Family Feud is NOT Family Fare

I hadn't watched Family Feud in the last few years (say 5 or 10), and last night I figured it would be light fare to have on while Hubby and I relaxed together.   After 10 minutes I turned it off.  The first question was "100 women were asked, What would you do if your husband came home and told you he wanted you to get a boob-job"  and yes 'boob-job' was the phrased used.  Then the host and the family guessing proceeded to make breast jokes.  Really?  I thought, well...one question...let's give it another try.  The second question was "100 people were asked, What is something you don't want to see when you go into a hotel room and turn on the lights?"  One response on the board, not a contestant's guess, was 'used condoms.'  I was so turned off and disappointed.  Game shows have always been something you could turn on with the kids around.  No longer.  Getting closer and closer to tossing the TV.  


A few weeks ago the Associated Press had a story about the changes that are about to take place in the Roman Mass.  The changes are all changes in word choice to make them closer to the original text...so not really that big of deal  Granted some of the language we are about to use is not what one would hear in daily conversation.  But the AP reported 'And so will begin a small revolution in a tradition-rich faith.'  A revolution?  Hardly.  The changes are only taking place in English speaking Masses, the other languages translated the Mass more accurately when after Vatican II the Mass was put into the vernacular.  And of course the AP quoted a priest who basically said the changes were stupid.  If you're interested in seeing the changes here's a link.  The one word that many will have trouble with is 'consubstantial', as part of the Nicene Creed.  It used to be "one in being with."
I'm super excited for Thanksgiving.  The Singer is driving home as I type this!  She called a little while ago saying she's in Florida. That puts her 4 hours away. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend.  
Since Sunday is the first day of Advent, we'll be getting all our Advent stuff out...Advent wreath, calendar, count-down tree with ornaments, etc.  We'll wait till the 16th to get the Christmas decorations out (that's after the Imp is finished with exams).  Usually when Advent starts is when I start feeling behind in everything, but this year Advent is actually 5 weeks long.  Whew.  As I baked pies today to freeze, I feel ahead of schedule.  Of course, the whole Christmas giving thing is so overdone.  I think Hubby has it right when he says what he wants is memorable experiences...take him to a ball game, or the movies, or the beach, or play board games.  That is what makes good memories, not the stuff.
I watched Hoarders last night.  If watching that doesn't make you want to downsize/declutter, nothing will.  Hubby and I super-cleaned our bedroom yesterday (washed curtains, wiped down walls, the whole shebang).  We have a box of stuff to give away.  We still have way too much, but it's little steps.  I have a problem with the premise of Hoarders because they set the person up for failure.  It takes years to acquire all that stuff.  That's years of some issue that causes the hoarding.  The show brings in a psychologist and the psychologist tries to 'solve' the problem in two days WHILE the house is being cleaned.  I know it makes it much easier and cheaper for the show.  It just seems to me, if they really wanted to help these people, minimally they would have the psychologist have at least 3 or 4 sessions with the person before a whole team of people descend on the house with the intent of getting rid of most of what is there.  It makes me think about the Imp.  When she was 2 1/2 years old, she fell into a friend's pool (neither Hubby nor I was there).  The parent was right there and jumped in and got her, but she developed a huge fear of water/swimming.  At 3 1/2 I signed her up for swim lessons for a week.  She spent the week on the steps.  Now when I first was seeing this happen, I wanted to argue that she wasn't being taught how to swim.  But, she needed to feel comfortable with the idea of swimming before she could listen to learn how.  While she stayed on the steps, by the end of the week she would put her head under water and would jump off the steps to the instructor.  I'm not sure she would have ever developed a true love of water if she had been forced to 'swim' before conquering her fear.

Do You Believe In Miracles? Rays Sweep the Yankees, Go to Playoffs

It was pretty intense in our house last night.  First Price gives up 5 runs...yes 5 runs in the first two innings.  Madden doesn't take him out.  Hubby and I were yelling at the TV.  Bottom of the 8th and my Rays are down 7-0.  At the same time Boston is up 3-2 against the Orioles.  "I can't watch them self-destruct like this" so I leave the room.  Top of the 9th and it's a 7-6 ball game.  We're back in it.  Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, 2 strikes, and Dan Johnson, our hero from 2008, hits a glorious home-run!  We're still in the hunt for the postseason.  It took 12 innings, but Longoria hit a single home-run (check out the photo) and the game ended 8-7.  To sweeten the deal, Boston lost in the 9th 4-3.
The Rays began their season 0-6.  They began September 9 games back of the Wild Card.  But the Rays have heart. October's looking like fun.

A Minute In the Church

I don't usually use my blog to advertise for specific products.  But I am privileged to know Gus Lloyd.  He is the host of the morning radio show "Seize the Day" on the Catholic Radio Channel.  That he has a great sense of humor makes time spent with him always enjoyable.  That he is a  knowledgeable true-blue Catholic who feels called to share the faith with others makes time with him almost always informative.  Gus has put together a wonderful book entitled "A Minute In the Church".  It contains short, succinct answers/explanations to some of the most questioned aspects of the Roman Catholic faith.  I recommend this booklet to all Catholics.  It makes an awesome gift for someone going through RCIA, being confirmed, going off to college, for anybody.  I've given a number away as gifts.   Check out his website for details on ordering this, and for further information about his booklet and his CDs.  The booklets are currently at a reduced price.

Homecoming Shoes

I have been reminded by my dad that I have not posted in quite a while.  Too true.  I guess I've been too busy living life, and I've not seen or heard anything that made me feel compelled to write.  That is not to say, I haven't had strong opinions about things I've seen or heard.


The girls had a safe trip to France and Spain for World Youth Day.  The Imp's broken foot has healed, but we are so thankful for her boot that she wore the entire time in Europe.

While the girls traipsed about Spain, Hubby and I made a whirlwind trip up through North Carolina (staying overnight with my brother) then on to Columbus (with an overnight with his brother) on to PA (with the trip from....rain and construction made a 3 hour trip take over 5 hours).  We stayed at his folks for 3 days.  Back on the road to DC to see another brother (an overnighter) and then to South Carolina to see my parents.  We arrived home a week and 2500 miles later.  2 days later, the girls arrived home at and the next day The Singer and I hit the road again to take her and her things back to Belmont Abbey.  I spent a day there helping her set up her room (the most help I gave was my van and credit card for Walmart trips). She loves having her own room. 

