Bridezilla??

JESSI IS ENGAGED!!! She just called a little while ago to tell me. After I did all of the squealing, I told her I was really glad I no longer had to lie to her. Remember the post when I said she and I had gone to get pedicures while her daddy and Lance cut some trees and we were hoping Lance would have talked to John but he didn't? All a lie. He did talk to John, and I knew he was going to talk to him a couple of days earlier. But I didn't want to run the risk of Jessi reading that on my blog or someone else reading it and congratulating her. So I lied. I am pretty good at doing that, but it is NEVER with the intention of causing hardship or harm. I lie when there is something that needs to be kept secret for a very GOOD reason. (Don't ask me to lie for you if someone is going to get hurt in the process. That ain't happenin'.)

So, will Jessi be a Bridezilla? Nope. Not at all. We'll save that title for some other bride who thinks the entire world revolves around her and thinks everyone should bow down to her wishes and demands. Not that Jessi shouldn't have the world revolving around her and all of her friends and family bowing down to her during this special time, but that just isn't Jessi. (Thank God!)

John and I are so, so very happy for our girls. Both of them have found wonderful men who love them dearly and would do anything and everything in the world for them. Jess has had her share of heartbreak, but that is all in the past, and I believe that from here on, her life will be filled with nothing but joy and happiness.

Lance is a wonderful young man, and I don't think John or I could have asked God to send anyone any better into her life. The only thing that worries me somewhat is that Jess told me that she thinks Lance is just like her daddy. LOL No, seriously, that does not worry me in the least. It brings me great comfort because I know what a wonderful, kind, caring, loving man her daddy is, so I know she will be loved, protected, and provided for.

Congratulations, Jessi and Lance. Daddy and I are so happy for you. We love you and can't wait for you to begin your lives as one.

Who is your daddy?

When asked that question, most of us wouldn't think a thing in the world about it. Throughout our lives we often meet new people and in the process of learning about one another, that question can often come up, especially if there is already some link or connection, but the questioner is trying to put the connection together a little better. However, that question...who is your daddy?...takes on a whole different light when it is your own mother who asks you.

This was our weekend to stay with Billie. As soon as we got there Friday night, I did my nightly ritual and crawled in bed. (The first week back to school after a break always kicks my butt, so it is nothing unusual for me to be in bed asleep by 9 at the latest.) Connie came over after she got off work, and she, John, Billie, and Zac talked for a while. Connie and I had decided a couple of weeks ago that we were going to go shopping yesterday. As we were out and about, having fun and spending more money than we...well, at least I...should have, we talked about how things are going with Billie, and this is where the question comes in.

Connie told me that on Friday night, Billie looked at her and asked, "Who is your daddy?" It's probably a good thing I was in bed because I probably would have either 1) looked at her like she had lost it (and sadly, that is very near the case), 2) burst out laughing (which would have hurt her feelings), or 3) made some comment about how I hoped it was Sean Connery because then I'd finally get to meet him. (Of the three, the third one would have been the best option, but in my state of exhaustion, I cannot promise that would have been the one I'd have gone with. Honestly, I probably would have combined the three.)

Let's keep in mind that all five of Billie's children were fathered by the same man. Anyone who has a loved one with dementia/Alzheimer's knows that questions such as that aren't really all that uncommon in the later stages, but we (or at least John and I) haven't experienced that with Billie just yet. Sure, she's called John Tim or Tim Danny (heck, I do this with my students on a daily basis), but this is the first time I've been made aware of this total loss of memory for something like who the father of her children are. Sure, we've learned that it is next to impossible to carry on a conversation with her because the short-term memory loss means she can't follow along, but she hasn't had problems with the long-term memory. And since Connie is 46, I think who her father was definitely fits into the long-term memory category.

When Connie took her for her last visit to the GP, they began the paper work for having her put into the dementia unit at Summerford. That could happen in as few as two months. And it won't be pretty or easy. John and I were talking on the way home, and we both think that once she gets there and has people to talk to and visit with, she'll adapt. (We hope so, anyway.) But getting her there won't be without heavy hearts. The really crappy part is that Billie will honestly and truly have more awareness than many of the other residents, but she doesn't have the ability to take care of herself on a day-to-day basis.

