Signs of Spring

Yesterday morning I walked out overnight my gardening bush had one bloom. My favorite flowers bloom now in Florida, gardenias and azaleas. One of my goals is to go to Ravine Gardens State Park to see the azaleas. My favorite azalea memory is walking tho on the Appalachian trail through these gorgeous flame azaleas. There is this scraggly azalea bush outside of my office. I had to scare the FFA students out of that planter because I’ve relied on seeing those blooms each year and I didn’t need them to hack it up, which I caught them in the midst of. There are some other great places to see azaleas in Orlando, Azalea Park and Mead Garden. If you like plants in general, Leu Gardens is a nice space. I’m not a garden though but I do love to visit them. 

The Sunday Seven

Taking stock of the good of the week. 

 7. Spring break a.k.a. 10 days without work. There is something decadent about 10 days off and I love it. I have time to upgrade my flooring and go camping. It’s the best time of the year in Florida. I’m so happy plus I sleep best in my tent. I can sleep a full solid 12 hours in my tent. 

6. Meeting some of my new neighbors. I love my new community but I will say there are snowbirds in it so I don’t know a lot of people but my community is full right now. It will empty out probably after Easter, but I did get to meet the HOA president and some other people with our community garage sale. I did not sell or buy anything, but I made connections.

5. Figuring out how to actually arrange my furniture in my bedroom. Living wise, it’s been kind of tumultuous since July. By the grace of my friend I was able to live in some housing until I found home to purchase and then the buyer the seller wanted extended time closing, and then they needed to be some paint refreshing, and then I knew this project was coming so I haven’t really moved in but I’ve moved my stuff for five times since July so I’m hoping will come to some kind of closure at the end of March because right now everything I own is in the living room and my mom is complaining that we have way too many books in our house  Some people buy clothes and people buy shoes. All three of us here we buy books. There are book, worms, book lovers, book hoarders aka book dragons think what people out there call it.

4. The final yearbook pages been submitted. In January I assume sponsorship of the yearbook since the sponsor left and we had 120 pages to finish by March 11. We actually met our deadline and submitted planned 118 pages by that deadline and then two by our extended deadline, so we have basically put the book to bed and I am so happy and so proud of these kids because they persevered and it’s going to be a solid book.

3. Access to an Olympic swimming, pool, and gorgeous weather to walk laps to recuperate my Achilles tendon. I’m a water baby and I raised a water baby. when I saw that one of the things that my HOA fees pays for is an Olympic size swimming pool, I was so excited. Today was the first day that the water temp and the weather collaborated and was able to get in. It was not warm water by any stretch of the means in fact we’ve had a cool winter otherwise I would’ve been in sooner. It was exactly what my achy joints needed and I look forward to laps both swimming and walking. 

2. Blessed to have my stepdad who is almost 77 help me install these floors with my husband because it would not get done without him. The flooring in this space would not be done without him. He likes projects but of course he has all the tools but you need to do a project like this and I’m really so grateful he has. The project manager is who I referred to and this is a time where triangulation matters, so my husband isn’t getting around by me and I’m not arguing with him because he doesn’t know what he’s doing because we felt so .

1. Getting to have my mom over for St. Patrick’s Day and her birthday. My house is a mess, but a cool opportunity to be with my mom for St. Patrick’s Day and then her birthday and I can cook for her and do her nails because my mom is not going to be around forever so it’s kind of fun hanging out in the pool with her and driving her around and just being with her even though she thinks I’m annoyed when she tells me to bleach my bathroom.

Spring Break Day 2

Today was a killer of a day. We went nonstop putting the floors in and then went to dinner. Dinner was fun because my 77 year old mom was in the mood to tell stories. I learned that my grandparents met roller skating. I learned that my mom met my dad through intervention aka she gave her number to a friend to give to another guy, but the friend ended up giving my mom’s number to her boyfriend’s friend aka my dad. She also told me how she met my step dad because she didn’t “date” anyone after my dad died. I would call these stories micro slices. My daughter will appreciate this one day! 

Spring Break Day 1

 As a new home owner, we’ve been busy all fall and spring break being no different. As I'm an owner of a slightly used home in a community I love our place.  Though the carpet had to go and today it went. Here’s our day in a little photo storyboard.

Fortunately

 

Today is post is using a format that I’ve used before that was introduced to me years ago by my mentor Dr. Janet Allen. She would read the book Fortunately by Remy Charlip and then have kids write in same format. Janet passed  almost a year ago, but her legacy continues with every single teacher she ever taught. This picture book just one of thousands she shared with educators worldwide in her quest to ignite the love of reading.

Fortunately tomorrow will be the day before Spring break.

Unfortunately I decided to my change floor and tear up my carpet and put in flooring. 

Fortunately I've got help.

Unfortunately only one of us has done this type of job before.

Fortunately we are open to learning.

Unfortunately we've only pulled the carpet from one room.

Fortunately it was the biggest room.

Unfortunately the space here is small and we have storage issues.

Fortunately we will be flexible.

Unfortunately the boxes are 72 pounds each.

Fortunately my husband can move them.

Unfortunately there are rusty carpet nails everywhere.

Fortunately we have our tetanus shot.

Wish us luck! Here are two other posts with this format from past slices, workout and Friday.

Push Through

I would be lying if I would say it’s been an easy nine weeks, but it’s been pretty trying and grueling. I’m back the whole year has been pretty trying. The high point was taking over the yearbook in late January and grinding the 120 pages out in a month. I have nothing to say. I’m wiped. I’ve just been sitting on the couch for the past 48 minutes trying to think about what to write about. I have a good draft about my Vacay for PR but it won’t be ready today and I want it to be good. I do know for the past two years I have not completed the slice challenge every day in March and this is about right around the time when I have “fallen off the wagon” so I’m just getting something on paper. And the irony is that I know I can finish it because I finished it for at least eight years. I’ve crossed that finish line pre Covid. I haven’t made it across since and that’s really my goal just to finish get my groove back. So thanks for dropping by if you You know if I make it to March 15 I’m halfway there so really it’s holding myself accountable to post March 13 where I can get over this digital wall that I’ve had for the past two years. Thanks for listening and have a good night. PS…I hate daylight savings time even though we voted it out in the state of Florida. It’s going to take the federal government to actually approve it hello  Let’s do some actual work in Congress that actually affects people for better. 

What’s on My TBR Pile

Instead of my typical Monday what are you reading post I thought I would go to my bookshelf and see what was in my TBR pile. Most of my books have been packed since July . When I moved, I made a little summer reading box, but I didn’t get to it. Then I went to ALAN in November and added more. I haven’t gotten to any books that are not digital in 6 the past six months. Tonight’s slice is about what I’m planning to read starting over spring break next week when I go camping. They are pictured in no order. There are two graphic novels, three books written in poetic format or poetry and should be read with ease. Two are historical fiction and two fantasy.  What’s on your TBR?