Let it snow! Let It snow!! Let It Snow!!!

I loved snow as a kid. Now, not so much. However, since it is here and I get to miss 2 days of school, let it snow!!!

I never realized when I was growing up that teachers enjoy snow days, too. Who wouldn't like a little surprise vacation in the middle of the year? You can't plan anything in advance. You just get that ever important call and POW!!! WOW!!! ZINGO!!! You get the day off.

I know parents aren't as thrilled as kids and teachers when this happens. Well, since all I've ever done is teach, I guess I have only heard that parents aren't that thrilled. I also am aware that there are some teachers who will grumble about this break because it will break up whatever important lessons they were working on. Trust me . The darlings will learn enough to make it in this life. Kids have been making it in the real world for years. They might have a little trouble getting back on track when we return but so will most teachers. Contrary to popular belief, we are human.

How did I spend my day off? It is late afternoon and I am still in my pjs. I watched TV, listened to Christmas music, and made noodles. Yes, my friends, I took the leftover dab of turkey we had overlooked and whipped up some good old-fashioned Grandma Sutton egg noodles. Hubby D was upstairs on the computer the whole time. When I called him down to eat, he was DELIGHTED. Yep, that's right DELIGHTED!!! Whoever said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach was partially right.

Now, I get to clean up the living room so we can get all of the Christmas decorating stuff out. I really needed these extra days just for that. I love decorating for Christmas but get little if any help from my family. We have even gone some years without a Christmas tree. Cap'n N and Hubby D don't seem to care one way or the other. But this year--- I have the time and I am going to decorate. Someday I will have to write about our unusual Christmas celebrations. "Oh Brown Bean Bag" was a unique Christmas celebration.

I should be getting caught up on my grading while we are off, but I didn't believe the weather forecasters and left everything at school. Darn the Luck!!! Oh well, I can always catch up on them later.... Yes, I've been saying that for the past 33 years, too. I believe it is nice that some things never change.

The other day after I had burst into song in the middle of reading and discussing The Scarlet Letter, one of my students asked if the songs just popped into my head while I was teaching. I told him no. I plan those out. They are all written down in my lesson plans. Read a little, then burst into singing such and such!!!!! Right!!!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful

but the fire is so delightful

The lights are turned way down low.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!"

I'm Still Thankful

Yep, I'm still thankful. For instance:

Cap'n N came home last Monday and won't be leaving until early tomorrow morning. He had planned on leaving yesterday, but I would have bet big bucks(and I am not a betting person) that he wouldn't leave until Monday. We have had a great week with lots of laughing, TV watching, movie watching, and talking. Of course, we watched some unique shows and movies. Cap'n N always seems to come up with several very original shows for our viewing pleasure. I can't and wouldn't recommend them to everyone but they sure suited us. Right now Hubby D and the son are watching some horror movies they rented. Not my cup of tea so I actually graded some essays, did my eligibility, and am now doing the blog thing.

Cap'n N helped me get into myspace the other day. I had tried and tried with no success. He got on, clicked a few things, and presto chango I could use myspace. It is quite different from blogging and I wouldn't have bothered but many of my family use it so I am hoping it will help me keep in better touch with them.(Did that seem like a run on sentence to any of you? Dang this English thing!) Some people have even agreed to accept me onto their list of friends. I don't quite know what I am going to do there but I will figure it out. I am hoping to maybe hear from some long lost friends. I can also keep up with some of my former students. I love reading their success stories and seeing pictures of them and their kids.

I got to talk to all of my siblings during this time. They and all of theirs are doing fine. Jet is on the mend for which we are all truly grateful. We visited Grandma Ann and took her Thanksgiving dinner. She had heard from the Maine family and they are all doing well.

School starts back up tomorrow. We get to continue with The Scarlet Letter in English III which I am thankful for since it means we will be finishing it soon, and in English IV, we get to start Animal Farm. I am a history nut who loves getting to introduce students to the communist scare that was so prevalent when I was a kid. Do you remember "Duck and cover"?

Another great joy is the knowledge that my last hour class will dwindle from 20 to about 12-14 after this 9 weeks which ends in about 4 weeks. YEA!!!! HURRAY!!!!

I went through my closet and found all of my Christmas shirts. I can start wearing them next Friday. I have 5 shirts so I can wear a different one each day of the week. I sure hope it get cold enough for them or I could be doing some major perspiring. I also get to take my Christmas songs to school to play between classes.

Yep, life sure is good.

Update on JET

All those prayers for JET worked. Thank you. He is doing well. He has to wear this vest that keeps his heart regulated and gives him a shock when he needs one. He is on antibiotics for the infection and should get a new defibrilator in a few weeks. My Sis was glad that he got to come home on Wednesday. Some friends brought an early dinner over; then, on Thursday some other friends brought more. Since we couldn't get down there, it sure was reassuring to know they had people looking in on them. T is coming home for Christmas on the 19th. They already have his ticket. That will do them all a world of good.

