Skip to content

Beautiful. . .even in the rain

  • by

For the third year in a row, Tracy and I took a  weekend trip to Manchester, Vt. We drive to Albany on Friday after school, spend the night, and drive over to Manchester in time for breakfast at Up To Breakfast. Their specialty is Morning Glory pancakes–a kind of carrot cake for breakfast–totally yummy! Then we head off to the Northshire Bookstore, one of the few really large independent bookstores left. Rochester has lost all the independents to the big names. Northshire has actually expanded in the last two years, and it’s easy to spend an hour or two browsing through the store, and reading the staff recommendations. After Northshire, we head to the outlets and the flagship store for Orvis. This year Tracy did a lot of shopping. I had already found my bargains at Macy’s at the Colonie Center the night before. Finally we stop in Bennington at Bennington Pottery (no finds this year), but we had a great lunch at Madison Brewery. This year we extended our trip and drove on to Hyde Park, NY to visit my brother and my niece.

The weather was generally crummy. It rained all the way to Albany Friday night, drizzled all day Saturday, but the foliage was beautiful. . . even in the rain. It POURED from Manchester to Hyde Park, NY. The Taconic Parkway was treacherous as water accumulated on both sides of the road, making passing very difficult. Later that night portions of the Taconic flooded and had to be closed to traffic.

It finally stopped raining Sunday morning so Dane and Tracy managed to get a  golf game in. Julie and I had a wonderful lunch at Crew in Poughkeepsie, and then drove to Rhinebeck and did the shops. Rhinebeck has retained its charm from my high school and college days, but the shopping has definitely expanded and there are many delightful shops with interesting selections of products. “Random,” is Julie’s interpretation, and she’s right on–odd assortments of stuff, but much of it nice. Found another nice independent bookstore there, though not nearly as large. Had a wonderful meal at Max’s Memphis Barbecue, an upscale, cozy restaurant in Red Hook. Drove home today under gray, cloudy skies. Great weekend away; seemed a lot longer than three days. Nice.

Julie
Julie in Rhinebeck

Scrapbook Crop

  • by

Thegirls

Last  weekend I went to my second scrapbook crop. It ran from 5-11 on Friday and 9-9 Saturday. My friend, Lynn, and her sister and I had a great time. Friday night we worked on projects with sei papers. I ended up with two 2-page layouts for a future album and 13 cards!! On Saturday I finished the second of two gift albums and completed 10 pages in my Christmas album. It’s amazing how fast the time goes, and it sure is nice to have so much accomplished.

Crop2

It’s amazing to me how much stuff people bring to these events. I know I have tons of supplies, but my stash pales in comparison to some of the materials these ladies bring to the crop. Is this just part of their supplies, or do they bring it all? Being a planner, I brought only what I needed. Of course, I also bought new supplies as well. Every time Lynn or Robyn came back with a great piece of paper, it was so easy to walk down two doors and buy a piece yourself. The best purchases, however, were two new containers of flowers. The flowers are great and so is the packaging. The cute bottle of Forever Flowers is brightening my desk and reminding me that there is more to life than grading papers.

Time to Blog?

  • by
  • 23 literacy profiles
  • 10 week plans
  • unit plans for reading, writing, word study, social studies, science, and math
  • weekly plans
  • annual goal setting summary
  • student teacher evaluations
  • 69-115 papers to grade a day

And I wonder why I don’t have time (or the energy) to blog. Perhaps soon.

Fresh Start

  • by

One of many advantages to being a teacher is having two New Years every year. The traditional January first New Year, and the new start of a school year. My whole life has always revolved around an academic calendar, and I have almost always loved the beginning of a new school year. (The one year I didn’t was my junior year of high school when my family moved from Ohio to New York. To say it was traumatic is an understatement. It was, however, one of the best things to happen to me–in retrospect.)

So there’s been no blogging because I can’t do the get ready for school thing and much of anything else. Haven’t done a scrapbook page, haven’t read a book, haven’t done anything but think about the new year. What worked well last year? What new things do I want to try this year? What will my bulletin boards look like? It goes on and on. But now it’s done. The kids come tomorrow. I have met a few of them–all with great smiles and eager to start a new year. Just like their teacher.

Hope

  • by

Last year I read an inspiring book by Jerome Groopman entitled The Anatomy of Hope. He says:
     Hope , unlike optimism, is rooted in unalloyed reality . . . Hope is the
    elevating feeling we experience when we see – in the mind’s eye –
    a path to a better future.
He goes on to talk about the importance of faith and hope in the recovery from disease, and outlines the difference between hope, false hope, and faith. It’s a wonderful book.

I’ve had reason to think about hope again this summer. First, Sarah’s boyfriend talked to a elderly Palestinian this summer while he was living in Israel. The man said he had no hope for himself, his children, or his grandchildren. His comments have not been far from my mind since I read them. You can read Adam’s whole entry here.

