Thursday, June 27, 2013

taking a break

Today will be the last post for a while. While I could blog via my phone, or I could borrow a computer, I figured I will just save up all the random musings I have while I'm away and post them once I return!

We received the move in date for the oldest. She can return to campus and move into the brand new sorority house the last Saturday in July. WOW. Summer is winding down. YIKES.

I am no where near ready to depart for our trip north. And tonight, instead of working on getting ready, we are going to meet another couple for dinner. They are moving due to a job relocation. These are fellow "former" soccer parents. Their daughter is going off to college with our middle one, so we may still see them at the university, but you never know. And as she and I discussed, any excuse not to cook!

Speaking of cooking, it is hot and sticky outside. I do hope our trip introduces us to some cooler temps for our stay. It would be nice to not experience a sauna on my front porch at 5 a.m.

Well, Happy 4th of July a bit early! Hope the first week of the seventh month treats you well.

Bye for now!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

short visit

A friend who used to live in our neighborhood stopped by for a visit last night. It was so good to see her and her twins. They have been touring colleges/universities as well as visiting family and friends. We had a nice, but too short, visit. The girls talked about college, and my oldest one was able to provide plenty of stories about her university. The twins had just toured there and LOVED it. So, who knows, we may get to see more of this family once the twins graduate high school.

It is hard to believe that we have lived here 10 years now. When we look at the kids, the years are so apparent. When people move away and come back, for some reason you expect their kids to be little still. For the aging and growing up to have stopped. It is always a bit of a surprise to see how big they have become.

Wednesday is here already. We have an adventure waiting us at work. Food Trucks have become all the culinary rage in our city, and we learned last week that one of the best is now stopping in our work neighborhood on Wednesdays. I think several of us are going to check it out.


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

making plans

A week from today I'm going to spend the entire day with my best friend. I'm so excited to see her as it has been 4 years since we were last together. Hard to believe that we have been friends for 30 years now. We met the first week of college and have been buddies ever since. Our families are also having dinner together the night before.

The extra cool thing is that our kids are good friends too, even though we've never lived in the same place.

Looks like we are also going to get to spend a half day with our other friends up at their lake house. We are godparents to both their children.

For these two things I will suffer through the 10 hour ride up there and the 10 hour ride home.


Monday, June 24, 2013

too short

Working on Saturday left me with a one day weekend. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. My body tells me that it is not Monday already, but my mind knows that it is.

Off to work I go. Going to be a busy week as we have several things to do at home and at work in order to get ready for our second summer vacation and our journey up north.

We spoke with the boy yesterday. He had just finished doing two loads of laundry! He sounded really good, not one bit homesick, and energized for this next week. He continues with his math studies, but will switch the "fun" class from juggling to improv. They were headed out on some field trips as well. Good Stuff.

Shout out to Lisa...the WHOLE ward showed up at the party last night. The house was packed. We stayed about 45 minutes and then came home. Tables were laden with desserts. Tons of sweets and of course, lemonade. So much for not having parties for departing missionaries! lolol

Thursday, June 20, 2013

tony

I was playing around with my phone last night and saw that James Gandolfini died. He is the actor who played Tony Soprano in HBO's groundbreaking series, "The Sopranos."

He was 51.

Wow.

I spent some time yesterday going through a few things in my dresser and in my genealogy files. I was reading my grandparents' funeral cards. Three of my four grandparents lived to see 90. That used to sound quite old, but the closer I get to 50, the younger it sounds! Well, maybe that isn't quite accurate, the closer it seems might be a better description.

It is a rather sobering thought, but time sneaks away as we get caught up in the day to day routine of living. Most folks don't dwell on it, and I don't usually think about it either, but when someone close to your own age dies, it hits home.






Wednesday, June 19, 2013

off she goes

Our neighbor girl is heading off on her mission Tuesday for her church. She is Mormon. K is a very sweet young woman and she came over to invite us to her farewell party on Sunday evening.  We will, of course, attend.

Since we have lived next door to her family for 10 years now, we have seen all those four kids grow up alongside our three. Even though she has been away at BYU for the last school year, it is hard to think of her being gone for 18 months.

She even said her Mom is 'freaking' out a bit. I can imagine. I asked my girls after she left if they could go 18 months with only talking to me on the phone twice. She is allowed to call home on Mother's Day and Christmas.

No. Way. Was their answer.

Email and letters just wouldn't cut it was their comment.

