A Month of Gratitutde

Every November for the past couple of years, I have posted a daily snippet about something for which I am thankful. Here is this year's list.

It's November - time to begin posting what I am thankful for each day (I love this tradition.) And I missed yesterday, so today I will make up for that and list two things.

Thankful #1 - I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the difference it makes in my life.

Thankful #2 - My family is everything to me - so thankful for my loved ones!

Thankful #3 - Today's "thankful"? I am thankful to love my job. Great school, great kids and families, great teachers to work with... Going to work each day is a treat!

Thankful #4 - I am thankful to have Abby. I love to spend time with her and the way she nickers when she sees me.

Thankful #5 - My education! I feel education for all is critically important and am thankful to have been able to get my degrees, to be a life long learner,  and to participate in educating others. 

Thankful #6 - I am blessed with good friends near and far!

Thankful #7 - As the chilly winds blow outside my home this morning, I am grateful to have shelter from the elements.

Thankful #8 - I am thankful to have access to good medical, dental, and eye care. I may be well on my way to becoming the Tin Woodsman, but those joints no longer hurt! Grateful for that and the other ways health care has made my life better.

Thankful #9 - Watching the sun rise on a crisp, cold Sunday morning - nature is so beautiful, and I am thankful to witness such loveliness.

Thankful #10 - Social media has its pluses and minuses, but I am thankful that I am able to be in touch with far away friends and family easily whenever I wish.

Thankful #11 - Free to worship as I please, freedom to vote, to choose my profession, the safety I enjoy, and so many other things... For that I say, thank you, veterans!

Thankful #12 - Music! Bach, Beethoven, Mozart! Hymns and sacred music! Christmas songs! The Beatles and more recent musical groups! I am thankful to have access to music whenever I want and for the musicians that shared their talents! 

Thankful #13 - I am thankful for challenges. If life were smooth and easy, I would not grow and learn. And while I may not always enjoy them, I recognize that they do make me a better person, draw me closer to the Lord, and help me understand others and their own challenges so I can then reach out to them.

Thankful #14 - Books!! I love to read, and always have a book or two in progress. From Scriptures to Dickens to Madeleine L'Engle to E.B. White... I am thankful for books!

Thankful #15 - My sweet grandchildren! Can life get any better? 

Thankful #16 - My wonderful children!

Thankful #17 - So grateful for this guy! We celebrate 38 years of marriage on Thursday. There's no one I'd rather go through life with more than Craig!

Thankful #18 - I am thankful that my sister, Leslie Martin Conwell, is winning her battle with cancer. She fights with dignity and then reaches out to others who are sharing the same battle.

Thankful #19 - I am thankful for Angie, Hershey's custodian. She works hard to clear the sidewalks and parking lots, and always, always, always offers to help me in and out of the building if the ice is bad. Not part of her job description; she does it because she cares about the folks she works with.

Thankful #20 - I am grateful for my five senses and how they help me perceive this lovely world! And that sixth "mama" sense, too!

Thankful #21 - My car! It gets me safely where I need to go and back. Best of all? It has heated seats.

Thankful #22 - I am thankful to have had some time to sew today. I love sewing, especially for my children and grandchildren. It is so relaxing to cut and pin fabric, stitch seams, or do some hand sewing (especially while listening to Christmas music!)

Thankful #23 - I am thankful to have been blessed to have shared my life with some wonderful animals. They may have crossed the rainbow bridge, but I still love them all! Amy, Duffy, Zeus, Buttons, Sky, Cee, Indy, Felix, Figaro, Blabbermouth, Thursday, Chuck, Benny ... Can't post them all but they're still in my heart.

Curt Isenbarger Whoa, no mention of Pumpkin? Or even Oscar?? Sunny???
Lynn Martin Isenbarger So, I appear to have ignited a firestorm among some family members by leaving off a few pets' names. Here's to Scatsie, Pumpkin, Oscar, Sunny, Brownie, Cabbage Patch, Riley, Honey, all the goldfish, the 64 Black Mollies we bred by accident, the bunny whose name I can't remember, Lippy, Nick, Flame, Pokey, Sugar, Pigita, and any others I may have forgotten. Oh, the toad in the strawberry patch, Shelly my turtle, Valentino the duck, the Banty chickens, the hamsters, gerbils, and hermit crabs. I think I got them all. Happy, family?? 