 

Yes, pink IS her favorite color.

The Imp spent her first weeks home from Europe catching up on school work.  She missed the first 6 days of school.  She managed to catch up and start crew.  She's loving being a senior.  She's applied to UNF and UCF.  She's managing A's in all her classes except the dreaded Calculus.  Fortunately she has a cousin who is a sophomore at USF and tutors in Calculus.  So she starts spending time with him this week.  Only 2 weeks left in the first quarter.  Hard to imagine.

Homecoming is October 22 and she has a date.  A fellow crew-mate.  She's spent the last 2 years arguing everything from politics to religion, to crew techniques with him.  Not sure Hubby's thrilled with the situation, but they do grow up, don't they.  By the time I was the Singer's age I was on my 3 month countdown to my wedding.  Glad she's not planning a wedding right now.

The Imp got her Homecoming dress a few weeks ago, to wear to a Sweet 16 party.  

Did I mention the Imp got her hair cut right before leaving for Spain?  She cut off over 12 inches (giving it to Locks of Love).  She loves her new 'do and really loves her new shoes.  (Good thing her foot is healed).

Hubby has undertaken a daunting endeavor with a good friend of ours.  The two dads are hosting/running a young adults group (16-20 yr olds) that's basically "How to stay Christian in college"  They meet once a month and their September meeting went really well.  His co-host's wife and I are running a high school girls club.  The focus of our group is for the girls to learn some skill that will benefit them in creating a home in the future.  Our first meeting we made cards (and sent them to a member of our church community that was ill).  Next month we're decorating cakes.  They want to sew, decorate a room, comparison shop, and plan a party.  It's just a lot of fun.  

I'm enjoying teaching US History to my home school-ers.  How can you not love US History?  It's just such a good story to study.  

The US Catholic Church is getting ready to implement changes in the Roman Missal (words are changing for prayers during Mass).  Every parish is phasing in the changes in their own way, but there are many awesome explanations online.  Our parish has links to many of them. (Dad, check it out).

I'm looking forward to getting back into serious scrap booking.  This weekend is a two day event and then Oct 15 is Krop for Kids the most amazing crop ever.  (If you're in Tampa area and reading this there may still be some openings.).

Sad news that a dear friend's father was  diagnosed with lung cancer that has already metastasized to his bones.  If there is any good news in this it would be her close location to her parents so she has been spending lots of time with him. 

Off to Europe

The Imp is off her crutches.  The doctor gave her the go-ahead to leave her crutches at home as she heads off to France and Spain with a church group to World Youth Day.  The doctor asked her to walk on her foot.  She nearly fell over.  So he sent us to physical therapy.  The guy there was awesome.  She spent an hour and a half at PT learning to walk.  Her ankle is what is giving her the most discomfort.  All the tendons/muscles are so tight.  She also got this super neat device that sends electrical impulses to her foot to help the pain.  There are 4 electrodes that she tapes to her foot and then turns on a little machine (the size of an ipod).  She says it really helps.  She goes back for another session today.  She'll have her boot on her foot to provide support and protection while in Europe.  She's just so happy to be able to carry things.  She's been packing the last few days and just getting things from one stack to another was a chore.  She slept without the boot, too.  So all looks good.
We have a send off Mass tonight.  The bishop will be there to celebrate it.  Then a potluck dinner and then home to bed to be at the airport at 5:30 am.  Fortunately, we live very close to the airport.  Now I just have to be able to send my two girls off to a foreign country.  It's hard letting go.  And I know they're in good hands, and I know they are basically level-headed and tend to make really good decisions.  I don't know if I could let them go if that weren't all true.  But, I'll be awfully glad when I go to the airport on August 22 and pick them up.
Have tons to do today.  But Hubby's off so all is good.

And What Do We Learn From This Children?

The Imp makes me laugh. All the time. She truly has an aversion to the outdoors.  The hot, humid air aggravates her asthma.  Bugs are, well, beyond annoying. Snakes (which we have even in suburbia), are horrid. And she hates to sweat. Last week she was reading an article in the newspaper about a group of teens attacked by a bear. The teens were in Alaska for some sort of survival training and they were on their own at its culmination.  She read the story aloud to me and then says, "And what did we learn form this children? Never, ever go into nature!"
The girls are starting to pack for their trip to France and Spain for World Youth Day. The Imp realizes she only needs to bring the right shoe of every pair as her left foot is broken. All of a sudden her entire face lights up and she exclaims that she can now take twice as many different shoes.  They have to pack light and limiting her shoe selection to just 4 was killing her. She really loves shoes.
We spent Tuesday cleaning out her closet. 2 full bags of trash (primarily old school stuff) and 4 full bags of give-away. She gave away an entire wardrobe of clothes...T-shirts, casual shirts, blouses, dresses, slacks, jeans, shorts...the whole shebang. Her room is not the big. I'm still not sure how she had so much stuff in there.  We didn't even get to her desk.  Took the give-aways to Goodwill yesterday.  Could have a yard sale, but not for a while with all the other stuff we're doing and we really have no place to store the bags until then.
A friend of mine brought a no-bake cheesecake type of dessert to our house awhile back. Everyone loved it.  I don't really like making crusts, so I made the recipe and just spooned the concoction into individual dishes.  I got some fresh blueberries and strawberries.  So for dessert we had this wonderful cheesecake that everyone got to pile high with fruit. The best part was having the fruit out, so after eating the fruit with the top layer of cheesecake, you could put more fruit in for the second half.  The recipe is soooo easy.  1 package of light cream cheese, 1 container of light cool whip, and 1/3 cup of sugar.  Beat the cream cheese and sugar.  Fold in the cool whip.  Chill. A great summer treat.

