Crying a River

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This is me, throwing a fit

Because somebody UNFOLLOWED me!!!

(photo from cbullitt.wordpress.com)

That's right.

I don't know who they were,

But earlier today I had 111 followers

And now I only have 110.

I NOTICE my follower list

Every SINGLE time I come to my blog

And I REJOICE over every addition

And grieve over every deletion.

I'm just that shallow.

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No Christmas Tree Worries - - -

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After my Sunday Rerun post today, I'm afraid some of you think we are stuck with a sorry little Charlie Brown Christmas tree for the entire season.

Worry no more. Here's what our tree looks like after Fisherhubby finishes setting it up, installs the lights and I fluff and decorate:


And for those of you who referred to it as a "little" tree - - - that was also a false impression. It's a 9 footer!!!!

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Sunday Reruns - Lights Out!

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It's Sunday again, and you know what THAT means!?! It's time for Sunday reruns!!! Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting this meme, Sunday Favorites.

I realize Christmas has come and gone - - - but it IS still snowing, and besides, this is, in my most humble opinion, a funny story, so it's my choice for today's rerun.

Enjoy!

The "Joys" of Christmas Lights
(First posted 12/03/07)

A few years ago, Fisherhubby and I decided to break our "forever" tradition of only getting real Christmas trees. Frankly, I was tired. Almost too tired to try to decorate for Christmas. We THOUGHT an artificial tree would be easier - - - you know, no needles and all that.

We used that first tree for several Christmases, but the grass just wasn't all that green on that side of the fence either. I mean, one had to fluff smashed branches and THEN decorate.

Then we had another brilliant brainstorm. Why not get a PRELIT tree. Surely that would be WONDERFUL.

The first year it was. (Though it didn't solve even one fluffing problem.)

The second year, one strand of lights was burned out and it took Fisherhubby HOURS to track down the problem and fix it.

The next year - - - more strands of no-light.

Finally last year, he gave up on making the built in lights in one section of the tree work and added a renegade strand to fill in the gap.

Behold gorgeous prelit tree this year - - -



NOT ONE LIGHT will glow.

True, it isn't all the way set up yet, and no branches are "fluffed," but it's pretty dismal, isn't it!?!

I'll keep you illuminated about our progress - - - - pun intended.

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Modern Kids With Vintage Cases

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Some well meaning somebody, I don't remember who just now, had a list on their blog a while back of how to make your blog interesting. On that list it said, don't talk about your children or your grandchildren - - - we've been there, done that, and are over it.

Well - - - - this ain't their blog.

This here's MY blog - - - and I'm IN the stage of grandchildren right now and I wanna talk about them. So - - - if you are gonna be bored with that, then you'll just have to click away to your follow list and find another blog talking about something REALLY interesting like dead dishes from the past.

But if you're game for a grand grans post - - - - keep readin'!


Just look what arrived at our house Friday night. Aren't these just the CUTEST things ever? Oh hey - - - and they should make the vintage lovers happy too, 'cause vintage they are.


I don't know HOW they got a photo of Fisherhubby for the front of this suitcase - - - but just looky there!


They knew the world would never survive a photo of yours truly on this one, so they settled for the darlin' little gran and her teddy.

And, just look what came WITH these cases:

The two cutest little grans on the PLANET! No, I'm not one bit biased.

And of course, we HIT THE BIG TIME - - - Marsh Grocery store, what do YOU do on a Friday night with YOUR grans? This is cheap and easy entertainment, let me tell ya.


And just look at the grin on Piper's little face. Mackinley was busy figuring it all out - - -


But Pipes was content to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life, well until that ONE time when she stuck her little hand out the side and grabbed a candy bar as we passed by.

All in all it was a huge success - - - - until we tried to take them OUT of the car to head home, but that's the kind of story ANOTHER grandmother would tell, not THIS one.


At home, little Miss Piper found the tea set, hauled it to this chair, where it was HER CHOICE to climb up by that Badger Blankie and play. I just HAD to get this picture and SHOW it so her Wolverine daddy could see his little angel near some GOOD school colors.

Wink wink.

