Category Archives: travel

Spring Break – 2012

Sunday, March 25, 2012, @ 7:52 amadventure, Family, jobs, pets, teaching, Weatherchildren, eating, Family, fishing, Grayling, great days, making the days count, pets, teaching, water sports, weatherClay

I‘ll be brief, I promise. It is Spring Break. I have big plans and small ones, too.

The plan was to leave immediately after school Friday, but I nixed it on Thursday because I was exhausted and did not want to drive 360 miles Friday trying to stay awake nor settle back seat disputes. So, we settled on leaving Saturday morning and even then I was sleepy the last hour or two. The drive was pleasant and it was amazing to drive through budding trees and the emerging green grass. We even stopped at our friend’s house for a brief visit. I visited with the parents and the kids had fun with each other. It was a nice visit and broke the drive into two parts – But, we made it and we’re here at the cottage. Continue reading Spring Break – 2012 →

The Sunshine Report

Thursday, March 22, 2012, @ 5:32 amadventure, Family, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, geography, great days, making the days count, reading, Spring Break, teaching, weather, writingClay

NightandDay2002 — Night and Day 2002 - courtesy of sunthingspecial.com

Today, where I am the sun rises at 6.51 and sets at 7.08 bathing the landscape with twelve hours and seventeen minutes of sunshine. Actually, there is more sunshine because it is light after the sun sets and the sun bathes us with a bit more light before fading into night. Lately, the weather has been warm, really warm. It feels more like May than March. However, considering the winter weather we had, it is par for the course. Continue reading The Sunshine Report →

March Saturday Morning

Saturday, March 3, 2012, @ 10:33 amadventure, Family, history, Reading, teaching, travel, Writingbrothers, children, education, Family, great days, history, making the days count, Paris, reading, seventh grade, teaching, word parts, writingClay

bros_cambronne_park — the picture that distracted me this morning!

It is another three-day weekend for the kids and they need it. Yesterday was a teacher institute day (teacher learning) across the county and all schools were out. I sat through a class on vocabulary acquisition our district rolled out at the beginning of the year. It is a pretty successful program focusing on Greek and Latin roots. I like it because it is concrete. There is a right answer and a right way. As much as the kids needed a day out of school because state testing begins next week, I needed a day in the classroom. I got a lot of the learning yesterday and am looking forward to applying it, but most of all it was it was good to get confirmation that what we are doing is helping kids learn. Continue reading March Saturday Morning →

Stamps, stamps, and more stamps

Tuesday, February 28, 2012, @ 9:35 amadventure, Family, history, Hobbies and Fun, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, travel, Writingchildren, education, Family, great days, history, making the days count, patriotism, politics, reading, seventh grade, stamp collecting, teaching, writingClay

lovestamp_1973 — Love postage – circa 1973

For those of you who know me and maybe those of you who don’t – I like stamps. My last post included a mention of stamps and I have mentioned stamps and letter writing several times. But, I love stamps, postage stamps, commemorative postage stamps to be precise. Continue reading Stamps, stamps, and more stamps →

Super Bowl Sunday

Sunday, February 5, 2012, @ 4:12 pmCooking, country, Family, history, Life in General, Reading, sports, teaching, travel, Writingchildren, education, Family, football, making the days count, Paris, patriotism, politics, reading, restaurants, scouting, World War I, writingClay

: Go Pats!

I remember my first super bowl – or the first I remember watching. It was Super Bowl 4 – the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Baltimore Colts. I didn’t know much about football then, but being from Houston I was rooting for the Colts. The team I rooted for didn’t make it and never would. The Houston Oilers aren’t around anymore. Continue reading Super Bowl Sunday →

Embarrassed, seriously.

