Work

• Work that I love. I work at a university for the health insurance, and there are so many great kids at my school.  
• Work that I love. I play the piano on Sundays for a wonderful little Free Methodist church. What a blessing!
• Work that I love. I run my own statistical consulting firm, and this has been my dream for decades. Starting a business is a lot of work that really takes a toll mentally and emotionally, but we are coming out of 2017 stronger than ever.

Back online

• A house of my own that is a home. Before my divorce, the house where I lived didn't feel like home. Immediately after the divorce, the girls and I were homeless. I am so thankful for my beautiful house.
• My family.  My Aunt Mary has been there for me, especially since my dad died.  Today she was helping a friend who is going through a divorce. I'm thankful for her amazing heart.
• My children. I have been so blessed through the years to have three of the best people on this planet as my daughters. Now that one of them is married, I am honored to have a new son who is a terrific guy. So now I have four of the best people on this planet as my children.

Great school week, daffodils, room in my bathroom

1. The girls all had a **great** week at school this week. I'm so proud and happy. So today, to celebrate, they spent a good part of the day at the creek, including a picnic lunch at the creek.
   
   
2. My daffodils look so happy today.
   
   
3. My husband finished fixing the problem with the chimney, and now the tools and supplies are out of my bathroom. Hooray!
   

Sweet 16, Day 2

1. Michigan St. 67, Kansas 62
2. UNC 98, Gonzaga 77
3. Villanova 77, Duke 54 (yes, I know this game was yesterday, but I'm still smiling)
   

NCAA Basketball

1. Villanova 77, Duke 54
2. Duke lost their basketball game and looked terrible
3. Did I mention that Duke is out of the NCAA basketball tournament? There is no group of people in this country that deserves it more than the nasty, ill-mannered, Yankee snobs at Duke.
   

Wordless Wednesday #63

Blooming trees, cool breezes, working hard in school

1. The pear trees are starting to lose their flowers now, but the redbud and the cherry trees are blooming now. So pretty.
   
   
2. The AC is broken in the math building, and it was hot as Hades in my classroom. But we went outside, and it worked. My students think I'm awesome, and they aren't even old enough to have hot flashes, so they didn't even fully appreciate the cool breezes.
   
   
3. All three girls are having another great week in school. With rain predicted later in the week, there should be plenty of time and water for creekin'.
   

Sunday music

1. Offertory: "Toccata in A Major" by Paradisi
2. Choir Anthem: "Jesus, So Lowly" by Friedell
3. Closing Voluntary: "All Gloary, Laud, and Honor" by Paul Manz
   

Wordless Wednesday #62

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Growing up, my dad always wanted us to wear orange instead of green for St. Patrick's Day because we were Irish Protestants and not Catholics. It was difficult to buck against the peer-pressure for wearing green when I was younger, and it didn't help that I didn't own much orange. Orange is not my color. But as I get older, I find it easier to wear orange. So Daddy, for you, a very orange St. Patrick's Day at our house.

1. Now I always have something orange to wear because I have an orange ribbon to remind everyone about the importance of leukemia research.
   
   
   
   
   
2. My Dad's favorite dwarf, Doc, also wears orange for St. Patrick's Day
   
   
   
   
3. My youngest daughter's panda (whose name is Leo, after my dad) wears orange for St. Patrick's Day, too
   
   
   
   

P.S. My oldest went with a more traditional approach with her braces this month, but if you drink enough orange drink and eat enough orange jello, you can get your teeth and tongue to be orange.