Alzheimer's is a disease I would NOT wish on my worst enemy. It is horrible, and there isn't a damn thing that anyone can do, except support Alzheimer's research. Being a caregiver, even a part time caregiver, takes so much patience, dedication, and strength. I have so much respect for those people who are 24-hour caregivers. I don't know that I have the strength to do it, and I know I don't have the patience.

I can't believe this week is over

Why is it that a week at work draaaaagggggsssss on forever, but a week off seems to FLY by? It seems like it was just yesterday that I was walking out of BRHS for a week off, and now I'll be walking back IN in less than 36 hours.

I didn't paint the bedroom like I'd planned, but that's okay. If I'd gotten started last Saturday, I probably would have been able to get it done, but I just wanted to relax then, and then I just wouldn't have had enough time since we were coming up here to the lake on Tuesday. So, I'll get to that sometime after school it out for the summer.

It has been a really good week, though. We've taken a couple of days to do nothing except take it easy. And the days we "worked" weren't difficult days. Even the plumbing wasn't too bad. =) We've spent time with family and friends who are family to us; we've spent time together; and we've spent some time alone. I think we're both recharged fairly well. Neither of us want to go home, though. If this could just be home. Anybody in Winston Co. need to hire an x-ray tech or a teacher? I know where you can find one of each. LOL

We'll head back southeast tomorrow, and then next weekend we'll do our Groundhog Weekend. Hopefully we'll be back here every weekend once April gets here. Well, except for GW. And I'm not so sure how much longer we'll be staying with Billie because the paperwork for getting her into a nursing home is about to be started. That is NOT going to be a fun process because she still knows enough to know what going to a nursing home entails, but she doesn't realize that she needs more care than what any of us can provide. It's getting harder and harder to see that her needs are being met adequately, and it is quite stressful, especially for Connie. I mean, none of us are trained in any way to care for someone with Alzheimer's, and it does take someone with in depth knowledge to truly know how to handle a person afflicted with this disease.

So I guess that's about it for tonight. And probably for the next few days. By the time we get home tomorrow and I get stuff ready for Monday, I doubt I'll have time to post, and I'll probably be too exhausted to post Monday. So...I hope you all have a GREAT week!

Still a happy girl

I think I may be even happier this evening than I was the other day. Today has been absolutely beeeeaaaaauuuuutttttiiiiifffffuuuulllll! John and Tim went fishing, so after they left, I cleaned the trailer and cleaned off the porch. I decided it was probably warm enough to go sit on the swim deck, so I grabbed my book, sunglasses, a drink, the camera, my chair, and a light-weight jacket (just in case) and headed to the water. It was a perfect day! I'd been down there about an hour when Ron, Cindy, and the boys came riding up. John and Tim were fishing in the slough and saw them so they cruised home. Wes and Brooke popped by for a minute, too. After the boaters left, John and Tim decided to ride to DJs to get "minners" so they could fish from Danny's boat slip. I stayed on the swim deck and kept doing what I had been doing.

I spent pretty close to all day enjoying the sunshine. It has been so gloomy around here lately that I was beginning to wonder if it would ever be sunny again. Today proved that the sun still does exist. My face is just a tiny bit red, but that's perfectly okay by me. Just to have "real" sun (as opposed to "fake" tanning bed sun) kissing my skin makes me so happy. (I honestly wonder if I couldn't be slightly affected by seasonal affective disorder because I get so blah during the winter months.)

John grilled burgers for dinner tonight, so between my sun fix, getting to visit with family, and my delicious dinner, I don't think this day could have been much better. Tomorrow should be another good one.

Hope you have a GREAT Saturday!

ummm...oh, yes...ahhhh...soooo good...

Oh. My. Gosh! I am in HEAVEN. Nothing could ever be so good. Yes, yes, yes!!!!

Hey...GET. YOUR. MIND. OUT. OF. THE. GUTTER. I am talking about the hot wings my fantabulous hubby made us for dinner. They were SOOOOO good. His "secret" is John Boy & Billy's Grilling Sauce. He fries the wings up nice and crispy and then tosses them in JB&B sauce. I honestly can say that I'd rather have his wings than any restaurant wings out there.

