Holiday Craziness

The holidays are fast upon us. Everywhere you look there are signs of Christmas springing up. I hate the fact that Christmas decorations are up in town even before Thanksgiving. It seems like we rush through this very important time of being thankful for all we have. Christmas lights and trees adorn the windows of the stores downtown already and it just drives me nuts. Why can't we just take one season at a time? Why can't we thoroughly enjoy one before moving on to the next one. I personally love Thanksgiving. I love the whole concept of cooking for my family, being with my family, thanking God for all I have. I may not be the richest person in the world, but I do know that on this very special day....I say an extra special thank you for all I do have. I have a wonderful husband whom I love dearly and I am blessed and very thankful that he is in my life. I have a wonderful set of parents for whom I am very thankful. They helped shape me into who I am today. I have four wonderful children who have given me some of the greatest memories of my life and for them I am most humbly thankful. Right now as we speak they are safe, well, happy, and loved. I am thankful for my wonderful friends. I have friends that are a part of my soul and they know me better than I know myself. They also know where my journals are kept and have strict instructions upon my death to pour a glass of wine and burn them all, drinking the wine as the embers die out. Those kinds of friends do not come along often. I am thankful for my ability to sing. It is a God given talent and it is one that I appreciate on a daily basis. I can see, I can hear, I can taste, I can walk, I can breathe and for all of those things I am most thankful for. I am thankful for my grandchildren. I am thankful that I can worship in a church on Sunday morning and be safe and not have to hide my bible. I am thankful....everyday...but on Thanksgiving day...I am especially thankful. Now, the day after Thanksgiving....Christmas is fair game....and I will swing into Christmas mode. I won't be frantic...because I shop for Christmas all year. I don't understand these people that panic when they realize there are only 47 days left til Christmas. Duh!!!! It comes on the same day every year....so why the big surprise? Griefus people....you act like there is some fairy out there...that moves Christmas Day on a whim. I am 53 years old and it has been on the 24th/25th all of my life. It has never fallen on any other day but those calendar days. On that note I will bid you all goodnight and go tuck myself into my bed. I already have my kerchief on...Merry Wednesday to all and to all a goodnight!

English Language Learning

I went to a workshop today in Birmingham, put on by BER (Bureau of Educational Research). The presenter was an educator named Jo Gusman. She was awesome! I attend many conferences throughout the year; some are good and some are not. Today's was exceptional. I learned a great deal about teaching a second language to a non-native speaker. The workshop was for English Language Learners....but as a Spanish teacher I can apply this to my Spanish classes as well. My favorite part of the whole day was the hotlists she gave us. Wow...all the websites and none of the work to hunt them. I have been taking a web class on Web Enhanced Lessons and one of the things we are learning is about hotlists and scrapbooks. I have spent the last couple of hours scoping out all the wonderful websites I got today. It has made me aware of some things I need to do for my students. I need to give them a springboard to websites they need to find. Anyways....on the way home LaDonna, Dolly, Cora and I started discussing the concept of being an immigrant. Today we are seeing so much negativity towards the current immigrants and to be honest it makes me a little ashamed. I believe we must all stop and remember...that unless we are Native Americans (which I am partially)....our families came here from some where else...and were immigrants. Were we illegals? Who knows. The laws were different then. I know I am of Irish descent and when my family came here....they snatched up jobs because they wanted to eat! Hummmm....sound familiar today?....They came here looking for a better life...(my family arrived here during the height of the potato famine in Ireland). A better life they found. One of my Irish ancestors married an Indian from the Porch Creek tribe. One of my Scottish grandparents married a Cherokee....so I have it on both sides. Knowing me...my Indian name would probably have been Clumsy When Running. The point is....that at one time...my family arrived on these shores...and did not belong. We were the aliens. We worked, we dreamed, we carved out a place for ourselves. That is all the immigrants of today want to do....sure, some of them come without waiting for the proper paperwork....but can we truly blame them? They want to better themselves...they want to eat....they want for their children what they did not have. Today's inservice and ride home made me aware that they are no different than me. I have just been here longer. Next time I get that nasty feeling about immigration....I am going to remember Ellis Island and how I felt the first time I stood inside and felt the ghosts of all the people who passed through there. Some of them....just seconds away from the freedom they so desired...while others were torn from those they loved and sent back. What if my family had been sent packing? Would they have tried to get in no matter what??? How badly did they want freedom? I am sure with what they faced coming here....they must have wanted it pretty bad....then....and now. Lady Liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free....." Free....and tonight as I go to bed....that is what I am free....and I owe it all to some immigrants who came to a strange country searching.

