March 13, 2010: First Bloom of the Year!

Finally!

Tire Woes, Dancing in Class, and the Bluebird of Happiness

Sometimes weeks can go by, life is uneventful, and I plod along counting my blessings. Other times there are so many events that the week is all a blur. As  I began to teach today I asked, "Is it really Friday?"

We had one of those weeks at our house. Strange noises from the back tires while I was in Spokane  last week didn't just mean the tires needed balancing. It involved a whole brake system. Whole brake systems mean more than a little change out of the pocket.

JEJ discovered the poison oak on our hillside is definitely alive and well. The cats carry the oil in their fur, the oil is in the smoke when burning brush on the hillside, and it stays on everything it touches. When people are sensitive to poison oak it makes for a miserable time. JEJ is one of those people. After doing many loads of wash, finding effective remedies, and learning everything I ever wanted to know about poison oak online I am just thankful I am not as sensitive to it. JEJ is on the mend.

The school week was not uneventful either. A student is struggling with her mother's diagnosis of cancer, we all said good-bye to a seventh grader that moved today, another girl had just written a beautiful tribute to her dog, but then arrived to class in tears trying to tell me she lost her beloved dog. It was a week full of tears, words of encouragement, pain, and sadness.

Then it snowed a few inches, the pond froze again,the Zags lost the championship game, I sequestered myself in my study for a day to work on my National Board portfolio due in nineteen days, I had my own health issues, and I had to remind students gummy bears are for eating, not throwing.

Then there were times I counted my blessings. I danced in front of my class with our departing student and didn't break a bone or sprain an ankle and have a video to prove it, I baked brownies, I listened to excited students reading comments received on our class blog. I enjoyed a blissful nap today, my dear cousin is out of the hospital and on the mend at home, my brother is finding more energy every day to catch up with his student work (which means he is getting stronger), and I saw a bluebird this morning as I stepped out of my car at school.

I think the rest of the week can only get better!

Tulips from Two Points of View

These aren't from my own garden yet... but the bulbs are slowing pushing up out of the ground.

Daffodil Time

Sibling Assignment #123: Spring Break at Steamboat Rock

I gave the sibling assignment this week. Think of a destination you have traveled to that brought you happiness. Describe the place/trip and why this particular place brought you happiness. I will link my siblings' posts when they post theirs.
Eight years ago during my spring break JEJ and I decided to get away and go camping. We had never camped that early in the year, but the adventurous spirit moved us! We had begun a quest of visiting a variety of campgrounds in eastern Washington. We packed up our gear, ourselves, and the dogs and traveled in our old Coachman RV to Steamboat Rock State Park. The park is located between Electric City and Coulee City on Banks Lake which was created by Grand Coulee Dam. We had made a perfect choice!
 That year the weather was perfect for camping. The grass had begun to green, the trees were blooming, and the days were warm. We love to camp off-season because the campgrounds aren't as busy. Actually there were quite a few people camping, but this campground is spread out enough it doesn't feel crowded. We were close to the water and the park had lots of places to hike.

Steamboat Rock itself jutts out of the land to form a plateau that provides panoramic views of the whole area. Hiking trails are everywhere. We never made it all the way to the top, but with the dogs explored the trails, the lakeshore, and the area around the park.

I felt much happiness during this trip. For me happiness is when you arrive at a destination with all that you need so you can just do what you want when you want.  It was a much needed break. We weren't on a schedule, had really nowhere else to go,and read, rested, hiked, ate great food, and enjoyed the company of the dogs. That trip was before my digital camera days so I had to borrow a few pictures to give an idea of what it looks like. We returned to Steamboat Rock a few years later in the early fall and had another enjoyable camping experience. I wish I could load up and head there right now!

Postcards From Lake Roosevelt

It was a beautiful day to be out on the lake today with a camera, the dogs, and JEJ.