Weather WOWS!

Okay it all started Monday afternoon with sleet and freezing rain which continued into Tuesday afternoon more sleet and freezing rain. We lost power for about 3 hours Tuesday morning but thank god it came back on. We have been out of school since 12:30 Monday and it is not Wednesday afternoon. Since I have been locked in the house since Monday afternoon I rely on my Husband for all my news from the outside world. I jsut got off the phone with him and he says you guys will be lucky if you go back to school this week at all since there are still several places in the county without power. Well I did venure out into the back yard this morning and afternoon to snap a few pictures.

It looks like the water is dripping off the branches but no its frozen there!

This little fellow just kept getting away but I finally got him a couple of times actually! Sneaky, Sneaky BIRD!

Okay I think it is official I have been locked in the house WAY too LONG! I have now sunk to the level of talking to the birds in my back yard. Man I need some sunshine and warm weather!

Go Where?

I come home Thursday night drained and living a little on the edge! My loving husband says lets go somewhere and get away. WHAT! Have you lost your mind we don't have time or the money to escape! We are fine he says. So I question his intentions where is it you want to go. Sikeston, Missouri he informed me. I said you want to go where? You know Sikeston home of Lamberts one of the best places to eat and they even throw rolls at you. Now I have been to Lamberts several years ago but I was getting over strepe throate and I barely choked down a couple spoonfulls of mashed potatoes but I did have fun catching rolls for everyone at my table. Okay I can handle good food even though I have been trying to diet I had already blown it this week and gained two pounds so whats one more good meal before I hit the road again. He says come on we can leave Friday evening its only like 2 and1/2 hours away we can get a hotel room relax and go eat Saturday and head back home. Now write this down because this is the first time he has planned a little weekend get away I have planned a couple for us when I need that "just us" time. But this is the first time he has had the initive to do this I was shocked.

I got out the the bed Friday morning with a little spring in my step cause my baby was wanting to spend some time with me. WOO HOO! I'm looking on the internet for hotel rooms and the whole nine yards I even rush home leaving my school work behind. Then he walks in the door and informs me we have forgotten about my nephews birthday and were suppose to be a my brother in laws at 6 I was crushed. After a couple hours of non communication he says well are you going to get anything ready for this get away or do you just not want to go. I was to busy pouting to realize that he was still planning on going. We worked it out threw come clothes in a bag and headed to the birthday party. We had originally said we would drive to Paducah and stay. We ended up not leaving until about 9:30 Friday night and suprisingly ended up driving straight through to Sikeston. I found the Holiday Inn Express that I had looked up on line and went it go get our room. Once he walked into the room he was pumped up because I had gotten a king size bed. You would have thought it was covered in 100 dollar bills but hey it doesn't take much to get my baby excited. Of course he was just excited because we could sleep in different zip codes! It was nice we even slept in till about 9 Saturday morning. We got up got ready and headed to a small outlet mall and shopped around for a couple hours (not his favorite thing to do but he smiled the whole time). I even got me a new pair of shoes!!! Then we headed to Lamberts!

If you have never been to a Lamberts you are missing out. Good and I mean good homestyle cooking with hot rolls flying through the air what more could you ask for. The atmosphere itself is worth it. We had a great meal that left us extremely STUFFED and we caught all the rolls thrown to us. Since there is like nothing else in Sikeston we headed back to Paducah for a little more shopping and then home. I love get aways I feel refreashed and loved.

I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!

Well I finally got that snow day I have been fussing about. One problem though no snow! Although I am sure that there must have been slick spots on the roadways I look out my front door and NOTHING. Oh well I have plenty of things to do but before I get to caught up in the craziness of a snow day I thought I would head on over to blog land and see what happens.

Well it all started very innocently . Last year at school (the one I teach at) one of my teaching friends Mr. Jeff brought in his guitar. He would sit in the lobby and play on his break or travel around to various classrooms. I noticed one afternoon as I was strolling through the halls he was sitting in the lobby just playing away. I stopped in AWE and realized how relaxing an acoustic guitar could be. I was amazed the calming affect that came over me and begged him to follow me around all day and just play some light background music. Needless to say the main people at the board of education didn't feel that I needed background music in order to teach students and that my mental health would just have to suffer. So I went right on teaching without that much needed relaxing background music. Occasionally Mr. Jeff would find me and follow me around for a couple of minutes but that wasn't enough. I thought to my self I have a small amount of musical talent. After all I took piano lessons for a couple of months until she kicked me out stating that I didn't have a long enough attention span that a 15 minute lesson was just way to long. Although that wonderful teacher did suggest 5 minute lessons my mom just didn't go for it so my piano playing abilities went unnoticed. Although as a child I would hear a commercial on TV and walk to the piano and pick out the tune I still can't play an entire song or anything just little snippets. Also, I played the saxophone in middle school and high school so I could at one time read music. Surely picking up the guitar shouldn't be that hard right!

So the journey began. I started hinting that I wanted a guitar for Christmas because I needed something to fill that lack of spare time. I had made up my mind I was 31 years old and I needed a hobby. So on Christmas morning I awoke waiting. Neil my wonderful husband had gotten me everything I had asked for a zoom lens for my 35mm and a story book to create on line I was so excited (oh yeah by the way I haven't finished the storybook either). But no guitar! We went to my moms house where I just knew there would be a new guitar under the tree with my name on it but nothing. I was let down how could I possibly start playing the guitar without a guitar. Then when I least expected it there it was pulled from a dark bedroom my new guitar. I was so excited I couldn't hardly stand it. Of course it was severely out of tune and I didn't have a clue what to do with it. But it was mine nonetheless black and shiny and ready to play. I took it home in its little case and picked around on it for about two weeks after Christmas then the illness reared its ugly head and I was back to the doctor and a short stay in the hospital I went. That beautiful shiny black guitar went unnoticed in the corner of my living room. I did pick it up a couple of times and tried to learn some chords but for the most part it sat. There was so much going on last year I never picked it up from teaching, to grad classes, to coaching, to being sick and in and out of the hospital that prized possession just sit there just waiting to be played. After I had surgery in July I thought here is the spare time I needed to learn something and still nothing happened. Finally in October Neil's cousin Jeff came to visit and there she sit in the corner doing nothing. He asked who's guitar is that Neil and I both looked at each other and Neil quickly said its hers but according to her it doesn't work. I told Jeff that I had gotten it for Christmas and that it was severely out of tune but if he could get it to work then well it would have to be a miracle. In ten minutes he had it tuned to perfection and was even playing some songs. The next thing I knew he was trying to teach me this was my chance but like before I just didn't have the time to pick it up after that night so there it went back into the corner.

I had failed miserably I had wanted to be able to play one song by Christmas and I had nothing. I pick it up in December when we got out for winter break but I was too busy then to. What am I going to do I have a brand new guitar and nothing I can't play a single thing. But there is hope! For Christmas my brother-in-law got a new electric guitar and he is slowly learning how to play. He came over this weekend with his electric tuner and got mine back in tune and promises me there is still hope. He's telling me about this DVD he got and how he will pass it on when he is done with it. He also brought me a stand to sit it on because you shouldn't lean them against the wall because it causes pressure on the neck of the instrument. Now she is out in the open just as pretty as you please and I feel obligated to learn something. I actually picked it up for about an hour this morning and my fingers are killing me but I think I can learn to play at least one song today even if it only has 2 chords I think I can do it. I am determined on this the first snow day of the year. Wish me luck!

There she is much prettier in real life but beautiful nonetheless!!

Snow Day AWWWW

I didn't get my snow day but I did manage a 1 hour delay. One hour delays do nothing for me since I rise at about 4:30 I've been up about an hour or so before they make the announcement. So I should do something constructive right? Nah that would make to much sense. Although I did put in a load of clothes I guess that's a start. It was funny this morning I got up at the usual time and turned on the local news (yes it is on at 4:30 in the morning) and I sit there glued to the TV for about 20 minutes because regardless I still have to have a shower. Knowing good and well that we are usually one of the last school districts to make an announcement. I watch with a steaming cup of coffee and wait. I see 2 hour delays and then finally a couple counties close to us start calling off classes there is still hope. Then a couple more counties with 2 hour delays... well that wouldn't be to bad I could take a quick nap at least. Then when you least expect it BAM a 1 hour delay AWWW MAN! The dismay the disappointment guess I better find something to wear since I have that HORRIBLE, feeling not so great, extremely bloated days this could take a while. IT will probably eat up my entire 1 hour delay. Oh well I'll just count my blessings and pray for more..... UGH!

SNOW DAY!

The weather man said what SNOW! Of course I am as bad as the children I teach I hear that sweet four letter word and I start dancing. Not to mention a few prayers here and there. Thirty minutes ago I was ready to go to bed now I am up for a couple of hours because maybe just maybe the snow gods will be on our side. Like all teachers I don't still want to be in school in June but what would one snow day hurt right??? If I get my wish I might even have some randomness to post tomorrow. Everybody say it with me now in a chant fashion SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! that should be good the third times a charm right????

How does your garden grow???

Okay it has been months since I have jumped on the blog wagon and I haven't made not one post. I have failed terribly. But I am going to give it a try once again. So much has happened since my friend Kellie talked me into this. Last year when I decided to jump on the bog wagon I was pretty sick and the doctors just couldn't find the problem. I am happy to report after a year and a half of getting units of blood, being poked and prodded, and enjoying several different hospital facilities I have been healed. On July 26, 2007 I under went surgery to remove Teddy the tumor from my small intestines/small bowel. What seemed to be a harmless tumor turned out to be a tumor that had turned cancerous. Needless to say it was time for Teddy to go so away with Teddy and a couple limp nods I am happy to report that as of December 28, 2007 I am cancer free! That feels good to say. Now that I have made a pretty good excuse for not dedicating my free time to my blog I hope that I have turned over a new leaf and will try my best to keep going on the blog wagon. As I have said before I am extremely ADHD at times and typing the word leaf brings me back to last summer and our prize willing garden. One thing always leads to another in my life so how about talking about that garden.

