Friday Fragments

~It's FRIDAY!  Not only that, but it's payday AND the last day before Fall Break!  YIPPEE!!!

~  Texas A&M is now part of the SEC.  If someone could explain to me how Tx. is even considered to be in the southeast, I'd appreciate it.  Maybe they're allowed in because College Station could be considered to be in  the SE part of the state?  My Aggie blood runs pure & true (my daddy, uncles, cousins, BIL are all alum), but I have a hard team considering Tx. in the South.  (Hope my aunt isn't reading this, 'cause I think she'd disown me with that statement!)  Welcome to the SEC, Aggies.

~Wednesday night, MS called and asked if he could bring 4 friends to dinner.  I had just gotten home from the grocery store with the ingredients for spaghetti.  After that call, I went back to the store and got more.  College kids are so funny:  they all thanked me and said it was delicious.  Guess they haven't had Prego in a long time, huh?

~  YS is finishing his 1st week of Fall Break.  He has one more.  And he frequently lets me know that he has more time off than I.

~  Speaking of Fall Break:  I'll be taking the week off for some R&R, so I'll catch y'all next week.

~  Got this in an e-mail from one of my sisters and I've been holding onto it for a "special occasion":  

 Nothing screams WEEKEND better than underpants on your head....  Rock On!   It is Friday!!!!

Lovin' my job

I love my job.  I really, really do.  The kids make me laugh...most of the time.
Last week, I told one of my second graders that I needed to call his dad because he is ready to "graduate".  (In technical speech terms, it's a "dismissal".)  He looked a little puzzled about this, so I explained that it meant that he had done so well with his sounds, that he wouldn't need to come back to speech.  I guess I didn't make it clear that he had to come until his dad agreed and signed the dismissal papers.  When I went to his classroom on Tuesday, his teacher called the rest of the group to the door.  This little boy looked at his teacher, so she went over to him.  I could see that he was telling her something, so she looked and asked if he was suppose to come, because he said that he "retired"!
Yep, my job would be just about perfect if I could just stay in my schools and do my job.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It is officially fall here in North America...I realize not everyone who participates in the Hodgepodge lives in North America but if you do, what's your favorite memory of Summer 2011? If you'renot in North America, what's your favorite memory of the season just ending on your side of the world?

My favorite memory is going to daily mass with my parents.  One of the boys asked me why I went, and I told him that it was a way to spend some extra special time with my parents.  They're not going to be around forever, you know.

2. Your favorite nut? You know I mean the edible kind, right?

I love pecans to put in recipes, but to eat "straight":  pistachios.

3. What activity puts your sense of balance to the test?

I cheated on this one.  I read and answered the rest of the questions and came up with:  roller skating!  (See #6)

4. How would you describe your sense of humor?

Weird.  If you've been reading my posts for a while, I think you'll understand!

5. September 28th is National Ask a Stupid Question Day...what's your stupid question?

Why do dogs get mad when you blow in their faces, but they'll stick their heads out of  car window when it's moving?

6. Roller skates~hula hoop~jump rope...which activity would you most enjoy? Yes, you have to choose.

It used to be roller skates, but I guess I just don't trust my balance any more.  (See #3!)  Jump roping is just too much trouble, so I'll say:  hula hoop!  Anybody remember the Bozo shows?  I was actually on the local Bozo show doing the hula hoop.  I think the friend who took me with her actually won.  She was good at everything she tried.  (#selfproclaimedmeangirlinhighschool)

7. What's your most sentimental possession?

I don't get overly attached to things, but if I had to pick something, I would say a "Stations of the Cross" plaque that was my maternal grandmother's.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It took me several hours, but I think I got my FB page cleaned up.  I "unfriended" some people who were really just acquaintances in high school, and "unliked" most of the pages.    I felt like I was missing catching up with some people because of all of the "junk".  Next on the agenda:  twitter.

Join in the fun at Joyce's!

Somebody

~ Somebody had his 17th birthday on Saturday.
~ Somebody spent the day at a band competition.
~ Somebody ditched his parents (who were waiting to take him out for his birthday dinner) and went to Sonic with his friends.  (CH & I ended up jumping on the motorcycle and meeting friends for dinner.)
~ Somebody made up for it by choosing to go to Ginghas Grill yesterday for his dinner.  (It was a great choice!)

I can't believe YS is already 17!  He began life as a bouncing 10-pound baby boy and has grown into a 6'4" young man.  We're extremely proud of the man he's becoming:  He's caring, kind, considerate (most of the time), responsible, and handsome (if I do say so myself!).  Now, about the "cleaning up his room" part...!!!!

