Merry

Christmas

2009

Just a few pics to represent the belated party...Colleen came, too (my "wee Irish friend" and colleague).

Here's Ben playing his sax back in April.

Don't know when I'll hear him play again,

but it won't be in a tux, that's for sure.

Currently, his sax is in its case in my

storage unit, and I am holding his Louis

Armstrong Jazz Award until he picks it up!

Just wanted to add a pic from late summer, just after school started up again. We were on our way to St. Armand's with Andy & Jean. This is Niles' bearded tough guy look! This week, Jean's kindergarten class sent their names to be matched up with my 12th grade honor students. It was funny to see my seniors grabbing up the little kids' names (and identities) just like they did last year. Gotta take a group pic of the class tomorrow so that the little people can see who they are writing to!

Can't believe that the time has flown so quickly since Jordan and Jenny were married! And now they will be parents in the spring, too! It was a beautiful day, and a sweet, wonderful service and reception. I prayed for many years for Jordan to find a perfect girl to complement him, and Jenny is certainly an answer to those prayers! I wish I could be closer to them, especially when little Standridge baby comes into the picture!

BOO! This bad boy is all cooked up and ready to be made into a pie and bread!

a page from ben's photo album ...such a sweet, good boy! he's still sweet...just a little bit bigger :-)

I miss my sisters. This was a

fun vacation on Hogan Pond in

Oxford, Maine. Now we're in

Florida, Virginia, and Alaska!

October fun!

I miss my wonderful boys! Here's a page from Jordan's scrapbook.

'Bout time I add something else...how about a few pics

of the right-before-school paint job I did in the condo

(evolved from a gift certificate to Lowe's).

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. This was the summer reading assignment I chose for my senior honor students. However, I'm only teaching two sections this year--changed the last possible moment by a new, misdirected administrator. I also teach 10th grade students a new curriculum that our district bought from Kaplan, a division of the Washington Post, to the tune of 4 1/2 million dollars. Last, but not least, I have 3 sections of Intensive Reading, also all seniors, and the curriculum (of which I have yet to catch a glimpse) is called Edge. Brand new, manufactured by National Geographic, cost unknown, it promises to build, equip, and otherwise manipulate striving readers in a last ditch effort to get them to pass the FCAT (or at least the SAT or ACT). Our English department split today into Eng. and Reading, so I am caught in the great divide...chasm, if you will. This may possibly sound satirical due to the fact that intricately detailed lesson plans must be synthesized and electronically submitted to the powers that be weekly and without hesitation.

Back to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. A wise and coincidentally, appropriately prophetic choice. Btw, I enjoy my students :-)

This is Ben playing one of his last

games at BCS.School starts on

Monday, and it's the first time I

will teach without having at least

one of my own in high school!

And the first time in 19 years that

I won't be a soccer mom!!!

This is a picture that I came across

of a Carnevale party at the Ruffini

school where Jamie and Jordan

attended asilo (kindergarten)

through fifth grades. It's on via La

Spezia near Piazza di San Giovanni

in Rome. Jamie was a proud Peter

Pan, and Jordan is Papa Smurf!

Not quite the time of year to post

this, but Ijust scanned it.

My baby leaves for college!

Fun times with

Hailey & Braden

in Charlotte!

Allie wants to

stay near Ben

while he eats

his lunch.

Flowers

open

up

after

dark

on

this

cactus.

Here

is a

sweet

little

birdbath

that

I got

in

High-

lands,

NC

It's very close to the window where Allie rests...so we will see if the birdies actually use it or not!

This is for you, Mother! It's a plate screwed to a small table leg to serve as a bird feeder. I got it at an antique shop in Franklin, North Carolina. It's one of your favorite designs...and I have a tiny cup and saucer that you made at ceramic class with the same design. If I remember the name right, it is Delft.

Here we are, relaxing at Buck's Cafe in Highlands, NC

And, back on June 20th, we attended the wedding for Niles' daughter...

But...before we left on vacation, I went to a conference in Orlando. Stayed at the JW Marriott

Ended up in Charlotte, NC

Ahhh...vacation! Beautiful Franklin, NC

Jamie

made

it for

Ben's

grad-

uation.

Ben's graduation
from BCS

Allie

the

cat

Jamie and Maia

We took her

to the park

while Jamie

was in town

for the last

time before he moves to South Korea.