I love . . . February 14, 2010

In honor of Valentines Day and The Pioneer Woman, I’m posting a few of the things I love today.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE . . .

• . . . my husband of 32 years.
• . . . the fact that I’m going to be a grandmother very soon!
• . . . that our children are all nearby and that we are SO proud of ALL of them!  (more later on each. . .)
• . . . teaching elementary school children.
• . . . summer vacation (do those two go hand-in-hand?)
• . . . that we live on a farm (although, sometimes I think I might hate that, too!)
• . . . that I grew up on a farm.
• . . . my mother, who’s in her late 80’s, but acts like, perhaps, 50!
• . . . chocolate-covered macadmia nuts (oh, honestly, chocolate-covered anything!)
• . . . Dunkin’ Donuts (the coffee part—and that they know my order when I drive up at 5 am!)
• . . . late nights.
• . . . early mornings.
• . . . our backyard in the summer.
• . . . snow in winter!
• . . . first daffodils of spring.
• . . . that I can drive a tractor, a quad, or a convertible!
• . . . February vacation!
• . . . rollerblading with my daughter and friends.
• . . . walking on the beach.
• . . . movies that are good enough to make me cry.
• . . . my favorite children’s book, “Charlotte’s Web.”
• . . . our family’s classics: “Princess Bride,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Great Outdoors.”
• . . . Bob Marley’s music.
• . . . just about ALL country music.
• . . . blogging, and Facebook, and IM-ing, and anything that keeps me in touch with my kids and other interesting people!
• . . . the Pioneer Woman.
• . . . Crunchy Chicken (a green, bloggy friend).
• . . . the Farmer’s Daughter (not necessarily in THAT order!)
• . . . the accessibility of the Internet in general.
• . . . Christmas!
• . . . Friday nights!
• . . . that our youngest son is independent, hardworking, and excited that he just  bought his THIRD truck!
• . . . that our daughter is happily married; happily employed at something she loves (teaching); is more domestic than I am; and did I say–pregnant?
• . . . that our oldest son just moved into his very first home; is quite capable on his own; is appreciative; and has a wonderful dry sense of humor!
• . . . that we have a very close family on both sides.
• . . . that I had a chance to go to college as an adult.
• . . . that my DH is supporting my outlandish wish to earn my Doctorate.
• . . . our Golden Retriever, Duke, even though he knows how to open the outside door in the dead of winter, but doesn’t know how to shut it (thanks, Jonathan!)
• . . . our spunky foal, Isabelle, and her mother, Annabelle.
• . . . our old Percheron Workhorse, Vinny, who we now appreciate for his docileness.
• . . . thoughtful people.
• . . . kind people.
• . . . other people’s birthdays!
• . . . cheese (especially very sharp, “smelly” cheeses!)
• . . . that at barely 5 ft., I can have a monster of a son who stands 6’5″ tall!”
• . . . my sister and brothers and the memories we share.
• . . . pumpkins in fall and hayrides on the farm.
• . . . the first day of school  after a long summer.
• . . . the last day of school after a quick school year.
• . . . SNOW DAYS, when you’re homebound for the whole day!
• . . . chicken soup cooking on the stove.
• . . . chocolate chip cookies in the oven.
• . . . wood in the furnace.
• . . . cool dips in the pool in the summer.
• . . . heck, pretty much, LIVING in your bathingsuit in the summer.
• . . . paddling my boat around the pond.
• . . . cruisin’ topless . . .
• . . . friends who can read your mind, even when you don’t want them to!
• . . . kids who reach out to you at just the right time.
• . . . in-laws and out-laws.
• . . . coffee and chocolate (I think I already covered that!)
• . . . my true love to spend this Valentines Day with!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

What do YOU love?

Sweet Gift February 16, 2009

A good friend of mine from school surprised me with this exquisite “Persian Rug” mouse pad that she brought back from a recent visit to her home country of Iran.

This is so like this very thoughtful person.  “Laleh” and I immediately bonded about 8 years ago when we both started teaching in the same school system.  We come from very different backgrounds, but we immediately “clicked.”  I have never witnessed someone warmer and more caring with her students and the adults around her.  I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to be live so far away from immediate family members, but she embraces those around her as family.

Thank you, Laleh, for being the wonderful colleague and friend that you are!

I’ve been “tagged!” July 25, 2008

The Farmer’s Daughter  tagged me. Here goes . . .

Here are the rules:

Answer all the questions. Tag 8 people to do the same.
Now that you asked…

 1. What were you doing 10 years ago?  I had just changed my life course and became a full-time college student, to become a certified educator, after raising our three children.  One of the best moves I’ve ever made!

2. What are five things on your to-do list today?  Well, it’s the end of the day, so this is what I’ve accomplished:

1. Went wine-berry picking with my daughter.
2. Worked on School Budget Project for my Educational Leadership Class.
3. Weeded the gardens around the pool (jumping in every so often!)
4. Updated my blog and posted on some of my favorites; responded to e-mail.
5. Cooked (some); cleaned (not much); and started researching and writing a paper for my Educational Law class.  (It’s summer, so my schedule is a bit different from the school year!)

It’s 11 pm and I still have to:

1. Fine-tune the Budget Project, now that my son has shared some of the finer points of Excel with me.
2. Complete the School Law paper–ugh!
3. Do the dishes, laundry, clean the kitchen, wash my hair, and tuck in my hubby!
4. Pay bills
5. Make my list for tomorrow! (It’s gonna be a LONG night!)

3. Snacks you enjoy?  Popcorn, cheese, crackers, anything that goes crunch . . . oh, and a combination of pretzels and chocolate!

4. Places you’ve lived?  On my parent’s dairy farm in a lovely New England town for the first 19 years of life; then on to my husband’s 10th-generation family farm for the next 31 years, in a neighboring town.  Although I’ve traveled a bit, we’ve got deep roots, and I guess I was destined to be a farmer!

5. What are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1.  DO the great room/family room addition we’ve been talking about for years–and actually pay someone else to do the painting!

2.  Pay off Abbie’s mortgage and give equal gifts to Jonathan and Nathaniel.

3.  Buy Al a new tractor or piece of “dream” equipment    Take Al on a fantasy trip, wherever he’d like to go!

4.  Become a philanthropist, kind of “Oprah-esque.”

5.  Pretty much live the way we do now, continue working as we do, but with less $$$ worries!

6. Who are eight people you would to know more about?

I tag…Dotty, Patty, Mary Ellen, Shannon, serendipitygirl21, lisa brawner, Elizabeth M., and Mary Jenkins.  If you don’t have your own blog, feel free to place your answers here in a comment!