with one of

her nephews.

While visiting, we noticed this sign on the wall. I want to meet Joe.

After the reunion, our cousin invited us up to what we call "the home place". The house is no longer there, but a couple of the out buildings are: the wood shed and the potato house. The wood shed is where you did NOT want to go because it meant you were going to get "it" and by "it" I mean a whoopin', spanking, your butt busted for misbehaving. However, we did like to climb up an old wire bed frame to get on top of the wood shed and jump off. Yep, doesn't seem like a good idea now, but it was cool back then. I can still smell the dank, musty smell of the potato house when you stepped down inside. Of course, Grandmother always warned of snakes before she sent us out to gather potatoes for dinner/supper. It was always worth the risk when those potatoes were fried up to a crispy, golden brown. Mmmmm.mmmm.

Another iconic part of the "home place" is a giant tree and if I had inherited any of the green thumb that the other 24 cousins and one sister have, I would tell what kind of tree it is...oak??? This tree is where we gathered in the back of the house. It is under this tree where we would sit and shuck corn, slice watermelon on the tailgate of the farm truck and eat without utensils. It is under this tree where many family pictures were taken. This tree would serve as base in many games of hide and seek. This tree saw a family gather in the good times and in the times of loss.

It never seems like enough time when we all get together. We have decided that next year, we should gather at the home place after lunch for homemade ice-cream and watermelon (credit to my sister for this brilliant idea) and continue our reminiscing under the tree. Mark you calendars Whorton Cousins, Kin and Friends. It'll be a fabulous time.

Family bonds...

Before I start talking about family bonds, I want to comment on my last 2 blogs. First of all, I need to explain why it took a trip to OKC to get Hubby the shirts he wanted instead of ordering online. It's a 2 part answer. A) He is really picky about how shirts fit, so I was not chancing having to return things via mail because that is a pain! B) You can't get Hideaway Pizza in Springtown. And I really wanted Hideaway Pizza before summer was over. And you know by now that as princess of this house I can usually find a way to get what I want. Secondly, I want to say a big-hearted "thank you" for your response and comments on my "What's all the blogging about..." post. And no worries. I am not going to stop. I love reading blogs. I love writing this blog. You are stuck with me if you want to be.

Now, Family bonds... We are headed off to Arkansas tomorrow for a family reunion. Every vacation as a child was spent in Arkansas visiting grandparents and cousins. I loved it. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that there were other vacation options like Disney World, etc... In my world we had Six Flag season passes. We had camping in Oklahoma. We had Arkansas. No complaints from me.

The reunion is with my mom's siblings and their children. Here is a mathematical breakdown of the family... Dee & Roxie Ann had 7 kids; Sena Bell, James Franklin Lafeyette, Willie B, Margaret Palestine, Rita Joyce & Reba Lois (twins), Patricia Ann (my mom). From here we have 26 grand-kids... nope, not going to name them all, but I thought you would enjoy the names of my aunts and uncles. And right about now you are smiling and shaking your head up and down because Amy Lou makes perfect sense for a great name.

One of the joys of going on a road trip with Mom to Arkansas is the family history lesson. With that many kids, grand-kids, and I can't even begin to solve the algebraic equation it would take to figure out the second cousins' chart, we have a lot of history to cover. In fact, I got a little preview yesterday. I was telling Mom about a new treat that I made which was delicious. I call it Blue Bell & Baileys. I put about 3 scoops of Milk Chocolate ice-cream in a glass and covered it with some Bailey Mint Chocolate liqueur. Hello! It was dessert and a night cap all in one glass. I'm in love. Back to Mom. So after telling Mom about this, she proceeds to tell me about her mother's hot-toddies. She would take roots from a plant (and I am drawing a blank on the plant) and boil them down, almost to ashes and then put them in a jar with whiskey. In the winter, she would warm it at night, put a little lemon juice in it and drink it for medicinal purposes. The boiling roots thing really comes from her descending from American Indians on her mother's side. This story that Mom shared with me is everything I love wrapped into one; family, history, and yummy drinks...ok, just kidding on that last one, but I am really looking forward to this trip. I'll collect stories and share next week.

What's all the blogging about...

