Well, the Olympics have been going on for a week and it is hard to believe that they will be over soon. I love watching them. I must say I will probably be in a much better mood when the Olympics are over-I am staying up way too late and very tired the next day at school (another reason we should begin in late August or after Labor Day!) Swimming and diving are my favorite competitions to watch.

Emily came home this weekend-she had a dental appointment on Thursday. Since she was in Bowling Green for her birthday, we celebrated today with lunch at Ruby Tuesday's followed by ice cream at Graeter's-gotta love their double chocolate chip! We had a nice afternoon and then we both came home and slept. Emily returns to BG tomorrow but classes don't start for her until the 25th.

Allison is fine-starting a new position at her job-not sure when she will start classes again. We are starting to plan what we will do when I go visit her in October. I definitely want to go to Harvard Square-Allison says it is pretty neat. I think we will also go to Salem-my request. I want to visit the yarn shop- Mind's Eye Yarn- where Allison enrolled me in a sock yarn club-I get hand dyed sock yarn every other month-pretty cool!

Last weekend I attended a needlepoint class in Louisville-we learned how to stitch a beautiful ornament with lots of beading. The class was from 9-4. Following the class, we (two others went with me) killed sometime shopping at the mall, then ate dinner before we went to see The Color Purple musical. It was great! I love going to see plays at the Kentucky Center for the Arts-I don't think there is a bad seat anywhere in the building.

The Americans just won the men's medley relay in swimming-Michael Phelps has won 8 Olympic gold medals. I think I can go on to bed now. Take Care. MJ

Rabbit, rabbit. Supposedly that is what you should say to the first person you talk to on the first day of the month or so my mother told me -might give you good luck or something like that. Being August 1st means that Emily has moved to Bowling Green, KY to her new apartment and to get ready school. It has been a wild month with her at home and both of us trying to get everything settled at Western Kentucky University. She attended there in 2006 but got a medical withdrawal-that was when Chris and I were at Mayo Clinic for 6+ weeks for his heart surgery. Emily is looking forward to being back at WKU and is happy that she can be in an apartment instead of the dorm. We had a nice month together-both in the same house. She did her thing and I did mine. I know she was/is happy to leave and I am happy for her and happy to go back to my routines.

Speaking of routines school begins in one short week. It is hard to believe that my summer-such as it was-is over already. It is too hot to be in school! At least I will be in a cool computer lab. I will be teaching some computer classes throughout the school year and be learning my new job as School Technology Coordinator. I know enough about computers right now to get myself in trouble, hopefully I will learn enough in the coming months to get myself out of trouble!

August also means that the 2008 Olympics will begin. Chris really loved each year the Olympics came around, particularly the Summer Games. His favorite sport to watch was Men's Gymnastics -he had met many of the gymnasts throughout the years. Jonathan Horton who is on the current team was one of the last gymnasts Chris (and me) met. We saw and talked with him in Indianapolis-it will be great to see how he does in upcoming Olympic Games. I really enjoy watching the swimming and diving.

Monday I am back at school to get unpack my stuff, and get ready for the students on Friday. Wednesday is the first official day for teachers. I plan on spending the next two days sitting poolside at Spindletop, basking in the sun, and enjoying my last full days of doing nothing. Enjoy! Mary Jo