Be Happy Anyway

Be Happy Anyway
From Brave Girls Club

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Silent Gratitude by Karen

Thank you Karen for sharing this scrapblog with us.



Everyone share this with someone you know.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Memorial Day 2008

I would like to thank my friend Karen for sharing her Scrapblog with me. I felt it was worth sharing with everyone else.




To view it slower and larger click here. and choose the full screen option. I hope it means as much to you as it means to me.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Jeg trenger å øve på norsken min.

What does that mean?

"I need to practice my Norwegian." This is true. I want to go to Norway next summer or the next. Why? I don't know. It seems no matter where I turn, I run into something or someone Norwegian. For example, sometimes I click the NEXT button at the top of the screen and almost always it takes me to a Norwegian blogger like the jewlery maker or the scrapbooker. How do I know it is Norwegian? Well many years ago, I met someone from Norway whom I still write to today. (The internet is a wonderful thing.) I thought it would be good to learn Norwegian out of politeness, but it turned into a fascination with everything Norwegian - Travel, Clothing, Language, Geography.

I participate in a photoblogging site where I have "met" two different ladies - Nina and Linda who are from Trondheim. One even works in an IKEA. After seeing their pictures plus the places I have found on the web, I decided that Norway would not be a bad place to spend a few weeks in the summer.

Other than money, what is my major drawback? The language. I know many speak English there, but I have always found it inconsiderate to visit a country and not know any of the language. So, I have resorted to a translation site and phrase site to learn. I want to buy a program like Rosetta Stone to really learn Norwegian, but I just haven't.

The problem with online translators is that, just like English, Norwegian has many words for one thing. For example, there are two meaning for "Welcome." If you want to welcome someone to your home you would say, "Velkommen," but if you want to say you're welcome after someone thanks you, you should say, "Vær så god!" which doesn't translate to English exactly.

I think that I would need a total immersion to get a better understanding, but where does one get such an experience in a little town in Central Texas?

I just hope when I am trying to give a compliment to one of my new friends that I don't instead say, "Your mother is a goat." Which, by the way, is "Din mor er en geit."

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Honey! Where are My Keys?

This is the desperate cry my husband hears Tuesday morning. I am trying to leave for work in time to pick up secured testing documents and greet my students by 7:30. If you have ever read about my mornings you know how hectic they can be, but I digress. I open my purse - no keys. I go to the kitchen - no keys. The breakfast bar - no such luck. Yesterday's pants? Nope. Bathroom vanity, garage, couch, chair, computer??? No, no, no, no, NO! Where could they be?

I begin interrogating my children, "Have you seen my keys?"

#1: "No, mom. Did you try the kitchen?"

#2: (Remember he is three.) "No, mommy."

I have now enlisted my husband who has been through this many a time. He begins to interrogate me. It wasn't a pretty sight; there were tears.

I am to the point of giving up, but remember I have that all important test to administer today. I start thinking of my resources. Hmmm. Dad? No, it would take to long. My husband? No, his car doesn't have the appropriate military pass. Coworkers? No they are all at work by now. What will I do?

In full blown tears, I call my assistant principal. Cooler heads prevail, and she sends her assistant who comes and picks me up in record time. We pull into the parking lot with five minutes to spare.

Because I have already lost two keys (one original that has been missing for over a month and one valet that I have been using until the other turns up,) later that day my mom goes to the dealership for a $46 duplicate. Nice.

You would think that would be the end of this tragic story. Then again you might not.

Today, my dad picks #2 up from the daycare early, so I have to go pick him up from my parents' house. When it is time to leave, #2 gets upset and runs out the front door and runs down the street. Dad grabs him and puts him in the car seat. I start the car using my $46 key and drive to the grocery store, but....

What is that smell!!??!!

Of course it's #2 who has gone #2. I have to change him in the parking lot. I jump out of the car, run around to his side, pull him out, confirm my suspicions (eeww,) drag him around to the side with no car seat ("Don't you dare move,") open the trunk, find a beach towel, lay it down and deal with mess.

After the drama is over (or so one might think,) I go to get my purse and keys...where are my keys? And so it continues...

Are they in the ignition, cup holder, car seat, the trunk? No, no, no, NO! I run around the car frantically checking and rechecking everywhere it could possibly be to no avail. What should I do now?

"Oh, DAD!"
"I'll be right there," he replies.

During this short five minute wait I continue to scour the car for my keys, scolding my son for moving from the safe spot. I even check the diaper bag thinking I must have laid it in there. I hear a jingle. What could it be? Would you believe it? It's the keys I lost a month ago.

Sheepishly, I wait for my dad to pull into the parking lot. I decide not to tell him until he asks me if I checked my shirt pocket. This is when I have to admit I found the original keys, but the $46 duplicate is still missing.

After 10 minutes of him digging through the mess known as my car, he gives up and tells me to go home, which I am reluctant to do.

"Go home, and look for it there since you found your other keys," he directs.

I agree and begin closing all of the doors. He starts buckling #2 into the car seat again. I close the trunk and hear another jingle.

"Oh, Dad?"
"Just a minute."
"Dad!"
"I'm almost done."
"Dad, look!"

What should our wondering eyes see but a key sticking out of the lock of the trunk.

Needless to say I will have to buy my dad a very big Father's Day present this year.
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