Snow again -- twice within a week!!!!!!!!!!!

I hardly dared to believe that we could get snow here again so soon after last Wednesday's snowfall but WE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess it is time that I added some photos here huh? Earlier, I wanted to get the date saved for my blog but I was too busy playing in the snow, taking photos and just enjoying this gift God sent me during my birthday week.

Another birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I tried to post here last night but kept getting a "spinning ball" so gave up and went to bed. It was a long day. Now I am up early and the blog was working again so here I am.

Each year that I have my own class, I bring the "makings" for banana splits so each child can help me celebrate my birthday. The kids get to make many choices while deciding what ingredients they want for building theirs. They have a great time. I do too -- just watching them make choices. Hopefully, it will be something they remember years from now. I know I will. I like making memories for myself and others, especially the kids I teach.

It was a special birthday for me this year. I have been so sick, I didn't think I would live to see another one. (Hard to believe when just two years ago, I walked the whole Portland Marathon.) My preschoolers asked me how old I was. . . they knew I was a grandma. I told them "259" and they said "nooooooooooooo." So I said they were correct, I was really 125. They didn't believe that either so I finally said I was 39 and they thought that was good. Ü So, I reckon I will be 39 for them.

I have a new internet friend in Alabama who also stamps cards. We have been corresponding only a month but she sent me a bunch of goodies for stamping cards using some new card making techniques. I only hope I get some time to use them soon! It was surely a wonderful surprise.

I ordered some CDs from Banjophil, a teacher who is musically inclined. They came in time for my birthday also. I haven't listened to them all yet. Hope to put a few songs of his on my new iPod shuffle -- when I get it to work. Phil and his family are coming to WA state in May so maybe I will get to meet them if they have time.

My other long time internet friend in Connecticut sent me some special products I love from Bath and Body Works online (when I couldn't get the site to work for me). The local store has discontinued them so was very happy to receive the surprise package in the mail from her. Now, I have asked her if she will help me get more and I will reimburse her and she said she will so am happy to do so. Now I won't run out of my favorites. Ü

Last year Stacie gave me an Amazon gift certificate and it took me almost a whole year to decide what to get. I got Jeff Wignall's digital photography book and a SHUFFLE . . . well, I did pay the balance for the shuffle but might not have gotten around to buying one if I had not had the gift certificate to use. Now if I can only get it to work!

Going to go out to eat at Applebees sometime this weekend with friends here. Last night after work, I went to eat at Wendy's and had some of their great chili.

The best part of my birthday was another early present . . . SNOW! We got it on Wednesday and still have some on our lawns and in the higher elevations. We played in it first, at school and then, after work when I dropped my purse off at home and headed out for a walk to take photos.

I took quite a number of them but unfortunately there was a lot of glare because of the night lights. Will add soem later. It was fun walking around and I estimate it was around 4 miles. Then I came home and shoveled off my sidewalk and 8 neighbors' sidewalks too! I love to shovel snow. Then I tried to make a snowman but the snow had turned to powder, unlike when it first fell as a wet snow. BUT because of the first big snowfall we had this year, I got to celebrate my birthday a little early. Thanks to God who heard my prayers for snow!

I want to cry. . .

Being so excited about receiving my iPod shuffle through UPS this week, I thought I would be using it by now. Not so. I charged it for the maximum hours. I plugged it into USB port it needed on iMac. It was turned "on." NOTHING!

I even shut down my computer and tried to do it in a different USB port. Yet, I do not get the screen that tells me to name it, muchless an icon that says it is there. sigh

Three differnt people tried to find solutions for me over the internet. I had done everything they suggested. This is a sad time for me. I even downloaded the iPod instruction manual. Don't know what to do.

Finally spent my Amazon.com gift card from last birthday

I don't buy things online . . . not much anyway. I did buy my scanner from AOL store a few years ago but then, they just charged my debit card like they do my monthly fee. THUS, when I was given a gift card for Amazon from a friend for 50 dollars, I was afraid to use it if I could not find exactly the total of the certificate. Now I am laughing at myself. OK so I just needed a bit of courage to take the step. Guess I got that courage from the impending expiration date of that gift certificate. . .

