Hey Amy Jo. Tom is from Chinook, not Choteau. We are heading there (to Chinook) tonight as Tom has some business to do there. We will come back Saturday or Sunday so won't be able to make Dave's party, Amy Jo. Sorry. Hope it is a good surprise for him.
Tracy, glad to hear you are doing better. So you had the last two weeks off? I pretty much have decided to retire this year. This other collegue and I are working on a retirement package that we are going to propose to the board next month. I need to find another job though as I will go crazy staying home all the time. I am looking for something different that is a bit more of a challenge. I just want to try something different afte 31 years. It's kind of scarey bu kind of exciting too.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Surprising Dave
Hi all,
Marie is off to wrestle in Choteau - that is Tom's territory. She leaves after practice tonight and doesn't get back until Saturday night. She has gotten to know some Drummond kids that she really likes. There was a meet in Arlee on Tuesday night and I met one of her new friends. In fact, she wishes she could go to school in Drummond! The girl that I met is Katy Hillerman - she said her mom is a first grade teacher in Drummond. I told Marie that she should get contact information and I would help her meet up with them in Drummond sometime or she could meet up with them to see a movie in Missoula. A boy named Cole who wrestles is another one that she always talks about. She is such a character.
Dominic has been meeting secretly with his sisters this week so that they can get a slideshow put together for a surprise birthday party on Saturday night. They came out to Lawna's last night and stayed till around 9:00 - I told Dave that Dominic was at youth group at the church. It is a crazy week.
Well, I am actually teaching grantwriting so I better help my students - they are really just chatting right now - as class ends in 10 minutes and we just meet on Thursdays as a lab - I help them with the assignment for next week. Later....better go!
Marie is off to wrestle in Choteau - that is Tom's territory. She leaves after practice tonight and doesn't get back until Saturday night. She has gotten to know some Drummond kids that she really likes. There was a meet in Arlee on Tuesday night and I met one of her new friends. In fact, she wishes she could go to school in Drummond! The girl that I met is Katy Hillerman - she said her mom is a first grade teacher in Drummond. I told Marie that she should get contact information and I would help her meet up with them in Drummond sometime or she could meet up with them to see a movie in Missoula. A boy named Cole who wrestles is another one that she always talks about. She is such a character.
Dominic has been meeting secretly with his sisters this week so that they can get a slideshow put together for a surprise birthday party on Saturday night. They came out to Lawna's last night and stayed till around 9:00 - I told Dave that Dominic was at youth group at the church. It is a crazy week.
Well, I am actually teaching grantwriting so I better help my students - they are really just chatting right now - as class ends in 10 minutes and we just meet on Thursdays as a lab - I help them with the assignment for next week. Later....better go!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
a patient in our house too
It is good to hear that you are doing better, Tracy. Thanks for the update. Dominic fractured his wrist last week. He has a cast on it. Poor guy - he gets a cast on it - his first ever - and they screwed it up - they put it on too tight as his fingers were numb and blue. They ended up splitting it open and putting blue gauze on it to hold it on - it sounds worse than it really is - in fact when he got home (he chose orange for the cast color) he put two black rubber bracelets on and that worked for holding it shut (not that it flies open or anything).
Life is busy here - we started a new quarter - and I really like my classes. I am swamped but am really enjoying the quarter.
As a follow-up to that meeting that I talked about in December - well the main players all showed up together on January 5th (commissioners, Department of Transportation Director, Congressional Aids, 3 school administrators, 2 teachers, the school board chair, the Arlee Fire Chief, and longtime neighbors of mine). The result - the speed limit was decreased the next day - went from 70 to 45 past our house. It is so much better!
Life is busy here - we started a new quarter - and I really like my classes. I am swamped but am really enjoying the quarter.
