Feeling Better

Finally, the cold seems to be getting better. Today is filled with lots of stuff to do so that we can enjoy the rest of the weekend. Isn't that the way it goes? Work extra hard, so you can play? I have to buy the food for our cook-out on Monday. Tom is taking the car to be assessed. I have cleaning to do. Becca has piano lessons in the next half hour. I will give four violin lessons this afternoon. Did I mention that at 4:00 am we are getting up to see a meteour shower and go to the balloon fest? Wow, maybe I should pretend to still be sick. Ha Ha

I hope you all have a great and RESTFUL weekend.

Just a Thursday

Today, Becca got up early, fixed herself breakfast and totally packed her lunch. She was so proud that she did it all by herself. It's funny. I first thought "Shari,you stayed in bed too long". My second thought was "my littlest is not so little". I love packing their lunches even though it can be frustrating at times. I have to remember who likes what and how. I like taking care of them for just a little bit, before the day begins. I say a little prayer for each member of my family as I pack their lunches. Sometimes, I put little notes in their packs, just to remind them that I am thinking about them. I think sometimes we get so bogged down in the "things" we have to do, that we don't stop and think about what would happen if we didn't do them. Just a thought.

Today, I am in the "cough your brains out" stage of this cold. I wish it were over already. I am gonna clean the house and prepare the car for the adjusters tomorrow. Please pray for us. We don't know if they are gonna total it or not and we don't know if we want them to or not.

Tootles

The Storm Continues

The insurance adjuster came out yesterday. Very nice man, but did not have good news. We have paint damage on the rear and side of our house. Our roof must be replaced and we haven't even heard about the car yet. That will be assessed on Friday.

Some very good things have come from the storm. First, it has given our neighborhood a sense of community. People who normally wouldn't speak, say hello when they see that adjuster on your roof. Everyone needs a new roof, by the way. We all smile as we drive around in our pock marked cars because we know we were all in the same storm last Thursday.

I have a new sense of what is really important. We were all just fine and I realized that some of the "things" that were damaged in the storm, were just "things" and I CAN live without them. I am hoping that some of these "things" will defray the deductable cost.

I took my violin in for repair. The bad news is, it is gonna cost a bundle to repair and I HAVE to fix it. I am hoping that I can take the repair out on my income taxes. I asked the repair person to appraise it while I was there. Her ballpark figure was way more than I paid for the violin, so that helped me swallow the repair cost a bit easier. She is also going to repair the soundpost and put new strings on. All in all, the violin was in need of a tune-up and the crack forced me to do it.

Today I am home doing laundry, ironing and all those "things" that Mom's do. I am hoping to continue to recover from my cold and take it somewhat easy today.

Insurance Assurance

Today we find out the full extent of the damage to our house from last week's storm. I was glad not to have to sub. today, as I have a nasty cold. I think my cold came from the 300 new germ factories I met last week at school. I am also off to find out the cost of having my violin repaired. I opened my case on Friday and found that my violin had a crack under the tail piece. I have to play for a wedding on September 8, so I am hoping that it will be a quick and not so pricey repair.

The good news is that Tom is up and cycling again. He went back to spin class today. I am so proud of him. I am hoping to run tomorrow, if my cough is better today. We are gonna be a healthy family "if it kills us". Ha Ha

Congratulations to Jen and Scott. They will make an offer on a BEAUTIFUL home in Tennessee. I wish it was across the street from us, but it's not.

Take care all.

The Fox Whisperer

For those of you who don't know, Pookie is my father-in-law. He has traveled all over the world and he used to bring "Pookie" dolls to his children. "Pookie" dolls look like old people, almost elf-like. That is where the name comes from.

Mom and Dad moved to Colorado about two years ago. Mom was only here a short while and then passed away due to dementia. Pookie was left alone and he couldn't stand staying here without her. He went back to Florida, but found their 10 acres was too much and too far out in the woods, for him to handle. He came back here, but dreams of returning home. It has been a sad cycle for him.

