Declaring My Goals August 15, 2011

In a blog that I follow the author stated that she feels she must publicly declare her goals more often to be able to achieve them. And I think that is a good idea.

So, I am going to follow suit and do so. First I must disclose that I am an elementary teacher and am looking at the coming year with knowledge of the challenges ahead. And one of the more personal challenges is to be able to walk out the door on time every day. This does set the tone of the day. If I am on time I feel equal to all my peers. If I am late I feel a notch below. It is that simple.

Goals should be small and attainable. For this week my goals are:
1.  to work in my room for 8 hours tomorrow and be in the car by 8:30 a.m. tomorrow. this will include so many details I am not going to try to write them here.
2. to get all  the chickens cut out of cardboard.
3. to be completely caught up on laundry and ironing (thus having my wardrobe prepared for the beginning of school. )
4. to finish the preparation for spelling.
5. to study the math curriculum and by doing so prepare for the year. (Again, there are too many details to try to write about right now.)
6. finally, I intend to get to bed on time tonight and tomorrow.
So, good night.

The two of us riding bikes on a gorgeous late summer day with dog. Just couldn't leave her home.

I wish I had a picture of Dave as he carried Mishka in a black, oversized book bag around his neck as he pedaled a mountain bike down our road toward Alice's road. Mishka's head peeked out of the bag as her ears and tongue flew in the brisk wind. Dave was smiling too. When we turned on Alice's road where there was less traffic, (We probably saw 3 cars the whole time we were on bikes on either road.) we stopped, lowered the bag to the ground and dumped her out. Then we rode on and Mishka ran with us. She was having a great time running along with us. Sometimes she trotted and took her time and sometimes she ran all out and kept up with me as I breezed down a hill!!! She is fast. Since this was our first experiment with riding bikes with Mishka, we only pedaled about a half mile down Alice's road, turned around and rode back home, again placing Mishka in the large, black book-bag when we reached the highway. My thigh muscles were swearing at me and saying: "What do you think you are doing!!!!????"
They quieted down when we got home.

What a nice day it was. Just the three of us.

Just a quick check in

It has been some time since I last posted and am in the middle of making Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread, so I will not tarry. But I just want to put up some pictures to show what I have been doing.

This June, I drove to see my parents.



This is Mom and Dad clowning around in their usual way.



Here, we took Mom to get her hair done.

She got a perm.

Mom getting her hair done.



Mom and Dad's summer footwear. The first sandals Dad has ever owned.

The past few weeks we have gone north to Lake Superior to enjoy the quiet expanses of water, sand and the tall rock cliffs. Here are a couple pictures from our travels around the Apostle Islands.

We are floating out of a landing place in Bayfield. The day was warm and sunny with a slight breeze.



We landed upon several Islands such as Hermit Island and Sand Island. As you see below, this particular island is called Ironwood Island.





This is an example of the plethora of butterflies and bees and other flying insects that landed on the milkweed plants of Ironwood Island.

I spent several days working on a display for a table that would be part of a Health and Wellness Expo. in a nearby town.
Here are some pictures from that:



The other ladies that I worked with added samples of refreshing cucumber-apple juice, a wonderful Quinoa Salad, bottles of water and information about health topics.

So this blog is just a check in to let you know what has kept me away from the computer for so long.

Love ya.