Let's play catch up - not ketchup!!

It has been a while since I blogged on my own blog. Life has indeed been hectic - at home, at school, at play!! Hasn't been too hectic at church, thank goodness. Being Stake R.S. President has the major perk of having the busyness somewhat concentrated in certain time frames - that so far have not conflicted with other stuff.

I did get asked to speak at another's ward Enrichment last week - but I was pretty last minute about putting it together, so I didn't stress much. I did think about it a lot, so it came together well.

We've been to Moab for the race - and I did the 5 miler - mostly walked, but I did finish! It was so great to see everyone - reminds me how much I miss everyone. I can see why women always want their families to stay in town after they grow up - I remember noticing that when we lived in Centerville - these women would loudly lament a son or daughter moving away. It never occurred to me that maybe my folks missed me! (Maybe they really didn't!!) We need to seriously consider Moab as a mini-reunion choice for Claytons/Terrills/Kerksieks!!

School is crazy as usual - I seem to be out a lot for school business so I feel like I'm always making sub plans - my least favorite thing to do. I know now why most teachers show movies when they are gone - I try not to. I've been doing some cooking with my SDC kids - to help with some science concepts - the properties of matter, for instance, can be demonstrated by making cupcakes! (and eating them too!)

We have had Harry and Dawn move out - with all its attendant stress and strain!! They were here for almost a year - they moved in last April when we went to the marathon in Boston. Moving households is always work. But satisfying work! And the baby' s blessing, which brought Bill and Marjorie to town - always great to see them. It really was a good experience to have them all here - one I will always treasure.

And now adjusting to a truly "empty nest." Harry and I are having fun walking around talking about all the home improvements we're going to do.

We'll keep you posted.

Pi Day in Monrovia

We had Pi Day today at Clifton. The Math Department had a "Pi Eating Contest" at lunch. And you could have a chance at drawings for prizes depending on how many of the numbers of Pi you could repeat from memory.

Made me almost wish I was still teaching Math. (Just almost, not entirely!!)

When I told Dad that Pi Day was coming up, he Googled it and found this great site, right here.

Giving blood today

I think I've posted about this before. Maybe even posted this poem by Carol Lynn Pearson. But it bears repeating:

Giving

I love giving blood.
Sometimes I walk in
Off the street
When no one has even asked
And roll up my sleeve.

I love lying on the table
Watching my blood flow
Through the scarlet tube
To fill the little bag
That bears no address.

I love the mystery
Of its destination.
It runs as easily
To child or woman or man,
Black or white,
Californian or Asian,
Methodist, Mormon,
Moslem or Jew.

Rain does too.
Rivers do.
I think God does.
We do not.

Our suspicious egos clot
On the journey
From "Us" to "Them."

So I give blood
To practice flowing,
Never knowing
Where it's going.
And glad.

I gave blood today after school. They call me all the time. I usually don't show about 10 times before I finally go - guilt drives me. But I just went - and it wasn't a hassle and I didn't have to wait.

It's good to do something just to do something good.

All in a day's work

I talk a lot about the "daily grind" and how I hate going to work some days. But that's probably not a true portrait of me or my job.

The girl in the center is Molly, she is not an RSP student, she is my TA. And she won the Partnership Spelling Bee - and my students in 4th period were pretty excited for her. I had taken them to see "Akelah and the Bee" so I think they thought that she was living the Hollywood dream or something. (The boy just in front of me is my other TA - and he's an active member of the ward too. Molly's parents are members, but they are not active.)

Some days I do not like my job - or at least I don't like going to work. But most of the time I feel, as Beverly at SMCNS so aptly put it, "It's work worth doing."

I see progress. I see kids get excited about something I teach them. I see growth and development. I see maturity inching its way in to a child's demeanor. I see genuine expressions of fondness and caring. I see what praise can do for a child who hasn't had much of it. I see lives change.

(I won't mention some of the other things I see - that would be for another post. I want to emphasize the positive!!)

And every day we have 20 minutes of SSR - Sustained Silent Reading - right after lunch. I would have thought that I'd died and gone to heaven if they'd told us we had to read for 20 minutes every day at school. (What I mostly did was hide my book inside the textbook so I could read during boring lectures!) Reading every day like that in the middle of the day is very rejuvenating for me.

It really could be a lot worse!!

But it's hard to make sub plans to be gone for a day or two. And then when you get back, it takes another couple of days to sort out what happened while you were gone.

So I complain!