Dragonflies

For various reasons, dragonflies have been cropping up in my immediate world a lot lately! It started with our last Covenant group with Michelle and had just gone wild since. Above the the dragonfly that I bought to hang on my garage, next to a pretty hanging plant. It's about a foot long...

Today's Movie of the Day is actually a TV Series: Gilmore Girls. In the later years, Lorelei owned the Dragonfly Inn.

Photos For You

Some garden photos...



My friend Laura had Gerber Daisies for her wedding.

This picture is actually sideways. Put your right ear to your shoulder if you want to see what the pink flowers really look like.

This is my favorite part of the garden. I love purple.

The garden as a whole. I didn't really plan it when I shopped, just picked flowers that I liked in bright colors. Tee hee.

Hmmm....

I am looking for recommendations of good blogs to read. There are a few people out there who read this blog somewhat regularly who I don't think I've met. Do you have other blogs that you recommend?

Does anyone else hit "Next Blog" once in a while, just to see what's out there? Have you found anything interesting?

Yesterday, I found a blog of a woman who takes a picture of what she's wearing that day and then describes where she got everything. It's find of fun! She has links to other blogs like hers.

Don't forget to enter your favorite name in my Name That Willow Contest. So far, everyone seems to think the tree is a boy.

Movie of the Day: The Devil Wears Prada.

The Tree-Naming Contest

Here is my tree. Would you like to name it? Names will be collected for one week on this blog as a comment or by email (if you know me well enough to have my email address).

Perfect

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon looking for a willow tree for my back yard. I live next to a swamp and I heard that willows need a lot of water. A perfect match!

Well, Willows come pretty big and grow pretty quickly, so they also come with kind of a big price tag. However, if the swamp goes away, it'll be worth it.

I went to two nurseries yesterday and both said, "The only bad thing is that they need a lot of water." I said "I live in a swamp. Perfect!"

Today, my dad and I go back with his friend's truck so we can transpot a tree safely to my house. No more swamps for me! (Sorry Shrek.)

Movie of the Day: Swamp Thing. He can't try to live here any more!

I Baked

Yes, I know it's hard to believe it, but I helped bake 20 rhubarb pies yesterday morning. The pies are on sale at the Rhubarb Festival today at First Lutheran Church in Duluth. I'm guessing they've sold out already, but there might be other rhubarb treats left. Funny, huh?

Tasty. Plus, all of the proceeds go to CHUM (which helps the homeless).

If Rue McLanahan and Barbara Walters had a kid, they could name it Rhubarb.

Tee hee.

Movie of the Day: Ratatouille. I need to see this movie. I bet he'd make an awesome rhubarb pie.

Little Things I Wonder About

Okay, a few things I wonder about:

1) When you have a cold, where is all of the snot being produced? Sinuses? The Snot Factory?

2) Do you ever jump when you know someone is calling you right back and then the phone rings?

3) Do you check your cellphone when you hear someone else's ringing in public, just in case yours changed rings on you?

4) Do you greet the postal worker at your mailbox or hide until they are sufficiently far enough away before checking your mail?

5) Do you name people that you see on regular basis on your way to work/school/where ever?

6) Do you ever have visions of beautiful pieces of art in your head, but your skills get in the way of getting the art into the world?

Movie of the Day: Jerry Maguire. That kid could ask questions.

What To Do First?

I feel like a little kid at an amusement park who doesn't know which ride to go on first! It's Summer! I've waited for this for 8 months and now I can't decide where to start!

Yesterday, I ran errands and bought a few flowering plants for my yard. I think I'm easing into Summer.

Today, I head to one of my two happy places: The Potter's Shed. It's in Shell Lake and I can hardly wait. It's like standing in line for the Corkscrew at Valley Fair (that's my favorite ride).

WOO HOO!!!!!

Movie of the Day: Miss Potter (which I want to rent soon!).

Student

I was just looking at a friend's blog and thinking about what I missed about being a student. What I miss most is the fact that my success depended mostly on me. I didn't need to factor in other people's moods, attitudes, home-life, hunger-levels, or pasts. It was just me and the book. I miss that.

Movie of the Day: The Power of One.

I'm Back

I bet you thought I'd skipped town or something for all the blogging I've been doing lately!

Sorry about that!

I'm back now.

Today's weather has got me wanting to curl up on the couch and watch a movie or read a book. I don't think I can settle down that much, though, without falling asleep. It's Nap or Move day or something.

Weekend Summary: The marathon went well. I got sunburned, but that is to be expected. The runners ran. The volunteers handed out water and cheered. Overall, a good time.