Keep those prayers going. He still has some rough days ahead, but things are looking good.

Thanksgiving Excitement---Then and Now

When I was a kid, we spent every Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandad Dareing's in Miami with all of the aunts, uncles and cousins. We would get up and get cleaned up while Mom did her cooking things. After she finally got ready, we would pile into the car and take off on the 25 mile trip to Miami.

Dad had grown up in the area and knew many ways to get to Miami besides the most direct one which, of course, mom always wanted to take. He would take off and Mom would start in, "Albert, where are you going?" To which he would reply, "Well, where do you think I'm going?" or some other silly remark that would start Mom steaming. He would then start to sing and we would join in, "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go, The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh da,da,da,da,da,da. Oh, over the river....." It became a tradition. This was a regular occurrence for years, and yet Mom never quite got into the spirit of things. Ah, the fond memories!!!!

We kids got to play around outside until dinner was ready. After the prayer, Dad would always say, "Now you kids all run along outside and play; we'll call you when we're ready." Groans all around. After we had eaten, the real fun began. We got to walk to town to the Coleman theater and go to the movies. Yep, every Thanksgiving and Christmas until I was 16, we got to go to the movies. We never checked ahead to see what was playing or what time it started. We traipsed up to the movie, went in and watched whatever was showing. There were no ratings or much of a need for them. The movie would play over and over. You could watch the show as many times as you wanted. Ah, the fond memories!!!!!

We didn't realize until we were much older that letting us go to the movies was a sneaky way for our parents to get rid of us so that they could enjoy a quiet afternoon together. Who knew back then that adults had lives too and liked to have fun without their children!!!!! Live and Learn.

After Grandma Dareing died, Thanksgiving and Christmas changed. We only got together a few more times on Thanksgiving after that. All of the families were growing and started making their own traditions.

After Hubby D and I got married, Thanksgiving became the time when the Suttons got together. His aunt, uncle, and cousins would come up, and we would all get together at Grandma Sutton's. She loved to cook for everyone. Coming from my background, I thought that we were all supposed to bring whatever we liked to share with one and all. I took pumpkin bread, pecan pies, and red Jell-o with fruit cocktail and pecans. This worked for a couple of years. Then, Grandma told me not to bother bringing anything but the red JELL-O because I made the best red JELL-O. For years, my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner was red JELL-O. Yes, while the rest of the world was slaving away in their hot kitchens making all kinds of delicious baked treats, I got to throw together a dish that took all of 5 minutes to prepare and I was finished. The whole family still makes wisecracks about me and my famous red JELL-O. Ah, the memories!!!!

Grandma has been gone for several years and I now get to cook Thanksgiving dinner. A few times we have all gathered here. We have gone to my Sis's and we have gone to Jr.'s. The last time we got together was Mom's last Thanksgiving. All of the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids came but she wound up in the hospital and didn't get in on the fun.

I bake a mean turkey and have a recipe for crockpot dressing that is quite the treat. Our Thanksgivings have become much smaller. Since Hubby D is a nurse, he isn't always off for Thanksgiving. We work around it the best we can. It winds up most of the time just being Hubby D, Cap'n N, Grandma Ann and me. I cook up all of our favorites and then don't have to cook again for several days.

I am up late typing this because I couldn't wind down enough to go to sleep. I am excited. Cap'n N is coming in tomorrow. We haven't seen him since July, and for a mama that is way too long.
I also realized that I hadn't taken my morning meds/vitamins and took them this evening with my evening meds/vitamins. The mixture is not sitting well on my tummy. What a combination late meds and excitement!!!!! When I get home from school tomorrow, my baby will be here!!!! Maybe I should go to bed so that tomorrow will get here sooner. Yeah, that will work.

Happy Turkey day to one and all.

JET needs all of our Prayers

My brother-in-law, who bless his heart has managed to put up with the likes of us for about 30 years, is having some health problems. He has had problems for quite some time but has managed to keep on going sort of like the energizer bunny. However, his batteries are not keeping up right now. They gave him some rechargeable ones recently(a defibrilator) but he got an infection in the incision so now he will be going into the hospital for a procedure on Monday and may be there through Thanksgiving.

My Sis is not physically able to do a whole lot. Luckily, she has adult children nearby to help. Please keep them in your prayers as you go about your daily lives this next week. Family, whether they be born into or married into or adopted into the clan, are all so important. He has been in the family for more than half of his life and we don't want him to miss out on growing really old with us. Heck, he deserves the very best but he is stuck with us so..........Have a great holiday and keep JET in your thoughts and prayers.

