So here's the short of it,
e-mail, e-mail, e-mail

And here's the long.

About a week or maybe a little more ago, we got a directive from our district saying that we have to significantly pare down our e-mails. Off and on over the years, we've gotten messages telling us to clean up our in-box. But now we have to clean out our whole storage. We've all been working on it, and of course since everyone is on every chance they get it is really slow.

I have until December 20th to get this accomplished!
We have someone coming from the IT department tomorrow to talk to us because many of us have e-mail that we think we need to keep for legal purposes!  Oh well. I'm going to be busy cleaning up e-mail for awhile it seems. I don't think I'm alone in this according to what I'm hearing every time I have a conversation with someone!

I'll appreciate all the good thoughts and positive vibes you can send!

So here's the short of it, 
Snow today!

And here's the long.

This Photo by Dan Henry in the Times Free Press

Wow the weather took a turn toward winter this morning!  I don't ever remember snow this early in the year in Chattanooga!  But snow it did.  We already had a 2 hour school delay this morning because of the flooding. So that worked perfectly!  It really didn't snow very much here in the valley, but I heard that it was really beautiful on the Mountain.  There are lots of pictures around on the news and online.  Here's one of my favorites from the online version of our daily paper.  As you can see the roads were absolutely clear - it was just awfully cold.

The Farmer's Almanac calls for this winter to be wet and wild, but our area is not expected to get much snow. So at least we got to see one snow - well those of us in the valley got to see pictures!

So here's the short of it, 
Today I've been thinking about Green Bean Chili. And passing along this family tradition to a new generation

And here's the long.

Sarah, Pat, Meredith, Lauren

While we were in Atlanta over Thanksgiving we were having a conversation about things we like to eat and traditional foods in our families.  Liga said something about Green Bean Chili which is such a good standby for us when the weather cools down. None of Steve and Pat's girls had ever heard of Green Bean Chili!  So this post is for you Lauren, Sarah, and Meredith.  I hope you'll try this recipe and maybe if you like it, it will be something you pass on to your own children.  Liga makes it often - and sometimes she drops off a serving or two for her dear old Mom and Dad. Valdis hasn't learned to make it yet, but I expect that he will.  I'm not sure that either Shelley or Daniel have incorporated it into their meal plans either.

This recipe is a recreation.  Sometime in the 1980's Dad and his sisters were visiting and reminiscing about their childhood.  They all remembered Green Bean Chili. They remembered it from visits with grandparents more than from their own Mother.   After that conversation Dad spent several times together trying out recipes  and came up with something that they all agreed resembled what they remembered from their childhood.  The recipe that we use has taken on a few adaptations from our house over the years - but of course that's what happens to good family recipes.  Recently when Mom and I were visiting the sisters in Ohio, Aunt Dot told me that she could remember sitting on the porch and watching her grandmother cut the beans up into very, very small pieces. (I'll have to say I don't do that). The sisters all remembered having it as children.

I posted a basic recipe for Green Bean Chili at the beginning of this year - on  a cold day when chili was the perfect option!   Click here for a link to that original post.  But, girls (well Patrick, too, even though you weren't in the discussion) below is a way to take the Howard family recipe and make it your own.

-----------------
Green Bean Chili
as Remembered by Ola Dean Wright Howard's children

- Chop and saute one large yellow sweet onion. (more or less to your taste)
- Brown one pound of whatever meat you want to use - ground beef, ground turkey, (or you can use meat substitute) I'm going to try this recipe meatless one fine day. 
- Your favorite chili seasoning (I use McCormick mild chili seasoning)
- One quart of canned tomatoes.  If you can get your hands on some home canned ones - that's great!
- Green Beans of your choice.  I like Kentucky Wonder which I can find frozen at the grocery. They are a big fat green bean, not too beany.  But any bean you like will work - they should be broken up like your MaMa Lambdin and MaMa Howard broke them for just making green beans. 


- Add in any other things you might like.  I sometimes put in carrots or zucchini. The zucchini can go in about an hour or 45 min before serving so it doesn't get really soft - or you can just let it get really soft!


Put it all together in a large pot, cover with water, and let it simmer. for at least a couple of hours. You may need to add water. This is a good one to dump in the crock pot in the morning and then it's all ready when you get home.  It tastes better if it cooks slowly for awhile giving the flavors time to come together.  


About 15 or 20 minutes before serving add a bag of super sweet corn (or you can use canned corn)
-------------------

Happy Cooking as the cold days settle in!