My parent decided last spring that they would plant a garden. It was a place to get away and enjoy planting something and watching it grow. Looking back I am convinced that it was also a place for them to get away and put worries behind them. You have to remember that I was sick and no one knew what the problem was. So I was in and out of the hospital and going to the Mahr Cancer Center every couple of weeks to get a couple of units of blood. Needless to say this garden produced more than just good food it was that safe place where you could watch how the hand of god plays an important part in our lives. My dad was raised on a farm and although he worked in a factory for almost 40 years this was something that he knows and loves. My mom is the Betty Crocker type that can whip up anything in the blink of an eye. Fresh veggies and fruits makes this women turn circles around the kitchen. This garden this safe haven produced more than any one family could use. So all that back breaking work of picking green beans, tomatoes, squash, peppers, cantaloupe, and watermelon was a fabulous way to spend the summer. It seemed like we were out there in the garden everyday in reality it was every couple of days since the farm is about a 20 minute drive from home. Now anyone who has every had a garden knows that once things start ripening and ready to pick it is a endless cycle. They produce and produce and produce again. Who in there right mind would have thought that planting 50 tomato plants and 5 rows of green beans would have been more than enough for one family. Well there is one thing you must know my mother doesn't know how to do anything on a small scale whether your talking about planting a garden or cooking a meal this women goes overboard ALL the time. This women even planted zucchini which no one in the family eats. I know call her crazy but the women loves to plant and watch it grow. Whats a girl to do.

Know there is something that I must tell you about myself I don't like many vegetables. I will eat salad, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, carrots, and green peppers (occasionally). However, I don't eat hardly any vegetables that have been cooked. I know that is crazy but that is just the way it is. I will eats carrots that have been cooked in a pot pie but will pick out all the green stuff. I will eat green peppers that have been cooked in red beans and rice but I make sure that they are cut up in small pieces. I have issues with many foods and I am not afraid to admit it. So all that back breaking work picking bushels upon bushels of green beans that I don't even eat. That also goes for tomatoes, squash, zucchini, or any of that other health food found in the garden. Now I did venture out and try zucchini bread which was surprisingly good. But working in the garden although I couldn't work as much as I normally would was a safe haven for me to. Not to mention that my husband will eat just about everything that comes out of the garden. So I went to the garden and worked for a piece of mind and good food for the family.

Everyone in the family pitched in when they could and the garden produced more than anyone could imagine. If anyone wants to bring a family together plant a garden and watch it grow. But don't ask my mom to help unless you have a family of at least 20!

Whats a girl to say..

Okay so at the request of my dear friend Kellie who I am sure will be the only one reading this I have jumped on the blog wagon.I have recently been using her blog as a way to run screaming from a deep dark depression and boy has it helped. This girl can do everything from learn to cook to sewing aprons man was I jealous. She has even agreed to posting a Randomness for Rhonda (hence the name of my blog) in an attempt to keep me from my deep dark depression. I thought if she is thoughtful enough to do that for me I would try my own blog maybe this will be the therapy I need. Now you should be warned I am a newbie and suffer from adult ADHD and haven't been medicated since November. With that noted you will see over time the randomness and my inability to focus and stay on topic. I did make a doctors appointment for yesterday to get back on my meds (much encouraged by my husband Love him) but the doctor got sick and I had to reschedule. So maybe by this time next week I will be able to focus and my husband will love me even more.

I guess now would be a good time for background information I am 31 years old and a special education teacher. I am currently working on my masters degree in guidance and counseling and basically have had nothing to do this week. I have been married for a little over a year to my wonderful husband Neil and I have a beautiful stepdaughter Ashlyn who is 11. I am a big softball fanatic and usually play lots of ball in the summer but due to some health issues and summer classes I have only played one game this year. My husband has picked up my slack and is now playing in 2 leagues. This year was my first year of coaching where I helped with the freshmen team at Central. We had a wonderful year and it was a great experience. I also love taking pictures of course I am a legend in my own mind and every now and then will take a photo that I think totally rocks, but I am by far not a professional. I have a quirky sense of humor that sometimes only I get but who cares. I love to make people laugh even if it is at my own expense.

Now for my random thought of the day. My big plans for the day are a trip to WalMart. Have you ever noticed the variety of things that can be picked up at the cash register? Such has sunblock, hand sanitizer, dental floss, or maybe chap stick. Who decides what items end up here? Check out the selection the next time you are standing at the one register that is open despite the line of 20 people and the 15 empty registers around you.

With that said I guess I will quit rambling on and on.. We will see how this blog thing goes I may have just started an enjoyable hobby!