pack up the clutter! I'm moving :)

time for a fresh start
i'm moving
i'll post a link as soon as i'm settled :)

pardon my clutter

this blog is in a re-design process

please return soon

christmas came early

i WILL post a photo of this. soon. i promise. let me just say a big, huge, jumbo THANK YOU to my dear friend heather. (you can find her blog over on the right sidebar... the finicky frog)

heather and her girlies just delivered a kitchen aid stand mixer right into my dining room. wow-e-wow! how can you top that?

thank you heather and daughters 100 times over. guess i better get mixin' and bakin' and send some goodies your way.

a very long engagement

17 years my friends. feels like 17 minutes.

engaged to the love of my life.

(yes, we're married)

yet we still acknowledge and celebrate the date of our engagement

best friend

encourager

he gave me the gift of education (see nanny mcphee)

every day he asks me to be be the best self i can, and he leads by example

he won't like this post, and yet i could write more.

he doesn't toot his own horn, and shies away from anyone tooting for him

Dear Daniel,

you are the best friend/husband i could ever hope to have.

thank you for you love.

This Our Hymn of Grateful Praise

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Lord of all to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

(Folliot S. Pierpoint)

the house is clean

the air smells of turkey and pumpkin pie

and someone's exotic perfume :)

two little men run around just as their daddies did (a long time ago) but with shorter hair (long story)

one little prince can say his abcs, the other can pass a football better than some thrice, no quintuple his age

our grandparents who raised us are now gone from our table; we would set a place for them, but space doesn't allow. and that is good, for my table is full of siblings. the siblings in whose home i was not raised. pieced together, patched together, one phone call, FB message, and txt msg. at a time. and the babies. little 2 year old princes who are a perfect blend of the daddies and mommies and the grandparents. tiny men who grow stronger and smarter every day.

sifting through the memories, gleaning warmth and love's embrace from the past-- choosing which to perpetuate (someone must learn to make THE CANDY) we have the stuffing and fixins under control, and my husband's turkey is better than (bacon makes everything better)

we'll keep up the joke of the NO FUN HOUSE, but really we can have some fun. we'll play wii at Christmas and maybe there will be stockings; each one bursting with one apple, one orange, one Hershey bar, and maybe a chapstick

how many Buckeyes must one eat to fill the pit in your stomach, the ache of missing Oscar and Lorene so much? why does it hurt more today than last month? last year?

how much love can we lavish on each other to match what those two dear people gave us?

what should we do each day to carry on their legacy? the hole they left is in the shape of ladylike manners and Boy Scout camp expert... working hard for every dime, saving, sharing, and even sometimes splurging. if it costs too much and it's made of plastic, built it yourself, make it better and nicer! you get what you pay for. take care of what you have. be kind to God's creatures. Don't spend all your money in one place. Don't use too much toilet paper!

Visit the shut-ins. share what you have with those who don't. Don't be greedy. Teach Sunday School. Take your turn at VBS and the nursery. Wear an underslip. There is no need to show cleavage. Don't talk with food in your mouth. Conserve your paper plates. Read your Bible. Send a get-well card. Send a sympathy card. Keep your car's gas tank FULL.

Keep your heart thankful every day.

An Introduction to Project-Based Learning | Edutopia

An Introduction to Project-Based Learning | Edutopia

take a look at this video :)

studying

I am keeping my promise to myself and my future students to be a lifelong learner. My latest venture is to train myself in the Kristina Smekens/Dr. Maureen Scane Writer's Workshop method also known as 6-Traits. A few of the teachers in our building have had the opportunity to participate in the actual workshops, and one wonderful lady has loaned me her materials! I am thrilled to have the chance to improve my knowledge and skills in writing so that I may be a better facilitator in the classroom.

I don't want to infringe upon any copyrights, so I won't be posting any PDFs or downloads. You can google Kristina Smekens, or go to her website if you want details.

Moving on....

I have made a commitment to abstain from complaining for the month of November. As day 1 draws to a close, I must confess that while I've kept my oath (no verbal complaints) outwardly, the little nagging voice in my head has been chitter-chattering nonstop. When will she tire?

Recently pulled from the shelves...

Chris Van Allsburg books

Just a Dream

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi