For the past few day I've had to keep reminding myself

to slow down. After all it is only November. Still.

So yesterday Bella and I went to the park at the mountains to have a hike and shake off some excess energy. I shake it off better than she does :-).

Christmas Craft/Today My Class Made Bells

Supplies:

Small clay pot
pipe cleaner
jingle bell

The children painted the pots red and green on the outside. (I had put their name and the year on the inside). The pots were allowed to dry and some modge podge put on after for gloss. The jingle bell was strung onto the pipe cleaner which was tied and knotted so to let the bell hang just below the edge of the pot. The two ends strung through the hole in the pot and twisted together. Ready for hanging on the tree.

Thanksgiving this year was

husbands entire family. All 6 grandchildren together for the first time in 13 years. The youngest now 15, the oldest 26. Due to lack of room in the dining area we had a children's table in the kitchen which was a hit. I put the same foods on each table so that no one had to get up for anything.

Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with Borsin cheese mashed in, rolls, turkey that was drenched in olive oil and seasoned with poultry seasoning, sausage stuffing, salad, cranberry sauce, gravy, and 4 kinds of pies. My sister-in-law and husband graciously did the cleanup.

This morning was early shopping without many people so no lines. Gifts bought. Boys and 2 of their cousins that are staying here still asleep.

The feast on Friday

was a huge hit with my class. (Shown are the cornacopia headbands that we wore). Chicken nuggets, cranberry sauce, muffins and pie were among some of the offerings. Today we sing Thanksgiving songs for the parents and grandparents.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Our electric bills have

dropped significantly over the last 6 months. Quite a few variables to be sure. We have been out of town more than usual, we may not have used the airconditioning as much as in years past, and our dryer broke down.

The dryer breaking down was huge. We have been diligent about hanging clothes on the clothes line and if we plan it right - also taking advantage of the shower rods in both bathrooms (using plastic hangers). The air is so dry in the house right now that the clothes that are washed in the evening are dry by morning. Yes, we have to iron but that hasn't been that big of a deal. (we just have to remember that the ironing board was not meant to be part of the den furniture and put it away when done :-).

This week we got the dryer fixed. Why?

The boys will be in and out over the holidays and it will be easier to have the dryer available. Notice that I said, Have it available. We still will be drying on the line unless crunched by time or our sons want to dry their clothes (they are not as fond of the iron as their parents). Also, it is easier to wash the dog beds in the evening and dry them before bed. Then there is that little thing of pet hair on dark pants.

The clothes line is here to stay. Saving money is addictive.

This week - chimney sweeps coming.

We danced at

school yesterday and hopefully it is one thing that I will always remember.

The dancing started with one boy twirling a girl under his arm. Then he asked me to put on some dance music, which I did. 3/4 of the class started to dance. Two boys worked on their break dancing. Some children danced by themselves while others danced with the same sex or the opposite sex.

I held my breath while I watched. Times like this can go sour in a heart beat. Toes can get stepped on, feelings get hurt etc. But that never happened. At the end one boy looked at me and said, with a smile on his face, "I'm a good sweaty."

Autumn Colors

 

 

 

 

If you have seen the movie, Ev@n Almighty, this is the dam that floods DC at the end of the movie. It's a decent sized dam but it is 3? hours away from the city and doesn't hold enough water to make it to my house which is closer. Made for a great story line though. And it is a beautiful place in the fall for a photo op.

Laying a Foundation

The other day I was whining to myself about my lack of skill in certain areas. This came about as I was thinking about turning 51 in a few weeks, having some skin cancer taken off of my face this week etc. What to do with the rest of my life. Do I like the job that I have? Do I want to do something different? Is it too late? I feel the years slipping by fast.

First, the skin cancer is basal and I should be fine. So that concern should be checked off.

Second, I love my job and it gives me the time to pursue other interests. Check.

Third, 51 is still young. Check.

Fourth, and I think this was my most important revelation of the past few weeks, is that if I want to do something else I have to properly lay the foundation. I did that for my job and still do it. I read for it, research for it, take classes for it. I subbed before I got the job, taught Sunday School for years to get ready and the prep paid off.
So as I try to decide what my next step in life will be I think of this often. Laying the foundation for something new, whether it be playing the violin better, crafting better, getting chickens, gardening better. It's all about the prep. And I will live like I have the time to properly do so.

How Many Trick or Treaters Did You Get?

I had two. A coworker had 1. Other numbers floating around 40 (coworker), low 80's (brother). The all time high was another coworker of mine who lives less than a mile away.

550. Yes, 550 children.

Location, Location.