Sunday, September 1, 2013
Day 70
Sunday, September 1, 2013. SEPTEMBER ALREADY!!!! Wow! Where has the time gone!!!!????
I slept so soundly last night that I didn't even hear Jay get up extra early and leave. He left me a sweet note on the kitchen table :).
Church was nice. I bore my testimony. It was cold in the chapel, so I'm glad that I wore a sweater.
We had salmon, rice, and mixed vegis for dinner with jello and whipped cream a little later.
Now I'm writing this blog. Then I'm going to read my book and relax!! Yay!
Day 69
Saturday, August 31, 2013: Jay and Peter left very early for the temple. I slept in and then spent time visiting with Alexandra. She worked on getting her stuff together for Boston, and I cleaned upstairs. I am in the process of rearranging some of the books on the bookshelf up here. Then I vacuumed and washed the kitchen and bathroom floors. Alexandra helped me load up the truck for the dump run (it's actually the recycling center, not the dump; but we've gone there for so many years, that it's hard not calling it the dump. After all, you do dump things there, even if they are all in different areas depending upon what they are so that they can be recycled!). I stopped at the cleaners to drop off two of Jay's white shirts to be cleaned. I've always done Jay's white shirts myself, but it's so hard to keep the collar and cuffs clean that I decided I'd do the cleaners. It's not terribly expensive, and Jay's shirts should come back looking great (I hope)!
I did a few errands, like dropping off clothing at Salvation Army, picking up some gluten-free flours and other interesting things at Ocean State Job Lot, and then went to Stop & Shop to get some vegetables and fish for Sunday's dinner.
The Scituate Ward Relief Society holds an annual combination Relief Society/Young Woman campfire cookout behind the ward building, so I went; Alexandra came along as well. We had a great time visiting and making tin foil dinners, which turned out awesome. The best part for me was toasting marshmallows and putting them on graham crackers. I didn't do the chocolate because I don't eat chocolate! That was really yummy. Then I made a tin foil dinner for Peter, which he was happy to get and eat!
When I told Natalie D. that I was going to take a bath when I got home, she told me about putting fresh grated ginger into the water. It opens and cleans your pores and makes your skin nice and soft. So on the way home, we stopped at Big Y to buy some ginger. In addition to the ginger, I added epsom salts.
I took a nice hot tub with a cup of herbal tea (cold care for nighttime) and when I went to sleep, I slept like a log all night long!
I did a few errands, like dropping off clothing at Salvation Army, picking up some gluten-free flours and other interesting things at Ocean State Job Lot, and then went to Stop & Shop to get some vegetables and fish for Sunday's dinner.
The Scituate Ward Relief Society holds an annual combination Relief Society/Young Woman campfire cookout behind the ward building, so I went; Alexandra came along as well. We had a great time visiting and making tin foil dinners, which turned out awesome. The best part for me was toasting marshmallows and putting them on graham crackers. I didn't do the chocolate because I don't eat chocolate! That was really yummy. Then I made a tin foil dinner for Peter, which he was happy to get and eat!
When I told Natalie D. that I was going to take a bath when I got home, she told me about putting fresh grated ginger into the water. It opens and cleans your pores and makes your skin nice and soft. So on the way home, we stopped at Big Y to buy some ginger. In addition to the ginger, I added epsom salts.
I took a nice hot tub with a cup of herbal tea (cold care for nighttime) and when I went to sleep, I slept like a log all night long!
Day 68
Friday, August 30, 2013: Another busy day with international students. I just can't seem to get beyond this project. All the other work that I have to do is sitting there waiting to get finished, and I just can't get to it! I have letters to get out regarding SSP meetings (Student Success Plan) for the seniors which begin in a couple of weeks, I have a bunch of stuff to do for UCONN Early College Experience, and I have to get the Profile done. I haven't even downloaded the college acceptances from Naviance yet. And students are registering for the ECSU Dual Enrollment Program now too.
We had a young man from Argentina accepted, and he was supposed to come on Tuesday, but as soon as he and his parents arrived, they showed up at school. They toured the campus and did all that other stuff and finally came to pre-register just as it was time for me to go home. So going home was not an option. I spent an extra hour doing the usual registration stuff, Jane reviewed his medical things, etc. They are a lovely family and he's looking forward to his time here in the USA. He spent time at UCONN over the summer taking an English class. He wants to play basketball.
When I got home I was all ready to relax until I remembered that the sister missionaries and I were going to visit Ann G. So, at a little before 6:00, we left. We had a very nice visit and then on the way home we stopped at Newport Creamery to get ice cream. I got a peppermint stick cone, and it was scrumptious!
We got back here around 8:00 or 8:30. I read for a while and then went to bed.
Alexandra came home for the weekend to get her things together because Jay and Peter and going to help her move back to Boston on Monday (Labor Day).
We had a young man from Argentina accepted, and he was supposed to come on Tuesday, but as soon as he and his parents arrived, they showed up at school. They toured the campus and did all that other stuff and finally came to pre-register just as it was time for me to go home. So going home was not an option. I spent an extra hour doing the usual registration stuff, Jane reviewed his medical things, etc. They are a lovely family and he's looking forward to his time here in the USA. He spent time at UCONN over the summer taking an English class. He wants to play basketball.
When I got home I was all ready to relax until I remembered that the sister missionaries and I were going to visit Ann G. So, at a little before 6:00, we left. We had a very nice visit and then on the way home we stopped at Newport Creamery to get ice cream. I got a peppermint stick cone, and it was scrumptious!
We got back here around 8:00 or 8:30. I read for a while and then went to bed.
Alexandra came home for the weekend to get her things together because Jay and Peter and going to help her move back to Boston on Monday (Labor Day).
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Day 67
Thursday, August 29, 2013: I slept all night last night because I took some generic Nyquil and felt pretty good all day. Right now I'm still congested. It was a busy day.
The host mother of one of our international students had called and left a message on my phone on Monday. I picked up the message, but it was so crazy busy that I didn't call her back...all week. She never called again. Well, that student couldn't start school today because he had not met all his medical requirements. She was not pleased and put all the blame on me (of course) and had that tone to her voice that said to me, "I'm going to report you to the higher-ups." I owed up to my mistake and apologized.
Shortly after this conversation, David (our head of school) came to me to help with a student who was upset about something, so I took the time to tell him what had occurred. He blew it off, knowing that stuff like this happens and that it had been really crazy busy this week. I also told Jeanne. She didn't get upset about it either. She, more than anyone else, knows how busy I have been.
So...when I spoke with that host mother a little later, and she used that tone of voice with me, I just told her that I had already told David and Jeanne, so she did the next-best thing, and called Stacy (she works for the organization that brought all these students here). I spoke with Stacy about something else a little later and she understood and it didn't bother her a bit. We only have a few students that have not been completely medically cleared. Those that haven't been will definitely start school no later than Tuesday (Monday is the Labor Day Holiday). A few will start tomorrow, though. Oh the drama of the workday!
And it was a busy day.
After work, I picked Peter up at TRCC and we went to dinner at the Old Tymes Restaurant. I had the special (chicken pot pie) for $6, and he had a chicken Caesar salad for $9 and then we shared a piece of pie. We had a very nice time. Then I dropped him off at school and I went on to ECSU in Willimantic for my first class, Fundamentals of Music. The traffic on 32 was jammed, and I found out why later on the radio...there had been an accident and the road had been closed. I got to class just as our teacher was handing out a pre-test. Thank goodness it won't be graded...whew! The class goes from 5:30 to 6:45, and today he let us out at 6:15. That was nice. I stopped at Dairy Queen and got a small pina colada smoothie and then filled up my tank at the Shell station. I cleaned up emails, did two loads of wash, and went to bed.
After Jay got home, he had the light on and hadn't closed the bedroom door. I was in a deep sleep and I started to wake up, thinking first that it was Sunday and Jay was already up. Then I forced myself to think again, and I said to myself that it was Friday morning and Jay was already up. Then I forced myself to think once again and realized that it was about 11:30 or so at night. I struggled out of bed, folded some wash (strange thing to do), couldn't sleep, so here I am. I'm going to read some more of my book (Birthmarked by Carragh M. O'Brien). It's excellent. I hope I can go back to sleep easily after that.
The host mother of one of our international students had called and left a message on my phone on Monday. I picked up the message, but it was so crazy busy that I didn't call her back...all week. She never called again. Well, that student couldn't start school today because he had not met all his medical requirements. She was not pleased and put all the blame on me (of course) and had that tone to her voice that said to me, "I'm going to report you to the higher-ups." I owed up to my mistake and apologized.
