Papitas & Fish

Goodbye My Little Blog...

2011-07-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about my blog and the many thoughts that have gone into writing of this blog. After much thought I think I need to put it to rest. My life has gone through many transformations since I began to write in this "journal." I began to write as a way to express, "vent," and converse, if only to myself. I feel like I have "cardboard boxes filled with papers of nostalgia and these boxes are covered in dust." My heart felt burdened and heavy every time I opened my blog not knowing why I felt this way. It was no longer a joyous thing for me to do. I realized that a big majority (2 years, maybe more) of my blog was filled with the sadness of my sister's illness and death. She has been gone now for two years and in this last month I went home for her, for me. Perhaps a way to say good-bye, I don't know for sure. I missed her terribly not being there with us although I felt her in spirit. Sometimes when I open my blog I jump back to read what I wrote during her illness and it makes me very sad. I begin to question what more could I have done, how did we not see the signs, why she died so young. Then I cry. I can't do this anymore, I want to be truly happy again. "Sister, I will never forget you, I will always love you and miss you."

Thank you my little blog ~ you've been good for me. Now it's time for me to move on.

For all my loyal readers I may possibly start a new blog under a different title, but I will let you know. Thinking about it :).

Going "home..."

2011-07-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Going "home" is an interesting adventure. It is exciting and at the same time it can be an "aha!" moment. I had not been back for at least 24 years because there had not been a need to return. Years ago my parents moved to southern California for health reasons, bought a home, and settled here. My older sister also moved here with them. Along with my own family, my world was complete. My parents and sister continued to travel back to Idaho over the years to visit with my two little sisters who had their lives there. I saw both my little sisters and their families when they traveled here at least once a year ~ that was good enough for me.

Why did I go this time? My youngest sister ~ the baby girl of the family is sick. She may need an operation and I felt I needed to go to her this time. She cannot travel nor will she be able to for quite some time. We went for her birthday which was on July 4th :). It was very nice to spend time with her and my mom who is staying with them to help out. I felt she needed to rest more, but she was always on her feet to make sure we were alright. Not a good thing.

While she was at work, my mom took us to see our memories. The picture above is my childhood home. It looks a bit overgrown with the bushes, trees and so on. When we lived there, my dad kept the lawn neat and tidy with lots of flowers. When I saw "our home" for the first time in so many years, it was still that neat and tidy home, I didn't see the disarray. Our town is basically the same; a new high school, a few new restaurants and even a museum! Lots and lots of farmland ~ the sad, really sad part was seeing my dad's land that he used to farm. Memories. . . It's a different way of life there, a different culture, a dedication to a life I left a long time ago. I love my life now ~ I have for a long time. I remembered why I left Idaho so many years ago. It is not my life anymore. It is my sister's life and she loves it.

It was a good visit ~ it's a beautiful state ~ an amazing part of the state. I'm glad I went. I missed that my older sister was not there. I think she was there spiritually, but I would have loved to have spend time with her. She would have been so happy with me and the fact that I finally made it back "home."

Life is Good . . .

2011-06-16T11:31:00.001-07:00

I went to see my nutritionist yesterday and although I feel a lot better, the problem still exists. This I knew. She gave me stronger drops which I hope will take care of it. I was right, I will continue to be gluten-free and have to stay away from sugary foods. The good news is that my immune system is healing, my heart is strong, I'm breathing better which helps my lungs a lot. My doctor was so happy with how I looked ~ so different from my first appointment with her. She said she barely recognized me. She said I looked happier which I definitely feel happier.

I will go for one more appointment in July and I hope to be done with this health problem. That would be so great. I think I will continue with the holistic meds, but that's just fine with me since I have so much faith in them.

I'm from the old way of thinking and rely on "grandma's teas and herbs." When regular doctors only give me creams and I tell them the problem is from the inside and they dismiss me, I had to seek outside help. I was in a bad way. Thank God for doctors like my nutritionist. I am healing from the inside out. I could never have healed from the outside in with a simple cream - idiotic!

On the bright side, I had a chicken tamal, scrambled eggs, and beans from the pot for lunch. So delicious - yum!! AND I can once again have fresh tomatoes (salsa!) and mustard & mayonnaise!
So happy!!!!

Eating my "purest" meal . . .

2011-06-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

As I sit here eating what I call my "purest" meal of lettuce, red cabbage, broccolli, and boiled egg (oh, and for good measure I cut up a string cheese ~ tasty) I contemplate where my life is now. I'm thinner, that's for sure, and I feel better with less aches and pains.

I call my salad my "purest" meal because this is what I will eat in order to get my body back in balance especially after I've eaten something I shouldn't have ~ like bread. I see my nutritionist on Wednesday, but I have a feeling that I already know the conclusion. I think I will forever eat things that are gluten-free and sugar-free. That includes sugar substitutes. That's ok. It's the least of my worries.

I have lost 40 pounds and hope to lose 10 more by the end of June. I'm good with that. :)

But you know what I find interesting in this journey? Sometimes I see myself thinner, but for the most part I see myself as I always was - as I was before. Until I put on clothes from before and they are way too big. I'm leaving so many clothes!! I haven't bought too much because I don't think I'm done losing the weight.

And as I finish my "purest" meal I think "that was delicious!"

Hunting...

2011-05-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

We're thinking of buying a new car ~ so cool. Check it off on the bucket list! This will be the car we retire with because after that there will be no money to buy a new one so we need to make it worth the money. We're also planning trips in the near future so a new car would definitely help. We keep borrowing our younger son's car which he so graciously lets us use, but he has plans for the summer and we don't want to inconvenience him anymore. He's become a very independent young man.

Kiwi green is a nice color. What do you think? A midsize SUV would be ideal. Someday I will have grandbabies and I will be able to drive them around in a comfy car. :) Hint! Hint!

Car sales people, however, are a different breed. They pounce on the innocent right away! All we want is a good price and that's it!!

Wish us luck!!! And good blessings.

Almost There ....

2011-05-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I have written on my blog ~ I had to verify who I was ~ interesting :). Almost done with our school year. It's been a long, long school year. I think it's been one of the longest, hardest I have ever had. I started out the school year with five behavior problems that was reduced by one half way through the year. Children now a days are different from the children I began teaching with. I don't know what it is really. I have to think it's the fact that both parents may be working and no one is home for the children. Perhaps it's the discipline parents give in this day and age which does not exist. Lack of respect is another detriment ~ bad language seems common. So sad. I'm ready to let this group go. Don't get me wrong, I have some really sweet, respectful students and I feel for them when those four get out of hand ~ and those students I will miss.

My health has improved a lot. Finally went to see a nutritionist and she has helped me so much. Feeling so much better, but still have a way to go.

Looking forward to the day I can retire and leave the teaching to the young folks. :)

Memorial Day is around the corner. I should have report cards done by then and looking forward to a peaceful weekend.

Sadness for Japan . . .

2011-03-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Stressful, fear, worried, risk of radiation exposure, limited communication, financial meltdown, uncertainty, evacuate, difficulties, panic, survival efforts, empty store shelves, mudslides, ghost towns, no gas, no available resources, devestation, scary ~ all the words I heard in less than 10 minutes regarding the earthquake in Japan. So sad.

After going to the gym this morning, I decided to go to the 99 cent store and pick up supplies for an earthquake kit I'm putting together for our son and ourselves. Bought bandaids, gauze, alcohol pads, etc. Good prices. I then stopped at the grocery store to do my weekly shopping and bought a lot of water. I don't know, but all these earthquakes have got me a little jittery. Living close to Los Angeles does not quiet my fears. I know that if we get a "big" earthquake, we will definitely feel it and possible receive some major damage.

I look at the lines of people trying to get water and food and I think about the fact that this is Japan and they were suppose to always be ready ~ like us. Earthquakes are unpredictable - worse a tsunami, nevertheless, we need to be ready to the best of our ability.

I need to get a crank-up radio and "stay calm."

GET To WORK!!!!

2011-02-21T12:28:00.001-08:00

Interesting ... half the day is gone and I haven't made a dent in correcting my students' papers. The day is beautiful outside ~ came back from the gym and sat down to have coffee with my husband outside in the patio.

My intentions have been good as far as correcting goes, but I had a feeling we would have company this weekend and we did :). My best friend from college came by to visit, we were able to spend time with our children who also stopped by yesterday. Always love seeing them.

We received news that a friend of ours had passed away up north. He had been sick for a while and we knew it was a matter of time. He is resting now.

When I hear news like that, I have to stop and take a breath, stop and look around at all that I have, stop and appreciate all of God's blessings in our life together. We are in a good place. Thank you LORD.

Alright I really do need to get to work ~ correct, correct, correct!!!!!

"Home..."

2011-02-20T12:43:00.001-08:00

I'm going "home." I have not been back for about 25 years. This is the area where I grew up ~ the Hagerman Valley. The reason for going is not exactly why we wanted to go. We had plans to go near the 4th of July for my little sister's birthday. We had planned to make it a family event with our children caravaning with us, but we will go sooner. My little sister needs an operation and this is why we are going ~ to support her and my mama.

I have to believe everything will be alright. She will be on the road back to health as soon as she gets this operation. Everything will be alright. It has to be.

I'm going home, hard to believe.

Why?

2011-02-01T06:08:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I don't get it.
What do I do? Pray?
I will, but will it be enough?
What happened?
And why?
I was happy~
For a moment...

A Quiet Sunday Afternoon...

2011-01-30T16:29:00.001-08:00

It's time for a cup of coffee. It's raining outside and it's cold. I've been correcting my students' work for most of the afternoon and feel like I've accomplished a lot. I am going to reward myself :). I've also have been doing laundry, putting away laundry, tidying up the family room and kitchen, cleaned the parrot cage and made a nice lunch. It's been a very good afternoon.

Yesterday I went to the gym and walked/ran on the treadmill for 1 mile. Pedaled the bike machine for 2 miles and went on the elliptical for .75 mile. I am getting better and better at exercising. I can now do 10 push-ups and doing better with the 5 pound weights. I have lost 11 pounds in one month. So proud of myself. And feeling much better as far as my health goes. I have started to like corn tortillas, grill/bake a lot of my food and eat lots of veggies. Let's see, what do I miss? Chocolate cake!!! Darn it!

