Robin's Nest

2012-01-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

My cat, Jenny, is adorable! She's small, very soft, and totally dedicated to me. But, Jenny is a "spaz" cat. Last night, she was whining. Usually, she comes to me and snuggles up and all is well. But, last night she didn't know what she wanted. It was 2:15, so it didn't take long for me to want to settle her down, but when I tried to pull her to me her collar came apart (it's made to do that). So, I got up to put her collar back on her, and S*P*A*Z!!! She like totally f*r*e*a*k*e*d out... Not once, not twice, THREE times! Oh those cats... Ya gotta love 'em!!!

Just Becuz

2012-01-07T09:58:00.001-07:00

I saw this on facebook, and I liked it, so I decided to share it here...

Take time to think; it is the source of power. Take time to read; it is the foundation of wisdom Take time to play; it is the secret of staying young. Take time to be quiet; it is the opportunity to seek God. Take time to be aware; it is the opportunity to help others. Take time to love and be loved; it is God's greatest gift. Take time to laugh; it is the music of the soul. Take time to be friendly; it is the road to happiness. Take time to dream; it is what the future is made of. Take time pray; it is the greatest power on earth. Author unknown.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-03T19:28:00.003-07:00

This is kinda out of order, but I thought I'd mention that this year we (Jesse, my mom and me) spent Thanksgiving at Bill Johnson's Big Apple, in Mesa. It was $15 for all you could eat, of typical Thanksgiving food: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, ham, cranberries, and pumpkin pie!

On the way home we found this big, pink chair... Of course we had to climb in it!

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Jesse and I made our own Thanksgiving dinner, just so we could have the leftover turkey. This was our only Thanksgiving decoration!

Winter Break

2011-12-29T13:41:00.008-07:00

Winter break started on December 21st and on December 22nd, when Jesse got off work, we headed for Utah! We traveled as far as Las Vegas, and spent the night at Circus Circus (it's the cheapest place to stay). First thing the next morning we took off for the rest of the trip north. We really expected to see snow, but the only snow we saw was up on the tops of the mountains. This was good news for driving!!! When we finally got to Orem we unloaded the car and then drove up to Salt Lake to see the lights on Temple Square.

We stopped for gas and DQ blizzards in Beaver, Utah.

Me, inside the tabernacle (and Jesse's finger!). It was nice and warm in there!

We did something that I've been wanting to do for about 20 years... We took a carriage ride around Temple Square!!!

This is our horse, Smith; he's a Belgium, and big and beautiful! He liked to tailgate the cars ahead of us!

And, two views of our carriage.

Christmas Eve was wonderful. For the first time in over 10 years I spent the holiday with family! And, by family I mean more than me, Jesse, and my mom. At 5:30 Jesse's sisters, Tammy and Faye, and their families came over for dinner. There were over 10 people there, talking and visiting... Reminded me of when we used to go to Granny's house for Thanksgiving (Gosh I miss that!). It wasn't fancy or even special, just NICE!

Milton and Rosealeen (Jesse's mom)

Milton, Rosealeen, Jason (Jesse's nephew) and Jackie (Jesse's niece).

Faye (Jesse's sister) and a couple of her grandchildren.

Rosealeen, Tammy (Jesse's sister), and John (Faye's husband).
Jesse gave his mom and sisters a CTR/Families are Forever pin that he designed... That's what they're looking at.

These are just some random pictures we took on the way home...

Fall Break

2011-12-28T20:26:00.009-07:00

My sister, Jill, came to visit my mom during October, and she wanted to see Sedona. Since Jesse had never been there, we decided to take a day trip up there. Jill really wanted to see the Church of the Holy Cross, which is built into the side of the red rock mountain.

Jesse and I took a trip to Las Vegas. When we left, we really didn't have anything planned, other than relaxing near the pool, at Circus Circus, but when we got there we found LOTS to do.

First, we got free tickets to a magic show at the Flamingo. The guy was a contestant on "America's Got Talent," and he was REALLY good! Literally shot himself out of a cannon and ended up in the audience! Then, we got suckered into going to a promotional ordeal (buy into a time share sort of thing). If we went we got FREE tickets to a comedian and $50 in slot play. I know why I don't gamble... Cuz I won $0 on the free play! However, the comedian was pretty funny, and worth the price! Hahaha!!! Then, we decided to go see the Titanic Exhibit. I'd seen it before (in Phoenix) and it was definitely worth seeing again! It is amazing to me how that huge ship cracked in 2 and sank, yet they have china plates without a scratch on them! Finally, in the end,I got to spend a couple of hours by the pool! Unfortunately, it wasn't enough time to come home with a tan!

Summer 2011

2011-07-29T11:13:00.004-07:00

Okay... I admit... I'm a Facebook junkie! I like reading about what my "friends" are up to and I like playing MyTown. NOTE: I say "playing" MyTown, when it's more like "seeing if MyTown is working." Any way, I've spent waaaaaaaay too much time sitting on the couch this summer, but sometimes that time results in finding something wonderful. For example: One day I found this post, by Debbie Ray:
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced!
Live your life in such a manner that
When you die the world cries and you rejoice!"
--unknown

After having my wisdom teeth pulled, and sending Linda and Bill back to Michigan, in June, we didn't have money left for a vacation... One of the reasons I spent too much time on the couch... But, I did get to go clothes shopping, since my clothes are getting pretty old. I bought both of these dresses at Penney's... $50!!!

There are other clothes, but I don't have pictures of those.

I spent a lot of time with my critters (pretty much the only company I had). I truly love my cats, but I discovered that I am allergic to cat dander. NOTE: This does not stop me from hugging on them and keeping them around. This summer they have learned to climb...

On top of the curtains

On top of the kitchen cabinets.

Princess Chuckles

2011-07-03T19:58:00.005-07:00

My cat, Chuckles is so beautiful! I tell her all the time, that if she were a person, she'd be a princess. Well, Jesse and I went to the mall last weekend, and I found a little plastice crown, just the size of Chuckie's head, so I bought it.
But, Chuckie doesn't seem to like the crown as much as I do... I tried to put the crown on her head, to get a picture, and well... This is what I got:

Finally, with a little help from Jesse, success!

Just Stuff

2011-06-12T16:15:00.012-07:00

Haven't posted anything lately, mainly becuz I don't feel like I have anything to share. So, this post isn't really dedicated to anything besides "just stuff."

To begin with, the school year is finally over... Whoooo! Hooooo! Yippee!!! Picture me do cartwheels and toe touches!!! Actually, the school year went by pretty quickly, but since AIMS, in April, the kiddos were done with school. They were loud (no VERY LOUD) and unruly. Getting them to follow a direction was almost impossible. And the complaining... "The other teachers aren't giving us work... " "School's almost over... " "Why do we have to do this?" Any way, I tried to keep them busy with a group project... oral presentation... doing a persuasive infomercial. Gave them a week's worth of class periods to work on it, but believe it or not, a lot of them chose to play, instead of work, and trust me, it showed on presentation day. These are some of my homeroom kids... Katera
Brianna
Sam, Jason, Dante, David
TaMiria
Kinsey
Tamaira
Brandon, Kinsey, Maya
DJ
Brandon
Nar
Marshall
Brielle, Sara
Ally, Sara, Brielle, Tristan, Nick, Jeremy, Jesus
Brielle, Jeremy, Nick, Jesus, Bryant
Timmy, Ally, Sara, Brielle, Jeremy, Tristan
Shealyn, Rebekah
Evelyn, Brianna, Navil, Dori, Kenia, Katera
Navil, Kenia, Dori
Mie Yee, Kinsey

On a brighter note, the learning fair (What do you know about sharks?) was a HUGE success for 7th grade... Everyone seemed t;o love what we did. But, that too was pretty stressful. The original plan, to have a life-size, paper mache', great white shark, did NOT work out. Part of that was my fault, as I was out of school for a few days, but apparently I was a little overly enthusiastic about what I thought 7th graders could do. On the second to the last day of school the poor "shark" made its way to the dumpster... In many... many... pieces!

Madi
Brianna

My mom took me and Jesse to the Sugar Bowl (in Scottsdale) to celebrate our birthdays. They make the BEST turkey salad, and ice cream sundaes!!! Afterwards, we went to some of the galleries; I found a beautiful Mexican-type dress; it's white and embroidered with lots of bright, lively colors. I also found a cute storyteller (a cat with kittens reading books). Mom saw me "drooling" over it, and the next thing ya know, my mom's offering to buy it as my birthday present... I LOVE it!

A couple weeks before my birthday, Jesse surprised me with a "Rufus pin." He took a picture that I drew, shared it with one of his co-workers, and Voila'! A pin! It's adorable!

I mentioned earlier that I missed a few days of school, that's becuz I ended up with an infection in my jaw/tooth. I have never experienced anything so painful in my entire life. I went to the dentist, but the infection was so bad that the pain killer was not working... Even after 5 shots! So, I ended up needing oral surgery. And, while I was at the dentist, she suggested I get my wisdom teeth out, also, so on June 10th I went back and had 4 more teeth removed, surgically. I gotta say, it's kinda painful! Eating is difficult, but the ice cream and pudding are both YUMMY!

BIG NEWS: Linda and Bill are moving out on Tuesday - June 14th!!! I had to give up my summer vacation, but in the long run, it's gonna be worth it. They have been living with us for about 15 months, for FREE! They've paid for nothing, and pretty much expect us to give them what they want (such as their cell phones). But, come Tuesday, I am no longer responsible for them... NOTHING! Jesse and I are getting pretty excited about this! We'll have: our guest room back, both refrigerators, ice in the freezer, paper towels, TWO bathrooms, and just a bunch of other little things, that have turned into BIG things... Yippee!!!

What do you know about sharks?

2011-05-07T19:56:00.005-07:00

The Avondale School District always uses the last month or so of school working on a learning fair. This year, the 7th grade has chosen "What do you know about sharks?" as our leading question. So far, every student has chosen a different shark to research, and they're working on a project for my class. Plus, in math and language they've been drawing 1/2 size displays of their sharks, to create a mural for the walls.

On Friday, we went on a field trip to the SeaLife aquarium, at Arizona Mills Mall. I'm just going to put this out there... I would not take another field trip there. Not that it wasn't enjoyable, there just wasn't enough to keep the kiddos focused, and what was supposed to be a 3 hour field trip was more like 90 minutes. That meant finding something to do with 100 kids for the next 90 minutes. Fortunately, we had some wonderful chaperones, who ad libbed with their groups, and in the end the kids were happy and exhausted!

Here are a few pictures...

2011-03-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary #6

2011-03-22T11:39:00.004-07:00

Jesse and I have made it a tradition to get away each year on our anniversary. This year it was a toss-up between Sedona or San Diego. Literally, we couldn't decide, so we decided to draw out of a bag for a random choice. The plan was: Have Linda pull out a slip; which ever piece was pulled, we would do the other. I thought Jesse had put in one piece of paper with Sedona and San Diego on the other, but later I found out that he put Sedona on both pieces of paper... He's such a good guy! He knows how much I love San Diego, and he wanted me to be happy!

Sooooooo... On Saturday morning (March 19th) we headed for Imperial Beach (just south of San Diego)! We got there before noon, but the motel let us in early; good for us, so we could change our clothes and head for the beach, where we spent about 4 hours. We only returned to the motel for a little bit, before we returned to the beach to see a b*e*a*u*t*i*f*u*l sunset and walk out on the pier, watching the waves, and surfers.
Note: I had a tummy ache, so we spent the remainder of the evening at the motel.