Extreme Couponing

I've used coupons for grocery shopping most of my adult life.  There are many coupons I don't use because the brand is more expensive (even with a coupon) than my normal product.  I don't spend much on cosmetics, but I use those coupons when I want to buy the good stuff.  Cosmetic coupons are often more than $1 off. I view 'couponing' as a way to save a little money, and recognize it as a company's way to get me to try their product and possibly build some customer loyalty. I take advantage of  BOGO if it's a product I use, but rarely pick up more than the 2 items (one I pay for and the free one).  True, I have little storage space to take advantage of BOGO, but to me buying 10 and getting 10 for free is a misuse of the system.  With the advent of the reality show "Extreme Couponing" grocery stores are having to alter their policies because people are expecting (yes expecting) to go into a store and come out with paying under $5 for $300 or so of groceries.  I guess I understand the challenge is figuring out HOW to do it...like a logic problem.  But seriously, someone IS paying for those groceries.  Didn't they learn the maxim "There's no such as a free lunch"? I've only seen snippets of the show, but it often shows these women (and I've only seen women, although I'm sure there are some men) storing rooms full of stuff.  One women said if her storage shelves (her entire basement had utility storage shelves that were full of products, carefully organized) got more then 1 item deep used, she'd start to panic about running out.  This sounds like an OCD thing or a hoarder mindset more than good use of finances.  20 jars of peanut butter for a family of 4. Even peanut butter expires.  No way they'll use those.  The best story was a woman who routinely uses the BOGO so she can contribute to a local food bank.  To me, that's an awesome way to utilize capitalism.  I guess I view the extreme couponers as people trying to 'get away' with something...looking for loopholes.  And historically, once loopholes are exploited on a large scale, inane rules follow to try to block the loopholes and we end up with our current tax laws.  I just keep thinking "Balance.  Balance.  Balance."  Extreme anything is dangerous.

The Singer and the Imp went to a wedding this past weekend.  The Singer was asked to sing 'Ave Maria'.  Oh, I enjoyed listening to her practice. The bride and groom are super wonderful people (I wanted to say kids, but I guess 25 year old people don't like being called kids).  They had a Toms reception.  Toms is a shoe company that donates a pair of shoes to people who need them (usually a third world country) for every pair you buy.  The shoes are not cheap $50-$100, but are super comfortable and getting a pair for $50 translates into $25 per pair...just one is going to someone else. Everyone was to wear Toms to the reception.  What a great idea.  The opposite of the "me, me, me" attitude shown on many of the bridal shows.  To me, companies like Toms, are examples of capitalism at its best.  Yes, the company makes money, but it also is providing serious help to those in need, and the consumer can decide whether to participate or not.  The girls both have Toms.  I've help buy them those shoes as they've argued the charitable aspect of the purchase.  Seeing how well the shoes last makes us all feel good about the shoes going to those in need.  Coincidentally, there was a newspaper article about these BOGO for charity companies on the day of the couple's wedding.

I finally finished the girls' sewing projects.  The Imp's dress and the Singer's top came out looking good. Now if I can only get my top finished.  I also had a few repair jobs for the girls, like replacing a bad zipper.  I hate zippers.

The Imp had her senior pictures taken.  They all turned out great.  How on earth am I to decide which prints to get?  What a problem, I know.  After sitting for her senior pictures, she promptly went and cut off 12 inches of her hair to give to Locks of Love. But she's beautiful with short or long hair and more importantly, she's beautiful within.

Broken Bones

The Imp spent last week at a retreat. She called Wednesday and told me she hurt her foot when landing on a leap during a liturgical dance. I asked all the mom questions: "Do I need to come up? How bad is it? Have you iced it? Are you wrapping it?" She answered with all the kid responses: "Yes, I'm icing it. Yes, I'm fine. DON"T COME UP!" There are adults on retreat so I figured if she were really hurt, they'd take her to the ER. I pick her up yesterday afternoon and her foot is 3 times the normal size, black and blue and basically looking 'not good.' Took her to an Urgent Care center today...yep metatarsal #5 (running from the pinkie) is cracked. She's in a temporary cast until we can get in to see an orthopedic doctor. Now, none of this is earth-shattering or terrible in itself and with it being only cracked, she apparently didn't do more damage by her walking on it, but the standard period of time in a cast is 4 weeks. 4 weeks from Wednesday is August 10th. 4 weeks from Monday is August 15th. She leaves for World Youth Day August 12th! So I'm storming heaven for her rapid healing.

We all went to see Harry Potter last night. As always, the film just can't do what a book does. The most disappointing part was how the film dealt with Fred Weasley's death. One of the best parts was Mrs. Weasley giving it good to Bellatrix LaStrange. It's great to see movies where the theater is full and everyone cheers and laughs and gasps at the right time. Being the conservative that I am, I was amazed at how many children under 10 were there. Not only do I think the content not appropriate for that age, but it was a 9:00 showing that didn't get out 'til close to 11:30 PM. Kids need to sleep.

I'm beginning to get a little stressed about World Youth Day and all that we need to get done for that. I'm really trying hard not to borrow trouble and worry but to turn the anxiety into productive planning. (Right. I'll keep telling myself that and maybe one day it'll work.) Summer is over then. Way too quickly. And I've not done half the projects I'd wanted to complete. And now I've added more doctor appointments into the mix.

In the mean time, we're trying to get the Imp's class schedule fixed. Currently her schedule shows no class for period 8 Semester 1. And she's in both AP Government and DE Political Science (she wants one or the other...not both). Her guidance counselor left the school and the new one has not started, so she's without a guidance counselor. We'd been dealing with the department secretary who is a very sweet woman who knows a lot...but not everything. Finally got an appointment with the head of the department for Tuesday. Ugh.

Painting with Monet and Merlot

Two of my friends convinced me a few months ago to sign up for an evening of "Painting with Moent and Merlot" It was a deal offered through Living Social so we paid half price. It sounded like lots of fun. And it was.
Last night we headed off to a restaurant where the party room was set up for this little class. The instructor walked us through step by step on how to copy the work displayed. I love doing creative stuff anyway and this was perfect. Add a glass of sangria and life was really, really good.

Hubby and I have been talking lately about 'things' we want and other than getting a slightly larger TV when our current one dies (It's 10 years old and is a 32-inch) there aren't many actual things we want, we'd like to spend our money on experiences. We'd like to travel to Italy and the Holy Land, go to more live entertainment (plays, concerts) and things like that. We'd like to be able to take our future grandkids to museums and ball parks and amusement parks, and the beach and the mountains. Experiential.

Last night at the painting class was the very thing. I learned some new things (always, always a plus), spent time with 2 great friends and walked away with a painting. Life is very, very good.

The first picture is of our instructor demonstrating the next step. The rest are the progression of my painting.

