Whose wedding was it anyways?

My parents were married right after the war....WWII. My mom's parents were immigrants just trying to make it with 8 kids. My parents got dressed in suits and went to the church and got married. And had a party afterwards. I still have a piece of note paper with the donations from friends at work...$1 and $2 were donated from the workers at Lyon Metal where they worked in Chicago Heights. (Yes, my mom was a Rosie the Riveter!)

My oldest sister eloped. My next sister eloped. I did not....so that was the wedding my mom had dreamed of...and boy was it her way. I did choose this dress that I fell in love with...

(...and this is me in it tonight...I put it on every anniv...)

But after that it was all my mom. The church....I wanted a park- outdoors...I wanted a hat- those are for second weddings she said- I totally got railroaded...but my mom was happy. And I learned that when my own girls get married we will do what they want as long as it is within reason....and as for my dress...that I L-O-V-E-D way back... it is now the most hideous!

Tonight we had a nice dinner to celebrate #30...

and we went to dinner where we wanted, wore what we wanted, ate what we wanted...and of course paid for it ourselves.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*CELEBRATE 30*

HAPPY 30TH TO US

May 29. 1982

Memorial Day

My photo from Arlington Cemetery- Last summer's trip...
My father fought in WWII....and got a purple heart. My father-in-law in Korea and Vietnam....agent orange cut his life short.

I salute all those who have passed in the name of Our Freedom today.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY*

Happy 75th Birthday!

We were there when you turned 50. We made it almost to your south tower and then we were unable to get any further....your party was so big that those going north came head on with those going south and it was gridlock! You flattened out under our weight and the police told everyone to leave...but the party goers did not listen...for hours we stayed hoping to get across you.

This year, the party planners did not close you so we could walk across...they planned fireworks instead. So tonight we went back, just like we did 25 years ago...only our 3 month old baby is now 25 years old! And we took a tour...and it was an awesome night.

Tonight before our tour.

Workers were getting the flood lights ready for tomorrow's celebration. It was so cool to see the lights reflect off the fog...and we were able to see the bridge's shadow on the fog.

This is from my photo album of May 1987...we were packed tightly into this group....going no where!

Ali was wide awake...I remember someone saying, "Who would bring a baby here?!" We did silly! No one expected a crowd like this an hour before the walk began!

This guy had to hold his bike above his head to make his way through the crowd. there was also another guy riding his bike with his cat on his back...the photo is a little blurry.

After an hour or so of going no where, we headed back to our car about 2 miles away and went to breakfast.

June 1977 - I ran across the Golden Gate with my friend Matt...we had just graduated and we were checking out colleges to attend. Check out those cars....remember when every 5th car on the road was a VW Bug? And there is a small curb with a 3' drop and that is it separating the sidewalk from cars....there is a railing now.

Over the years I have driven, run, walked, biked over and sailed under the Golden Gate. She is beautiful, windy, intriguing and has a rich history.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOLDEN GATE!*

2 in 2 Days!

This guy is a lot smaller....he has the beginnings of one rattle...

But more deadly than a full grown rattler. Beware when you are on my campus! This one was sunning on the blacktop!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*TREAD LIGHTLY* 

Sssstt!

What was that I hear?

Perhaps a baby rattler in the garbage can?

Seriously, my school is overrun by rats and mice...and the new construction is making it worse....so I am not at all surprised when the janitor showed me this rattler he found in the trash can outside at the snack area.

This is the third one I have seen in my life...the one in Death Valley last year that I got the rattles from...he was dead in the road...and the one the year before on my birthday bike ride...he was in the middle of the road....only this one was alive! If you are knew to reading here, the story goes....my husband was riding about 100 yards ahead of me...and I heard him yell something back to me....but it didn't register until I was too close to turn around and I figured out he had said, "RATTLE SNAKE!" So I made a BIG LOOP around the dude sunning in the road....and he hissed and watched me....but that was enough for a life time thank you very much. While I appreciate their varmint control. I would rather not see them.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HISSSSSSSSSSS*

When was the last time you saw one of these?

Today I showed the "Little Red Hen" film, circa 1950.

(Photo from Fallingpixel.com)

There's nothing like pulling out the projector and amazing the kindergartners.

This is what I saw movies on in classes all throughout school. The original BIG SCREEN. In fact, in my credential program I had to take a class to learn to thread these contraptions...and work a slide projector and an overhead and opaque projector.

When I was in school the teacher would send a boy or two to get the projector and then allow a boy to thread the projector and run it. I was always envious...I would love to run that thing! Perhaps that is why I became a teacher?