We've had such a relaxing day. Danny & Linda are in the process of building their house out here so we heard Marty and his crew this morning before we ever got out of bed. I was already awake, but it was so cold, I wasn't moving. LOL Right now, Marty is just getting the trees that have to come down out of the way, and then he'll start with the footing. We told Danny & Linda that we were going to let them figure out all of the problems before we built so we can learn from them. So far, we know FEMA can be a huge pain.

Danny, Linda, Mike, and Audrey came out for a while to see what had been done. After they left, John and I decided to try to fish. I caught two crappie. One was a keeper; one wasn't. John caught a nice bass and a small bream. We ended up tossing the keepers back. After dinner, John decided to fish a bit more, but it had cooled down enough that he wasn't having any luck, so he didn't fish long. Now, we're just sitting here relaxing.

Tomorrow should be another fairly nice, relaxing day. I had planned on planting my elephant ears today, but I didn't, so I will probably do that tomorrow. Ron, Cindy, and the boys are down here, so we're hoping to see them for a bit tomorrow afternoon.

I guess that's about it for today's update. =) I'll probably be calling it a night soon. The weird dreams have kept me from sleeping well the last couple of nights. Hope you have a GREAT day tomorrow!

Whew!

The water pipes are fixed and there are no leaks. For now. The way we redid the pipes last year made it a WHOLE lot easier to make repairs this year, but it still was an all day job. The only reason it was an all day job was because it took three trips to the hardware store.

John and I both went this morning because we had to have the gas tank refilled, and even though I'm, like, super duper strong I couldn't load and unload the tank by myself. (Stop laughing...you don't know how strong I really am. OK, OK...laugh. It IS a 100 pound tank though.) Anyway, we got back and within maybe 30 minutes, we had the repair made. I turned on the water, and all seemed fine except that no water was getting inside the trailer. The pipes that were buried and that we didn't replace last spring had burst. Trip 2 to William's for 50 feet of 3/4" CPVC and fittings. Replacing that took maybe another 30 minutes. I eased the water on again only to hear John yell for me to turn it off. We both had brain farts because we didn't think about the buried pipe we replaced needing to be capped off, so water was rushing out from that. Trip 3 to the hardware store for a 3/4" PVC cap. (Yeah, I'm fairly certain I could do this myself if necessary.) Got that fixed in minutes, and I turned the water on yet again. "Turn it off!" was John's response. One more repair had to be made, but because we'd picked up extras of most of the fittings, I didn't have to make a 4th trip to the store. Yea!!! So the entire repair job took maybe a couple of hours, but because I had to make two extra trips to the store, it ended up being an all day job. That's one of the disadvantages of being out in the boonies. (Next year, John is getting a gift card to William's Hardware for plumbing supplies, and before we come out here, we're buying everything we might possibly need for repairs. LOL)

It takes about ten minutes to get to DJs, the nearest store, but they don't have a huge selection of plumbing materials, so we usually go to William's Hardware in Arley, and they're about 20 minutes away. By the time we go, shop, and get back, it's taken an hour. The third trip I made today was to DJs, but then I had to go to another store since DJs didn't have the PVC cap.

We've decided that no work will be done unless absolutely necessary the rest of the week. It's supposed to warm up by Friday, so maybe we can get out and enjoy ourselves. I have some elephant ears I'd like to plant. I got some more of the small bulbs to put out front, but I found three of the HUGE bulbs that I want to put in the back. I hope they end up being BIG ears.

John grilled pork chops for dinner...YUM! Dishes are done, and now we're gonna sit and relax.

Hope y'all have a GREAT day tomorrow. We will. =)

Happy girl =)

We got to the lake only to find that one area of the water pipes have burst, so that's kind of a bummer, but HOPEFULLY it won't take long to fix in the morning. (Thank goodness we have plenty of water for brushing teeth and all that kind of good stuff.)

The good thing, though, is that we have INTERNET at the lake! Woo Hoo!! It took about three minutes to activate the service, and so far, broadband over power lines service is working pretty well. So I'm a happy camper. It will really be nice to have internet when I'm out here this summer by myself.

That's all...just wanted to share. =) Have a GREAT day tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun. ha

Anticipation

We're going to the lake as soon as John gets home, and I can't wait. I'm like a kid waiting to leave for Christmas. LOL

I had to get up early because Rooms to Go was delivering my ottoman today. The delivery time was between 7 and 11 AM. Since they never show up at the beginning end of the time frame, I was really expecting them closer to 11. Imagine my surprise when they called just after 6 saying they'd be here just before 7. Imagine my disappointment at not being able to sleep late. hahaha BUT I love my ottoman!!!!