I knew that I wanted The Joy Of Digital Photography by Jeff Wignall but I didn't know what to spend the rest on. No matter what I looked at, I had to pay more than the certificate but at least there was no shipping charges. lol Hey! I will take any savings I can get.

I finally decided to go over the amount and get me an iPod shuffle too. Paying the balance with my debit card was painless. sigh

They both came today, delivered by UPS and left on my porch as I was at work. I am glad I live in a gated community! lol

Well, I opened it up and "touched" everything but my eyes are so bad I can't read the directions so I will wait until tomorrow and see if I can see any better even tho the weather is supposed to be cloudy with rain again. . . we got 4 inches of rain in the last 24 hours. (I am sick of rain.)

I ordered all of Banjophil's CDs for my birthday that is coming up soon and hope to put some of the tunes on my shuffle. . . I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW TINY IT IS! I have also been downloading some from iTunes . . . well I mean, I have been checking out what they have and so far NO PAT BOONE iTunes. . . sigh Found some other good 50's music tho.

I am so excited! I hope I can enjoy using it soon.

It's raining . . . AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The calendar says January. . . thus, I am hoping for snow. Do we get snow? No.

Ok, so now I am resigned to this predicted dry day that will break January records and be recorded as a high of 53 for January 2, 2007

NOPE! We didn't get that either. . . it started out looking like it might happen . . .just before lunch it was still decent and we (my pre-schoolers) did not even bundle up when going outside to play. We come back to the classroom, eat lunch, get ready to take naps and it is pouring down rain.

Well, the powers that be have scheduled me to work a partial day today as it is the day after a holiday and not all the kids will be there. They were in for a surprise -- we had ten kids before lunch and my Asperger's student coming after school. OH OH. . . too many kdis without my aide. Did the center think about this? Nope. Many days I work full time and have 10-12 kids only. I have worked there the longest and yet I don't get all the hours I want. . . one would think that the teacher with the most seniority would get to choose to work a full day or not. sigh

So, to make this long story short, after work, I had to walk to the bus stop in pouring rain since I did not bring my umbrella. . . and then again from a bus stop, three blocks to my home. I was soaked. Now I am just a big grouch.

What would help me get out of this funk? SNOW would help. . .YOU listening, God?

A new year. . . what will it bring me?

Well, 2005 is gone forever except in memories. Another birthday is just around the corner. I wonder if I will make it. . . I don't have anything against aging but my body does lately.

Until this Fall, I felt like a 20 year old being able to do so many things. Just two years ago I walked the Portland Marathon and finished. I love walking on all our trails we have here in Vancouver. I can't remember the last time I got really sick but at least I knew what it was and it had an ending to "look forward to." Now, after 10,000 dollars of tests and emergency room bills, no one knows what my problem is. I have taken more meds the past three months than my entire life. My body feels like a drug store. Maybe this is my last year on earth.

While I am looking forward to getting to heaven, I was also looking forward to being able to enjoy some more time here in this earthly home. . . preferably with some snow. Are you listening, God?

I wonder if there will be snow in heaven? WOW! That is an awesome thought! I could go around and shovel everyone's sidewalks and never run out! I could make snowmen to my heart's content. I could build an igloo out of real snow not just milk jugs. Wow! Just the thought of all the photos I will be able to take. Hmmmmmmmm, of course it will be with a brand new Olympus camera because I can't take the old one with me! Ü

Heaven is sounding better and better. . . a new life, a new home and a new body PLUS a new digital camera and daily snow.

Wake up, Paulie --it's just a dream.

My dear friend Myrl. . .

It has been a long time since I visited with her. . . I stopped going when I got sick and was on so much medication. I didn't trust myself to walk that far after she "moved home." Her kids did a reverse mortgage on her home so she could have a full time nurse live with her.

Anyway, I surprised myself today that I could walk all the way over there in 40 minutes (She doesn't live on a bus route.) For once, it wasn't raining. I AM SO SICK OF RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

Myrl woke up for a minute or two but almost didn't recognize me as I had pulled my hair up on my head in a clip and I look different when I do that. I talked to her and said "Merry Christmas" and promised to return soon. I wish she could talk. . . she was always such good company with her stories of growing up and and all her trips and relatives.

