The Worm for the Early Bird - - -

Was seeing this beautiful sunrise.




Unfortunately my digital camera is too "automatic" to do it justice. The real thing was much more beautiful than this, more color and contrast in the actual sunrise - - - - red and orange against darkness.

Hmmmmm - - - - there's a lesson there, can you find it?

Look Who Came To Visit - - -

I'm calling him Homeless Hobbs.


He moved onto our porch and into our hearts yesterday. He's back today. Wonder if he has another family elsewhere? No collar, no grooming, bad doggie breath - - - - seems homeless to me.


Looks like he wants to stay.

Thanksgiving at Our House - - -

Just a few shots of our day. Didn't get a SINGLE picture of food this time, well actually there will be a few tiny bites later on - - - - - look and see!!!


Misti, David, Mackinley, et moi - - - - kickin' back after lunch.


Dustin, my nephew, his wife Kayla, (and some other hand reaching in) - - - - Aunt Alice Mae, stoic in the background, no clue why she is wearing shades indoors - - - - - -


Nathan, David's dad. Dustin, my nephew. Aunt Alice Mae (no camera this time!!!!) Joe's right shoulder.


My brother-in-law, Joe, with Dustin's ankles in the background.


Our very own "out-laws, " Johnna and Jeff. (Joe's brother and his wife)


Johnna and Jeff at their best. (Hehehehehehe)


Jeff, kickin' and pickin' back - - -


Misti & David with Mackinley looking on.

Keri - - - - up close


Korie, also known as "Ornery," posing for the camera


Random antique dresser and tea set shot - - - - - but look carefully in the mirror and you'll see a room full of guests.

19 Thanksgiving Guests - - - Only ONE Star - - -

Mackinley Chillin' with the big people.


"Who is that guy, and what is he doing next to me?????"


Mackinley's disappearing act - - -


"Someone over there has food!!"


Circumnavigating the coffee table - - -


"What other cute thing can I do???"

Grand Finale - - - -

After the "crowd" had gone, three of our own kids spontaneously entertained us in their very unique way - - - -


A chorus line - - - Broyles family style. Kyle, Korie, and Keri high kickin' from the couch.

And with that, we end our Thanksgiving tour.

Freedom, Food, and Football

I love Thanksgiving: holiday from school, delectable food on the table, family gathered around, and football on the big screen. Ahhhhhh the bliss!!!

This year the family is gathering here.

Unfortunately, that means my freedom is only from school and not from work, as the house needs HELP before they come.

I must stop blogging and get busy!!!!!

Another Big Blue Bites the Dust

The Colts lost to Dallas.

It was painful to watch.

I'm in mourning.

I think it was my fault - - - - - - I wasn't wearing my lucky Colts gear. You may blame it all on me.

:-(

They Get No Respect - - - - -

Just like Rodney Dangerfield.

I'm talking about my Badgers.

They are rolling over their final opponent of the season as I type. (It's not being shown in my area, so I have to settle for crumbs of info from the little blips on TV and from my ESPN scoreboard on the computer) Which means they will finish their season 11 - 1. True, Buffalo will not be a highly prized scalp to hang on their belt - - - - but it will be another SCALP.

The Badgers have been slowly inching their way up in the poles - - - - - but because their name isn't NOTRE DAME or USC or AUBURN (whom they took to the cleaners at the bowl game last January) or Florida or even West Virginia - - - - - - they simply get NO RESPECT.

Oh, they'll get a bowl game, and I imagine they will beat (dare I say whip) their opponent there. But they will be passed over in consideration for the highest of the high bowls. Why???? Because they GET NO RESPECT.

You think I'm making this up myself???? While I will admit it is how I strongly feel (in case you couldn't guess) I actually heard an ESPN pundit, who is covering the Iowa-Minnesota game today, say it LIVE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.

Well - - - - - if Bret Bielema improves his Badgers AT ALL for next season (which I'm sure he will) I predict that they make such a splash then that NO ONE will be able to ignore them anymore. Afterall, a Badger is a very tenacious animal. Hide and Watch!!!!!

That's my prediction, and I'm sticking to it.

What do you think, Big Fat Chicken?????

Blogger "Look"

A while back when a friend first found out that I had a blog, she said something to the effect of: "I didn't know you had a blog, somehow I was kinda surprised, you don't look like a blogger."

Which begs the next question - - - - - what DOES a blogger look like?????

Do they have thick, plastic rimmed glasses from staring at a computer screen too long?? Or worse yet, perhaps they have permanent wrinkles etched in their forehead and around their eyes from too much squinting.

Maybe their finger tips are rough and calloused from over use.

I think I'm thankful I do not look like a blogger.

However, I HAVE been told on more than one occasion that I DO look like a school teacher, which is infinitely worse!!!!!

But, we won't go there now.

Blogger's Block

If there is writer's block, is there such a thing as blogger's block???? If so, I must have it. I want to make a new post, stir up some excitement - - - - - but I can't think of the definitive post to make.

I thought about commenting on this week's football games - - - - but you already know I'm crazy about those and I've worn out my football welcome, so to speak.