As a follow-up to that meeting that I talked about in December - well the main players all showed up together on January 5th (commissioners, Department of Transportation Director, Congressional Aids, 3 school administrators, 2 teachers, the school board chair, the Arlee Fire Chief, and longtime neighbors of mine). The result - the speed limit was decreased the next day - went from 70 to 45 past our house. It is so much better!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
I'm Coming Along
Well I am getting around a little better. My knee still swells if I am on it for real long but if I keep my brace on as I work around the house it seems to help that along with it not getting so weak and tired. The hamstring they took to replace my ACL is the part that still bothers me the most. I have no strength in my leg and I still feel pain in that spot. My knee doesn't really hurt it just gets tight and has to get warmed up a bit before it moves more smoothly. I see the surgeon tomorrow so hopefully he will give me the go ahead to go to work and the Physical Therapist thinks he will give me a different brace. The one I have now is so cumbersome.
This darn weather isn' t helping either. I am terrified of the ice so only go out when I have to. That is tough though as I need to get caught up on so many things but it at least keeps me away from school. I figure I might as well just stay away as I'm not getting paid to be there now anyway. I cannot live there when I go back again. I was burning myself out. I have caught up on a lot of things around the house though that were in dire need of attention.
Well, I better get going on my paperwork for the I Teach K conference I went to this summer. The postmark date is Friday and I haven't even started. I have to write up 12 activities and then about 5 different things for each one so I better get to work.
This darn weather isn' t helping either. I am terrified of the ice so only go out when I have to. That is tough though as I need to get caught up on so many things but it at least keeps me away from school. I figure I might as well just stay away as I'm not getting paid to be there now anyway. I cannot live there when I go back again. I was burning myself out. I have caught up on a lot of things around the house though that were in dire need of attention.
Well, I better get going on my paperwork for the I Teach K conference I went to this summer. The postmark date is Friday and I haven't even started. I have to write up 12 activities and then about 5 different things for each one so I better get to work.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Simnioniw Happenings
I'll try this again. I tried the other day and it wouldn't let me post.
The big news is that Kylie has accepted an Associate position with a Chiropractor in Beach so Cole and family will be moving to Dickinson in February. They bought a house in Dickinson (or rather will be signing the end of January). It is on the corner of Box Avenue and 9th Street for those of you familiar with Dickinson. Kylie will work three days a week so will be driving back and forth from Dickinson to Beach. But her parents live in Beach, so she may stay over one night. She works until 5 or 6 one day and gets off at 3 the other two days.
Cole is able to telecommute with the job he now has in Minneapolis. So they will set up a home office for him in a basement bedroom in their new house.
The house will need to be carpeted and painted as there was a smoker in the house. She hasn't lived there for 5 years, but smoke smell is still discernable. They are concerned about the kids breathing that in. (The Today Show just had a segment this week on how they are finding that 3rd hand smoke from carpets, drapes and furniture can be harmful to young children.) Les and I will do what we can in February. Les plans to take some time off from work and do a lot of the painting and remove carpeting. I will help when I can, but I start classes next Tuesday and anticipate a lot of homework again. It is a 4 credit class.
We also need to remove wallpaper from three or four rooms. Cole will come back a weekend or so to help. Some may need to wait until they are already moved in, we'll just see how it goes.
February will be a hoppin month!
Well that's my news. Hopefully this will post.
Tammy
The big news is that Kylie has accepted an Associate position with a Chiropractor in Beach so Cole and family will be moving to Dickinson in February. They bought a house in Dickinson (or rather will be signing the end of January). It is on the corner of Box Avenue and 9th Street for those of you familiar with Dickinson. Kylie will work three days a week so will be driving back and forth from Dickinson to Beach. But her parents live in Beach, so she may stay over one night. She works until 5 or 6 one day and gets off at 3 the other two days.
Cole is able to telecommute with the job he now has in Minneapolis. So they will set up a home office for him in a basement bedroom in their new house.
