Friday already???!!!!

I'm so excited!  It's Friday - that in itself is super; however, this is a special Friday because this is the Friday before TCEA - the Texas Computer Education Assn. Conference in Austin, TX.  Now I know some people don't get excited about their education conferences but I do - this one is awesome.  We learn so much and have fun doing it.  Then we get to eat fabulous food at fantastic restaurants all over Austin. 

We've been going every year for several years and the hotel we stay in knows us when we walk in and register.  They take good care of us.

So this weekend it is crazy - I have to shop for the trip, pack for the trip, get the hair done - you don't think this southern girl would go on a "big" trip like this and not get the hair "freshened" up do you?  Then there is the grocery shopping - I think we take enough munchies for 10 people and it will only be three of us this year. (That makes me sad.)

Leaving Sunday afternoon - yes Diana and I will be there in time to watch the Super Bowl!  Maybe go out and eat/shop or both.  We come back on Friday afternoon.  It's a full week of fun workshops and seeing friends from the past.  I'll be posting throughout the week so stay tuned for pics and commentary from hippy dippy Austin.

Life can be tough...

Aggies Fall to No. 6 Baylor, 63-60

You may think that's a horrible headline - and on the surface it is, especially if you are an Aggie fan.

Mike and I attended the Texas A&M Aggie Men's basketball game last night.  While the score says they lost, and they did, it does not tell the tale of this team. 

This season has been full of struggles and mountains that needed to be climbed.  First, the new head coach was diagnosed with Parkinson's.  Then one starter went down.  Then a second starter went down.  AND yes, a third starter went down.  They are all still out. 

Some men would give up with such a diagnosis.  Some teams would give up.  Some would fold and quit.  Not this coach.  Not this Aggie team. 

They were not playing up to their potential until recently.  We've observed a spark, a cohesiveness that was not there early in the season and now we are seeing these young men find a way to be competitive each night.  They NEVER quit.

There are student athletes on this team that haven't played in 3-4 years and they are stepping up and contributing.  They also are motivating the starters too.  They give an unbelievable effort in order to overcome players on their opponent's team that are far more talented. 

This team doesn't have the physical ability to win the NCAA Championship, but they do have the character to represent Texas A&M in a way that should make all Aggies proud.  They have learned that they always have the possibility of a win.  They never quit.  They support each other and now seem motivated to put their best foot forward when they walk on the floor. 

Wouldn't it be awesome if we all overcame our adversities in such a way, always putting our best foot forward? 



Pinterest - samples

Pinterest is a wonderful thing.  If you aren't addicted then you aren't using it.  I recently received an email at work that had the following in a much longer email.  (I've shortened it to deliver the best of what was shared.)  All of these have been shared on Pinterest.  Now they are being shared in emails and yes my blog.  However, I just wanted to point out that you can find things like this and much MUCH more on Pinterest.  If you don't have an account, comment below and I will send you an invite. 

Ideas to Make Life Easier Why didn’t I think of that?!  We guarantee you’ll be uttering those words more than once at these ingenious little tips, tricks and ideas that solve everyday problems. Hull strawberries easily using a straw. Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.  Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes. Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band. Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod in a bowl.  The concave shape amplifies the music. Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags. Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys. Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose. Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid. A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy.  Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

Vacation from Technology

I had a wonderful weekend of shopping, cooking and relaxing with my family.  My mom and I shopped and found some of the things I had been pinning on Pinterest, mostly for organization 'stuff'.

We also hit one of our favorite places, BIG LOTS!  I love it - you never know what jewels in the rough you will find at Big Lots but it's like winning the lottery when you do!!  We found some great encouragement cards in stationary, canned Luck's apples (for frying don't you know) which we weren't able to find anywhere else in town and the perfect little picture to finish off my bedroom wall!  Great success!  As we were checking out, Mom was quite hungry.  She began opening the Peanut butter filled Oreos before I had paid for our loot.  So funny - reminded me of parents in the grocery line trying to keep their children out of the purchases.  Role reversal for sure!

Saturday afternoon we watched the Texas A&M Aggie basketball team beat Travis Ford's Oklahoma State Cowboys.  This is always a game we like to see because Travis played at Kentucky - pretty good small guard and always has a quick temper.   Since watching him coach in Aggieland he seems to find a way to get a technical most of the time; however, he did not this game.  He had reason to yell a bit though - the refs were a bit on the sad side.

Yesterday, Mom and I made Shrimp Creole!  I love that stuff.  My hands still smell like the onions I chopped but it was well worth it!  Yummo.

Next on my TO DO list for this week is getting ready for TCEA (Texas Computer Ed. Assn.) Conference.  It's in Austin and once again my peeps and I will be at the Embassy Suites.  This is always a fun time and a time to see new techie things for the classroom.  We also receive some good training at this conference.  This will be our last TCEA Conf. together and will just include Randi, Diana and me.  (So sad that Martie doesn't get to go this year.)  I'm feeling a little melancholy about it - can't wait to go and learn but sad that we won't have this time together ever again.  Times change and budgets do too.  I hope we are able to adapt to both!

Whew, I've rambled on today.  Now back to work.  Off to help more people with their STaR Charts....

Cauliflower....it's a big one

Yes it looks like a bouquet for a wedding, but it's not! 

It's a cauliflower out of my friend's garden. 

Can you believe it! 

Grown in Texas of course,

Because EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas!

Sam...

I hate to relay bad news but I wanted to follow-up about Sam.  The news was not good from the vet.  He does have cancer and they predict he has 3-6 months to live.  They feel that it was found early but this is a cancer that is inoperable and obviously fast moving.  We will know more next week when they do a more thorough exam and xray.  Right now they want his hog incision to heal.

To see and be around Sam you would never know he has a thing wrong.  He is as active as ever but he does get a little short of breath.  The tumor is pressing on the area around his esophagus I think.

We are sad but are celebrating and enjoying the time we have with him now.  Sam has a sordid past.  He has been through a lot - I think he is part cat because he has had "nine lives"....  We will consider him a blessing every day we have him but will not allow him to suffer if pain takes over his daily life.

Sam the Lab - UPDATE

Our hunting dog, Sam the Chocolate Lab, got into a tussle with a wild hog.  Sam lost.  He had a "stitching" at the vet's office yesterday.  The thing is, this happened 1 week ago but Mike didn't see it, nor did I, until this past weekend. Apparently momma hog got him with her teeth or hoof.   It was right in his chest, and looked like a precision scalpel incision - not what you would think another animal would do.  Sam never showed any signs of being hurt or in pain and no blood.  And, to make matters worse, while they were working on him, they had to put him out to sew up this six inch incision, they found a tumor which they biopsied.  We will know more today on that.  Mike is fearing the worst, as this is what his beloved Mookie had and the cancer took her.  So today I am praying that Sam will be o.k. and that whatever happens, Mike will be ok too.

On a positive note, Sam was up and running around today like he didn't have a pain or a care in the world.  Dogs are so resilient!