Back to School

 
 
 


A couple of weeks ago, I visited with my daughter, Kristen, and helped out in her classroom. This has been a rough year for her. First she had a classroom (first grade) for two weeks, then she didn't have a classroom and was a Reading Specialist and an Assistant Librarian. Then, two weeks before the end of the grading peroid, she was a first grade teacher once again. Of her 13 kids, 5 had been retained and more than a couple were 'special needs'.

I helped by working one-on-one for writing and reading, assisted in some grading of papers and actually taught a math class (my high school math teacher is probably rolling in her grave). Kristen's kids are sweet, needy, demanding and typical 6 and 7 year olds.

The week culminated with a Writer's Celebration with each child reading his or her creation that he/she had worked on during the week. The kids got to sit in Teacher's Chair to read and all did an amazing job.

I will go back! The cafeteria guy gave me free coffee and the little kids thought I was funny! 

Our Big Night Out

 
 
 

Because E is such a great cook and loves to cook (thank heavens!), we don't eat out much. We decided to take some of the cash from our yard sale and go to one of our favorite restaurants, The Lighthouse which is on the water near a marina. The view is lovely and we have seen dolphin, manatee and even a gator in the small bay that is a home to the Marina and to Connie Mack Island.

The food is tasty, plentiful and attractively served. I had the Oscar Grouper which was divine. Tons of crab meat mixed into a stuffing over tender grouper topped with home made Hollindise (although I can't spell it, I can tell the difference between home made and packaged!). E has the oso bucco over risotto and raved about the flavor. I have enough of mine left for lunch today.

I deep sixed the dress idea and settled on a new pair of black slacks, a red camasole and a black jacket. E had wanted to dress comfortably so I followed suit. I think we clean up quite nicely though, don't you?

Not much on the agenda for today. The greenery is hung on the bannisters and now I have to reattach the gold poinsettas, the grape clusters, the beading and the pears and apples. I saw a bannister about ten years ago in a Southern Living Christmas book and just had to try my version of it. The whole thing is entwined with a red, green and gold sheer ribbon. I'll post pics when I finish it.

We do have a realtor or two coming through this week with the first one scheduled for this morning. I no longer get wildly excited about these visits like I did when we first put the house on the market. Any more I think if it sells, it sells, if it doesn't than we can live here without too much pain...lol. We do want to get up closer to the Clearwater/Palm Harbor area but we no longer feel pressured like we did before, which is a very good thing! 

Let it Snow!

 


Easy for me to say, I know, living here in the tropics like I do but without snow, there can be no snow people. I collect snow people as do several others I know. Kip and I have a couple of matching ones which we have bought together. After a couple of years of a wee bit of moaning, my honey has now given in to my collecting and this terribly funny snowman for me along with another one which I will post another time. This chubby, vested fellow sings and dances and his antlers light up with glee.

We are heading out to the Lighthouse Restaurant (located on the way to Sanibel)tonight. This is the night we have choosen for our garage sale supper. When we counted up our money after the sale, there was enough to take the kids out for Thanksgiving and for us to have a romantic time by ourselves. I can't wait. I am going to find a dress (somewhere in my closet) and get gussied up. It has been a long time and is overdue. E only works until noonish so we'll spend some time getting some chores done around here and then get cleaned up to head out.

Hope your day is a good one! 

Sunsets in Paradise

 
 


Our sunsets here on the Gulf Coast are often spectacular, many times merely pretty but never mundane. We get some of our best sunsets during our rainy seasons in the summer when clouds form a backdrop for the rays and the sun as it appears to sink into the Gulf. The two pictures here were taken the other evening from Captiva Island. We have had a bit more rain and clouds here than usual for this time of year and thus the sunsets you see.

Today is a run those errands day. I have to get holiday computer paper for our invitations to the Open House Holiday Party we are planning for after our trip to St. Louis. E has been compiling snack recipes and making lists while I've been working on getting all the inside decos up and making an invite list. I also have to pick up some of the tropical holiday cards I love to send to the folks up north!

I am working on my Techniques column for Little Scrap Box and have been having lots of fun with the products I've been given; Daisy D Misteltoe papers are so lovely.

Enjoy your day! 

Introducing Lucille

 
 
 
 


This is our newest Christmas deco addition. I fell in love with the citrus colored tinsel trees when I saw them at Michaels the first time. They are bright, festive and so very retro. When Kip came down a bit ago, she agreed to give the old front porch tree a good home, so we began the search for ornaments for Lucille. The retro colors were definately a challenge in the small size needed for Lucille but Kip and I found a few and Kristen and I found the rest the Wed. before Thanksgiving. Poor Lucille blew over once but she is not firmly duct taped to the table and will withstand the remainder of the season glowing brightly and standing proud! Welcome Lucille! 

Happiest time of the year...

 



(Something strange is up with blogger today. I don't see the picture of the cute snowman so am typing in hopes he appears when I post)

Today seems to be a kick off day for the holidays to me. We have most of the decos up and turned on the outside lights last night. We have a couple of trees left to drape but the timer is on and is working.

I am taking today off from decorating. I need to dig out from under a huge mess in my scraproom and do some much over due work. I am currently sitting on three CJs and need to get at least one done and in the mail this week. I am planning an UPS visit for Tues and will get out a CARE pkg. of items for a donation then as well.

My honey is off to work and the kids leave shortly after they get up this morning. I had a nice chunk of Kristen's yummy apple pie for breakfast. This recipe is from a 1936 Betty Crocker cook book of my grandmother's and is not in any of the current cookbooks so we cherish it.

Later this afternoon I'll do a slide show of Lucille all decked out in her holiday array! Thanks to Kip, I can work the slide show program and am loving it!

Have a great one all. You can sign me happy! 

Fireworks at Tween's