S O W....

My winter "get-away to the sunshine" in getting close!! This time of year I have had about all the snow... cold... gray skies... coats... gloves... wind chill... and all those other things that go along with winter here in the beautiful inland northwest that I can take, and I am heading south to Phoenix for 2 weeks for a little R&R in the sun! Believe me, it is just what the doctor ordered for Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues!! I don't seriously think that I have SAD, but I do think I have "SOW"---SICK OF WINTER!!! :0)

But, my trip to Phoenix isn't all "fun and games"...I will be working, too!! :0) I'm going to teach a scrapbook class at my sister, Jean's, house. It is a fun, mini-album called "We Are Family!"

Update on shoulder/arm: I started PT yesterday, and even though I felt crummy last night, I "think" I felt a little better this morning! I know that PT isn't going to be a party, and I'm hoping after 4-6 weeks I'm going to be good as new!!!

Time flies when you're having fun...

There aren't too many people I know that would choose to visit us during this time of year, but Jean wanted to see snow, and she wasn't disappointed!! Mother Nature treated her to all kinds of fun---snow, wind, sleet, single digit temperatures...all the things that make our winters different than she is used to. At her home she just has the same old weather day after day---sunshine, warm temperatures, blue skies---boring!!! :0)

Sunshine or snow....it's always lots of fun to be with your sister...Here we are a few years ago! :0)

But, who can blame her for wanting to get back to fun times like this? Here she is at her pool! :0)
(Not sure who the guy is....could it be that "open relationship?)

Storytime...

As a Kindergarten teacher, one of my very favorite activities every day was reading to the children. I LOVE children's books...I used to get as excited as the kids when a new book club order would arrive at school---a big box from Scholastic or Trumpet was always cause for celebration!!

Now that my Kindergarten teaching days are behind me, I can still have a great time reading to children at my grandchildren's preschools. I love it!! 3-5 year olds get SOOOO involved in the stories---today one of the books we read was "Chicken Little" and one little boy told me about "his version of Chicken Little where the sky really does fall and out pop aliens with red eyes and pointy claws, and they run all over chasing kids!" And, he was so serious! :0)

Jean and I had a great time, as always, reading to "R's" preschool class...we even remembered cameras so we could record this special memory!

I Know....

Jean keeps reminding me that I need to "update my blog!" I know that I do, but my shoulder is still hurting and my fingers are frozen (below 0 outside tonight is the prediction!)---so, those are good excuses, right?!

We are going to read to "R's" preschool class tomorrow morning...I will take a picture of Aunt Jean "reading" to post here tomorrow!! "R" had a special request for Aunt Jean to come and read, it's a tradition when she is in town!! Oh, and we can't forget to take cookies...that's a tradition, too! :0)

More tomorrow, hopefully!!

OUCH!!!!!

If you ever find yourself with an "inflamed and spasming trapezius muscle" (that is the one highlighted in RED), let me just tell you---OUCH, and not just a "normal ouch", it's a super-duper, 10 out of 10 on the pain scale of "how much does it hurt" OUCH!!!!!!

The crazy part is---I have no clue how it got that way??!! I wish I could say I was doing something really exciting and injured it, but, NO...I woke up in the middle of the night and thought my arm/shoulder was going to fall off!!!

After pacing the floor for 2 nights I decided it was time to seek a professional and get some DRUGS! Why did I wait two nights, did I honestly think it was going to go away by itself???

So, while it's not great, it's soooo much better and I think I am going to make it!!:0)

And, a little shoulder pain isn't going to keep me from scrapbooking!! :0) I'm teaching this adorable mini-album class on Sunday at Paper Pals...there is still time to join me and make this for the Valentine in your life!

A Day For Smiles...

Today, whether you are....young or old, black or white, man or woman, rich or poor...it is a GREAT day to be an American! Our spirits are refreshed and our optimism is renewed...it is a day for smiles!

A Season of Hope...

" I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."...

...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!"

I hope that today will be more than just a day off work, or a day off school...I hope we will all take a minute to remember the significance of today, how the world is a better place for each of us because of Martin Luther King.

Through our windows... (& "A Special Visitor")

...we have a FABULOUS sunny day! What a "mood lifter" it is. I am inside scrapbooking, doing laundry, cleaning a little...but, every time I look out the windows I smile because there is Mr. Sun shining down and making our part of the world a little more BEAUTIFUL!Last night, when "K" and "R" came to spend the night, "K" brought a special visitor along with her! His name is FLAT STANLEY and he is visiting all the way from Arizona. He is from her cousin, Alli, in Phoenix, and arrived through the USPS "flattened" in an envelope! I think Stanley is having a great time here, but we told "K" we think she needs to make him a coat, hat and gloves---we think his blood is thin and he must be freezing!!

A Visit from Jack Frost...

It is very cold and very foggy!! The "upside" is that it makes the trees and bushes beautiful! See, I'm thinking POSITIVE!! :0)

You can teach an "Old Dog"....

....new tricks!! :0) I have been having fun today playing with Photoshop Elements 7---editing and applying different techniques to my pictures! Oh, my goodness, there is sooo much to learn!! But, the good thing is, I've got nothing but time!