Right now, I have two rotten pups snuggled up in my lap, snoozing. I really hate to disturb them, but I'm going to have to in a minute. Even though I've gotten a couple of loads of laundry done, I still need to wash sheets and put them back on the bed so I'll have nice, fresh sheets for Sunday night, and then I need to go to the tanning bed. OK...so I don't NEED to go...I WANT to go. And I'm debating going to get a pedicure. We have a nail place here, but every time I get a pedi there, it never lasts more than a couple of days before polish starts coming off...not chipping but off entire nails. I think somebody does pedicures at the wellness center. I need to call.

Hopefully, I'll be able to be connected at the lake. We got an email saying that everything is good to go with the internet. It's about time...we signed up for this MONTHS ago. I'm interested in seeing how well it works. Because we're in a rural location, we can't get DSL or anything like that, but the electric cooperative has started doing broadband over power lines (BPL). If I update sometime between now and Sunday, you'll know it works. If I don't...well, I'm sure I'll post about that next week. hahahaha

Guess I need to go. Have a GREAT day!

How many pairs of flip flops are TOO many?

This was my housecleaning day for my spring break week. Got it done today, so the rest of the week, I can play. =)

As I was cleaning, I decided I would rearrange my shoe caddy so that my winter shoes were on the bottom and my summer shoes were on top and more accessible. The majority of my summer shoes are either thong-type sandals or flip flops. I have a couple pairs of peep-toe wedge shoes and a pair or two of "regular" sandals. As I was organizing, I counted the number of flip flops I currently have. I was surprised to learn that I have 15 pairs. Some are cutesy (houndstooth, Yellow Box, etc.) and some are "practical" (Crocs, Adidas, etc.) Some of them can be worn with anything from casual dresses/skirts to shorts; some are for comfy shorts only when I'm at the lake or doing stuff in the yard.

And of course, I will be adding to my "collection." Once warm weather gets here, I rarely EVER put my feet into "real" shoes. Since I'm not a "dressy" kind of gal, rarely means maybe four or five times during the summer, and that is usually only on Sundays. The exception is for tennis shoes, but I don't even wear them that often.

So, how many pairs of flip flops are too many? John says two. I don't believe him. LOL

New schedule for 2010-2011

Mr. Reyes, our principal, held a meeting yesterday for anyone who was interested in the new daily schedule for next year. Naturally, I was interested. When we got the email about the meeting, I immediately pulled out my calendar to see if I had anything to do. My best guess would be that maybe half of the faculty was there. The spring-sport coaches weren't there, and about four others that I know of already had appointments scheduled.

We all had an idea of what the schedule would be. The talk has been floating around for a few months, but now it is official. We will be going to a 5 period day. Classes will be 78 minutes long, and most all classes will still be only one semester. AP classes will meet daily for the entire year, and there will be some classes that are nine-week classes. So in four years, a student could technically earn 40 credits, but only 28 credits are required for our system. (The state minimum is 24.) Unless there are circumstances that warrant it, students will be allowed to take only two core classes per semester, so we're going to have to add some elective courses. That is something that has been needed for a while, anyway. If students have all of their required courses by their senior year, they can do an early release. Right now, we won't have any who will graduate early, but Mr. Reyes says that he truly is not against that idea for the future. My opinion is that if a student is capable of completing his/her diploma requirements by Christmas of their senior year and wants to do that, why not allow them to graduate early and begin their college careers?

Honestly, I'm looking forward to the change. We've been on a four-block, 96 minute schedule for about 15 years. While that schedule is really good for some students, it doesn't work for all. I have almost all of the senior students with IEPs in my English 12 classes. For many of them, 96 minute is just a little long. Heck, for me 96 minutes can be just a little long if I'm not interested in the material! And think back to when you were in school. Did EVERYTHING you did EVERY SINGLE DAY keep you fully engaged? I know there were days when I was bored, and we were in class for only about 50 minutes per period. It does mean that the "fluff" will have to be cut out, but that's okay by me, too. Sometimes I think there is too much "fluff."

Tomorrow is my last day of bus duty until May. I almost wish I could swap with someone and get mine over the week after we come back from break, but as tired as I am right now, I don't think I need another week of getting up at 4:45 so soon.

And speaking of tired...I'm wiped out, so this gal is heading to bed.

Have a GREAT Friday!

Students in Action

Click the Students in Action link below to go to DonorsChoose.org to see my new project I'm hoping to have funded.

Students in Action

Posted using ShareThis

It is time for a break!

Spring break begins Friday, and it cannot get here soon enough. By this point in the school year, I am in desperate need of a break. To make this week even more tiring, I have AM dungeon duty. I normally get up at 5:30, and I could still get up then and be on time for duty, but if I got up as usual, I wouldn't have time to get every thing ready in my classroom--booting up my laptop, getting the warm-up on the screen, etc. So, I get up at 4:45 when I have bus duty.

The nice thing about my classes this week is that my seniors reviewed for their Chaucer/The Canterbury Tales test yesterday and had the test today. They're doing their pilgrim presentations tomorrow, and their term exam is Thursday. My juniors "talked" me in to letting them go outside yesterday since it was such a gorgeous day. I had already decided that I was going to let them go out to do their assignment. Today, we discussed the story ("The Jilting of Granny Weatherall"...one of my faves.) Tomorrow and Thursday they will review, and their term exam will be Friday.

Even though I'm anxious for the break to get here, I'm going to start the week BUSY. I've decided to repaint the bedroom. It's been several years since we painted, and it needs it. Badly. So, on Saturday (or Sunday) we're going to move the bed out and push the rest of the furniture to the middle of the room and I'll get started on the prep work. The biggest part of my project will be done Monday and Tuesday. I think I can get it all done on those two days. THEN we're heading to the lake!

John just told me a little while ago that he has taken Wed., Thurs., and Fri. off. YEA!!!! Hopefully the water pipes didn't freeze and burst this year. Even if they did, the way we redid them last year will make it a whole lot easier to make repairs. I just don't want to have to do that, though. We'll be doing yard work, I'm sure.

Only three more days...I think I can make it!

Have a GREAT day!

When pigs fly

Are these not the cutest pieces of yard art? John and I were on our way to Sam's birthday party yesterday when we passed a little shop in Chelsea with all of this kind of stuff out front. He saw the rooster, so on our way back by, we stopped to look. We ended up getting the rooster and the flying pig. Too cute, I think! Of course, I love things that are rustic. These will be living at the lake.

We have had such a great weekend! It all got started on Friday night with dinner at Cocina Superior with Susan, Tim, Amy, and Stephen. Tim's birthday was Saturday, we decided we needed to celebrate. John and I then spent the night at Susan and Tim's because Sam's party was at 10 AM Saturday.

We are so lucky to have Susan & Tim as friends. They aren't just friends...they have become family. Tim was an only child, but he has said that John is as close to him as a brother, and I know John feels the same way about him. And I feel as if Susan is a sister. It is really interesting at the number of times our paths crossed throughout our lives. Piano recitals when we were 9 (her aunt was the teacher), I had her uncle for a teacher in high school, her dad performed a wedding I was in...and the list goes on. She and I were meant to be friends.









Amy & Susan









Susan & me










John & Tim



On Saturday, we got up and relaxed for a while before heading to Mike and Darlene's for Sam's 2nd birthday. It's hard to believe the little man will be 2 on Wednesday! He is such a cutie, and his independence is beginning to blossom. I told Jessi that he is already beginning to develop his selective hearing. She said, "Yeah, it's a Vest thing." And she is so very correct about that! LOL Sam's Poppa John has a terrific case of selective hearing. hahaha

Sam got TONS of toys and new clothes. Katy and Phillip are going to have to buy a bigger house just for his stuff.










Mommy, Daddy, & the birthday boy










Sam loves him some cake. :)










Poppa John & Grana gave him a classic Radio Flyer tricycle.

My beautiful, beautiful family. God blessed me so much, and I thank Him each and every day for the joy and love that these six people bring to my life.