Friday Fragments

~  Happy Fall, Y'all!  Sooo glad fall is finally here!

~  The Vols lost to Florida last Saturday, but at least the score was respectable.  Not impressed with Fl.'s coach's tirade at half-time; he went off on the officials as they were heading off of the field.  Not appropriate behavior at all.  

~  I went to some training yesterday on evaluating children who require an augmentative communication evaluation.  It was nice to get out of the school and hang with colleagues from other school systems.  I even ran into someone I knew from undergrad school!   

~  Still coughing.  Went to the walk-in clinic that's free for county employees to see if there's something that can be done.  Walked out 20 minutes later with a prescription and advice to continue with the mucinex and take a zyrtec.  This bug needs to be gone by next Sat. 'cause I have BIIIIG plans!

~  I forgot to mention a couple of weeks ago that the Small Town lost another football game.  This was the game that was during Sisters' Weekend.  They played an inner city school, and from what I hear, it was pretty rough.  All the cards were stacked against the small town boys, and they came out of it pretty beat up.  The bad thing is that this school is in the same class we're in, but not the same district.  Oh well...it was a great run while it lasted!  We all knew it had to end sometime; I'm just glad it happened after MS graduated.  YS is not real concerned with football.

~  There were some good shows this week:  New NCIS, new Harry's Law, new Big Bang Theory, and some new shows:  Revenge and Broke Girls.  Any other recommendations?

Join the group at Mrs. 4444's to see what everybody else has been up to this week!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you like chili? Red or white? Beans or no beans? Spice or no spice? Toppings?

Chili is one of my favorite fall/winter foods!  Red or white, it doesn't matter.  I'm not a big fan of spicy...I like to enjoy my food!  Toppings?   Cheese, please!

2. Red~Orange~Gold...your favorite fall color?

You have to ask?  Orange, of course!  (GO BIG ORANGE!)

3. Who did you idolize when you were growing up?

My older sisters.  Have I mentioned how much I love my sisters?  :D

4. When was the last time you did something 'arts and craftsy'? Share please.

Oh, gosh!  I have noooo idea.  I'm not an arts & crafts kinda gal.

5. What's a place that makes you really nervous?

A courthouse.  I don't know why they make me so nervous.

6. Horse back riding...yay or nay (neigh?)

I've only been a few times.  I want to go horseback riding in the mountains...believe it or not, that's something I've never done.  Horses are such beautiful animals, but they're so big that they're a little intimidating.  

7. What is your favorite cliche?

I had to look up some to see if there was one that I say a lot.  CH said right now it's  "Seriously?", although I'm not real sure that's a cliche.  I did find this one:

He thinks he's s**t on a stick but he's only a fart on a twig.  

Sorry...it's late and I'm pretty tired.  That just struck me as funny!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I had my first weigh in/measurements at Curves last week.  I was a little disappointed by the results:  2 pounds lost and .5 inch in my waist and boobies.  I guess I was just expecting a little more of a loss with the measurements.  Hopefully I'll see a bigger loss next month.  I'm thinking that the first couple of months is when the muscle builds up, then will start showing a decrease after that.  Wed. when I went, it was pretty crowded.  It was kind of  funny, though...everybody was pretty quiet when I first got there, but by the time I left it was pretty noisy!

Don't forget to link up at Joyce's to join in!

Lazy Weekend

I had an extremely lazy weekend.  Oh, I had big plans, but ended up sitting/laying on the couch, watching football all weekend.  I was going to clean like a mad woman, making sure every speck of dust was gone.  We've been having some work done on the house...I'm waiting to blog about it until it gets completely done, so things are a little out of kilter.
It started on Thursday. By Thursday afternoon I felt like total crap.  I was suppose to go to a band booster exec. board meeting, but ended up asking the treasurer if she wouldn't mind taking notes for me. I was in bed at 7:00; asleep by 7:30.   I missed the small town's football game on Friday; only about the 4th or 5th game I've missed in the 8 seasons we've lived here.
So what's going on?  Maybe it was the mere mention in Joyce's hodgepodge about colds & flu shots.  Or maybe it was one of my sisters' having a bad cold/cough last weekend.  I ended up laying on the couch yesterday afternoon and falling asleep; I felt much better after I woke up.
Coughs are annoying.  It's the kind that you try to suppress, but it just keeps nagging and tickling your throat, especially if you get hot.  It's the kind where the mucous just "hangs there"; won't go down, won't come up.  (TMI?)  I tried mucinex, and it just didn't take care of the problem.  I tried hot tea...no go.  Any other suggestions?

It's Football Time in Tennessee!

