Diabetes Accessories

Back in October when I took the diabetes education class, a special nurse, Jane, used her humor and fantastic personality to set us all at ease. Jane even had a magic wand to allay our fears about blood and needles and so on. It lights up and makes the "magic wand" noise when you press a button. I thought to myself, "I HAVE to have one of those for my classroom." I asked her where she got it, and she said that it was a gift, and she had no idea where it came from.

As providence would have it, I spotted a toddler with one on the streets of Gatlinburg a few weeks ago. I gasped, "Nathan! Look! A magic wand like Jane's!" I ran through the crowd and stopped her and asked her mother where she got it. It turns out that they found it at the local aquarium for $5, and they offered to sell it to us on the spot. They could just walk back to the aquarum's gift shop and get another one. The poor toddler didn't know that her possession of only 30 minutes was being sold into different hands. I couldn't have been happier. Here are some pictures of my new favorite toy. :)

In other news, my 3rd period class gave me unusually warm greetings a few days ago and bestowed upon me a wrapped gift. The class ringleader told me to open it. I was little leery, but I was so pleased to find diabetic socks he had bought for me inside. Diabetic socks are usually for people with complications whose feet are on the way to amputation. Now, I seriously thought about adding a picture of some "diabetic feet" with Google images, but they were all too graphic for this blog. Anyway, despite the fact that the said ringleader bought the smallest size, the socks were huge.

"pureCare legwear is specially designed to enhance leg health and wellness through the fusion of fashion and science. pureCare legwear provides comfort and soothing relief fromt he everyday aches and pains associated with leg fatigue and minor circulatory issues."

The Biltmore House

Also on our vacation we traveled east to Asheville, North Carolina, to see the Biltmore House. The Vanderbilts built it in the late 1800s and in the 1950s it became open to the public. It's the largest residence in the United States. It was so, so cool! Pictures weren't allowed inside, but our tour was just amazing. You can check it out in more detail here.

I'm not really sure why boys like to flex in all their pictures.

This is my "Japanese tourist" pose.

Cade's Cove, Part II

Even after an 11 mile ride with me, Nathan wanted to go around the loop again, this time as fast as possible. I agreed to follow him in the car and take pictures. Luckily for me, it was dusk and there were tons of deer out. Unluckily for him, there were many people cars who were looky-looing at the deer, hogging the road, and frustrating his quest for a world record. However, I think the man got some great exercise.

Cade's Cove, Part I

I'm sorry for the corporate punishment with my blog withholding, but I had to do what I had to do. I ended up staying until 9:30 on Tuesday night finishing up papers and putting grades into the computer, so now I feel light as a feather and ready to blog my little heart out. There's so much to share! Let's get started...

These pictures are from our time away in the mountains of Tennessee. We rented some bikes and rode around Cade's Cove, an 11 mile loop around gorgeous countryside. We did not come prepared for biking or bring any backpacks, so I was balancing my purse with our picnic lunch inside it for about 7 miles. :) We picked a bucolic setting for our lunch break, right next to an old barn.

Nathan gets the picnic blanket out.

This picture looked artsy to me... this is my attempt at being a photographer.

We started out strong and excited. Nathan is flexing saying, "Is the trail THAT way?"

Pointing at the map... I didn't know I would be having a panic attack on one of the last big hills around mile 9. Let's just say I'm not really an outdoor girl. I'd like to be, but I was a complete poser that day.

Nathan was so nice to me throughout the entire experience. He was encouraging and was just so, so kind. I had a great time making memories with him. :)

Lots of Thoughts

Sorry it's been a while since I've last blogged. Last week was my spring break from school, and Nathan and I went on our first vacation together since our honeymoon. We've gone on trips to see family and friends, of course, but this was only our second "just us" extended time. It was heavenly! Our pastor and his wife generously offered us a week at a timeshare in the Tennessee mountains. We slept in, read, played tennis, visited the Biltmore House, rode bikes, walked around downtown Gatlinburg(a.k.a. Redneck Disneyworld), and generally had a fantastic time.

There are pictures to post, but the camera is at home. Plus, coming back to school this week has been quite overhwelming. It was like jumping on a treadmill going 10 mph after strolling along at 2 mph for a week. I brought papers and tests to grade on our vacation, which I did not touch, so in addition to keeping up with my students, I have to catch up on my grading as well. For this reason, I am telling myself that I cannot blog or post pictures until the papers are done. Sigh.

Until then...