Life Along Lake Michigan

Wishing you a very happy Autumn term..... :-)

How is it the course coming on?

Hi Jane - it's bye to summer here too. I actually went in for a little bit today, but I'll spend more time at school on Thursday. Our staff meetings are next Monday and Tuesday and then the kids start on Wednesday.

The saving grace for me is that the media center is air conditioned, and we've been hot enough for the past week and a half now, to truly want it!

Hi Jane,

Wishing you White Rabbits, White Rabbits, White Rabbits
and a FUN and SAFE month of September!



Hope the new term is going well, and I see you are about to begin your course again - so hope that goes well. Is this the end of it?

Good morning Jane! Thank you for your good wedding wishes! It was a wonderful day and it all seemed to go quite well. My daughter was beautiful and I heard many nice comments about the ceremony and whole event. Quite traditional while aiming to be "pretty and elegant". The reception was fun, but sped by so quickly. Lots of good food, fun swing and big band music that got people onto the dance floor, and visiting with people I haven't seen in a long time. Wish we could do these things more! The Big Cleanup went pretty well - two days of careful decorating taken down by a large volunteer crew in an hour or so - kind of sad to see it all go - and we brought home a LOT of leftover food - still eating it, despite some who are not as excited about that as maybe I am! lol!

Sadly, my mother was not able to attend. Earlier in the week I had some hope she may improve enough, but it wasn't to be. A rather late decision sealed the fate that she would not come - still in the hospital and too frail. Since the wedding I have had to move her again back to the nursing home she was in most of the summer (only about two weeks back "home" in August) to try to regain some strength, but she has a quite uncertain future. I will update my blog soon with a fun little twist that she was able to enjoy about the wedding however!

You still seem to be trying to fit in so much this next term, even with your reduced teaching load.

Our own weather is set to be cooler this week, with strengthening winds by the end of the week, which is not what my sister would like, as she gets married on Saturday!!

Hi Jane,

I read through your last few posts about the beginning of school. We begin our 3rd week back today (although I don't go in until tomorrow). All classes begin their visits to the media center/computer lab this week.

I have my theme picked out and look forward to the eager faces of the kids! I always chose a library theme for the first couple of weeks, as it's the first time for 1st graders to check out books. They don't check out books as kindergartners. The teachers don't want to be responsible for 24 library books in their classrooms, and most teachers have plenty of books of their own for students to choose from. They also get plenty of read alouds in the classroom. But as big 1st graders, that all changes! So I give them the 'media center rules' routine and they begin checking out books!

My 3rd - 5th graders don't listen to stories anymore, they all do research with me. I start with 4th and 5th grade this week, but I ease 3rd graders into the research process. I always have to remind myself that they are end of the year 2nd graders.

I did research with 3rd graders for the first time last year, so I'm anxious to see how prepared this year's 4th graders will be - with a years experience under their belt! Only time will tell!

This is also the time of year where everything rushes through my head at night and I wake up too early thinking about what I have to do. It's just the way of a teacher, I think, as I hear the same from so many colleagues! Thinks will settle in the next couple of weeks - they always does!

Have a great school year!

Hi Jane, hope the new term and the course are both going well, and you are finding some time to walk in the beautiful area around your house, now that the autumn is here! Take care. :-)

October: tenth month of the year,
Comes the winds, first frosts appear.
Takes the warmth from pure blue skies,
Opal mists, sun rays disguise,
Beguiles our hearts with morning's mild
Evenings come with weather wild,
Relinquishing our summer

Wishing you a very happy, healthy and safe month.

Look at your gorgeous colors! I haven't had an electric blanket since we lived in Lake Tahoe! We had beautiful fall like days the last couple of days, but we are suppose to head up into the 80s again this weekend. Of course they are talking about the inland valleys most likely, but we'll see mid 70s, which is my idea of perfect!

I decorated my iGoogle page and Firefox browser header with fall colors, so I can 'pretend' its fall!!!