Today's Mantra: Purchase More Shoes

I love shoes. I have not always but at the tender age of 15, on my very first job at Burdines Dept. store in South Florida I was stationed in the Shoe Dept. Every week boxes of fascination would be delivered in huge Burdines trucks and it was my job to unbox them and place them on the shelves in the closet according to designer, color, size and style. I will never forget the pair of shoes that turned my life around. They were gorgeous! Red and White! I would have probably never noticed them if I had not dropped a box and it opened, spilling it's contents on the ground at my feet....there they were....the cutest red and white shoes I had ever seen. I had just bought a red and white outfit...and they were the perfect complement for my pants suit. I laid the box to the side and when I was off the clock, retrieved them and took them to the checkout counter. I received the customary 10% discount and walked to my locker to put my new acquisition safely inside. It has been downhill ever since. I love shoes. I love them in all colors. Sometimes if I find a pair that fits particularly well I will buy them in all colors. Sometimes I buy them with nothing to wear them with....in hopes of finding something at a later date. (That does not always work and I would suggest avoiding that plan in the future.) My first pair of expensive shoes cost me 45.00 in 1969. They were blue tasseled Bass Weejuns. I bought them at a specialty store across the street from Burdines. It was the best 45.00 I ever spent. I was in the tenth grade at the time and I will have you know that after several resolings I threw those shoes away on my 40th birthday. They lasted 25 years. I figure that is a little less than 2.00 a year for wear. Not a bad investment. As I have aged I have discovered that there is a different kind of shoe I seek now....the comfortable ones. I do not have to impress people with my ability to wear 3 inch heels all day....so I don't. I teach high school kids....they don't care if I wear heels. So I have joined the Clarks, Bjorn, Bass, Birkenstock, New Balance brigade and go for comfort. I still love shoes....they just serve a different purpose. Loafers, sandals and boots are my downfalls now. Don't get me wrong....I still own heels and wear them for dressy events and to church on Sunday occassionally...but shed them quickly in the car for the pair of tennis shoes I keep in the trunk to exercise with. I am like most women and suffer from that rascal PMS....but in my case....it means...purchase more shoes. Cinderella is my kind of woman....she got the man of her dreams....and it was all because of a shoe. Happy Shoe Hunting! Karen

Ode to a Methodist!

Today was Annual Charge Conference for the Valley Cluster of the United Methodist Church. It was my very first. I must admit it was pretty interesting and I was actually prepared to grade papers. Frank and I missed the first 10 minutes because we misjudged the time and Red Lobster did not cooperate....but then does it ever? Frank hates to be late...but oh well this could not be helped....and it was not my fault. Whew! Thank you Lord! Anyways....excuse my digression. We got there and Steve Lyles, from First United in Alex City was speaking. I never knew how interesting a speaker he could be. We sang, awards were passed out and then the churchs were charged with their duties for the year. It was impressive! I have to admit....my chest puffed a bit when my husband stood up and said his vows. After that we broke into small groups....you know how Methodists are....we love a small group! I went to one that dealt with Emmaus walks and such. It was very interesting....but what I liked most about it was that we sang. You know me and music....I can't get enough. Funny thing....did you know John Wesley....one of the founders of Methodism....fled the U.S. to keep from being arrested for slander? I did not know this. When I told Frank later ...he had a slightly different version....it was kind of sad...I liked my version best! Anyways....the thing about the day that really moved me was the lack of color lines and barriers. The conference is made up of all types of United Methodist Churches and I have made some really great spouse friends....and preacher friends....and for the brief time that we are together it does not matter what color our skins are...what is important is that we all serve one Lord and Savior. It was nice to check your color at the door and just be a Christian. I grew up believing that Jesus loved His little children...all of them....red, yellow, black, white....we are all precious in his sight. So my question is...if this happened today....why can't it happen everyday? What is it that makes us look at each other different....when Jesus is not the focus of attention....Wake up folks. God is right there watching us....when we hug each other at a church conference....or when we call each other names during the week....and when that happens...we make Him sad! Personally, I make Him sad enough without adding that one to my list of faults. So with that off my mind...I am going to call it a night and grade those papers I was planning to grade this afternoon. Peace be with you and yours! Karen