My friend Rebecca at The Road Home made the comment yesterday that she was shocked some people didn't know anything about football.  Here's my question:  How in the world could anybody from the South not know anything about football?  It's the center of weekend activities.  

Last weekend, one of my sisters had the September issue of Southern Living.  She shared the following with us:  (I've added my comments in italics)

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANDOM

1. Thou shalt wear team colors. But think twice before adorning yourself with body paint—you don’t want to be the Internet photo that goes viral.

2. Thou shalt know—and sing—your team’s fight song from beginning to end. Sure, you can “watermelon watermelon” your way through the alma mater, but not memorizing the fight song is a fan failure.  (Any self-respecting Tennessee fan will teach Rocky Top to their children as soon as they're born.  My boys knew the words as soon as they could talk!)

3. Thou shalt keep your language clean (unless, of course, the quarterback fumbles on fourth and goal).

4. Thou shalt support the coach. Even when his calls are questionable.

5. Thou shalt be respectful to visiting teams. Remember: Southern ladies and gentlemen never boo.  (I'm not too sure about this one...Ever hear 100,000 of your closest friends booing?  Especially when the Gators come in the stadium!)

6. Thou shalt set up a tailgate no fewer than three hours before kickoff (six if it’s a night game). Table linens and matching huggers encouraged, but not required.  (Apparently this applies to high school rivalry games, too.  See my post about the Small Town's Game.)

7. Thou shalt theme your tailgate food around the visiting rival. Gator bites, anyone?

8. Thou shalt stay through the fourth quarter—rain or shine. That’s what ponchos are for, y’all.

9. Thou shalt respect the solemnity of Game Day by planning weddings, births, and other life events around the football schedule.  (Not naming any names, but someone planned her wedding and didn't plan it around the UT-Bama game...it also happened to be the last time Bear Bryant coached that game at UT.  She still gets grief about that one!)

10. Thou shalt not covet other teams’ bowl games, national championships, or Heisman Trophy wins. There’s always next year.

|From the September 2011 Magazine Issue

Friday Fragments

~  Still trying to get over Sisters' Weekend 2011...bus duty isn't helping.

~  Went to bed last night at 7:00...was asleep by 7:30.  Forgot to mention nyquil in my Hodgepodge this week!  It's a wonderful thing!

~  Look what finally came in the mail last week:

  And I only had to get 30 lattes/year to get it; upkeep is 30 lattes/year.  The free soy is worth it, right?  :-)

~  MS came home Wed. night...we had a nice Mexican dinner out.  (Any dinner is nice when it's out, no?)  We saw the boy more when he was living on campus than we do now that he's living "at home".

~  I got a not so nice surprise in the mail yesterday:  A summons to jury duty.  Great.  Last time I had jury duty, we had just moved to SC (it was the first year we were there) and I was on a murder case...as the only female juror.  I ran into one of the prosecutors at the grocery store a few days after it was over, and he stopped and said hi and asked how I was doing.  I could've DIED.  Not a good feeling.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if I do have to go in, I'll get excused since the judge is a neighbor.

~  We got a new sliding glass door! YAY!  Gone is the almost 50 year old noisy, ugly, sticking door!  We were hoping to put in double glass doors instead, but the window guy said that it wasn't possible because of the size.  Oh well!  I can't believe how quiet and easy this door is to open!  The girls are going to have to get used to a new sound to know when we're letting them outside!

Don't forget to visit Mrs. 4444 and see how everyone else's week was!

An Encounter

www.wwme.org

I had a surprise message on facebook the other day.  A friend from SC said that she & her husband were considering going on a "Marriage Encounter" weekend for their 30th anniversary.  She knew that CH & I had attended when YS was a baby, and she wanted to know if I still thought it was worth it.  Let me put it this way:  I like being married to CH.

The story:

When YS was a baby, CH & I went on an encounter weekend.  CH wasn't too hyped up on going to it; I don't really even remember how us going even came about.  I think we both knew we needed to do something.  Marriage Encounter isn't for marriages that are in trouble; it's for marriages that maybe have lost that "spark" and need a little kindling.  And, it's not just for Catholics.  Other denominations have their own "versions".  

In a nutshell:

You get there on Friday night.  Our weekend was held at a hotel.   You get started right away with the program:  You're asked not to use the phones (I guess now they would request that you not use your cellphones.).    For our weekend, there were 3 couple "leaders", and a priest.  We really connected with one of the couples; their story was similar to ours.  The weekend is a roller coaster of emotions:  you are reminded of why you & your spouse got together in the first place.  You're reminded of how to communicate with your spouse.  You don't talk in front of the group; you only talk with your spouse.  The priest put an interesting spin on things, too.  The priest that we had was the Bomb.  Simply incredible.  

