JOYce, I agree with Linda, you're a beautiful person and I can't wait to meet you and your dh! So glad to hear that you assigned tasks to other committee members for the church event; way to go! It's great that the carpet thing is straight too; how wise of you to go to the top on that.
Texaslady, I can just picture all those centerpieces occupying your house like an invading army of wisteria; smart move to wait on the bows, I'd say! I'm so impressed with the way talented people like you and JOYce can actually *make* centerpieces, bows, corsages and such. Can't wait to see the pictures!
Carol, that's so sad about the child; hard to imagine people being that callous, isn't it? Did they get the A/C working again? I agree w/Texaslady, it's hard to imagine working here w/out it, though my first years here (in the 1980's) we didn't have a/c in the classrooms. Talk about hot, with 30 bodies, few windows, no ceiling fans ... it was nearly impossible for the kids to concentrate on their lessons until late October! Thank goodness *those* "good ol' days" are gone!!
Linda, I'm like you about treadmills, too. We have one that sees little use (tho' I do walk outside most mornings) and I need to give it a spin today. It was raining way too hard to walk this morning or yesterday, so I have no excuse now. Treadmills can be so boring, though!
Saara, so glad to hear you are enjoying your classes! That trip to Yellowstone sounds wonderful; be sure to tell us all about it when you return. Good job on avoiding the junk food! You're right, it'll be there if you really want it, and besides, it's not all that good anyway. I wish the cafeteria had more choices for you; any chance they'd fix something for you "to order"? Maybe baked potatoes?
Beth, hope you're enjoying your class; any chance you'll get an aide to assist this year, as large as the group is? I have 8 special ed students this year, and they're doing well, tho' we're spending extra time outside of class, one-on-one, to get the assignments done.
Sorry to be so long posting, but this has been one of those weeks! So, what is everyone doing for the Labor Day weekend?
CAROL, Are you getting soaked?? Looks like there is lots of rain in your area!
Hope you are staying dry and feeling rested.
texaslady I told dh that I need to stop over in Texas to help with mums he understandss!
{Well, it's a fun thought!!}
So glad you got the centerpieces finished...your house will look like a major flower shop once you get the mums amongst the wisteria!
saara I know you will love Yellowstone, it is an awesome place to visit!
Beth and Jan sounds like you are busily settled into the teaching year!
JOYce, good for you, going to WW today! Hope you had an interesting leader and a good experience.
We have about floated away down here, today! Our driveway was a creek, literally, and I couldn't even drive out onto the highway, because I couldn't see the culvert under the fast-moving water. Called DH on my cell phone, and he said not to drive over it, as it could be washed out. (He had left for school about 1/2 hour before me, when the water wasn't over the road.) Then, I tried to back out to our house, and veered a little, and got stuck up to the bumper! (And dh was SO nice about that; he got me unstuck this afternoon.) Anyway, finally got to work after wading barefoot through muck and mud, almost fell into a sinkhole, carrying my school clothes in a plastic bag. Dh picked me up on the highway. What a day!! Most of the kids weren't at school, as our district is very spread out with many streams and low-water crossings; they couldn't get to town. Many are spending tonight in town with relatives. We needed rain so badly, but does it always have to be flood or drouth? (Sorry, Lord; thanks for the rain!!)
Anyway, our trip to Balmorea is a bit late now, as we're leaving early in the morning instead of noon today, but it's supposed to be sunny there. Have packed cut up celery, carrots, peppers, and other healthy stuff; dh is going to cook chicken on the bbq. Also plan to swim and snorkel in their famous springs. Dad is enjoying the hoopla.
Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend! Will check back in on Tuesday!
I was concerned about Carol having bad weather...it wasn't until tonight's news that i saw Texas having it too. Jan You are a very dedicated teacher!!!
I fear that I would have stayed home.
Have a great time this weekend.
We're just hanging around here. I am cooking a turkey tomorrow that should see us thru the weekend.
I had a good loss at WI this morning...and a good lecture about dealing with challenges, and making choices.
Good morning everyone! This has sure ben a quiet thread lately! I hope that means that it's a fun, sfae and busy holiday weekend for y'all!
