Goodbye September!

Can you *believe* my neighbor's garden at this time of the year??

When everything is turning brown and gray in the ground, she has these incredibly bright purple "winter crocus" blooming all over! I was shocked on my little walk with Ellie.♥

It was a very very good day in my classroom today. One of those days when you know you are doing what you are supposed to be doing with your career in life.
But I still can't wait to play in my journal...even if it's just for a little while.

Hope your September was a September to remember...in a good way!

Autumn colors and richness and blessings to you!

Hold on: Here comes October!

Beauty

A perfect rose.

One of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Picked from a garden

and given as a gift.

I had to share it with you.

Remembering Those Spaces...

Sometimes we fall. But there's always UP.

And there's always the Angel of Mercy when we least expect it.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Wishing you a week full of accomplishment and contentment too.

The Space Between

Lovin' the Space Between...and finding Balance.

A phone call from my son, shopping with my daughter, running Ellie in the fields,

seeing fall flowers

and that gorgeous sky. Venus was so bright last night, that I was awestruck.

It's amazing at night with that (almost) full moon.

These Full Moon Nights

Have you been able to get a glimpse of the September Full Moon these past couple of nights? I went outside last night to take Ellie out for her walk, and I was so surprised by the beautiful eeriness of the sky. Not only was the moon shocking, but we had fog...and it hazed down this incredible glow. It honestly looked like a movie trailor for a vampire flick. I am a devoted sky watcher. Last night was one to remember.

PS. My students and I were excited all day, and our Open House was a big success this evening!

Thank you for your kind classroom comments! ~Kathy

A Beautiful Stillness

I can't help it. I am just fascinated by these bristley things that have softness too.

Strength with gentleness.

Happy Autumn!

This is one of my favorite quotes. I had to journal it:

I think about this sometimes when I am teaching.

A Little Tour...

...through my classroom and my school! Come in! Come in! Open House isn't until Thursday evening, but you can take a peek early because you are special.

This is how it started a few weeks ago:

Then I began to unpack my boxes and set up my room before the first day of school:


I am in the new part of the elementary building, so I have to admit that I call my second grade classroom "the suite". It's the biggest classroom in the whole district. It happened that I got put in here a few years ago because there was no room for me anywhere else, and I LOVE it.

Now, let's walk down the hallway...toward the art room:

Don't you just LOVE the way one color blends into the next one? ♥

But, it gets better:

This is one of my best friends:

He's bigger than me and was created by a high school student three years ago. Let's just say, that if he fit into my car, he'd be on my bed right now.

Hope you enjoyed your visit. Please come again soon. You could bring cupcakes. ♥

Moments and Memories

I had such a nice weekend. I soaked up the good stuff.

I am in a better, more peaceful place again.

I am feeling more balanced, more centered.

This feels right.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and can find your quiet moments this week. ♥ Kathy

Fading Summer Pages

I do love this time of year when the remains of summer are still here but fall has settled in with pink skies and golden sunshine. You can sit outside without melting...or freezing.

The flowers of summer are fading, but still pretty.

The hydrangeas (below) are still changing glorious colors...and can you see Ellie in the window, waiting for me? ♥

I enjoyed such a nice weekend, spending bits of time with lots of people I love.

I've been having loads of fun with paint and collage and lots of stenciling.

I feel a burst of tape coming on again soon, though!

Books & Pampering

Well, I just finished up my first full week with new students (day #9 of school). Today I felt like I really had that first deeper connection with them. We shared different types of giggles and feelings and lessons, like we were really getting to know one another. I think that when I read aloud to them, after lunch, that's when I really connect.

I love reading to children because I can use voices and lots of drama and expression. I hold them in suspense and get louder, with hand movements galore...and then whisper. I love it. Yesterday and today it really caused quite a stir. Not one of us wanted this time on the rug with a good chapter book to end, but alas, there's math to do, too!

