Just a Tease....

So, I'm not ready to tell you everything that is happening....but here's a hint of things to come.

This picture was taken while standing in my dining room...yet, the picture window at the far end, is in the living room.  ;)

Curious yet?

Buckle Your Seat Belts...

I know I haven't posted since March...and I'm not really posting today.  I just need to tell you to hang on and don't give up on me.  You are about to get a stream of posts.  Lots of exciting things are getting ready to happen here.  Can't wait to tell you/show you all about it!! 

 (Ummm...no.  I'm not pregnant and I'm not adopting...I just liked the excited face this baby was making!)

Sometimes, It's the BIG things!

So today was already going to be a pretty good day. It was my first FULL day with the SmartBoard in my classroom and I am just nerdy enough to be very excited about that.  It was supposed to be sunny and NOT rainy and I am a HUGE fan of those weather conditions!  And, finally, the book I have been waiting for since last August is finally out!!

And today was my LAST dentist appointment.  For those of you who do not know, I decided about 12 years ago to stop going to the dentist.  (Mostly because they cost money...oh, and because I hate going to the dentist!)  About two years ago, I decided to make the big girl decision and go back to the dentist because I KNEW there were big problems already.  So I went.  Of course, I had to find a new dentist.  The new dentist sent me for three root canals and two crowns, with a plan for two more.  After my second crown, (and over $5,000 in payments) I became aware that the crowns were not done correctly.

I got mad.  I pouted.

Then I found a new dentist.  I have been seeing this new dentist since November of 2009.  In that time I have had one (surprise) root canal and quite a few fillings, mostly removing old fillings and replacing them with non-hazardous material, but some new ones as well.  THEN we got to the hard part....the removing of the old crowns (old by less than 14 months) and replacing them with new crowns that actually fit.  While I am glad to have this work done, and done correctly, it has been crazy amounts of time and pain and even crazier amounts of money!

I just want to give the praise that is due to my new dentist.  I first knew that he was a good guy the day he told me that I had a tooth that needed a crown, but that he could fill it and then wait and put on the crown in July, when my insurance rolls over.  That's a $900 blessing.  (Our dental insurance pays UP TO $1,000. Let's just say that my insurance ran out about $6,000 dollars ago....SINCE NOVEMBER.)

Today, he did an amazing thing for me!  At the beginning of my appointment he told me that he realized that I had had to pay, out of pocket, an enormous amount of money in a short amount of time, and because of that, he was only charging me for materials used today.  I said THANK YOUI! and then spent the next hour and a half unable to say anything else.  When it was all said and done, I went to the desk to pay.  When the office called to confirm today's appointment, they "warned" me that today's appointment would run about $987 dollars.  Today, I paid $507.  I know that I will have to pay a little more simply because my insurance will refuse payment and it will come back to me, but really??  What a gift.  (God TOTALLY sent me to the right dentist...not that I ever thought He had made a mistake!)

All of that to say this: If you are ever in the area and need a dentist, I know the perfect one!!!

It's the Little Things!

Last year I "discovered" a local author that I LOVED! Sarah Addison Allen is from Asheville.   Unfortunately, at that time she only had two books.

 

&

Well, in two weeks, four days and twelve hours, her newest novel will be out and I cannot wait!  (Can you tell that I'm excited?)

These aren't books to learn from, inspire you, or to make you think about something life changing.  They are just books to entertain and I LOVE reading for that purpose only.  I don't do nearly enough of it!  Check out Sarah now and then be sure to pick out her new book next month!  (And tell me what you think!!)

Goal #5

It seems that every time I have the TIME to post, it's because I'm sitting at home watching it snow while the power is out.  Power outages are not conducive to blogging.  So today I have sneakily used the staff override code to post my blog from school.  (Because we are having yet another teacher work day.  I'm pretty sure I'll be able to celebrate the 4th of July with these kids.)

So now, to get on with it. 

My fifth and FINAL Goal for the year 2010 is...

Create and stay within a budget.