It's been quiet here. My exdh and I watched my little sweetie some (he's up here for a few days), and I took him out to dinner as a thank you for all his help when I was moving out of my apartment last month, but other than that it's been quiet. I did make a Trader Joe's run yesterday to stock up on staples. SIL and exdh are going to Pittsburgh today- a 6 hour drive- to catch an afternon/night double header, so they'll be gone till the wee small hours of the morning by the time they drive home after the game. Don't know what dd and I will do today- probably not much of anything. Jan, it sounds like you have had quite a week between school and all the flooding! I hadn't realized just how much rain you all were getting! Hope the weekend in Balmores was wonderful- you mentioned that your dad was getting excited- did he go too? You may have said, but I don't recall (CRS syndrome ) Joyce, you didn't specify a number, but big congrats on your "good" loss! I hope you've had a well deserved relaxing weekend. We had a couple days of periods of heavy rain (nothing like Jan had, thank goodness!), but the past 2 days the weather has been absolutely beautiful. We're only going up to a high of about 80 today- good weather for "the boys'" journey.
Saara, Beth, Merri (where are you?),Texaslady,Janet (come on back, my friend!), Linda and anyone I forgot, hi and have a great Labor Day.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
Carol
Hi girls! I have been AWOL again - sorry. No excuse except the usual - not enough hours in the day!
Jan - Hope the rain didn't push as far inland as the Balmorea area. I couldn't tell from the maps, but it looks like you may be dry out there. Sorry, but I couldn't help but giggle at your efforts to get to school - Didn't your Mama ever tell you not to hitchhike ont he highway????? Glad it all worked out - and what's life if not an adverture? Couse, its always funnier AFTER its over!
We have had tremendous rain here again too. In fact, we had more rain here in my part of the world than we did during the tropical storm in June. Course, we didn't get much then but have had about 10 inches this past week. We have had
some sunshine yesterday & today - but the weatheguy says more rain is on the way starting tomorrow. The southeast of Houston really got hit hard again - many people whose homes flooded in June once again flooded this week - just as many of them were getting back into their homes after reconstruction. I can't even imagine the heartache of going through all that again. Makes me truly thankful for my own blessings.
Carol - Sounds like you might actually be having a slightly relaxful week-end & holiday. You deserve it & should make certain you have more of them! I am constantly amazed at the relationship you have with your ex-dh. With the impending arrival of mine next month, I am already experiencing knots in my stomach. Just don't know how I can deal with him and his daughter too - as she is so much like him once the stress level kicks up, as it surely will the closer it gets to the big day. Hopefully I will be granted an enormous amount of patience to get through the week.
Joyce - No side trip to Houston, huh? Oh well, it was worth a shot. I am supposed to be getting all my mum supplies out of the closet and get my displays set up today - but FIRST, I have to clean up all the wedding stuff off my table & stash it in my dd's old room til Homecoming is over. Congrats on the WW loss. I admire how you keep "inching" along!!!
Saara - The Cow Parade is finally coming to Houston. I think the website is www.cowparadehouston.com - you might want to check it out. From what I understand, its the same idea as the ones you saw in Europe - except ours will be done by local artists. Hopefully we will get a chance to view some of them. How's school?
Linda - Yep, that treadmill is looking might pretty these days! It has probably NEVER looked quite so fancy.
Well, gotta go and start dragging out mum supplies. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday. It was so nice not to have to jump out of bed early this morning and go to work (although there is MORE THAN ENOUGH work here to do today!)
Texaslady, I'm so glad it didn't get into your house; how awful for those who were just getting things back together, though! And yep, I really was a sight, wading through the water barefoot out to the highway! Luckily none of my students saw me, and I ducked into dh's office to change first.
Carol, glad you had a quiet weekend; hope the week is going well for you too! Re: Balmorhea, yep, Dad went too. He goes with us on most of our trips, except the NO one would just be too tiring for him, and he's not that interested in cities now. We had a great time; went swimming in the springs, enjoyed the stunning desert sunsets (it was even semi-cool there!) and cooked out on the grill. Perfect weather, tho' an hour after we got home last night, they had flood warnings out that way! They *really* need the rain, though.
JOYce, congrats on your loss! That was a good plan, too, making a turkey (low points!) for the long weekend. Re: staying home, just the idea of not being able to get out made me so restless, I was anxious to get to work! Strange how our minds work.
DH went to San Antonio today for a cat scan; his other doctor is still not convinced it's the gall bladder. We'll know more by the end of the week, I hope!
Hope everyone's having a good start-of-the-week; looks like we're about to get another storm, so I guess I'd better head home.
Good morning, everyone!! How was the first day back after the holiday? One of the other nurses is on vacation this week, so I am on a long work week, despite the holiday, and I will have to work Saturday again as well. The good old 11-12 hour days!
