August 25: A Radically Awesome Day

"When Zoloft and balloon animals can't seem to raise your spirits, the best way to brighten your life is to run the Color Me Rad 5K."

~colormerad.com

It was one of those things I tucked away in the back of mind, thinking "Gee- that would be fun."

And then, one day, while checking my e-mail, the happy little "ding" announced a full inbox.  As I sifted through the messages, scanning and deleting, my eyes fell upon the words 'color' and 'rad' and my interest piqued.

Who in the world could resist such fun?

Not me.  No way.  

The "race" (I use the word liberally) wasn't even timed.  Perfect.  I'm working on toning down the competitive edge-- I'll keep you posted on how that goes.  (wink, wink)

The magic of colored dust shouldn't be lost on anyone.  Try it sometime.  You'll never forget it.

Between the blasting music, the happy people, and the crazy outfits one couldn't help but to have an extreme amount of fun.

Do you see this neon blue haze?

Surprisingly, I started the school year with an ultra-hip blue streak across left side of my hair.  Apparently a bit of dust got trapped under a pigtail holder for a bit too long....oops.

I'm still reeling from the fun. I've never been so gross or took such a long shower.  Plus, over a week later and I still sport a greenish stripe.  Awesome. Pure Awesome.

Life Poetry

My Life Poem

I am from skeins of yarn mixed with magical books.
From clicking needles and tangled string,
From vanilla candles, scenting the warm comforting air,
And a tiny fur-friend whimpering and snoring in delightful sleep,
I am from home- calm and peaceful, filled with creativity and love.

I am from church bells ringing to signal the day’s end.
From manicured green lawns and perfectly potted plants,
From freshly brewed java dancing through the air and the sharing of hugs and hellos,
From chirping birds and welcoming touches,
The understanding and acceptance make me feel whole.

I am from rolling hills of farmland and lots of maple trees.
From snowy ski resorts and miles of peaceful bike trails,
From the Kooser State Park swimming hole and Laurel Highlands hiking paths,
From the home of Steelers football and the Flight 93 memorial,
The changing seasons and close-knit relationships are part of who I am.

I am from purple mountains and spacious skies,
From the wondrous Grand Canyon and twinkling sparklers on the 4th of July,
From ordinary people who rise above the occasion and courageous soldiers who diligently fight for freedom,
From a united nation that looks past differences and a land of opportunity,
The freedoms and acceptance allow me to live without fear.

I am from persistence and hard work; my exterior is tough.
From driven German merchants and polite Englishmen,
From perfectionist carpenters and detail oriented cemetery caretakers,
From resourceful women who created loving homes and farmers who were one with the land.
A pure waterfall is what I am.

I am from a vision of internal peace and personal contentment.
From healthy ways of living and taking personal responsibility,
From calm demeanors and understanding personalities,
From education emerging as a priority and a renewed work ethic,
I envision a world where all people strive for success.

** ** ** **

I recently wrote these poems with my 6th grade English classes. I'm pleased to report that the students worked very hard and published some amazing poems. I'm so proud of them. It was beyond rewarding to see them so engaged. Yay, lovelies!

A Total Nerd

"You can get all A's and still flunk life."

~Walker Percy

I've spent the entire day studying for my mid-term exam. As my reward, I'm about to take a small break to run a few errands and grab a coffee. I'm trying to reenact the old college days, which happened to be way more fun than the current grad school scene. Except rather than running errands, I would have treated myself to a shopping field-trip and dinner date with my roommate. Those were the days.

Today I wrote about 12 pages worth of abstracts and theories and philosophies. Now, I simply have to dedicate a few hours to really internalizing it all. Delightful.

I'm trying to keep my spirits and interest level up by using audaciously colored notebook paper and fancy pens. It's kinda working. If nothing else, at least my binder and notes look spiffy. wink.

Thanks, Dad.

"To her the name of father was another name for love."

~ Fanny Fern

I'll never, ever forget last Thursday. It was a father/daughter moment at its best.

Only my dad would come to my rescue at a local hardware store and help me transport the perfect little Christmas tree. You see, I had found this tree, and simply put, I fell in love. And, yes, you guessed it; the tree was the display model and wasn't for sale.

