Sums it up....

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*IMAGINE TEACHING

25 FIVE YEAR OLDS TODAY*

Fire!!

FIRE! This is what BIG Foot sent me from campus this morning....

After class he took this from a trail....

...and now he is sitting on a ridge watching homes go up...I feel so sad. This is such a beautiful place. Pike's Peak, where Katherine Bates was inspired to write "Oh! Beautiful," the Cog Train which carries passengers to the top, Garden of the Gods, the Airforce Academy....

Let's hope the weather changes, the wind stops and rains come! The high heat is not helping right now.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*STAY SAFE COLORADO*

Black Buttons

About 12 years ago a friend gave as a 3' tall cactus. We planted it in a big container and left it on the porch. Several years ago that friend passed away in an accident at work and the following spring some odd black button type things appeared on one of the cactus arms. A few days later when the weather was extemely warm (for here,) the button began to grow...and grow...until it was about the size of a hot dog bun! Then it unraveled and a beautiful white flower appeared. The flower lasted a very long time. Two years ago, there were two blooms- my botanist and biologist children took Qtips and cross pollinated the flowers- which immediately died...so they knew they were successful.

Last years we did not have summer- it was so cold and gloomy which is apparently why the cactus never got any button buds. But last week the weather here hit 100 and near 100 two days in a row...and there are now 5 black button buds on my cactus.

 

And should make for some more experimenting in cross pollination.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*

MAY YOUR CACTUS BLOOM*

She Graduated from Stanford at 18.

You thought she was pretty smart graduating with all A's in her master's program last weekend. You might think she's even smarter by doing research at Laurence Livermore Labs this summer.....but did you know she graduated from Stanford four days after her 18th birthday?

Yep! On March 28, 2005 she graduated from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and was declared cancer free! She no longer needed to attend bi-weekly visits.- That's the running joke here. We have a few friends who graduated from Duke at 5. Imagine that!

This morning, the alum and I returned to Stanford to run in the Summer Scamper Fun Run. We hadn't run in a month...and we weren't sure how well we would do...and we only found out about the run last night. So we headed out early this morning with enough time to sign up, get our numbers and get in the corral. What we didn't know was that the 10K took off at 8 a.m. and the 5K ten minutes later. So when we got to the fork in the road we headed on the 5K route and no one was with us....everyone was running the 10K! It seemed a little odd to us that it was getting warmer out and no one else was running the 5K. As we headed down the home stretch a few of the fastest men passed us...then Daughter #1 realized what was happening. Duh! We felt so stupid. We ended with extremely good times...so good that we both placed. (Just call us Rosie Ruiz!) Thankfully we saw the results before we left so we went back and told the announcer NOT to call us with the winners. I still came in 5th in my age group which was far better than I thought I would.

Daughter #1 got a cool Honoree shirt to commemorate the run. There were just men's sizes for me so I got The Captain a size large. Now off to plan a party.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*START THE RUN EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS*

A Week of Camp

This week I am teaching two camps....I love camp because it is just for fun. No assessing, no grading- just fun....and of course learning. 

Mixing colors with pipettes.

In my Artist A Day Camp today we learned about Picasso...I love telling the kids that when he lived in Paris his apartment was robbed. AND everything was stolen- except for his paintings.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY A WEEK OF CAMP*

First Masters in the Family.... Grad Day/Father's Day 2012

Congrats Daughter #1...you are amazing!
You survived cancer, college, and a first year of teaching middle school while working on your master's program.

The best part of the day was when they called her name that she had written on the name card- "Alison Happy Father's Day Richins!" The crowd cheered at that one. It was over 100 degrees here yesterday and although it wasn't quite as warm today it was still hot on the artificial turf field. So Daughter #1 took after her Dear Old Mom and wore a bikini under her graduation gown...her friends were jealous as they wore dresses and pants under their gowns....and they were sweating.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*WEAR A BIKINI UNDER

YOUR GRAD GOWN*

Tomorrow, Tomorroooooow TOMORROW...

...Daughter #1 receives her masters degree!

2 1/2 years in the works in the program...she finished her last review last night...then she got up early to volunteer at The U.S. Open in San Fran. (I told her to meet some rich golfer :)

Come back tomorrow for photos...or next weekend for the party :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*GOLF THEN

GRADUATE MAGNA

CUM LAUDE*

County Fair...

Wednesday The Captain and I rode our bikes to the local county fair...it was just a short 5 mile ride...but when we got there, there was no place to park bikes...interesting for a county going green. The website listed driving directions, bus, train and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit...a mini subway/train system,) directions but no bike routes...and there was construction blocking an entrance.

But we made it....we parked between a tree and a pole in the employee parking lot right in front of a police truck. There has been an increase in bike thefts in this county.

The fair has always been a summer adventure for my kids and I if we weren't on vacation. I never got to linger much with kids in tow. I love to look at the quilts and photographs and of course the animals. Yesterday was fun....we spent most of the time looking at the exhibits...and talking to the 6 families of former students that I have taught over the years. And we ate...a delicious BBQ chicken lunch that we split...and I got kettle corn and The Captain a dipped cone.

