Non-traditional Thanksgiving Tradition

If you know me, you know I love traditions!  So, this year I'm trying something new.  It seems a little silly for me to work hard all morning to make a Thanksgiving meal for only 3 people.  Don't get me wrong!  I love my family, but half of what I consider a Thanksgiving meal, my family does not eat.  So, this year I'm changing things up.

I came up with an idea.  My family and I are volunteering to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at a local church for the community.  After that, we are going to watch the new Muppet Movie and then enjoy some sushi!  Crazier even still.... I am going to attempt to shop at midnight tomorrow night!  Laugh if you will.  I might be able to stay awake.  New traditions being made every day!

This year, I'm thankful that I have people who love me, a stable job which I love, and a roof over my head. I'm truly Thankful!  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

My Tribute: 9/11/11

I know where I was. I know how I was affected.....No need to relive that here. Here is my tribute........

While our lives continued

Each one of yours ended

Wives and Daughters, Fathers and Sons

Into God’s hands you flew

Lives were changed in an instant

Like the sky changes hue

Note the memories will never fade

Everyone has their own tale

Versions that many would whole-heartedly trade

Eliminating a single one would fail to

Remember those feelings and the sacrifice paid

Fighting for justice we constantly do

Or making sure that our freedom is intact

Reminding us all what is real and true

Getting on with life…..Not easy, but a fact

Each year that comes moves us farther away, but we say to you

To each one of you who lost their life that day….We will never, ever forget

i'm unique.. and expect to keep that

When I was a kid I never received gifts that had my name on them. My parents gave me an uncommon name. My full name is Marguerite, not Margaret. My nickname is Meg.....not Meghan. Marguerite and Meg are not names that are common on mugs, toothbrushes, or shot glasses. So I hold tight to my name. I'm really ok with nicknames... I've had a few.... Chab, Green Eyes, RB, Smeg, and Wheat to name a few. Each with a story and if you really know the story than you have permission to call me that. I really don't care what you call me except, if you call me Meghan, I will correct you once. If you call me it again.... you're not going to be on my favorite list.

I feel unique in many ways, but my name(s).. Come on....how many people named Meg or Marguerite do you know? I'm guessing not many... so it's up to me.....

Hey, my name is Marguerite or you can call me Meg. In the whole world you will never meet anyone like me... and I hope that is a good thing.

There's a major storm brewing...

Hey, did you know that there's a hurricane out there? Her name is Irene! In my 20 years in the South I have experienced several storms, but never a major direct hit. Looks like SC will dodge that bullet again. I was going to recall some of those storms and the experiences I had, but I think I will highlight the things I have learned about hurricanes and tropical storms.

1. They are scary and not something to get excited about. It may seem that way at first, but even when you leave you will worry about what your street will look like when you return.

2. Have a plan of where to go to be out of harms way and get out when authorities tell you to. Don't think you can ride it out and protect your house. If you change your mind in the height of the storm, you can't. Chances are roads will be impassible, and there might not be someone there to rescue you.

3. Don't forget your pets. Emergency shelters don't take pets. I always make a reservation at a hotel inland that takes pets. It costs me nothing to make the reservation and I can cancel it up to the day I'm supposed to arrive without paying anything.

4. Put all your important paperwork in an easy to grab place. You know, stuff like insurance agents' numbers, birth certificates, and the like. I'd say photos but the digital age has kind taken care of that.

5. Remember to help one another and that material things are replaceable..Lives are not.

Hopefully, everyone will be safe and stay out of harms way!

Nostalgia.... what does that say?

Recently, like in the last 5 days... I have noticed that there has been a surge of pages on Facebook that begin... Things I remember about...(fill in your hometown). I saw this for the town I am living in, and was waiting for one for the town I grew up in. Well, it happened this am. At 10:00 am there were less than 150 members and by 9:00 pm there are 340. The fun thing is that I have enjoyed reading, posting and commenting on the town which when I was a high school senior, I couldn't wait to leave. In fact, I will say, I hated that town.

So, what's the change? Well, I have to say it may have to do with hitting the midlife thing...( God I hope I live to be 86!) As much as I thought I hated that place as a teenager, it contributed to the person I am today.... the people, the places, and every experience, good or bad.. .. what can I say? honestly? All the following questions have popped in my head.........Was it really not that bad? Did I have more fun than I remember? Did some of it really matter? Did most of it not matter? The biggest question that keeps popping in my head.....Am I that old?
Yeah, I'll go back to my real life that doesn't remind me how old I am... unless you're a former student who drops by...... In which case...