Shortly after this conversation, David (our head of school) came to me to help with a student who was upset about something, so I took the time to tell him what had occurred. He blew it off, knowing that stuff like this happens and that it had been really crazy busy this week. I also told Jeanne. She didn't get upset about it either. She, more than anyone else, knows how busy I have been.
So...when I spoke with that host mother a little later, and she used that tone of voice with me, I just told her that I had already told David and Jeanne, so she did the next-best thing, and called Stacy (she works for the organization that brought all these students here). I spoke with Stacy about something else a little later and she understood and it didn't bother her a bit. We only have a few students that have not been completely medically cleared. Those that haven't been will definitely start school no later than Tuesday (Monday is the Labor Day Holiday). A few will start tomorrow, though. Oh the drama of the workday!
And it was a busy day.
After work, I picked Peter up at TRCC and we went to dinner at the Old Tymes Restaurant. I had the special (chicken pot pie) for $6, and he had a chicken Caesar salad for $9 and then we shared a piece of pie. We had a very nice time. Then I dropped him off at school and I went on to ECSU in Willimantic for my first class, Fundamentals of Music. The traffic on 32 was jammed, and I found out why later on the radio...there had been an accident and the road had been closed. I got to class just as our teacher was handing out a pre-test. Thank goodness it won't be graded...whew! The class goes from 5:30 to 6:45, and today he let us out at 6:15. That was nice. I stopped at Dairy Queen and got a small pina colada smoothie and then filled up my tank at the Shell station. I cleaned up emails, did two loads of wash, and went to bed.
After Jay got home, he had the light on and hadn't closed the bedroom door. I was in a deep sleep and I started to wake up, thinking first that it was Sunday and Jay was already up. Then I forced myself to think again, and I said to myself that it was Friday morning and Jay was already up. Then I forced myself to think once again and realized that it was about 11:30 or so at night. I struggled out of bed, folded some wash (strange thing to do), couldn't sleep, so here I am. I'm going to read some more of my book (Birthmarked by Carragh M. O'Brien). It's excellent. I hope I can go back to sleep easily after that.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Day 66
Wednesday, August 28, 2013: I was up reading in the wee hours of the morning and went back to bed by 3:30, but I don't think I really fell sound asleep after that. Work was less stressful than it has been, and I started working on the UCONN ECE project.
On the way home from work, I stopped at WalMart to see if they were able to get replacement frames for my glasses....the ones that fell off my face last Wednesday during my piano lesson. Well, they didn't have those frames, but the guy gave me an even better frame...made out of titanium and they are very lightweight and bendable. So that's cool.
We had a light dinner and now we're relaxing.
The other day, the guys who were working on the landscaping at school told me about a documentary called Life After People. I rented it from Netflix, so we're going to watch it tonight. I want to go to sleep early so that I can wake up early feeling good and ready to go. I'd like to make sure I can play piano.....
On the way home from work, I stopped at WalMart to see if they were able to get replacement frames for my glasses....the ones that fell off my face last Wednesday during my piano lesson. Well, they didn't have those frames, but the guy gave me an even better frame...made out of titanium and they are very lightweight and bendable. So that's cool.
We had a light dinner and now we're relaxing.
The other day, the guys who were working on the landscaping at school told me about a documentary called Life After People. I rented it from Netflix, so we're going to watch it tonight. I want to go to sleep early so that I can wake up early feeling good and ready to go. I'd like to make sure I can play piano.....
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Day 65
Tuesday, August 27, 2013: It was a long day...all of it at work. There's nothing else to say because that's all I did. I left the house by 6:20 a.m. and got home at 8:40 p.m. We had our ID photos taken, and I had an awesome photographer. I was at the end of a not-very-long line and he called over to me. So I went and had my picture taken, no problem :). We also had all the "required topics" training--blood borne pathogens, sexual harassment, etc. This is my last day of working late, though, so that's good; 3:00 p.m. sounds good for today!
Day 64
Monday, August 26, 2013: What a great day it was (with the exception that I began to feel bad...I think it relates to the rabies shot I had on Sunday morning and the muffin I ate for breakfast). This was opening day, so we had a "breakfast" in the Atrium. I put breakfast in quotes because it was fruit salad, muffins, pastries, coffee, tea, and juice. I had a muffin and fruit salad. After I ate it, I thought to myself, "I wonder if this is a cranberry orange muffin?" because it had cranberries in it. I really didn't taste orange, but the way I felt later on makes me believe that there was a bit of orange in it.
Anyway, we had our usual opening meeting, and it was wonderful with reports about summer school, ELL Academy, STRIVE, and Step-up, all accompanied by pictures. That was nice. It was all very upbeat. Then the interns were introduced, the new teachers, and then the tenured teachers, and then staff with 10 years of service. And that would be ME!!! It was so excited to go up there to get my apple. I love those marble apples! I've never been in one place this long except for my own business-family home day care, which I called "Sunbeam Family Home Day Care." I loved that.
Anyway, the rest of the day was busy with the rest of the international students coming in. There was a motivational speaker that I had to miss. His name is Dick Hoyt. I can check him out online. He wrote several books, and I bought one called Devoted. I was on my way to Bradlaw to pick up a diploma for someone when Marie J. from the library came running behind me telling me about it. I went into the auditorium but didn't have money with me. Fortunately, Marcia R., also from the library, had enough extra cash on her to loan me for a book, so I bought it.
Then Mary-Anne Hall, who works in the museum and with the art students, had written a book that just got published this summer called My Cleocatra, so of course, I bought a copy.
I had to work late because our last student's appointment was at 4:30 p.m. I had sent a text to Steve to tell him that I probably wouldn't have my piano books with me because I would probably go straight to my lesson from work, but he called and said why not change the time of my lesson to 6:30 (he had an errand to run in Putnam), so I said okay. At least I was able to go home and change beforehand.
Piano was really good. We did more improvisation...I like doing that. I have to keep doing it on my own so I can get better.
I had cereal for dinner and went off to bed with my book and was asleep by 9:00.
Anyway, we had our usual opening meeting, and it was wonderful with reports about summer school, ELL Academy, STRIVE, and Step-up, all accompanied by pictures. That was nice. It was all very upbeat. Then the interns were introduced, the new teachers, and then the tenured teachers, and then staff with 10 years of service. And that would be ME!!! It was so excited to go up there to get my apple. I love those marble apples! I've never been in one place this long except for my own business-family home day care, which I called "Sunbeam Family Home Day Care." I loved that.
Anyway, the rest of the day was busy with the rest of the international students coming in. There was a motivational speaker that I had to miss. His name is Dick Hoyt. I can check him out online. He wrote several books, and I bought one called Devoted. I was on my way to Bradlaw to pick up a diploma for someone when Marie J. from the library came running behind me telling me about it. I went into the auditorium but didn't have money with me. Fortunately, Marcia R., also from the library, had enough extra cash on her to loan me for a book, so I bought it.
Then Mary-Anne Hall, who works in the museum and with the art students, had written a book that just got published this summer called My Cleocatra, so of course, I bought a copy.
I had to work late because our last student's appointment was at 4:30 p.m. I had sent a text to Steve to tell him that I probably wouldn't have my piano books with me because I would probably go straight to my lesson from work, but he called and said why not change the time of my lesson to 6:30 (he had an errand to run in Putnam), so I said okay. At least I was able to go home and change beforehand.
Piano was really good. We did more improvisation...I like doing that. I have to keep doing it on my own so I can get better.
I had cereal for dinner and went off to bed with my book and was asleep by 9:00.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Days 62 and 63
Saturday and Sunday, August 24 and 25, 2013: We worked in the temple on Saturday morning; and as usual, it was a wonderful experience. Jay and I stopped at Panera Bread on the way home to have some lunch. Jay had tomato soup and I had tortellini with a cheese sauce. I only ate half (I'll have the rest for lunch at work) and had a piece of crumb cake for desert. I was really yummy. Then we stopped at the Market Basket to buy some groceries and had wonderful lamb chops cooked on the grill for dinner along with a vegi mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. We visited the Horne's with the sister missionaries and had a great time. The sisters came over afterwards for ice cream with freshly sliced strawberries on top (yummy). After they left, we watched one episode of our show and then off to bed we went.
Sunday has been a beautiful day weather-wise...a little cool in the morning. I wore the new dress I bought at Kohl's yesterday. Actually, I forgot to mention that above. I bought a pair of capris, a cute knee-length summer dress, a nice top, and the maxi dress I wore to church today. I also bought Jay a white shirt. Everything was on sale and I had a coupon for an extra 20% off. That was neat.
I had the last rabies shot today...that was number nine. The nurse just jammed the needle into my arm. It was the worst shot of them all, although except for her jamming it into my skin, it didn't hurt.
