Sunny Morning

I took the day off of school today as I had a doctor's appointment that could not be done at another time. When it was over, I drove home via the barn - I rarely get out there in the morning, even in the summer, so Abby was a little surprised when I showed up. (Not that it slowed her down as she came up out of the pasture to say hello.)

She was so glad to see me! The feeling was mutual - while parent/teacher conferences went really well, I missed being able to drop by and visit with her.

I won't see her again until Sunday at the earliest or, more likely, Monday as I am going to a model horse show and will be traveling. But with those conferences done, my time is a lot more open!

Colts Fan??

Indianapolis is an hour south of where I live and the home of the NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts. That means that any time I wear this...

... I hear something along the lines of, "Oooo! You're a Colts fan!"

Not really. I am not much of a football fan. If I had to choose a team to follow it would be the Colts and the Denver Broncos because they have horsey symbols, but I don't follow either team.

The Indianapolis Colt's icon.

The Denver Broncos's icon. (Love the orange - my favorite color!)

So, I usually smile and then say something like, "No, it's just a horseshoe. I love horses"  And the person moves on because, after all, what do you say when you were hoping to talk football, right?

How ironic that horses can be a conversation stopper to Colts fans!

Hectic Week

I love to meet with parents during conference week. There are always good things to say about a student, even if he or she is struggling or has issues. And conferences are in full swing this week - I have them every day before and after school except Friday. That plus the usual planning/preparing/teaching/grading load makes for a very hectic week.

It also makes it so I cannot get out to the barn to see my girl. I get home late and simply worn out, usually going to bed early, only to get up and repeat the next morning.

But, I am going to the Great Lakes Congress model horse show this Saturday, something to look forward at the end of a tiring week! Because of conferences, I had to plan ahead and get my show string ready early,  but that's okay. I am excited to be able to go mingle with my hobby friends, see some beautiful pieces, and maybe bring home a ribbon or two.

This show features plastic collectibility, and so I am bringing my Steha Circus Pony and seeing how it does in the class for flocked horses.

 I am also bringing my JAH unpainted Indian Pony as I have sold it to a friend and she will be there...

... and the JAH unpainted Clydesdale Mare who I hope to sell. (Such lucky finds at the antique store!)

I think going to a model show is a lovely way to wrap up this busy week!

Signs of Autumn

Autumn is my favorite season. As I was driving home the other day, a Woolly Worm was making its way across the road and I thought, "Now there's a sign that it's Autumn!" And I realized that that was the perfect topic for a blog post - signs of Fall!

Woolly Worm caterpillars scurrying across the road as the bean fields are harvested.

Trees changing colors, some quite quickly; others more slowly.

Geese flying in V shapes.

Apples from local orchards for sale in the groceries.

The sound of corn and beans being harvested.

The grass looking dry and less lush.

Flocks of migrating birds perched on telephone wires as they take a break from their flight.

Local festivals in small towns that celebrate the change in seasons.

The annual "How much snow will we get this winter?" conversations and predictions begin.

The sound of dry leaves skittering across the pavement as the wind blows.

General Conference.

People wearing quilted vests, sweaters, and jackets.

The chattering sounds of Sandhill Cranes high in the sky as they migrate south.

Pumpkins, carved and uncarved, appearing on porches.

Fleabane having its last hurrah.

Weaker sunlight in the late afternoon and early shadows as night comes on earlier.

Driving to school in the dark again.

The smell of burning leaves wafting through the air.

The sharp coolness of a chilly morning.

A golden tone to the daylight.

The stars more sharply defined against the night sky.

Quieter evenings as more and more crickets are silenced.

Watching the weather forecast to see if I finally need to bring my houseplants indoors for the winter.

The first frost.

A Former Student Checks In

I love my students, and since they are with me for two years, when they finish 5th grade it is difficult to say goodbye.

