The Last Week of February; and The Start of the Countdown to My Birthday

Greetings friends and family. Another week has passed and it was a tough one. The schools have started to "surplus" the teachers as the budget crisis escalates in Florida. If they don't do something, there may be a revolt. Charlie Crist may not be able to pursue his dreams in Washington. The teacher that I am most upset about is the music teacher at the elementary school, Mr. Gould. He did so much for that school. He has chorus and does amazing things with those kids. He also is in charge of the talent show and musical. The musicals he produces are fantastic. Our county is doing away with music and art in the elementary schools. It is a great disappointment. At the high school, one of my friends was told her position was eliminated and I'm so sad for her. She has three children (one a new baby). I really struggled through last week and felt that everything happened in slow motion. It was hard to move around. There are meetings and rallies and all sorts of protests. Yet, the state continues its quest for FCAT testing, producing huge manuals for all teachers. The manual is an inch thick. I am concerned with MAYBE 10 pages. The science testing isn't even a graduation requirement - it counts for nothing, yet we have spent millions of tax-payer dollars to produce it. What a waste. I'm angry. Rozzie wondered what all the classes will do without teachers. Oh, so far, my job is safe. I'm happy about that, but at the same time, staying home would have been nice again!

So, here are the socks I finished last night. They are very pretty with very vibrant colors. I did a basket-check pattern for variety. The colors are very fall-ish so they will be ready next year! I am all ready to start the next project; yoga/dance socks for Maddie.
Speaking of the little girl - she got an award at school for demonstrating the character trait, commitment. The big deal is that you get to eat lunch on the stage and have cake. Parents are encouraged to attend. Travis was able to go to her lunch and bring along Chik-Fil-A. That is the way it is done!! They ran out of buttons and Maddie has already told her teacher that the button is her favorite part. Hopefully, that will be rectified. Maddie is looking tall. The boy in the red is also a 5th grader - Maddie looks really tall next to him!

Next is the February mid-month dishcloth which was a lot of fun. I learned a new technique and really like the outcome. It is great to use, also.

Last, but certainly not lease, is the the bathroom. This is what is all looks like now. Very nice! The next step is sealing the tile. Then the glass will be installed and we'll be able to shower again! No, not really, we have been using a different shower. It will be nice to use the one in our room, though! Travis is sick of home improvement; and who can blame him. Our house is looking pretty good on his account.