Florida Bound!

 I know on the calendar it says 'spring' however it was 42 on the drive home so I still had time to get in this sweater I picked up at Second Chance Consignment this past weekend for $10. and I springified it with this easter egg jewelry I found this summer at Fresco Funishings.

 This is one of my Anthropologie sale dresses I stumbled upon last weekend! So cute and I wish I would have thought to take a picture with the cardigan off!

 Saturday I looked out the front door and the lake was sooo calm I wish you could hear the birds chirp through this picture...

 Also on Saturday in hindsight I wish I would have taken a before picture of my studio. It would have made more of an impact when you see these after photos...

 Marina is thrilled that I now face her when I'm at the computer but my purpose was to see out the picture window while working at the desk. The downside is I still have way too much stuff in the space. This is behind me as I sit at the desk. All my traveling scrapbook supplies and such.

 This used to be 'hidden' beside my desk. Now that is is out in the open it looks a little (yes just a little) too cluttered.

 I do love that my watch cabinet and stamp cabinet are seen more.

 More too do's. These are books I've read but need to take notes from where I underlined.

 I also like my supply suitcases better this way.

 This is looking from the kitchen/ living room area...

 And this is a very exciting picture of 3 yes 3! Anthropologie dresses all wrapped up and affordable.

And now for the best news of all... I am headed to Florida for spring break! My sister, mom and dad were already going but my spring break consists of just Friday and Monday off so I was stuck at home for the third year in a row! Then.... I returned a Christmas gift Sunday that I didn't realize would put $160. back in my pocket. I told the hubs geesh that would just about fly me to Florida. He said he'd throw in the difference for my birthday! Yeah! I am so excited I started packing... uh well it is 22 days away and that bikini is alot closer than I was expecting. So the bikini countdown has shifted me into overdrive eating and exercising. How's that for motivation?

You are the icing to my cake...

I am in love with these jeans. Picked them up at Target for about $7. Dark wash. I worked in the library shelves quite a bit this day between book talks and the back continued to cover my backside, my main complaint about today's jeans. Why oh why do we even make low rise jeans that constricts women's movements yet again in our culture? Anywho these are fabulous. And these velvet shoes?  Awwwesoomme. 

I got to looking for my camera a little later in the day and it wasn't there? Seems someone else figured out how to use the timer...

 That's a big mouth made out of poster board. 

Almost every time Bub's has a friend stay over I can count on waking up to the smell of biscuits and chocolate 'gravy'. Yeah like a chocolate pie for 'breakfast'.

Of course. Now I am really getting irritated with the see- saw on my scale and this morning I was thinking (again) THAT'S IT!  I will lose this extra weight. I will. And then I came downstairs to this. I opted for a biscuit with a tad of homemade jelly no chocolate. Then Bub's and his friend pulled out the easy bake oven, baked a cake and asked me to sample. Then Hub's calls from taking the pontoon out to be fixed and says he picked up lunch for me. A triple deck something and fried mushrooms. Yikes. Help me.

via Where the Lovely Things Are this  JUCO image. They have an awesome tear sheet section on their site with their work.

Hub's went out again and came back with pizza, Stewart's Key Lime Soda (my hands down favorite), cheese fries, and Sunchips. Has he no mercy. 

I rearranged my studio much to his chagrin. Before I started he said, "You won't like it. We've done this before." Well I set out to prove him wrong. I moved things around, cleaned, set things in place and .... I'm not sure. We'll see. I wanted to look out the big picture window while I worked at the desk. My life is spent unloading and loading the dishwasher (luckily in sight of the DVR tele), loading, unloading and folding clothes in the laundry room to the tune of NPR, and at this beautiful desk. I spent the evening putting pictures in page protectors and listening to Open Season 2 with the boys. 

Vertigo. Seriously.

So although I have been trying to post more lately this will sum up why I just can't seem to get a handle on it...

