One of

the odd things about me is that I like Christmas news letters. Why you ask? Aren't they just full of bragging and silliness?

Maybe.

But every family that sends out a letter has been through some real crap at some point in their lives. And I keep that in mind as I read about honors that their children have gotten, vacations that they are on and how rosy things are now.

I know how hard their lives have been/little things that will make parts of their lives always a little difficult to wake up in the morning to. And I rejoice that there are good parts in their lives that make them smile.

Thank you all for the smiles that you gave me yesterday. I rejoice in all of them. We are hearing so many awful things now that it's nice to have reminders that life isn't all crappy and there is good in life and much to be thankful for.

What is Your Good News? Finding Delight in the Little Things.

The sky here has been gray, the news on TV dimmer. But there are good things in life and I was reminded of that yesterday when I was talking to one of my boys.

So, I want to know - - - what is the good news in your life? It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering.

In our house Snoopy has been spending several nights indoors due to cold weather. And NO accidents of any kind. Yes, it's a little thing but actually a big thing if you are the one cleaning it up!

Now, your turn.

Thank you

to Tins for Treasures and Hot Belly Mama

for giving me the Token of Friendship award and the Lemonade Stand award. Both of these women are sweet and have wonderful blogs worth taking a look at if you haven't yet taken the time to do so.

Unfortunately they have bestowed the awards on someone slightly technologically challenged (can you hear the snickers from my kids- I thought you could). I can't get the award symbols to appear on my blog. I could be reading the url incorrectly (I do need new reading glasses). Cut and Paste you say? I have done that a couple of times but believe that I'm missing a step as I try to do it for this post.

So thank you again ladies. And I'm sorry that it took so long to acknowledge.

So the week starts off **See Update at end of post

with a 3 am phone call. Actually 3 phone calls. Why 3? Because I use my cell phone as my alarm. I kept thinking - in my sleepy state - that my alarm was going off and I kept turning it off.
No Mom of the Year award this year.

S2 - Mom, I'm going to the ER.

There is a bad strain of the vomits going around the college of yellow and purple. S2 looked especially bad according to his roommate - who was talking to me at 4 am, after they got to the hospital.

The roommate says that he will keep me posted. I finally fell asleep at 5. Got up at 6. Pouring the coffee in.

Waiting for the phone to ring.

**S2 is fine. After 2 shots in his hip and two bags of saline he is back in his dorm and only sick once an hour now. That is manageable to him and by tomorrow he should be fine.

The chicken

coops were long (click photos to enlarge), twice as long as they look in the small photos. Each coop was split in half. I'm not good at judging quantity so have no idea how many were in each coop. There were two coops and then there was a barn that was also filled with chickens.

These are their winter coops. Again, no smell - but I don't remember why. I do remember the farm manager saying that the chickens feed some on the grubs, potato bugs etc that come up through the ground. In the spring? or summer? after the chickens are put outside and the winter coops are dismantled, then the earthworms appear and then the entire area is put into the gardens.

Pretty cool.

Road Trip

For our book club we are reading about this farm in Swoope, VA ( I will tell you the book's name after the event as I don't advertise at work that I have a blog.) My coteacher and I decided that we needed to pay a visit largely because we like the book, I'm leading the discussion (no one else would), the farm is reasonably close by and we wanted to try to generate some excitement at the meeting. - Most of our colleagues won't read it. Too much like a textbook they say.

The farm is SO well run. In the book it mentions how there are few flies on the cows in June - largely due to the farm manager's and owner's knowledge of symbiosis. An example - In the photo above the rabbits are raised for food. When they are fed they poop which lands where chickens are. The poop is high in nutrients. The chickens eat the poop. Keeps the area clean, free from an ammonia smell and everyone benefits.

This goose laid the golden egg or at least she thought so. Lots of hissing when anyone got too close.

Some of the pigs just wandered around. Here is one that decided that I didn't smell like food so she moved on.

The challah bread turned out to look something like a flat bread but tastes good with peach jam.

Snoopy wants you to know that he had a hard afternoon of supervising. Watched me bake, hang up laundry and start to put the primer coat in the laundry area. He also wants you to know that he will be getting a bath tomorrow as the weather will be warmer. All of his beautiful spots will be showing.

I have

Challah bread rising in the oven. It's a recipe from the this weeks food section in the Washington Post. The directions are kind of ambigious - as in - mix for several minutes. What is several? I like life more concrete.

Sport and I pulled the blankets off of the bee hive - yes I put old blankets on it trying to keep them from freezing. As tomorrow will be warmer I will peek into the hive to see if all is well.

Snoopy ran around the yard like a maniac while I put out some laundry. Now he is in the kitchen laying underneath the table looking at me with pleading eyes - Let me stay here, he says.

Other projects await this afternoon.

Inside the box

is not what I think that the manufacturers of this plastic tote were thinking when they made their warning label for the lid. Unfortunately the only way that one can read about the dangers of being in the box with the lid on are BEING in the box with the lid on.

