Correction

A small (yet big) correction to the last post:


That is not a blimp as I had been calling it.  It is instead a Zeppelin - a Farmer's Airship Zeppelin NT to be exact.  The Hindenburg was a Zeppelin.


According to our city newspaper this morning: at 246 feet long, this airship is 15 feet longer than a Boeing 747 and 50 feet longer than the largest commercial blimp currently operating.  


And for "just" $399.00 you can go for a 45 minute ride!  For some reason, instead of flying around the city and looking at the river and buildings and various subdivisions... they have chosen to fly over the farm fields of Omro... which puts the flight path almost directly over our house.


Today, I spent the day outside cutting the lawn (a 3 hour + ordeal for our 4 acres) 

so I spent the day watching the airship complete 3 full trips.  I was finally able to get some good pictures.

It's That Time Of Year

This flew right over my house today.


Our local air event is in full swing so along with this there have been war birds flying in formation close by.  

Unfortunately, even though this blimp (which is said to be the largest in the world) flew close enough that it appeared we could reach out and touch it - my camera decided to act up.  First, for some reason, the batteries were in backwards, then telling me I needed to reset the memory switch on my memory card. ARG!!!  So, by the time all that was straightened out, I got pictures of it flying away.


Incidentally, you can buy tickets for a ride (which is what I assume they were taking) for an insane amount of money.

Prayer Needed

The other day I was referred to this site. 


www.caringbridge.org/visit/thinkingofthejohnsons


This family from south Florida was on vacation in North Georgia when their minivan was hit from behind by a 16 year old drunk driver on July 1st.  They had just finished watching fireworks and were stopped at a red light a few blocks away from their cabin when the accident occured.


The two older girls (10 and 8) suffered numerous broken bones but will eventually heal with time.


Their six year old daughter died.


And their three year old son will live the rest of his life paralyzed from the neck down.


Please visit this family and pass along your prayers.

Life Changing Memories

The heat continues.  Not quite as hot and humid as days prior but still in the high 80's - soon to drift down to the low 80's.  But still, anything over 80 is fine with me.






Last night I was watching a television show about the last shuttle launch and it brought to mind all the launches we were fortunate enough to observe while living in Florida.  We lived about 40 miles from the Space Center and if we looked in the right direction we would be able to see a fireball hurtling through the sky leaving a trail of smoke behind it.  However, I was never able to hear the sonic boom of re-entry for some reason. Probably because most launches caught me off guard - we didn't pay much attention to when they were scheduled to take off or land. (a couple of nights we saw a fireball streaming through the sky while driving down a road and knew it had to be a shuttle launch).  There was one exception to this, though.  I will always remember a beautiful morning on January 16th, 2003. I was working at a Day Care Center and we brought all the children outside to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia.  Across the street was an elementary school (where C.J. and Jon went) and they had all the students out to watch it as well.  What an amazing view we had as the day was as bright and beautiful as they get with not a single cloud to impede our view.  Little did we know, as we watched the vehicle ascend further into the sky, that it would never return!  I will have that vivid memory with me for the rest of my life.


Coincidently, the Saturday it was to return I had just   turned on the T.V. a few minutes before nine o'clock and the station I had on was showing footage from Houston as they directed the return of Columbia.  For some reason, I decided to watch - still not sure why because it certainly wasn't something that would normally interest me.  It was not long after turning it on - maybe just a couple minutes- that things started going wrong.  And I remember sitting there, staring at the T.V. while they tried desperately to re-establish communication, and thinking "no,no,no, it can't be."  I then woke up my sister and together we watched the rest of the story unfold.


I am not really sure why I am even writing this except to say that you never know what seemingly unimportant events in your life will turn out to be imbedded in your permanent memory.  Making a memory that at the time may seem to mean nothing...but ends up meaning oh so much.

Thankful for Thursdays

So, my schedule was e-mailed to me today for teaching next year and as it stands I will be working full days on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Tuesdays will be just afternoons.  And****drumroll****Thursdays I have off!!!
This is the best of both worlds.  I get to teach which I absolutely love - and still have a full day off during the week for appointments, homework, housework, and rest.
Oh yeah, and on Mondays and Fridays my last class is actually done at 1:00 - but I will put in time at school and stay until 3:30 planning and organizing so that I get in my 28 hours each week that I am being paid for.


I AM READY - bring on the school year.

