It is what it is

I needed a break from all the cleaning and packing and schoolwork and can hardly believe I have been going at full speed since Wednesday noon.  Covered a lot of ground, put all the fall away, packing all the chotchki stuff to make way for Christmas.  Cleaning cabinets, corners and nooks.  Getting ready for my table for Festival of Tables in a week.  Face timed the kids, shopped until I dropped, generally caught up.  Found my picnic basket that wasn't really lost, just visiting someone far away.  Glad it is back home.  Took Lucy for a walk, took someone elses boots home last night (now exchanged), caught up on schoolwork for about 5 minutes and ready to cook a turkey pot pie.  I have no Blue Arpron tonight or this week, just needed to get in a blog for November before it is December.  Back to work, dinner, piano....it is what it is and it is always too busy.

Don't have any words to describe what happened Friday in my favorite city.  How does this happen?  How do people fill themselves with so much hate that they can kill so many people and then themselves.  In prayer and tears for Paris. Started my Saturday early with ADK luncheon and auction.  On the hunt to finish my Nutcracker table for FOT on Dec. 7th. I have grades/citizenship done for 1st quarter.   Amanda & Bryce are home from European Honeymoon with so many issues that Amanda was put through.   Andrew was in London all week and flew to LasVegas on Friday to meet Brian who is running his first 10K.   Matt & Dana & Hannah are all good in Chicago.  Fighting a sinus infection (Dobos thing), was up very early to play both services with Joyful Ringers this morning. Finished laundry,working on Festival of Tables table, lesson plans, tomorrows lesson,washed my car because it was 65 today, cooking turkey veg soup for non-blue apron ...

Normal busy week at school.   Midterm test and study guide is done thanks to my math coach!!!  Red team dance chaperoning tonight, as I can check papers and chaperone at the same time.  So angry that my main route home is again being re-constructed so I go about 15 miles out of my way to not sit for a half-hour as 4 lanes are reduced to one.  C'mon!    Early call tomorrow for a bell concert for a Christmas Tea....selfish me, one day a week I could sleep in and NOT get ready immediately......no comment Carol....no comment.  It is what it is!

Spent all day in Professional Development...not bad, not bad!!! Interesting stuff, we looked at testing.  Stopped to vote, stopped to ship everything back to Amanda & Bryce that was left here from the wedding.  It would have been cheaper to book a ticket to LA.....almost.   Just off the phone with Amanda, they are in Atlanta waiting for the final leg home from a 10 hour flight from Munich.  Amanda has been in a wheelchair for 2 days.  Stress fractures in both feet?   Eye yi yi yi yi.....On the "heels" of being sick in London, and Hives in Paris...A Honeymoon soon not forgotten!  It is what it is....on my honeymoon, I had hives in Hungary....(don't ask, I think it was fear) and flu in Hungary....again...don't ask)   Suddenly recovered once we arrived in Paris and London.  I think I wasted 5 days in Hungary but don't tell Otto that.   76 degrees  today on November 3rd.   Love getting the extra time to put outdoor away.

Home from an amazing weekend in Kalamazoo's WMU homecoming.  Broncos trounced  Miami of Ohio.  Friday night our best friend of 43  Tom Englert, retired CEO of Discount was honored as a Distinguished Alumni.  What an amazing night! So proud!  Saturday, we toured restored Heritage Hall on East Campus (formerly East Hall built in 1903, WMU's first building.  Tailgated, watched a victory in the President's Box (saw Michigan weather fully, sun, clouds, storm, downpour, back to sun!)  Had great digs at Kalamazoo's downtown Radisson, drove around our old stomping grounds, caught up with Tom & Cindy, reminisced with Rick Hyde and just celebrated and re-lived the last 43 years as best friends. Two wonderful weekends in a row.   Back to reality, full moon, school tomorrow and a Blue Apron waiting to be cooked.  It is what it is!

Woke up yesterday to a sore throat.  Plodded thru the day!  Finally caught up on papers, grades, bill paying, shopping and cleaning.   Spent today doing errands.  Andrew is home for a wedding this weekend and working from home and going to the Detroit office this week for his job.  Amanda is flying home with her dress and Delta was so kind to hang it (no idea where...on the wing?)  Andrew is sick, I am sick but we rock on.  Washed my ride, posted grades for progress reports (really 5 weeks already), floors are done, house is cleaned, shopping is mostly done and wedding is on its' way!  It is what it is whether we are ready or not. It will be a wild ride and I pray we will all be well, everyone flies in safely and I can keep track of it all and work two more days.