Summer

I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love having my girls home with me and I love not having so many meetings and such that only occur during the school year. But somehow, I am always busier during the summer than during the school year. Maybe I'm not really busier, but my expectations are that summer is a time of relaxation and it really isn't. For years, Hubby told me I had it wrong. He said that as a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) summer would be my busy time of year. And I guess I agreed with that when the girls were younger. I had to provide some structure to their days. And the summer has always been when I tried to teach the girls some 'real life skills'. They have to make dinners (from planning a balanced meal, to getting the ingredients on the grocery list, to making it) and they always have a sewing project. At first it was just something like a pillow but each year I wanted them to do a more intricate project. In addition, the summer was when we cleaned out closets, etc. But as they got older (21 and 17), I guess I imagined that things would be less on me and more on them. Not so. In fact, this year I'm doing all the sewing! They picked the patterns and material, but I'm doing the sewing. To be fair, the Imp has done the pinning the pattern and cutting it out and the Singer works 40 hours a week plus has a 40 minute commute each way. And somehow extra stuff always gets thrown in. But even with all the stuff, I still love summer.

The Imp is off for a week. She's helping to run a retreat-type week for other teens. She helps train the teens to be retreat-helpers during the year. It's a great way to spend a week and it has given her great confidence in her skills and has helped her know things to help her stay firm in and being able to defend her faith. This is her 4th year. They have theme nights. This year one night is Famous Characters. Her friends all decided to go as Disney characters, so her friends are Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Ariel. The Imp gets to be Tinkerbell. That's amusing in lots of ways, since the Singer has always had a love of Tink and has tons of Tinkerbell stuff. But once you stop to think about it, Tinkerbell is a great fit. Tink has got an attitude, as does the Imp and truthfully, the Imp just isn't "Disney Princess" material. So this week I had the honor (right!) of making her a Tinkerbell costume! Working with tulle isn't as easy as one would imagine. But I got it done. I can't wait to see the pictures!

Both girls are getting excited about going to World Youth Day. They leave on August 12 and return on the 22. Both girls will be missing the first days of school, but I think the experience is well worth it. Yesterday we found out that their group was given the opportunity of picking 3 participants to sit in the FRONT ROW of seats at the prayer vigil with the Pope. The Singer was picked as one of the three! What a thrill! The Singer is studying theology and spent this past semester studying many of Benedict's writings and is a big fan. She's so excited, I'm not sure she'll sleep between now and then. I'm so happy for her. She refers to Pope Benedict as El Papa or Benny.

I'm sitting here in a darken house as it storms outside. It began about 7 this morning. I love listening to the rain and am thrilled with the rainfall, as we desperately need it.  However...I have errands to run and don't really enjoy driving and running in the rain.  We actually got rain last night, too, so the roads have standing water.  But I won't complain.

Four Years? Not Possible.

Four years ago today my little brother John died due to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).  It doesn't seem possible.  I miss him, and yet I somehow feel like I've shared the last 4 years with him.  Hubby and I were just discussing the immense leaps in maturity both our daughters have shown in the last 6 months.  How is it that I haven't shared that with John?  I'm not certain how to express what I'm feeling.  There is a definite sadness of not actually seeing John and hearing his laugh and wondering if I missed something in the conversation when his eyes would twinkle with that "I know a joke you don't".  But there is also a strong feeling of him still being here with me...I carry him in my heart and often think of things to tell him.
Years ago John told me he thought the Singer should be a nun.  The Singer was all of 12 at the time.  I told him anything was possible but that I wouldn't share his opinion with her 'till sometime later.  Last year the Singer began to seriously discern her future and entering the convent was one of the paths she was looking at.  I told her then what John had said.  I feel like John knows all about that, but would still have loved to sit, talk and laugh with him about it all.
The Imp has grown up sooo much this year.  It's hard to imagine that her knowledge and experiences with John stop when she was only 13 years old.  Her life view is so different now, she would have been able to enjoy John more as she has matured.  I am sad for her loss that she doesn't even realize she should miss.




Whenever I try to express my thoughts and feelings about things deep and personal like this, I feel like I lack knowledge of an entire set of vocabulary words that would somehow succinctly, eloquently and comprehensively allow me to communicate.  I don't normally struggle with what word/words to use to accurately portray my thoughts.  In this area I inevitably feel uneducated; and unable to clearly articulate my meaning.

3-Day Weekends and Awesome Brownies

It would be so nice if 3-day weekends were really 4 or 5 days long.  I enjoyed just spending time with my family this weekend, and will miss that now that the work week has begun.
Saturday we all went to a wedding.  I love going to weddings with Hubby.  I get all mushy inside and just enjoy contemplating how wonderful it is to be married to my best friend.  The wedding Mass was beautiful but my favorite part was at the reception, the groom washed the bride's feet.  The groom is quite adorable and he stumbled over his words, then said to his new bride, "I just want you to know I am here always to serve you as Christ came to serve."  And he really meant it.  We are friends with both the bride and the groom and are so very happy for them!
After that, we basically just hung out as a family around our house and pool.
We did get a new vacuum.  Our old one didn't seem to clean as well as it once had and then started to smell like something burning if you had it on for more than 3 or 4 minutes.  So I spent time going room to room vacuuming and  as the new machine is bag-less, I could see exactly what was picked up in each room.  Yuk.  (Except, I felt so much better knowing the carpets were now clean.)  3 girls can generate gobs of hair very easily.
Friday night was the ceremonial "Summer Survival Bag" unveiling.  To mark that event, I made these scrumptious brownies (recipe at end of post).  I made these brownies right for Easter.  I didn't enough vanilla so I used 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extract.  The Imp calls these "crack brownies" because once you've had one, you're addicted and must have more.  We had told the Singer about them and she was skeptical about their allure.  After having them, she too is calling them "crack brownies."  So that is the 'official' name.  I just hope they don't discuss them too openly and give people the wrong idea.  I had to have Hubby hide them so I wouldn't inhale the entire plate.  We doled them out throughout the weekend.  The only drawback is that the recipe is for a scant 8 by 8 inch pan.  I tried altering the recipe for a 9 by 12 pan, but they didn't turn out as wonderful as before.  I might have over-baked them...and this recipe is ruined by that, or some recipes just don't increase well.
The best thing this weekend is I started the puzzle I got for my birthday: a 2000 piece Sistine Chapel puzzle.  Be still my heart.  I'm probably about 1/3 done.  But the more you get done the faster it goes.  I love jigsaw puzzles.  My family knows me well getting this for me.