Pookie loves wildlife and I swear he has a knack with animals. He saw a family of foxes with new babies out behind the assisted living facility, where he lives. I think he was a bit enchanted with them. He started feeding the babies, and now, he has them almost eating out of his hand. He can call them from his upstairs window and they will come looking for food.

Our first reaction was "Oh no, they are going to bite him". Then, we got the big picture. The foxes are providing him with a sense of purpose. They make him "unique" within the community where he lives. They provide him with a reason to get up in the morning. He has been known to ask for a double portion at breakfast. One for him and one for the foxes. The foxes have filled a void that knowbody else has been able to do. He doesn't complain about going back to Florida, much. He seems more content and enjoyable to be around. He has something special to "show " his grandchildren when they come to visit. The girls think it is so cool that their "Pookie" can communicate with the fox.

Part of Dad's heritage is American Indian. I think his Indian name should be "Fox Whisperer". I think if animal spirits live in people, then Dad is truly a fox. He is very timid at times, with little to say, but inside he is always thinking and is as sly as "you know".

Family Time

Sometimes, family time is hard to come by. In a home where both parents work and children want to do their own thing, you have to make family time happen. Such was the case yesterday. I had decided earlier in the week that I REALLY wanted to go to the Happy Apple Farm. It is a local orchard where you can go pick your own apples, as well as other fruits. For the last 7 years or so, I have wanted to go, but hadn't. I was bound and determined that we were gonna go. We needed to get away from the hail damaged house, and just be a family.

Tom's reply to going was "alright, if that's really what you want to do". Laura's reply was "why do we have to go pick apples if we can buy them at the store?" Becca's reply was "I don't want to go." I also suggested that we take Pookie with us, his reply was "I'm not feeling well, go on without me". I guess I should have asked the dogs, they LOVE wide open fields. Penny would have had a blast.

I was determined and ignored everyone's consternation. I just kept thinking "this will be good for them".

We arrived at the farm and a funny thing happened. We joke about how we have lived here long enough, and we have been so involved in the community, that we can rarely go somewhere without seeing someone we know. Such was the case yesterday. We arrived only moments after Laura's fifth grade teacher and his young family. Laura immediately warmed to the idea of being there as she wouldn't want her teacher to see her whine. She also denied that she ever had second thoughts about going.

Becca saw the hayride that transports you out into the fields. She immediately warmed to the idea that "perhaps this could be fun".

Tom spied the bbq/smoker under the pavilion where they smoke meat every weekend and serve it to hungry patrons. Of course, they use apple wood cut from the trees. I thought Tom was gonna kiss the owner when he said he could take some of his apple wood for "free". Actually what he said was "just back you car up and take some".

I just smiled inside. The day was gonna work out alright.

We started with blackberries. They were not so black as they had been much picked over. I decided that red/black berries would suffice for one cobbler (that's all we found enough for), which I will make today.

When I got off the hayride and stepped into the blackberry patch, I was transported back in time. I swear I was in Florida and ten years old again. I remembered picking wild blackberries along the railroad track with my Mom and sister. I remembered Mom's blackberry cobbler. I thought of going to the strawberry fields and eating as many berries as I picked. It's funny, when I was ten, I bet I complained about going to the berry patch. I found myself thinking that this is why I had come. Not just to pick berries, but to create memories with my family. I want them to remember going to the blackberry patch, barely finding berries, but having a great time.
After the berries, we were off to conquer the apples. Actually, Tom and the girls were ahead of me picking apples because they had given up on finding BLACK berries. When I arrived at the apple section, the girls and Tom were hot and thirsty and had already picked a bag All three smiled and told me how sweet the apples were (we were encouraged to sample).You see, I am a Floridian and we don't grow apples there, not like these. The fella driving the hayride swore the Gallas were the sweetest, so that is what we picked. Tom and the girls took the hayride back to the car for water. They left me there in the orchard, and I was in heaven. Looking at those apples, I knew why Adam was tempted. I picked one of the apples, took a bite, and sin or not, it was gooood.I picked two bags of apples while waiting for my family to return on the hayride. I was alone in the orchard and thinking about how I wished my Dad could have been with me. If he ever visits Colorado again, we have to take him there. He has always wanted an orchard and I really wish I could show him this one. So, here are a couple of pictures, just for him.