Full Circle

7th grade was my year of absolute hell. My history teacher encouraged kids in the class to take my things and throw them around the room. It was the year that I got massively sick down the front of me as I was leaving for the bus on a cold day - with very little warning. It was the year that I just could not get things together and when a math teacher asked the class who was unhappy with themselves I raised my hand. He then looked at me and said - You will commit suicide one day.

Yes, I lived in a charming area.

Fast forward to 8th grade.

The storm clouds parted. I ended up in one of the lowest functioning history classes and ended up with a delightful teacher Mr. Gornicki who could not for the life of him figure out why I was in his class. I had a ball.

One day he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I replied - Teach special needs children.
The poor man was ecstatic. His niece was autistic and that was a big part of his life. I had never heard of autism before. I only knew a couple of mentally challenged kids on the bus who had parents that made them wear awful clothes and one of the girls was teased by a couple of boys at school. It was irritating and I knew that their lives could be better if someone only gave a damn.

Forward to college. I started to take education classes but a crappy remark from a relative made me rethink my major. I took a wonderful Biology class at a junior college in California and when I transferred to UGA decided to major in entomology and get an agriculture degree. I loved the classes for the degree. Soils, grasses, horticulture. All were interesting to me and as my family comes from heavy agriculture roots I felt an understanding with the teachers and classmates.

But I fell in love with someone who is not agriculture oriented. After college I needed a job immediately to save for the wedding, the house etc. When the kids came I stayed home and when they entered preschool and then school I discovered that I was a great volunteer in the classroom. Then I became a preschool teacher and over the years found out that I was even better with children with issues. A colleague looked at me the other day and said - I want to send so and so over to your class next year if possible. With that child's issues I think that your personality and style is best.

This morning I realized that I am doing what I told Mr. Gornicki I would be doing. Special needs is part of what I do. As I don't know where he is and cannot remember his first name I have no chance of reconnecting.

But if I could I'd thank him profusely for that one good year and let him know that I have come full circle.

Goal for 2009

One of my goals for 2009 is to become a better and more complete crafter. The top photo is my first softie. The pattern comes from Pretty Little Pincushions. But I would only have it used as a toy.

The second is my attempt at a winter collage. It's fine for my house but I wish that I had done more to it before putting on snow glitter. Like highlighted the snow flakes that I cut with a light blue or gray - you can't see that they are part of the outside background of the picture.

Just Call Me Violet

There have been no cute cat happenings lately. Nothing earth shattering either.

Instead I am in the throes of perimenopause in a BIG way. My body has changed - and not for the better. For the first time in a long time I'm retaining water, which makes me feel like - though hopefully not look like Violet Beauregarde. And I'm without that lovely blue color.

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

When looking for a photo for this book last night I realized for the first time that this book is part of a series. What?!!! I exclaimed. Then looked at the stack of books on my nightstand that I really want to read and have resigned myself to the fact that the last two books will have to wait.

I loved this book though. Full of ethical dilemmas that made our discussion for book club interesting. Well written so that I didn't feel like I was bogged down in needless words while at the same time feeling like I was able to picture the story well enough in my mind without feeling like I was missing something.

Frog, Bee and Snail Look for Snow by Loek Koopmans Juvenile Lit

Don't let the simplicity of the title fool you. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book. Three animals that hibernate hear about the wonders of snow and decide to look for it. A book about perseverance and friendship. Also, a book that teaches about seasons and what certain living things do during the winter.

Bad Boys Get Cookie by Margie Palatini - Juvenile Book

I LOVE this book. It is not only for the child but also geared to the adult reading to the child.

The book is a different take on The Gingerbread Boy. The Wolf brothers have really bad sweet "tooths" and decide to become detectives in order to catch the runaway cookie so that they can eat him. The humor is reminiscent of the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.

The weather is grey and gloomy - seems like 10 degrees colder than the thermometer says. I walk around the house with cup of coffee - trying to stay awake through the afternoon doldrum hours and to keep my hands warm.

S2's college afghan

was finished this afternoon. It's been about 3 months which is a record for me in finishing a project so large. It's made of the ripple pattern which is something that I've wanted to try and finally found instructions that I could understand.

Sweets

My week has been devoted to gingerbread. Reading stories, making, eating, crafting etc. And it has been wonderful. The cookies were made from premade dough bought from the grocery store. I was asked for the recipe several times as the smell wafted through the school!

We decorated gingerbread men made from wooden cutouts from the local craft store. 40 cents each (on sale) which makes making them in a class of 16 economical.

This morning we had a freak snowsquall. Frosting if you will. A fitting end to our sweet unit.

The inhabitants

of the little blue house have decided that they are short one. Actually, the queen has been pining and the king agreed yesterday. So hopefully, by summer, there will be a new four legged companion in our house - one that barks - to the dismay of the 3 who actually rule the domain now.