So here's the short of it, 
Tonight was really a perfect ending to this Thanksgiving Break.

And here's the long.

Daniel was in town, and he joined us for dinner. Liga had to work this weekend, but she was able to break away on her dinner break and come join us as well.  And we had Mom and Valdis and Kalie.

I managed to pick up a turkey breast on post Thanksgiving sale so decided to have a mini-Thanksgiving meal. It turned out pretty well.  And more important than the food it was so nice to be together.

After dinner, Daniel helped us get video chat up and going on both of our laptops and we had a short video chat with Shelley and Max. Mom enjoyed that as well.

I understand from a teacher friend on FaceBook that we have only 17 work days left before our winter break. I can do that!  So tomorrow I'll get my game on and knock the first one of them out!

So here's the short of it, 
This long weekend has been really nice.

And here's the long.

Today was just a stay at the house and get a few things done day - and I'm having another of those tomorrow - except we'll have company for dinner.

I've spent most of the day working on stuff in the kitchen! I did get over to the grocery store late this evening so I don't have to get out at all tomorrow.

This evening Mom made dinner for us. She's still feeding us from her garden!  Tonight she had some swiss chard and some arugula from the garden that she cooked up with cabbage and onions.  It was really good!

We walked down to Mom's and took Sophie with us so that she could have a visit with Hershey.  She enjoyed getting out and going for a walk out of the circle and then romping with a playmate. She is ready for me to cash in and go to bed tonight!

So here's the short of it,
I've never heard of the piriformis before...

And here's the long.

Today I did not participate in Black Friday. I did not go out to stores. I did not shop online.

I did go see Kelly this morning for a massage.  She really worked on my right side - my shoulder and lots of attention to the region of my piriformis muscle. I've been reading up on Piriformis syndrome and it seems that it is fairly rare.  But it sure does seem descriptive of what's going on with me - especially the reference to the deep buttocks pain. AND Kelly says that is the muscle that is so knotted up.  When I look at this illustration it so accurately locates my pain! She does really deep tissue massage - I've finally convinced her that she's really not going to hurt me so she really works my muscles over.   It always seems to help. My next doctor visit, we'll have a discussion about the piriformis!  In the meantime, I've got another appointment scheduled for next week.

This afternoon I took a nap! Sophie and Lola joined me.  I hardly ever can do that, but today after a great massage, and some time with Alan at lunch my bed just seemed to be calling.  And even with my nap, I'm feeling pretty ready for bed tonight.

I'm loving this long weekend!

So here's the short of it, 
Happy Thanksgiving!

And here's the long.

We drove to Atlanta to spend Thanksgiving with Steve and family.  We are trying to get into the every other year mode with Liga and Valdis.  So we picked the odd year since that's the year that Steve's kids are with them.  That way we figured at least sometimes we might be able to be together.  But we do know that as families expand even that becomes more complex.

But today was pretty great.

So here was this year's line-up.  Steve and Pat;  Lauren, Ryan, Madison, and Buddy as Lauren is calling little Ryan;  Sarah, Ryan, and Jacob;  then Meredith and Ben; and Patrick and his new husky pup Skye.  Mom went down on Tuesday via the shuttle and so she was there. Then Alan and I and Liga and Valdis were there.  Betsy and Wayne came over for a bit late this afternoon after our lunch. And I mustn't forget - Steve and Pat's dog, Nutmeg; Sarah and Ryan's dog, Lucy; and Patrick's new puppy, Skye.

Down and back to Atlanta in one day is a trip, but it's always worthwhile for everyone to be together!

We didn't get to see Shelley, Lou, and Max, but they kept us included by sending several videos (and a post on FB) of Max enjoying his Thanksgiving!  It's so great for technology to keep us so in touch!

Now finally we are back home. I'm here on the recliner with the cat on one side of my lap (laptop on the other side), Sophie snoozing at my feet -  our grown children off on their own - my husband falling asleep in the bed - and me just thinking of how grateful I am for it all.

Sometimes I think Thanksgiving is so contrived.  And sometimes I think about how much we have and how decadent our celebrations are and how little so many in the world have - including those in our own city.  But in some way I know that coming together as a family and celebrating with food is the right thing to do. And we can also take strength from those celebrations to help us work on ways to help those who are are less fortunate.

