Catching Up!

OK. I'm back with more updates and photos!
I forgot to mention that I offered a "mini-day-camp" during the month of June for the Marcus kids (they live in the home where I rent a room). They got to invite a few of their friends to join them! We had four themed weeks (Day Trip Adventure Week, Sports Week, Cooking Week and Water Week). Each morning, I would have a slideshow playing when the parents dropped off their kids so they could see all the FUN we had the day before. It was a TON of work but also a BLAST. Below are a few of my favorite pics from Camp Lynda aka Summer Days on Tiffany Way! 

Day Trip Adventure Week - Vasona Park

Day Trip Adventure Week - San Francisco - Ike's Famous Sandwich Shop

Day Trip Adventure Week - Berry Picking!

Can you guess which two kids DID NOT ENJOY this event? LOL.

Water Week - Santa Cruz Beach

Sports Week - Bowling

Cooking Week - Safeway

Yes, they had to SHOP for their groceries and get the BEST prices! LOL.

Well my friends, it takes WAY TOO LONG to load and post photos so I'm gonna get to bed now. I'm determined to get caught up ... so stay tuned! Until then ... TTFN! 

Lynda as a blogger = FAIL!

Helloooooo Friends and Family!
It's hard to believe that it's been almost 7 months since my last post. Wowza wow wee wah. We have lots of catching up to do, so let's not waste one more minute! OK. I'm officially the Director of Student Life at Achiever Christian Elementary. Yippee!! There was a week of training and a week of prep during August. The Student Life Room needed some work so I enlisted the help of my creative friends & family. They were the brainchildren who had a dream AND they were kind enough to help me bring it to fruition! Here are a few BEFORE shots:

Now for a few AFTER shots:

That crazy orange paint is in my office! The theme of the room is called "Words To Live By". There are empty frames on the wall and the "Words To Live By" are painted on the walls. So fun! Don't I have some creative friends & family? Yes I do!
     I have a small staff of four (Andrea, Alessandra, Ben & William) and an honorary staff member (Jeana) who doesn't actually report to me but she's in charge of our Preschool Student Life (in a different classroom). We average about 8-15 kids BEFORE school (7-8:15AM) and about 30 kids AFTER school (3:15-6:00PM) except on Wednesdays when there are about 50 students (early release day). 

Spirit Week - Disney Day

Ben, Alessandra & William

I was Morkubine the Porcupine from Chicken Little!

Andrea & William - Spirit Week - Crazy Hair Day!

We all really enjoy working with each other. We have decided we will have one staff "outing" per month just to hang out! Love that!!

Oh dear, I just realized it's time for me to scoot. I will have to update my blog later with more photos and info from September, October & November. Stay tuned! :-D P.S. I've missed you.

How Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

     It *has* been awhile since you've heard from me, hasn't it? I kinda wonder if anyone notices. I secretly hope so! ;-D  Let's get down to business, what HAVE I been doing? The photo above? Costumes from Zoophony, the musical that was written and directed by the infamous Cathi Miller and performed by the insanely talented kids at Achiever Christian Elementary School. I have been volunteering with the Performing Arts Program and on Friday night, all their hard work paid off. The musical was uhhhhhhhhmazing!

     This is just a small section of the kids who were on stage for the opening number *and* the finale'! Each grade (1st - 5th) sang 2-3 songs during the show which weaved in beautifully as the story unfolded. I couldn't have been more proud of the kids or more impressed with Cathi's gifts and talents. God used it all for His glory on Friday night! Can I get an Amen?
     What else have I been doing? Well, we had a lov-er-ly time celebrating Mother's Day. My niece Melissa and I started it off by taking my mom to a very fancy breakfast at McDonald's. Yes, McDonald's. We are both on a rather "tight" budget, what can I say? LOL. Then we did a little "75% Off Easter Treats" shopping at Michael's, Rite Aid and then a quick trip to the grocery store! After that, everyone met up at my mom's house where we enjoyed dinner and each other's company! Here are a few pics from the day:

Ummm, I didn't really BUY my mom this card ... I just showed it to her and said "Pretend I bought this for you, okay?" Of course, she played along. 