After teaching 7 classes today (our staff is down by 4 right now and we can't get subs, so we are all teaching on our prep time),  and we are all staying extra time to do the work we usually do on our preps.  Xeroxing, lesson planning, checking papers, grades, etc.  I bring this all home anyway and spend 1-2 hours every night working after working a full day.  That is after a piano lesson, making a dessert for tomorrow night's dinner party, cooking tonight's Blue Apron dinner and working through the lesson for my 4 math classes tomorrow as we have new books this year.  I am happy to report that the layer of dust is being removed one room at a time.   Poor Lucy has not had a walk in weeks, the pool is freezing cold and the wedding is in two weeks.  I have not had the time to look at a newspaper in over a week.  It is what it is and we are Back To School.

Day started early with floor guys here to sand and put the first coat on my stairs and hallway.  Tore out the carpet the Saturday before school started.  Looks great but I forgot how badly it smells.  Air is on at 71 with windows opened.  And, the dust!!!!!!!!   Sorry I didn't do this in June before I cleaned the whole house.  What was I thinking????  Spent the day running around.  Glad I had a chance to get Lucy out of this smell and time in the pool.  Day off for Eid after a PD day yesterday and Open House on Tuesday.  Busy week.  Piano today, bells last night and decided to save my 3rd Blue apron for tonight.  I know now that cod should be the first used of the 3 meals.  Also made a cheese/corn soup from "The Pioneer Woman" recipe that looked really good from her show.  Will be dinner tomorrow night.  Looks like it will feed a crowd.   It is what it is and after being back to school for nearly 3 weeks, it...

I changed my phone message from summer to fall today.  PD today and holiday (off) tomorrow.  Stairs and hallway hardwood being sanded and sealed, trip thrift shop (last one of this summer) with donation, errands, shopping and hopefully a trip to GREENFIELD VILLAGE!   Got 45 minutes in a freezing cold pool but a bit of late summer sun.   Off to first ding dong rehearsal of the season, helping the Chicago connection move this weekend and I happily get to babysit!!! It is what it is and it is well on it's way to fall and the 2015/16 school year.   Open house/curriculum night last night for a very late night.  Working on wedding, working on identity theft (again), working on schoolwork and a new book for 7th grade.  Dealing with sun in your eyes from the east on the way to work and sun in your eyes on the way home from work.   12/12.  Summer went way too fast!  Cooked 2 Blue Apron meals this week.  I love it, it's fun, different, tastes...

With the "crises" over and being back home from a wonderful wedding weekend in Traverse City, I feel I can tell the story. After a day of driving through the wine peninsula, visiting a winery, sitting in the sun on the water, it was time to get ready for the 4:00 wedding.  Otto pulled out his suit, only to find that it was an old suit he never got rid of.  The pants button didn't have a prayer.  He could not even get the jacket on.  I was 5 minutes short of being ready as the wedding and reception was a 4 minute walk from our hotel. I had no words.   He had nothing.  Realizing that he would just have to miss the wedding, he took a trip to the Cherry City Mall.  My husband of 43 years, who NEVER shops was able to find a jacket and pants at Kohls and was in his seat just before the "I Do's". Lesson learned, CLEAN YOUR CLOSET The rest of the weekend was flawless!  Wonderful party Friday at the Top of the Park, great brunch on Sunday, same pla...

Beautiful weather since I have been in Boston starting 8:00 am on Friday.  I had another amazing trip.  So much to do and so much to see.  Part of me loves being able to walk everywhere to do everything or take the T or an Uber.  I wish we had a close "downtown" area in Livonia to shop and walk and do restaurants.   Love being able to walk to the commons, see all the historic sites and the zillions of people on the walkways, the farmer's markets and being so close to the Atlantic.  I love everything about Boston.  I love that it is an hour plane ride to get there.  I feel so provincial shopping daily for dinner.  The seafood, the ocean, the friendly people yet it is a big city.  I am happy to be home but know that I am only an hour away.  It is what it is and I am happy to say with jetBlue it is good.

i really needed to walk today in "the village"   Forgot my sunscreen so I got a bit of sun but enjoyed every minute of my walk.  Since I am a regular I don't have to see everything, only my favorites.  I could live there, in fact, I think I pretend that I do!!!  Had an endodontist appointment and yes, another root canal is imminent....whatever, please wait for 2016 benefits.    Everyone is safely home and I can't believe a week has passed since they all started to arrive!!!   House is cleaned and back to normal....lonely!!! Cooking sautéed mushrooms and, feta/basil tomato salad.   After the day visiting all  the GV cottages cooking lunch and mid-day scrumptious farm meals, we are having hot dogs!     It is what it is!  

