Pneumonia

I'm in bed with double pneumonia - that's just fancy speak for both lungs. I'll be out all week and I apologize. Wednesday will be busy granting all my wishes (soup, please!) and I'm not sure how FUN I will feel on Friday. Hopefully, I'll be better by next week, though!

Hope everyone has a great week (or at least a better one than mine has shaped up to be)!

FLASHBACK Friday

How groovy were our drill team outfits? I love the superhero belts. You should have seen the hats. Maybe next time.

High school poetry - was there anything like it? My friend Jes shared a piece of one of her poems, though recently written on her blog this week and inspired me to dig some of mine out.



NATURE'S WONDER
Blanketed by gray
the tree stands proud,
branches jut out
like a defiant chin.
Blossoms,
white as doves,
challenge the gloomy atmosphere.
This creation watches
while clouds kidnap the sun,
and hungrily devour the blue.
It drinks in drops
of rain
like dry, cracked ground
in a desert.
The tree
dances with the wind
gyrating left then right,
politely bowing to its partner
when the day escapes.


I actually won the senior poetry competition with that one. I wrote it on a Saturday morning in an overcrowded English Comp room under the watchful eyes of my two favorite teachers.

And just because it's fun, I'm going to share a few childhood photos with you. I come by creativity honestly - though my Mom's takes an entirely different form. When we were little, she made ALL of our clothes. She could work magic with fabric. Check it out!


That's my Mom (holding me) and my aunt. Can you believe how young she looks? She's 22. And she made her own dress.










My dad is STILL a horrible dresser (So my stepmom dresses him). Looking at this picture, my Mom really should have been doing that. I love this picture, though, because it is vintage "Gil".









As you can see, my love for animals went way back. And I'm holding the puppy exactly the way I teach young children NOT to hold it now. Check out the groovy pants Mom made me. So creative!








Easter. That's my baby brother, Drew. I love this picture for three reasons. First, the matching outfits Mom made us. Second, the expression on my face (can you tell I already dipped significantly into the Easter basket??). Third, the expression on Drew's face. It's classic dopey Drew. I say that with all the love a big sister has for her younger brother - the one she wanted to be a sister, the one who let her dress him up as a girl and played tea parties. And if you could see Drew today, you'd be shocked that I got a dress on him when he was four.



What about you - did you inherit your creativity? Do you have fun flashback poetry?


Have a GREAT weekend!!

Wednesday Wishes

This is Wednesday leaning out of her cat tree. She may look like just your average gray tabby cat, but she has many skills. Most of these skills, she uses for The Good. Okay, 'most' might be a slight exaggeration. Wednesday is a good little kitty, though, at heart. She loves her family, loves her sisters, loves annoying those sisters and she also loves to grant wishes. Every Wednesday morning, I will rub the side of the cat house and summon our magic cat!

My Wednesday Wishes for the week:

1) Health - I caught a cold. Germie little kids breathing on me! The frustrating part of this is that I have not been able to exercise! I'm really missing it. I can't wait to get back to the track and run, run, run. Isn't that funny? Never in my life did I think that I would love to run, but I do. I miss my kickboxing as well. A nice hike with the Lilster would be great if the weather would cooperate. And, of course, it's never fun coughing your head off. Blech. So, to good health! Like NOW! Or at least by Sunday for my nephew's memorial race (Jason's Race).

2) Magic Closet - I would love to stand in front of my closed closet doors each morning, announce how I'm feeling and open it to the PERFECT outfit. So I could "Sassy!" and there it would be - shoes and accessories included! On days when I don't feel as great, I could still look incredible! Since it's a magic closet that includes shoes and accessories, it needs to also present me with the perfect make-up palette to match it. The time that I save having to put together an outfit could actually go into putting on my face. I'll trade one for the other. I'm okay with that! So, Magic Closet please!

3) Spontaneous Rain Storm - It's supposed to be 98 degrees here today. 98 degrees. In OCTOBER. I want rain, Wednesday. Storm clouds. Cool breezes. And rain. I want to throw open those windows and hear the thunder boom, watch the lightning flash, smell the rain on the pavement. Forget 98 degrees. Forget the sun. Give me RAIN and cold instead! Then, I'll curl up with my laptop, a cup of vanilla caramel coffee and a candle to write the morning and afternoon away.

