Saturday, April 16, 2005
Tall Tulips
Aren't these just gorgeous? I do believe they are the tallest tulips I've ever grown. You know I always thought if I had really a lot of tulips I would become more cavalier about cutting bouquets of them. But although I now easily have 400 growing here and there throughout my gardens, I still prefer to view them kissed by rain or being coaxed open by the first rays of the sun and then closing mysteriously and standing a little taller in the cool evening air.
Rain Guage
Can you see that little red ball bobbing in the rain guage? It was emptied on Thursday and this picture was taken before the rain stopped on Saturday! Are you missing Seattle's soothing rain, Anna Rae?
You always appreciated a rainy day as an excuse to curl up with a book.
You always appreciated a rainy day as an excuse to curl up with a book.
Plink Plink
See the raindrops dancing in this 'full to the brim' urn? The rain has been pretty much constant this week. Since I had plenty of indoor chores and yet another cold, I really didn't find it too much of an inconvenience. The rain can stop on Monday. Then the kids can get out to recess and we teachers can keep our sanity.
Scattered
My husband, who from the beginning has scoffed at the idea of me having a blog ("Whenever will YOU find the time?") reminded me this morning that IF you have blog you should update it at least once a week. Unlike my daughter, I no longer follow my number of readers with a statistical tracking site so I really do not know if anyone reads this unless they send an email or leave a comment. Anna Rae is right; the fewer the comments the less inclined a blogger is to write. This is the end of my Spring break and you would think that I would find plenty of opportunity to write but instead I have a zillion projects scattered throughout the house and in my head. Rather than putting the past week into paragraphs I will use lists. So first, if I look at my glass half full:
1. I went into school and made up lesson plans with my team teaching partner.
2. I changed the places where my students sit; they always like to come back to that
surprise!
3. I changed my bank card to WAMOOLA card which gives money back to your school of
choice whenever you use your card.
4. I made 2 Doctor appointments for in Oct.
5. I called my health insurance company thinking I would need to appeal the bill for
my foot orthotics only to discover that YES! the entire $350. was covered!
6. I plastered holes left from molly bolts (about 2 inches across!) in our bedroom
wall and then washed the walls.
7. I potted 6 different herbs and added a garden book and gloves to make a 'basket'
which I delivered for the Hospitality House (women's shelter) silent auction.
8. I got a very nice haircut at Bella Vita downtown and then went shopping without
spending too much money.
9. I kidsat for a fellow teacher's little boy so she could go to a wedding. We
played UNO and I won.
10. I went to the Y and lifted weights or exercised in some way Mon. through Fri.
11. I investigated the benefits of our Mastercard and discovered that yes, we do have rental car insurance for our Europe travel.
12. I planted a short border of hot pink 4 o'clocks and white bush zinnias and I
think I cat proofed them with bamboo spikes.
13. Chris and I rented the DVD Sideways and enjoyed it but will never look at
Merlot wine the same. See the movie to understand.
14. I began reading The Time Traveller's Wife which is a novel that sucked me in
from the first 5 pages.
15. I went on 3 St. Vincent De Paul calls last week and 2 today. Each and every one
of those are a story in and of themselves.
16. I ripped out yards of stitches in Anna Rae's curtains as I attempt to alter
them.
17. I read Anna Rae's blog post from Friday Apil 15 and I smiled! I am so happy
that Andy finally got to visit her.
1. I went into school and made up lesson plans with my team teaching partner.
2. I changed the places where my students sit; they always like to come back to that
surprise!
3. I changed my bank card to WAMOOLA card which gives money back to your school of
choice whenever you use your card.
4. I made 2 Doctor appointments for in Oct.
5. I called my health insurance company thinking I would need to appeal the bill for
my foot orthotics only to discover that YES! the entire $350. was covered!
6. I plastered holes left from molly bolts (about 2 inches across!) in our bedroom
wall and then washed the walls.
7. I potted 6 different herbs and added a garden book and gloves to make a 'basket'
which I delivered for the Hospitality House (women's shelter) silent auction.
8. I got a very nice haircut at Bella Vita downtown and then went shopping without
spending too much money.
9. I kidsat for a fellow teacher's little boy so she could go to a wedding. We
played UNO and I won.