Anyway, after working 10 hour days, this teacher is ready for some good old fashioned pampering. Since my illness has forced me to give up coffee, tea, chocolate and wine, I indulge myself with my very favorite handmade goodness from Dancing Mooney. Yep, beautiful soaps and yummy exfoliating body polish (new!) are making my days a whole lot better! Here's my favorite (so far):

Himalayan Pink
I can't eat many fruits anymore, but I can enjoy the scents, and boy do I ever! Himalayan Pink, a DancingMooney original and a keeper (!) is like a piece of freshness and juicy grapefruit heaven with a surprise kick.

And now I just discovered (an hour ago) that Janell Mooney has BASIL LIME:

and LAVENDER MINT soaps in her shop!! ♥

So, I am off to order again. I'm beyond excited: lime basil!

(Or should I use my Ginger Peach? Hmmmmm.)




Well, my car broke down after work again today and I was stranded, so...anything goes!
Body polish... pumpkin spice... ♥

I need some pampering!
Don't you? Janell has jewelry and sugar scrub cubes and art...AND she sends them wrapped all sweetly, right out to your friends and family for a perfect no-stress gift of love!

Can you tell I'm happy to have discovered DancingMooney.etsy two years ago?!!

~HAPPY FRIDAY NIGHT EVERYONE!~

Sometimes

That's just my word today. Sometimes.

Sometimes we all feel down.

It's good to remember that this too shall pass.

Peace to you!

Gratitude

Hi everyone! I'm ba-ack! Thank you SO MUCH for all of your absolutely amazing support once again. Prayers and your winged messages, lifted me right back up. I do appreciate your patience...and I think you gave me so much positive energy, that I could run...no, fly!

I really tried to slow down and breathe and pray these last few days, and yesterday I wrote a list of everything I was grateful for. And then, I was finally able to get a good night's rest.

I also phoned a few parents of students, and established good rapport with them so we can help thier children to overcome some issues and learn in a positive environment. This means so much to me. I couldn't have done it without HIM and without you.

This evening I will create in my PaperPumpkin Place.

Love and many hugs to you all.

I truly love you and I am grateful for you, from the bottom of my heart.

~Kathy xo

Some Doubts

Some days that Doubting Thomas slips in under my door. Over the weekend I wondered if I was really as healthy as I hoped I was. I wondered if I still had IT in me. I wondered whether I would ever get over the worst of last year. I thought I was over it. And then I had doubts. And fears. I'm not made of stone and the pain dug deep. I let fear ignite.

This morning I got to work an hour before my students, as always, and worked feverishly to get more done. And then I remembered. I stopped. I went to a private place for 3 or 4 minutes and I stopped. I prayed for strength and patience. I took a deep cleansing breath. I relaxed and let my mind go to a peaceful spot, if even for a moment.

And the day went well. I'm feeling more like the me I can work with (!). Breathing in the faith and strength, and breathing out the negative and the fear, feels so good.

Ten hours later, I drove home feeling like I did my best and God was right there with me. It's funny, but as soon as I got home, I covered my fingers and pages in paint and smiled.

When you get stressed, what do you do?

{PS. My Blog Comments out to you are acting up! I am reading yours, my friends, but only about 50% are working and showing up! I'm there though and I love to read your Blogs! Hugs, kath}

Rewind to 1909

I found this very old book upstairs. I'm not sure where it came from. The cover is browned and wrinkled from water and it's a bit moldy, but its warmth just struck me as beautiful right from the start.

Flicking through the pages makes me smile.

It's dated 1909.

The author worked so hard on detailing everything possible about every tree, some of which I'd never even heard of before. It even discusses the new use of wood for making paper, but that once you are done with the paper, make it into pulp and remake your own sheets. Wow. Good for you, Julia E. Rogers. You were ahead of your time. And I love your book.

~Kathy

Saturday Thoughts...

I love how the colors in a hydrangea randomly change all summer long.

Sometimes I just need to slather paint and play with stencils and layers with no ending in mind.

And here is a fun little sign in front of a fun looking neighborhood shop...but every single time I stop, it is closed. New, but always closed, even when I show up when the sign says it will be open... I think it will close down before I ever go in. Hmmm.

Wishing you a peaceful day.

~Kathy♥