I'm seeing green up here. I knew that if I ventured out to Stop and Shop, my local grocer, I'd find some form of shamrocks. These aren't the real deal, but they're what I wanted. Aren't they beautiful?










And this beauty is a book from a thrift shop I picked up today simply because I love the color. And the texture. I paid $2.99 for GREEN and CLOTH. And it was worth it.











I bought this book because it had a pretty cover and the lovely golden award medal screamed "BUY ME!!!!!!!" That's a no-brainer, I tell you.















Mr. Richert found this doll for a mere $8. We'd have dropped 10 times that if we'd bought it new. I swear, I was leary. But by the time he'd scrubbed it clean, I was satisfied that the heat would kill any unwanted germs.










My friend Laurie gave me a gorgeous plant just like this years and years ago. I've long-since killed it. :( Finding these today just puts me in the mood for spring.

Lots to do this weekend,
not the least of which
is laundry.

















Gratitudes:

161: Overheard in second grade today:

"When I get to heaven, if people don't know how to play football, I'm gonna teach them."

162: Bible study tonight focused on Bob Barnes' book Who's In Charge Here? We loved hearing from other parents who are right there with us trying to be the parents God has called us to be.

163: Devotions this morning at school reminded me of God's calling to demonstrate love to my family and friends. I'm thankful for the reminder to do more, to do better, to reach out and show my love.

164: I talked to my BFF Jodie last night. Her sweet voice will lift me up no matter what.

165: I've lost five pounds in the past couple of weeks. My jeans feel much better.

166: Today Camden popped into my classroom to tell me something. Then he paused, thought for a second, hugged me, and disappeared. I love that boy.

167: In spite of our battered mailbox, which lost to the snow plow, I saw even more grass around town today. It wasn't green, but still, it was grass.

168: I wouldn't trade my job with anybody in the entire world. Not even the iPad packagers at Apple.

169: My dog loves me every single day when I come home. And only after I've petted her and talked to her will she ask to go outside.

170: While my cat could not care less if I'm here or not, he seems to be a blessed beast.

Picture Dump Monday

My pastor has been doing Mind Dumps on his blog. I remember doing these with my teacher friend Sandy back in Pa. We used to have our kids dump their brains out to review topics and let loose their wonderings. The best part was that Sandy taught middle schoolers and I taught 1st graders. Of course we'd compare, just us, teacher-to-teacher, what they came up with. That was always good for a laugh. And then there were those times when even we learned a thing or two. I miss you, Sandy.














Sooooo, what do you think?
They're knobless here, but in real life, they have knobs now.
Beautiful nickel-colored round knobs that scream
"I'm beautiful and I'm worth it!"
I'm thinking I need to name these old cabinets.
What would you call them?
Just one name would be fine.
I don't need 18 plus 8 for all the doors and drawers.
That would just make me feel like I'm still at school.
















Isn't she lovely?
She's my new 99-cent Marshall's bag.
I didn't need it when I bought it.
I just purely wanted it.
It's the closest thing to spring we have here in New England today.
















There's nothing that screams beach like drinking a water bottle out of my Outer Banks cozy.
















My newest read arrived in my book order today at school.
I think it's pretty cool how Scholastic offered up this grown-up book in a recent order form.
Since my friend from back home recommended it
- and plus also he's a dingdang GENIUS -
then I figured I'd check it out.
I started it in the bathtub and it's promising so far.
















A Haiku for Emma Lemma:

Snoop Dog Lima Bean:
Your ears of velvet and plush
are the stuff of dreams.

















Gratitudes:

151: Emma Lemma is the BEST dog.

152: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. ~ 1 Corinthians 4:20

153: First day back at school after winter break - calm, fun, filled, fulfilling

154: Safe travels this morning in a bit of freezing rain

155: Camden and Benjy did their homework sitting in my classroom before we left this afternoon.

156: Dee at school who told me about a book of learning to be thankful in all things

157: Grass peeking out from under the snow

158: Starting two new books today

159: As many problems as our country has, we are a free people.

160: It's been a week and I've not had a single nap. :)

The final coat of paint went on today.
A nice oil-base satin finish in pure white.
Next time I decide to paint my cabinets, remind me not to cut corners.
I'm all about the oil-base paint now.
And throw-away brushes, too.
















