Friday's Fave Five, 1-31-2020

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1. A new mattress!!  We got our king-sized bed a little over a year ago, and have never been comfortable with the mattress.  First it was way too high, and we had to exchange the base for a smaller one.  But the mattress was never quite right.  It was still a little too high, and climbing into it, even for a tall woman like I am, felt like I was going to roll right out.  It just wasn't right.  Well, our son and his wife got one of the mattresses that come rolled into a box and then expand when it's taken out.  We tried it out at their house a few weeks ago, and it was very comfortable.  So last Saturday we took the plunge, got one, and I've loved sleeping on the new mattress.  It was a very reasonable price also.

2. My new bulletin board for my seventh grade life science class.  I thought it turned out nicely, especially considering that I do not have much time these days to do bulletin boards.

3. Our Caesar lunch at school was this Wednesday.  The sophomores in my World Lit class enjoy this every year after we finish reading Julius Caesar.  I had considered quietly skipping it this year, but the students would have none of it.  Notice that they are all wearing "togas" - very colorful ones.  We have Caesar salad, grape drink, Italian creme cake, and pizza from none other than. . . .Little Caesar's.  :-)  It was a good time, and I am thankful for students who want to participate in special activities like this.

4. My dad turned 90 on Wednesday!  We will have a family party this weekend.

5. Just finished reading a good book about the building of the Biltmore castle, and got another book in the mail today - this time a missionary biography.  I'm glad just to have had a little time this week to read!  And thankful for the ability to do so.

The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home by Denise Kiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Meticulously researched (54 pages of tiny-print notes at the end) and fascinating read about the building of the Biltmore Estate, as well as the fashioning of it into one of the biggest attractions in the Asheville area and beyond. This book puts the whole endeavor into a historical perspective that reveals its huge impact on the area and across the country. I did find it to be an unintended reflection of the Biblical principle that money alone does not make people happy. The story of Cornelia was the best example of that.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical backgrounds and detailed nonfiction reads. Denise Kiernan's writing is excellent. Her Girls of Atomic City is equally well done.


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Friday's Fave Five, 1-17-2020

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1. Last Friday night I was taking up $$ at the homecoming basketball games, and this little sweetie stayed on my lap for over half an hour.  A couple of cookies from the bake sale helped, but she was just as happy as could be.  I hope her mother enjoyed having a break, and I certainly enjoyed having that precious girl on my knee for that time.

 2. I got published this past week.  :-)  I was asked to write an article for local birdwatchers for a local paper, and felt that this came out pretty well.  The illustration is from our own feeder.  It was fun to do and fun to see in print.

3. Mike finally got his truck back.  This is him in the place where we stopped to eat after going to the body shop.  He had "dinged" his new truck while working at the farm, and so for the past few days he's been driving my car while the truck was being repaired.  It's actually worked out fine, as I haven't really needed my car too much - but I do love my independence!!

4. A good few days in one of my classes.  We've been reading Cyrano de Bergerac together, and we are really enjoying it - so much that several days they've actually expressed disappointment that class was over.  Now, that happens v-e-r-y rarely with high school students, so I've got to take great advantage of it when it does!

5. My project.  I am absolutely loving this.  Someone gave some $$ to our school library, and I have been given the privilege of spending it.  (This may have been mentioned in a previous post.)  I am pulling old books, replacing some of them, and getting new ones, for all ages.  My dad is a huge help in that he takes the new paperbacks and reinforces them so that they will last longer.  It is starting to take shape and is very rewarding to get the library in shape for the next few years of students.

And - we get a 3-day weekend starting tonight.  Wonderful!!

Friday's Fave Five, 1-3-2020

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Christmas Vacation Edition

It has been a nice two weeks of Christmas break.  Since last Friday was busy with another family holiday, this week's FFF will go back a little more than one week.

1. About a month ago, I stopped at a yard sale on the way to work one morning.  Amazing that they let me in at 7 am when it wasn't supposed to start until 8 am.  I immediately spotted a large stack of books and regretted not having much time to peruse the entire stack - however, I did see this and bought it along with a few more.  It was worth the $.50 I paid for it to see if it had any value.  Well, it did.  Turns out it is a later printing of the first edition.  Two days before Christmas, I sold it for $125.00 on eBay.  Not a bad investment.  :-)

2. Christmas with our immediate family on Christmas night.  We had our sometimes traditional shrimp creole (this time served not only with rice, but also riced cauliflower since so many of us are eating low carb), and then a gift exchange afterward.

Sweater from my daughter - I love it and like how it looks also!

Tableware caddy for the farm from my son and daughter in law.  Perfect for picnics there.

3. Our extended family Christmas, at the farm, last Friday.  Other than a mishap for my daughter (requiring an urgent care visit and five stitches in her knee), a good time was had by all.

My sister and my son

Four-wheeler rides are always fun.  My sister and nephew.

 4. The annual holiday jigsaw puzzle.  It wouldn't be vacation without one.  This is going to drive me crazy.  The white parts are almost indistinguishable and must be pretty much identified by shape.  Next time I'll think twice before buying that kind.  But it's still enjoyable to do something that requires no time commitment or obligation - just work on it when I feel like it.

5. Books.  Arriving daily - Yesterday eight packages worth.  Our school library has been given some money, and I've been given the privilege of spending it.  :-)  Because of the holidays, I've had a number of them delivered here instead of to school.  And it's so much fun!!

Happy New Year - here's to seeing more clearly in 2020 (a pun we will hear often, with many varieties, this year).  In closing, here is something my cousin posted on FB (along with a picture, but I'm not importing that).  This is worth thinking about.

Not sure who wrote this, but it’s deep:

”Every minute someone leaves this world behind. We are all in “the line” without knowing it. We never know how many people are before us. 

We can not move to the back of the line.
We can not step out of the line.
We can not avoid the line.
So while we wait in line -

Make moments count.
Make priorities.
Make the time.
Make your gifts known.
Make a nobody feel like a somebody.
Make your voice heard.
Make the small things big.
Make someone smile.
Make the change.
Make up.
Make peace.
Make sure to tell your people they are loved.
Make sure to have no regrets.
Make sure you are ready.”