blessed fall break

First of all...I think the lack of laptop is causing the fall off in my blogging.  I've had stuff all week to post, but the best vehicle is my laptop.  If I hook it up to the monitor in the computer room when no one is occupying the desktop computer, I am almost c.o.n.s.t.a.n.t.l.y interrupted by my loving family.

For the first time ever, my school system had an entire week off for Fall Break!!  And to say that we surely needed it after the circus that the first nine weeks has been, is an understatement.

My family and I took advantage of the pleasant fall weather and rented a cabin at a State Park not far from our home. 

  This was the view from our cabin, which featured a screen porch overlooking the water.

We rented a canoe one day, and one of my children humored me and we paddled around on the Inner Canoe Trail.

We saw small alligators, bunches of turtles and random birds.

In  the evening, the grill masters bar-b-q'd.

A crane flew over to check it out...

We finished off the evening with s'mores and child #2 rearranging the furniture to have a good view of the television for the Presidential debate.

Dear hubby, bless his heart, had never made s'mores before, but had seen a recipe on TV.  He had bought semi-sweet chocolate earlier in the day, which he melted in a pan and spread on the marshmallow-graham cracker combos.

It was tres bien!

We spent two nights in the swamp and then made our way home where we had time to catch up on things that seem to get left in the dust during school...Eagle Project, blogging, haircuts, attending school board meetings,  Boy Scout things.  It has been a lovely week.  Trust me when I say that the time has flown!

Happy Fall Break!

mental health day

It's been quite a while since I've had a real "mental health day".  But today was such a day.  My youngest had a haircut appointment at 3:00, and this year the only way I can swing hair appointments is to take off of work.  Last time I just took half a day.  Today, I figured it was a good excuse to skip the whole darn day.

I got dressed and made my lunch just like I was going to work.  Is that dishonest?  It was MY mental health day and I wanted to do what I wanted to do.  Alone.  Us introverts recharge by being alone. 

I took the kids to the bus stop as I do every morning.  At 6:10, it is still dark (except for a couple of weeks after the time change).  A few mornings we have gotten there and the bus was waiting.   Not sure if it was waiting or if we just arrived at the same time.  Today from a street over, we saw flashing lights where the bus stop is.  Our buses are pretty flashy in the darkness.  But alas, it was a fire truck. Just stopped in the street.  I waited a minute and then crossed in front of it (trying to get out of the way)  It blew its horn at me!  Sheesh.

I started off my morning with Mass.  There is no better way.  This little church is not too far from my house, and I try to hit daily Mass there once a week...usually on Tuesdays, when my parish doesn't have Mass.  I like this picture that shows the light coming from within this gloomy morning.

After that, I passed by my school.  I had to drop off some lemons and check on paperwork that I had only half-way filled out.  Have I mentioned that we have lemons?

Lots and lots of lemons.  We have "squeezed and freezed" at least 30 cups of lemon juice.  Probably more.

After a brief visit at school (I am NOT here...you never saw me...) I went to the nearby church.  It is open during the day and a wonderful spot for me to spend some time with Jesus.  This is my before-school stop and usually I just visit with Him in the tabernacle, but on Tuesdays they have Adoration.  I spent a good while there - probably close to an hour.  It was nice to be able to take my time and not rush.

I took the pictures "on the down-low", using my zoom and without a flash.  I didn't want to disturb the other "adorers".  It occurred to me that Jesus first had to endure the cross before he could be present to us under the appearance of bread in the monstrance.  One such an ugly reality, and the other so beautiful.  Our lives parallel that in some ways.  We endure...in hopes of that eternal beauty.

After this, I moved on to walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Normally, I don't work out on Tuesdays, but I'd left my water bottle there yesterday, and figured that "something was better than nothing" in the world of work-outs.  I really don't enjoy working out all that much, but I do feel better when I do.  I come in, do my time and leave.

It was a dismal fall day.  Misty off-and-on rain.  Gray skies.  Cold.  Wind.

I went across town to deposit a check and to do a little shopping.  I bought 4 advent candles.  Yeah, I know I'm a little late, but I have not been able to find them this year.  I may be the only one in my family who has missed them.

For the first time, I have a house that is decorate-able, so I looked at Christmas decor.  Oh my!  It costs some $$ to look good.  I guess I'll have to work up to decorating very slowly.  Or just appreciate other people's decorating that much more!

All in all it was quite peaceful and enjoyable.

I picked up my younger after school to take him for his hair-cut.  For some reason, his brother rode the bus home.  While I was sitting at the hair place, my phone rang.  He was home, but had lost his key and it was cold.  I told him to jump the fence into the back yard and the dog would probably keep him from freezing to death.  His brother had a complicated solution that involved going through the attic and assumed that a door would be unlocked.

So being a problem solver and a critical thinker, he came up with this.  Step on the chair.  To the top of the government trash can (that just happened to be in the backyard, because they cleaned last weekend).  To the top of the kitty litter bucket (we had filled it with acorns).  A jump to grab hold of the railing.  Pull yourself up.  Step over the railing and into the unlocked balcony door.

He demonstrated.  Ah...to be young and strong again.  Upper body strength and all of that.  Oh well.  Sometimes I'd just settle for being able to walk and cough at the same time.  But I digress....

All in all, a pretty decent day.  I think it went much better than the observation I had yesterday.  I'll have to cover that in another post.

seven for sunday

How about some quick takes?  Which I can never do because I like to talk too much.  And Sunday is probably the wrong day...but oh well.