The next morning (March 20) we went back to the beach, looking for sand dollars. We found a few broken ones, but that was about it. Then the best part of our trip... The happiest place on earth (NO, not Disney Land)... SEA WORLD!!! I love this place! We were a bit concerned with it being spring break, that it would be crowded, but it wasn't... The weather wasn't very cooperative (it was cold and windy). This, however, did not stop us! We did as much as we could between 10am and 6pm. First, we fed dolphins, then we took a behind-the-scenes tour, where we pet sharks and saw trainers with dolphins, and the rescue area with a seal and some sea lions. We rode on Shipwreck Rapids, TWICE! And, got very wet. We picked up star fish, and fed seals. We saw the sea lion show, and "BELIEVE," starring Shamu... OMGosh! I love those whales!!! We saw the dolphins, and went through the shark encounter, then to the arctic exhibit to see beluga whales, walruses, and polar bears. Unfortunately, our time ran out before we could do everything (guess we'll have to go back, right?!?). It was so fun!!!

We headed back home Monday morning (March 21st). Such a fun trip! The tour guide (Maggie) said Sea World was hiring... I would love to get a job there!

Spring break has begun

2011-03-14T20:08:00.014-07:00

Day #1:
Cleaned! Washed down the ceiling fans, vacuumed so I could shampoo carpets. And, best of all... Hired a guy to pull the weeds in the front yard!

I also practiced the piano (something I haven't done for a while) and took pictures of some pretty adorable critters!

Day #2:
Intended to wash the cabinets and walls in the kitchen today, but talked myself out of it (somehow that's not hard to do!). Instead, however, I decided to clean out my closet. This is something I've been meaning to do for a while, but again, laziness always seems to get in the way. Any way, I filled 2 big garbage bags with clothes to donate, and got rid of 9 pairs of shoes that I never wear. YES, this does seem like a good excuse to go shopping, but unbelievably, there's really NO room! I did manage to get things a little more organized, such as putting all the black pants together, and white pants together... I got rid of a ton of plastic hangers, and have most of my shirts/blouses on the fancier hangers. It's a BIG job done, and maybe tomorrow I'll work on those cabinets.

Day #3:
Actually managed to wash down those kitchen cabinets this morning. It was a BIG job! First, I took down all of the teddy bears, and gave them a bath. I washed the cabinet doors, first, then brought in the ladder and scrubbed down the tops, where the cats made a mess. Finally, I redressed the teddy bears, and put them back up on top of the cabinets. it took most of the morning, but it's done, and I'm glad!

Did another kitty photo shoot; eventually I plan to update the pictures to the right!

Day #4:
Happy St. Patrick's day! Not very exciting. I got up and made chocolate chip cookies.

But, after that, I didn't get much done... kinda sick all day.

Day #5:
Was a little slow going this morning, but I did get a load of laundry finished, so I could start packing for our trip to San Diego (tomorrow). I also managed to run and then empty the dishwasher. I realize this sounds crazy, but I hate emptying the dishwasher, so this was a huge feat for me!

I also cleaned out the linen closet... One of those jobs that I've been meaning to do, but...

And, when Jesse got home, we went to Wal Mart; he did the shopping, while I got my toes done! Had to get ready for Cali!!!

If you look at this picture sideways, you'll see palm trees, birds and the sun!

I had to get away...

2011-01-31T19:38:00.019-07:00

Work has be horrible lately. Not so much the students (although there are a few of them I could live without), but the parents. I swear, I try to seriously keep parents informed of student grades, and still they complain becuz they don't know how their child is doing.

So, to make a long story short, I needed a stress reliever, so I talked Jesse into going to San Diego for the weekend. It truly was a spur of the moment trip. After crying all morning at work, I gave Jesse a call, and early Saturday morning we were on our way.

We stayed at the Best Western Seven Seas, on hotel circle, so we were pretty close to the beach... The place that makes me the happiest. We didn't really do anything while we were there, but enjoy the sights and each other's company.

Here are a few pictures that we took while there...
Day #1 - Mission Beach
Silly Jesse, taking his off socks, on the beach!

Getting his feet wet...

These birds were NAUGHTY! We stopped for lunch before heading for the beach, and I brought 1/2 of my sandwich with me. I ate most of it, but there were some french fries, lettuce, and a pickle left in the styrofoam box. Well, these birds stole the box, and dumped french fries and lettuce all over my towel. Then they stood there waiting for food.

Me, trying to stay warm!

This one pretty much speaks for itself!

Sunset on the beach...

Day #2
On Sunday we drove up to Pacific Beach. We got there pretty early, but it was sooooooooooooooo cold! Literally, it was too cold to enjoy, which is weird, considering how much I love the beach. In fact, we weren't even there long enough to take any pictures.
Later that afternoon, however, we decided to drive down by Coronado, and watch the sunset from there. It really didn't warm up, and it even began to rain, but we were able to walk along the beach for a while, and then waited in the car to warm up.

Day #3:
We had to head back to Phoenix, and reality... Booooo! But, before we left, we headed back to Mission Beach, one more time. The goal was to find some sand dollars. Instead, we saw some awesome waves, and picked up a couple of shells.

Christmas at Our House

2010-12-26T15:19:00.005-07:00

This year we heard that Anthem had the "nation's tallest Christmas tree." Anthem's not too far from our house, so we decided to go take a look. We got there early enough to see the tree in the daylight, and stayed long enough to see the tree at night, with the lights on.

It really was quite tall!

Yesterday, to celebrate Christmas, Jesse and I drove over to my mom's house, to share the day and dinner with her. I don't know why I didn't take any pictures... Guess that was a "Duh!" moment. But, we had a very pleasant time visiting with my mom and her friend Evelyne (my mom didn't want Evelyne to spend the holiday alone.

We stayed at mom's house until the sun was setting so we could stop at the Mesa Temple, on the way home, and see the Christmas lights. It seems impossible, but I think they added even more lights this year!

During dinner Evelyne mentioned a "Tumble-weed Tree" in Chandler. We'd never heard of such a thing, so we looked it up online (using my new Droid 2 phone... a Christmas present), and decided to go see it. It seemed like it took forever to get there (probably becuz we weren't real sure where we were going), and eventually we had to stop and ask for directions. No kidding, the 2 people working inside the Circle K had no idea what I was talking about! The best part: Chandler had an electric parade and tree lighting on December 4th, and all of this happened about 4 blocks from the Circle K! Any way, we had actually driven by it without realizing that it was a "tumble=weed" tree. Close up we could definitely see the tumble-weeds but from any distance (like from the road to the tree) it just looked like any other Christmas tree. Maybe if we had seen it in the day time it would have been different.

One More Time

2010-12-03T13:18:00.002-07:00

After fighting (pretty close to literally) with the doctor's office for the past week, I finally had the vein oblation on my right leg. This all started back in September, when I had huge, superficial blood clots in my right leg. At that time, I went to Urgent Care, which sent me to the emergency room, which sent me to Dr. Sumar's office. That's when things started to go amuck. I had leg mapping done, and an echocardiogram, but then they called (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, on the home phone, while I was at work, and left a message) to tell me they cancelled my appointment for the oblation becuz they said, "My insurance would not cover the procedure." Now, considering the fact that I have tWO insurances, I was a bit confused, so I tried to call the office back on Friday. This was the beginning of the big run-around, which continued until yesterday at 9:45. Needless to say, I was not happy.

Fortunately, this was all finally resolved, and I went in at 7:30 this morning and had the procedure done. I am now wearing a "beautiful" black support hose on my right leg, which can't be removed for a week. I'm still kinda groggy, so hopefully this post makes sense. And, hopefully the oblation will keep my veins from exploding! I guess time will tell. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T20:10:00.003-07:00

In my weird family, holidays are anything but traditional. This year my mom decided to have Thanksgiving dinner at her house, but Linda (my older sister that has been living at my house for the past 7 months) is mad at my mom so she made things difficult by choosing to not ride over to Mesa; first becuz she wouldn't have gas money, and second becuz she refused to ride over with me (apparently, I can't drive to her satisfaction). Any way... Without Linda and Bill, it was just 3 of us, so we chose to go to Marie Callendar's instead. Mom made reservations for 12:30, we got there about 15 minutes early and they took us right in. The restaurant only offers 2 choices on Thanksgiving (ham or turkey), but we all made the right choice: turkey! The portions were HUGE! And, yummy! Best part: No cooking and NO cleaning!!! It ended up being a very nice time enjoying each others' company!

And, now... The 2010 list of things that I'm thankful for (in no particular order):
Jesse
my pillow
bed
house
shower
pj's
chocolate
pepsi
my car
air conditioning
computer
scanners
cell phone
internet
musicals
kittens
my pets
garage door opener
TV - for my shows
humor
music
those who protect me (soldiers)
my religion
fruit
peanut butter
clothes
shoes
pain pills
smoothies withOUT yogurt
ice cream
paper towels
paper plates
toilet paper

Wierd combination, but those are the things that came to my mind!

Fishies

2010-11-14T16:44:00.002-07:00

This was NOT a good day for the Taylor fishies. Their tank has been clouding up a lot lately, so Jesse decided to clean out the tank. Within an hour of putting the fish back into the clean tank, both Kitty and the tetra were dead. Not long after that, "state fair fish" was also dead. We don't know what happened, but Kitty will definitely be missed! He lived almost 4 years!

Cat Walk

2010-11-07T17:53:00.006-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jesse convinced me that we should go to Eagar to place flowers on Gary's grave. I don't know what it is about Eagar, but I don't like going there; it causes all kinds of anxiety attacks, which just plain makes it unpleasant. So...

I decided if we were gonna go, we'd make it a "couple days" trip. First, we headed for Safford, so we could see the new Gila Valley Temple.

We continued east toward Mule Creek. It's been a long, loooooong time since I've driven that direction, and ended up missing my turn. I was hoping for a convenience store or gas station, but is was pretty desolate ahead of us. Fortunately, there was a highway patrolman, parked on the side of the road... I think he was waiting for speeders... But I sure was happy to see him!

The road through Mule Creek was a whole lot twisty-er than I remembered, too, but some of the views were beautiful!
Jesse had never been to the Cat Walk, in Glenwood, New Mexico, so I wanted to show it to him. First, though, we stopped at the little gas station/store across the street (this was always a part of every trip, since it was the nearest indoor bathroom for miles). Believe it or not, while we were there, this man said to me, "Hey, how are you doing?" When I turned around, it was Steve Hamblin, from Eagar! What a coincidence!!!

Next, was the Cat Walk... Boy has this place changed! It now has a paved parking lot, bridges, and groomed trails. We really did pick the perfect time to go; the weather was beautiful... My favorite time of the year!

Once we got to Eagar, we check into the Sunrise Best Western motel, right across the street from the stake center, where I used to go to church. We then headed toward the Eagar cemetary to put new flowers on Gary's grave. This place is so difficult for me to visit. I feel like a hypocrite visiting my husband, that I spent 15 years with, while standing next to the man that I've been married to for the past 5 years. It just really tears at my heart strings. it doesn't help to know that the plot next to Gary is reserved for me. Just thinking about it gets me all teared-up; just too many emotions.

After the cemetary we took a tour of my old stomping grounds; past "my" house, that Gary and I finished, and I put my own personal touches on. It looks soooooo different now. I spent so much time cleaning up the yard, adding fences and a chain link fence. All of it is gone now; over grown trees and weeds. It's sad! We also drove past the high school that the plane crashed into in June. And, of course, we had to go to the Safire to get a green chili burro. I was hoping to not see any one I knew, but that didn't happen. In fact, as we were eating, the waitress came up to me and said, "Everyone wants to know if you're Robin." Albeit flattering, talk about being on the spot!