We watched 'Inception' Sunday night.  It was actually much better than I thought it would be.  People had told me it was similar in style as 'the Matrix' movies.  I'm not a big fan of those.  But while there were some similarities, I thought it was much better.  I'm not a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan, but he did a nice job.  I think I like him better now that he is a little older.

I just finished reading "The Shack". Quite thought-provoking. I'd recommend it to anyone, but don't approach it like light reading.

The Imp is gearing up for the release of the last Harry Potter movie by rereading books 5, 6 and 7. She'll be on retreat the day it is released (at 12:01 on a Friday morning) but plans to go straight from her retreat to the theater to see it Friday night. And while some parents worry about the true message sent by the Harry Potter series, I'm not that concerned partly because she is just as crazy about the Narnia series and we discuss the symbolism, subliminal messages, etc of most everything she watches. She looked up her summer reading for her AP English course and squealed in delight that one of the two books is "Pride and Prejudice." I believe she can quote entire passages. She originally read the book the summer after 8th grade. She has seen multiple movie renditions (and can tell you which ones stay true to the book in various ways). She's thinking of having a "Pride and Prejudice" party at the end of July watching the 6-hour movie (which she says is best).


Best Brownie Recipe
(originally from allrecipes.com but below is my 'tweaked' version)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs (allow them to come to room temperature)
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup hershey's cocoa (I use part regular and part extra dark)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 8-inch pan

In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 c butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and flavorings. (I use a whisk). Sift together cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Slowing beat dry ingredients in. Spread batter in prepared pan

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

The recipe from allrecipes.com called for a frosting. I've never made it. The brownies are perfect as they are.

Fantastic Birthday

Yesterday was a great birthday.  I had made banana bread with chocolate chips Tuesday night (using Sarah's recipe) so I had the wonderful sweet treat for breakfast.  I had no great plans for the day, so I decided to make my cake from scratch.  I spent Monday and Tuesday searching my recipe books and the web for something "good."  I stumbled across the Hershey's web page and hit the jackpot.  I allowed the family to give me their input, but ultimately, I decided on this deliciously decadent dark chocolate cake.  I was unaware that Hershey's made a dark chocolate cocoa, but won't soon forget it!  Though I absolutely adore chocolate and savor all dark chocolate I eat, the cake seemed a little too chocolate-y even for me.  So I went to my Betty Crocker cook book and made a fluffy (boiled) white icing for the between the two round cakes and covered the whole thing in the superbly wonderful dark chocolate icing published with the cake recipe.  Oh my.  It.  Was.  So.  Delicious.   I think once this cake is gone (and it won't be long in this world) I will dream of it, especially on days I have chocolate cravings.  I'm not sure we'll ever make a different chocolate cake.  Can you tell I really liked it?
In addition to totally enjoying myself making a mess in the kitchen, we ate take-out Chinese out back by the pool.  The weather was so gorgeous.  Not too hot as is often the case having a May birthday and living in Tampa.  There was even a nice breeze.  Having the Singer home from college and both the Singer and the Imp on their "best behavior" falling over themselves to make my birthday great.
We had decided some time ago to celebrate Mother's Day and my birthday on Saturday the 21st.  I was in NC for Mother's Day and with my birthday being mid-week of exam week for the Imp and because I am pretty spoiled when it comes to my birthday a mid-week celebration simply wouldn't be enough fanfare to properly celebrate these two great days.  So part of what made yesterday so wonderful was the anticipation of more to come this Saturday.  Gifts will be given then.
Then it was wonderful to get emails all day telling me of many friends wishing me well on Face book.  And then my parents called and sang Happy Birthday to me.  The day ended with a back rub from my Hubby.  Life is pretty darn good.
I needed a day of just enjoying life.  It seems the last few weeks have been rather stressful.  I went to visit my dermatologist at the end of April (having to see her twice a year after my seriously abnormal results in October).  She removed two questionable moles for inspection.  One came back seriously abnormal, so I was back to the surgeon to have a significant amount of tissue removed from my arm.  The previous surgery was on my arm, but close to the elbow.  This tissue was removed from my triceps area.  I now have a 'divot' in my arm.  Not the end of the world, I realize, but not something someone would choose.  Then two weeks ago, I got to spend the day in the ER with the Imp with severe abdominal pains.  Her CT scan ruled out appendicitis but revealed a "female problem" (she really doesn't want details published on the web).  We've been to a gynecologist and are in a waiting pattern.  The issue is NOT life-threatening nor indicative of any kind of cancer.  The issue could a) resolve itself, b) get better with a course of treatment, c) require surgery, d) indicate a persistent annoying issue, e) indicate a persistent more serious issue.  So that has been weighing heavily on my mind.  The Imp has responded as she does to most of life.  "It doesn't hurt now, so I won't think about it."  She knows she doesn't have to worry when I'm around.  I'll worry enough for both of us.  The waiting is really the hardest part.  We don't know what ultimately will happen because of this, so I can't begin working to make it better.  We return to the gynecologist in mid June and then again 2 months later.  Hopefully by then we'll have a better picture of the issue.  While it is ultimately great that I have a Hubby who doesn't dwell on things or worry, when I'm in the middle of a serious worry-fest it is quite infuriating that he deems the situation not worthy of that kind of reaction.  And it's not that he doesn't worry or rant/rave/cry but that he acts as if I'm crazy/childish/obnoxious for doing those things.  After crying and imagining the worst case scenarios, I'm able to function in front of the Imp and keep it together when others ask about the situation.  Hubby, however, down plays the whole thing partly because he hates to see me distressed.  It's a good thing I have my female friends who sympathize appropriately to help me through this.
I think it's time for another piece of some decadent chocolate cake.