We finished the day, hot, tired and totally happy. Not ONE complaint about the day. The girls are eager to eat cobbler and I am eager to make it for them. I am toying with the idea of going back on Wednesday, by myself, early in the morning, to pick those red blackberries that will have turned their proper color by then. Is it the berries I am hoping for, or just an extension of this special day? I am so glad that I insisted on going and demanding that "WE ARE GONNA HAVE FUN". Sometimes, a Mom has to do what she has to do.

Hail Damage

Today's blog is mostly pictures that we had to take this morning for insurance purposes. Again, I am reminded of how one's life can change in an instant and there is absolutely, nothing you can do about it. I talked to my family in Florida yesterday. They chuckled a little at the fact that they have hurricane's, but usually, stones don't fall from the sky. Here you go if you are interested in the dirty details.
Here is our car that looks like it has been at a driving range.
So strong, it put holes in our plastic chairs.Thank goodness our "fancy" chairs were covered.
Even Bubba was injured.
"Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them".---Russell H. Conwell
My poor babies.My poor "cukes", but look, there is a bloom.
Salad anyone?The little bird was not spared, but God's hand are still strong and in place.
My decapitated bunny.

We do have roof damage. Next week, the insurance assessor will come and assess damage. Our car will go in to be assessed on Friday.

On a happier note, we are off to "Happy Apple Farm" today. We are gonna pick up "Pookie" and head out for a day of blackberry and apple picking. Today has got to be a better day.

Hail

I got up to run this morning and it was raining, and lightning. I thought about running in the rain, but won't do lightning. It's alright though because we have bigger things to get through this morning. Last night, I was in a meeting at school, that I really thought was a waste of time. As we were waiting for the meeting to begin, it started to rain, and then it started to hail. The hail sounded HUGE. It was. Golf ball size and my car was in the parking lot. Sure enough, when I got outside, I looked at my car and it looks like it got caught in a hail storm. Obvious damage. When I got home, Tom looked at the car and decided we better take a look at the house this am. I went out into my garden and couldn't believe it. My cucumbers were literally split in half. My strawberries are gone. I have just a few tomatos left. It shredded a patio chair cover. Worse still, there are hail marks all over our steps leading from the back door. The steps aren't the issue. The issue is if the steps are damaged, what does our roof look like? What does the paint on the west side of our house look like? AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!

I did begin to think about how life can change in a second. One minute I am complaining about a meeting and the next, I am worried about my house. This morning I need to be grateful that nothing else was damaged, Tom's car was in the garage, my family was safe and nobody was IN the storm, windows were not broken (it was actually a fear while the storm was happening) and that we have insurance. Please pray for us today as we sort out the mess.

Fear of Success

Today my thoughts are turned toward an opportunity I have been handed. I will be starting an orchestra "club" at Laura's school. It sounded like a great idea, as there is no opportunity for kids in our district to study strings in the middle schools. I called myself "stepping up to the plate". When I told the director of the Youth Symphony that I would not be teaching for them this year, this is what he said about my middle school idea "it will be so small it won't be worth your time, or it will be so large, you won't be able to handle it". These thoughts keep running through my head and clogging my brain with self doubt.

Everyone else has encouraged me and told me that it is a great idea. I feel like I am filling a void, in a very small way. My goal is to start a spark so that strings might be a part of the district middle school curriculum, someday. Yesterday, at lunch, I had an opportunity to speak with someone who knows the director of the high school orchestra that this middle school feeds into. He is excited and spoke about the club in a parent's meeting. He doesn't even know who I am. I am nervous about being good enough. I keep saying "I am not a teacher", God keeps saying "Yes, you are". Please pray for me. I meet with the middle school Vice Principal tomorrow morning to iron out the details. Here we go on yet another God-driven adventure. I am gonna hang on to my seat and do the best job I possibly can.