It was kinda melancholy to go to Myrl's home again. . . it was my home for awhile too since she took me in when I was out of work. I made those nativity snowmen at her house after I shoveled the driveway two years ago. . . that was one beautiful snowstorm. . . I got three elderly friends' driveways and sidewalks shoveled before i headed back to Myrl's to build my snowmen. Then the ice storm hit and we lost electricity, school got cancelled for a day and we were stuck in the house for days because everything was pure ice. . . but o so white and beautiful!

Double Duty Dustpans

The poem that follows is on the tag attached to my special cookies I made as Christmas gifts for my Pastor and his wife and the Bell Choir director this year. I heard about this idea on the internet and it was unique and perfect for gift giving. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did thinking about giving it.


While baking you some cookies,
there was knocking at the door.
As I jumped up to answer it,
the pan fell to the floor.

I stood among the cookie crumbs
and wondered what to do.
The day was late, the time was short,
I had no gift for you.

I bent and swept the cookies up
into a small dustpan.
A friend like you, I told myself,
would surely understand.

The gifts that matter most in life
are those the heart does send.
With that in mind, I give to you
these cookies from a friend.

Dream Snow. . .

It was Friday and I had skipped lunch at work to help a few children work on their Christmas presents for parents during their nap time. The ones that needed to finish never napped anyway so I felt like we were bing productive. It had rained in the morning but the sun had tried to peek out for awhile during the time my TA left for lunch.




Anyway, to get back to the snow. SNOW? Well, yes, there it is in the title. . .



My TA had returned but I was doing a working lunch and was helping a student with their handprint ornament details. All of a sudden, it got very dark. I mean, the room had the lights off and we were working in a corner of the room near a window with blinds partially opened. Then I heard a noise. " OK, that's it!" I said, and we put the ornment down safely and I went to investigate at a different window ner our entrance.





IT WAS SNOWING hard pellets of ice. I was wearing just socks on my feet as we hve our class in a historical building with wood flooring. I stepped outside anyway. YES! It was blowing hard and the snow was actually covering cars and roofs but not staying on the pavement. I didn't know how long it was going to last. . . knowing how much my class kids loved snow, just like me, I walked around the classroom and grabbed every child that was not sleeping and took them out to the foyer to see it. Then I hollered for my TA to wake the rest up because they were going to miss the snow if they slept the last 45 minutes. She did and they sleepily appeared in the foyer where it was floor to ceiling windows and they could see the snow falling.





I'm not sure who enjoyed it the most. We sat there 15 minutes seeing this wondrous sight. The last time it snowed here this school year, we got NONE at school but they had surprises for them when they got home as it did elsewhere in the city. Then, it stopped so we all went back to our cots and I worked with a few more kids and got their ornaments finished. I hope the parents will enjoy the handprint snowmen as much as we do.





The snow disappeared by time as we got up from naptime and had our snack and went out to play. If we ever get enough snow there to play in, we are going out even if we are in the middle of something else.

Snowmen I have known. . .

The above are a few of the snowmen my 4 year old preschool kids painted. It was difficult for them to paint a white body on white paper even tho I had tinted the white paint with blue. You can see that they don't yet have extensive experience making snowmen in their young lives. I still think they are adorable. My favorite is the one with the green background!

After we read a few more snowmen books, I will have them paint new ones on blue construction paper. Hope to see lots of details. We will do lots of activities related to snow next month.

My wish for them would be to get to build snwomen at school. . . maybe this is the year we will get a good snwofall and be able to accomplish this?

Christmas is coming. . . .

Making this wreath on Saturday helped me to realize I would miss my Christmas tree if I did not put it back up -- after taking it down last week because I felt depressed. So, today, I dug out the sections of the tree and assembled it again. Now, getting all those lights on it will be my next job. Then, I have to unpack the big storage container of ornaments I hand wrapped last week. . . I didn't think I could leave them put away for long.

I purchased the three metal word ornaments from a Christmas shop called "Holly and Ivy" last month. Well, actually, I got 4 "word ornaments" but somehow I have misplaced the "LOVE" one. Maybe it is wrapped up in paper toweling and in the tub of ornaments. I don't know. I am a champion in losing/misplacing things. Always have been! Why should this year be any different?

