So, have already fallen off the Thankful Wagon as I missed yesterday, but really yesterday and today can easily be combined into one great big moment of thankfulness. Spent last night at Sue's for a festive dinner party, because, although it was Tuesday, we celebrated like it was a Friday, knowing today was a day off! So, yesterday I was thankful for "Tuesday/Friday," and today for "Wednesday/Saturday." There is also the fact that the sun is brilliant and bright, and Tim is buzzingly happy preparing for his big Duck's Unlimited dinner tonight. (am considering wearing the Unwanted Necklace to the dinner...we'll see.)Mom and Dad are coming up to stay with the kids. It is truly amazing...there really IS a LOT to be thankful for, every minute of every day.

Namaste,

Cheryl

Today, I am thankful for food, overall. Sometimes I wish I didn't love to eat, and cook, and think about eating and cooking as much as I do, but I will admit that the tastes of the season got me off on the right foot today. I bought Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese at the grocery store this past weekend, and let me tell you, that spread on a bagel in the morning, along with Pumpkin Spice coffee, it was a real treat. The day went on in its ordinary fashion, and was really just your basic Monday, but the taste of the season, the pumpkin, THAT is what I was thankful for today.

Namaste,

Cheryl

HoHoHo...blah!

Is it possible to be burned out on the Christmas season on November 8th? I am just about fed up with a lot of it already. Of course, I was out shopping both yesterday and today so I guess I did it to myself. Still, "The Christmas Creep," which has now come to define the fact that holiday items appear in the stores earlier and earlier, and not just your Uncle Larry after too much eggnog, has certainly hit, even in rural Upstate New York.

To that end, I am going to give myself (yet another) project. I am needing a lot of these to keep my mental capacity strong in the face of the aforementioned ugly school year. It has been done before, but I think it'll be good for me. I am going to log on here, even briefly, each day, to chronicle my THANKFULNESS. It is November, the month for THANKSGIVING, not CHRISTMAS, and I am going to honor it as such. I need to retain some level of peace, some level of balance and sanity before December is upon us.

Today, I am thankful for many, many things...I will go with the top 5...

1. ) Sun,

2. ) iPods with Genius...LOVE Genius, and car transmitters that make driving to get the groceries oh so much better,

3. ) buying beer or wine on Sundays,

4. ) synergistic moments of sublime shopping

5. ) Hawaiian Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Onion Rings

Namaste,

Cheryl

November 7, 2009
Third destination on the Journey of the Unwanted Necklace.

Sometimes when life is unbalanced and ugly, we may choose to do things that seem irrational to other people. These choices that we make provide a distraction from what is missing in the equation of our lives and help us to feel happy. Whether it be a frivolous overnight just half an hour away, laughing with a friend over a lost car in the parking lot, or releasing our feelings through writing . We need these things in our lives to resuscitate what the ugly has knocked unconscious. Let no one stand in our way while we continue our quest for the olive.

"A girl in a hat is just, so, Vogue..."

Was feeling kinda vogue today (well, as vogue as one gets in a rural elementary school...) as I took to work in my new shirt, layered with a cami, and sporting the perfectly coordinated necklace. Got a lot of compliments too, and replied to each with the fact that I picked up the cute new shirt on a shopping trip to Bass Pro Shops of all places. I am beginning to think, though, that as much as some people have NO ability to shop, I could shop in a BOX.

This picture has been on my desktop for a while. I often see an image that prompts an idea that I want to blog about and drop it onto my desktop for the time I will get a moment...but as I looked today I realized I had enough saved images to keep me busy blogging for many a day. And yet, how many written blogs do I have for all my image ridden inspiration? How many words on a page do I commit to the deep ponderings in my head? Why is this? I will explain it away time and again as "no time to write," but really, is that true? We all have time in our lives for what we want to value, what we want to commit ourselves to. There is work, and home maintenance...there is what must be done...but what of those things we aspire to do. I know that the thing I aspire to, the thing I WANT to do, the writing, I have not committed to as of late. Distractions abound, and I need to, at times, push them aside.

The saving of this image was also prompted by that wonderful title...Seventeen...title of magazine...time in life. Oh to be seventeen again. I mean, truly, I would not wish for it. Seveneteen was the end of 11th grade and beginning of 12th. It WAS a fun time, but do I want to go back? No. It is over, and highschool is not something I have ever spent a long time longing for. It is a good memory, but over, and perhaps it is because I work in a school each and every day, I do not want to go back to that.

Twenties. These were good times. First there were early twenties, and college twenties. There are many, many, many times I would go back and relive there. Now, would I want to go back entirely to days of Kraft Mac and Cheese, and no money? No, but it sure would be a fun place to visit. Then there were later twenties, young and married and working and living on our own. Again, would I go back entirely to days of responsibility that we didn't really quite understand? No, but a weekend getaway? Perhaps.

Now, deeply into my "thirtysomethings," and anticipating my mate making that jump into his 40's, I wonder if, in the future, we'll want to go back to NOW. I would anticipate that life will only get better from here on out...I am a Pollyanna afterall...but the thirties have been so rich...stable life, a home, kids, friends, finally the money, travel. I finally feel like we are ticking off the "what I want to do in life" list, but at times do I still long to go back, yes. Do I feel maudlin that so many of the "firsts" of life are behind me, yes. Do I wonder if I could have followed a different path at times and in different situations, yes. I suppose time will tell. We will finish thirtysomething, and move into the forties, leaving seventeen far behind...behind, but not forgotten.

-Cheryl

Day 2 of The Unwanted Necklace...

Just an observation, I suppose..."Sometimes, focusing on the new puts the old back in its box."

I had a jewelry party, and got all this "new stuff" just as I was supposed to be wearing/observing life through the Unwanted Necklace. It sat in its box, on my jewelry armoire (yep, a piece of furniture JUST for my jewelry habit, and, quite frankly, it is full) and I focused on the new stuff instead. Sue and I often refer to how we are going to "get through the week," and I purport to say that this year there is still "no olive in sight" and we are going to need to have ways to "get through the year." New jewelry, recently, has been it. What next? Holiday shopping and merriment I suppose...oh, and there is always the wine!

-Cheryl

Journey of the Unwanted Necklace

This necklace was purchased by someone who decided that they hated it, but didn't want to bother returning it. It was then handed down to Cheryl's mom who also did not care for it. She handed it down to Cheryl who also agreed that it was ugly. Cheryl brought it to work to ask my opinion and I told her that they were all right, the necklace is just ugly. No doubt about it. But we decided to have some creative fun with it. We will share custody of the CHERRY BOMB necklace for this equally ugly school year. During our wearing period, we will take a picture in which the necklace appears, somehow showing what is going on in our life.

Thursday, October 15.

On day 1 of the unwanted necklace wearing, I break a bead before even leaving the house. 2 fire drills and 2 classes into the day, I notice the bead is broken and half missing. So symbolic of the start of this school year. An ugly first impression, when upon trying to go with it anyway, it breaks down and proves to be unbalanced and flawed . I laugh to myself and continue with my unbalanced day. I look all around my classroom for the missing bead piece and never find it. I decide that it probably represents that the school year will remain broken and unbalanced in addition to ugly. Several hours later, at home, my daughter brings me the bead piece and asks if it is mine. She saw it under the coffee table and thought that it was an olive. I guess I will fix it and maybe hold onto hope that someone will find the olive at school, too.

Journey of the Unwanted Necklace

This necklace was purchased by someone who decided that they hated it, but didn't want to bother returning it. It was then handed down to Cheryl's mom who also did not care for it. She handed it down to Cheryl who also agreed that it was ugly. Cheryl brought it to work to ask my opinion and I told her that they were all right, the necklace is just ugly. No doubt about it. But we decided to have some creative fun with it. We will share custody of the CHERRY BOMB necklace for this equally ugly school year. During our wearing period, we will take a picture in which the necklace appears, somehow showing what is going on in our life.

OH MY! Had the full intention to sit down and blog today about something positive, as life and school right now is so negative. Then as I pulled up the blog, the first image is my last foot pic, relaxing with Gwynn, with coconut drinks and coconut M&M's. It immediately broke my summer heart. Reminds me of that line from a John Mayer song...

"When autumn comes, it doesn't ask, it just walks in, where it left you last.

You never know, when it starts, until there's fog inside the glass around your summer heart."

But you know, I have to move on. Summer IS SO GONE. It was the minute we stepped in the door at McCuyler, but sadly, I think the climate there is going to be the way it is for awhile, before it, hopefully, gets better. We'll see.

My intention, as I said, was to put out something positive and totally unrelated, in any way, to school hell. My sister in law just started a blog this last week too, and I may be having a partially competitive blog reaction - ha! Love ya Katie!

Last night, was a great night. We came home from work, had an afternoon beverage, relaxed with the dog for a bit, then all headed out to dinner. Family time at its best, everyone is getting fed, and cleanup is up to someone else. We talked and laughed, then headed to the car wash. I had SORTA hit a skunk the night before so we paid for the more expensive wash to get the underside of the car HOSED THE HELL OFF, and little did I know how much fun that would be. First of all, an automatic car wash has always been something I have enjoyed. The feeling of "caveness" when all the soap is sprayed on, the spinning brushes and floppy rag things are even better, and although this wash didn't have those, it did have alarmingly loud and strong pressure sprays. Let's just say I was enjoying it myself and loving watching the kids enjoy it too. We kept laughing that it'd be a real trip to bring Lucy, said dog, along to see HER react to it. THEN the MOMENT HAPPENED! We, as I said, had paid for the pricier wash, and it had some kind of weather treatment spray step, and when that started up, a neon sign to the right, bright blue and flashy, started to blink, alerting us of our extra bonus of "Weather Guard!" ZZ Top was on the radio, neon was flashing and my family was in hysterics. It was better than any night out. It was much like dinner out...something necessary was getting done, AND we were having fun. What more could one ask for in a Friday night of a three day weekend?