The house will need to be carpeted and painted as there was a smoker in the house. She hasn't lived there for 5 years, but smoke smell is still discernable. They are concerned about the kids breathing that in. (The Today Show just had a segment this week on how they are finding that 3rd hand smoke from carpets, drapes and furniture can be harmful to young children.) Les and I will do what we can in February. Les plans to take some time off from work and do a lot of the painting and remove carpeting. I will help when I can, but I start classes next Tuesday and anticipate a lot of homework again. It is a 4 credit class.
We also need to remove wallpaper from three or four rooms. Cole will come back a weekend or so to help. Some may need to wait until they are already moved in, we'll just see how it goes.
February will be a hoppin month!
Well that's my news. Hopefully this will post.
Tammy
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Quilting
I'm glad someone else in the family is taking up the hobby. I haven't done as much lately but am working on one that I started last summer. I have two more blocks to make and then will put it all together. Then I have to make the borders.
Michele, for your quilt, I had a book with a bunch of different blocks in it and used a bunch of different blocks using the same fabric for yours out of greens and yellows as I recall. It was fun to do as you aren't making the same block over and over again.
I hope we can quilt together someday. That would be fun. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are. Quilters just visit and quilt and don't pay much attention to how fast each other is except that I do know I quilt like I drive - fast! That is what they say at the quilt guild. LOL
Michele, for your quilt, I had a book with a bunch of different blocks in it and used a bunch of different blocks using the same fabric for yours out of greens and yellows as I recall. It was fun to do as you aren't making the same block over and over again.
I hope we can quilt together someday. That would be fun. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are. Quilters just visit and quilt and don't pay much attention to how fast each other is except that I do know I quilt like I drive - fast! That is what they say at the quilt guild. LOL
Sunday...End of Vacation :(
Well, tonight ends a wonderfully long Christmas vacation. It has been great. I feel relaxed and refreshed.
Today I finished the top of the quilt throw I have been working on. Well, almost finished it. I have to cut out the borders and put those on yet, but have to go to town to buy some fabric for one of the borders. It was so fun and so challenging. Roxie, I have been looking and looking at the quilt you made me and trying to figure out how you did different things. You are so talented and it is so much work! All of you who have her quilts better appreciate all her work. I can't believe she has made as many as she has. The quilt you made me is huge and very complicated. Mine was fairly easy, yet challenging enough for a first. I have no idea how to quilt it and finish it off. I will be getting some advice on that. You and I are going to have to quilt together some day. I am probably too slow for you though. Well, we could each work on our own.
So now I have two new hobbies: quilting and jewelry making. I made some sets of jewelry over vacation too. Actually, I got a lot of different things done.
Kinley called today. Her dad and Kristin took her to the movie Marly and Me last night. She said eveyone cried but her. Even her dad. I have the book to read. Have any of you seen it? She was happy and on her way to Chucky Cheese to play games. Her dad told me they weren't going to eat pizza there because it tastes like cardboard.
Father had Mass tonight and following Mass he had an Epiphany party for the whole parish and the Halliday parish as well. He cooked an Italian spaghetti supper, served it with salad and desert. It was a sit down meal. He had the KC's serve and clean up. He did all the cooking and even did the grocery shopping for it all. He said he had a wedding in Bismarck on Friday so between the ceremony and the reception he got the groceries from three different places. He is pretty awesome.
Nothing else for news. Everyone have a good week and stay warm. It is still very, very cold here.
Today I finished the top of the quilt throw I have been working on. Well, almost finished it. I have to cut out the borders and put those on yet, but have to go to town to buy some fabric for one of the borders. It was so fun and so challenging. Roxie, I have been looking and looking at the quilt you made me and trying to figure out how you did different things. You are so talented and it is so much work! All of you who have her quilts better appreciate all her work. I can't believe she has made as many as she has. The quilt you made me is huge and very complicated. Mine was fairly easy, yet challenging enough for a first. I have no idea how to quilt it and finish it off. I will be getting some advice on that. You and I are going to have to quilt together some day. I am probably too slow for you though. Well, we could each work on our own.