Church was very nice. Sofia came with me to Scituate because after Sacrament meeting, we left for the airport to get Peter. When we got there, we discovered that his flight wouldn't be landing for another 1-1/4 hours! It was really cold in the airport, so we went outside and took two of the blankets I keep in the trunk and found a lovely grassy area to lie down on. Sofia dozed and I read my book. It's called Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien, and it's very good. We were just getting ready to go inside (it was 1:00 p.m.) and the phone rang. It was Peter. "Where are you?" Sofia told him that we were outside. His flight wasn't supposed to land until 1:09, but it arrived a little early. His suitcase came off the plane early, so we didn't have to wait too long for that. I am glad that he is home safely.
Peter asked me to bring some salt and vinegar chips and a bottle of water that had been frozen in the freezer for him to snack on on the way home, which I did. We went home a different way, and I like it better. We avoided the Johnston area. We had a dinner of marinated steak for Peter and me and salmon burgers for Jay and Sofia, boiled potatoes, and peas. It was good.
I was very tired, so I took a nap...for a bit because Peter woke me up to talk with Alexandra. I tried to go back to sleep, and I did. I slept until 6:00 or so and now I'm ready to go back to bed. I am really tired.
Sunday has been a beautiful day weather-wise...a little cool in the morning. I wore the new dress I bought at Kohl's yesterday. Actually, I forgot to mention that above. I bought a pair of capris, a cute knee-length summer dress, a nice top, and the maxi dress I wore to church today. I also bought Jay a white shirt. Everything was on sale and I had a coupon for an extra 20% off. That was neat.
I had the last rabies shot today...that was number nine. The nurse just jammed the needle into my arm. It was the worst shot of them all, although except for her jamming it into my skin, it didn't hurt.
Church was very nice. Sofia came with me to Scituate because after Sacrament meeting, we left for the airport to get Peter. When we got there, we discovered that his flight wouldn't be landing for another 1-1/4 hours! It was really cold in the airport, so we went outside and took two of the blankets I keep in the trunk and found a lovely grassy area to lie down on. Sofia dozed and I read my book. It's called Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien, and it's very good. We were just getting ready to go inside (it was 1:00 p.m.) and the phone rang. It was Peter. "Where are you?" Sofia told him that we were outside. His flight wasn't supposed to land until 1:09, but it arrived a little early. His suitcase came off the plane early, so we didn't have to wait too long for that. I am glad that he is home safely.
Peter asked me to bring some salt and vinegar chips and a bottle of water that had been frozen in the freezer for him to snack on on the way home, which I did. We went home a different way, and I like it better. We avoided the Johnston area. We had a dinner of marinated steak for Peter and me and salmon burgers for Jay and Sofia, boiled potatoes, and peas. It was good.
I was very tired, so I took a nap...for a bit because Peter woke me up to talk with Alexandra. I tried to go back to sleep, and I did. I slept until 6:00 or so and now I'm ready to go back to bed. I am really tired.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Just a note...
I will upload all the photos that are still on my phone and will put them in their appropriate days sometime this weekend (I hope). I also have to pull out some photos from Brazil to print and put into a little book to show people. Maybe Sunday? Peter is coming home then so who knows!
Day 61
August 23, 2013. Today is my mother's birthday. I miss her. On the 23rd of every month I think about her and say to myself, "If this was August, it would be her birthday." Funny, hu.
Last night when I went shopping at WalMart, I found a dress (nothing fancy...just long, grey, and sleeveless). It was marked down to $5, so I bought it. I could always take it back if it didn't fit right. But it fit just fine. It was a little too long, but it hid my boot well :). I wore my peach sweater with it.
I got to sleep late last night and woke up early...around 4:00 a.m. I think I had only four hours of sleep. I was tired but not able to go back to sleep so I did my usual stuff (minus the piano) and took my shower a little early. We had breakfast (oatmeal for me) and then off to work. I actually got there a few minutes early! It was an extremely busy day because a whole bunch of international students had arrived and we had appointments scheduled every half hour almost all day. Suddenly it was past my time to leave. I mentioned it to Jeanne and she said to stay and get what I had to get done done. But...in addition to getting things done, I had to take care of four walk-ins...two withdrawals, one moving to a different sending town, and another one, but I don't remember what I did for him. The day flew by (fortunately...if it had been a slow day, I would have struggled to stay awake).
On the way home I stopped at Aldi's and bought a few things. I had dinner (Jay had a large lunch, so he just had some leftover soup when he got home). Now the dishes are done, I'm sitting here with my feet up and relaxing. I'm going to bed early tonight because tomorrow is temple day.
Last night when I went shopping at WalMart, I found a dress (nothing fancy...just long, grey, and sleeveless). It was marked down to $5, so I bought it. I could always take it back if it didn't fit right. But it fit just fine. It was a little too long, but it hid my boot well :). I wore my peach sweater with it.
I got to sleep late last night and woke up early...around 4:00 a.m. I think I had only four hours of sleep. I was tired but not able to go back to sleep so I did my usual stuff (minus the piano) and took my shower a little early. We had breakfast (oatmeal for me) and then off to work. I actually got there a few minutes early! It was an extremely busy day because a whole bunch of international students had arrived and we had appointments scheduled every half hour almost all day. Suddenly it was past my time to leave. I mentioned it to Jeanne and she said to stay and get what I had to get done done. But...in addition to getting things done, I had to take care of four walk-ins...two withdrawals, one moving to a different sending town, and another one, but I don't remember what I did for him. The day flew by (fortunately...if it had been a slow day, I would have struggled to stay awake).
On the way home I stopped at Aldi's and bought a few things. I had dinner (Jay had a large lunch, so he just had some leftover soup when he got home). Now the dishes are done, I'm sitting here with my feet up and relaxing. I'm going to bed early tonight because tomorrow is temple day.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Day 60
Thursday, August 22, 2013: I woke up extra early, said my prayers, read my scriptures, wrote the blog that precedes this one, and then practiced piano. Work was so busy. I never completed any one big task. I spent the whole day answering the phone, attending a training meeting for Power School (which I left early), and went to TRCC to pick up Peter's books during my lunch break. It was amazing. I only hit one red light on the way there, there was no line, and I got done pretty quickly. It was pouring rain out. When I got back someone had taken my parking space, but I was able to get another one no problem. Peter gets back from Brazil the day before classes begin so that's why I helped him.
Did I write down what happened to my glasses yesterday during my piano lesson? They just fell off my face! One of the side things just fell off the glasses! I couldn't use them because they are trifocals and they wouldn't sit straight on my face, so I couldn't see clearly. So, Steve and I did improv...he played guitar and I played some made up melodies. Some were good and some were not. Regardless, we both had fun.
I visited Anne with the sister missionaries and didn't get home until 8:30. I was so tired. Peter wanted to Skype, but I just went to bed.
If this post is a little redundant...sorry.
Did I write down what happened to my glasses yesterday during my piano lesson? They just fell off my face! One of the side things just fell off the glasses! I couldn't use them because they are trifocals and they wouldn't sit straight on my face, so I couldn't see clearly. So, Steve and I did improv...he played guitar and I played some made up melodies. Some were good and some were not. Regardless, we both had fun.
I visited Anne with the sister missionaries and didn't get home until 8:30. I was so tired. Peter wanted to Skype, but I just went to bed.
If this post is a little redundant...sorry.
Days 51 - 59
Tuesday, August 13 through Wednesday, August 21: I sure have been behind in posting...I've been just too busy and too tired at the end of the day. There are just too many things to do. Here is a smattering of what's been happening this week. I have photos, too, but they're still on my phone. I'll upload them and add them later :).
- Worked every day. Very busy with international students, ECSU Dual Enrollment Program, UCONN Early College Experience Program, and so much more.
- Still working with the bank to get the rest of the money that was stolen from my account bank. The same for Peter, too.
- Worked at the firehouse, paying bills
- The new fire truck arrived last week. Yay! Also paid the first payment on the loan. :)
- Visited Matt's mom, Michelle.
- Had an allergic reaction to something in my office on Tuesday (8/20). Don't know what it was, but had a rash on my arm and my face swelled and was tingly. Had to go to the Medical Center for some Benedryl and then could hardly stay awake at the end of the day
- Got my allergy shots on Tuesday
- Got my hair cut on Tuesday, too. :)
- Steve texted and left a voice message for me, which I didn't get. He wanted to know if I was home from Brazil. The volume on my phone was off, so I didn't get the message. I went for my lesson...no Steve. I saw him on my way out...
- Make-up double piano lesson on Wednesday (8/21). Right at the beginning of the lesson, my glasses broke, so I couldn't read a thing. We had a great time improvising. Steve played some chords on his guitar and I played stuff on the piano. I'm not really great at this yet, but every time we do it, I get a little better.