I have never been great with money.   I'm not terrible.  All my bills are paid and usually on time.  (That has less to do with money than time scheduling.)  I have ZERO credit card debt.  I've finally paid off my school loans.  I actually have zero debt other than my house and car...and I don't really mind paying on those big ticket items.  Unfortunately ZERO is about the size of my savings too.  I want to create a budget I can live with.  One that allows me to LIVE but to also live responsibly and prepare for the future. 

A few years ago I purchased this book:

 

I worked through part of this book and learned a lot...now I should probably apply more of it.  I'm in a good place with a relatively solid job even if the pay isn't fabulous.  I should be better with my money.  I feel very blessed to be where I am financially in this economy.  It certainly isn't time to take that for granted.  So this year, I want to learn to be a better steward and to handle my money more appropriately.

See you soon for some goal updates and other good times!

Goal #4

I was going to post this earlier, but I had to do some thinking first.  Today, I think I'm ready.

Goal #4:

I will get better at thinking before I speak.

And that's probably all I should say about that.

The fifth and final goal to come SOON!

Goal #3

 Close to ten years ago, I purchased a house.  Not just any house, but the house I grew up in.  It's not a horrible house.  It's an old house.  It has old house problems.  Unfortunately, in the last year some of those problems have made my house a place I don't want to be.  That's not what a house should be.  So, this brings me to my next goal.

Goal #3: Turn My House Into My Home

Before I start listing all the things I want to do, let me go ahead and let you know that I am not delusional.  I am completely aware that all of this will not happen this year.  Actually, this all will probably not happen in 5 years, but I need a plan and this is where it is starting.  Ultimately, I just want to create a place that I want to be, a place that I'm excited about having friends see, and a place that feels like ME.  So, here's the enormous (ever-changing) list of all the things I would love to do:

Kitchen (I think this is where I will start!)
New flooring - laminate
Counters - either new counters, or paint the old ones
Paint the appliances
Cabinets - repainted, new hardware
Lighting - NEW
Walls - Paint
Kitchen Table and Chairs - Paint
Wood stove- REMOVE
Bust through the wall between living room and kitchen and put in gas logs that will heat from both sides
Curtains for Glass doors as well as window above sink
New kitchen sink and faucets
Create recycling station

Living Room
Bust through the wall between living room and kitchen and put in gas logs that will heat from both sides
Floor - New carpet
Walls - Paint? Remove paneling...SOMETHING!
Replace picture window
New Curtains
New Light Fixtures
Redo Mantel

Bedroom
New Carpet
Walls - Paint
Curtains for openings in closets
Figure out the lighting in this room
Find an old piece of furniture to turn into an armoire for the TV

Craft/Gift Wrapping Area
New Carpet
Paint/Remove Paneling
Reorganize area

Guest room
Fix floor (broken board!)
Repaint
Add heat source!
Repurpose furniture
Lighting

Bathrooms
New Floor: laminate
Paint Walls
Put up new wall boards in bathtub room
Remove shower door and add curtain

Guest Room/Office
Declutter
(new-old desk?)
Paint Bookcases

Back entry/Laundry area
New Floor: Laminate
Paint
Reorganize
Add cabinet above Washer/Dryer

Repaint outside of house - YIKES!


So here's the deal.  I'm poor.  I'm single.  And while I feel creative in my brain, it hardly ever manifests itself in actual products!  I MUST do as much of this on my own as possible.  I cannot afford to pay someone to do these things - except for maybe the busting out of the wall...that scares me A LOT.  Anyway, I'm relying on the ideas and talents of my super creative friends....and the manual labor of those same friends, to help me make this house a place I want to be.  Again, I KNOW that this list will not be checked off by the end of the year, but at least I have some ideas and a plan.  And really, I just want to get started.  I just want to love where I live and enjoy spending time there.

Hopefully I'll have lots of before and after pictures to show you as the year goes on!  (The before pics are not the problem!  I just hope that I have something fun to show you for the AFTER!)

