2Homes*2Lives

This day started out with the gas tank on empty, after hunting all morning for things I could not find. Left the house feeling the day might not go right. Then I drove over a bridge on the river down the road and saw two ducks swimming upstream and thought it was an omen to just get through the day. They were so calming, making ripples fan out in the water, that a slow smile came to my face and I drove on feeling this might be a good day after all, if I just retain the calm that I saw in them. Have a great weekend. Marilyn

Guess I went in to work with too little sleep today... First a couple of girls showed up from the high school to job shadow. I didn't know they were coming as they left a message on voice mail that I rarely check. The kids were all loud and required monitoring their talking. Am thinking of grouping achieving with the nonachieving students. Usually you mix them but can tell that those doing their work are irritated by the obnoxious behavior of others. So have decided it makes more sense to put those not achieving at one table (slacker table...talk about a label) and keep track of their progress and behavior to the side of working with those who want to be in the class. Came home exhausted and decided it's time to answer the call of bills. Geez, it's only been about 20 some years that I have been chasing after them, one by one, with no system other than being at deadline and having to pay them. I am always late, even when the money is in the bank. Two things I seem to procra...

In the summer months I live the life of a retired person, forgetting which day of the week it is. Now, during the school year, I am trying to destress evenings. Work harder during the day in the classroom and leave it (though I do carry the students in my head!) behind and come home to relax. The grandson was here tonight as his parents were buying a car. I told him he could not stay the night as he wouldn't listen to me and I was tired of noise, but grandpa took him with he and buddy Denny running around so he got his way and I get the quiet of the house. Laundry to catch up. pay a couple of bills and then American Idol. I adore Taylor, the gray-haired 29 yr. old from Alabama as he is totally into his music. There are several this season that I think will record whether they win or not. He and Paris are two I am certain will, though Paris seems such a baby in comparison. I don't call to vote but do watch to the end. Anyway, I smiled tonight when I realized I had to think what ...

It's around midnight on Sunday. The schoolweek starts again in 7 hrs. Am ready for spring break as much as my students are... Teachers are not liked by the public in the U.S. as we dare to tell parents when their kids are bad and dare to discipline them (as long as we don't touch them or deny them their rights!)..What they don't know is that every student, even those with poor behavior get to us and cause us stress. I actually worry about many of my students in the off hours or take joy in the funny things they do. But by the end of the 9 mo. we are like grandparents eager to send the kids home. I love to hear parents at the meat market in August talking about how they can't wait to get their kids back in school after only 3 mo. --- We are glorified babysitters most of the time and don't I know it! I have been feeling frustrated in general over my lack of progress in the muddles in my life, then I stumbled over a blog out of Singapore tonight called A Penny for My T...

Nothin you could do, could make me untrue To My Guy No handsome face, could ever take the place Of My Guy... As a matter of opinion, I think he's tops My opinion is, he's the king of the hop... I'm tellin ya from the start, I can't be torn apart From my guy.... Love you Jake. GaGa.

Denny, a high school friend, e'd that his brother died at age 61 (so sorry you are having to deal with the loss, Denny). I told my husband, as I often do when someone is close to our age to try and make him see that we could be next if we don't tend to health issues. I asked Bob if he went to a doctor what percentage of health does he think he would rate. He said 85%. I told him more like 60% because his gut is so large...he agreed, which surprised me. Sometimes I wonder how we became senior citizens, when it was just yesterday we were in our 40's. That thing about going over the hill is true...well, at least with the body. If you gain weight and don't get exercise, you can run around with your head cut off keeping up with life and it won't help one iota. How much you eat, what you eat, and lack of sleep and exercise are what causes weight problems. Oprah can drop her big bucks my way as I see the solution, but have not the willpower...yet, of course. I always think...

THE SCHOOL YEARBOOK IS DONE!! Heading out of state in the morning for the funeral of my father's only sib...his brother. He lived to be 90 and was a gentleman of great character. After serving in the war he graduated from the Univ. of Michigan in Architecture and formed a partnership in a firm that built most of the schools in part of our home state. His wife died many years ago and he remarried mostly for friendship. He has left behind a terrific daughter, son and daughter in law. I never heard he or my Dad say a mean word to each other. They died 5 days and 12 yrs. apart. I have one from my uncle that explains our family Scottish heritage as he remembered it and maybe a few handwritten holiday cards. He was a generous, soft-spoken man and I will remember him with great respect. Post when I return. Marilyn