Heartbreak at State Regatta

The Imp and "her" Girls Varsity 8 team went to State competition this weekend.  They'd practiced almost everyday during their Spring Break (some days 2 practices) and had been having morning (6:45 am) practices when school was in session 2 days per week (in addition to their 4-6 pm daily practices after school).  They were all set.  They were expecting to finish mid-pack.  There were 2 7-boat heats and they were hoping to finish in the top 6 but felt confident they'd finish in the top 12.  That was not to be.
After getting up at 4:15 am to leave the house at 5 to get to Sarasota by 6:30 to help rig the boat before the coxswain meeting at 7, the Imp's race was to start at 8:07.  They were in lane 7.  If you've never seen a crew regatta, it takes time for the boats to get into position for a start.  They start with the boat in lane one getting into position, and go forward, so lane 7 is last.  The boats are 17 meters long (that's almost 58 feet) so maneuvering the boats isn't simple.  There are different types of starts based on weather conditions.  They'd been told at the meeting they were having one kind of start unless/until conditions changed.  They were the 2nd heat of the day.  Well, they had a terrible start.  The start had changed to a countdown start (the other start has the official asking each boat if they are ready...the countdown start does not).  The Imp's boat was not in position, and in fact had girls with their oars out of the water.  The start happened before the Imp realized it was going to.  In her and her team's panic, they crossed into lane 6, which caused more panic/frustration.  They finished last in their heat (boats 1-6 all went on to some other race, boat 7 was totally eliminated).  To their credit they finished only 2 seconds behind boat 6 and only 30 seconds behind boat 1 (that's a fairly close heat when all 7 boats finish within 30 seconds).  The girls were crushed.  It broke my heart to see them carrying their boat out of the water with tears streaming down their faces.
But I have to say now, that it was probably a great learning experience for the Imp.  I also have to say that I'm proud of her response to the event.  When the coach called the team around, she immediately said "It's my fault, I didn't get them ready for a good start" Not "The officials are idiots" or "It's unfair" or anything like that.  She saw her role as coxswain to captain her boat and the poor start in her eyes, was a result of poor direction to her team.  She felt even more responsible when she found out that had she simply sat at the start line and not had her team row, she could have gotten a second start.  No one has ever told her that, but she felt responsible.  I gotta be proud of that.  She said her first task today at their team meeting is to get the official rule book so she knows all the rules for the future (that means next year...their season is over).  Like I said, I am proud of her leadership.
Saturday was excruciatingly long.  Their race was over by 8:15 (and their boat out of the water and stowed by 9am) the boys races weren't until 2 and 3 pm.  So the girls had to be supportive of the boys team throughout the day and couldn't even go home and lick their wounds.
As her mom, I wish they'd advanced to the next round, and as her mom, it breaks my heart to see her struggle, suffer, etc.  But as her mom, I'm also glad for this experience.  It's made her stronger and prepared her for lots of other "unfair starts" she'll face in her life that have nothing to do with crew.  And her attitude of "what can I do differently to make this better?" is going to serve her well.  I so understood her sentiment of just wanting to be able to row the race again, even without it meaning anything, just to row it well to finish on a positive note.
The venue in Sarasota is awesome with plans for it becoming better.  Here's a few links about the venue.

Kidney Stones

Never a dull moment.  The Singer calls last night a little after 11 pm.  I can tell be the sound of her voice when she says "Mommmmm.."  I'm thinking, 'please don't let it be a car accident or something terrible."  And she proceeds to tell me she's in so much pain in her abdomen that she thinks she going to get sick to her stomach.  Do I think she should wait it out or go to the emergency room.  Really?  Her junior year in high school she got kidney stones during her 1st semester exams which continued to cause her pain all the way up to Christmas.  So is it the same kind of pain?  Yep.  Then go to the emergency room.  I tell her make sure someone else drives.  She then sounds indignant with an 'of course."  Hey, if you don't know to go the emergency room, can I be sure you don't know not to drive in so much pain?  5 hours later, with a diagnosis of kidney stones and pain meds and anti-nausea meds she was back in her dorm room.  I couldn't sleep until I heard all was okay.  Thank goodness she has such a wonderful roommate who took great care of her.  Awake at 8:30 this morning, I didn't get a whole lot of sleep.  And I have a long list of things to get done this weekend.  Such is life.  I'm just so relieved it isn't something worse.  Abdominal pain can be a whole host of problems.  Kidney stones are 'doable'.  And I can say that as someone who has had them.

I'm enjoying the beautiful weather and eating the lettuce and green peppers from my garden.  My cukes are coming along.  I have a few about 2 inches long.  I can't wait to eat them.  My roses are blooming.  My Fragrant Cloud has 10 buds.  3 of them should open today and then a few more for the next couple of days.

We went to University of Central Florida on Monday with the Imp.  It's on her top 2 list.  I'm not too sure.  It's not the university per se that has me concerned.  It's the fact that there are 56,000 students.  Yep 56 thousand!  The second largest university in the country.  It just seems like it would be so easy to get lost in the mix there.  Her other top choice is University of North Florida which will visit this summer since we really need an overnight  stay to go there.  Guess I'll be doing lots of praying over this 'cause there's really not a whole lot else to do.

The home school coop I teach for is having their parent meeting Monday night.  It's really a meeting where each teacher gets up and pitches their courses so parents will sign up their kids.  We get paid per student you want people to want your class.  I'm slated to teach US History (which I'm very excited about and have lots of ideas for) and public speaking (I'm thinking this could be really wonderful but I've got to do much more to create the curriculum, etc.)  I just got asked to teach this course a week ago so I've got to come up with the structure of the course and how I plan to attack it and then come up with a 5 minute or less presentation selling it.  Now if I'm teaching Public Speaking I'd better be able to sell the course with a public speech, right?  And finally I'm doing the drama club.  I'm in way over my head there...just because what I'll do with that depends greatly on the number of kids who sign up.  This weekend will be stressful as I do all this, but overall it's really all very good.  I'm glad I've got things to focus on and ways to stay involved.  The crochet club this year is making baby afghans for the local pregnancy center.  Each student is making granny squares and I'm crocheting them all together.  I think between the 7 or 8 members we will end up with 3 or 4 afghans.  After first semester just learning how to crochet, it was great to have a goal or mission this semester.

Better go get started on all of this.

The Love Dare

Sitting in a quiet house early in the morning reading my devotional...it is wonderful.  During the day I find myself frustrated with so many things...wishing the world were more supportive of my values....often feeling as if every value (honesty, modesty, moderation, love, patience, etc) I want to teach my children is the very things society is urging them to denounce.
Modesty is on my radar especially as I get ready to go prom dress shopping with the Imp.  Her slight build makes it easier to find a dress that covers things...but so many are still too revealing and too suggestive.  The Imp is going with a friend, not a boyfriend, and her words, "I wouldn't want to go with a boyfriend because then you're expected to dance like your having sex with your clothes on.  That's just sick!"  In fact she was thinking of not going at all but her other friends talked her into going as a group.  She said she'd much rather go to St. Leo's to the carpenter shop (a meeting room for the teens) put on some music and just have fun dancing with everyone.

