Winter Wonderland

Just when I thought we were on the fast track to summer...it SNOWS! Usually, here in the South, we have a brief mild spring, and summer temperatures follow quickly behind causing smoldering heat waves that you can literally see coming off of the pavement. Temperatures last week were already hovering near 70 degrees. Today, school is cancelled for a snow day. Bizarre!

The daughter and I took a walk and played outside yesterday in the late afternoon...we laughed and frolicked like we were giddy children. In fact, we could hear the squeals of delight from nearby children. We encountered several people taking walks through our neighborhood. It was just lovely. Afterwards, we went inside, sat by the fireplace, had hot chocolate, and snuggled beneath blankets watching the snow fall from the windows.

We so rarely get snow that it just amazes us all...it often shuts the city down, and causes people to panic. This time, schools did close, but most everything else is open. My sister-in-law has to work, so the daughter and I are going to keep my niece, MEBs. Another rare treat!

I see the sun shining already and the glimmer of newly fallen snow that will not last too long. No matter how quickly it disappears, this will be a treasured memory for us for a long time to come!

And our best shot...our happy smiling faces! For other Best Shot Monday stories and photos, spend some time with Tracey!

That Place

You know that place where it all makes sense...where your heart is free to soar and you take such deep breaths that you feel you might just float away?

I was able to be there recently with my best friend in the whole wide world.

It felt like...coming home.

Loss

My sweet cat, Horatio, died this morning. The husband and I helplessly watched him take his last breath at 6:25 am. This has been such a surreal day...my mind has been kind of cloudy. I tried to make it at school today, but the wonderful people with whom I work took care of things so that I could come home and well, take care of things. My precious parents and daughter helped me, and then the daughter kept me busy for the rest of the day.
Horatio had been sick since just before Christmas, so he has been much of my focus during my at home hours. I had some really tender moments with him, and I am fortunate for having had the opportunity to have such a great cat.

Monday Mushrooms

Just so you know, it is not Monday. It felt like a Monday all day. One of those kinds of days. It is also not spring, but who can tell with the weather we've had lately. The mushrooms are even confused.

Today was our second day back after the holidays, but our first day with students.

Whew.

I only thought I was well rested and relaxed. At the end of this day, I felt much like I had lived through five days in one. By my calculations then, tomorrow should be Friday!

Alas. It is not.

There are so many reasons why I love being a teacher. I love the moment when a student really gets it. I live for the days when my classroom is buzzing with activity and everyone seems tuned in to something fun that I have dreamed up....that happens, you know. Really. It does. I could go on and on about what I love, but today....with spring-like weather....and middle-schoolers....

Yeesh. I had to remind myself why I do what I do. I summoned up every single fabulous moment to remind myself that I do love teaching!

I imagined in my infinite wisdom that the students would return today sleepy and sullen and quietly withdrawn...kind of in the coma of too many late night television shows and sleepy afternoons of video game stupor...Ha! Comotose they were not. Quiet they were not. Sleepy they were not. It was not the worst day in my history of education. It was, however, a shock to my system. Perhaps, I was sleepy and quietly withdrawn and sullen...too many late night television movies and sleepy afternoon books...

Whatever the reason, school has returned with a vengence. The sad part is spring really is right around the corner for us.

Excuse me while I step away from the keyboard for a moment of prayer.

Hope things are great wherever you are. Happy New Year!

18 years ago

It was a Saturday on this very day 18 years ago- a lovely day with perfect weather, though not as cold as I would have liked. Because we live in the south, the winter weather sometimes does not cooperate, and it feels more like spring. If you live somewhere with huge snowfalls and below freezing temperatures, you might wonder why I would wish for colder weather, but to me December should be winter really, and I love cold weather...so naturally, I was hoping for cold.

I was not nervous in the least....which if you know me, is unlikely at best. I worry about everything, and get nervous just thinking about things. But, the sun was shining down upon us, and I felt like this day was meant to be. Everything was planned perfectly, and I was finally ready to marry the man of my dreams.

