Saturday, February 28, 2009

Flooring

We are still trying to come to some decisions over flooring. I really want to get hardwood for the durability and long term value. Roger is leaning towards carpet for the warmth. Our greatroom area has a vaulted ceiling with an overlooking catwalk to the second floor and the room just gets cold.

The biggest problem being that our house that is built on a concrete slab (we have never had that before) so we are in a situation where we cannot just go out and pick any solid hardwood we like for fear of moisture and warping. We just don't like the look of some of the engineered and laminate flooring that we have seen and worry that the thin layer of wood or laminate will actually scratch and wear out before a good carpet will.

We like the warmth of carpet and the forgivability it has when you haven't fully vacuumed out the corners! No one can see the dust bunnies like you can on hardwood. But then again, when you see all of those dust bunnies that accumulate on hardwood it makes you soooo glad it is not embedded in the carpet and making its way in your lungs and furnace filter. Some of the newer laminates and floating floors that look like wood have a foam backing that helps with warmth and noise factor.

This is when the tightwad in me rears it's ugly head. I want the best deal and value that can be had for the money I spend because it is such an expensive purchase. I just agonize over these big decisions. I want a great deal, beautiful floors and not to have to worry about replacing floors or moving furniture around for a long time to come. Acccck!

Anybody out there have any suggestions at all about some pretty floors that might fit the bill? I am open to any and all suggestions. The foyer, kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms all are tiled. 12x12 white tan mix tiles. Help!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Abbi Grace



Abbi Grace and I had lots of fun this weekend painting and decorating treasure boxes for goodies. She was a natural! Look at that concentration.

Wednesday again!






Seems like this week has flown by. We had a full weekend in Nashville and then I have been battling asthma for a week and have had to go back and forth for breathing treatments. Here are a few pictures we took in Nashville. The wedding will be outside at Melody's grandfathers house and the reception will be in Downtown Nashville at Homewood Suites. I forgot to take my good camera in to check out the hotel but I did take some on my phone. I will download them later tonight.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

In Nashville



Hey Mom! We are here trying to get ready for the day. Lots of shopping and visiting to do between today and tomorrow. I guess we are going to look around today for some ideas for centerpieces for the tables and see if we can go have a peek at the room layout for the tables. We were supposed to have queen beds but they are full at best! Vince fell off his side last night. He says Susan has a mean right hook! Look at the pics and see what you think!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Living in a Tree

New walls and fixture




Hard to get the color right in the pictures of the new paint. It is a soft soothing green called green tea leaf. The fixture is an antique bronze. I rematted the picture I showed the other day. I did it myself and used the old mat as a layer so I could use a ready to use mat and not special order one. I just got a ready to go cheapie frame too. Maybe Roger can help me hang it tonight. Here is a sneak. Not sure yet what we are going to do with the rest of it. I have a towel bar. Just not sure what to do on the back wall. I might get some of those hanging shelves that look more like moulding than shelves. Not sure. I will find something that will strike my fancy I am sure. Thought the reddish mat would pop against the green and the dining room walls are the same sort of shade so the colors will blend maybe.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Can't Sleep

I can't sleep. Too much medication. Roger finally got the fixture up that I wanted but it will not work very well. It looks as though he may have to attempt to cut some additional room in the glass to be able to get the fixture in snug. If we were to take the whole mirror by breaking it then we would have to hire an electrician to raise the wiring so the fixture would be up high enough for a regular mirror below. Not really wanting to do that now with flooring, wedding, vacation coming up. Once I decide the accent colors and layout I will post the after pics. I am going to be so very worthless tomorrow. I am still trying to type in a post about another site and have it link within the post. Barbara may have to help me.

Monday, February 16, 2009

More horrid mirror woes

Roger has finished painting and is trying to get the light fixture into the mirror without shattering it. The base hole that was cut for the lovely shiny brass fixture is teeny tiny and nothing else will fit in it. He has been trying to see if he can get other size screwy thingies that look like little threaded rods and nuts that will fit over the exsisting bracket. He understands what he wants to do (can you tell I can't...eeek)but just can't seem to get he right hardware.

