Pet Peeve

In Bloggy Land I see so many stunningly appointed tables, usually in someone's private home.

I have been to restaurants with a captain and white gloved waiters that lay my napkin in my lap; waiters who describe a menu item (rather than a few lately who have never even tried the food); and who also will take the time to teach a customer the proper way to eat a particular item without looking down his nose.

I teach Foods including how to set a table and some simple etiquette and manners.

(photo :my classroom)

Maybe it's the teacher in me that wants things just so, or always tries to make everyday life a learning experience!

(photo: Washington Post)

But I have begun to notice an irritating trend in the restaurant business.

Has anyone else noticed?

(photo: at Olive Garden)

They no longer "SET" a table for customers.

(photo: at Olive Garden)

The napkin wrapped flatware is just slung on the table in a pile as you are handed your menu.
Do you feel slighted?

I do.

It's lunchtime somewhere!

This morning Nicolee asked Tif what time it was.
Tif informed her that it was 10:00 am.
Nicolee asked what time is it at home in New York?
Tif told her that it was 11:00 at home.
To which Nicolee replied, "It's gotta be lunchtime SOMEWHERE!!! I'm hungry!"

Eleven Thousand Five Hundred Days!

Today that's what it says on the heart widget on my computer's desktop! Sweet Hubby and I have been married for 11,500 days! (31 and a half years to you).

C-C-C-C-C!

H LOVES to play school! She craves learning....

So, not too long ago, upon recommendation by Ree, I bought this book for H.

H already recognizes and has a good grasp of the sounds of letters and is moving right along with the lessons.
After covering the vowels, they are already at the letter "C"!
Somebody else is learning too!!!

Momma Christy reports that Baby J was walking around the house today saying,
"Cuh Cuh Cuh Cuh Cuh Cuh Cuh".

Jay says that Baby J is gonna be READing before she bothers to talk!!!

Cheesy!

A walk around town

Today I took my Personal Finance classes on a walk around our small town. We are studying paychecks and taxes. It is important for students to "see" what their tax dollars pay for and also gain new appreciation for the things around them that are for the greater good. Here are just a few of the types of things that we saw or talked about.

Local schools and Universities:

Libraries:

Sewer, roads and other public works.

Local, state and national parks.

City, County, State and National government:

Street lights, highways and other safety features:

Emergency services, public agencies and servants:

Phew, 3 times I walked around our town. We visited the School District Central Office, City Hall and the local paper (they took the students' picture). We walked over bridges and walked by the schools and talked about a lot of things that are not paid for by tax money.

I don't know about you, but even in this horrid economy with unethical public officials and the like, I still think we have it pretty good in these United States! God Bless America!

My personal theme for this year is Eat Less Move More. Today I succeeded! I've walked over 14,000 steps/6.5 miles. Not bad for a "day in the classroom."

Note: this is not an all inclusive list of things our taxes pay for. Just a few of the things we talked about.

Look Who's Comin'!!!

It's my girls from New York!


and
!
I wonder if she'll have any teeth left when she arrives????

Thursday can't come soon enough!!!

A True Beauty!!!

Happy Birthday!!!

This is my foster mom. Look closely... how old do you think she is? Years as an Avon rep and never letting water touch her face, cleansers and moisturizers regimen only!


I have an older foster brother, who teaches in the seminary at Liberty U, and a foster sister, who is in management at a Rodeo Drive hotel. These are her real children. One day my foster dad told my foster mom after 2 kids that if she had another he would go jump in a lake. She took him literally and applied for a foster license instead!

When my parents were going through their divorce, I was and infant and made a ward of the court and put in foster care. This sweet family took me in. My foster parents lost their license because of me. After my mom was granted custody, my foster parents continued to provide babysitting and often 24/7 care. Their house was listed as my permenant address for school. Social Services frowned upon that. Y'see as my mom went to work, often 2 or 3 jobs at once as well as attending college, if it were not for these giving, caring folks, my mom would have had a hard time pursuing her dreams as a single parent. My mom graduated from UCLA when I was in 8th grade! Took her a long time, but she succeeded!

My foster parents treated me as one of their own (in the discipline dept as well as the love dept). Some people at church would not bother to know my real last name and that infuriated my real dad when he came to Sunday School programs and the like. But they never usurped my parents' place. Instead they made their own special place in my heart.

My foster dad passed away in 2000, just 6 months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary!!!!! My foster mom still lives in the home in Santa Monica they bought together in 1946. It is because of visiting the midwest with them on family vacations that we relocated here. It is her example as a Godly woman that gave me my family values and love of my Jesus.

I love you Mom!!! Happy Birthday!

PS: She is 91! Can you believe it? (shhhh, it was years before anyone was allowed to know)
PSS: I learned early that February SECOND is Groundhog's Day, the FIRST is Mom's birthday!

Things I've Done

I don't know if this is truly a bucket list because there are some things on here that I will never ever do! But this list is going around bloggyland and thought I'd include it. The things I have done are in Red and those I have not are in plain color. Anything I should add? I dunno. You be the judge.

99 things:

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars (this used to be the only way to camp growing up)

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower (I've seen LOTS of falling stars tho' --beautiful and always feels like a gift)

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/World both

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped (never!)

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables (um, not very well but I keep trying)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train ( I was very very little and don't remember)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked (shhhh don't tell my kids...it was in HS)

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping (again, shhhhh)

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors with my mother

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied It's all about contentment

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (altho' there is a funny story)

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted (does a caricature at Disneyland count hee hee)

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris it's beautiful!

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie (tv commercial yes, movie no)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (to my daughter! as well as blood bank)

65. Gone sky diving (there's a theme here, no jumping off or out of things me love-a terra firma!)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check (shhhh, I teach Personal Finance)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job (I quit before I was fired)

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone (chipped a bone but not broken)

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee ( in Rockport, Massachusetts 1976 and I was a wimp about it)

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