What's going on in this crazy world we live in???

I know that in the world we live in, good and evil reside. If you follow the Chaos theory, it is said that the world cannot exist, civilization cannot exist without good and evil. It sets the balance. Well, I think the evil side has more weight than it should lately! If you've kept up with the news, there have been so many tragedies this week alone. The mother, brother and nephew of Jennifer Hudson were murdered this week, today they found the little nephew. He was SEVEN years old!!!! Why kill a baby??? I know there are atrocities every day, but it seems like it's becoming more mainstream. No one seems shocked or upset. Then a 26 year old anchorwoman from Arkansas was beaten and robbed in her home, then died 5 days later. A few years ago in Baton Rouge, we had the serial killer Derrick Todd Lee running rampant, killing at least 10 women, one of which was a grandparent of one of my student's. It's insane. I know that we should try to find the good in the world, and I try real hard most days. When cities are still cleaning up from Hurricanes this past summer and even from Katrina 3 years ago, and no one pays notice, what is being done about it?? I wish I could fix the world, but I know that's impossible. I guess we just have to have HOPE.

LSU's out of the Top 10 and I go back to work next week..

Well, Flordia handed LSU their rear end on a platter, I guess one could say. I was so hoping for a comeback after half time, but to no avail. Granted, they are not the team they were last year and I know it's a rebuilding year, BUT does ALABAMA have to be ranked #2??? I can deal with LSU having a good year, losing a few to some great teams, but the fact that Alabama is ranked so high and playing well - I just want to scream (well, I have a few times). My one ray of hope - when Flordia plays Alabama. I respect the Gators and love Tim Teibow, but lord will I become a Gator Fan when they face the Toliet Paper Tide!

I will be going back to work next week and I'm looking forward to it. It will be so nice to get back to my normal routine and working again. I'm going up this weekend to check on my classroom and get it back to "my normal" - when you've had a sub for 2 months, things get a little squirrely.

Until next time!

I love Fall!!

When I was a child, I remember watching the new TV shows and they would show these "ficticious" towns with beautiful foliage. Shades of red, yellow, orange would cover the landscape and the trees looked as if they were glowing. I would dream of living somewhere that I could experience that, but I figured that it was on TV, so there wasn't any real place like that..until I moved to Wisconsin! Fall has got to be, hands down, my favorite season! I don't mind raking the leaves or using the leaf blower on the driveway. For 2 years, we lived in a condo that we really couldn't decorate outside, there just wasn't much to work with. When we were looking for a house, that was one of the things I wanted - a porch or something to be able to decorate for holidays. Well, as you can see below, I've been a busy bee!




We also have a new foster child in our family - her name is Jennifer and she will be staying with us for a while! She is 8 and is in 2nd grade. We have enjoyed having her with us and look forward to her being with us for as long as she needs to!

So, if where you live has beautiful fall foilage, go out and enjoy it! A great activity with kids is to gather different colored leaves and then make leaf rubbings, you can actually color with them!!! It's so much fun! I think we'll do that in the next week and show off our art!

Tell next time, GO TIGERS!!!

LSU fell again.. and this was a Bye week

So, it feels like a salt being rubbed into a fresh wound looking at the AP top 25. Alabama is currently ranked #2 and LSU is ranked #4. I recently asked someone did hell freeze over, and they told me no Mona, this is Wisconsin - it just feels that way. I had to explain that, no - I know Wisconsin's cold (DUH!) but the Top 25 rankings. Now, USA Today has them at #3, which is a little bit better, but most people up here care only about 2 things: 1) Did Green Bay win? and 2) Did Wisconsin win? (notice who comes first here). The only bright spot out of the rankings, USC is #8! Oklahoma is an awesome team, and I wonder what an LSU/Sooner game would look like.
So, I think I'll take that salt, get it away from the wound and throw it over my shoulder for luck against Flordia this weekend (Oct. 11 - CBS - 7pm Central start time) They will need it going up against Tim Teibow. That boy is just incredible (and cute as a bug!) Come on, the ONLY sophomore to ever win the Heisman - is it possible for him to win it twice?? There's only one that did, Archie Griffin from Ohio State back in 1974 and 1975. So, we'll see if Teibow can do it!

