#sosmagic Celebrate: If This Isn't Nice...

I love celebrating the little JOY's of life. Taking a few moments to enjoy those little moments that make me smile keep me sane during a time when the whole world seems to be going crazy.

This week I seemed to find lots of happiness---

My hibiscus plants are finally poking through the ground! The false spring we had early on faked me out and I kept thinking they hadn't survived the winter. But they are a lesson in patience. While we were getting ready for spring, the hibiscus knew winter wasn't quite over.

And they were right.

As soon as we hit some 75+ degree days, they emerged from their blanket of dead leaves and started reaching for the sun.



Along with the hibiscus, I've got lots of little areas planted with annuals, little spots around the yard that just make me smile. Wish I would have taken pictures before I left for the lake! Maybe a future blog post will have to be a tour of those spots!

Video chats with two of my grandsons. It's always fun to hear what's going on in their worlds, even when they are bored. And video chats help me miss them a little less.

We've been trying a few new recipes lately. Our Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes were a big hit. Greg and I both loved them, and they make enough for leftovers which is always nice during lake season. They will freeze well too, which is always a plus!

It is officially summer and lake time. Temperatures in the 80's this week and lots and lots of sun (sun improves everyone's attitude, doesn't it?). Chloe and I will enjoy our time this week, while poor Greg has to go to work for a few days. Lazy mornings writing and drinking coffee while looking at this view are definitely a great way to start the day!

And speaking of Chloe. She's back from her walk with Greg and now sleeping soundly on the bed. The little snores coming from her, those make me smile too.

#sosmagic20 Memories Abound

All weekend, little memories popped up in my life.

A song started the trip down memory lane:

The Doobie Brothers, Old Black Water. Every time I hear it, I smile and am immediately transported back to a school bus, traveling to a speech contest, singing at the top of my lungs with all of my best friends. It was such a happy, uncomplicated time in my life. And those memories of rehearsals, long bus rides, trips to "Mickey D's" make up a lot of my high school memories. I think it's why I loved coaching speech so much. I was able to help kids create those memories on their own and enjoy them again in the process.

Then I grabbed this coffee mug out of the cupboard and was once again student teaching in a small town not far from where I live now. I ate a lot of instant mac and cheese out of this mug. As the first person in my family to go to college, none of us had a clue about the needs of a college student. I lived in an apartment above a store in downtown. No car, so I walked everywhere. Not much for furniture. No refrigerator or stove! I had a hot plate and a crockpot and the grocery store was on the counter. A small portable TV that got one channel on which I watch every John Wayne movie ever made on Sunday afternoons, while I created lesson places and graded papers. I loved every minute of my time there. I was an adult, learning what kind of teacher I wanted to be and what kind I didn't.

Twenty years ago, we bought our little cabin at the lake. The previous owners left us this little artificial plant and shell doily for us when we took over. I was over the moon happy when we bought our cabin. It had been a life long dream to "live at the lake", and although I don't live there full time, our summers at the lake have definitely been my happy time. Even now, in the midst of quarantining, it brings us JOY to snuggle in there and watch the world around us. We passed on that love and now both boys live close enough to the cabin to visit often in the summer. The grandkids love coming to "the lake" and spending time with us. It truly is our family happy place.

And then, there is the class of 2020. They were freshmen during my last year of teaching and I've had many of them in classes when I sub. Four of them were on my freshmen speech team. In the last week, I've been friended on Facebook by many. Now, my rule has always been that I wouldn't friend kids until after they have their diploma in hand. But this year's class, well, I've made an exception. I don't know why they want to friend me on Facebook, most of them aren't really on much. Maybe it's just the connection from their high school memories. But that's OK. I'm friends with many former students and it's fun to watch their journey to adulthood. And it's nice to remember, that I made a difference, at least to a few.