Maybe it’s the fall air finally coming down to our neck of the woods. Thanks to a tropical storm we’ll call Lee, Monday felt like a November day for us. It was rainy and 65*. Two days earlier, we were around 98*, so that drastic change felt almost cold. Throw in some falling leaves on …
Real Food
I woke up to the feel of pressure changing in the air. I don’t know if I’m sensitive to pressure changes since last April or just the timing, but when I was waking up, I got a little panic/flashback feeling. Sure enough, a tornado was on the ground about 30 miles west of me, but …
I can safely say that I need to look into making cupcakes out of oatmeal, salad, and smoothies because my butt will not stay it’s regular size if I keep sashaying over to Sweet Treats in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Now that I’ve gotten that New Halloween’s resolution out of the way, let me just show you …
I’m eating myself silly today. The good news is most of it is not that bad for me and I’m keeping portion size a lot smaller. The bad news is…cheese sauce is just too good to give up. Ever. And I love a good cheese sauce. This dish is an 11 year old tradition in …
This is the long awaited day. So many people across the nation look forward to the opening day of college football and for many people who have endured disasters–natural or man-made—this day is one the biggest signs of recovery. While the physical town has made huge improvements, sometimes it’s the mental and emotional healing that …
Today is the start of a long-awaited weekend for me and many people in Tuscaloosa. Even in a normal year, the first University of Alabama weekend is reason enough to bring excitement to most of the town. But this year, it’s so much more than excitement. To kick off the big weekend, the country music …
Tomorrow is the first day of September. If I had to rank my favorite months, September would be in the top 3. December is my favorite, October is getting closer each year to that top spot, and September just screams hope for fall weather. It also happens to be the month to teach little kids …
I got up, cleaned up, planned my clothes for church, and then stepped outside. I almost couldn’t believe it. No, not rain. But cool air. The absence of muggy, soggy bottom, breath stealing, sweat inducing, gaggy, humid air. I knew exactly what to do. 1. Clean off chair, evict critters 2. Oh yes, only the …
With the first hints of northern breezes, courtesy of Hurricane Irene, I enjoyed a great two days helping with our church college group’s first retreat. Due to the fact that the student center was destroyed along with our building, maintaining a vibrant active college group is a high priority. We needed a place to hold …
In the land of hanging on by the end of my rope, I decided to do something with a bowl of cherries waiting patiently in my fridge for greatness. I’m not sure I’m up to full power on the achieving greatness scale, but I gave them my best shot. Which is code for throwing them …
I really needed this day. Yesterday, I had a horrible run due to waiting too late, painful IT band, and dehydration. Mix all that up with 1,098* heat and it was miserable. I got 4 in before I decided to bag the whole thing and try again today. The rest of the day was busy …
I honestly can’t think of a catchy title right now, so I’m stealing the prompt from my blog platform. Work is off to a good start. The kids are all settling in, and now we are working on learning about our classroom community since we will be working and playing together for the next ten …
So I’m a HORRIBLE aunt for posting this about two weeks late. But, in my defense, I somehow got some nasty computer virus the day after his party and I was working on his pictures when it happened. I managed to get a few of them done and posted on facebook for my sister and …
6 days before the kids walked in. And the day before 22 little ones walked in. Tables for 24, a reading table in the back for 6, a carpet area for as many as I can cram is to the right. Carpet area for morning meeting, read alouds, and many lessons in whole group …
I’m really trying to keep a good spin on the whole melting situation. We are now in what is called the “dog days” of summer. I have no idea where that phrase originated and I’m too lazy right now to find out. I pride myself on being a prancing encyclopedia of useless knowledge, but not …
I think I’m already back in teacher mode. I’m playing with colors and mixing them to see what kinds of creations I can make. Only instead of paint, I’m using food. I wonder what kind of art I could create with blueberry juice and grass powder? Things are looking better. I’ve got a good head …
The bad news is I didn’t realize it was tuesday until about 2 this afternoon. The other bad news is the day has been the worst day of my summer. It was so bad, I went to the school to work in my room around 2 pm because I couldn’t stand to be in the …
Yesterday, I knew I had an early morning today because I wanted to get my long run in early. The weather…stinks. Literally. Roadkill abounds. Dead grass smells funny. And sweat smells linger like some moldy sock shoved in a damp gym bag in the back of a closet. Mix that with orangutan armpit and that’s …
July 27th. Exactly 3 months after the tornado pitched a big ol’ fit all over Tuscaloosa, two happy endings occurred. 1. My friend Kaye and her husband closed on their PERMANENT house. Theirs was destroyed and that’s where we were the first two days, trying to salvage what we could. This is from the doorway …
I skipped CrossFit this morning because of a minor problem with my shoulder. It wouldn’t move. Not sore. Just would NOT move. It’s as if the muscles or whatever just froze like the tin man. I was a little concerned when I tried to brush my teeth one handed and had white foam dribbling everywhere …