Rain & Mowing

I don't understand about all this rain.   Some people think it is the wrath of god and that the end of the world is near, or that global warning has something to do with it.  Myself, I think it has something to do with the satellites up in the sky.
I mowed our lawn today, which by the way is a city block long.  We are trying to sell the other half of our land but no buyers as of yet.  Allen usually mows but has been having trouble with his heart again and has to see the doc next week, so I wanted to make things easier for him.  Of course, he does a much better job than I, but I did the best I could with what I had to work with....smiles.
When I started mowing I was using the push mower.  I could only last for about forty minutes and I had to stop because I thought I was going to die.  Allen called and I told him I was mowing and he asked why I wasn't using the rider. 
The riding lawnmower and I don't exactly get along but I looked at that humungus yard and thought, what the heck.  I went to the shed to get it out and can I just say to pull that mower out of there is not an easy task.  I got it out and tried to start it.  Yes, it is a electric start, but nothing happened when I turned the key.  Finally, after about ten minutes I figured out that I needed to put it in neutral for it to start.  I'm getting  a little excited now that it's started and start mowing, but it wouldn't cut the grass.  I by now am getting a little frustrated and can I say a little embarrassed too, thinking of all the people that live around me thinking I am a fruitcake not knowing how to run a riding lawnmower.  I pull the mower over by the garage door where I will be less seen and look underneath where the blade is.  Well, let me tell you.  We need a new blade.  There are big chunks of the blade out of it and it is a wonder that I will get it to cut at all.  I get all the excess grass from underneath and try it again.  Finally, it started cutting.  I am just about to the front yard with the mowing when all of a sudden a little dog started dancing in and out around the mower.  I was scared I was going to run him over so I stopped the mower and told him to go home.  I thought he was my neighbors dog but as I was coming up to her house, she started backing her car out.  She stopped and said, "Isn't that a cute little dog?"  I said yes, do you know whose it is?  She said it was our other neighbors.  I led him toward the other neighbors on the opposite block and went back to mow.  As a started to mow, it started to rain.  Can you believe that?  I was soaked by the time I finished mowing and thought to myself, I am so never doing this again....smiles. 
Actually, I think it is supposed to be nice next week.  Maybe I can try again..........

Good People

I just wanted to talk about how wonderful the Brumwell boys are.  Ryan and Jason put together this event called Hoops for Hope.  They started this fundraiser before their mother passed away from cancer and have been doing it for a a few years now.  They get teams together to compete in basketball.  Each team player has to try and fundraise at least 100.00 I think.  This year Ryan and Jason collected over 21,000 for cancer.  Isn't that amazing?  I had the great enjoyment of visiting with them at the school today (I worked a little late to make up for our visit).   What wonderful men they turned out to be.  Jason is a council member now and graduated ten years ago from Lafayette with my daughter, Tina.  He is also going to school for business management as well as operating Voyageur's View with his brother Ryan and sister Stephanie.  There is one more sister too named Heather who is not involved with the tubing campground. She runs a daycare and keeps busy with her children as well.
Before I say any more about the kids, I want to tell you about their mother.  I was 17 and working the summer at the library.  Diane (their mom) came in with two little rambunctious boys to take out some books.  I remember to this day how soft spoken and sweet she was with Ryan and Jason and how much patience she had.  She was the sweetest woman I knew back then.  I almost envied those little boys.....but really couldn't because I had a wonderful mom too. 
Anyway, that is my first impression of Diane.  I got to know her in future years and I never saw her angry or anything but nice.  I knew she had a big job somewhere but didn't really know what it consisted of.  Her husband Dick was just as nice as she was and still is to this day.  Their family didn't deserve what happened to them.  The pain they must of felt when their mother died pains me even now to think about.  I am so glad that they have the memories of who she was and how wonderful she was. 
So back to the kids in the family.  Ryan, is a teacher (I think a history teacher if I'm not mistaken) and has the sense of humor of his dad and is such a joker.  He is as sweet as his brother Jason.  Stephanie, I don't know much about except that she is a hard worker and is married.  I think she has kids too.  Neither Ryan and Jason are married. 
Just seeing these boys (or should I say  men now even though they are twenty years younger) today brought back so many memories.  They were great to me when they were in school and they were just as wonderful today when I saw them again.  I do believe that both their hearts are made of gold.  Perhaps that is why they haven't met the girls of their dreams, yet?........grins.
Until next time,
Cindy