- One of my biggest fears is not being able to read.
- Had a rabies shot on Wednesday last week and Sunday morning at 8:15. One more to go...
- Visited Anne with the sister missionaries last night. I also took the sisters to Wendy's for dinner. We ate in the car on the way to Greenville, RI.
- On Sunday, Jay and I were sitting in church, having partaken of the sacrament and listening to the first speaker. Suddenly Jay leans over to me and says, "I think you're supposed to be speaking today." Oops! Jay had a program, which he hadn't opened. We looked, and sure enough, I had to speak. I had no idea what the topic was, but the first speaker was talking about redemption so I tried to piggy-back on that theme. I looked in the topical guide and used the first scripture I saw: Exodus 6:6 & 7. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will
a bring you out from under theb burdens of the Egyptians, and I willc rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:7 And I will take you to me for aa people, and I will be to you ab God: and ye shallc know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.I spoke about various things, including forgiveness and repeated the theme of "with a stretched out arm" throughout my talk. It felt pretty choppy to me, but no one else noticed that.This is cool: An investigator came to Scituate, and we met her in the parking lot. She sat with us. This person is Anne, the person I visited yesterday with the sister missionaries. This is the cool part: she said that when I shared the story of "forgive my father," she almost fell off her chair because that was something she needed to do.Here's my hypothesis: Heavenly Father made Jay forget to give me the information about the talk because he wanted me to speak from the heart rather than a prepared talk so that what I said could touch Anne's heart.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Day 50
Monday, August 12, 2013. I had to stop by the hospital to switch out the shoe that they gave me yesterday because it was too small (my toes hung over the edge) and then stopped at WalMart to get a few things. Then came the hard part...Peter's and my accounts were hacked (I'm sure via one of the ATM machines we used in Brazil), and I had to call the bank to get those things taken care of. It took hours.
Jay got home from work early because we had an appointment in Hartford. We got there just in time (traffic was perfect both ways...perfect timing!) and on the way home we stopped to get something for dinner, something that would fit his new dietary restrictions. We had a lovely dinner together out on the deck (swordfish, sweet potato, and broccoli). I think the broccoli bothers Jay.
Then we took our other son's car to his house. And then it was relaxing time. Sofia had recommended a movie called "Monster in Paris." It was a cartoon. It was so well done and cute. We really enjoyed it!
Once again, I fell asleep right away, but now I'm up really early (it's Tuesday morning). I'm going to read for a few minutes and then try to sleep for another hour or so.
Jay got home from work early because we had an appointment in Hartford. We got there just in time (traffic was perfect both ways...perfect timing!) and on the way home we stopped to get something for dinner, something that would fit his new dietary restrictions. We had a lovely dinner together out on the deck (swordfish, sweet potato, and broccoli). I think the broccoli bothers Jay.
Then we took our other son's car to his house. And then it was relaxing time. Sofia had recommended a movie called "Monster in Paris." It was a cartoon. It was so well done and cute. We really enjoyed it!
Once again, I fell asleep right away, but now I'm up really early (it's Tuesday morning). I'm going to read for a few minutes and then try to sleep for another hour or so.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Day 49
Sunday, August 11, 2014. Continuing my journey home. All flights were on schedule, and I was able to get bulkhead seating because of my ankle almost all the way home. I managed to sleep a little on the plane from Rio to Atlanta. I watched the movie, "42," and highly recommend it to anyone. It's about Jackie Robinson and is so well done.
Jay was waiting for me when I got at the airport. It was wonderful to throw my arms around him and hug him tight (not to mention getting a few kisses in there, too!!!). What a great guy I'm married to! My luggage got off the plane early, too, so we didn't have to wait a long time in baggage claim.
We drove to pick up Sofia because the car she's driving across country is at our house. It was great to see her too! I gave her a "crown" for a belated birthday gift, and she really liked the one I picked out for her.
After we got home, Sofia headed back to her house, and I had to go to the hospital to check out my ankle injury. It turns out that I have an avulsion fracture of my left ankle as well as a sprain (or strain)...it's all the same to me. It's very swollen and very sore. So they wrapped it with a wide ace bandage and gave me a shoe. They also recommended that I see an orthopedic physician, but what else can he do? Give me an air cast? What I have now is sufficient, I think. They can't place the bone back where it was. I'm sure it's not a big thing. I'll just hobble around like I am for several weeks and then be back to normal.
I mentioned to the nurse that I was bitten by a dog in Brazil also...right in the butt...buttocks!! Tore my pants and broke my skin. The nurse was praying that it was within ten days, and it was! Whew! Rabies is a big issue, so now I'm getting rabies shots. They gave me one shot in my left arm, three shots in my left leg, and two shots in my right leg. They hurt going in, but the nurse was amazing. They didn't hurt at all after she was done. I'm scheduled for additional shots on Wednesday, August 14; Sunday, August 17; and Sunday, August 25. Then I'll be done.
We came home, I elevated my leg with ice on it, took four Ibuprofen, and watched the movie, Legacy, with Jay. We went to bed; I read about three paragraphs in my book, and Jay said I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, and I didn't wake up until 5:00! I slept like a baby. I love my bed!!!
Jay was waiting for me when I got at the airport. It was wonderful to throw my arms around him and hug him tight (not to mention getting a few kisses in there, too!!!). What a great guy I'm married to! My luggage got off the plane early, too, so we didn't have to wait a long time in baggage claim.
We drove to pick up Sofia because the car she's driving across country is at our house. It was great to see her too! I gave her a "crown" for a belated birthday gift, and she really liked the one I picked out for her.
After we got home, Sofia headed back to her house, and I had to go to the hospital to check out my ankle injury. It turns out that I have an avulsion fracture of my left ankle as well as a sprain (or strain)...it's all the same to me. It's very swollen and very sore. So they wrapped it with a wide ace bandage and gave me a shoe. They also recommended that I see an orthopedic physician, but what else can he do? Give me an air cast? What I have now is sufficient, I think. They can't place the bone back where it was. I'm sure it's not a big thing. I'll just hobble around like I am for several weeks and then be back to normal.
I mentioned to the nurse that I was bitten by a dog in Brazil also...right in the butt...buttocks!! Tore my pants and broke my skin. The nurse was praying that it was within ten days, and it was! Whew! Rabies is a big issue, so now I'm getting rabies shots. They gave me one shot in my left arm, three shots in my left leg, and two shots in my right leg. They hurt going in, but the nurse was amazing. They didn't hurt at all after she was done. I'm scheduled for additional shots on Wednesday, August 14; Sunday, August 17; and Sunday, August 25. Then I'll be done.
We came home, I elevated my leg with ice on it, took four Ibuprofen, and watched the movie, Legacy, with Jay. We went to bed; I read about three paragraphs in my book, and Jay said I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, and I didn't wake up until 5:00! I slept like a baby. I love my bed!!!
Days 39 through 49 - BRAZIL!!
August 1 through 10, 2013 - In Brazil. Kept a detailed journal, will share some notes here later, and will upload photos!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Day 38...make lemonaid
Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Peter just said that if we were on that flight we'd be getting off the plane in Sao Paulo. Yes, that's true.
Instead we're sitting in the Airport Westin Hotel. We had a lovely (but very expensive) breakfast $36!!! Can you believe it???
We're going to meet Art at the MARTA station in the airport in about a half hour. So bye-bye for now.
Instead we're sitting in the Airport Westin Hotel. We had a lovely (but very expensive) breakfast $36!!! Can you believe it???
We're going to meet Art at the MARTA station in the airport in about a half hour. So bye-bye for now.
Day 36 When life gives you lemons....
Tuesday, July 30, 2013. I felt great when I got up and got to work. Got lots done. Then I told Lynda K. in the Head of School's office about my fall, and she asked me if I completed an incident report (I hadn't). She said I should, so the long and short of it is that I did. Jane B., the nurse in the Medical Center, made me go over to the care center in the industrial park to be seen by a physician since I was going to be away for vacation (and out of the country where the medical care, should something come up, may not be as good). That took an hour and a half of the time I was planning to get stuff done in the office, but I must say that the doctor (Dr. Anderson) was wonderful. What a nice person she was! I just have contusions.
I got back to the office, finished up a few more things and headed out a little after 1:00 (I had worked extra time on other days so I could leave early). I got home and Peter still hadn't taken a shower and he had 10 minutes left for his clothes in the dryer. What's up with that!!! Talk about waiting until the last half hour to get done!!!
As usual, Bob and Sharon got there early. I was so grateful that they could drive us to the airport.