When I make my wreath at church with our ladies group, I have never --in 20 years -- used anything but pine branches. . . THIS year, I decided to try three different kinds of greens and I like it. I wish I had a couple more blue and silver ornaments to put on the wreath but I used them up for some project years ago so 4 will have to make do.

Maybe Monday after work I will put the lights on my tree and Tuesday, the hundreds of ornaments will adorn it once again. We will see. I love having my tree up all year. I love the positivity that coems from seeing it daily. It makes my day!

My DIL is unhappy that I can't come to their house for Christmas Eve because I have a committment to play hand bells at church for the Christmas Eve service and only have Christmas Day off from work. (With working at a daycare, you don't get days off like at a school.) She should have invited me sooner, before I made other plans.

Sooooooo, puting my tree up all year helps to ease the sadness when i m alone for the holiday once again. I wish I had news from oldest son in Afghanistan. I wish I had located my daughter. I wish I had a good paying teaching job. BUT . . . no news is good news. I know my daughter is capable of taking care of herself. I love teaching my preschoolers even if I don't get paid what I am worth.

I think I will teach them to sing "O Tannenbaum" during my German lessons. . .

I don't have to wait for December 25th for Christmas. . . it's always here in my heart!

"Things like to hide from me" or "I am getting old. . . "

I have been "looking" for my bell choir book for about 6 months now. . . you see, we didn't have bell choir after Christmas last year because the director was finishing up her Master's degree and teaching Kindergarten, besides being a busy Mother of two college graduatesand two in high school. . . sooooooooooooo I took my book home, planning to practice with another member during the hiatus. Well, I got this job and have been sick and one excuse after another. . .

Today, I was sitting at the computer and spotted something that looked familiar at the end of my couch. Good grief! The bell choir book was right there all along. We play on Sunday so am happy that I have the old book back! Guess I need to clean more often?

OK, that isn't the only thing that has gone missing over the months. . .

I had put my media card in the usb photo thingie on my computer and downlaoded/uploaded the photos. The next morning, I saw it still there and took it out BUT I could not see where I had placed my camera the night before. . . so I guess I set the media card down somewhere. . . finally found the camera and then I lost the media card. Now that wouldn't be so bad IF I knew where my little "purse" of 5 other media cards were. I usually carry it with me in a bag -- hate purses -- but had emptied the bag one day when I was doing something that I did nto need all the extras I usually carry. NOW, where did I put that? Still haven't found it.

I really wanted some photos of my class during the Thanksgiving celebration. Thus, last Sunday, after church, I braved the torrid rainstorm and took two buses across the river to Oregon to a shopping center where I bought the camera 5 years ago. That is where I bought my additional medi cards also. I had a hard time finding the usual rack for them and then found out that they don't produce my type any longer. . . sigh Who would have thought? Had I known that, I might have bought a few more when I was buying. With my luck, they would all be in the same little "purse" that is lost now tho. sigh

I am hoping that one day SOON, I will see the card right before my eyes when least expecting it. What if it snows this weekend? NO PHOTOS!!!!!!!!! Arrrrggggggggh If I could at least find the single one -- all the photos are uploaded so I don't mind about not having photos, I jsut need the "empty" card!!!!!!!!! Soooooooo, tomorrow that is my plan. . . I am cleaning til I find it! It has to be here somewhere. . .

I'm sad. . . .

A teacher I know from the internet and her hubby have been remodeling an old hotel for sometime now. The photos she has shared are of a drop dead gorgeous restoration. I have been waiting to see the finale. . . last I heard, they ordered the elevator for it. I even hoped to go someday just to see it in person and of course meet "Chloe."

Now she is talking of moving to another country and not living in this restored hotel/home after all. Yes, I am sad. . . and praying hard that she was just kidding.

That's all. I can't bear to dwell on this. Her plans for the restored hotel as a private home were something to look forward to . . . the joy is gone.

You might be a famous artist one day. . .

I am so impressed with the freestyle of some of my 4 year old students in my preschool classroom this year! I got so excited about some of them that I had to photograph their paintings.

Here they are. . .I think they speak for themselves. I think I will give them large mural paper and see what they do individually next time.














I hope their parents framed them.

Bells . . .

What is your response when someone says the word "bells?"

I think sometimes it depends on the season. "Jingle Bells" is definitely a popular song for fall and winter from Thanksgiving through the Christmas season. . .It is a song for young and old alike. Does that make it an all generational song?

I remember learning it at an early age because others sang it in my family. BUT when I think about the song, it is the words of "dashing through the snow" that bring me the best memories. . . Sleigh Hill in Pocatello, Idaho; tobogganing down the apple orchard at St Gertrude's Academy in high school --in the panhandle of Idaho; the blizzard in eastern upstate New York in 71 . Yes, sleigh bells are one thing that comes to my mind when someone says "bells."

Wedding bells might be a close tie for first place in most people's lives. . . my marriage only lasted ten years but I will never forget that special day. I still have the beautiful white linen A-line dress. . . heavy lace on the edges of the sleeves with a linen bow to complete it. I look at it today and wonder how I ever fit into that tiny dress. I guess the best memory from that dress/those bells are trifold. . . my three children.

There are other bells. . . bells for church services; bells on doors that alerts the shopowner to someone's presence; school bells; and others that I have probably forgotten at the moment.

The bells I want to write about to end this essay are bell choir bells. Our church purchased their first octave of bells through member donations. For years now, they have found a way to get more octaves and now we also have several octaves of chimes to play alongside the bells. Most of us that donate our time to this service aren't professional musicians but we enjoy playing and trying. Since we are all volunteers, sometimes members of our group don't take it as seriously as we should and don't show up for practice. We were supposed to play chimes this Sunday but it got cancelled because we aren't ready because of the missing members. That announcement was melancholy to me. . . I was ready to play and yet, know some of the newer members aren't . . . so maybe it is a blessing in disguise. Oh well, something to look forward to the next time.

I made a small banner for our bell playing during Easter time. I am seriously thinking of making one for Christmas season. We also have one that has ribbons hanging from the bottom with bells hanging from each ribbon. I only made the lettering and arranged it for that one. Making banners is another hobby I have--many of our church banners were partially made by me.

We will be participating in the Bell Concert in Medford. Oregon in May. It is the last one they are sponsoring so it will leave melancholy memories. We will once again get to play with other bell choirs and be directed by a very talented musician/director. We will get to take some classes and have a nice lunch together. It will end with a concert for the whole town on Sunday afternoon. Yes, bells are a part of my life and I am glad I had the opportunity to participate.

"

What in the hell do you write about when. . .

you don't know what to write?

I don't even know why I am here writing this. . . but I have a few wild guesses. . .

1.)I don't want to clean my messy house.
2.)There isn't anything worth reading at Tnet tonight.
3.)It's too early to go to bed.
4.)I can't see well enough to read my new book. (Eyes hurt.)
5.)I love to procrastinate.
6.)I love to write.

Growing up, I had 40 pen pals of all ages. (Good thing that stamps were only 3 cents apiece and that I babysat for a family of 8 kids for 25 cents an hour!) We wrote back and forth regularly. Some of my pen pals were adults. Looking back, I have no idea why adults would write to a ten year old kid. . . but those were the good ole days and people did stuff like that. Just because.

I remember when one pen pal died. . . she was 18 and I was 10. It taught me how precious life is. It was a neat time to live and to be pen pals with others who enjoyed writing. I saved those letters for so many years. I don't know what happened to them after I went away to boarding school during high school. I would give anything to be able to re-read them now. I wonder if they saved any of mine?

That makes me sad for my grandchildren. . . they never experienced the pleasure of writing letters to friends they never met in person. I am sure that they would scoff at Grandma and think I was a little crazy (OK . . . a whole lot crazy) for hanging on to these memories. After all, I never even met one of the 40 pen pals in person. Not a single one.

Yet, in my heart, I knew each and everyone as if they lived next door. Tonight, I am glad they didn't . . . as I might never have gotten to KNOW them like I did writing letters. If I could wish one thing for every child on this earth, I would wish they could have a pen pal. Thanks, God, for the memory!

It's Been Awhile . . .