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Spreading a Little Bloggy Love

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The other day as I was cruisin' through my sitemeter stats, I noticed that my blog had received several hits from a blog I didn't recognize.

I tooled on over to that blog to see if I'd left a comment there or something - - - wondering excitedly why I was suddenly getting hits from that source.

Nada. I couldn't find a comment that I'd left (what was I thinkin' anyway - - - that my little comment would bring a bunch of traffic? HARDLY) So, I left a comment telling her I was puzzled by the sudden bloggy love that had come my way from her corner of cyber world.

She e-mailed back that she had decided to use her blog to highlight some blogs that weren't "mega-girl" blogs, and that she was doing it by putting them in her favorite blogs list, just to see what would happen.

What a GREAT idea!!! The "mega-girls" have great blogs, but they ALREADY have a ton of traffic and don't need MY shout-outs.

I don't keep a favorites list anymore, so this is what I'm going to do to spread some bloggy love around. From time to time, when you see this icon on my post, I will be shining my little spotlight - - - however faint it may be - - - on a few blogs. Check them out at your leisure.

We "little bloggy girls" gotta hang together in this big ole scary world! ;-)



65 Roses for Marcia is the blog of a brave girl who is facing a very big life challenge. Perhaps you already know about 65 Roses, if so then you know what Marcia is dealing with. But the unusual thing for Marcia is, she just found out as an adult that 65 Roses were hers.

A La Carte is the bloggy home of Linda. She fills her blog with the variety she finds in everyday life. She is really good at visiting her bloggy friends AND leaving comments as evidence of her journeys.

I double dog dare you to check out Ain't for City Gals. She's not kidding!!! You need guts and muscles to get down her country lane! Just wait until you see the rugged views right outside her front door.

When you swing over to Lori R's place, Altered Glass, you will find that she talks of many things like flowers, glass, and kitty cats!

Little Miss Honey Bea, over at Bea's Blabber, has her capable hands full with the redo of a gorgeous little house built in the 1890's. She and her hubby pulled up their previous roots and followed their dreams to North Carolina and a home they could mark as their own.

And there you have it - - - my first edition of "Givin' Just a Little Bloggy Love."

Enjoy.

(Disclaimer - - - this is not a meme, there are no rules, you don't need to pass anything on - - - this is just a little bloggy lovin' from me to you. If you want to pass it along to some "little bloggy girls" that you love, you may do so - - - just please don't add any "strings.")

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Sunday Reruns - "Stand Back Said the Elephant - - -"

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I get sooooo excited about our bloggy Sunday reruns!!! Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting Sunday Favorites.

I Hate To Admit It - - -
(First posted on 12/01/07)

But when I was a girl I used to laugh at my father. I didn't even try to hide it, I just laughed right in his face. He used to have (wonder if he still does) early morning sneezing attacks. He would sneeze and sneeze and sneeze. I used to count how many sneezes and laugh at his discomfort.

I was too young then to realize the ramifications of the phrase, "you reap what you sow."

Not any more.

Thankfully, my sneezing attacks are also usually in the morning - - - I can't imagine what would happen in my classroom if I descended into a fit of sneezing right during class.

I'm too busy while I'm sneezing to count mine to see if I have topped my father's in QUANTITY - - - but I can tell you, at least from what I remember, I have FAR exceeded him in QUALITY. My sneezes are so loud and so forceful they would put the elephant of "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze" (by Patricia Thomas) to shame!!!!

Greg is usually patient with the first sneeze or two - - - then he tells me to "stop it." Oh how I WISH I could.

New Addendum: Since writing this post back in December of '07, I HAVE started sneezing in front of my classes at school.

To date I have "blown away" over half of my students. ;-)

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I've Been AWOL

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I've been AWOL from blogging this week.

I didn't see it coming, or I'd have warned you.

I'm not even sure what happened - - - just a busy week I guess. All I know is, it appears I have not posted since Sunday. That's some kind of a record - - - me keeping my mouth shut for more than four days!

Let me give you a little of my famous eclecticity just to try to make up for my AWOLness.

EB 1
That's "Eclectic Bit 1" for those of you who forgot.