1.  We have lemons, yes we do!  We have lemons, how about you??  I know you're supposed to make lemonade when life gives you lemons, but really?  I'm looking for some other recipes at this point.  Some that need lots and lots of lemon juice.  We have given some away.  I dropped off a bag of various fruits for my pastor, and he begged for a fruit moratorium.  Apparently, we are not the only ones with fruit to share.  

2.  I always said my dream home would have a fireplace!  I am in my dream home!  It still doesn't seem real...I really never thought it would happen this side of heaven.  We lit the fireplace for the first time the other night.  Was a little under-whelmed by the heat produced.  But it was pretty.  It is a gas burner...kind of missed the crackle and smell of wood.  But I'm not complaining.  No, I am not!

3.  It's a full moon week!  If you think it doesn't influence behavior, then you are not a middle school teacher.  Throw in a cold front, and it's really a fun time!  Our assistant principal has been out for two weeks due to a death in the family and our principal was out all of last week.  Think things haven't been insane on our campus?

4.  Do tell me...why must a single oak tree have a whole forest worth of acorns?  These are what was swept up from around the pool and fished out of the pool.  We won't even talk about what has been swept off of the driveway.  And it's not done yet!  One rolled off the roof and nearly bounced in my coffee yesterday morning!

5.  And then there are the leaves.  These are from the neighbor's tree.  Kind of pretty, actually.  But my kids have a new chore.  It's called leaf-duty.  Apparently swimming pool maintenance is a year-round thing.

6.  A view of the front lawn from my open window...almost at ground level.  I love living in a house where I can open the windows!  The weather was beautiful today!

7.  This is a tree in a yard at the front of the subdivision.  I have been admiring it all week.  Finally this afternoon, I took my camera and walked the dog down that way.  I tried to avoid looking like a stalker while I snapped a few pictures of the tree.  I think the colors are beautiful.  I have no idea what it is called.

And there you have it!  Seven is the number of completion and perfection - according to our Bible Study on Revelations.  So I suppose this post is perfectly completed!

gving thanks

It's fall here.  You can kind of tell by the leaves.  Actually, I saw the leaves in the second picture yesterday - in the treeline around the property, and grabbed my camera.   We don't really get the beautiful changing leaves thing here.  Never mind that it's been in the 80's the past few weeks.  A cold front is coming through tonight, and tomorrow night's football game will be in the 40's.  Brrrr...and I don't think long johns will fit under my jeans...




 We started off this morning with Mass.  I knew that I was going - alone if needed.  But dear hubby and older child ended up coming along, too.  There was a nice crowd there.  It was short - about 35 minutes, but it never seems rushed.  Everything we have or are comes from God.  We don't deserve any of it.  It has taken  me a while to wrap my mind around that.  We were raised to work for what we wanted, and to appreciate things as the fruits of OUR labor, not God's generosity.

At Mass we witness the greatest miracle in the world - Jesus coming to us in the Eucharist (which not coincidentally means "Thanksgiving").  Do we remember to express our gratitude for that tremendous act of love?  

 We celebrated with hubby's family this year.  His older son drove in from Texas last night with his wife and six kiddos!  We ate with SIL and her crew.  We were 20+ for dinner.  Afterwards was the Saints game.  We thought all was lost, because they really didn't play well the second half, but they managed to pull out a victory at the last minute! 

We have so many blessings to be thankful for.  Thank you, Lord.

morning walk

The weather is beautiful here at this point in the year.  October is usually rather pleasant.  50's at night, maybe.  80's during the day.  You can still wear shorts if you don't mind being a little chilly in the morning. (Never mind that my legs haven't seen shorts for the last couple of years... a scary sight!)

My sister-in-law and I decided earlier in the week to meet this morning and go for a walk.  Some girlfriend time.

So I dropped one son off for a Boy Scout camping trip and left another one sleeping because he had notecards to do later for a research paper, and drove on to my SIL's. We stopped to pick up another friend, and since we were in no particular hurry, we had coffee at her house.  Coffee and good conversation.

Finally we jumped back in the car and drove to a nearby location, parked the car and walked.  The first section of the walk followed along a cattle trail.  As is evidenced by the piles of cow "puckey" in the path.
  

Eventually, we came to a road, which led to another walkway of oak trees.  Doesn't it look peaceful?  We were headed down that path when one of my companions looked back and saw someone that she knew walking along the road.

And so we stood and visited.  By the end of the conversation, I felt like I was an old friend.

Relationships and grace.  That was a big part of the conversation and not the first time I've heard that conversation this week. 


At one point in the conversation,  the newest member of our group told about a retreat she had attended in which the presenter gave everyone a spoon at the end.  Have you ever been told, when dishes are being cleared away, "Keep your spoon/fork [for dessert]?"  The spoon symbolizes that "the best is yet to come."


I know that is true of our lives, because ultimately something better does await us in eternity, and I can see that in my spiritual life, on a more day-to-day basis.   When I got home, that very same story was waiting for me in an email - except that it used a fork.  Do you think the Holy Spirit is trying to tell me something?


Maybe I should include a picture of an eating utensil?  Maybe next time...  Today it was butterflies that were abundant.  I was complaining that my camera was having a hard time focusing on the critters, but when I got home I was pleasantly surprised.  My nice auto-focus did a great job of getting butterfly antennae (whatever the plural is).  No more complaints.  I won't wish for an upgraded camera any time soon!

Definitely something to do again.  Especially while the weather is so wonderful!