Spring in PDX

So regardless of the limited amounts of sunshine

 It is indeed spring around here...

 And thankfully the trees and flowers all know it and are doing their thing...

 Portland has their own row of Cherry Trees...

 Which are in full bloom right now...
So if you can't make it to DC for their blooms head on downtown PDX asap because they are gorgeous right now!

 This little one cracked me up!  She was fully clothed, shoes, socks, coat and fully immersed in the fountain! She was having so much fun!
I asked my friend this question..
Good parents?  (change of clothes not uptight letting their little one have some fun?)
Bad parents? (poor kid is gonna get pneumonia...)
I don't have an answer for you. I did observe her pitching a fit after being taken out of the fountain :)

 Look closely at the picture above and you will see a girl walking a "tight rope" 

 So many people were downtown enjoying the spring blooms.  It was fun.

Happy Spring!

Frychik

I'm mad!

Yesterday my flowers looked like this

This morning I woke up and it was 27 degrees!

And now my lovely flowers look like this!

I'm praying the sunshine sticks around and brings them back to life!

Frychik

To be or not to be...

I'm looking into a Masters Program...

A Masters in History...

I like the sound of it...

I enjoy school...

But as I look at all the "requirements"

GRE exam

GPA

Applications

Being "accepted"

It's intimidating...

It's been a long time since I went to college...

I mean I've taken classes here or there but nothing like this...

What if they don't accept me?

Would I get over that?

How would that reflect on me as a professional teacher if I was rejected into a Masters Program in History?!

I don't handle rejection well

...even the thought of possible rejection makes me uneasy...

WSU-Vancouver is 10 min from my home...

They have a Masters in History...

Some of the Program Admission Requirements

• Official report of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
• Crap! I think there is math on that test...
•  A "Statement of Purpose": two or three pages in length, outlining career objectives within areas of proposed degree.
• My response?  - I teach history.  I have a passion for history.  I want to be in your program!
• How do I stretch this to two or three pages?
• A writing sample, preferable in the field of history
• Let's hope they never read my blog
• I don't think they would appreciate my use of ...
• Completion of the Preferred Fields of Study Form
• Don't know what that is...
• Three letters of recommendation
• Send them in friends ;)

So, last night I sent off a request for additional information.

My first hurdle is my cumulative GPA...

My Cs in A&P, Math and Accounting (actually one quarter it was a D, then I dropped it-stupid accounting, just marry an accountant!) are haunting me...

But why should any of that matter when I want a Masters in HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!

My GPA in my major field is good...

Then the GRE...

Doesn't sound fun...

Anyone taken it lately?

Any advice?

Any words of encouragement?

Frychik



A list

1.  I'm anxiously awaiting my Nordstrom delivery...they didn't have my size in stock...

2.  Today I have 31 tests to grade...

3.  Sat night I played basketball.  Sunday afternoon I played 2 hrs of volleyball.  2 more hours of volleyball Monday night.

4.  Last night I sat in the recliner and watched missed episodes of my shows...

5.  I think I pulled a "groin muscle"...never done that before...

6.  My husband got into big trouble when my class was here Sat.  He decided it was funny to read  what my high school boyfriend wrote in my yearbook, to everyone in the room...I didn't think it was funny

7.  My oldest is "celebrating" his 5 month anniversary with his girlfriend...

8.  My youngest is 13 and very much into being a teenager...I want my baby back!

9.  My Mom is in DC this week enjoying the cherry blossoms and I wish I was there too

10. I bought a book about garden planting and was thrilled to find out there are many things I should plant now!

11.  We are shopping for a garden tiller and I couldn't be more excited!

12.  I'm ready for some sunshine that lasts for more than a few hours!

Frychik

Things change...

There are aspects of my changing body that I really despise...

When I was in high school I had a nick name...
My nick name rhymed with my last name "Ritz" and it had to do with my lack of "development"
That's all I'm saying...

As I've "matured"  that nick name no longer fits...
Obviously...

I hate it!  If I could change something, reduce something it would be the "girls"....
I realize losing 50lbs would help but despite my active lifestyle that doesn't seem to be in my near future...