(photo from www.examiner.com)

I've been enjoying glimpses of the Olympics this week. I just wish I had ONE athletic gene, all I got were spectator genes.

I love that we've (notice how I include myself in this?) won so many medals.

I find myself RIVETED to the Curling. Yes, you read right, I said the CURLING!!! Who'd a thunk it?

EB 2

This was the sunrise one morning a little over a week ago. I stood on the deck to take this picture thinking the following little ditty in my head:

Red sky at morn,
Sailors forewarn.
Red sky at night,
Sailors' delight.

Being a snow lover, I HOPED this was a sign of white fluffy stuff to come - - - and it was.

If you are a snow hater, I'm sorry. First I'm sorry that you hate this particular miracle of God - - - time released water. Second, I'm sorry that I "hoped" all this snow on you - - - but did I ever enjoy it!!! In fact - - - I hope for more. Let's have winter until spring comes, which is of course in mid-March.

EB 3

On a Friday night during the snow storm, I was sitting here at lappy blogging when suddenly a loud banging on the front door (didn't he ever hear of a doorbell?) made me nearly jump out of my skin.

I went to the door, and there was a man, a total stranger, and a young (ten-ish) boy.

The strange man asked me if I would like a gift and handed me a can of air freshener. He then asked me if I'd give some honest answers to questions about products.

Thinking he was going to ask me a few survey type questions, and feeling sorry for the little boy standing out there in the swirling snow, I asked them to step in.

The strange man said, "just a minute, let me tell my boss in the car that you're letting us in." And with that, he promptly left ME in charge of his ten your old boy.

I brought the little guy into the hallway and began having a fun conversation with him. Really cute, really gentlemanly young man. Bless his heart.

In a minute or so, my front door opened and the strange man came back in with the very same box you see in the above photo - - - box holding "Brand X" vacuum cleaner. (Look on the box in the picture for a BIG CLUE as to which brand is "X")

I said, "Wait a minute - - - I don't want a Brand X vacuum cleaner, I thought you were going to ask me survey questions."

He said, "Do you know about Brand X vacuum cleaners?"

"Yes " said I, "My grandfather sold and repaired them, it is all I grew up with. I don't like them, I don't want to see a demonstration, and I'm not going to buy one."

"Well," said the strange man, "I only need to do one more demonstration tonight and we can go home. Can't I do it here?"

"Nope, I don't want a Brand X vacuum," I said as I began to herd him toward the door.

"Well" says he, reaching for the door knob, "Then may I have my gift back?"

INDIAN GIVER!!!

I was so flabbergasted that I gave it to him.

When Fisherhubby, who had been sitting on the couch out of view but listening to all this, heard the door close he called out, "you're a HARD SELL!"

EB 4

This is little Miss Piper who fell asleep one day sitting in her chair. Isn't she precious?


And here she is practicing up to keep her brother, Mackinley, in line.

Now dear bloggy friends - - - I am on my way to pick up this darlin' little girl AND her brother Macky to keep them for the weekend.

I might be AWOL from bloggyland again. I'm getting OLD and taking care of YOUNG grandbabies takes all my energy and fortitude.

Oh, but it sure is fun.

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I Just Can't Help Myself - - -

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I've seen some folks admitting on their blogs that they are getting sick of snow and snow pictures. Well, those folks won't want to scroll down THIS post.

I don't feel that way. I love EVERY season - - - and I especially love a winter that is cold and snow filled. We've been having my FAVORITE kind of winter this year.

The alternative to a snowy winter, at least the way I see it, is a cold rainy, drizzly, muddy, and gray winter. Those give me really bad hair days. I'll take snow over that ANY DAY OF THE WINTER!!!

This past week, we had two or three days of fog. That strange phenomenon of fog on a day whose temperature is below freezing.


This was my view early Saturday morning. Can you see through the fog? Can you see what is ALREADY happening to the fog shrouded trees?

Well, I found myself hopping up, hurrying to the patio doors, and shooting picture after picture as the FROSTING continued to occur.

It is fascinating.

It is sparkly.

It is beautiful!!!

Thank God for the JOY of winter.


As the fog thinned, the "frosting" became more visible.