First thing the next morning we headed back to Phoenix, going over the mountain toward Show Low. The quakey trees were a brilliant gold, standing against the deep green of the ponderosa pines; especially around A-1 Lake (aka Robin's Lake).

That pretty much sums it up. The beautiful weather and colors, and of course, the company, made a potentially miserable trip much more pleasant than anticipated.

Legend of the Robin

2010-10-19T19:45:00.003-07:00

Thought I'd share this with those of you who have never heard it...

The night that Christ was born a little brown bird shared the stable with the Holy Family. During the night, Joseph built a fire to keep the family warm, but as they slept the fire burned out. From its nest the bird flew down and fanned the embers with its wings. The bird was very close to the fire and the heat turned the bird's feathers red. The breast of the Robin has been red ever since to remind us of its love and compassion for the baby Jesus.

Wow!

2010-10-11T14:37:00.002-07:00

This week a couple of interesting things happened at school.
1. One of the girls in my homeroom said a cuss word. Since this is not allowed at school, I told her if she did 10 push-ups I wouldn't write her up. She really
didn't want the referral, but wasn't sure about doing the push-ups, either. Just as she was about to get down on the floor, one of the boys in my homeroom came up and said, "Mrs. Taylor, can I do the push-ups for her?" OMGosh!!! Talk about chivalry! Of course I let him do that for her!

2. The Friday before fall break we took some of the 7th graders outside during the last 1/2 hour of school. While we were out there, one of the girls asked me what I was planning on doing over the break, to which I replied, "I'd like to go to San Diego but I can't afford it." Here's the good part... She replied, "I have about $375 in my savings account. I'm going to give $150 to my friend so she can buy a trumpet for advanced band. If you'd like the rest of it to go to San Diego, I'll give it to you." Can you believe that! What an awesome, sweet, wonderful, young lady! I am so honored to teach her!

Baseball

2010-10-11T14:10:00.003-07:00

The PTSA at work had a bunch of Diamondback tickets, and they gave me 3; one for Jesse, one for mom, and one for me. We went to see the D-backs play AND BEAT the LA Dodgers! The final score was 5 - 2!!! It was a great game... I've never seen a game of pickle in the major league; too bad it didn't turn out favorably! Hayden, the winner from "Big Brother" (the reality show, which I watch faithfully) threw out the first pitch. And, there was a fan on the field... TOO funny! Everyone in the stands was cheering for the fan. But, they cheered even louder when he got caught (and was literally drug off the field)!

About 1/2 way through the game they opened the roof and the windows. It was an awesome view of the mountains at sunset!
We had a really FUN day!

Sunrises and Bulletin Boards

2010-10-11T13:47:00.008-07:00

Recently, I've been pretty fascinated by the sunrises that Jesese and I see each morning, on the way to work. here's a couple of examples...

Once a year each teacher is assigned to create the bulletin board in the front office. This year I decided to use three assignments the students recently finished: Life maps (a prewriting strategy), cause and effect for "Rikki Tikki Tavi," and a timeline for "Titanic." Plus, I added a few "little people," that I made with the Cricut; they're ALL in uniform... Too cute!

In the classroom, since I'm the reading and writing teacher, and I instruct my students to read Newbery winning books, I created a bulletin board, with several Newbery titles. It reads, "Reel in a good book and read!" The fishing pole is real; the books are just copies of the covers. I thought I was clever!

9/11/2010

2010-09-19T19:47:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday was the 9th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. Each year a group in Tempe has created a "Healing Field" by posting an American flag for each of the people that died that day, due to the attack.

Each flag had a card attached, with the name of a person, how old he/she was, where they were at the time of death, and a paragraph about their life.

Jesse and I took the train over to Mesa, where we picked up my mom. It was her first time riding the train.

Happy Birthday (sorta)!

2010-09-04T20:07:00.005-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had to take 2 days off from work, but this time it was for something fun (not doctor appointments)! You see, Jesse's family planned an 80th birthday party for their mom, Rosaleen. Her birthday really isn't until the end of September, but with half the family living in states that start school AFTER Labor day, they decided to have the party early. Just a side note: For me we celebrated 1-1/2 weeks AFTER school started.

Any way, Jesse and I left immediately after work, and drove as far as Vegas. Considering how stiff my knee still gets, and only being a couple of weeks after having knee surgery, it was a smart idea. Plus, it got us into Provo a lot sooner than we had anticipated.

Jesse's sister, Dora, and her husband, Phil, plus 3 of their kids, came in from Virginia.

His sister, Karen (whom I've met before) and her husband, Roger, along with their kids, came from Iowa and Minnesota.

We had dinner together on Thursday, pictures on Friday, a BBQ Friday afternoon, and the big day was Saturday. Faye and Tammy reserved a pavillion at the Lindon Park; which is across the street from Faye's house. There was a NICE turnout of family and friends, and I really think Rosaleen enjoyed herself!

Who I Am?

2010-07-28T10:00:00.003-07:00

The other day I was sitting and thinking and wondering, "Does anyone really know me?" I suppose any one could ask that question, but sometimes I really feel like a cypher in the snow (that's the title of a church video I once saw). Any way, they say everyone has a story to tell, and that everyone has a voice, but sometimes... more like most of the time... I feel like no one is listening to what I have to say. I have feelings, and opinions, but when I try to express them they seem to get lost in the shuffle of someone else's feelings and opinions. For now, I will share a few, and if I remember, as they come to me, I will share them here.

Pepsi... I think Pepsi tastes better than Coke. People keep trying to tell me they're the same, but to me, they're NOT!!! I don't like Coke, and I don't want to drink it. If I'm in a restaurant that serves Coke, I will find something else to drink, and it's okay.

Water... I drink it, but I don't like it. I've never liked it. As a kid I refused to drink it... It tasted like the pipes it came out of. As an adult I realized it's kind of a necessity, but I still don't like it. I insist on buying bottled water (in gallons) and refill my sports bottles as needed. Trust me, I can still taste the difference!

President Obama... We (as Americans) had a choice a couple of years ago, to vote for a president. The candidates were Barrack Obama or John McCain. I do NOT like John McCain. He's been a senator for the state of Arizona for as long as I can remember, and I don't think he's done anything in that time to convince me to vote for him as president. So, when it came time to vote, I voted for Obama. He may not have as much experience as some would like. He may not be the religion that some would like. And, most of all, he may not be the same ethnicity as some would like, which frankly, I believe is IGNORANT. But, I truly believe he is doing his best. Most of the crap that is happening these days is literally out of his control, compliments of the other whackos in Washington, who are trying to promote their own personal agendas. This makes me NUTS!!! We didn't vote them in so they can be a part of a popularity contest. We voted them in to get the job done. Keep what's best for the American public as the primary concern!

Insurance... OMGosh! If I go to the doctor and he says I need a certain medicine or a specific test done, where does the insurance get off telling me, "NO?" When several doctors write a note, explaining that a procedure needs to be done for my well-being, and not as a cosmetic procedure, then the insurance company (which is paid for by ME) should allow that to happen. Right now, I have a prescription for Singulair (which is used to help breathing), but my insurance will NOT pay for it. Why??? I have NO clue! GGRRRRR!

Cable TV... It is just plain too expensive! I watch about 5 stations on my TV, but you can't get just those 5 stations; you have to pay for a bundle of stations, that you don't watch. Since the cable company has to pay for the right to those other stations, they make people like me pay for all those stations I don't watch. If it weren't for Big Brother and Survivor, I swear I'd turn the TV off... Not sure how Jesse would take this!

Talents... I don't have any. Seriously, I can't think of one. Other people have so many; things that just come naturally to them, and I feel like I have to try so hard at everything. This is so frustrating, and maybe even why I feel like I'm a cypher... No one would miss me, cuz there's nothing that makes me stand out.

Knee surgery

2010-07-28T08:38:00.004-07:00

For several months my knee was very sore. Looking at it hindsight, it may have been becuz I fell one day at school (I slipped on something in the lunch room, and landed on my left knee). Any way, it eventually got to the point that I decided to go to urgent care (that was April 23). Although they took an x-ray, they told me it was inconclusive, and suggested I go to my pain doctor for an MRI. Of course, the pain doctor couldn't save me a step and let me get the MRI before the appointment, so I went in for them to tell me I "need an MRI." Didn't I tell them that?!? So they set me up for the MRI, and then I went back in to the pain doctor. He said I would need to see an orthopedist. It was now June! I go to see the orthopedist, who looks at the MRI and says he's not sure what's going on, probably a tear in the meniscus (cartiledge), but it could also be arthritis, so he said, "Let's try a cortisone shot. If that doesn't work an arthroscopy would be the next option." Well, the shot didn't help and it's now July! So, when I went in for the follow-up we made the arrangements for surgery, on July 21st. There was a tear in the meniscus, plus arthritis. He (Dr. Sirounian) repaired the tear and did something to create scar tissue that should help create a buffer between the bones. I've been on crutches for a week...

This is what it looks like a week later.

Mexican Riveria 2010

2010-07-13T10:40:00.007-07:00

Jesse and I spent our summer vacation on a Carnival cruise to the Mexican Riveria: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas, and had a marvelous time!!!

We drove over to Long Beach, on Sunday - July 4th, and left the pier around 5:30 PM. The first 2 days were "fun days at sea." That means there were no stops until we reached Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday. That night we met our dining room partners: Davor and Katie and Sam and Ilene... They were excellent company! We also saw an act by a comedian who was HILARIOUS!!!

Monday was COLD! Who would've thought a trip south, in July, would be so cold. But we found plenty of things to keep us busy on the ship, including attending Carnival's edition of "The Newly Wed Game." Very funny! Monday was also "formal night." I have been waiting for this night for a loooooooong time because I bought the prettiest dress about a year and a 1/2 ago, and this was my first chance to wear it.

Tuesday, the weather warmed up, enough to make it to the pool and hot tubs!

Wednesday, back on land in Puerto Vallarta! We took an excursion to the down town area, and then to the beach. We got to stop and go shopping at a couple of places, saw a beautiful 19th century cathedral and then we stopped at a restaurant on the beach.... Seriously, we walked around barefoot, on the sand, inside the restaurant. I also had my hair braided. OMGosh, I LOVE it!!! Talk about easy to take care of!!!

Thursday, we made it to Mazatlan. We didn't plan on an excursion, but when we got off the ship, there were several companies offering tours. We decided to take a van to some of the highlights of the town, including: the highest lighthouse, another
19th century cathedral, the "Golden Zone," and cliff divers!!!

Friday, was Cabo day. Since we had been there before, we decided to stay on the ship, which was wonderful! It was quiet, we pretty much had the Lido deck to ourselves, which meant the pool and hot tub; we even went down the slide on the 11th floor! It was a nice, relaxing, peaceful day!

Saturday, was another "fun day at sea." The trip back was cold and windy! We tried to lay out by the pool, but we were both covered up with clothes and towels... Tee! Hee!

Sunday, we woke up in Long Beach, again. The debarkation process was very quick, compared to past experience. On the way home we stopped to visit Cathy Flaherty. Such a special treat to cap off the end of our trip!

Members of My Family

2010-06-27T19:05:00.005-07:00

I took some cute pictures of the cats, so I decided to share them here.
Bailey loves his niece, Belle!

Belle and Pierre hugging each other... Too cute!

Belle and Pierre

I don't know how Pierre kept from falling off the couch and onto his head... Silly cat!

