Roses! Roses! Roses!

Come into my garden...

I want my flowers to see you.

I'm trying to get back into posting more here. Not all the news is fit to print but I do appreciate you coming by to check in.

I attended a very good staff development session yesterday that only reinforced what a lousy teacher I've been this year. Frankly, I was in survival mode for most of the year. I hope to incorporate some of what I heard yesterday - next year. I do have a problem, though, with the NEW emphasis on spending days and days of instruction making sure kids understand what the prompts mean on tests (so that they raise their standardized test scores) when I have dozens of American History standards (and reams of interesting history outside those boring standards) that I can never get to.

I'm managing to get to the gym three to four days a week, aiming for five to six. I guess I'm losing weight (people are starting to comment) but my classroom scale is stuck at about 20 pounds lost. My trainer told me not to weigh on anything but his magic scale that is supposed to figure out how much fat I've lost when calculated against how much muscle I've put on by working out. I'll have to get him to weigh me again.

Dad seems to be holding his own. Hasn't lost any more weight, color is good. Has his pain meds managed for optimum result. Still has problems with nausea and can't eat much, but manages enough. I spent the day with them Saturday. Mom and I were SUPPOSED to be scrapbooking but all I did really was sort some pictures, then went to Joann for papers (and was held captive and forced to go to the fabric department for Disney and Fancy Nancy fabrics). I had stopped at the local DoIt Center for garden supplies and brough home some Gerbera Daisies. Spent an hour or so (I think less) weeding and raking leaves out of a bed and planting the three new plants. It looked nice when it was done.

Bought a back issue at Joann of The World of Cross Stitch but there wasn't much to tempt me. Maybe once summer gets here, but since I'm still teaching, still going to the gym, still gardening, still spending WAY too much time on facebook, stitching is pushed to the side. (Really takes too much thinking right now, being as I'm so distracted.)