A couple weeks ago, I thought I would never get to write in my blog again. I went to the emergency room with such intense pain that I thought I was going to die then and there. After spending 7 hours going through all kinds of tests, they could not find anything the matter with me and referred me to a clinic if I felt the pain again. . . well, my experience with the clinic is so unmentionable that I refuse to dwell on it. I ended up going back to the emergency room the following Tuesday after I was there on a Saturday.

I used to think the world of doctors. . . but with all their expertise, they could not figure out what is the matter with me. Not even after another ten hours there. I can't believe I walked out of that hospital and caught the bus home after ten more hours of tests and all that I had gone through. I left with 10,000 dollars in bills. . .

Well, a few days later I made an appointment with a clinic and now am on a beta blocker for a month. I hate taking pills twice a day. To top that off, three days before I got this prescription, I had such bad headaches that I started taking Advil three times a day just to get through it so I could teach preschool. Really felt like a junkie. In the past month, I have taken more prescribed meds and over the counter pain relievers than during my entire life. . .and I'm old! I am not a pill taker. Rather, I WAS not. . . (I am a drug addict . . . or should be at this rate.)

I have been trying to clean and sort things in case I should die in the near future. I have so much to do as so much got neglected when I was doubling over in sharp shooting pain last month. Maybe I will never get caught up -- I guess you could call that "leaving a legacy for my children." Ü No wonder my daughter doesn't want any contact with me.

They are not going to appreciate going through my collections of stuff. I save everything just in case I might need it. Many times that has come in handy. Anyway, there is the possibility that I could recover from whatever it was and live to be 100 so I will have to sort all my "junk" after all. Things could be worse, I guess. I don't know how but . . .

Happy Birthday, Myrl!

I was so glad I could go and share a little time after work with Myrl to celebrate her birthday this year. . . she is back in the nursing home after a brief hospitalization after being in a caregiver's home. I visited her there once. She did not respond or even wake up. I felt so sad for her -- I know she wants to go home.

I will write more later.

Freedom

I went down to the Fort Vancouver Reserve today for the all day celebration, intending to stay only part of the day and I did sicne I left around 2:00 PM.

This year it was a bit different as they did not start with the flag ceremony bringing in the colors. I was glad to see it happen after a high school singing contest tho. The military, dressed in their uniforms, carried the flags onto the huge stage. AND they did have us stand up if we had served -- or knew anyone who had served -- during the song for each branch of the military. I stood with tears running down my cheeks as I remembered my sons who are both in the Navy and my brother and a brother in law who served in the Air Force.

To me, that's celebrating the 4th of July with pride. I didn't need to wait for fireworks. That and the music that the military band performed was my CELEBRATION. Happy 4th of July, America!

Independence Day 2006

In the United States, we celebrate our independence tomorrow! It is July 4th!

Independence. . . sometimes, I wonder how many Americans really understand what that word means. Some of us just think it means a BBQ with family and friends, maybe a city parade, and fireworks. But why do we do these things? What is the celebration all about? Can we still celebrate our independence even if we don't BBQ, visit friends, participate in parades or watch the firework displays?

Maybe we need to reflect on this seriously. How do we go about doing that? How far back in history do we need to ponder? Is reflection enough? Let's see. . . since I was born at the end of WWII, is that far enough to know and appreciate the freedom I enjoy as an American and apply to my life today? What about the life of my family, friends, neighbors, etc.? Why would I need to know history way back in 1776?

I think the answer lies in "knowledge is power". . . How can we appreciate what we have if we don't know what it was like without it. I'm speaking of freedom. The freedom our forefathers fought for so we can all enjoy life; the freedom that men and women continue to preserve throughout the world.

Today I think especially of my two sons, their Dad and Grandfather -- all served/are serving in the Navy to help provide the freedom we celebrate yearly on the 4th of July. Thank you God, for their patriotism. Perhaps everyday should be Independance day celebrations in our hearts.

Tomorrow, when I go to the Fort Vancouver parade grounds to celebrate and the flag is brought in by men and women of all branches of the military,my heart will swell with pride that I live in America, that part of my family continue to serve to keep us free. . .YES! I will proudly stand when they call out NAVY! Thank you Todd and Shaun. . . Am I proud to be an American? You bet!

AND, God, please continue to keep Todd and his buddies safe from harm during their mission in Afghanistan. Bring them back safely, every one!