Luggage: I have to talk about luggage. I always travel as light as possible. I was going to just take my carry-on (but have it put on the plane), but because I had to take a pillow, sheets, and a towel, I had to take a size larger. Peter, on the other hand, has two suitcases! Can you believe that?
We get to the airport in plenty of time. The Delta guy couldn't assign a seat for me, so I was going to take care of that at the gate in Atlanta. While we were waiting, I bought Peter and me hamburgers at Johnny Rocket's there in the airport. Well...I have to say that it was the worst hamburger I ever ate in my life. It was cold, I asked for extra pickles and got one, the roll was stale (so bad that I didn't eat it). Awful. Peter got some kind of double bacon cheeseburger and ate the whole thing, but it didn't look very appetizing to me. We also got a shake (strawberry at Peter's request) and it was so sweet that I didn't like it. Those three little things cost over $20!
Our plane boarded with no problem and we landed in Atlanta on time. We get to the gate for our flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and there was no room for me on the plane. They had overbooked the flight. Peter had a seat but we were waiting for me to get one. The girl at the counter handed me a boarding pass and we were on! We were so excited. The plane was full of kids, and I found out that they were going home from a school trip to Disney World. No wonder there was no room! I was standing by my seat when a woman comes up and says that this was her seat. I said, "No, it's mine." Well, the steward took our tickets and found that the name on my boarding pass was hers, not mine. So I had to get off the flight. Peter came off too because he wasn't going to leave me behind knowing how large the Sao Paulo Airport is and how no one speaks English there. Also, if there were problems with connecting flights, weather, etc. he would have no way of finding me (and I didn't have Josy's address or phone number, which wouldn't have worked anyway because my phone doesn't work in Brazil).
So, here we are. A woman whose parents were having a 50th anniversary tomorrow got Peter's seat (a good thing). I got some cash, a hotel room, and meal vouchers, which was good for me. Peter got nothing because he had a seat and chose to get off the plane. Delta was nice because they didn't charge him to get him on another flight. They said that was very nice of him not to leave me behind...what a nice son!
Peter was really fuming about this. He wants to be in Brazil at the right time and see Josy. I understand that...but being grouchy doesn't do anyone any good.
I felt bad for another guy who wasn't able to go on his business trip. He said that he didn't know that you needed a visa to go to Brazil. So, things can always be worse.
We went out to catch the hotel shuttle (we're at the Airport Westin Hotel (it's very nice). We got to bed around 12:30 a.m.
I got back to the office, finished up a few more things and headed out a little after 1:00 (I had worked extra time on other days so I could leave early). I got home and Peter still hadn't taken a shower and he had 10 minutes left for his clothes in the dryer. What's up with that!!! Talk about waiting until the last half hour to get done!!!
As usual, Bob and Sharon got there early. I was so grateful that they could drive us to the airport.
Luggage: I have to talk about luggage. I always travel as light as possible. I was going to just take my carry-on (but have it put on the plane), but because I had to take a pillow, sheets, and a towel, I had to take a size larger. Peter, on the other hand, has two suitcases! Can you believe that?
We get to the airport in plenty of time. The Delta guy couldn't assign a seat for me, so I was going to take care of that at the gate in Atlanta. While we were waiting, I bought Peter and me hamburgers at Johnny Rocket's there in the airport. Well...I have to say that it was the worst hamburger I ever ate in my life. It was cold, I asked for extra pickles and got one, the roll was stale (so bad that I didn't eat it). Awful. Peter got some kind of double bacon cheeseburger and ate the whole thing, but it didn't look very appetizing to me. We also got a shake (strawberry at Peter's request) and it was so sweet that I didn't like it. Those three little things cost over $20!
Our plane boarded with no problem and we landed in Atlanta on time. We get to the gate for our flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and there was no room for me on the plane. They had overbooked the flight. Peter had a seat but we were waiting for me to get one. The girl at the counter handed me a boarding pass and we were on! We were so excited. The plane was full of kids, and I found out that they were going home from a school trip to Disney World. No wonder there was no room! I was standing by my seat when a woman comes up and says that this was her seat. I said, "No, it's mine." Well, the steward took our tickets and found that the name on my boarding pass was hers, not mine. So I had to get off the flight. Peter came off too because he wasn't going to leave me behind knowing how large the Sao Paulo Airport is and how no one speaks English there. Also, if there were problems with connecting flights, weather, etc. he would have no way of finding me (and I didn't have Josy's address or phone number, which wouldn't have worked anyway because my phone doesn't work in Brazil).
So, here we are. A woman whose parents were having a 50th anniversary tomorrow got Peter's seat (a good thing). I got some cash, a hotel room, and meal vouchers, which was good for me. Peter got nothing because he had a seat and chose to get off the plane. Delta was nice because they didn't charge him to get him on another flight. They said that was very nice of him not to leave me behind...what a nice son!
Peter was really fuming about this. He wants to be in Brazil at the right time and see Josy. I understand that...but being grouchy doesn't do anyone any good.
I felt bad for another guy who wasn't able to go on his business trip. He said that he didn't know that you needed a visa to go to Brazil. So, things can always be worse.
We went out to catch the hotel shuttle (we're at the Airport Westin Hotel (it's very nice). We got to bed around 12:30 a.m.
Day 35
Monday, July 29, 2013. And ordinary kind of day at work, getting all kinds of things done and feeling productive. Peter came over to have lunch with me. Then I thought it would be great to go over to the Cranston Building so he could see Tom O'R, who used to be Peter's Assistant Principal at Killingly Intermediate School (and he got a couple of detentions in those days!). So we go over to Cranston. The cleaning people were in the process of waxing the floors in the office but never put a sign up. So I went walking around the corner and fell flat...actually not on my face but on my right side. It hurt...my right arm, my hip...oh yeh, it hurt. I wouldn't let Peter lift me off the floor until I had a chance to get myself together and have a little cry. Then he helped me get up. The guy who didn't put up a sign ran and got Leonardo. I told them that I was okay.
So we went to see Tom, who heard me scream out and fall but couldn't check out what was going on because he was on the phone :). He was happy to see Peter and learn about how well he is doing.
The rest of the day was like normal. Melody and Jennifer were out, so it was just Jeanne and me taking care of business.
Just before going to my piano lesson, Jay tells me that he cannot take me to the airport tomorrow because he has stuff to do for work and can't get out of it. I felt dismayed for a moment and then called our friends, Bob and Sharon. They weren't there, so I had to leave a voice message. They called later and said that they would take us. I was happy about that :). My piano lesson was fun. Steve brought his guitar in and he played some chord stuff and I played (improvised) a melody above it. I wasn't as good as I would have liked to be, but it was lots of fun.
So we went to see Tom, who heard me scream out and fall but couldn't check out what was going on because he was on the phone :). He was happy to see Peter and learn about how well he is doing.
The rest of the day was like normal. Melody and Jennifer were out, so it was just Jeanne and me taking care of business.
Just before going to my piano lesson, Jay tells me that he cannot take me to the airport tomorrow because he has stuff to do for work and can't get out of it. I felt dismayed for a moment and then called our friends, Bob and Sharon. They weren't there, so I had to leave a voice message. They called later and said that they would take us. I was happy about that :). My piano lesson was fun. Steve brought his guitar in and he played some chord stuff and I played (improvised) a melody above it. I wasn't as good as I would have liked to be, but it was lots of fun.
Day 34
Sunday, July 29, 2013. I woke up early and read for a while but went back to bed and slept until 6:30 or so. We went to church, which was wonderful. Jay and Peter went to a priesthood meeting in Groton and didn't get home until 8:00...that was a late dinner. I kind of had a relaxing kind of day.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Day 33
Saturday, July 27, 2013: Got up this morning at 4:00. I will call this the day of many outfit changes. I showered and dressed for the temple (in a dress, of course). It is our day to work at the Boston Temple. Peter, Jay, and I left the house at 5:15 and got to the temple around 6:15. We watched the sunrise as we were driving east on the Mass Pike, and I couldn't resist taking some photos. And here they are:
We left the temple earlier than usual (11:00) so we could get home in time to go to our new ward picnic at Pulaski State Park. We stopped at WalMart to get a few things, got home and did change number 2: jeans. We went to the picnic and had a very nice time. I had a hamburger and a little bit of cole slaw and some kind of potato salad. I had a wonderful conversation with a member who went to the big Gettysburg 150th re-enactment. He does the cooking. They were part of the Rhode Island group. They did everything super authenically. This is his last year doing it.
We had to stop at the Hallmark store and Crabtree & Evelyn Store to get a few things before heading home and for change number 3.
But here's a cool thing. Someone in Putnam made this giant "paper airplane" out of metal and stuck it in a tree on the side of the road. It's so awesome and Jay was so kind as to stop the car so I could get out and take a photo. Here it is!
Got home and changed into a skirt and top to go to Nate & Leslie's wedding reception (they were married out west a month or so ago, and this is their East Coast reception). We had a great time and I took a couple of photos:
The food was really good...all hours-dourves. Something I ate gave me a reaction...my throat felt tight and my tongue tingly...not a good thing. The moral? Don't eat anything that's mixed with stuff that you don't know what it is. The reception was at the fire house, and Bob took us out to see their truck bay...very nice. This little thing was out there, and I couldn't resist taking a photo:
We left the reception and headed home to change number 4, jeans again and off we went to Dayville...Jay to get gas and me to stop at the Dollar Store for containers and Aldi's for milk. Then home....and guess what: change number 5...my pink cotton dress...my comfy hang-around-the-house dress. I baked some bread for Jay (no eggs, no yeast, no gluten). It looks good. We'll try it tomorrow. I hope it tastes good that that Jay likes it. I also did a loud of wash and am watching a little TV. Jay has now disappeared. I wonder where he went. Oh, I found him. It's bedtime! Byeeee!
Oh, one more thing: the weather today was perfect! Clear, not hot, and now it's perfect sleeping weather.
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| Jay getting our stuff out of the back of his car. |
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| The Boston Temple in the early morning. |
We left the temple earlier than usual (11:00) so we could get home in time to go to our new ward picnic at Pulaski State Park. We stopped at WalMart to get a few things, got home and did change number 2: jeans. We went to the picnic and had a very nice time. I had a hamburger and a little bit of cole slaw and some kind of potato salad. I had a wonderful conversation with a member who went to the big Gettysburg 150th re-enactment. He does the cooking. They were part of the Rhode Island group. They did everything super authenically. This is his last year doing it.
We had to stop at the Hallmark store and Crabtree & Evelyn Store to get a few things before heading home and for change number 3.
But here's a cool thing. Someone in Putnam made this giant "paper airplane" out of metal and stuck it in a tree on the side of the road. It's so awesome and Jay was so kind as to stop the car so I could get out and take a photo. Here it is!
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| Isn't this just the neatest thing? I love it! |
Got home and changed into a skirt and top to go to Nate & Leslie's wedding reception (they were married out west a month or so ago, and this is their East Coast reception). We had a great time and I took a couple of photos:
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| Nate and his lovely bride, Leslie...or maybe it's another L name that's spelled like Leslie but it's not... |
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| Bob L. (Nate's dad) and Ja talking...they're good friends. |
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| Funny..... |
Oh, one more thing: the weather today was perfect! Clear, not hot, and now it's perfect sleeping weather.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Day 32
Friday, July 26, 2013. Woke up much earlier than I would have liked to and couldn't go back to sleep, so I read for a while and then couldn't wait to slip back between the sheets and into dreamland. I slept until the alarm went off and just didn't want to get up...snuggling under the covers was just so...what's the word? Nice. :)
I didn't leave for work early like I wanted to. I had to stop for gas on the highway (otherwise I wouldn't have made it all the way to work). Amazingly, I punched in right at 7:00. Yay! Got lots done in the morning and then went to summer school graduation at 10:00. I usually do the Pledge of Allegiance, which I did today. Seeing those students in their caps and gowns always chokes me up.
Mr. L gave the speech, and, like usual, it was really good. He talked about how people call him crazy, and how he always takes that as a compliment because who wants to be just "eh." His message was to live in the moment and enjoy everything around you and be happy.
Sofia and Robby came over at lunch and brought lunch from a nearby Mexican restaurant. By mistake, they took a bag that belonged to another customer (oops), but luckily for me, it contained the only food that I could actually eat! It was good to be together. The rest of the day flew by and before you knew it, it was time to go home.
I had made an appointment with Natalie D. to visit teach her on my way home. I really didn't know her or where she lives. She lives in a lovely house in the middle of nowhere. The road to her home turned to dirt and you could see trail markers on the trees. This had to be a state forest. It was beautiful and lovely. I'll take a photo next time.
Natalie has two, sweet children (a girl and a boy). She showed me around her house and in the kitchen every available space on the counter and table was loaded with dirty dishes and pots and pans. She had cellulitis on her right foot and was on super-duper antibiotics and when she wasn't at work (elevating her foot in her cubicle), she was elevating her foot at home, with no chance to do the dishes. And her husband is not the dishwashing kind of guy. So, I rolled up my sleeves (hypothetically because I was wearing short sleeves), took my shoes off (for real), and started washing the dishes. Natalie dried and I washed, and two hours later we were done. As I was wiping down the counter, her daughter looked up at me and asked, "Can you help me clean my room now?" I just burst out laughing! I told her that I couldn't do that today, but I would next time I visited.
It took 45 minutes to get home and the Garmin took me through back roads. Here is a lovely photo of some kind of what I think is a foot bridge. Notice to stone tunnel to the right...lovely.
I was tired when I got home at 5:30, so I made hot dogs and beans for dinner...really easy. Relaxed a bit and now it's time to go to bed and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is going to be very busy.
I didn't leave for work early like I wanted to. I had to stop for gas on the highway (otherwise I wouldn't have made it all the way to work). Amazingly, I punched in right at 7:00. Yay! Got lots done in the morning and then went to summer school graduation at 10:00. I usually do the Pledge of Allegiance, which I did today. Seeing those students in their caps and gowns always chokes me up.
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| These are the grads saying the Pledge of Allegiance. You can't see me, but I'm up there. You can't see the rest of the audience, but it was a full house. |
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| This is me with Bryant S., the administrator over summer school, after the graduation ceremony. |
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| Laura H., the Student Services Secretary who also does summer school. Nice young girl. :) |
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| Nosa I., a wonderful man and a great math teacher. |
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| This is Lisa W., Director of Student Services. She's very pretty, petite, and lots of fun! |
I had made an appointment with Natalie D. to visit teach her on my way home. I really didn't know her or where she lives. She lives in a lovely house in the middle of nowhere. The road to her home turned to dirt and you could see trail markers on the trees. This had to be a state forest. It was beautiful and lovely. I'll take a photo next time.
Natalie has two, sweet children (a girl and a boy). She showed me around her house and in the kitchen every available space on the counter and table was loaded with dirty dishes and pots and pans. She had cellulitis on her right foot and was on super-duper antibiotics and when she wasn't at work (elevating her foot in her cubicle), she was elevating her foot at home, with no chance to do the dishes. And her husband is not the dishwashing kind of guy. So, I rolled up my sleeves (hypothetically because I was wearing short sleeves), took my shoes off (for real), and started washing the dishes. Natalie dried and I washed, and two hours later we were done. As I was wiping down the counter, her daughter looked up at me and asked, "Can you help me clean my room now?" I just burst out laughing! I told her that I couldn't do that today, but I would next time I visited.
It took 45 minutes to get home and the Garmin took me through back roads. Here is a lovely photo of some kind of what I think is a foot bridge. Notice to stone tunnel to the right...lovely.
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| I think this is just so pretty. We live in such a beautiful world. |
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Day 31
Thursday, July 25, 2013....woke up to a dreary kind of day, but the rain didn't start in earnest until 1:00 this afternoon, and then it was a deluge along with thunder and lightning. And it rained, and rained, and rained, so much so that Norwich had to close it's streets because of all the flooding. Getting out of town was a bit of a trick since the exit I use to get on the highway was closed because of the flooding, so I had to reroute and get on the highway by the loop-de-loop.
Work itself was good. I pre-registered two students and am working on the international students (who already have been pre-reged). I find my job very satisfying...it's going to be so weird when I retire.
With all the rain, I put Carrie's huge plant outside and also Jeanne's. They got well washed and watered.
Of course, I forgot about taking a photo until I was ready to leave, so I got Jen to take a picture of me in the rain :).
I stopped at Dideric's apartment on the way home to drop off some food for food storage. You just never know what circumstances could lead to being hungry...out of money, a storm outside, or a lockdown like the one in Watertown after the bombing at the Boston Marathon.
Speaking of marathons, I got an email about a 10K in Brooklyn, NY in October. It sounds so tempting to me. Maybe I'll sign up and start training. 10K really isn't very far and the training would not be as rigorous as a half marathon. I think I want to do it!!!
Since I won't be here for the Attawaugan Fire District meeting in August, I went in and paid all the bills and finished my report tonight. This way my work is done and I can go to Brazil with a clean conscience. Speaking of Brazil, I was starting to feel a little apprehensive today...you know, I don't speak Portuguese, and the people there don't speak English. I speak Spanish pretty well...enough to get around, but not everyone there speaks Spanish. That's going to be the interesting part--the communicating. I'll be sure to keep you up to date with my big adventure!
