A little nostalgia.....and a give away

I have some good intentions.
Really good.

I just never get to them.

The problem is that by the time I get to my other "list"
(the one that doesn't include my job, family, church calling, or home)
-I'm out of energy!

So.....
I thought a little mosaic would be a great way to work on organizing my genealogy and family histories (one of those goals).

These pictures are of my maternal grandfather Floyd.

(top left: his baby picture; top right with brothers- Frank, Dave, and Floyd;
bottom left: Floyd, Frank, and Dave; bottom right: school photo- 5th from left on 3rd row)

And

It's a give away:

I'm hosting my niece Holly for a give away.
She just started a graphic design blog and is giving away a set of 10 of her cute note cards.
You can visit her shop
Mitchell Avenue Designs by Holly by clicking here.



If you would like to win the cards, just leave a comment on my blog.
We will close the contest on March 13th at midnight.

Have a good week!
♥
JoAnn

I'm enjoying some time with my sweet granddaughters today!

Why didn't I think of that?

Ever have one of those days when you feel bad about something that you
DIDN'T do?

Today I missed out on an opportunity to serve.
It wasn't a big crisis or emergency-
I'm sure I'd have been there willing to help if that were the case.

No, it was something I barely took the time to notice.

Someone at our school has been going through a hard time. They have been scrambling to find a place to live. In the last few weeks they have been in and out of the homeless shelter. Days of school have been missed. Lives have been turned upside down.

Kids are really resilient. This person came to school today,
smiling and happy to be with friends again. We excitedly welcomed them back.

As I was busily doing all the things that teachers do in a normal day, I noticed that they didn't have any socks on. I thought to myself, "I'll bet someone will have hot, sweaty feet tonight."
Then, the challenge of teaching a room full of energetic students overtook my thoughts and I quickly forgot all about it.

Later, as the students were getting ready to head on home, I realized that this person now had on a pair of clean, white socks.

Quietly and discretely, someone had seen a need and taken care of it.

In our quest to accomplish all the many tasks that are thrown at us each day, do we miss sight of those little, but very important, things that go unnoticed?

I did.

And I'm so sorry!

P.S. Tomorrow I am going to buy a big package of socks- just to have on hand.
You never know when you might need them.

♥
JoAnn

I just discovered this book today by Andrew Clements and I love it!

It made me laugh.

It is a cute story about word warps.
The whole book is a crazy mix of phrases like "jibber jabber", "zig-zag",
"helter-skelter" and "nit-wit".

And.....

The art is incredible.
(It is illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca.)
Click here to view a few pages of the delightful school classroom,
zany teacher (Why won't my hair do that?), and fun characters.
(After the page opens, click on the arrows to see a few pages. Don't stop until you see the teacher! (Teachers have their own rules of fashion!)

You can order the book here.
(No, I'm not on their payroll!)

Reading good children's literature is
instant medicine for a dreary day!
(Besides, you can finish a book in one sitting!)

What are your favorite children books?

♥
JoAnn

P.S. My daughter Liz made me the cute blog button on my side bar. It you want one on your blog you can copy the code under the picture and put in on your blog. It makes a quick link.
Thanks, Liz!

Mission accomplished!

(click to enlarge)

In my quest to experience some fresh air, marvel at the beauty of nature, and experience "life" up close, I set out today with my family to a place called Wheeler Farm.
(Click to read more about the historic farm.)
(Yes, my family did question my sanity when I dragged them along. The temperature today was about 38 degrees F, but they were good sports!)



We had a fun time eating our picnic lunch (thanks Subway), walking around looking at the farm, and enjoying being together.

It was a chilly day, but the animals seemed to welcome some company and a few other people were there, too, proving that we are not the only restless souls on the planet.

It was a good day!

♥
JoAnn

P.S. Although picnics do not need warm, sunny weather,
it was a little challenging eating with gloves on!

It's Mosaic Monday. Check out some great mosaics on The Little Red House.

My quest......

I have a Quest to fulfill this weekend.

I need to discover nature again.
(It's been a long winter and I've been indoors too much!)

Wish me luck as I take off on my journey of discovery.

I'm sure you are all wishing me a......
Bon voyage!

(Thank you, thank you!)

Your faithful servant and explorer,
♥
JoAnn

P.S. No, I not going far......

A nice evening with the family

It's always nice to gather together as a family.
My husband, his three sisters, and their parents all met for dinner tonight.
(They let all of the in-laws join with them, too,
but we did miss Steve who is home in Washington.)

We had a nice relaxing dinner, fun catching up on what is going on in our lives, and enjoyed laughing at some funny family stories.

Other things may change us,
but we start and end with the family.
~Anthony Brandt

♥
JoAnn