Monthly Archives: December 2006

>Honey…..

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>She is stealing my heart. Sadie the new little bunny is weaseling her way — no, poor choice of words — she’s convincing us all to keep her. Most important of all, she’s convincing the Peanut bunny that she’s going to be his friend. She hasn’t sat still for a picture yet.

Sadie is not a willing model, as the top picture shows. When I learn to use this camera better, maybe I’ll catch her on the run. She also has lovely dark eyes, but I kept getting red-eye in the pictures. The photo manager software took out the entire eye pigment along with the red. Where’s the Visine when I need it?

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>Hi honey. Gee you look nice today.

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>That’s what the subject line read on my email last Friday afternoon. I immediately wondered what he’d done and why he might need to resort to flattery.

Here’s the rest:
“A bunny was the pet-saver segment (on the noon news) today. Sadie is 2 1/2 yrs old; same species as Tiny; family was moving and had to give her up; was an indoor family style bunny; more history yet to come from the shelter. She’s sitting on my desk here waiting for me to bring her home. I’ve got her for the weekend on a “trial” basis.
(Please don’t kill me)”

Ever since Beast died, the little Tiny one has seemed lonely. We’ve moved him into the house, but he and Peanut (the house bunny) didn’t hit it off. We gave up and moved Tiny into Amigo’s bedroom so he could roam the upstairs while Peanut roams the first floor. When we introduced the lovely Sadie, Tiny would have nothing to do with her, getting all territorial and feisty and resistant to having a new friend. We were surprised; Tiny has never been an “only” bunny. He’s always had Beast at his side. Since Tiny wouldn’t even give her a chance, we were discouraged. We set Sadie’s cage in the dining room.
Were we ever surprised when Peanut, our aggressive and often anti-social bunny, came over and sniffed at her. Sadie poked her head out of the cage, and they nuzzled. They’ve had a few moments of agitation, mostly setting limits for one another, but Sadie has allowed Peanut to be dominant bunny and has even shared her food with him. He has been more than tolerant, even friendly in his own furry little way. They began getting acquainted little by little, and we felt we could allow them to “hang out” in the dining room as long as someone was there to supervise.
Well, it’s Monday, and we’ve decided to extend the trial period for the remainder of the week. This has potential.
And Sadie’s awfully cute.

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>Funday Sunday

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>You might be a Green Bay Packer Fan if your husband wears a pair of these Packer booty slippers when he’s relaxing on the couch.

As of today, Brett Favre has never lost in Monster Park (by any name). He is seven touchdown passes shy of reaching Dan Marino’s career record. But does he have a cute pair of slippers like this? I doubt it.

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>What a difference a year makes

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>The scars are still there, but we’re recovering.
Last year at this time, we were mired in a deep, dark murk that made us feel like we were slogging through an emotional swamp. I had injured my wrist attempting to start the snowblower, so I was in constant pain. Husband was working outrageous amounts of overtime because one of his co-workers, the one in charge of the football season specials, had broken a leg. On top of the overtime, he was working to get his commercial driving license as part of the back-up situation. We were preparing to bring La Petite home from college to get her wisdom teeth out, and Amigo was struggling in school — big time. My boss had drawn red concentric circles on my back, so I was constantly looking over my shoulder at work lest she take aim and fire.
The normal holiday efforts were coming along oh-so-slowly because we didn’t have time or energy to accomplish them. I put up a few indoor decorations with Amigo’s help. They didn’t look like much, but at least Santa or other visitors would know we’d tried. Husband put up some basic outdoor lights (yes, he was very, very careful on the ladder). Our tree was one of the last ones on the lot. It barely fit in the minivan because it was a bit odd-shaped. We dragged it into the house, threw on a few ornaments, and collapsed from exhaustion. Gifts? I’m not sure how we ever shopped and wrapped. Husband did most of his holiday shopping at the Packer Pro Shop because it was the only store he could get to in the craziness of his job.
It was the juggling act that all families face, but we were no longer juggling fruit. It felt more like juggling flaming swords. We didn’t sleep well, we suffered headaches, stomachaches, and all kinds of stress-related illnesses. We didn’t have enough time or stamina to deal with all we’d been handed.
A year ago, life was destined to get worse before it got better.
When I look at the challenges this year, they seem minor by comparison. However, I still feel a little nervous as we enter this “most wonderful time of the year”. I really enjoy the season, the music, the excitement, but a deeply buried part of me is leery of ever going through a winter like the last one.

