Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Wednesday, October 23 2019

This has been a wonderfully restful weekend!  It started off with us going to Ryan's football game on Saturday.  I think his team lost - not sure; they don't play the game with the full rules of football.  Still, the boys have fun and that is all that matters!  After the game, Mark and I did our grocery shopping and prepared to have the boys over night.  Sara and Lacon won a free night at the Kirkley Hotel and needed to get away for the evening.  Mark took Ryan to the football game while I had Oliver.  Mark said that Ryan alternated between being bored out of his skull to dancing and shouting "Move those chains!"  LOL!!   I went shopping with Oliver.  Mark needed underwear.  I also got a new pair of leggings. 
On Sunday Sara and Lacon were going to pick up the boys early and go to Layman's Farm to pick out their Halloween pumpkin and customs.  I am not sure if they got the pumpkin because it was pouring down rain but they did get costumes.  Ryan will be Spiderman and Oliver will be Marshall from Paw Patrol. 
My grand-babies are ADORABLE!

After Sara picked up the boys Mark and I headed up to Williamsburg where we stayed at the Hampton Inn.  I think we were in the very same room that we were in in 2011.  It seems bizarre that our trip to Williamsburg has been that long ago! 

Sunday night we went to a ghost tour.  I don't believe in ghosts but these tours are fun regardless.  It is said that if you take a photo with a ghost around you will see an orb in your photo.  Below are two photos I took.  One is from July 2011 and it has a HUGE orb.  The other is the same house in 2019.  No orb.


This is the Payton Randall Home.  See the orb on the left?  Anyway, it was fun and here are some more photos from the weekend:  

 This was a display in the Pottery Outlet.  I was not impress with the outlet itself but I loved this display.  It is the Town of Bethlehem created in sand and with an Asian flare.  So pretty!







This is Cindy, our tour guide for the ghost tour.  She was really good!



 This is the big picture from the close-up above.  I got a man there to take it for me but I don't think he really wanted to do this. 
 A character on horseback in Williamsburg.









These skeleton displays were up on Monday afternoon.  They were not there Monday morning.  I never did find out what they were for as they were only one one block and no where else in the town.











NOW!  What I am most proud of!  I have lost 15 pounds on my diet plan.  I am proud of myself for sticking with this.  

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Thursday, October 10, 2019


Today was a difficult day.  Well, at least I tried to make it difficult.  I started off a little grumpy because Mark and I switched  cars so that his could go into the shop.  I hate not driving my own car.   didn't have my Alexa nor did I have my music.  Plus Mark's car feels so big and feels like it can get out of control easily. 

Then I had to go by the Tech Center to get the Jamestown breakout folder because I had four breakouts today.  I barely got them set up in time.  I was also a little foolish to plan the four back to back because it didn't give me much set up time in between.  However, the kids did great and really seemed to enjoy themselves.  I noticed in the picture that my top is too big.  Whodda thunk! 

I ate less for dinner tonight than I usually do.  We shall see if it pays off.  I HAVE to lose this weight!!!!

After school I took the car to Ford and got them to shuttle me home.  Mark told me tonight that he asked Ford to do an oil change and inspection.  They messed up the oil change in my car.  Let's hope they do better on his! 

I am not sure where my grumpy mood is coming from today.  I just feel a little overwhelmed.  BUT!  I did manage to meet my step goal with use a little more than 7500 steps today and I drank PLENTY of water. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Wednesday, October 9 2019

YAY!!!!!  I passed my Google Certified Educator Level 1 test today.  It seemed very easy compared to last time.  I am going to celebrate this weekend by completing my beading kit from last month.  There is a new one on the way! 

I was nervous about this test since I was taking it during my fasting time.  I was scared that I would not be able to concentrate. 



This is me during the test.  I took a screen shot of the camera they had focused on me. 