What about you - what are your wishes for our magical cat?

FUN Friday

TGIF! Let's have some fun!

This is one of my all time favorite commericals


Even better? I discovered this little gem - The Making Of. More adorableness.


Not everyone likes Louis CK. I love him.


And you know I have to share at least one adorable animal video with you




KID FUNNIES:

In 2nd Grade Kindness, a little boy drew the milk carton and we were going over whether or not milk is kind for cats. When I said, "Cow's milk is really bad for a cat's tummy," he got all excited and shouted,

"And cat's milk is really, really bad for our tummies!"

But my favorite was a 1st grader who had wanted to tell me about his dog the entire presentation...when he finally got the chance at the end of the presentation, this is what transpired:
Michael: Miss Jennifer, did you know that I have a dog named Oliver?
Me: No, I didn't.
Michael: I do. And we got him at the animal shelter. I love him very much because he eats really, really fast and he likes to chase me when I have a Pop Tart.

I love the randomness that is young children!


I'm spending the day tomorrow cleaning in preparation for Game Night tomorrow night! And Sunday, of course, is all about the football.

What about you - any big plans this weekend?

Wednesday Wishes

This is Wednesday leaning out of her cat tree. She may look like just your average gray tabby cat, but she has many skills. Most of these skills, she uses for The Good. Okay, 'most' might be a slight exaggeration. Wednesday is a good little kitty, though, at heart. She loves her family, loves her sisters, loves annoying those sisters and she also loves to grant wishes. Every Wednesday morning, I will rub the side of the cat house and summon our magic cat!

My Wednesday Wishes for the week:

1) Anniversary Trip - Our five year anniversary is coming up next April. I really want to go somewhere special for a week. International. Like Prague. Or New Zealand. I just can't decide whether I want a week in New Zealand or a week traveling through Switzerland, Austria, and ending in Prague. Oh, and once I decide, I don't even know how to start to planning. But I want to start now. I'm a list girl. I'm a plotter. I like itineraries. And I like them far in advance. Also, I need to do this without the hubster knowing about it because I want it to be a surprise. I'd really like to wake up tomorrow and just have the whole itinerary be under my pillow - really is that too much to ask? Oooooh, but Whistler! That would be a nice trip. No, I'm going to shut my brain off or I'll end up with way too many choices. So, itinerary under the pillow tomorrow morning. With a donut. No, pillow donuts are gross. Just the itinerary, please. With some relaxing time in there as well. I don't want it to be go, go, go, GOOOOO. I'd like some sleeping in.

2) Pantry - I spent half a day organizing the pantry. It's a DREAM. Every can and box is in a specific place. It is organized alphabetically (don't judge me!). I can't tell you how much fun it was to cook the past few nights because I knew where EVERYTHING was. It was beyond awesome. Well beyond. There isn't a word in the English language to describe it. My wish is that it STAYS this way. I have warned the hubster that he better not mess up the system. I'm hoping he takes me seriously. If he doesn't, I think I'll make him cook dinner from scratch and I'll find a recipe using a ton of ingredients that he will have to dig through the mess he will have created to find. Or is that too harsh? Here's to hoping Wednesday can give me my wish and keep it that way!

3) Magic Pillow - The itinerary comment above gave me an idea! How cool would a magic pillow be? Anything you dreamed would be under it in the morning! Sure, a dragon might put a crick in your neck...and that dashing knight might make for an awkward wake-up with the hubster...okay, within reason. Let's say a magic pillow within reason. Dream about your best seller - and there it is! Dream about money - there it is! Whatever is on your mind, that pillow can deliver. AND it gives you the best night sleep ever, corrects your alignment (neck and spine!), cures headaches and hangovers (for the drinkers). Oooh, it's sounding better all the time! PLUS, perfectly coiffed hair every time whether you just lay down for a nap or the entire night.

What about you - what are your wishes for Wednesday our magical cat?

P.S. - I knew I was forgetting something! Angela Felsted is having a really cool contest! Click here for details. She has a poetry book coming out in January. You have to check out the video she put together. It's wonderful!