Surviving the Chill of Winter 2011

This morning, as I still sit here in my warm pj's, my husband is out taking up the sheets and towels we have used to try to rescue some of our shrubs and flowers for about the umpteenth time this winter, since it's not supposed to freeze again tonight. Many of our landscape plants will have to be replaced. I know that we can't compare the winter we've had with those of our friends to the north, but I'm not used to going out to my car at lunch and having to chip the ice off the door handle before I can open it!

Those of us in education in Texas are shivering, but not from the cold, as we await news of whether or not we will still be employed. Rumors are running rampant and the question I'm asked most often is, "Do you think I'm going to have a job next year?" We will be having a meeting this week in which the Asst. Supt. will inform us of incentive programs to early retire and the "state of the district." Those days of thinking that if you want job stability, be a teacher are over.

Since we've been housebound for much of the last few weeks, including one "snow" day, I have rediscovered the public library. A library card is truly magic, especially since you can browse the catalogs online, order the books you want in regular print, large print, cds, or download them onto your mp3 player, and they will notify you by email when the books are ready for pickup. I will be spending considerably less money at Barnes and Noble. During the last week and a half I've read Lucy, the story of Lucy Mercer Rutherford and FDR, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, and Cherries in Winter. I've got a whole stack left to read. I'm like a kid in a candy store! lol

Of course, there is nothing that warms grammy's heart like Katie and Hannah, who spent the night with us last Saturday night. Katie (who is gifted, btw) was being buckled into her car seat by Grandpa, when she looked up at him and said "I been missing you, Grandpa. I love you!" That made his night (and year)! We went to eat dinner and I told the girls we'd go to Target. Katie said that she goes to Target with mommy and she wanted to go to Grammy's and watch Toy Story 3. So we did.

The next morning we colored, made cookies, hung out in our pj's, and Hannah chased Katie around the house (using her ride-on car as a walker).

Stay warm...


And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Col. 3: 15 and 17