5 down, 175 to go

This title is not referring to a football game. Of course you wouldn't have 175 to go...duh..but the 'down' and 'to go' part sound like football. However, I am referring to school...that school year that I have SO ENJOYED these first five days...the same school year that in an earlier post I was saying 'can summer really be over?'

I have to admit I was dragging my heels about starting back to school - and now I'm happy to report that I am L-O-V-I-N-G it. I have an absolutely sweetheart class...all 30 of them! We have a new principal who we adore. She has a great personality...and she helps make being at school fun. Here she is in an assembly we had today:
My buddy Pam told me that Jane -our new principal - knew every campfire type song there was. This must be the first of many we'll learn. In this photo, she's showing my class her goggles as she's telling them how much she loves to swim.

So...I just wanted to let you know how wonderful the week has been. I think I was sounding a bit pessimistic for a while there.

What a great way to spend an evening!

I went to hear Madeline Peyroux...I've enjoyed her music for a few years now and finally got the opportunity to hear her play. What I realized more, was that while I definitely think she's great, it's her band that I absolutely love. I didn't see a video that showed all of the band, but if I see one, I'll post it. They were GREAT!

23rd Psalm

Many of you know about "My Buddy Bob" who sends me all these great emails. Well, My Buddy Bob sent me this today. I don't know who this little girl is, but I think this is SO precious!

Feeling a little left out...

Poor Biscuit...she felt a bit left out this past weekend during the fence building FUN! She resorted to laying in the shade of the car...then coming inside...then wanting to go back out where the action was...then back inside...typical youngster. Gabe and Emily have a leash they tie to the tree and it will extend a long way...but not long enough for Biscuit to be of any great fence-building help.

Here, Biscuit is letting it be known that she means business! Watch out when that little butt is sticking up in the air!Well, she didn't get her way. I'm not sure if she's pouting or just trying to shake off the feelings of rejection.
In the afternoon, either Biscuit was drinking a lot of water as she imagined herself being tired from all the fence-building, or from actually being HOT. I think she had had her feelings hurt when she overheard me saying that IF we get a dog, I wanted one with a longer snout...so she decided to model her snout for me. You know how some MEN make their skin look all slick with either sweat or oil when they work out? Well, Biscuit just used water to emphasize her snout.
Here she got a bit closer to the camera so I could be sure and see HER PERFECTLY FINE SNOUT...thankyouverymuch!
OK, FINE! Biscuit knew Emily would give her all the attention she wanted. She let me know how I made her feel ... notice the tongue? I don't think it was any accident.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a cutie Biscuit is...and her personality is just as cute!

A Man's idea of FUN...

EVIDENCE of a man's idea of fun........................
(and no, Laner, these are not Donnie's boots!)

Ok, so now that you see PART of the end result, I best explain...

As we were leaving Gabe's on Sunday...

"Hey guys, that was fun!".... this was said by Donnie.

I'm not sure I would have put the weekend in quite those same terms IF I had been doing what they were...building a fence. I was informed that SUSAN HELD THE FENCE...but since my name isn't Susan, well, I didn't feel TOO guilty! I DID refill a lot of water bottles - does that count?

Now Gabe's fence left a little to be desired. He's been talking about replacing it...and somehow, it all worked out that Donnie offered to come up and help on the same weekend that Ron and I would be there...thus A WORK PARTY!

Here's the "BEFORE" pictures:




I believe Ron was THE KING OF DEMO...that 'demo' being short for DEMOLITION. He LOVES to knock things down...punch holes, etc. He was definitely the handy man in this regard!

After the old fence was history (although if you missed it too much, there was always THE PILE you could longingly gaze at and reminisce about the old fence...) it was time to start setting poles. Donnie seemed to have this down to a science. Seeing as the fence was in panels, the poles had to be EXACTLY 8' apart - I think.
This house you can now see, is NOT Gabe's house.



Once the first two poles were set, it was time for the first panel... ta da................
And then panel number two.............drum roll..................

I realize this looks pretty easy...so I best show the POST HOLE DIGGING OPERATION...

Gabe and Donnie worked up a SWEAT! Ron was doing a marvelous job of supervising. You may have noticed as you intently marveled at these pictures, that Ron has a change of clothes! Yep, these are definitely the same day...it's just that those of us who know and love ole Ron know that he has different outfits for different tasks. Take shoes, for instance. He has his "take out the garbage" shoes... his "run out and get the paper" shoes (which OF COURSE are NOT the same as the garbage shoes!) He use to have his "pooper scooping shoes, but since we lost our canine companions, well, I don't know what happened to those shoes! He's got the 'mowing the lawn' shoes...do you get the picture? However, I actually think the change in his OUTFIT had to do with HEAT...

