not sure what's going on...

 ...but I'm in the biggest blogging slump ever.  What can I say that I haven't already said?  Sixteen and a half years I've been at this.  hmmm.

But, I'm not giving up today.  Today I'll tell you a story.  Way back when I was a kid, when the world wasn't "woke" yet, teachers hit kids sometimes.  My big brothers used to tell me before I went to kindergarten that the principal had a paddle, so you had to be good in school.  They also told me, on my first day of school, to tell my mother that the teacher slapped me.  So I did, and she was shocked, because I was a good little girl.  Did she call the school?  no.  She waited until Parent/Teacher conferences, and mentioned, it, and the teacher was shocked, said of course she never did that.  (See what a good little girl I was, lying to my mother?  Big brothers have a lot of influence)

Anyway, my story is actually from middle school, 6th grade.  My math teacher, Mr. S., was a bit scary.  One day a kid was acting up, so the teacher picked him up by the front of his shirt, the scruff of his shirt, and held him against the blackboard, feet dangling.  We didn't go home and tell our parents, there wasn't a board meeting, the teacher didn't get arrested.  But it obviously effected me, I still have dreams about it.  Last night's dream had me in a room with several old classmates, and one boy, Jim G., looked right at me and said, "I remember that happening...", then I remembered that Jim G. had passed away a few years ago.  I don't know how I can remember exactly how Jim G. looked, the exact expressions on his face, but shh, it could be because I had a teeny tiny crush on him.   He did die, in real life, and I remembered it in my dream, and it made me so sad, beyond sad, because time just wrinkled and poof!  We're old.  

How busy have I been since coming home from Norway?  Well....I'll spare you all the details, or the deets and tails as Mariel used to say, but I went to brekky with my pool friends on Wednesday...I brought them some chocolate from Norway, and it was fun to pass it out.  

One of the ladies exclaimed, "It says Kit Kat in German!" ( It's Norwegian, it says quick lunch."  :).  They liked them though.  

Kathryn had to go to Walmart, so I went with her.  She wanted to get seeds to start her plants indoors, I also got some seeds.  I still need the potting soil.  I do not have a green thumb, I have whatever color thumb kills plants.  But I do love flowers, and perhaps I can grow some of my own to put in pots on the deck.   

I also went with Sonja to look at an apartment, which fills me with joy mixed with a profound sense of loss.  Rapid change, like I want to dig my heels in and say that she needs to stop this nonsense.  Twelve of the kids have grown up and moved out, and it's not fun.  It's the normal progression of life, blah blah blah, but it takes part of my heart each time, I'm gonna have nothing left here.  

She really liked the apartment, Camille and I did too.  The guy bought a building and totally renovated the space, it's brand new, and looks like no corners were cut.  She'll have off street parking, a washer and dryer hook up, and best of all....it's FIVE minutes away!  It's expensive, but when you get older, you remember prices from a long time ago, so it's more shocking, I think, when things cost so much.  

She isn't moving out right away though.  Her fiancé will move in when he comes in April, and she'll stay here until they get married in August.  She does get to start buying dishes and bedding and a couch and all that other fun stuff though.

Suri has a new dog bed...

This was a bigger purchase dilemma than you would think.  I wanted it to be supportive, not like a pillow where her hips would squish down the filling and hit bottom.  As Cam said, "she's old, she deserves a comfy bed."  But wouldn't you know, "comfy beds" are super expensive!  This one was marked down in Marshall's to sixty dollars, which seems crazy, but they are pricey.  

Sonja made dinner last evening, as I went with Kathryn in the afternoon to well visits for the kids, then into Aldi for a few things.  Sonja made taco soup, with fresh chopped peppers and cilantro to put on top, it was super good soup.  :). 

Today, pool....then to a few places with Sonja and Cam and friend Amanda who has no school today and is here...then Paul and I are going to church tonight to help with a Romans study, I'm helping Emily make some food...flatbread pizzas, homemade hummus with all the things to dip in it, homemade cannoli dip...

I have to leave for the pool in a few minutes, I am enjoying my comfy chair and my coffee.  We had some sunny weather the last few days, and oh it's so nice.  I cleaned up the yard a little bit, and admired the purple crocuses, am so ready for spring.  But we do the Bunny Hop towards warm weather, here in New York...forward, backward, then hop hop hop.  It's going to snow again next week.

Jonny is going to the Everglades this weekend.  He and his friend spontaneously decided to take a weekend trip to see the alligators.  He is bringing only a backpack, which fits a tiny sleeping bag, bug net, change of socks and underwear, and an extra pair of pants.  They plan to sleep out somewhere, I don't know...they're crazy, but at least it's what I call Good Clean Fun.  

Anyway...time to get moving...and yes, I will have an argument with myself about leaving my nice comfy chair and warm cozy house on this rainy dreary morning.  I'll go put on my suit under my clothes, and head out the door, ignoring that desire to stay home because I know it's good for me, and when I actually get into that water, ahhh, I do love it, and am very thankful it's ten minutes away.  

Have a really good day.