It's Not All For Fools!

Happy 6th Birthday, naughty TT! Without Scott's consent, Michelle picked you out, Ed brought you home and we loved you! "Hayduke doesn't want another animal around, Luke doesn't want another animal around and she doesn't want to be just another PUFF TOY!" Ahh, Scott...we had to get her anyway. I wished I had some scanned pics of her when she was little. She was REALLY tiny and cute...nobody called her DINAH, which is her real name..."Little Kitty" went to TT because she was so tiny. Scott called her fish bait then shark bait then snot...Then of course TT went to...
"Snotty Naughty TT" because she turned in to such a little snot! If you called her, it would make her mad and she would look grouchy...but you must admit it's so naughty that it's cute! We just call her Naughty TT or TT for short.

She has the prettiest, softest coat!


And she really loves me me me, even though Ed claims she is his. (She obviously loves him, isn't tooooo grouchy to him!)
She loves to sit at the top of the carpet thing we call their "bush" and look over it. Scott calls it "barfing over the rail".

There are a few times when she is a little more relaxed and lovey-dovey...like here, when she is on catnip.

Sometimes George Dog invades her space and she doesn't like it.



I love her toes...

Surprisingly enough she is, at times, friendlier than she used to be. She'll even let George Dog lay down with her.

Or she will et up by him.
She's always been an early morning lovey-dovey girl...she has to get on your chest and snuggle at about 4AM. But now...If you are sitting back or laying down, no matter the time of day, she will give you love loves..(once in a while).

This is one of my favorite pictures of her. Even though she is grouchy most of the time, she keeps me company and I love her. Happy Birthday, on April 1st, TT.

Monday, Monday!

Hi Everyone!

It's cold and snowy out this morning, supposed to be that way most of this week. No concerts this week, but next week I take my 108 8th graders on tour to go set up and sing to 4 elementary schools in one day. But that's NEXT week, this week I will find new music we can pass out and start working on for our May concert.

Have a good week! Let me know what you are all doing!

loves,
e

On June 3rd, 2000

we met. Today, we celebrate 6 years of marriage and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful man. He is a loving, supportive husband and step-father. I adore his creativity, his intellect and sense of humor. I appreciate his support and care in my ever-striving to gain mental and physical health, and being an independent woman.

And so, it is apparent to me, love isn't simply looking into each other's eyes; rather, our eyes looking in the same direction and going there together.

Policies...

Well, unfortunately, the School District I work under says that students pictures cannot be posted on the internet without written consent from the parents...

ummm, Getting 160 signatures is a bit unreasonable...

but I can tell you...the concert was fantabulous!

TWO PERFORMANCES TODAY!

Which means ...early morning rehearsal with the soloists for the concert...1st class combines the 7th graders, figure out where everyone stands and practice in my room, next class practice with 1 of my 8th grade classes. Then we will be moving all the sound equipment (with my helper girls) and risers (with my strong boys) to the gym, have the custodian and the principal set up the sound shells, others set up the chairs. Probably will have to skip lunch to get it all ready. Then do lunch duty.

Afternoon class joint rehearsal in the gym with the 108 8th graders, figuring out where they stand on the risers. Run through the concert.

Next class, run through the 7th grade concert stuff in the gym.

Next class, another joint rehearsal with the 8th graders.

Last 40 minutes of the day...8th grade perform the music from High School Musical 1 and 2 for the school.

Tonight, both 7th and 8th grade concert.

Gotta remember to reserve seats for my family!

:o) Can't wait! I"ll let ya know how it goes!

NOW WHAT?

It has become a weekly, common event for the dang UPS to show up and drop off a package of some sort of thing for HUSBAND. It could be a new gadget, something or other for the boat or what have you...Friday, we didn't have school, I was sick and trying to get the rest. DING DONG I heard. I woke, looked out the window and there walked the dang UPS man and I thought "GRRR". I called husband to let him know he had ANOTHER pkg. and what the heck did he order this time??? He told me to open it because it was for us. Ahhh. How cute is that?
So, this evening I went for my walk. When I got back, I walked around the front to see my flowers and I noticed, yet, ANOTHER box on the front porch from the UPS. GRRR. I walked up and picked it up and noticed that it was for ME! YIPPEE! It had a few crunch marks on it...

Good thing there was lots of stuffing inside and a card! TT got a little nosey to see what the heck I got!