So here's to Thanksgiving - - - from the Turkey to the pumpkin pie - and the babies to the great grandmothers!  And of course to the meaning of it all - our Giving Thanks!

So here's the short of it, 
We had a really nice visit with Mommy Anne today.

And here's the long.

I had my Mammogram this morning.  This is a reminder that if you haven't had yours yet (or if you know a woman who hasn't) it's time to get that done! I had a great technician - or a new kind of machine. It was one of the easiest ones I've ever had!

Mommy Anne and Alan

This afternoon Alan and I went over to Elmcroft for a visit with Mommy Anne. We went out to the front parlor and sat near the fireplace and chatted. Today she was talking about how much she likes living at Elmcroft. She says the food is good, the people are nice, and they keep the bed made and the carpet vacuumed!  It was nice that she was in such good spirits.

They've already got the Christmas decorations up (I wish they would have waited until Friday). I like the sentiment I saw on Facebook, "One must end a holiday to fully appreciate the next, Grasshopper." That was from cousin-in-law Mathieu Poag.  I echo those sentiments!  I was at the good old Wal-Mart this afternoon and Christmas is all over the store. They have a very large selection of Christmas trees real and fake and everything from Grinch bathrobes, to paper plates, and bathroom towels!  It started before Halloween and has just gotten more and more - earlier and earlier.

We'll get on the road with Liga and Valdis tomorrow morning. Object - get to Atlanta in time for the early afternoon Thanksgiving Feast with Steve, Pat, and all their children, grandchildren, and granddogs.  We're looking forward to seeing everyone!

So here's the short of it, 
Lucky Me!

And here's the long.

I had dinner with two of my favorite men tonight - Alan and Daniel. I tried to take a picture to share, but there was not enough light so it didn't turn out well enough to post.  We went to The Chop House and had dinner and a nice visit.  I was really glad Daniel had time to join us tonight.

Today was move out day at W. 40th street.  We are playing musical offices, and it turns out that we have to move first for everyone else to be able to move. But the office we are moving into is the one that will be moved out of last!  So we've got a couple of work stations set up and the office furniture is all out in the hall way!  I hope it's not too awfully long before we can get into our space!

No more work this week!
I'm looking forward to doing some other kinds of things!
So tomorrow I'll be up fairly early, but it won't be for work.

So here's the short of it, 
Lucile is retiring!

And here's the long.

Lucile Phillips

Today I had an afternoon meeting at our Central Office. When we were done, I had a nice visit with one of my friends who is retiring at the end of December.  In the last couple of years our work hasn't really put us in much contact, but we've managed to stay in touch anyway.

She said that for a long time she just couldn't imagine not working, but that in the last few months she has come to the realization that she's just ready to go home.  Of course she has a grandbaby who may have helped convince her of that!  It was nice to chat with her and I know that she's going to have a great retirement!  She's really been one of the best colleagues I've had over the years. I'll miss her, but once I've retired, we'll do lunch and compare grandmother stories!

So here's the short of it, 

Oh wow! 

This is a two day work week!!!!!

And here's the long.

I'm sure looking forward to a short work week!

Aunt Joyce is down to spend the night with Mom and then headed to Gadsden to take Mom to her follow-up appointment for her last cataract surgery. She came down down early this evening in time to have dinner with us.  I made meatloaf for the first time in a long, long time. It didn't turn out very well and I was pretty disappointed.

But it was sure nice to have time for a more leisurely visit with Aunt Joyce and it might be the first time in a long time she's been able to have that much visit with the kids.

I can hardly believe that we are right up on Thanksgiving! This year is really flying by!

So here's the short of it, 
Bishop Spong was great.

And here's the long.

Alan and I spent the day at Grace Episcopal Church at one of their Grace Speaks event.  I love the work the church does and they are such a benefit to our neighborhood.  They have such good things going on all the time!  They host a local farmer's market every Saturday as well as a local community garden. The Grace Speaks event brings contemporary scholars and theologians to the community.

This is the second time I've heard Bishop Spong speak - and I've read several of his books. His work really speaks to me. His topic today was "A New Christianity for a New World." He is a champion of inclusive faith - something I can really buy into.

The day was an all day event including lunch.  We had a chance to visit with lots of folks and then went out to dinner with two couples where we continued the conversation.

It was a good day.

So here's the short of it, 
I have a pain in the butt. 

And here's the long.

Notice, I did not say I am a pain in the butt!

