Meet Me on Mondays

1. Crunchy or soft tacos?

Normally, I prefer soft, but here lately, I've been going after the hard, crunchy tacos.

2. Do you scrapbook?

I collect the stuff to make scrapbooks. I've made a few pages. I did an album for my parents 50th wedding anniversary that I think turned out nice. And I have a book of my son's travel baseball team when he was 12 and 13.

3. Do you take any daily medications?

Unfortunately, yes. I was taking 2 more than I do now so I'm happy that how many I take is decreasing and not increasing!

4. What is your favorite sound?

I have to say rain on a tin roof...but I don't have a tin roof. I like the way the rain sounds hitting the chimney cover. (Almost the same thing.)

5. Where were you born?

I was born in the same state that I now live.

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Back to Work I Go!

Spring break officially ends today. So what did I do?

Catch up on grading papers. Check. (I was out the Wednesday before break so I had a lot of papers to grade.)

Put grades on the computer. Check.

Go to exercise class in the mornings. Check. (Went Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings.)

Go to Zumba! Check, check, check, and check! (I got to go 4 times! Monday and Tuesday evenings, Wednesday and Saturday mornings! Wednesday was free because I won a pass from Monday!)

Clean refrigerator. Check!!!

Straighten work room. Check!!!!

Attend Future Teachers of America Convention in Nashville. Check! (I'm co-sponsor of our high school club and took our club president. No one else could go or wanted to go. We started the club last school year but had trouble getting it off the ground. Going to the convention was good for our president to see what the other clubs in the state do. She's going to do a presentation at our April after-school meeting.)

Prepare for next week. Not yet.

A word of note: Virginia Commonwealth University has just upset Kansas to make it to the Final Four!

I hope you have a great week!

Hodgepodge during Spring Break

Time to blog so here are my answers to this week's Hodgepodge.

1. Sunday was the first day of spring. So they say. Ahem.

What is your favorite outdoor springtime activity?

Walking and baseball!

2. Who would you want to come into your kitchen to cook dinner for you?

Bobby Flay and Rachel Raye

3. When did you last fly a kite?

Hum...probably when I helped C when he was about 9...so 12 years ago?

4. What topic puts you to sleep faster than anything?

Just about anything right now...

5. Which flowers do you associate with specific people, places, or events?

Roses: Valentine's Day
Mums: Mother's Day
Jonquils: spring

6. What significant historical events took place during your elementary school days?

Is she trying to figure out how old we are?!?!
In fourth grade, a man landing on the moon.

7. Do you swear? Do you pseudo-swear? (You know crap, shoot, friggin'?)

Never heard it called "pseudo-swear" but I have been known to say "shoot" and "crap" a time or two.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

You would think I would blog more during spring break; however, my desire to share is just not there. I have been reading some blogs, but not very many. I think my third period class is really, really stressing me out.

Plus I've been spending some time in exercise class. I have fallen in love with Zumba! I don't like to sweat but I will sweat for Zumba! (Maybe it's because of my third period class.)

Don't forget to link up with Joyce!

Wednesday HodgePodge

1. Did you know there is a National Day of pretty much everything in the universe? February 23 happens to be National Inconvenience Yourself Day...when was the last time you were inconvenienced?

Yes, I knew there was a National Day for pretty much everything. The last time I was inconvenienced was 2 weeks ago when I had to get a refill for my medicine. I had to go to the pharmacy three times before it was filled. Why so long? The prescription was written by a doctor that I no longer went to! So I inconvenienced myself.

2. When a room in your house needs painting who does the job?

L and I painted the garage together but when we had all the upstairs rooms (4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms) painted, we hired a painter.

3. Are you friends with your cousins?

I would like to think so although I only keep up with them through Mom or facebook.

4. Do you use an alarm clock? If yes-is it an actual alarm, music, or something else?

I use one with three alarms or two. The three alarm sounds that annoying beeping noise, ocean sounds, and the radio. The other two: a beeping noise is one and the other is my cell phone which beeps also.

5. What do you put ketchup on?

meatloaf and french fries

6. What smells make you nostalgic?

fresh cut grass and rain right before it starts to fall...makes me think of baseball fields when the boys were small

7. Have you heard about the high school English teacher recently suspended as a result of some things she wrote in her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn't mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.

What are your thoughts-If you're a parent is your child's teacher online and are you 'friend' or 'follower' there? If you're a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students on fb? How about their parents? If you're a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you're a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss...

As a parent, I only followed the teacher's school webpage. As a teacher, I am on facebook but not as a teacher. When my students asked if I was on facebook, I told my students not to ask me to friend them, I am not a their friend I am their teacher. As for their parents, I do not have a personal relationship with any of them so I do not follow nor friend them.

I have tried not to vent my frustration about the educational system nor any frustration with my class. I know that I have mentioned my frustration a few times, but it was not the topic of my blog. And I would certainly not vent my frustration on my facebook page. (To be continued with #8.)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

(continued) Joyce started this! I will vent my frustration with our state political system and their attempt to shut down the state's education association. If you follow me, you know that I am not from Wisconsin. But some of our state congress people must be because they have started legislation that is very similar to Wisconsin: trying to get rid of bargaining power, changing tenure rules, eliminating payroll deduction for dues, making seats on retirement board political assignments, and a couple of others. These bills have nothing to do with improving the education of our children. I believe that it will hurt the education system in the long run. The governor of Wisconsin remarked, "We are in debt. I have nothing to bargain with." Money isn't the only thing that can be brought to the bargaining table. That isn't a reason to eliminate bargaining entities. I actually live in a "right to work" state so we don't have a union. We have a teacher organization. We can not strike (which I don't agree with as a teacher...I'm a teacher to educate the students). You cannot recruit good people if there is nothing to offer them.