Thankful #24 - I am thankful for the principle of tithing. It is a true blessing.

Thankful #25 - Thankful for painkillers, especially after dental work. 

Thankful #26 - I am thankful to have my grandmothers' recipes to pass on to yet another generation during the holidays.

Thankful #27 - I am thankful that my favorite holiday has arrived. Centered on being grateful, very little commercialism... I love this day!

Thankful #28 - I am thankful for the principle of obedience and that someone I love avoided being hurt yesterday because he obeyed his parents. 

(Not posted on Facebook - JC and his adult cousin went ATVing Thanksgiving afternoon. Sarah and Todd told JC he had to stay on the path and not off-road. Austin decided to leave the trail; JC chose to obey his parents. Austin crashed and was killed. JC obeyed and lived.)

Thankful #29 - I am grateful for those quiet hours before dawn and my day begins. I love to get up early and read, write, or just sit and think. It is so peaceful.

Thankful #30 - As I wrap up a month of posting about what I am grateful for, there are so many things I could still write about. But as I think about it, perhaps the most important thing is that I had time to reflect upon my blessings. For an entire month! And that is a blessing to be thankful for in and of itself.

Former Students and Flying Time

Social media is wonderful in that it keeps us connected to family and friends even when long distances separate us. And I love being in touch with former students and hearing what they are doing. My first group of children is now 26 and 27 years old. That doesn't bother me, but sometimes a picture of them draws me up short and makes me realize how much time has passed.

Like this one, where one has grown a beard and is clearly beginning to lose his hair.

Louis, Janet, and Nick. They were our neighbors and then moved into my school district. I had both boys in my 5th grade class at Yankee Ridge.

Or this one.

Jazzy is now a mother as well as a teacher herself. (At the end of 5th grade, she wrote me a note saying that she hoped I would always remember her. And I have.)

Seeing them as adults, teaching their own students feels odd. Sarah is a teacher in Arizona. Her mom (shown) taught with me at Yankee Ridge.

Some have gone on to grad school.

Austin was one of my Star Wars buddies. We would eat lunch together every now and then and play Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. And when he was in middle school, he and his best friend, Danny, invited me to watch a light saber battle they had choreographed. It was pretty cool!

Reg was very committed to his faith. He once wrote a beautiful essay on his baptism and how it made him feel to take that step. And his smile is still the same. (Once he was absent, and as I marked the attendance roster, another student tattled, "I know where Reggie is - he's not sick. He went to the midnight premiere of the new Star Wars movie and is sleeping in." Reggie groggily arrived later that morning. "So, how was the movie?" I asked. His eyes flew open wide at the realization that his teacher knew why he was late, and then he smiled that same smile above and replied, "Oh, Mrs. I! It was SO worth it!" I still smile myself when I remember that day.)

Mykhail was one of the most serious students I have ever taught - he had a tremendous work ethic. He was state champion in high jump his senior year and went to Georgia Tech on scholarship where he continued to compete in high jump.  That's his mom, Carla. Sadly, she is currently battling breast cancer.

Some of my former students have not had such rosy futures as these who are pictured. One is in prison. While I don't condone what he did to earn that prison sentence, he came from a tough home life with druggy parents where no morals were taught. I saw fleeting glimpses of sweetness once in a while, but he continued in his parents' path. Most of us who had him in our classes saw this prison sentence coming despite all our best efforts to help him. That makes me terribly sad.

500 some students over 17 years. Some I have no clue how they are doing. Others I hear from frequently. And at least one has died - a terrible tragedy for so many reasons, one of which is that he was an only child.

Teachers' lives become entwined with their students' lives pretty closely for the year or so we are together. That May parting is both joyous and sad. But social media has allowed me to remain in touch with many of them, and I always enjoy a glimpse into the lives they now live as adults.

I hope they will continue to choose to stay in touch.

Kidisms

Grading is a bit of a grind but it is also a daily necessity. So, when a child inadvertently writes something funny in their work, I enjoy the bright spot it brings.

This week's Daily Language Arts assignment was giving the kids practice in punctuating words in a series. JS got the concept, but he sure had a spelling fail!