So, I'm getting close to wrapping up Cardiac Rehab, and it's been great! I've lost 20 lbs to date, feeling better than I have in a long time and looking forward to getting back to work. I have one more week (next) off and then it's back to work 1/2 day's for the first week back, then full force!
John's show is coming along nicely, I can't wait to see the set, they are still building it and I plan to help paint. I'm going to start planning make-up designs this week with my friend Stetz, who is also working on the production. We have to make "Eddie's" scars with wax, so we have a lot to do. Most of the cast can do their own makeup, we'll just be assisting - but it'll take both of us to work on "Eddie". So, if you find yourself in Manitowoc the last week of October, I highly recommend coming to UW Manitowoc's production of "The Rocky Horror Show" - the original that the movie was made from.

Until next time, see you on the flip side!

So Alabama is #2??? For the love of all things good...

So, Nick Saban has done something that hasn't been done in over a decade - he has Alabama ranked higher than LSU. That was such a hard pill to swallow. Yes, Bama beat the pants off of Georgia (with Georgia coming back in the 4th, why couldn't they have played that way throughout the whole blasted game beats me). When the BCS rankings came out Sunday (and we all know that it's the BCS that counts with bowl bids and National Championships) and John told me that Alabama was ranked higher than LSU, well.. the words that came out of my mouth were ugly to say the least! I think I may have gone into shock for a few moments. LSU played a good game last Saturday night, but could Alabama have out played them? I hope to God not! Well, we'll find out later in the season when they meet up. As I always say when it comes to Alabama: "Roll tide roll, down the toilet bowl!", and "My favorite teams are LSU and whoever is playing Alabama!"

In reading my sister in law's post about visiting a cornmaze (http://theillinoismayfamily.blogspot.com/), it dawned on me that I had never been to one! So, Jodi, you have inspired me - John and I are going to go this weekend. There are 3 of them in the area, so we'll see what it's like! I just hope I don't get lost!! I'm the one that when someone is trying to solve a maze puzzle, I start at the end and work my way to the beginning! I can't do that in a corn maze!

Changing the topic, I have to say that having heart surgery at 35 was harder than the last time, when I was 25. Though I know this is the last one (YIPPPEEE!!), it's taking longer to heal this time. I know - the older you get, the longer it takes; but still - I'm sore all the time. I'm going to cardiac rehab, where they make you exercise for 40 minutes (broken down into 20 min. segments) and it has helped tremendously! I've lost 15 lbs, probably healing better than without, getting into better shape, and I'm eating differently. All in all, this has probably been the best thing to happen to me! My surgeon, Dr. Paul Pearson at St. Vincent in Green Bay, told me that with my new valve I could run a marathon if I wanted. Well, that got me thinking.. wow, I can cut loose now! I started making goals: 1. continue exercising (rotating walking/biking) 2. join a dance class - I've always wanted to learn, and a new school opened up (one of John's former students is running it) and she has a beginers adult class for tap and jazz.
3. I want to eventually run in a 5K Race for the Cure, competitvely - not the fun run. My goal is for next September, and I don't plan to win, I just want to be able to do it! So, we'll see!

Until next time!

My first entry in a while.. so, here's the scoop!

This is something I've been wanting to do now for ages, tried it a few years ago and didn't keep up with it. So, let me give you the reader's digest version of from then till now.

1. We bought a house in July of 2007, it's a lovely home, built in 1922 - completely remodeled and rewired! Other than our garage, which needs a new door on John's stall, we love it!


2. We've been approved for adoption back in January of 2008, and we are waiting for a match.

3. John and I are actively campaigning for Barack Obama - if there is anyone who can fix this country, or at least get us on the right track, he can.

4. John's parents finally came up to see us in August 2008, and they had a wonderful trip!

5. I had my 4th and FINAL heart surgery on August 15, 2008 - I received a mechanical aortic heart valve, I now tick instead of having a heart beat! I am still getting used to it!

That's about all of the "big stuff" that has happened with us. We did get to go back to California and visit some of John's friends. We went out for his best friend's wedding - and it was beautiful! Here's to keeping up my blog!!!