The weekend is over on Sunday afternoon.  You're sent back into the world to practice what you learned during the weekend.  The cost:  You give what you want/can.  It's by donation only.  They will tell you how much the weekend would have cost, and ask that you give what you can.  Some people can give more, some give what they can.  It's completely confidential and private.  Definitely a worth-while weekend.

A couple of years ago, OS & MS were cleaning the basement and came across a couple of our notebooks from the weekend.  And, they did what any teenage boys would do:  they read them!  Oh, my!  I have no idea what deep, dark secrets of ours they now know.  But, I do know they got a glimpse into just how much their parents mean to each other.  And that's a beautiful thing.

Fruity Hodgepodge

Yes, I looked at Joyce's title for today before I started the post!  (See #8 for an explanation!)

1. What do you do at the first sign of a cold? Will you get a flu shot this year?

Rest.  That's numero uno on my list!  I've never gotten a flu shot.  When I was in elementary school, I used to get the flu and tonsillitis every year; I ran fevers that were so high I would hallucinate.  Then one year, they just stopped.  And (knock on wood), I've never had the flu since...even after working in elementary schools.  I figured if I did get it, it would just give me a good excuse to stay in bed for a few days without anybody bothering me!

2. What advice can you give about how to conquer fear?

Hit it straight on.  "We have nothing to fear but fear itself".  FDR

When I googled that to see who said it, this came up:  We have nothing to fear but running out of beer.  Interesting.

3. Share two good things about your life right now.

I have a job and all of my family is healthy.

4. A hot fall fashion trend in 2011 is a return to sixties style...tunics with pants, shift dresses, pencil skirts, cinched waists, bold prints, high necklines and short lengths to name a few. How does this fashion trend fit with your wardrobe and personal sense of style?

I love pencil skirts.  However, with my figure, they don't love me!

5. Were you involved in scouting as a kid? How about as an adult?

I tried to get into scouting, but it just wasn't for me.  Especially after I went to a girl scout camp where we slept in these tents with boards on the floor.  I heard mice all night long, and imagined them running over me.  That pretty much did it for my girl scout camping days.

6. Apple, pear, plum, pumpkin...your favorite fall flavor?

Pumpkin.  The smell, the taste.  Nothing says "fall" like pumpkin!

7. What characteristics do you think are essential in a good teacher?

Definitely patience.  And compassion.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's my first week of bus duty for the year.  I went to bed last night at 8:00, and was asleep by 8:30.  I briefly woke up at 1:00 thinking it was time to get up; glad I checked out the clock before I got out of bed!  I'm just glad I only have it 3 days/week instead of all 5!

Join us in the hodgepodge:  Visit Joyce, copy and paste the questions in your post, and don't forget to link up!

Sisters' Weekend 2011

I figured I'd better get off my rear and post before everybody went away!  I guess I've just been lazy lately...well, that, and I really haven't been doing much of anything lately!
This past weekend was our "Sisters' Weekend".    Have I mentioned how much I love my sisters?  Maybe once or twice?

In the past we've gone to a touristy town about an hour from here.  We would go shopping at the outlet stores on Saturday morning and hit a bookstore before going back to the condo.  This year, we thought about going to Nashville, but then decided we'd better stick close to home.  My mom has some things going on with her back (she thought it was her hip at first) and we wanted her to be there.  So, we rented a cabin not too far from here, near a town called "The Peaceful Side of the Smokies".  The cabin was secluded and quiet:

We decided we didn't miss shopping at all. It was more relaxing and a lot less stressful not having to fight the traffic to get to the outlet stores.  The cabin had 2 hot tubs, but we only used one Friday night.  (2 of my sisters couldn't figure out how to get the jets on the other one going!)
Saturday morning, we had a "zumba" session.  One of my sisters is a certified zumba instructor, so she held a session for us.  It was a LOT of fun!  If we felt the need to yell something out, we did.
Saturday afternoon some of us watched the UT game, my SIL read, and one of my sisters graded papers.  At halftime we took a little nature walk.

Another one of my sisters is a Master Gardener, and she can point out plants and rattle off a million things about them.

This sister is the "Master Griller".  She grilled shrimp on Friday night, and steak on Saturday.