The third panel went up...
...and after every panel, a new pole had to be leveled and set...

Hey, look at that! That's how far they got for the day...8 panels! That little white section is NOT part of the finished product. That's part of the '...to be continued...'

Now if you will recall, I mentioned earlier in this post about "THE PILE." Well, for your viewing pleasure, I present it in all its glory!
Like I said, this was a man's idea of a FUN DAY!

Can Summer REALLY be over....?

Tell me it's a dream...and that summer is NOT almost over. I just pinched myself and heard a voice that sounded JUST LIKE ME say OUCH. So, I guess I'm not dreaming...

Funny, knowing it's coming to an end, I've gotten a bit more energy to get some things done. So many things I put off during the school year - "I'll do that this summer..." "I'll do that after school's out..." Then school is out and I'm tired and want to relax a bit...and then get busy and before I know it, I'm saying "Can summer really be over?" I've always heard that life goes by faster the older you get...I can vouch for that!

I'm trying to focus on what there is to look forward to...to help me get a bit more excited (I truthfully should take out the word "more" and then this sentence would be more honest).
I'm going to the dentist in an hour...that DOES NOT excite me.

I won't be able to stroll into the gym to work out at 10 a.m. and listen to SECRET LIFE OF BEES on my iPod as I work out in a fairly empty gym ... that DOES NOT excite me.

I'm healthy and CAN work out anytime ... that DOES excite me.

I have GREAT... WONDERFUL.... FUN... SUPPORTIVE...LOYAL girlfriends that I work with...that DEFINITELY excites me.
My nephew is getting married in November AND we're all going to spend the week in Texas to help celebrate...that DEFINITELY excites me!

P2P has asked me to lead a group to England, Ireland, and Wales this next summer...that excites me.

I'll get to know a new group of 4th graders...I'm sure that will excite me.

And then there's the joys of life I try to NEVER take for granted - my family...


So maybe I should reprogram my thoughts to consider how great it's been to have this summer...I think that's what I'll do - after I get back from the dentist!

judy's personality test

So I guess I'm a ESFJ! Didn't know that until just a few minutes ago. I love doing these kinds of 'tests' to see how they measure up. This one is pretty interesting. You can look up people who supposedly have the same personality...but who would know if this was true?

One thing that stood out to me when I looked at occupations these personalities should consider... one was a teacher!

One of the things I look forward to in the summer...

There are lots of wonderful things about summer...and one that I always look forward to is the trip my girlfriends and I take. We always go somewhere and we always enjoy it.
A little blurry, but I'll change it when I get another copy!

This year we went to Anne's place up in the foothills of the Sierra's. It was beautiful...both the area and the 'cabin.'


We're a real exciting bunch...here's a breakdown of an average day. First one up makes coffee - if Anne makes it, well, someone else may quickly make another pot so we don't all die of cardiac arrest after the first sip of STRAIGHT CAFFEINE! We sit around and visit...and drink coffee...and visit...and drink a little more coffee. Finally someone will decide it's time for breakfast. Maybe we'll each make our own or someone will be inspired to make a great pot of oatmeal. This year, no one was inspired.

Once the sun hits the deck, it's time to move outside. We might visit a little, but soon it's reading time. That lasts until someone decides they're about ready for a little bite of lunch. It's time for inspiration...usually someone (usually Sandi) is inspired and gets some of us in gear to put together a tasty lunch.This year, after lunch, we ventured off to explore. A friend of Anne's - has a sister that just recently moved to the area...so guess where Anne and her 7 buddies were invited? To swim in an absolutely gorgeous pool. I can't describe it...I wish I could remember how Lora described it. She compared it to someplace in Disneyland...only when Lora said it, we all laughed. Lora...she's hilarious!

See that white circle? That's where you can put an umbrella...so you can sit in the shallow part of the pool and be in the shade! This pool was amazing...

The second day after lunch was SHOPPING day. Oh and it was fun! We went to Nevada City. What a great place...we shopped, ate ice cream, shopped, sat outside with a glass of wine, shopped, and then we shopped a little more before heading home.

Evenings are relaxing...Pam won the prize for bringing ALL the ingredients for MARGARITAS. It was a tough job - gathering all the ingredients, but she did a swell job.

There was one - no two - dampers on the trip. We were only 8/10ths there. Yep, we were without Laner and Terry with a Y (as opposed to Terri with an i). We missed them.

Terri, Pam and I also went to the Sundial Bridge. I had never seen it. Wow, was it impressive! It IS a sundial...but it only tells the time from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m.




Pam and I always have to have a 'summer photo' taken...this year, one of them was on the Sundial Bridge!

Another great summer trip with my girlfriends!