So now I have two new hobbies: quilting and jewelry making. I made some sets of jewelry over vacation too. Actually, I got a lot of different things done.
Kinley called today. Her dad and Kristin took her to the movie Marly and Me last night. She said eveyone cried but her. Even her dad. I have the book to read. Have any of you seen it? She was happy and on her way to Chucky Cheese to play games. Her dad told me they weren't going to eat pizza there because it tastes like cardboard.
Father had Mass tonight and following Mass he had an Epiphany party for the whole parish and the Halliday parish as well. He cooked an Italian spaghetti supper, served it with salad and desert. It was a sit down meal. He had the KC's serve and clean up. He did all the cooking and even did the grocery shopping for it all. He said he had a wedding in Bismarck on Friday so between the ceremony and the reception he got the groceries from three different places. He is pretty awesome.
Nothing else for news. Everyone have a good week and stay warm. It is still very, very cold here.
Back to the Grind Tomorrow
Hi all,
Well, as it says, work starts again tomorrow. I have been enjoying not having to do anything except help Tom with his latest project which is redoing the master bath. He put in a new countertop which meant putting in new faucets also. Then the lights above the sink didn't match so now he is installing new lights. I broke one of the mirrors when I moved it, so now he wants to get a huge mirror to cover both new sinks and frame it in with oak. We still haven't located a big mirror yet. Home Depot and Lowes didn't have the right size so we will have to look at some glass places. Then, he didn't like the color I had painted the walls in there a couple years ago so we repainted the walls. He doesn't like the toilet either so is going to look for a new one of those this week. He wants to tear out the tub and shower combination and just put in a nice shower but that is going to wait until next year.
Anyway, with all that going on, I still am not ready to go back to work. Retirement is looking better and better but with this economy the way it is, it is hard to think about quiting a job you have that is a for sure thing.
I guess that is all the news I have. Stay warm everyone. It is freezing again today.
Roxie
Well, as it says, work starts again tomorrow. I have been enjoying not having to do anything except help Tom with his latest project which is redoing the master bath. He put in a new countertop which meant putting in new faucets also. Then the lights above the sink didn't match so now he is installing new lights. I broke one of the mirrors when I moved it, so now he wants to get a huge mirror to cover both new sinks and frame it in with oak. We still haven't located a big mirror yet. Home Depot and Lowes didn't have the right size so we will have to look at some glass places. Then, he didn't like the color I had painted the walls in there a couple years ago so we repainted the walls. He doesn't like the toilet either so is going to look for a new one of those this week. He wants to tear out the tub and shower combination and just put in a nice shower but that is going to wait until next year.
Anyway, with all that going on, I still am not ready to go back to work. Retirement is looking better and better but with this economy the way it is, it is hard to think about quiting a job you have that is a for sure thing.
I guess that is all the news I have. Stay warm everyone. It is freezing again today.
Roxie
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Midnight bangs
Last night I was soundly sleeping when some fool behind our house fired off a shotgun, not once but three times! It was pretty close for comfort and the dogs leapt onto the bed and cowered on my head. They aren't exactly kevlar, but some comfort I guess. I don't know who the fool was but guns seem to be as casual as fireworks here! Gotta love the South!
Tracy asked that I label some pictures that I had sent via e-mail earlier so here is the rundown. Top left, Shannon with Wyatt on Shannon's birthday last month. top middle is Cherai (who is the seven along with all of our girls and pretty soon- Cade) with her mother Chelsey who came out to ND with me years ago when she was only 12 - she is Lawna's daughter and is expecting her 3rd child in July. Top Right is Marie with us and John (Dave's brother) in the backgroun. Lastly is Sara - Wyatt's mother and Shannon and Lawna - Dave's sister.Friday, January 2, 2009
Judy motivated me to see how to post a picture - very easy! Here is a picture of Marie.
