Ice

For the past five years I have become an ice chomper. I have about six glasses of it a day. Some people start their day with coffee but me, I start mine with ice. It started when I was trying to lose weight and in my mind I thought water is zero calories. So it seems like I like to eat constantly so instead of chomping food I may as well chomp ice. I do this constantly now. I have had my doctor tell me I am not deficient in anything as I've heard that is a sign. Just a habit. I had my dentist tell me it's really bad for my teeth. But I have had my teeth x-rayed and they show no cracks or stress at this time. So I continue to chomp,chomp, chomp. So for years I fill my ice cube trays half full so its easier to crunch. Now after 26 years my frig stopped working and I picked out a new one that has the ice maker on the outside. Now anytime I want I can have cubed and crushed ice. I absolutely love it. So I am sitting here typing and chomping away on my glass of ice totally content. I find joy in ice cubes!

Insulation

The past few weeks we have been putting up insulation in the roof line peak of the cottage. With every piece we put up my husband says it is making it cooler in here. However I am on the ladder sweating, dripping like none other. I am doing this because I have to much insulation of my own. I always think I will eat right and walk more to help remedy this insulation, but that never happens! Then I think of my BONS friends and how they insulate themselves with books all around then. In the seasons of the year they surround the titles next to them to read for warmth and coolness. Me well my husband is saying he has another chunk cut so its time to get back up on the ladder and continue to insulate!

College

When my daughters were born we started each of them a bank account. This account was always to be used for college. It would grow with birthday money, allowances earned around the house and items returned that they would not use turned into cash. As they grew they got their own jobs and each pay check some money would go into the college savings account. We talked about what they wanted to become when they grew up, what things interested them. Never was there any talk about not going.
This year I taught first grade and of course I stressed college. What did they want to be when they went to college. I told them how much fun they were going to have when they went. That they were each so smart and needed to get good jobs for their families someday. I also said what my father told me and I told my girls... "You were put on earth for a reason, don't just suck in air. Do something with your life, do something great!" Of course they listen with big wide eyes as I tell them that. Then two of my daughters came in to visit, one finished with college and one still enrolled. One little guy came up to them and said, "Your mom said I'm smart and I'm going to college. I'll be the first one in my family to go and I'm going." My daughter said, "Oh if it's up to my mom she will make sure all of you go."
Well with that I called our local college and said I had a special request. The request being I'd like to bring my first graders for a visit of the campus. They said they had never had a group come that young but they would love to have us. They arrived on campus with their grandparents, parents, siblings and friends. We went on a tour that lasted 3 hours then I bought lunch for everyone. When we visited the dorm and the girl was telling them about the rooms, one little guy turned to his grandma and said with excitement, " It's just a hotel for kids!" the grandma said , "Oh I think I will have to come with you." His face full of excitement replied, " No grandma it's just for kids only."
Another boy said in the dining hall after his 5th tall self made ice cream cone. "Mrs. Shultz,your daughter GETS to eat here EVERYDAY!" After running around on the indoor track and walking barefoot on the turf football field, some sparked and interest in sports. A parent said she enjoyed this trip just as much as the zoo. Needless to say everyone wants to go to college now... the seed has been planted. They all were given a free t-shirt to remember the day. Hopefully they will not just suck in air and they will do great things with their lives!

Coolness

It is Hot, Hot, really Hot outside. One of the reasons I love going to the cottage is that it has air. We do not at home...but we did in the camper. So when my husband bought this cottage I said it has to have air. Boy do I turn it on full blast when I arrive. I really do not care that my electric bill skyrockets, I just love soaking up the coolness of the air conditioning! It makes every pore on my body smile as I do not have to sweat! As I sit in my air conditioned cottage I look out the window to see how everyone else, that's my neighbors, are staying cool. My neighbor to the left has what she calls her hillbilly hot tub out on the deck. There she is waving a happy smile sitting in her child size blow up swimming pool. She plays her CD on one side then when it starts over she flips and tans the other side. She even has a piece of large plastic to put over her hillbilly hot tub so no leaves get inside. She says it is very easy to clean. Just dump it over and refill for more fun.
Then there are the neighbors on the right. They have the pool that is 3ft tall where maybe 4 people can float around. This cools them down and they do not have to get in the muck and seaweed lake, their beach is mucky. When I look straight ahead I see my daughters giggling and laughing as the are swimming and floating around by our dock in the lake. Everyone has found their coolness at the lake. There is my neighbor waving at us all. We all will now join him for a cool ride around the lake on his pontoon feeling the breeze as we watch the sunset over the trees signaling the end of another Hot, Hot day. Keep Cool Everyone!!