our ice storm of 2008

Ok, well, I realize it wasn't out personal ice storm. Like many granite staters- we were hit pretty hard. Nine days without power, with the last few days topped off by three straight days of snow (why not, right?) But hey- we made the best of it, and stuck together through it. It was a wonderful opportunity to see neighbors helping neighbors. People with generators offering showers and warm meals. Cooper's school has been turned into a shelter (still many people without power) so he has an extra ten days tacked onto his school vacation (fun for the kids- not so much for mothers!) Here are some pictures. We chose not to take too many pics of the destruction, more to focus on the beauty of an ice covered landscape.

finally, some pictures!

first school picture

Ok, I know I'm the mom, so I'm terriably bias.

However- isn't this just the most handsome five year old you've ever laid eyes on?

Proud mama here

listen to your dreams

Like, I'm talking literally, not in a "follow your dreams and be all you can be" sort of way, but when you have a good dream at night, go with it the next day.

I love, love, love to cook. I consider myself a fairly decent chef, although my boastful husband tells me I could be on Iron Chef, or Hell's Kitchen (how well would I do with all that criticism?) I pride myself in my ability to feed my family unique dishes, as well as good home cooked comfort foods. As all chefs do, I have my glitches, and dishes turn out not-so-well.

The one thing that I"ve bombed every time is omelettes. How could someone mess up an omelet, you ask? Too much cheese, too much egg (waaaay too much egg) all brown on the bottom, just generally yucky. I kept making them, however, never one to turn down a challenge. Bless my boy's hearts, the three of them kept eating my attempts, smiling their way through weeks of bad omelets. (Aaron just reminded me that sometimes, they were actually inedible. . yikes!) Somehow, they seemed to be getting worse, not better.

Last night (and this is how you know you've reached domestic goddess status) I actually dreamed of how to make a better omelet. "render more fat from the bacon." "water down the eggs with milk" "less cheese"

This morning, 7:30 sharp, I went to work on my "dream omelet" Success! Just as my nocturnal imagination had told me, the tips paid off, and I made the perfect omelet. Ok, maybe not perfect, but leaps and bounds better then dozen or so previous attempts.

Now, tonight, as I fall asleep, I'm going to start thinking of how to bring the cost of crude oil down. . .I'll let you know what I come up with!


***note. Type out the word "omelette" I got several different spelling options, that's why it's spelled differently in this post!

what a beautiful state we live in

Fall in New Hampshire is so amazingly beautiful. I've lived here my whole life, and I still find it equally astonishing every year. We've really lucked out with the weather, so far we've had nice warm weekends to enjoy the colors. Today however, the crisp fall weather has reminded us that ol' man winter will be sneaking up on us soon enough. I guess that is what's so nice about fall, it's like natures "final hurrah" firework display before sleeping through the winter.

the garbage truck

I got this in a forward from a friend. I thought it rang true to my new outlook on life.


I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave , wish them well and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..... 'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.

again. . .where does time go?

So, I've gotten a position at Cooper's elementary school as the after school band teacher (well, really, its group instrument instruction, but who's counting) It's only five hours a week, and I can easily fit it into my teaching at home. It's fun working with groups, and getting into band instruments again is a plus. (ok ok, it's also great money!)

It's funny working at the school I went to. Walking down the hallways I walked so many years ago, this time as the teacher instead of the student. Even more wild, is seeing teachers and administrators there that actually remember me from my HD days. When someone gives me the "Oh my god, it's Sue Maine!" I tell them it makes me feel old. Yeah yeah they say, really it makes them feel much older.

Today I had to go to the third floor (now the SAU office, it used to be the 8th grade classrooms when I was there) to fill out some paper work. On the way up, I passed Cooper walking to computer class.

I passed my son in the hallway of my old school.

Woah.