November----Time to Give Thanks

The Baptist Hymnal has a song called "Count Your Blessings". I have sung that song many times in my life and at this time of the year I feel the need to "Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done." So here goes-----

A Countdown of my Blessings

(in no particular order)

I am so thankful that as this week comes to a close that I am feeling almost human again.

I am thankful that we finished the excerpt from Morte d'Arthur and now we can start watching "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Viewing King Arthur and his knights from a lighthearted perspective helps. As we watch, we look for examples of anachronisms, farce, parody and satire, and I get to share British humor with yet another unsuspecting group of seniors.

I am thankful that my little brother and his family made the move from Spokane, WA to Yuma AZ without any trouble. He is getting to return to the ministry which is where he needs to be and I am so happy for him.

I am thankful for my loving Hubby D and the Cap'n. They are such blessings. We have always had a happy home. Home should be where you go to be safe and happy. I am thankful for that security. I am thankful that I never have to wonder if I am loved.


I am thankful for my family and the way I was raised. I am thankful for Hubby D's family and the way he was raised. After reading Diva's blog about her Grandpa, I recalled so many good times with my parents, grandparents, brothers, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, etc. I have so many students who don't have a group of people that they can count on. They don't have that feeling of love and security. They don't understand unconditional love. I am so thankful for the love of family.

I am thankful for my friend R. We keep each other grounded. We help lessen each other's burdens. We try to keep the sun shining with laughter, understanding and caring.

I am thankful for modern conveniences. I am thankful that I live in a time where we have central heat and air, inside plumbing, microwaves, huge TVs, VCR's and DVR's, 300 plus CD players, computers(yes, even I have learned to appreciate computers), automatic washers and dryers, dishwashers, garage door openers, cell phones, permanent press clothing, and the list goes on and on. I am not a pioneer woman. I do not like camping or roughing it. I remember wringer washing machines and hanging clothes out to dry. I am thankful for modern conveniences. Oh yes, I am.

I am thankful for my education and job. I am thankful that I get a chance to try to make a difference in young people's lives.

I am thankful that we are a short one and a half weeks away from Thanksgiving break and only a week away from the Cap'n coming home.

I am thankful for the students that I teach. We had an assembly today for Veteran's Day. The Gym was full of visitors. Our students took part in the program and represented us well. The rest of our students were attentive and very well behaved. They showed the proper respect for those who were honored today. I am thankful for the community of Wyandotte where our children are still taught to respect the flag, their country, their elders, and God. Not all of them practice what they are taught all of the time, but they do rise to the occasion and for that I am thankful.

Right now I am thankful that it is Friday, and tomorrow I don't have to get up or do anything until I feel like it. I made myself go to the grocery after school today. I didn't want to but I did.
We are set for the week end and the beginning of the week.

I am thankful. The Lord is Good. I am blessed.

I Got a Feelin' Called the Blahs

A few weeks ago Hubby D was kind enough to share whatever bug is going around at OFC(Oklahoma Forensic Center formerly Eastern State Hospital) with me. The bug makes you feel really bad and then just about the time you feel human again POW!!! it returns with a vengeance. It has ruined my last couple of weekends and I am tired of it. I make it to school and make it through the day but I am totally worthless all evening. ( For all you smart@&&*& out there who are thinking so what else is new or how is this different than usual, and you know who you are, keep those comments to yourselves. Don't make me reach through this screen and slap you sillier than you already are!!!) Then I start the process over again.

I stayed home today and went to see a local doctor. He is older and is a general practitioner and I hadn't been to see him in a couple of years. He told me that since I wasn't running a fever that I would just have to continue with what I am doing and let it run its course. Of course, if it hangs around long enough to cause a sinus infection then I can go back and get a prescription. I sure will be glad when it gets to that point so I can get some relief!!!!!

The rumor is that the new building will be finished within a few days and all the dust and crud from the construction will be over. That should help. However, we were supposed to be moved in by October 1 and now it is November 6. I went to look at new construction last week and it is coming right along. However, one of the custodians told us that even if they worked 24/7, it would take a miracle to get us moved in before Thanksgiving. After the construction is done, the custodial staff has to mop, wax, dust, and do general clean up. I'm hoping for January 3, but then I am an optimist.

I must go now and prepare for tomorrow. The bridges at Twin Bridges State Park are going to be redone and will be closed for the next 4-6 months. This means we have to take the long way around to get to school as will lots more trucks, buses, and cars. This will mean that we should be leaving 10 minutes earlier every day. We have been on time almost everyday so far this year and trust me that is an accomplishment since we have to be there 5 minutes earlier this year anyway and being on time or early has never been easy for us. We stay way later than most so we figure we more than make up the time. I don't know how this is going to work but I guess we will see.