So for Lent I'm doing the "Love Dare" on my husband.  My TEAM read an article about marriage during Lent and it was about really actively loving your spouse.  I need a little more concrete, specific ideas.  So I got out the "Love Dare" and have started.  I'm on day 6.  It was interesting because some of the stuff I already do.  Day 2 has you calling your spouse during the day to just say "hi" and asking if there is anything you can do for them.  Well I almost felt like I needed to call 2 times to fulfill the love dare since I call Hubby most days to do just that.  Then Day 3 has you buy something for your spouse.  That was very hard for me as Hubby is so NOT into THINGS of any kind.  And he is so into NOT spending money.  If it weren't Lent I might have gotten him a box a Suzy Q's (one of his absolutely favorite junk food that he doesn't have very often) or a six-pack of a dark beer (but he gave up chocolate and alcohol for Lent).  So I went ahead and bought him two tickets for the Rays game when the Red Sox first come to town this year.  Carl Crawford, a hero for the Rays for the last few years, sold out to the enemy.  (We knew he was leaving the Rays..the Rays just don't pay money like the other clubs but were hoping he'd go to a team not in our division...The Red Sox?  Really?)  Ever since Crawford signed with the Red Sox Hubby has talked about going to the game to cheer Crawford when he's introduced as a fond farewell, then boo him for the rest of the game.  I was going to get him tickets to opening day but only the beach seats left with 2 seats together.  Again, he was thankful, but it wasn't really out of the ordinary.  It's funny 'cause the Love Dare comes from the movie, Fireproof, and in it the couple is on the verge of divorce so the husband starts this love dare and his wife totally ignores his attempts to love her.  Hubby and I are so happy in our marriage I guess I had visions of him being so thankful.  Which, of course, is totally NOT the point of the endeavor.  The whole idea is that as a married person we are called to love the other no matter what.  Not because they deserve it (none of us deserves God's love, after all) or because of what we get out of it (recognition, affirmation, etc).  So I laughed at myself for looking for that recognition.  My love-language is words of affirmation so I often look for them/desire them to make me feel loved, but really, I was missing the point.  So just spending the time focusing on that whole idea...no matter what he does or doesn't do I'm called to love him...has been a good thing for me.  34 more days.  We'll see where it all leads.

Gotta go get the Imp up so we can hit the mall...fortunately she went with the Singer last week and has a dress picked out so it shouldn't be too long at the mall.  And we're hitting the library afterward...my carrot.

Spring!

The Singer is home for Spring Break.  The weather is gorgeous (80 today and high 70s and low 80s the rest of the week).  The only drawback to the weather is not enough rain recently and I'm trying to get my garden going. My broccoli is harvested.  It hit 80 last week and they started to flower.  80 is a no-no for broccoli.  I'll have to plant earlier next year!  My leaf lettuce is producing, 'Got small peppers on my pepper plants.  The cukes are transplanted to the garden.  Bean seeds are sown.  Onions are transplanted.  Herb garden doing great.  Roses have buds.  But I hate watering by hand.  Just rain already!  Focusing in on my garden is my attempt to forget the layer of yellowish-green oak pollen that is coating everything!  
Allergies are in full swing for the whole family.  I've actually slept out on our couch (very comfortable, btw) to sleep without Hubby's snoring.  No fault of his.  He's taking his allergy meds and sleeps on 2 pillow to help keep his head elevated, but it's allergy season.  Once I fall asleep, rarely is his snoring so loud that it wakes me, but if I'm having a hard time falling asleep...even the just noisy breathing keeps me from sleeping.  On those nights it's just easier to let Hubby fall asleep and then for me to move to the couch.  It's not often, but for years I would suffer through hours of sleeplessness thinking it wasn't good for a wife to sleep elsewhere from her husband.  But after 26 years, he knows I'm not avoiding him, and I'm able to demonstrate my love for much easier if I've actually slept.
The Imp is thrilled to have the Singer home.  Not so thrilled that she has to still go to school every day while the Singer sleeps in and goes to the beach.  But every night we're eating together, doing dishes and then gathering around the Wii and playing Mario.  It's a blast.  The four of us all tripping over each other (in the game) and yelling and screaming when we 'die' and cheering when we complete a level.  We are pretty geeky.  
Speaking of geekiness.  The other day the Imp was saying how it was obvious that Hubby was a geeky about computers and that I was geeky about history/geography/teaching but that she really wasn't geeky.  Hubby just laughed and said..."Shoes!"  She couldn't say much to that.  Dinner has been lots of fun.
I'm having so much fun teaching economics to my home school group.  I'm having them complete a Personal Budget Project.  They had to draw a career, with appropriate starting salary, a family, and then had to determine taxes, figure their monthly take-home pay, and now have had to find a car, an apartment, budget for gas, car insurance, cable, groceries, etc.  Then every few weeks they draw a "Life Happens" card.  Things like "Your car needs an oil change."  or "You got a speeding ticket"  or "It's your child's birthday, plan and budget a party and gifts" or "Your favorite band is in town."  It fun to hear their comments.  Even those who are married only have one income (for simplicity's sake).  So one girl said, "Do I have to take my husband to the concert if I go?  He doesn't even work!  And I have to take care of him!"  This from a girl whose mom is a stay-at-home mom.  I said "Does your dad take your mom out?"  It's just too funny.  The parents are very happy with the project.  It's generated much discussion in the homes.  This is what I love about teaching.
My crochet group is making baby afghans for the Pregnancy Center.  I'm having fun.  