Thinking back on that day now, I realize how young and foolish I was...I realize how much I did not know...I realize no one could have prepared me for what was going to happen to us in the 18 years to come. No matter what though, I would not change a thing. I would do it all over again!

It is shocking to me that we have been married for 18 years...I have wondered so many times in this space where all of that time has gone...usually concerning our daughter and how fast she has grown up, but the realization that we have fallen asleep next to one another for almost the last 20 years is stunning...so many people are not fortunate enough to stay married for too long, so I feel blessed that we are still together...that he still loves me in spite of so much...that we have loved, laughed, forgiven, and created together for 18 years...

This anniversary has not been like I envisioned it...we are dealing with the husband's stomach virus, a sick cat, band practice for a New Year's gig, and the lethargy that comes after too little sleep because of all of the above...regardless, as I am typing this, I can hear the riffs of the bass and the beating of the drums from the band room, my heart swells with pride for the man I love and have loved for so much of my life...he makes me swoon. I pray that we enjoy another 18 years together or more!

The beginning of our official family: December 29, 1990.

May you be blessed with love and happiness for the upcoming new year!

In the span of two weeks

I am fortunate to live in a state that allows me to travel to varied locations rather easily...

In the span of virtually two weeks, I have been to two locations on short trips- two very different places with weather extremes that are hard to believe happened in the same month!

First, I had the privilege of attending the lovely wedding of my second cousin. He and his now wife live in Orlando, Florida. Even though the wedding was the first weekend in November, it was so very warm and sunny there. It was an outside wedding that took place at 3:00 pm...just in time for the sunshine to burst forth from behind a huge palm tree and heat me until I thought I might spontaneously combust! Needless to say, the wedding was brief, but the festivities surrounding it were so amazing- THE most delicious Italian food for the rehearsal dinner the evening before the wedding, cocktail hour by the pool while waiting on the wedding party to take photos just after the wedding, a sit down dinner of several courses after the wedding, and a champagne brunch on the morning after the wedding. We did not stop celebrating (or eating) the entire weekend! It was one of the best times I have ever had at a wedding!

A shot of the aisle where the bride walked...lovely flowers and such a view!

The fountain in the plaza leading to the wedding site...an exquisite location! The Mission Inn

Below, the daughter and I are really enjoying ourselves...and below that, our view just outside the reception...as the sun began to fully set.

Lastly, this is the morning of the brunch after the wedding. I am pictured here with my parents, the daughter, my favorite aunt (my mom's sister), my favorite cousin H. and his partner, B. It was really such a remarkable time!

Picture two weeks later....I just today arrived home from this: SNOW!

My parents, my brother, sister-in-law, and their daughter, (my niece) MEBS and I took a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for the first part of our Thanksgiving break. As we crossed the mountains to get to our destination, we traveled through a recent snowfall, and the temperatures were still so frigid that the snow had not yet melted. What fun! We took the opportunity to throw a few snowballs and take some photos. It was not too long, and we were hopping back in the warm car to thaw out! It's not every day that Southerners like us get to play in the snow, so we just had to take a few moments. We had a great time, and while we were gone, we celebrated my mother's 70th birthday with a delicious breakfast at a down home restaurant, a visit to a winery (tasting and purchasing!), dinner and a fabulous show. I am so blessed to have a close family with whom I treasure these travels.

This is MEBS with my brother. Below, is my father, a 70 year old child...gathering snow for a snowball...one that he was going to throw at MEBS, just before she got him!

Now matter the weather in your part of the world, I pray that your holidays are blessed this year...in the spirit of our holiday of Thanksgiving, I am thankful this year for family, friends, good times, happiness and heath. I hope that you, too, may experience a feeling of thankfulness, peace and love!

From under the mountain

It's me. I am here. Currently, I am buried under THE biggest mountain of life...just thought I'd say that I am still alive and kicking...trying to get out to take a deep breath...taking a minute to look around...whew! Back to the grind...sigh.