Is your very rainy weather normal for you this time of year? We've had way too much heat. I've been investigating the technology standards in regards to the common core. I found a nice spreadsheet/table with some good information. Let me know if you are interested and I'll forward them to you. I would imagine you might have investigated them what with the course you are taking.

I'm glad you took a look at the Mt. Rainier photos - very different scenery from the midwest. Our timing was perfectly done - so much unusual sunshine and the fall color was stunning - the photos don't truly do it justice. The weather did change the day after we left and there has been some light snow there this week, with a more significant snow coming this weekend at lower levels in the mountains. So, we squeeked it in just in time. We had a wonderful time all around with our stay - balanced between trails and the lodge too!

Rain has arrived here at home too - but not as much as for you lately! How long til yours turns to snow?! We have a busy weekend ahead celebrating two birthdays, including for my mom, who is turning 80 but is not in too good of health. She is still in the nursing home but may be headed back to her assisted living apartment in about a week, and hoping for the best with how successful that may be.

Maybe you should give some thought to a trip out here to the Great Northwest in the summer?! Lots of wonderful places to see! The mountains and water are worth a visit by all!

Morning Jane,

Yes, summer is definitely over. We are expecting are first frosts this weekend.

Hope school and your course are both going well:-)

I heard on the news that the waves on some of the Great Lakes were big.....did you experience that?

Today might have been our last day of summer.....we'll see. We're expecting more of an on shore influence, bringing back our marine layer. Again, we'll see!

Happy Halloween!




Our Halloween will be cold, wet and windy, too.... which is probably just as well, as the kids who usually call will be disappointed because I haven't been able to make my traditional gingerbread men. I can't bend to use the oven....:-(

I seem to be following myself around some blogs! lol

WHITE RABBITS, WHITE RABBITS, WHITE RABBITS!

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, safe and secure month of
November.

So sorry to read you are suffering the stuffed head syndrome.
Not what you need when you have little ones to teach, I know.

Hope you feel better soon, and I am so glad you have only three weeks to go on your course, then is all over!

Feeling any better?
Hope so - lots of warm drinks and no talking. Not possible with little ones!
I did manage to teach with no voice, by using just looks and notes oh the board, but my kids were much older.

Take care :-)

Love your cartoon! Mr. PSP didn't quite see the humor in it that I did; imagine that!!??

I'm glad you are feeling better - stay that way! Surely is a big week ahead for all of us; especially those of us hosting the festivities! Happy Thanksgiving!

Glad you are feeling better, and with only two days this week, you should be fighting fit by Thursday!

Hope it all goes well for you and your family. Is daughter coming? Probably not, but I am sure you will get to talk to her Skype :-)

Have a great week!

That carton is hilarious! It's like that in my kitchen every Sunday!! Lol

Thanks for stopping by! Yes, we had quite the rain yesterday - nearly 2.5" for us and overall I think it was a record for Seattle for 24 hour rainfall. The biggest problem we had was that our power was out for six hours all through the evening last night! That sure put a damper on all my plans for accomplishment that I need this week! But, we are up and running and I need to start running too!

Yes, the newlyweds will be here with us! And, they are spending Thanksgiving night here with us as well, even though they live less than a half hour away. Sweet of them to want to do that. My sister's family is traveling in from eastern Washington, so they have to traverse the mountains, which can always be dicey this time of year for snow problems. It looks iffy this year, but they are used to snow (that part of the state often gets a lot of snow) and hopefully it will be ok. Not sure what to do about my mom. She is not strong and just not sure if she can, or should come, and the logistics of it all are daunting. So I think we will have 11 for dinner.

Thank you for sharing about your dinner, family traditions and memories. A lot of what I do comes from my past, too, and I think how things have changed a lot in just the last few years for our family. So many are gone now (several lived to middle 90's) and only my mom is left, and she is tenuous. The generations kind of move up the ladder and it really becomes apparent at these family holidays. Now I have a married daughter and wonderful son-in-law, for the first time, and it is easy to see how the circle goes round-and-round of life. God has blessed us abundantly and we are thankful.

Have a wonderful time cooking all the delicious treats on your menu and have a very happy Thanksgiving!!

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving, full of love and laughter.

What a lovely photo of your daughter .... I am sure she will be with you in spirit :-)

Hope all is well in your kitchen today!! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I would like to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, food and gratitude for what we do have. I promise to try to live up to this quote all year long!



Your daughter is beautiful and looks a lot like you. I couldn't imagine having my kids so far away for the holidays, I'm greatly spoiled. Thank goodness for Skype!

Hi Jane, I hope you had a lovely day and managed to fit in a long Skype conversation with your daughter:-)

Hi Jane,

While everyone heads back to work/school tomorrow I have one more day off. It's another doctor's visit with my mom. Seems that more and more of them are happening lately. This time she has gotten secondary glaucoma in an eye that she receives shots in for her macular. It's not unusual and treated with drops, but she can't receive more shots until the get the pressure down. Went last Monday, did some tests, so back tomorrow to see if they helped. If they did, back to the other doctor on Friday to get the next shot. My Monday and Fridays have quickly become mom days.

I had to squeeze in my own car issues tomorrow. My car had a recall for the power windows. Certainly doesn't sound like a biggie, but I made an appointment at 7AM so I could get in and out early.

I thought we only had 3 weeks until winter break, but it's 4!!! I was a little disappointed, but I know you are right, it will go by quickly.

We have minimum days for the next 5 days (not counting Wednesday - we always have an early release day on Wednesday), so I'll have two easy days this week. I'll only have classes until lunch on my long Tuesday and Thursday, so I hope to get some work checking done. We'll see, something always seems to get in the way.

We did purchase Disneyland passes and plan on going next Monday, December 3rd as my grandsons have a minimum day (they get out at 12:25. So, hubby and I will go earlier, but we'll meet up with them when they get there. I'm excited. I can't wait to see the new Cars area. I hear it's really well done.

When do you think your daughter will be able to make a trip home? Or, when will you make it there to see her??? Anytime soon?

P.S. Congrats on almost being done with your Masters!!! That's great!

Hi Jane! It sounds like you had a really nice weekend and holiday - some family times and also some quiet times. It is too bad your husband had to work so soon and leave. It is fairly quiet at work for my husband right now, which is pretty unusual, but kind of a welcome time of rest for him. It is expected to ramp up again after Christmas some time. I wrote a lengthy description of our weekend over on my blog this morning, but overall it was a really nice holiday. We had 12 people at the Thanksgiving table and that included my mom! We were able to bring her over and she did ok overall, even though it isn't easy. It was wonderful for her to be with her entire immediate family at one time. This is not easy to accomplish anymore and chances are rapidly dwindling for her, I am afraid. The newlyweds ended up spending two nights with us, allowing for some nice relaxed times together. We had 11 people total in the house for most of the weekend, so it was busy and full! Fun!

I am very glad you got to spend time with your parents and have that afternoon, I presume rather quietly, with them. The value of that is beyond measure for them, I am sure, and all they would really want as "gifts". And to also spend time with your daughter and son-in-law, although so very far away (technology is wonderful in this regard these days!) including your parents in it with them, is very wonderful for you all. Sounds like a very nice family time over the weekend. Now onto school for you! It seems like these weeks ahead would be hard in schools, but it is good that you enjoy them so well! It will be great when you are finished with school yourself! Such a nice accomplishment for you.

It seems the questions I ask in my blog are often answered in other blogs.... So I now know Karen has four weeks left, too, and the course you are doing is the Masters!

Still raining here.... Have a good week!

I hate it when a cold lingers. Hang in there, one last weekend of being a student and you are are almost through!

You will so enjoy this Christmas !!

Jane - wishing you a very happy, healthy and warm month.