I think I’ve said that I love living in Florida. However, days like today make me even more appreciative.
Today’s forecast calls for 76 degree temperatures. Can you believe it? And I live in north Florida, where it’s usually much cooler than this.
The kids at school are wearing short-sleeve shirts and shorts, changing into flip-flops as soon as they walk out the door.
Sometimes it’s tough to be me…real tough…
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: december, florida, weather | Leave a comment »
I love Christmas decorations. Always have.
When I was younger, my mom let my sister and me decorate our rooms. I had a canopy bed that was perfect for this. The bars were perfect for hanging garland and balls from. We painstakingly hung tinsel, one strand at a time, all the way around the canopy frame. I loved laying in bed, looking up at all the silver. But, the best part was getting in and out of bed, ducking under the tinsel each time.
I kept the tinsel neat too! Talk about OCD, eh? I couldn’t stand for the tinsel to be clumped together, so I straightened it up frequently.
Ever since my own children were young, I’ve allowed them to do the same…decorate their rooms and bathroom. The kids have strings of lights around their rooms, and the bathroom boasts two strands of M&M lights.
No matter where you go in my house, your eyes can alight on visible reminders of this wonderful holiday.
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More layoffs…that’s what my school district is doing this week.
Last night, I learned that nine new teachers (i.e. still under probation) are getting pink slips this week. In addition, the district is cutting down paraprofessionals’ hours by 30%. These cuts are being made to address an $11 million budget shortfall.
What does that mean for me? It means no permanent teaching job, more than likely.
Sigh…
Thank goodness that God is on His throne, and He has a grand plan for my life. I continue to trust in that.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: economy, layoffs, teaching | Leave a comment »
What fun! I was perusing the blogs I’m subscribed to in Bloglines, and I discovered that Kelly had tagged me on her blog.
What I’m supposed to do is find the 4th picture folder on my computer. I’m to put the 4th picture from that folder on my blog and tell 4 facts about it.
Fittingly, my 4th folder is named “Pets.” Here’s the picture:
Aubie and Pele
So now it’s my turn to tag 4 people.
Cuteknitter, Heather, Deb, and Paula … You’re It!
Filed under: Pets | Tagged: dogs, Pets | 3 Comments »
Keeping a secret at Christmas can be hard sometimes, can’t it? Especially when you’ve picked out the perfect present for someone, and you can’t wait for them to open it.
When Mr. AuburnChick and I were dating, I had thought long and hard about what I would buy him. I finally selected, after saving up several months for it, a beautiful watch. I just knew it would look good on him.
One day, probably a couple of weeks before Christmas, we were visiting at my house, and while we sat talking, I somehow told him what his gift was.
Don’t ask me how it happened. It just slipped out.
I’ve been told that I talk too much. This is probably true. Had I been a woman of few words (do such women exist??), I might not have said anything. You know…actually thinking before I speak.
Needless to say, I was devastated! I could not believe that I had ruined the surprise. I remember that I cried.
He laughed and brushed it off, assuring me that it would be okay.
And it was.
Apparently this tendency is hereditary.
One Christmas, when Soccer Chick was a toddler, we were in the living room wrapping presents. It was probably a Sunday…the day of the week when we made phone calls to the grandparents to stay in touch.
Soccer Chick was a blabber (still is), and when it was her turn to talk on the phone, she was asked what she was doing. She responded: “Oh Granddaddy, I’m just sitting here wrapping your shirt.”
Then her eyes got wide, and she slapped her hands across her mouth in shock.
Quite the picture, as you can imagine. Simply too precious for words.
To this day, she cannot keep a surprise, which is why she was surprised when Guy Friend opened the hat I made him. I didn’t dare tell her. I knew she would spill the beans.
I think this is part of the magic of Christmas…well, perhaps any time of the year. There’s something about the act of giving that brings fills our hearts to the brim with joy…to the point where we can’t contain it for very long.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: christmas | 1 Comment »
I think I already mentioned that Soccer Chick went to practice on Sunday. Mr. AuburnChick drove her (it was two hours away). Later that afternoon, I called Chicky to see if they were on their way home. She assured me that they were.
During the course of the conversation, I asked how practice had gone. Her team had scheduled a scrimmage with a boys’ team.
“Oh it well good, Mama,” she said. “One of my eyes is swollen shut. Another boy and I butted heads when we went up for a ball.”
“Oh my!” I exclaimed. “Do you have a concussion?”
I’ve seen a few kids get concussions when they go up for headers. I was especially worried because boys don’t always play nice, even if they are playing against girls.
Soccer Chick continued…”Daddy is taking me to the hospital.”
“What?? Oh my!” I shouted into the phone.
Then I heard it.
Laughing.
Actually, it was a howl of hysteria.
She thought she was funny.
I, on the other hand, did not.
You see, I tend to be a worry-wort…especially since she hurt her knee a couple of years ago.
After reprimanding her sternly for almost giving me a heart attack, I hung up. Then, I did what any mother would do.
I called her father, who of course had heard the entire conversation since he was driving the car.
Ring, ring…
Instead of the customary hello, all I heard was laughing.
“Mr. AuburnChick, if you ever do anything like that, I will personally strangle you.”
So, that was on Sunday.
Last night Soccer Chick had a high school game, and I sat in the bleachers taking pictures like I usually do.
The game was almost over when I spied, through the camera lens, her going up for a header. She’s real good at these, usually winning them against much taller opponents.
What I saw, however, gave me cause for alarm. As she came down, she grabbed her head. So did the other player. Below is a picture:
I used my camera like a set of binoculars and watched her walk off the field. A trainer on staff checked her out to ensure that she was okay.
She was.
I wasn’t.
As soon as the final whistle blew (her team won 4-0), I headed to the other side of the field.
She was mad when she saw me coming.
Obviously she was okay.
She told me that the other girl got the worst of the collision. Her eye was completely swollen. Soccer Chick has some bruising on her eyelid.
Very fortunate, that girl of mine.
This is a good lesson to take care that you speak good things and never, ever play mean jokes on Mom.
Filed under: soccer | Tagged: headers, soccer | Leave a comment »
After begging like a dog and giving me sad puppy dog eyes, I relented and allowed Guy Friend to open his gift.
He seemed happy.
And then he went to the bathroom to look at himself.
He said that he looked like a Jamaican.
I’m not sure if this was a compliment or not. I offered to knit him some dreadlocks to accompany the beanie. He laughed.
So, at this point I have no idea if he likes it or not.
Soccer Chick confessed that he’s picky.
Do me a favor, please. If you ever get the sense that I want to knit something for a teenager, STOP me! Inundate my blog with comments warning AGAINST this.
That’s all.
Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: beanie, Knitting | Leave a comment »
When I was about nine years old, my family moved from a big city in Colorado to a small town in south Alabama. It’s the kind of town where everyone knows everyone.
We did not have family close by, so neighbors and friends filled in the gap during holidays, even giving us gifts.
The first year, my sister and I opened up strange presents…underwear…lacy underwear…from our step-dad’s employee and his wife.
I remember that we looked at each other incredulously…wide eyes evidence of our shock. My mom got a good laugh. I was embarrassed.
Who gives their boss’s kids underwear?
I had a hard time looking at that man the next few times I saw him, and believe me, he was around a lot…small town and all.
What strange and/or inappropriate gifts have you received over the years?
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Before
Rooster Procrastinates Again!
After
Chicky's Turn To Dry
Need I say more?
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: children, chores | Leave a comment »
Back to a childhood memory…
My mom started a wonderful tradition when my sister and I were young. Each Christmas Eve, we opened one present each. Mom picked the gifts she wanted us to open.
Without fail, we received games or a crafty thing. Mom was wise. She knew that these gifts would help us get through the long evening.
I don’t remember the games we received, but I do remember hours spent with my sister, figuring out the games’ rules, talking excitedly about the upcoming morning, and actually getting along with one another.
One of my favorite Christmas Eve gifts was a paint-by-number kit. I must have been 17 or so…way past the age of doing stuff like this. However, it was a much nicer kit than I’ve ever seen. The scene I painted that night was one of nature. I loved watching the picture come to life before my eyes.
I kept that painting for a few years. That’s how much joy it brought me.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: christmas | Leave a comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 