110*

This is what 110* (with heat index) looks like;

Over and over this week I could be heard reciting the old McDonalds  mantra "I'm Loving It."

Yes, I am not kidding when I say the hotter the better and while many a fellow midwesterner has spent the week secluded in air conditioned rooms...I have spent much time basking in the sun and feeling the heat of the sun bronzing my normally pale skin.

And wherever I am you will find my ever faithful...borderline stalker...furry companion.  Even if that means sitting in unimaginable heat. He really didn't seem to mind.

And totally off topic...but here is a pic of my new wheels

A 2011 Chevrolet Malibu

Because I'm Cool Like That

or at least acting like I'm cool like that.

And speaking of cool - it is going to be anything but cool for the next few days.  Temps in the 90's predicted all week and I'm loving it.  It'll be like living in Florida again.

Another Sign of Summer

Selling glow in the dark items while working for a friend.

Topped off with fireworks!  And no, this was not from the 4th of July.  These were taken last night at a local community fest with music, fun, and a very mediocre fireworks display.

Why

There certainly would appear to be more comfortable places to lie

That Is Not My Dog

Those were the words out of my mouth when I picked up this dog from the groomers on Tuesday...and found out he had to be shaved.

Luckily, his fur grows fast so in no time he should be looking like this again:

20 Wonderful Years

Twenty years ago today...at exactly 1:54 p.m... the doctor placed a screaming 6 pound 8 ounce baby boy in my arms.  In an instant my life had forever changed and I was completely unprepared for the instant love that I would feel for this tiny human being. He was beautiful and every area of his body from his nose to his toes was perfectly, wonderfully, and fearfully made.

Ignore the fat, ugly, fatigued mother and look at the beautiful, perfect baby

  When we left the hospital two days later I couldn't believe they were letting me take him home.  I kept looking behind me as we headed for the door thinking that, at any moment, someone would run up and tell me "sorry, ma'am, that is not your baby...you can't take him."  I thought, at the very least, someone would wake me up from the dream I was living... because it was all too good too be true.
Yet, it WAS true... and as the days went by...I fell more in love with this boy never realizing how proud of him I would be... and certainly never realizing just how incredibly fast it would all go.   I would sometimes steal glimpses of him and wonder what kind of a man he would grow up to be.   

one year  old

two years old

three years old

four years old

five years old

six years old

seven years old

eight years old

nine years old

Sadly, I do not have a picture of his tenth birthday because he spent it in Wisconsin while I was in Florida.  Birthdays 11 and up are harder to find since they are not in albums yet...and i wasn't with him for some of those birthdays but i will try to locate what I have and post them next time.


I love you, baby boy...  you'll always be my baby!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

Well.... sort of.


Zack and I have spent the past five days in Iron Mountain, Michigan at the summer home of my parents and visiting my grandma each day.


We spent Tuesday driving up there... which means I was in the car as the Casey Anthony verdict was delivered.  C.J. called me and turned up his T.V. so that I could hear the results first hand... and then spent the next 4 days in shock... there will never be any answers... or any justice for this little girl.

When I would teach my fourth graders about the U.S. Constitution I would tell them about Double Jeopardy and it would always spur an interesting discussion about whether it was a good law or a bad one. And here it is slapping us in the face, as now, ALL charges having to do with the death of her little girl are off limits... she has been determined to be "not guilty"... but yet, "not innocent" according to one the jurors herself.  Umm... what else is there?  I am thoroughly disappointed that the jury reached this verdict in 10 hours without reviewing even 1 piece of evidence!!... but, considering this was Florida... I am not surprised.  I know from living there... it is pretty messed up!


Anyway, there is some beautiful country up there in the U.P. 


We hiked Mole Hill.  There is an opening from a cave where bats are said to fly out... luckily we didn't see any...just beautiful scenery.

We also hiked along Piers Gorge

By night time the dog looked like this;

We also went to an outdoor concert in "downtown" Iron Mountain.  Good times with music and lunch.  

Unfortunately, Grandma is continuing on her good day/bad day routine.  Most of the days we were there were good days for her... "good" being a relative term meaning that she was coherent and eating and drinking.  She is still confined to bed...and probably will be from now on.  She talks but she slurs her speech so badly that she is difficult to understand...at times she can feed herself and other times she needs to be fed.   

Anyway, we had a fun time and are looking forward to going back soon.