I’m ready for some warm weather! I’m also ready for a good frog strangling rain! Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the rain we have received, but the land is still very thirsty. I would love for God to send us some more. Another problem I see with all this cold weather is the food. Cold weather food is fattening! It just seems as if I have to keep eating to keep warm. I know it is a mind thing, but according to the scale, my mind is winning the weight battle! Even the clothes you wear make you feel heavy. I just can’t wait for the return of the warm weather! I can hear it now. Yes, I am from cold Canada, but I moved to a warm country as soon as I could.

My sister Dee just returned from a cruise in the Caribbean. She and her husband Dave bought a mobile home in Florida. She also has the stay warm concept that has kept me away from ski slopes and toboggan runs since I was a small child. I find no pleasure in snow. I do love snow pictures, and looking out a window at the snow from a safe warm house, but living in that cold misery is not my cup of tea!

The kids are settling down after our short week. These next two months are holiday free, but work laden. The writing TAKS comes first. It seems early this year, I suppose I am imagining that, but we will test the first week of March. We have a bit of work to do to make sure everyone can write a good composition. The new text generation does not like to spell or write long stories. I guess we need to turn off the TV, pull the plug on the phone, and hide the cell phones if we want a little creativity out of our kids. Never fear we will get there! I guess I need to remind parents again that our students need to be memorizing their times tables and fact families, as well as reading orally for at least 15 minutes every night.

The attendance committee will be meeting next week. We have a handful of students who seem to be absent more often than is healthy for good learning habits. Parents please, whether your child is in kindergarten or in high school, they need to be in school. We can always send home make-up work, but we can’t make up the teaching time lost from class. Students just get more frustrated, farther behind, and then they get to where they don’t want to come to school. When their frustration and failure reaches a certain level; they quit. That lack of education sets up another round of failure in life. It’s a vicious cycle that can be stopped at an early age. Please make sure your student gets to school.

Mrs. Gossett is getting a batch of box tops ready to send in for credit. This week would be a good week to send your student with a bunch of tops if you have them. My 5

Mrs. Robbins is regaining her strength slowly but surely. Susan Luna did not have a good week last week. It’s those numbers! It just seems like this numbers game is a very unfriendly game. Donald Skelton said his numbers were mediocre. Mine were better for the first time in years. Annie Granados numbers are not good at all. Junior and Bonnie are not fighting numbers, but their battle is just as frustrating. Mrs. Obama is trying to make our numbers better by cutting down on the fat content in our diets. I want my tennis students to cut down on sugars, sodas, starches and candy. It seems as if there is a never-ending demand for change in our lives. To top it all off, I found out today that women do not have one more rib them men! That supposedly is myth! I’m going to have to go on a hunt for the real truth in this issue. I think my world is rocking! What can you believe these days!

I’m starting to make plans for my trip to Germany in June. Russ is not going; he doesn’t like to fly. I cannot imagine staying bound to one place forever, unless it was heaven! Unless God shuts the doors and comes back to get me, I am planning to tour Europe for about three weeks. I guess I’ll try to send the column and pictures, from wherever I happen to be that has a computer! I’m just loving the thought of seeing my grandkids, my son and his wife, and another part of God’s beautiful world. I’d like to go to Africa as well, and I haven’t been to South America. I’ll have to see what God has to say about that.

The ladies quilting and Bible study is meeting at 4:00pm on Wednesdays. Kay is back to her normal route, so we don’t have to meet at 5:30 anymore. Everyone is welcome; we would love to have you at our little group. For the first time since the group began, I have my quilt finished before everyone! I didn’t say it was good. I just said it was finished. It’s a brilliant smodge-podge of color. My dictionary does not recognize smodge, but that’s just too bad! I’m calling the quilt Skittles and Bits. It is definitely bright, and you sure can’t be gloomy if it’s anywhere around! At any rate, come on out and join us!

More troops left for the Middle East, so I know there are many grieving families struggling to make their daily lives as normal as possible. Please pray for our precious troops and their families. My son is away for about six weeks taking a course. Heather is upset that he’s away, especially since she knows he is slated to leave for the Middle East this year. So please keep our leaders, our government and our country in your prayers. If you can, help a soldier’s family out. Barring that, a good heart-felt prayer works wonders!

th grade is supposed to be moon watching for the next few weeks. I believe we have settled on a date for our trip to the USS Lexington. I have to check the calendar, but if it’s free, we will go on Friday, April 5th. We have earned all our money, so we are ready to make this annual trip. I’ll send home a note with my students this week. Please let me know if you have a problem with that date parents. The fun part about this trip is we take many parents and siblings along with us. I will be making my 4th trip and I still find it fascinating.