I love quotes and this is one I found, just this morning. Merle Shain says:
"The conflict between what one is and who one is expected to be touches all of us. And sometimes, rather than reach for what one could be, we choose the comfort of the failed role, preferring to be the victim of circumstance, the person who didn't have a chance."

I know I have been given a chance, so here we go.

Persistence

I am a little discouraged with my running goal. Carol and I realized we will not be ready for the 5k in September. It has not changed our workout habits. As a matter of fact, we increased our time on Monday and yesterday, I started having pain behind my left knee. Someone told me to buy a cheap brace from the drug store and wear it when I run. I may give it a try, but I am feeling a little down as we had to just walk today. I have to keep reminding myself that the down days are special too. Carol and I had a great talk this morning. I so enjoy her listening ear and dedicated spirit. I think that maybe that is what God wanted me to get this morning. I am so hard on myself as I try to be "Miss Perfect". We realized that even our walking pace has increased and we still got more exercise than if we had stayed in bed. I read a quote from Anne Lamott. Here it is - "Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life". I sure don't need any more cramps.

On a brighter note, I have a meeting this Friday to discuss me starting an orchestra at Laura's middle school. It will be the only middle school string club or orchestra in the district. I am excited and a little nervous. My goal is to provide some sort of link between elementary and high school strings.

Laura is feeling the woes of middle school. She is struggling with remembering everything and being responsible for her every move. I know this will be good for all of us in the long run, but please pray for grace to be given at this house. We are slowly getting into a routine and I know it will get better.

In all of this, I am trying to remember that persistence pays off. I know that by taking it slow, the running, the orchestra, and Laura's middle school experience will all be a success.

Tuesday Turmoil

This morning has been crazy. I got out of bed late, no running so that my foot can get better. Laura was late for carpool, so far, Becca is out of bed and doing well. I have to write quickly as I have a student who will appear in 20 minutes and I still have to shower. In the midst of the turmoil, I promised myself just a moment of reflection and lowering my blood pressure.

I was thinking of a few things this am. First , Tom went to Laura's open house. The key to sixth grade, I think, is organization. While I pride myself on being organized (maybe too much), Laura is not. I am hoping that Tom and I work together so that she can develop a sense of what is right.

Second, I was thinking of two things that happened to me at school yesterday. First, I was helping the librarian when a new, little, second grade boy introduced himself. You could tell immediately that he couldn't stay still and thrived on attention. This took about 1 min., maybe. As I was thinking to myself "you are gonna remember this kids name", something happened. He raised his hand to tell the librarian something. This is what he said "my Mom died because she had cancer that spread over half her body". My heart sank and I felt so guilty for judging this little book by it's cover. Wow, that was a lesson learned and a definite prayer for him as he lives alone with his Dad. I will remember that kids name.

The other thought about school happened in the same class. I was saying hello to one of my favorite little kiddos that I have known since he was in kindergarten. We were talking and out of the blue, he gave me a big hug. I think it surprised both of us, but I was thinking about how much I needed that little hug. I needed the reminder that teaching is what I do and why. I realized how much I truly love those little kids. I also realized how a hug, or even a touch can make your whole day. I should have said "thank-you" to him.

Big lessons learned from little people. Isn't it great?

Monday!!! Monday!!!!

Today I am a bit tired. We had a great, but very busy weekend. Friday night we went out to dinner with friends (Josh, Cammie and Ellie) and came back to our house for the big showing of "High School Musical 2". I can't say we are big fans, but it was fun making fun of it. The girls truly liked it, so we tried to show some interest.

Saturday night our good friends, Elaine and John, came over for dinner. Elaine was my teaching partner last year for the Little Mozart program. She has become such a great friend and musical mentor to me. John was once a french pastry chef, so he and the girls made a peach tart. It was FABULOUS!!!! Tom and I ate the leftovers on Sunday. Thanks John!!! Thanks girls!!!!

