If you aren't laughing by the end of this, have someone take your pulse please!

Looks so innocent, no? Keep reading, these gals are tough!

I know I'm always preaching about getting your child involved with the arts. You can add one more reason to the list - apparently band involvement helps with self defense! Don't mess with a marching band girl, especially one armed with a baton. True story courtesy of the Associated Press:

• Senate defeats anti-foreclosure proposal 04.30.09

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A 17-year-old high school band student beat up two assailants who tried to mug her as she walked to school in this high desert community about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, sheriff's officials said Tuesday.

The girl punched one of the men in the nose, kicked the other in the groin and beat both with her large baton before she ran away on Friday morning, officials said.

"The moral to this story is don't mess with the marching band girls, or you just might get what you deserve," said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Michael Rust.

He said two men approached the girl from behind, grabbed her coat and demanded money. Deputies searched near Quartz Hill High School for the muggers, looking for a man who was holding his bloodied nose and another who was limping.

No arrests have been made, but Rust said it appears the girl made her point to her assailants.

"Final score: Marching band 2, thugs 0," Rust quipped.

Told you these kids are tough! Can you imagine the story these two morons had to make up to explain their injuries? It makes me laugh just thinking about it! I posted a link to this story on my facebook page and Cait's high school band director commented "Classic - sounds like something Cait would do!" You betcha!

Another reason to encourage involvement in the arts is the love of classical music that will flourish. Follow this link to see what I mean. Warning: there are a few swear words toward the end, but nothing horrendous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM


And finally, the most compelling reason of all. If your child is involved in the arts, he or she will not grow up to write the following notes to their children's teacher! I received this via E-mail today. I think I killed my spell check with this one!

It is hard enough to be a teacher, but to have to put up with this, as well, is going above and beyond!

I promise you cannot read these without laughing out loud. These are real notes written by parents in the Memphis school district. Spellings (or misspellings) have been left intact.


1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.

2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.

3. Dear school: please ecsc's john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.

5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

10. Please excuse ray friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She had diahre dyrea direathe...the shits.

12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.

13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because i don't know what size she wear.

16. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it monday. We thought it was sunday.

17. Sally won't be in school a week from friday. We have to attend her funeral.

18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the marines.

19. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.

21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.

22. Please excuse brenda. She has been sick and under the doctor

23. Maryann was absent december 11-16, because she had a fever, sorethroat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever an sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.

24. I'm sorey I hit Mary with a snowball yestrday. I was an accident.

Hope at least one of these made you smile. They almost made me fall off the sofa laughing. Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!!!!!! Kathy

Plates, Farmers Market and Kitchen Wall Decor!

Shhh - go visit Dixie at http://frenchlique.blogspot.com/ to see what everyone is posting for Wordless Wednesday. The theme for this week is plates




Wednesday is also the day that we celebrate our favorite outdoor spots with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Make sure to visit Susan at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com
to visit more great outdoor spaces. Thanks Susan for hosting such a fun event!

I'm fortunate to live in a great little town that hosts a Farmer's Market each week. This event has grown (no pun intended, I swear) over the past few years, and has been named one of the best in the State! What started out as a few "truck vendors" around the courthouse square has become quite an event. I really look forward to Thursday afternoons, shopping for great fresh produce, meat, bread and eggs, and visiting with neighbors.
This year the location of the market was changed to San Gabriel Park. The shade and grass are much appreciated, especially on hot afternoons. When you're done shopping, you can take a little walk along the river, catch a cool breeze and feed the ducks and geese before heading home.
It's too early for my favorite, fresh vine ripened tomatoes, but there is still some great produce to be had.
Another great produce vendor. And there is nothing better than fresh yard eggs! Recently, families that are part of the WIC program have been provided with coupons that may be redeemed at the farmers market. I think it's wonderful that this fresh produce is now available to families with children who otherwise might not have access to this type of fresh, healthy food. Good nutrition is absolutely crucial to learning and healthy growth and I applaud those who are trying to educate young mothers on proper nutrition for their families.
We now have several farmers who sell organic beef, pork and lamb. I have tried some of the beef from this vendor, and it is fabulous! I hope you enjoyed this little shopping trip. Don't forget to stop by Susan's and see what everyone else is sharing today.