Woke to the sound of my cell phone ringing..it was Bob's phone calling me from his pocket. He and buddy Denny run around together and could hear some of their conversation though they were not aware the phone had triggered. Spent yesterday out of state seeing my mother Audra. She's 86 and in a resthome. I used to be more of a Daddy's girl and have missed him every day in the 12 yrs. since he has been gone. But watching my mother go through the wrenching caregiving of her husband, financial loss, then the decline of her own health...and eventually her smoking and catching herself on fire, the strength she showed recovering from her skin-grafting...well, it was just plain horrible but she seldom complained. During the years of growing up Mom made all four of us feel as if we were only children. She would be up until 2 a.m. ironing mountains of clothing and sneak into our rooms at night to put them away as we slept. Her kitchen was spotless, with a hot meal on the table every ...

The photos are of our daughter's room. She has moved in. It's a soft and pretty room, though not entirely done. It's girly and mature. The picture on the wall was a photo I put in oil-painting mode and ordered as a stretched canvas through Kodakgallery.com : Shop : Specialty . Curtains and paint came from Lowe's. Hoping to be done with the yearbook by the end of the week and after a brief weekend out of state, work on wallpapering that tiny bedroom with the horrible white walls for the boys bedroom/den. Be back by the end of the week. Enjoy yours, Marilyn

On my second night working on the yearbook at school I took a dinner break with Jude. She had a Vera bag which made me laugh...I do too, but of course two of them and they are knockoffs that cost a mere $20 ea. at the local variety store. Actually, I have three as I have a backup for the red one which I am wearing out sooner than the blue. There are pockets inside all the way around like a diaper bag....maybe that is really what they are...when I lose things, instead of hunting at the bottom of my purse I go from pocket to pocket. I use the blue one to carry my digital camera and charger as it makes a better carrier than most digital camera bags. I may need to go back and buy a second blue bag also. You never know when you need another. And by then I probably could have bought one Vera bag. Designer is no longer me, just the look is enough. A former student waited on Jude and me for dinner. He had to be the worst I have ever encounterd. He apologized when he came to the table saying ...

Sometimes keeping an eye on the prize helps. When the yearbook is done I plan to buy another Chico's watch just like the one I have. It was Oprah's favorite watch a while back and I don't want them to stop making it without having a backup...I wear it every day and feel naked without it. Working on the yearbook into the night, tonight. My students are restless and needing more supervision so can't concentrate on doing anything on the book during the daytime. Hoping to start into wallpapering the small boys room on Saturday as it lacks warmth with paint and the walls being so imperfect. Even after all the work I put into it, it just needs more work. Will post pictures of the two bedrooms, then will start our bedroom which is my favorite room in the house...soft green, king size bed with a beautiful metal frame...working on it being a retreat and can't wait to post more on it. Be back on the weekend. Enjoy the day! Marilyn

Now that I'm into blogging I find I have to take most of this week off to tend to business...mainly getting our school yearbook submitted so we can receive it by the end of the school year. I adore my students at school, but they are starting to act more like it's the end of the school year as the weather improves. Our almost 6 yr. grandson Jake has been at the house a couple of nights this week. He is a joy/rascal. He told my husband we needed to buy more "beers" as his Dad likes to drink it. And he watches 7th Heaven on TV saying he never misses watching an "episode" with his Mom. He locked himself in the toy closet...it's worth it sacrificing closet space ...he closed the door which locks and screamed bloody murder until his grandpa rescued him. But when he curls up in my arms I forget everything and am in his world. He's still a baby underneath it all. So my online time is now devoted to doing layouts and sorting through hundreds of photos...our...

I taught myself some simple crochet a couple of weeks ago. Have been wanting something to do that was pacifying and enjoyed it so much I told my students in my classes they would all be crocheting a scarf. One red-haired boy on the basketball team had a fit saying it was too feminine. He went to the counselor to try and drop the class and was told too bad, you signed up and are stuck in the class. I told him he could do a scarf for his coach. He wasn't buying it, but has adjusted, though he still thinks crochet is for girls. Yesterday I borrowed my husband's cordless screwdriver. What a shock to find out how easy my job was. I put up a coat rack in a couple of seconds. Instead of using a stud finder (yes, he has one of those too) I knocked on the wall, but it went up slick as could be....which reminded me of all the times I asked Bob to put up things for me and he acted like it was such a chore. I now understand the male mind a little better. Power tools are for men because the...