Then our book group read Thomas Friedman’s book The World is Flat. Friedman quotes a Chinese government official who said, “When people have hope, you have a middle class.” (p. 375) Friedman goes on to say that the world will never truly be flat for people who have no hope. “The bad news is . . there are hundred of millions of people who have no hope and therefore no chance of making it into the middle class. They have no hope for two reasons:  Either they are too sick, or their local governments are too broken for them to believe they have a pathway forward.” (p. 376)

Finally, I just finished reading Tracy Kidder’s inspiring Mountains Beyond Mountains that tells the story of Paul Farmer and how he has single-handedly made a huge difference for many third world people too sick to have hope. It occurred to me that although their health was certainly the greatest cure, having hope restored is close behind.

I am a constant worrier. When Matt was having lots of difficulties in high school, his counselor cautioned me not to “catastrophize” every little event. I was (and am) capable of envisioning the worst possible outcomes for every incident. I learned to work hard not to allow myself these negative thoughts. But throughout it all, I never lost hope that things could get better. If I try to personalize a loss of hope, I cannot. It’s hard not to come to the conclusion that the functioning governments of the world are not putting their resources where they can truly make a difference. Paul Farmer’s efforts have been fruitful; the war in Iraq has certainly not instilled hope in the Iraqis. Where is the money better spent?

Field Trip

  • by

I belong to a great book group – four couples. Some of us have been together in this group since 1990. Occasionally we take a field trip. Our biggest one was to Buffalo after reading Lauren Belfer’s City of Light, a historical mystery set at the turn of the century and dealing with the harnessing of Niagara Falls to produce hydroelectricity. We took a tour of some of the architectural delights of Buffalo mentioned in the book, had a hard hat tour of the Niagara Power Plant, and checked into the Ransom House for an elegant dinner and night at the inn. This week we joined Jim and Suzanne at Esperanza Mansion for a wonderful lunch overlooking Keuka Lake and then retired to the cottage they had rented for their vacation for our book discussion of The World is Flat. It’s hard to imagine having a more thoughtful, creative, and entertaining group of people with whom to share your love of books. Lucky us.

Fieldtrip

Organized

  • by

When asked by her boyfriend what was weird about me (following some comment of hers), Sarah launched into an explanation of what she clearly considers to be my organizational disease–the need to constantly reorder and reorganize my stuff and my house. I have to admit there’s truth to the accusation. I LOVE to organize and I am always looking for better ways to do it. I own more than one book outlining organizational principals, and have found some of them to be quite inspiring. The big event in my organizational life was discovering The Container Store. The first time I saw one I had flown to Atlanta so was severely limited in my ability to acquire new organizational tools. The next trip I spent my allotted budget on Sarah (who didn’t mind being organized by her mother at all!) Finally last summer I was able to leave the store with multiple shopping bags of my own, and I am hooked. Their stuff is the best, and I had a great time there again this summer. Sarah found this postcard in a shop in Little Five Points while we were there and it is me.

Storagespace_1

Then I saw this sign in The Container Store and knew I needed a picture of it.

Lifesmorefun

Julie Morgenstern says in her book Organizing from the Inside Out, that if you are well-organized you can put everything away in 15 minutes or less. I make a horrendous mess while I’m scrapbooking, and I can clean it all up in less than 15! Nevertheless, I’ll still be looking for more good ideas.

Tag for Blog Book

  • by

Blogtag

Finished my tag for Donna Downey’s blog book and got it in the mail. This is the first time I’ve ever participated in anything like this. It’s fascinating how starting a blog has expanded my interests and contacts. I found this quote in Simple Scrapbooks that really resonated with me.
                    The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble
                    to do it if you felt it didn’t matter.  Edward Albee

Road Trip: Part 2

Part 2 of vacation was spent in Beaufort, NC. One Saturday morning we decided we’d like to spend some time at the ocean and opened up the map, thinking we’d find a place on the Outer Banks. When we couldn’t find anything that looked appealing, we looked south and read about Beaufort which sounded charming, and we were able to book four nights at the Delamar Inn. Good choice all around.

The Delamar Inn is lovely and our hosts, Mary and F.J. had lots of good recommendations for restaurants and how to spend our time. Monday we took a ferry from Cedar Point to Ocracoke Island, and then another ferry to Hatteras and drove up to Duck, NC. We’ve discovered we’ve been spoiled by our years on Kiawah Island and nothing else seems to match up. It was an enjoyable day, but cured any desire to spend a vacation there. We would, however, go back to Beaufort. We enjoyed the town and shops, the fine dining, the harbor, and the nearby golf and beach. We didn’t make time to take the ferry taxi out to the shelling islands from Beaufort and we’d definitely go back to Fort Macon’s beach and the Bogue Point Country Club.

Internet Cafe

I must admit I find it a bit strange to be sitting in a little coffee house in Beaufort, NC, primarily so I can upload the blog entries I’ve written earlier on this trip. I’ve always been a little resentful of Tracy’s computer accompanying us on trips. In April I took mine to Kiawah so I could upload digital photographs, and now this. So although the coffee is good and strong, the real reason for being here is a chance to use the free wireless. Guess I’m hooked.