Todd

2010-06-26T13:11:00.003-07:00

Today, I am sad. Todd Bosen, my former insurance agent, member of the Eagar Stake Presidency, and friend to Gary and me, died. He had a massive heart attack, but was unable to survive the complications that followed. I don't know why this is affecting me so much; maybe becuz he dedicated Gary's grave, or maybe becuz he was so nice, just an all-around good guy, or maybe becuz he was such a marvelous example of what we should all be like, especially as he mentored the Stake Primary Presidency, when I served as secretary... I don't know, but I do know he will be greatly missed.

plane + school = fire

2010-06-11T22:17:00.002-07:00

This didn't really affect me directly, but I felt it was news worthy, and possibly something I will remember in the future, so here goes... A small plane taking off from the Springerville airport crashed into Round Valley High School, in Eagar. I know several students that attend/attended the school, as well as several employees. Fortunately, the building was pretty much empty (thanks to it being summer), and the area that was damaged the most was locked. They say every one got out safely, but the people on the plane did not survive.

It was weird hearing the local news break in and announce the crash in Round Valley, seriously I thought I was mistaken. It was just as weird to see all the damage.

birthday gifts

2010-06-07T19:14:00.002-07:00

This year my very favorite birthday present was summer break starting at 1:20pm, that day. Several of my students made it even better, by briging me birthday presents. Apparently, if I didn't teach them anything else, they all learned that I like Pepsi and chocolate.

Either getting lazy - OR - I finally have some time

2010-06-04T20:43:00.011-07:00

Seems like a bajillion things have happened, but none of them overly exciting. So, I'll post some pictures and some comments, and call it good!

This is our cat, Bailey. He is a real sweetie and ya gotta love him!

The last day of school, this year, was on my birthday... Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite students.
Terry, Peyton and Cristina
Oscar
Miguel
Justin
Danielle, Alyssa, Tonya
Audi
Ashley and Bre'Anna
Alyssa
Homeroom 09/10
Chuckles, my cat, had a second litter of kittens on February 5th. Two of them ended up staying with us; and YES they're cute and adorable. They have, however, picked up a very bad habit... TPing our bathroom!

Pierre
Pierre and Belle

Jesse celebrated his birthday on May 18th
During teacher appreciation week, several students said, "Thanks!"

This spring the tree in the front yard turned purple... It was so pretty!

The math teacher on my team retired this year, so we all went to dinner, at Tiburon. This restaurant is surrounded by the shark tank, at the Wild Life World Zoo aquarium.

Last night (6/5) Jesse and I went to Kirsten's wedding reception; wshe was one of my students (from Eagar)...

While we were there we saw another one of my students, Rachel

5th Anniversary and Catching up!

2010-03-21T16:36:00.022-07:00

Last Friday - March 19th, Jesse and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary... To celebrate we took a trip to Las Vegas!

We stayed at Circus Circus, mainly becuz we got a GREAT price through the internet! Our first day there we only left the hotel once, to go to the car. The rest of the time we spent wandering the 2nd floor circus attractions, like playing the claw games (trying to win an MP3 player), and watching circus acts, checking out the AdventureDome, and of course, eating at the buffet.

The second day was just the opposite. Once we woke up and got going, we saw very little of Circus Circus! We bought a bus pass, and traveled to the opposite end of the strip; that's where we visited New York New York, and a 1/2 scale version of the Statue of Liberty.

In addition, we saw the "Brooklyn Bridge

."

After "New York" we traveled across the street to the MGM Grand. There we saw lions, literally right over our heads!
. And, little baby lions, too! FYI: You can feed the baby lions, but it cost $200 for 5 minutes, which unfortunately was out of our price range.

We ate lunch at the MGM buffet... It was AWESOME! Jesse had smoked salmon, and I had the most yummy, chocolate dessert! The lady at the dessert bar said there were rules to follow, for desserts, "You must have one of each; that's why we make them small!" I think I love her!!!

Afterwards we attended the viewing of a possible new TV show, which we were asked to review and give our opinion. I don't remember the name... Something like Miami Medical, which was created by the producers of CSI Miami. Basically, it was a mystery as to how 4 people were affected by the same accident, and which one ended up dying. Jesse loved the show. As for me, on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being wonderful), I gave it a 2.

From the MGM we headed north to the M&M store... Four stories of M&Ms in every way, shape, and form, possible. We bought blue and gold M&Ms for mom, and all pink M&Ms for me. We even bought coconut M&Ms. We watched a 3D movie, "I lost my M in Vegas,"

and took our picture with several colors...

, including Nascar's#18 M&M. And an M&M classroom.

We also got a great view of the Las Vegas strip!

I think we could make our own movie: GIANT TAYLORS TAKE OVER IN VEGAS!!!

Next was the Belagio to see the conservatory... It was beautiful!!!

And, a display of Chihuly glass.

The Belagio has a water fountain display, choreographed to "The Pink Panther." We took a video of this, but I haven't figured out how to transfer it (yet), but it was beautiful!

Across the street from the Belagio is Paris (the hotel)... It took a couple of trips to Vegas to get a good picture, but this time I think we did it!

We also walked through Cesear's Palace... This place is ENORMOUS! Although it was beautiful, near the fountain, it wasn't near what I expected.

By this time we were exhausted, so we got back on the bus and headed back to Circus Circus... We didn't get back until 8:00 PM.

On Friday we heard about a program that was running through the hotel TV station, for greatly reduced vacations, so we took a half hour and listened to their spiel. Jesse was very interested, but I talked him into "thinking about it." Just for our time they gave us coupons for 1/2 price buffets, $10 in slots, and a $300 gas voucher! BTW: I talked Jesse out of this program, cuz there was a $250, up front fee, then $25 per month... That's $300 a year, even if we don't go anywhere! Any way, that got us a pretty cheap lunch. Afterwards, Jesse took a nap, and I headed for the pool... The goal: Some color on my pasty white face... ... It didn't work.

The plan that afternoon was to ride on a couple of the rides in the AdventureDome... Long story short, that didn't happen. But... While strolling through we saw this place that makes holographic photos; we had to try it. I'm adding both pictures (the best I could take)... When you tip the picture back and forth it alternates between seeing our faces and us kissing.
... These pictures do NOT do it justice... It's AWESOME!!!

Then, to celebrate our anniversary, we went to the Venetian, where they offer gondala rides. We shared a ride with a couple from Australia. The gondalier was so funny and had a beautiful tenor voice... he sang 3 songs for us, and told us it was good luck to kiss under the bridges! ***Smack*** This picture is a picture of the picture we bought.
Then, to wrap up the evening, we took the bus down to the Freemont Street Experience. We had no idea what to expect, other than some old Vegas strip signs and lights. In reality, it was a HUGE street party, with a fantastic light display overhead!

Now for the catching up part...
2010 started off rough. As I mentioned in my last post, I didn't feel very good over winter break. I had an infection running through me, all over, which apparently affected my eyesight... I couldn't see with or without my glasses. But, I put off buying new ones until I accidentally stepped on the old ones (the kitties knocked them on the floor and I didn't see them until it was too late).

And, on a sad note, my dog, Sammy (really my mom's dog, but he's lived with me the past 9 years),got painfully sick (it was so hard to watch), so we had to have him put down. Literally, this broke my heart. Even today, if I think about it too much I get all choked up. I loved that dog, like my brother, and I miss him.

My cat, Chuckles, had 4 babies again, 3 weeks ago. They are adorable! If anyone wants one, LET ME KNOW!

Spring break lasts another week. By the time we go back there will be 2 months and 1 week of the school year left. Time seems to be going by slowly (in the present), yet it's hard to believe we're so close to the end of another year (I'm not complaining).

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T14:26:00.006-07:00

"I wanna a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippotamus will do... " We found a Christmas hippo at Michael's, and it was ON SALE! Of course I had to buy it!

For Christmas, Jesse and I decided to buy ourselves a reclining love seat. It's beautiful and SOOOO comfy!

Imagine my surprise Christmas morning, waking up to find 4 boxes of chocolate cherries (this is lethal), a basket of lotions and powder, and a pair of diamond earrings!

This year we went to my mom's house for Christmas. It was a nice time together, and just the way I like it... QUIET!

The biggest surprise was Elizabeth (my niece). She needed a "time out" from Idaho, and since Arizona is closer than Michigan (and nicer weather), we made sure she had a place to stay (here, my mom's place, or with Linda). We were hoping she would make it in time for Christmas dinner, but the ride was a bit longer than we had anticipated. Any way, she got into Avondale around 7:30, starving, so we had to take care of that, with left overs from g-ma's house. It's been so nice having her around.

Eating goldfish

Johnny Rocket's (after the movie) and our "FAV couple"

Help wanted at Hungry Howie's

Bed head

Slushy!!!

Salad... Mmmmmm!

Trying to pet the killer cat

The day after Christmas we all went to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakual." It was okay, but I like the first one better.

It's hard to believe that break is almost over. The time always flies by. I suppose it doesn't help that I've been pretty sick, and haven't been able to get much done. I went to the doctor again, today... Hopefully I'll feel better in the New Year.

2009-11-24T21:02:00.001-07:00

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2009-11-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

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2009-11-16T05:29:00.004-07:00

My aunt sent me this, and it seemed appropriate, so I thought I'd share!

We went to the State Fair a couple of weeks ago. Jesse had never been, here in Arizona, and I hadn't been for a loooooong time, so off we went! We ate a lot of garbage, did a lot of walking, played some games, looked at animals,spent a LOT of money, and had a good time! Here are some random pictures...

One UNhappy llama!

Ferris wheel, from the sky way ride... That's Phoenix in the background.

Jesse and the ferris wheel.

Jesse won the polar bear and I won the monkey.

What would a blog post be, without an update on the kittens??? They're just so darn adorable!

Monster Mash

2009-10-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

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2009-10-07T20:51:00.004-07:00

September 30th was my mom's 75th birthday. Since she's a 50-mile one-way drive away, and I had a doctor's appointment that day, and parent conferences the next, we (Jesse and I, and Linda and Bill) decided to celebrate with her on Saturday - October 3rd (my official first day of fall break).

Linda and Bill provided lunch (KFC) and a yummy chocolate cake. We bought her a purple, digital camera. She's been telling us she needed one for a while now, so it was risky buying it, when her favorite past-time is shopping. Fortunately, it worked out! Here's a few pictures of the celebration.

Playing with the new camera!

Central Michigan beat Michigan State, but UofM blew it!

An armful of kittens!

Tucson

2009-09-07T19:25:00.005-07:00

Jesse's sister, Faye, and her husband, Jon came down to Arizona to visit their son, Jonathan and his wife, Nicole, and their three children, Jessica, 'Becca, and Ryan, in Tucson. Since Tucson is like 10 hours closer to us than Linden, Utah, we decided we'd drive down to visit with them. The whole bunch of us went to San Xavier del Bac Mission, aka the "White Dove of the Desert." This is a 200+ year old church, just south of Tucson, and is beautiful! I've been there several times; Jesse had only been there once, and he wanted Faye to see it.

Afterwards, we drove further south to Tubac, Arizona, to see an even older mission, San Jose de Tumacacori.

While there, we had a great chance to visit and catch up. We even tried prickly pear candy!

2009-09-02T05:54:00.002-07:00

I realize this is becoming a "kitten blog," but it takes such a short amount of time for them to go from looking like baby rats to being adorable, fuzzy, playful, busy little kittens. Honestly, they have been so fun to have around and play with on a daily basis. Any way... Here are some of the most recent photos...

Polar

Pudge

Tigger

Boots

New toys!

4-Weeks-Old!

2009-08-15T08:23:00.003-07:00

The kittens were 4-weeks-old on Thursday, and they're getting so incredibly cute! They're pretty close to taking over!

California 2009

2009-07-23T10:25:00.002-07:00

All My Kittens

2009-07-19T14:21:00.004-07:00

It's pretty difficult to guestimate the birthdate of kittens, but I came pretty close... I just knew Chuckles would have her babies on July 18th. So, we planned our vacation for July 14th - 17th. And, wouldn't ya know it, she went and had her babies on the 16th. Thank goodness my mom was here to play midwife!