So, yesterday I took my son and his girlfriend to the mall so they could spend time "bonding"
They quickly ditched me and I had time to kill...
I didn't really have any agenda so I found myself wandering...

Soon I was in the "undie" section of Nordstrom and a very young, perky woman asked if I would like to be "fitted"
For the life of me I don't know why I said yes...
Maybe because it had been so long since I was fitted I forgot what it involved...

Let's just say my self-esteem took a hit as I stood in the dressing room with miss perky as she "evaluated" my size...
And then when I figured "oh well" I'm here let's make the best of it...
She gets some back up...
She returns with (no exaggeration) a smaller, perkier woman to help her asses my needs...
and now I'm in a tiny fitting room with to tiny women feeling like a giant redwood tree, but one with those bulbous tumors growing out of it...

They would offer me a bra to try, well actually they were very hands on in the process all I had to do was tuck and lift...
They would then look, pat, touch, stare, consult and then smile sweetly and say "lets try another one"
In an effort to maintain some of my privacy, lets just say the letters of the alphabet were flying by...


Despite the sales girls youth and annoying perkiness, she was very kind and I left with a mixture of sick feeling in my gut and gratitude that she didn't break down in hysterics over my decidedly "unperkiness"

I fear I have shared to much...
I need a filter...

Frychik

Intense - in a good way...

I survived....
My 25th High School alumni is behind me...
Which makes me sound even older...

People were lovely and supportive and encouraging about my sermon
and I appreciate it so very much!

I'll admit I was NERVOUS!!!

I found a quiet place in the kitchen just before the sermon and texted my mommy to come find me and help me!

After a few tears and words of encouragement from my mom and lots of prayer I managed to give my sermon.

We had about 13 classmates show up for the weekend.  Many of them came over to our house and hung out for several hours.  It was nice to catch up with them.  Some I hadn't seen in 25 years!

Unfortunately, I was delinquent with my camera and did not get a group shot...
We did take one at the school that I should get a copy of...

After visiting all afternoon it was time for the Alumni Basketball games...
I have loved these games since I was in high school...

I felt it was something of a significant milestone for me to be playing full court bball against a bunch of teenagers, 25 years after being a teenager...
There was some pressure since I had been smack talkin many of my students about how the Alumni was going to CRUSH them...
Well we didn't exactly CRUSH them...

Let's just say I count it a victory that they didn't have to use the defibrillator on me...





That's me in the far left of the picture in the blue jersey...

We had about 10 people show up...

And given that we have not played together, we did OK against those young'ins...

The male Alumni were much more impressive...

It was a fun day. 

Sunday I collapsed....

Until it was time for Volleyball...

Frychik

Inspiration...

I found this and thought it was beautiful.

You were born a daughter.
You looked up to your mother.
You looked up to your father.
You looked up at everyone.
You wanted to be a princess.
You thought you were a princess.
You wanted to own a horse.
You wanted to be a horse.
You wanted your brother to be a horse.
You wanted to wear pink.
You never wanted to wear pink.
You wanted to be a Veterinarian.
You wanted to be President.
You wanted to be the President’s Veterinarian.
You were picked last for the team.
You were the best one on the team.
You refused to be on the team.
You wanted to be good in algebra.
You hid during algebra.
You wanted the boys to notice you.
You were afraid the boys would notice you.
You started to get acne.
You started to get breasts.
You started to get acne that was bigger than your breasts.
You wouldn’t wear a bra.
You couldn’t wait to wear a bra.
You couldn’t fit into a bra.
You didn’t like the way you looked.
You didn’t like the way your parents looked.
You didn’t want to grow up.
You had your first best friend.
You had your first date.
You had your second best friend.
You had your second first date.
You spent hours on the telephone.
You got kissed.
You got to kiss back.
You went to the prom.
You didn’t go to the prom.
You went to the prom with the wrong person.
You spent hours on the telephone.
You fell in love.
You fell in love.
You fell in love.
You lost your best friend.
You lost your other best friend.
You really fell in love.
You became a steady girlfriend.
You became a significant other.
YOU BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO YOURSELF.
Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it’s time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete.
Because you know it’s never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one.
JUST DO IT

- Nike

Have a great weekend
Frychik