Angel Bundle--Clara Kristine

Born today. She's a "designer model", huh? I heard her over the phone, and she came in loud and clear! Welcome!

"Who You Callin' Bald?" or "And Your Little Dog Too!!"

'Two of these have been spotted in our neighborhood lately. I was ever so eager to make their acquaintance being as how I now fancy myself a birdwatcher (This just in!! I'm a "birder") and all. Today while walking Mugsy I thought I spotted one high up on a telephone pole and watched him as he scanned the horizon for several minutes. When I mentioned it to my neighbor on his 4-wheeler later he suggested that perhaps I had seen a hawk because, in fact, he hadn't seen the eagles since he whooshed them away a month ago. "Whooshed them away? Whatever for?" I was apalled! In my mind: eagles, patriotism, endangered species, Uncle Sam, as American as apple pie!!!!!!! Please don't tell me that I'm going to have to narc out my neighbor for un-American activities????
"Yes," he continued. "I was afraid they'd carry away one of my new calves. They might even go after your dog!"
That was an image too grisley to rationally entertain. Mugsy would squeal. Struggle. And then be a small, black, yipping dot in the skies. The yip would fade. No more Shih tzu. For one moment I imagined the sizeable hairball he would create in an eagle gastrointestinal system. I think some gas might ensue. Perhaps I too shall take up eagle whooshing...

The Envelope, Please...

I just came from a job interview:

Them: So what would you say has been your proudest moment in education in your career?

Me: I didn't bail. (seriously I said something so similar to that, and then wanted to pull my sweater up over my face to hide.)

Them: How would you handle cyber bullying?

Me: Duh, give them a toilet twirly.

Them: What would distinguish how you would manage a middle school?

Me: Is THAT what I'm interviewing for??? Really???????

Them: Describe how you would interact with parents in this community.

Me: Could I just take my sorry self out now and save everyone the pain?

Them: So what would you say has been your proudest moment in education in your career?

Me: You're going to ask me that again??? Oh, ugh. I still can't answer that. Could we break for a sandwich? Anyone? Anyone?

And so on and so forth. NOTHING makes me more uncomfortable than trying to sell myself. I have a big fat juicy opinion of myself, but wow. I'm kind of modest when it comes to getting that out in the open. All the way home I sang camp songs in my best full operatic voice, then I switched to a hillbilly, then my uberschade German, and then I brought it home in some jazzy wah wah wah muted sax. Do you happen to know the song I sang?"I'm Looking Over My Dead Dog Rover"? ("who's lying on the kitchen floor. One leg is broken, the other is lame. He got run over by a cocoa puff train.") It served to release my pent up nastiness. I wish I had another blog where I could give you the "rest of the story". Remind me on the next road trip we take.

Birdwatching

Yesterday my two students and I needn't have packed up my van and headed for Home Canyon. We needn't have carried the binoculars or bird books. We needn't have stopped in the creek running down the side of the road to sample watercress so crisp and fresh that it made our eyes water. We needn't have . We could have merely camped out in my living room here at Wild Kingdom Acres and WAITED FOR A BIRD TO FLY RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF US FROM UP IN THE LIBRARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes indeedy, Mrs. Greedy. A friend and I were up looking for a book and heard scratch scratch scratch behind the toy cabinet. I immediately reported that to Paco and vacated the house. Missed the whole bird episode which I hasten to add would have done me in. You would have been reading my obituary this morning. Paco reported that he flew down the stairs, across the family room and kitchen, lodged himself briefly in the blinds, onto the front porch (at this point Paco slammed the door back into the house), and then eventually exited through the front door. How a bird got in???? For all I know he hatched from an egg right in the library and has been there since--hiding, watching, waiting--perhaps reading in his spare time.

Luggable Loo

This arrived in the mail. I think it's a birthday present.

New Kid On the Blog

Sometimes when we reproduce things get a little out of hand...Head on over and see for yourself. www.captiveexile.blogspot.com

"What I Fully Intended To Do Today"

What I actually did:
attend a funeral


and

organize my pantry

and



Defying gravity...better left for another day. Thanks to Kurt and Rachel from Glee for at least trying to make gravity defying sound attainable. See you on Wednesday!!

"Seven"

Today's date?
The number of days in a week?
The desirable heaven?
The age when your teeth fall out?
Somebody's lucky number?
How many times you've wished you had a Subaru in the last month?
The number of cups of wheat in two loaves of bread?
The whiskers numbered on that mangey cat who survived the winter in your neighborhood?
The number of months left on your car payment?
The number of minutes in the microwave to heat up some frozen lasagna?

Wrong, wrong, and wrong again...


The Fahrenheit degrees registering on our thermometer on this--the 7th day of April. Sheesh...

Mr. Belnap is Retiring

I'm not sure what I'll do for fun from here on out. Mary Jane and now Bruce...Please pass the word that we're looking for stories, memories, well wishes, and photos for a final tribute. You can email them to me at marhadd@gmail.com I'll make sure they get put together and given to him. TELL EVERYONE!!!! For the record, right after this photo was taken a massive carvery dinner food fight broke out here in jolly ol' London.

Eek! A Geek!!

I chanced upon this old photo of me in the 7th grade. Back in the day we wore skirts or dresses every day. We also carried lunch pails because we had no lunch room. Mine was red plaid which I'm sure would fetch a pretty price today. Notice the snow--waaaaaaaay more than we ever get now. Why? And I swear it was colder. Froze your knees because we had to walk about 1.5 miles. That charming panel truck in the back is the Blurr. Oh how I loved that truck. My dad could make it skid all over the place in the winter! Glasses. Yeah... One might ask "Did you know you were a geek?" Oh sure. Of course. That goes with the 7th grade territory. But I was a fairly happy geek. Lots of friends, endless books to read--we ALL read back then. Life was good...oh, so good. Pre braces, pre zits. 7th grade is the teeter grade. Kid? Teenager? Kid? Teenager?

Ahhhhh.....

For My Students and Granddaughters (2 yet unborn)

Eggcident

Be careful. Eggs are kind of touchy the next few days. Go easy on them.