Day 20 - 28: Summer Adventure Catch-up

It's been a crazy week.  So here is a photo essay to catch you up on this teacher's summer adventure.





Typical visit at the Schuller's!  Lots of laughter and stories!













View from our room in the Hotel Fort Des Moines.  The right hand side above the two trees used to be a parking garage ~ wait ~ it still is.   Clever engineers have hidden it.  Once inside the garage the wall is see through!

My friend, Le, and I shopping in Des Moines (between the meeting and the dinner).  We happened upon this quaint, eclectic little shop called Calypso's. The store owner and employees made us feel so at home!  Yes, we purchased items from this store.  We also laughed a lot and shared stories with them.  It was a grand shopping experience!  I highly recommend this place!

 

Ryan and Cassandra Dirks were happily married on June 14, 2014!  These are B.J. and my former students and now friends!












The storms, rain, hail, thunder, and lightening started on Sat. June 14.  They lasted (on and off) until Tuesday.  Sibley's flooding was very minimal compared to communities around us.  This a picture of the Sibley-Ocheyedan grounds behind the middle school.  It is usually an open field until the corn field you see to the way right.  The water crept into the outfield of the baseball field.  The water in the foreground is a very steep ditch.  Our families are safe!  Catherine lives in the community of Rock Rapids.  She wasn't able to get home for a few days.






This cute little guy is our grandson, Landon!  This was an early morning "Good Morning" text!  Awesome way to start my day!
















My summer "classroom", the bus barn!  I love the smell of the dirt floor.  It reminds me of my Grandpa's garage ~ dirt floor, smell of oil!












Art humor ~ Grass Stacks ~






 inspired by Monet's Hay Stacks.

Simple Joy ~ this delicate little mushroom in the morning dew!

The current books I'm reading ~ book study, fun, class.

Saw these movies!

Take care, be kind, and look for the simple joys!

Day 18 & 19 - Summer Adventure

Day 18, Tuesday ~ The 'weed warrior' and I worked all day today!  I did take time out to get a haircut, much needed.  After a long day of work, we went out for pizza and buffet!

This baseball field recently had new dugouts built and now the backstop!  Here is a photo of the old backstop being dismantled.

Day 19, Wednesday ~ Wednesday, watering day!!  Love those trees.  This afternoon we headed out of town.  Tomorrow we have a IHSSA meeting in Des Moines.  So, we drove to Humboldt to stay with B.J.'s folks.  Always nice to chat with them and Greg & Becky (B.J.'s brother and wife)!

Read:  Finished "Penelope Crumb" ~ very cute.  I think it will be a great guided reading book!  New book ~ "Brooklyn Story"

Write:  No writing yesterday:(    Blog today

Run: Yesterday - 2miles on actual bike, 4 miles on stationary bike and walking with the 'weed warrior'.  Today 6 miles on stationary bike and emptied 300 gallons of water, by buckets, on the trees.

Simple Joy:  viewing my grandson's six month pictures!  Chatting with family.

Day 17 - Summer Adventure

Monday, Day 17 ~ too rainy to work spraying the weeds or to walk with the 'weed warrior'.  I spent the majority of today cleaning out the main floor bedroom.  This is a room that has a twin bed, a gigantic wooden desk, wooden four-drawer filing cabinet, and a three-drawer dresser.  So, there isn't much room for much else, but we seemed to have filled this room with eclectic treasures and papers (newspapers, business papers, brochure papers, speech judge certification papers, etc.).  I need to transform this room into a toy room, of sorts.

Now the papers have been cut waaaaaaay down, the treasures are stored, the diaper changing pad is on the dresser, children books are arranged on the desk, the bed is filled with stuffed and other toys, and important papers are stored in the filing cabinet.  Ready for a visit from Landon!

Reading:  "Penelope Crumb" ~ she really wants to meet her grandfather whom she thought was "graveyard dead" (her words), but her mother doesn't know how to reach him.

Writing: blog entry

Running: Six plus miles on the bike (this is a stationary bike).  Side note ~ I had toe surgery in February so exercising  has been a challenge.  I found that riding bike is the least stressful on the toe.

Simple Joy:  B.J. and I took off this evening to see Landon and family.  We grilled burgers and ate on the deck.  It was a beautiful night!

Day 14, 15, 16 Summer Adventure

Day 14, Friday: Destroyed a few more dandelions and clovers today.  I finished recording all of my classroom library books on an Excel spreadsheet.  I was about 90% done when I learned about an app that you can scan the bar code and it will put them in a digital library list.  Maybe next summer:)

Day 15, Saturday:  Morning fun ~ this ended a journey that was started about four months ago.  One of my students was diagnosed with a tumor on the optic nerve at seven months old.  This particular student had undergone chemotherapy last year, which proved to be unsuccessful.  During May of this year my student started an experimental chemo pill.  My student has a deep love for the game of football, with the Steelers being the ultimate team.  The student's second grade teacher shared this love of the Steelers.  She and I set out to get an autographed photograph of Troy Polamalu (favorite player).  We were unsuccessful.  Fortunately, the superintendent of schools heard me telling the principal (whom is also a Steelers fan) that we hadn't heard anything for over a month.  The superintendent said his friend might be able to help, as he goes to the Steelers Football Fantasy Camp each year.  After several emails, texts, and telephone calls the friend let me know that he had successfully acquired some signed memorabilia from several past players.  So, this morning the friend came to Sibley and presented my student with two bags full of Steelers signed items.  The highlight was a miniature football helmet signed by Troy Polamalu!  It made this kids day!  God bless people who are willing to bring joy into other peoples lives.

