Cool school!

What an amazing and very different school we visited yesterday. They actually own the entire little residential street they're on and the classes are held in different houses. Two of the houses are HUGE because of additions they students built (not the current students -- though, they're doing building as well, an addition for another private school in a different town). There are a few outbuildings they built, too, all post and beam and stained glass (beautiful pieces also created by the students, who apparently also make it for various other schools, churches and other buildings).

Everything is very casual, possibly due to the "home" feel of the place and the fact they have to walk outside from place to place (it's quite rural). There's a dress code, but it's not strict. Jeans are allowed and T-shirts, but nothing too short, too tight or too skimpy which works for me. The "feel" is sort of a cross between regular school and homeschool. Class size will be bigger there, but not a lot. Her current school's high school classes run 3 - 5 students. This place averages 10 - 12, a good size.

DD is excited about much of it. Nervous, too, but she's not really super happy where she is, has struggled to make friends (most of the kids there have gone to school together for years) and is pretty sold on the new school. I told her SHE needed to decide what was going to work best for her.

Dru had asked yesterday if she has to test, etc. to be enrolled or if they'll automatically take her. We have to fill out the application, get copies of her report card and references from teachers and mentors and she'll have to shadow a day there (thankfully they're in sessions when DD is off on spring break in a few weeks, so we'll do it then). Her current school required her to test to make sure she could do the work for the grade we wanted her enrolled in. I imagine this one will, too.

=============

In other news, I swear winter has returned. We had 30 - 50 MPH all day yesterday, so bad it grabbed my storm door last evening and flung it open, hard. Didn't break the glass, or the door itself, but yanked the bottom whoosie-whatsit (the thing that controls how fast it closes) right out of the frame and bent it neatly in half, breaking the plastic cover and twisting the metal.

We had to chase down our lawn chairs and garbage can (why is it always windy on garbage day?) as well as my pooper scooper and some other things that stay outside. It's bitterly cold, impossible to walk in or even stay out in for more than a couple minutes. And it's just as cold and windy today. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so I'm guessing this wind is blowing in that front. Hopefully then it will stop. But my dog is bouncing off the walls.

The joy of New Hampshire.

================

The Day After Valentine's Day

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author Unknown

Not much to say today ... it's been uneventful. Yesterday we had warm, sunny weather (for us -- it was in the 40s) and the snow melted like crazy! It sounded like I had a creek running in my lawn (we have a culvert that goes under our driveway) from all the run off from the snow on my roof and the drifts around the driveway.

I took the dog for a walk, too -- it was just too nice to stay indoors.

For Valentine's Day, DH and I stayed home and watched "Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy". Truthfully, he watched and I sat in the living room and read.

Did you do anything special for Valentine's Day?

=====================

You Are an Adventurous Valentine

Your heart soars whenever you have the chance to do something new, and that goes double for Valentine's Day. You would love excitement and novelty to celebrate this special day. You especially love surprises! Your ideal Valentine's Day is unconventional, quirky, and not traditionally romantic by any means. You don't like a lot of pressure on V-Day. You just want to have some fun!

What Kind of Valentine Are You?

That's about right.

=========================

Blown Away!

When snow falls, nature listens. ~Antoinette van Kleeff

I can NOT believe how windy it is! For a solid 36 hours we've had ridiculous winds. Gusts past 50 MPH, steady winds at 20 - 30 MPH. Totally nuts. So, even though the snow is past, I'm still afraid of losing power. Wonder how many trees have gone down? We didn't get anywhere near the snow they predicted. We probably ended up with just under a foot. I'm glad.

We spent the day at home yesterday. Just after noon the sun came out for a bit, so DH cleared the driveway and DD and Dakota went outside to play. DD has pretty much outgrown her snowsuit (WAH!) so that's on the list to buy. They didn't stay out too long, though DD managed to make a pretty decent sled trail. The dog came in first -- she was COLD. Poor puppy has no undercoat, so even though she had on a jacket, she was freezing.

Here she is, thawing out by the fire:



It takes a while to melt, because she gathers snowballs all over herself:



I stayed inside and reorganized my pantry so I could fit a few of my boxed appliances (like my yogurt maker and my grain grinder) and so I could fit the gift my DH made for me. A new MONSTER chopping board!



I helped glue the bits together, but he did the rest including spending most of the day sanding (you can't even begin to imagine the mess in the basement... oy). It's about 15" wide, 20" long and 4" thick! It weighs about 5 lbs. That sucker should last me until I die.

