Weekends

Saturday's Post because I will be at camp this weekend.

Weekends are a time for me to recharge. I like to spend time with my family and friends. Sometimes I go to Massachusetts to visit with my sister, brother, and my mom. One of the things I like to do is to go out to eat with my family. We have a special Mexican restaurant that we like to eat at. My sister has a dog named Yogi and he is a loveable basset hound. We will all go out to walk Yogi around the neighborhood. He has places that he likes to visit...especially where there are treats involved. I sometimes also go to a Zumba class with my mom and sister. We have lots of laughs. I enjoy my weekends with my family.

Cards....

My daughter sent my husband a cute card for his birthday. It was a funny one about the amount of miles he had and how he still looked good. It was on the table with all of the other cards and then I noticed it got put up on the mantle...all by itself. It got me thinking about other cards that I have saved and the importance of the written word. I still have cards that people gave to me with each anniversary in AA. Those words that people said...I sometimes just take the cards when I need to be reminded of all of the support. I still have some notes that my father wrote. He passed away almost 12 years ago. Sometimes I just want to hold the note. A funny note that he wrote to the high school. It was a note about my sister being absent. It was around the holidays. It started out Dear Teacher, my daughter Liz had to help Santa and the elves with all of the presents. I still laugh to myself when I read that. I still have cards that my husband sent to me. Beautiful, loving words from such a kind kindred spirit. Why do we save certain cards...words that we need to hear...see...feel. I still have Norah's first note to us saying that she loved us. Little words...big meaning. Many memories.

Friendship

So today I am thinking about a friendship post. This reminds me of the wonderful, thought-provoking book we are reading as a class Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Today we are on the chapter titled Friends. It is about a girl with Aspergers Syndrome and her struggle to understand how to be a friend and how to get one. We are having such rich discussions in the classroom. Lots of opportunities to see the world from different perspectives. I think back to a friendship I had in the first grade as a little girl. I could tell we were kindred spirits. Friends that brought me soup when my Dad passed away. Friends that helped me celebrate the birth of my daughter. Friends that just sit with you...no words necessary. Friends that just hold your hand. Friends to laugh and cry with. There have been and continue to be new friends along the way and lots to learn both about myself and others. I am grateful to the wonderful friends I have today and those that will come in the future.

Journey of Jobs.

I love reading other people's posts because some days it sparks an idea, image, or a feeling and I just want to write. So this comes from 10 jobs I don't want to have. I am doing 10 jobs I have had.

10. dishwasher...first job at a donut shop when I was 15. I did not enjoy the job, but did enjoy the first paycheck. 9. switch board operator...the old-fashioned kind with the plug-ins. I loved working at this company and held about 5 different jobs while I finished high school and completed 3 years of college. 8. CVS...cashier. It was an okay job. 7. camp counselor. A camp in western Massachusetts for handicapped kids. I loved it! 6. waitress. I have tried this about 4-5 times and just don't seem to be able to get it to flow like some other people can. 5. aerobics instructor. Have been doing this for 31 years. 4. teacher. I have taught K-8 Special Ed. and now teach gr. 3/4. I have been teaching for 30 years. 3. substance abuse counselor. I did that for about 6 years and worked with both kids and adults. I did enjoy the work. 2. spinning instructor. I teach bike spinning at the local YMCA. I have been doing that for about 6 years. 1. kettlebell instructor. I have been doing that for about 3 years. There are more but that's all for today.

Inspired by a Fellow-Poster!

Random Facts About My Daughter. 1. She is named after her grandmother Norah(who she never got to meet) 2. Rides horses. 3. A sophomore in college. 4. Loves her family. 5. Is kind. 6. Has her horse Laity at college with her. 7. Considers her horse one of her best friends. 8. Main meal is pizza. 9. Loves sweets...mmm..wonder where she gets that from... 10.Owns an old Toyota Corolla.

Candles, Tears, Happiness.

A few years ago in my third and fourth grade class I had one of those I'll always remember this moments. It all started with a special lunch we had planned for our principal. She was a love with the students...nice matters, was one of her mantras. We surprised her with a tablecloth to candle lunch in the cafeteria. One of the students even came up with the idea of being a waiter with the cloth over the arm. It was hilarious. Well, later that year I was having one of those frazzled days and running in circles. My aide at the time suggested I go to the teacher's room for some tea. It was getting near lunch anyways so I took the time. I got my tea and then walked back to the room to get my things for lunch. A table with candles, tablecloth, china, and delicious looking food awaited me. My eyes filled as I looked at those students beaming. How very kind and thoughtful. They saw how much our principal loved that kindness sent her way...and then they sent it mine.

Dogs and Friends

Off to the dog groomers with our newest addition to the family. His name is Lars and he came to us through my friend Susan. Susan passed away a year ago from cancer, she was in her 70's. She had battled lung cancer for about 10 years. Lars was her baby boy poodle, a mini. Sleeping on her bed. Riding in the car. She would cook his favorite meal...green beans and turkey burger. Let's just call him Prince Lars. As Susan was dying, we talked about what would happen to Lars. Susan knew I had a farm with horses and dogs, at that time we had 3 dogs(2 poodles...minis, and a lab, cocker-spaniel mix). One of my last memories of Susan is her laying on the floor in the sun with her arms around Lars. I knew that she knew it would be one of her last times to do this with him. She would soon be in the hospital. I offered to take Lars when Susan died. He fit right in. He was not the only prince anymore, but he still held his own in this new mix of friends. When Lars first arrived he did not seem to understand his name when you called him. He would look back and as if to say "Are you talking to me?" We quickly learned, after a few trips into the woods to retrieve him, that he needed to be on the leash for awhile. He's not a big fan of the groomers either. He usually has to be muzzled for at least part of the procedure. Today the groomer was remarking at what a nice boy he was...and then proceeded to tell me all the things she couldn't do because he wouldn't let her. Oh Lars! But he seems to be happy with us, and our family wouldn't be complete without him.