I am so ticked off right now and I need to get over it. Actually, I need to get over a lot of things but this item in particular has me clenching my jaws every time I think about it. I have really enjoyed the blogging. I think I started out pretty well. I think I was snarky without being mean. And I made Hubby laugh. It was his idea to start this. He named it. So if he's happy, I'm happy. Not that I don't care about the rest of you... All of that to say, if I put something on a public blog, which I do, then it would be a reasonable expectation for people to talk about it. Right? Or am I crazy? I read a lot of different blogs. Some are funny. Some are witty. Some are newsy. Some are personal. But the one thing they all have in common... they are on the Interweb. The world wide net. They are public. Which I take as an open invitation to TALK ABOUT THEM TO MY FRIENDS. So if you hear me talking about something and want to accuse me of gossiping, or how did you put it? Spreading information? Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Perhaps I came across that information from a blog. A public entity. I have told Hubby that I want to end this blog with a public service announcement containing information I read on a blog, but I cherish the few friends I have left in the world and it might put them in an uncomfortable position and have to answer questions from people who are not my friends. In fact, the people that need to read this will probably never see it. They won't see the link on fb and they probably don't know this little corner of the internet exists. That's ok. It accomplishes what I said from the very beginning... my blog would be a place for me to say what's on my mind. You have my permission, considering this is on an open website, to call your peeps and tell them that Amy Lou has just about gone crazy and she's getting mean again. It won't be gossip. Just the gospel. And you read it here first.

Daytripping... OKC

Hubby and I took off to Oklahoma City last Friday for a quick trip with very specific goals. For two years, Hubby has wanted a nice polo-golf shirt with the OKC Thunder logo and another with the Oklahoma State logo. And not the new fangled logo with "flames shooting out its ass", the older logo that stayed true to the original brand. We left at 7:30am and were back in the driveway by 6:00pm. Here is a rundown of the day's fun...

*Stopped in Paul's Valley at Braum's. As Hubby was trying to check out with a bottle of water, he ended up behind a lady with a few grocery items. She was insistent on telling the cashier how to bag her groceries then proceeded to use a check to pay. Holy smokes. I didn't even know stores still took checks. She was obviously a lady of leisure having all sorts of time to give detailed instructions on bagging and taking the time to use her best penmanship on her check. I know this to be true because she hopped into her lady of leisure 2-seater, red, convertible BMW to zoom out of the parking lot.

*The parking lot of Braum's was a foreshadowing of things to come throughout the trip. After I gave up waiting on Hubby to get checked out, I went back out to the car. As I was sitting in a nearly empty parking lot, a lady cruises up and parks right next to me. Seriously, I was in the second row from the curb, lots of empty spaces right by the door and you ride up and park 6 inches from my door. Okies!

*First stop in OKC was at a store called House of Bedlam. Hubby struck out on finding his O-State shirt, but a truck pulled in while we were shopping and you guessed it. Parked right on my door. Another empty parking lot. Front row spaces galore. He parks right next to my car 2 rows out. Okies!

*We head over to downtown and Hubby points out that the Arkansas River was officially renamed the Oklahoma River as it flowed through OKC. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? They renamed the river? So.... Can you imagine every town trying to rename the great Mississippi as it runs through the city limits. What about the Missouri River? The Red River. Scratch that. Texans would never let that happen. Seriously. Okies!

*Hubby did extensive research before embarking on this trip to find all of the places that would likely carry the merchandise he was looking for. He found that the OKC Arena (formerly Ford Center) was closed to the public as they expand with luxury suites and sky-boxes, so they opened a Pro Shop in a downtown building. We found it easy enough and even managed to find a place on the street to park. I plopped in my coins for the meter and we made our way to the shop. Disappointment. It was small and they didn't seem to have a lot of choices. The man working behind the counter was very nice and told us that the Pro Shop at the arena was actually still open and it was just a 7 minute walk if we wanted to avoid the hassle of re-parking. Yay. We take off on foot and run out of shade from the buildings about half-way there. It was hot. We get to the Pro Shop and begin browsing through the great selection of shirts. Wait. Scratch that. Yes, they had a lot of varieties. One problem. They did NOT HAVE ONE XL polo shirt in any style. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You have a store filled with merchandise and not one XL. Ugh! I asked the sales person if this could possibly be true and she did a 5 second walk through the back only to come back and tell me that it was indeed true that they did not have one XL in the store. Hubby decides to go back to the first store because I remembered seeing an XL in a navy shirt that wasn't his first choice. We trek back in the heat and the nice guy working was shocked to hear about the situation at the Pro Shop. The nice lady he was talking to as we re-entered the store happened to be an executive with Guest Relations and gave us her discount for any merch we purchased. Sweet! Hubby did find a polo shirt and a t shirt! Score! Go Okies!

*It was time for lunch and that means one thing for me in OKC. Hideaway Pizza. Yummy. We had a short wait. Totally worth it. The service was great! The pizza was fabulous. Hubby cracked me up as he asked the waiter what it would take to get one of the Hideaway magnets from the side of the coke machine. Uh, because we might need their number in case they decide to expand their delivery area to 180 miles. Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes when we parked the car, a lady rolled up next to my side and parked leaving all the empty spaces in the next row available. It was laughable by this time.

