Monday, April 30, 2007

The Road to Hell

I have had every intention of blogging.


I've even sat down to do it, multiple times.


But then, Life happened and the moments passed.


Vegas was lovely. We had a great relaxing time, lounging by the pool, drinking over priced fruity drinks with umbrellas. No big-time gambling, but just enough every day to keep things interesting. The Phantom at the Venetian was very nice. All in all, a really wonderful vacation. I came back recharged.


Then I realized that there is only about one month of regular class days left in the school year, and I still have to do a poetry unit and read another novel with the Ninth graders. So, the stress is back on. Because honestly? It ain't gonna happen.

There hasn't been any knitting. Sadly. I need to knit. I can feel it.

But I am in the throes of grading 68, 8 page research paper rough drafts done by Freshmen who have never written one before. Therefore they suck.


They asked me today on average how long does each paper take me to grade. When I told them 40 minutes, they all got quiet. One brave girl said, "Wow! 40 minutes?" To which I said, "Yes, dear, but yours took me an hour and ten minutes and I had to take a break and get a glass of wine afterwards." She looked at her neighbor across the aisle and whispered, "That can't be good."


Um.


No.


Plus, I am trying to pack for our move to the new house in three weeks or so.


Life. It gets in the way of knitting.

La Tour Eiffel de Las Vegas...pretty, yes? Someday, I will see the real thing.

The reception ceiling of the Bellagio (in case you aren't familiar, the blooms are all made of glass)

Even the sinks at Paris Las Vegas are gorgeous and fancy. I want one for myself.

The conservatory at the Bellagio.

A Ladybug from the Bellagio conservatory, it is made completely out of flowers. It smelled fantastic in there!

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Viva! Las Vegas!

Well, neither knitting project got done. But, I am not caring too much. I will take my old pashmina shawl for my fancy night out wrap, and that will be just fine. I have done most of the things on my To-Do list, including making Amy promise to raise my youngest child if anything happens to my husband and I. She says that is morbid, but I made her swear. She reluctantly did, and I felt better. I forgot to ask her to find homes for the cats as well. So when you read this Amy, please find homes for the cats too, if I croak.
Off to pack...ta tah, darlings!
And Happy Easter too!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

On becoming my mother after all

Whenever my mother went away from her children when we were growing up--by away, I mean far away, usually involving aircraft and a five day supply of panties--she always left us letters in her lingerie drawer.

These were special letters. One for each of the six of us, in a sealed envelope, only meant to be opened by us in case she died while on the trip. Last goodbyes, as they were. They were very long, and very emotionally sentimental.

I remember as a child, teenager, young adult, thinking that they were the most ridiculously morbid thing ever. In that way that everything your elderly parent does is ridiculously something...ridiculously embarrassing, ridiculously morbid, ridiculously ridiculous...

And then I became a mother.
One for each of my three precious boys, all sealed up, spritzed with my signature perfume, each holding a small trinket and a photo of me with them...tied up with a blue ribbon,
and ready for my lingerie drawer.

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