These babies are smooth as a baby's bottom.
And clean.














It will be perfect when they cover up the innards of my cabinets.
Cabinet guts are not meant to be seen.
Don't be fooled by people who have fancy glass-fronted cabinets.
They probably just display their pretty dishes in them.
And they dust them every Saturday.
I will never have to dust my dishes,
what with hiding them and all.















STATS:
18 cabinet doors
8 drawers
102 square feet of painted surface
plus the window frame
and door frame to the deck
and the door frame to the dining room
















The birds are home enjoying the new view.


GRATITUDES:

141: Date with Benjy to Lakeshore teacher store in Hamden and Barnes and Noble for hot cocoa. When he tripped and spilled his cocoa on the sidewalk, we went back for more. Barnesey gave it to him for free. :)

142: Camden's smile when I tell him I love him while he's sleeping. This happens only when he's dead asleep. Otherwise, he's too cool to do that. Gosh, I love that boy.

143: Mr. Richert was handy with a paintbrush today.

144: After 18 years, Mr. Richert is still the man of my dreams.

145: I dreamed about Daddy last night. I don't remember the details, but I do know it was sweet.

146: Emma Lemma Snoop Dog Lima Bean is 16 and still ticking. And when she smells food she howls, and she looks like she's a puppy again.

147: Lots of grass on the roadside today. Spring is coming.

148: Hot fire in the wood stove tonight. Winter is still here for the time being.

149: Teacher blogs by teachers who are creative, generous, and talented. I scored some great ideas this week.

150: If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. -1 Corinthians 13.

My kitchen was sacrificed for the sake of my children today. Yes, I am patting myself on the back for being a good mom. Today, anyway.

We started off the morning promptly at 6:40 a.m. That's when I awoke to the sound of Nerf guns battling it out in the hallway. I rolled over and went back to sleep. Because clearly, a war at this hour must be child's play.

The boys had friends over for the night, and I knew by 8:00 that it was time to be responsible. Kids need breakfast, you know. And supervision. That's what I'm known for around here.

By 10:30 we were loaded up and en route to Chuck E. Cheese, where a kid can be a kid. It took 39 minutes for the spendiest of them to unload his tokens and proclaim boredom. The thriftiest hoarded his tokens like they were gold. Finally, we left and headed to McD's for lunch. Gross, I know. But it's better than Chuck's pizza.

Then it was off the the dentist for Benjy's sealants. Nothing like keeping the sugar monster cavity-free.

We ended the evening with flatbread pizza and a basketball game at the Univ. of Hartford. No, President Obama didn't show up in hot pants, but you can bet I was looking (what, with my dream and all.)



















I love my dog. Here she gives herself a bath, namely because it's too cold for me to give her one.




















I love Snack Pack chocolate pudding.
Not fat free.
Not even low fat.
Just pure, chocolate bliss.



















And I love these earrings.
I re-discovered these in my jewelry box today.
Actually, it was Shell's jewelry box.
And these are her earrings.
I cleaned them.
I put them on.
I sparkled all day long.
I'm sure it was Michelle's sparkle.

A photo essay for President's Day

This essay will be long on photos, short on essay.




Emma Lemma Snoop Dog Lima Bean's Haiku:

I can smell something.
It must be the chicken soup.
Or Mom's sweat and tears.




Notice the right arm action shot.
What should I do to make it move again tomorrow?




My kitchen cabinets and drawers are baring it all for you, my dear friends.
Did you know that Aunt Bea also used the Blue Willow china pattern? We have quite a collection of Blue Willow thanks to Mr. Richert's mom. She keeps us presentable.




Bet you wish I could come organize your cupboards for you, too, huh?





Here I am deglossing. It's not to be confused with defrosting. This is much more labor intensive.




Yes, we understand that the ancient laminate countertops with the ancient laminate backsplash trimmed in ancient silver metallic strips will not be helped by the amazing paint job that is or is not visible in this picture.




For the love of Pete, do we have to endure much more of this?






Nothing like a nice glass of cabinet deglosser to get you through the day.



Gratitudes:

131: Mr. Richert warmed up my shoulder wrap in the microwave for 3 full minutes and laid it across my achy shoulders.

