Category Archives: Life in General

two – one hundred, twenty-three – forty-seven

four crocusses - open for the world to see! Saturday, 3/19

two – one hundred, twenty-three – forty-seven; No, that is not my locker combination! If it were, it would have to be a very large dial or one with very small numbers and even if it were my combination, I would not be able to read it. I woke this morning to the blaring of my alarm clock reminding me it was time to get out of bed and start a new day, a day that promises to be one more closer to spring break. The kids, my students, are restless and I must admit so am I. It is two days, two school days, before spring break. Continue reading two – one hundred, twenty-three – forty-seven

Saturday: the super moon, equinox, and spring…

three 'brave' crocusses poke up through the soil - Monday 3/14.

Fourteen minutes since Monday, we have gained fourteen minutes of sunlight since Monday! I fell fast asleep last night as the moon was illuminating Earth brightly. This morning a light frost graced the ground and rooftops, it will burn off later this morning as it warms up into the fifties. Monday afternoon, I was scouring the yard for signs of spring and I found couple of crocuses poking its head above ground in the backyard along the stone path. We will all be outside today and I will be looking for more signs. It has been a busy week, the days are screaming by as we get closer to spring and spring break and warmer days. Today is Saturday and it will be a busy day – as they all are. Continue reading Saturday: the super moon, equinox, and spring…

Spring, it’s a comin’

Yesterday as we were cleaning up from the Green and Gold banquet, I spied a patch of Earth with some shoots pushing through.  When, I got home I looked around our yard for signs of sprouts and found none, but I will be back out again looking; it’s the time of the year when I scour the garden looking for spring’s first crocuses, daffodils, and other signs of awakening after a long winter. Spring, it is almost here. Continue reading Spring, it’s a comin’

President’s Day Weekend Recap

It is Tuesday morning, and normally, I would be wrapping up teaching my first section of Language Arts block and heading off to duties, meetings, and lunch. However, today’s schedule includes evening, leaving me a few moments to re-think and review the President’s weekend. Continue reading President’s Day Weekend Recap

The Big Snow – part one

Ivy looks out the front window and 'dreams'!

At this moment, it should be first period and geography class, but I am sitting in my basement writing about the past couple of days and the ‘Big Snow Day.’ It has been a very hectic couple of days and last night was the latest night I have had since Christmas Break, but I knew I was not going to need to get up in the morning and drive to school. As school was cancelled due the blizzard prediction for Tuesday and Wednesday; and it came, starting midday Tuesday and it continued until just a few moments ago. After the initial frenzy quieted down, about eight o’clock Tuesday night, I checked Facebook and a friend posted, “Due to the weather tonight, I’m cancelling bedtime.” To which I replied, “Our’s was cancelled hours ago! It is wild outside!” And, the weather and snow was wild: the winds howled, the snow fell, and it blew. Continue reading The Big Snow – part one

New Year’s Day

A panoramic view of the lake - you can see the ice on the lake.

New Year’s Day is meant to be a day to watch college bowl games or at least that is what I grew up doing. I remember my first memory of New Year’s Day and it was New Year’s 1971. 1971 was the year that cigarette advertisements on television were outlawed and the Marlboro man was history. I remember the Cotton Bowl from Dallas and watched Notre Dame defeat Texas. I was in third grade; I remember watching the game with my dad and rooting for Notre Dame with my dad who was a rooting for Texas, Continue reading New Year’s Day

Happy New Year 2011

The view from the cottage across the lake is obscured by the fog hovering over the lake.

The New Year comes along just to end Christmas vacation. Today is New Year’s Eve and a reminder that getting back to school is just a few days away. What has happened to the time? I know I have spent it resting, relaxing, rejuvenating, driving, and chasing Ivy. I know the days have counted for my mental health if not for the other aspects of who I am. I have spent a bit of time (probably too much time) looking through Facebook and added several friends from my childhood home in Sugar Land. Thinking back to that time was fun and I have made a couple of connections I had been wondering about for years.  

Continue reading Happy New Year 2011

Christmas week

The schools call it Winter Break, but it really is Christmas Break and the past week has been Christmas week. It has been busy and hectic since school let loose a week ago. We have logged almost 800 miles and have completed two legs of the triangle: Wheaton to Ohio, Ohio to Michigan, with the final leg to finish later this week after New Year’s Day and the trip home. Continue reading Christmas week

Silent Night

Olivia is dressed to tell Santa what is on her list!

It started snowing early this morning and it has snowed lightly all day long giving the trees, the yard, and everything a beautiful coat of fresh white snow. Also, it has been several days since my last post and I have wanted to sit and write, but I have not made time to do it for all of the things that I need to do are far more important than what I want to do at this time of the year. I have had several ideas and topics, which crossed my path, but for now, those will have to wait as I focus on the present. Continue reading Silent Night