Yesterday, was Michelle's last Sunday and between the tears and my cold, I had a mound of Kleenex heaping around my feet on the floor during church. It actually looked kind of funny. I survived it better than I thought I would.

Then, I just vegged at my folks' house for Father's Day (ironically, he barbecued his own special dinner).

Whew.

Movie of the Day: Cool Runnings

Early, Even For Me

I am up SOOOOOO early today for the marathon. My alarm went off at 3:50. Ugh.

Whirlwind Weekend Begins

This is going to be one of those weekends that flies by just because it is jam-packed with things to do and emotions to be felt.

Today: Finish delivering baskets. Drop off Toyota Sienna for ESPN to use. Eat spaghetti. Nap. Host friends.

Tomorrow: Get up at 3:45. Shower. Eat. Head out at 4:45. Staff waterstation with friends, family, and students. Shower. Nap. Maybe go out to unwind later.

Sunday: Church. Say good-bye to three of my good friends. Cry heaps. (I have Kleenex and handkerchiefs ready.) Nap.

Whew. I'm tired just thinking about it!

Movie of the Day: The Science of Sleep, which I still need to see.

Guard Down. DRAT!!!

You know how you can run on stress for a while and then when you stop feeling stress, you get sick? Well, I went to bed last night with a sore throat. Now, I must fight. I still have things to accomplish! Today, we make 93 gift baskets. Then, a nap before choir practice. I better get to bed early, huh?

Movie of the Day: My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Watched it while making baskets yesterday. Funny. "Are you hungry?" "Oh, no thanks. I just ate." "Okay, I make you something."

Loose Ends

Yesterday was a day of tying up loose ends. Calling back people who left me messages a couple months ago (Not friends. Not urgent.). Now, I'm ready to make 160 gift baskets for the elite runners of Grandma's Marathon. My family and I have done it for about 5 years now, so things go relatively smoothly (knock on wood).

Saturday, a group of us are volunteering at a waterstation for the race and I've just come up with a way to keep my legs from killing me on Sunday: shovels!!!! Usually, One in a Million Saras and I end up picking up cups (the runners drink and toss, the volunteers fill, hand, and eventually pick up). I'm super excited about my idea!

Well, I better get started!

Movie of the Day: The Saint. I know it didn't win an Oscar, but I still like it!

TV Shows I Miss

Friends
Alias
Scarecrow & Mrs. King
The Electric Company
What About Joan
The Carol Burnett Show
Sale of the Century
Alf (just kidding)
My Two Dads
Growing Pains

What do you miss?

Movie of the Day: American Dreamz (Try to see it for free...)

:)

Waa Hoo!!!

The Heartbreak and the Hope

It's nearing the end of the school year and we're all tired. Our brains are full or our brains are drained. I've given what I could and now I need to recharge. People ask me what I do over the summer. I say "Nothing!!!!" It's amazing. The weird thing is, though, it isn't like I'm sitting around on my butt all day. I read. I spend time with family. I go to movies. I volunteer. I dig in my yard. Time fills in.

Right now, I have hectic days with the occasional, "I'm gonna miss this kid." thought. Students who go out of their way to be kind. Students who crack you up when you really thought you were going to crack. Students who don't talk to you all year and then suddenly spill their guts. Students who tell you that they like your class even though it's tough (one of my personal favorites since I have the rep of being the "nice" math teacher).

At the same time, I'm trying to think of a way to acknowledge all of the hard things that have happened over this school year and to find a way to heal from some of the events (difficult classes, insults from students or adults, things like that). I need to find a way to make the above paragraph more prominent and the soul-saddening events less powerful.

Sigh.

Movie of the Day: Dead Poets' Society. Great teacher movie.

Suitcase Ready

I like travelling. I haven't been on a serious trip since Paris/London in February and I'm getting antsy. I'm thinking domestic (jetting off to Europe more than once every few years is more than my lifestyle can afford).

I'm thinking Colorado. But then Boston would be fun, especially in August when I could spend a day with my friends Nate & Claire & Baby # 1. I'm kind of a wimp about heat, so Arizona is out.

Any suggestions?

Movie of the Day: Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Tee hee.

Gardens Of My Mind

It's that time again when I start to drool over greenhouses. Well, more specifically, over the pretty flowers in the greenhouses. I would LOVE a garden full of flowers and a little bench and footrest for my reading. Of course, if I had such a garden, I'd probably have to spend all of my time weeding it, but I'll leave that part out of my dream.

I saw a beautiful garden in a magazine yesterday. Breath-taking. Maybe I should try to become friends with the owner! Hmmmmm.....

Do any of you have lovely gardens that you would like to have readers in?

Movie of the Day: Just Like Heaven. Lovely gardens.