Dominic has two friends over and they all went to play basketball. Marie went to visit at the family where she was placed temporarily (one of Dominic's friend's houses). It is not very often that Dave and I have the house to ourselves! That doesn't happen often!
Learning the Blog
OK, I'm on. I almost didn't as it didn't like the password I use for everything. So I'll probably forget this one and never get on again.
Amy Jo, where is the picture you said you posted of Marie? Probably looked right at an attachment or something, but didn't see it.
We're running around down here with long sleeves; however, no jackets! Not sandals weather; not parka weather. Brown is fine with me! I'll let you all know when it snows. Could happen.
Ryan and Sierra took their money to Target and purchased new bikes. Poor Sierra still can't ride a 2-wheel bike. Janel says she can, but in her mind she can't. She gets scared and falls after she goes a ways. Janel just said that one day she'll forget to be scared and just go. She's not going to worry about it.
Boy, is my life exciting. There is nothing new to report.
I do have a question: What is the purpose of a blog vs. just using e-mail? Is it better for sending pictures etc? How to you send an attachment?-------OK, I just figured out how to load a picture, which I did. It's Justin and family, but Christmas 2007 in Missouri not this year. I haven't put our 2008 pictures on my computer as of yet. So, I guess I'm still wondering where Marie's picture is. I looks like you might be able to send videos easier on this. That would be nice, except I still couldn't sent a video Christmas card to anyone but family.
Oh, I also noticed you told Blane Happy Birthday! Are they on your blog? I don't even have an e-mail for them.
OK I think I'm done with questions. Happy New Year to All!
Judy
Happy B-Day Blane
Hi all,
I spoke with a couple of you last night - trying to update my addresses to send out a New Year letter. You all know everything on it but I thought I would include a picture of Marie so am sending it out. I must not have sent an annual letter out for a few years. My addresses on the label file are pretty outdated. Those nieces and nephews are really on the move these days.
It is really icy out this morning - there was a wreck on the backroad that goes past our house. There has been a police car out there for the past hour. I watched for a little while as the officer tried to walk on the road - it is sheer ice. I don't want to drive Marie to practice down our driveway so Dave is on duty for that!
We spent a quiet New Years Day. Dominic's friends went home one-by-one - except for one that stayed on (Raymond). While there were still two here - I made them play a game of cribbage with me - I have been cooking up a storm and pampering them so much, I felt I deserved to do something that I wanted! They obliged me and my partner, Raymond, and I lost to Dominic and Zane. In fact, we got skunked!
Today I don't want to go anywhere again - I need to get my online class cleaned up and ready to go. Back to the real world on Monday. Another quarter starts - we don't have as long off as the universities on semesters. We will have another break in March.
That is about it. Stay warm everyone!
I spoke with a couple of you last night - trying to update my addresses to send out a New Year letter. You all know everything on it but I thought I would include a picture of Marie so am sending it out. I must not have sent an annual letter out for a few years. My addresses on the label file are pretty outdated. Those nieces and nephews are really on the move these days.
It is really icy out this morning - there was a wreck on the backroad that goes past our house. There has been a police car out there for the past hour. I watched for a little while as the officer tried to walk on the road - it is sheer ice. I don't want to drive Marie to practice down our driveway so Dave is on duty for that!
We spent a quiet New Years Day. Dominic's friends went home one-by-one - except for one that stayed on (Raymond). While there were still two here - I made them play a game of cribbage with me - I have been cooking up a storm and pampering them so much, I felt I deserved to do something that I wanted! They obliged me and my partner, Raymond, and I lost to Dominic and Zane. In fact, we got skunked!
Today I don't want to go anywhere again - I need to get my online class cleaned up and ready to go. Back to the real world on Monday. Another quarter starts - we don't have as long off as the universities on semesters. We will have another break in March.
That is about it. Stay warm everyone!
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