Today the whole fam got ready for work and school and we even were in a great mood. Everyone showered and grabbed breakfast and lunch and we arrived EARLY. Hub's had a nice slice of the cake he made last night for breakfast this morning and headed to his room. I ran around with lots of work before the school day started and came back to get busy after the announcements. Then...

Hub's called asking for some sinus medicine. What? I didn't know you were having sinus problems today? Something's not right, he said. I rushed upstairs to take his class. He looking very pale headed to the nurse. She checked his blood pressure, heart beat, blood sugar (stupid breakfast sir) and such. All a little elevated but not outrageous. He was dizzy, nauseated, and couldn't focus and couldn't lay down thinking it might be his vertigo coming back on but he sat still for awhile. That didn't really work so finally we left for the doctor when he started shivering.

The doctor said his vertigo was brought on by the change in pollen and atmospheric pressure. He doesn't know why this episode was so different than the others. Maybe because it was morning and the others were night. Maybe this was in the spring others in the summer. He gave him some meds and we left not feeling confident these people know what they are talking about!?!?

Stopped to get something in the belly besides cake (I had whole wheat toast mind you) and then I took him home. Drove back to work to finish what I started at 7am. Took the kid to pick up school project supplies and groceries then went home to doctor the sick. Again.

I'm exhausted are you?

And now for some therapy.

 My outfits were not all photo worthy this week but these cut muster. 

 Well not this one but I wanted to prove I do sometimes wear my hair down.

 Caution! Naked toes!

And now off for some reading therapy...

Welcome Spring!

 Spring just officially hit here at 7:21pm. Ahhh. I was ready weren't you? We met our financial guy at Panera this morning to sign some papers before services. He was coming back from his church while we were on the way to ours. A latte and danish later we were on our way. I'm celebrating spring today by not wearing tights or socks. Bare ankles baby!

See what I mean by needing some porch inspiration? 

I read Artful Blogging's current issue on the way there and back and it always leaves me feeling inspired! Of course the whole time I read Hub's would shout, 

Did you see that?!?! 

No what?

That black bird just flew between your window and the antenna!

Did you see that?!?!

No what?

That hawk just swooped down on something!

We drive about 30 minutes down a St. Rt. to get to the interstate and granted there are plenty of things to see on the way but seriously if I put the book down and stared out the window the whole time nothing would happen and no one would talk to me. Why is that?

The boys ended up going to laser tag with the church group so Yo and I ran to Kenwood for sushi and shopping. This was our first trip to Aroma's and our first experience with a Bento lunch. Yum! $10. gets you steamed veggies, potato salad, a hand roll, tossed ginger salad and rice. We added the California roll because, well, eating sushi is worth celebrating!

 

I've been looking for some green nail polish all month. Amazing how few choices there are in nail polish colors in a small town. So I picked this up last weekend in a bigger small town. 

Sinful Colors Professionals Happy Ending

I finished reading Making Toast last night. I'll add some notes tomorrow. This book is refreshing, sad and touching.  

(Frozen) chicks!

There's a new boat in town... all that down time hub's had with the Achilles snafu gave him time to shop online for this. He claimed it was necessary for bub's new fishing venture- he joined the Youth BASS Circuit. I don't really know what that even means yet except entrance fees, traveling all warm season weekends and well lots of mom duty fixing food for fisherMEN. 

I am slowly stepping into spring with bare ankles while clinging to my leather jacket. I love this new Knitted & Knotted dress from a recent consignment trip north. 

I finally remembered to snap this pic of the Book Worm necklace Yo gave me for Christmas. I wore it Monday to the book club meeting.  

 The Easter basket made their entrance to spring this morning. My mom gives bub a Longerberger Easter basket each year. Somehow we don't have a 1999 one? I think maybe we started in 2000 and she later found the 1998 so BE ON THE LOOKOUT!

 Hard to find a way to photo the whole collection.

