Early September Faves

Well, I'm back in the preK classroom with 11 students with special needs. (We have one opening)  Oh what a pretty good first week we've had.  Tuesday was a long day prepping, setting up the classroom, meetings.  Wednesday was the children's first day and we only had 2 who cried.  Most of our students this year are 3-4 yr olds but the developmental level is more like 1-3.  It's going to be a busy year!

For now, I'm pausing to reflect back and find FIVE FAVE moments or people whom God brought into my life this past week.  I do this with others who are intentional about being thankful and we link up at Susanne's site.

• HOMETOWN VISIT: the home town isn't a fave(I actually can't stand it there!) but going back last Friday to meet up with a childhood friend I hadn't seen in 13 years WAS the fave part.  Ann and I go way back to our youth group days....about 1972-1978.  (after that we went to different faith-based colleges and then she moved out of state). We visited our former youth group leader...a wonderful woman of God...who is dealing with some physical issues.  We totally surprised her!  It was wonderful to sit and chat with her, reminisce, and tell her about our lives as well as hear about her own children and their families.  There's just something about being united in Christ!  I'm so thankful I took the day to drive out there to the central part of NYS.

• PHONE CALL!  Claire called me Sunday afternoon.  I was so happy to hear her voice and hear about her first week of classes.  She's busy and happy. She's already been to the ocean since they had a 3 day weekend...to our fave beach (Rye beach in NH) and she was able to bring one of her roomies to the mall as they needed some stuff.  If you think of it, please do lift her up in prayer this week as she looks for a work study job as well as auditions for the Ballet Company.  Yup...she has to audition every year!! Her words to me were "well, if I don't make it, there's a problem!".  I still get nervous for her! I'm thankful for these weekly phone calls.

High Peaks and Keene Valley
 as seen from the summit of Big Crow Mt
Adirondack Mountains high peaks region

• DAY TRIP!  On Saturday my friend Cheryl from my hometown area drove out this way and picked me up so we could hike together up a small mountain in the high peaks region that neither of us had ever climbed before. It was an easy trail except for the last part which was a rock scramble (hands and knees in some spots!).  The view was fantastic.  Since the hike up and back was only 1.7 miles, we decided to go check out some waterfalls on the 50 Falls Challenge list.  We also drove through Lake Placid as she had never been there before and then we also stopped at a falls that I had seen just a few days previous with my niece.  She treated me to dinner after in a little diner down in Lake George.  It was a fun, but tiring day!

Cascade Lake in Keene 

West Branch of the Ausable River
High Peaks region, ADKS

the Wilmington Flume
which is on the west branch of the Ausable River

flowers along the walkway in West Stockbridge
The Berkshire Mts, MA

• MOM-DAUGHTER TRIP!  On Labor Day, my husband didn't want to go anywhere...it was a rainy day.  Courtney and I decided to go to the outlet stores in the Berkshires of Massachusetts which are only about an hour from our home.  After shopping for new work clothes for both of us, and for a couple of early Xmas gifts, we headed to the village of West Stockbridge, MA which we had never been to (we have been to Stockbridge..the next town over many times!).  We had had lunch in the food court of the outlets which wasn't very good and we both were craving hot drinks (tea for Courtney, a Cappuccino for me).  We discovered this coffee spot and fell in love with it!  We walked around the tiny village area checking out other cafes and stores. We saw an art gallery which wasn't open...it's actually a mobile sculpture place...so we intend to go back in a few weeks.  Here's a photo of the one sculpture we were able to see as it was located on the lawn near the store. It was done by a Russian artist.  I'm thankful we had this day together. It's always fun shopping with my oldest gal. 

"Ash Tree"
made with wood and aluminum

• DEEP BLUE RUB:  Oh my goodness how thankful I am for this essential oils rub for my achy muscles and arthritic joints. Thursday my left knee and leg were very painful ...a deep ache.  I know it was from hiking those 2 mountains (Sunday and Tuesday) and then by the first day of school on Tuesday I was really hurting because insane person that I am, I hiked another steep mountain on Saturday (see above).  So this left me NO time to fully recover from the big hike I did last Tuesday with my niece.  To make a long story short...I was in agony until I started using the Deep Blue again.  It's an amazing product. It totally relieves the pain for a couple of hours with NO icky medications going into your body.  I refuse to swallow pills for this kind of pain.  This rub is like a miracle.  If you've never tried, I highly recommend it. It's pricey but so worth it!  And it lasts over a year...at least mine has.....I'm actually on my 2nd tube.  I use it often for any kind of muscle ache, strain, joint pain.  Trust me, I get a lot of muscle aches as I age and continue to hike up mountains. Because of the lyme disease, I have lyme arthritis and this rub gets me moving again.  I'm so thankful I keep this on hand!

That wraps up the first week of September. Soon the Autumn season will begin...I'm starting to put away summer decor and take out some early autumn decor...are you starting to do that, too?

HAPPY WEEKEND!!