Today I was working on a project in a school.  I did not have good choices of chairs to sit in! So even though I stood up off and on and tried to stretch, I ended up with a really achey butt.  Then we went to Temple tonight for a special occasion - the confirmation of friends' daughter. So I've really done too much sitting on bad surfaces!

I've been able to do a bit of stretching this evening and it's helping some. I've got the Lidocaine patch on and have my max of Advil. Tomorrow we are going to a whole day program at the nearby Episcopal Church. I'm hoping the sitting will be OK!

So here's the short of it, 
Today was a sick day for me. 

And here's the long.

This morning I went in for a massage. I was planning to only take off the afternoon, but my lower back, (well my butt) is hurting so terribly that I scheduled a massage and took the morning as well.
I got on the table and Kelly went to work with deep massage.  She's always a little hesitant that she's going to hurt me, but her deep muscle work is really just exactly what I need. I feel much better, but I'll have to say, I'm still not OK.  I'm using the lidocaine patch at night. In a couple of weeks I have a doctor appointment and will see what to do.  In the meantime, next week I have another massage scheduled.

This afternoon I took Mom to Memorial for some tests.  She had an MRI workup on her brain, and some scans on her heart and carotid artery.  She had a scary episode the end of October and these tests will help determine if there is anything such as a stroke or other problem that might have caused it.  I got started on a book

We didn't get home until nearly 5.  I helped Mom make her travel arrangements for San Jose over Christmas, and she made us soup and cornbread for dinner.

Tomorrow I have a heck of a work day scheduled and so I'm going to try to go to sleep early. Looks like I'll take Dianne German's advice and brew a cup of sleepy time tea and tell myself that 4 out of 5 doctors recommend it.

So here's the short of it, 
Today was a rainy, rainy - severe weather day!

And here's the long.

Late morning we got an announcement that there was a Tornado watch in effect.  Mom and Aunt Joyce were in Gadsden and getting ready to travel home to Chattanooga.  When I checked the weather map, the storm line stretched all the way from Huntsville to Chattanooga and on up towards Knoxville!  I was pretty worried about the two of them being on the road.  They said they'd eat lunch and then decide whether or not to stay over another night or come on back home.

Then at noon I got in the car and headed for a meeting in Ooltewah.  I got onto the freeway and headed up the ridge - and the sky opened up!  What a trip!  A couple of times I thought of turning around and going back and then I thought how little that would help!  There were a few cars pulled over on the side of the road, but I just slowed way down and got there OK.

In the meantime, Mom and Aunt Joyce left me a phone message that they were heading home!

Thank goodness they got home OK.
And I did fine as well!

The weather cleared up and we had a nice enough late afternoon and evening.
Thank goodness the rain, rain, and more rain was all we really got of the severe weather!

So here's the short of it, 
This year is certainly slipping away!

And here's the long.

Today I was planning up some future activities and trying to get my calendar sorted out. I found myself being surprised - really surprised that Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

One of the many things I have loved about a teaching career is the Thanksgiving holiday.  We can always count on Thanksgiving Day and the day after plus the weekend! I am at "that certain age" when that's a good amount of time for me to get rested up and revitalized enough to tackle it again until the winter break! For the last several years we've gotten the Wednesday before off as well, so I'm already starting to look forward to a 2 day week next year!

But in the meantime, I have so much to do.
I've got this problem with the new evaluation system.  It apparently has to do with my name. My evaluations are going in under my first name. My log in is my second name.  I can't get into it.
I've got a help request in, I hope I hear something tomorrow or the next day.

So here's the short of it, 
I was a cranky worker today.

And here's the long.

I was cranky because I didn't get enough sleep, and my back hurt all day!

My back bothered me more than usual this past weekend and cut into my sleep time.
I'm using a Lidocaine patch and up to the max on Advil, but I'm still not quite comfortable. So I think that played into my work day.  I also was not near the office until late this afternoon. That means that I didn't have access to my office chair.  It was  such an amazing gift those years ago when Donna Palmer bought that chair for me because of my back issues.  I've taken it with me to every office I've been in since that day!  Anyway, today I had lots of regular chairs that did not do much for my back which wasn't in good shape anyway!

I've scheduled up a massage Thursday morning. I'm taking that day off to take Mom to some tests and there's enough time for me to work in an appointment.  Usually that helps more than most anything! Wish I could figure out what it is that makes it go on a bad spell like this!