Well, the shower is over, only Amanda is here a few more days.  We had a great time all together but so busy getting ready there hardly seemed time to truly visit.  Hannah is growing up so fast.  Crawls all over, recognizes us, laughs, waves, babbles and pulls herself up and can go up a flight of stairs.  Her 1st birthday will be here way too soon. We had a beautiful day for the shower.  A squall before the shower but it was 92 and humid all day!  The balloons were forgotten, the chicken stayed in the oven downstairs as it was thought to be an extra pan.  Amanda & Bryce received a lot of very nice things.  Many were already shipped to CA and BBB shipped anything they received free of charge!  The day flew by, many wonderful long-time friends shared it with us, enduring the "Dobos-hottest-day-in-summer" party.  By Sunday, Matt, Dana and Hannah were back home in Chicago after a 7 hour drive in construction traffic, Andrew was back in...

Summer is racing by.  It is already past July 4th weekend and nearly time for Amanda & Bryce's shower.  She came home today and we are head over heels busy with all the people to see and places to go!!!   I have spent the last 3 weeks cleaning, sewing, glueing, shopping, cutting fabric, creating and getting ready.   It Is What It Is and here it comes!!!

Today started out normally.  Drove to west side of state to start auction process on my brother's house.  We had to meet with the realtor and make a list for auction.  Lots of cool old stuff but just about everywhere there are mouse signatures.  2 minutes in the "house" and one ran by the door.  No one has lived in the "cabin-in-the-woods" since November last year.  Chipmunk was next.  An "out" building housed a whole family of mice.   I nearly passed out right then and there.  Lots of goodies to sell.   Nicole from Rehab Addict would love this place.  Truly a paradise, but, to this now city girl, I was glad to be back in suburbia.   It is what it is.

Exhausted.  One big party down, set up yesterday, clean up today.  Final root canal appointment today (third of one) now have to get the crown filled in 2 weeks.  Hope this is it for awhile.  Working on everything that i don't get done during the school year.....and Amanda & Bryce's shower in a month.  Glad storm is over and that Lucy is home with us tonight .  Off to Bellevue tomorrow to work on my brother's stuff.  It is what it is...

I don't know where the month went.  So busy  It has always been my favorite.  I missed the lilacs that bloomed while I was in Phoenix.  It was such an amazing trip, Kristen and Adam's wedding, visit with Cindy and Amanda & Bryce's wedding shower.  School is overwhelming.   Always is.  May should be twice as long as the other months!!!  So good to see Matt & Dana for Memorial Day weekend, not to mention our little Hannah-bee.   aMAYzing month.   It is what it is and it was good!

So, I washed my car Saturday (first time since October, not in a car wash) and first 5 minutes out today it sprinkled!   Cold, not late April weather today.  After school, I wrapped up in a blanket and attended my middle school boys' first baseball game.  After 2 hours and a score of 6-7, not us in the lead, I had to leave.  I was freezing and I still have a half-hour to drive home.  Wish I could do it all.  Attended a meeting and now home to put in some grades, watch the update on news in the country and  rest?    Making the base for chicken noodle soup.  Brian would know, the celery, carrot, onion, garlic base.   Adding leftover rotisserie chicken.  Started process with probate lawyer for my brother's "estate". starting lesson plans for next week to be out for 6 days for my Goddaughter's wedding in Phoenix, a math day and the Tiger's game.....who says I can't do it all?????? It is what it is.  PS  Today is Andrew's ...

First full 5 day week since before Christmas between snow//ice days and math days.   LONG week. Washed windows outside in the back today.  My hands nearly froze but first time since November.   Went to my favorite market for vegetables and cheese after school....Westborn.  BEST market!    Two sets of math tests to correct tonight, taking all the St. Patrick's stuff down, time to do Easter decorations.....9 days until Spring Break..(school days)....it is what it is

Yes, I am a wee bit Irish or Scottish, not sure....McCurdy.   Busy day in math, came home to cook a full Irish corned beef, cabbage, red potato, carrot dinner.  All the extras.  Am ecstatic..... personal day that was taken from me that should have been a bereavement day was restored through a grievance.  Pays to read the contract.   Still have work to do...always....is there any "free time"?    It it what it is and it was a good good day!!!         If You're Lucky enough to be Irish....you're lucky enough!  