Suddenly the sun broke through. Oh my - - - gotta HURRY now to get some pictures before the diamonds all melt away in the warmth of the sun!!!


Just look at those white feathers at the end of black arms against a blue sky.


How could anyone get tired of this? How could anyone be depressed by this?


Classic white on black with a splash of red. Do you suppose this is where fashion designers got the idea for this particular color scheme?


Delicate icy fingers just dripping with many faceted diamonds.


And all this, emerging out of a winter fog. Simply amazing.


They call it hoar frost, but I call it beautiful.


And another winter wonder - - - shallow sastrugi in my back yard.

I'm reminded of what the Apostle Paul said: "I have learned whatever STATE I am in, therewith to be content." I think he even meant Indiana - - - and I just want you to know, I AM content!!!

Have a great day.

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Sunday Reruns - Return of the Pumpkin Bread

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I get sooooo excited about our bloggy Sunday reruns!!! Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting Sunday Favorites.

The Saga of the PB
(First posted on 11/21/07)

Once upon a time, long long ago in a kingdom far far away there lived an overworked, under appreciated, worn out, little waif of a woman. She was in this sad condition from working her fingers to the bone, night and day, day and night, teaching other people's children in a small one room school house, to which she walked in all kinds of weather, up hill both ways, day after long endless day.

One particular year when Thanksgiving rolled around, this poor, sad, worn out, waif of a woman decided to take an eency, weencey, tiny little short cut and BUY pumpkin roll instead of slaving over a hot oven, late into the night, using up her last ounce of energy, just to bake her own homemade pumpkin bread for her family.

But alas, her family members when confronted with the impostor pumpkin roll, openly revolted. They emphatically stated that the unfortunate heroine had given up on ALL her family traditions. They declared the impostor roll unfit to eat. Further, they threatened to never return again to celebrate the joyous occasion with their mother if she EVER tried that trick again.

She learned her lesson well.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Addendum on 2/14/10 - Since writing this post back in '07, I have passed this recipe on to my two daughters and now THEY bring the pumpkin bread.

:-)
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The Proken-Hearted Dutchman

These are my grandparents, Hazel and Isaiah Butcher.

I don't KNOW why they aren't smiling - - - because they smiled a lot. In fact, I can't really "see" them in this picture because MY grandparents were the sweetest, kindest, gentlest people on the planet.

I LOVED staying with them. I loved the milk-coffee Grandma gave us. I loved the twinkle in grandpa's eye. I loved "fixing" grandma's hair. But perhaps most of all, I loved Grandpa's stories.

After thinking about his ballad poems, I googled "Hans and Jacob" and FOUND it. I only wish I could post a recording of grandpa SAYING it, but since we never made that recording I will never be able to post it.

Just let your mind say these words in a heavy German accent. They are printed phonetically to "help" you out.

Enjoy!

The Proken-Hearted Dutchman

by: Charles Follen Adams
(Public Domain)

I'm a proken-hearted Dutchman,

Vot's villed mit crief und shame.

I dells you vot der drouple ish:

I doosn't know my name.

You dinks dis fery vunny, eh ?

Ven you der schtory hear,

You vill not vender den so mooch,

It vas so schtrange und queer.

Mine moder had dwo leedle twins;

Dey vas me und mine broder:

Ve lookt so fery mooch alike,

No von knew vich vrom toder.

Von off der poys vas "Yawcob,"

Und "Hans" der Oder's name:

But den it made no tifferent;

Ve both got called der same.

Vell! von off us got tead, —

Yaw, Mynheer, dot ish so!

But vedder Hans or Yawcob,

Mine moder she don't know.

Und so I am in drouples:

I gan't kit droo mine hed

''Vedder I'm Hans vot's lifing,

Or Yawcob vot is tead!

(Found at wikisource.org - Phonetics and all)

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Here We Go Again - - -

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LCS is on a 2 hour delay

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Sellers Table

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It's time for our favorite party over at Coloradolady's place - - - Vintage Thingies Thursday.

I've only got ONE vintage thingie today, and here it is:



This little kitchen table and chair set belonged to my maternal grandparents.