These dreaded mirrors are the bane of our exsistance....No, not really... but close. I on the other hand spent the day at the doctor's office getting my lungs listened to (nice and wheezy), taking a 20 minute strong breathing treatment (numbs my whole head and hands and makes me shake all over) and then I had to go to get an xray. Then it was on to the pharmacy to wait forever because everybody and their mama are sick.

Oh yeah, I spent three hours Tuesday evening in the urgent care office with strep and an ear infection. I guess all the germs went south this week and the biaxin could not keep up with them. Switch to Levaquin, prednisone, advair and a new inhaler and I hope I am good to go.

Wonder if I could sneak a peek in the bathroom? I had better lay low a bit. I should be writing up all of my lesson plans for the week.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Bathroom

I love this art print entitled "The End of the Day" by Jules Breton. I really like lithographs and I especially like the way this one feels. You can almost feel the relief personally these women are experiencing after time to quit the heavy work in the fields. The way the one is resting on the other and she in turn resting on her working tool. You can imagine the ache in her feet that are slid into her flat clogs and the pensive look on her face tells me she is thinking she is finished with one part of her day but another is just beginning. House chores await. Anyway, I need to get it re framed and matted. I saw it and fell in love with it at a little antique store and wanted it so badly yet resisted. Money was tight and $15.00 at the time seemed a lot for me to spend only on myself for something I did not need. I described it to Roger and how I had loved seeing it that day. Low and behold, he went back to the place (obscure out of the way...both the lithograph and the store)was able to locate it and wrapped it up for the upcoming Christmas. I have never liked the frame but it was framed securely wrapped in paper backing. Ironically, when the lithograph had been framed this last time, it was framed at the studio framing shop of a local regional artist. He was the father of a firefighter that "came on with" Roger which means they were in the same recruiting class. There were 13 of them in that class and two died in the line of duty (seperate accidents)including the son of the framer. I had never even read the name on the back of the frame shop until I was examining it for consideration of re framing. Now I "kinda" hate thinking about taking it apart with the connection and all. Roger has started a "man-cave" and is using some fire memorabilia. Maybe I can use this in a shadow box of sorts.


We have been busy tearing off wallpaper today getting ready to paint. We went to Lowes and bought a new light fixture, the paint, new switch plates and a towel holder. Need a toilet paper holder but not sure which kind I am going to get. I will post the before pics and then during and finally after. We do not like how the mirrors are trimmed in the bathrooms here but not sure what we are going to do. It is lovely mirror... trimming mirror. So lovely! NOT!

Ray Lamontagne

Ray Lamontagne is one of my absolute favorites!

Winter Song

Another really good song. Video that was cool was disabled by request so I could not down load it but check it out on you tube.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! Hope the day is filled with warm love.



one of the best romantic movies ever!


I am off to work for a bit (what else is new) and then hopefully back home to a cozy evening at home.

Confessions of a Shopaholic



Susan and I went last night to see Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was a funny movie. Seemed to follow the bones of the book anyway. Not that I ever read any "beach" novels! Ha! True light hearted comedy with a little romance and warm fuzzy wrapped in. Enjoy the trailer. Thank goodness Susan and I have each other to watch these girlie movies with.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

More Ice pics I forgot to post






I found these ice pictures that I forgot to post and thought I might stick them on the blog tonight. I have been home sick with strep and still feeling a little yuck. I haven't had strep for a long time. Forgot how bad you can feel. We have had it going around in my class so I guess it was finally my turn. Getting ready to settle in my chair and watch The Biggest Loser. Maybe I will get motivated to lose at least some of the weight I have put back on.

