The Day After School

The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. - Abraham Lincoln

First, before I forget (because I did last month!), it's my day to blog at "All Day, All Night Romance Divas - the Mariannes". I'd love to have some company.

Also, yesterday I was interviewed at The Writer's Life (wearing my review site owner hat) and wouldn't mind input there, too -- I'm always interested in what readers and writers think about reviews.

Now ... moving on.

DD did her shadow day yesterday. She was VERY nervous, but stoic and hopeful. It was a half day at the school yesterday, so she only stayed until 11:30, but when I picked her up she was smiling. She'd had a great time. The kids were nice (mostly - there were a couple of girls who she said were "in a clique" and wouldn't hang out with the rest of them ... to which I answered, that she'd face that kind of thing her whole life), the teachers were nice, and she was amazed that they were learning stuff she'd already learned. The curriculum we use has a reputation of being ahead of most grades, so that doesn't surprise me. She took two assessment tests (math and English) and we're waiting to hear back on those. THEY are what will determine if she'll be going into eighth grade next year or not.

DD started school a year early (she was four when I started her on kindergarten). At three, she slapped a book down in front of me and said, "I CAN'T READ THIS." She was incredibly frustrated about that, so I taught her to read at three y.o., so by four she was bored and wanted to learn.

As a result, she's a year younger than everyone else, and administrators tend to assume she'd not ready for the grade she's in. They're wrong -- she consistently scores at the highest end of the scale on her annual assessment test -- but it means we have to fight for her to be in the correct grade.

She really doesn't want to be held back a year. And I really don't want her to be. I skipped a grade and was seventeen when I graduated high school. Aside from being frustrated that I couldn't get my license when all my friends did, I don't think it scarred me.

I started writing one of my "add in" scenes for the "Kitchen Matches" sequel. So fun! Once that's done, and I finish the final scene, all it'll need is a once over by a couple folks and I'll actually be submitting something again. It's been a long, long time...

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You Eat Like a Typical Woman

You tend to gravitate toward foods that are lighter and healthier. You are an adventurous eater, and you're always interested in learning how to cook new things. Like the majority of women, you tend to snack throughout the day and avoid big meals. You prefer the little of everything approach. You don't want to be weighted down by your food.

Do You Eat Like a Man or a Woman?

It's true...

Thursday Things

None, but people of strong passion are capable of rising to greatness. - Comte de Mirabeau

Sorry for the break yesterday, but I couldn't face doing much of anything. I've been a bit stressed for many reasons, some of which I won't talk about here. It's caused me to not sleep well, again, and after not sleeping well for a while, I get odd symptoms: dizzy, shakes, nausea, headache. Yesterday was one of those days.

I was in bed at 8:00 last night, but still only slept in fits. Up at 4:00 because DD has her shadow day today (NO SNOW, thankfully ... they were saying it was going to snow and I had visions of another reschedule) and I have stuff that needs doing before we leave.

We sort of had agility last night, though I left Dakota at home again. She's feeling better -- she never got all that sick -- but the vet won't vaccinate her until she's two weeks past her last symptoms (which would be Monday next). So, she'll miss beginning class tonight as well. Last night, DD ran another dog that was being boarded there instead. It's been convenient that the past two weeks that our dog has been out, there have been other dogs for her to run.

I suspect DD will eventually get into a profession that deals with animals. She probably knows more about training dogs than most adults at this point, since our agility instructor is also a trainer and has really taken DD under her wing. If we still live here in another couple years when DD is looking for a job, I'd be willing to bet she goes to work there. She talks about being a dog trainer or a vet tech for a living. She doesn't want to be a vet -- "I don't want to do surgery" -- but that may change. Who knows?

In other news, my tomato plant that had blossoms now has one itty bitty tomato on it. For pollinating, I just brushed the flowers over one another and I guess it worked, at least in one case. I imagine that there are female and male blossoms on a tomato plant, just like there are on squash plants, so I assume not all flowers will make fruit anyway. The plants are crazy with little flower buds, though, so I may have a bumper crop nice and early this year!

DH mentioned building me a greenhouse, too ... we'll see if that pans out. Would be nice to extend the growing season out here a bit.

I'm itching to put in my garden. Sadly, it's still buried in snow...

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Your Soulmate is Reserved

Substance matters to you, and you're not really drawn to flashy or overly outgoing people. You're looking for a partner who will last a lifetime, and your soulmate is equally serious about love. You aren't a romantic, but you don't mind a partner who is. In fact, you sort of prefer it. You've got your feet firmly planted on the ground, and you would like someone to get you up in the clouds occasionally!

What is Your Soulmate Like?

Sounds good ... maybe I should mention that "you'd like a romantic partner" thing to my DH? He could use a nudge. *G*

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Now and Forever ... in Pictures!

The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality. ~Henri Cartier Bresson

So, I realized yesterday that I hadn't made a collage for "Now and Forever"! I was horrified, and so sat down to do so. I discovered one thing: it's pretty much impossible to locate a sweet-looking (as opposed to mostly naked and provocatively posted) chubby ...er ... voluptuous blonde woman. Mena, my heroine, has curves. I didn't want a model who looked like a death camp survivor.

In any case, here's what I came up with (Gram should be older and thinner ... but for some reason, I couldn't find REALLY old, skinny women either):



The cool thing was, while making the collage, I saw a picture that gave me an idea for another scene! YAY.

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DD's been rescheduled for her "shadow day" at that school we're going to try to get her enrolled in next year. It's THIS Thursday. She's actually excited about it -- more excited than nervous, so I'm very happy.

I'll probably be a wreck on Thursday, but for now ... happy.

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You Are Opaque Pantyhose

You are a practical person. You don't have any room for fluff in your life. You are a creative problem solver. You've figured out what works for you, and you just go with that. You are original and independent without trying to be. You just seem to pick paths that are less traveled. You are brainy and you love difficult intellectual challenges. You don't have patience for your time being wasted.

What Kind of Panty Hose Are You?

Well... that pretty much NAILED me. It's a little eerie...

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