After the test I came home and ate while I watched a little TV.  Then I went to my allergist appointment.  They had to schedule me with a substitute allergist as my usual one was out sick and they forgot to call me to cancel.  I waited for an hour before I got to see someone.  During the appointment I discovered that if I was allergic to the tree I was allergic to the nut as well.  No more pecans and walnuts for me.  I am devastated!!!



Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Tuesday, October 8 2019

Day 2 of my diet.  I am feeling more hungry this morning and I have to adjust my schedule.  I will not get to eat until 12.  Hopefully I can make it!

Monday, October 7, 2019

Monday, October 7, 2019

I started a new diet today called the intermittent fasting diet.  Basically, I wait until 11:00 to eat breakfast, skip lunch, and eat dinner by 7:00.  After 7:00 I am not allowed to have any more food until 11:00 tomorrow morning.  I have 16 hours of fast and 8 hours of feast.  The good news is that during the 8 hours I can eat what I want to eat.  I don't have to have any special foods.  Well, here it is almost 9:00.  We shall see how this goes.
10:09--I have one hour before I can eat.  I am not feeling terribly hungry but I am feeling a little "antsy".
11:02- -I made it!  NOW, I will enjoy my breakfast.
What did I eat?  I had 4 ounces of Sunny-D Orange Juice, one 8 ounce glass of a chocolate milk breakfast shake, and an 8 ounce glass of coffee with cream/sugar.  I also ate one granola bar and 4 of those little Belvita Breakfast Cookies. 
5:00-For dinner I had a double cheeseburger from Wendy's with a sweet tea. 
I have drank 3-8 ounce glasses of water.  Tomorrow I will shoot for 4.
I had 8495 steps today recorded on my smart watch.  Right before bed I weighed myself.  I weigh 220.8 pounds. 

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Sunday, October 6, 2019

We are home and I am thankful.  I will be glad to sleep in my own bed!  I used the day to put together my fireplace that will go on the landing above the front door.  Love this!  I have wanted one for awhile now.  I am going to wrap white lights around the Yule Log Mama gave me.  It was the first Christmas decoration she ever bought, she says.  I will put the Yule Log in the fireplace and then in front, I am hoping to use the Nativity fireplace screen Wanda bought me last year. 


Saturday, October 5, 2019

We got to Wanda's last night (Friday) around 9:30.  I didn't sleep too well.  Wanda's guest room has a double bed.  Mark and I are too big for a double.  She also has a cat and I can feel the effects it is having on my asthma.

But I did have fun helping her with the robotics badge for her Girl Scout troop.  We had 9 Daisy Girls which are Kinders and First Graders.  We had 15 Brownies.  I think they are up to 10 years of age.

Click my picture below to see an album from today.



Friday, October 4, 2019

The snowman I order for Mark's man cave came in!!!  I love it!  I have it decked out in a Redskin scarf and hat, just waiting for Christmas.



He is just too cute!

I also found out that I won a Putz set of cardboard houses from Ebay.  They will go downstairs as well in Mark's area.  I will use the battery operated train I bought in Roanoke this summer when we took the boys to the train station.

It's almost time to leave for Wanda's

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Thursday, October 4, 2019

I crashed today as far as getting anything done.  I just sat at my computer and messed around.  I did turn in my paperwork for my professional day next Wednesday.  I will be going to the Tech Center to take my Lever 1 Recertification test.  I am so nervous about that!!!!!

I also got my list started to track information for my Girls Who Code club and I got Melanie Tinsley signed on as a co-facilitator.  She and I will need to get together and plan.

I guess we all have those days when we hit a brick wall.  I am emotionally, physically, and mentally drained.  EXHAUSTED!!!!!

The best part of today was a sweet treat from my secret pal here at MHES.  ☺  Yum!



OH!!!!  I did get an email from the coordinators of the VSTE conference.  We got accepted to present!!!

