It is what it is

We wait all year for December to get here.  It is not about the gifts but that is part of it.  I am glad we did Elfster this year.  Was a lot of fun.  A& B, M & D arrived on Friday with A & B 2 coming late Saturday night.  Everyone was busy last minute shopping, cooking and wrapping throughout the day.  We had until midnight to be ready.  After champagne and unwrapping we headed to bed about 3:00 as Otto and I had to usher at the 9:00 service.  It was a fun morning as we had our traditional egg & cheese casserole and more champagne as Bryce and Amanda tried to time zone catch up, Matt and Dana had to return to Chicago as they both had to work Monday.  Very difficult to see them leave so soon after arriving!    We filled Monday and Tuesday with all kinds of activities; lunch, Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village, shopping, eating and playing games, including Apples to Apples, Scrabble and Scattergories.   We watc...

After a terrific Michigan fall day, rain, rolling clouds, sun, what 's left of fall colors, chilly, time change tonight, I shopped all afternoon and found everything I set out for.  Can't believe the Dobos wedding of the year (only Dobos wedding but nonetheless) is next Saturday.  big U of M/MSU game today.  I  love it growing dark with all the lights off while I put Halloween (loser night) away and prepare for Thanksgiving with the decorations.  Spent several hours plodding thru papers and doing stuff around the house today.  Glad we have an extra hour tonight.  Went to the Mall today for the first time in years, witnessed an accident at Pier I and finally feel like I may be getting caught up.  It is what it is.......whooo hoooo extra hour and St. Andrew's day tomorrow..bagpipes and kilts.

Only in Hamtramck would we get an Eid break the same week as MEAP.  Lucky for me I scheduled my hand surgery the same week.  We Meaped last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and my surgery was on Thursday morning.  I had Thursday thru next Tuesday off.  We have had beautiful warm October weather for more than a week now.  I am plopped on the couch, trying hard not to do too much.   My wrist hurts, the stitches are pulling and I am tired.......it is what it is.

Am dog tired and my hand is throbbing....dare I complain....only 3 weeks ago tomorrow from surgery.  After a haircut, 2 stops and bell choir, finally home.   No TV in family room after cable guy was here for 2 hours today.  Ready for a cool  (to me anyway) day of Halloween math coordinates puzzles (graphing on the coordinate plane to make a pumpkin picture) and lots of candy to hype them all up!!!  Don't know if I should get ready for Halloween, suppose to have super Halloween storm tomorrow....can we just postpone until Friday night????  Home made chicken soup tonight.....yum...It is what it is and this is my only blog for October.......darn!

School is two weeks past already.  I feel like I have settled in despite starting my reading/writing class only to have the rug ripped out from under me last Thursday to be given an 8th grade Pre-Algebra class.  The good news is most of the students are mine from last year and I will be working with Peggy again before we start each book and I already know the program.  I made some adjustments and moved on.  Was nervous but it has worked.  Went through a week of firsts.  First 8th grade math class, first handbell rehearsal, first piano lesson.  After some searing temperatures this week and miserable sticky soaking wet days (90's) a horrific series of storms Wednesday brought the temperatures to the point that it dropped about 40 degrees and feels like fall.  I love my Saturday mornings...a bit of catching up, cleaning, laundry, reading newspapers, magazines and being alone (with Lucy of course).  Time to set off on my day of shopping and erran...

Oh oh, wait, it is September!!! YIKES.  What a wonderful fast summer!   Kids were home, shower is over, car is shipped, house is as clean as it is going to get, I have traveled everywhere I wanted to go, some updates (doors and brick patio to garage), dog is happy, time to go back to school I guess.   Again, ready as I can get.  I am going to try and enjoy Labor Day and not dwell on the negatives.  I am sure I won't sleep tonight, nor will anyone else at school.  Been fighting a stomach thing.  Hope it goes away soon.  It Is What It Is and it is time to get back to it!

Very happy that Matt was home last weekend, enjoyed every minute!  Very sad when he left.  I had a very blue day which thankfully, cleared up in 24 hours.  Worked on getting Amanda's car ready to ship.  Found a place through Lisa Atwell (and Facebook)(her husband, John, works for this company as a long distance transporter) that would ship it from Taylor (enclosed transport) to Santa Anna, CA for 950.00.  Eureka!!!  Arrangements were finished and Otto and I delivered the car, packed to the window bottoms, to Select One Transport in Taylor on Friday.  When chatting with Angel and the receptionist (who use to live in the same area as Amanda just moved from.....North Hollywood and worked in Burbank and knew where Cumpston was), I mentioned that when I retire, I want to write a column (long time dream) about "What Would It Be Like To......." (and one idea I had was) ride in a long distance hauler.  Well, everyone laughed and Angel asked if I had ever ...