Baby #3 is all white, except for one tiny little spot on the top of his head!

Chuckles and her beautiful babies!

She had 4 of the most adorable babies, ever!!!

Baseball, Hotdogs, and Apple Pie

2009-07-06T15:16:00.003-07:00

To be perfectly honest, holidays in a family of TWO really aren't that exciting, but Jesse and I do the best we can. So, on the 4th of July, thanks to a sale on Johnsonville brats, we had hot dogs (or at least something that resembled hot dogs). Then, a trip to Safeway (and $5) produced a Dutch apple pie. And, for the BIG stretch, we enjoyed the Goodyear fireworks display at the NEW Cleveland Indians (baseball) spring training field. Seriously, after sweltering in the 106 degree heat for a couple of hours, one really needs to justify choosing to sit there. Fortunately, the finale didn't let us down!

Poor Bailey!

2009-06-27T11:57:00.003-07:00

Last Friday we took both Sassy and Bailey to the mobile neutering station. By Saturday Bailey was back to his normal self. Sassy was pretty lethargic. On Monday things changed; Sassy was up and running around as usual, but Bailey was limp and barely moving. We made an appointment for him that afternoon, to find out that his incision was doing well, but he was having some trouble with his urinary tract. Talk about a rough week! Poor thing just looked pathetic. The vet gave him a shot and a bottle of amoxicillan and told us to keep an eye on him. He's showing signs of recovering, but I'm still pretty worried about him. He goes back to the doctor on Monday... Hopefully he'll have some good news for us.

Cherries, Strawberries and Grapes

2009-06-27T11:48:00.006-07:00

One of the very best things about summer is the fruit... Gotta love 'em!
Cherries
Strawberries
And, grapes!

Sydnee Turns ONE!

2009-06-14T17:12:00.007-07:00

On June 18th my granddaughter, Sydnee will be 1! Okay, she's not really mine (she's Tanette Turley's daughter), but I'm claiming her any way. So, today we went to celebrate with her... Can you say CUTE?!? The bow was a big hit!!!
The videos are in reverse order... I'm just glad they finally loaded!

Thought for the Day

2009-06-11T11:38:00.002-07:00

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain." --unknown

Trip to Eagar

2009-06-10T14:04:00.012-07:00

After being hounded by guilt for the past couple of months I decided I might as well get it over with, and take a trip to Eagar, to put flowers on Gary's grave. For those of you reading, that don't know, Gary and I were married in 1986, but I was not his "first love... " Eagar was! So, when Gary died in October 2001 it was only fitting that his final resting place be on a windy hillside, over-looking the town he loved so much. That means a part of me will always be attached to that place. Unfortunately, that also means revisiting some sad memories, which means driving the 200+ miles up there is NOT something I look forward to.

That being said, Jesse took a couple of leave days, and together we ventured up the mountain. We placed flowers and a pinwheel at the grave site. We also wandered around the other headstones, and I'd tell Jesse how they were related to Gary.

The bonus of going to Eagar was getting to visit with my best friend, Tina! We went to dinner together, at the Safire (green chili burros enchilada style) and spent the evening catching up on all the things going on.

We visited a few other people, too: Shelley Crosby, Kathleen Davis, Markee and Nash (saw Race), Dusty and Hayden Eagar, and Rachel Jensen. Then, on the way home we stopped for a leg-stretching, potty break at the K-mart, in Show Low. Naturally, I had to take a stroll through the shoe department, and believe it, or not, I ran in to Colleen Nicoll! Yes, it's true... She may not be very current with her blogging, but she IS alive! I told her I was going to "blog her," as proof!

The rest are just random pictures that we took during our trip. A view of the Salt River Canyon
"The Barn"
In 1986 Short Stop was BRAND NEW... It was my first job in Eagar.
A view of Flat Top
When Arby's (the first fast food restaurant in Eagar) opened it became my 2nd job in Eagar.
This is a "NOW" picture of the house where I used to live, 6 years ago... ...and this is THEN!

Oh, noooooooo...

2009-06-07T16:56:00.003-07:00

On Tuesday, I celebrated my 50th birthday... Who knew it would come as quickly as it did?!? We didn't do anything too exciting, but...

Jesse bought me a huge, chocolate cake, with strawberry filling... Yum!

My friend, Kim (Larson), from high school, sent me some beautiful flowers!

Jesse and I went to dinner at Claim Jumpers.

And, I got a mini lap top!!!

I guess the Big 5-0h isn't so bad after all!

Cutest Little Brown Dog, Ever!

2009-06-01T14:09:00.003-07:00

Rufus is 7 today! I don't know how he got so spoiled, but I do know that he's adorable, and I'm so glad he's MINE! (He loves his "Bobo.")

This is a test...

2009-05-31T18:41:00.002-07:00

Today, while blog surfing, I found a site that showed me how to create my own signature. I really wanted to try it on my e-mail, but after several failed attempts, I've given up, and thought I'd try here.

I'm including the link, for those of you that are a bit more computer literate than I am: http://mylivesignature.com/

Up!

2009-05-30T13:59:00.004-07:00

Jesse and I just got back from seeing the movie "Up!" and it was AWESOME!!! I strongly recommend seeing it!!!

Being productive

2009-05-27T17:25:00.004-07:00

While digging through some tubs in the garage, looking for some pictures that I KNOW I have... Somewhere, I found some old cross stitch patterns... This is what I've been up to lately.

I tried really hard on this one. I like most of it; not so happy about the lettering on the bottom.

2009-05-19T16:41:00.002-07:00

Jesse's birthday was yesterday, so he started the day with a "birthday omelet" (it's what he wanted) at Village Inn. Afterwards I surprised Jesse by taking him to the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden.

NOTE TO ASHLEE: Pictures of ME included!

A Good Day

2009-05-16T19:57:00.011-07:00

Jesse and I had a busy day today. First, we went and picked up my mom, and then we headed out to Queen Creek to the Schnepf Farm Peach Festival. We got there around 9:00, and it was already crowded, but that didn't stop us. We rode a hay wagon out to the orchard that was ripe.

We stood in line to get our boxes, and then we headed out.

Surprisingly, we didn't have to go very far to find some nice, juicy peaches. We also grabbed a few that were still a little green, so we'll have them throughout the week.

Then, we walked over to the bakery, and stood in line for FOREVER, but in the end we came home with a couple of peach pies; one for my mom (she sent 1/2 back with us to give to Linda) and one for us!!! I haven't had a piece yet, but Jesse said, "Mmmmmmmm!!!"

After the Peach Festival we headed to Verizon to buy my mom a new phone... She got an NV2. I spent about an hour trying to help her figure it out... She's technically challenged! After Verizon my mom took us out to lunch to celebrate Jesse's birthday (which is really on Monday); we went to OLIVE GARDEN... Yummy!!! Then, we headed back to my mom's house to go swimming... That was NICE!

Finally, on the way back to Avondale, we stopped by to take a wedding gift to a very special friend's son. I have not seen Susan in forever, and it was SOOOOOOO great to see her again!

Yep, it was a good day!!!

Jerry

2009-05-14T11:33:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, my cousin Jerry died; he was only 48. This is almost unbelievable, and I am VERY sad.

Feline Haiku

2009-05-12T13:41:00.006-07:00

By Redenta Soprano, a botanical illustrator who lives in Florida. She says they were written by cats, but I think she wrote them her very own self.

There's no dignity
In being sick - which is why
I don't tell you where.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seeking solitude
I am locked in the closet
For once I need you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Am I in your way?
You seem to have it backwards:
This pillow is taken.

Your mouth is moving;
Up and down, emitting noise
I've lost interest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dog wags his tail,
Seeking approval. See mine?
Different message.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My brain: walnut-sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?

My affection is conditional.
Don't stand up,
It's your lap I love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cat's can't steal the breath
Of children. But if my tail's
Pulled again, I'll learn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't mind being
Teased, any more than you mind
A skin graft or two.

So you call this thing
Your "cat carrier." I call
These my "blades of death."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toy mice, dancing yarn
Meowing sounds. I'm convinced:
You're an idiot.

Oh, My Gosh!!!

2009-05-08T11:05:00.004-07:00

Yesterday I gave Jesse a ride to work, and on my way back, while driving on Indian School, at 45 mph, a car, which apparently was unable to see around the two big trucks in front of him, pulled out right in front of me. I'm sure it only took a few seconds; literally less than 15, but the whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion.

Fortunately, I was paying attention! This is BIG news, since I've been kind of distracted lately. Any way, I saw the big, U-haul type truck attempting to pull into a driveway. I saw the big, dump truck type truck behind the U-haul type truck. And, just as I was going by the U-haul type truck, I saw the car pulling out in front of me.

Did you know that cars going 45 mph don't immediately stop when you slam on the brakes? They don't! But, the tires do squeal, and the tires smoke, and the car swerves, and just at that moment you wait (again, only seconds, but what seems like much longer) for the crashing sound of metal against metal. But luckily, somehow, I avoided what could have been HORRIBLE! And then, as if nothing at all had happened, everyone continued on their way. No communication between drivers... Nothing... But, I'm telling you... I was sooooooooooo shook up! Every part of me was shaking. And, apparently I tensed up, becuz every part of me is still hurting. Seriously, I would have T-boned that car on the driver's side. I can't even imagine how awful I would feel if I had hurt or killed someone, even if it WASN'T my fault. Not to mention what my car would look like!

I Love My Diamondbacks!

2009-04-22T11:09:00.004-07:00

Jesse donated some money to a charity at work, and in return he got a FREE Diamondbacks ticket. For $7.50 I got one, too! So, on Monday (4/20) we went to Chase Field to see the Diamondbacks play the Colorado Rockies... We WON, 6 - 3!!!

That "thing" in our hands is a "snake rattle." It makes a lot of noise after a good play!

I Finally Found 'Em!

2009-04-18T19:33:00.003-07:00

After months of searching, I have finally found some cute summer sandals, including some "black strappy ones," like I've previously mentioned!!!

Great Arizona Teach-In

2009-04-18T13:29:00.003-07:00

Let me start by saying, "I don't know these people." However, I spent a couple of hours with them this morning, at the "Great Arizona Teach-In."

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am NOT returning to the school or district where I'm currently employed. That means I need to find a new job. Lucky for me, I found out about this job fair, which was held near the Cardinal stadium, which is maybe 5 miles from my house. This job fair was from 10 - 2, and I got there at 9:45... The picture is the line I got to wait in before the doors opened, and this is only about 1/8 of the line... Yikes! Fortunately, I was smart enough to pre-register, so when the doors opened the line moved pretty quickly.

I was also smart enough to go in prepared. I read all the information about what to bring and wear, and I did just that. Plus, I limited my search to just 5 districts near my house. In reality, I was probably over prepared, but I guess that's better than the opposite. Any way, with the economy the way it is lots of schools have put a freeze on hiring, so although most of the districts were accepting applications, they preferred for them to be completed online, since they don't have any openings, at least at this time. However, they were accepting resumes, and I was ready! I created small portfolios with all the little details school districts want, like: a cover letter, resume', certificate (copy, of course), transcripts... Plus, they all had sign-in sheets that let the district know you were there, and interested in a position.

I did have a couple of good conversations, although I wonder how much will be retained by the interviewers, since there was something like 5,000 applicants there. Hopefully I said something that made an impression on them. But, the best part... I HAD AN ACTUAL INTERVIEW! And, they were very excited with my qualifications... They said they would call me on Monday for a second interview!!! So, keep your fingers crossed!!!

Oh, and just to give a hint of what the job fair was like... This picture is the line for just one of the districts participating... Glad I didn't have to stand in that line!

Wal Mart... Uugghhh!

2009-04-16T19:20:00.002-07:00

Okay, I admit it, I have a love / hate relationship with Wal Mart. I remember the day when I LOVED going there. After all, living in Eagar, it was a treat to go to Wal Mart. In those days I had to learn how to get in and out of the store within a 1/2 hour becuz Gary would drop me off at the door, run some errands at the boring electrical and/or plumbing supply store, and expect me to be ready when he returned. That meant creating a plan, which I now refer to as the Robin Taylor Wal Mart Survival Course. If I had my druthers, the entire population of the Phoenix metropolitan area would have to take my course BEFORE being allowed in the doors.

It's not that hard... Really!

First, you have to have a plan... Know what you're going after. I know! I know! Some people actually go there for a casual shopping experience, and that's okay, as long as the other rules are followed.

Second, use the rules of the road while tooling the aisles. It's not that hard... Stay to the right and be courteous of other shoppers. You know... Don't hog the aisle way, move to the side, especially if you're just yakking, allow people in when you know you're in their way.

Third, if you have kids, keep track of them. It is just plain scary to me how many little kids are allowed to roam at will. And, I'm talking little kids! When I was little it was a treat to ride on the basket. As I got older my mom made us hang onto the basket so we wouldn't wander off. As teenagers, she put us to work, sending us on scavenger hunts for coupon items. Any way, keep an eye on your kids, so they're not throwing rubber balls at people, or rolling into other people with their wheelies, or just plain being a nuisance for other people to deal with.

Fifth, I seriously think people need to pass a test and obtain a buggy license! Obviously, it takes only one person to drive a buggy, but if your spouse insists on driving the buggy, then they need to know how to drive the buggy! Yes, I am hinting at forming a sort of relationship with your buggy; take care of it. Know where it is at all times. Keep it with you. If your spouse can't do that, revoke his/her buggy license. This applies if you're pushing your own buggy, too... If you're in aisle 5 then your buggy should not be in aisle 3! This is mostly common sense, but I for one feel awkward moving someone else's buggy becuz they are no where around and I can't get to the peanut butter. People who can't follow so few rules should not be allowed to drive!

Sixth, and probably most important, know how to check out. This is done quicker with a 2-person team, but it can definitely be done with just one person. Here are the basics:

- If there is someone in line behind you, do NOT, at any time, strike up a conversation/friendship with the cashier. Get his/her number (if you think you have that much in common) and get on with the job at hand. This will considerably cut down on the amount of grumbling coming from the people behind you.

- When approaching the conveyor belt, unload your basket at the end of the belt, furthest from the cashier... That's why the conveyor moves forward! If there are two people doing the unloading, only move up far enough for the person by the handle to be able to reach into the front and back. Again, the movement of the conveyor belt enables both people to unload at the same time, without getting in each other's way.

- Think ahead... Try to put squishy stuff like bread and grapes near each other on the conveyor belt. This literally improves your chances of getting home without squished bread and grapes.

- Do not anticipate the cashier turning the "amount display monitor" in your direction, putting your groceries in the bag and in the cart... Be prepared to do at least 1/2 of the job yourself. Basically, if you follow the rule for unloading the cart you'll find reloading the cart much easier.

- Multi-task... This is probably the #1 reason why women enjoy shopping so much more than men... We can multi-task! You're gonna want to keep an eye on the "display monitor," just in case something "just happens" to ring up at the wrong price. Also, while putting a grocery bag in the cart with your right hand, take your debit card/cash out with your left hand. I know, surprise, huh... In the end you're ALWAYS gonna have to pay for it... Why wait til the end of the ordeal to face reality. And, don't even get me started if you're writing a check... You know who you are!

When you're finished at the cash register, thank the cashier and move on! Go! Leave! This is not the place to hold a family conversation, or to decide what you'll grab at McD's on the way out, or to start munching on the food you've just purchased. If you kept an eye on the "display monitor" chances are you won't get charged the wrong price. That does not mean there is no room for error (like something getting rung up twice). If you feel this has happened, the cashier won't be able to help you any way, so move to the side, check your receipt, and bring it to the attention of your cashier, who will hopefully get you some further assistance.

Last, but not least, if you're anything like me, by this time you're exhausted and depressed from spending so much money. This is NO time to get in a person's way. Let's see... How to express this??? You don't want another shopper going postal on you, do you?!?

There you have it... In a nutshell... Easy huh?!? Oh, and if you're wondering what prompted this post... Jesse had his buggy license revoked today!

Remembering Veterans

2009-04-04T14:03:00.011-07:00

In 1995 I had an opportunity to visit Washington DC and view the Vietnam Memorial. This was something I really wanted to do, because some 20+ years before that I bought a POW/MIA bracelet, which had the name of a soldier fighting in Vietnam on it.

At that time the Americans were pulling out of Vietnam. If the soldier on your bracelet returned, you were supposed to send the bracelet to that person. I watched the broadcasts every day, to see if Captain Curtis Dan Miller, the name on my bracelet, got off. That never happened, so my desire to check the wall was important to me.

Washington DC is a very busy and bustling city, with all the noises that come with it. But, down by the wall is the complete opposite... It was really quite overwhelming to feel the reverence there.

When you arrive at the wall there are books at each end, that list the names on the wall, and label the section where the name can be found. I cannot express the feelings of sadness that I felt at that moment, when I found Curtis D. Miller on the wall. This was not someone I knew, but I had held onto that bracelet all those years, and to find him on the wall was heartbreaking.

Today, Jesse and I had the opportunity to see a 3/5 scale, traveling exhibit of the Vietnam Memorial. That feeling of reverence was there, too. Once again I found Curtis D. Miller on the wall. Jesse also found the name of Robert J. Gordon, one of his cousins who was killed in the battle Kaesong.

To see the thousands of names on that wall is so, so sad. To see people who are searching for the names of people they loved and lost is tear-jerking.

I'm so glad we took the opportunity to drive over to see it. We placed red carnations by the wall, in honor of the two men we found. We were able to sign a memorial flag that will be sent to Washington DC for Memorial Day, to be placed at the memorial there.

And, at noon, we helped release 100 black balloons,

in honor of those that gave their lives. I truly am grateful for them.

Two Things

2009-03-28T10:17:00.006-07:00

1. I've mentioned this before, but I love Maxine. This picture pretty much sums up my philosophy...

2. Grapes are on sale at Fry's this week, so we had to stop in. While we were there we found these... Giant stuffed peeps! Cute, but too expensive to buy.

Had to Have Them!

2009-03-27T19:05:00.001-07:00

I've been looking for some cute, strappy sandals to wear with dresses, and have come up with nothing. But, during the search, I found these... Are they perfect, or what?!?

Okay... My Bad!

2009-03-27T14:36:00.008-07:00

Last week Sandy came up with a marvelous idea to go to Olive Garden for lunch, and to catch up on everything she's been up to for the past couple of months. Wow... How could I say "no?" I mean, good friend + good food = good time!!! Unfortunately, I didn't mention this adventure on my blog, and guess what??? Sandy called me on it! So...

Today when Sandy, Vicki and I went to Macayos for lunch, Sandy made sure I didn't miss out on some "kodak moments," so I could add today's visit on the blog... Here it is:

Macayo's... YUM!

This is Sandy and Noah. Sandy said she was in the middle of eating a chip (Who can resist?!?)...

So she "posed" for this picture.

This is Vicki! She said she always looks like a "China-man" in pictures, so I took another one just to see... You decide!

Sandy, being serious... What's up with that?!?

Fried ice cream... Mmmmmm!

I had a great time... Thanks ladies!!!
Sandy: Am I forgiven???

I Escaped!

2009-03-26T12:44:00.017-07:00

I left the house today, for more than 15 minutes!!! I had to go to the bank, so on the way (actually a little bit out of the way) I stopped at Michael's. This truly is a dangerous place for me to go to, but I saw a commercial (all about scrapbooking) a few days ago, and they talked about transfer tape, and I knew I had to have some! Just so you know, I did very good... I spent less than $15... Yea me! While I was there I had to check out the $1 section; they always have something I can't live without. Today, I found a cute little magnet, and it reminded me of Ashlee, so I bought it. The picture doesn't do it justice, cuz it really is cute! It reads, "Celebrate - It's a good life." (Get in touch with me Ashlee, and I'll send it to ya!)

I looked at scrapbooks while I was there, but they were VERY expensive, so I decided I would go next door to Target, and see what they had. I found a cute one for about 1/2 the price as those at Michael's.

I needed a new scrapbook since I've spent a good chunk of spring break working with some old pictures of "places I've been to" and "things that I've seen."

FYI: It is very hard to take pictures of pictures... The flash makes the gloss on the pictures shine.

Ever since I've been "old" and need "large print" scriptures, I've needed a new case to carry my scriptures in. Unfortunately, the places that I know of to buy such a thing are on the other side of Phoenix, and I don't go that direction very often. Then, a couple of weeks ago, the lady that sat in front of me at church had her scriptures in a "purse." It wasn't the "typical" scripture case but it was PERFECT for carrying scriptures!!! Ever since then I've wanted one.

So... I checked out what was available at Target, and I found the cutest little purse, just the right size, and to make things even better, it's PINK!!!

While moving some storage cabinets I came across a few Easter decorations. One of the decorations is a bunny ferris wheel and what would be the seats are little egg holders (for colorful plastic eggs). I had an egg for each of the colors (pink, yellow, orange, blue, purple) except green, so I put it on the piano. I'm not kidding... Within 10 minutes my kittens found that egg holder, and the eggs have become the greatest toy. I'm now down to a yellow, blue and 1/2 an orange egg. The others are rolling around here, somewhere.

I also found some adorable window clings of bunnies at Walgreens... Had to have them!

And best of all... It's peanut butter egg season!!!

UUGGHHH!

2009-03-25T13:53:00.004-07:00

Okay, it's official... For the first time in some 20+ years, I'm BORED!!! Ordinarily, I love spring break, but this year, it's just not the same. I want to go to San Diego (I always want to go to San Diego), but the budget's not going to allow that. I want to go shopping... just becuz... but the budget's not allowing that, either. There are things that I normally would do, like trim bushes, or dig out the weeds (this is a continuous job), but last week Rudy (the dog) went nutsoid, and literally ran me into a bush. In the process I got bit twice (should've gotten stitches on my foot, but who knew... ), and he pulled the muscle near my right shoulder. In addition, I went to the orthopedic surgeon again (Yippee... NOT!) and he said to limit movements to my neck (due to disintergrating discs). So... To make a loooong story short, I've pretty much been too sore to do anything physical. Basically, I'm stuck at home looking for mild, non-painful things to do. I suppose that explains some of the changes to this blog page, huh?!?

4 Years, Already!

2009-03-19T20:08:00.004-07:00

Today, Jesse and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary. I can't believe how lucky I am to have him in my life, and that I've been given a second chance to be loved. He's my BEST friend, and I'm so glad that he's mine!

Cell Phones

2009-03-15T20:29:00.004-07:00

Several years ago, Gary came home with this new-fangled thing, called a cell phone. It came in a case, about 10" x 10", and it plugged into the lighter in his van. It cost a fortune, and using it was even more expensive... He only had like 30 free minutes a month. But, he justified having it for his business.

Who knew how popular cell phones would become?!? Sometimes I think they're too popular. It drives me crazy seeing people on them ALL the time, in every place. Seriously, who are these people calling??? Especially before 7:00 AM? Don't get me wrong, I use my cell phone, too. It works great at Wal Mart when Jesse wanders off and then wonders where I am. I've downloaded games, that keep me occupied while waiting at the doctor's office. I've become quite the expert at text messaging, which I LOVE since I don't have to talk to get my message out! But...

I never knew how much I liked my cell phone before last Thursday! Just having my phone with me was a true blessing! I was able to not only store a phone number, without using a non-existant pencil and paper, but I also had very important information available to me, instantly, at my fingertips. I'm so glad I was born when all this technical stuff is available! It sure makes my life a whole lot easier!

Update

2009-03-10T10:29:00.002-07:00

Whitey/Goldie took his last breath yesterday. For 5 days he held onto life, swimming on his side, attempting to eat, down at the bottom of the tank. It was very sad to watch, but I couldn't stand the thought of his watery burial while he was still alive.

Maxine

2009-03-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Whitey... Or is it Goldie?

2009-03-04T07:39:00.002-07:00

About a year ago my sister bought me a gold fish to keep "Kitty" (the fish) company. Literally, this fish was gold when she bought it, but since then has progressively turned white.

Any way, this fish has endured numerous sucker fishes, two crabs, and the move to our new place. But, I don't think he is long for this world. He has been acting funny lately; just kinda lounging at the bottom of the tank. I felt better when he quickly moved to the top at feeding time, and did his share of eating, but I'm not so positive now. I mean, fish aren't supposed to swim on their sides, right? It's like he is fighting to hang on to what's left of his exciting life in our aquarium. And, it's just too sad to watch.

In Limbo

2009-02-25T12:33:00.006-07:00

This is me...

...In limbo, and really not sure how low I'm willing to go. If only I could win the lottery (NO, I don't buy lottery tickets), or something, and miraculously have lots and lots of money, to just run away, and spend time in the sun, next to a crystal, clear, blue ocean, with a nice icy pepsi in one hand, and chocolate in the other... Aaaaahhh! Doesn't that sound good right now?!?

If that happens, I promise, I'll get back to ya!

Grand Canyon

2009-02-16T19:46:00.007-07:00

My sister, Jill, flew in from Michigan on Thursday night, and she's never been to the Grand Canyon, so we made a "spur of the moment" trip... Seriously, when we got up we had no plans of going any where, and by 9:00 we were on our way north. I'm posting a few pictures.

Jill's first view of the canyon.

Me and Jesse

Mom, Jesse & Jill

BTW: This was the first time I've seen snow in 5 years!

How scary!!!

2009-02-08T13:16:00.004-07:00

Last Sunday, one of the members of the bishopric asked to speak with me and Jesse... We were relieved when he didn't give us some crazy calling, like activity committee, or nursery leader... Instead, he asked us to talk this Sunday, on the Sacrament. I absolutely HATE talking in public! I know that's hard to believe, since that's what I do for a living, but that's in front of children, and I know I'm smarter than they are.

Any way, Jesse got right on his talk, and pretty much had it wrapped up by Monday. On the other hand, I stressed, and pondered, and worried all week about what I could say. Although I found LOTS of information, it wasn't until yesterday, when Jesse was tweaking his final copy, that I actually started typing. I tried to post it here as a file, but apparently I don't know how to do that. So, if you'd like to read it, let me know, and I'll send it to you.

Yum!

2009-01-31T20:52:00.006-07:00

Chipotle was offering free burritos to any one that showed up in Cardinal red today. I love Chipotle, so of course we had to go. The line was loooooong; and we were in a sea of red!
This is where Chipotle is...

This is where we were!

Too funny!

2009-01-28T05:52:00.003-07:00

Poor Jesse! He wasn't feeling very well last night, and decided to take some Alka Seltzer. But, instead of putting them into the glass of water, he started to swallow them like a pill. Oh my gosh! The look on his face was priceless, when those tablets hit his tongue and started to melt... As sick as he was we both got a pretty good chuckle out of it... Just too funny!

It just doesn't matter!

2009-01-27T18:51:00.004-07:00

First, I seriously doubt that any one is following, or even looking at my blog, and thought about just deleting it. But, then I realized that it's a good way for me to vent, so even if no one else, besides myself is reading this, it just doesn't matter.

If you're wondering what set me off, it's a combination of my students, the administration, and now parents (or today, grandparents). Seriously, I'm to the end of my rope. I can't change the behaviors of these children... I've tried... And, they're just plain MEAN! They pick on each other like chickens pick on the weakest in the flock. And, they literally don't give up until they've done some damage. It's frustrating! If I had my "druthers" I'd be sending several of these kids home to their parents, and not allow them back in until they learn some manners. I cannot stand contention, and it is what I deal with on a daily basis, and it's not fair to me, and it's certainly not fair to the students in my class that are really there to learn.

I am SO FRUSTRATED! I hate it, and I hate my job!!!

Zoo Lights

2009-01-21T20:07:00.007-07:00

On Sunday, the Phoenix Zoo held a food drive for the St. Mary's food bank. Basically, they sent out an invitation to all state employees to see the Zoo Lights for the price of a can of food. My mom had never seen the Zoo Lights before, so Jesse (a state employee) invited her to go with us.

There was quite a crowd there, and they certainly accomplished their goal, of collecting food... There were boxes, and boxes, filled to the top!

On Monday, after the big win on Sunday, we decided we needed to check out the Cardinal's stadium, which is practically in our backyard. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure at least of few of the seats in there belong to ME, since I received my Masters degree from the University of Phoenix, and it was far from cheap!

The CARDINALS are going to the SUPER BOWL!!!

2009-01-18T16:36:00.006-07:00

WEEEEEEE... HOOOOO!!!

Friday was Cardinals day at school... This is my class wearing "cardinal" red.

Goin' to the Chapel...

2009-01-17T19:39:00.002-07:00

Sometime during December, my friend, Sandy fell madly in love with Bryan. On January 1, 2009, she started off the new year by "Goin' to the Chapel," in Vegas, and got married!

Tonight was their open house... Does she look happy, or what?!?

A New Year Begins

2009-01-01T18:45:00.011-07:00

I have to say, that our New Year began very pleasantly. In fact, I think it was the most fun I've ever had on New Year's eve!!! We started out by going to Olive Garden for dinner. For those of you that don't know, Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant... I love their salad... YUM! From there we headed to 19th Avenue and Camelback, to the "park and ride" lot for the new light rail system in Phoenix. This, we decided, was the best way to get to the Tempe Fiesta Bowl Block Party.
1. Riding the train was safer than dealing with party going drivers
2. The train dropped us off right in the middle of the block party, and
3. The ride was FREE!!!
I have wanted to go to this block party for years! We drank hot spiced cider, watched an illusion show, saw motocross bikers doing air jumps (those people are crazy). We had our picture taken, and then bought crazy new year stuff. We celebrated with fireworks, at 10:00 PM, with the people on the east coast, and listened to a local band, which was pretty good! But, better yet, at 11:15 PM we were treated to "STYX." I really like Styx, in fact I have both records (yes LP's) and 8-tracks (okay, I just dated myself) of their music. The entertainment was GREAT! After the second firework show we began heading back toward the train... Talk about a crowd! But, the light rail system worked great! And, the entertainment continued on the train. Oh my gosh... I had such a good time watching the people! Apparently, some of them had a pretty good time at the block party, and their antics were hilarious! Literally, everyone was very friendly and having fun! Surprisingly, the car ride back home was not near as frightening as anticipated. The traffic was pretty light and well behaved. We got home around 2:00 AM... Ha! Usually that's about the time I wake up!

The video below is a bit grainy, but it'll give you an idea of the concert and surroundings, under the bridge, at Tempe Beach Park.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

Brave, huh?!?

2008-12-21T08:15:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, Jesse and I ventured to the mall. We hadn't been there for a while, and we still had a couple of presents to shop for, so we made the courageous trip! Fortunately, we were smart enough to go EARLY, and the crowds weren't too bad.

Any trip to the mall wouldn't be complete without a visit to the food court. Jesse didn't eat breakfast, so it wasn't long before he was looking for something to eat. Did you know Panda Express isn't open at 9:30 AM... Weird, huh! However, Cinnabon is!!! I didn't get one, but man, that cinnamon roll looked GOOD!

While tooling through the mall we saw the "big guy," himself. Keep in mind this was before noon, and the line was already enormous... Seriously, it was comparable to the line for Space Mountain at Disney Land! We saw one little family of 3 getting their picture taken, and the smallest one did NOT want to be there, and he was giving the photographer quite a workout!

The most exciting purchase of the day was a totally unexpected one. A couple of months ago we went to the Arts in the Park fair, and while there I had my eye on a carmel apple; it looked so good! But, they also had chocolate covered strawberries that grabbed and kept my attention. I vowed, right then and there, that the next time I saw one of those apples, I was going to buy one! Now, I bet you can already guess what I found... A white chocolate, carmel covered, coconut and macadamia nut apple... Mmmmmmm! We shared it, and it was so yummy!

We walked the whole length of the mall, and then headed back; that meant another stroll past the food court, but this time I was ready for lunch. I went to Bourbon Street BBQ, thinking I could get some BBQ chicken... I was waaaaaaaaaaay off. The food was more like Panda Express. I ended up getting the BBQ chicken (not like you'd expect, with BBQ sauce), and mandarin orange chicken, with noodles. It was okay, but the price was great... I got a lot of food for less than the price of the apple.

We decided to exit the mall by going through Mervyn's, which if you didn't know, is going out of business. That place was a mad house. Seriously, there were some "deal-hunting" people in there. The place was pretty picked over, too; kinda reminded me of a turkey bone, after all the meat has been pulled off. We did get a good deal on a dress, though; it was originally marked $40, but we got it for $11, and it's CUTE!

On the way home we were watching the traffic on the other side of the freeway. The exit to the mall was backed up at least a mile (we were pretty glad we went when we did). We also saw an accident happening. Don't really know what happened, but a car was going down the freeway SIDEWAYS, and there was a lot of smoke! That's just too scary!

We also stopped by Wal Mart. Seriously, I don't know why they just don't make my pay check out to this place, since it seems like this is where most of my money goes. Any way, I found some cute shoes. I found out this week, while it was raining, that my other slide-on black shoes are cracked on the bottom, which makes for cold, wet feet. Obviously, I had a perfectly good reason to buy more!

The big goal now is to stay out of the stores until after Christmas, and avoid all the last minute, crazy shoppers.

Fiesta of Light Parade 2008

2008-12-07T08:17:00.001-07:00

Work... UUGGHHH!

2008-12-02T18:25:00.003-07:00

I "hate, hate, hate, double hate, loathe" (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) my job!!! I just don't seem to be able to please any one. All I'm trying to do is teach, but instead I have to play police officer in my classroom. Why? Becuz the same old students continue to make distractions which take away from the learning process. That means I have to take teaching time to write behavior reports, or recovery room tickets, or office referrals. What makes things worse is that the administration is aware of the students causing the problems, but nothing (and I mean NOTHING) seems to ever get done about it. That means the problem students remain in my room, disrupting everything and everyone, and the vicious cycle of writing them up continues, over and over again. And, frankly, I hate that! I have never had such an awful bunch of students, along with an odd combination of parents. On one hand I have apathetic parents that don't do anything at home to change their child's behavior. On the other hand, I have parents that don't think I'm doing enough for their child (which may be true, but then again, I'm spending my time writing behavior tickets). Seems I'm caught in a catch-22 that I can't get out of, especially with NO support from the administration.

So, what's the solution? I would be VERY surprised if I continue to teach at this school next year. I really didn't want to return this year, but a couple of people talked me into it, and now I'm truly regretting it! Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty tired of teaching altogether. I don't know what else I can do, but surely there is something else out there that will be less demanding, and provide for evenings free and weekends without taking a ton of work to do at home, unpaid. And, the behavior control, well, that can be left for someone else to do. Seriously, stocking shelves at Wal Mart has got to be better than what I put up with now!

I guess that's enough ranting and raving. Hopefully things will improve.

winter

2008-11-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

Best Laid Plans

2008-11-23T17:10:00.006-07:00

Since I have so many critters, I thought it would be nice to get a few "holiday pictures" of them, and possibly a picture for this year's Christmas card. Suffice it to say, that idea did NOT work. I think the following pictures say it all...

I tried the Santa hat on a couple others, and the results were weren't much better.

I've been tagged, again... 8 things

2008-11-18T17:51:00.004-07:00

Eight things I am passionate about:
Jesse
my critters
my religion
helping children learn
music
civil rights
the internet (I think I'm addicted)
?

Eight words or phrases I use the most:
Listen up!
Josh, sit down.
Take out your agenda.
Fill in your agenda
Seriously, dude!
Kittens...
Rudy, be quiet!
Mah-velous

Eight things I want to do before I die:
work another 15 years before I retire
be healthy
be successful
go for a limo ride
go on a cruise, anywhere
become filthy rich
enjoy life
publish a book

Eight things I need right now:
MONEY
a nap
a few days off
well behaved students
attentive students
Did I mention money?
some chocolate
financial security

Eight Favorite Restaurants:
Olive Garden
Chipotle
Applebees
Weinerschnitzel
Golden Corral (they have great mashed potatoes!)
Mayacos
Panda Express
?

Eight places I want to visit:
Hawaii
Arizona Memorial
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
Massachusetts
Alabama
Louisiana

Eight TV Shows I watch:
Big Brother
Survivor
Big Bang Theory
2-1/2 Men
Designed to Sell
My House is Worth What?
the news
Deal or No Deal

People I tag: ?

Things I like...

2008-11-15T14:41:00.006-07:00

With Thanksgiving coming I thought I should mention things that I'm grateful for, but to be honest, I was having a hard time (this year) doing that. Then, as I was blog surfing (weird, I know, looking at blogs of people I don't know) I found one that had a list of things they liked. So... I decided I'd make my own list, and this is what I've come up with:
- sleep
- pepsi
- cats
- kittens
- puppies
- animals
- traveling
- pink
- soft, warm towels (I was drying some as I wrote)
- Spanish palm trees
- chocolate (can you believe it's this far down on the list?!?)
- pedagogy
- air conditioning
- softy (again, drying towels as I wrote)
- "my" lazy boy
- ice cream
- better yet, chocolate ice cream
- piano
- music (but not the loud raunchy stuff, or twangy)
- time off from work
- peanut butter
- "my" pillow
- quietness
- San Diego
- interior design shows
- "Big Brother"
- "Survivor"
- 3:10 PM Monday thru Friday
- sharp cheddar cheese
- Vlasic dill pickles
- chimichangas
- freedom
- the U.S.A.
- colors
- sharpies / gel pens
- musicals
- digital cameras
- computer
- e-mail
- garage door openers
- remote control
- electricity
- porcelain facilities
- running water
- Movies:
- "Sound of Music"
- "Defending Your Life"
- "Groundhog Day"
- "Ice Castles"
- "Hero"
- "Mr. Holland's Opus"
And, now that I look at my list I guess I found several things that I not only like, but I am very thankful for!

Teddy (the kitten) has decided he doesn't like being "locked in," and we now have an escapee...

The problem... Rufus...

He's on duty, all the time!

Eventually, all that climbing wore Teddy out...

Speaking of Rufus, I found a cute Halloween collar for him. I'm not sure why I bought it, but it was too cute to resist, and it was cheap. I don't think Rufus likes it as much as I do.

So I put it on Salem!

He didn't care for it much, either!

Sweetheart Tag

2008-11-08T15:13:00.002-07:00

Cindy "tagged" me, so I thought I better play along...

Sweetheart Tag - The rules: Each person answers questions about their sweethearts. At the end of the post, the person then tags 6 people and posts their names. Then go to their blog & leave them a comment, letting them know they have been TAGGED.

(Note: I don't really have anyone to tag, so I didn't do that part.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is your husband's name? Jesse

How long have you guys been married? 3and 1/2 years

How long did you date? 2 months

How old is he? 56

Who is taller? Jesse

Who can sing best? That's a toss-up

Who is smarter? Jesse

Who does laundry? both of us

Who pays the bills ? me

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do
(when you are looking from the bottom of the bed to the top)

Who mows the lawn? Nobody... We have rocks!

Who cooks dinner? me

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Jesse

Who kissed who first? I think that was mutual

Who wears the pants? BOTH OF US =)

Art Fair

2008-11-02T17:41:00.006-07:00

This weekend was the Litchfield Park Annual Art Fair. My mom was here for the weekend, so we took her over to see it. She found several things she couldn't resist, incuding some fry bread.

I did pretty good about NOT spending money, but Jesse caved and bought this sign...

I have to admit, it's pretty appropriate!

October

2008-10-27T18:37:00.009-07:00

It is almost unbelievable that Halloween is the end of this week. October seems to have flown by, and I'm wondering what exactly I've done with it!

The first week brought parent conferences, at the end of the first quarter. Conferences in this district start at 1:00 on Thursday afternoon and run through 8:00 at night. This makes for a pretty loooooooooooooong day, when I'm usually there by 6:15.

This conference was very different from any other I've ever done, compliments of what I can only describe as a "crazed" parent. Okay... That's a bit vague, but it left me literally speechless and SHOCKED! And,she was SCARY!

Week #2 and 3 brought fall break... YEA!!! Two weeks of peace!

That brings us to this week, which is Red Ribbon Week at school. Today was the 50th day, so students and teachers were encouraged to dress in 50's style. I didn't have a 50's outfit, so I made a "poodle skirt." I kinda cheated on the poodle... I found a picture on print shop, copied it, put strapping tape across the back, cut it out, and stitched it to the skirt... Worked for me!!!

Tomorrow is "sock it to drugs" day (or wacky socks), followed by "tie one on against drugs" (wear a tie), then "turn your back on drugs" (wear your shirt backwards), and Halloween is a "red out."

Oh, this district doesn't do Halloween. Apparently, there was a bit of an incident some years back, and a religious group declared Halloween to be somewhat satanic, and just like that it was taken out of the schools.

Speaking of Halloween... Compliments of the 50's day, we (more me than Jesse) had to take a trip to JoAnn's for some material. This store is just plain DANGEROUS for me! No matter how much I like to insist that I am NOT crafty, I can't avoid buying crafty/scrapbook stuff in this place. This, of course, lead to a tour throughout the store before leaving, and we found the most adorable skeleton. Best part: It was ON SALE for 1/2 price!!!

My two favorite boys!

My favorite picture of the month:

Nuttin' Really

2008-10-19T14:39:00.005-07:00

Jesse says I should update the blog. There's really not a whole lot to share. Today is my last day of fall break... How sad is that?!? I have to work another 9 whole weeks... YIKES! I didn't do much over this break; the plan was "to rest," and I did, sorta. Spent a LOT of time working on lesson plans, but I'm planned through the next 9 weeks, and have even updated my school website (www.avondale.k12.az.us/webpages/RTaylor/). The only other thing I did was play with the kittens. They're getting pretty big, but still fun to watch.

I think they may be a bit spoiled, too... What a life!

A couple of weeks ago Jesse found out that some of his very close friends, from Washington, were coming to visit their daughter that lives here, in Arizona. Today we drove over to visit with them. It was a short visit, but Jesse was pretty happy about seeing them again (even if the picture doesn't show it).

I got good news from the orthopedic surgeon; he says surgery is NOT necessary! I wasn't sure I would have gone that route any way, so it's good to know I don't have to. However, he thinks my right rotator cuff needs some help (he says physical therapy 3 times a week for a month) and more shots into my neck... Fun! Fun!

Given Time

2008-10-06T09:29:00.006-07:00

Given time, I seem to be able to get things finished. For example, I put up shelves in the garage, so we have more room to walk around. That is an absolute necessity if we want to fit both cars in the garage at the same time.

Speaking of the garage, I've got to say that I LOVE garage door openers!!! As long as you pull into your own driveway, when you push the button, the door opens, and you're virtually inside the 4-walls of your house.

Ooooohhh... I know what you're asking, and the answer is, "Yes!" For the life of me I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the remote, until I noticed the garage door 2 houses away moving up and down. I don't think anyone saw me!

I also managed to put up a few Halloween decorations. This is a major accomplishment for me, since the past few years I just haven't had the desire to celebrate holidays. And, the thought of having to take down decorations really discouraged me from putting them up in the first place.

If my back and neck hold up a little longer, I think I will rearrange the furniture in the front room. It's been this way since we moved in (the end of July), so I think it's time. I'll post pictures, when I'm finished.

Retraction

2008-10-06T06:29:00.007-07:00

Okay, I've had about 4 days to think about that "It's Official" post, and I think I'd like to make a retraction. I DON'T hate my job... But I DO hate bureaucracy; the red tape that teachers have to follow when speaking to "phantom-type" parents, that don't follow through with recommendations discussed (together), and neglect the importance of their child's education, the minute they leave the room.

HELLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, parents... Stay informed! This is YOUR child we're talking about. And if you want that child to have a well-balanced education, then stay informed (*see note below). If you ask your child if he/she has homework, and they never do, and you're doubting in your mind that it's a true statement, CONTACT THE TEACHER! Ever heard of a phone, or e-mail??? OR, if your child is bringing home tests or grade sheets weekly, with failing grades, you might want to check that black hole they call a backpack (or in some instances, under the bed); you'll be surprised what you'll find in there, including unfinished classwork assignments (now known as homework), not to mention the answer for why those grades are so low!

*Don't get me wrong, I know it's hard: you've got jobs to do, other children to attend to, houses to clean, a life to live, etc... But that doesn't give you an excuse, explanation, or reason. He/she is your child and you just need to deal with it!

It's Official

2008-10-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

... I hate my job! I don't like dealing with poorly trained children, who with little or NO manners, try to manipulate assignments to their best ability, or to manipulate the other students in class, AND the classroom teacher! But, dealing with the parents of those same students is so much WORSE! And, so much more unbelievable!

Apparently it IS acceptable for a student to speak disrespectfully to a teacher, and to behave poorly is class. Why, you ask??? Because they're just modeling what they've seen their parents do; not only in front of their own children, but in front of someone else's children, as well.

All of this because she didn't want to wait 10 minutes, on the chairs, outside the classroom door. Granted: It was warm this afternoon (around 100). Granted, the chair may have been warm. Granted, she was going to have to wait a few minutes. But, think about it: How many of us can avoid lines? Like say, traffic lines, grocery store lines, concert ticket lines, doctor waiting room lines, the line at the post office, dmv... Okay, you get the gist... Lines are inevitable, and we're all busy... No one really wants to stand in line, yet we DO, because there is something at the other end of that line that we DO WANT... Like the 1-minute thrill on an amusement park ride, food to eat, postage stamps, medicine, an evening out, and in some cases, insight to the progression and education of our children, as they become well-rounded, educated, polite, productive individuals, and some day the adults with the ability to thrive and succeed in a world full of LINES!

As important as that last statement may seem, I beckon to ask, "Does that give the parent the right to barge in on another parent/teacher confecerece, arguing over which parent should've been seen first and why!

Literally, all I have to say is: GROW UP!! Wait your turn, and demonstrate to your child respect, patience, and understanding that: Being an adult requires ACTING LIKE ONE!