nice sunny morning...

We are having a small warm spell here in the northeast. We may break the record temperature of 68 degrees today! It feels like spring. But the cold front is coming, cold again by tomorrow morning. I just might open up some windows and air out the house.

All the kids went to school today, wah. I really wanted to let Char and Camille stay home, but they just skipped last Friday. Char didn't want to go because all four 1st grade classes practice for the chorus concert together, and it is, "squishy and hot."

I read on the news this morning that New York is one of the states that signed up to try a new program that adds 300 hours to the school year, either more days or longer days. Not every district will have to comply, but it's coming. It's like throwing more money at a problem. We live in such an immoral society, where kids have to suffer through divorces and remarriages and their parents' tempers...then the schools are supposed to fix everything. Get the kids motivated, help them be successful. Teach them things they never learned at home.

Imagine this: a world, okay..how about just a country, where every mother who gave birth to a baby was married to a man who put his wife and child/children before his own wants, worked hard to provide for them. If every teenager "waited until marriage", or stayed happily single. If parents stayed faithful to each other and respected each other. If the parents loved the children unconditionally, gave them hope and stability. Encouraged them and helped them reach their goals. If the parents loved spending time with their kids, talked to them and took them places when they had time. Then...would there need to be more school? Seriously?

But we live in a Free Country. Each can choose their own lifestyle. They can make messes of their lives, then the government can try to fix it all up nicely.

And I know it isn't as easy as it sounds. There are trials and troubles and glitches in life. Just because one tries to live a Godly life doesn't mean that everything will be smooth sailing. But I would bet the world would be a vastly different place!

So I worked at the Dome last night. I drove my nieces Susan and Becky, my friends Janette and Nellie, and my son Sam. We stopped at Tim Horten's on the way, I got coffee with a sugar-free caramel shot.

At the Dome: Janette and I made the pretzels and laughed about stuff. She is such a nice girl. She comes from a family with 14 kids. I just always love to see her happy face. She is only 18, but she is one of my best friends:)

Then I had to say goodbye to her and the others, and go to the end of the stand to do beer-pouring with my sister's husband Bill, and our friend Dave (a cancer survivor, he has 8 kids). What fun we had! We got a little splashed with beer, but we kept up and didn't have too many left-over at the end. It is very busy to beer-pour, but we had a chance to talk too. Dave is a very blessed man. He has had many trials in his life, but has sought God's wisdom so desperately, and God has answered. He has learned the simple yet amazing art of Being Thankful. No matter what. He has learned that life is not to be taken for granted. So talking with him is always good for me.

The first thing I am going to do when I heave my lazy self out of this comfy chair is exercise. I want out of this weight-loss rut! I have been just maintaining, going up a few pounds, then back down a few pounds. I am tired of it!!! I feel so much better than I used to, but. I have a long ways to go. I eat mostly healthy, but I have gotten a bit lazy, slacked off on the discipline. My diet is totally different than it was Before my "lifestyle change", but I need to be more strict and get that scale moving down again.

For one thing, today I am going to start writing down everything I eat. I will estimate the calories before I eat it, and make more smart decisions, not just base it on whether I really want something or not, because chances are: I will really want to eat it. That is just not a reliable indicator for me:) My brain, the smart part that really knows what's good for me, has to be the boss. Not the part that says What The Heck, It's Really Yummy. And, being REALLY hungry does not justify eating stuff that I shouldn't eat!! Besides, I have no business letting myself get REALLY hungry! I know how to pack a few almonds and a apple, or how to have a small yogurt to ward off that starving feeling. Mostly I eat bad stuff when I get too hungry and that voice that says to Watch Out just whispers too quietly. Or rather it shouts and I just drown it out, I don't know. Sorry for all this, but hey, I am now quite psyched for the day!!!!