Graduation and life in general

I have so many thoughts swirling around always in my head that sometimes it makes me dizzy......grins. 
My youngest daughter will be graduating in May and it is starting to hit me that we will soon be done raising our kids and what they do from that moment on is by their choice, not ours. 
I like to think we taught Tina and Brenda good work ethics.  They are both good employees and I have never heard a bad word about either one in the area.  Might be because I'm their mom, but I don't think that is the case.
I worry that we taught them to be a little too independent.  Did I show them I loved them enough?  My big thing for both girls was to have good grades and if they worked, to be proud of the job they do.

My boss told me that you teach people how to treat you.  So, being my quick thinking self........grins, I told him, and I quote, "So I must of taught you well then because you are one of the best bosses I have ever had.  He laughed.  He has a great sense of humor as do both of my bosses.  I do enjoy working for both of them and they treat me well.
Anyway, back to the teaching people how to treat you.  I do believe there is some truth in that, don't you?  I mean if you come across with confidence, you probably won't get teased or bullied when you are younger or older for that matter.  If you are nice to people you are teaching them to return that niceness back to you.  If you are rude, it makes the person want to be rude back.  It makes alot of sense doesn't it?

Back to the graduation.  I need to finish up the senior books for the seniors that I do every year.  I started in Tina's grade.........yes, your grade Kurt, and I think I might be done this year.  It is getting to be so busy for me with everything, I find I don't have the time or energy anymore.  I love the kids at our school the same, it's just that I don't have the time to show them like I did before.  I used to put birthday cards in their lockers on their birthdays, I used to have a trivia question every day and the winner would get a treat.........stuff like that I miss doing.  Maybe I should try and talk someone else in to doing it, right?.......smiles.

Brenda is going to go to school to be a lawyer.  Hopefully I won't need one in my lifetime, but then again you never know........smiles.  She is going to UND and is very excited to start her new life.  I think she will find it hard to leave us, but she will do fine as did Tina when she left.
Well, time for bed so going to sign off for now.
Until next time,
Cindy

Today is going to be my tomorrow.

Not a day doesn't go by that I'm grateful to be alive.  I am nearing the 50 mark and it seems that the aches and pains are coming more often than not.  I'm not complaining though.  I'm also not complaining about the wrinkles on my face.  I earned every one of them dammit......smiles.  Actually, I find the wrinkle lines by the eyes of others quite attractive.  Makes me aware that they have smiled many times throughout their lives so far.
I'm going to act like every today is tomorrow.  Then I won't put anything off anymore.  You know the old saying.  Put off today what you can do tomorrow.  Or,  it will always be there tomorrow.
Well, I don't know about you but I know too many people that never got to tomorrow, so I figure my tomorrow's are going to be today's and I will never have a tomorrow. 
What do you think?

Signs of the Future

Haven't written for awhile.  Been too busy editing my little brother's story....smiles.
So what do you all think about the big to do about changing your horoscope sign.  Big sigh.  I can't believe we have all these problems in the world and some people have time to check high up in the sky and tell us we no longer are who we thought we were. 
I am a Virgo and though have the time I feel like I am a Leo, I wouldn't change my sign just because someone says the planets have changed positions.  I'm pretty sure that they were in the right place when I was born........smiles.  Isn't our sign decided by when we were born?  I'm kind of confused about that part.  Maybe this is for the babies that are born hereonin.  Will they have two horoscopes? One for the old and one for the young.  Makes you wonder doesn't it? 
Crazy. 

Where did that Woman Go?