132: All the prep work for painting the kitchen cabinets is D.O.N.E.

133: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

1 John 4:16, NIV

134: I watched Despicable Me with the boys this morning and giggled when they danced.

135: The snow was pretty today. And every single snowflake was different.

136: I got the sweetest email from Mr. Richert's mom today.

137: Three loads of laundry done this afternoon. Thanking God for washing machines.

138: I didn't drive anywhere today. It felt great to stay home.

139: Chicken pot pie for lunch.

140: Emma Lemma Snoop Dog Lima Bean is 16 years old and still just as lovely as when we first adopted her from the SPCA.

Benjy was our class' first Big Cheese. :) How awesome is that bit of serendipity? He began the week by sharing a poster all about his awesomeness. (Not that I'm biased.) He ended the week with free time while his classmates wrote a book for him. It's called "The Important Thing About Benjy", and is patterned after The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. I absolutely LOVE how I got to see his big week for myself as a mom while I was hanging out as his teacher.

Gratitudes:

121: Small group from church ~ We're reading a Bob Barnes book on parenting. Boy howdy, do I need this.

122: Emma Lemma Snoop Dog Lima Bean ~ Old as she is, she's still loyal and true.

123: A friend of mine just sent in his dissertation which was accepted. Congrats to the impending doctor!

124: It's Friday.

125: Tomorrow's Saturday.

126: We didn't have any snow days this week. (I never thought I'd call this gratitude.)

127: It's still winter, so there's hope for a snow day before spring break.

128: Daddy.

129: Mr. Richert has to work this weekend to help with all the winter storm claims. And he hasn't complained once. He is such an inspiration for me.

130: I learned a lot from the Black History Month program at school today. And the kids did a beautiful "show".

This pretty much speaks for itself.




Gratitudes this evening are dedicated to all things literary.



111: Author Mo Willems is a gift from God. I don't know who loves his books more - me or my second graders!




112: We heard Mo read this one last fall at a book signing in Mass. He is such an animated reader. Benjy has totally picked up that expression in his own reading.




113: Mo's latest arrived today at our house!




114: John Irving is the author of The World According to Garp which I read right after college and am ready to reread now. I'm nearly finished with my thrifted copy of Irving's The Fourth Hand.




115: This shot on my MacBook Pro desktop reminds me of the blessings of being able to read.





116: Pat Conroy is my favorite contemporary author. His latest is a collection of essays he's written on books he loves. I finished it early this winter. I can't wait for him to publish a new novel.

This is Conroy's writing desk.
No computer for him.
He hand writes his novels on yellow legal pads.
Every single word.

117: My next read, after The Fourth Hand, is this book on teaching reading. More to-the-point, it's about teaching so that kids fall in love with reading. Like I am.





118: I'll probably read this one while I'm reading the passion for reading book. I can easily shift between nonfiction works, but I'd never be able to juggle two novels at once. Jonathan Kozol has been a favorite voice since my days studying for my master's degree. I love how he speaks for children, not for the system.





119: A friend from church loaned me this book. I can't wait to read it for my nightly devotions time to myself. Patsy Clairmont is a favorite on the Women of Faith tour. She's a hoot, too.





120: And finally, the book that gets me through every single day of my life - The Bible. This is the one book that I read on my computer. Oh, I still love my hard copy of the Good Book, but the BibleGateway version makes flipping between books and chapters and verses so much simpler. Hey, simple is good when you want to get to the point.



Thank God for the blessings of being able to read.

Benjy said the most interesting thing today. Truth be told, he's full of enlightenment on a daily basis, but today's thing really went straight to my heart.

I mentioned to him that it was Aunt Shell's birthday, that she would have been 40 years old if she wasn't with God in heaven.

He said, "Well, we wouldn't have had a school day then, wight?" At first I giggled.

Because, of course the whole entire free world would have canceled school to celebrate Michelle's birthday.


I think he meant that we would have driven to Florida to be with her on her 40th birthday. We had an open invitation from her. I quickly told him we'd probably have called her. Then I wondered. Would this have been the year we threw caution to the wind and actually flew our butts to Orlando? It would have made for a beautiful break in the midst of a winter that still has three feet of snow on the ground here. I would have been able to see grass, green grass. And I would have been able to tell Shell all those things I wish I'd said when she was here. Before she was 40. Before she was gone.