Then I thought I might write about some of my marriage pet peeves - - - - like why the husband puts REDS in the medium colored dirty clothes hamper, or still after 31 years of marriage doesn't know where the dishes go when he empties the dishwasher, or why I must always know where his keys and wallet are - - - - - - but these topics have been discussed and left unsolved for centuries, so why bother going there - - - -

I thought of posting the deep questions of life that seem to be unanswerable - - - - like "How can there be so much lint in the clothes drier load after load and still be any fabric left in the clothes???" Or, "Is there a huge black hole in the washing machine that eats all those missing socks?" But like I said - - - - those questions are unanswerable, so asking them would be rhetorical.

I wondered if I could talk about my exciting Friday night - - - - - - - I was home alone with take out and falling asleep in the comfy chair by 6:30 last night - - - but OH YEAH - - - - I already TALKED about that in a much earlier post.

I thought of doing a food entry, but I only cook on rare occasions - - - there is NO FOOD in this house, so I cannot display tantalizing photos.

I thought about telling that we had fall parent-teacher conferences this week at school, and that I broke my previous record of 54 conferences with 63 this year - - - - but then, who besides me cares a bit about that??????? Why bore people to death.

I thought of taking some captivating fall foliage photos to post, but the trees are now naked in Indiana, so there won't be any gorgeous fall shots for me to post this year.

That's when I had to admit it. I have blogger's block.

Mackinley's Dedication

We traveled over to Bluffton this morning for little Mackinley's dedication at Keri and Jason's church. Keri, Jason, Mackinley, and Kaeleigh all looked GREAT!! You won't be seeing any pictures of them here. :-(

All our children were there except Kelly. You won't be seeing any pictures of them here either. :-(

My mom and dad were there. You won't be seeing any pictures of them here either. :-(

Jason's mom, Lisa, was there, and oh how fun to see her. She brought Kaeleigh the most darling winter coat. You won't be seeing any pictures of her, or the coat here either. :-(

Keri, Jason, and Mackinley's special friend Haley came. You won't be seeing any pictures of her here either. :-(

My sister Pam, her husband Joe, their son Dustin and his new little wife Kayla all came. You won't be seeing pictures of them here either. :-(

We all went to Keri's for a scrumptious lunch. Keri's a FABULOUS cook. You won't be seeing any pictures of that here either. :-(

Someone forgot to take the camera. :-(

So All I Can Show You - - - -

Are these hum drum photos of us upon our return to Marion.


Kyle from behind. (Isn't my baby just as cute as Keri's???? LOL)
(if you don't get that, check out Keri's blog and the photo of the back of Mackinley in his car seat imitating little Cindy Lou Who)


And Kyle from the front (sorta)


And the "Big Cheese" (so named by Jason) taking his "I'msotiredandthisisSundayafternoon" snooze.

Besides, the Colts don't play till 8:15 today, we old folk have to rest if we intend to stay up THAT LATE!!!! :-)

Be Sure You

Help feed the hungry and support our COLTS at the same time

Click for the COLTS!!!!

HERE

Thanks Keri for the idea

If you find this contest from THIS BLOG - - - -
don't you dare vote for anyone BUT the COLTS :-)

As If - - - -

I wasn't already addicted enough to blogging, I had to copy Jaena and add a site meter to my blog. That has added a whole new dimension to blogging, and one more LONG stop on my daily blogging fixes.

When I added the site meter, I just wanted to feed my own craving to know HOW many people were actually looking at my blog. Well, I take that back - - - - not really how many people but how many visits to my blog.

What I DID NOT KNOW was how much OTHER fascinating (thank you Keri for that word) information I could learn by studying the site meter!! Information like the locations of all these visitors to my site, complete with maps which can zoom in and out, pie graphs, line graphs and bar graphs.

I've had visitors from all kinds of places where I'm sure I don't know a soul - - - - "exotic" places like Moline Illinois, Leesburg Virginia, Shippensburg Pennsylvania, and Newton Kansas!!!! Shippensburg - - - - whoever heard of a place called Shippensburg????? How fun is this!!!!

Then, what about other countries????? Visitors from The British Isles, "Unknown Country" (I feel so badly for that Country no one knows) and my PERSONAL favorite, Pomezia Lazio Italy!!!!!!! Pomezia Lazio - - - - how romantic does THAT sound???? And to think, I can have all this fun, travel to all these places, and never leave the comfort of my desk chair.

I think I'm in Heaven ;-)

My Main Habitat

For 9 months of the year I don't live at home. Oh, I sleep, take occasional breaks, and even do a few chores around here, but I LIVE in my classroom. Seriously.

So - - - - I thought I'd share a bit of my "real" life with you. In this posting I'm featuring two of my classes and my TA's. I have four other classes - - - - - I may post about them later.

In the "teacher zone."

Help - - -

Comes in many forms.

Meet mine - - - - - two Teacher Assistants and a student who might as well be one because he does a lot of tasks for me even though he isn't assigned to me as a TA.

My first period TA, humor specialist, and cracker-jack corrections grader.
Errand runner supreme and my only first period Anatomy student.


My 6th period TA, Copy Machine Queen, and encourager. (She's also one of my Anatomy students, and just over her shoulder is another.)

"My" Kids

These kids are my homeroom AND my Life Science "crew." There is never a dull moment while they are around.

Can you see the mischief?????


My little "Charlie's Angels"


Is that a tiny ghost on his head??????? (J/K)

Small but mighty.

I Think I Went a Little Crazy - - - -

Found all this candy half price at the Wall-mart "Morning After Halloween Sale" around six this morning. I bought it for rewards for my students. I also filled up two sandwich size baggies and delivered them to our little cowboy neighbor on my way home from school this afternoon. :-)