But on the flip side, some of them drop me emails occasionally, and I never know when one will arrive. I always read them with a big smile on my face (and usually a few tears, too.)

This morning, Ethan Miller was the student who dropped me a note.

Hi Mrs. I!!! How are you? I have officially settled into Harrison High School, and I wanted to email some of my past teachers. Do your students still bother you about unicorns? My friends and I always think back to your class, and tell our new friends about it! I am still very good friends with Trae, who's sister Lacy, is in your class now! Trae's family carpools with mine to after school activities like marching band, and sometimes Lacy is the car talking about your class. She was talking about the homework, and classics, and it all brought back some memories! I just wanted to see how you were doing!

Of course, I responded to him right away.

Ethan!!

If you have to be at school on a Saturday, then opening your email and finding a former student has dropped you a line makes it all worthwhile. It is so good to hear from you and catch up a bit.

Yes, they still bother me about unicorns! I was hoping it might die down a bit, but Mrs. Anthrop poked her head into our classroom and blurted out to the kids that they should know I disliked unicorns. And so on it goes. But that's okay - it's fun to laugh together.

Otherwise, I am doing fine. We just wrapped up solar ovens (one of my favorite activities) and are heading into Electricity. We're going to make door alarms this year, and (I hope) use lemons to make a circuit and light a light bulb. Of course, we are still reading classics and other good books (next week we do Hurry Scurries!) so it's a lot of fun.

How do you like Harrison? Did you know I went there, too? It's a good school and you just have to love that orange and blue, right? I live close to Harrison and so I drive by it fairly often and wonder how my former kiddos are doing. (My daughter, Lisa aka Miss Isenbarger, teaches 4th grade at Burnett Creek right across from Harrison.)

I am so happy to hear from you and miss you very much. Please tell everyone "hi" from me, okay?

Hugs,

Mrs. I.

Mom's Tree Planting

On Thursday, October 12, the Tippecanoe County Historical Association planted a tree in my mother's honor on the Battlefield. What an honor that is! It is a national monument as well as a cemetery for those who died in The Battle of Tippecanoe.

 Allen Nail, head groundskeeper for the TCHA came up with the idea and made it happen.

The tree is a beautiful burr oak, and if things go well, it should live 250-300 years!

We gathered around and he told us a little bit about the tree, then invited us to add mulch and water to the tree and then spend as much time there as we wished.

 Rick and Ian began by adding some water. 

 And then we put out the mulch.

Aunt Jenny, Craig, Uncle Steve, and Curt. (I am still wondering what Curt said to make her burst out laughing!)

Ian and Mila watch Aunt Lisa shake out more mulch while Vanessa and Rick look on. I love how the tree is near the highway so we can drive by and see Mom's tree whenever we wish!

 Uncle Steve takes a turn with the rake.

 Now it's Ian's turn while Vanessa and Mila water the tree.

 Mila is such a big help!

 The kids LOVED those empty water jugs.

 I hope to go out every October for the rest of my life and have my photo taken with the tree.

 Craig and me. 

 Jenny, Leslie, me, Steve.

Of course, we had to do Steve's old "horse feet" move at him. He would drum his hands as though they were hooves and neigh at me when I was a child and DRIVE ME NUTS. Now, it is a wonderful family memory that makes us all laugh.

 Mila, Vanessa, Curt, and Ian.

 Lisa.

 All done!

I love that there is a living memorial to my mother in a place that holds great meaning to her as well as to the rest of our family. And I hope this tree is important to future generations of our family as well.

Grieving

My mother has been gone for a little over a year, my father for eight years. I still feel their losses keenly.

Some places in town trigger sadness and melancholy as I drive through them - places I frequented with my parents while growing up. Salisbury Street, 52 between Soldier's Home and Salisbury, Marsh, North River Road... all are places that can find me in tears as I drive through.

It happens suddenly, usually because a memory surfaces as I pass by, and suddenly the tears begin.

Grief almost has a life of its own as you work your way through it.