K is going to have quite an experience and no doubt will come back with many stories to tell and memories that will shape her as she grows further into womanhood.

We wish her the best and I will be keeping her in my thoughts and prayers...as well as her mom and dad.

Letting go as they venture off to college is hard, letting them go in this fashion....don't think I could do it.








Tuesday, June 18, 2013

points

With the debacle that is the school system merger, several changes are filtering down to the "stakeholders" from the transitional board. One of these changes is wording to remove the allowance of adding points to the quarter and semester grades of students enrolled in honors, AP, and IB courses.

Basically, they want to remove the weighting. No extra help for the fact that you had summer work to complete, that you've moved through the year at a faster clip, had more homework, reading, or labs to finish. So, if you work your butt off and get a 91 in honors biology, you won't get that 3 points to make it a 94. You get a B, not an A.

As you can expect, parents are in an uproar. The kids have already selected their classes and changing a schedule now is like moving a mountain. Also factoring into this equation is the state policy of awarding diplomas with "distinction" to students who take a more difficult schedule all four years. Will students/families back off from loading up on the honors and AP courses? You need to have a combination of 3 honors/AP classes every year to get that special label.

I don't like this potential policy change, but the boy will continue to take the same honors and AP classes his sisters did. If his GPA suffers a bit, so be it. For us, that more rigorous course work equates to a better score on the ACT, and that is the test that enabled both girls to attend school with free tuition.

The board keeps tinkering away. Folks cry foul. They reconsider what they were going to change and back off.

That may happen with this.


Monday, June 17, 2013

off he goes

Yesterday we drove the boy over to the Big City and set him up at the Big University for two weeks of camp. He will be studying modular arithmetic.

He was so excited, not the least bit nervous, and eager to begin. The only glitch in the entire day was how long we had to wait to turn in his allergy medicine to the health nurse. They really could have used more than one nurse doing that given the number of kids turning in everything from Tylenol to inhalers to eye drops for monitoring.

His proctor is a Chinese grad student who is studying education and English as a learned language.

The dorm was really nice.

It was really odd going to sleep last night and knowing that he is 3 hours away!!

Going to be a strange 2 weeks around here without him around.

Off into the new week we go. Monday got here quickly with all we had to do over the last two days.


Thursday, June 13, 2013

good times

Tonight we are all heading down to the concert at the square. Since hubby is on the Main Street Board, and they need help handing stuff out tonight, we are doing some volunteer time while listening to the "Delta Blues." Let's just hope the pouring rain holds off, as the song goes.

Not sure what we will do for dinner. I'm torn between rushing home to cook or just caving in and facebooking my favorite cupcake lady and ordering up 5 boxed dinners from her!

Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.

I spent yesterday writing copy for our September magazine. It is going to feature several stories on our annual meeting host city, Baltimore. Still not sure if I will be attending or not.

Off into Thursday I go...good times ahead.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

coming up soon

We have a library board meeting coming up soon. I need to figure out exactly what is the best way to point out some issues I have with some of the numbers we were given at our last meeting.

The pay for our library staff is not horrific, but when the starting wage is less than that of a school crossing guard it raises some red flags. Especially when they ask for a 4 year degree for many of the library jobs. These aren't the MLS jobs, these are the assistant jobs. Our library is less staffed than many of the surrounding libraries in our area and in the state and our stats are higher than those same libraries.

The town just signed  a new 3 year deal with the management company, so not that my comment will do anything, but I feel that it needs to be said.

I think they are underpaid and the town and the management company both know it.

Hmmm, need to noodle this one a bit.

Other things coming up soon, the leadership meeting at work that will have me in the office on a Saturday. I'm intrigued to see some of these folks in action and to hear the spin, but I hate losing my Saturday off. I'm also interested to sit in on this committee I've been assigned to monitor and guide.

Okay, it is Wednesday. The week is moving along and a nice clip. Speaking of clip...the boy got a really nice haircut for camp. He doesn't look quite so shaggy anymore!!

Enjoy the day.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

the heat is on

The summer heat we have been waiting for seems to have arrived. Muggy mornings with muggy days and muggy nights.

The plants are growing like crazy. My hanging ferns are loving it. Mama bird loves it too I guess since she made a nest in one of the ferns and has laid 3 eggs.

Looks and feels like an iced coffee kind of day.