The hubs is off all week so, I'm not sure what's going on today. It's incredibly stressful for me -- I really need routine and schedules (I kept asking him last night: "What are we doing tomorrow?" over and over, to which he replied: "I don't know. Whatever." AHHHHHHH!!!). I suppose it's good for me, but I honestly can't wait until he's back at work and things are back to normal. Unfortunately, he's been called to Jury Duty on January 3rd, so it won't be back to work then, either.

I hope my nerves hold out!

LOL....

Have a great day.

=======================

Your Vocabulary Score: A-

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Wonder what I missed?

====================

Fun With Cats and Dogs

Although all cat games have their rules and rituals, these vary with the individual player. The cat, of course, never breaks a rule. If it does not follow precedent, that simply means it has created a new rule and it is up to you to learn it quickly if you want the game to continue. ~Sidney Denham

Thought we were going to get blown away yesterday -- I couldn't believe the wind!! Apparently 14,000 people lost power, including our library and the grocery store where I was shopping. Not for too long, thankfully, but OY. Sadly, there was one person killed -- a teenager who had a tree fall on him.

Today is supposed to be sunny, warm and fairly calm so, yay.

The dynamics between my cat and dog crack me up. From the time Dakota was a baby, the cat let her know who was boss, and now Dakota won't challenge her in any way. The newest "fun" the cat has is standing on the mat at the back door when Dakota and I go out first thing in the morning. When I open the door to let the dog in, she won't go past the cat, just stands and looks sad ("I want to obey you by going inside, but THE CAT is there." :::shivers:::).

The other day, the ultimate happened though. I saw this:



Yep... the cat in the dog's crate. Dakota just stood there, in her "vulture" pose (head down by her feet, should blades up, staring intently), but would NOT go in.

I think the cat spends her days thinking of how to torture the dog.

========================

You Are Adventurous

You are a very broad minded person. You try to avoid judging or even having expectations. You'll say yes to almost anything, and as a result, you tend to live a pretty wild and crazy life. You are a colorful person with a lot of good stories to tell. You are definitely not a wallflower! You have a wicked sense of humor, and you're amazingly funny. You get people laughing in no time.

The Retro Pattern Test

Hmmm... about 50/50...

================

Still Windy

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley

It's STILL windy here. I could deal with the cold if it wasn't so windy -- I swear the house is going to blow away to Oz. It's supposed to finally calm down on Thursday (in advance of a mild snowstorm, oh yay), but I hate not being able to get outside and WALK. This is what is contributing to my achy hips (which I've had since I was pregnant with my DD -- pregnancy really did a number on my body). No amount of stretching helps ... the only thing that really seems to keep the ache down is walking, nice brisk walking with very long strides.

Yesterday I tried walking in circles around the inside of my house (we are in a colonial "box" so there is a bit of a track -- when DD was little and full of energy, I used to tell her, "Run around the house five times." and when Dakota was a puppy and the weather was icky, we used to put her on leash and takes turns jogging her around the house in circles to burn her energy). I think it helped a little, but it's just not the same. It's one of the reasons I want a treadmill.

Someday.

Anyway, despite my Christmas shopping being done, I need to go to the grocery store today and pick up fixings for a "deli tray". DH decided we had to have one for the Christmas gathering over here. I'm half tempted to get one already prepared, but will have to see if the cost is prohibitive. It's not THAT big a deal to organize one. I'm hoping the store won't be busy (I'm sure it WILL be on Christmas Eve), so am heading out today to beat the rush.

I'm also going to shop for a few things I need for dough enhancer so I can bake some big, beautiful Whole Grain Bread. I've never used dough enhancer before, but have high hopes of making fluffy WW bread with it. I probably won't do it until after Christmas, but I'll write about it on Healthful & Homemade when I do and you can see if it worked or not.

That's about it from my neck of the woods. What about you? Do you have any last minute Christmas errands to run before the big day?

=========================

Your Holiday Personality is Responsible

The holidays mean that you need to get a lot of things done, and you're up to the challenge. You love shopping for gifts, sending cards, baking, and decorating. It's all about making things festive for others. Of all the types, you are the most likely to try out something new each season - whether it's a interesting recipe or fun decorating idea. You don't mind playing Santa for everyone else. In fact, it's what you brings you peace and joy.

What's Your Holiday Personality?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

That's pretty darn close!

=============================

Who's Tripping Down the Streets of the City?

