Time for a “New” Car

I must confess that I am a terrible car owner.  Filling it up with gas and semi-regular maintenance is about all the worry I can muster up for my car.  The car is used as a means to an end for me – it carts around all my crap and gets me where I’m going.  Washing, waxing, vacuuming, and decluttering it are never at the top of my to-do list.  Case in point…
The car has not been washed in ages. 

There are so many bugs splattered on the windshield I could study entomology.

My coffee mug doesn’t fit in the cup holders so it sits on my seat on the way to work.  The stains are the results of sudden stops and quick turns that dumped the mug all over the seat.  Very inviting to passengers don’t you think?

These coins are stuck in the cup holder, and look at all that dust!

Just the other day while driving my visiting mom around town, I mentioned that I was getting a little tired of my car.  However, the car is paid for and to buy something new and acquire a car payment is not the least bit appealing.  After stating all my reasons for not buying a new car, my mom looked at me and said, “Maybe if you cleaned it, you’d like it a little better.”  Touché!

This week I took my car in to have it totally detailed while I was at work for a meeting.  It was well worth the $100.
So clean and shiny, and no splattered bugs!
The coins are unstuck and the caked on dust  has disappeared. 

The best part of all!

Paid for and clean?!?!  I can handle this car for a little longer anyways.

Summa, Summa, Summertime (summertime)

Summer officially arrived this week.  One, it was my first week of summer break.  Two, the temperatures reached 100+ for most of the week. 

It’s not odd for our temps to exceed 100 degrees, but it is a bit odd for it to be this early into summer.  Usually in July, we hover in the 90s, which allows us to acclimate to the hotter weather which mostly arrives in August and September.  No acclimating this week.  It was damn hot!

Last year after adopting the puppy, we began going to the dog park.  During our second visit, a yellow lab taught Rigby how to paddle in the water bowl.  Not everyone was a fan of this behavior, but it was pretty cute.  Someone told me to get a kiddie pool for her to play in at home.  I spent the rest of the summer searching high and low for one,  but apparently August was just too late for pools.  Once spring arrived this year, the little plastic pools started popping up at the discount stores.  I snagged one, even though it was still pretty cool outside.  This week’s temperatures persuaded me to pull it out of the garage. 
She quickly brought all her toys to the pool.
Let the paddling begin!
In case you missed it, it’s a pink Barbie pool!
The nice thing about the heat is it tires out this crazy puppy a lot quicker than normal.

The Farmer’s Market finally has the summer fruit for sale.  The spring pickings are kind of limited as the apples and oranges are no longer at their best, but the peaches, grapes, nectarines and strawberries aren’t quite ready.  The Farmer’s Market was gorgeous this week.
  
White corn was on sale at the market this week.  Five ears for $1.00!  Fresh corn, right off the cob, is delicious.  I bought a ton and cut off the kernels.  Now there are several baggies of fresh corn waiting in my freezer, ready to use in all sorts of yummy summer cooking!

Happy Summer!

The Year Is Half Over!?!?

I can not believe that we are 6 months into 2011. Where does time go?
Since July has arrived, it’s time to share June’s calendar page for The Kathryn Wheel Calendar Challenge…

Spray paint and stencils were used for the background, and acrylic scraped on paper with a credit card was used for the date squares. I did intend to use a turquoise and red color combo, however I did not intend for the page to look like the 4th of July vomited all over it. Once the pieces were glued down, it was too late so I just went with it.

June was incredibly crazy with the end of the school year and my mom arriving into town. Unfortunately, having time to work on any other pages just didn’t happen. The last three days I’ve been able to play for a few hours. Time in the art room makes me very happy. I’ll have more to share next month.

One thing I did notice today while working was how gunky my journal is getting…

I love how the paint has built up on the spirals. So cool.

Tweet Jesus

This morning on the news, it was announced that the Pope sent out his first “tweet” yesterday.  I’m not really sure why, but I found the story, the idea of the Pope embracing social media, the photos of the Pope on an ipad, pretty much everything, quite amusing.  Even though I blog and intermittently use Facebook, I have not taken on the whole Twitter thing.  I don’t quite get its concept or its appeal.  What I do know is the likes of Charlie Sheen, the “Octomom”, and various reality show participants use Twitter to give us a play-by-play of their insane lives or lob vicious attacks on each other.  Regardless of my take on organized religion, I just don’t put the Pope into the same category as those public figures who have chosen to tweet. 

