Life on the Runn...

Anyone who has ever shared a space with me knows that I love to dim lights, turn on my diffuser, grab the biggest, coziest blanket, and curl up with a good book, some good music, and an extra hot cup of tea. Anyone who has shared classroom space with me knows most of that list holds true. My brother used to tease me about this relentlessly: How could someone who talks so much demand so much quiet?  And BR has long claimed I want to live in a cave (I think he believes I'm a vampire).  I always thought, as much as I love -- no need -- to travel and adventure, home was a place I could never get enough of. I'm comfortable saying that I'm a homebody, but the 'safer at home'  order  has also made me certain that I thrive when I am in the company of others (maybe it could be quiet company?!).  A relaxed schedule (no commute and time to play with the tiny human before the work day begins) and a very relaxed dress code (shoes never required; yoga pants are now w...

This month's Reading Between the Wines selection was The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon.  It seemed to have a lot going for it when this Dateline and Forensic Files fan picked it up.  Murder, mystery, the beautiful expanse of the Alaskan wilderness. And for some, it may deliver.  For others -- that'd be me!! -- it doesn't quite measure up.  Though the book - for most of us - may have been a bust, Book Club itself was anything but.  I was really excited (and a bit nervous) host our March meeting.  We don't exist on Google Maps, so I had to share directions.  My gosh, I didn't want to lead my fellow readers astray -- or into Wales or Jefferson! Relief #1: I was told my directions were usable.  We haven't hosted a gathering since our new furniture arrived, and I wasn't sure if I should plan for us to chat in the sun room, in the great room, or...where? where? where? It turns out that the ol' saying is true, and the kitchen is ...

Despite 10+ days of germs (some form of some of the many flu bugs attacking this winter), we made it to the UP last weekend, and I'm oh-so glad we did.   The purpose of our trek north was to watch my cousin Darrina play in the Special Olympics Tournament, but the weekend turned out to be so much more!  Darrina and her team did so well, and their coach, my uncle Terry,  is awesome! I thoroughly enjoy basketball, and I really enjoyed talkin' shop with H.  She tells me she plans to play basketball, soccer, drive a garbage truck, and play the ukulele.  She's got big plans, that little one! Coach Terry talking with his team Nice defense, Darrina!  After the team's two games, we headed back to my aunt and uncle's house, where our next two days were filled with lots of laughs and family time.  I got to see my brother, my grandpa, a few of my cousins, and their tiny humans, too.  H was especially excited to play with Baby Sa...

Sixth-grade Amy could never have imagined the evening that unfolded Friday. You see, sixth-grade Amy had a  Lion King  themed birthday party; sixth-grade Amy (and many younger versions of Amy) spent a great deal of time near the Marcus Center as it is directly across the street from MGIC, my dad's employer for 30+ years; sixth-grade Amy was not thinking about married life or parenthood. But fast-forward a few [several] years, and adult-Amy got to spend the evening at the Marcus Center, and got take in all the magnificence that was Disney Presents  The Lion King . But only after adult-Amy had to work her way through a major parenting first. A late afternoon phone call announcing the first full-on illness for my tiny sidekick had me reeling. The bee in her tummy, as H called it, was pretty relentless for a stretch and I was ready to hit the 'sell tickets' button on my Ticketmaster app almost immediately.  After some convincing from the more rational ...

What’s better than walking through a winter wonderland? Walking through it with your book club to see another book clubber own the stage! My coworker, Stacy, was the lead in the premier of Mars Lost at Lake Country Playhouse in Hartland. She wasn’t kidding when she said she was 95% of the show; I’m not kidding when I say Angela -  Stacy :) - is 100% amazing. We all wanted to surprises Stacy but were sure we gave ourselves away when we lol’d at her book club jab. We actually blew our cover and surely made our presence known when we got to hoot and holler for her from the back row - standing ovation totally deserved. Our lunch and theatre outing was a great follow-up to a four generations day Saturday. My grandma came by to see our newly furnished house., and after an HQ-led tour and some play time (nothing tops watching my grandma and her daughter in the floor reading and imagining with my  daughter), we were off to lunch. Then it was home furnishing shopping time - ...

It was exam week last week, and that meant it was time to wrap up the first half of the 2019-2020 school year, my 13th year doing this whole eduction thing. I’ve always been the coolest type of nerd, the one who loves a new set of pens and notebooks [and still uses the subject-specific notebook and folder color scheme I was introduced to in 7th grade}, who maps out - in a as many colors as my newest set of pens allow - the plan for the next chapter of my next adventure.  And this year I’m really excited for the plans I have made...nope...am making...and for the opportunity to take a few risks and tackle a few new strategies and texts. I like words... ... a lot! It's almost Black History Month Doin' work on our PD Day :) A teacher nerd's work is never done, and neither is a toddler-mom's, so I made it a point to make sure to make for some fun this ‘halfway point in the school year’ weekend, and loads of fun it was. From Friday night’s West vs. Mukw...

One of my birthday gifts was tickets to see Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Chicago Theater; this is their fifth residency, our third time in attendance, and our ninth (?!!) time to see the amazingly soulful crew! We boarded a very crowded train Saturday and made our way to the Windy City. It was a lovely ride watching the snow-sprinkled trees and landscape of southeastern Wisconsin. Since we had to find seats in separate cars, Brian didn’t get to enjoy my wonderful storytelling - how he passed the time, then, is beyond me. I used the time to finish a book and get a jump on another (they’re piling up on my reading table). We arrived in Chicago early in the afternoon, so we had some time to enjoy lunch and drinks - bubble water - and one of us even got in a mid afternoon nap (I am not that person).  Then it was off to dinner before the show; this time we enjoyed some real drinks and some really great food. The city was certainly living up to its name - gosh, it was windy - so it was...