From short sleeves to snow boots

Last week this time, I was drying my laundry on the outside line. This week, we're flying by the inside lines. Why? Because we got three inches of snow last night. Hubs said it wasn't going to stick, but it did. Measurable precip was probably more, since it did take a few good hours before it did stick.

K- and I did walk to school this morning, though it was slick. We just gave ourselves extra time. I didn't do such a good job at the extra time thing this afternoon. I always check my start time and I was shocked to see that I was about 3-4 minutes off of what I normally am. 3-4 minutes doesn't seem like a lot, but when it is 2:18 PM and you have a mile to walk in 12 minutes, it is enough to give you a spring in your step.

I made it in 11 minutes. Yes, my calf muscles felt like they would explode. I hauled as fast as my legs would carry me. No, I didn't run, but I can absolutely tell you that I had broken a sweat by the time I reached the top of the hill that the school sits on. Whew. Exercise? Check.

I walked home at a bit more of a leisurely pace. K- helped me bust out another Apple Goodie (Apple Crisp). I made a double pan of corn bread and a ton of chicken thighs and legs (they were on sale and I was helping to feed the masses.) My sister found that she would be the recipient of my brother and his children this weekend. His two, a friend's daughter, her three and her partner's two add up to EIGHT! children in the house. Eight children and three adults is a lot of food. So, I called my sister up. "I know that I only have six thighs and 3 legs, but I have them in the oven for you." My sister was thrilled. She was making chicken, too. She said that she knew that she didn't have enough and didn't quite know what she was going to do. Cooking was the least that I could do for her while she was taking on so many people.

I dropped a small pan of chicken and vegetables off to my sister-in-law who had a hysterectomy on Tuesday. She is having complications and was returning to the ER this evening for the second time this week.

I was able to eek in some time in the studio this week, but not nearly what I wanted to do. I vowed never to cut glass while tired again, after chopping into a tendon in my thumb 10 years back. A surgeon had to stitch me back together and I had hitch hiker thumb for two months. It's just not safe to work in the studio tired. I cut myself. Well, I do anyhow, but I'm even worse when tired.

Hubs is at Home Depot returning the broken Lawn Boy mower that they sent to us. It was 79 pounds, certainly went by dimensional weight (the most expensive, but shipping was free to us) and the box got bashed. It broke a few levers on the lawn mower and Hubs was very sad. HD's customer service told him to return it to the store. Hubs feared that UPS would bash another mower. I can't blame him. K- went with him to make certain that he gets "my favorite color lawn mower." When she found he was returning it, she cried and cried. "But it is my favorite color, mom! Bright green. Bless her babyson heart.

I helped at school yesterday. The teacher had me go over some bits o' information with each kid to see where they were at. If they hadn't already been able to tell her in the past, I had to ask address, phone number, parents names, birth date, shapes, counting to 100 by 1's, 5's and 10's. My sister told me that it would give me gratitude. You really can tell the children that are worked with, those that aren't and those who just have a tough time all the way around. The girl who's birthday it was yesterday couldn't tell me her birthday. I had one girl who white coated and told me that she didn't know how to count. I held up my fingers and one at a time, she counted them. She got to 10 and thought she was done. "Keep going!" She was able to count to 65. Since she could only pull to 29 last time, she did great. Some didn't know their parents names. No one that I was supposed to ask address information was able to tell me their address. A couple kids did get to 100. The kids were all very respectful. I think that it helps that I come into the class a lot. When I went to leave, they all kept giving me hugs. Oh, bless their hearts. I'm so happy that K- is in a room with such a great, fun group of kids. And yes, M- even behaved well for me during the end of the grading period review.

So that brings me to this evening. I'm in my jammies. I'm tired. Other than a Chuck E Cheese birthday party tomorrow, we have nothing else that will keep me from the studio.

My house is clean. My belly is full. My people are out getting a new mower.

It's all good.