Hello!

I haven't posted in a while... I was caught up in the busy activities of life! :) The summer vacation seems to be speeding by, but things have gotten done, too. :)
Running: I have kept up with the marathon training schedule very well, until the long run this weekend. I had family here Friday and Saturday, so I didn't get to the 11 scheduled. I tried to run it yesterday, but the only time I had was in the heat of the day... it was 85 and very humid. I ran 6 miles alone and then my husband was going to join me... When I grabbed some water at home, after the 6, I was very hot and not feeling too well. We started out for our last loop and I felt very ill, even sporting goose bumps on my arms! When that happens, you're way too hot, so the rest of the run was scrubbed for the day. I was broken-spirited, but my husband reminded me that I'm doing this for fun, not to hurt myself and it's important to listen to your body... so glad he was there as I walked the last little bit home.
Family: My parents came to visit this weekend! We had a wonderful time! At the local convention center there was a sewing gathering (actually, quilting, Thimbleanna and Molly! :)) and my mom is an avid quilter, so we went and walked-A LOT! :) We saw many finished quilts/competition entries, and many vendor booths. I bought some things... not quilting things, mind you, as I am not an accomplished seamstress like my mom. I bought some supplies to scrapbook with! :)
My husband had his birthday week, as I had mentioned previously, and I saved all the photos, notes and mementos, as well as a new letter from the two daughters and I, and compiled them into a "birthday week" album for Father's Day. Very fun. I hope he likes it. He seemed to when he opened it.:)
The two girls are enjoying summer break, although the oldest daughter is taking summer PE (summer gym class) so that it will free up a study hall for her next year. Otherwise, she'd have had band class and gym class, with no study hall (time to get work done, questions answered at school).
Our youngest and I have plans for some tennis and other fun things while the oldest is away at class. We have had some fun, so far! :)She has read like crazy, entering the summer reading program at the local library (a tradition of ours), already finishing the second recording sheet! She's found some great new books, and been inspired to write a book of her own, with chapters! :)
Home: I have gotten a lot of "chores" done in the almost-two weeks we've had off like cleaning under all the bathroom and kitchen sinks/in the cupboards, finished sealing the grout around the new tile and washing them down once more, cleaning and organizing two closets and our pantry, catching up on the laundry-really catching up like washing all our bed comforters and shower curtains, too!
Reading... I haven't read much at all, other than scrapbook idea magazines, but plan on it! :)
Blogs: I have been to some new and interesting sites lately:
The Simple Woman's Daybook
Apple + Orange
Creative Organizing-I especially liked this post about Finish-It-Friday, which inspired some of my tasks above! I plan on working on something every Friday!
Teaching jobs: I have applied for several, have either heard nothing or rejection on many of them, thus far. Frustrating, but still hopeful, and will wait and see...
Today: I am going to rearrange the furniture in the living room and my den. It's been in the current plan for a while, and the living room really needs a new plan! I also need to tend to the paper file/pile on my desk. I've kept up with the bills, but the "look at later" pile has grown too large!
That is all for now. I hope your week goes smoothly and positively! :)

Birthdays, Training and the Bittersweet

My husband's birthday was yesterday. We've been celebrating "birthday week" by doing little things like taking him out to breakfast one day, meeting his family out to dinner yesterday, making homemade ice cream tonight, and giving him little gifts, like a book today. We have had fun spoiling him this week. :)
My training has gone well, still working towards the October marathon. Accomplished 9 miles last week and am heading toward 10 this Saturday. I've enjoyed it! Although my muscles are still tired from last week! :) It could also be the nice dressy sandals I teach in all day? :)
Speaking of school, today is bittersweet. My oldest daughter finishes up 8th grade and will plunge into high school next year! My youngest will finish up fourth grade and then will be in her last year of elementary school! It is also bittersweet for me to watch "my" fifth graders go. I've been subbing for them for 7 weeks and have grown rather attached. It is truly a nice group of children and I will be misty eyed today to see them leave elementary school. :)
I do, however, look forward to trips to the library and the pool, sitting out on the patio with a good book, and scrapbooking!! I have missed it due to the work I've put into planning and grading. Good things, but I'm glad to have summer vacations. :) I have applied to several places, but have not been called for interviews. Fingers crossed for a full time position next fall...

Good morning!