Up next?  Goal #4

Goal #2

Every year I fall into the same trap as most of the rest of the world.  I resolve to lose 300 pounds in the first month of the year and then have to eat a bag of Oreos to make myself feel better when I don't succeed!  I'm not doing that this year.  I'm not putting any numbers in this goal.  Ultimately, would I like to lose weight?  Absolutely!  But that's not the goal, this is:

Goal #2: Become Healthier

1) I am a coke addict.

 Let me rephrase that.  I am a Coca-Cola addict.  MANY times I have attempted to stop drinking Coke completely.  Yeah.  That didn't last long and it gave me a horrible headaches...which is how I know I have an addiction.  Someday, I'd like to not drink Coke at all. But this year, I'd like to drink less Coke.  My best line of defense?  I've told my students that I want to cut back.  Anytime I open a Coke, some random 5th grader will ask me if I've already had one.  (I told them I was trying to drink one or NO Cokes during the school day.)  They will not let me get away with anything, and I'm glad!

2) This could probably go right along with number 1, but I want to drink more water this year.  When I have water available, I drink it.  I like it.  I don't know why I don't drink it all the time.  Oh yeah.  Because I love Coke.  Ok, well, hand in hand with drinking less Coke, I will also be trying to drink more water.

3) I want to eat less empty calories.  Working late hours at school, I often eat from the Four Vending Machine Food Groups: Sugar, Salt, Caffeine, and Preservatives.  None of these things are good for me.  But if I'm meeting Goal #1, this should be less of a problem.  I would never say that I'm giving up all sweets because I know me.  But I want to get rid of thoughtless eating (chips and snacks while watching TV or playing on the computer, etc.) and eat things that are good for me.  I LOVE veggies.  It's time to add MANY more of them to my DAILY diet.  (This is not the best time of year to make this decision, but it's still doable!)

4) I want to eat out LESS.  Much less.  And if I never saw another drive-thru window, that would be ok with me.  I AM THE DRIVE-THRU QUEEN.  Of course, getting to school at 6:00am and leaving later than 8:00pm doesn't lend itself to a great desire to go home and cook!  It was soooo easy to drive through a fast food place, eat quickly and get busy doing things at home.  NO MORE.  I am going to consciously make the effort to eat out LESS than three times a week.  That includes drive-thrus!  I almost always eat Sunday lunch with the parents after church.  That's easy to make a healthy choice - soups and salads are a great Sunday lunch.  That still leaves me one other time during the week to go out with friends.  That should be doable.  And, as I am not writing these goals in cement, I can tweak it if necessary. 

5) I want to move more.  I'm not exactly sure what this looks like.  If you know me, you know I can't even pretend to be athletic OR coordinated so many of those "move more" options are a little out of my realm of possibility.  I can walk - not in a straight line and sometimes not without hurting myself or others, but I can walk.  The single digit temperatures here for the last week don't lend themselves to a vigorous hike.  Ha.  Hike.  Right.  I meant walk.  There is a new gym in Dillsboro I need to check out.  Simply for the treadmill and elliptical machines.  My parents go to the gym in Cherokee.  There's a pool, track, treadmill, and other machines that I might be qualified to use!  There's a great walking trail in Cullowhee.  Actually, I can open my door and there's this great outdoor place that I could probably walk in - when it gets warmer.  I have options.  And now that I'm not spending all my time sitting behind my desk, I should be able to choose one or more of them regularly!

6) I want to sleep more.  I am not a good sleeper.  It takes me FOREVER to fall asleep and I don't stay asleep.  I think because of years of this struggle, I don't really try anymore.  I don't do things that would make it easy to go to sleep.  I drink (gasp) Coke late at night.  I watch TV or work on the computer until I go to bed.  Because I "know" that I'm just gonna lay there anyway, I don't make it a point to go to bed early.  My body has a VERY STRONG internal clock.  Somewhere between 4:45 and 5:00 every morning my eyes spring open.  Weekends, holidays, every day.  Recently I have discovered Melatonin Plus which has actually helped me fall asleep a little faster.  My problem is that I really need to be in bed somewhere between 6 and 8 hours when I take it...and that really hardly ever happens.  But now, maybe it will.  That's the plan anyway!

