Mom? I have something I need to tell you.....

Okay, thus started the phone call from my 19 year old daughter away at school yesterday. This was followed by "and I don't want you to be mad at me." To be followed by "I really felt like I needed to call you before I did it, but it was 10:30 and I figured you were in my bed and MY ROOMMATES said you wouldn't care!" As I swallowed my heart thinking she had either gotten married, or a tattoo of a big anchor right across her chest, I calmly said, what did you do? She continued with the don't be mad at me mantra and the "this is something I have wanted to do for a long time" excuse while my mind is rushing around every possible scenario and none of them are good. Something she has always wanted to do? Be Britney Spears? OH MY GOD SHE HAS SHAVED HER HEAD AND QUIT WEARING UNDERWEAR??? Finally I not so calmly said WHAT HAVE YOU DONE??? In a quiet voice, came the reply "I pierced my belly button." Oh joy!! Happy Day!! Of all the things it could have been this was it??? I was so relieved. So then I had to hear the entire story and of course she had to confirm and reconfirm the sanitary conditions and follow up care and the promise that she wouldn't let it get infected. And the good thing is.........it's not permanent. I had her tell her daddy who immediately started with the no nose, no lip, no eye, no tongue and no nipple rule. Yeah, he actually said no nipple!! I love that man!!! She assured us she would never and that TATTOOS were out of the question so I am good with that. After all, I keep reminding myself (daily) she is 19 and almost in her 3rd year of college. And she is a good kid. My only concern is that the night she did this I had talked to her earlier around 9 and she had complained that she was bored. School is out and all of her friends will be coming home in the next few days. She, however, is staying until the 22nd so she can work. If she gets lonely or bored then, what should I expect? There had better be no ANCHORS(or sailors for that matter) in her future!!!

Laughter TRULY is the Best Medicine!!!

Just had lunch with my "bunch" and laughed so hard that I am in the best mood EVER!!! Just has made my afternoon. Hope the sewing machine crew doesn't turn us in!!!

The Old Gray Mare She Ain't What She Used To Be!!

Okay, so I run every week. Twice a week. And I have hit five miles each day and in the last month my time has gotten really good. So.......I sometimes forget how old I REALLY am!! Yesterday while trying to give my students a "feel" for the Roaring Twenties and what flappers were and how much fun the era was I performed the Charleston. And very well I might add. I performed it so well that I decided to do it again the next class period. And when I was finished with much gusto my knee sort of went.....OW!!!
By the next class period, I was sort of hobbling and by lunch I was barely making the stairs. In the class period FOLLOWING lunch we had a freaking fire drill. Yep, back down the stairs, out to the back forty behind the building, standing around on uneven muddy ground (did I mention that I was in heels) and then back into the building and BACK up the stairs. Okay now I am having a serious knee issue. Went to the trainer after school and it is a POSSIBILITY that ALL I HAVE done is dislocated my knee cap. So, no heels for a few days (I do NOT own a pair of shoes that do not have heels except my tennis shoes and flip flops or my Uggs which I have to wear with jeans)NO RUNNING and ice and ibuprofen and REST!!! YEP, right here at Christmas with a two hour concert at church THREE nights in a row, getting kids ready for semester exams (which requires a lot of walking around the classroom, not to mention the beatings) and Christmas shopping. Had to get permission to wear a wind suit so I could wear tennis shoes. I am SO not wearing tennis shoes with ANY THING else. BUT, the classes that got to SEE me do the Charleston PASSED THE EXAM TODAY WITH FLYING COLORS!!!! You see, I forget that I am old(er)!! I truly do. Bottom line........the old gray mare ain't what she used to be. But she still ain't that bad!!!