There was a special section on cartoons...with photos, history, a Disney area with how films were made way back and 3 very old TVs with cartoons playing.

Here are two of my favorite quilts...there were so many beautiful, interesting designs.

I have always wanted to make a double wedding ring quilt. I have the pattern that I bought years ago...now it's just finding time now that I have a room to work in.

And there were the collections. I always say that "next year" I will put my wind up toys in the fair...but this year I found out what I need to do to enter- SO, "next year" it is!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*VISIT YOUR COUNTY FAIR*

Perfect game

I had another post set for today...BUT Matt Cain had other ideas....this has only happened once in the Giants 128 years...
San Jose Mercury News-

San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain (18) celebrates with teammates after throwing a perfect game in a baseball game against the Houston Astros in San Francisco, Wednesday, June 13, 2012. Cain pitched the 22nd perfect game in major league history and first for the Giants, striking out a career-high 14 and getting help from two spectacular catches to beat the Houston Astros 10-0. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

I love baseball...I live in the bay area...the Giants are my team...AND THIS WAS FREAKIN' AWESOME!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*27 UP-27 DOWN*

Surviving Teen's BIG DAY

Most of you know that my daughter is a teenage cancer SURVIVOR. Along the way we met many others who were not so fortunate as my daughter..."we are the lucky ones," if such a thing exists....ironic to be lucky after going through 2 1/2 years of daily chemo. There's always someone who has it worse off...

So this is where I ask the favor....there is a boy who is turning 16...he is a SURVIVOR just like my daughter...only boys have 3 1/2 years of chemo for the same cancer...as that wicked cancer has taken to male parts to go into hiding. So this boy is turning 16- his dad just passed away and it's his first birthday without him. I know this sucks because my dad also died when I was young...and I can't imagine also having had cancer.

Ashton's mom would LOVE it if he could be bombarded with mail for his 16th birthday, June 22. If you have a second, could you send him a card? I put $5 in the one I am sending, but just a card would make his day.

ASHTON SHAFFER
1017 COTTAGE ST.  SW
VIENNA VA   22180

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*PAY IT FORWARD*

From the archives of LMNOP Blog- A day in the life of a heater vent...

(I didn't have an idea for a post today...so I looked through the archives of my now defunct LMNOP Blog...and pulled up a post from the past that was entertaining...if you are a heater vent...or a pet...or bored...enjoy 4 years ago....)

I seldom have the opportunity to be home alone...especially on a weekday...and it has proven to be interesting to see what goes on in the house when I would normally be at work:

7 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

9:45 a.m.

10:50 a.m.

12:45 p.m.

2:45 p.m. She was fast asleep that black cat...but she didn't want to be photographed sleeping on the job...so she got up quickly...and the gray kitty is going to steal that vent.

2:46 p.m.

But gray kitty decides to chase black kitty.

2:47 p.m.

2:48 p.m.

Woodman didn't get the vent for long...he and I drove the car to school so that BIG Foot could drive it home after practice...Woodman and I walked home...and when we returned....

3:50 p.m.

... The King was back on the throne.

It's a tough life....but someone has to go to work to buy the pet food.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY THE HEATER VENT WHILE IT RAINS OUTSIDE*

My first day of summer vacation...

An essay by Cheech Marin:
Okay. The first day on my vacation, what I did on my summer vacation, the first day on my vacation, I woke up. Then, I went downtown to look for job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore. The second day on my summer vacation, I woke up, then I went downtown to look for a job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore. The third day on my summer vacation, I woke up...

1972- Big Bamboo Album
Sister Mary Elephant

This was before my time in high school but I had a crazy friend who introduced the friends I hung out with to the finer humor of Cheech and Chong. So when I woke up yesterday morning, and The Captain looked over and said, "Happy first day of summer vacation....what are you going to do today?"  My answer was, "I think I will hang out at the drugstore," but he had no idea what I was talking about...until I refreshed his memory.

24 hours into summer vacation I couldn't be more relaxed or more pleased with the weather. Today calls for a bike ride or a swim...and a walk of the dog we are watching when she returns.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY THE SUN*

Do you know what it's like at 3:00 on the last day of school?

Ya baby!!!
We sure do!
Year #27 for me.
Year #1 for Daughter #1.
Calls for a celebration.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ENJOY WHAT YOU DO*

Did you see Venus Transit?

The Captain and I headed for the community college observatory when I got off work today. There were telescopes for viewing the sun...several different types.

One giant telescope showed the solar flares and Venus passing by...another blocked out the gases and showed a white sun with Venus passing....there were also other inventive ways to view Venus and the sun....

 See Venus? That's it...that little speck on the upper right side...

You can't really see it in this cell photo but I could see Venus through the binoculars. It was a fun afternoon....especially since I found out I won't have to be moving classrooms in a few days!!! And I will be looping most of my kindergartners for first grade....awesome!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*

5 More DAYS!!

Until summer vacation!

Looks like I will be teaching first grade... after 27 years of teaching I have never taught a straight first grade...the pluses? It will be the first time since 1997 that I get to use the restroom before 12:30 after an 8:25 start of the day. The minuses? First grade!!! Is there life after 6 years old?

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*SUMMER IS IN SIGHT*