Meet Me on Monday

Time to join Java for Meet Me on Monday!  Even though we seem to know each other pretty well, there are some things that I'm sure y'all are dying to know about me!  Java gives us the chance to really get to know each other!  Here are this week's questions:

1. Do you watch any Soap Operas?

Uh, no, but aren't the Real Housewives a form of Soap Operas?  When I was in college, a bunch of us would watch "The Guiding Light" in the common room.  I know I'm dating myself, but that was right at the beginning of cable, and very few people  had their own tv in their rooms.  Even if they had a tv, we'd all gather for the viewing!

2. What appliance is used the most in your house?

The refrigerator.  It runs all the time,  right?  (ha,ha!)

3. Do you wear make-up every day?

No.  During the summer, I only put it on if I'm going out, and even then I'm sporadic.  If I don't have any plans on Saturdays during the school year, I won't wear any.  So, if you plan on just stopping by the house without letting me know, do it at your own risk!

4. What is your worst pet-peeve?

Where do I begin?  I have to pick just one?  I've talked about slow drivers in the left lane before.  Then there's the "not putting your turn signal on", not being able to drive due to talking on the cell phone (if you can't do both, don't do either!), and my kids not cleaning off the ice cream scoop after they use it.  That should just about cover it!

5. What is your favorite lunch meat?

Turkey.  I'll eat ham if it's all we've got, but turkey would have to be my favorite.

Okay, y'all know what to do:  visit Java, answer the questions, and link up.  Yes, it's that easy!

A Different Kind of Meme

Patty at Reasons for Chocolate tagged me in a really cool meme: 

My Favorite Catholic Prayers

Here are the rules:

  

 "Name your three most favorite Catholic devotional prayers, and explain why they're your favorites. Then tag five bloggers - give them a link, and then go and tell them they have been tagged. Finally, tell the person who tagged you that you've completed the meme. The Liturgy and the Sacraments are off limits here. I'm more interested in people's favorite devotional prayers." 

1.  Prayer to Guardian Angel:

"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love entrusts me here.  Ever this day be at my side, to light, and guard, to rule, and guide.  Amen"

This was a prayer that I learned as a child and has helped me through many thunderstorms and other scary things.

2.  The Rosary

There have been many, many nights when I have fallen asleep with my Rosary in my hands because I have been troubled or scared.  My mom told me that the devil won't bother the Virgin Mary, so she is my "go to" saint.  

3.  I don't know if this counts as a "devotion", and this may be more of a "ditty" than a prayer:

"Tony, Tony come around.  Something's lost and can't be found."  

St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost objects.  If you lose something, say the above while you're looking for the object, and be prepared.  I once had a staff member at school tell me that she had lost a necklace somewhere in the school.  She said she had looked everywhere.  I told her about St. Anthony (she isn't Catholic).  She came to me a few hours later and said she had found it:  in the bathroom where she had already looked.  She said that she looked very thoroughly in the bathroom and it wasn't there.  She found it in a place in the bathroom where she had already looked.  Little miracles happen every day...you just have recognize them!

I'm looking forward to hearing what these 5 people come up with:

Tina at A View From a Hill (surprise, surprise!)

Sister Ann Marie from Franciscan Life

Rebecca at Feel My Love

Amy at Milk Breath and Margaritas

Karen at Crooked Lines

Another Random Post

There is a huge problem with starting school as early as we do.  Yeah, well, there's the whole heat thing, and the whole "starting school in the middle of summer" thing, but there's another problem.  Transfer students that receive any kind of special education services will often come to school without  a current IEP (Individual Education Program).  An IEP is the child's program.  It includes the student's certification, date of re-evaluation, present levels of performance, accommodations/modifications that the classroom teacher needs to incorporate, goals/objectives, and how much time the student is suppose to be in special education.  If a child transfers in during the year, it's not that much of a hassle to get the needed information.  However, since we start so early, most of the school systems that the students are transferring from haven't started back yet.  Therein lies the problem:  We aren't able to get records.  So, we have to take the parents' word that they were receiving services, write a "30-day IEP" so that we can evaluate and determine if the student is eligible under the state's guidelines.  More work for us, more meetings for the parent, teacher, and principal  to attend.  Word of advice:  If you're the parent of a special  needs child or have a child who goes to school speech therapy, take a copy of your child's IEP, evaluation report, and eligibility report to the school when you register.  That would be a current copy, not one that is more  than a year  old.  If you can't find it, contact the school and let them know you need a copy.  They are bound by law to give you a copy.
*climbing off of my soapbox now*

It was too hot yesterday to even think about turning on the oven or even the stove.  We had flat bread sandwiches for dinner.  They were delish!  And they didn't heat up the kitchen!  Lemonade Cheesecake was just the right thing to top it off.  This recipe came in my e-mail from Kraft today:

Lemonade Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz) fat free cream cheese, softened

1tsp. Crystal Light Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix (1 packet of the "On the Go" mix was 1 tsp)

1/4 cup milk

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Free Whipped Topping, thawed

1 ready to use graham cracker pie crust

Beat cream cheese and drink mix in bowl with mixer until well blended.  Gradually add milk, mixing until well blended.

Stir in Cool Whip; spoon into crust.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

It has just the right amount of lemon in it for me.  I'm guessing if you want more of a lemon taste, you could add some more Crystal Light to it.

Speaking of  lemonade, did you hear about the 11 year old in the big city next to where I live who raised $12,000 for an organization who feeds families in the area?  Last year he raised around $4500, but got started a little earlier this year.  Restaurants in the area allowed the boy to put jars near the cash registers, and a bank agreed to match up to $1386 that was collected on one day.  Good for him!

The head football coach at UT  (that's the real UT- Tennessee!) talked to the press Wednesday after practice.  I don't know how great of a football coach he is (his dad is the legendary Vince Dooley of UGa fame), but I really like what he says!  The heat must've been the topic of the day, because he addressed it and said something like:  "It's hot.  So what?  It's hot in Louisiana (where he was the head coach at La. Tech), Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, and Athens.  So what?"  I think he was tired of everybody talking about it.  He did mention that he didn't notice it was hot; he thought it was rather pleasant.  Here's a clip  of his talk.  It's kind of long (a little over 5 minutes), but if you don't watch all of it, at least watch the first minute.  I don't think he's going to coddle these boys!  LOVE HIM!