First grade today!

Sweet little first graders today...and yesterday....and tomorrow. Truly, I am having fun. This class has been great these last couple of days. I didn't realize that they all decided to hold up their Bibles in the pose. This next one will show you what they are REALLY like. I lucked out on the timing of this job (like I had anything to do with it). It is teacher appreciation week! So I got in on the special lunch for the teachers. And one of my students brought me a giant Hershey bar. I told her to save it until the teacher gets back, and she said, "Oh, that's all right. I have flowers for the teacher." First grade...ah. The only major issues we had today were,"Mrs. M. he/she cut me." Meaning that someone cut in line in front of them. I bent down and showed them how many inches different they were apart and asked if that many inches was worth fighting about. They agreed that it wasn't too big of a deal--whoa!

Andrew did all right on Saturday, not as well as he wanted to. He was first in his weight class. And our snowstorm ended up being nothing. More in the forecast than the actual storm. Too bad. We were hoping for the big one! It was very beautiful on all the trees. I wish I had taken my camera to church with me because there are beautiful historical buildings on the way, and they had beautiful trees around all coated with snow. Like some winter fairy castle. Flickr has "the tree" picture. I take so many pictures of that tree because it is right outside our back deck. Maybe I'll make some kind of collage of "the tree" in all lights and seasons. I even took one of the snow falling on each branch the night before.

We heard from Will at last. Alls well. Hopefully he'll be in Gaeta tomorrow. Lucky him. (You all know that I don't REALLY believe in luck.)

Headaches and Heavy weather

Those of you who don't live around here are probably watching our weather. It's been on the news for days now--this major storm moving our way. Andrew's hoping for a snow day out of it. It will have to last longer than forcasted if he does get one. One thing these fronts do for me though is give me a bad headache. So I'm slouching around the house today trying to move as little as possible and trying not to let anything get too loud, music, tv or clock!! Denny and Andrew are down in southeast NE at a weightlifting competition, for A. not D.!! They had to leave at 6, and dear A. loves his breakfast, so I was up before 6. They left at 6. He's not as in to the competition this year as he was last year. Maybe because girlfriend couldn't go this year..? (He'd kill me if he knew I said that.)

Oh, I do have to say something funny. Well, not really funny, but fun, sort of. Anyway..Andrew brought home a brochure for a fundraiser at the high school in Fort Calhoun which is just north of Omaha. One of the events is a "Mr. Calhoun Contest"!! I need to send that brochure to Ron. (For those of you who don't know, that's my maiden name.) Yes, Sperlonga Calhoun! *smile* I've also seen t-shirts at that school that say, "Calhoun girls are great!" But when I asked about buying one, they were from years before and didn't know if they had anymore. But I'll keep my eyes open. It's the town girlfriend is from, by the way.

More later with storm and competition updates. Now, where's the hot water bottle....

Travel Agents

I don't think I've appreciated travel agents like I should. I've just spent two and a half hours this morning being one. I really like looking for good travel deals, though. Will and I have been on Skype trying to plan a trip, starting tomorrow!!, to Italy. Very interesting. He got a good deal on a flight, so we'll see how it all works out. He's flying in to Bergamo which is just north of Milano, then on to Venice. Back to Florence the next day. We just worked on a place to stay in Venice and taking the train from Bergamo to Venice. It will be a great experience for them!!! Whew! But I'm hungry now!

My hibiscus is blooming again! It's such a rosy, cheery flower. And there are several more buds. It must know that it's getting warm outside again!

And another fantastic sunset last night.

Day after the Long Weekend

Back to a quiet house. We are in the midst of a heat wave and energy abounds! Something about bitter cold makes me want to hibernate. It was nearly 50 yesterday!

Had a great weekend. Friday night we bought a new 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Saturday morning saw Andrew and me working away. Then A. started feeling ill, so he quit. We worked off and on all the long weekend and finished yesterday about noon! It was so fun. A picture of a beach in Greece from an arched doorway of balcony overlooking mountains and sea. Just the kind of picture for midwinter.

We went out to eat on Saturday evening with four friends (from the Italian dinner evening) to Granite City Pub. I don't know if it's a chain or not,but it was an excellent place to eat. Plenty of delicious food. I'm not a beer drinker, but the rest enjoy a variety. I had fish. MMMM. I never get enough fish since leaving Italy, so when I go out to eat I get it when I can. After dinner they all came over here for an hour or so, much to A.'s dismay since he wasn't feeling all that great.

Sunday was quiet. Monday we got some loose ends tied up around the house. Light bulbs replaced, L's room cleaned out and organized. Ah, I LOVE clean! I just keep looking at the tidy, clean rooms, and it makes me happy!

I phoned our friend Kiki in Italy this morning. Oh, it was good to hear her voice and catch up a little what's going on over there. Will may be able to stay with her next week when they go down. Makes me REALLY want to go now. Also, some friends we have here may be able to rent from her next summer/fall. She's even remodeling her house! They will enjoy her.