You know, I realize that all God's creatures have a place on this earth and that I should respect their right to life, but at the moment I am feeling very homicidal towards a certain cricket who has been loudly chirping in my bedroom all night, while staying out of sight! I don't care if they are supposed to bring good luck, that little has allowed me a total of about 3 hours sleep, all of which has been interrupted! But enough of my pathetic life! Texaslady, my goodness, I didn't realize you'd had that much rain! I hope things are starting to dry out a little. I can't even imagine 10 inches of rain in a week! Yes, exdh and I do get along very well- but our separation wasn't involving a 3rd party, or anything like alcohol or spousal abuse or the things that make for such bitterness in a relationship. Not that we are in total agreement on things now- we just know what subjects to avoid and we don't try to push buttons. After all, we are blessed with a terrific daughter and the world's cutest grandson, so getting along is best for everyone. How are things going with the mums? I marvel at how you find time to get everything done these days! Jan, it sounds like you, dh and your dad had a wonderful time- and noone deserves it more! Keep us posted on dh's CT scan- please tell him he is in my thoughts and prayers! I know you all are both anxious to find out what is going on so he can get it resolved!
Well, I wish I had time to post more, but I'd better get myself going- I have a feeling it will take a while to get organized today!
Have a good Wednesday, everyone!
Carol
...Means everybody is back where they belong! school started yesterday.
Youngest dgd is most chagrined because she will have to ride the schoolbus home from school this year. she got very spoiled last year with her sister's friends taking them. But they are all graduated. She has pointed out that she has several friends who drive...(I think she is thinking that she should be able to do the same) She will get over it. At least her sis can drop her of on the way to her college classes.
Eldest ds arrives today for a 6 day deepsea fishing trip with dh...they are both soooo excited!
Only 3 weeks til New Orleans!!!
I need to get going, I have to get to the airport at noon, and still have to buy some food for tonight!
Good morning, girls. Here I am on "early" again. My neck & shoulders were bothering me so much that I couldn't sleep past 3 am so I just got up about 5 and got into the hot shower to loosen up everything. So I have a few minutes to spare this morning before I get on the road.
Carol - Did you find your cricket yet? It is SO irritating when you can't sleep - for whatever reason! Especially with the demanding work schedule you have this week. Hope you left the door open so maybe he will escape during the day today and won't be around to bother you tonight. After all, its him or you! I am putting my money on YOU.
Jan - Your trip sounds heavenly. Heck, right now ANY trip sounds heavenly! I am already getting calls for mums and I have been busy every night this week trying to get some stuff (bows, braids, etc) made up ahead of time so I don't have to start from scratch on every order. Plus, I have been hugely busy at work also. I don't know what I will do with myself when all this is over - I will have way too much time on my hands. Hope dh cat scan goes OK and the dr. can determine the problem - never hurts to have another opinion (does it, Carol?)!!
Joyce - I remember my dd's high school days when it was just TOO EMBARRASSING to have to ride the school bus (especially when so many of your friends were driving!). But it all works out, somehow.
Gotta go and make me some breakfast so I can get this day started. Thankfully this is a short week. Will check in again later. Everyone have a great Day Before Friday!
texaslady, I'm up early too.
..the fishermen just left...they are so excited! have the Suburban loaded with gear for the big 6 day trip. I hope the water stays calm for them, I just saw there are a couple of tropical storms forming out there.
Good for you for getting a headstart on those mums! could that be why your shoulders are bothering you?
Wouldn't you know! dgd got a ride home with a friend yesterday, avoiding the dreaded school bus.
Jan What's the news on the cat scan?
I checked the website for Balmorea, it looks like a beautiful, relaxing place to vacation! Sounds like you did just that.
Carol, I hope you are sleeping these nights, without the cricket music...little varmint! I have one in the garage that serenades me when I do laundry...I hope he stays out there!!
JOYce, wow, a six-day fishing trip; bet they come back with a freezer-load! Glad to hear dgd got that ride home; our kids are just like that too, they love to come to school in cars or pickups. Re: the ct scan, no results yet; maybe tomorrow!
Texaslady, you are so organized, getting those mums going already. I hope your shoulders are feeling better, though, and that you can get a full night's sleep tonight!
Carol, doesn't that dang cricket know you have a heavy schedule this week?! Sure hope he's not there tonight. They are SO loud! I thought of you during my walk, listening to all the frogs and insects that this rain has brought out. It was quite a pre-dawn chorus! We have had over 20 inches of rain this week, and the fields around our house look like lakes. Dh and Dad sure do love the green grass, though!
Dh and I are heading to Denton (near Dallas) tomorrow at noon, for the weekend. I was invited to a "best practices" state technology conf, to present 3 short sessions. Should be lots of fun, but I hope the caterer includes a few healthy choices!