So here in a bit, I'll head off to bed.  I can only use the lidocaine for 12 hours then I have to take a 12 hour break. I decided that using it at night to help me sleep was more important than using it during the day - it's already on and boy can I tell!  I'll put one of those microwave heating pads on as I drift off to sleep and I'll be able to sleep for 2 or 3 hours anyway!

Thank goodness for the people who thought up the microwavable heating pads and the pain relieving patches!

So here's the short of it,
Today was Green Tomato Pickle Day!

And here's the long.

Well, the tomato plants are up the garden cleaned up, and the remaining green tomatoes are now pickled.

Liga came over this afternoon and helped me gather up the last tomatoes and then get them cut up and ready to make the pickles.  We layered them up with some sweet onion and salted them down, and then it was on to the rest of the day.  While we worked on that, Valdis cleaned the plants out of the garden and put up the cages and stakes.

This evening after everyone left and the kitchen got cleaned up, I pickled them up and processed them.

There are 11 jars - the tall jelly jars.  I used a different recipe this year - (mainly because I couldn't find the recipe I used last year). They need to sit for a few weeks and then they'll be ready to try.

So here's wishing good pickling!

So here's the short of it, 
Nice to have both our Chattanooga kids here helping out at the house today.

And here's the long.

I went out on the porch this morning to get the grooming tool to give Sophie a good brushing and she pushed right out the door.  I threw on a coat and shoes and went out with her, but she was not one bit interested in coming in and getting groomed!  I ended up following her all the way down to Mom's where she had to go talk to Hershey before she was willing to come back home.  She really doesn't mind getting a bath or getting a good brushing, but she acts as though she's not going to have any of it until you can get her started, then she calms right down like - "Oh, if is this all you're going to do then OK" - then she just settles down and enjoys whatever it is.

So after I got Sophie back in the house, I made good on my promise to have a stay at home day today.
We were moving lots of stuff out of the house that we are getting rid of, so Valdis came over and helped with the muscle stuff.  He helped Alan get the basement cleaned out and they got the exercise bike set up.  It really will be a nice place for him to get his exercise now that it's too chilly for him to enjoy a real bike ride. Then this afternoon, they took two loads of stuff off and Liga came over and gave me some help with a couple of projects.

It's only 10:30 and one more time, I'm heading on to bed.  The time change is supposed to be rejuvenating since we "gain" an hour, but I'm just exhausted by he end of the day.  I'm not able to do that burning the midnight oil right now!  So night all.

So here's the short of it, 
Today, Veteran's Day, 11-11-11, I honor Dad.

And here's the long.

Dad, Gene Howard, was a high school kid. His Dad had died in a coal mining accident.  He went to school and worked to help his Mom provide for his four little sisters. On December 7, 1941, Dad was in the woods hunting to help supplement the food for his family's table.  When he came off the mountain and back into town, he heard the news about the attack on Pearl Harbor.  In January he turned 18, and at the end of the school term he joined the army.

Dad finished his basic and advanced training and found himself in England with the responsibility to help load the ships that would be filled with supplies for the impending invasion.  When he got a really bad case of tonsillitis and was hospitalized a couple of days before D-Day, the doctor told him he would not be able to move out with his unit.  Rather than not be there with his squad, he snuck out of the hospital and rejoined them in time to load onto the ship headed for Normandy.  He used to laugh and say they were probably still looking for him!

That "escape" from the hospital took him onto that ship bound for Normandy - to Utah Beach where he and his squad unloaded men, tanks, gas, food, everything that the forces needed for the assault on the beaches.  All around him men were dying; a ship next to one they were unloading was bombed and sunk. It was a place to run away from, but they stood their ground and unloaded supplies to support the men fighting their way from the beaches up to the villages as the liberation of Europe began.

Not too long after D-Day, Dad volunteered for a new assignment and became a replacement in the 17th Airborne where he became a member of an anti-tank gun squad.  This assignment would take him into Belgium for the Battle of the Bulge, across France in pursuit of the Nazi army and finally in a Waco glider across the Rhine in Operation Varsity.

Te defeat of Germany brought about an occupation force and then training for the invasion of Japan.  He's pictured here having earned his paratrooper wings.  There's that one awful story about the jump when his chute didn't entirely open, and then the emergency chute got tangled in his primary chute.  Somehow he landed in a newly plowed field which he always credited with saving his life.  Dad was always very proud of his service with the 17th Airborne.

Dad came home after the war and finished up high school.  He married his sweetheart Emily, and built a great life.  And he continued to serve his country in the Army Reserves until he retired.