On the other hand, with the scandals that have plagued the Catholic church and the decline in the number of people who practice Catholicism, maybe this is a smart move.  Using social media to reach young people has worked in so many other cases.

What do you think?  Should the Pope tweet or not?

Dedicated to Lili (and her “perfect” daughter)

A Year in Review

As I have mentioned, this year has been quite trying.  In 11 years of teaching, it is tied with 03-04 as the hardest year of my career.  I’m exhausted and so glad that today was the last day of school.  As students cried and I hugged them goodbye, twinges of missing the kids hit me.  Even though a few of them drove me crazy and, at times, their behavior was quite frustrating, they all have a special place in my heart because they are all sweet kids.  There were a lot of rough spots this year, but looking back, also a lot of great times and accomplishments.

My students learned a lot by doing
 
Learning about paragraph writing by making “hamburger” paragraphs with our upper grade buddies

Understanding how government officials are elected by holding actual elections (speech writing, debating, and voting)

 
Using what we learned about geology on our rock hunt across the street from school.

Several of my students struggled so much with writing when the year began.  As the year progressed, linking writing with art was just the push these kids needed.  These kids left today with a love of writing.

Once state testing wrapped up, teaching the test format was replaced with some fun activities which, although weren’t tested, were beneficial nonetheless. 

“Jack and the Beanstalk” musical theatre.


Field Day Games
 
And at a school where the families are not terribly involved, the best part of the last day of school was the handwritten notes and gifts I received from some appreciative parents and kids.  Even if I didn’t feel like I was very effective this year, at least someone did.
 
“More tests”?  Testing has really become too  much when the kids start thanking you for teaching more tests.

After a fairly successful school year, it is finally over.  Vacation starts riiiiiiiiigggggghhhhhtttttt NOW!

I MUST See This

I’ve been to the Netherlands twice.  Both trips included time mostly in Amsterdam, and I’ve also visited Nijmegen.  Traveling back there has not been at the top of my list – both trips were fantastic, but there are so many other places I want to see.  That was until the newest Afar magazine arrived in my mailbox this weekend. 

As I flipped through the pages, this stunning picture stopped me with a gasp…
Are you FREAKING kidding me?

This is the aerial view of the tulip fields in the Netherlands during tulip season.  Tulips are one of my top three favorite flowers (hydrangeas and gerbera daisies are too) so I made a point to visit the flower markets in Amsterdam when I was there.  Those markets couldn’t hold a candle to what I am seeing here. 

After searching, I found more images. 

I am in awe, and this part of the Netherlands has been added to my must see list.

Have you seen the tulips?  What’s on your must see list?

The Ice Cube Caper

For the last week of school (I did mention it was the last week of school didn’t I?) I packed up 4 sandwiches and 4 sodas this weekend to get me through the last week of school lunches. I did not feel like worrying or being inspired about lunch this week. This morning before leaving for school, I also packed a sandwich size ziplock bag with ice. I like ice with my lunchtime soda, so I bring in my own and leave it in the freezer at school. This way I was set for the week.
At lunch time this afternoon, I pulled the bag of ice out of the freezer to add to my soda. The bag was only half as full as it was when I put it in the freezer. Someone took my ice! A couple of my colleagues listened to my plight. One of them asked if my name was on it, while the other one disagreed that that even mattered. I didn’t have my name on it, but the idea never even occurred to me. We are adults. The person who took it knew it didn’t belong to them.
Now, please don’t think that I’m really posting this about missing ice. What does ice cost? I have no idea, but it’s not like I don’t have more at home. I would have even shared my ice if someone had asked. The issue I’m having is that someone would take something that didn’t belong to them. Taking something out of the fridge that I didn’t bring in would also never occur to me. Who does that?
After my conversation with my colleagues, I found a black pen and wrote my name on the bag because this glass of ice-chilled caffeinated soda is about the only thing getting me through the day lately, and I didn’t want to lose anymore. I can’t believe it’s come to that.