More fun from the last couple weeks...

While I was away in Texas, Andy entertained the ladies of the White family. They went camping (yeah!) and had a tea party. Then he went back to work...and played with a rattlesnake! Andy's list of summer work opportunities now includes: working with high schoolers at camp (see pictures below), fence maintenance, spring repair, ecological studies, range impact studies, botany, LOTS of hiking and chain-sawing, and feelings of ambivalence for our national park and monument officials... But, he leaves the pavement on Monday morning and doesn't hit it again until Thursday night - he's pretty happy about that. He's looking forward to shadowing an archaeologist and a "cave" biologist in the near future...

Great site!

Yummmmm...s'mores!


Very pretty table :)


And the traditional bubble dance ;)
The snake was coiled up in the truck, almost in the engine compartment... before he was freed!

Here are a couple of pictures from the Color Country Natural Resources Camp from a couple of weeks ago...
These girls fish with electricity!
Proud campers! Andy used to think I was crazy for organizing Outdoor Ed, but now he wants to help with this camp every summer...

Blue Hair, Rebels Game, and Flagstaff

I will be catching up on my blogging in bits and pieces. A lot has happened in a short space of time... I dyed my hair blue (a stripe), went to a football game for Abby, went to a conference in Logan for GT, and drove to Texas! Since there are lots of photos, I will do a bit at a time.

Blue Hair - The blue hair is one of my weird bucket list items... I have wanted to do a "non-dress code" hair color chunk for years. I finally decided that I should do it before I am COMPLETELY too old for it. I should say that I have gotten a couple of compliments on it, and provided a topic of conversation for a Texas backroads diner...

SRIS crowd at the Dixie Rebels (semi-pro) game


Jackson family (most of it) in Flagstaff


Sarah and Sadie watch me load/unload at Amarillo Motel 6


Mom and Kate at George W. Bush Presidential Library

Hula hooping (best $2.99 Kate ever spent) and bean bag toss - an evening's entertainment!

You can skip this if you aren't like me...

MB (mother-in-love) and I have been hanging out the last 2 days. Andy's up at a high school science camp this week, so we've been "girlie". Exercise, shopping, and chilling out on the couch today. We've walked, aqua-zumba'd, and water aerobicized; shopped for odds and ends, grandkids/nieces, and books; eaten salads at Durango's and yummy Chicken Caprese sandwiches at Red Robin. Our sojourn at Barnes & Noble was a frappuccino-filled, book-juggling hour before we escaped with what was left of our bank accounts...which leads me to my topic today.

I am addicted to 2 things (if you don't count red-heads) - books and music. There are several things which feed these addictions:1) being a teacher, 2) American Idol, 3) my NOOK, and 4) my family (born into, married into, and friends - they count as family...just ones you choose). This year at my school, every teacher had an erasable "What I am reading now..." page. Mine was probably written and erased a LOT. I also have students who regularly ask me what my favorite things are (books, movies, music, sports, foods). So... I buy books from Scholastic book clubs, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble. I borrow books from the Hurricane Library (Washington County) , the school library, and my friends (NOOK and paper). I am usually reading about 2 (one paper, one NOOK) and listening to another (books on CD!!!) as I drive. Wishlists are the bane of my existence... I can't keep up with the library and my B&N account! I have a list of real books and NOOKbooks on my B&N account...someday I'll have to combine in one place. I can't always keep track of the different authors or series that I've read/started/want to start... I love that authors now have web pages where I can go to check in on new books. Here are some of my all-time favorites. They are a mix of kids, young adult, and grown-up books. WARNING: I have a few rules about books...1) NO animal stories- Where the Red Fern Grows ('nuff said) and 2) I do prefer fiction to non-fiction - is not life "real"enough for you people? I also definitely have a lean towards 2 genre/categories: fantasy(some sci-fi) and historical. I will admit that I am SERIOUSLY deficient in the classics, and am making an effort to remedy that situation. These are NOT in any particular order... I cannot do that.
Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon ...hello, it combines ALL my interests with a hot red-head :)
Twilight Series - Stephanie Meyer ...ever been a teenage girl? gets the emotions(insecurities) right!
Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys - Louisa May Alcott ...one of the BEST of all time (and semi-classical)
Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare ...again, a mix of things (wish I could be the girl)
anything by Phillipa Gregory ... she writes historical novels, primarily Tudor England
Hunger Games series - Suzanne Collins ...good, even if EVERYONE else on the planet thinks so too
As the Crow Flies - Jeffrey Archer ...I haven't read one of his books that I haven't liked, but this one is the best!
Memnoch the Devil - Anne Rice ...this book is probably the one that made me say "My Favorite", but I can't share it with my kids (not appropriate for their age level). I keep meaning to read "Paradise Lost", because I understand that there are a lot of references there. If you haven't read it, or if you haven't read any Anne Rice on principle, fine...but I'm not judging you! I also read all the Lestat(Vampire) novels, and the Mayfair Witches books - couldn't sleep for 2 weeks during/after Witching Hour - good and terrifying!

Sentimental Favorite:
Celeste DeBlasis - everything she wrote... I still have those old paperbacks that I re-read every year in junior & high school.
Westing Game - I still haven't figured out who done it...

New favorite Kid (juvenile) and YA (young adult) books:
2 words: Rick Riordan - the man is a genius...very entertaining!
Fablehaven series - Brandon Mull
39 Clues - various authors ...awesome for mystery lovers and boys, especially
House of Night - PC Cast ...don't ask
The Shamer Chronicles - Lene Kaaberbol

I'm not adding any of the "grown-up" kind of books that might make you think I'm mature... deal with it! I could go on with the listing...but at some point, you just have to stop.

Music: at this point, I can't even think... I fried my brain on the books. Let's just say this: "I am addicted to American Idol. This was the best season (voices) EVER. I find a lot of new (to me) artists when they do songs every week. I have over $500 of wishlisted music on my iTunes." I am still eclectic when it comes to music. The only thing I REALLY struggle with is Rap - not sure it's music...some of it is okay for poetry, but most just bugs me. I HATE elevator music. I have Barbra, Glee, Barry Manilow, reggae, rock, alternative, country, and today's pop on my playlists. I am a HUGE Gaga fan! I also love international music - zumba's great for that! Did you know that you can change your country at the bottom of iTunes and find out what's popular around the world? Can't wishlist from there, though... :( Gotta go...this reminded me that I need to find a song to add to my wishlist.
Whew...