Safe & Sound

I have not read the books, but they are next on my list.

This song makes me want to hurry up...

Perfect duo.

Dot & Roscoe

I know one of the things that'll be occupying my time this Christmas...

My kindred Emily Martin has gifted the general public with free printable paper doll projects for the winter - meet Dot & Roscoe (my dad used to call my brother Roscoe all the time when we were little!)

"Dot and Roscoe love to go on walks in the winter, because they love to come home with cold noses and dash to the kitchen to make Dot some hot chocolate. Roscoe is content to burrow under a nest of blankets while Dot knits mittens for her sweetheart."

Dot, Roscoe, and their little winter wardrobe just might be adorning my tree as garland this Christmas.

Because, as the ADS alarm system guy exclaimed, "Girl, you ain't got enough ornaments on that tree!!"

Thank you, kind sir.

And thank you, Emily!

I tried stayin' on the porch...

This weekend we had Hardin Christmas in Starkville. 'Twas a good time - I don't have many pictures, because Hailstorm was home and therefore all the best ones were shot with her camera.

Aunt Nita, Daddy-D, and Dad

Kurt & Marty

The "kid table"

Granny, Nita, me & baby Campbell (whom I met this weekend for the first time!!!)

Nita's gingerbread house

Admiring her handiwork (it was so hilarious to watch her figure out that the frosting was edible)

And my sweet baby nephew Shepherd

And the 18 wheeler I stalked all the way from Gordo to Tuscaloosa so I could catch him at a stoplight for a picture (I think I made him nervous, actually). When the kids and I write narratives at school, we work on eradicating their "This is a story about..." habit in favor of interesting leads. I like to give them leads to begin stories a lot, and ideas find me in the oddest places. I'll be using this one next.

Inspiration is everywhere!

I'm home now, pulling on my Cuddle Duds and cranking the space heater. This little house and I, we're going to get along just fine (a few photos coming soon!).

Hope you all have a lovely week!

"Marley was dead to begin with..."

This might be risky, but I'm going to share something here because it's ridiculously hilarious. You won't think this is funny unless you've known me for awhile.

I sent these videos out in an email, but I don't think anyone could open them. The other day in class I started noticing that some of my kids had worms. I pretended I was taking candid photos, which I do often, but captured the mini-me's on video instead.

I'm so glad I did.

Also, I cannot cannot CANNOT WAIT to read Jacob T. Marley, a prequel to A Christmas Carol!!!!!!! It has the potential to be sorely disappointing, but I think it looks so good!! I'll be asking Pippi for this for Christmas this year.

Goodnight!

Two things I can't get enough of this season...

This Christmas album, produced by musicians at my church.

Each and every song is absolutely beautiful, and it's even sweeter because they are sung by some of my favorite people and dear friends.

You can listen and download it here for $5. Well worth it, I assure you.

Also, I bought a house and moved, as you probably already knew - I love every second of being in this house - it was built in 1928 and is so filled with character. There is much I'd like to do to it, and the fact that it will take me years is going to be an exercise in both patience and stewardship. The only downside so far (and I walked into this knowingly) is that it. is. frigid. in. here.

There's never a point in setting the thermostat above 60, because the house will likely never be above 57 or 58 degrees. And I'm cold natured. Thank goodness Alabama winters are only truly harsh for a couple of months of the year.

So, to combat the cold without draining my wallet trying to heat my house, I've invested in a few pairs of Cuddle Duds. My friend Melissa (whose song on Half Spent, "The Wexford Carol," is stunning!) opened my eyes and my world to these, and I'm forever grateful. Apparently I'm the last person alive to find out about these, but ya'll. They. are. amazing. I got them a couple of days ago and have yet to take them off. I like to sit around in them, like this...

They are so soft and so warm. If you're somewhere really cold or are trying to save money by keeping your heat really low, you need these. I'm wearing them under everything.

Hope everyone's having a warm and peace-filled advent season so far.

Here goes...

As of 3:00 this afternoon, this sign will go from "Under Contract" to "SOLD."

Kind of ridiculous...if you'd ever told me that I would EVER buy a house by myself, I'd have laughed at you.

I can't wait to live in this little bungalow!

I'm taking a day off.

Every so often there comes a day when I just know that I cannot go to school the following day. It hits me that until I have a day off, my being at school is not doing anyone any good.

Today was one of those days - with Homecoming week (which really turned out to be two weeks) and nine-weeks grades behind me, there's not much of me left.

I'm physically sore from being stampeded by herds of middle schoolers at yesterday's pep rally (and maybe also from the students vs. faculty volleyball game), my voice is gone from repeating things like "Don't climb on the windowsill!" and "You only space ONE time after each sentence when you're using MLA style!" and "For the love of everything that's good in the world, DO NOT unzip your pants unless you are in the bathroom!"

So, today I called my trusty sub and wrote my principal a brief note letting him know that I would not be in tomorrow.

I stapled this article to the note. I really did.

Here's a glimpse of why I might need to put away anything flammable that I have access to:

I do exaggerate. They are really sweet kids. I tell them all the time that try as they might, I am seriously more thug than they are. I love these faces more than I can even tell you.

But they drive me to the brink of insanity. Exaggeration...maybe. Or maybe not.

So this weekend, when I'm not passed out flat on my back, I plan to finish off this treat of a book, continue my end of summer summer love affair into the fall, and hang out with good friends at my favorite Greek cafe down the street while it's still within walking distance.

Yes, I might be moving at the end of this month! :)