Day 16, today, Sunday:  Best event of today was attending mass.  A former student of B.J.'s was celebrating his first mass at our church and will be a deacon for the next year.  Next June he will have is Ordination to be a priest.  It was truly a blessing to see how far this young gentleman has come.

This evening we had a date.  Ate tacos and went to the movie "Maleficent".  Great fairy tale!

Reading:  "Penelope Crumb" ~ poor little girl has large nose and her best friend is the one who broke the news to her.  Penelope's mom told her that her nose comes from her father's side of the family.  This has intrigued Penelope.  We'll see what happens!  I also found a few books at school that I want to reread.  Maybe get some choral reading script ideas!

Writing:  In my spare time this weekend I've been working on my class.  I've written two papers.  The videos and questions really get me thinking about my teaching.

Running:  Walking with the 'weed warrior' and riding the bike, about 13 miles this weekend.

Simple Joy:  completing projects & starting new ones!

Neighborhood Happening:  Across the backyard ~ screened porch gone, breaking up the concrete, future plans to add a room to their home!

Day 13 - Summer Adventure

Today was a busy day, buzzing from one order of business to the next.

Work:  weed whacking.  My shoulders and arms were sore from yesterdays bucket bonanza, so holding that 'weed warrior' was hard work.

I helped in the kitchen for a funeral.  I was not fortunate to ever get to know the woman who passed away, but her family and friends were sweet people.  God Bless.

We got word through email that the dryer we ordered was delivered to the store in Sioux City.  So we took off to retrieve our new appliance.  The whole way to Sioux City, 1 1/2 hour drive one way, we listened to extreme weather happenings in northwest Iowa.  We avoided any weather.  Brittany called and unfortunately her car was in the line of hail fire; she was safe in the basement of the hospital with all the clinic patients.  No word from Catherine about hail damage, just a text message with a picture of a pair of shoes she tried on after work.  I guess that was the signal that she made it through!

We made a few stops, besides picking up the dryer, and then it was right back on the road home.

After scurrying to make supper, clearing a path for "out with the old and in with the new", B.J. working like a dog to unhook the screen door, remove the hand railing to the basement, unhooking the old dryer, vacuuming around that area, bringing down the new dryer, taking the old dryer up and out, reconnecting the screen door, reattaching the hand railing, hooking up & leveling the new dryer, throwing the switch for the 'juice', the new dryer works and looks good!

Now to the dishes and then to bed!

Reading:  picked out a new book "Penelope Crumb".

Writing: blog entry

Running: walking with the 'weed warrior'

Simple Joy: Thinking about Landon getting to go swimming at daycare!  Would love to see pictures.  He loves the water:)

Thursday is my favorite day of the week ~ anticipation for the weekend:)

Day 12 - Summer Adventure

Hump Day!!!

I watered those trees today!  It's a job I enjoy, well the buckets of water do get heavier and heavier.  But... it's a pleasure to see new growth on the trees/pines and to imagine what 10 years will do for those babies:)

Reading:  I read some blog entries from the blogs I follow.  Wow, do teachers have great ideas!!  Their students are so lucky.

Writing: Just my blog entry today.

Running:  Lifting 60+ buckets of water, that was enough.

Simple Joy:  Chatting with my neighbor and her two nieces.  These ladies are spectacular people.  Once or twice a year they visit Dona, my neighbor, and do some very physical laborious jobs for her.  Last year they shingled her roof.  This year they are rebuilding her backyard fence.  They are funny and joyous!

Today's Adventure:  Pedicure with my daughters - Brittany & Catherine.  Snuggle time with Landon!

Jax, photo bombing Landon smiling!

Carpe Diem!

Day 9, 10,11 - Summer Vacation

Well, to catch up:  last weekend B.J. (my husband) and I babysat Landon (my grandson).  We had a splendid time.  Landon can sit up on his own and likes to see the world from that position.  He pets Jax (the dog) when ever he dares to get close enough to Landon.  Landon loves to play in this "toy jungle".

Monday we headed out to Sioux City.  I had a dentist appointment; teeth cleaning and to get a permanent crown.  After the dentist - shopping!  When B.J. shopped, I read in the car.  When I shopped, B.J. read in the car.  It worked perfectly!

Tuesday (today) - worked all day (until is started raining) spraying those dandelions.  God bless their bloom, but pray for wilting and dying.

Reading:  I finished "Billy Creekmore".  It was a very engaging junior novel.  The author did much research on child labor during the turn of the 20th century.  I feel in love with 12 year old Billy Creekmore and thought how tough a coal miners life must have been.

Writing:  I keep plugging away at my book ideas, who knows?  Last night I started my graduate class. It is a video class - the teachers/lessons are all on DVD's.  I watched my first DVD and began formulating the paper with me response to questions. 

Running:  Walked & biked today!

Simple Joy: Landon smiling!  Pizza for dinner!  Having a tooth that I can use to bite down with!  Tomorrow is hump day!!!!