After a fair amount of persuasion and smooth-talking, I succeed in winning over the poor woman who had the unfortunate job of manning the outdoor garden center. Frown. Other than being a housekeeper at a sleazy motel, that's got to be the most miserable job ever. I silently thanked my parents for making me go to college, and then set about waiting approximately 30 minutes for the head of the holiday center, Gino, to unbolt the Christmas tree from a wooden palette. Poor guy. He probably hated me.

While waiting, my dad and I practically had ourselves a little tailgating session in the parking lot at Lowe's. Classic. All we needed were a few drinks and some bratwurst and we'd have had ourselves a party. Finally, Gino arrived, unbolted the tree and helped us load the pine delight into the back of my dad's car. We won't talk about how much water ended up in his trunk, but I will tell you that he was a real sport about the whole thing. Bless him.

We arrived back at 403 and despite the blustery winds, flying snow, and darkness, he helped me set up the tree on the front porch. I wish I had video of him and I putting on the lights. We laughed till we cried and I'm pretty sure those babies are never coming off. Never. Never. Nev-er.

Thanks, Acey. What a hilariously great time.

Delilah

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind."

~Mary Ellen Chase

Meet Delilah.

She's my purple, shimmery Christmas tree.

A few weeks ago my eyes landed upon this tiny cutie in the festive aisle of Wal-Mart. And, gee-whiz, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. She epitomized everything fun. I thought about her for a solid two weeks. Then I caved and made her mine.

I called my Mama on a blustery Sunday afternoon. She was in the middle of baking bread, and although I'm quite certain she thought I was crazy, she agreed to a quick Wal-Mart run. We had 50 minutes until her oven buzzer was set to go off.

Holy wow! The two of us are quite the efficient crew. The tree and all kinds of sparkly, glittery ornaments made their way into my trunk and off to home we went. Mission accomplished...and all before we burned the bread.

Delilah is everything impractical and delightful and frivolous all rolled into one. She's that amazingly adorable tree that you secretly want, but are too practical to indulge in.

Pish-posh.

Celebrate that inner child, I say. Do something crazy and fun that makes you smile.

So, Delilah now calls my office/studio "home". She and I are great friends. We knit together and read and study and drink coffee and enjoy the scent of pine candles as they waft through the air.

It sure is beginning to look a lot like Christmas...and I just love it!

The Seashore at Halloween

"It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away."

~ U2

Don't tell anyone, but I'm having myself a little 10 minute rest, a little "do nothing," if you will. And, I'm thinking. I'm reflecting. In these quiet moments I'm spending time remembering what a wonderful weekend I just enjoyed.

Restful and Relaxing- no. Wonderful- yes.

Children, trick-or-treating and delicious food. Pony rides on the beach, Dunkin Donut coffee, and boutique shopping. Laughing uncontrollably, parade watching, and great conversations. Oh yea, we sure did have ourselves some good old-fashion fun.

I'll skip the part about some car sickness. That's another story for another time. My chauffeur needed a smooth driving lesson. Ahem.

Local Beauty

"You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestation of your own blessings."

~ Elizabeth Gilbert

After a rather long day of not feeling too well and practicing a fair amount of mind-over-matter and self healing, I packed up my camera and went for a ride through the scenic countryside. A local field trip, if you will.

Oh the amazement! The dancing light on the stage of nature proved a most beautiful sight.

Greetings

"I would I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours."

~Bernard Berenson

Sigh. I've missed you, blog friends.

I've been so caught up in life that I've hardly had time to complete my most necessary tasks and chores, hence they have not gotten done-- gulp. I'm in full summer vacation mode and it's just so darn wonderful. I keep pushing away the computer in favor of a new knitting pattern, a few more pages of my novel, a walk with the pupparoo, coffee with my mama, a trip to the amusement park with my friend and her daughters, a midnight bike ride, an impromptu shopping event....the list goes on. The blue skies beckon me outdoors and I simply can't resist their lure.


I have so much to tell you, but it will have to wait, because I'm off yet again to an amazing restaurant with an amazing friend.

Till next time, adios! And before I forget, I've also decided to lift my "private" setting on the blog. It just didn't feel right. How's that for being indecisive?

Colorful Weekend Happiness

"May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility."

~Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

I hope your weekend brought happiness and sunshine and all the things that provide contentment to your spirit. My weekend? Fabulous. It was the absolute best.