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Pepper Giardino

Am I showing my age with that title? And, does everyone know it's Windy? *G*

The wind here lately is driving me bonkers. It's bad enough that it's about 8 degrees outside, but then add in cold, 40 mph winds and it's unbearable. DD and I dropped off our recycle stuff yesterday, and by the time we got back into the car, we couldn't feel our faces or our fingers. Another five minutes out there, and I would have had frostbite, I swear!

It makes it impossible to take walks or play with the dog (who is bouncing off the walls). I can't take Dakota to the mall with us to go mall-walking, her agility class is done for the next two weeks. It's awful. And I want it to stop NOW.

/endrant

====================

Going to be baking a lot over the next week. And cleaning. We're hosting Christmas (which I prefer -- I really don't like to drive all over the place. I'm such a homebody), and that requires a little extra attention to tidiness (not that we're slobs, thankfully, so it won't take THAT much extra elbow grease).

I also need to make my annual donations to Samaritan's Purse in all my in-law's names, as it's the only gift they allow me to give them. DD loves to go through the catalog and choose. "Let's buy chickens!" or "Ooh... blankets, let's get those." She also donates a little of her own money toward at least one gift, so it's both fun and educational.

Speaking of DD, she's decided to use her income from Distinctively DD to earn her own Nook. I downloaded a couple of books for her to read on it, and she's absolutely loves it. It's a huge amount for her to save, but she's determined and so far hasn't spent any of her money on anything else. She'll be spending most of her Christmas vacation making new items for the store. I'm also looking into creative ways to use her nature photography and make it into something we can put there (note cards are leading the pack at this time). I told her that I'd like to see the numbers in the store hit at least 100 items (it's at 34 right now), so she has her work cut out for her.

I feel a great amount of relief at being done with my shopping (I'm SO glad we have the ability to shop online nowadays) and have sent out my cards. Christmas planning was very stressful this year and it came WAY too fast.

Are YOU ready?

=======================

You Are Warmly Compassionate

During the holidays, you take time out for yourself and the people that you love the most. You try not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. You prefer to stay inside your warm home as much as possible. You believe that the holidays are all about the little things. Being and reconnecting with those closest to you. People are important to you, not gifts. Love is the best gift in the world.

The Christmas Tree Test

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Hmmm... about 50/50 ...

================

Sleep Quiz

Morning! It's kind of fun -- my gmail theme is "beach" and it is timed with the hours in the day, and it has the sun just beginning to rise. :-)

It's WINDY outside... really, really windy. I'm a bit afraid that parts of the house have blown off. It makes it absolutely miserable to be outside -- I'd say that the winds are about 30 mph with gusts up to 50 - 60 mph!! Poor Dakota... times like these, it must be the pits to have your bathroom in the great outdoors.

======================

I know I normally do the Monday Morning Meme, but I couldn't answer some of the questions... really... I COULDN'T. Not one answer came to mind, so I stole something else from Karen's blog instead.

Since sleep has been much on my mind of late, this seemed very timely:

1. How long do you sleep each night?

How long DO I sleep? Or how long would I sleep if something didn't wake me up?

I sleep about six hours a night, when I'm lucky. I really need eight hours, and eventually lack of sleep will catch up with me and I'll go to bed at about 5 p.m. to play catch-up.

If I was in a quiet hotel room somewhere, and completely by myself? I'd sleep a good eight hours, easy. Oh well, it's not to be.

2. Do you fall asleep easily?

Mostly. But that's in great part due to the fact that I don't get enough sleep, so I'm absolutely wiped out by about 8 p.m. every night. I suspect it's less "sleep" than "unconscious". Back in the day when I was ... yanno... single and childless, I did have many times I struggled with insomnia.

3. Do you fall asleep at times not in your bed?

Not if I don't intend to. If I cross off those times I curl up on the couch on purpose, then... nope. We don't have a TV in our room (don't even have a cable outlet) and I don't watch much TV anyway, so don't fall asleep in front of the tube.

4. Do you listen to music or use “white noise” to sleep?

I can't sleep to music with words. At all. Ever. My brain GRABS the words and won't stop thinking about them. Quiet, synthesized music sometimes works, and in the summer we have the fan in the window, but to be honest, I prefer nothing at all.