The older I get, the more I realize how precious family and friends are, and the more I realize that life is much too short. Too many times we've been too busy, too tired, too broke...whatever...to get together and make memories. Life doesn't have to be filled with WOW moments. Sure, those are nice, but so is sitting on the porch, relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Some of my best memories from my childhood revolve around sitting on Grannie's porch or MaMaw's porch listening to the adults talk while I played in the yard. What I wouldn't give to have one more opportunity to do that again.

I hope you have a GREAT Sunday and a GREAT week!

donorschoose.org

"You're rich. You're a teacher." Many, many times over the last 17 years of my teaching career, I have heard students make those comments. Whenever I tell them that teachers are far from rich (unless their spouses are rich...), they think I'm just kidding.

"Teachers only work 9 months a year, but you get paid all year long" is another misconception that many people have. In Alabama, there are three categories: 9 month employees, 10 month employees, and 12 month employees. Most teachers fall into the 9 month category. In Alabama, we are contracted to work 187 days, and we are paid for those 187 days only. However, our salary for those 187 days is divided over 12 months so that we don't go three months without pay. (And believe me, most of us put in enough hours outside of the 8-3 school day to equal close to 12 months worth of work. All of those extra hours are done free of charge.)

In the past, the Alabama State Department of Education has provided teachers money for classroom supplies, materials, software, etc. In the time I've been teaching, the amount has ranged from about $200 up to $545. This year because of proration, the ALSDE wasn't able to provide us with any teacher allocation money (and I'll be surprised if they have any to give us next year.) Somehow, our system found enough money to give each certified person $180. That doesn't go far. Even with the state allocation money, there have been many times when I have spent hundreds of dollars a year buying supplies out of my own pocket. Either I have run out of printer ink and didn't have time to wait on the turn-around for a purchase order, I have seen something that I just had to have for my class, or I've tossed in a pack of pens, correction fluid, notebook paper...things my kids often run out of...into my buggy at Wal-Mart.

When John and I first married, he could not understand why I would buy supplies for my classroom. He would ask why I didn't just go to the office and get what I needed. He had worked in the medical field for years, and whenever he needed pens, tape, staples, etc. for the department, he would fill out a requisition, send it to purchasing, and it would be delivered to the department, usually by the next morning. Sure, he had to figure those kinds of things into the departmental budget, but still, all he had to do was ask and it appeared. I finally got him to understand that it doesn't work that way in the field of education. Whenever we fill out a purchase order, it will take a week or so to work its way through the process and get back to us. Then WE have to either order it ourselves or go to the store to get it ourselves. And more than once, the price on the PO didn't match the price in the store because the price on the PO was a sale price. So sometimes it is just as easy to toss that pack of pens in the buggy when I'm shopping.

You're probably wondering WHY in the WORLD I'm talking about this. Well, let me tell you. :)

A few months back I was getting ready for work when I heard a segment on the news that caught my attention. The segment was about how teachers could get FREE stuff for their classrooms. Uh, yeah...free stuff...I'm ALL about that! LOL

donorschoose.org is an online charity for public school teachers. Teachers can create projects, and then people can donate toward projects. If the project is fully funded, the teachers get all of the goodies they asked for. FREE to the teacher!

Another teacher had seen the segment too. She and I talked about it and decided we wanted to check into it farther. She did her project first, and within months, it had been fully funded and delivered. She is a Spanish teacher, so she wanted a digital video camera and all the extras--bag, tripod, battery--so that she could do pod casts for her classes. In just the last couple of weeks, my project was fully funded and I received my supplies. Granted, my stuff wasn't quite as exciting as Karen's--3x5 and 4x6 index cards, pocket folders, ink cartridges, and flash drives for the research projects--but everything is necessary for doing research. And since so many people in our community have been faced with the loss of jobs recently, this was my way of trying to help students who might have parents who are currently unemployed.

Creating a project does take some time, depending on how complex the project is, but it really is not difficult. When I first checked into the charity, I noticed that projects ranged from class sets of books to trips. Different teachers in different disciplines have different needs and wants.

So, my whole reason for this post is to share this wonderful opportunity with anyone else who might be a teacher. If you aren't a teacher, I'm sure you know a few and maybe you could pass this information along to them. And maybe, hopefully, somebody will feel compelled to donate.

Take a minute. Go to www.donorschoose.org. See what is being asked for. Create a project if you are a teacher. Donate to a project if you can. Make a difference in the life of a child.

And have a GREAT Thursday! :)