Everyone have a great weekend! Janet, Beth, Saara, Linda, stop in and say hi; we miss y'all!
Regards,
Jan
Good morning! Sorry about being awol for a few days- it's been a long, hectic week. Looks like everyone's been busy, though- this has been an awfully quiet thread lately! Texaslady, how are your neck and shoulder's doing? I'm worried about you- you are trying to do far too much! You aren't going to be able to enjoy the wedding for the pain if you keep up this pace! That having been said, how are the mums coming? My cricket was gone the next night- don't know whether he found greener pastures or got murdered by my dd or sil. I know one thing- I sure don't miss him! Joycewhen are the fishermen due back? Six days ought to be coming up! Wish I lived closer- your fish stories always make my mouth water! I love 'em! My cricket probably actually had started in the garage too- my room is directly behind it. Jan, dh has been on my mind! Any news from the CT scan yet? Hopefully they were able to get some word to you before the weekend. I hope the weekend at Denton was enjoyable- if I'm reading into your last post correctly, it sounds as if it was quite an honor for you to be asked to present! Saara, Janet, Beth, Rebecca, Merri, Linda, Patti (did I forget anyone?), where are you guys? Stop in when you can!
It's been a quiet weekend. I've had extra long work days this week due to another nurse being on vacation, and I also worked Saturday. Today, since my sil is in North Carolina visiting one of his buddies on a "male bonding weekend", I'll be babysitter while my daughter works (church organist). Why is it that men do less but seem to feel they need more R&R time than women do? Anyhow, the weather here has been beautiful- still in the 80's, but you can feel fall in the air.
Next weekend I'll be in Florida- I'm flying out Thursday after work and coming back Monday night. It'll be great to get away. I need to do some organizing/unpacking, etc, of the various boxes of stuff I sent down there with exdh so I know what's where. So, it'll be sort of a working getaway, but I'm looking forward to it. Exdh will pick me up and take me back to the airport. The day I come home is/would be our 35th anniversary. Wonder if either of us will decide to mention it?
Well, I'm rambling and probably boring y'all to death, so I'll close. Have a good op week, everyone.
Carol
Hello ladies! Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. I have lurked a few times but just don't seem to have the time to post lately.
School has been going very well and I am finally feeling less overwhelmed and stressed. There is always so much paperwork in the beginning along with trying to get to know my students and get the year rolling along. Thank goodness I have such a nice group of kids. I have virtually no behavior problems (yet).
My WI's have been going OK. I missed this week because of Labor Day. I'll be weighing in tomorrow and expect to probably gain some. I have not been going "hog wild" but I have been a bit off program and not journaling. The PE teacher at our school is a fitness trainer and is starting a Fitness for Teachers class next week. I HATE excercise but it will be fun doing it with the teachers at our school. I have a treadmill at home but by the time I get home in the evening I am too tired to do anything but cook, eat, clean up and go to bed! We will meet twice a week right after school for an hour.
Jan, sounds like you have been busy with school, too. Hope your presentation went well. You must be a great teacher to be invited to present at a "best practices" conference!
Joyce, hope your fishermen have a great trip and those tropical storms don't get in their way. There are a few tropical systems heading this way in the Atlantic right now. Hopefully, none of them make it into the Gulf of Mexico. We've had too much rain lately and I would love a little dry, cool weather. We are "supposed" to be getting some of that kind of weather for the next couple of days. I won't hold my breath!
Carol, where in Florida is your place? I used to live in Florida when I was a child.
Texaslady, you sound awfully busy with your flower crafts. Hopefully you can get in some rest before the "big day".
50 or more pounds #74
he understandss! 
I don't care if they are supposed to bring good luck, that little 
has allowed me a total of about 3 hours sleep, all of which has been interrupted! But enough of my pathetic life!
I hope things are starting to dry out a little. I can't even imagine 10 inches of rain in a week! Yes, exdh and I do get along very well- but our separation wasn't involving a 3rd party, or anything like alcohol or spousal abuse or the things that make for such bitterness in a relationship. Not that we are in total agreement on things now- we just know what subjects to avoid and we don't try to push buttons. After all, we are blessed with a terrific daughter and the world's cutest grandson, so getting along is best for everyone. How are things going with the mums? I marvel at how you find time to get everything done these days!
You aren't going to be able to enjoy the wedding for the pain if you keep up this pace! That having been said, how are the mums coming? My cricket was gone the next night- don't know whether he found greener pastures or got murdered by my dd or sil. I know one thing- I sure don't miss him!