5. Do you sleep through the night or get up a couple of times?

Okay... here's some TMI for you: I have a bladder the size of a pea. So, yeah, I get up at least once. That's when someone or something else doesn't wake me. My night usually goes something like this: bed at nine. DH wakes me up at eleven when he comes to bed. Dakota has to potty at midnight. Dakota has to potty and/or vomit at 3:30 a.m. Cat yowls at 4:30 (yes, even when I put her in the basement -- she has quite a set of vocal chords), and I get up. So, yeah -- I'm in bed 7 1/2 hours, but don't sleep but half or so.

Lately, I've taken to sleeping on the couch after Dakota wakes me up the last time, because the cat will come over and curl up with me (and the dog... and no, it's not a big couch, lol) and NOT wake me up yowling at 4:30 a.m.

Sometimes, too, I'll crash in the spare bedroom so I don't get awakened by DH ... a Dakota sleeps better in there, too. Those are the nights that I play "catch up".

6. Do you have trouble sleeping away from your own bed?

Nope.

7. Do you need an alarm clock to get you up?

Nope. Not the electric kind anyway... I have plenty of other stuff to wake me up! LOL... I haven't set the alarm in forever.

8. Do you ever take medication to help you sleep?

Not anymore. Back in my single, insomniac days I occasionally took Dramamine to sleep. Yes, really. That stuff totally knocks me out, which is a shame because I get motion sickness, but can't use anything or I'm gone. No point in boating when I sleep through it all.

9. Do you/have you slept with pets?

LOL... you guys know the answer to that! I've slept with critters my entire life -- cats, dogs... even my rat (yes, really -- though not often, he preferred his cage and cats didn't like to share). Back in my single years, ALL of my cats slept with me (at once point I had four). When Bailey got too old to jump up on the bed, she slept on a dog bed beside us, but that was the only time I can remember not having a pet to snooze with.

=======================

I was going to get to Agway and finish my shopping, but I'm not going anywhere in this wind! So, DD and I will do massive amounts of baking instead -- and she can do school while stuff cooks. Cookies and fudge are on the menu -- several varieties of both.

Yum.

Do you bake for friends and family at Christmas?

========================

Murphy, Pillars and Releases, Oh My!

“There are only three certainties in this life. The laws of physics, the laws of Murphy and death.” - Unknown

My DH has been waiting for Memorial Day since last November (okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but not by much). He's dying to go boating. Guess what?

Remember Murphy? Yeah, he and I are getting to be close, personal friends.

DH has come down with a cold. That wouldn't be enough to stop him, but it's also extremely windy, and expected to be thus all weekend long. So, instead of having a happy DH and DD (who loves to go out on the boat), I will be stuck with a sick, frustrated DH and a bored DD for this lovely three day weekend.

*sigh*

At least I'll get my garden put in. And yesterday we saw a yellow swallowtail butterfly, so I figure it's safe to let our three black swallowtails hatch. If DH and DD stay home today, I'll do it today. If I happen to catch them when they hatch I'll take pictures. After all, I know you're all waiting on pins and needles for the next season of "Pillar Place". Aren't you?

=====================

Have you ever had this happen: You pick up a book and begin to read. You recognize that it's a GOOD book, with the kind of voice you usually enjoy. You can see that you (and most people you know) would really enjoy this book. And, yet, you can't bring yourself to read it?

I have a book like that. I got it for review, and it's funny. It's well written. The voice is exactly what I usually LOVE to read. The few chapters I have read make me realize that, every other day of the week, I'd thoroughly enjoy this book. But... I can't seem to hunker down and read it. Every time I think about it, I'm filled with dread and find something else to do (scrub the toilets, scoop the litter box, mop the floor).

What is wrong with me? Bother.

========================

I can't believe I forgot to join in the celebration yesterday -- but my friend, Allie Boniface, had her first print release: "Lost in Paradise" is officially available in print!!! Woo!!

Incidentally, in case you didn't know, or had forgotten, "Lost in Paradise" is one of the books I'm giving away this month in my website contest.

It's a great book. You'll LOVE it. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

==========================

You Know Your States

You got 9/10 correct. You've got a pretty good handle on US geography. There's a good chance you've visited at least a dozen of the fifty states.

How Well Do You Know Your States?

Yes... there are benefits to homeschooling. I even know which one I got wrong, LOL. You?

Tuesday Twittering

I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse

First off, to answer a question from yesterday:

Dru, it'll be easy to add the 200 words I need -- probably more, actually. The first thing I'll do is go through and check all the places I used "it" and be more clear about what "it" I'm talking about. I already did it for the first 25 pages, and added 100 words. If you consider I have nearly 250 pages, I don't think adding the words will be a problem. Unless I find I have entire scenes that aren't necessary. Heaven forbid!