Sunday we were off to Jan and Michael's for great fun and great food. We celebrated Tom and Laura's birthday as well as David and Valia's first anniversary. They will be married a whole year this Friday.

Today we ALL are off to school. I am subbing at Becca's school for the next three days. I got up this morning at 5:30 and ran week 4 of the "Couch-to-5k". It was tough, but I did it. When I get home, I will teach a couple of violin students and then we are off to Laura's open house at school. Busy day, better go.

Here I am. My very own blog.

My friend Jennifer got me hooked on blogging. She and her family (including our twin godsons) recently moved to TN. She blogs every day and I have found that it helps me not feel quite so far away from them. I can't wait to see them in September. I thought that if she can go to school, raise twin boys, cope with three dogs and run many miles every week, I should be able to do this too. I am hoping that close friends and family will find this as rewarding as I do.

I suppose there is no better place to start than the here and now.

We all started school once again this week. The house was so very quiet. I didn't teach my private violin students and I actually cleaned my carpets. I had time for reflection, cleaning the house, and missing my girls. Laura went to Middle School on Monday and I cried like I did when she went to Kindergarten. I can't believe how grown up she is. Becca went off to third grade. I found myself being very grateful that I still have one child left in elementary school, but it was bittersweet as I realize that in just three short years, Laura is off to High School and Becca will be in Middle School.

Next week, I will begin real life. I am booked to substitute at Becca's school for three days and will begin teaching my 23 private students. In the meantime, I am up everyday at 5:30 preparing for a 5k run on September 9. Carol and I run together. This is our fifth week of training and we are feeling better and better about what we are doing. We don't always enjoy running while we are doing it, but we like how running makes us feel when we are done.

Tom, my husband, has been dreaming of barbecue the last couple of weeks. Last weekend he competed in Dillan,CO at the "BBQ at the Summit". He entered BBQ sauce and took 12th out of 44. We were so very proud of him. He is dreaming of next year as he wants to "go for it all". I think we, and everybody around us, will be eating a lot of BBQ this year as he will be experimenting for just the right recipes for next years contests. Here is a picture of Laura chowing down at the contest last weekend. Becca is sitting next to her.

My daughter, Laura, just started middle school last week. She finds it a bit overwhelming and tells me that the best part of school is "the egg rolls for lunch". We made three trips to the music store last week ( the clerk started recognizing my husband) as Laura can't quite get the band stuff together yet. She plays percussion and her instrument case consisted of a set of bells, a snare, a practice pad, mallets, and her band book. She weighs less than 100 pounds, so this was too much stuff for her to carry. Her case was on wheels, but there was no ramp to roll it down to get it into the band room. We went to the store the first time to trade in this set for a smaller bell set. She forgot to bring her practice pad, so we couldn't turn the old one in. The next day we went back with the pad in hand, and traded her old stuff in for new, lighter stuff. When my husband got home, Laura informed us that she also needed a new band book. Of course, the store was out of them. We made a third trip to the store yesterday. I think it is all taken care of now, but Middle School has been an adjustment for all of us. Laura was bummed as she didn't make it into the swim club. It was a lottery and she was not chosen. I think she is going to be in the art club at school. Pictured is a piece of her work that she did in 5th grade. She won the green ribbon for use of texture at a city contest.

Becca is in third grade. We just love the teacher she got this year. Becca took reading tests on Thursday and did really well. The hardest part of her first week at school was having to go to bed earlier and getting up earlier. I have to pick Laura up at Becca's school in the afternoon, as this is her bus stop, so Becca is enjoying not having to ride the bus in the afternoons. Becca plays the violin and the piano. She has had piano lessons for over a year and likes to play piano more than violin. She is my "little lady". If her clothes don't fit just as she thinks they should, out they go!!! Once this week, we were both in tears and she couldn't find just the right pink pants to go with the right pink shirt. This was after she had layed her clothes out the night before. (I am in such trouble when she gets to be a teenager). Here is a picture of Becca on her way to third grade.

That's all for now. Gonna go get ready for dinner with friends tonight. More later........

Shari