Wordless Wednesday

Saw these big boys from afar. Used my zoom lens to capture this.

 

Wordless Wednesday

A great day for a ride!

Teachers on the 9th Day

The grandkids and I made mugs for their teachers. We then filled the mugs with treats.

On the 6th day, God created men and women. On the 7th day, He rested. Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare himself for the work He was going to do the next day. For it was on the 8th day that God created the teacher. 

 The teacher, though taken from among men and women had several significant modifications. In general, God made the teacher more durable than other men and women. The teacher was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no earlier than 11:30 PM. With no rest in between. The teacher had to be able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight room with 35 little monsters on a rainy Monday. And the teacher had to be able to correct 103 term papers over Easter vacation. 

 Yes, God made the teacher tough - but gentle too. The teacher was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the neglected and lonely student... of the 16 year old girl who was not asked to the prom. 

 And into the teacher God poured a generous amount of patience. Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the teacher has just repeated for someone else. Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the 4th day in a row. Patience when 1/3 of the class fails the test. Patience when the text books haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts tomorrow. 

 And God gave the teacher a heart slightly bigger than the average human heart. For the teacher's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams, "I hate this class - it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the class at the end of the period without so much as a good bye or a thank you. 

And lastly, God gave the teacher an abundant supply of hope. For God knew that the teacher would always be hoping. Hoping that the students would one day learn to spell... Hoping not to have lunchroom duty... hoping that Friday would come... hoping for a free day... hoping for deliverance. 

 When God finished creating the teacher, He stepped back and admired the work of His hands. And God saw that the teacher was good. Very Good. And God smiled, for when He looked at the teacher, He saw into the future. He knew that the future is in the hands of the teachers. 

 And because God loves teachers so much, on the 9th day God created.... "SNOW DAYS" 

Author Unknown. 

I found this poem on Skywriting.com  

Here in MN teachers and students alike hope for a snowday. Our past winters haven't really cooperated--mostly cold but not much snow. This year however God granted teachers a snowday the second day back after the holiday break. It wasn't due to snow though--it was due to extreme cold! (I'm not sure that all teachers would see that as an even trade-off.)

Now that I am retired from teaching I don't worry about the weather. I don't have to drive on bad roads or be sure I have enough warm clothes along for recess duty. It's truly a luxury to have every one of my days now be a "snow day, stay home day"!

Wordless Wednesday

Fancy Footwear at the beach...

Hair Tips and Tricks

Who wouldn't want this healthy hair?

   Hair...it's the one thing that has given me the most trouble during my life. Back in high school I had super straight long hair. It took forever to dry. Then came perms. My hair is very thick and coarse. After perming it seemed like I had twice as much. Looking back at photos it looks like I have a lion's mane. I gave short hair a try and then grew it out again. Now it's turning gray and wiry. Do I like my hair? No, never really have. I look at photos of hairstyles and know that it's almost a sure thing that cut won't work for me. 
     So I try to make the most of what I've got. I can use all the tips and tricks I can find. Here are some ways to be kind to your hair even if like me you aren't really fond of it. (although to be honest, I'd rather have this hair than thin, limp hair)

*Give your hair a much needed break and let it air dry naturally. Think of it as a vacation for your hair. If you are going to air dry your hair, it is very important to remember that the hair is at its weakest when it is wet. So, take care not to rub your hair dry with the use of a towel. The friction caused by rubbing the hair with a towel will make your hair brittle and eventually break. Rather than rubbing it, you should instead blot the moisture out of your hair with the towel. 
*Be careful not to tug or pull at your hair that much when it is still wet. Once the water is blotted out of the hair, fluff it out with your fingers. If you blow dry your hair, make sure that it is not soaking. Blot the water out with a towel first. Do not hold the dryer too close to your head; keep it at least six inches away from your hair and move the dryer constantly around your head. Protect the outer strands of your hair from being over-dried by bending over and blow drying your hair with your hair hanging upside down. Also, try not to dry your hair completely with the blow dryer. Stop while the hair is still slightly damp. 
* Boost the shine of your hair--once your hair is completely dry, finish it off with a cool blast of air to seal the cuticle. 

Here are some homemade beauty hair tips. I have not tried these but thought they sounded fun. 

