It is HOT today!

I couldn't resist this picture of Cooper!

The fan is running full blast - "too hot to play, I think I'm just going to lay here!"

So I was just online trying to figure out what I needed to do to get Cooper a Baltimore City License and then I was looking up dog parks in the City - there are only three!  And one of them is at the City shelter!  How inconvenient, and what a shame.  I know in other cities there are lots of dog parks - why not Baltimore?  Maybe I should look into this!  :-)

My Garden

Cooper and my Tomatoes

Thyme, Sage, Mint and Basil

Verbena, Salvia, Coneflowers, Black-eyed Susan, Lavender, Tickseed, Milkwee, Shasta daisy, Yarrow

Bleeding heart, Bachelor Buttons, Bee Balm, Violas, Feverfew, Columbine, Hosta

Almost all of these plants are from my mom's garden - look how they've taken off!  Along the side of my yard by the fence, I have planted Forcythia to try to create a hedge and some privacy.  I truly love to sit out in my yard and read a book in the morning, or work in the garden.  I love to watch the plants and flowers grow! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day.

My new addition

Hi all,

Winston left for England and arrived safely last weekend. I still miss his BIG personality, and it was heart-breaking to see him go.  But I decided to get my own dog, and he arrived and we've been adjusting this week.  He is a 3 year old mut/mix and his name is Cooper.  He is sweet - he loves to be pet, play with his squeaky ball, and run, run, run! 

The last day of school - classes was today.  Tomorrow is Reading day, and then exams.  I can't believe the year is over!  It has been a good and tiring year.  For once, I am exhausted with my life, not my teaching life - does that make sense?  I've had so much happen in the last 5 months - I can barely wrap my head around it all.  But the school year - my teaching life - has been good.  I have felt the least in control, but you know what?  It's been ok!  Surprise!  :-)  Anyway, I am looking forward to summer, working on the house, and being with Cooper.

Thank you to all of my friends and family for their support, encouragement, and love over the last 5 months.  It means so much!

Oh man.

Well, so much for my promise to do better.  Sheesh!  Well, the last month has really flown by.  I am finally all moved in - but not unpacked, sadly.  I have been sick twice in the last two weeks, including right now, and to be honest, I haven't really had a "happy" moment in the house yet. 

Of course, some things are falling apart - my gutters got fixed so  there is not a waterfall down the side of the house, but while up there, the gutter guys said that my porch roof is in REALLY bad shape.  I got a roof guy to look at it and he said he could fix it for $2,100.  Whew!  The garbage disposal is broken and when my dad went to replace it with a better one, we found that when they renovated the kitchen, they hard-wired the outlets and the disposal directly into the main line of the house, which means the electricity can't be cut to those things.  That makes changing the disposal difficult without getting electricuted.  Huh.  If I hear one more person say, "Welcome to the joys of home ownership," I might scream.

I'm still unpacking and yet trying to stay on top of my work for school, trying to manage my health, and to be frank, my sanity!  I also found out this week that I am a victim of identity theft.  Really?  When are things going to start settling down?  When am I going to feel settled?  At what point is the drama going to end?  I'm getting a little tired of it.  I feel like I've literally had 3 months of pure stress and I need a vacation from my life.

I keep reminding myself - one day at a time.  Sometimes, it just feels like words. 

Anyway, I hope everyone out there, forgives me for my absence, hopefully things will be turning a corner soon!

Sorry I've been gone so long!

Many of you know I am in the process of purchasing my first house.  I am very excited about it, but I have also had a rough road of it.  A flood in the basement, electrical coming away from the house, and mold due to the lack of maintenance, has made the process quite the roller coaster.  I just found out today from my real estate agent that things are moving forward and I should be able to close on the house March 15th (as long as there are no more hiccups!). 

Winston is still winning my love and affection, and I am super excited to take him to DC next weekend to see Eloise.  She is now standing and "island hopping" between chairs. 

School is fine - next week is the week before Spring Break, and so it is a bit of a crunch time.  After spring break, the semester will fly by. 

I will promise to do a better job of blogging - but the next few weeks might be sparse as well.  Scheduling movers, painting and nesting are what I plan to be doing.  I'll be sure to send pictures!

I can't resist

What!?!?!?!  Does anybody understand this?   What do the State of the Union Address, the Five Pillars of Islam, a bunny and a chainsaw have in common?  I have no clue, and neither does he. 

I can't help laughing at his lunacy, but it also makes me really mad that he is even given the time and air space to influence so many people.  Ugh.
And this:



It didn't matter where we came from, the color of our skin, we were all the same??  I don't think so!




I couldn't have said it any better Anderson.

For the record, John Quincy Adams did fight against slavery, but he certainly never saw it abolished.  He was also not a founding father.  His father John Adams was.

From the Encyclopedia Brittannica:

It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice; for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin? It perverts human reason, and reduces man endowed with logical powers to maintain that slavery is sanctioned by the Christian religion, that slaves are happy and contented in their condition, that between master and slave there are ties of mutual attachment and affection, that the virtues of the master are refined and exalted by the degradation of the slave; while at the same time they vent execrations upon the slave trade, curse Britain for having given them slaves, burn at the stake Negroes convicted of crimes for the terror of the example, and writhe in agonies of fear at the very mention of human rights as applicable to men of color. The impression produced upon my mind by the progress of this discussion is that the bargain between freedom and slavery contained in the Constitution of the United States is morally and politically vicious, inconsistent with the principles upon which alone our Revolution can be justified; cruel and oppressive, by riveting the chains of slavery, by pledging the faith of freedom to maintain and perpetuate the tyranny of the master; and grossly unequal and impolitic, by admitting that slaves are at once enemies to be kept in subjection, property to be secured or restored to their owners, and persons not to be represented themselves, but for whom their masters are privileged with nearly a double share of representation. The consequence has been that this slave representation has governed the Union.

-John Quincy Adams
http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/8/116852/Document-John-Quincy-Adams-Slavery-and-the-Constitution

Snow and Ice

Last night we got a helping of snow and ice.  It is exam week, so I don't HAVE to go into school today - hooray!  So today it's just me, Winston, and a fresh batch of chicken soup.  Yum!!

My Homemade Soup!  I used this awesome recipe!  This is the second time I've tried this.  Instead of using a 4 lb chicken, I used 2 chicken split breasts and 3 turkey drumsticks.  I roasted the meat before adding it to the soup.