There.  Not a lot of specifics, but some definite things I can focus that will make positive changes that will make me healthier!

Goal #1

I don't do resolutions.  I've made them before.  I've never once kept one.  (I have a friend who resolves EVERY year to continue smoking.  It's the only resolution he has ever kept.  I can understand that.  At least he feels like he hasn't let himself down by the end of the year!)

This year I'm setting goals and I'm taking my own advice.  Every year my students and I have long talks about what makes a good resolution or goal.  We talk about what makes a goal realistic and attainable.  We decided that we shouldn't use the words NEVER or ALWAYS when making a resolution because that just sets us up for failure.  It's a great conversation, but I've never really followed my own advice.  This year, I'm going to give it a shot.

Goal #1:  I want to work smarter.

I've taught 5th grade for 11 years.  In the beginning, I was just learning the curriculum and the kids and the "art" of lesson planning.  I got to school by 6:00 every morning and didn't leave until dark.  I also spent most of my weekends there.  11 years later, something should have changed by now.  Sometimes I'm spending extra hours reinventing the wheel.  Sometimes I'm trying to make things better.  Sometimes I'm organizing and reorganizing.  Sometimes I'm wasting time.  Often, during the school day when I have "planning" time, I spend that time talking to my peers.  (I live alone!  This IS my social time!)  I can also get very easily distracted by looking at books on Amazon, lesson plan ideas online, and any other sort of randomness that I can stumble upon on the internet.  This must stop.

So, in 2010, I want to work smarter.  For right now, this is what I envision working smarter will look like:

1) Less EXTRA hours at school.
             a) I don't have a problem with going in early.  That's when
                  I'm at my best.  Being there before 7:00 is fine.
            b) When the 3:30 bell rings, go home!  It's time to
                 rediscover life OUTSIDE of school!
            c) Spending weekends at school is NOT ok.

2) Use the time I AM at school WISELY!
           a)Use Planning Period to PLAN!
              Plan first, play and socialize later.
           b) My goal is to plan ahead.  I want to leave school on
              Monday having everything planned and ready for
              NEXT Monday.  When those things are ready, then
              I can talk and search for new lessons  and books!

3) Keep in mind that the kids really aren't going to be better people because of the perfect lesson, but because of the way I listened and respected them.  THAT'S why I got into this job in the first place.  I don't want to lose sight of that and I'm afraid that is what's been happening.

So there is Goal #1.  I'll post Goal #2 SOON!

A New Beginning

Thanks to my sister-in-law, I have become a blog addict! I love spending time reading about other people's crafty ideas and redecorating inspirations. I have stolen MANY ideas (that I hope I have the opportunity to use) just since I learned the ways of Google Reader in November!

Since it is the beginning of a new year I decided it would be a good time to start a new blog. My first blog was fun, but sporadic at best. Now, after seeing what a blog CAN be, I want to try again. Instead of revamping the old blog I've decided to follow the adage "out with the old and in with the new"! I'm simply starting over!

I think I'm starting over in a lot of ways this year. And maybe starting over isn't the right term. Maybe I'm just starting! This line of thought will actually lead to my next post so I'll stop before I get ahead of myself.

As I was thinking about the direction I wanted this blog to take and what I wanted to call it, I kept coming back to one song over and over again. Sara Groves has a beautiful song that I feel will be an anthem for me this year. I leave you with the lyrics for "Just Showed Up For My Own Life":

Spending my time sleep walking
Moving my mouth but not saying a thing
Hoping the changes would take by working their way from the outside in
I was in love with an idea
Preoccupied with how a life should appear
Spending my time at the surface repairing the holes in the shiny veneer

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

I'm going to live my life inspired
Look for the holy in the common place
Open the windows and feel all that's honest and real until I'm truly amazed
I'm going to feel all my emotions
I'm going to look you in the eyes
I'm going to listen and hear until it's finally clear and it changes our lives

Oh the glory of God is man fully alive
Oh the glory of God is man fully alive

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright