Mud Season

The four seasons are why I love living in the Midwest. The past few winters, however, have almost done me in. It seemed like every single Saturday morning, I was slipping and sliding in my minivan on the way to piano lessons. As much as I love snow, I was tired of spending my afternoons shoveling the driveway. And then there was the cold! The polar vortex visited us a couple of winters in a row, and school was cancelled because of the subzero temperatures.

Well, we had none of that this year. Winter is not done with us yet, I know, and I did have the sump pump pipe freeze on me because of the extreme cold, but those subzero temperatures didn’t last long. The sun is shining and the birds are singing on this beautiful February morning. Spring is coming!

In the excitement of throwing the windows open to release the stale air and let fresh air inside and throwing the kids outside to play, I forgot; when you mix kids with warm air and melting snow drifts, you get mud. Mud tracked into the house on boots and smeared on hands.

Mud pie

But I love it anyway. I love seeing the buds grow on the trees and slowly turn green and green shoots pushing through last year’s brown, dried-up leaves. I love opening the windows even when it’s not quite warm enough to open the windows. I love kicking the kids outside to play.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Without winter, the long, cold, snowy winter, Spring would not be so fresh and new and green.

Lily skateboarding

What is your favorite season?

Pick one (or more) and write about the prompt on your blog. Then come back here to link up your blog post! Don’t forget, the linky will close on February 29th!

1. On Groundhog Day, the groundhog is supposed to tell us when Spring will arrive. What is your favorite season and why?

2. Company’s coming! What is your favorite recipe to make when you have guests?

3. Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14. Do you have a craft or cute Valentine ideas to share with us?

4. 2016 is Leap Year. If you had no other obligations, what would you do with an extra day?

The linky will be open all month long! But remember, this is the shortest month of the year, so you only have 29 days to write!



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The Gift of Another Birthday

In my preschool class, it is a tradition to have Oreos as a special treat on someone’s birthday. As I was passing out Oreos this week for my birthday, one of my students asked me, “What’s your number?” I had to chuckle at that one! I’m not one to hide my age; I’ve only been 39 years old once.

Speaking of 39, in June I’m about to take on a big challenge. I’m going to walk 39 miles with my best friend and husband, Ed. But perhaps an even bigger challenge is raising the amount of money I need to walk in the Avon 39 Walk to End Breast Cancer. In order to participate in the Avon 39, both Ed and I need to raise $1800. That is a daunting number!

AVON39
Walking the Chicago #AVON39 in 2011

Here’s where you come in! I am looking for sponsors for the AVON39. To become a sponsor, all you need to do is donate $1 for each mile I plan on walking. Donating just $39 to Avon 39: The Walk to End Breast Cancer is an easy way to support me in my fundraising. If you have a blog or own a small business, your donation can also benefit you!

With a $39 donation, I will put your logo above the fold on my sidebar until June 30. That’s a premium advertising space for less than $10 a month! I will also personally thank you at least 4 times for being a sponsor on my Facebook page and Twitter, with a link to your website, Facebook page, or other social media link (whichever you prefer). My blog is small yet mighty, and you’ll be making a donation to a great cause!

If you are unable to make a donation at this time, support me by liking and sharing my #AVON39 posts. Do you know someone else who might want to be a sponsor? Please share this post with them. It’s as easy as that!

[Tweet “I’m celebrating 20 years of cancer survivorship by walking the #AVON39! Support me today!”]

To make a donation and to read more about why I’m walking, visit my AVON39 Fundraising Page. After you make your donation, please email me at lemondroppie@gmail.com to let me know you’ve made a donation, and to share the links and the logo you would like me to use. If you don’t have a logo, I’ll be able to provide one for you.

Click here!
Click here!

Back to the question of what my number is; I am proud to say that I am 47 years old, and I plan on adding many years to that number!

*Here comes the small print: Please note, my sidebar is not visible on my blog’s mobile setting. I will share your links enthusiastically, but cannot guarantee the number of click-throughs your link will receive. I am walking the AVON39 under my real name. Please visit my AVON39 page for information on how to donate. Thank you for your support!

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