     I also volunteered with my friends at Yahoo! on their annual Rebuilding Together Event. We transformed this house in Sunnyvale by doing a "mini-makeover" for a dear woman named Helen. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but it was so rewarding to see what a bunch of caring people can do to make a difference. 

This is Helen the Homeowner. Someone even quilted a new bedspread and pillow shams for her! 

This is me working my butt off and telling other people what to do! LOL. Surprised? I didn't think so. Hee Hee. 

     I also volunteered at Westgate Church this past Sunday. Beautiful Day started ten years ago when someone asked this question: Would the community miss Westgate Church if it burned down? Ten years ago, the answer was sadly, "No!" But not anymore! Beautiful Day is an opportunity for people at Westgate (and surrounding churches) to serve their community and show God's love in a practical way. No preaching. No pamphlets. Nothin' but lotsa love and hard work! 
     I was part of the InnVision Project. InnVision is an organization dedicated to empowering homeless families & individuals. They do this by offering various levels of housing and day programs in a safe and supportive environment that promotes self-worth and independent living! Their small kitchen serves up to 1500 meals per day. Wow. 

     What exactly did *I* do? Well, I washed lots and lots of dishes as well as some super dirty storage crates for almost two hours and then I worked outside planting flowers and covering lots of ground with loads of tan bark! After that, I gave all the fresh plantings a drink of cool water! They were sooooo thirsty!

There were about 50,000 boxes just like this one that I helped plant. Okay, maybe not 50,000 but at least 30! LOL. 

     Two guys at Westgate painted this on one of the walls just outside the dining area! It really WAS a Beautiful Day! We didn't have our church services in a building on Saturday or Sunday ... we held "church" in our communities! Way to go, God! 

     So, as you can see - I have not been sitting around on the sofa snacking on bon-bons! I've been a busy girl. Oh, and the job situation? I'm still waiting. I should have an answer at the beginning of next week. If you think about it, I'd appreciate your prayers. Until the next time, TTFN! 

My Birthday Wish!

     Isn't she a beauty? I think so. Her name is Cranbook Yogurt Debike II. Quite a long name for a bicycle, you might be thinking ... and you'd be right. Of course there's a story behind her name! My friend Gail loves a small "mom & pop" yogurt shop in San Jose called Yogurt Delite. Not too long ago, one of the larger chains "YogurtLand" opened down the street from Yogurt Delite. This made Gail very sad! In order to preserve her favorite small business owners, Gail *never* purchased from YogurtLand but always from Yogurt Delite. She even asked her friend Sharon if she would name her new beach cruiser bicycle after her favorite yogurt shop. Sharon wasn't super excited about that idea but Gail persisted. She even made a bicycle license plate for Yogurt DeBike, hoping Sharon would one day fall in love with the name! LOL.

     Fast forward a few months and I am on the phone with Gail telling her about my birthday wish! I have asked my family for gift cards to Wal-Mart so I can buy a beach cruiser bicycle that I have had my eye on. I know you will *not* be surprised to hear that I threw myself a Birthday BBQ! LOL. Gail asked me to consider naming my bike-to-be Yogurt DeBike since Sharon had not fallen in love with the name quite yet. Being the considerate girl that I am, I decided that Sharon should have first dibs on the name Yogurt DeBike ... but mine could be the II. When I bought the bike last weekend, her first name was displayed on the fender "Cranbrook". So, there you have it! I took Cranbrook Yogurt DeBike II out for a spin today to downtown Willow Glen, we had the best time! I'm hopeful I will ride CB to work as often as possible to preserve the life of my VW. Hoorah for California weather so I can do exactly that! :-)

     I wanted to show you the cute bike basket! My friend Tonya gave it to me for me for my birthday (hoping I would be blessed with Wal-Mart GC's). She added the darling orange gerbera daisies (my favorite color) to the basket for some "Lynda Flair". Is that not the CUTEST bike basket you have ever seen? She's such a thoughtful friend, I am always impressed with her gift ideas and her generous, sacrificial heart! The obnoxious polka dot helmet says "I love my brain" on the back of it. It's a good reminder for me when my vanity attacks and says "It's gonna ruin your hair!" LOL. Yes, I wear the helmet!!!

     I'm still lovin' my part-time gig at Achiever and I'm REALLY enjoying our Spring Break this week. Woo Hoo! I'm continuing to pray and wait for the offer from Achiever for next year (which would start in August). The principal and I are trying to figure out a salary that will work for both the school and me.  Thanks to many of you who have texted, e-mailed and called to let me know you're praying for me. I sure do appreciate it.
     All around the Silicon Valley, churches get together and sponsor a park location for an Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter. No agenda, no cost involved, just a way to reach out to the community and say, "We love you!" Church attendees donate the plastic eggs & candy, the youth groups stuff the eggs, and hundreds of folks volunteer to make it happen. Well, I have a bunny suit stashed in my costume box and offered to be the bunny rabbit (if they wanted one). They said, "Yes!" so I went to the park and hopped around for a few hours, taking lots of photos with the kids and passing out teeny plastic bunny rabbits with parachutes on their backs. You remember them, I'm sure. You toss 'em in the air and they slowly drift down using their parachute! LOL. God blessed me with a cloudy Saturday (it gets hot in that suit), but it wasn't chilly. Perfection! A good time was had by all! Until next time! TTFN.

Blogging From Paradise!

     Yes, it's true. My daughter Jenni and son-in-law, Johnny gave me the best birthday gift ever ... their frequent flyer miles! I left for the San Jose airport at the butt-crack-of-dawn on Wednesday morning and arrived in Hawaii at noon. My suitcase was filled with lots of wheat free/gluten free flours, pastas and treats which are *very* expensive and hard to find in Hawaii. Check out the treasures Jenni had waiting for me below (she's an uhhhhmazing hostess) as well as the loot I crammed into my suitcase. Jenni was beyond excited and could not wait to dig into the cereal mix from Gma! 

     Another birthday treasure I received was from Josh & Shannon who gave me with two hideous ceramic frogs and suggested I take them along. Jenni and Johnny were quite perplexed when I brought them out of my carry-on bag but played along and graciously took a photo with Josh & Shannon Frog.

     Since arriving, Jenni and I have enjoyed trips to the YWM campus, exercise, shopping, and she has  taken me to a *different beach each day* (Johnny had to work). The weather was overcast the first two days but today was glorious! It's been so relaxing and deeeeelightful. Tonight was the Welcome Luau Dinner for the new students. The outside courtyard was filled with an excitement for Jesus like I have never seen before! I wish that everyone who supports Jenni & Johnny financially could experience what I did tonight. It affirms they are right where they are supposed to be and your money is being used for Kingdom causes. So many students from all over the world, on fire and ready to change the world. I was *so* blown away with all that was going on around me that I forgot to take a photo! However, Johnny did take one of me and Jenni just after we scarfed our luau dinner (@ the YWAM campus).

     The second day I was here, Jenni & Johnny needed to go to a meeting so Johnny set me up with a moped. He gave me a few instructions, rode with me for a quick loop around the campus and then set me free! I drove around the campus by myself for about 5 minutes to get the hang of it, then I was off-n-running. I went into town and found a yummy yogurt shop (similar to Yogurtland in SJ). It started sprinkling and so I decided I should head back to the YWAM campus to meet J&J. For all of you who are wondering, I *did* wear a lovely white helmet the entire time I was riding the moped ... just didn't have it on while Johnny was teaching me.

     As many of you know, J & J are living with a family (the Byrd's) who are absolutely wonderful and amazingly laid back. The Byrd's have 3 kids (Asher - 6, Hadassah - 3, Rhema - 1 1/2) who are so much fun to be around. Sometimes Jenni french braids Hadassah's gorgeous blonde hair. Jenni has been telling her that I am the best french-braider ever ... and maybe when I arrived ... I would french-braid her hair. You know how happy that made me? It's been SOOO long since I have done it that I was a little nervous I might have forgotten how, but thankfully, it all came back to me. Here are a few pics of what my brother used to refer to as the "rope-a-dope" hairstyle (which used to be Jenni's favorite). I guess it reminded him of a rope? Who knows. LOL.