Road Trip: Part I

We left Rochester on Saturday afternoon and arrived in Atlanta around 1:00 on Sunday, just in time for me to hit Archiver’s for the Make and Take weekend specials. Covered a cute tin box that we filled with tags, and a card that holds several notes tied with a ribbon. As always the shopping there was a lot of fun. They have so many scrapbook products I never  see at home. Their current ad says “Indulge yourself,” and I did. We met Adam for dinner at Macaroni Grill at the Mall of Georgia and a nice long visit.

Shopping was the main event the next day as well. Tracy had a golf analysis at the PGA Superstore and bought new clubs. I checked off my list at The Container Store and found another scrapbook store in Alpharetta while Tracy was having his golf swing analyzed. Later in the week, we hit Ikea, REI, the shops at The Perimeter Mall, and I spent some time in the gift shops in Decatur. Good thing I curbed my spending earlier this summer.

Sarah returned from The Ghost Ranch on Monday night, and we met up with her  and Adam on Tuesday morning. She had a great trip, but was glad to reconnect with Adam after a two month separation. It’s so nice to see your kids happy, and she and Adam certainly have a good time together. She leaves for Scotland for 10 days on Sunday; the last trip of her FTE project. I don’t think it will be easy to leave Adam again so soon.

Ate at lots of new restaurants in Decatur and Atlanta; too many great meals. The highlight was a dinner at Canoe. The most disconcerting meal turned out to be lunch at Panera’s  while Tracy was golfing with a college friend in Jasper. (See previous posts.)

The last evening we went to the laser show at Stone Mountain. Both Sarah and I had expected some history as part of the show, but it was just songs and cartoon laser images flashed on the side of the mountain. It certainly was a disappointment although there were a few nice fireworks interspersed in the show.

Booted!

  • by

Evidently Sarah and Adam saw the sign as we ate lunch on the patio at Panera’s in Decatur. I never saw the sign, and somehow missed their conversation so I was shocked to see this scene Bootedblogwhen we went to retrieve Adam’s car in the CVS parking lot! To have the boot removed required a $75 cash payment. The guy kindly directs you to an ATM several shops up the street. We learned a lesson:  read the signs on the doors of the restaurant BEFORE you enter!

Canoe

  • by

I read about Canoe in The Insider’s Guide to Atlanta so I was expecting a nice restaurant with good food. I was not prepared for one of the most beautiful settings I’ve been to as well as fabulously good food. We arrived at dusk, and it had been raining and drizzling for a while.Canoe2blog Sarah opted to eat on the covered porch which was a great choice. It overlooks the Chattahoochee River and beautifully landscaped gardens and paths along the river. Fog hung over the river giving the whole place an eerie, romantic feel. Canoe1blog_1“J”, our gracious and jovial waiter, gave Sarah a lesson in wine tasting, and great recommendations for both entrees and dessert. The presentation of the food was as lovely as the setting. Very romantic place; worthy of a return trip.

Flowers in Our Garden

  • by

Last summer it was cold (good for summer school) and cloudy. My flowers didn’t do well, and we hardly had any for bouquets. This summer has been very hot (bad for summer school), but great for flowers. Here are a few that are blooming on our patio in pots or in our gardens. We’ve had a pitcher of flowers on the table almost constantly since the Fourth of July.

 

   

   

 

Hibiscus1_1
Hibiscus

   

Gerberdaisy1
Gerber Daisy

Daylily1
Day Lily

 

   

   

   

 

Geranium1
Martha Washington
Geranium

Desertrose1
Desert Rose

Hydranga1
Hydrangea

 

   

   

   

 

Marthawashingtongeranium1
Geranium

Petunias1
Petunias

Zinnia1
Zinnia

Stuck

  • by

I’ve been stuck and uninspired recently. I can’t quite come up with a reason, but it’s been hard to think about writing for the blog, creating a scrapbook page, or doing much creative. I have been keeping up with the journaling, and I’ve made a bunch of cards, but that’s about it.

I was just about ready to get started on the blog again and then my daughter went to the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico and started posting some of the most beautifully written entries I’ve know her to write. She’s a wonderful writer, but the Ghost Ranch inspires her deep reflection and the language she uses is so wonderful. It’s very interesting to be intimidated by your daughter!

Summer school ends tomorrow and then we’re headed south; first to Atlanta to visit with Sarah and Adam both of whom will be home (briefly in Sarah’s case) for a few days. Then we’re off to Beaufort, NC for four days at the Delamar Inn and time to explore the Outer Banks, golf, sightsee, and sit by the sea. I am really ready for a rest. I’m looking forward to the scrapbook shopping at Archiver’s, organizational shopping at The Container Store as well as checking out all the little shops I’ve been reading about in the Insider’s Guide to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.