*Eggs?!? Lightly beat two eggs mixed with some milk and run throughout your hair. Leave on for 5 minutes, rinse and you'll see a shine instantly. 
*Dandruff Treatment-- Dissolve 2 aspirins in your dandruff shampoo and watch how it clears up. Use a good moisturizing conditioner afterward. 
*Hair Static--  This isn't meant to be funny. Use static guard. Use about 7 inches from your hair lightly. Don’t over do! 
*Greasy Hair-- Use powder. Most come in hundreds of fragrances, brands, and unscented selections. Put a little at the root of your hair. If it is a serious problem, put the power on heavily for 15 minutes wash completely, condition lightly, and style. 
*Lemon Boost-- Lemon juice mixed with natural sunlight will lighten any hair. A few drops of Rosemary Essential oil mixed with olive oil, warmed and applied to your hair for about 15 minutes is great for brunettes. (I have tried this one. Love it.) 
*Sweet Shine-- Honey in your tea, snack or applied as a small amount in the hair will give you shine. 
*Coffee For brunettes/redheads—take 8 cups of warm brewed coffee. After shampooing rinse your hair with the coffee. Do not rinse out. Your hair will be thick and shiny. 

Now I'm off to find some cold coffee to add some shine to my hair!

Closet Psychology

This isn't my closet but mine doesn't look much better.

Like many people I have been thinking about goals for 2015. One of them is to clean out my walk-in closet. It has kind of gotten away from me. I thought if something ever happens to me my husband and children would be horrified to have to go through the things in here!

So I was interested in reading an article about the Psychology of Your Closet in Living on the Suncoast magazine. They suggest taking control of your closet before it has a chance to control you. I think I need to do that now!

The author of the article, Sharon Stewart also suggests that this is a journey and I won't be able to do this overnight. (thank goodness!) I need to start by looking at my closet in detail and ask myself some questions about each garment. (gonna take awhile for sure)

*Does it still fit?
*Does it look current?
*Does it suit my current lifestyle?
*Is it in good condition?
*Will I wear it if I answered yes to the questions above?

After answering these questions I will have to decide into which of 4 categories I should place each item.

Is it a keeper?  Has it really earned a place in my closet?
Doe it need cleaning or altering?
Can I give it to a charity or pass it on to a family member?
Undecided? Keep it for a couple of weeks and then take action.

I'm a saver so I know this is going to take some real work. Because what if someday I want to wear it and I realize that I have purged it from my closet? Maybe this is where the psychology comes in...

Stay tuned for updates as I try to part with my treasures or more accurately...get rid of the junk that is taking up space!

How's your closet looking?

Change is Good...or is it?

   

I just love this company and their cute clothes! It's how I'm feeling right now!

    Life for me has changed over the past two years. I retired from teaching after 30+ years. My husband and I have been doing a far amount of traveling--a cruise to Greece last summer,spending Januarys in Florida and almost monthly visits to the DC area to babysit our grandson. I have taken up photography (which I love) and have actually done a couple of senior sessions. 

     These are all great changes. However,there are some changes in my life that I wonder about. After about 9 years of being a small business owner, my husband talked me into closing up shop. Sales are down and now that we are retired and traveling it has been hard to stay on top of things. Still, this was my baby and it hurts to have to say goodbye. 

     Hubby is also ready to downsize our home and I am not. I like having a big backyard with flower beds and a veggie garden. The grands love to come and play games back there. We have enough bedrooms and bathrooms that our two grown children and their families can come to visit at the same time. I'm not sure what would happen to my baby grand piano if we move to a smaller place. 

This was the first Christmas that Jerry and I were alone without any children (and their families). It was a very different Christmas Day for us. Very quiet and subdued. We did end up inviting some of my siblings and kids over for a light dinner so we weren't totally alone. And...we did celebrate Christmas with our daughter and her family on the Sunday after Christmas. I understand that this will probably be happening more often as they start their own Christmas traditions and families get bigger. But I really missed having my children, their spouses and children with us on Christmas!

     I'm enjoying the freedom retirement brings but not so sure about the other things that come with it (and I guess, getting older). I have nothing to complain about--life is good. I might just have to take it slow and try to adjust to the changes as they come. 

 Anyone else have trouble dealing with change? Tips on how to deal with it?