     I'm looking forward to spending the next few days with Johnny & Jenni. We get to visit another new beach tomorrow. Yes. Yes. Yes. I really don't mind blogging from Paradise, not one little bit. TTFN. 

     

Where Does The Time Go?

     Hey Blog Readers! I can't believe how long it has been since my last entry. Seriously, where does the time go? My friend Warren asked me why I have not updated the blog recently and well, I kinda wondered the same thing! Hmmmmm. Let me fix that right now! 

     For my 50th birthday, Anna & Marnie wanted to take me to a dinner theatre in San Francisco called Teatro ZinZanni. My 50th was last April and as you know, I was in Texas for 4 months in 2010. So, we decided to go when I returned. Since the website said Madame Teatro loves it when you "dress to the nines" for the show; I ran to the Goodwill that afternoon and picked up this teal blue chiffon evening gown for $7 (complete with a large, noticeable grease mark along the hem). LOL. I had a friend come over beforehand and I asked her have some fun with my eye make-up (can't really tell from the photo).  It was a cRaZy fUn evening with some audience participation, a vertical tango acrobat duet on the center tent pole, lots of comedy and a really delicious-o dinner. A night to remember, for sure!

     Job update: Still no written offer letter from Achiever Christian Elementary School yet. I spoke with the principal a few days ago and she asked me to meet with her the week of March 21st since she will be chaperoning the 8th Grade Class in Hawaii next week (tough job, but somebody has to do it). ;-) I'm still enjoying my 10AM-1PM shift everyday and it seems as though I have made quite a reputation for myself with a handful of the 4th grade boys! Basically, they dislike my consistent discipline (about good sportsmanship) on the pogo court (aka Four Square) SO MUCH that they met with the Dean of Students to see what they could do to get me outta there! Hilarious. Thank goodness the Head Noon Parent and the Dean of Students both have my back! Phew. ;-D
     Some sad news - my VW is terminally ill. I've been so blessed by others recently who have graciously loaned me their cars while the VW is in the shop again ... and again ... and again! All I needed to do was get the car smogged (required with registration) but ooooooohhhhhhhh noooooooooooooo; nothing is easy with that car. Ugh. I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say the VW Dealership told me the transmission isn't doing well and it's just a "matter of time". To get a new transmission would be around $5-6K and well ... let's just say ... IT'S NOT WORTH IT! :-( As my friend Gail gently reminded me, it's God's car and only on loan to me. Maybe He wants me to make new friends when I ride the bus & light rail. :-D 
     Recently, I got to babysit for a friend of mine. She was so generous and paid me $15/hour to watch their darling 18 month old son. Most of the money I earned went into the gas tank for the Suburban I was borrowing while my VW was in the shop ... but I was thankful for the gas money. Seriously. God continues to take care of my needs and for that, I am extreeeeeeeemely grateful.

     Well kids, it's time for me to get ready for church. I enjoyed my Saturday so very much! I took a three hour errand walk (about 7 miles) and went to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods & Walgreen's. The sun was out, people I encountered were nice, I had some good tunes to listen to and I smiled a lot. I really do have so much to be thankful for. Until next time. TTFN. 

(From the upstairs deck at my friend Kathy's house)

 

Fi-nah-lee!

     I will admit, I kinda forgot that my last entry left you with a cliffhanger! LOL. Oopsie! My apologies. I can see that a few folks have actually checked my blog over the past few days (don't know who, just have numbers) and now I feel badly that I took SO long to update my blog. Well, maybe I don't feel TOO badly ... First an update on last week! :-)
     I originally started as a substitute TA at Achiever Christian Elementary School ... but now, I'm working everyday from 10AM-1PM. I'm a "noon aide" which looks something like this: 10AM-11AM Recess (1st-5th grade); 11AM-12PM Teacher's Aide (First Grade Class); 12PM-1PM Lunch (1st-5th grade). For the most part, I love it ... well except for a few of the super competitive, negative, disrespectful 4th grade boys who get a little crazy when they play "pogo" aka Four Square! Oy vey!!
     Last week was "Spirit Week" at Achiever. Of course, right up my alley. Monday: Wear Red, White & Pink for Valentine's Day; Tuesday: Crazy Hat and/or Hair Day; Wednesday: Sports Day; Thursday: Color Wars for 6th, 7th & 8th Grades; Friday: Free Dress Day! Lucky for you, I only took a photo of myself on Crazy Hat Day ... but of course ... I dressed up for ALL of them! 

     I did meet with the principal last week and she gave me a verbal offer to be the Director of Student Life which is the before & after school care program. This year, there are about 45 students enrolled in the program (low) but in the past, it has been up to 100 students (K-5th grade). I will also manage a handful of college students who work with Student Life (1:15 ratio). I'll be assisting with the billing process, which means some administrative work as well. I can add my own "flair" to the program which I'm really excited about! Next week is Achiever's Winter Break so I will receive the formal written offer the week we return to school.

     Another thing I'm really excited about is the Theatre Program at Achiever. I've been invited to help out every Thursday from 3-5PM. I get to work with the kids who will be performing a musical (written by the Music/Arts Teacher) at the end of the year. About 43 kids got their scripts today and we worked on "Big Emotions & Movement" on stage. We had a blast!

     Time for me to hit the sack, blog readers. As I nod off I'm so curious - what do YOU think, should I take the job? If so, why? If not, why not? Enquiring minds want to know. I'm also desperate for some comments on my blog. Needy? You betcha. Throw the dog a bone, people! LOL. Until next time. TTFN. :-) 

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yosemite!

     It's hard for me to even wrap my mind around the fact that I was born and raised in California, yet I have never been to Yosemite. How is that possible? I keep forgetting to ask my mom if we ever visited as kids, but if we did ... I was too young to remember. Let me just say, it is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

     Kathy and I were chatting on the way to Yosemite about how long we have been friends. We figured it's been around 18 years! After being a stay-at-home mom for 8 years, I started working again and Kathy was my manager. I had always wanted to learn how to country line dance. One Monday morning, Kathy came into work and was telling me about a line dance she had learned over the weekend. I was the receptionist and I asked her to show me the dance (in the lobby). Since it was early, we were pretty sure there would be no visitors - so while keeping one eye on the front door - she showed me the line dance she learned!! I was overjoyed. LOL. We have been friends ever since! 

     Kathy and I worked together again many years later at Yahoo! We were both laid off and Kathy had recently finished a temp assignment at Skype. In less than a week, she landed a full-time permanent gig at Facebook (Sr. Facilities Manager) and starts her new job next week!! I'm so happy for her. She and I have talked about going to Yosemite for years, it just never happened. After finishing Tai Chi on the beach last week, Kathy got the call from the recruiter letting her know she had the job. It was then we both decided, "Yosemite! This week! Before the new job starts!"

     Since I am trying to be very cautious about spending money while partially unemployed, Kathy and I worked out a "trade" for the Yosemite trip. She would pay for the hotel room and I would give her my card table and chairs (currently in storage). We each brought snacks and stopped on the way to get sandwich fixins so the trip would be as inexpensive as possible! We were proud of ourselves for being oh-so-creative-and-frugal! The Yosemite Bug Lodge was about a half hour outside Yosemite National Park and I would describe it as "rustic-chic". Their cafe' had a huge fireplace that we enjoyed after dinner while we played a game and shared a slice of cheesecake. So fun! 

     We did a short hike in Yosemite on the first day and a MONSTER hike on the second day. There was snow on ground and as you can see in the photos, we were bundled up. The Day 2 hike was uphill 95% of the way (John Muir Trail) for two hours and I thought I was gonna die! LOL. It took just over an hour to come back. Kathy was a good sport about stopping for photos! We were both exhausted on the way home but it was SO worth it. Enjoy a few of my fav pics below. 

     Job Update? Yes, I have some news. However, I have run out of time this morning to blog about it. So, I will keep you in suspense a little longer. I will write more this weekend! Stay tuned. ;-) (Teaser)

TTFN!