Just An Update

Again, it has been a few days since my last post. I've just been so tired in the evenings.

The club's Prom Show went very well. We ended up taking in $138 which was all profit! The girls were so pretty. And I had to laugh at the guys...they seemed more nervous than the girls! But they looked great! I think we all had a good time.

We had a snow day on the 10th which meant a school day the following Saturday. I was afraid we would not have the numbers of students who attended to be able to count it, but we did. I brought donuts for my first period class. Half way through the period, we decided to walk off the donuts and walked around the school. Those who weren't there, really missed out! I went to bed that day around 9:00 and got out of bed 12 hours later! (Don't worry, I went to Saturday mass.)

This week was a full week of school. I signed up for a book club (staff development book club) which met on Thursday. I got so sleepy that I had to stand up so I wouldn't close my eyes. (I was embarrassed to say the least!)

Valentines Day was nice. I found the perfect card for me to give to L. On the front was a porcupine that said, "Do you know why I love you so much?" On the inside: "Because you love me even when I'm prickly." (I was upset with him the week before for a few days; however, it was mostly my fault.) I bought dinner from Applebee's and laid out the red tablecloth with red and white candles and (fake) rose petals. He had a big grin on his face when he saw the table.

It's going to be a busy week: faculty meeting on Monday, textbook committee meeting on Wednesday, club meeting on Thursday, and lesson plans to work on.

Have a great week!

It Must be Wednesday!

Time for HodgePodge with Joyce!




1. Would you rather be seen as a person who did their duty or forged their own path?

Oh, my! This is just the first question and I don't know how to answer it! Now I know how those contestants on the game shows feel when they have to use their "cheats" on the first question! And since we don't have any cheats with the HodgePodge, I am not going to answer.

2. This week's Wednesday Hodgepodge happens to fall on Groundhog's Day. In keeping with that theme, if you could have a do-over of any one day out of the last seven, which day would it be and why. If you haven't seen the movie Groundhog Day this question will make absolutely no sense but that's okay....you can answer anyway.

Another hard one. I'll answer this one since I copped out of the first one: Sunday. I tried to get up and go to church but turned over and didn't get up until 10:45!! Plus, we went to drop off a car for my son at college so I would get to go see him again!

You thought my question was going to be weather related didn't you?

3. Hot cocoa...yay or nay on the marshmallows?

Prefer whipped cream with chocolate sprinkles! (I refer to this as our Christmas "special hot chocolate.")

4. Do you wear makeup every day? What are the top two must haves in your daily makeup routine?

No. If I can help it, I won't wear it. I tend to get eye infections if I wear eye shadow so I never wear that. My must haves would be mascara and chap stick. (My lips seem to always be chapped!) I actually blogged about this very subject last year. If your interested, you can read it here.

5. Is it more important to you in a relationship to be loved or understood?

To be loved...doesn't love conquer all?

6. Parsley sage rosemary or thyme... your favorite?

Ummmm...I don't cook very often so I'm not sure about this one. Again, I used my pass on #1 so I guess I need to answer. I like the way rosemary smells, but don't like the taste...parsley has no special smell in my opinion and I've never used a lot of it to notice the taste...what is sage or thyme? You know what? I do like the color sage so I'm going to say my favorite is....SAGE!

7. What do you do when you feel angry?

Depends on the cause of my anger. If I'm angry because of my students, I do tend to raise my voice although I try really, really, really hard not to. If the cause of my anger is my husband, I just go to my room and watch tv. I've been known to have road rage a time or two. Sometimes I do something productive, like clean or exercise. (Hum, exercise and clean...maybe I should get angry more often.)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The club I co-sponsor is having a prom show next week. So far, we have not sold any tickets! I'm thinking we should change the title to prom fashion show because several people have asked, "What is a prom show?" I have been having a blast taking our models to the bridal shop to try on the dresses they will be modeling! They have been so excited trying on the dresses. My boys only attended their junior proms (they decided that was enough for them) and I don't have any daughters. The dresses are **so** pretty!! I can see why the girls are so excited!

Meet Me on Monday

If you notice the date and time of this post you'll notice I'm not at work today. Why? I think you know. ;) Therefore, since I figured you didn't want to hear about why I'm not working and, really, I'm getting tired of talking about it, I'd join "Meet Me on Monday" where you get an opportunity to learn a little more about me.



Never Growing Old asks questions that you answer, questions that your friends would probably know about you. So, for today:


1. What is your favorite kind of fudge?

Anything chocolate! except not with walnuts, any other nuts are ok

2. Is there snow outside your window?

Yep! Take a look at this:
This snow has been there since Wednesday, January 12! There's an old wives tale that says if there is snow after 7 days, it's waiting for more. More came last Thursday night and again last night. (Why is it waiting? To encourage the other snowflakes to fall on the ground: "Here they come boys, get ready! Yes, yes...here we are, over here! You're doing great! Grab my hand. I've got ya. Here comes another flake. Grab his hand. Great job! Now grab that one. We're doing great!") Wonder how long it will last this week?

3. What is your favorite meal of the day?

Breakfast...hands down. Especially if we eat out! (Love eating breakfast outdoors!)

4. Do you text on your cell phone?

Yes, but not very often because we paid per text. I'm sure that will change since we've gotten a package.

5. Waffles or pancakes?

I like the taste of waffles, but don't like making them because they take too long. I usually make pancakes. (Have you had the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP? Yum!! If not, you'll have to wait until next fall because they are seasonal.)

Join in...I hear a song: "Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you!"


Have a great week!