*When it was time to head home, after Hubby found the perfect OSU shirt at Dillard's, we needed some go-juice. My iPhone had been 100% spot on when navigating us from location to location so why not use it to find cheap gas. GasBuddy located a great deal at a Shell station not far from the highway. It was actually kind of cool because it was taking us through this artsy neighborhood, The Paseo. And that is actually all it ended up being. A tour through a neat neighborhood. When we got to the red pin on Google Maps for the gas station. Not there. No Shell. No cheap gas. GasBuddy failed. I am going to assume that matt57 who posted to GasBuddy was an Okie.

I love these kinds of trips with Hubby. We are great travel buddies. Always up for an adventure. And even though it may have seemed like I was picking on Okies in my blog, remember, I married one.

10 things on my mind...

Oh, I know you are all chomping at the bit to read about what's going on up in my brain...

10. Spent Friday at Hurricane Harbor with Boy and 3 of his friends. Do people not look in the mirror before they head off to the water park? Good grief. If I ever go out looking like that, someone stop me. (I posted a pic on fb so you can see if you need to have a conversation with me about my water park fashion)

9. Boy is keeping the roads, restaurants and stores hot with his dad Too Tall. It warms my heart to see them hanging out.

8. I can't stop eating. I did a great job getting a little slimmer to fit into my camp clothes. All I have done since returning home. Eat.

7. I have to fit into my work clothes and only have until August 8 to get there. Ugh. (see #8)

6. I am having a hard time with my getting back into a church home thing. I am just not ready. It's freaking me out a little bit because Hubby is ready.

5. Summer is flying by. Quickly.

4. I have become a broken record. "I'm tired." I am sick of hearing this out of my mouth. I can only imagine how Hubby and Boy feel about it. I am taking my vitamins. I added some soft chew Calcium + D to the mix. I am on the verge of depression. I can feel it. I walked in to my sister's house the day of our shopping spree and busted into tears because I was late and it was because I was too tired to start getting ready. After 10 hours of sleep. I was too tired to get up. This is getting stupid and I am getting frustrated. If I could take a vacation from me I would.

3. Boy is going on vacation with his Juju (my sister) and her family. Their destination is Florida. He'll have a great time. (see #4)

2. Getting to see friends from high school is really cool. One of my fellow bloggers is in town from Florida and it was great getting to hang out. According to her blogs, she is having a great time with family and friends alike.

1. I get to go on vacation. Next week. To Marble Falls. Booked the room today. Heck yeah! I get to hear my favorite preacher and go to the one church that doesn't make me break out in a cold sweat. I get to eat at the Alamo Springs Cafe. The burger made the cover of Texas Monthly a few years ago. It's worth the drive. It's worth the wait. It's worth the 3 lbs you gain after eating it. I get to see my FF and her family. They make me smile.

Random Ramblings...

Since returning from camp, I have been taking it relatively easy. Hubby was on vacation and he was blazing through his list of "things to do" every day. I watched him. From the couch. He's a great handy man. I'm a great supervisor. From the couch.

I did manage a day with Juju and our boys at Hurricane Harbor. We have a great deal going on. We get there when it opens. We lounge by the wave pool for about 3 hours while the boys ride the rides, float the river, and catch the waves. All I have to do is spend my time people watching. I could make a career of people watching. Add to the fact that they are all dressed for water activities and it never gets boring.

Speaking of people watching...I went to the NKOTBSB concert Sunday night. It.Was.A.Blast. There were literally two generations represented. People from my generation pulled out their scrunchies, neon colors, leg-warmers, etc.... I channeled my inner "Nair-Girl" and wore short shorts, heels, and fedora. (if you are reading this and don't have a clue what a Nair-Girl is, google it.)Back to the concert, those boys may be in their 30s and 40s but they can move. And like I said in my fb post, if Donnie Wahlberg had taken his shirt off one more time I would have gone over the edge. As the original bad boy of boy bands, he's still got it!

I have become an fb stalker. Let me explain. I am working on a committee organizing a 30th anniversary for Camp CommUNITY/Anytown. Obviously, after 30 years, the phone numbers and addresses we have on file are probably not valid. Being tenacious, I pulled out my roster from '86 and starting searching fb. I apologize to all the people that received a random message from Amy Lou asking if you were indeed the "insert name here" that attended Anytown, TX in 1986. The upside is, I have actually found a few people. Of course they didn't realize they were lost, so I take full credit for finding them. I am hoping at least a few of them can make it to the reunion.