I'm posting in the morning, on a Sunday. If you're reading this at another time, I apologize, and say, "Good Day". :)
Running has been going well. I have ran 5 of the last 7 days, including 8 miles yesterday. 8 is the longest I've ran in a while and I was a bit nervous. I attended the marathoners in training group yesterday, like I did a few summers ago. It was nice to see some familiar faces, even if I was in a slower pace group this year. I thought I'd listen to by body a bit better this year, so I'm not sidelined by injury like last year. I went slower, and felt pretty good! I'm a bit stiff in the calves, and knees today, but not in any pain.
I got all the housecleaning done yesterday, so today's schedule includes laundry, school plans for the last 7 days of the school year, grading a few papers, and scrapbooking! :) I went to someone's house Friday night and got a few pages done, but not as many as I'd have liked. Maybe it was all the snacking and visiting I did instead? :)
I'm not doing a lot of reading right now, due to all the school work that I've been doing, planning and grading. :)But I have snuck in a few pages of the Food Guide for Marathoners and the Women's Guide to Running. So far, there hasn't been any new information, but I'm not very far into it. I heard someone talking as we ran about this book and thought I would like to read it: 4 months to a 4 hour marathon, since my goal this year is to break 4 hours...
The family is doing great. Both daughters are ready to be on summer vacation, but we all still have 7 more days! :)
I saw this post and thought about "my flower petals". What would you put on your petals??
I hope you have a wonderful week, full of blessings!! :)

Today

Today was a long day.
I got up and ran this morning before school. This is usually when I have coffee, but today I knew it would be too hot after school to get in day-#4-in-a-row of running. So, no coffee and a run... I am a bit tired. While I was reading blogs, I was thinking how thankful I am to have my good health (knock on wood), my wonderful family and friends, to live in a great town, to teach with fabulous staff and great children, and the list was going on... Then I was thinking I am thankful:
winged things don't fly into my house... he's cute and all, but I would probably scare the poor thing to death!
we don't have these around to run across my feet... interesting to look at, and my daughters would be intrigued, but to be surprised by one doesn't sound fun...
My dog hasn't found my Burt's Bees lip balm... although one eats quite a bit of odd things...
Running's going well. Legs were a little sore today.
School's going pretty good, too. I have tons of papers to grade tonight.
Family is doing fine, although both of the girls are ready to have summer vacation. Their last day is the second week in June. Soccer and track are now both officially over.
I haven't had time to sit and read anything lately... not even book club books. I'm looking forward to reading or scrapbooking over the long weekend.
That's all for now. Hope you are doing well!

Nope

Nope, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. :) It just seems that way when reading my posts, or lack thereof. :)
Running:
I officially started my marathon running today. I ran a nice paced four miles. And felt great after! :) Looking forward to being able to run all summer, hopefully, and to breaking four hours in October.
Gardening:
I have worked in my front perennial garden, adding some foxglove, which I didn't think I would have liked, in years past. I love it, and its placement is perfect. We also got a load of soil that helped the appearance and health of the plants, as well. We built our first garden box for vegetables this year. I always wish I'd planted one, but never take the time to do so. This year my husband made a box over Mother's Day weekend, that is 12 x 8, I think. And a couple feet high. I have cherry and grape tomatoes, big tomatoes, green sweet peppers and jalapeno peppers. I have cilantro and two hills; one for cucumbers and one for zucchini. I also have a pot on the patio with basil, cilantro and parsley. I hope it all fairs well. I have fond memories of my dad planting the garden, letting me help, and getting yummy tomatoes fresh from the garden! I loved to go out and look at it with him. I hope my girls have that same fun with me this summer. :)
Wine: I tried a new wine this week: Pinot Noir. I knew I liked red wines, but hadn't ventured outside of what I knew I liked. Then my in laws came over for Mother's day and brought some. It was very nice, smooth. I did know, however, that I liked malbecs, having learned about them for a wine party we had here once. I found that malbec was my favorite red. I tried a new one tonight: Terrazas de los Andes 2006. It was very good.
Teaching: My teaching is going well. I am learning so much. The staff there has helped me out when I've asked, the kids are adjusting and treating me more like their teacher, as opposed to a substitute teacher. :) I am enjoying it, now, just like I did the last two long-term jobs I've had. I just pray God has a full time job for me in the fall. I've heard it's going to be sparse job-wise, locally. I put a lot of energy into my jobs, so I haven't had much time to update the blog, or read the blogs I love like In This Life or Thimbleanna, lately.
Mother's Day: I hope all of you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day! I certainly did! I received a Starbucks latte, and warm krispy kremes in bed (I'm not usually a huge fan of the extra sweet doughnuts, but warm, with my coffee, they were delectable!)I got gifts of lotion and chocolates! I enjoy chocolate, but haven't received it for a Mother's Day gift before. My husband and children got me a box of specially selected dark chocolates from the store in our local mall. They have been delicious!! I have eaten one about every other day. Yum! Good thing I'm running! :)
The weather is finally turning out to be nice, probably for about a week or so before it gets too hot! :)
Books: I'm reading the Food Guide for Marathoners, Nightmare at the Book Fair (which I'm reading to my class), and that is all I have had time to read since I've spent so much time grading and planning! :)
In the last month: Since I wrote last, we took a trip to Philadelphia, PA, and saw important parts of our nation's history, like the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Ben Franklin's home site, Betsy Ross's home, and other really interesting things! We had a really nice time! We have also been to several soccer games, track meets, and other kid friendly activities. :) I have enjoyed it, and this spring. Just sitting here feeling thankful for our family, our health, our friends, church and town... Just feeling very blessed. How about you? I hope you're enjoying that blessed feeling as you read this. Have a good week, Reader. :)