Many years later he returned to Europe with Emily where they visited some of the places he had first seen over the sights of a gun or from a foxhole.

Then a few years later, he returned to Belgium at the invitation of the King.  He and Pete, his squad leader from those horrible months of intense front line combat, were honored by the citizens of Belgium.  He really seemed to take in the gratitude of the Belgian people and their embracing of the American servicemen who they credit with saving them from the horrors they were experiencing under Nazi occupation.







Dad was amazing in so many ways beyond those years that he served in the war.  He was, according to my Mom, an amazing partner.  He was a wonderful father for me and my brothers. He had an incredible work ethic and taught me a love for the written word and gardening.  His faith was just unshakable and he was a role model for so many.  And within all of those life achievements, you could always see that those years in World War II had informed the way he lived the rest of his life.

My heart is full tonight with love and admiration for all of our veterans, but most especially for Dad.

So here's the short of it, 
Today was a great day!

And here's the long.

I spent the day at a school that's only about 5 minutes from the house. The principal is a colleague from my very first years of teaching in the Chattanooga City Schools system. And we had a very nice reception in all the grade level meetings.  At the end of the day the principal and I spent a good hour just being chatty and catching up  We are both growing closer to retirement and had such a good time revisiting some of the "old" days and catching up on family and friend news.

It's pretty rare that I have the luxury of being so close to home (tomorrow I'm going to be way out on the other side of the county and have to be there way early! And it's even more rare to end the day in such a jovial way with such good company.

I'm so thankful for work that's engaging and meaningful that allows me to work with people like Carol.

So here's the short of it, 
Mom bought a gazebo kit.  

And here's the long.

Mom's been talking about having a gazebo built for a long time.  Probably even from before they moved to Chattanooga.  So she finally did it!

They delivered a kit a couple of weeks ago, and it's been just waiting.

Today Steve came up from Atlanta and worked on getting it put up.  Valdis came over after his classes and they got a really good start on it.

Of course they worked in that chilly rain turned to drizzle, turned back to rain for most of the afternoon.

Mom's excited about getting it erected to have for company next summer.  Steve had to go back to Atlanta this evening, but Valdis is going to try to get over to do some more work on it tomorrow.

Thanks Steve and Valdis.  You made Mom smile!

So here's the short of it,
Time - I know the history - but I don't like messing with the time!

And here's the long.

Wow - I suppose I could just re-emphasize it.
I dont like the time change at all!

It seems like it messes with my internal clock and I'm in a much grumpier mood.  Of course I got that extra hour of sleep, and I'd think that would be great, but it doesn't generally happen that way for me.
As the day comes to the end, it seems to stretch out interminably.  Then when I do get home the darkness is just slamming down.  I do think it's such a good thing that I didn't migrate to Alaska or northern Canada!  I'd be in really bad shape if I had to live in darkness half the year!

So, I'm working through this.  I wish I could say I'm sleeping through this, but in a week or two, I should have gotten my body all accustomed to the new time and be feeling better about it all.

So here's the short of it, 
I'm ready to join the revolution against Daylight Savings Time!

And here's the long.

Several of my FaceBook friends have a version of this.

There are lots of folks, me included, I think, who would like to just pick one time or another and stick with it! The older I get the harder it is for my body to adjust to the change in time. I used to have a harder time in the spring - the spring forward piece.  But now even the fall back gets me all out of sorts.

I'm tired, but not sleepy!

Dear Sun and Moon.
Did you know that the crazy people down here on planet earth don't believe you show us the time of day!  We have these clocks, and twice a year we move them around to represent a different time!  We are a pretty crazy bunch aren't we!

So here's the short of it, 
Today we had a "Celebration of Life" for Pennie. 


And here's the long.

We had been talking since we left Tampa after Pennie's funeral about how it would be really nice if we could do something for the community here in Chattanooga who knew and loved Pennie so much.   
David and Brian drove up from Tampa to be with us and Myra came in from Pennsylvania.   So many of Pennie's family and friends from Chattanooga came as well as several of Nathan's cousins from out of town.


Of course we are tired - it's been a long and very emotional day. But it was wonderful to be together with so many people.  

Those who knew Pennie were fortunate.

Those who were her friend counted themselves lucky.

Those of us who got to count Pennie as family were blessed.

Those of us who were lucky enough to be her family and count her as a friend have a treasure that will be with us for the rest of our lives.