Last but certainly not least, we have What's on Your Wall Wednesday, hosted by one of the most fun (and funny) ladies in blogland, Barb at Grits and Glamour. Make sure to visit her blog for some fantastic decorating, cooking, tablescaping and "crafty" ideas. I'm telling you, this gal can do it all and then some! Stop by http://gritsglamour.blogspot.com/ to see what everyone else has on their walls!


Last week, Barb encouraged us to think outside the box a bit, reminding us that wall decor could include tile, paint treatments, etc, as well as actual artwork or wall hangings.
This is my "coffee corner". Before we renovated the kitchen, this wall had a basically useless cabinet. It was located in a position that made it difficult for me to use (yes, I'm short) and made the kitchen look more closed in than I liked. With some planning we were able to add more storage without replacing that cabinet, so I simply added a shelf to hold my "morning neccessities"
The "artwork" is actually a set of notecards from Ikea, dropped into a pre-made Ikea frame. Total cost was about $15.00 and it was exactly what I wanted for this space!
The kitchen used to have very tired 70's formica countertops, and the formica extended up the wall as the "backsplash". My DH did the tile work using tumbled marble and glass tiles.
We liked the glass tile so much, that we used it exclusively behind the stove. Budget didn't allow it to be used for the entire backsplash, so this was our compromise.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my kitchen wall decor. Don't forget to pop over to Barb's and see what other wall treatments are posted this week.

Wordless Wednesday - Earth Day

Can you believe it's Wednesday already? Halfway to the weekend, but more importantly, time for Wordless Wednesday, hosted by my favorite cowgirl Miss Dixie of French Lique, Texas. The theme for this week is "Earth Day" . Make sure you swing by http://frenchlique.blogspot.com/ to see what this day means to everyone. And while you're there, stay for a visit. Dixie is the most gracious hostess, so relax and have a cool glass of lemonade! It gets hot early down here in the Lone Star State.





Thanks Dixie for hosting this fun event!

Calling All Texas Bloggers

Calling all Texas Bloggers! It's Spring and that means it's time for the Annual Red Poppy Festival in Georgetown! This year's festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday April 25-26th. If you are in the area and would like to meet up on Saturday, E-mail me through my blog and we'll get together! This is such a fun event, with plenty to see and do. Stroll around the square and visit some of our great shops, or find something from one of the many arts and crafts vendors set up on the square. Love music? There are performances throughout the day, with an old fashioned street dance in the evening.

Everyone loves a parade!

On your mark, get set, SHOP!

They'll be dancing in the streets!
Car show

This is a fun event, with plenty for everyone to do. There is a children's area with activities, moon walks, "train rides" and face painting. And of course, there will be a food court so you can satisfy that funnel cake craving! The parade starts at 10:00 sharp. A word of warning, parking can be a bear, so if you want to see the parade, get here as early as you can! If you're interested in meeting up, drop me an E-mail. Looking forward to seeing some of you here. For a full list of events and activities, click here:
http://poppy.georgetown.org/

Good news and bad news - tax day is here, but so is a hint of summer

Bad news - it's tax day! Good news - it's time for Wordless Wednesday, hosted by my favorite gal from French Lique, Miss Dixie. Today's theme is "Tax Day". I don't think any words are necessary, do you? Don't forget to stop by and visit Dixie at http://frenchlique.blogspot.com/ , and check out what every one else thinks of April 15th!





Wednesday is a busy day here in blogland. One of my favorite events is Outdoor Wednesday, hosted by the ever gracious Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Make sure and visit Susan, she has a beautiful blog. And for all you avid readers, she has started a new blog just for us - A Southern Daydreamer Reads. Make sure to stop by and say hi to Susan at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ You'll be glad you did!


Here's a sure sign that summer is on it's way. My jasmine is starting to bloom, thanks to the blessing of some decent rainfall this past week.

A close up of one of the blooms. I truly wish that there was "smell-o-vision" for the computer because the scent of this is just heavenly. This is growing on a lattice work frame next to the garage - hubby built it to hide the unsightly garbage bins. The jasmine appears to be very happy here, this started out as a little 1 gallon plant about 4 years ago! It's wonderful to leave for work in the morning and inhale this gorgeous perfume.

I managed to catch one of our resident squirrels playing "peek a boo" through the dining room window.

As you can see, he's quite the acrobat!


