Just a monkey train a comin'

 

Oh, being a teacher in jr. high this time of the year is so delightful! The above pic makes me think how some of our less self-motivated thinkers just hop on that follow-the-leader monkey train and pull out all the stops!!!!!!!!!!!! What one doesn't think of, another one will... and then the students and parents want to go bonkers when consequences occur. Have I reminded myself lately that I am seriously considering not returning next fall? I am thinking my effectiveness [and patience] as a teacher is ebbing more and more. ; )  OK, I'm done belly aching.[until next spring!]

 

 

Most of the RV blogs I try to stay current with finds the authors back home for the summer months. Glad you arrived safely. TM and I will probably be doing the retirement plan 'backwards'. We plan on buying a 55+ place in FL close to grandkids  for the winter so we can attend school events PLUS be in a warm climate. We'll travel north in our RV during summer months and visit other family. Well, that is a tentative plan anyway.

 

 

We have had rain, rain, rain, and did I mention....rain?! It is a good thing as we had a very dry summer last year, but are we ever ready for some sun and motorcycle riding! Come on summer...

 

Till next time, scatter kindness!

Just hanging around...

Yes, that man hanging upside down is my man, TM! His hip doctor recommended TM give an inversion table a try for his back pain, and TM absolutely loves inverting now. He is already tall, standing 6'4" on a good day. I told TM he was going to stretch out another inch or two. He 'hangs' at least twice a day and does exercises on it. I get on every so often; I'm not as wacko about it as him. It's growing on me slowly.

 

TM hanging in his Inversion Table. He doesn't hang completely upside down, thankfully!



 





 

 



Another grandson on his way!

 

 

 

Now, we're told this is a picture of our newest grandson who is scheduled to arrive around June 20th in Gainesville, FL. I will take their word as I can't make out a baby let alone boy or girl... No matter what, we are so excited to welcome our 4th grandchild into the family.

 

Our little Lion is going to be a big brother already [he turned 1 November 9th]!



 

TM has gone back to work [as of Wednesday] after his November 7th heart attack and two stents (99% blockages in two arteries). He says he was getting way too used to not going to work and knows he can 'handle' retirement in a year. We are both so thankful for all our health blessings as I just had two skin biopsies last week that came back fine.

 

When I finish school in May, I will begin the downsizing process in the house. As some of you have said, "Where, and why, did we get all this STUFF?" Geez...

 

I'm getting antsy for the first warm enough day to get the bikes out. Looks like that is a few weeks away still. We really haven't had any snow to talk about; we missed one day of school right before Christmas [knock on wood]. It has been cold and windy a few times, but overall a 'mild' Illinois winter.

 

Hope you're having a fun Super Bowl Day. TM just came in from work and turned the TV on. I've been grading papers, so had it off thinking I would concentrate better. All bets are off now on that task! 

 

I must give our grandchildren in Sarasota 'blog time', too. The following photo is of them enjoying an afternoon at Siesta Key beach in January...sigh!

 





 

Remember to scatter kindness!



2013 is here!

Hey, we made it through 2012...wa hoo to all! TM and I welcome 2013 and the adventures it shall bring. We 'celebrated' at home - just the two of us - last night [and loved it]. Our party days are way behind us; we like quiet times now!

Christmas was equally quiet for us as we enjoyed staying home. My family doesn't 'get together' during Christmas as each sibling's immediate families have their family time. TM's sons and families are in Florida, and we did not go down this year as TM is still recuperating from his heart attack. He is doing well!!!!

I am sharing a photo of our Sarasota, FL grandson and his new puppy, Otis, taken by his mom early Christmas morning. There is nothing sweeter than a kid and a puppy, unless it's a sleeping kid {which he obviously is not sleeping - what a little faker} and his sleeping puppy.

 

 

 

We are enjoying reading your blogs! Thank you for sharing, and TM and I wish you many blessings in 2013.

 

Remember to scatter kindness!

 

 





Grandma, I tried cooking mustard greens...

 

 

The photo above is my "Poppa" and Grandma [paternal side]. Salt of the earth, hard-working, proud Kentuckians who moved to Illinois when my daddy was 19. Poppa brought his family 'north' to find work. If not for that, my parents would never have met...but that is not what this post is about.