Saturday, January 28, 2012, @ 10:58 amadventure, Cooking, Family, food, pets, Reading, Scouting, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, eating, Grayling, great days, making the days count, scouting, seventh grade, snow sports, Summer Vacation, teaching, writingClay

I got up early this morning and finished my book, Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. I have been reading it since early January at night before bed, reading as much as I could before I could no longer hold my eyes open. Last night, when I got home from the dance, I wanted to finish it, but I was exhausted and spent from a long week and read only a few pages before falling asleep. I woke in the middle of the night and went downstairs to read – to go back to sleep. I read a bit on the couch before dozing off with the light on and the dog at my feet, I woke up to a bark and dog who needed to go out. I made pot of coffee and covered up on the couch and finished the book. Overnight, we got a dusting of snow and the dreary cloudy days of Thursday and Friday were erased by a clear, bright sunny Saturday morning. Continue reading Embarrassed, seriously. →

Let it snow – part 2

Monday, January 2, 2012, @ 8:01 amadventure, Cooking, Family, pets, Reading, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, eating, education, Family, Grayling, great days, hard work, making the days count, pets, reading, teaching, weather, writingClay

ivy_stairs — Ivy looks down from upstairs

It is still snowing and I hope it doesn’t stop, or at least doesn’t stop until I want it to. I was up late, too late, last night and when I woke up this morning, I peered out the front window and was relieved to see a blanket of fresh snow covering the front yard and extending out into the lake Evidence Ivy’s and my walk had been erased.

Olivia is sleeping and I hope she sleeps for a bit longer; she was up late, though not as late as I was. This morning, Ivy barked and wanted out and I was afraid she was getting up, but she went back to bed. Ivy went outside did her business and came back inside and snuggled up on the blanket by my feet and went back to sleep, too. Continue reading Let it snow – part 2 →

Let it snow!

Sunday, January 1, 2012, @ 10:31 pmCooking, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, travel, Weather, Writingchildren, Family, Grayling, making the days count, reading, sports, teaching, weatherClay

It is New Year’s Day and I’m still in Michigan and I’m loving’ it. It has been a peaceful break. The kids have enjoyed the slopes – despite the lack of snow. And I’ve enjoyed watching them, taking pictures, and being close enough to go home and cook dinner and have it ready for them when they’re finished skiing and ‘boarding. And yes, I’ve been able to play with MtDC.org or Making the days Count dot org.

Yesterday, the weather service pronounced a Winter Storm Watch, which changed into a Winter Storm Warning, and today turned into reality. Continue reading Let it snow! →

Making Time

Thursday, December 29, 2011, @ 8:44 amFamily, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, travel, Writingchildren, Christmas, church, education, Family, Grayling, great days, making the days count, reading, seventh grade, weather, winter sports, writingClay

moon_margrethe — A sliver of a moon slides across the sky as a frozen Lake Margrethe sees the last part of day

@MakingDaysCount and MakingtheDaysCount dot org, on many occasions, I have written about time and using it wisely; and if you have been looking for an update and wondering where I have been, I’ve been here, or there, seemingly everywhere – but not on the internet and certainly not at MakingtheDaysCount dot org. It has been a long three weeks. During that time, I have started a couple of entries but they have died on the figurative vine and been left unfinished. Continue reading Making Time →

Rising Action, falling leaves

Saturday, November 5, 2011, @ 7:30 amadventure, Family, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, Coleen McGregor, Dulles Jr. High Class of 1976, education, fall in the Midwest, fall leaves, Family, hard work, high school football, making the days count, pets, reading, seventh grade, weather, writingClay

Yesterday was a glorious Fall day. It had been windy and wet in the middle of the week, but Thursday night the skies cleared and the temperatures dropped leaving a hint of frost everywhere. I know there is more of that to come, a lot more of it. I was up late Thursday night writing my narrative and getting ready for school even though I was out of school Friday, I still had to prepare via the web and the Blackboard – an electronic Blackboard – of sorts. Beth is out of town visiting her parents in Ohio and the kids needed me at home before school started and after when they came home. Continue reading Rising Action, falling leaves →