Looking forward to having the Cono Choir in town for a few hours on March 8. My local friends who read this, take note and come to this concert. Our church needs to be more aware of the work there, since it is so close, and become more involved. I'm trying to spread the word.

Off to have lunch with my good friend today. After I plan "dates", I'm always afraid that I'll get called to sub and have to cancel. But we're on and I'm looking forward to getting out of the house for awhile!

Not much to say today, but just wanted you friends (and my kids!) to know what we're up to on the prairie!

Lists

I'm one of those list types. I love lists. They affirm me. And, yes, I will occasionally even write down jobs that I've already finished just for the satisfaction of crossing them off. I get very pleased with myself when I've accomplished my whole list. Happy. Productive. I've kept a journal off and on since 1985, and many of those early days were recitations of what I accomplished that day. Once the third baby was born, the journal went, but the lists kept going. I think sometimes, too, those lists and the jobs they represented became (and still do) some kind of spiritual affirmation as well. "God must really be happy with me now. Look at all I did today."

However, there are those days when I don't accomplish much. I'm depressed. I have a bad headache. I'm just unenergetic. No one is going to see what I do, or care, I feel. It doesn't matter. I can do it later. Then I feel that God is not happy with me. But I forget grace. One with a personality like mine needs to be reminded. Milton in "On His Blindness" wrote: "God doth not need either man's work or his own gifts..." I guess I feel as Milton did sometimes, "lest he returning chide;" I need to remember to be faithful in as little or as much as I have to do and that my place in God's eyes is never based on what I accomplish. I don't earn his pleasure. I never would if I had to!

The lesson of the lists!

I've been home since Monday, well, not subbing anyway. Yes, we did get a snow day. Den had to be out to the airport by 6:30 that morning, so he carved a path through the snow with the car. By the time Andrew and I got up it was covered. We got it all cleaned up shortly after lunchtime. Then we drove out to pick up the 9 dozen roses that the senior class was selling for Valentine's day. Lovely!

This week's Bible study for my class was Psalm 34. An excellent Psalm, and one of my favorites. I had them look up what God is and does, and what we do. Lots and lots of verbs in that Psalm. We did some cutting and pasting of the phrases which ended up being a mess since the younger (9yo) boys can't cut and paste very well. (There are things to be said for that repetitive coloring and cutting of kindergarten!!) However, when finished, they had one sheet of verse telling everything God did for them, and another of what they're response is. An excellent reminder to us all! Try it.

Making pizza for dinner. Will just "Skyped" (make it a verb!) us to ask about making pasta sauce. Yeah, passing on the tradition. Any girl that marries into this family will have to take a couple of cooking lessons!

After a bitter cold week (again!) we are into double digits (F) today, and tomorrow should get over freezing. The frigid weather makes us want to huddle under blankets and read. Finished another Brother Cadfael story... And my plants keep it cheery with their greenery.

Andrew finished his final research paper of high school. I'm sure he is relieved about that!

Found a link to the newest James Ward music with the New City Fellowship choir. Go here to listen to samples of it. It will PICK YOU UP!

Oh, you have to see this!

Sounds like one of those emails with attachments of some fantastic photo, like the one of the airplane crashing into the WTC. yeah. No, really, these photos ARE fantastic. If you go to my link to Caithness.org, they posted recent photos taken of a storm coming across the sea right across from our old house. Also a FABULOUS one of two collies standing on the beach. Besides those, there are red deer stags standing just looking at the camera, like the one in the movie, The Queen. Denny and I have been looking at those pictures of Caithness, and I ache with the beauty of it!!! My Caithness friends will realize, once again, that I am nuts! But they (not my friends) are fantastic fotos, I mean photos!

Fifth Grade, Day Two

Yeah, that's a boring title, but that describes today. The school isn't keeping me as crazy busy today as last Friday when I worked every period AND had lunch duty which INCLUDED the lunchroom and outside duty. I still had lunch duty today, but I didn't have class 4th or 6th periods. I'm back into another Brother Cadfael story. I can read those easily when I have these stop and start days.

Everyone is "praying" for a snow day. We have had no snow days yet this year. Lots of students are out sick. I think all the teachers are well for now. It's supposed to snow 2-4 inches tonight, but man, we're hoping the front does something crazy and DUMPS on us! Not that I really need a day off, the teachers and students are just tired. Of course, there's President's Day next Monday. I brought my Abraham Lincoln photobiography to school today just to inform students that today is the real birthday of A. Lincoln. I think students forget that or else just don't even learn it.

The Senior Class is selling roses, candy and cookies for Valentine's Day here at school. They also have an ensemble that goes around singing to students for $5 a song. I ordered, "You are my sunshine" for Andrew. *smile* He and Stephanie are running the fundraiser, so he knows ahead of time. He said it wouldn't bother him!!

Pictures of the class will be posted when I get home.. Back to my book.

