I'm posting today to say Happy New Year! Also, I need to ease myself back into the school routine, and since I blog about school, I figured this was the easiest way to ease. I hope everyone had a healthy, fun, and relaxing break! Truth be told, I am looking forward to seeing and creating with the kiddos again.

We were supposed to have off until Thursday but will be returning a day earlier to make up a day missed due to Hurricane Sandy. Boo, hiss! Ah, well. It was a fabulous break here. I ate, slept, and celebrated my way through 11 days of goodness. And we had snow!

New Year's Eve was especially exciting, as my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary! Insert obligatory wedding day picture here!

How about another? This was taken after the bouquet toss, which of course was won by my sister-in-law Maria.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we danced our way into 2012. What a blessing this past year has been! Yesterday, we celebrated our anniversary with brunch, professional massages, a movie, a fancy dinner, and champagne at midnight (in pajamas!).

Rewinding to Christmas Day, I must share one of the highlights, when I received this beautifully matted and framed reproduction of Picasso's "The Dog."

Please forgive the reflection of that hideous it-was-here-when-we-moved-in ceiling light.

Picasso had a dachshund named Lump (pronounced 'Loomp')--hit up Google for some great black and white photographs of the two of them together. While Cubism isn't my all-time fave, I love Picasso's series of simple animal gesture drawings, and since my husband and I have a little weenie dog of our own, this was the perfect gift. Rudy approves--or he would, I think, if he weren't too busy with all of his Christmas loot.

Happy 2013, friends!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the Connells!

(Vanity disclaimer: in this photo, my hips do lie, as I am not actually shaped like a mustard bottle.)

Hurricane Sandy: Part II

It's Wednesday and already it's been a wild week. With a family wedding last weekend, the big ol' storm, and two days out of school, I'm so out of whack. Please forgive the inundation of non-lesson posts these past few days. I promise to get an actual lesson up today or tomorrow. Until then...

We've weathered (pun!) the storm here in our part of PA. At the Connell house, we had a few small branches come down, but considering our house is surrounded by old, tall trees, we were quite happy with a couple of manageable limbs. Half of the lattice wall on the back porch flew off, too--not a big deal at all. The basement is dry, we have power, our home is in tact. Amen!

There were many who didn't fare so well, including some neighbors. I cannot believe some of the images I'm seeing from New Jersey and New York City. Our prayers are with those who were affected.

On a lighter note, here are some of the ways we got through the howling wind and crashing rain earlier this week:

Contemplated life...

Watched TV...

Snuggled with a slipper...

Took a nap (or two or three)...

Looked around suspiciously...

Hid under a pillow...

Back at school today. On Halloween. After a four-day weekend. NEAT! Should be an interesting day!

Hurricane Sandy

For those of you living and teaching on the East Coast like I am, my thoughts and prayers are with you as you endure these next few days. Here in PA, we're off school today and tomorrow as we wait out Hurricane Sandy, a.k.a. Frankenstorm.

We're somewhere under that dark green scariness..

Right now, we're experiencing pretty high winds and lots of rain, though the worst is supposed to hit tonight. Power outages are predicted, as is flooding. My husband and I just bought our home in August--we closed on the first day of school, in fact--and haven't experienced any poor weather thus far, lending to my Nervous Nellie attitude over here. Not sure what to expect. Thankfully, both of us can be home to monitor things, as Mr. Connell is a teacher as well.

As long as the power stays on, I'm hoping to work on a little art project of my own over here, an old typeset drawer converted to a jewelry organizer. That, and reading art blogs! And maybe pinning on Pinterest. And snuggling with my storm buddy:

Rudy, the world's most wonderful weiner dog!

Be safe, friends!