10. I went to the Y and lifted weights or exercised in some way Mon. through Fri.
11. I investigated the benefits of our Mastercard and discovered that yes, we do have rental car insurance for our Europe travel.
12. I planted a short border of hot pink 4 o'clocks and white bush zinnias and I
think I cat proofed them with bamboo spikes.
13. Chris and I rented the DVD Sideways and enjoyed it but will never look at
Merlot wine the same. See the movie to understand.
14. I began reading The Time Traveller's Wife which is a novel that sucked me in
from the first 5 pages.
15. I went on 3 St. Vincent De Paul calls last week and 2 today. Each and every one
of those are a story in and of themselves.
16. I ripped out yards of stitches in Anna Rae's curtains as I attempt to alter
them.
17. I read Anna Rae's blog post from Friday Apil 15 and I smiled! I am so happy
that Andy finally got to visit her.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Lenny's Big Idea of Five
Whoever would think that a 5 year old bilingual Vietnamese American child would know about the Eiffel Tower, but he does; thanks to 'The Rugrats in Paris'
A Week With No Anna Rae
Tomorrow it will mark one week since we have heard from Anna Rae which is unusual. Yes, we know she updated her blog on Wed. but usually we get an email or we IM at least once again during the week. If that isn't the case she lets us know that she will be busy. A skiing vacation? A new host family? Those are the positive thoughts. I also worry...maybe she broke her leg, or worse. Did she break one of the 4 Ds and they took away her computer privileges? Wouldn't Rotary notify us if that was the case? What IS going on?
On a less fretful note...our trip is taking shape, we have requested reservations in Rome and Florence. The Rick Steves and Dorling Kindersley travel books litter the dining room table. I listen to the French tapes as I go to work at least 3 times a week. My progress is SLOW; next to non-existent.
Chris just came downstairs to say good night (he is doing the sensible thing to adjust to daylight savings time and heading to bed early) and asked, "Have we heard from our daughter yet?" I answer "No." He is quiet and staring, contemplating the possibilities. I ask, "Well?" He responds, "Alright then, she's spent the weekend with a boyfriend!" and he is grinning, a teasing smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. So both of us are considering the possibilities and at the same time trying not to think about them or at least to think about them in a humorous light.
What has occupied me for four weeks? Student assessment, report cards (Sent home on last Friday!), Student Intervention Team Meetings, a TERC Investigations Math workshop last Saturday, Easter brunch with friends last Sunday, a NUA Literacy workshop yesterday (dynamic but time consuming) and two colds; the nastiest one still lingering. I went to the Y only once in the last 2 weeks. While it was necessary so that I could do report cards and 'nurse' my cold it always puts me in a foul mood to miss my exercise.
On the gardening front, everything is getting green again, including the weeds. The soothing sound of rain is welcome music to my ears. Unless you have lived in Seattle you probably can't appreciate the many hues of green. And those 150 new tulips I planted last fall...it's going to be worth every minute of hole digging.
On a less fretful note...our trip is taking shape, we have requested reservations in Rome and Florence. The Rick Steves and Dorling Kindersley travel books litter the dining room table. I listen to the French tapes as I go to work at least 3 times a week. My progress is SLOW; next to non-existent.
Chris just came downstairs to say good night (he is doing the sensible thing to adjust to daylight savings time and heading to bed early) and asked, "Have we heard from our daughter yet?" I answer "No." He is quiet and staring, contemplating the possibilities. I ask, "Well?" He responds, "Alright then, she's spent the weekend with a boyfriend!" and he is grinning, a teasing smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. So both of us are considering the possibilities and at the same time trying not to think about them or at least to think about them in a humorous light.
What has occupied me for four weeks? Student assessment, report cards (Sent home on last Friday!), Student Intervention Team Meetings, a TERC Investigations Math workshop last Saturday, Easter brunch with friends last Sunday, a NUA Literacy workshop yesterday (dynamic but time consuming) and two colds; the nastiest one still lingering. I went to the Y only once in the last 2 weeks. While it was necessary so that I could do report cards and 'nurse' my cold it always puts me in a foul mood to miss my exercise.
On the gardening front, everything is getting green again, including the weeds. The soothing sound of rain is welcome music to my ears. Unless you have lived in Seattle you probably can't appreciate the many hues of green. And those 150 new tulips I planted last fall...it's going to be worth every minute of hole digging.
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