February 10, 2009
I have been a lover of holidays forever. Probably since my mom decorated for every holiday that existed. I, in turn, do the same today. Right now you will find my house decked out in red and pink, hearts and a Teddy Bears for Valentine’s day. I was thinking that our holiday heroes get the shaft a lot. We are constantly asking them for things, eggs, candy, pots of gold…whatever….and we never give anything in return. Now the tooth fairy that’s another story…but even then what are you going to do with a crap load of teeth? Anyways…that train of thought led to today’s cartoon. I am sure that even holiday characters are dealing with the stress and strain of the current economic crisis.
February 10, 2009
Why does someone go to work day after day when they know this is what they look like to most students. Because every once in awhile you catch a glimpse of something in their eyes that maybe just maybe they understand you because you understand them. You latch onto that and hope for more moments like that and then you finally have an in. You wedge yourself into their lives and hope for the best. They will make you cry, make you scream, stress you out, and on a good day make you laugh like you have never laughed before. Those are the days I wake up for. And then maybe one day, one of them will come back and say that something you did made a difference to them. And that is what you have to remember every day.
February 8, 2009
I don’t think anyone is immune to the effects of the economy…even cupid. I realized things were different Saturday when we planned to go out on our normal weekend errands and I had placed several coupons, paperclipped, in my purse for each of the places we were visiting. Either that or I have finally become my mother, which isn’t a bad thing. I did have a bit of a mid life crisis this weekend when I realized that I was closer to forty than thirty and wasn’t as young as I thought I was. I think everyone in their mind is still twenty. And the day you realize you’re not is a real eye opener.
February 6, 2009
And we wonder why they can’t find anything. AND when they say it’s in my locker, you know that’s not a one minute trip. And anyone who has been on the business end of a half full milk cartoon left on the top shelf for a quarter would call it nothing less than a bomb. I remember, not too long ago, opening the entire wing of a building in frigid weather because the stinch was making everyone gag. It only gets worse as it gets warmer.
February 5, 2009
The Snow Dance is one thing and the immediate sense of joy when you actually see the name of your school on TV or if you ‘re lucky enough to receive a phone call. But then comes the inevitable let down if you actually see a considerable amount of snow…the shoveling. You have to shovel, to get out, to get the dogs to tinkle and if the temperature has dropped to below zero it’s not only a pain but painful. It is amazing how when the temperature drops, the puppies cannot take two steps without immediately falling over. I feel like a member of a search and rescue team. I stand ready to run, scoop, and throw in the door. In the case of Alexander that might cause a pull or sprain but you do what you have to do for the babies. So this morning we have shoveled trails all over the yard to tinkle spots, to the cars, to the mailbox, to the trough for the animals. Lots of shoveling. Hopefully it all melts soon.
February 3, 2009
It is simply amazing how nine inches of snow, the last count in my backyard, can just sneak up on you and smack you on the rear. I got out of bed this morning with the local meteorologists predicting nothing more than a dusting, an inch at most. Thank goodness I am a weather junkie who constantly monitors the weather forums. The weather geeks, as I like to call them, were all calling for 6-8 inches today. Because of the huge discrepancy between their forecast and the that of the local mets, I thought for sure we would have an inch or two at most. I guess that is why I just spent a half hour using a push broom to plow a path for Penny to do her business. She bounded out the back door and suddenly found herself in over her head, literally. I really don’t want her to lose the little twinkle in her eye that she gets from prancing about in the snow so I brushed off most of the back yard and for no reason. She belly crawled under the deck and did her business in private. Oddly enough Alexander seemed to take a certain pleasure in walking proudly, slightly above the snowline, suddenly becoming Balto, ready to rescue the whole town. He’s such a drama king.
So my cartoon today comes from the realization that several hundred kids are in fact doing the snow dance. I have heard of so many different versions of the dance. I also know that there isn’t a teacher among us who has not done the dance in some form or another. When you are two days over your five days there is a moment of hesitation though. I mean hey, now we are moving into summer territory. It is a fine line to walk and I think we are all ready to get on with the year. I certainly do not want to have to decorate my room for Independence Day.
February 3, 2009
I would be telling just a little bit of story if I said this actually happened. However….we have had squirrels suspiciously looking through the front window, even at odd hours. Nothing like opening the curtain at 4:30 in the morning to a wee little animal with a look of disgust on his face because the trough has not been filled yet. My Dad made me a little trough out of the trunk of a tree. I fill it daily with sunflower seed, sit in the window and watch the wonderful HD of mother nature. Most days it is better than the Comedy Channel and more dramatic than soaps on TV. There is certainly a hierarchy to the feeding frenzy. Obviously the biggest squirrel is the one in charge. He sits atop the trough right in the middle, nestled down in the seed, daring anyone to step up. And they do try. That’s when it turns into a premier wrestling event. He establishes his dominance and goes back to eating. All the while throwing a seed or two here and there to several that have gathered at the base. The birds flutter about from tree to tree diving once and while to grab a seed. The cat across the street just discovered this circus and has taken to hiding in the pine tree and fighting the squirrels. Not the birds, the squirrels. Some of the squirrels are as big as he is, that was a fun afternoon. After a few days I knew the cat danger was too much for my little birds so I gave Penny Ann a mission: keep the cat away. She does a great job. She sits in the window and tells the world when he comes onto the property. Unfortunately we now have to seek therapy for Alexander and it took two days to get him out of the fetal position caused by her incessant barking. He is such a gentle soul. He does not like any disruptions or waves in his peaceful existence.
February 2, 2009
So we had a monster of a storm last week. No one really expected to be snowed in for a few days, least of all my two dogs. Penny, the small black poodle/terrier mix, is very scrappy. Snow is more of a challenge for her. She loves it. She runs through it with all her heart. Bobbing, weaving, and finally flying with sparkly flakes cascading behind her. She loves the bling. Alexander on the other hand, a strapping 75 lb shepherd, is petrified of getting his wittle feet cold. He usually makes it down the stairs of the deck to collapse in the snow with his feet in the air in a helpless stance of “come get me”. Meanwhile, Penny is running circles around him throwing snow on him and I swear, laughing. After the snow and ice had passed, I let them out and Penny proceeded to celebrate the winter day. Alexander went around the corner in an attempt to fool me that he was going down into the yard. I went about my business in the kitchen and turned around to see him looking in the back door, going to the bathroom right on the deck. A couple of hours later he went out again, walked over to it, smelled it, and had the nerve to look like “Ohhhhhh…..who would do such a thing?!?”
January 29, 2009
And so it begins again. You get a little time on your hands and suddenly the blog gets updated, the cafepress store gets updated….all because of a little snowstorm. Well, not so little. It started Monday night: snow, ice, ice, rain, ice, and then A LOT of snow again. Luckily we kept our electricity but we are now out of school for the rest of the week and I have a lot of time on my hands. A first in quite a while, obviously if you look at the date of my last post. My goal is to keep it updated more often. I would love to have new cartoons … I will certainly give it a try. What’s happened since the last post? A broken leg, a kitchen remodel, and several other events have left me with a lot more material for cartoons, that’s for sure. So….stay tuned!
December 12, 2007
If you haven’t noticed yet, I am a wee bit of a weather geek. The boards (also known as the forums where other geeks sit around and talk about models and jet streams and forecasts..) are abuzz right now with the hope of a weekend snowstorm. It’s a southern storm, just the kind the Ohio Valley likes to see. And with hurricane Olga in the mix who knows whats up. So for those who follow weather, it’s a lot like Christmas Eve. Each time a new model comes out the boards light up and everyone starts chattering like hens. It’s a great way to spend the day.