Work itself was good. I pre-registered two students and am working on the international students (who already have been pre-reged). I find my job very satisfying...it's going to be so weird when I retire.
With all the rain, I put Carrie's huge plant outside and also Jeanne's. They got well washed and watered.
Of course, I forgot about taking a photo until I was ready to leave, so I got Jen to take a picture of me in the rain :).
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| Singing in the Rain!!! Maybe next time I'll dance! It doesn't look like a ton of rain in this photo, but it was. |
Speaking of marathons, I got an email about a 10K in Brooklyn, NY in October. It sounds so tempting to me. Maybe I'll sign up and start training. 10K really isn't very far and the training would not be as rigorous as a half marathon. I think I want to do it!!!
Since I won't be here for the Attawaugan Fire District meeting in August, I went in and paid all the bills and finished my report tonight. This way my work is done and I can go to Brazil with a clean conscience. Speaking of Brazil, I was starting to feel a little apprehensive today...you know, I don't speak Portuguese, and the people there don't speak English. I speak Spanish pretty well...enough to get around, but not everyone there speaks Spanish. That's going to be the interesting part--the communicating. I'll be sure to keep you up to date with my big adventure!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Day 30
Wednesday, July 24, 2013: I woke up plenty early today (around 3:30 or so), did my usual routine...and by mistake woke Jay up. Today is Pioneer Day, and it's a holiday for him. I forgot to turn off the alarm, and he was not very happy with me, but he got over it. I went to lunch with Peter (at Dairy Queen)...I had the kid's lunch of a hot dog, banana, milk, and a butterscotch Dilly Bar. Then I had to work 15 minutes later because I took an extra 15 minutes for lunch. I got lots done at work...it felt very satisfying. I entered the ELL Academy and Step-up Program grades and part of the first semester of summer school grades on the transcript among other things.
I thought it would be neat to take a photo at the fountain in front of the Cranston building, so we did. I laughed with Jen and told her that she won't be able to wait for me to retire. She'll be so sick and tired of taking pictures almost every day :).
During Jay's day at home, he worked on pulling out the stump of the hemlock tree that he cut down a few weeks ago, but it's a major job. He said he was soaking wet from sweat, and the day wasn't as hot as others have been this summer. It's not out of the ground yet. Jay's looking for his big chain. He also planted the white dogwood tree that he gave me for Mother's Day. I love getting trees for special occasions. He bought me a red bud tree last year for a combination Mother's Day and birthday gift. I love it. It only had a couple of blooms on it this year since this was its first year, but next year it should look lovely. I'll be sure to take a picture.
Jay had to go to his meeting tonight, so he's out. Peter got home late because he went out to eat. Monday is his last class. Today he had his English final. I'm glad that's behind him. It was a lot of work...he wrote about 60 pages (and a lot of editing for me).
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| I love this cover. This is the book I held up yesterday. |
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| This fountain is beautiful. How many high schools have something like this in front? |
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| I'm sure the dogwood is happy to finally be in the ground. All the rain we had has been good for it as it spent so much time in a pot. |
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| It's hard to believe that in 1978 this was a tiny tree, no taller than a five-year-old child. Now look at the trunk and all those roots. There is a huge stone under those roots. One of the joys of New England...lots of rocks! |
Day 29
Tuesday, July 23, 2013. Woke up plenty early today (like 2:30 a.m.). Said my prayers, read my scriptures, played piano and just generally had a great morning. I felt great :). Had lots of off-and-on heavy rain on the way to work. At one point everyone was driving at 30 mph. Work was good; got stuff done that needed doing. At the end of the day, I got Jen to take a photo of me sitting on the student desk that's in my office. Then I took a picture of her so you all can see who my wonderful photographer is. :)
I stopped by Game Stop to visit Dideric at work on my way home. He was busy but we had a moment or two to talk. I'm going to stop and see him tomorrow on the way home from work because he's off on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm going to bring him food for beginning food storage. You never know when you need some food in the house!
We had a huge rainstorm about 5:00 or so that lasted a whole hour. The raindrops were huge and came down so fast. Everything was grey outside and I felt bad for people driving in that storm. When it ended, the sky had that yellow look to it.
Chris and Piper were supposed to come over for dinner but he sent me a message on Facebook to say that he was too tired (he works third shift) to come over. I understand that, and that was good with us. I made pasta primavera for dinner and we watched a couple of episodes of Glades (most of which I slept through) before going to bed.
It was an ordinary day, but it was a good day.
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| Those are books that were returned from a student who left NFA. I'm pretending to read Lord of the Flies. In reality, I have never read that book. |
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| This is my photograph, Jennifer J. |
We had a huge rainstorm about 5:00 or so that lasted a whole hour. The raindrops were huge and came down so fast. Everything was grey outside and I felt bad for people driving in that storm. When it ended, the sky had that yellow look to it.
Chris and Piper were supposed to come over for dinner but he sent me a message on Facebook to say that he was too tired (he works third shift) to come over. I understand that, and that was good with us. I made pasta primavera for dinner and we watched a couple of episodes of Glades (most of which I slept through) before going to bed.
It was an ordinary day, but it was a good day.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Day 28
Monday, July 22, 2013: I didn't wake up until the alarm went off, and I had to proofread Peter's paper...how can I get all this done? Took a quick shower and made the bed. Jay didn't want any breakfast, so I made a pot of oatmeal for myself and proceeded to read. It took me until almost 6:30 to finish reading Peter's paper, which made me 15 minutes late for work. I don't like being late for work, but it's okay sometimes.
I got lots done today and have two photos:
I zipped out of work right away so I could get home in time to bake up the Strawberry Torte that didn't get baked yesterday, to practice piano before my lesson, and to notarize something for Kim McR. Then I headed out for my piano lesson with Steve E. I told him that I didn't have time to do much practicing, so he played his new guitar and I improvised on the piano. It was fun. Some of the chords were difficult for me to improvise with but Steve said I did well, and especially well on one song.
We had dinner with Mark and Linda E. They also invited Kurt and Victoria L. (with whom we spent time on the Cape on Saturday), and the Betty and Steve W. Dinner was yummy--chicken Caesar salad, garlic bread, fruit salad, and the strawberry torte. We played three games of dominoes (called Chicken Feet, I think). We had a good time. Before you knew it, it was after 8:00 p.m. and time for me to go home. Jay and I will relax a little before nodding off for the night.
I got lots done today and have two photos:
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| This is a part of my office you won't see often. Those bobble heads on top there were given to my by one of the counselors, Faith T., when she retired several years ago. Allison T. gave me the lion, and another counselor (I don't remember who) gave me that flower girl. Notice that big, tall plant behind me? I'm plant sitting for Carrie L. over the summer (she's a 10-month employee). I put it out in the rain a couple of weeks ago, and it loved it. I also fertilized it. There is new growth coming out on the top. Lisa W. (head of Student Services) calls me the plant whisperer! I take good care of all the plants for my boss, Jeanne, as well. |
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| This is Christina B.H., one of the counselors who is an administrative intern this year for Bryant S., who does summer school, so she's working the month of July. |
We had dinner with Mark and Linda E. They also invited Kurt and Victoria L. (with whom we spent time on the Cape on Saturday), and the Betty and Steve W. Dinner was yummy--chicken Caesar salad, garlic bread, fruit salad, and the strawberry torte. We played three games of dominoes (called Chicken Feet, I think). We had a good time. Before you knew it, it was after 8:00 p.m. and time for me to go home. Jay and I will relax a little before nodding off for the night.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Gail Simmons's Strawberry Tart
I found this recipe in People magazine and is the cake I made on Sunday morning and will bake tomorrow morning. It's ready in the fridge in the springform pan. This is the third time that I have made it, and it is consistently WONDERFUL! I think part of the success is really having the butter and eggs at room temperature and not softening the butter in the microwave.
If you google the recipe, you'll see photos of it.
If you google the recipe, you'll see photos of it.
Ingredients
| 1 | c flour |
| 1 | t baking powder |
| pinch salt | |
| 1 | stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for coating pan |
| 1 | c sugar plus 2 T |
| 2 | large eggs, room temperature |
| 1 | t vanilla |
| 8 | oz fresh strawberries |
| juice of half a lemon | |
| ½ | t cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch springform pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Using a mixer at a low speed, incorporate flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes.
3. Arrange strawberries in concentric circles on top of dough. Pour lemon juice evenly over strawberries. Bake tart until edges are golden and center is set, about 45 minutes.
