Thursday, December 30, 2010

Hello to a new year!

A few things always happen to me at the beginning of the year:

I have a better attitude.
I start seeds.
I clean house more often.
I actually make a post to my blog.

I really need to change that header to reflect what I'll actually write about.

Today, I started Chamomile and Sweet Peppers, Kaliedescope mix.  Put potting mix in a flat to start a lettuce mix, but I didn't have seeds!

To the left is some cuttings from a Pinapple Sage plant that I started in water.

Cuttings I've been keeping in water, but they were looking a little peaked, so I transplanted them to potting soil today.

Basil


Geranium

Monday, June 7, 2010

Tried fabric felt pens...

They did OK, but not great.  Pink ribbed tank top.  The green is kind of washed out looking.  The pink and purple turned out OK though.

I have a few shirts that have oil spots that I cannot get out, so I'm coloring them with these pens.  I'm working on some scrolls and whatnot to put on them.  For the tank top, I put on a standard vine doodle of mine.

I'll put a pic of it up later.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Last post, I spoke to soon...

Because it has been stinkin' raining EVER since.

Good part of that is the plants really like it.  My snow peas are very tall and are blooming.  The warm weather transplants are doing great because they haven't had any hard sun, and they have received PLENTY of water.  I haven't had to turn on a hose yet.

The bad part is that my town is about to flood, and I've been stuck inside not being able to putter in my gardens.

School officially ended.  I am going to a self-imposed summer school for a few reasons.

Last year I didn't really enjoy my time off because I kept thinking about all the things I had to do, but I didn't DO them.  So I'm going to stay at school for a week with one student volunteer (bless that teenager's heart), then go to a one week conference where I am going to actually get something out of it.  I'll be Adobe Certified when I walk out.  Then back to school for another week.  I'll be able to complete the Spring Supplement, finish writing the district Perkins application, and clean up my room.

So it will be very productive, and I'll be able to take a REAL break with no deadlines looming over my head.

Now if we could just get some sunshine with a 85 degree max, I'd be in heaven.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Spring is passing by quickly, summer is approaching.

I've been doing a lot of gardening lately, and it has been wonderful.  Have all sorts of things planted, and am ready to head out taking hummingbird pictures.  The feeder is out and I have one regular customer already.  A small grayish one with a white breast.

So far I have a bumper crop of lettuce, and am sharing it with a friend.  Spinach and snow peas are just starting to come to harvest time.  Planted basil, brandywine, early girl, and sungold tomatoes.  Out front I just put in four different kinds of thyme, hens and chicks, and some alyssum.
School is coming to a close, and I don't feel like I've been able to do everything I wanted to.  Never do.


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Why does a fallen out Catholic observe Lent?

Another instance of "You can take the girl out of the Church, but not the Church out of the girl."

It's been over 20 years since I've been to a service, but there is still a lot about me that is Catholic.  Kind of hard not to be since I went to 12 years of Catholic school, with REAL Irish Catholic nuns.  I got a very good education for a slacker, and do not regret it one bit.

One thing I still do is observe Lent.  Try to make myself better by giving something up, or limiting something.  This year I wanted to do something that would change my patterns for good, not just change and then Whoo Hoo!  Easter!

I gave up eating after 7pm.  So that eliminates a lot of excess snacking, not planning meals, things like that.  It's worked out pretty well.  I've eaten three times where I just had to eat dinner and it was late.  Oh well.

But I learned a few things about myself in the process, and why I eat at certain times.  Learning and being able to change habits feels good.

Thanks God.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Health Care System

Everyone seems to have an opinion, and so do I.  Here it is.

Totally open it up to competition like Car and Home Insurance.  Rates will lower, some people will offer crappy services, some good.  Rich people will ALWAYS have more medical advantages over poor no matter WHAT system we have.  

Take me for example.  My doctors and insurance love me.  I get fat, I get sick, they push drugs, everyone makes money.

But do I need drugs?  Not really!  I am a Type II diabetic, and all this could be reversed with diet and exercise changes.  But insurance only covers drugs.  At least mine does.  So the doctors keep giving me more drugs.  Ever since I went on insulin, I just keep on gaining.  I'm not living, I'm slowly dying.  But hey, I'm COVERED!

What do I really want?  

I want to go get psychological counseling so I can figure out why I'm punishing myself with food and inactivity.  Covered?  Barely, and not a lot of people are in the "Preferred Network."
Visits to a diabetes education doctor that when I had goopy eyes gave me a prescription for...oh, MORE DRUGS - antibiotics that on top of it make it harder for the diabetes drugs to work?    COVERED! (Didn't take them, I knew it was allergies, but no one listens)

I would like to hire a cook or go to some cooking classes to re-start myself in the culinary arts.  Covered?  Heck NO.  That's a luxury.  But $100 worth of testing strips for my little meter - $15.  COVERED!

I would like to hire a trainer to kick my ass.  No excuses, someone willing to be hated once in awhile and loved forever.  Covered?  HECK NO.  Luxury say the Insurers!!!
$80 a month out of pocket for 7 different prescriptions that carry a retail value of over $200?  (and that's a cheap estimate)  COVERED!

Insurance is the biggest scam of the modern world.  We're just arguing about how to make it last a little longer.  Bah, Who cares.

Hey, and a shout out to my two followers!!  Whooo Hooo!!!!  Hugs all around!!!

Oh, and there should always be good news:  Last week a teenager actually SAID OUT LOUD that "Hey, she knows what she's talking about, you might want to listen to her."  Holy crud, thought I was gonna faint.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Who knew that blogging would become a self esteem issue...

I just feel that I don't have anything that important to say that it needs to be in a blog.

This is just a small piece of the entire puzzle that when put together usually says "You just don't like yourself much do you?"

So I am going to just REALLY randomize, and post whatever in the heck I feel like.

Getting Old Stinks Update:

OK, I'm not THAT old, no matter what my 19 year old says.  I did NOT create dirt.  Recently, my 1.25 readers just aren't cutting it in the reading novels department.  I wanted to make sure it wasn't a complication of diabetes, so off to the Optometrist I go.  Turns out I haven't been in two years, so it's a good thing I went.

He said everything looks real good, my distance vision is spot on.  Yes, I need to go up in strength for reading glasses.  Good news, my vision coverage pays for a pair of glasses a year!  So I'll be going once a year for sure.  Ended up picking a nice pair of metal burgundy colored specs, with nice dainty scroll work on the sides.

One pair I tried on looked cool, but I think my students would be upset from the shift in congruity if I wore glasses with hearts on them.  I am very proud that I am NOT "The nicest teacher" in the building.  I don't do "nice."  It is my motto that if you haven't ticked off one teenager a day if you work at a high school, you are NOT doing your job properly.  Take off your hoodie, get your hair out of your eyes when I'm talking to you, please sit up so you don't sleep out of habit, blah, blah, blah.

So in the end...

Good News - no diabetes complications in my eyes.  I am very relieved.

Bad News - Congratulations Iris, you're getting older.  (My hair colorist and I beg to differ)

Goodbye for today Interwebs.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!

Just like a lot of things in my life, I started this with great intentions and then let it slip away.

I'm still going to the workout group, and will post some new workouts soon.  It's only for the winter, so I will be taking what I learned and applying it to the local gym or just do it at home.


At this time of resolutions and new beginnings, I wish everyone a Happy New Year.


Hopefully this year I'll have some more to say on my blog!