"Summertime...... and the living's easy!"

Well, here it is, Yes, I am in the midst of summer. How do I know? There are a few clues..........

1. I have to look at a calendar to find out what day of the week it is.

2. I can wake up at 3 am and not worry if I can't get back to sleep because I can sleep, whenever.

3. If a book catches my fancy, I can spend the whole day reading it and not feel guilty.

4. Lazy is not an acceptable way to describe spending the day sitting at the water park or beach. My eyes are always keeping an eye on the little one....

5. I have taken on a new hobby. This year it's making homemade pasta. Quite successfully, I might add. When they all eat my spinach ravioli and want seconds....HELLO!

Summer is bliss for me. It is a time of rejuvenation, and I happen to be fortunate to have a career that allows me to fully enjoy the season. Yes, I know there are many who believe "We, Educators" have it easy and shouldn't complain about our jobs because we have summers off or don't deserve them. But, until you walk in our shoes......Nah, this post is not addressing that issue! This is about the joys of summer!

Having the summer off always reminds me of the magic of the summers of my youth. You know how they say the youth is wasted on the young? I think that may be true for summer, as well. My summers were basic, boring and glorious in their own right. Most memorably.....

1. Swim lessons.... My parents felt that since they didn't learn to swim until their 40's their children should by being pushed off the pier into the frigid (as in melted iceberg, frigid. I am NOT kidding.) waters of Canandaigua Lake early in the summer mornings. Most of us complied, numbly, except my little brother who preferred playing in the sand.

2. Just hanging out and listening to music or reading a good book. This always involved lying out on the roof of the garage using baby oil in search of the perfect tan. I shudder thinking about all of that skin damage!

3. Sailing lessons through Parks and Rec.....What fun that was. Sailing to Squaw Island which isn't that great 'cause you can walk there on the sandbar. Getting stranded with a broken mast in the middle of the lake in a storm and the ever fun water balloon fights with the snooty Yacht Club sailors. That always reminds me of a John Hughes' movie for some reason.

4. The one week of family vacation. Used to be we'd all go to Beckers, a resort on 4th Lake in the Adirondacks similar to Kellerman's in Dirty dancing. But minus the dancing, and sadly minus the hot Patrick Swayze. Even if he was there, we stopped going by the time I was 12, so I wouldn't have appreciated it anyway. No, my thrill was to go to the Enchanted Forest which is a water park now, but then it was a lame walk through the woods visiting the nursery rhymes. In my teens, we would go to Toronto, or Niagara Falls, but the teen angst of 4 teenagers became too much for any of us to handle.

5. Camps, lots of camps. I attended many, and knowing my memory is not exactly perfect, I'm sure they were all not during one summer. Or maybe they were and that makes me wonder if my parents did that because they didn't want me around.....hmmm.


6. Working at Carvel Ice Cream , my first real job. An ice cream stand right across from the main beach. You'd think that there'd be many boy stories. There were..... only they mainly involved my best friend. I mostly remember memorizing the menu and tax table with my dad because it was expected to calculate an order in your head while you were preparing it. A nightmare for me as I have issues with mental math. I still recall a milkshake was $1.18 with tax and a Mexican sundae was $1.31.

Ahh good times.... used to be my father would say that when the 4th of July rolled around summer was almost over which wasn't really true up north, but it is closer to the truth down south. So it looks like I'll have to really pull out the stops and enjoy the rest of it because before I know it, school will be back in session.

How well do you fully embrace the joys of summer? Even if you have to work, do you change your schedule, your behavior, your lifestyle because of summer? Happy Summer, Y'all!

1,2,3....Not it!!

A friend sent me a text the other day to ask if we were at war with Libya. I told her yes, but that at least we didn't start it. France shot first.

Why did I say that?! ' Cause that makes it better?! It's like, finally, the US didn't start something. And the good news is that the US is gonna back off and hand over control to the Allied forces in a manner of days. Thank goodness, for so many reasons!

Oh, but wait! Did you feel the wind of the double take from England, France and Italy? ..........They just said,
"Ummm, yeah, about that ....... 1,2,3......Not IT!"

WTF?!?