Frank, the Shopper

Well, let me tell you all about my Saturday. I went to B'ham to Christmas Village with 6 other women and my precious husband, Frank. One of the things I think that attracted me to this special man is his ability to out shop me. He is a shopping maniac. He loves it. He covered every inch of Christmas Village today and never complained. He even has a method for shopping so we can cover it all and not miss a thing. Now...ladies, how many of Your husbands would do this? I saw a sign today that read, "shopping with your husband is like hunting with the game warden" and I had to laugh...because shopping with my husband is a blast....so bring that game warden on and get me a 12 gauge! I am so excited that Christmas season is fast upon us....because it means shopping....shopping.....and more shopping. I am signing out now to put away all the goodies we scored today. Tomorrow we have Charge Conference and it is All Saints Sunday and I have to get my altar stuff together. Don't forget to set your clocks back! Peace be to you and yours, Karen

I Am a Teacher

I come from a family of nurses. I get queasy at the site of anything dark red. In all the years I have been teaching, 21 to be exact, I have taken a good bit of flack from my family because of my DAYS OFF! Hello people! I am a salaried employee and I teach and get paid for 187 days a year. That is what my contract reads. When I am not teaching I am usually attending a workshop, conference, or seminar to help me become an even better teacher. Most of my nursing family work seven days and are then off seven days. Do the math. That is only 176 days a year. I work two weeks and 1 day longer than they do each year. My question is why do I get so much grief for being a teacher? I have a Masters Degree in English Education with concentrations in both Shakespeare and Miguel Cervantes. I received a National Endowment of the Humanities fellowship to spend 8 weeks of the summer studying with other educators -Cervantes. Still, the world seems to think that during June, July and August all we do is vacation. Others seem to think that those who can do and those who can't teach. This is one of my pet peeves. I may not make a whole lot of money but I do make a difference in the lives of the children I have everyday. An anonymous email I received yesterday prompted today's blog. When a teacher was asked what she made....her response was this:
"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 96 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America. Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?" So next time you are sitting around discussing how MUCH money teachers make....think twice and ask yourself....would I walk a mile in a teacher's shoes? How many of you would deal with the tears, fears, mouths, illnesses and be thrilled to see one lightbulb come on....when they finally get it! I believe...those who can...do....and those who teach do more. You see....we....the teachers....are the reason the nurses, doctors, lawyers, whatever....are what they are. Somebody had to teach them. I did not grow up wanting to be a teacher. I hated high school. I am living proof that God has a sense of humor. He sentenced me to a life of high school....and I love it....the good...the bad...the pep rallys....the lightbulb moments. I get goosebumps because I am an artist of sorts....I mold children's lives. See you soon, Karen

Ya Ba Da Ba Do

It is November 1st and I am almost two years into living with my parents... again. Two years ago my father(80) and mother(78) moved in with my husband and I when my dad was dismissed from the hospital. They were only going to be with us for four weeks. They have never left. During the past two years we have gone through prostate cancer and 30 radiation treatments, a stroke(my mom), pneumonia( both parents), a COPD diagnosis with a lung cancer scare, two stints, a pacemaker, a mild stroke, dementia, and short term memory loss. Don't get me wrong....I love both my parents. It is just that some days I feel so guilty because I want my life back. Frank and I are both very active and it is kind of weird having to ask permission to be gone....or having to make arrangements for their supper in order just to eat dinner out without taking them with us. I am glad I have had this extra time to spend with them. They live in another town and I only saw them once a week before they moved in. Living with ancients is definitely a new experience. One day I was about to blow when my husband invited me to go to Auburn messing around. I fussed in the car from the house to Waverly....I asked him...."Could this be any worse?" In his infinite wisdom....he said, "Yes!" "Yes! I cried...how can you say Yes?" He smiled and added..."My parents could be living with us too." I enjoyed the rest of the trip. I am not the most patient person in the world....but God has dealt me a steady dose of patience for the last couple of years. I have learned the lesson....now...can we move onto another victim? I am sure God that there is someone else out there....who needs a little character building....As for me and my house....could you leave us alone? All kidding aside. If nothing has come from this character building exercise....I now have enough material to write a best seller....Life with Fred and Wilma in the 21st century....or possibly....Bedrock Revisited. Watch for it on your local Wal-mart shelf in the near future. It will be in the self-help section....and might even be a best seller. See you soon, Karen