I do the announcements at a small rural school. Often little reminders come along that make me smile that could only happen in a farm community. One of my first years I took a phone message for a student telling her to come straight home after school her pig had piglets. Another happened Thursday when I took a phone message from a mother saying her daughter would be late if there at all. Her cow had a calf and it wasn't doing well. They were tracking down some medicine and she would be nursing it back to health. Hopefully.

Also this week a student brought me in some frozen chickens. I like chicken but I started reading about the whole 1000 mile meal and local eating a few years back and chicken hasn't been an option. I'm not totally reformed but I made some changes. I buy my eggs from a farm on the way home from work. We buy a half a cow each year.  Our garden has steadily grown and we put up corn, tomatoes and berries. I am very excited about my frozen chickens!

Spring is on its way so I started cleaning off the back porch. It's looking a little sad. So I need porch inspiration.

For the last few days I've been having a huge spinach salad with a carrot, peas, pine nuts, chicken, croutons and anything else I can throw in there with a tad bit of dressing. It is yummy and has helped me drop down the poundage. I am officially down - 6 lbs from the start of the year. I've been looking for a new bathing suit online lately. Something that covers more but still not too much. Besides the fact they are outrageous for such a small amount of fabric I can't seem to find what I am looking for. Wednesday while Hub's was at therapy for the tendon Bub's and I moseyed around the mall and I stumbled upon this... well gosh darn it it sold out! Well here are the bottoms anyway!

For our staff and friends book club we are reading Didion's My Year of Magical Thinking and Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt. Since I listened to Didion's on CD last year I suggested it and threw out Making Toast to see if anyone else had read it yet. Being a very well read group of course several had so we paired the two together.   I heard Rosenblatt on NPR last year and the story, although devastating, was touching. It is hard to explain how it makes me feel. The story is so sad but the way R. tells the story is amazingly familiar and warm. Check it out at Amazon.com

Also still reading Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Ford and Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Hoose. Interesting piece of serendipity when I was reading Making Toast this week he references Claudette Colvin. I'm struck how we construe our own history here. Colvin was a teenager when she decided not to move on a bus in the south. But she was not from a stable family and she had some spunk that turned people off. She made friends with Rosa Parks and eventually Parks followed suit and started a revolution. Interesting. 

Also still making my way through the following:

The Quest Study Bible

Life is Meals: A Food Lover’s Book of Days- James and Kay Salter 

A Year in Poetry- Foster and Guthrie 

The American Book of Days- Christianson 

Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People- Covey 

Making the Most of Today: Daily Readings for Young People on Self-Awareness, Creativity,

and Self-Esteem- Espeland and Wallner

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die- Ed. Boxall 

Raising Cain: Saving the Emotional Lives of Boys

Men are from Mars Women Are From Venus- Gray 

Home Comforts 

Teach Me Lord in 28 Days

The Millionaire Next Door- Stanley 

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance- Pirsig 

A Harry Potter marathon on today makes a nice background soundtrack to my catching up in the studio.

I am saddened by the recent events concerning National Public Radio. It enhances my life every single day. My alarm is set to it, I listen while getting ready in the morning, sometimes when I can trick the boys I listen to it on the way to work, I talk about it with my coworkers and share it with my students, I listen on the way home, and in the evening I walk my dog while listening to podcasts. Honestly it touches me many times during the day so I wrote the following to my Congress representatives in support of it...

Once again we are attacking the middle class. We need free information that is tested and reliable. Public broadcasting does that. I didn't know about NPR growing up. When I discovered public broadcasting my world was expanded. Do we believe in educating our citizens? In informing our community members? Then why are we attacking PUBLIC broadcasting, and PUBLIC education these days. Attack those who do not work or those who do little work and make outrageous salaries. Stop and consider what you are doing to the working middle class. Public broadcasting is an essential service to the American people. I strongly urge you to oppose this flawed bill that would have a devastating effect on our nation's public radio system.