My son and Too Tall have become official restaurant conniseurs. I think they have a mission to hit all the hot spots in Wise, Parker, and Tarrant Counties. I should ask them to guest blog their reviews. I will say they travel in style... Boy's Avalanche or Too Tall's H2.

Speaking of exes... This may seem awkward to other people outside of our circle but I have really good relationships with my exes (even ones I didn't marry. lol) If you need proof, just go to my fb page, or my sister's fb page, or Hubby's fb page. We are all friends on each other's pages. At one point, I had an ex husband, an ex boyfriend, and Hubby all commenting about my sister's blown over fence, which turned to talk about my chex mix, turned to who is getting chex mix for Christmas. It nearly took over my sister's fb post. I love that we all get along. I am blessed.

I hope everyone is having a great summer. Mine is flying by way too fast. I do have some things that I am looking forward to... dinner tomorrow night with some friends from dear ol' Brewer High. My cousin's 21st birthday on the 4th. A family reunion in the hills of Arkansas with Mom and Juju. And a "still be determined" trip to MF. Hubby has to take a trip to Idahell before summer ends. Alone. I'm not going. I know that sounds bad. Heck it probably is bad. But I can live through the guilt. He tried to make it sound appealing. It didn't work. He's a big boy and I feel confident that he can make it.

I found out yesterday that I am starting the new school year with a new boss. I don't blog work details. I am a teacher. You understand.

Ok, that's all I have.
Ramble at ya later.

I'm back...

Wow, it's been a while since I've been on here sharing my scattered thoughts about life and such. Today's blog has the possibility of going in a million different directions so I'll just jump right in with bullet points to make it easier to keep up.


*Camp CommUNITY was awesome. Again. This was my 10th year to serve as an Advisor and it was the best.

*Boy went to Camp C this year which made it even that much better. He had a great time and we made it until Wednesday without most people even knowing he was my kiddo.

*Wednesday was also the day I announced my "retirement" from camp. I didn't want it to overshadow the week's activities, but I wanted to be able to say my goodbye's to people whom I only see this one week each year.

*There are a lot of reasons for my walking away from camp and none have to do with the quality of the camp. I will still recommend it to my students. It is life changing.

*It mostly has to do with the "virus". Camp is hard core. Long hours. Intense work and preparation. Serious subject matter. And my body just won't let me give the 100% I feel is needed.

*My camp family was very understanding about my limited ability this year and very supportive of my taking some time off. Who knows, I could be the Michael Jordan of Camp CommUNITY and come back in a few years.

*Hubby is on vacation this week.

*Translation: he's at home driving me crazy.

*Just kidding. Just kidding. He's at home completing all of his Honey-Do lists.

*For instance, he put up a retractable clothes-line on the back porch so I could save electricity by drying towels and such outside. I love it!!!

*Next, he signed up for new Internet service. We are laying off the gerbils that have been running in the wheel to provide our unbelievably slow Internet.

*This required changing a ton of email addresses. Bleh!

*We are anxiously awaiting to see "Bad Teacher". It looks hilarious.

*Summer is going way too fast.

*It's the end of June and I still have tons to accomplish.

*I need time to slow down.

*I need a trip to Marble Falls to see my FF.

*I need gas prices to go down.

*I am thankful that our electric bill is still below $130 each month.

*I am excited that my high school friend/fellow blogger is in Texas for an extended visit. Hopefully we are meeting for dinner next week.

*I told you this blog could get random.

*I am going to quit while I am ahead.

*I'll start gathering the stories for the next blog.

*Like how Hubby had a dump truck load of road base gravel delivered to our driveway while I was at camp armed with a shovel and a rake. (Have you ever seen anyone spread a WHOLE LOAD OF GRAVEL with a shovel????)

*Yep, I'll let that one simmer with you for a bit.

Blog at ya later!

Here we go again...

What I really wanted the title to this blog to be was Damn Virus, but I was a little shy about cursing in big bold letters. I am sitting on Mom's couch using her awesome laptop because she is taking me to the doctor in the morning to hopefully get jacked up on a bunch of meds and vitamins. I had been feeling really good. I was back on track with my 1200 calories days, 30-40 minutes going hard on the treadmill and then BAM! last Thursday I woke up feeling like a Mac truck had hit me, backed up, and ran over me again. Great. Just what I need the week before I go to camp. I spent Thursday night with Mom so we could do the garage sale thing Friday and Saturday. It was fun. But it wore me out getting up early and being out in the heat. I am a lightweight. Hard work in the heat is not for me. Sooo, all of that to say is that I am really over this feeling bad stuff. I don't know how people with chronic illness do this.

