Journey to the Top of the Mackinac Bridge | Upper Peninsula Blog

Journey to the Top of the Mackinac Bridge | Upper Peninsula Blog

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You are what you think!

Don't worry be Happy? Recall that song? Well, it is true.

A person is a product of his or her own thoughts. Thoughts form the thermostat which regulates what we accomplish in life. Isn't this the truth?
Some people are so happy while others are so discouraging.
It is because your body responds and reacts to the input from your mind. When you feed it with doubt, worry, and discouragement, that is what comes out.
Adjust the thermostat forward---to thoughts filled with vision, hope, and victory---and count on that kind of day. You become what you think about.


Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with
constant repetition. That may explain why so many who are gloomy and
gray stay in that mood, and why others who are cheery and enthusiastic
continue to be so, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Happiness (like winning) is a matter of right thinking, not intelligence, age, or position. Our performance is directly related to the thoughts we deposit in our memory bank. We can only draw on what we deposit.
Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope

These ideas come from Chuck Swindle and are so true!
I am going to be a positive person- I love my job and I love my life and I can keep up the diet and loose weight and be a thin person again. I can exercise and swim and walk and be thinner.

Wild? Wednesday

Today I planted and watered some flowers. Thought about writing a story/novel/book. Thought about how great it would be to live in Hawaii. Looked up living in South Carolina~ and went swimming in Oxford at 6:30 p.m. The most fun thing was all of it. So little makes me happy!

Growing Old- And the secrets of such

I read this scripture to day and found it very meaningful especially in light of growing old and moving on.

"My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God."


Starting last winter I began to think about what comes next.
Lots of unanswered questions:
Where do I want to live out my days?
How do I keep in touch with old friends? And my family?
Who will do these things when the oldest die out?
What is important about being older and wiser?

First point: getting old is a trial, but the alternative is worse... Actually I am not afraid of that....
Eat less exercise more Stay away from processed foods
Connect with friends from the past, you never know what will come next. I spent time in Ky. with JoAnn and Jo-Ann Kristensen came here and Sharon and I have reconnected. Through facebook. When Suanne McMillan died I saw lots of friends former teachers and that was good. If we move elsewhere we will lose friends from 25 to 40 years of our lives. So maybe going to N.Carolina or Georgia or ST. Joe/Benton Harbor isn't a good idea. You need to keep your history.

Looking on line for a place to move- I really want to go to the beach or nearer to the beach. But the on line words don't really tell you what the place is like to live. Neither does it tell you what the problems are and everywhere they have problems.

So to stay or to go?

Chairs

I think today we should consider chairs.
Chairs are very functional. They have four legs to hold you up and some have arms to help you up. Some are low slung and some are stiff and sturdy. You can rest there. You can sleep there. Although you might get a crook in your neck, if you sleep there for too long a time. And they are very useful when you are shopping and need to rest!
Katie needs some for her house--particularly kitchen chairs, though she has some great ones that work well outside.
My outside ones are plastic and have lasted a long time.
In the classroom I have blue ones and light weight blue ones but only two with wheels and three grown up chairs. Once I had a rocking chair but a student broke it, ( this happened on a day I was absent.) He stuck his head between the rungs in the back support part of the chair.
In our living room we have a rocking chair and a recliner and two chairs with wheels, one is for the computer and one the scrapbooking tables.
I used to like to sit in a chair at the pool and watch as my children were swimming and diving. Now though I can't sit in the pool chairs and get up gracefully as they are too low.
I like the chairs at my parent's cabin in Michigan. They are caned, by my father and some have arms which make them easy to get out of. They are arranged across from the couch so that guests can take a seat when they come into the cabin. Others are pushed into the table so that you can sit on them during dinner.
We all need to sit in chairs. If a chair is empty then anybody should be welcome to sit in it. In my classroom people get to sit in the teacher's chair or in the rolling chair as a reward. A.M. Smith says in the book tea Time For the Traditionally Built that the problem with the modern world is that not enough of us are prepared to share our chairs.

That is true for many things. We are not prepared to share we just use and throw aside.
I chose the photo in honor of Thea's birthday today and Father's Day on Sunday. FYI they are sitting in chairs. Yep! Chairs are great!

Birthdays

Tomorrow is my baby sister's birthday. She will be 50. I remember when she was born. One of our grandmothers was with us. In the morning when I got up I went to see mom and dad and they were gone- not in their bed. Thea was born. Lots of good memories about her.
She was a smart little girl. She learned to read before kindergarten. She taught herself to whistle a unique way through her teeth. Now she has the loudest whistle around. I think I heard this from someone. My sister had staight A's through 12 grade. Though she didn't go to college she could have and would have done extremely well there. She got my parents to stop smoking and to use plain, white kleenex to save the environment. She is kind, helpful, and very patient. She loves to dress up and she loves to play games. She loves music (can't sing so she says) and she loves her family.
Happy Birthday little sis!

Books and thoughts

As a ninth grader in 1967 I was captivated by the Soviet Union/Russia/ and Tsar Nicholas and his wife. So on the Saturday I began a book called The Romanov Bride. Today I finished it and decided to read some more about the Romanovs and got a book called the Last Chapter. It is interesting because it tells their final story and final hours and it also includes the struggles of the scientists to find exhume and prove the bones identity.

Thoughts- Revolution sure is/was bloody and violent. I am glad that in America in my lifetime we have not had this kind of rebellion. I am also glad that there is no more royalty- well maybe there is you just don't really see or hear much about it any more. They (the really rich and noble) keep a very low profile.

