weeds and bees

 in the spring, life was busy and the garden was never planted.

it grew.  

 now the weeds are blooming, and the little creatures are making good use of them.

last year deer ate the tomato plants, so it's no loss of food to us.

next year, try again.

do you have a garden?

joy to you.

top 5 - fly guy

children's books are so important.  as a teacher, i enjoy helping to create avid readers.  these books get young ones do the hard work of learning to read.  first or second grade students choose these, although they are not phonics readers.  

here's my top 5:

5.  girls like them.

4.  rhyming words build reading skills.

3.  fly guy plays football.

2.  there are lots of them, so once hooked, children keep having fun (practicing their reading),

1.  boys like them. 

happy reading!

sold - summer

 summer in maine is for climbing, hiking, and picking wild blueberries.

it really looks like this.  

joy to you.

tea

 my sister is getting married.

to celebrate, we had a tiny shower at the bonbonerie.

 the tea choices are extensive.  i had "serene green". 

 it was tea time, with french macarons and other sweets,

 breads, cuccumber sandwiches, and

for those who were really hungry, quiche.  

most important, it was a joy to be with my sisters, and to honor the soon-to-be-bride.

edible beauty, and the beauty of time together.  

may you have time with your loved ones today.

joy to you.

top 5 - oktoberfest zinzinnati

 5.  a bahama mama - spicy meat with sauerkraut on top.  

 4.  the handmade pretzels

 3.  people in hats and food i do not recognize.  what is strudel?  goetta?

 2.  our hometown servattii bakery, which had

 these two friendly people working.  how can you resist?

1.  graeter's ice cream

oktoberfest.  ours is a german town.  

joy to you.

sold - winter

there is a place in maine where the deck looks through the trees at the frozen lake.  

a short walk away from the water brings you to a ski hill.  prime sledding there for free on christmas day.  

crunching through the snow for a hot dinner and visiting in front of the fire,  

you have to stomp your boots to get the snow off.  most of it, anyway.  

no ice fishing here yet.  come back in february.  

the wood is ready, and the pines 

smell like the sachets they sell at gift shops.  only better, because the air is cold, too.

sold now.  but the memories are stored  

safe and sound where we can revisit them at any time.  

come next summer we'll go again.  

rent and make new memories.

i'll post some summer photos soon, too.  it's beautiful in those two seasons.  note that i do not and never have LIVED in maine.  by march 1st, they may be just tired of the snow.  

to me, it is a vacation spot filled with joy and special people.

may you make beautiful memories today.

indoor flowers

 each week a "special helper" brings the classroom flowers.  

 this week the child brought roses,

and a lovely plant.  

what is bringing you joy today?

devou park

 this park is at the top of a steep hill.

i ran the hill last summer with my group.  

i'd rather be running up the hill than looking at the view, but am injured now, and so have time to contemplate.  for a short minute, before going back to rehab.

joy to you!

at the mall

 a screech owl at the mall?  

   eddie bauer had the hamilton county parks district visit.  

it was too nice a day to spend inside shopping, but here we were, and they brought this animal in for shoppers.  

a reminder - shop quickly and go outside!

 a healthy treat.  dark chocolate covered strawberries.

edible beauty. 

joy to you. 

top 5 - rules of civility

this book will absorb you and not let you close it.  a story of two girls living in a rooming house, and their contact with a young man of a very different social class.  

so here's the top 5 reason's i recommend this book - 

5.  the period - new years eve, 1937, through the year following.

4.  the main character's love of books.

3.  the car wreck!  just when the story is moving plenty fast, watch out!

2.  the words the characters use.  they are from that time, yet sound modern.

1.  the use of president washington's copying the rules of civility as a key plot device.  

if you enjoy historical fiction, you may love this book.

happy reading.

greek dinner

 olives, lettuce wraps, potatoes with feta, lamb and chicken.  

 the beauty of candles, and

 time to visit.

 joy to you.

top 5 - Quiet

you've heard of introverts and extroverts?

this book reminds us there is value in thoughtful, less gregarious people.  

if you know someone who enjoys the quiet, and recovers best from a busy day by being alone, you might love this book.

so here's my top 5 - 

5.  the story in the introduction about a lawyer who disliked the spotlight, and her success in a tricky negotiation.  

4.  the tony robbins seminar visit.  

3.  stephen wozniak's story.

2.  the idea that character is still more important than charisma.

1.  in a world of teams and open work spaces, it's important to value private work time.  

as a teacher, i'm always working with this topic.  many children love to work together, yet they need independent time to think.  some children prefer to do their work alone, and our classroom needs to provide for them, too.

a thoughtful book, highly recommended. 

you can find more information here.

joy to you.