Several years ago when we moved into this house, we had an empty place in our kitchen right under a hangy downy light fixture. My dad, who was helping us bring in boxes, looked at that spot and said, "Would you like your Grandpa Butcher's kitchen table to put there?"

WOULD I LIKE IT!?!?!? Let me recite the ways - - - - - - -

I have so many memories of eating and playing at this table in my grandparent's kitchen.

Grandma sneaking us a glass of milk-coffee when mom wasn't looking.

Grandpa, with a twinkle in his eyes, leaning back in one of those very same chairs and beginning to recite one of the ballad poems he memorized when he was in eighth grade. "The Irish Jubilee" and "Hans and Jacob" were our two favorites. He told "Hans and Jacob" in a thick German accent, which I can still hear in my mind's ear.

For a little digression - - - how I WISH I had a recording of him telling us those tales, but we never made one. I'd even settle for a printed copy of them.

I remember one evening sitting at that table my little sister was so homesick she couldn't even swallow her food. Great big tears were welling up in her eyes and threatening to spill down her cheeks and over her chin. Mom and dad were working for the week at Teen Camp, and we were too little to go.

I was undaunted, having never felt a moment of homesickness in my life.

I remember Grandpa sitting at this table nibbling beer case cheese. Have you ever tasted beer case cheese? BETTER QUESTION - - - have you ever SMELLED beer case cheese??????? Oh, you have NO idea what you're missing.

And now the little table is mine. All mine.

It wears the marks of having been well loved and well used.

My friend Vangie, who is an antique dealer, tells me it is called a "sellers table," though she doesn't know why. I've googled and googled for more information - - - but as yet, its history is a mystery.

That's OK by me, because I KNOW the history that's important - - - the history this little table has had with our family.

Linking this post to Thrifty Thursday over at Leigh's too. The table was a gift - - - that's free - - - I'm declaring that qualifies it as thrifty.

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Announcement, Announcement, Ah- NOW-OWNCE-ment!

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LCS will be on a 2 hour delay
On Wednesday, 2/10/10

'Cause we're still gettin' this - - -

And even some 'o this!

So stay in yer bed
And cover yer head
'Cause school's on delay
For at least one more day!

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Extreme Sastrugi

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Of the South Pole kind - - -

I had to google for these South Pole Sastrugi

And I found all of these first

Four photos at

Carlygoogles.blogspot.com

And this one at answers.com

Because folks, I did NOT make a trip to Antartica, even for you my bloggy fans, and while we do get BABY sastrugi here in Indiana, we have NADA to compare with these.

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A Free Day to Blog and Blog

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No School Today At LCS

Physical Science students: Chapter 9 Test next school day.

Because we have some of this - - -

And some of this.

Actually, I'm thinkin' we could probably get to school this morning without toooooo much trouble - - - but the storm is just beginning, and the winds are getting ready to howl - - - and out here on the Central Plains, snow and howling winds make for white outs.

Besides, more than 200 other schools in our area already canceled.

Now - - - one little edgy-ca-shun-al thing to add to this post. Do you see that sharp little peak of drifted snow running the length of my deck? That my dear friends is a SASTRUGA!!!! (Sharp, wave like structures carved out of snow by the wind)

I LOVE that word. Sastruga. I'm just so tickled pink that the wind makes one across my deck so I can use the word frequently.

We also get lots of small sastrugi in our side yard - - - - but to get good pictures of them I'd have to bundle up and wade out into the cold. Of course, for YOU my dear bloggy fans, I MIGHT be convinced to make the sacrifice.

Enjoy your day - - -

PS - - - I'm still blue, only now it is with severe and utter depression over the Superbowl loss of my Colts. Severe and utter.

Please don't blame my Colts for the loss - - - it was ALL MY FAULT. I had too much pride, and the Good Book tells us that pride goeth before a fall. So I caused this fall.

Besides, as my friend Tonya pointed out - - - Samson's stregth was lost when Delilah cut his hair, and if you will remember, I cut my blue hair.

So - - - the fault is all mine. I will take responsiblity, which is far better than casting blame. Don't'cha think?