Books and cats

I have been reading, what 's new? It is summer and hot and sticky and rainy at least this week. Started a couple of books and couldn't finish them.
One was Called the Other Queen the other about the Romanov dynasty
Now I am reading a knitting book about Blossom Street,
I think that is the type I am preferring now.
Gentle stories... nothing heavy or depressing or violent
I will gladly take suggestions for lite lit...
Have a good day today everyone who reads this.

I think my cat is nuts.
At about 8:30 she started jumping up here on the computer desk to play with me. She must always play with John then. I had to throw some rings for her to catch and chase across the room.
Now she is sleeping.

Guess where we are in the photos!

Wild Road Trip

On Saturday June 13, I decided to go to Edinburgh to return some clothes. So Lita and I started out, but first a quick call to Harold to see what the roads were like. He said there was construction on 44 but he couldn't tell me the detour to take. He just goes the back roads because he knows the way but not the street names. So I downladed directions from AAA and we were off! First a stop at the Union County Library. Then down 101 thru Brookville and turn onto I-74 west to Indy. So far so good!

Then in Greensburg we encountered the first construction and the first strange markings. Turn right on Michigan Ave. No street sign for Michigan Ave. just a guess- but it was route 152- Next take a sharpleft onto CR550S- No such road, so we turned on Vandalia which turned out to be that county road- And now for the scenic Indiana tour, plenty of cows, cornfields, flooded creeks and CR 200S labled roads. As we raced past we wondered are we going in the right direction? Well we followed AAA until Detour Bridge out, but no detour sign. I guess in that part of the country you are just supposed to know what to do! We followed our noses and finally ended up at I 65 just one exit from our stop.

Katie was tired of waiting for us so she went on to the Art fair. Lita and I returned the Liz Claiborne clothes then cruised up I-65 to Indy and John and Joe.

Finally we got to Katie's where we fixed lunch hot dogs, mac and cheese for some-- salad and chicken for me. Then it was off to the Italian Street Fair and the Roller Derby. And the Leeeead Jammer is .... Never in my life did I expect to go to a Roller Derby, but you try it all ( with in reason) at least once! I got into it-Yelling at those girls, " go around them you can do it."

After dinner at the Oodles of Noodles we went to the Italian Street fair again. This time it is open and what a crowd. Should have waited to eat there...lots of food for sale and a good cause support the Catholic school.

First we played a few games, Lita won with the throw the darts, Joe shot the B-ball. That game was rigged or Joe had had too much wine. Then we waited in line to ride the ferris wheel. Now.....

What was I thinking? Too much off the ground and no one to catch me if I fell. anyway I am going to add some photos in the next post and a few here.

Wild Road Trip!

Just got back from a wild road trip- exciting ( well relatively) events included:

1. a long detour around Rushville construction in which I got lost three times

2. a trip to the Italian Street Fair

3. A ride on a Ferris Wheel

4. Roller Derby Naptown Girls- the Leeead Jammer is.....

5. and a food allergy



More to follow including fun photos! I really love my kids_ Worry about them so much but Love them. However I prayed for healthy happy and smart kids and God answers prayers.

Journeys

I just read that Thea and Mom are flying to Maryland today. Dad and Mark are going to drive from California to Maryland. I hope the trips go well.
Well, at least I will be able to get to see them.
I wonder if they told Thea this earlier?
Things are looking interesting for today various stops in Oxford so I need to be going.
Will they get to Michigan with out a doctor visit?

Joy!

School is out I am ready to enjoy it, but so tired. Tonight I went to a retirement dinner for Pam Termeer, Sandy Corbin, and Cathy Ceferri. Connie McLain also retired and she didn't come. I really enjoyed giving them a small gift today- a book for retirement. The party was at Karen Ross' house and barn. What a lovely setting she has there. Her son graduated the same time as Katie. Neither he nor Dan remembered Katie. I had a hard time getting into the party, there wasn't much to connecting with the others. I guess I am just tired.
At about 6:30 a thunderstorm rolled in and while we were eating the rain pounded the farm. The dinner of pork chops and carry ins was delicious. Then driving home I had a scare.
Karen lives near Roseburg and at the end of Retherford Rd. is a ford over a creek. The creek was almost up to cement when I crossed at 5 and at 8:00 it was over the road and flowing rapidly. I decided not to go over the ford and drove down to Stone Rd. instead.
Joy!
What brings joy? Rain bows and kittens playing with string? Enough sleep and a good book!

The Last Day

Well

Open the barbeque

Open the sun

Open the homerun games we won

Open the picnic

Open the pool

Open the summer

Close the school.

The last busses pulled out at 2:30 and we all waved a happy goodbye.

Now all that is left to do is pack up the room.

What else?

Relax, swim, read.

Tonight we went to Frisches for dinner. Wasn't very good. I should just stick with the salad bar.

Bought gifts for fellow teachers who are retiring.

Can't wait to sleep in at least one day!

One day left!

What a year!
I can safely say that this year gave me high blood pressure and cold sores. all from stress.
It is almost over and I have one day left. I hope to find out what to do better next year as I prep this summer.
So I missed field day- my goal go to it next year because I am thinner and can handle the heat and standing.
No photos today. I wonder over the legality of putting up a post of my class.

Graduation 2009

Last night was graduation and Lita played Pomp and Circumstance for the last time. The band sounded better than I have ever heard them sound. The speeches were well speeches. Afterwards we went to McDonalds in Oxford. I think the picture is a bit dark but Lita's the girl in the middle.

Today

Today I started a blog. This is going to be sort of a journal and record of photos and events. I guess I need to share the address with others too.