Valentine Art

I'm not going to post any art, but I'm listening to 5th graders make their Valentine bags. It's art time. They all have red, white and pink paper and a brown paper lunch bag. Scissors, tape, glue. Some must've brought boxes from home because at least one box already is covered with silver aluminum foil. The girls have yarn and stickers. One boy just opened his bag and said, "I'm done." Now he's taping some pink paper to the outside of the bag. Boys stab the top of the shoebox in order to make the opening. Girls cut carefully and with difficulty. I passed out Valentine M&M's while they worked. Why is it so hard to do something carefully and nicely? They want to hurry and be finished so they can play. Hmm. I'm drinking peppermint tea. Goes with the mood.

Earl Grey and Marmalade

Yes. Most delicious. What a great way to curl up with a book on a snowy morning. Two things we learned to enjoy in our life "over the Ord!" American marmalade just isn't right, nor American tea for that matter. This one isn't too bad. Hope your morning is cozy!

What Happened to Sunday Evening Services?

When I was growing up we went to church Sunday morning and Sunday night. Rarely did we miss. Sometimes we would go to a church closer to our house instead of to our own, but we always went. It was just something we did without thinking. Because we lived in the country, the service started at 8pm. Can you believe that? We'd get home from church at nearly 10!

We moved to Scotland and went to Sunday evening service there. I had babies then and Denny would stay home with them most of the time. I then would go to my friend's and have tea, visit and sometimes sing Psalms with another friend. What a wonderful memory!

In Italy we were blessed to have neighbors across the hall who were also from a PCA church. For nearly five years we had our own Sunday evening service alternating houses and sermon tapes. I think our whole family enjoyed those evenings. It trained our children to sit and listen, and they learned lots of hymns from the blue Trinity hymnbook since we sang for the first hour. More great memories. Isn't wonderful how God blesses us everywhere?

Then we moved to America. No more Sunday evening services. We have had them at our church sporadically. Now we don't have them anymore. Why are our churches giving up Sunday evening service? No one comes.Hmmm. Is that a good reason? Does it not pay for the pastor to prepare anything? Does it not pay to turn the lights on and the heat on for a few? What happened to "Remember the Sabbath DAY to keep it holy"? The Sunday evening service gave a peaceful ending to the Lord's Day. It kept the day different ALL day. Now, when families get home from church, it's Saturday again. Really. Change your clothes. Turn on the TV. Pick up where you left off on Saturday. Yeah, it takes effort to get up and go back to church at night. In the winter it's dark. Our church makes a big push to get people out for Wednesday evening study groups and prayer meetings. And that's all well and good, but Sunday is the day set apart for God. The holy day.

Sorry, I don't mean to be cynical. I just wonder why? Who's responsible? Just something to think about.

Back to Super Bowl Sunday.....

Stained glass

Ever since we lived in Italy, I have loved glass. Walking around Venice is a glorious experience in colors and shapes of glass. The sea, the boats, the canals, the colors all swirled together in the glass. And in the evening the shops were lit to highlight the colors. I loved it! Then we watched a program about Chihuly and his wonderful glass creations. We have an absolutely stunning one in our local art museum. Glass either blown or stained is one of my favorite art mediums.

Last night our good friend gave us one of his stunning stained glass creations. Its idea is meant to encompass some of our travels, the colors and symbols representing Scotland, Italy and the sky and sea. The picture is taken from our living room window. We tried not to get too much of the tree in the background. We don't really have a clear window, but it is shining on the carpet right now and is lovely!

Thanks, Chuck!

Books, Skype and Cozy

Ah, I needed that picture to help me type. Wednesday it was snowing, I was reading a delicious book Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge and I made a pot of tea. It was the perfect afternoon. I had to take a picture of it. Sorry you can't see the big, fluffy flakes of snow falling! I substituted in a very WILD second grade yesterday (I felt all of about 65 when I got home!!), and one of the little girls said she loved reading. I told her that I loved reading, too, and about my Wednesday afternoon. She got a happy glowing look on her face. She understood perfectly! Ah...the love of a good book on a snowy day.
We heard from Will! Yeah! We downloaded Skype at his suggestion and then yesterday morning about 7, we all talked via the computer! It was sooo cool because it was so clear and we could all talk at once. It was like a family conference. We've come a long way from the days in Italy when Den would try to talk to our brother-in-law in Sicily. Most of those conversations went like this: "Dave, you're breaking up. Can you hear me, Dave?" I think they did get some real conversation in, but not significantly. The cool thing about Skype, is that you can type messages, too, giving us two ways to communicate. Looking forward to hearing all about his European experience! We "texted" yesterday, but he didn't have time to talk. Now we just have to be up at the same time. If you go there and get it, it's free to talk Skype to Skype. If you do get it, let us know! I'd like to figure out how to talk to my friends in Italy, too!

Enough for now. I'm battling a bad headache. Taken two doses of drugs since 5. Last one was migraine stuff. Let's hope it works. At least the sun is shining---even though it's in single digits out there!