I hope you can find time the next few days to contact those who represent you.

Funny how all the sudden I hear the same word over and over again and it takes me a week to look it up. Via Wikipedia Purim (Hebrew:  פּוּרִים (help·info) Pûrîm "lots", from the word pur,^[2] related to Akkadian pūru) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther(Megillat Esther).
I should know this but alas I had forgotten. I'm not Jewish but I've attended church my whole life so at some point I'm sure this was covered.

I'll be your Huckleberry!

Tuesday evening I attended Clinton County Reads for the kickoff of the community reading Huckleberry Finn together. It was entertaining, enlightening and heartwarming. A great mix of people from the county and more than a few of our students. I met a few co-worker friends for dinner at Jen's Deli beforehand. I had a yummy chicken sunflower sandwich and a milky way cappucino. Yum. 

A college professor led the talk and she was charming. She talked about Concord Public Library trying to censor the book way back when. Louisa May Alcott actually said that Jo March would not be allowed to play with Huck Finn. She also mentioned the Tombstone movie quote, I'll be your Huckleberry. Which basically means, I got your back. I found myself a little nervous to speak out in such a group until our 'kids' starting piping in so I followed suit. What a beautifully insightful night. 

I have to head off to bed but one last thought...

I love, love, love this outfit. A teenage boy in the deli told me his girlfriend liked my outfit. I walked over and showed her the coin pockets. The professor's very handsome husband wearing a green bill cap in honor of St. Patrick's day and his Irish heritage said I looked much too stylish for a librarian. (I mentioned that in the discussion.) I dutifully showed him my hair in a bun.  

Time Change

Time change has me out of whack. I fell asleep on the way home and then came in and sat down- for two hours. Finally roused myself to do laundry, dishes and put things back in place.  

Out of the nest

So I'm at Panera and they actually have the calories posted on the menu board. Now I've read restaurants are supposed to start doing this but this is the first time I've seen it. Ouch. Of course it didn't keep me from ordering my caramel latte (420) and cheese Danish (not on the menu board). I am always so nervous ordering while standing. Why does it make a difference? The cashier is a 16 year old boy so I doubt he's being judgmental but still I'm just not here often enough to be comfortable and know what I want. And now those calories are staring at me!?
The boys are over at Bass Pro for an early morning sale.

The message this morning was about raising the next generation. Now I'm pretty much a stone when it comes to crying but I get teary when it comes to bub. A few weeks ago a friend came in one morning and knowing his little guy had been sick I asked how it was going. He said he spent the weekend watching his little guy breathe. I told him I wish I could tell him it gets easier but mine will be 13 this year and the first thing I do every morning is go in and watch him breathe. No kidding. And I sigh a breath of relief and ask myself how I could be so lucky to have the best kid in the world. Seriously.

Finished Evermore by Noel, another young adult novel that is walking in the shadow of Twilight. I mean I wanted to read it but it was very similar. I won't continue the series but I'll buy it for the library for the Twilighters. Still reading Huck and such. I need to finish a few I've started.

Then Yo and I went to Snooty Fox consignment where we both found some goodies. Off to Asian Paradise for sushi, Sam's for a frozen Coke and such. Back to Snooty because Yo had shopper's remorse and really NEEDED that Tiffany and Fred purse. Over to TJMaxx where again we scored some goodies.

Now home watching/listening to You've Got Mail for a little comfort before OGT week at work this week. BTW Frank in Mail just said you are what you read. In that case I am a 16 year old immortal in lust with the perfect immortal guy. Sorry Frank that's a no go.

I picked up these jeans for just under $7 at Target last night. And this snazzy bento type lunch box. After bragging a few days ago about not spending any money lately I effectively spend lots this weekend so I'm going back into hiding.

Spring is on its way. I know this because I feel the urge to clean off the porch and redecorate.

Can you believe this?