I walked in the door like I do every day saying "Lucy I'm Home".  As I rounded the corner loaded to the chin with books, bag, purse, coat, lunchbox etc. only to find the door to her crate in the family room wide open and no Lucy.  I nearly dropped everything in a panic.  Suddenly I heard a familiar "clink-clink" of her tags, only to turn around and see her at the gate to the dining room.  Lucy had been on the loose in the whole house since 8AM!  Someone, (NOT ME) had left her crate door open. She had been all over upstairs (I could see imprints in the beds and a wastebasket (thank goodness I empty them all on Sunday for garbage collection day on Mondays) overturned with stuff shredded in my bathroom.  No further damage (one time the cleaning people let her out and she ruined a couple sets of blinds) thank goodness.    No "mishaps" on anything I have found yet.  She probably enjoyed her day of freedom!!! It is What it is and it should not happ...

Only Thelma and Louise could have had a better adventure today than Rhonda and me. We only wanted to go to Mexican Village for dinner between school and conferences. I-75 was backed up so we wanted a different route so we would not be late. Well.........an hour later, we saw more of Detroit than I have seen living here for 30 years. So lost listening to "she who shall not be named" directions. I bet my principal can't wait until I retire. Rhonda and I laughed so hard re-calling our mis-adventure. How did you get downtown???? We don't know!!!!! Woodward is torn up for the "mass transit" so Siri is useless. We nearly took the bridge to Canada....I don't know who I want to call less...my boss or my husband. "I am lost......but at least I was not in Canadian jail.  It is what it is.   Recounting this we laughed so hard, we cried.   I needed that! Like  ·   ·  Share

Amanda was asked on Valentine's day. i flew in for my winter break on Monday (was suppose to be Sunday but my flight from DTW to Chicago was late so I would have missed my connection to LA. Last flight home so, Otto picked me up and I flew out on Monday. They met me at LAX. I totally missed "the ring". Turns out Bryce asked her on the beach at Santa Babara. Her ring is made up of a center stone Bryce chose and side stones from my mother's ring and my grandmother's ring!!! On Tuesday we went to "look" at dresses as no date was set but they wanted October this or next year. She found a dress with the 3rd one she tried on. She then picked her colors (fall) of green and brown and picked the perfect complementary dress in green,they decided on October 17, I called the church and the hall and booked both from California. We both flew to Chicago for the weekend for Hannah's Christening and she surprised the rest of her fa...

I don't know whether to think we were lucky or blessed.  After a random guy told us on the highway (as usual, LA traffic was stop and go),  we had no tail lights, we drove to a Ford dealership.  The check-in person said it was 100.00 to look at it, but the electrician was leaving.  We looked pathetic so he said he would check.  Turns out, it was a switch, they had the part and an hour later (and another 150.00) we were on our way.  Missed our afternoon plans but he said they almost never have parts in stock and 5 minutes later the electrician would have left for the day.  We didn't get a ticket, no one rear-ended the car and I think we had guardian angels today on this first day of Lent.  It is what it is!!!  

Only three short days to enjoy the sand, sun, and surf and this morning we don't have any of these!  It is rather hazy and in the 60's but will warm to 70 later today. What an ordeal to get here.  After sitting at the airport for 2 hours on Sunday, I learned my flight to Chicago would be so late I would miss the connection to LA and it was the last one of the night going out through American connections.  After a few well chosen words of anger, they offered to put me on a plane to Charlotte, NC in the morning and then to LA by about 4:30.  (Turns out there was a major weather issue along the east coast yesterday!)  Being the calm person I am I said "you can do better than that".  They sent me to the ticket counter where the agent did.  She got me a seat thru Dallas and I was in LA by 1:30 Monday afternoon.  What a pain to have to return home (close but still) and unpack for the night.  Anyway, just a couple snags here and there put me in LA ...

Interesting comment from Amy Dickinson who writes a column called "Ask Amy".  "Family is not a status confined to those who share your DNA.  "Family are also the people who pick up your call on the first ring, put on a pot of coffee when you drop in, easily forgive your transgressions, laugh with you, cry alongside you, and importantly, love your kids along with you.  She continues saying that many readers have honorary "aunts, uncles and cousins", who are not actual family members but long-standing family friends.  These relationships are a gift".  She put to print what I have said all along about my family.  Those family members have been "Family" for so many years, we have all forgotten they are not related! As to the laugh part, there are times when I have not been able to breathe, I have laughed so hard with my "sister".  It is what it is and I will be ready to write about losing another brother soon.  What a week this has b...