Coffee - yummmmm!

My First Work Out!!

2011-01-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the gym for the first time in like 25 years~ WOW! It was great!!! I really liked it. For my first day (and with the help of the work staff) I did 1.25 miles on the treadmill on a good incline. I did 1 mile on the bicycle thing. But I could only do .25 miles on the elliptical machine. That one was hard! I also worked out on two machines for my arms. By the time I left I had drunk a whole bottle of water, was sweating like crazy and was exhausted, but I felt wonderful! I'm really going to like this part of my "road back to health" -- my motto for this year which I am taking very seriously. Tomorrow I actually get to work out with my personal trainer :).

I have a lot of correcting to do so I'd best get started. Have a good week everyone!!!!

Happy!

2011-01-06T07:15:00.001-08:00

Read my blog from yesterday ~ it was a long day! Today is Thursday, my husband's Friday and tomorrow he is off ~ that is my "woo-hoo!" I am no good at being alone! Just watched a dvr recording with Ricky Martin and Joss Stone singing "The best thing about me ~ is you!" Loved the song ~ fits my husband :). I have three days left of vacation to spend with him ~ very happy!!

Too, Too Quiet!!!!

2011-01-05T16:53:00.001-08:00

It's too quiet around here ~ I don't like it ~ not at all.

The sun is setting, the chicken soup is ready, I've corrected enough (but never enough) papers, I vacuumed, I considered mopping, I fed the dogs, I threw out the trash, I prepared the veggies for my husband's lunch tomorrow, I exercised, I watched a little tv, I read part of the paper, I did more research on what I can eat at a chinese restaurant, I checked the mail.

I can not retire unless my husband does. It gets too lonely around here. When he's home, we talk, we sit together and watch tv, we spend time together. When he goes into the garage or out to do yard work, then I clean. It works out great. I enjoy being around him ~ he makes me happy.

I guess staying home alone would take some getting used to, but I'm not ready to do it. I worry about thinking too much and then I get sad. I still need to be around people, the children at school, the activity, the work. Not ready to retire~ yet.

Hello . . .

2011-01-03T14:39:00.001-08:00

Something is wrong with my laptop :(. I had to come upstairs and use my husband's desktop which is a beautiful computer, but I miss my laptop.I'll have to wait until my sons come home and fix the problem which is probably minute, but heck if I know what it is. Usually they press a couple of keys and voila! it's fixed. I really need to learn computers!

Oh well, it's ok. I have so much more to do than check my Farmville :). Ha!

We met my little brother's girlfriend last night. She was very nice. I really like her. She seems sensible, caring, and sweet. I was surprised seeing that my brother who was quite the accomplished bachelor had met the girl who might settle him down. I wish my sister would have met her ~ she would have liked her. 2011 has begun with such a pleasant surprise.

Sister, you are smiling, right? Because I am.

Beautiful New Year . . .

2011-01-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

The calm before the storm ~ I took this picture from our deck yesterday morning. It was our last morning to sleep late but I woke up to this gorgeous sight through the curtains of our bedroom, jumped out of bed as quietly as I could, told my husband "sleep," ran to get my camera, grabbed a sweater and ran out to the deck ~ SNAP!!! I don't do the beautifulness of it all justice, but I love it.

The storm came in yesterday afternoon and continues today. It is so cold, snowing for sure in the mountains. My husband went back to work. I do not go back until next Monday ~ so cool! I already cleaned out my clothes drawers ~ discarding a lot ~ getting ready for this new year by doing away with useless things ~ decluttering :).

For dinner I plan to make albondigas (good idea, Maria :) Yummmmmmm.....

Now to get on the treadmill and get going ~ working on my health.

A New Year ~ 2011

2010-12-31T20:14:00.001-08:00

I find it interesting that a new year is once again upon us ~ so much has happened in this last year and I anticipate a busy year to come.

Work continues at its constant pace of new ideas, demands, and overload. Each new year brings me closer to retirement and this excites me. I am ready. Maybe not this next year but soon.

It has been one year and a half since my sister has passed away ~ life is not the same. I miss her terribly and I suppose I always will. My mom misses her so much. I cry when she cries. We made it through Christmas with the help of my husband and children. We had a wonderful time with our nephew and his partner, nieces, nephews, and other family members. My mom was able to spend it with us, too and I tried to keep her busy. We talked and laughed, we remembered and we were quiet in our thoughts. And we go on.

I reconnected with our cousins whom I love very much and actually spend time with them recently. My sister always tried to keep in touch with them and I merely stayed in the background, but now I want to be the one who keeps in touch. Love you cousins!

Our children are all in good stable relationships ~ we love them all dearly.

My goal for this year is to get control over my health. I'm feeling better and watching what I eat. It's not so bad. I think in the long run it will all be good for me. I did, however, crave chocolate cake today, but only for a minute ~ the thought of paying for it later overruled any craving I had.

In conclusion, I welcome 2011 and all it has to offer. I feel fortunate to still be here to enjoy each and every day. We are blessed. Thank you Lord.

My Tortillas!!!!!

2010-12-30T20:35:00.001-08:00

Well, my long association with the freshly made, warm delicious tortilla has ended much to my dismay. My age has caught up with my health or my health with my age and I must rethink how I will scoop up that last little bit of tasty morsel on my plate. Damn it!!!!!

For the rest of my life, I will be forced to eat the corn tortillas set aside for the weekend menudo or taquitos or tacos. Now these will become my norm instead of the the flour tortillas that I had come to love as a staple. For the most part, I'll need to stay away from white flour items or anything with the same. I have developed a food allergy that will probably stay with me from here on out.

When I read of the things that I cannot not eat because they are not good for me, I am amazed at how much I used to eat. This might prove to be a positive thing. I can eat salads with lots of broccoli, spinach, celery, cucumbers, boiled eggs; I can eat fish, meat, & chicken; I can eat yogurt with fresh fruit; I can still have coffee (yay!); I can eat fruit! It's all good. I'll be on a healthy "diet."

But I'll still miss my tortillas!!!

Work, work, work....

2010-12-14T19:13:00.001-08:00

Here I am needing to finish work for school and what am I doing ~ blogging! Already checked my FB, checked the old farm, restarted the Dell to use with my memory stick.

It was a long day today, testing once again. Tomorrow I need to meet with our principal regarding data. That is what I need to be doing, preparing the criteria that I will need to walk into her office with. Oh darn!

My husband and I took my mama to see family in Fillmore on Sunday. It was so nice to see everyone again. I didn't realize how much I had missed them. Years had gone by that I would see them occasionally, if even that. When we were young we were constant companions with our cousins. They are like brothers and sisters to me. My older sister kept more in touch with them, I'd follow along~ sometimes. Life had us occupied most of the time (not a good excuse ~ I'll never let that happen again). Seeing them touched my heart. We talked ~ I met many nieces and nephews, saw the ones I remember when they were little ~ they were all so kind and respectful. The highlight was seeing my "tia" who I had not seen in years. She remembered me (she is beginning to forget) and smiled whenever she saw me. I loved every minute of our visit.

Now I'd better get to work on the "data" ~ I feel so tired already. :)

I have to finish Christmas shopping!!!!!!! And Christmas cards!!!!!!

Data, data, data.....

Almost Christmas...

2010-12-08T19:11:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've written on my blog... Work keeps me pretty busy especially now that we are so close to vacation ~ testing ~ again.

I'm learning how to Christmas shop online ~ something I have never done because I didn't know how to ~ but it's not too hard. In fact I think it will save us a lot of trouble. In all honesty, I don't like to shop. If I have to go grocery shopping once a week then that's enough! Ha!

My health has been up and down for a while, too ~ this is probably a huge factor in not wanting to shop because all I want to do is rest and sleep ~ get comfortable and "veg."

My mom is visiting from up north and I'm so excited about seeing her ~ sooooo I'd better start cleaning :) !!!!

Time to get off the couch!

Get Ready!!!

2010-11-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday!!! I have to go shopping for Thanksgiving!!!! Oh Shucks! Maybe later...

Today I am going to teach my daughter how to make an apron. So exciting!!

I attended school back in the 70's and Home Economics was a standard. Learning to make an apron was the first lesson in our sewing class. From there I learned how to make dresses, blouses, pants, shorts and just about anything that involved sewing. I learned how to make pies and other desserts ~ measure, cream, sift, and blend. In my senior year a class on child care was offered ~ this is where I opted out. We were going to learn how to change diapers, bathe a baby, hold a baby etc. Being second oldest of 12 children, I thought "You got to be kidding!" I became a library aide for that semester. :)

Now the reason my daughter never took Home Ec. was because in her time of school they offered so many more alternatives that our small town school never had. She attended a high school with a graduating class in the 400's compared to my graduating class of 30+. Home Ec. was offered, but she took classes like Field Hockey (champions) and AVID ~ a class that prepared them for college. She began her career as an 8th grade History teacher ~ and is now a full time AVID teacher for 7th and 8th grade students. We are so proud of her, beyond words :).

Therefore, today my daughter will make an apron with a USC print (doing her Masters at USC :) and I can't wait! We are going to have so much fun!!

I'd better get my sewing machine ready...

My Clutter Problem . . .

2010-11-17T12:47:00.001-08:00

Cleaning my closet today of all the clutter ~ I don't know how it got there!! I don't know why my words are being underlined ~ I'm thinking because the picture has underlined words~who knows. Anyway, how do we accumulate so much? Empty shoe boxes, outdated, old purses; dry cleaning bags that I thought I would use again, old shoes, summer clothes, traveling bags, and dust, lots and lots of dust (and that's just the floor). Now I need to attack the shelves that go around the closet. It looks like a jumble up there ~ doesn't help that I can't see anything up there; therefore, needing a chair to get up there. Yikes!!!

I ~ hey!! What happened to the lines!!! Back to the clutter problem~ I need to get rid of stuff that I have not used in ages. Thank God for little vacations like these, otherwords I'd never attack my clutter problem. You should see the office -- OMG!! That is my next plan of attack ~ Ha!! Goodwill here we come :)!!!

The nice thing about all this beside my mini-vacation is that it is such a beautiful day today. We are so blessed.

Published post had no lines ~ silly computer! My draft shows lines, but not published post. Interesting ~ hmmmmm...... :)

Update:

2010-11-15T19:02:00.001-08:00

Update on my new potato recipe
:
The potatoes were tasty!! I ate 3 little one-inch pieces. Not bad for the first time roasting potatoes. My husband and son really liked them. :)

Dinner . . .

2010-11-15T16:51:00.001-08:00

When I'm on vacation, I like to try out new recipes. Tonight I'm going to make roasted potatoes. A little bit of EVOO (like Rachel says), basil, thyme, seasoned salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. I am not a big potato eater, in fact, I can eat about 1/8 inch of a slice and that's it. Just to taste it, but they don't appeal to me. They look good, my family likes them, but not me.

I grew up in Idaho, the land of the potato. License plates on cars carry the logo "Famous Potatoes." But for some reason I never learned to like them. I'll eat a french fry or two max. I do like a little mashed potatoes with turkey on Thanksgiving. I like a baked potato with steak at at a restaurant, I'll eat half of it with all the fixings (sour cream, chives, cheese, salt & pepper). But not crazy about just potatoes.

Time to put the casserole in the oven ~ heard my honey drive up on his motorcycle ~home from work :). Love that man!!!

My Birthday . . .

2010-11-14T19:05:00.001-08:00

I celebrated my birthday this last weekend ~ one of the nicest birthdays I have ever had.

Years ago when my father-in-law lived with us, he used to get up on his birthday, shower and get all dressed-up. He would then sit outside in his chair and wait for his children to come see him. There were years that they came and years when they did not. During those times when they did not come for what ever reason life had put before them, my heart broke for him. I made sure we always celebrated with him. To this day we make a point of going to see him on his birthday.

I think about those days when it is my birthday. The highlight of my day is always to see my children. They are my gift. I feel so blessed because they are loving, caring children with their dad and I and with each other. We have such good kids :). Love them so.

Up above are the cupcakes my daughter made for me ~ can you imagine my surprise when I saw them? I'm such a Farmville player! It's crazy I know, but it is such a relaxing past time. My sons play video games on their x-boxes ~ I play Farmville :).

Yes, it was a wonderful birthday with my family. They made me feel so special. :)

A Sunday Morning Blog

2010-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Years ago when Science and Social Studies were held in the same standing or close to Math and Reading I loved teaching a unit on weather which included a detailed study on clouds. I loved teaching every aspect of this subject. We made the different clouds using cotton and labeled them discussing their definitions. When I would ask one of my students what the clouds in the sky were telling us about the weather they knew, but now we barely have time for a science read aloud. Science has gone by the wayside, sorry to say along with Social Studies. These two have long been my favorite subjects to teach. They were my favorite subjects in school, too. Nevertheless, I still love looking at clouds in the sky and try to remember what they mean. These clouds mean that rain is around the corner :). I took the picture last Wednesday outside my classroom.

Three more days until we have a little mini-vacation. So happy! I do have to go in for a series of blood tests since I got pretty sick this last week. My doctor wants to get down to the bottom of my problem (as to why I keep getting sick). That's ok. I've gotten to that age where I better take more care of my health.

Our youngest son spends less and less time with us and more and more time with his girlfriend's family. I think we are getting used to that now ~ it's quiet at home and nice to spend time with my husband once again. It's not as hard as I thought it would be without the children. For years they were the major "meaning" of my existence, but the transition to just us has been so smooth. We're good :). Miss my babies, but I have let them grow up with my husband's help.

Everyone have a blessed week :).

Happiness is Here . . .

2010-10-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

Halloween is almost upon us - again. The candy is bought with the thought that if we don't get a lot of kiddies, then we can eat the candy that is left over. Bought the kind we like. :)

Work has been overwhelming as usual. I'm still trying to catch up on checking over work done by the children, especially their homework. But grades are entered and report cards ready to go. I'm so happy about that accomplishment ~ always such a relief.

I looked at our school calendar and we only have about two weeks left after this one before we go on a mini-break. Boy! We definitely need it!!!! And now to get ready for the holidays and family. Our nephew called and asked if he could spend Christmas with us. He will definitely be a nice addition to our festivities.

I'm thinking ~ turkey for Thanksgiving, tamales for Christmas, and darn it! I will learn how to make "pozole" for New Year's! Happy, happy, Joy, joy!! :)

Raining . . .

2010-10-19T18:56:00.001-07:00

It is raining right now and occasionally we are getting an "Emergency Alert System" flashing on the t.v.. It's a good night for cuddling on the couch and watching mindless t.v.

It's been a good couple of days, sad on one hand, but happy on another. My husband's uncle passed away last week and we buried him today. The services were nice and the rain held off until everything was done.

Family is so important and priceless. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful extended family. Love them all.

We'll be alright . . .

2010-10-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

Today is Tuesday and time has brought more changes. We haven't stopped. Do we ever? Probably not.

We love each other ~ that hasn't changed and I think that is what is important at times like this ~ we have each other to fall back on.

Prayer... always.

WEEKEND!!

2010-10-09T07:02:00.001-07:00

Yay! It's the weekend ~~ I've been waiting for today!!! As usual it was a long week of continuous changes and tweaking of those changes. We got it!! We got it!!! (I say this sarcastically!) No, it's all good. I think it's all helping me become a better teacher. I just have to keep remembering what I've learned and not get nervous when the principal walks through. Ha!!

Have a good weekend everybody and have a drink on me :).

For My Sister...

2010-10-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my sister's birthday...
I thought about her a lot. I wanted to call her. I called my mom's phone and she must have left it in her room because the answering machine came on and I heard my sister's voice. I called it again. She would have been 58. I miss her so much.

These flowers are for you, Sister, for your birthday. I love you.

Grade? What????

2010-09-25T12:52:00.001-07:00

I'm procrastinating today :). I have a small mountain of papers to correct and it's almost 3:00 and I haven't done any of it. But I've done a lot of other things...

I had coffee with toast while reading the last book of the Twilight series "Breaking Dawn" ~So hard to put down.
Made a nice breakfast for the family.
Did two loads of laundry and put away.
Mopped kitchen.
Washed dishes by hand instead of using dishwasher (love my new sink).
Had a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.
Went on Facebook (twice) ~checked my farm (Farmville).
Wrote on my blog :).
Talked to my daughter and mama on the phone.
Made a nice lunch.
Vacuumed.
Cleaned our bedroom.
Read my book again.
Spend time with my husband watching a show on prohibition "Boardwalk."
Took papers out of my rolling cart in an attempt to start grading.

You know what would really be perfect about now? A piece of chocolate cake. YUM!

I think I'll make a chocolate cake!

Happy Fall Saturday everyone!!

Love, Love, Love

2010-09-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

I love my new kitchen!!! It is so functional! Feeling very blessed. This is the first time in the almost 35 years of marriage that we have a new kitchen ~ beautiful on top of that.

The expression "Cocinar con carino" has definitely become the norm in this sweet place. We love it.

Happiness on the homefront. :)

BUT at work ~ darn it!! I am feeling so overwhelmed with all that our principal is requiring of us. She seems to add more and more to our plate as each week goes by or maybe I should say as each day goes by. I dread opening the e-mails in the morning. Ok, I'll play the game ~ no problem, but don't expect me to be happy about it. We are beginning to steer clear of the office. Hmmmm.....does she notice???

Sometimes I think I'm just getting too old for this job. Time to leave it to the young ones with more stamina and patience. I tell myself to hold on for at least three more years ~ then I'll cruise through life with my Honey. :)

The Cabinets Are Here!!!!

2010-08-30T19:16:00.001-07:00

Our cabinets are finally here!!!! OMG!! They are beautiful!! I love them! :)

Our kitchen is starting to take shape into a most beautiful, functional, peaceful, and gorgeous space. I feel so happy and blessed. My husband is such a sweetheart. Thank you, Honey, I know it has been a long road and we are finally seeing the finished product. :) It will be a beautiful kitchen!

Yellow? No!!!

2010-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

I had a little (big?) predicament about the color of the paint in our kitchen renovation. At first I thought a pretty "Tuscany" yellow would be cool, but then when it was up on the wall -- I didn't like it much. I felt like it was yelling at me!!! It made me feel sad and irritable. But my family seemed to like it.

After much contemplation and a chat for advice from a close friend about my age, I decided to change it. Whew!!! My friend told me that her mama always said, "Tenemos que cocinar con carino. -- We need to cook with love." That was my answer -- the answer I had been looking for to finally convince me to change the screaming yellow color. I came home and told my husband " Honey, I need to change the color because "Tenemos que cocinar con carino." After some laughter on his part, we drove straight to Home Depot and I chose a delicious "Cappucino" color. Now when I walk into my kitchen, I sigh with contentment and I feel peaceful.

Dear family, the yellow was pretty, but dad and I decided that it belonged in a young couple's kitchen (daughter?) -- we are more sedate and relaxed. :) Love you all for your input! I'll have to get a cappuccino machine to make you all a hot yummy cup!! Woo-Hoo!!!

We Go On . . .

2010-08-16T21:55:00.001-07:00

I've been here before ~

Missing my sister ~ I don't think that will ever stop.

My mom will be moving up north during the Labor Day weekend ~ already I feel sad about not have her nearby, at the same time feeling happy for her because she will be surrounded by family. I feel sad for her, also, because it was never suppose to be like this. She had a big house with many beautiful and memorable things and now she has boxes with labels. She's given away so very much. She feels sad, I feel sad. She asked me what I wanted from her belongings when my sister was still alive. I asked for a pink flower bracelet and earrings she had worn many times when she was young. My dad had given these to her. I told her she did not need to give them to me now, but that I would really like them someday. She gave them to me.

One of my younger brothers who is diabetic, developed gangrene in his toe ~ it looks like it is healing. Medicine has come so far since my dad had the same situation many years back. My dad was not able to survive it. My brother needs to take better care of himself. This is a wake-up call ~ for him, for us.

After school, teachers stand outside their classrooms to keep an eye on their students, remind other students not to run and overall, be noticeable. A little girl on a bike was riding on the blacktop. I informed mom that she could only walk her bike at the same time I heard her tell a sibling, "She just got out of chemo." I realize rules are rules, but I could have turned the other way and not said anything. Where do we draw the line?

I then walked one of my students up to the office because no one had come for her. I asked who would be coming, mom or dad? She said not dad because "Mom doesn't love him anymore." And she began to get weepy. I hugged her.

My little student who doesn't behave, missed all recesses today. I told him I would no longer raise my voice to him, but that if he broke the rules of the classroom he would need to write his name on the board and if misbehavior continued he would have to put a check-mark by his name. Didn't help, he persisted on misbehaving.

There was a spider in our bathroom tonight. I HATE spiders!!!!! My husband came to the rescue :).

I'm exhausted.

On the upside ... tomorrow is my little sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, little sister. I love you. :)

A Busy Weekend!

2010-08-08T21:15:00.001-07:00

We had a very full weekend ~ busy, busy, busy. After attending a meeting for the whole day on Friday (too much), I returned to my work site to see how my little ones behaved for the sub. I read her note saying that all had behaved except for my little one who doesn't behave for me either. Ok, not a surprise. Came home about 5:00. My husband suggested that we go have dinner at a new restaurant in the neighboring town being opened by our very own caterer-we were so excited for them. Upon arriving we realized that they were not opened yet. She gave us a tour of the restaurant and it's going to be beautiful. Can't wait. We wished them well and promised to come back when they are ready. We then went to have dinner at "McDonald's" of all places, but I sure do like their $ menu double-double. It was just right!

After dinner we drove to a place downtown called "Courtstreet" to listen to a well known Latino band called "Latin Society." I love this band - it's so old-school Mexican music. Lots of "cumbias." We danced and enjoyed the music until closing time.

On Saturday, we went shopping for things necessary -- I don't like to shop and really needed to make sure we had everything for the week. I want to be able to come straight home and relax - don't want to deal with parking, and other people who are just getting off from work - we are all too tired. We then attended a baby shower for the daughter of a dear friend. We had dinner, visited for a little while, gave our congratulations and thank you's and then gave up our seats for others to sit and went on our way -- back to Courtstreet to listen to another band.

Then today, I helped my husband clean out the garage - at least my side. :) He built a pantry in the garage and we organized a lot! I found things that I'd forgotten that I had bought - an electric fry pan was a surprise! I'm so excited for my new kitchen! It will be great when it is done.

I finally was able to grade school work and organized that aspect of my life. Now it's time to call it a weekend. Hmmmm....

The only thing I missed was not being able to see my good friend, Maria, at the shower. We missed each other probably by minutes. Another time...

Tired

2010-08-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tired.... my bed is calling me...

A Long Day . . .

2010-07-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

New school year began today. Looks like this will be the year of my challenge - not that I haven't had them before, but I have a feeling it will be trying. I had to redo my seating chart already. I thought I could wait until the end of the day tomorrow to move them, but nope - I'll have to move them first thing in the morning other words, they will drive me crazy with their constant talking.

I have a little guy who I feel will need some extra continuous reminders of why he's at school, but what the heck, it was only the first day. It's bound to get better. I'll give them a month to leave their kinder behaviors and join the ranks of being first graders. Then we'll be fine, I hope. Remind me why I got into this profession again?

I got to get some sleep...

Never mind about "Bringing it on!" Spoke too soon -- yawn....

A New School Year!!

2010-07-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that I am back to work :)... Today was my first day back and I definitely felt that I was juggling a hundred and one things. I would do this and start that and come back to this and go back to that!!! So many little loose ends to tie up tomorrow before the children begin their first day on Thursday.

I think the best part of the day was seeing my friends again and chatting with them. I have so many good friends at this school and feel blessed. I have a feeling that it will be a very good school year - I'm excited at the possibilities and look forward to meeting my new little ones.

Ok, new school year -- Bring It On!!!

A Little Break . . .

2010-07-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Taking a break again . . . it must be my summer vacation time . . . :).

This weekend we took a quick trip to Fountain Valley which is near Irvine to see my niece from Sacramento play in a softball tournament. It was such a pleasant experience. My children and my brothers were there also. We had a very nice time and then to make the day even better, we had dinner together talking, sharing, and laughing. I love times like this.

Today I started reading "Eclipse." I love these books! They are such good, easy-to-read books. I enjoy this style of writing.

Your Birthday

2010-07-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband's birthday :).
Happy Birthday, Honey!

We are so blessed...

A Little Bit of Hollywood. . .

2010-07-13T16:58:00.001-07:00

Stopped to eat lunch at Sitton's North Hollywood Diner with my mom today. It was a pretty eclectic sort of place with movie star pictures hanging everywhere, stain glass windows covering the front wall, and chef and waiter statues here and there. My mom and I sat at a booth and ordered our lunch. They were so nice because my mom ordered a meal that came with a vegetable soup thick with vegetables and thick broth. I tasted it and it was sooooo good! As I scooted over by my mom to share, the waitress brought me a smaller bowl free of charge. How nice!! By the time we were done with our soups, we were full! We brought most of our main meal home.

I had such a nice time with my mom. We talked and talked about everything, but mostly about her move north with my brother. I hope all goes well with her. It must be hard to move around like she is. She feels obligated, she feels sad, she feels hopeful -- so many mixed feelings. I try to help her to see the positive, but after living with my sister for over 20 years or so, I imagine it will be another difficult change for her.

I wish my sister was still here. Miss you and love you.

Scrapbooking . . .

2010-07-10T15:20:00.001-07:00

I've been scrapping with my daughter for the last three days!!! My gosh! It is time consuming!! BUT rewarding! Up until this last week, I hadn't touched my photos since the year 1995. I am now to the year 2000 and taking a break :) My poor house has been neglected, I haven't been on the computer much, and my next book "Eclipse" sits waiting to be opened and read. But life is good...

I've enjoyed spending time with my daughter, this has been the plus :). Love that child!!
We laughed, we chatted, we watched her "Animal Planet" shows which were crazy in themselves. We spend one day watching some guy trying to become part of a lion pride. By the time he was done (forgot how many weeks he was out there) he looked liked Grizzly Adam's cousin. He was definitely crazy!

And now I need to put 2000 year in the album. Rewarding :). Now my youngest son can see pictures of himself after his 5th birthday-ha!!

A Movie . . .

2010-07-05T16:19:00.001-07:00

Today has been a lazy kick-back kind of day. Started early with a cup of coffee and toast. That in itself was very nice. Cleaned the main rooms from yesterday's 4th of July gathering and than sat down to watch a movie with my husband. It was an old Bruce Willis movie called "Fifth Element" or something like that. It was very interesting. I hadn't sat down to watch a movie such as this in quite a while, but any movie would look great on a flat screen t.v. WHAT? Yes! We bought ourselves a flat screen t.v. -- our last t.v. which we had for 15 years or so finally quit on us - just went black. It was a heavy "son-of-a-gun!" (like my honey says :), one of those ancient big old sets with a big backside. This one is so stream-lined and beautiful. God willing, it will last us for another 15 years plus.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. Back to work tomorrow. For me I have about 3 more weeks until I return to work --- ahhhhh. . . nice . . . more movies .... :)

Happy 4th of July!!

2010-07-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!! Especially to all our soldiers who are courageously fighting to keep our country free and safe.

Reading!!

2010-06-30T15:07:00.001-07:00

Ok, I got hooked!! I had been hearing much too much about these books from friends on Facebook, and the commercials on t.v. that my interest was piqued. The day we went in search of my "rice pan" I came upon the first book, "Twilight" in a bin close to the checkout counter at half price. I can always read the first couple of pages to know if a book will be of interest to me and sure enough I was intrigued. The writing style was easy to follow and introduced the character, Bella, using the first person. I liked that very much. It made it personal like I was seeing and experiencing everything through her eyes. Silly, huh? But then I'm the type of person who really gets into a movie. Forget taking me to a theater, I'm the one who screams or laughs out loud at the screen. Oops! In otherwords, I get involved in the plot :).

I read "Twilight" in less than a week. It was excellent! Went to Target and they had the next two books on sale (paperback) and the best part was that if I bought one (on sale) then I got the other one at half price. LUCKY!!! Ha! Every chance I get, I'm reading - a third of the way done with the second book. I think I liked the first one better. Maybe because I'm more of an "Edward" fan than a "Jacob" fan. I'll see how the story develops.

It's been a nice little vacation already ~ we had a wonderful memorial jam with loving friends and family, my house is CLEAN!!, I'm reading great books, and we are so blessed with all that is good in life. :)

Dear Dave . . .

2010-06-27T13:22:00.001-07:00

The "Memorial Jam" went beautifully. Lots of family and good friends came together to celebrate the memory of our good friend and brother.

Rest in peace dear Dave. We miss you and we love you. Our hearts broke to see this empty chair knowing that you should have been sitting with the band playing your music. Maria said some beautiful words about you ~ I know you heard them.

You will be forever in our hearts ~ give my sister a hug for me.

The Stage is Set . . .

2010-06-25T14:12:00.001-07:00

It has begun -the stage is built, the tables and chairs are here. Tomorrow is the day for our memorial jam for our dear friend, Dave. His mama and family will be here - I'm thinking flowers in a vase for her table.

I think of everyone who will be here to play in his honor. It will be sad because he won't be here. We do it for his family. It will be nice to see old friends and family and miss the ones who are no longer with us.

Until tomorrow.

Happy Birthday to My Mama!

2010-06-24T16:05:00.001-07:00

Today is my mama's birthday!! My daughter and I met her at the Ontario Mills, a big shopping mall, on the quest of finding nice dress shoes that would go with the dress she will be wearing for our niece's wedding in July. When we didn't find any there, we drove over to Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. She had never been there and was amazed at how big it was. We didn't find the shoes, but we will keep looking :).

After shopping, we stopped to have lunch at Famous Dave's. We had a very nice time talking, reminiscing, and laughing. I love my mama. She is a very strong woman. My heart hurts for her because of the sadness she carries with her constantly, but again, she is strong and makes it through each day with God's help.

Happy Birthday, Mama ~ love you!

My Son's Room!

2010-06-23T10:19:00.001-07:00

I ventured into my son's room today to see how I could straighten it out a just a little bit~put away the socks-check! Put away the undershirts-check! And then I saw the dust, the papers strewn about, the empty water bottles under the bed, and the final straw were the board games that had tumbled out of the closet!!! No!!!!! Grabbed the dust rags, the vacuum cleaner and began working.

Our youngest son is 19 years old. He has been away from home for about two weeks attending a video game convention and visiting with his girlfriend's family in the Los Angeles area. Before he left I said, "Son, clean your room before you leave." He replied, "It's clean, mom. Besides, I'll close the door for the "party" on the 26th - no one needs to come into my room." "Ok, son." And he was gone. :)

This morning I opened the door and shook my head... ARGHHHH!!!!!.

Let me tell you about my son. He is our youngest and I'm sure we spoil him to a degree. He is very respectful to us, rarely gets mad, and loves talking with his brother, his sister and brother-in-law. He has written for a video game website since he was a junior in high school. He is an excellent writer - amazes me. In return the website sends him to Comic Con in San Diego on a press pass and recently send him to the E-3 convention in Los Angeles. He attends college (received all A's and B's his first year). Has a part time job as a math tutor at a junior high during the school year and budgets carefully. He is a good son, like his brother and sister. He really looks up to them.

BUT he can not keep his room clean! The least of my worries. :)

Back to work!! (His girlfriend is very tidy, there is hope :)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-21T07:44:00.001-07:00

We had a very nice Father's Day celebration yesterday with our children. We spend the weekend (mostly my husband) working on the yard in preparation for a memorial jam we will be hosting this next weekend. The yard looks very nice. :) We were thinking of grilling, but then I remembered the brand new rotisserie still sitting in the box in the garage. On Saturday night, I asked my husband if he could put it together for me. "Sure, I can." What a sweetheart. He brought out this big box from the garage and we carefully took it out and voila! It was already put together! HA! It had been sitting in our garage for about a year because we hadn't had time "to put it together" - so funny. I made a rub with different spices for the chickens and let them sit in the fridge over night and we "rotisseried" them for two hours - OMG! they were delicious. We ate every little bit. What a success :). Thanks son for a great present (He was happy to see that we had finally used it :). I love my family ~ I am so blessed.

Ummmm. . . rice

2010-06-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

We went out early today in search of the perfect pan to make my rice in. My old pan is getting too old and I'm almost embarrassed to use it. My mom commented on how old it was and she's right - I need to get a new one. We stopped at Ross on our way to Denny's for breakfast. Had a nice breakfast with my sister-in-law (love her!).Then we made a few other stops, test drove a Sonota (nice car :), stopped at Marshall's - too pricey, stopped at A.J. Wright - nothing, so we came home. Ahhhhhh ...nice to be home. But now looking at the picture of the rice up above, I want to make rice! A taco of rice with a little bit of salsa -- I'd be in heaven -- yum! I need a new pan!! (I'll keep using my old one till I find one).

My first day of vacation -- loved it! Thanks honey :).

Summer Vacation Is Almost Here!!

2010-06-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

You can tell I have time on my hands when I can blog daily :). Ha! Two more days of school and I'm so excited at all I'll be able to do during my break. I want to clean my house thoroughly, help my honey with his flowers and plants, catch up on my photo albums, visit with my mama and take her shopping, sleep!, read a good book or two, blog :), watch shows I missed on the "On Demand" channel, AND train our parrot to talk!! Right now he's staring at me wondering why I'm looking at him :). I'm trying to teach him how to say "Hungry!" or "Hello" or anything really. I think he is beginning to say "Hello." I will say hello to him and he responds with a sound that sounds like "hel-lo."

He's beginning to squawk loudly during certain times of the day, especially when he hears my voice. Talk to me, Bird!!!! Don't just squawk!!

So my hands are full this summer -- I have a lot to do.

And so I begin by saying "Hello" to our parrot ~ "Hello!" and he remains quiet ~ for now. :)

Our Beloved Parents

2010-06-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

My Rememberer

My forgetter's getting better
But my rememberer is broke
To you that may seem funny
But, to me, that is no joke

For when I'm "here" I'm wondering
If I really should be "there"
And, when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer!

Often times I walk into a room,
Say "what am I here for?"
I wrack my brain, but all in vain
A zero, is my score.

There was a time when our parents were very much alert and ready for anything. We went to them for advise and friendly conversation. Time has taken much of these qualities away from them and the sadness is left behind. Confusion reigns. I am perplexed at the outcome of a life which was once so full. All I can do is reassure and comfort. I am left to wonder if someday I will be there, also. My hope is that I will not ~ I will try to keep my mind busy and ready. Although the poem up above is somewhat humorous, it gets the point across.

My mind is tired now. Sleep.

2010-06-11T19:31:00.001-07:00

Two more days of school left with my little ones -- I sure am going to miss this group. They have been a joy to have.

On a down note, however, a child who had been placed in my room for discipline problems was send home today for slapping another child, also in my classroom, during recess when I could not monitor him. He almost made it. DARN!! I was disappointed to say the least. I feel bad for him because he is just a child. The psychologist has said he doesn't stop to think of what he is doing. Kind of hard to explain that to the other child's parents. Too sad.

BUT -- we are almost on vacation -- WOO-HOO!!! So excited to know I'll be able to sleep in at least for the first couple of days, then I'm hitting the gym and walking as much as I can. Time to lose all this excess weight :). Wish me luck!! And I'm going to read ... I have my books lined up. And I'm going to enjoy life... yes.

A Year Gone By ...

2010-06-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

I think about a year that has come to an end and wonder where has it gone? Many a day I have driven home in tears missing the sound of my sister's voice calling me to ask if I was on my way home from work. A little chit-chat ~ enough to touch bases with each other ~ nothing major, but sufficient.

Today we gathered in her memory to look at pictures, to talk of her life, and to hug each other. We miss her dearly and we realize she is in a good place now with our Lord. Our lives are not the same anymore and never will be, but we are good, continue to heal, have our moments, but we move on with life. I finally feel a peacefulness if only for a moment, but a peacefulness just the same. She loved me, this I know and I loved her ~ dearly.

I think I will begin to look at life in a different way now ~ I will look everyday for something to make me smile and be happy ~ again.

I miss you, Sister, and always will. God bless us all.

A Nice Memorial Day. . .

2010-05-31T11:05:00.001-07:00

Wishing everyone a nice Memorial Day :).

I love this picture because even though our sadness is with us constantly, happiness is also there. We spend a very nice Sunday afternoon with my mama, my sister and her family, my niece and her fiancee, and our children and their sweethearts. It was a very nice day. The food was delicious, especially the roasted corn. (Honey, you outdid yourself :).

We laughed a lot, got a little weepy, and I loved the family-ness of it all. My sister would have loved it, too.

I felt so blessed.

Have a lot of work to do for work -- so onward and forward!

Shiny, Red Streamers. . .

2010-05-28T20:22:00.001-07:00

My sister used to hang shiny streamers from their fruit trees to keep the birds away. Last year she asked my brother to hang them and after he was done, we sat outside to watch as the breeze swayed them back and forth ~ shiny,red foiled streamers. They looked pretty and I wondered why I had never noticed them before.

I miss my sister. I miss her calling me. I miss hugging her.

I know she is in a good place and no longer suffering, but I sure do miss her.

I love you, sister.

A Wonderful Day . . .

2010-05-22T18:41:00.001-07:00

Today is our 34th wedding anniversary and it's been a wonderful day . . .

We accompanied our daughter and her husband as she became Godmother to one of her students. The service was beautiful. Lots of pictures after the service. Then my husband and I went to have lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in Ontario ~ The Panda Inn ~ beautiful restaurant. We toasted our anniversary with two little tea cups :).

Then this evening we went to the reception for our daughter's God-daughter and they had the taco cart going ~ OMG!!! I ate again! They had tacos de lengua, pastor, and carne asada -- all so DELICIOUS!! Rice, beans, and nopales con chile. For all my English speaking readers -- it was all soooo good!! The music was great. The company even better :). And now we are home and I have so much correcting to do.

The picture up above, I took when we went to Flagstaff, AZ recently. I really liked the saying above the mural ~ a good reminder.

Contemplation . . .

2010-05-19T22:11:00.001-07:00

Just when I think I have a handle on things, I don't. Total happiness alludes me and I think it will for a time.

A teacher friend asked me how I spend my Mother's Day, did I have a good day. My reply to him was "yes," because I did. My husband and I took a weekend trip to Phoenix, AZ to see my little sister and her family. We returned in time to spend Sunday afternoon with our kids. It was a wonderful weekend. I was so happy to see my sister ~ she is precious. It felt good to be with her ~ I told him I got my "sister fix." :)

Every day I miss my older sister. It will be a year that she passed away - June. I don't know how I will handle that day.

Work on the other hand is still in disarray. A good teacher friend of mine - in fact, she was my mentor teacher when I first began teaching- has been moved to kinder. I don't think she is happy with that decision. I feel so sad for her because she is sad. She'll be working with two - three very good kinder teachers so I think it will be good for her. But I know she did not want this.
Sometimes I just don't get it. Decisions, decisions!

This weekend our daughter will be a Godmother. We are excited for her and look forward to joining her and her husband at the church and reception after.

Yes, life goes on ~ I go with the flow ~ bobbing up and down. :)

Meeting??

2010-05-06T20:29:00.001-07:00

Went to a meeting today for work where I was totally bored. Although the information was good, we've been implementing our reading program for about 7 years now and I don't see that we learned anything exceptionally new. We just learned a different or added way of doing what we already do. Maybe the ideas would work in an ideal classroom of some fantasy school that doesn't have to test every other day and follow lesson plans that are dictated by the district. But in the real world of teaching, we do the best we can with the time we have.

The coffee and lemon pound cake were good, lunch was good, the company was very good, therefore, I suppose it wasn't too bad, but I would have preferred to be with my little ones.

Stopped by to see my sister's old co-workers and to thank them for coming to her memorial almost a year ago. I wasn't sure I could do it, but we needed to say thank you. My sister cared for them very much. It was a little hard to walk into the building. Once I was inside, I introduced myself, but they knew who I was. I thanked them and filled them in on the direction my mom's life has gone. They invited me to come again in the near future after they move into their new building. I said I would visit, but I know I will not go again because my sister is not there.

On a lighter note, tomorrow I will see my little sister. I'm so excited and pleased to be able to spend some time with her.

We continue moving forward . . .

Looking Forward . . .

2010-05-02T12:42:00.001-07:00

Good news at work, the district rescinded all the pink slips, therefore our teachers are safe!! Woo-hoo!! We were so very happy when we heard the news. Now to see what else they will throw at us. Hmmmm...., but at least we keep our teachers!

I realized yesterday that we only have six weeks left of this school year. Six weeks with my little ones. I've had such a good class this year - I will definitely miss them when they move up to second grade.

Mother's Day is next weekend so I need to hustle and get a gift going for them to make for their mommy's. Time is passing by too fast. Take a breath and move forward - at top speed. :)

Life

2010-04-29T20:16:00.001-07:00

Today we handed out information about our teachers who are getting laid off. We stood on the outer perimeters of our school with our black clothes and our soon-to-be laid off teachers in pink to go along with their dreaded pink slips. The information was in English and Spanish which I thought was a good strategy on the part of our union. We are close to 100% Latino population. It is odd to see a blond child at our school and when we do, this child definitely stands out.

Our students are I'm sure taken a back to see us, their teachers, away from the classroom handing out papers. The first question they asked today was, "Teacher, what were you doing?" My response is, "Let your parents read it and explain it to you." I feel sad for my fellow teachers who were pink slipped. They carry a worry with them that I would not want. Many of them are young and barely beginning their lives in the teaching world. I love my job, sometimes it doesn't seem like a job at all because of what I do. I love spending time with my students and teaching them new things. I try to make it exciting for them. Today one of my students said, "Mrs. L., Math is like a puzzle and we figured it out." I was so happy to hear that from her. "Yes, it's like a puzzle, isn't it exciting?"I have such a good time with them.

I wish my young teacher friends good luck tomorrow as they meet with the union to see what they can do next and what to expect.

Life~forever changing.

A Lazy Afternoon . . .

2010-04-25T17:01:00.001-07:00

Such a nice, comfortable Sunday afternoon. My honey is planning a "jam" memorial for our dear friend, Dave, who passed away a little while back and met with friends to make the final arrangements. Sounds like it will be a major event. I only worry about the food and hope that there will be enough. I enjoy music a lot, especially if it's live. I just hope all goes well. I expressed my concerns and I hope they take them into account. I've been correcting papers and getting things ready for work tomorrow.

I look at our calendar for next month and the next few months and they are packed with things happening with our families and friends. It's going to be busy.

Sad to hear about the new law Arizona passed this last week against Mexicans -- well, alright, anyone who is undocumented, but come on, AZ is on the border of Mexico and it doesn't take much to see that this bill is aimed at the Mexican. There will definitely be racial profiling going on. We're planning a graduation trip this next month, sad to say, it may be out last trip out that way for quite a long while. I'd get so mad if they stopped us to ask for documentation. What was that governor thinking??? There has to be a better way to figure out this "problem."

Last week a mom brought me "tacos de lengua" -- oh my gosh!!! they were so delicious!!!!! For my English speaking readers, "tacos de lengua" are tacos with beef tongue :). So, so goood!!!

As a thank you I am going to make them chocolate chip cookies - won't compare to such a delicacy, but I hope they like them :). Here's wishing everyone a good week. I can't believe it's already the last week of April.

Life Goes On. . .

2010-04-19T22:19:00.001-07:00

. . . And life goes on . . .

A Wonderful Housewarming!!

2010-04-17T17:27:00.001-07:00

Went to a very nice housewarming party today for a sweet young teacher friend of mine. It was so nice to see old friends and visit with new ones. Her home was beautiful and comfortable. She is so blessed.

As I was getting ready, I thought about where I was at her age, certainly not buying a house :). We rented for so long. I think we had been married almost ten years before we bought a house. I'm amazed at what young people can do nowadays with a good education behind them.

Nevertheless, I had such a nice time chatting with friends especially a young teacher friend who used to teach 1st grade with me a long time ago. It was good to see her. We talk on Facebook all the time, but it doesn't compare to actually seeing her in person. She doesn't change. Love her!

I can't believe April is almost done. May is upon us and a busy month it looks like it will be :).

A Nice Day . . .

2010-04-15T20:05:00.001-07:00

There is always so much to do everyday ~ at work, at home...

Parents want so much for their children ~ I was there once. I had a mother ask me yesterday if I was still going to tutor after school. My answer was "no." I am done with tutoring for this school year, however, a neighbor teacher graciously offered an opening in her tutoring class. This mom jumped at the offer since her child definitely could benefit from more reading instruction. She got the spot. She was elated. I felt bad for a little while because I was no longer tutoring, but then I was happy for her and her son, my student.

Life is interesting.

Today Starbucks was offering coffee for free so long as you took your own mug. I had a wonderful morning with my Starbuck's coffee and rasberry muffin. :) This was a nice "tax day."

To the Kitchen!

2010-04-10T16:49:00.001-07:00

I wanted to attempt to make a delicious meatloaf tonight, but alas... I don't know how. Don't get me wrong, I follow the recipe on the oatmeal box, but it comes out too dry ~ and hard! I went online, but most recipes need ingrediants that I don't have in my little pantry so I guess I'll make spaghetti -- easy!

The first week back from vacation at work was exhausting. There's always so much work to keep up with ~ grading, prepping, copying etc. Morale is low, too, among my fellow teachers who got pink-slipped (lay off notices). I don't blame them as I think I'd feel the same had it been me. I feel sad for them, but hope that things will turn around for the better.

We found out also that my cousin's son was in a bad accident and is in intensive care at a hospital far from their home, but he is recovering. They are in my thoughts and God bless them all.

**I had a dream last night that if I could touch the clouds then I would touch my sister... I was trying so hard to reach up. I love you, sister.

Taxes Done! YAY!!!!

2010-04-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh!!! Finally our taxes are done for another year!!!! I hate doing taxes ~ it's tedious and mildly nerve wrecking. Hate it! But nonetheless, here we are another year, thank God, doing taxes which really should be the least of our worries, right? Yes.

My mini-vacation is over, as of Monday I go back to work and the best part is that I get to see my little ones again. I'm so excited about seeing them :). Then there's that dark ominous cloud that will hang over our school waiting to hear who is really layed off, and who is going to be teaching what grade next year. I hope I get to stay in my first grade classroom. We never know. Too many changes again.

Tomorrow is Easter ~ God bless us all.

My Special Mama

2010-03-31T21:48:00.001-07:00

On our way up north and back, it was wonderful and so interesting to listen to my mama talk of her childhood, her parents, her life in Mexico City, and meeting my dad. There was so much that I did not know. In listening I learned more about her way of being. I learned how she struggled to get an education that never came and now understand why our education was so important to her and my dad.

Even though I have been back for only a few days, my mind goes back to her stories and our conversations. I told her that I would get her a tape recorder so that she could tell her stories. She said that may be difficult because she is like a "highway~" she worries that she will take too many side roads in her story, I told her that's ok, I like "side roads" because they make the journey more interesting.

I really enjoyed these days with my mama and will treasure that memory forever. We actually drove ourselves to Sacramento and back! So proud of us :).

Our Trip

2010-03-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

The ride to Sacramento was beautiful. I had to stop on the other side of Gorman Pass to take a picture of these lavendar colored fields. They stretched for miles. It was amazing!! My mama and I talked all the way. I love listening to her stories. She was so happy.

This picture is taken as we were driving down the hill from the church where my niece will be married in July. Sacramento area is so green right now. Everywhere we looked there were rolling green hills and lots of trees. Gorgeous!!

This is the entrance of the formerly known Coppola winery. The museum inside has lots of Coppola artifacts and historical information. It is now known as the Rubicon Winery.

I took this picture right outside of the "Coppola Winery." The vineyards stretch for miles around. I couldn't get enough of the beautiful scenery. :)

The staircase leading to the second floor of the winery museum.

My mom and I had such a wonderful time with my brother and his family. I missed my family a lot, however, my brother and his wife kept us so entertained and busy all the time we were there. They were great.

It's good to be home :).

A Road Trip!!

2010-03-24T07:01:00.001-07:00

Today I need to start packing for a "Road Trip" with my mama. This will be a first for me as I have never ventured far from home without my husband.

I am taking my mom to see my brother in Sacramento which is about 6 hours north. Am I excited? I think I am. My sister was always inviting me on trips and I always declined unless they were nearby. When my mom asked me to go, I couldn't deny her, bless her heart. My mama is precious in that way. She loves her children each and every one of them and her heart is full of joy at the thought of seeing them. So yes, I think I'm excited to share in her journey. This is something my sister would want me to do.

I will have a busy day today, finishing with the Spring cleaning :) and packing and making sure I leave everything ready here at home.

It's going to be a good trip. :)

Spring Cleaning!

2010-03-22T12:27:00.001-07:00

I have begun my "Spring Cleaning" which is not my best attribute. But onward and forward is my motto for this week, altough I hope to finish by Wednesday at the latest. Ha!!

Spring cleaning is just one of those things I feel I have to do. Toss out the old, reorganize the new. Much to my dismay, I found two boxes in one of the closets that had been there since we moved in more than 10 years ago! Argghhhh!!!! I should just toss them since apparently I didn't miss anything in there before. No, not really, I'll look through them -- tomorrow!!

But the office is clean - Yay! The hallway is clean - Yay! Hey! It's a good start! Time for a refreshing glass of lemonade. Thank God for a little vacation time. :)

Friends

2010-03-21T17:10:00.001-07:00

Friends love dearly from the heart. They worry for you, they care for you, they are your support.

We had a great time at the wedding of our niece yesterday. Beautiful church ceremony and nice reception. The food was delicious!! We conversed with loved ones, laughed and danced to our heart's content. The nicest part was spending time with our oldest children.

A nice surprise was receiving a phone call from a dear friend halfway through the reception checking on us to see how we were. Today we had a well needed long conversation. She is a friend who has gotten to know me so well and I feel like I can tell her anything that may be bothering me and she can help me to see it in another way or support how I already feel. I appreciate her very much. And I know her life is full. :). This is why I say friends love from the heart because I know that she does.

Tomorrow begins a new week ~~ I really need to spring clean!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2010-03-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!! Even though I'm not Irish and don't like corn beef or the cabbage dish, I do like green!!!

I am on vacation this week as you can well see -- more time on the computer. It's a beautiful day outside and I'm ready to start my Spring cleaning which I began yesterday. It feels good to have the time.

I hope you all have a nice day and have a green beer on me (yucky)!!! Or just water in a green glass :).

Earthquake!!!!

2010-03-16T16:18:00.001-07:00

This morning as I listened to my husband getting ready for work, I felt the earthquake come and go. I contemplated whether I should get up and run to the door frame, but then I thought, it will pass. It was slow and rolling. The house creaked and then it moved on. Then I got up because I heard the phone ringing. I knew it was my mama :). We always call each other when there is an earthquake, especially a strong one. She was a little scared. It was a 4.4 or 4.3 out of Pico Rivera. Hmmmmm.... time to get things ready just in case. But you know, we've had so many little ones out of Redlands and we don't make the news like Pico Rivera!

Although, a man called in to the t.v. station and he said that a fireman friend of his had e-mailed him recently and told him that because of all these little ones, we do have cause to be alarmed. He told him to be ready. Ok, now I think that this fireman friend has the "ins" to more privy information than we as the public do, therefore, I am going to believe that it is just a matter of time and be ready.

Nonetheless, I got ready to go work in my classroom for a little while. I had left the room in a mess last Friday and had to go and tidy up a bit. My son's sweet little girlfriend volunteered to help me and off we went. We got so much done. We had lunch at the mall and an ice cream for dessert. It was a good day :). And no more shaking . . . for now. . . ;).

Vacation

2010-03-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today I just relaxed and watched t.v. (oh, and I graded papers :). It's the first weekend in a long time that I haven't had to rush around trying to get things done. It's interesting, also, because our children are all gone this weekend. It's quiet. Sometimes too quiet. They all have their own lives and are busy with them. I do miss the busy-ness of having little ones at home. I remember when they were all young when they used to run around, yelling, laughing...I miss all that. Then on days like today, I think -- hey! It's not so bad. I like this. We are at the right time in our lives. So today I watched Lifetime channel movies, "Little Women" and the news. Then I came upstairs to work on my "Farmville" -- fun game :). Growing up on a farm, I thought I'd never get involved with this game. I stayed away from it for quite a while, but then one day, I asked my daughter to explain it to me and set me up -- that was the beginning of an enjoyable pass time "para pasar el tiempo." (Not sure if I said it right in English). Nevertheless, it's a good beginning to our three week vacation. I feel grateful for my life.

I do, however, miss my sister. I wish she were here. I dreamt her the other night. It was good to hug her...

And dear friends, I hope you still have your jobs in the new school year. See you on Tuesday, M. S. :)

Laid Off Notices :(

2010-03-12T18:38:00.001-08:00

Today my dear teacher friends -at least six that I know of - got laid-off notices. Bummer. It was our last day of school before spring vacation -- three weeks of rest. But now I don't know how much rest it will be for them. Yes we were warned, but darn it! They went back 5 years! Who's going to teach these little ones? How are we suppose to keep our scores up with such low morale? The U.S. ranks low in academic achievement and here we are laying off our best teachers across the country for what? I don't get it. The district really needs to rethink what they are doing. They are going to lose a lot of good people.

Ummm. . . una taza de chocolate calientito

2010-03-05T19:17:00.001-08:00

Have you ever felt one of those weekends that you just want to sit under a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and watch an old movie on the t.v. without too much worry?
I need a weekend like that. I'm tired - emotionally, physically, mentally.

It's suppose to rain again. It's ok. I don't mind. I have so much correcting to do. Got a little behind when I was sick and just haven't caught up. So..... tonight and all day tomorrow, I am correcting -- Yeah, right! I'll try to correct. And darn it! I will have my cup of hot chocolate! And sit under my warm blanket!

On a sad note ... we have an auntie who passed away. I don't want to think about it right now -- I don't. Tomorrow, I'll think about it tomorrow. Tonight I want to sleep. . .

Life is a Circle Story

2010-03-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

Once when I was young, as I sat in the backseat of my parent's station wagon, I heard my father say something to the effect that "everyone is dying around me." I don't remember if we had come from a funeral, if he had just heard of someone's passing ~ I don't remember. Then he said, "I will die, too." I remember looking out of the window wondering why he was saying this. I didn't like hearing it and I didn't understand it.

We're here now. Today we buried our friend, Dave. The Rosary last night was heartbreaking with all the kind words of remembrance. I was doing alright until his younger brother sang and played a tune on the harmonica. I remembered my sister and how much I miss her.

It is our turn now. We are a circle story. Life is a circle story. We are born and we die. It is what we do with our lives that is important. I love my husband, I love my children, I love my mama and siblings, I love our friends . . . and I love God because he blesses me so.

And we continue. . .

A thought...

2010-03-01T06:21:00.001-08:00

We are a "circle story."

Our Friend

2010-02-21T14:37:00.001-08:00

A good friend of ours passed away about three days ago. We don't know what happened, all we know is that he is gone from this life. I knew him, but not as well as my husband or close friends knew him. He was a kind soul, a fellow teacher, a gifted musician. He always asked me how my class was going and I, in return, asked him the same. He was a friend of a few words, but his music was intense. I liked him...very much.

We will gather once again to comfort each other and speak of the one who has left us. Sometimes I don't want to think about it because I cry for my sister and now for our friend. Then I think that they are in a far better place than where they were, perhaps. Perhaps because we will miss him just as I miss my sister. Funerals are very sad and sometimes they are happy as we celebrate the person they were and the memories we hold dear. But I still feel the sadness.

Life goes on, this I know.

Life is nice...

2010-02-17T19:14:00.001-08:00

Woo - hoo!!! So done with the report cards!!!!

Now time for some rest and relaxation, oh, but wait!!! I have Parent-Teacher Conferences next week... Then rest and relaxation!!!! What to do, what to do??? Dinner at a nice place where they serve wine? I do need a nice glass of wine, maybe dinner in my backyard made by my wonderful husband served with a glass of wine. Ahhhhhh.....just the thought makes me feel happy. Ok, life can be very nice :).

Honey . . .

2010-02-12T19:31:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my dear, wonderful and loving husband. After 34 plus years together, we still love each other very much.

Let me tell you about him. But first let me start at the beginning. I grew up in Idaho on a farm for all my life. Very sheltered with strict parents who occassionally let us go to dances with the condition that my sister and I stayed together and our "compadre's" sons came along to watch over us. The town I grew up in was at the time with a population of 480 (can you believe it??) Coming to California for college was the ultimate dream - I loved it! This was a city with so many people. I met my husband in the fall of 1972 at college. I don't remember meeting him, but my little sister produced a letter I had sent to her stating that I had met him - I even wrote his name in the letter. My husband remembers :). I'm sure he made an impression on me if I wrote his name in the letter, right? My husband was very city - he knew so much and I loved listening to him talk. I still do :). Our dates consisted of trying out a new restaurant ever so often, going to the movies (some of those movies were way out there!), spending time with dear friends, taking day trips to the beach, and dancing - we loved to dance (something we still love to do).

My honey...

he reads a lot, likes to watch old movies on t.v., rides a Harley, drives an old Chevy truck, owns an old 54 Chevy car plus a 55 Chevy wagon, makes great music CDs for me, likes taking me on long rides when I'm feeling a little blue or even when I'm happy :), loves listening to music, loves to play the drums and his saxophone, likes a good conversation over a glass of wine, loves spending time with his children, loves his brother and sisters ~ his family, his friends, best of all ~ he loves me.

We have raised three children together. We are blessed. I love my life with my husband.

Thank you, honey ~ you are my Valentine today and always. I love you. God bless you...always.

Done

2010-02-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think my little sister has the right idea about life in general. She has this quiet way of staying to herself and staying out of the drama a family can cause.

When I think I'm doing the right thing for someone, a sibling takes offense and I am left thinking ~ "why?" I'm done.

But when that someone that I am trying to help is my mom then shouldn't it be alright? Apparently not.

Who really cares? I do ~ my mom does and that is all that matters. But I need to step back and let life mend the rifts caused by some. I'm tired, I'm sad, I'm done.

Not feeling well . . .

2010-01-30T15:23:00.001-08:00

You know you can only go so fast for so long and then you crash . . . These last couple of weeks have been heck ~ testing (lots of testing), raining (got to keep them inside), one or two throwing up (take them outside while waiting for custodian to come sanitize the room ~ meanwhile being aware that the germs are already spreading through the air as we breathe, touching their desks and pencils (I sharpen for them because otherwords it would take them forever!) ~ so ..... now I am sick..... again!

Getting tired of this!!

I'm missing a bridal shower today because I don't want to get the "tias" (aunties) sick. I feel absolutely miserable!

But the bright side is, my honey took us to have "caldo de pollo" (chicken soup) at our favorite Mexican restuarant. It really helped. It was delicious. :)

I hear that we are getting another dose of rain this next week starting on Tuesday. Arghhhh... my poor little ones ~no recess. I'll take the Lysol with me and spray after class everyday, maybe that will help.

I do like the rain if I'm home. I also heard and read at work that they are offering another retirement package ~ sounds interesting, but then what would I do at home? I'd get so bored. But then, maybe I could sub. Who knows, I think about it even more when I'm down. Getting too old to handle the stress of my job ~ at least I feel I am at times like this.

I'll be ok. :)

Our Views . . .

2010-01-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

Lots of snow with this last rainfall, and lots of beautiful views from our backyard.

Same mountains, but in the evening hours. The pink hues make them look gorgeous. Love our views.
.

As our youngest son was getting ready to leave for a date, I caught these beautiful clouds as they spread over the evening sky. Amazing...

Tomorrow begins another week of work ... sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be retired. Grab a cup of coffee, read the paper, watch an old movie and then the housework. I look forward to that time, but for now I need to get ready for my 20 little ones. :) Have a good week everyone and God bless.

Rainy Days....

2010-01-22T20:06:00.001-08:00

It looks like the rain is finally suppose to stop ~ for now. It's been such a wet week. The ground is saturated. Puddles lay on top of the grass with no more room to soak. It's cold everywhere but thank God for heaters and warm blankets and a warm loved one to cuddle with. Oh and the coffee ~ got to have the coffee. I love a hot cup of coffee early in the morning with toast and jelly or "pan dulce"~ a mexican sweet bread. Life is good when you have a cup of coffee ~ there is no other. Hmmmmmm......

All week long my little ones had no recess. And then to top it off, one of those little rascals brought in a lighter for cigarettes. After they got up from the carpet to return to their desks, I saw it laying on the carpet. I asked whose it was and of course it belonged to "Nobody!" After contacting our principal, our vice principal came in and really let them have it. I had never heard him be so angry with them. But it was good ~hopefully it will never happen again. It was a major offense. And as he said if he knew who had brought it, they would be gone from our school permanently! These are first graders ~ I was ticked with them, too. So...... to make a long story short and because we did not have outdoor recess, I took away their free center time (puzzles, Legos, building blocks etc.) for the week. Well, the good side of all this was that we got a lot of work done. :)

It's Friday, I'm tired and sleepy. I am sleeping in late! Good night all and God bless.

Moonlight Beach ....

2010-01-18T21:39:00.000-08:00

Went on for a ride yesterday, just my honey and me. It was a difficult weekend in some ways. Spend time with my mom on Saturday cleaning and finally packing up the rest of her home. The house was empty, hollow and sad. I rode with my mom to her storage unit -- 25 years plus in one storage unit. I want to scream ~ I want to cry ~ it isn't fair ~ not for my mom. I asked my husband if my mom appeared older and he said that she appeared sadder ~ so true. That was it. We are done.

Yesterday my husband so graciously offered to take me to the beach for lunch. He always knows how I feel and is always trying to make me feel better ~ I love him so. It was such a nice ride. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant near Moonlight State Beach. Oh, I love it out there. We stopped at the beach to watch the waves and took a walk (walk off the lunch:). We saw the storm coming in and got caught in the rain. Life just seems so peaceful out there. One of these days when I'm rich, I'm buying a beach house - ha!

We decided that one of our destinations this summer will be back to Moonlight State Beach ~ my new favorite place.

And now to brace for a rainy week. Love my mama and my husband. God bless you both.

To Move Forward . . .

2010-01-11T21:12:00.001-08:00

I look far passed through the mountain and know that my visits up to that area are no longer. This is my mom's last week to see her and my sister's home. It's sad -- it's very sad. My mom's heart is broken and there is little that I can do.

Years -- years I used to drive up there with my family or by myself. The trip was far to me, but nevertheless, I would go. The drives became more frequent when my dad got sick and especially when my sister got sick.

I see the dip in the mountain as I stand outside on our deck and the sadness overwhelms me because I will not take any more trips up there because she is not there.

We continue to move forward or at least we try.

I love you sister.

Life . . .

2010-01-06T18:39:00.001-08:00

Life continues . . . it's interesting.

I actually am enjoying it from the moment I wake up till I go to sleep. I like listening to my friends. It was nice to see everyone again after our holidays. True there are sad events still in our lives, but for some reason, I just want to hug them and say it's going to be ok. I hope it will be ok. I would like for it to be ok ~ for them.

All I can do is hug them.

Well, now that I'm back to work, I have to squeeze in the laundry, the cleaning, the grading of papers. But I think I'll watch tv for a little while. What the heck ~ all gets done with time. If not I'll do it tomorrow. :)

Back to Work!!!!

2010-01-04T17:34:00.001-08:00

Today was our first day back to work after the holidays. It was great to see my little ones, but many were on the side of still being little sleepyheads ~ not used to waking up so early. By lunch time they were a bit more focused, but it did take a while.

I feel like I'm a revolving door this year. At least 5 children have moved only to be replaced by 5 new students. Today I got a new little girl who I feel will do just fine. Good reading and writing skills.

I feel that as I get older, the more tired I am by the end of the day ~ normal? I suppose so. Some friends of mine or people I know that are my age are already retired. I'm hanging in there until I'm 60 ~ for the money. More and more, though, I feel a bit too tired and just want to take it easy. But I'll be a trooper and press on.

My youngest son and his sweet little girlfriend got me "Big Love" Season 3 for Christmas ~ I think I'll go make a nice cup of tea and sit down to watch a couple of episodes before I go to bed.

I'm happy to say that our new year has begun very nicely. We'll be ok.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
A cupcake cake made by my daughter for New Year's Day dinnner later. :)
She's so creative!

A new year . . . God bless us all.

A New Year...

2009-12-28T19:51:00.001-08:00

A new year is upon us -- years past I used to begin the new year with the thought of what it may bring us. I would wonder about all my loved ones. What direction would their lives take them, newly married, babies waiting to be born and who would pass away. Last year did I know my sister would pass away? No, I had hoped and prayed so much for a miracle that never came.

Last year was a very sad year. It was long, but short.

I will remember the happy times, too. My youngest son graduated from high school and is going to college. He is in a relationship with a very nice young woman who we adore. My oldest son is producing 3-4 programs for tv. And our daughter has now been accepted to USC to complete her Master's Degree much to her husband's and our delight. And my husband -- Honey, you've always been here for me. . . and I thank you.

2010 -- I will not wonder anymore. I will wait with patience to see how our new year develops. I will be here for my children, my husband, and my family to love them, cherish them, help them, listen to them and pray for them. This is all I can do.

Did I lose my faith this last year? Yes, I think I did, but only for a little while for where would we be without it? Losing a family member, especially a sister is the saddest thing that can happen to anyone. She was my dearest sister and best friend. She used to make me laugh. I miss her hugs, her laughter, I miss her.

I chose the picture up above to symbolize the love I have for my husband and he for me. I have cried with him so many times and he has always been here to comfort and remind me that God loves us so. I held on to my sister's hand so much during this last year and now I will hold on to my husband's hand for the rest of my life ... and continue to adore him with all my heart.

We begin a new year with new prayers for each new morning. But one prayer is constant -- that our Good Lord continue to bless us and care for us each and every day.

I love you sister.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone. I've been on Facebook for a little while - such a nice "invention" when it comes to communicating with family and friends. I'm able to write small notes to our nephew in Afghanistan (not sure I spelled it right), to family in Maine, Idaho & throughout CA.

It's been a nice Christmas with our families. My sister is always on my mind and I miss her, but I realize we will be ok. Spend time with my mom this last week decorating my dad's grave - something I never did before, again because it was my sister who would go with my mom. It was nice. I told my mom we should probably do it earlier next year so my dad can have the decorations for a longer period of time. I'll have to make a note of it on my next year's calendar.

My sister is always in our conversations - we miss her so much. We get weepy, but then we continue with life.

Tamales are still cooking downstairs - last batch. They came out so good this year. DELICIOUS!!!!

God bless you all.

Good Morning

2009-12-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday, December the 20th. Where has the time gone? Last weekend to do any major shopping. Look how beautiful the sky looked from outside our home. I was amazed. I took the picture then went downstairs to make some coffee. Wow, it was such a gorgeous morning. We are blessed.

Christmas Lunch

2009-12-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

We celebrated a nice Christmas lunch with my mom and little brother today. It was a beautiful day.

In past years my sister would put together a Christmas dinner and we were always present. I almost let this year go by because it didn't seem right to "celebrate" without her, however, I needed to do it for my mom. All my children went and it was such a nice afternoon. We had a good time. Lots of goodies and the lunch was delicious.

My sister would have been happy. We miss you. . . and love you.

Cookies!!

2009-12-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

I have some really wonderful friends who are the most caring people I have ever known. They actually made me feel happy today -- a genuine happiness that I had not felt in a long, long time. I think I'm getting better -- a more lighter feeling of life.

Christmas is around the corner and I am feeling excited about it again. Cookies! I'm making cookies tonight -- M&M cookies for my next door neighbor teacher :). Brownies for my other neighbor teacher and chocolate chip cookies for everyone else who is near and dear to my heart. And I am watching Fa-la-la-la Lifetime while I bake!!

Christmas was my sister's best holiday -- she went all out with the decorating and baking and cooking. I will be happy for her. I love you, sister.

Sisters . . .

2009-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

Currently reading "Three Weeks With My Brother" by Nicholas Sparks. A very nice book. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors. I think I've almost read everything he's written. I have his last two books waiting in line for me. Recently I saw "Nights in Rodanthe" on HBO -- I liked it a lot. His style of writing is very easy to follow and I tend to get caught up with the characters. This book "Three Weeks With My Brother" although written in 2004 was one of his books that I kind of pushed to the side because it didn't hold my interest. But then when my sister passed away I thought I would like to read it. Family - that's what it's all about. It's kept me enthralled from the first page. The love these two brothers have for each other is amazing. It warms my heart. I can't help but remember my sister and remember how dependent I was on her when we were young and even as we got older I depended on her for many things like taking care of my mother. Being there when I needed her.

Right now I am at the part where they are parting. Nicholas Sparks and his little family are moving to North Carolina (where many of his books have their settings at) and he is saying good bye to his brother. They hug each other and tell each other how much they love and will miss each other. You can feel their pain.

And. . . .

My little sister is moving back to Phoenix after this week. I will miss her so much. We went to see them on Sunday, had dinner with them, and drove by the beach. We cried, we hugged, and we told each other how much we loved each other. It's hard to let her go - our reassurance is that she's only 5 hours away. We'll be ok. The heartache of missing our sister is so evident in both of us. I understand her and vice versa. It will take time. Brothers and sisters are special, but for me, sisters are especially special. They are your best friends.