EXHAUSTION

I am sitting here in my classroom FIGHTING to keep my eyes open. I am so sleepy that my head feels like it weights ten pounds. I am showing a film and MOST of my students are watching but a few are sleeping. Wonder if they would notice if I laid my head down as well? I would but am afraid the fire would wake me up!! Been a long week and the end of the semester is rapidly approaching. All of the sudden there is MUCH to do just to get ready to be out for winter break. Not to mention all the Christmas stuff to do in the few remaining days and weeks ahead. Makes me tired just.............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Brandon Clark

His long and valiant (and I do mean valiant) struggle is coming to an end. Hospice says he probably won't make the night. I could and will most likely wake up in the morning and this gentle giant will be forever gone from my life. He will always be in my heart but God is calling him home even as I type this. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Someone told me today that if he passes away tonight or tomorrow that "Thanksgiving will forever suck for his family" I don't believe that. As thankful as I am for Brandon and his place in my life, I am most thankful that God is going to end his suffering. That he is going to forever be with his Lord and Saviour. That he is NO LONGER going to have cancer. That his wife and kids can start to heal and remember the love and the laughter and start putting the pain and the suffering behind them. Godspeed my dear friend. I'll see you when I get there. It has been an honor.

Where Are Your Parents?

I will be the first to say the the MAIN problem with the youth of today is poor parenting. When one thinks of "poor" parenting they think of neglect, no discipline, rules, structure or positive reinforcement. BUT I have come to see that there is another problem running rampant in our society. Babies getting married with parental approval. Kids who have NEVER been on their own, can't make it on the part-time jobs they have while their parents supply EVERYTHING else. Those that either don't have higher educations or haven't finished pursuing their higher education or who just plain have no clue as to what they want to do in life. YET, they are getting married and with not only their parents consent but their BLESSING as well. Seriously?? And what worked for you doesn't mean will work for your child. Back in the day, it was COMMON for people to get married young but those days are not like the 21st century. In fact, it is harder for ESTABLISHED couples of many years to survive these times much less kids in or just out of high school. I see it all the time. And these people expect me to be happy and excited about their upcoming nuptials. I am not talking about the kids that get pregnant and have no thoughts or plans to get married. EVEN THEY know that their "baby daddy" probably isn't their forever someone. And I even tell them that getting married "for the sake of the baby" is a BAD idea. Let everyone have an active emotional and financial role in the pregnancy and the first YEAR of life and IF after all of that they are still together THEN MAYBE start thinking about getting married. But I digress. I am talking about kids from middle class backgrounds, usually with two parents, who are getting married right out of high school. SERIOUSLY!! And the excuse? "My parents did it". Well that doesn't hold water with me. The marriage success rate in America today is 1 out of every 2!!! The average median age for marriage in the United States as of 2008 was 32!! And while 18 seems terribly young to me, 32 seemed terribly old. BUT, the report stated that people from middle class backgrounds were waiting until they had finished school, started a career, and were financially solvent before committing to a lifetime relationship with someone else. And that they expected the same goals for their soon to be partner. Sounds like SOME OF US are getting it right. So yeah I think 18 year olds getting married is ridiculous and their parents are displaying either ignorance or neglect in not only condoning it but in some cases encouraging it. I had someone tell me that one young lady that is getting married at 18 has been dating the young man for a few years. OH OKAY............so since she was what 16? MAKES all the difference. Sign me up as the matron of honor!!! Because see, MY daughter,who is 19 thought she wanted to marry the guy she dated when she was in the EIGHTH GRADE. And then the guy she dated in the NINTH AND TENTH grade was the ONE. AND then the guy she dated her Junior and part of Senior year was SO FOR SURE THE ONE that even HIS parents (both sets) thought they were getting married. (Her daddy and I were FOR SURE they WEREN'T) And this LAST boyfriend...........the one that she dated from 18 THROUGH being 19??? Katie knew in her heart that this was her future forever person. I watched her make silent plans to spend the rest of her life with this young man. UNTIL he broke up with her. And what has ALL of this love found, love lost, taught my daughter? That you will experience all different kinds of people in your life until you find your forever someone. And that you should. That it is healthy and makes you CERTAIN of what you want. And if you are reading this and you married your high school sweetheart or you married young and are still married then congratulations to you. BUT you are the EXCEPTION NOT THE RULE! I guess I am so upset because I heard this week that a young lady with TONS of potential will probably be married by this time next year. She lives at home. She works, goes to school but struggles financially. So getting married is going to fix that how? I have known her quite a while and care for her. I hope she makes it but I have my doubts. This is her ONLY boyfriend and she is BARELY 18!! But there will be excitement, and joy, and plans for her but for me there will be one question............WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS??? I just don't get it.

TEACHING SCHOOL

Look at picture............enough said!!!