The House No One Wants to Buy...

Just Thoughts...

What a week this has been! We have reduced the available single male population by one with the stupendous wedding of yesterday. We have enjoyed the fact that it is spring, the sun shines most days, the days provide lots of hours of light and due to rules of the universe the days are getting longer each day. That in and of itself is really big in my very finite mind. If you read this blog at all you know how important light and sunlight is to me.
It is very, very unfortunate that spring often brings uneven heating in the atmosphere which spawns storms that can be so strong and devastating to people living in their paths. This week brought far too much of that. I am so sorry and so touched by those who have lost so much due to factors over which they have no control and are the victims. Lives have been lost as well as earthly belongings. So sad.

I am still the owner of an extra home. I love the little house and have done much to prepare it for sale but no one seems to be interested in buying it in this market at this time. Thus, I will continue to be a gypsy and drag my doggy girls up and down I-40 with me while I care for it and cut the lawn. Since I have removed most of the furnishings from it, vacuuming it and cleaning the bathrooms isn't too bad these days.
My brother helped me with the lawn, fallen limbs, and pruning shrubs this week. I appreciate his willingness to do that. (I guess he feels sorry for his old, old sister.)
My sister was on spring break (from school) and I spent a few days with her. That was fun and my doggie girls enjoyed the time with her schnauzer girls running all around her big, big yard.

This is a very boring post and for this we apologize. That's All Folks!!

Wrightsboro Baptist Church---Good Friday

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. It is Easter weekend and of course, Spring. Easter has always been my favorite holiday of the year. You may think the reasons are obvious if you know me very well.

But then there may be the reasons that go deeper than the obvious. Anyhow, this is a year when Easter falls on the latest of its assigned dates -- at least as it pertains to the week. I think this means that next year it will rotate back to the earliest possible date (week). I can never keep up with that but there is a "science" behind the assigned dates.

If we reckon back to our scriptures and history we become aware that Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. These are happenings that my finite mind cannot comprehend. What a horrific event! It had to be the blackest of days! Yet, it was the means by which the sins of mankind were forgiven -- the atonement.

I believe that many of us can understand the big idea but lack a complete understanding of this event and its meaning for us. This, of course, was followed by the resurrection. A truly black Friday followed by Sunday and the resurrection bringing light and hope to all of Our Father's children.

Feeling worthy of this immense sacrifice is oft times overwhelming. May we all do our best!---All Day, Everyday!

Taxes and Me

Isn't there some kind of saying about two things being certain in life-- death and taxes??? Well, I hope I am not in the rotation for the first one but I can assure you that the second has my number right now. Would you believe that I am among the twenty-eight percent of American citizens who puts their taxes off until the last moment?? Admittedly, I am.

When Ken became sick we started having an accountant do our taxes. I continued that practice for some years after his death. Then one day I decided, (after looking over the returns) I think I can do this. So the next year I purchased a piece of software and have done my own taxes since. However, I am a procrastinator. So here I am, one week from the due date which incidentally has been extended this year due to some holiday, without my taxes done. The problem today is that I have placed the tax bag somewhere for safe keeping and it wasn't in the usual place. I don't know where it is ----- yet. So, should I file for an extension or call in the posse and find it??

Personally, I think the posse would create too much excitement in my house -- what with schnauzer girls -- so I guess I had better get my backfield in motion and find the - uh, ahem--documents to do these bad boy taxes before I have to go off to jail. Was thinking about calling up Willie Nelson and getting all the secrets about how to keep from paying them but if I was due a refund that would be shooting myself in the foot so...off to the search I go.

Such excitement in our house on a dull spring Monday.

Reflections on Being a Teacher

Have you ever wondered whether a poorly paid profession like being an educator has any satisfying rewards? While being a teacher I am not sure I took the time to give that part of the profession much thought. My nose was " to the grind" so much that I hardly came up for breath! Every minute is so busy. But in the process you make so many connections -- fellow educators, colleagues, students, parents, co-workers from other professions -- too many to list. And over time, one loses contact with these people.

That is where social networks make life interesting. I have taught so many students that I do not know the number. When I see them out in public I often do not know who they are (just looking at their faces) and frequently have to say, "you need to help me with the name." Students' faces and bodies change a lot after elementary school and often it is difficult to attach a name to a face. That doesn't mean I care any less -- but it is what it is!!

So what is my point in writing about some of the "rewards" of teaching. I am delighted to find so many of my former students who have become such great adult individuals. Some are parents, some aren't married yet, some are getting married, and the level of education and professions attained by many of them could not have been predicted when I taught them at the elementary,(pre-) junior high level. Some I taught in the classroom, some I taught in the academically gifted program. Some are medical doctors, some are doctors of philosophy, some are attorneys, some are engineers, a few have been Rhodes scholars, many have various degrees and some are home being Moms at the present time. And many have not yet attained the heights that are yet possible for them. In one way or another they are becoming leaders in their own right. I remember their parents and conferencing with them at least four times a years and sometimes more as we worked together on various projects. I know of their hopes and dreams for their children.

Teaching will not make you rich in terms of your bank account. That certainly is a well known fact. But it will make you wealthy in lots of other ways and it gives you many opportunities for service. I loved my students, even the difficult ones. They taught me many lessons and my experiences, time, and the environment with them helped shape what lies within my soul pertaining my chosen profession.

Musings on Constructive Criticism

How constructive is constructive criticism? It seems no matter how constructive -- it is still criticism. Yeah, nah???

As an educator I often found myself in the predictament of needing "to discuss" an issue with a fellow educator. How to frame what was truly meant as constructive rather than a form of criticism was always difficult. Perhaps it was a situation of strengthening a document or coming in from a different angle in order to win favor --- helping an equal could be an enormous undertaking depending on the ego of the person(s) involved. At times, if you did not know the person as well as you thought you did, it was hurtful to know that you had unintentionally hurt someone's feelings attempting to help. So I guess the issue becomes -- is constructive criticism helpful? Is it worth the risk??

Working with students is all together different from my view. First, they are approachable because they recognize that you are the teacher and secondly, there are many ways to come into the helping phase with students. They usually accept help and reason.

It seems to me that the problems with "cc" comes as we work with "grownups" or those who have developed Mr. Ego to the point that he is bruised when challenged. Any thoughts for me on this one??