conversating

Not my real students

I've subbed an evening conversation class this week, and while it's made for some very long days, it has been SO much fun! We've got a good mix of countries/ages/careers so the chat is lively. I miss both the teaching and just having conversation~my days are way out of balance with wayyyyy too much work and very little fun and socializing.

Hopefully, the changing of the season and easing of the frigid weather will find some change coming. (And no, the poster doesn't mean anything significant, I just saw it this week and liked it.)

it's the little things y'all

ADAFFODILBLOSSOM. What a gift. And of course the lovely frame and photo! Every time I see it I start humming one of my favorite songs~I love you, a bushel and a peck. A bushel and a peck, and hug around the neck."

Continuing this easing into adulthood~I got my first pair of tongs. Why I've not bought them before, I have no idea. But I'm tired of burning my fingers lifting crispy things out of my air fryer.  And for those of you who are going to point out that I could use a fork, I will answer that you try using a fork in a metal basket of holes.

A little loopy as I just finished a ten-hour work day, but very happy to have just talked to my aunt after her stent/balloon implant procedure.  My cousin was in good spirits and everyone is ready to be done with the hospital life.

saving the daylight, or some such nonsense

Despite this stupidity of moving time around, Sunday is my at-home day. The work hours are long next week, so I cooked a ton of food.

It's wonderful to have a full stove/oven again and slicing/dicing/stirring is very soothing~not to mention how good the home smells with things simmering all day.

I don't think I've every purchased an eggplant~I usually only eat them in Thai food, but saw a fun idea on the cooking channel last week, so am going to try them in my air fryer.

Tortilla shreds for my chili. 

Ready! At least physically~need to craft a life where Sunday afternoons aren't a swamp of dread and depression. I am grateful for work; just want it to consume so much of my life.

But for now, I'm cheered by these eggplant parm crisps.

serendipity/serendipitous/serendiptiously

My sister knows me well! New mug for Monday morning. 

This morning's grammar lesson was on changing words from their noun/verb/adjective/adverb form, so I thought I'd use the word of my day in that same format. I actually had "buy a candle" on my to-do list for the week and my mom surprised me with this lovely cherry blossom one! How perfect to usher in the spring.

pizzazz

On this dreary, slushy day~the bus driver was wearing a pair of snazzy patent leather shoes. It was busy enough so I didn't ask if I could take an actual photo of him. What a fun touch to a mundane job! (and we'll just draw a veil over me taking the wrong bus because it was in the correct bay....and taking an extra HOUR to get home while sopping wet/freezing and just the slightest bit hangry.) 

Grateful this week is o'er.

bite-sized treats

Since a student who just traveled to Florida couldn't fit a palm tree in her suitcase, she brought me some fab sparkly ears instead.

And the same student graced the entire school with pans of leggamat; SO delish.

Mardi Gras

Helpful housekeeping tips for this season. 

My colleague, rather brilliantly, came up with the idea of using cinnamon rolls in place of King Cake for today's celebration. (and may I say how disconcerting it is for people to slice these into 8ths????? No. No. No. Cinnamon rolls are meant to be eaten by unrolling. Sigh. I obvs need to get back into the classroom.)

invoicing rejoicing

Amongst all the office supplies in this morning Amazon delivery,was a huge packet of face masques. Thought it was a personal item of the boss's that got into the school delivery, but nope. So, all the female staff went home very happy with the promise of a bit of pampering and quiet time.

welcome March

Welllll, not quite as it's snowed last night and predicted snow to come on Sunday. But we have turned the calendar page to one of my favorites (despite the idiotic time change)~two of my best friends and a rather nice b-i-l celebrate their birthdays this month. 

And I don't mind the snow when I get to work in my jammies in my cosy home! 

hydration

Just had a lovely chat with my Aunt E; well, as lovely a chat as you can have with a patient in hospital. She's slightly bored and a bit annoyed that she can't go home. But she said the nurses are kind and taking good care of her and she's enjoying all the phone calls.

Tiny things, but meaningful.

untitled #8452

If you like zippy food, I highly recommend making egg salad with Trader's wasabi mayo! I am looking forward to snack time this week.

Now I can identify my seedlings; chives, basil, and the oregano is juuuust poking through. It's been wonderful to be home during daylight and to have a quiet Sunday to prep for the week.

wheat that springeth green

Voila~the beginnings of my herb garden!! I actually don't remember what I planted where, so will have to watch the leaves emerge.

Just home after another twelve-hour workday. But. Oh, glorious but....the accreditation team wrapped things up one full day early!!!!!!!!!!!!!! While they are not supposed to make personal comments/opinions~it was clear that they were completely happy and impressed with our hyper-organized pre-visit and files and reports, blah/blah/blah.

They did genuinely thank us for a great site visit and said that they enjoyed meeting us, our staff, and students.

And in the most marvelous timing ever, tomorrow is a snow day and I can sleep in!

more quiet joys

Had hilarious lessons this morning; I took the "P is for Pterodactyl" book for my ESL lesson. It's a great book for any day/occasion but we got derailed on a simpler word from the book~'folks'. My student's accent is still fairly strong and she was trying to change 'forks' to 'folks' and you can imagine where it went from there. We were crying with laughter.

Am proud of the progress my two adult piano students are making as well. And the house where I teach has an enthusiastic dog that is my new best friend. He sits with his head on my leg throughout the lessons.

Finally got some dough to rise and made my very first loaf of sourdough!!!!!!!!

Some teeny asparagus to roast and the news that a friend's surgery went well.