I'd tell her how happy I am that she's in the center of this picture Curt snapped on the day Benjy was baptized. Isn't she beautiful? I wish I'd told her how beautiful she was. I mean, she was fashion savvy and all, but her real beauty was in her heart. That heart that beat for everybody around her. It saw the good in people when I would have thrown in the towel. She would tell me about her alcoholic friend in rehab and how she would visit her, and I'd be fuming because this lady had trampled all over my sister's feelings and goodwill. "Wee-en-di," she'd say in three syllables. "She needs a friend." I had a lot to learn from Michelle when I didn't even know it.


I'd tell Shell that I worried about her. She didn't look her best the last time I saw her. She looked tired. Off. This picture was taken 6 months before she passed away. She doesn't look her starriest, her sunniest. But I was just so happy to be with her and Mom and Dad. And I was stressed beyond imagination to be traveling with just me and the boys from Pennsylvania to Virginia and back. I wouldn't dare disrupt our weekend back then. I wish I'd asked her how she was really doing. (In truth, however, Shell was a secret keeper. And she was the one who would spare her loved ones any worry. She would never have told me if she'd had a hangnail, much less if anything more was weighing on her mind. If she'd even had a clue that she would die in six months, she'd never have told me.)

I wish I would have told her a hundred times how much I loved her and her husband together. That they were a meant-to-be couple. I think they knew that because I totally did love being with the two of them. But I remember early in her relationship when she was worried that the family would not approve of her marrying a black man. Long-story-short, even her southern white-as-flour grandmother fell in love with Brian. We all did. And not for anything as cosmetic as outer appearances. We loved Shell and Brian because they loved each other.

Yes, Michelle was special. I'm sure all sisters are. But she was mine. That made her uniquely special to me. I miss her.

I miss her southwest Virginia drawl that not even Florida could dilute.

I miss her chipper voice on the phone. "Hey, Wen," she'd say. "It's Shell. Call me." I still have her number saved on my cell. I can't delete it.

I even miss her extravagant shopping trips that used to leave my jaw hanging on the floor. Who pays $THAT for a sweater that looks like road-kill?! I actually said something or other like that to her once. You should know that I wasn't the one known for tact and sensitivity.

But most of all, I miss knowing that she is there. Somewhere on earth brightening her corner of the world. Welcoming the misfits. Loving the unloved. Keeping the economy going. I miss knowing I could pick up the phone and speed-dial her and almost assuredly hear her voice which would never sound depressed, sick, or too tired to talk to me. I miss my sister.
I love you, Shell.
I will dance and rejoice when I see you again.

Homeschooling for Teachers

You can still learn stuff when you're not in school. Not that I'm advocating skipping school. It's just that we're missing school left and right these days.

Also, not that I'm complaining. I've long been a fan of the wisely used Snow Day. There's nothing like waking up at 5:30 and wondering. Just wondering. And waiting. Till you get the call. Then you can go back to sleep. But still.

Still.

So, what can one learn on a day at home when the snow is tumbling down and clearly subtracting with regrouping is not on the docket?

* Wet firewood doesn't burn.

* Left to their own devices, children can entertain themselves for three uninterrupted hours. Just don't expect any miracles when you see the mess.
* Kathi Lee and Hoda apparently drink an alcoholic beverage on the Today Show at 10 a.m. every weekday. I completely don't get this. Do they understand that it's 10 in the morning? Is this a New York City thing? Does NBC know what's in those glasses???

* Emma Lemma Snoop Dog Lima Bean sleeps all dingdang day.
* Operating a snow blower makes a girl feel like a woman.

* Starting a snow blower makes a girl feel like an idiot.

* Operating a sewing machine makes a girl feel like a seamstress. But my new throw pillows are divine, and the fabric was free. :)
* Lunch heated in the oven is better than lunch heated in the microwave.

* Regis is retiring.



* Somebody is killing prisoners and selling their organs to the hospital in Salem on Days of Our Lives. This really gets my goat. And plus also, Bo and Hope and Stefano DiMera are still on that show. They are ageless, I think.

* While time has stopped here, it hasn't for KaylaAimee and her precious Scarlette. She needs our prayers. Right. Now.

* Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8