4. When tart is cool,run a sharp paring knife around the edge and remove the sides of the pan.
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Day 27
Sunday, July 21, 2013: Woke up early and did a few things before getting ready for church. I made up a cake batter, but ran out of time to bake it. So, I poured it in the springform pan, and now it's sitting in the refrigerator until tomorrow morning when I'll bake it.
On the way to church we saw many more trees and huge branches down, some of which were still blocking portions of the roadway. That must have been quite a wind that came by!
As usual, when I go to church really early with Jay (we were there at 7:30), I went to a quiet room to play piano (usually the Primary room, but today the Young Women's Room). After church, there was a linger longer. I would have been perfectly fine if I didn't eat that burrito. I think it had something in it that bothered my allergies because I didn't feel very good afterwards. I'm still not feeling 100% great, but it will pass.
Bob and Sharon came over for dinner and family home evening at 5:00. I made fish on the grill (it kind of got a bit dried out, but it was edible), a wonderful cole slaw, fruit salad, boiled potatoes with butter and parsley, fresh summer squash from the garden, and rolls from the bakery in Jewett City. Dinner was very enjoyable, especially ending with the blueberry pie that Sharon brought along (including ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel topping, which I didn't use).
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| Sharon and me relaxing after that yummy dinner...we both were so full. |
Then Peter wanted me to proof read the end of his journal for his English class, which I did. I'm just about cross eyed now and just want to relax. It's been a busy Sunday.
Day 26 continued
I should know what a pain it is to try to type in text with a photo at the bottom. I've had this problem a few times in the past.
Anyway, after clamming, Peter and Victoria felt icky with dried salt water on their skin (that doesn't bother me), so they (with me in tow) drove to a fresh-water pond so they could swim and get the salt off their bodies. I just sat at the edge of the water and dipped my feet in the water. All the water was so warm because of all the hot weather we have been having. The we went back to their house and had clams, corn on the cob, etc.
We left mid afternoon; and as we were driving home, there were huge areas of extreme rain. We only had to go through one such area, and the rain was such a deluge that you could hardly see the road and you had to be careful not to hydroplane. It didn't last long, thank goodness.
We stopped at the Shell station to pick up my car (I had dropped it off on Friday afternoon for an oil change), and Jay and Peter went on ahead of me. They called to tell me that I needed to go home via Ballouville because a huge tree was down and blocking the road in Attawaugan. And as I headed north, there were leaves and debris all over the road. As I drove through Ballouville, I saw several large branches off a tree and on top of a garage. Amazingly, the damage stopped about a half mile from home. We truly were blessed!
I did a load of wash, went to bed, and slept like a log.
Day 26
Saturday, July 20, 2013. We left the temple at 10:15, 10:30 p.m. or so. We stopped at McDonald's for a bite to eat because Jay was really hungry (he hadn't eaten dinner). We didn't get to Kurt and Victoria's until 12:30 a.m., and it was 1:00 when we got to bed. Jay and I slept in twin beds (I had the privilege of sleeping in the bottom bunk of a bunk bed). I woke up with a cramp in my leg and knocked myself in the noggin as I tried to get out of bed. I guess I forgot where I was. I slept until 6:30, and then I went with Kurt to the store to buy some milk.
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, we went kayaking. I LOVED it!!! I have a picture of Peter in his kayak. I have to get downloads from his phone to show you me. We went around an aquatic bird sanctuary and saw osprey nests and several other waterfowl. I didn't want to turn around and go back. I could have kayaked for hours.
After kayaking, we went to a different beach to get clams. On the way to the part of the beach where we went clamming, we passed a couple who had two dogs, an older chocolate lab and a less than one year old German Shepherd named Mia. Jay threw her tennis ball for her, and here they are:
I threw the ball for her, too, and she kept on bringing it back to me to throw again, and again, and again, and again....you get the picture :). I don't know why she wanted me to throw it for her so many times because I positively throw like a girl...it never went very far. But maybe that's not the big deal for Mia...the fun is in the chase. :)
Anyway, Peter got five clams on his first try...amazing! Jay and he were competing and wanted to do all the clamming. They both loved it. Here are photos:
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| Jay and Mia playing ball. |
I threw the ball for her, too, and she kept on bringing it back to me to throw again, and again, and again, and again....you get the picture :). I don't know why she wanted me to throw it for her so many times because I positively throw like a girl...it never went very far. But maybe that's not the big deal for Mia...the fun is in the chase. :)
Anyway, Peter got five clams on his first try...amazing! Jay and he were competing and wanted to do all the clamming. They both loved it. Here are photos:
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| Peter searching the rake for clams. |
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| Raking the bottom, trying to get more clams. |
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| Success! |
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| Kurt looking on... |
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| Jay's turn! |
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| Is this a clam? |
Day 25 continued...
Well, those photos didn't get lost. Here they are!
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| I help a lot of people on the phone. I always have my perpetual notebook and pen or pencil handy to write as I speak. I still use shorthand, which is a dead skill these days. Only us older people know how to do it. It's fun for me. :) |
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| Filing...love filing...not. But it sure is important to do it correctly because when you need to find something, you have it find it! |
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| This is Robbie pretending to need help. Lots of people come to my office for help and stand just as he is as I listen to what they need. |
Friday, July 19, 2013
Day 25
Friday, July 19, 2013. Dideric's birthday. And another hot day...into the 90s. Work was good. Got a lot done. But last night I woke up around 1:30/2:00 or so and couldn't go back to sleep. So I got up and read and then fell back to sleep. The next thing I knew, Jay was waking me up...it was 6:00! We had overslept. This is amazing, because I took a shower, got dressed, threw together something for lunch, and only punched in two minutes late! Yay! It is so rare when something like this happens.
Sofia and Rob came by to see me at lunch time, and I got her to take some photos of me doing various things in my office; and you'll never guess what. When I was importing them onto my computer, I selected one and then clicked to delete all the photos on my phone, and now only one photo imported. So, here is one photo of me in my office typing in honors tags:
We work in the temple tonight and then go to visit Kurt and Victoria at the Cape. Should be a fun day tomorrow, although thunder storms are a 50/50 chance in the afternoon. No matter what, it will be fun.
Sofia and Rob came by to see me at lunch time, and I got her to take some photos of me doing various things in my office; and you'll never guess what. When I was importing them onto my computer, I selected one and then clicked to delete all the photos on my phone, and now only one photo imported. So, here is one photo of me in my office typing in honors tags:
We work in the temple tonight and then go to visit Kurt and Victoria at the Cape. Should be a fun day tomorrow, although thunder storms are a 50/50 chance in the afternoon. No matter what, it will be fun.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Day 24
Thursday, July 18, 2013. I slept like a log last night and didn't wake up until the alarm went off this morning. And when I walked into work...bam...some stuff went wrong. I refused to make it a bad day, though. Dumb stuff happens at work, and that's just the way it is. So I worked on a single project all day, and it's still not done (scheduling senior SSP - Student Success Plan - meetings for each student individually with his/her counselor). There are 550+ students in this class; that's a lot of appointments to schedule. You have to be careful not to schedule them during the afternoons on half days, etc. I want to get everything scheduled and the letters merged and ready to go so when I get back from Brazil, I can just send them over to the print shop to be printed and mailed.
I didn't take a picture at work again today. I have to remember to do that, and that's all there is to it. I think I'll get Peter to take a photo of me right now (not wearing a dress, though!!!). It was very hot and humid again today. When I went through Jewett City, the sign at the bank said is was 105 degrees Fahrenheit! I wonder if their thermometer was wrong. I kept my window open in my office all morning and it was not excessively hot in my office, but my car was steaming when I went out at lunch time.
The sister missionaries had dinner at our house again tonight because Dianne S. canceled and I didn't want them to be hungry. I made a chicken salad and put together a tossed salad to have with it. I picked up rolls and some yummy pastries for desert from the bakery in Jewett City. After dinner, we went and visited some people. A good night, indeed.
I didn't take a picture at work again today. I have to remember to do that, and that's all there is to it. I think I'll get Peter to take a photo of me right now (not wearing a dress, though!!!). It was very hot and humid again today. When I went through Jewett City, the sign at the bank said is was 105 degrees Fahrenheit! I wonder if their thermometer was wrong. I kept my window open in my office all morning and it was not excessively hot in my office, but my car was steaming when I went out at lunch time.
The sister missionaries had dinner at our house again tonight because Dianne S. canceled and I didn't want them to be hungry. I made a chicken salad and put together a tossed salad to have with it. I picked up rolls and some yummy pastries for desert from the bakery in Jewett City. After dinner, we went and visited some people. A good night, indeed.
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| Just to make it not just any old photo, I decided I'd play piano for this photo! |
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