Did the individual photos for the yearbook, then everything in the house seemed more pressing...you know how that goes...caught up the laundry, worked on bills, cleaned up my husband's trails through the house, sorted more piles of things, put up curtain rods, and watched the final Dancing with the Stars..was glad Drew won...they were all good in their own way...best season yet for the show...should help them get more stars interested in appearing on it next year.--- Have decided after all that wallpaper stripping and painting that the boys bedroom/den lacks warmth, so am going to wallpaper again!!! Our daughter is in her new bedroom and loves it! Light chartreuse walls with pinks, purples and other girly colors. Guess I didn't mention...our daughter is now 27...she was born with brain damage and is about 31/2 yrs. mentally. I wanted this bedroom to be an environment and she is loving it. Will post pictures soon as the yearbook gets done, which it will in time. I'm a huge ...

Woke at 8 a.m. This weekend has to be all about working on our school yearbook. My students took all the photos...now it is for me to understand the online software to get it published by the end of this month. I knew this interest in the house was taking time I should have been spending on the book and today found even more ways to procrastinate. Bob was expecting a call from a buddy so would not let me tie up the phone line with the computer. I drove to town for gas at Sunoco and a 20 oz. cup of hot English Toffee latte. Nothing else seemed open in town so stopped at the local hardware. Spoke with Wes, son of the original owner. We traded opinions on the state of teaching, wearing clothing that is comfy but not stylish, and our kids. He's a smart and opinionated guy, but loosey-goosey fun-loving! He runs a summer hot air balloon launch and a mini Woodstock near town. We often say the town should be named after his family as most of the buildings, with the exception of the funeral...

Photo credit: Eric Sucar, The Daily Messenger / AP Excerpts from article by: BEN DOBBIN, AP Autistic Team Manager Makes Hoop Dream Come True High School Senior Scores 20 Points in Waning Moments of His Only Game GREECE, N.Y. (Feb. 24) - Jason McElwain had done everything he was asked to do for the Greece Athena High School basketball team - keep the stats, run the clock, hand out water bottles. That all changed last week for the team manager in the final home game of the season. The 17-year-old senior, who is autistic and usually sits on the bench in a white shirt and black tie, put on a uniform and entered the game with his team way ahead. McElwain proceeded to hit six 3-point shots, finished with 20 points and was carried off the court on his teammates' shoulders. "I ended my career on the right note," he told The Associated Press by phone Thursday. "I was really hotter than a pistol!" In recent days, McElwain's phone has hardly stopped ringing. When his ...

Our minister up north in the summers gave the best sermon I have ever heard, called "The Begging Bowl". He said that we plan our lives with day planners, etc. in increments of 15 to 30 min. a slot and don't leave time for miracles. That monks in monasteries used to go out with begging bowls and whatever food or money they were given provided for their daily needs. They never knew from day to day what the begging would bring, but always had faith in it. He said today, we all need to save time in our lives for the unexpected miracles and if we are not looking for them they will pass by us unnoticed, unappreciated, and wasted. He said he kept an empty bowl on his desk to remind him of the miracles that would fill his bowl every day. I live my life with that begging bowl on my desk, but also in my mind. Every day is an adventure and the tougher things get, the more I let go to allow miracles to flow. Last night as I was moving furniture back into the bedrooms I worked on, a ...

This will be brief... Returning to the work week I discovered teacher conferences are this week. The good news is that we have Friday off ,so a three day weekend coming up...Whoopee! Finished the dread second bedroom last night. After painting the room all light blue on top of old wallpaper, watching the seams open up, 12 hours steaming the wallpaper off with a rental machine from National Rental, plastering cracks, 2 hours sanding, washing down the walls, two coats of primer and one coat of top coat I cannot believe I am not done! The color is too light. But I need a break, so will put in the rest of the furniture and put on one last coate of slightly darker taupe. on Friday. A teacher friend with exceptional taste just painted her kitchen a medium taupe. and I think with luck it might be the color I want. I would not be so worried about the color, but I am not one of those hire people to paint every season...these walls will stay the same color until we leave this house. I know what...

I started wanting a French Country look, then it expanded to more of a European theme with the Scotch poster, Italian red & green as accent colors, and the French chef. The hardest part of the whole thing was getting the check wallpaper on straight on the old walls. It now looks almost like fabric on the walls. The only thing left to do is to tile a backsplash behind the stove and main cabinets area shown above and put in new counter tops.

Taking current photo of finished room and will add it asap.... Putting up new red/green plaid wallpaper and wall board. Bargain lamps found at Walmart for $7.40 ea. Walls with old wallpaper coming off...