As we drove away, still laughing, into the RAIN with our freshly washed car, I was gushing about how much fun it had been, and Tim said, "Yeah, a whole lot more exciting than the library, eh?" as that is how, often, Fridays of my youth were spent. I had to agree, in a way, but it all points to the simple things. Pleasure can be found anywhere, everywhere, and it is ours to claim...actually reminds me of another Johnny M. quote, which I love...

"It's about being in control of the pleasure in your life."

So whatever your pleasure, get out there and grab a hold of it...library, car wash, whatever...LIVE a LIFE!

-Cheryl

9/7/2009 - Labor Day

And so, the project ends. I have a "plan" for sharing the "Summer Kneeds" photos with my class tomorrow, but this is the last shot from home, the last shot of summer vacation. I had thoughts of writing something profound, but really, finishing this project is making me a little sad, so we'll just end with this. Gwynn and I had a nice little "Goodbye Summer" cocktail hour (well, she had ice water) on the patio today, in the sun, with pina colada, cheese and crackers, and yummy coconut M & M's from Sue. It was a nice way to end...but keep looking for Foot pics now and then, as we've had WAY too much fun this summer to let them go completely! Farewell Feet!

9/3 Headed down to Mom and Dad to pick up the kids. Had to take this shot. A friend suggested that this project could sort of be a coffee table book. Humorously, though, I remembered being yelled at, repeatedly, in my childhood, to get my feet OFF the coffee table. Well, rules have since loosened at my parent's house, with the addition of grandchildren, and the aging of the coffee table too, I suppose, so, even MOM joined us in the debauchery this time! Feet on the SACRED COFFEE TABLE...what IS the world coming to?

9/4 A gorgeous last pool day at mom and dad's. Note, by pruning of toes, how much time we spent IN the water that day! Fun!

9/5 Headed from Lansing to St. Lawrence and family time at camp. This is my gorgeous niece Norah, wishing she could drink with the big girls! Someday, Norah, don't you worry! (WHY I cut off her feet I do not know...blame it on the margaritas!)

9/6 Today it was time to say goodbye to camp for another year, but Gwynn and Ellie and I took some time to reflect on a great summer whilst swinging in the hammock...ahhhh.

Sunday, September 6.
A day of errands with my girl. Finished at Riversend Bookstore. J said, " I thought you don't like that store, Mommy?" I told her that I don't like it if you are going there with something in mind (they never have it)...but to go and browse I do like it, very much. She picked out a Laurie Halse Anderson animal book, while I debated over Jennifer Weiner's newest. I decided to wait for it in paper back and chose MY LITTLE RED BOOK instead...in celebration of the 30th anniversary of my first period! Yea me!!!! And a reminder that I need to have that talk, with J...soon.

Saturday, September 5.
Did a lot of sitting around today. Relaxing, finishing my Olive book. Went to Rudy's for dinner and home to a crash of sadness, that it is almost all over.

Friday, September 4.
Morning errands checked off the list by my secretary, Jillian in the back seat. Lunch at Panera and then home early enough to enjoy the sun, my book and the pool. Of course nothing can be this perfect...a little wrench thrown into the fantasy with a message from school about a schedule change which now leaves me unprepared for my first day back with kids. But ya know what? Gotta roll with it...lower my standards...and ask myself, "Does it really matter?" No it does not. So I plan to spend the remaining 3 days NOT worrying about it...and just enjoying life!

Thursday, September 3.

Back to summer vacation. After morning errands and lunch to go, enjoyed the sunshine in the pool with Olive and Jillian. Just want to hold on to these last few days before change happens, and we are forced back into someone ...else telling us where to be, when and for how long.

Wednesday, September 2.
Ethan's birthday and back to school, or at least back to work for me, are sadly linked. The year he was born was to be my "first day back" and once in a while I get to escape it and actually enjoy his day with a little more summer after even. This was supposed to be one of those years, as Labor day is as late as it can possibly be. But Oh, No...we had to scrape together 2 extra work days in order to get our much needed Feb break, so this random day was chosen. In the end it all worked out and Ethan had a great day, and mine wasn't so bad. Looking forward to summer vacation for 5 more days now!

9/2 So today was it, Less than Super Day....and I survived, even enjoyed myself for the most part, having a nice (free) breakfast and lunch, and chatting with people I haven't seen all summer. My room is pretty much ready to go. Note the NEW Judy Blume series on my desk? SO psyched for those! Note as well that my room is so nice and neat and clean and then, all too soon, those KIDS are gonna come mess it up:) I guess the school year can begin, must begin, but NOT until I have enjoyed my LAST 5 DAYS OF SUMMER! May they be stupendous!

Tuesday, September 1.

Back in to school to set up the classroom. When all was said and done, I took a seat on the rug, as all my students are instructed to do upon entering my class. Took a look around at what will be my classroom for the last yea...r. Very sad. I love this room. It is home...it is happy....

9/1 Such a sad photo. It feels like this project is coming to an end. FIrst of all SOCKS, second of all, SCHOOL WORK spread out before me, finally SAD PUPPY who goes back to days alone looks on. Fall and school need to come, and I am excited for a new school year, but sad just the same.