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>Is there coffee in the house?

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>My favorite coffeehouse in our downtown is a family owned place. The décor is simple: original wood floors and tin ceiling, plain walls, and basic chairs and tables. There are two “window” seats, small tables-for-two that are actually up a step and in the full length windows at the front of the shop. These little alcoves also do double duty as stages for live performers. There is a cozy couch in one corner. They used to have an old church pew from a historical building nearby, and I kind of miss that. But every time I’m there I think about owning it.
If I owned the place, I would:
Keep the hardwood floors and tin ceiling. They’re beautiful, and completely in character with the neighborhood.
Paint the walls a different color. They have a few nice photographs and a few random art pieces hanging here and there, but I rarely take the time to look at them. The walls would need work. Maybe a neutral but warm color, with the art work on the walls grouped strategically to encourage viewing, would be the improvement the walls are crying for.
Clean it up more often. Maybe I’ve just been there on busy, busy nights, but I’ve noticed that the garbage bins on the way out the door are often overflowing. There are always at least two or three light bulbs burned out as well. Could this be a job for a teenager after school? A college student in exchange for free caffeine?
They have free wireless internet service, too. There is a tip jar at the counter asking for tips “to keep the wi-fi free”. I haven’t used their wi-fi yet, but my change always goes in the tip jar anyway. If I owned the place, I’d keep this service if at all possible. It would bring in at least a few regulars, creating word-of-mouth buzz for more customers.
They have a limited menu of sandwiches and breakfast goodies. I would keep this, too, while potentially sharing advertising with a local bakery. It could be a win-win for both of us.
It’s not in a location that encourages a drive-through, so that’s not a concern. Delivery maybe? There are enough workplaces in the general area to make deliveries worthwhile. Offices could fax or call in their orders ahead of time, and we could deliver for a small fee. This could expand our reach, create more exposure, and encourage those folks to stop in on their own time.
Smoking isn’t an issue, either, since our town passed a smoking ban in public places a while back. If we didn’t have the ban, I’d run a nonsmoking place anyway.
Reading over this, I realize that I really like the place. Most of what they’re doing is great. Did I mention their coffee is delicious, too? And since retirement is a long way off, I don’t plan on opening up my own spot for decades, if ever. It’s just a dream.

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>220, 221, Whatever it takes

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>The entire school is bouncing. I expect the building itself to go boing, boing, boing any time now, with the amount of pre-holiday energy inside it. One of our specialists commented the other day, “Ms. M. has the ‘too-cool-for-school’ class this year, and you have the energetic one.” She was right. My class, full of really nice kids from wonderful parents, has turned into the elementary equivalent of Animal Planet. Since tranquilizer darts are frowned upon in public schools (I’m KIDDING, I’m kidding!), I had to resort to creative drama to bring them to attention.
My class, as a whole, was quiet exactly twice yesterday.
The questions of the day revolved around Christmas and Santa. All. Day. Long. “Is Santa real?” “How many reindeer does Santa have?” “Is Santa Claus real?” “How did all this Santa stuff start, anyway?” “Is Santa real?”
These are 6th graders, ages eleven and twelve. They’re old enough to know the truth, but do they? I can’t take a chance on destroying someone’s innocence and having their parents hit the roof. So I gave them my stock answer: it depends on who you ask. Well, that didn’t last long.
A few years ago, I took a class in storytelling from a professional storyteller. I relied on those skills to get the students’ attention yesterday. When they asked me how many reindeer there were, I stopped, put on my hmmm, there’s a story in here somewhere pose, and waited for quiet. Amazingly, quiet descended almost immediately.
“How many reindeer? Well, it depends on who you ask. If you ask Clement C. Moore, he’d have said Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen.” They were almost nodding along with me. Some were counting on their fingers. “Now of course you recall the most famous reindeer of all.”
“Rudoph!” they chimed in.
“And Rudolph makes nine. But there’s a tenth reindeer, too. Do you know her name?”
One highly gifted child knew. “Olive!!!”
Yes, Olive the other reindeer… you know, the one who “…used to laugh and call him names.”
And that was just math class.
The “Is Santa real?” question wouldn’t die. They finally cornered me during Classroom Guidance on my “It depends on who you ask” with the statement “We’re asking you.“
Thank goodness for the Internet.
I found a copy of Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, told them the story, and read them the editorial. For those few moments, they were spellbound.
I’m not sure what kinds of tricks I’ll pull out of my hat next week. Or the week after that. Know any good holiday stories for tweens? I’ll take them!

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>Tea bags and sanity

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>

Anyone who is a parent or works with children knows that the excitement of Christmas can cause some escalating (read: wilder and wilder) behavior. We have twelve days of school left until the winter break starts, and the kids in my class are already bouncing off the walls. At least, their pencils and pens are.

I went into the office at lunchtime with a pink referral slip in hand. A fifth grade teacher took one look at me and said, “Oh! I need one of those, too!” By the end of the day, the principal had a mailbox full of pink. I guess I’m not alone in having a bouncy class.

My email to the guidance counselor had an image of Dr. Seuss’ Grinch. We decided that any of our mediators who haven’t returned their contracts will be suspended from the fun we have planned next week. We ask these kids to be responsible role models, and they’ve had all kinds of reminders and extra copies of the contract. Second chances? Heck, they’ve had four or five! Enough is enough, even if it’s a Grinchy idea.

So I went into the teachers’ lounge at the end of the lunch period and filled up my Lombardi mug with Good Earth Original Tea, the decaf version. Mmmm. It smells wonderful, total cinnamon heaven, and the mug is large and Lombardi, of course, is inspirational. As I waited for my class to come in from lunch recess, I was already feeling calmer. I remarked to my 6th grade co-worker that if the Grinch had been drinking Good Earth tea, maybe he wouldn’t have robbed the Whos down in Whoville.

I didn’t start this post with the intention of it being an ad for herbal teas. What the heck, it works for me! I felt like my “small heart grew three sizes” when I started inhaling the aroma.
And yes, here’s a picture of the mug.

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>Baby, it’s cold outside!

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>

Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but it’s still delightful inside. I can stay indoors, sip a cup of coffee, and listen to Christmas music.

Yes, the truth comes out. I Like Christmas Music. I could listen to it all year round. When the stores start playing songs of the season, my family will listen closely and identify our favorite songs, artists, and arrangements. My (our) collection of Christmas music is quite, um, varied. Some might say eclectic. It leans toward acappella groups and jazz/blues artists, but not entirely. Some are contemporary, some traditional, some old, some new. Some names you’d recognize, some you wouldn’t. Many of the unfamiliar artists’ albums are my favorites.

I’ve been playing Gloria Estefan’s “Christmas in your Eyes” when I get to school in the morning. I wave my ID card in front of the locked entrance, come in, start the coffee, and get myself settled at my desk. As soon as I’m ready to work, I push play. The heat’s not on yet when I arrive, so I depend on the music to warm me up. Gloria’s music comes through for me every time. She sings a luscious arrangement of “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” with the back-up of Singers Unlimited. Her “Silver Bells” makes me want to stand up and dance. My favorite on this album has to be the simple yet lovely Silent Night, sung in both English and Spanish. I can’t sing along with this one; I need to sit back and listen.

While the thermometers may read below zero, and I need my fingerless gloves to type when I arrive, inside my classroom it’s all warmth — the warmth that comes from good tunes and a good mood, a warm heart and warm thoughts.

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>It’s not easy being Green at Christmas time.

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>Martha Stewart doesn’t live here. Let’s make that clear right off the bat. Once in a while I do something crafty, but that’s as far as it goes.

That said, Christmas is a tough time for someone who teaches environmental science and wants to walk the talk.

Take wrapping paper — please. It can’t be recycled, it can’t be burned in the fireplace, it doesn’t compost. The only reasonably “green” option is re-use. Skip it? Not unless I want “Scrooge” to be my middle name. Well, my family gets all over me about re-using wrapping paper.

“Mom, just rip it open! Hurry up! Why are you folding the paper? You don’t have to be so careful with the tape. Mom, it wasn’t expensive. Geez.”

I drive them crazy.

But this tendency to reduce, re-use, and recycle can come in handy. I take good care with the wrapping paper we do buy, re-using gift bags until they fall apart, saving the bows every year, and refusing to throw away the small pieces of wrap that seem useless. I said SEEM useless.

As I said before, I’m not Martha. No one would come into my house and think she lives here. But I am rather proud of these two presents. Using a strip of green shiny foil (too small for a box) and a batch of plain brown packaging paper that came with a cookbook, I made these two gifts look pretty. Pretty good, even. The tags are made from last year’s Christmas cards.

(haha, Petite one, the smaller package is for you!)

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