Betty & Kathleen

Tried to upload the spring concert where Ben played
sax, but my computer is eight years old, and it was
taking over an a hour and half before I gave up and
went to bed! I'll try again when I have more time to
dedicate to it...although the memory on my digital
camera ran out before he did his actual solo piece. ha
Now for a quote I ran across: "Paradise is here or
nowhere: You must take your joy with you, or you
will never find it." O.S. Marden

Our school website is updated now, by a colleague of mine and mother of one of my students. The student used to go to school with Ben, but a year behind. An interesting note that was recently brought to my attention by Karen B. is that Ben's English teacher used to go to high school with Erika, and that she lived next door to Grandpa and Grandma in Schroon Lake! As the cliche` goes, it's a small world! Another thing I will "admit" is that Ben's soccer team played the school in Ft. Meyers last week where Diane teaches and her girls go to. (Ben's team lost :-( that's why I "admitted" it.) Anyway, at my school we are done with final exams, and I have only one student who has to make up the final next week out of 151 students. Two recently left to attend the private school that Ben goes to.

Some views of my classroom. I have 28 desks and 30 Honors students in some of the classes! I had to add 4 extra computers for the Intensive Reading classes. Some of the work on the walls (including the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) reflects books that the students read for their Independent Reading project. Christmas decorations have been taken down now, and we'll be wrapping up the first semester, and preparing for final exams. Julius Caesar season is almost done, and next we'll read The Count of Monte Cristo and Fahrenheit 451.

my angel wing begonia...grew from a slip Mother gave me last time I was up with them

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR!

*2008*

Changing horses in the middle of a stream
Gets you wet and sometimes cold
Changing faces in the middle of a dream
Gets you old
Oh, gets you old.
Looking farther than you'll ever hope to see
Takes you places you don't know
Search for someone you can't ever hope to be
And still you go, Oh, still you go.
Don't you think it's kind of sad to say,
Don't you think it's gonna change?
Makes you think you'll have to stay inside
For a while.
Changing horses in the middle of a stream
Gets you wet and sometimes cold
Changing faces in the middle of a dream
Gets you old. ~Dan Fogelberg (Died: 12/16/07)

Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.
Every appearance in nature corresponds to some
state of the mind, and that state of the mind can only
be described by presenting that natural appearance as its picture.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

ben in forward position with a

show, followed by a pass on

the carpet

Happy Birthday to Deb, Jude, & Gin! (Remembering our wonderful Maine days...)

sweet little snake on cactus (baby southern black racer--good to have in your garden)

brown widow spider

outside my door ,

behind watering can

new

school
badge...

GO

TIGERS!

'tis

the

season!

This is "Greg Brady" throwing out the

first pitch at the Rays/Indians game a

couple of nights ago. Remember "The

Brady Bunch?" Well, it was 70s Disco

Night, so....! I could have gotten his

autograph, but I passed on it.

ben's
first
day
back
to
school
as a
junior!

Out to eat with Jordan and Ben at Gio's, the Italian

restaurant where Jamie worked for about two years.

I sure have three great guys!

"little corners of campus" @ FSU

Went to visit Jamie up in Tallahassee. He's a grad student (and will teach two classes) at Florida State University. He just moved into a new apartment...one bedroom and tiny kitchen, but very clean and neat! He is a wonderful guy, even if I do say so myself!!!

Two joys...quilting and

acrylic fingernails!

I was getting BLOGGED OUT before, and neglected to represent Rosie the Border Collie, and our dear sister/new mother-of-twins, Judith! Rosie was amazing how she watches over her wards. Here she kept an eagle eye out for Katie who was standing repeatedly on her head against the wall. Also, Dad is in his very crowded office talking on the phone to Jude. Deb asked her if anyone was there with her and she answered that she was "alone!" Yeah, right. All alone...with FIVE little kiddies! Hee hee :-)

Dad drove us down to Albany and we shopped at Kohl's (love it!) and ate out at Cracker Barrel first. Here's Mother and Dad in the minimum security...I mean at the airport. My non-stop flight took me to Tampa Bay in less than three hours. So much water surrounds it!

The morning I left Schroon Lake (7/12/07...almost one week ago already!) a deer crossed the driveway early in the morning, and then leaped back into the woods the way she came. Mother and I are at the airport in Albany.

Deb was recovering from gall bladder surgery, and was doing great, as she always does. Here she's talking with Erika and her new husband on the porch. Dad is spreading out a feast for the chipmunks, mourning doves, blackbirds, blue jays, and others--red and gray squirrels need not r.s.v.p!!!

Ginny and Katie are sitting in the luncheon/antique store that we went to in Schroon Lake. Josh is working while Nathan relaxes on the couch while it rained.

"Dad's flowers"

Schroon Lake

July 8-12

Rainbow

over

Bradenton.

A beautiful

Florida

sunset...

after a

good

rainstorm.

Visited Ginger...

she's a happy girl!

another A.T. shot...

moss on a log

Last week I visited some friends in NC and

actually walked for a bit on the Appalachian

Trail!

This piece is on Wayah Bald Mountain...

about 5000 ft. above sea level.

Now I REALLY have the desire to do it all!!!

http://www.highlandsinfo.com/hiking/wayahbald.htm

Coquina Beach--

10 minutes from

where I live...

facing west in

the Gulf of Mexico.

Seashells at Dawn

BEN & JORDAN--6 footers

Ben & Jordan...we're

getting ready to go

for a swim after

eating out at Anna

Maria Oyster Bar

Restaurant.

Jordan will enter

his junior year of

college in August,

and Ben will be a

junior in high school!

Ginger knew I was going to leave her at a new home...her ears are back, but she's a good sport, as always. I'll go back to visit her next week and leave her papers and heartworm pills. I miss her, but she has the woods to explore now, and can take a dip in the river.

cactus in the sun

pretty gold "paint"

on this chrysalis

of a Monarch

butterfly

(located by the

dryer vent...she

could dry her new wings upon exit)

BEN takes a bow after his

alto sax solo at the

Bradenton Christian

spring concert.

GINGER

Ben and my car on

Southern Parkway.

Here's Ben at his first spring game last night...number 70! There was a nice, cool breeze. Won't be that way when they start playing in September!

the link to my school was updated, btw...
come see my classroom in bldg.2, room 107!

here we are, plus our own dear, lovely mother!

me, deb, mother, judy, and ginny

(according to height?!)

it's a cool flora-duh day...almost like maine in late summer. ginny, i love that email you sent me the other day entitled, "hey, pretty lady!" i'm gonna try to upload that pic if i can