Hello Friends! Know that I have truly missed you since I last wrote, but an Easter Sunday water heater fiasco,  a lingering sore throat/stuffy head/bronchial cough, and a  giant extra-curricular project at school have pushed writing and creating to the back seat on the "bus of life" lately.  I actually feel like I have been driving the above-mentioned vehicle "off road," and sincerely hope to get back on track soon!  This sentiment sort of sums it all up..... So does this one....  This week's link-up with Doodlebugs is once again a day late because instead of finishing it last night, I tucked myself in early for some much needed rest and recuperation.  I had been slogging through the school week while suffering from a whopper of a sinus cold, and just had to wave the white flag and surrender to fatigue and sickness.  Sometimes going to bed early on a Friday night is necessary!  I am up early this morning and feeling a bit better now, so here...
"Greetings and salutations, my friends".....as Charlotte the spider would say.... April showers are falling steadily as I write this, and instead of chanting the familiar verse of " Rain, rain! Go away!  Come again some other day!," I am enjoying the soft patter as it hits my skylights.  The warm smell of mud and wet grass is wafting through my open deck door, and the sound of the gentle rain is therapeutic tonight... It has been a difficult ten days since my father passed away, and the feelings of loss and sadness continue to weigh heavily on my heart.  Being together with some of my family members this past weekend helped though.  We shared many fond memories and old photos of Dad, and read through condolence cards from old friends with gratitude and pride.  He was very well-respected and admired, and I can only hope to be remembered as fondly by so many in my lifetime! My students have been very understanding of my current sadness. When my tears come at ...
Hello Super Sleuths! Has the suspense just been too much to bear?  Do you think you know who I've been posting clues about all week?  Well my friends, the time has come to reveal her secret identity, but first let me tell you how I became her faithful follower! Once upon a time, there was a veteran educator and wannabe teacher-author who was surfing through cyberspace one rainy afternoon during the summer of 2013. Eventually, she stumbled upon a bright, cheerful, and stocked-full-of-good ideas blog that caught her eye and her imagination!  Not only was it designed in stunning shades of pink and turquoise, it had a WESTERN theme!   Know that as a little gal growing up in Ohio, I loved heading to horse camp in the summer, so the blog's title just tickled my fancy!  As I began reading through the posts, I hopped over to the Teacher's Pay Teachers store via the link, and BAM.... yet another follower and fan of SADDLE UP FOR SECOND GRADE was born! I h...
  DOODLEBUGS FIVE FOR FRIDAY Welcome Friends! It's been one of those weeks where some of my school and home-life days have been awesome, and some have not.  The following word, and the list of multiple meanings, pretty much sums up how life can often be a roller coaster ride.  Luckily, plenty of Carmel Marvels kept me caffeinated as I just hung on, kept calm, and carried on...... marathon n. noun A cross-country footrace of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 kilometers). A long-distance race other than a footrace. a swimming marathon . A contest of endurance. a dance marathon . An event or activity that requires prolonged effort or endurance. Now mind you, I am not a runner.  I am a walker.  Actually, I am a "stroller."  When friends ask me to hike the trails at the local metropark, I am often three steps behind them, stopping to greet each small child or drooling dog along the way.  I also do not own any real ...