It certainly is less pressure and a whole lot more fun being fat for me in so many ways. I can cook and eat whatever I would like and not have to exercise. I don't like the way I look this way but most importantly I don't like how my body feels from the extra weight. I have such a tendancy to put on the pounds so quickly once I start the backslide. It was funny, I thought I had the weight thing licked for good then I guess I starting licking some things I shouldn't and POOF! There it was back on after three years.

I have a wedding coming up in June so I guess the mother of the groom should at least be presentable... so I am getting geared up. I just have to finish the last of my stashed Graeters coconut chocolate almond fudge ice cream. What?! Well it is good for a sore throat right? Thanks Lu for the addiction of this flavor.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

100th Day pancake tradition





I always read The Wolf's Chicken Stew with my class and we make 100 pancakes and eat them. They get such a kick out of telling everyone that we are going to cook and eat 100 pancakes or panacakes, pattacakes or what ever a five year old likes to call them. We share with our other kindergarten friends too.

Blogger Award


Barbara gave me a blogger award! How sweet. You can check out her site here. We have visited back and forth on each other's blogs for quite some tome now. She is such a sweet spirit and I enjoy reading about her kindergarten antics and adventures with her family. Now bear with me as I try my hand at loading links directly and sending the award on. This my friends may take a while and I need to make potato soup. http://mom-timeforchange.blogspot.com/ I can't get the link to show on the post. I need to leatn how to add links. I will play with it again tomorrow.

Saturday, February 7, 2009


Barbara's daughter had a video posted on http://theblogsoup.blogspot.com that I loved. Dream fit exactly what I had just written to a degree. Her voice is so soothing and ethereal. I also included this one called Rain. The video was done by a graduate student for class. ENJOY!

Priscilla Ahn

Random musings about me

Things have been kinda quiet today. I went to work to get some cleaning and straightening done much to my dismay. We went to the movies last night. The guys saw a action movie. Sadly enough I can't remember the name. Susa B and I saw "He's Just Not That Into You" We thought it was good. I slept late and then went on into work. Big Rog has been working in the man cave and is now making "piles" to file and stacks to shred. I on the other hand have been self absorbed and compiled a random list of things about me. Not sure really what prompted it other than the fact I had read some lists some friends had written and thought I might try some self reflection. Now to see if I can add a word document to blogger. It may be impossible. For me that is.


Lyrics to Dream :
I was a little girl
Alone in my little world
Who dreamed of a little home for me
I played pretend between the trees
And fed my houseguests bark and leaves
And laughed in my pretty bed of green

I had a dream
That I could fly
From the highest swing
I had a dream

Long walks in the dark
Through woods grown behind the park
I asked God who I'm supposed to be
The stars smiled down at me
God answered in silent reverie
I said a prayer and fell asleep

I had a dream
That I could fly
From the highest tree
I had a dream

oooo....

Now I'm old and feeling gray
I don't know what's left to say
About this life I'm willing to leave
I lived it full, I lived it well
As many tales I live to tell
I'm ready now, I'm ready now
I'm ready now
To fly from the highest wing
I had a dream

(Thanks to Lisa for these lyrics)
[ Dream Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