====================

I got my second round of edits back for "Kitchen Matches". These will prove more difficult, which I expected. The first round always tends to be the overt grammar problems, etc. Once those pesky annoyances are out of the way, the editor can hunker down and pay attention to places I've said two different things about the same person or address continuity issues. "Kitchen Matches" has its share of those problems because I did massive overhauls to the story three times, and it's easy to miss things.

I need to have them back to her by the end of the week, so will be busy working! We're aiming for an August release date. Yay!

=====================

Didn't do much outside yesterday (aside from let the dog drag me around on my bike -- I swear she's like a horse. I'm going to hook her up to a cart one of these days!). It was windy (!!) and cold (about 55 degrees).

Um, hello? Mid-May, here. **sigh**

I did buy my tomatoes and peppers. Then I realized I hadn't started my squash seeds yet. AND, my cucumbers don't appear to be germinating, which is really bad because it's a variety I can't find at the nurseries.

========================

You Are a Salty Person

When it comes to snacks, you're more likely to grab a bag of chips over a bag of cookies. There's a good chance you're male (men prefer salty snacks)... Or at least, you feel very comfortable in male dominated environments. Your taste tends to be complex, sophisticated, and adult. You tend to crave your favorite restaurant meal... or mom's cooking.

Are You Sweet or Salty?

Now, see... I disagree with this. Of course, it really does depend on, um, what "time" of the month it is. I always like to help my bloat along by eating LOTS of salty snacks just prior to that "time". :-)

Blowing In the Wind

"Opportunities are seldom labeled." — John A. Shedd

Dear heavens, is it windy here today! Hopefully New Hampshire isn't blown out to sea, but I'm beginning to wonder. I've noticed this pattern in our weather -- it's either miserable with something wet falling from the sky OR when it's sunny out, it's zero degrees with fifty mph winds. It's the oddest thing.

Monday is supposed to be nice. Cold. But nice. And no wind. I can do cold if there isn't any wind. I'm so ready for spring.

=============================

Hey folks, we're interviewing Lynsay Sands on the LASR site on Tuesday. And, though she won't be able to participate in our weekly author chat on Wednesday in the Yahoo group, she has agreed to answer questions if we send them to her tonight. We'll post her answers in the group on Wednesday.

So...if you have anything you'd like to ask Lynsay, email us at lasreviews (AT) gmail (DOT) com today with your question(s). This is a great opportunity to ask a bestselling author anything you'd like!

Incidentally, I'm reading her latest book, Vampire Interrupted, and enjoying it very much!

=======================

So yesterday morning, I'm hanging out in my jammies, drinking coffee and working when ... HONK!! ... someone is in my driveway HONKING. It's barely six a.m. on a Saturday, and there's a van I don't know in my driveway.

I wait, figuring he'll get that he's in the wrong place (I knew he wanted my neighbor, just because all the odd visitors we get want my neighbor), but he just sat there. Honking.

Finally I stuck my head out and yelled, "Hello? You're at the wrong house!" He looked around, said, "Oh." and drove off next door. And honked.

Oh the joy of our "quiet" neighborhood.

The neighbors killer weimaraner came to visit yesterday as well, when DD was out with Dakota. This dog has bitten a kid twice, and he attacked Bailey once. He's not a nice dog. It's not his fault...he's an abused pup (which makes me incredibly angry, but that's a story for another day) but I sure wish his owners would make sure they don't let him out without his invisible fence collar.

I heard my DD yelling, "Hunter! GO AWAY!" in our backyard, early in the morning. Thankfully, the dog is mostly scared of people (even if he will eat your pets), so he stayed back. But... why don't people control their animals?

So, we had an interesting morning yesterday.

==========================

No writing yesterday. Dang it. I'm frustrated because I'm at a really exciting part and I want to see what happens! I will hide today and write, if I do nothing else. I'm going to try for 2000 word to catch up.

==========================

What These Daisies Say About You

You have a spirt of pure optimism. Your view of the world is eternally cheerful. You are bold and vibrant. Incredibly striking, you always stand out in a crowd. You are adaptable and flexible. You can thrive in almost any situation.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

Okay... so this isn't even close. I'm the least optomistic person you'll mee and I am NOT adaptable. I hate change. But, striking? Well of course. Didn't you see that quiz a while back that said I wasn't humble? *G*