 

Grandma and Poppa always had a large garden, and that was their primary source of food all year long. They had loads of fresh produce in the summer and early fall, and in the winter they enjoyed what Grandma had canned. Grandma wasn't one to tolerate 'foolishness' in her kitchen, so if I was there my chores to help her were minimal - such as washing potatoes or getting out the bread and butter, setting the table, etc. She was the cook, as was my mother in my home growing up. Of course, Grandma and Poppa always had greens of some type, and I loved to eat them. Poppa showed me how to put vinegar and hot sauce and some butter on them to spice them up. I adored Grandma's greens and always looked forward to them. (She also made one dee-lish lemon meringue pie!!!)

 

Fast forward to yesterday. As stated a few days ago, a change in TM and my eating habits are in order! So, I thought cooking some mustard greens, fresh from the produce section, would be a tasty, healthy treat. Yes, we have eaten them from a can, but I want more fresh produce from now on - processed food is off our radar for now. Well, I sauteed an onion, threw in some red cabbage and low salt chicken broth along with several spices and then the greens. I cooked them for approximately 20 minutes. Apparently that was not long enough... they were still a little bitter. They sure did not taste like my momma's or my Grandma's used to. Next time, I will cook them longer and hopefully have better luck. Of course TM said they were fine; he is too sweet. All I can say is, "Grandma, I tried cooking mustard greens..."

 

Oh, taking trips down memory lane, especially connected with good food, can be cleansing for the soul. Thank you Poppa and Grandma for being the people you were!

 

Remember to scatter kindness... 





Late Happy Thanksgiving

TM and I wish all of you a belated Happy Thanksgiving. We are blessed in so many ways and have always acknowledged such. This year we feel even more blessed as TM is getting healthier every day since his heart attack and stents.

As I read others' blogs, the recurring theme is one of love and appreciation for the many blessings - family, friends, love, and having 'enough' in life. I love the following poem:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Good-bye.”
Author Unknown

 

TM and I wish all of you 'enough' in your lives!

 

Remember to scatter kindness...



Time to rethink 2015?

Last Wednesday was a normal workday, and I was within 12 miles of home when my cell phone rang around 4:30. It was TM and his first words to me were, "Where are you?"...making my heart go cold. I immediately knew something was wrong. He told me he was not feeling well and thought he needed to go to the emergency room. I told him I'd be there in less than 10 minutes.

TM has a cold and had a hard coughing spell around 3:00, then was dizzy, short of breath, and felt a pressure type pain in his chest. [Yes, he received a lecture about not calling 911 right then!]. Long story short, TM had experienced a light heart attack. At the hospital, he had two stents put in due to 99% blockages. He also has a 50% blockage that did not require a stent. The two blockages were so bad and his arteries so twisted that the cardiac interventionist almost did not get the stents in. That would have meant emergency open-heart surgery for two by-passes. We do feel so very blessed we made it to the hospital and that TM was able to have stents instead of open-heart surgery.

Were there warning signs? Yes, there were. Were they ignored...hmmm, I dearly love my husband, but yes, they were to a certain extent. TM gets regular check ups and his cholesterol level is fine. He has high blood pressure and is overweight [as I am]. We also are too sedentary [things will change in the eating and exercising department!].  Plus, I have noticed TM being short of breath more and more since July. I told him I was concerned about his heart and encouraged him to say so to his doctor in a visit two weeks ago. He did, but based on TM's low cholesterol level, his doctor asked TM why I thought something would be wrong with his heart... Okey dokey, then - doctors know best????!!!! Maybe because I live 24/7 with TM and could tell there was a drastic change in his breathing with the slightest exertion, and he was so tired all the time!!! Oh well, I choose to look at what did happen - not what 'could have'.

We choose to look at the positives of this and move on. As stated, changes in eating habits [mainly portion control] and exercise are in order. Another item we need to look at is our targeted 2015 retirement date. I am six years younger than TM and can not draw from my teacher's pension until after my 60th birthday in 2014. I was going to teach another school year [2014-2015] to have 20 years of teaching in. Why, I don't know anymore. Twenty years was just a self-appointed goal. TM just turned 64 and could retire if he so chooses.

I think it is definitely time to rethink our 2015 targeted collective retirement date. We are still digesting the last few days and focusing on TM's health right now. He is off work next week for some much needed rest and relaxation. Then we'll go from there. I just am not as secure in my thoughts about him working outside in another Illinois winter! He says he wouldn't 'feel right' not working when I still am! Hey, there would be housework, errand running, cooking, laundry, etc. to occupy his time - right??!! LOL - he helps with all that anyway. I am just thankful and blessed I have my husband sitting next to me as I type this!


Remember to scatter kindness!