Scrappy Hearts

Three Years Ago Today

I can’t believe that it was three years ago that these lovely ladies and I completed our first triathlon. Now my tri-buddy Jackie has moved to Alabama and Miss Kim is expecting her first baby. Boy oh boy do times change. We are making a plan to compete in a tri that we would all need to travel to. I am so excited and can’t wait to train again, here’s hoping that I get the okay from my doctor one of these days. The truth is, I miss training and competing. Actually, I miss feeling as well as I did just 3 years ago!

T-Shirt Quilts

Quilting is one thing I really love. Whenever I have a chance I try to share my love of this craft with anyone who would like to learn. This year many of my friends expressed a desire to learn how to create t-shirt quilts. We started in July and then with summer vacations and summer jobs, we became distracted. But this weekend, Jackie finished her quilt top and I love it! The final stitches were put in the top on Friday and on Saturday we sandwiched the quilt so that she can tie it while she is in Alabama. Once the quilt is tied, I will help Jackie to attach the binding for hand sewing. Then it will be complete. It is quite an accomplishment to create a t-shirt quilt and I applaud Jackies perseverence to finish before moving to Alabama. Afterall, my first t-shirt quilt took me nearly five years! Next step, we need to make the time to finish the other tops!

This Girl

Yes, this one with the big plate of pasta in front of her, is moving. Yes, she’s moving to Alabama to live with her husband who is currently stationed there for training  and I can’t believe it. This photo was taken the evening before our first tri. We began training together at the beginning of 2012 and by September we were ready to compete. Since then we have completed a handful of tri’s and have tried to meet each other to swim at least once or twice a week. We have sewn skirts together, made a quilt together and we always swim together. Things are surely going to be different.

I am so happy that she has found her soulmate in Tim, but I am so sad that she is moving so far away. 

We will keep up our visits to the gym, although the location will not be the same, and I am sure we will stay in touch. We will have to plan to train for a tri that we will both have to travel to in order to compete. Until we figure that out, there’s instagram and facebook to keep us connected! 

Beach Bound

Once a year Mark’s sisters and their husbands head down to Ocean City for a couple of weeks. You see, Mark’s mom was a Jersey Girl, through and through and she raised her kids right! I just love Mark’s famiy and the opportunity to spend some time with them at one of my favorite places is just wonderful!

Susie and Don drive out from Illinois while Karen and Chuck fly out from Dallas. We don’t get to see them nearly enough! We are really looking forward to spending a relaxing couple of days with them this weekend and then hoping that we can swing down for at least an evening or two during the coming week. So nice to have the opportunity to spend time with family!

Hanging By the Sound

Absolutely one of my favorite places to be! I love hanging out by the water.

Friday we took our time heading out for the day. With no place in particular to go, we decided to just in the surroundings. The tide was out, way out, because of the full moon so there was plenty of rocky beach to explore.

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Tuesday in Second Grade, The First of the 2015-16 School Year

Yesterday school started for teachers. Because I had been out of town the previous week, there was much to do to get ready for my 2nd graders. Too much to do if you ask me!

Today my new little cherubs arrived, all sixteen of them. That’s right, after a couple of years of a classroom at maximum enrollment, this year I am blessed with 16 fulltime students. I was thrilled to meet them at lineup this morning. They are all so cute and excited to be in second grade and that makes my job so much easier. We breezed through today’s lessons with nary a stop for talking or difficult behavior, also a real blessing. 

This morning my desk was a bit cluttered, as you can see above.

By the time I left school today,This year’s goal is to stay at school each evening until my desk is cleared off. Don’t look at the computer table just to the left of the photo, just focus on the cleared off desk top. We can’t expect too much on the first day of school!

Blustery Day

I just love a blustery day at the beach. Mind you, Puget Sound is not my usual beach, but I loved it just the same. I was ready to batten the hatches and hunker down for the day. Alas, we had a wedding to attend and last minute errands to run. As soon as the electricity went out, we packed our bags and headed out.

Mark and I attempted to stand on the deck and photograph the white caps on the sound but we were nearly blown away!

While it was not a great day to see the mountains across the sound, it was the perfect day to head to the cemetary for a quick look see!

There were very few headstones so quick was really not the word for it.

Next stop the Farmers’ Market, the Vashon Bakery and the record store. We then took the ferry across the sound. We rocked and rolled along with the ferry. We had a difficult time taking photos because we were rocking so much!

Fortunately, this was the worst of the weather until after 9pm. Mark’s dear friend was getting married outside and the weather cleared up just in time. All in all, a great day. But of course, I would have felt that way even if it did stay blustery and we were stuck inside on the island!

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