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Sunday Reruns - Smokin' Hotel

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I get sooooo excited about our bloggy Sunday reruns!!! Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting Sunday Favorites.

Today is the BIG day!!! Superbowl XLIV featuring my beloved Colts. But I think I've pounded that drum about all I should - - - so this rerun just BARELY mentions them.

Go Colts!!

Morning Adventure
(First posted on 11/01/2007)

I'm posting this from a hotel computer in Indy where I have spent the last two nights to be here with Greg while he went through a surgical procedure to remove three large kidney stones. (See my chat box for a brief report about that)

This morning, LONG before sunrise, the fire alarm went off LOUDLY and OBNOXIOUSLY in my hotel room. No, not JUST in MY hotel room, in the entire hotel.

"Hmmmmm," I wondered to myself, "is this for real or can I stay in bed?"

I heard no frantic footsteps treading past my door. There was no verbal command to exit the building. So, I phoned the front desk and they told me it wasn't a real alarm, and that I didn't have to worry about it yet.

Now an INTELLIGENT person probably would have gotten up and gotten dressed and packed at that point in time - - just to be PREPARED.

I never said I was intelligent, I went back to bed and continued watching ESPN and the Colts/Patriots game hype.

About fifteen to twenty minutes later, the same ear splitting alarm went off. THIS time very shortly accompanied by a knock on the door and a voice commanding me to evacuate the building.

OK - - - what to take in a hurry? Well, first I pulled on one heavy sweat jacket (it's in the 30's here this morning) and grabbed a Colts hoodie just in case. Then I stuck my feet in some socks and shoes and grabbed my purse and my school bag which contains my grade book (very important) and headed for the stairway.

Out in front of the hotel I met up with all the other evacuees and a zillion emergency vehicles with lights flashing - - - including one very red fire truck.

Fortunately, by the time they made us evacuate, the "emergency" was nearly over and I got to return to my warm cozy room before I even needed the hoodie.

And just what was said emergency? Someone turned the heater on in their room for the first time this fall and the dust on the coils triggered the fire alarm system.

Ahhhhhhh - - - for more exciting mornings like this!!!

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Blue School Crew

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Just a few minutes ago I read on someone's blog that they didn't know who was playing in the Superbowl!!!!!

Me either.


I just RANDOMLY went to school looking like THIS today. Totally randomly.

NOT!!!!

People, all you really NEED to know is - - -

The COLTS are playing in the Superbowl.

That would be the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
For all you football-challenged types.

And, in case you didn't know it - - -
They are from INDIANA.

The Hoosier State.
No, I don't know what a Hoosier is,
And I'm not the ONLY one who doesn't.
There are about as many theories
As to what a Hoosier is as there are Hoosiers.

But whatever they are, I R one!!!!!
And have been one for 26 years.

So, I am a TRUE BLUE Colts fan,
And I'm doing whatever I can
To bring others along WITH me.

Take Blue Friday today as an example:

Miss Shelli is just STARTING to turn blue. No blue hair. No blue nails. No football bling. BUT - - - she's got a classic long sleeved T, don't'cha think?


Look at these two 6th graders, Hannah and Olivia - - - they're sporting blue too!


And here, amongst these 7th and 8th graders there is MORE Colts pride. Miss Sarah is sportin' her pink Colts jersey, Zach is keeping warm with a Colts ski hat, Roslyn is modeling the Colts Blue cardigan, and Allie's rockin' a Colts Champion T.


These Freshmen have class! Breanne in her Reggie Wayne Jersey, Jessie's got Peyton's number, and Lauren is making sure you ALL realize we're talkin' FOOTBALL here.


Two sophomores with Colts pride. Rebekah reminds us we were ALREADY champs in 2006 and Jessie's sportin' a Manning jersey.


Just look at the smiles on these SENIORS' faces. Kyndra, Austin, Tori, and Jerolyn.

We've all got Blue Pride.

And silliness - Plenty of silliness!!!

I hope you don't leave this blog without knowing THIS important fact:

The COLTS are goin' to Miami, and that's ALL that really matters, 'cause Who Dat dey gonna beat, anyway????

Wink Wink ;-)

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