Grab your coffee cup, kids, lets talk

And if you have a big kid drink in that coffee cup, who am I to complain?  In fact I think that would be a great idea.  I'm thinking a shot of Baileys might be in order.  Cheers!

We live on a pretty piece of the earth :)

Aside from my previous post where I expressed my frustration in probably a pretty unclear way over my lack of ability to fall asleep many nights of my life, it has been a long time since I have posted.

At the end of July I was describing and sharing a very enjoyable trip to Portland and the Pacific- freaking- Ocean (I love travel and oceans and travel to oceans) and then all things stopped- blog wise.  Basically I had been cleaning my house out and down sizing, I was rearranging my kitchen things because I had a pretty dandy kitchen remodel that has made my life AH- MAZE-ING in terms of work flow and clean-up and such.  I was doing my best to get things DONE.  And then suddenly it was August and I had to do some things for myself.  I went south to visit the Mad-Oldest Son and  family and then made a short but awesome trip to Chicago with my Mad-BFF Cheri. 

Phone pix- Photography was not the main focus of this trip

It was a pretty brutal summer in many ways for me: losing my horse, losing a dear friend, not having a kitchen for 5 weeks (I know that was a good thing... but)  and a few other things that threw me for a loop.  As life sometimes hands you a whole basket of goo, you just have to remove yourself from most everything and reconnect with your core.  Cheri and I did that in a wonderful few days in the city.  We did not contact anyone who lives near there, we did not want to do anything other than walk and talk and eat some yummies and see some sights and enjoy some time away.  So if you are a Chicagoland friend, I am sorry that I did not have a chance to see you.  Some times you have to take care of yourself first.  I always regret not seeing folks that live far from me, that happened when I went to Portland as well.  But sometimes it just isn't that trip.

So August I did things for me.  Travel, relax, visit with friends...  all sorts of things that were for my mental health.  Especially since we had an awful lot of inservice days that horned in on our last few vacation days.  Bleh.  

September and October blended all together with the start of a new school year and indeed 2 brand new schedules - major changes for me in both schools.  It has been a whirlwind, the days go so fast.  I have a hard time even knowing what I am doing on any given day.  So no blogging was done- sitting in a fog after school was done, but not blogging.

I've done some photography but not as much as I would like, however, I have sold some of my photos.  This is really something that still surprises me.  I have even set up - in a very incomplete manner- a Facebook page for my photos so people don't have to sift through all of my personal post pictures.  I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to the early spring when I can get some really good pictures of abandoned things again.  I have a list of some new places....  it's going to happen.

SOOOOO many people responded to this photo on Facebook- ah nostalgia.

I have recently had some unexpected interactions that have made me question many things about myself.  It was a real upheaval because it made me question my values, my decisions and my outlook on some parts of my life.  As you well know, life is full of stuff like this, but this time I decided not to do the people pleasing thing. I have been inching towards setting boundaries around myself and I have now finally gotten old enough (I guess) to not allow other people's opinions and interpretations of what I do, affect me either on an emotional or social level.  Or as much as I can manage it. Seriously, no one knows what goes on inside of others, and in the cases to which I am referring- admittedly very vaguely and obscurely- they don't know my life.  So, too bad so sad, you do not have to be in mine any more.  Boundaries that are crucial to one's physical and emotional well-being are something that every one has the right to establish.  There is NO ONE in the world entitled to work that hard at making you feel like you are less than. Because you are all decidedly worth more than that, and you (and I) get to decide to not care, to not let it affect your life, to not let it make you feel like a bad person.  We have our reasons for doing things and most people are not privy to them.  There is a meme that bounces around the internet that says:

It is so very true.

Anyway, this last paragraph sort of popped up unexpectedly, not really the purpose for this post.... or maybe it was.  The Mad-writer in me let it come out so I guess I have been incubating it for a while, sort of like the sleeping post that I composed so many times in the last 3-4 months.  THAT by the way didn't happen last night, I laid down, rearranged hair and pillow and I didn't wake up until 3 - that was 5 straight hours and then I slept until I had to get up to wake up the hunters.... don't even ask.  lol.

Anyway, I feel like I need to post some photos and continue on, I am sort of on a roll I guess.   So from me on this COLD sunny morning (13°) find yourself a little warm spot in the sun and drink up a whole cup of joy.

June

Well I feel bad that I haven't written in here for over a month.  But I have been doing a lot of stuff and haven't had the inclination I guess.

My back yard has some really good views!

I am super tired this morning.  I have been getting up and getting to school by 6 (bangs head on table) to get my hours in for our "summer curriculum writing camp".  I am not sure who thought they should call this camp, but they are wrong.  There was no singing campfire songs and toasting marshmallows involved.  The word camp should never be involved with an extension of your work year,- truly it was an inservice and involved no ghost stories at night or swimming or any other "camp activities".

So, I will be done by noon because I have been getting to school so early- my 40 hours of "camping" will soon be up.  I am going to get a nice little lunch in with my dear friend the Mad-Science Teacher but then home I go.

This weekend I have to make a run to Rhinelander for what I shall call a little repair project for now- more to come on this later, stay tuned.  Sunday I can't even think of what the heck I was going to do because I am TIRED and could have slept for ages.....   But if nothing else, Monday it seems that grand baby #5 will be born so I am on Gramma duty for that day.  Unless something happens earlier that is.  :)  And it will be a little girl!

Oh I know, the Mad-English teacher is coming and we are going to go up to Bayfield for our end of school thing.  And he and I have an additional adventure scheduled in just over a week.  But I will tell you more about that at a later date as well.