I enjoyed numerous bike trips to and from a quaint little town that may just become my new summer retreat. Biking is quickly becoming my new favorite form of physical activity. Between the beautiful scenery and the quality workout, I'm finding myself very fulfilled. Plus, I get to spend tons of time laughing, racing, and joking around with my favorite people.

Blue skies abound!

I fell in love with this most interesting modification to a typical school bus. Genius. I propose we do this to the local buses. I guarantee more children would attend school.

Orange cone flowers- one of my new favorites.

The Firefly Grill had an amazing hummus plate. I could have had seconds, thirds and fourths.

Eating under these umbrellas provided the refreshing, shady break we needed after an intense biking adventure.

And, I filled up Gertie's basket with locally grown fruits, peach-rhubarb jelly and jalapeno mustard. Um, Yum.

I'm also proud to report that I polished off one of these pints of blueberries all by myself. It took me a grand total of 0.35642 minutes. My mouth is permanently stained. toothy blue grin.

I did spot an entire shelf of homemade puppy treats for Charlie, but due to the inflated price I resisted. Instead I gave her an extra-large portion of Cheerios when I returned home. She loved me.

How neat are these river ships? I'll be traversing the Yough in one soon. Promise.

Great Weekend...
...Good Times
Pretty Places...
...Delicious Food
Wonderful People...
...Fields of Fireflies
Laughs...
...Fireworks
Love...

A Tour With Grayson

"Plants cry their gratitude for the sun in green joy."

~Astrid Alauda

Greetings, blog readers. Allow me, Grayson P. Squirrel, to give you the lay of the land here at La Casa de 403. It's quite a posh little hang-out, if I do say so myself. Please, sit back, relax, and take a peek at the lawn from my lovely vantage point.

I'll be honest, I'm a bit biased when it comes to this neighborhood. The aged oak trees and their plentiful acorns have an intoxicating effect on me. It's quite something, really.

Just the other day, as I stopped to admire some lovely forsythia--and dig up a snack or two, I couldn't help but to notice the growth of Dott Avenue Forest. Amazing! I'm sure that in a few short years, I'll have plenty of new trees to climb around and hide out in. Cha-Ching!

Would ya look at that? Grow, little trees! Grow!

You'll probably never believe this, but some lady that takes care of the flowers around here practically did a little jig when she noticed her clematis survived the intense winter. I'm quite sure she has issues. She seems nice enough though. I mean, sometimes she throws old bread outside for the furry and feathered creatures. Hey, I'll take it. You won't hear me complaining.

And, hello heavenly blue sky! Don't you just love to lay in the grass, roll on your back, and peer up at this? aaahhhh....

This, friends, is my most favorite spot to bury acorns. Please, keep this to yourself, OK? I have a hearty stash and if it goes missing, I'll know who spilled the nuts.

Just this afternoon, the Queen Bee and her mother, planted these. I'm rather pleased. They add quite the splash of vibrance and color. All the more reason for those squirrels on the east side to be jealous. Pfft.

And this, folks, ends my part of the tour. Feel free to explore and look around, just don't pick up any acorns or poke your nose in the windows of the house. A scary fur-monster lurks inside and it will chase you. I swear. It happened to me before.

Feel free to tip your tour guide, as tips are much appreciated. And, be very careful crossing the street. Look both ways and then run. Run very quickly.

Little Messages, Big Hearts

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."

Albert Einstein

Yesterday afternoon I found myself engaged in a wonderful recess time conversation with my colleagues. We were outside enjoying the sunshine and de-stressing after an intense three days of standardized testing. If you've ever spend any significant time in a school setting, you completely understand the rarity of such adult conversations.

Anyway, while I chatted away, a few of my students interrupted me with shouts of, "Mrs. Wheeler, come see what we made! Come see! Hurry! Come see!"

I hate to think that I showed even the slightest bit of annoyance at their request, but I probably did. Shame on me. However, once I saw what they wanted to me see I filled with warmth.

Upon close inspection, it appears that these lovely ladies spelled out sweet nothings to me with dandelions. So sincere, so sincerely sweet.

Look closely, K spelled out "Mrs. Wheeler Rocks!"

J wrote, "#1 teacher!"

E's mulch writing says, "Mrs. Wheeler is kool!"

And, not to leave out my puppy, Charlie T., my sweeties made me a dandelion depiction of my furry dogger.

Thank you, creative ones. You brightened my day and warmed my heart.

Bless you.