Random Confessions
1. If given the chance I would eat ice cream every day. It does not matter what flavor, just cold creamy goodness on a cone. And yes, the cone is the absolute best part, especially the last bite.
2. I love being a mom and wife. My family is so important to me and I have a hard time believing my children grew up so fast. My husband is a wonderful man who is always looking out for me even when I don’t deserve it. My children are such great people in my eyes. I am proud of who they are and how they treat the people around them. I can only hope as they age and become parents themselves they will realize how much I love them and that even or especially when I made mistakes parenting, it was all based on love and trying to provide the best for them that I could.
3. I would like to be independently wealthy so I would not have to work. It is not so much the work but how it consumes…or rather how I allow it to consume… my life. I would still volunteer my time to teach young children and families in some capacity.
4. I still feel like I am 25 inside. I just get a shock when I look in the mirror and catch a glimpse of my soon to be 52 year old face or try to get up off the floor after sitting there too long.
5. I have a fear that time is slipping away so quickly and that I am not doing the thing yet that I am destined to do. I worry that maybe I did not get the memo and will miss the opportunity to really contribute and give of myself something that can be meaningful and lasting. It is really hard to explain. Maybe all a part of the growing older process.
6. Water (oceans, creeks) and nature renews my spirit and soul. I feel so close to God when I am gazing in awe at his handiwork. A spirit of calm and peace enters my body that is too often wracked with anxiety and tension.
7. I am and have always been an insomniac. It is the falling asleep part that is hard. I can’t turn it off. Many times, it is partly the thought that when I do fall asleep I am giving up the last little bit of time I have that left in the day that is all mine and then the grind has to start all over again.
8. I could work in the garden and yard all day and lose complete track of time. It never seems like work and I like the feeling of tiredness it gives my body as opposed to the mental tiredness decision making takes. I want to learn more and more about how to really place plants and make gardens more aesthetically pleasing. Plants don’t behave for me and do what they should. My garden spots always have a certain “wildness” about them. They grow tall when they are supposed to be shorter, short and small when they are supposed to overtake the world. At least I am always challenged. My plants tend to turn out just like the kids in my classrooms!
9. I assume too much that people understand things as I do without an explanation. I have always been fairly good about “reading” what people want me to do or picking up on the process of a job or task that needs to be done when someone else is in charge without being told what to do. I forget this at times and think that everyone operates that way. This is a big fault of mine and it has led to my actions and reactions being hugely and completely misinterpreted by some people who work with me when I am in charge. I can get a little (internally) impatient when people don’t get what I think is very obvious . My body language must give away what I am thinking even when I don’t say what I am really thinking. I have been trying to work on this. My assistant now has a similar work ethic so we get along great!
10. I would love to travel and see the world first hand. I love to experience new things and cultures. There is a joy all of its own associated with experiencing life during travel.
11. I learn best by attempting a task after I have observed someone experienced complete it first. I am a visual learner which would explain # 9 a bit more. I like to observe it first, and then try my hand at it. Heavens, what if I failed at an attempt all on my own!
12. Over time, I have become horrible at keeping in touch with people. I think about them all the time but can’t seem to get it together to actually schedule events. I think it is the work that I have chosen to do that has contributed to this fact. Not enough hours in the day.
13. I love to shop but absolutely have to find a bargain. It pains me to think about paying full price for something/anything. This leads me to a little bit of trouble when I try and buy something just because it is a good deal and not because I need it.
14. I love ,love, love, love, love antiques. Did I mention love? There is such an emotional connection to the past that takes hold of me when I get when around old things. I imagine all the places they have been and how they have touched other’s lives. Strange but true. I admire how they have withstood the test of time.
15. I want to learn to make stained glass before I die because I have always loved glass and light.
16. I need music so much in my life. I often worry that I will have to choose which I would rather give up as I age. My sight or my hearing. My grandmother lost both. Sight, as I mentioned before, is how I learn best, create things and am physically calmed. When I see anything that is beautiful to me (no matter how great or small) it just takes my breath away. Hearing allows me to listen to music that triggers a very similar emotion within me. I just hope I do not have to choose. Both are already starting to fail for me. Too much loud music I suppose!
17. I envision myself in old age either sitting in a rocking chair on a veranda in town or sitting on a rocker on a wooden porch overlooking a thicket of woods and/or a creek. Either scenario would involve me with a book, music of some kind, a notebook, a camera, or drawing paper in hand. Geez …enough with the old talk!
18. I am looking forward to grandchildren so much!
19. Boredom is not in my vocabulary. How in this wonderful world could anyone say they are bored? Look around people!
20. I want to become a better Christian in action. I have drifted for too long without a church home and spiritual family. Religion or more specifically doctrine is something Roger and I do not agree on, so we have never really in our marriage attended church for any length of time together. For years now I have not even attended church on a regular basis and I miss it. Another thing I just need to do and get over the fact that I will be going alone.
21. I admire people who can enter the room and instantly become at ease with the situation and become the “life of the party” so to speak. I usually feel socially awkward even in situations where I know people. I feel much more comfortable observing and melting into the walls. I never quite feel like I belong or am completely accepted. Sounds like a therapy issue!
22. I am also a pseudo “closet” dancer and performer. In my mind I am out there just groovin’. I would love to be able to throw all my inhibitions to the wind and dance like I look like I know how. I always wanted to be involved with acting and Performance Theater but never felt like I could breath or live past the first attempt. The simple act of teaching used to be hard for me to fathom… you know the part where you feel like you are live and on stage and being observed and critiqued by other adults. Not the day to day teaching activities so much, just the formal observation times. The love for the children and the desire to try and give them a fairly stable learning environment won out over my basic fears. Five year olds always make you feel like everything you do is great, so what a wonderful audience they are.
23. I love to cook and feel like I am a fairly good cook but I do not like to clean up the mess. I love to watch cooking shows on TV and am always altering or making up recipes according to what I have on hand in the house. This often leads to me making something that is pretty decent and then I can’t remember how I did it the next time I want to make it. I rarely follow recipes exactly for anything except desserts.
24. I despise housework! There I said it. There is absolutely nothing gratifying about cleaning. Don’t get me wrong. I love a clean house. I just don’t like to be the one doing it. Too much else out there to get into that is much more fun and rewarding than cleaning. YUCK! I spent years resenting having to clean just because I was a woman. Nothing I hate worse than cleaning and having someone just watching me and not helping or making messes faster than I can physically clean them up. Pick up a broom or a dish! I think that is the one thing I did not like about having young children. There was always a mess somewhere and it made me feel a little perturbed inside that I had to always be picking it up after someone. Luckily, Roger has always been good about helping as much as he can. When the kids were younger he was out working two and three jobs just so I could stay home with them so he did not have the time like he does now to help at home. He just doesn’t like to hear me fuss about a mess (his own baggage issues…) and it always made me feel a little better to grumble about cleaning while I did it. This has been a bone of contention with us for years.
25. I love my life even if it sounds as though I am complaining some/a lot. I think it is hard to write about oneself without sounding like you are whining or being self critical and complaining. I would not trade my life experiences for anything and feel so blessed to have the life and family I have been given.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