Anyway, I can't sit here and ruminate over events of the last month or so as I have to go get ready for work.  My hand is so sore from computer work (and from garden weeding as well) that I am just shuddering at the thought....  I am not made to sit at a desk all day.  I will take the kids to teach, thank you very much.

Meanwhile I think I will post the requisite cloud picture and get going.  I believe my coffee has begun to kick in and I don't feel quite so zombie like.  Sort of.

Have a wonderful Friday- as I prepare to get the heck out of here and go to school......  if someone came and kidnapped me and say gave me a ride on their motor cycle from here to maybe way WAY south - or east or west- or even possibly north, I would not object.  Just sayin' people.  ;)

Find your

And kayaking happened a few days ago!  

joy and be kind.
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A little Mad Update!

It has been almost a month and what the heck is going on here??  Lol, I have been sort of busy with stuff, and here is a small rundown.

Lola really took this all like a trouper! Other of us, not so much.

 First of all- the play is done and also so is the 3rd quarter.... this sort of speaks for itself I think.

Next- Spring break happened, as did Easter.  As did some doofus kid in the HS (who is lucky I don't remember who they are) sneezed in my general direction and was SICK for the entirety of spring break.  Not like deadly sick after Sunday/Monday but still.  GEEZ.

I was recovered enough Tuesday to go visit the Janesville Oswalds, though I was a little out of it most of the time.  Oh well.  Got to do some Easter egg dyeing and went to the library and the Discovery center and some things like that.  That was pretty enjoyable!  :)

Got to see the Park Falls Oswalds on Easter when they came over to have supper on that Sunday.  SO much fun to see all of them.  Grandchildren are the best, people!!

I may or may not have indicated that I have acquired a new camera/lenses and to go with that new photo editing software.....  And man have I got a lot of learning to do....  These days you will find me glued to my computer screen going through Lightroom editing videos.  It is so different than Aperture, which is what I was using before.  And I have to figure out a way to get my pictures from one computer to another.... its all so damn complicated and I am far from being a computer newbie.  UGH.  Good thing I have a friend who has helped me a little figure this stuff out, now I owe him some honey.  And probably a portion of my soul or something.  hehe

The melting ice at the boat landing....  hurry UP already

Anywho, I've been only able to get out for limited amounts of picture taking since the weather has been decidedly uncooperative these days.  But that is sort of no excuse, but really at this time of the year, no one wants to see shot after shot after shot of grey clouds.  Least of all this sunshiney person.  So I am slowly beginning to reload my RAW files from my SD cards into my new computer and will begin reprocessing. All this sounds like first world problems, I know, but the struggle is real.  HA!!!

A maple tap sap drip!

Let's see what else.... oh.  I am getting to that time during tax season where I am sick of being alone.  This is all exacerbated by the fact that I can't be kayaking.....  I have a super long lens JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE of getting the birds on the water in the early spring and things are not cooperating.  Le sigh.  Anyway, as much as I LOVE my alone time, I'm over this whole thing.  I still do not fully understand why tax season continues until April 18 this year, so another weekend of no interruptions and quiet in the house and.... so what is the issue here??  HAHA  Sorry honey.  Seriously though, it will be nice to do something like have a driver for my photography addiction.

Speaking of addiction- If I don't get up to Bayfield soon, I am going to run away from home.  Lol.  I need Coco's, Madeline Island and The Bigwater Coffee shop asap, with some hiking thrown in for good measure.  Like- gotta go soon!!!  The lake is calling me.

Anyway, that is all for this update.  I might have a photo post in me later... but for now I have to go do a few more things before I go out for lunch.  Which is a good part of Tax Season- out for lunch!  :)

This week the temperature is sure to be going up and you WILL find me in my kayak by the weekend.  And that will bring me a lot of joy!

December musings

Well, hasn't it been a long time since I wrote on here??

A quick catchup-
(HAHA- I call catch up days ketchup and mustard days in the elementary school.  They think I am hilarious)

Hunting season happened and winter hit with a vengeance.  Like so much freaking snow you wouldn't believe it, unless of course you live here, and you can.

Hunting season was not good for the hunters this year, but it did allow lots of time spent with the boys and later on in the week, little Greg and Sarah Jane.  Unfortunately, Jon and Sarah did not make it up here for Thanksgiving because of a bit of illness!  That was a bummer.  However, it was a nice week.

I have my Christmas decs up- yay- and now have to spend time wrapping to add to the festive look of the house.  I so enjoy Christmas time and the music and the silly movies and the colors.

I also had an unfortunate bout with a stomach ailment that is taking it's sweet time going completely away.  I after 4 days my coffee still isn't tasting too hot this morning, so that isn't too wonderful.  Booo.

I am not adjusting very well to no gym- it makes me still sad. I have picked up some kettle bells and dumbbells and will get a few more things yet and rock on with it.  I can still pick up the 50 lb horse feed bags with no issue, so I must not be back to square one yet.  :)

IN other news, I have been doing my Lola a day pictures for almost a year now, and I am secretly relieved to almost be finished.  It will be nice to NOT have to take a pic of Lola every day, though it has been an interesting thing to do.  I will do some sort of movie with those photos!

I got a few good snowshoes in at the beginning of December, but NOW it has been warm and when the sun comes up I am afraid that the snow will be virtually gone.  AND it will be a stupid skating rink out in the driveway and it will look really ugly.  Let's cross our fingers for a refresher of snow soon.  I mean if it has to be cold, there should be snow.

So there is a week and some change left of school before an ALMOST 2 week break, which is so seriously needed.  Gathering our resources in the teaching world and digging in baby!

I have one other piece of exciting news, that I will talk about separately at another time.  :)

Pictures will follow.  I want to do more picture posts again, since I do not like having a neglected blog.

Hope you are finding Joy in your December!