So now I bring the projector out once a year and show my old films....I really should take the films down to Costco and have them made into DVDs...but then what would I do with the projector?

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WATCH A FILM*

Solar Eclipse

The leaves became pin-hole cameras....the fence has thousands of crescents...

 

...and the pool table... coming through the bamboo blinds....

...and we even caught a glimpse through welder's goggles.

*LIVESTRONG*LIVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*VIEW THE CRESCENT SUN* 

Hometown Days- The Tradtion Continues...

Daughter #1 and I ran in the Hometown Days FuN RuN this morning. We had planned to run the 10K but with an 8:30 start it was too hot. So we ran the 5K and she took first in her age division!!

We go way back with this run...my kids all started out being pushed in the jogger or carried in a backpack...and as soon as they were 4 years old they ran it on their own....and each year they won their age division.

Then they gradually went off to college...but today began a new tradition- the return of the graduate...home from college to run with mom! (Or actually beat mom, in today's case.)

But I wasn't too far behind and placed 2nd in my age group...but this year there were no medals for 2nd and 3rd place...and no hats for the winners of each age division...that damned economy!

On a MUCH HAPPIER note....the dog I am watching for 3 weeks....

good old Kiera, whose family was vacationing in Milan...until yesterday...when they left for France, is safe. I was very worried when I was listening to the radio early this morning and heard that a very strong earthquake shook Italy...and that there was extensive damage. Thankfully for email, I got a message that they were safe. Kiera was happy too!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WIN A RUN*HUG A DOG*

Open House Now...And Open House Then....

May 2012

Daughter #1

May 1986

Me

First year middle school teachers...

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER*

(except without the high rise 80's pants)

2 Words...

Parent Conferences...no time to say more....

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LET ME MAKE IT THROUGH 19 MORE*

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I gave myself a Mother's Day present...I went to the car wash since my car was...so dirty inside and out. I usually wash it my self but with parent teacher conferences and all the extra pets hanging around I just don't have time. I watched my friend's children last night until midnnight and then picked up a friend from the airport. I got up and swam, took that friend to BART and then ran a 5K. School work, laundry and mowing the lawn....and I was out of time.

Gas was $3.99 if I bought a car wash so I filled 'er up! That is cheap gas here! And it was full serve!

So the dog and I waited for the car....and when the workers were drying it, I put my tip in the container and as I walked towards my car, the worker drove it back around the lot and it went through again! I guess it was pretty dirty!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

TO ALL MY FRIENDS*

RIDE YOUR BIKE TO WORK DAY MAY 10, 2012

I got up extra early today so I could ride to the Entergizer Station for my Bike to Work Day bag...it is near my old school which is in the opposite direction of my where I work now.

Then I snapped this with my cell phone camera sitting on a table.

I relinquished my crown of BIKE COMMUTER OF THE YEAR 2011-2012, to the new BIKE COMMUTER OF THE YEAR 2012-2013...a man who does a heck of a commute by bike to the train station and then bikes home.

*LIVESTONG*LIVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*RIDE YOUR BIKE TODAY*

Meet My Peeps......

there's Peep, Super Chicken and Chick-A-Dee.....

And maybe a goose....I think I hear a "tick tick" inside the egg....but I won't be there if it comes out tomorrow...because.....I will be fulfilling my civic duty.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*LOVE A CHICK*GO TO JURY DUTY*

A-Z April Challenge Brief

Blogging blogging blogging the alphabet was fun. After thinking back, the post which I enjoyed writing the most- which was real writing, was for letter S. From the heart and telling a true story. I like to write non fiction but I rarely get to because if I offend someone I run the risk of someone reading it and taking it to my boss. So I keep to the basics- non political, no opinions, and as boring as hell.

Will I blog another challenge? Sure. I did Blog 365 once so the daily grind was not difficult...as long as the scheduler was working :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WRITE FROM THE HEART*

Spring Has Spring!!

News at 11- Flash update:

It is hard to get a good look at this baby still in the incubator. He survived the night...Daughter #1 and I did a c-section on this dry hatch chickie. It is doing well today.

Then...

This one with the pip came out while we were at recess...we watched and watched and just couldn't wait any longer. It is doing well in the brooder now. There is one more with a pip...I hope it has made its debut this evening. The goose eggs I believe are just that...2 zeros.


7:30 a.m.

The weather is June Gloom...BUT in Room 12 we have one CHICK that hatched last night and two others with pips!

We have silk worms ready to spin cocoons  AND two butterflies emerged from their pupas!

Photos at 11.

*LIVESTRONG* LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER* ENJOY NEW BEGINNINGS*