I ordered some summery clothes yesterday as until this year our office was kept at meat locker temps and I could wear a sweater most days. Due to the budget, revenue, etc;, they are now keeping the thermostat set at a balmy 74 which feels like 84 most days. So, skirts and dresses are much cooler than capris and pants. A new skirt and a new dress are on the way from Lands End. Yeah!

In other news, I really need to help the boy begin to pack for camp. We may need to make a procurement trip to Target for a few things.

Off into Tuesday I go!


Monday, June 10, 2013

weekend recap

It was a very busy and productive weekend. The yard was mowed. The yard was edged. Weeds were pulled. Weeds were killed. Shopping was done. Church was attended. Dinner was purchased. Dinner was prepared. Books were read. TV was watched.

And Monday has already arrived. Next weekend won't be quite so domestically focused as we will be packing the boy for his two weeks of camp.

Hard to believe that part of summer is coming up.

My favorite part of the weekend had to be dinner yesterday. When the kids were small, we would list out the components for Sunday's meal and write them on slips of paper. Then each of us would draw one slip and that person became responsible for selecting that item and preparing it. We revisited our past, at their request, and did this yesterday.

We had soup (the boy) as an appetizer. We tried tomato basil and a spicy Thai chicken.
For dinner we had steak (Hubby), roasted potatoes with rosemary (Oldest), and roasted asparagus (Middle), and bread (Oldest). For dessert we had key lime pie (me).

We did our shopping at Fresh Market, which is a bit of a splurge, but gosh, everything was so fresh and tasty. Good Stuff. So much fun.

We need to do that a few more times before the girls head off to school.

Happy Monday

Friday, June 7, 2013

Song choice

Because the middle kid and the daddy got home so late the night before last, we didn't have a chance to catch up and get the scoop on orientation until everyone was home from work.

But, once the girls got going....let's just say it devolved into a sing off and a discussion of the merits of each university's "song."

Neither one of my girls can sing. Just like their mama. So listening to "Rocky Top" and then "Sweet Home Alabama" being belted out was quite the source of amusement last night.

Happy Friday.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

it's official

The middle daughter is all official. She has a college I.D. We have an assortment of orange themed garb waiting to be worn. We have a car magnetic in the shape of an orange T ready for the minivan. The lyrics to Rocky Top are now available for reading.

She has enrolled in classes, including a freshman seminar class on "Harry Potter and Contemporary Society."

No. Lie.

I want to go back to college.


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

this just in

From what hubby told me this morning, orientation is going quite well. But, he won't be coming home with any orange and white checkered sweatshirts, overalls, boxers, or briefs. Nope. Just can't go there.

He did buy me a gray hoodie with the orange "Tennessee" embroidered across the front. Fine. I wear the Bama one with pride, and I will suffer the orange to wear the name of the other daughter's school with pride too.

I think I have an affinity for the Bama one as it reminds me of my university's cream and crimson motif.

They will be home late tonight. She doesn't register for classes until almost 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

orientation

The kid and the hubby made it to UT-Knox and are ready for orientation. Hubby is rethinking his decision to 'rough' it and stay in the dorms tonight. He may re-up his hotel room if possible. Can't say that I blame him one bit.

He said it looks like it is going to be a pretty day and what they are calling high humidity isn't quite what we are used to in the delta.

He is also quite excited that the 840 bypass around Nashville is completed. Much easier driving and only adds about 10 minutes to the trip at the very most.

So, the middle kid will select her freshman year classes and learn all about what to expect come August.

Unreal. We will have TWO in college in just weeks. TWO.

I need to ponder that reality a bit more. Enjoy your day!

Monday, June 3, 2013

full week ahead

It is going to be a full, long, five day week. Ugh. Hubby and the new graduate are headed east for her orientation and incoming freshman festivities. They leave today and will be back late on Wednesday. The rest of us are staying put.

It was a very productive weekend. My flower beds are back in order. I also bought two hanging baskets for the front porch. I went with ferns again. We transplanted variegated hostas into the flower beds around the two trees in the front yard. That looks much better than the crazy, wild, snapdragons that had taken over. When I pulled some of those flowers out, the roots looked like potatoes. They had to go.

We managed to get the boy some new shirts, shorts, and other things he will need for camp. The girls had fun picking things out for him. He did not have fun trying everything on! Now if we can just get his summer work downloaded from the high school, we'd be all set. It was supposed to be available June 1. It wasn't. Joy.

I finished another of my Nook books. This was a title from Jeaniene Frost, "Once Burned." Fun read.

It is another Monday, folks. Off we go into the work week!