What just happened? We woke to this Friday morning after people were busting out the flip flops. Not me of course. 

But this was later that day...

The shirt is a gift from Yo for Christmas. The jewelry from my mother in law at Christmas. 

I picked up the March inspired mint polish this week. Hard to believe the small selection of colors: red, pink, darks. Where are the greens? Maybe that's just because I was in CVS small town America. Need to travel to the big city for OPI. But I'm liking this minty. 

Thursday 

More jewelry gifts from Yo.

Wednesday and I forgot to get a close up of the necklace and bracelets Yo gave me. I'll have to wear it again this week :)

This is a crappy time to be an educator with the current legislation being proposed and how our society is questioning our worth. However I can not put into words how much I love my job and these kids. This has been such a good year student wise. Everyday this week I've been caught off guard by the compliments and random conversations I am blessed with each day. Yesterday a senior girl I haven't seen in forever came by to drop off some paperwork and mentioned she really liked my outfit today. You always look so cool she said. Then she said she hoped that didn't sound too weird. Cutie. I used to see her in the halls a lot more frequently and she dresses very ethnic, colorful, hip hoppish. I usually comment how she's waking us all up. Random conversations this week included talking to a senior girl who marches to a different beat telling me she has been taken in by a new group. She feels honored they invited her in. She thinks maybe this has pulled her out of winter blues. She's hopeful her eating disoder is under control and she is excited for what's to come. Another just found out her legal last time is not the same as the one she has used for the last 16years. Stepdad adopted her when she was young. Or meant to. Paper got lost. Stuff of fiction. It's entertaining, touching, encouraging, soul healing, hopeful and then the talk about legislation and salaries and benefits starts up and I want to crawl under a rock.

Anywho it is the weekend. Last night we went to bub's basketball party. Coach said bub is the smartest kid he has ever coached. It's like having an extra coach out there making sure the play goes out like it is supposed to. He has spunk. If you tell him to go run into the wall full speed he'll do it. Yeah. I'd say that's about right. Said he needs to remember basketball in the off season and not just drop the ball to go fish. Yeah. Again. 


Then took dropped him off at the skating rink. He was meeting up with some 6th graders. I took a looksy as a group of GIRLS met him at the door screaming his name. Uncomfortable. But it looked safe, other than the girls, so I sent him in and hubs and I went to Starbucks for drinks. Of course I settled into a comfy seat, cruised blogs and chatted with hubs while he got increasingly restless and went out to work on the truck. In the parking lot. Whatever. A few hours later we picked up the kid plus one and headed home. 


I really understand At Least That's My Intention's post on education right now. I replied, 

Amen and amen. I spent the evening defending my salary to a visitor. I didn't feel any better afterward. I just thought if he has known us for 15years and doesn't think this bill is crazy we are in trouble. Sad sad times. I did laugh today as I literally was busy every second of the day, advised teachers, fixed computers, doctored students then paid about $300 to renew my various certificates and be fingerprinted. Yeah what the heck do I do in there all day?

Speaking of fingerprints, mine were rejected. The police guy said I have odd ridges. He sent me home for the weekend to moisturize, lay off the water and try again Monday. As if I don't already feel like a freak apparently even my fingers are freakish.

For lent I gave up sleeping in and I vowed to get up and workout. Day one, Thursday, I felt great, walked on the treadmill for 30 min while cruising blogs.

Then in the evening the boys said a family friend was coming over. I replied it wasn't a good time the house was disgusting, we haven't been home to put things back in place and of course he'd be here late and we wouldn't get up early. No they said. We'll help clean before he gets here and go to bed at a normal time. Well at least my house got cleaned. Try again on Monday.

Some saved up image love...

Via Poppytalk

Also via Poppytalk a traveling dress shop.

And now I'm off to take the boys back to the skating ring tonight as Hub's is still fishing. Hopefully I'll be able to run some errands and relax at Starbucks again.