What are you looking at?
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Snow, sleet, ice, and rain

The weather forecasters have worked overtime this weekend trying to keep up with the weather blowing through our fair state. In my county alone the snow totals ranged from 0" to 10" (the sleet totals would have been the opposite!) I decided the best choice was to hunker down and wait it out. I finally left the nest this afternoon and saw another neighbor with the same idea. As with any raccoon, she looked at me disdainfully when I stopped to take her picture.

I was reading the Washington Post this morning and found an interesting article about Blog Awards. One of the nominees was an interesting site called Is My Blog Burning? If you like to create interesting food this blog is for you. (I can't cook but I did have the good sense to marry a chef!)

Photo Friday - The Weekly Photo Challenge

Photo Friday - The Weekly Photo Challenge

Chicken Little
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Chicken Little

The picture above is my pet chicken, Chicken Little. She is the end result of an embryology project I did with my students last spring. I never expected to have a pet chicken, but I have grown very fond of her. She talks to us frequently, and I love watching her chase the dogs around the yard. I'm still learning about chicken care, so if you have any clucks of wisdom send them along.

Okay?

My friend W. made a comment to me on Monday about how annoying it is to hear people end a sentence with "okay?". I agreed with her that it was a very unattractive mannerism, compared it to using "like" and "umm" and went merrily on my way. And then...

I use "okay" constantly! I use "okay" as a signal to my students that we are about to begin. I use "okay" as a signal that I have finished giving instructions. I probably use it in about a half-dozen other occasions as well, and I'm driving myself bonkers!!

I will get this little vocal tic under control.

Yeah, right.

Cold weather setting in at the ski mtn
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Carpooling

This is a shot of my carpool buddy's black SUV after a week of commuting through snow and ice. My last car was black and I loved it, but I got tired of all the comments about the weather in the mountains from my co-workers (in the foothills). I now have a boring white vehicle which shows much less salt and slag. My friend J. still sticks by her black behemoth (she drives a Miata in the summer.) I really like the seat warmers. We've now got a 2 day window to get everything washed before we start the whole cycle again. Ahhh, winter....

The price of commuting in the mountains.
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Kids, dogs and snow

We've finally gotten a good snowfall. The definition of a good snowfall in my house is a snow you can sled in. The kids and I arrived home from the ski mountain yesterday and settled in for dinner, baths and TV. Then the snow started to fall. It didn't matter that the temperature was dropping, the sun had set or that the wind was blowing. The kids and the dogs went out to investigate the sledding hill. Pleased with the potential results, everyone went off to bed. It is now all of 4 degrees outside and the kids and the dogs are outside sledding. I think they're crazy. But I love watching them play. Happy winter.

Hwy 321 South near Blackberry between storms on Thursday morning
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What's your favorite blog?

I'd like to add some more blogs to my blog list. What are your suggestions?

A friendly face on the drive home
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You say it's your birthday!

Okay, put on a Beatle's CD and let's wish a big happy birthday to....

Cary Grant http://www.carygrant.net/
Danny Kaye http://www.reelclassics.com/Actors/Kaye/kaye.htm
Kevin Costner http://www.kevincostner.com/
A.A. Milne http://www.pooh-corner.com/biomilne.html
Daniel Webster http://www.marshfield.net/History/webster.htm

and me! (Some good company!!!)

Lunch break at the ski mtn
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Looking out my car window while listening to "Will in the World".
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The Bard

I am listening to an audio CD on my morning drive called "Will in the World". It is an awesome biography of William Shakespeare which weaves together historical evidence of Shakespeare's life and metaphorical evidence of his life from his plays and sonnets. I highly recommend it! I've been fascinated with Shakespeare ever since high school when I had a pair of English teachers who pointed me in Will's literary direction. (Thanks Mrs. N and Mrs. T!) Since this book is a biography I've found a link that highlights Shakespeare's birthplace. Give it a look. http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/homepage

Bugs Bunny

Do you remember the big red monster who chased bug around the haunted castle? Bugs finally tamed "Big Red" with some "hare tonic". My son was growing his own big red monster. He has really curly, really thick, really red hair. The fashion in for young men (middle school) to stop getting hair cuts and look like the guys on "That Seventies Show". Notice I used "was" above. I sent him to get his hair thinned on Saturday. What a disaster. After an emergency conference and a second hair dresser we finally had hair that looked - unfortunately- groomed. I keep reassuring him that as fast as his hair grows, it'll be a mess again in at least a week. Let's hope. Hare tonic anyone?

Ski Mtn from the top
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Advanced Candidates

I'm off to lead a workshop for National Board Candidates in their 2nd year of certification. National Boards is a national teacher certification process which is similar in difficulty to an accountant getting their CPA license. Teachers in their 2nd year of Nat'l Boards are a lot of fun to work with. As always, I'm a little nervous, but these workshops are usually very inspiring to teach. If you know a teacher getting their National Boards (or already certified) give them a big hug. They deserve it!

Hwy 321 looking towards Lenoir
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Hwy 321

I was driving down 321 to Lenoir yesterday morning and the sky was just beautiful. People ask me why I commute - and this is one of the reasons. I pulled over to shoot the photo above and one of my coworkers about wrecked her car to turn around and check on me - and that is another reason. A beautiful drive, people who truly care about you - what more can you ask from a job?

Clouds

The kids are back in school - I'm back teaching school - and I'm fascinated by the clouds I see on my commute. Maybe I'll start a cloud blog. The colors and shapes are mesmerizing.

I love going back to work in January. It is amazing what kids can do after the holiday break. I think that all the new information they've gotten in the fall semester needs to sit and steep for a little bit. It's so much fun to see what they can do now - reading, story writing, shoe tying. They are so excited to learn.

Holloway Mountain Rd
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My morning drive
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The Richest Nation

I was looking out upon the sea of people skiing at our tiny resort and this thought came to me, "If all the money being spent on clothing, skis, snowboards, lessons and lift tickets was redirected to the Indian Ocean Tsunami relief, how many villages could be completely rebuilt?" It was just a thought.
http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com/