So here's the short of it, 
This is birthday week for Liga and Valdis. 

And here's the long.

There could be so many things to post about tonight, but I think birthdays are going to take precedence.

Liga was born in 1987 and Valdis in 1988 - a year and 3 days apart. This was at the beginning of the events that would lead to Latvia declaring itself once again a free and independent state in 1991.  What a time to be born! It was an exciting time just to hear about it here in the United States, and that was before we had any idea that our children were living there in an old hunting castle that had been turned into an orphanage.

It was the summer of 1994 before they became our children, and it's been a great adventure.

Tonight we celebrated birthdays by going out to eat with grandmothers, girlfriend and boyfriend, and Aunt Myra!  It was a great evening for us to be together and have a chance to visit a bit.  I love to reminisce about those first days and months and share stories I remember with the kids.

So the kids celebrated birthdays 23 and 24!
They've been with us now for 18 years!  Wow, what an amazing time that's been.

So here's the short of it, 
Today was meetings and sessions - food not so much.

And here's the long.

I stayed in at dinner instead of accompanying the group out to another New Orleans place.  Fruit, a croissant, and milk suited me just fine.

I seem to always land on at least one session that really makes me stop and think and, I hope, professionally grow.  Today it was a session (actually two) by Joshua Aronson, a social psychologist who has studied at length how stereotypes impact test scores and the ability of students to do well in testing situations.  He refers to this phenomenon as Stereotype threat.  He also has some great ideas about how to battle some of this!

I have lots to think about and then perhaps there will be an opportunity to turn some of that thinking about into doing.   I could use your good thoughts and prayers that I move in the right direction with this!

Tomorrow morning we have a presentation at 7:30 AM - you just know I'm glad this is Central Time and I've not quite habituated to it!  Then just a bit of time to finish packing and head out for my flight.

It will be good to be back home.

So here's the short of it, 
Food, Food, Food

And here's the long.

I can promise - I am NOT hungry.  The food here is quite wonderful!
Here's the run down of food so far!

Brennans
Dinner last night with a group.
I had trout Amadine!














Court of the Two Sisters
 Jazz Brunch this morning. It's a buffet of wonderful food.

There's an Iron gate

Mother's
Dinner tonight.  I shared a shrimp plate with another conference attendee.

So here's the short of it, 
Phone problems -

And here's the long.

Today I flew in to New Orleans from Chattanooga via Charlotte for the NAGC Annual National Conference.  Alan took me to the airport and I headed up to the gate and he headed home.  About the time I got through security, I realized I didn't have my phone with me.  Oh WOW!!

I borrowed a phone and called him - he discovered it at home in the bathroom!!!
He suggested that I buy a cheap trac phone once I got to New Orleans, but I had decided that I was going to spend a few days just doing without it. Anyway once I got to the hotel I gave him a call to let him know that I was here safe and sound.  And it occurred to me that Tara was flying out later than me.  I suggested that she might be able to bring it.  Well, it turns out that he barely made it to the airport.  They handed the phone over to security where they wrapped it in plastic and sent it through the machine, gave it to Tara on the other side and tonight when we met up for dinner there was my phone!

What a great friend.  What a wonderful husband.
What a great life!

So here's the short of it, 
The Finder is working!

And here's the long.

I thought I had lost my work laptop today.
It was missing from my office yesterday. And I realized that I hadn't seen it in several days.  (I've been doing a presentation and like my Mac much better for that purpose). I thought to myself - you must have taken it home and forgot to bring it back. Well - I got home and it wasn't there!  I spent the day going over and over and over all the places I've been, where it could be and on and on.  I got several of my colleagues all paranoid about people coming into our office space and taking things. I guess I got myself paranoid as well.

Late this afternoon I was writing an e-mail to my supervisor to let her know I'd lost it and to see the proper way to report it when I had a thought.  I went over to my colleagues office and stood in the door to an outer office.  There's a book shelf with about 4 or 5 black test kit cases stacked on it. There on the floor kind of over to the side behind a step stool and turned upside down was a case.  When I picked it up, it was my laptop!

I think it must have fallen off a cart I was using to take things to my colleague's office.  I can't believe it was there the whole time and I haven't missed it and no one else had noticed it.  I suppose my finder must have just kicked into high gear and there it was!

I'm sure glad I didn't have to send that e-mail!  And by the way. It is locked up tight now and I know where it is!