5 Random Things About Me

1. I am a reality TV junkie. Yes, I watch most of the reality shows. I can't help it! Now, Big Brother I have never gotten in to and Survivor I am bored with anymore, but Project Runway, I Love Money, Design Star, Rock of Love, Flipping Out, Intervention, Shear Genius, etc, I watch over and over again!

2. I enjoy mowing my yard. I know no one believes that one, but I do, I really do! It gives me about 45 minutes of uninterrupted time to think!

3. I use to be such a tomboy. You could always find me in a pool doing weird dives and jumps off of the high dive or up in a tree. I also loved playing any kind of sport in the side yard.

4. I want to buy a motorcycle or a good scooter. I think that would be so much fun. I am so not the type though and I think it wold surprise everyone if one day I showed up on a motorcycle or a scooter!

5. I feel as if I am at some kind of crossroad in my life. I have no idea what is to come, but I think there is something out there that will happen soon. I'm not thinking gloom and doom, just change.

Holiday Time

I am amazed that it is time for the holidays. Turkey, trees, bulbs, decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, on and on and on. Where did fall go? It seems like just yesterday it was summer and I was waiting for school to start. Now we are half way through the second nine weeks and it is time for Christmas! Black Friday? Not for me. I did buy my first gift today...a gift card. Boy that was hard! No it is time to think about what to get everyone and who to actually buy for. I plan on not spending too much so we will see.

Back from Camp Oty'Okwa

Well, I am back from 5th grade camp. Each year we take the kids to camp in the Hocking Hills. This year...I wasn't sure we were going. On Sunday night, we had a horrible wind storm...remnants of Hurricane Ike...and power was out all over Ohio. I thought for sure it would also be out at camp especially if it was out here, but no, they had power so we were on our way. We left on Tuesday morning even though we didn't have school in the district. What fun we had, The weather was beautiful, the kids were great, the counselors were awesome, and we had no major accidents. Here are some of my favorite camp moments this year:

• Tommy always walking around in the dining hall with a fork full of meat.
• Getting peed on in the face by "Centi".
• Listening to Hunter sing..."Apple bottom jeans with the boots with the fur...".
• Getting my annual hug from Bob.
• Listening to Jonah talk about the "Silver Beaver".
• Laughing until I cried.
• Holding a 40 pound snake. ( Mom would have hated that one!)
• Finding out that little baby ring-neck snakes play dead until you try to pick them up! Right Tracy?
• Seeing kids that might not be good in the regular school environment excel at camp!

Leaving camp was hard this year. Deb and Bob are retiring and won't be with us next year. Tom is also retiring and Jonah is leaving for dental school. It will be different next year. I guess the torch has been passed.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Oh...school has started and I both hate it and love it at the same time. I love getting back into some type of a schedule. I also love seeing my friends on a daily basis. I love the kids. My class is pretty good, talky, but sweet. Also, big, I have 28 kids in a tiny little room. UGH! I hate getting up in the morning even though it hasn't been too bad so far. I also hate the drama! There is so much drama at school that I can't hardly stand it anymore. I am choosing to stay in my room and avoid certain areas and people. That is really hard considering I use to love my school. Things need to change and there is nothing I can do about it. We use to be a family, but not anymore. It is so sad. What a loss.

Life Goes On

Well, I found my first caterpillar. I've looked and looked through my milkweed and haven't been able to find any Monarch caterpillars. I was starting to believe that they left me this year, but I kept hoping. Day after day, I would check the milkweed to no avail, until Thursday. I saw her, a huge caterpillar who is about ready to make her chrysalis. Since then, I have found seven more, so I know there are a lot more out there. I am so happy. Mom loves the caterpillars. She was amazed at how they were caterpillars, then a chrysalis, then emerge a beautiful Monarch butterfly. She loved to watch them emerging them waiting as their wings dried. It is an amazing site. This all brings me closer to Mom. I miss her so, think about her daily, and wish she was here to watch our Monarchs emerge.

10 Things to Be Happy About Right Now

1. There are a few weeks left of summer vacation!

2. There is a fair somewhere going on right now where you can go and eat fair food to your heart's content!

3. Sleeping in until whenever...even during the week!

4. Fresh fruit and vegetables at a roadside stand.

5. Friends that stick by you even when it is tough.

6. A good chick lit book...The Saving Graces for one!

7. Air conditioning!

8. My hosta that are about ready to bloom so my yard will smell wonderful!

9. Bella greeting me at the door with a "meow."

10.Gas prices that are a little lower than the beginning of the summer.

Stop and Notice

People are always rushing around saying they don't have enough time. I am one of those people lately. I feel as if I am on the go constantly. These last few weeks before school starts up again, I want to slow down. That is hard for me to do at times. I went out in the yard to water today and I stopped to take a close look at my Passion flowers. They attract June bugs...uck!...but also fabulous bees. Huge ones at that. So I ran in and got my camera. I love taking pictures of my flowers and even have quite a few up on my walls. I wanted to capture these beautiful bees at work. It amazes me that they know exactly what to do. And if it were not for them, there are so many beautiful things on oour Earth that would no longer grow. Stop, take a breath, and take a look at your surroundings. What little thing is at work there that you have never noticed before?