March 21, 2012

Still not a lot of news about my car. There was a preliminary assessment done today and it looks painful for my bank account. Humph. I'm not even sure how long it will take to be repaired. A while, by the sounds of it. We'll see when they begin to take it apart. It's frustrating, because that is what insurance is for, but it's also going up as it helps.

The weather has been unseasonably warm. I am resisting the urge to go out and plant things. March came in like a beautiful, sweet lamb, so it is most surely going out like a roaring, raving lion! Whether we'll get more frost, I'm not sure. The skunks don't seem to think so, and neither do the bluebirds.

The Potato Peel Society book is starting a bit slow, which is what I thought the last time I tried it, stopping on page nine, but this time I think I see a glimmer of potential. I will keep you posted.

I have heard owls in the woods behind my house for the first time since I have lived here (almost 12 years). I went out with a camera a few days ago, but I'm sure they heard me crashing around among the leaves, trying to avoid the large puddles. They didn't hoot anymore and I couldn't find them for pictures. I'm sure the neighbors wondered what on earth I was doing!

I have continued to write notes to people via facebook messages, but yesterday's was sad. My brother's beloved dog had died yesterday morning, so my note was to them, thinking of them and their sadness.

I hope you have been well, Reader!

March 18, 2012 part 3

After this, my amount of posts will be back on track! :) They won't have all been on their correct days, but I could get to 31 posts in March. :)

We didn't have our traditional St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage yesterday. I meant to pick it up on my way home Friday, but with all the car crashing excitement I didn't get to it. We just had leftovers, which was cheaper anyway, although not very Irish. :)

Yesterday, I saw this post by Lisa Leonard about being lucky and wanted to post something similar.

I am blessed and lucky:
*To have a wonderful husband and two truly terrific teen daughters
*To have a home I love, and a garden I can get my hands into-and a sunny day to get my hands dirty in the garden! {I spent some time yesterday pulling out old plants, trimming things and turning up the garden!}
*To have many trees in my backyard-a lot of folks in our development have a puny tree or two, but we back up to houses with big yards that have been here a while and have big trees.
*I am blessed to have been in a parking lot when I had my car accident-not on the highway, no one was injured, no one else's car was crushed-just mine, and I am lucky to have such a caring, helpful staff who were there for me on Friday.
*I feel lucky to be able to run and relieve my worries-yesterday was supposed to be a shorter distance, since 9 was the week before. I ran 5 and it was a beautiful day to do so.
*I am thankful to have friends who, even though I don't see them often enough, are still part of my life, and know I think of them often.
*I am thankful we have food, and can afford good meals.
*I am thankful and blessed to have my faith, my God who grants grace.
*I am truly blessed to have my job-I love teaching the same students each day, and for all the new things they teach me, too!
*I am very thankful for you, Reader-for all the consistent readers of this blog, and the new ones, too! :)

What are you thankful, blessed or lucky for? :)

March 18 2012 part 2

I did get some "fun" reading in this weekend. I mentioned last that I was reading Loving Frank. I had heard it was an interesting book. As I read, I learned it was about a woman who has an affair with Frank Lloyd Wright. They both are married with children. At first the writing seemed like it would carry the book. But, after about a quarter of the book I was disturbed at the whole situation-how could this end? How could it end well? So, I did something I NEVER do-I skipped to almost the end. I wanted to glimpse who she ended up with-was it worth wading through this story to find she made it back to her kind husband? And what I found in the end was worse! *Spoiler alert* She and her children are attacked by a crazy man and she dies!! It was enough for me to do something I also rarely do: stop reading the book and be done with it.

I am moving on to a book I once started, but didn't get into, so I set it aside. I am going to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Hopefully it's a lovely book?! :)

March 18 2012

I was doing so well, and then halfway through March I missed a post, and then another.

Friday wasn't a great day. All was going normally until I got to school. I pulled into the lot, drove slow, since children would soon be coming out for recess, as always. I saw a teacher with her hands full, still traveling slowly. I pulled into my usual spot on the left, being careful not to hit the car parked on my left. I inched forward, then, I'm still not quite sure what happened. My foot went from the break to the gas-just slipped, as if my shoes were wet on slippery pavement. But I didn't realize what was happening until my car had lurched forward with great force and speed. My van rammed into a big cement culvert/planter thing. Of course the heavy cement thing didn't move, no give at all. My car crunched and my stomach lurched. I got out and at first glance it looked as if just the bumper was effected... Then a blue, funny smelling liquid started leaking out. It was coolant. I had severely damaged the radiator, and probably other things.

I shakily called my husband. He was calm and helpful-as I burst into tears, with shaky hands and racing heart. A male teacher arrived, looked in the car and helpfully called AAA to come tow my car. Then I cried some more. It is at the dealer, awaiting an appointment. The probably won't get to it until Monday evening at the earliest, and it will likely cost a LOT of $. So frustrating. I said I still couldn't figure out what happened. My coworker said, "That's why they call it an accident." :)

My husband came and got me from work, which delighted the students to get to see him. Then my oldest daughter and I went to a ladies' night of worship at our church together. She was so excited to go and I was glad for that.

So, Friday was no running, no ab exercises, no blogging... just tears and Bible. :)

I hope your weekend started better than mine, Dear Reader! :)

March 15, 2012

Busy day ahead:
School newsletter notes to send in
laundry to do (isn't there always? :))
a run, ab exercises and a shower to get in before school
grading and notes for school today, including making a study guide.


I did read the Bible: “then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”” Acts 4:10,12 NIV
I have always had trouble connecting with Acts, but I like this.

I have also read a couple pages in Loving Frank and sent a note to a friend.So, 4/5 of my daily habits complete!
I've also eaten a healthy breakfast and logged it on The Daily Plate.

I listened to some new podcasts yesterday. I had read an article about Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and Omnivore's Dilemma, and I decided to see if there were any podcasts including him. There were and I listened to 1 1/2 of them yesterday. He has such great ideas about food-food changes we need to make here in the U.S.

Did you know you don't have to have an ipod or itunes to listen to podcasts? Often you can play them right from your computer. It's wonderful. I've listened to some terrific podcasts from NPR, American Museums, Metropolitan Museum of Art, it's been great fun! :)

Do you listen to any good podcasts? I hope your week has been wonderful thus far, Reader! :)