Tag Archives: pets

Winter Break

Thursday, December 27, 2012, @ 7:56 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchurch, Family, making the days count, pets, seventh grade, weather, winter, writingClay

Like most, no all, teachers, I eagerly waited for Winter Break. I knew how many days there were between Thanksgiving and break. I worked at making the learning count, while still counting the days until I could breathe. I dreamed. I made plans. Then, I got sick and ruined it all.

Since I have been married, I have spent Christmas in Ohio with my in-laws. I could not have chosen better in-laws, truly. There have been only a couple of times when I woke in my own bed on Christmas morning, and those were times when one of us was sick – me, B, or the kids, and travelling was just not a good idea. And, then we eventually made it to Ohio a day late. This year it was me. This year I had made it all the way to the last Friday Continue reading Winter Break →

The turkey….

Thursday, November 22, 2012, @ 9:42 amCooking, country, Family, food, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, eating, fall in the Midwest, fall leaves, Family, great days, hard work, history, making the days count, patriotism, pets, reading, teaching, weather, writingClay

turkey2012 — roasting and getting ready for dinner!

It’s Thanksgiving morning and the turkey is in the oven. There are yams cooking on the stove and it’s pretty quiet. Ivy’s been out a couple of times and she had a treat to start her day. I mixed chicken broth, warm chicken broth, with her dog food this morning and she enjoyed it. Actually, she’s in the doghouse with B, because Ivy woke us up just as the sun was peaking over the horizon. She had slept at the top of the stairs just outside our room and let out a yelp and short bark to let me know it was time to go out. I felt the warm spot on the carpet when I went downstairs to let her out and start the day. Unfortunately, B’s sleep was collateral damage and she followed me downstairs.

It’s my job to cook the turkey and it’s in the oven. The smells are just now wafting through the house and before long; the aroma of Thanksgiving Continue reading The turkey…. →

The quiet room

Sunday, October 14, 2012, @ 11:37 amadventure, Family, jobs, Life in General, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, fall in the Midwest, fall leaves, great days, hard work, high school football, making the days count, pets, reading, softball, sports, teaching, weather, writingClay

The sign says it all, ‘The quiet room.’ My kids tried to avoid it at all costs; I guess I would have, too, at their age. But, I’d sure like to go there for the next couple of days. Continue reading The quiet room →

Lazy Sunday Morning

Sunday, September 16, 2012, @ 11:31 amFamily, food, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, Weather, Writingbirthdays, children, education, Family, football, great days, hard work, high school football, making the days count, pets, reading, seventh grade, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

This weekend is B’s birthday. The actual day was Friday and we were all at school. Saturday was softball and football games and household chores. Sunday is church, normally, and homework and relaxing, when we can. So, we decided to celebrate the weekend, the entire weekend.

Last weekend, after dropping W off at football, I stopped by the French market and scored some beautiful roses for my wonderful wife. Continue reading Lazy Sunday Morning →

Getting it together

Thursday, August 16, 2012, @ 6:09 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Music, pets, Reading, sports, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, education, great days, hard work, high school football, making the days count, music, pets, reading, seventh grade, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

morning has broken — my backyard, as I sipped coffee and watched Ivy

It’s the last week of summer vacation. It’s the week peppered with regret and excitement. Regret, because I didn’t lose all that weight or win the lotto, but excitement because school is starting next week. I am slowly getting back in the groove. I had a meeting yesterday and met many of the new teachers in our district and I even recognized one of the names from my first years as a teacher. The new teachers are getting younger and I am getting older, yeah, I am getting old. Really, I am not old but experienced and wiser. I keep telling myself, when I start acting my age, I’ll need to worry. Continue reading Getting it together →

Sunday morning, fifteen days left

Sunday, August 5, 2012, @ 8:39 amadventure, Family, Life in General, Reading, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, Grayling, great days, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

It’s Sunday morning, it’s bright, sunny, windy, and lake is blue, as blue as the early morning light colors the water. Wind rustles through the trees and blows in through the open screen door and through the cottage. Last night, a front blew through the area and brought much cooler and drier weather. It is the same front, which blasted though the Chicago area and later northern Ohio with high winds, lightning, and rain. We were supposed to get storms with rain and high winds, but nothing happened; the storm broke up before it arrived. We got pleasant weather instead. I’ll take the trade-off, anytime. Continue reading Sunday morning, fifteen days left →

Sleeping late, Friday morning

Friday, August 3, 2012, @ 10:19 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, sports, Teaching and Learning, Writingchildren, education, Family, great days, hard work, high school football, making the days count, pets, reading, sports, Summer Vacation, teaching, water sports, weather, writingClay

I was up late last night watching the Olympics. I crawled into bed full of national pride for our Olympians and thinking about all of the athletes who have trained for years with the dream of being an Olympic champion, only to have their dreams dashed by a small mistake, a minor misstep, or a better athlete. That happens in life. We all make small errors or come up against someone or something better. It is what we do afterwards, that matters that makes the day count. Continue reading Sleeping late, Friday morning →

August and a rainy Thursday morning

Thursday, August 2, 2012, @ 8:09 amadventure, Family, food, Life in General, pets, Reading, sports, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, fishing, Grayling, great days, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, water sports, weather, writingClay

Wednesday was a great day. Fishing, boating, swimming, skiing, dinner out, and no clean up! This morning I ignored my alarm and slept a little longer. I could hear the wind in the trees and the lake slapping the pontoon and kayak and I got up to a grey sky, rain, and a very quiet morning. It is a good way to begin the day.

weatherscreen_0802 — this morning’s weather screenshot, courtesy the Weather Channel’s weather app

Yesterday was a fun day. O awoke and asked Continue reading August and a rainy Thursday morning →

Monday night summer storm

Wednesday, August 1, 2012, @ 7:23 amFamily, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, Weatherchildren, Family, fishing, great days, lightning storms, making the days count, pets, reading, teaching, weather, writingClay

Twenty days, less than three weeks, Monday felt like a Monday. Summer vacation seems like a perpetual weekend, almost like Groundhog Day or the book I read earlier this summer, 11 Birthdays, where the day is repeated over, and over, again. It’s not quite like that but there is no break in the week and if I am not careful the line between one day and another blurs.

There is a difference between the weekend and the week here, the lake is much calmer, there are fewer boats, and there are fewer people along the lakeshore, but for me there is little difference.

Sunday had been a late night watching the Olympics and Monday night would likely be no different. Continue reading Monday night summer storm →

Saturday morning at the lake, again

Saturday, July 28, 2012, @ 9:46 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, Writingchildren, grandma and grandpa, making the days count, pets, reading, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

ivy_head_0727 — Ivy waits patiently, for the car ride home….

We came back to the lake last night, and we are all here. It’s just us – B (aka momma), W, O, and I and of course Ivy. We left the lake Wednesday afternoon to pick up momma on Ohio and come back Thursday, but Thursday turned into late Thursday, and then Friday morning, and finally Friday afternoon.

Grandpa is doing better, getting stronger, and slowly getting back to normal. We visited with them both as well as the Dairy Bar. Grandma is doing well and momma helped as much as she could. It was time for her to get back to us. Continue reading Saturday morning at the lake, again →