October 11, nineteen sixty......wait 2009

Today is my birthday and I wasn't going to blog about it, as I was trying to forget how old I am getting. Jack is "making me a comic" and I am sure it will be funny. His cards always are.

Kate is the more serious gift giver. Sweet poems that will make you cry. After church, we ate breakfast together and talked about what they learned that day in CCD. Kate's class discussed Jesus being a Shepherd and we are the sheep. Kate's other analogy was this thought, "Jesus is like our compass, leading us in the right direction." Yeah, she's 12 and she is mine.

I got 4 coupons - 1 freebie, 1 good for 20 hugs, 1 for 5 loads of laundry and 1 for a helper to clean any room of my choice....no expiration date on any of them. The card says: "Don't forget to reach for the stars when you are having a Happy Birthday." The inside says: " May all your birthday wishes come true - Let the compass show you the way."

I hope your day was as good as mine.

October: Week 2

Still rainy and cold. No "Indian Summer" yet. It that a politically correct term? We made a Jack-o-lantern tonight and toasted the pumpkin seeds. Last weekend we made homemade Chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles. Tomorrow I want to make an Autumn soup recipe I found at www.tasteofhome.com Linda C told me about it. I'll post pics and let you know how it turns out. I have some homemade frozen sauce, so we can always have spaghetti as a backup, plus I bought 2 pizzas from the cheerleaders. Enjoy your Saturday nite. We have some Netflix to watch. :)

OCTOBER

The leaves are just beginning to turn in PA. We drove down to Rockwood Mill Shops and Opera House and met an old and dear friend. Janet Johns was the librarian in the High School when I joined BBSD 19 years ago....

She was so fun to talk to, knew so much about books and research. The age of the internet entered and it was even more fun. She loved it! and when I found a website she never heard of....I was so proud of myself.

Unfortunately, the strike ended her tenure there. New administration drove many people away. She is trying to talk me into joining her district :)

It must have been a weekend for catching up with people from the past. I saw a former student at the Dairy Bar and he thanked me for all I did for him...giving him a hard time until he performed to the level he was capable of! What a great young man. He earned top Co-op student his senior year.

When I got home from visiting Janet and her husband, there was a message on my machine from another former student. He was in town and wanted to say hi!

I am a lucky girl.

Fun Sunday

Gibbs, Jack Bauer and Cherry Blossom

Please note the beautiful rock, shells and beach glass that the fish use for their home!

And Jack Murphy's other addition....the Little Buddha!

My blue beach glass!!!!!!!

Kate's Sunday Night Dinner: Brushetta and Homemade Clam Chowder.

I am reminded it is not quite as good as Mrs. Countryman's potato soup but edible.

"Nothing is more important than spending quality time with your children." who said it? ME!

Didn't do much Friday or Saturday as Jack and I weren't feeling well. When I finally came around it was evening and we played Harry Potter Clue. Very fun, though they both tried to cheat. I have the winner but wanted to play longer so I help out 3-4 more rounds!

After church and CCD today, they quickly got their Homework done as I promised a trip to Johnstown. Had to get out of the house!! Jack has to do three writing entries a week. Most are very funny, today he made a Jack's lib (like Mad libs) lots of fun. Kate had History and tried to pretend she can't read or look up words in the dictionary...I ignore her.

So we hit Michaels for a green poster board...he needs a green screen for this program his art teacher gave him. He made two clamation movies so far and they are quite silly. Then to Petco for some fish. My sister (thanks Annie!) gave him a small aquarium this summer that he cleaned up and it is loaded with all the pretty shells I collected for myself this summer....well my motto...it's all for them...so I let it go. Then I made a wrong turn but passed Starbucks...so we got drinks and visited Game Stop to early Christmas shop....I actually like the Beatles Band for Wii but the bundle is 250.00!!! NO WALMART this trip!!

I got a pat on the head from Jack and thanks all around and then we hit Johnstown's Giant Eagle. Kate wanted to make Brushetta and Jack loves NE clam chowder so we picked up those supplies and food for the week. If you are ever at Johnstown's Giant Eagle, you need to pick up their lemon almond chicken salad. It is the best thing I have ever eaten. Jack loves it!!! Whenever I try to recreate it, I am reminded it doesn't take as good as GE's.

Kate helped me made the chowder, chopping away. It came out pretty good, except not as good as Eat and Park's my son tells me or Mrs. Countryman's potato soup. Kate yells, "you don't tell someone their food is not as good as someone else's while they are eating it."

Jack, "Oh, like you don't tell one girlfriend she isn't as pretty as your previous girlfriend?" Like he has had so many!!! Smart A#@^%$#. But I love him.

Laundry is done, there is a sink load of dishes and I am trying to type this and watch the Colts....love those Manning brothers!!!

We named the fish, Gibbs, Jack Bauer and Sokira (Japenese for cherry blossoms...so Kate says)


Have a great week!

SPORTSMANSHIP

"Sports creates a bond between contemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also gives your life structure, discipline and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide."
-Bob Cousy

It's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game? who said that?

Today, Kate's volleyball team was in a tournament in a nearby county. Seven schools participated. The girls came in 3rd place overall, which is an accomplishment as they played an obnoxious team and a team of 9th graders (Junior High is 7-9 but our girls were 7th and the other team was definitely 9th!)

The coolest thing about the day was not just the general comraderie of the girls. They never were mean to each other if they missed a shot or lost a serve. They just encouraged each other. This didn't surprise me because I had already witnessed this at several games.

No, the coolest thing I saw was our girls cheering for girls for Meyersdale, a neighboring school district. They sat behind their bench and cheered them on. Then the Meyersdale girls reciprocated. Both teams did this throughout the tournament. It was so genuine and so wonderful to see. Typically, its a rivalry nearing Mets v Yankees, but today friendship and supporting your neighbor came first. I didn't see any other schools do this for a neighboring school.

A beautiful sunny fall day, accented with true sportsmanship, friendship and genuine fondness....and by pre-teen girls.

It was a lovely day, indeed.

Making Candy by Kate

This is the chocolate melting on the stove. We didn't have a double boiler so it was in a pie pan on top of a pot of water.

It was a little tricky pouring the chocolate into the molds but we managed.

After 30 minutes in the fridge I popped them out of the mold.

This is me brushing the shells with luster dust to make them shiny.

Finally the finished product!!!

PRAYING WORKS

Ahh, the weekend.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Jack had a horrible practice on Wed and came home crying. Coaches yelled, kids picked on him, glared at him and they had to run because he couldn't remember the plays.....

First reaction: call all those people and yell at them ...stupid gut reaction

Second thought: let him quit..won't fix it it will just make it worse

Third: your son admits he can't quit it will be worse

think, pray, search your brain for some idea of how to get out of this dilemma.

Finally, it came to me, call one of his friends and have him show Jack the plays and how to run them.

It saved the day, until morning came.... Jack was miserable all day and I was useless to fix it...

I CAN'T FIX IT!!

He came home tonight with a smile on his face...he remembered the plays, a kid ran away from him when he blocked and three kids told him "good job"

Sigh...relief...peace


long weekend...homemade noodles at the church picnic Sunday..Kate has some recipes she wants to make

SO what is I get dirty looks as I visit stores in town, because I got a spine this school year...Jack is happy and Kate is happy....that's all that matters.

I can take anything as long as they are happy.

Sorry to worry anyone...

Thanks for all your prayers.

Praying works.