She brought the bottle of wine because she is the "Middle Sister".
Saturday night we played Cranium (although I'm pretty sure we made up our own rules!) and Bananagram.  My SIL (who accused us of being super competitive) was the "pot-stirrer":  she brought a few games for us to play.  We all behaved and didn't pout or cry when we lost.  We may have thrown a few choice names around, but we behaved.  Incredible.
Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast, and packed up.  Before we left, we found this little guy on the deck:

Interesting little creature, isn't he?  My Master Gardener sister check it out.  He's an American Dagger Moth Caterpillar.  I looked around to see if I could find something interesting about him, but came up with nothing.
That was Sisters' Weekend 2011.  We decided to go back next year, especially since we have the "heads up" on extra things to bring (bar soap, beach towels, paper towels, dvd player, etc.).
I  LOVE MY SISTERS!

GO PACKS!

I have to share this youtube clip with y'all!  Here's a clip of SmallTown's favorite NFL player from last night:


And that was his 2nd td of the night!!!




It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy:  quiet, unassuming, and always humble!
GO PACKS!

No Longer Needed

I read The Frat Pack + Me's post about her son getting his driver's license, and it got me thinking about our kids' independence.  After I spent 22 years making sure that the boys were at their extra-curricular activities, umpteen drives to and from sport  and band practices, coordinating all of the practices and making sure we all ate supper together (well, most of the time!), the day came when it all changed.  Once YS got his license and started driving the whole mile to school, my world changed.
No one needed to be picked up or taken anywhere.  All I had to do was have dinner ready when CH and YS were home.  I began to have my afternoons free.  I remember walking into the house one afternoon and just standing there.  And I wondered, "What do you do when you come home and nobody needs you anymore?"  In just another year, YS will be at college.  Not only will nobody need me after school, but nobody will be expected for dinner (except for CH).  I won't be expected to go to high school football games to work concessions or booster meetings.  I'm going to have a whole lot of time on my hands.
So far this year, I'm spending a little more time at school in the afternoons.  There's no need to rush home.  I'm trying to get into the habit of going straight to work out before I go home.  It seems to be working so far.
Guess I'd better work on finding some friends (even though I have sisters!) so I'll have something to do!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What is one piece of advice you would give a 'just turning' 21- year old adult?

Be yourself and don't lose sight of who you are.  (Oops!  That was 2, wasn't it?)

2. Besides cooler weather (or warmer weather, depending on your hemisphere) what is one thing you are looking forward to this fall?

FOOTBALL!!!   GO BIG ORANGE!

3. What sound lulls you to sleep?

Rain.  We finally got some on Monday...all day long.  Nice and steady, enough to make you want to curl up and nap.

4. September is National Preparedness Month...does your family have an emergency 'kit' and/or disaster plan in place?

No.  I've talked about how we used to have one when we lived in SC (especially after 9/11), but we hadn't gotten one together here.

5. How has your blog changed since you started blogging? Or has it?

The posts are getting less frequent!  I'm having mega-trouble writing as much as I used to.

6. What's something you've recently learned to do on the computer?

I learned a couple of cool things to do with our computer IEP program.  I dont' want to bore you with the details!

7. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

In some cases.  Like this one:

This is a picture of OS right after the state championship his senior year.  He said that at that moment, he realized that high school football was over.  That was Small T own's 3rd state championship in a row.  (They're now at 7 in a row.)

8. Insert your own random here.

With the rain, the roof at one of my schools leaked.  It appeared to be confined to just the front hallway and front of the office this morning, but we're getting more rain.  The roofers were there mid-day to patch it, but I don't know if it's going to hold.  We really need the rain, but...!

On that note, head over to Joyce's to participate!

Friday Fragments

~  Can you believe I'm still tired from the big game last weekend?  Well, believe it.  I've gone to bed early every night this week.  Thank goodness this week's game is away!

~  I'm loving this Curves thing!  It may be my imagination, but I already feel like my clothes are fitting a little better.

~  I had quite a feeling of accomplishment yesterday.  On Wed. as I was driving to work, I heard my car making an awful sound.  It stopped when I stopped.  Who knew that there was an audible indicator with brakes to let you know when they needed to be replaced?  Any way, back to the accomplishment:  I took my car to a place that just happens to be across the parking lot from Curves, walked over to work out, walked back and picked up the car, bought a headlight, went to the grocery store for a quick trip, and then went home.  AND, I remembered to get my old brakes 'cause I knew CH would ask to see them when he got home!

~  Guess what?  IT'S FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!  The first game of the season is tomorrow.  We have a couple of boys from the Small Town who are on the team this year:  one is a kicker, and the other was the state Gatorade player of the year 2 years ago.  It's always good to see good boys doing good things.  We also have a couple of boys at the Univ. of Ky. who are slated to be starters, a few at some smaller schools, and one in the NFL (GO, PACKERS!) .  Do you follow college and/or pro football?  If so, who are your favorite teams?