Friday Favorites and Great Gadgets!

Hello there!  I need and want to get back to blogging!  I am already making a New Year's Resolution as well as getting ready for the holidays!

Today I am linking up with Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything for:

The BEST News:  We adopted a new dog!

Here is my old dog, Gabi:  

After having Gabi the Dog for over 14 years and losing her in July, I was lonely and lazy.  Who wants to walk after supper in the dark when it gets cold?  Not me!  Who wants to come home to an empty house with no one to greet you with sheer happiness and love?  Not me!  

While browsing Facebook, a local dog rescue popped up:  Gal's Best Pal.  They were having an adoption Meet and Greet.  I convinced my husband, who definitely did NOT want another dog, to come.  That's where we met Truffles from Texas!  She is 3 to 4 years old and was found on the streets of Houston.

Cold Weather = Your tires need air!

Has this every happened to you?  It always happens when I'm on my way to school; when I do NOT want to go to the gas station to fill up my tires; when I need to track down 5 or 6 quarters,...  It is just an annoyance.  As soon as I saw this gadget, I put it directly in my Amazon cart:

Click on the picture to check this out on Amazon!

I am hoping to get good use out of this exciting gadget.  If you have tried it out, please let me know in the comments!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a will have a great week ahead!  Thank you for checking in!

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Fabulous Friday Favorites!

Happy Fantastic Friday!  Today I am delighted to link up with Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything for:

Spring Break Getaway Put On Hold

Our family has a 15 and a half year old black lab mutt, Gabi.  A few weeks ago, Gabi had an episode:  she collapsed and could not walk.  The next day we took her to the vet who prescribed additional painkillers and sent her home to be comfortable.  She also gave us a list of euthanasia vets.  That was one month ago.  Gabi is comfortable and eating.  However, my husband and I were so worried that her health might deteriorate that we canceled our vacation to Puerto Rico.  We got airline credits and a refund from the hotel.  The cost of canceling was $200:  $100 per ticket for one set of one way tickets from one of the airlines.

Here is the miracle dog in one of her favorite places on Earth ~ her front lawn:

First Laundry of the Season on the Clothesline!

Right before April vacation, we had two days in the 80's.  The kids were miserable:  "We need air conditioning."  Ha!  My reply:  "They don't turn on the air conditioning until Memorial Day!"  There is a reason for this in Massachusetts:  The really warm weather doesn't arrive until mid-June.

Luckily, the sun was out last week, and I was finally able to hand out my laundry:

New Outdoor Furniture!

My friend and I went to Home Sense.  Outside in front of the store, I saw this furniture set.  I asked my husband to come to the store, and he agreed that we should buy it.  It looks amazing on our new screened in porch, too!

Great Book I Am Reading

I am thoroughly enjoying this book:

This book is easy to read and delightful.  Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character.  The family home is on Pineapple Street in Brooklyn.  The mom and dad have moved to an apartment on Orange Street.  Consequently, the son and his new wife, Sasha, live in the family home.  Sasha is a "regular" person while all the other family members grew up with incredible wealth.  This book underlines that money does not equal happiness and an easy life.

Make sure to visit the link-up to check out more amazing blog posts!

As always, thank you for visiting the blog today!  I really appreciate you checking in!

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Currently ~ Awesome April!

Happy April everyone!  I am delighted to link up with Anne in Residence for:

Sharing 
  
I have settled on a Google Classroom routine.  Every morning I share a Morning Message; a Google Forms questionnaire; a math activity and a reading one.  Here is my latest Morning Message:

 
Writing

I used to write often in my dog's blog, but then I just stopped.  Thanks to my students requesting more blog posts, I finally wrote a new and timely post that you can read here.

Even our pets need to practice social distancing!









Wishing

My wish for myself, my family and
all for friends is staying healthy.
That's what I am thankful for every day.







Investigating

I am trying to decide what to read next and where to buy the book.  I am so sad that I can't go to the library, and I NEVER buy books.  I had a gift card to Barnes and Noble, but they charge for delivery (unlike most retailers who now offer free delivery!).  Right now I'm reading this book:

I'm enjoying it, but I'm trying to read it slowly until I have a new book on the horizon.  

Do you have any must-read books to recommend?


Buying

Well, I'm going to have to buy a book, but other than that I've been buying groceries on line.  My husband and I went to pick up my daughter who works in New York City.  Due to that excursion, we are quarantining and isolating for 14 days ~ which we should be doing anyway.  I actually enjoy ordering from Whole Foods IF I can get a delivery window!  That's not very easy with everyone deciding/having to order food online.  

Well, I'm hoping that you are all surviving in this strange, new world!  Thank you for visiting the blog today and checking in!

 

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Happy Magnificent March!

Happy March!  I'm excited to link up with Anne in Residence for her Currently Link-Up!

Scheming

On March 10th, it's my 35th wedding anniversary.  I'm trying to think of a special outing for me and my husband.  I better hurry up it's tomorrow!

Here we are at our older son's wedding last June:

Reading

I'm really enjoying the descriptive language in this beautifully written book:

Buying

I just love browsing around in TJ Maxx or Marshall's.  I never come out empty-handed!  I'm always buying something.  Now I've discovered how to shop online at TJ Maxx where there are many more options than in the store.


Making 


Making is not my strong point ~ unless it's dinner, and it's easy!  This is one of my favorite Hello Fresh recipes that I've been able to make on my own.  It's delicious and makes plenty for leftover which means less cooking for me!

Accomplishing

It's the every day, small accomplishments that get me through the day.  I wake up every day before 4:30 a.m. (today is was 4:20, but tomorrow is daylight saving time so I'll be waking up later!) due to my 11+ year old dog.  She doesn't need to go outside, she just needs comfort and companionship until it's time to go for our morning walk at 5:30.  This week the temperatures have been in the low teens with wind, but I make sure we walk to get our exercise.  

Hope your March is off to a great start!  Thanks for visiting the blog today!

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Welcome to another Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Happy Hump Day!  We're on our third nor'easter this month ~ UGH!  Not only that, there's another one on the horizon for next week as well!  That's why I'm especially happy to link-up with Joyce From This Side of the Pond for:

 

1. Best place you've been lately?

I really loved visiting New York City:  visiting Times Square, going to a Broadway show,  walking on the High Line...!  There are endless activities to do in the Big Apple.  I even knew right away where I had seen this restaurant:

 Of course, my husband insisted that there was NO WAY that I could be right ~ that was until he looked it up.  Ha!  Sometimes I can be right after all!  You can read more about my trip here

 
2. What's something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?

I need to declutter and organize and put away "my stuff" ASAP every day and week so I'm not left with a HUGE job after a year.  Of course, yesterday I reorganized and decluttered my linen closet.  I'm embarrassed to say this, but I don't think I've done this job since we moved into this house 20 years ago.  I just keep piling "stuff" in.  Yesterday I threw out three big trash bags of clutter and emptied countless cleaning containers with just a tad left in them.  What an accomplishment!

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'green'?

I do like to wear green the week before St. Patrick's Day.  The weekend after St. Patrick's Day I enjoy going to an Irish restaurant for dinner.  I really LOVE Irish soda bread!

When I think of green, I think of spring and new leaves!

4. What's a product or service you love so much you'd happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.

There's a local charity called PAWS of Wakefield that fosters and tends to homeless animals. In addition, they raise money to pay for veterinarian services and to buy pet food for its animals.   I actually got my dog from PAWS.  Consequently, I am a HUGE fan of this organization!

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What's the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What's your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?

Well, I do LOVE math.  I teach third grade so I get to teach about math every day!  My favorite subjects in math are geometry and algebra.

Of course, I LOVE pie!  I'll take some warmed up apple pie with coffee ice cream any day!

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I cannot believe how much snow we are getting in eastern Massachusetts this month!  We've had six snow days!  In Wakefield (where I live; not where I teach), the kids can access their work on snow days so they don't have to make up any snow days.  What do you think of this idea?  I'd love to hear what you think!

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February Vacation Five For Friday!

Happy Friday!  It time to link-up with Doodle Bugs for Five For Friday!

Annual Visit to the Veterinarian

Gabi the Dog had her annual physical, and at $600+, it's a good thing we don't go often ~ although she does need to go back in three weeks for three booster shots.

I love how she just hops right up on the bench to sit with us.

Unfortunately for Gabi, she's gained 12 pounds in one year ~ thanks to my husband who gives her a treat every time she asks.  Luckily, he stopped in at the vet during the appointment and heard how unhealthy it is for Gabi to carry all this extra weight.  The vet suggested giving Gabi carrots for treats ~ we'll see how long that lasts.  Also, Gabi will be weighing in when she returns for her booster shots in three weeks.

Red Robin ~ Yum!

There's a new restaurant in Woburn, and my students LOVE this place!  I've never been to a Red Robin before so my friend, Kristen and I checked it our for lunch.  Kristen got corn dog bites while I ate a grilled chicken sandwich.  The food was good, and our waitress was very kind and helpful.  Of course, Kristen had to have dessert ~ a warm brownie sundae:

Another treat they offer is:

Red Robin is one of those restaurants where you can order and pay your bill on the mini-computer at your table.  I'm still adjusting to this new way.  What do you think of the new way to pay in a restaurant?

More From The Commonwealth Museum

I'm reading this great book right now:

Click on the book to read more at Amazon.

A big theme of this book is racism.  When we visited the Commonwealth Museum, I found this uplifting story about a former slave who gained her freedom:

I love this story because it goes right along with hopes and dreams as well as underlines the importance of the Declaration of Independence.  What an inspiration!

Heart Close-Up

I want to feature this great interview a friend and make a poem activity from Laura Candler's February Activities.  

In the activity, students partner up to interview each other, but someone was absent that day so I partnered up with my student, Sierra.

Sierra made this one for me:

This poetry activity would also be great for National Poetry Month in April!

Lucky Receipt

This morning I got a lucky receipt:

At a store in Delray Beach, Florida, the cashier told me that when the numbers are the same before and after the decimal point, it means an angel is looking over you!  My younger son, Andrew, and I are always disputing how often this phenomenon happens:  he claims one in a hundred; I say it's much rarer.  Some day I'm going to find out the real statistics!

Make sure to head over to Doodle Bugs for more

Have a lucky weekend!

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