Ah Thursday

Am having a lovely week at school. Really enjoy my kids. Being the first 2 weeks we are still shifting classes so some kids come and go but all is okay in the end. I have a lot of kids from many different countries and I do like that. I put all of their hometowns on my iPhone so we check their weather daily. Today, Harriet (from Scotland) told me that in her town "they" shoot off a cannon every day at 1pm. I was astounded!!! A live cannon to mark 1 pm!!! Then I remembered Mary Poppins--and that old Admiral? who shot off the cannon. Isn't that cool!

My Kenyan student was homesick this week so we've been trying to bolster his spirits. Good chance I'll be at a hockey game tomorrow night. One of my USA hockey kids (from MN) is playing his first home game and asked me to come. I'll certainly try.

Last night Jan called and we went out for a GREAT country walk. We ended up bushwacking a bit across a farmer's field (whoops) but made it back in sight of town. What fun! It was great weather for such an adventure (and it was an adventure). (Currently listening to the Sandhill Cranes in the next field)

Heard from my sis, Emily. She had a good time at Larrainey's shower. Hope Larraine got a lot of gifts she can use. It is too bad we aren't out near her so we could have thrown her a shower as well. Emily said about 45 people were there. Very nice of Mike's Mom to host.

I have to escape and go water the tomatoes. I still am picking about 30 a day. I"m a little tired of tomatoes. I also have a big bag of jalapenos from a friend's garden. I thought I'd take a few to my Dad and give a few to Doug down the road.

Well off to the garden.

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Where to begin?

So much has and is happening:

Highlights--Hunter came to stay with Gma overnight while his parents went to Chicago to a wedding. We had a WONDERFUL time! He never fussed or cried. He was wonderful about taking naps and going to sleep (slept 10 hours overnight). I rocked him in the rocker my Great Grandfather built and realized, Hunter was rocking in his Great Great Great Grandfather's chair....thanks Mom for saving it for us. Hunter's sweet little voice and patter of his feet just warmed my heart so. It seems like only yesterday Jeanine and Jean were playing in the halls, in the rooms, running and laughing about. This is a wonderful home to raise kids! I think having Hunter for the weekend was the bestest of ways to end my summer vacation!!! Thank you for sharing him, Jeanine and Brad!!!

I have a lot of pics so I'll post for a while then pull--copy what you want, or if that doesn't work, tell me which ones you would like and I'll send.

Hunter played a long time with his cars, took a break to read some books, we did a big fire truck puzzle, listened to the choo choo, chipmunks, fire engines, and sandhill cranes--all from the window, played piano, video conferenced with Jean (now that was fun as I got to hold Hunter and watch him interact with Uncle Juniper AND remember how Jean liked to play (the gorilla on the car was my favorite)!!!), and sat and had meals together! Hunter played hard and happy. I realized I had planned well for his visit such that I didn't have to do laundry, cleaning, or run any errands, which made Hunter the center of the universe. Far from spoiled, he is just a happy boy! I loved it when he took my hand and directed me to what he wanted next. I love being Hunter's Gma.

School is good. I much prefer this schedule. In the winter semester it will be crazy because they stuck a MT&T class in the middle of my piano classes and MT&T is at least a half mile away in the building (at passing time) and at my bathroom break time ;-) I have to lock up the 10 practice rooms and then scoot down the hall. I'd like to sneak out and go around outside to cut off some of the hall traffic (still have 2500 in a building built for 1600) but they lock the outside doors. Will figure it out. In the meantime, I sometimes come home with a little energy (remarkable for the beginning of the year). Monday will be a wipe out as we have capsule night until near 10 (home near 10:30) to get up again at 5am to start all over again. In the time between close of school and capsule night--I have to go get fingerprinted at the Sheriff's office (Hogback) to continue the process for changing my name. Only the Sheriff's office will do it. My electronic fingerprints already on file with the state (required to teach) are not allowed to be "shared"--so I get to do it all over again and pay for it twice. Oh well. Other highlights of the week--I will go in and see my Dad next Sunday. (I told him I couldn't come today--with working last night and Capsule night tomorrow I needed some time to do laundry, walk and think.

The harp sounded lovely last night. The Art Museum is a beautiful place to play and the accoustics--ahhhhhhh. I think I'd like to cut a CD in there. I wonder if that's allowed. I know the head facilities manager. It is a destination museum now. They had to cut down several trees for the expansion so they saved the wood, gave it to local artists who made various wooden art pieces--beautiful bowls, sculpture like things, yo yos, plates, etc--and sell those in the gift shop. The caterers were particularly good and kind. Several took time to help me shove the harp up the stairs (yeah) and carry my briefcase out to the triple parked car on State Street (in the middle of the ND win celebration). Actually the M fans seemed pretty tamed though very very happy. It was fun to be on campus. I also noted that the representing reunion attorneys (AGAIN) were primarily white males. In the crowd of 400, I saw two faces of color, no one you'd call of Arabic descent ? and maybe 14 Asians (primarily Japanese). I always find this fascinating. Perhaps only old school attorneys return for their reunions? The law school staff always has a strong supportive presence. From the food pictures (main event to follow) you can see they go all out....but then it was the 150th Anniversary.

Off to breakfast with Jan and Marshall this morning. We are going to the hospital brunch. Jan and I have become a lot closer than we've ever been in these 30 years of living next door to one another. She is headed to hear Perlman later--I would have bought a ticket but I figured I'd be at Dad's--now I wish I had a ticket. We went to a concert together at the Methodist church on Friday night--jazz. Very nice. Max Plank was one of the soloists--he was the best!

Well, off and running

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