more snow





It has snowed all day again and we had early release at school today along with no achool again tomorrow. It is supposed to snow afgain tonight fairly hard and the temperature has fallen dramatically. We were in the fifties on Sunday and single digits tonight. Everything had melted away Sunday.

Sunday, February 1, 2009





Glorious Sunshine






Today the sun is out and it is around 42 degrees. Roger is out trying to melt the rest of the ice hanging in the front gutters. The sun does not shine directly on the front part of the house and it keeps dripping and refreezing on the porch. Like an ice rink coming in the front door. The sun feels so great I can't seem to move away from the glass in the dining area. Just found out that the ice and snow have backed up under the neighbors shingles and they have water dripping down through their drywall. YiKES! We had our roof replaced last January because of hail damage and the neighbors insurance company denied their claim so their shingles are older and have been in litigation because of failure. We upgraded to better shingles and paid out of pocket in addition to the deductible so hopefully they will hang tight.

I hope that all people who are out of power and water get some relief very soon. We were so fortunate through both big ice storms we had. Luckily both times we were able to host for others in our family without power. We also have a little more sleeping room so it works out very well. If we had lost power this time we would have probably been okay because we at least have a gas log fireplace and gas water heater and gas stove. We could have survived maybe if we had been without power but glad we did not have to find out.

Mom and Dad got home and settled back in and are trying to restock the frig today I believe.

slideshow