I opened it up to see a really cute bear riding on the bear and I knew it could only be from Bob the Bear (esq.)!
And his writing is just as cute as his nose!
Hmmm, I dug down deep and i found some HOB NOBS! Remember when we had the discussion of the difference between cookies and biscuits? Well on the side of the container of what we would call cookies, it reads, "Milk Chocolate, nobbly biscuits." The will be good for a while, so I'm going to wait until I see Chuckie and Jo Jo and share the biscuits with them!
Okay, what else? I unwrapped 2 seperate packages. The first one was of 2 little containters that looked like milk jugs from Ireland! Don't they look cute on my shelf? Then I opened the next package...


Hmmm....I read the side of it first, "Unique Designs, Fine Bone China, Ireland". WOW! FINE BONE CHINA! How cool is that and from Ireland, nonetheless! WOOHOO! Thanks so much BTB!

So here are my awesome presents today that I got! Isn't the S&P holder cute! It has gold detail on the face and around the holder where the shakers fit in it.

And they look right at home!
:o)

That's Entertainment!

This morning, my swing choir joined forces with the 3 other JH swing choirs in town. We have been rehearsing 6 pieces for the gala concert tonight. And indeed, tonight was a great concert, it also included the 3 high school swing choirs performing a couple of their own selections.

Thursday, my 8th grade choir (108 students) will perform music selections from "High School Musical" ..1 and 2 for the school. Thursday night, the 7th grade will perform 7 songs from musicals and the 8th grade will perform, again, HSM 1/2. It's exciting, but nerve racking!

You never know...

Rarely am I ever home alone. I'm either at school, home visiting my kids or off doing something with my husband. This weekend, however, I opted to not go camping because of a bad cold I'm trying to nurse. And although the house was strangely quiet, I enjoyed being the only one here.

This morning, I was talking to my sister, Vel, on the phone. In my mouth, I popped a vitamin-filled mint. We spent our time doing our usual mindless chat and yacking. Do to my stuffiness, I took a breath through my mouth and inhaled the mint. Instantly, I knew I was in trouble. I tried to cough out any bit of air I had in my lungs, which wasn't much. I dropped the phone and headed to the kitchen sink, bent over, trying to get some air in or out.

Many thoughts went through my head in those few seconds: My husband won't be here for a couple more hours...How could I tell my sister my situation and could she phone emergency help for me? ...Is this the end? I struggled with these thoughts while trying to save myself. Finally, I was able to get some air in and I bent over hard to cough and out popped the mint, it bounced around the sink. I gasped in, barely able to get more air in my bronchial tubes and let out a huge cough. The sink bottom filled with blood. It took a few inhales to get a full breath of air as my respiratory system felt completely constricted from the invasion of the foreign object.

My air passage calmed down enough for me to catch my breath; I reached for the phone and let my sister know that I was okay...all she could hear was the horrid coughing/gasping in the background. I told her what happened...and of course we both cried and laughed and cried and laughed.

I'm a bit numb, okay but numb. It's humbling to have what feels like a near-death episode. I think I'll go out and enjoy my spring flowers.

I see this every year, but it says it all!!!

Things you can notice:

1) The weather outside!






2) The calendar: Vel's birthday is soon approaching. Here's her huganug wrapped present!

3) The new look of my blog!

And here is little Theo!

He was born Nov. 4th to Megan, who lovingly gave him up in an open adoption. He is very well loved and taken care of. Here, he's a little Elmer Fudd! This was taken a couple of months ago.

And you can sure appreciate those beautiful eyes and eye lashes!
So dang cute!

Here's another beautiful sight...

Ed and Cathy's wedding in Bali

I have 782 pictures downloaded from their wedding. I went through and selected a few. The wedding was at a resort in Bali, Indonesia.
Before the wedding (their Mercedes in the background)



Our beautiful little Cathy.


Cathy's family...her gramma, her mother and in front is Bunga, found as a newborn by a house...Cathy adopted her. The other side is her Auntie and niece.

ANd more family!
Wedding...


The church...


Traditional Balinese dancing at the reception...



with a non-traditional guest! lmao


There's my handsome boy.

Prayer before the wedding with her family.

Ahhh

Is it honeymoon time yet?

Love this shot...they are walking out to the ocean by the spa.
The yum yum reception!

and guests...

more yum yums...

What a gorgeous place!

with a pond...


Walking up...


Hindu temple gate or "entrance"...


...and they are still cute!


More reception...







Wow.
What a precious couple! Love ya Ed and Cathy!