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Today was a good day.  This Wednesday was week C in the building in which I was teaching.  That meant that I only had three classes as the other three grades are smaller and I don't have as many classes in those grades.  I spent most of the day reviewing for the Google 1 recertification test.  I have now reviewed all thirteen units.  I am approved for a professional day next Wednesday.  Good luck to me!!

In my classes, I took hexbugs to school.  I put a chromebook out with a video on biomimicry.  Students who wanted to watch it, did so.  With my third graders, we built mazes using Keva Planks and ran our hexbugs through the maze.  For Kinders and First Graders, We sang the baby bumblebee song and then built a home for our baby bumblebees (hexbugs) so that we wouldn't have to get stung and squash them.  The homes had to show a pattern.  Some kiddos got it, some didn't.  



When I got home after school I found that my cover and stylus had arrived for my new tablet.  I love them both!  I like the vintage look of the  cover.  It looks like an old leather journal.  I have a pretty pinkish mauve wall paper and the stylus matches the wallpaper.  So pretty!  


The weirdest thing that happened was getting a piece of mail for Momo.  She has been gone for over 28 years and has never been in our new home except in our thoughts.  





Wednesday, October 2, 2019

It Matters

There is so much sadness around me right now as I type up this post.

I lost a niece two weeks ago that, until recently, I never knew existed- -and I never got to meet her. It's a complicated story.  I grieve for her father (my brother) and her sister.  I also grieve that I never got the chance to hug her and love on her as an aunt should.

In one of my buildings in which I teach, we just lost a very young colleague, a teacher who was a mere 30 years old left behind 3 extremely young children and a husband.  She died of cancer.  I think back to the end of last school year when I sat beside her during an assembly and the two of us cut up the entire time, end of the year "punchy-ness."

My own sister, whom I grew up with, am very close to, love more than life itself, is facing cancer.  She has a wonderful attitude about it.  She doesn't let it control her life and right now she is able to live her life as if she doesn't have this horrible illness.  Yet, in my mind I am terrified that I am going to lose my sister and I truly don't know what I will do when that happens.

These are "real-to-me" reasons for grieving.  You would think that with all this going on, I would have enough to focus on without taking on more grief voluntarily.  But, I can't help it.  I also grieve for our country and for the testimony of my Savior.  And the genesis of this grief sprouted from the election of President Donald Trump.

I went to college at Liberty Baptist College, under the tutu-ledge of Dr. Jerry Falwell SR.  I got saved on that campus and it was truly salvation, both spiritually and physically as I was contemplating suicide at the time.  I had a plan and was ready to carry it out.  Then came Jesus.  And it's because of my relationship with Jesus that I am having a really difficult time with President Trump.  See, I believe that character counts.

Donald Trump is a liar, a thief, a cheating husband, a manipulator, a narcissist.  He does things in illegal, unethical, underhanded ways. He is unrepentant.

What I honestly cannot fathom is this:  people put this man into office because they were tired of the political games from the status quo- -many of these people who voted him in are Christians, born-again Believers of Christ.  They are children of God.  They are Jesus followers.  They wanted a return to Christian values.   Why are these folks not holding this man accountable?  Why are they excusing his behavior?  I am truly confused and I grieve for the testimony of my Lord.

If you truly think that Donald Trump is a man of God, please answer my questions about this man.  Help clear up my confusion.  If I can calmly explain my distaste of this man without feeling that you are repugnant for disagreeing with me, why can  you not explain your love for him without hating me for disagreeing?  Why can't we talk this out?  Why can't we come to a meeting of the minds, an understanding of each other?  Why?

We are coming up on another election.  I want to understand why you feel I should vote for someone who has purposely violated every commandment.  Don't justify his behavior by comparing it with a past election and the candidates.  Don't use the wrongs committed by another to excuse the actions of this man.

I want real conversation on both political issues and moral behavior.  They are two separate items; yet, to me they are both important.

January 3, 2020

     OK, I wanted to post something since the new year started but today is probably not the right day to do so.  If you check my page en...