Ain't Family Great

The Singer called last night around 8, stressed to the max.  "Mom, I just can't spend another night in the dorm with all those people around all the time."  Both my daughters desperately need alone time.  The Singer's need is striking as she needs the boisterous social time just as much (The Imp is much less the social butterfly so her need isn't surprising.  The Singer is such a social butterfly, cheerleader type, that people don't realize how precious and necessary that time is to her.)
Her desperation carrying through the phone in her tone, "The library is closing, there's nowhere to go, except a cafe in Charlotte but it's suppose to snow tonight and I don't want to get caught in the snow."  (Ah, a new appreciation of the trials of driving in the snow after her trip back to NC in January...now the forecast was for ONE inch of snow...I wasn't too worried, but just listened.)
First I stayed calm.  Asked her to check out the hour by hour forecast (when exactly was it suppose to start snowing, etc.).  Then I told her to call her uncle (my brother) who is but 20 minutes from her, and ask to crash in their spare bedroom.  I was praying this wouldn't be an imposition on them.  Knowing the generosity of both my brother and his wife, I was sure they'd open their home, and knowing the Singer truly wanted to be alone, I figured her presence wouldn't be disruptive.
Family came through.  Within minutes the Singer was heading off to their house.  I texted her this morning asking how it went.  "Blissful...I got 8 beautiful hours of sleep and got to have a pop tart with Andrew this morning" (Andrew is 5 and probably the cutest kid alive).  I'm so glad she got the sleep.  Still recovering from the flu last week, I've been trying to push the sleep thing on her without being to 'momish'. 

What a great relief to know she has family that will take her in...not just in an emergency..but just to be nice. 
Family is GREAT.

They Don't Have Boots

Yesterday at Mass, our deacon spoke about giving to our diocese's fundraiser.  He spoke about volunteering at Pinellas Hope, a local homeless help center (temporary housing and hot meals provided).  He shared how before going to Pinellas Hope and knowing these people, he, like many middle class Americans, wondered why "those" people didn't just pull themselves up by their bootstraps.  After spending time at Pinellas Hope, he discovered the answer...they don't have any boots!  That story will stay with me for a long time.  There are people who are homeless due to their poor choices (i.e. it's their own fault).  There are also people who are homeless because they never had an adequate support system.  When you are middle class, you usually not only have some sort of savings for emergencies, you also have people who will help you out in emergencies, additionally you have been exposed to the idea (and believe it) that hard work pays off.  It is so hard for middle class America to grasp the reality that the culture of the poor is often dramatically different than our own.  Our Youth Group volunteers at Pinellas Hope a few times each year.  They also spend a night retreat there...sleeping outside, eating the meal provided at Pinellas Hope, etc.  The response is almost always the same..."I had no idea there were 'normal' people who were homeless."  or "I'm never drinking...this guy I met used to work at a nice white collar job and he lost it, his family and his home due to drinking."  I think this kind of experience should be required for all teenagers (and it would probably benefit all law-makers as well).
People who know me, know I am not an advocate for unlimited social programs.  In fact, I think privately run 'help' groups are preferable to government programs all the time.  But, at the same time, I believe too many people who live comfortably frequently misjudge those who have less.
It's not that they don't want to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, they just don't have any boots.

The Triple Bind

I'm ready this book  Triple Bind.
I'm finding it really interesting, and spending time contemplating how much pressure I put on my own two girls.  A friend of mine has a daughter who is a freshman in high school and is having a very difficult time of it.  The girl is super smart, super sweet, very pretty (and dances-ballet- and plays the piano and is a runner).  The girl is feeling inadequate and overwhelmed in high school.  I recommended this book to her.  Just reading the book jacket had my friend very interested.  I found Hinshaw's reference to "America's Next Top Model" especially enlightening.  Both my girls absolutely LOVE that show.  I never could understand why.  Hinshaw explains how the Triple Bind is openly played out on the show and that the appeal is that the girls are succeeding!  

Happy to Live in Florida

Seeing the news the last few days and looking at the weather map, sure makes me happy I live in Florida.  The front line, separating the cold from the nice whether sits just north of me.  It'll come close to 70 today here.  Sure beats the -32 in the northern mid-west.  It is cloudy, and I'm definitely a sunshine-kind of person, but after spending some time outside this morning playing in my gardens, I won't complain.  I have lots of seeds growing up in my planters on my porch...can't transplant them to the garden until I'm really sure it won't freeze again.  My broccoli and pepper plants in my garden are looking good.  After a frigid (for Florida) December and cold January, I would be just fine without a February freeze, but won't tempt fate by planting my little lettuce, cucumber, and onions too soon.
It's February, so we are now surrounded by all the Valentine's Day hoopla.  I've just never liked the pressure of Valentine's Day.  Hubby and I are going out to a great restaurant, Rigatoni's, a week AFTER Valentine's Day.  Fewer crowds, lower prices, more fun.  In fact, Hubby proposed (well...his proposal was less than traditional, but we call it his proposal) to me on Feb 15 of 1984.  He wanted to do it on Valentine's Day, but he said he knew I'd probably say 'no' on principal since I think the hoopla around the day is so overdone.
We celebrated 26 years December 29.  We had a great time.  Nothing like spending your life with your best friend.  We went on Hotwire and got a great hotel room downtown on the river for a steal.  So we went downtown that afternoon with the idea of going skating at the constructed outdoor skating rink they put up at a park on the river (in a tent-like structure to help prevent thawing in the 60 degree weather).  I'd been reading about the rink in the paper and wanted to go ice skating outside (we've a great indoor rink just a few miles from my house).  Well, the rink was smaller than a postage stamp, way too crowded and all torn up from all the skates.  So we passed by the rink and kept walking to the downtown library.  To many, a couple of hours at a library on one's anniversary might not sound wonderful, but to me it was pure heaven.  The only drawback was the heat was on too high.  The downtown library is wonderful...multi-leveled and two sections (east and west) separated by a clear 'tunnel'.  After browsing (and both picking up a few books) we sat and read magazines.  Hubby said we'd have to plan to do this regularly in retirement.  Don't subscribed to any magazines, just plan to spend an afternoon every week at the library, getting our info there.  Now...I'm one lucky girl to have a Hubby like that!
The Singer is back at college, burning the candle at both ends.  She went off to the March for Life in DC the weekend of the 20th.  The next weekend she was off to the FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) convention in Tennessee.  She got back late Sunday night and by Tuesday was running a fever.  After running a temp of 103, she headed off to the college clinic and was diagnosed with the flu.  She's wishing she were home for Mom's TLC.  Fortunately she has lots of friends.  They did a drug store run and got Tylenol, orange juice, chicken soup, tissues, and some movies.  So she's in good hands.
The Imp starts school late today due to Junior Class retreat day.  So I gotta go take her in.