When I was young (not that I am old now by any means), I could fit into a size 12 and feel small. 
I am fairly tall and always could use the excuse that I was "big boned".  I hated that saying, but it worked.........smiles.
Today I am bursting at the seams.  I am outgrowing my clothes and I don't like it one bit.  Do something about it you say?  Well, I am.  I am now the proud co-owner of a Wii with all the trimmings including Wii Fit Plus.  I have been faithfully "working out" every other day.........lol.  I have to fit it in in between the family's favorite shows you know. 
Let me tell you about this Wii.  I have gone running, moved my hips with a hula hoop, did some dance steps and even tried the Yoga.  After all this exertion how many calories do you think I burned.  50? 100?  Not even close.  A lousy 16 calories.  So what can you eat for 16 calories?  I don't want to ruin the good I have done you know and don't want to eat anymore than the calories I burned.  Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, I have it.  A carrot? Celery?  Hell, no.  If I work out I want something that makes me think that working out is worth it.  Chocolate.........a big giant piece of chocolate.........lol.  Just teasing.
Ok, about the Yoga I tried on the Wii.  It said to cross your legs (believe it or not I was able to do that.  Yes, it amazed me too), and stare into the candle.  You are not supposed to move and to concentrate intently on the candle no matter what happens.  I thought, this is going to be a piece of cake, and yes I was still thinking of food, lol.  I'm staring intently into the candle and poof a butterfly flies past on the screen.  I must of moved because all of a sudden I am done with a mere 16 seconds.  There was that try again thing.  Well, I'm pretty stubborn so I once again crossed my legs and stared into the screen.  I was so intent that that darn butterfly flitted around and I didn't move a muscle.  A scary monster jumped out at the screen and my willpower was like steel and didn't budge.  Finally, after three minutes.........yep, that is a long time by the way when you are sitting still, I conquered that section of the Yoga.  While this all was going on and I was intently staring into the candle, I did feel a deep relaxation taking place in my body. 
Can you believe that?  It really works!

Back in the Day

If you know me at all you know that I am a great believer in our students at Lafayette High School.  I feel we have the best students.  I truly am lucky to work where the students know you by name and respect you enough to not go too far, but still feel they can talk to you and maybe try to pull a joke or two once in awhile. 

I loved school when I was young.  I don't know if it was because it came easy to me, I got to get off the farm to visit with my friends, or I liked the structure it created when I was at school.  I wasn't in any sports, (I sang in the choir) and I wasn't involved in speech, drama or any other extra curricular activities.  We only had one car and dad's pickup which he took to work.  There were six of us kids and it was too hard for mom to find ways to let us all be in things and how to get us there. 

My big thing each year was the homecoming game and dance afterwards.  The excitement was incredible and we all cheered our hearts out.  We had such pride when our teams won.
I remember also the liceum's that we got out of class for and believe me that was a big thing too. 


Back in the day, there were vocational classes we could take like carpentry, child care, food service........things like that.  This was for the students that weren't going to go to college and wanted to learn a trade.

I never got in trouble in school.  The only time I remember showing disrespect was when Mr. Ferguson my English teacher picked on me in class and asked me to say something in Spanish.  I just shook my head no and he said, "Come on, you must know something."   Well, I was quite embarassed by this time and I said something like somealaymatina or something like that...........smiles.  I was not his pet from then on that's for sure.  I hated being called on in class because I was shy around most people but my friends. 

I still remember being mean to a girl in elementary school.  Her shirt had ripped and my sister had given her a sweater to wear to cover it.  Now this girl was teased alot from the boys and girls alike.  I got mad at my sister for giving her the sweater and told her she was asking for nothing but trouble for helping that girl.  That she would get teased now too.  See how shallow I was back then?  I think that is why I am such a champion of "the underdog" now.  Trying to make up for that one mean moment?  No, really I think it is because now I can "stick up" for someone and I won't have to worry about my peers making fun of me or making my life miserable as well as the one they were teasing.

I to this day hate walking in anywhere late.  I would rather not go at all if that happens.  I am still shy around a large group of people or with someone I don't know well.  I am at my best when I am doing something for someone.  I like to feel needed I guess.  

Anyway, the whole point of this blog was to tell you how it was for me when I was younger.  I could write oh so much more but for now I will finish.