Snowed in

Wow, what a novel idea...staying home an entire day. I just finished up my grad classes for the semester, the program to write IEPs is offline for the weekend and I have been doing a decent job keeping up with the house cleaning. So, what do you do with an entire day to yourself? Well....I cleaned most of the house. I vacuumed up a lot of dog and cat hair. I washed, folded and put away four loads of laundry. I made two lovely pieces of jewelry for Christmas gifts. I got a head start on the library books I picked up for my extended Christmas break. I took Moose out in the snow to play. I did dishes. I put away piles of things that had been sitting around for months. I watched some silly Christmas movies. I shoveled the walk.
I definitely didn't eat very healthy. The neighbor baked cookies and brought them over. I sampled one of each variety. I ate lots of chocolate and candy and sweets today. And, of course, I didn't exercise. It's just one day, right?
What a day!

It's autumn

This morning as I rode my bike in the YMCA Sprint Triathlon, tears rolled out of the corners of my eyes. The cool breeze shot through my body and invigorated me! I LOVE THIS WEATHER. I love nothing more than to walk hand and hand with my husband at a fair or festival wearing jeans, sweatshirts and boots. I purposely dodge towards leaves when I run to crunch on them. The bills are low because you don't have to turn on the heat and the air conditioning is off. The windows are open and the nice crisp air filters in. It's just a beautiful time of year.
I am hoping the mild weather is motivation to get me back into my running routine, this time with my canine partner in toe. Moose is getting big. He loves to run and play and the vet said 5 months is the time he is allowed to start running. After he gets nuetered on Tuesday and has some time to heal, it off to the rail trail we go. I can't wait. I miss running. I need to get my cardiovascular system back into shape. And even though my blood pressure still tests low, I feel it slowly rising with every day I teach and learn the ropes of Special Education.
So here's to a happy fall filled with memories and motivation!

Do you need Christmas ornaments?

I know some people don't realize that Cracker Barrel has a gift shop. They do, and after Christmas, everything is 70 percent off. You can get adorable ornaments for less than 50 cents. They even have blankets, home decor and candy.
Yesterday, I met a friend there and snagged up about half a dozen ornaments and a Penn State Hoodie for less than $15. That was with my employee discount, but still, what a deal. I am going to stow away the ornaments for next year and use them as package decor.
Today, my mom and I are hiting up Kohl's and Michaels. I can't wait to see what bargains we find. I am really getting back into the jewelry making, (I'll post some photos as soon as I can upload them) so maybe I will fatten my stock of beads.

Thank goodness for girlfriends and Friday

I am so happy it's Friday.

I am headed to the mountains with two girlfriends and two children. I can't wait. Home was getting a little frustrating. When the husband forgets to take out the trash and doesn't have the intuition to empty the clean dishwasher, it's time for a break. Keeping my mouth shut is really hard, but I know it's for the best.

I can't wait to relax with a good book. I snagged "The Alienist" by Caleb Carr from Nate. It's a long one....but I've been a reading machine lately.

I also can't wait to go for a jog. Running under the shade of the forest and the smell of trees is heavenly. I forgot my camera, so my hopes of posting pictures are dashed. My cell phone camera just won't cut it, I am sure.

have a happy weekend!