In other news...
*Hunter got a new truck, well new to him. It is exactly what he wanted, an Avalanche. Too Tall did an amazing thing by getting this for him. Hunter is still on cloud 9 and I am not sure if he will ever come down.
*I leave for my youth leadership camp, Camp CommUNITY this Saturday. We have staff training Saturday and Sunday and then the kids come on Monday. Hunter is finally old enough to attend and he is really looking forward to it. I just hope that I have enough in me to make it through the week. It is intense: early mornings, late nights, meaningful work toward becoming social leaders, deep emotions. It is my prayer that I survive it all.
*The end of school was amazingly easy. I was able to leave it all behind and I will not worry about what tomorrow holds. I have a job to go back to. I will not obsess about the pay, the changes in administration, etc... I will enjoy summer. And to the mom that sent me the nasty email 2 days before school was out because I corrected your child's behavior, I hope you choke on your email and I hope it pissed you off real bad that I didn't reply.
*We are utilizing the car-pool this summer. Hubby has summer hours Mon-Thur from 7:30-5:30 and if I need to shop/doctor/play in Fort Worth, I will ride in with him and use the car and then pick him up from work in the evening. I don't relish the early mornings with this plan, but I think it is a great way to reduce the gas bills. In fact, that is why I am at Mom's. Since we came down for lunch today, he just left me here and Mom has volunteered to take me to the doctor tomorrow. She gets to say Hi to all her peeps that she hasn't seen since retirement.

I'll try to post an update before I leave for camp. Hope everyone is staying cool!

Not bragging, just blessings…

- It’s been a while since I have mentioned/updated you on my health. I am doing better. Slowly gaining my strength/stamina back. I don’t sound like a creepy stalker person when I walk down the hall and back at school and then try to talk to my class. I am even back on the treadmill. Probably not eating enough red meat (cough cough, Hubby, maybe you need to grill me some steaks!) But I do have a new found love of gummy vitamins. Chewy, fruity, and good for you.

-Still have the greatest friends in the world; cyberspace and real life. My former student and fellow blogger has the most beautiful new baby boy and her toddler is just as cute as ever (www.livingtheerwinlife.blogspot.com to see the most precious pictures.) My former classmate in high school is still inspiring me with all of her creative home school ideas and new tower plant garden thingy (www.homeschoolshus.blogspot.com to see this amazing plant thing.) Our neighbors took us out last weekend to the most fabulous, best kept secret, hole in the wall, 5 star quality seafood restaurant… gogo gumbo. It’s in Boyd, TX, and totally worth the drive. It’s fine dining taste in a casual atmosphere and byob. So I did. A bottle of Skinnygirl Margarita. Last night I met up with a friend that I went to school with from kindergarten to our second year of junior college. She left to become an Aggie and I left to become Mrs. Too Tall and a Screaming Eagle at UNT. We talked for hours. Literally. And ate our favorite soups and salad at Olive Garden. She is a great Mom, Wife, and Friend.

- Mom is ROCKIN’ retirement. Of course we all knew she would. Throughout her career she has always taken care of people. Whether it was as a nurse’s aide at a hospital in Wichita, KS, as a pharmacy tech in White Settlement, or as the receptionist/appointment maker/lab result caller for Dr. E, it was ALWAYS about the other person. She could teach a master class for Customer Service. Retirement is no different. She’s now volunteering and giving of her time and talent to the Senior Citizens Center. She has joined their choir; practicing on Tuesday, performing on Thursday’s, and helping out once a month when they have their “give-away” days. She is my inspiration. (She could really inspire me with some bread from her bread machine that has been waiting for her retirement to roll around  ) I love her more than all the shoes in the world!

-Dad is my hero too. He is still getting, well, I won’t use the most accurate term for what is being done to him by the crappy Arkansas government. It’s bad. And I have put my four-letter word filter on for this portion of my blog. If I was on live television, all you would hear is one long bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! They took his land to widen the road. They put in a bridge. In the WRONG place. Stupid hillbillies. And instead of correcting THEIR mistake by redoing the bridge, they are just going to take some more land, WITHOUT COMPENSATION, to make it work. Are you kidding me? My Dad is a bigger person than me. If I had to endure what he’s going through, I promise you that in a blink of an eye I would be front and center in the face of the criminals that run the Arkansas Highway Department WITHOUT my four-letter word filter giving them a piece of my mind until they dragged me away in cuffs. Of course, I would make sure they filmed me from my good side for the evening news cast. Geez. Every time we think they can’t find another way to “stick it” to Dad, they take a swig of moonshine and come up with something new. He deserves the biggest reward in heaven for the hell he’s been put through. Stay strong Dad. Karma has to kick in before it’s all over. I am so proud of how you have endured!

-We’ve got 6 days of school left. Now THAT’S bragging!

The ugly truth...

I am a sore loser. Wait, let’s be honest. I HATE losing and I don’t take it well. At all. Ever. So when I found out recently that I “lost” something I have wanted to “win” for a long time, make that a very long time, I did not react well. And it’s not so much that I “lost”, I just didn’t get picked. Which is actually the same as losing.

I think this can be traced to my childhood. I have vivid memories of my losses. I lost being a cheerleader to Tonja in 5th grade. We tried out in front of our student body and ONE girl made it from each elementary for the next year in Middle School. What possessed me to think I could beat a girl that was on target to become an Olympic gymnast? Talk about misplaced confidence. I lost lead roles in our elementary plays. I am pretty sure those always went to Tammy and Deneise. I managed to be one of many sheep in Charlotte’s Webb, one of the nuns in the Sound of Music, and many other roles in the “chorus” throughout the years. Never the lead. I hated it. I tried out for a special Drill Team performance my freshman year. Going up against junior and seniors. Again with the misplaced confidence. I didn’t get picked. Deidre did. She was a freshman. I hated her for a little while. I was a very sore loser. I am sure I privately pouted for days. Losing stinks.

We don’t let kids lose anymore. Why? When did we adapt the mentality that losing is “bad” for kids? We tell them everyone’s a winner. We let them all play. We don’t keep score. We are doing them a disservice by taking away the opportunity to experience loss. Even though I probably could have handled all of my losses better, I learned a lesson from each and every one of them. I have my Mom to thank for that. She didn’t let us pout for too long. It was “pick yourself up and move forward”. She taught us to set a new goal and to work harder for it. I am sad to think about how these “everybody wins” kids are going to handle loss when they grow up.

So, after “losing” Friday and sharing my temper tantrum with my best friend, I began to think about all the ways in which I have “won”. I want to share with you. Because it makes me feel better. And less like a loser.

I won…
* the best kid. He is so sweet and polite. I get compliments on him from many of the adults he interacts with. (yeah yeah, this must come from his Grandma because I am not sweet.)
* best friends. The one that lets me rant about losing. The one that lets me rant about her being too far away. The one that is my sister but chooses to be my friend anyway.
*great parents. Who are now both enjoying retirement and are most deserving of their leisure time.
*a great Hubby. He puts up with a lot. A lot. Let me repeat. A lot. I am not always easy to live with. He’s not either, that’s why he’s a winner too. (just had to throw that out there)
*a great “ex” family. Boy is so blessed by having 2 sets of awesome grandparents. Divorce is ugly and it’s hard and it can be categorized as losing but in this case, we eventually became winners. I love my “ex” family so much. They have never made me feel anything but loved and welcomed. Even Too Tall and I found a way to look past our mistakes and make it the best situation for Boy. To use the cliché, can’t we all just get along? Yes. Yes we can and we do.
*a spot in heaven for eternity. Don’t doubt that just because I haven’t been warming up a pew in church these past several months that my place at the Pearly Gates is in jeopardy. I am a born-again Christian. A sinner redeemed. A child of God.
*you guys. My people, my friends that read this crazy mess that I babble out a few times a month. Your comments keep me going and make me feel like a winner!

This is the reason

If you have read any of the posts on here, you know that I love my job and you know that the world of education is on rocky soil right now. The Texas Legislature is in the middle of determining the budget cuts that will affect every Texas teacher and more importantly every Texas student. You are smart readers, I don't need to point out the various ways that budget cuts affect your kids.

So, why do I keep doing what I do? Because I love my students. I love spending the day in the classroom and talking history and current events and weaving them together. This week happens to be Teacher Appreciation Week. It comes and goes quietly each year, without fanfare and usually without a lot of appreciation from the students. This year was different. Monday morning every teacher at our campus walked into their rooms with a poster filled with "thank you" and "love you" and "you rock" notes written by our students.

I cherished every moment reading these notes from my kids. I will keep this poster up in my classroom as a reminder that even if I am making a lot less money next year, I do it for the kids.

The above picture is one of my favorites. I don't know if you can read it, but the note that says "your class is easy and you're nice" and is signed with a nickname that I bestowed upon the student. When they refer to themselves by the name you have created for them, you know that you matter. Now, turn your head sideways and look at the pink note written upside down. Apparently, my fashion sense has made just as big an impression as my teaching because this commends me on my "cloths" and shoes. These ladies are future fashionistas! Love them.

I am thankful for my job. I love my students. And a great big THANK YOU to the teacher that helped their students make this the best Teacher Appreciation Week!

(Sorry for the wanky pictures... I have no idea how to format pics on this blog...)

The new normal...

Thanks to Governor Good Hair and his cronies down in Austin our lives are about to drastically change. I don’t think I have ever blogged about politics and I am careful not to blog about my job. That being said, there is always a first time for everything.

If you are a teacher right now, you are thanking your lucky stars if your contract was renewed for next year. And I am thankful. If you are graduating with the hopes of finding a job in the education world, my prayers are with you. Today, I am ok with being 40 years old and having 18 years experience. The 40 thing is really kicking my tail as I slowly fall apart from things like Epstein Barr and a floater in my left eye that is peskier than a gnat constantly buzzing your face, but I have a job. The downside, I am probably going to be making next year close to the amount I made my first year of teaching.

It’s a waiting game. Waiting on the jackwagons in the state capitol to decide how much money they are going to take away from education. Waiting on our district to determine our budget using the drastically reduced funds made available by the jackwagons in Austin. Waiting to see if I have to go stand in line to get a Lone Star Card to feed my family. This is the new normal.

As a result of this financial crunch, I am going to learn how to be a ‘couponer’. Now, I can tell you right now, that I will never live up to the successes of those people on the new ‘extreme couponer’ show, but I can save some money. I noticed Brookshires running 12 packs of drinks on sale. I walked out spending $10.81 on 4 12-packs and saved $8.77. That put a smile on my face. I left the big blue store having used about $19 in coupons and price matching about $30 in savings. Every penny counts. This is the new normal. I did learn that a lot of store prices on sale are still about $.02 more than the big blue store’s prices when they have a rollback price in effect. This is going to be a lot of work to keep up and make sure you are getting the best deal. I am going to hone my skills this summer when I can spend hours at a time shopping and comparing. It’s the new normal.

I hate that my family is going through this. I hate that the jackwagons in Austin get to vote themselves pay raises, affordable and quality health care, etc… I hate that Governor Good Hair lives in a mansion that the taxpayers are footing the bill for…It costs more than $10,000 a month in rent, utilities and upkeep to house Perry in a five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion that has pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen and three dining rooms. There are tons of other incidentals for the house that cost the taxpayers but nobody seems to care. He’s been living it up at these new digs while the real Governor’s Mansion undergoes repair from the arson that Texas’s finest can’t solve. Ok, ok, I am stopping while I am ahead. But I hate this. I hate my new normal.

What will get me through this new normal are my family, my friends, and my faith.

Quickfires

I have not been very good at blogging lately. I am tired and cranky and didn't think you guys would want to hear about all of that... so here are some quick thoughts that don't come from a place of crankypants.
*My trip to Marble Falls was fabulous. I left Hubby at home to rest since he's working 6 days a week for the entire month.
*Fellowship Baptist rocks. The music. The minister. The people. I want that place to be my church home. However, 3 hours is too much for a one-way commute each Sunday. Sad face!
*I am addicted to the Decorah eagles' nest on Ustream. Check it out.
*I showed it to my kids today at school. I rationalized that if the eagle is the symbol of America, then these eagles are worthy of 15 minutes of class time.
*The kids LOVED it.
*My Mom retired.
*Repeat. My Mom RETIRED.
*I can remember her returning to the workplace when I was in 5th grade. She went to work at Town & Country Drug Store, which became Eckerds. She retired from there after 20 years.
*She then took a job at a doctor's office. He was our family doctor. She worked there for 12 years. She has been contemplating retirement for almost a year. She took the plunge Monday.
*My Mom is the most generous woman you will EVER meet. She is generous beyond words.
*Family. Friends. Strangers. It doesn't matter. If you need something and she has it, it's yours.
*I can only aspire to be half as generous as Mom.
*She has already had patients calling to say they miss her. It's Thursday. She left Monday at lunch. This lady has a fan club that is going to be lost without her. She took care of her people.
*I am glad to be one of her people.
*Dad now has someone to oversee his progress on the Honey-Do Lists.
*This is going to be fun to watch.
*I love a 4 day work week.
*We are going out to celebrate Mom's retirment Friday for lunch.
*Boy and I will make any excuse to go to Olive Garden for soup and salad.
*Retirement celebration is a great excuse.
*Talking Juju into playing hooky on Friday has not been successful.
*She's too dedicated to her job.
*I started a blog about how I jinx churches that I attend but can't seem to finish.
*It's a little negative so I won't go there today.
*Happy Easter ya'll.

Jacked Up, Wound Tight, and Wide Awake

Well, it was another visit to the doctor to get my 3 shot-cocktail and I can tell ya that I would be much happier if it was a cocktail of Malibu Rum and Diet Coke (it’s what I like to call a liquid sno-cone.) I guess I’ll settle with the B12, antibiotic, and corticosteroid. Yummy.

When I got home, I failed to immediately take a dose of Benadryl. Unpleasant side-effects from one of these shots are insomnia and hyperactivity. Not so good when bedtime rolls around and you are jacked up. I went ahead and took a Benadryl but it was too little too late. Hubby likes to retire to bed about 7:00pm after a hard day and read a book. He wasn’t thrilled when I showed up at 9:00pm wanting to talk. He kept pointing to his place on the page of his book. So I stopped talking and just looked at him. Apparently he is reading challenged when somebody is staring at him. And apparently the tapping of my fingers on the pillow is not conducive to reading. Crying ensues. I just wanna talk. I can’t catch a break. I can’t sleep. I dry up the tears but I am still wound tight with nothing to do. So I start texting Boy. He has spent the evening with his family celebrating Too Tall’s Birthday and was on his way home. (Happy 45th Too Tall!) After several texts using the little emoticons (like the monkey and poop with eyes, which was totally supposed to go to Hubby, I was sending Boy the smiley face with big eyes and the tongue sticking out), Boy asks me if I am on pills. Bwahahaha. Why yes, yes I am. 3 shots and a chaser of Benadryl, sweetheart, and wide awake!

I have decided after 3 treatments and only feeling marginally better, I need someone to take over my bedtime and strictly enforce a 6:00pm curfew. No matter how hard I try, I still can’t seem to drag myself to bed before 9:00pm. I mean the challenge from moving to the couch to the bed wouldn’t usually be an obstacle, but for me, it’s like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. And I know that normally 9:00pm would be a great bedtime, but I can’t walk up and down the halls at school and have conversations with my kids in the classroom without sounding like an emphysema patient who ran out of oxygen in their bottle. It’s freaking them out a bit. I get it. I would be freaked out too if I had to listen to me. Hubby cannot be in charge of this curfew. I don’t like it when he gets bossy. Any takers?

I am considering giving Boy my debit card to go to the Big Blue Store and buy his lunch items. Think if he had my pin # they would question him? Surely not. Thieves do it all the time using the credit option. Should I send a note? With my drivers license? I’ll be in bed and not needing it at that time. I guess if worse comes to worse, I can ride in the car, sit in the parking lot and have him send me a text, using emoticons of course, like a cash register, and I could come in and check him out. It’s an adventure. I love adventures. Boy, maybe not so much. Unless of course, he wants food for lunch and he’s free to choose whatever his little heart desires. That’s the ticket.

Y'all have a great week~!

A picture is worth a thousand words and what I hear is "Grand Champion"...

This was Boy's 4th year to compete at the Wise County Youth Fair in the 4-H Photography competition. This was Boy's 4th year to win GRAND CHAMPION! The past 3 years, he won for the Story Board competition. Story Board is where you mount 3-5 pictures that tell a story beginning to end. He has used a lunar eclipse, a snow angel, and the raising of a flag to tell stories. However, this year he took it up a notch and won GRAND CHAMPION Black & White. This category had tons more entries. The competition was stiff. I could not be more proud of him. Photography is in his blood. His Grandma loves to take pictures. I love to take pictures. And so the tradition continues. In fact, one of my favorite picture-taking experiences was last summer when Grandma took us to the Butterfly Exhibit at the Botanic Gardens. We spent the day snapping photos and having lunch at El Paseo. Good times. Boy also had an awesome experience getting a personal tour of some very magical places around the Hill Country thanks to some friends we made through our FF/Church. I can't wait to let them know that a few of Boy's Hill Country pics are headed to State. Speaking of State, Boy qualified 3 pictures to advance to the State Competition at the 4-H Round-Up this summer. Last year he also had 3 qualify and 2 of those won Best of Show. He set a Wise County record with that honor and cashed in some nice prize money. I would love to see this "hobby" turn in to something that he could pursue as a career. We will just have to wait and see. For now, enjoy his view...

GRAND CHAMPION/State Qualifier (Black & White Animal)

1st Place Digital Darkroom/State Qualifier

(taken near Marble Falls, TX)

1st Place Elements of Design Color/State Qualifier

(Longhorn Cavern State Park near Marble Falls, TX)

3rd Place Elements of Design Black & White

(Longhorn Cavern State Park near Marble Falls, TX)

3rd Place Plant/Flora Color

Lake Buchanan (and probably my favorite photo from the Marble Falls trip)

2nd Place Animal Wildlife Color

(Mount Nebo Arkansas)