Yippee everybody! Barb's back, and she is once again hosting What's on Your Wall Wednesday. If you haven't been by to meet Barb, you really must! She has a beautiful blog, and her energy and talent are just amazing. If you enjoy fabulous decorating tips, fantastic recipes or just Barb's rapier wit, this is one blog you shouldn't miss. This event lets us share what we have displayed on our walls, and I can't think of a better gauge of someone's personality. Stop by http://gritsglamour.blogspot.com/ to see what everyone is sharing this week.


This painting is very special to me. We have the pleasure of knowing the artist, one of the dearest people I've ever met. Her name is Becky Stuart. Becky and her husband have a beautiful home in Pensacola Beach, Florida. We try to make a point to stop and visit them on our way to St. George every year. I had never been to Pensacola Beach until we visited for the first time several years ago, and I immediately fell in love with the beach. It is truly gorgeous, and I had a very hard time leaving.

The last time Becky came through our little town, she brought this painting as a gift to me. I was just stunned by such a beautiful and generous gift. And DH actually framed it almost as soon as we received it. Believe me, that in and of itself is a small miracle! I love this piece so much that I'm actually decorating the guest room around it. Hope you enjoyed this peek at some of our artwork, now stop by Barb's and see what others are showcasing this week.

I have received this award from Lori at http://basketballgymnasticsandme.blogspot.com/ The month of April has been named Tell 'Em You're A Fan Month. So, let your favorite blog sites know that you're a fan, just as Lori did with me! Thank you so much Lori! I was so honored when I read your comment! This is a really fun award!


Now, here are the rules:

1. Leave a comment or an email for your favorite blogger telling them that you are a fan of the site.

2. Feel free to copy and paste the award, or you can get the code at Sited and Blogged to present to your blog friend or post on your site when it is awarded to you.

3. When you receive more than one fan, put the number of fans you have received under the image.

4. The more fans you receive the better! So, what are you waiting for...tell someone you're a fan of their blog...HAVE FUN!

Cait's recital

Well, we are back and we survived recital weekend! We had such a wonderful time. I'm always proud of our darling Cait, but this really was so amazing. This is a picture of the program. A very nice, varied selection of music, in a beautiful recital hall. What impressed me the most is her poise and confidence on stage. She has grown so tremendously while attending UNT, and her father and I were just about to burst with pride Friday evening.The green script is in honor of UNT!
After the performance, we retired to the "green room" to relax, mingle and of course, EAT! Let me tell you, college kids can pack it away! One of Cait's friends complimented me on one of the cookie recipes. When I asked if he enjoyed them, he replied "I guess so, I ate 10"lol. Needless to say, we sent the rest of those cookies home with him!
People mingling and relaxing after the recital. I didn't realize how many people were in black until I saw this picture! Guess it's that whole artsy college thing?
One of the great things about UNT is the abundance of talent, and the wonderful facilities to express it. This is Cait's friend Lillian, an accomplished pianist (and she plays the sax too!) She is probably Ben Folds #1 fan. Cait had told her that we are huge fans of his music, and she surprised us by playing some of his selections. This is a picture of Cait and DH singing along.
DWR Quartet with Dr. Nestler, head of the saxophone department at UNT. Quartet members are from left: Kyle, tenor saxophone; Justin, baritone saxophone; Brett, alto saxophone and Cait, soprano saxophone.
This is a picture of Cait with one of her oldest friends, Billy. They have been friends since Cait started band in the 6th grade and remain best buddies to this day. They both attend UNT as music education majors. Billy is an extremely talented percussionist, and played the vibes with Cait for the 2nd piece of the recital. We are very fortunate to live in a community that places a high value on the arts, and our school district's music department is one of the best! Georgetown has been named "One of the 100 Best Communities for Music Education" 2 years in a row.
Proud mamma with exhausted, relieved daughter! I have included a very short snippet of Cait's first piece, Light of Sothis. This is a portion of the first movement "Grace". Excuse the less than perfect editing, but blogger will only allow 100mb of video! If you would like to see the entire performance of this piece, you can see it on you tube - the url for this video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkmnvEOv3AU. Once I get more comfortable with my video editing software, I will post the other 3 pieces. Hope you enjoy! And again, if your child comes home from school and says they want to join band, run, don't walk, to the music store and get them started. Even if they do not choose to pursue music as a career, the joy that it brings will last them the rest of their lives.