 Sweetie, "father" is NOT spelled "farter." (I'll refrain from commenting further as I don't want to make any gender-specific jokes, even if they ARE true...)

Coming up with support for why a book is a classic can be challenging. HS rather innocently gave a new take on the definition.

Oh, dear! 

It's pretty obvious his mother let him do his own work on this paper!

Shake, Rattle, and Roll!!

There was a "whole lotta shakin' goin' on" last week as we formed construction companies and worked on a STEM challenge to design, build, and test buildings strong enough to withstand a thirty second shake-up on an earthquake simulator.

 First we drew names and sorted into teams.

 Each team got a yellow log book in which to keep designs and records.

 And each team received different materials with which to build.

 It was harder than it looked - I asked that two designs be drawn before beginning to build, but eventually some of the teams had seven and eight different plans as one design after another failed in practice.

The tabletop earthquake simulator did quite a number on several buildings before the actual testing of the final designs.

Lots of big smiles when the building withstood the quake.

 There was also a minimum height requirement of 21 inches.

Some groups really got creative and used the bag their materials came in as a stabilizer - and that proved to be a great idea!

This group incorporated two designs known to strengthen buildings - using bracing and triangular shapes as part of the structure.

Another creative use of the supply bag.

I had told them I would bake them an earthquake cake to celebrate our STEM projects, but that did not work out, so I bought them cookies. (I will get that cake baked after Thanksgiving for the kids.)

Happy 100th Birthday, Urbana High School!

Urbana High School, my kids' alma mater, just celebrated its 100th birthday. The News Gazette did an article about the birthday. Makes me homesick!

Urbana Celebrates High School's Hundredth

Photo by: Rick Danzl/The News-Gazette

Urbana High School junior Nicole Wheatley watches as principal Matt Stark fills a table with cake during lunch at the school Monday as a treat for students and staff at the school celebrating the building's 100th birthday.

URBANA — It'd be hard to turn 100 and not have a couple of ghosts haunting your halls.

And Urbana High School is no exception.

The building celebrated its centennial birthday on Monday, and, as Urbana school district Superintendent Don Owens puts it, with age comes character, and maybe even a couple of phantoms.

"I haven't had a single alumni tour group come through during homecoming season that doesn't ask about the 'haunted tower' on the third floor. It's so strange. We're even listed as one of the top 10 most haunted places in the state on hauntedillinois.com," he said. "There is absolutely no truth to any of the stories I've heard, but the legends get better and better every time I bring a tour group up there.”

"Maybe it's because they used to hold detentions up there back in the day," said former law and cooperative teacher Pat Atchley, who taught at the high school from 1976 to 2009.

The two were reflecting on the unique character the building has developed in its 100 years of existence, a feat the entire school celebrated on Monday with cake during lunch and community tours of the space in the evening. School officials marked Nov. 24 as the school's official birthday because the original building opened its door for classes for the first time on that day in 1914.

Aside from rumors of a haunting in the tower facing Race Street, there are a lot of other unique charms housed in the century-old space, many of which are not commonly known, Owen said.

100-year-old tile floor

There's one part of the school that has not changed once in 100 years. It's the floor tiles on the second floor in the original 1914 portion of the school.

"No matter what year the class graduated, every time I bring a reunion tour across the way over there, everyone stops and says 'Wow. This is the high school I remember,'" Owen said.

The tiles are polished each year and were purposely preserved in the oldest part of the building, an effort that really showcases the "age and beauty of the building," said visual art teacher Susan Gleason, who has been teaching in the district for 36 years.

'Smoker's alley'

When Atchley taught at the high school back in the '70s, things were definitely different than they are now. For one, students were allowed to smoke on school property.

"There was this area right outside of the commons area that was kind of casually dubbed the 'smoker's alley.' Back when I used to smoke, I'd go out there and have a cigarette between classes, and students did the same thing," he said. "Things have changed, obviously, and the whole space is actually enclosed now.”

It was a different time, but it wasn't an abnormal thing to have, Owen added.

Original design

When architects designed the school's auditorium renovation in 2012 and a new library in 1986, they knew the importance of preserving not only the look and feel of the 1914 portion, but also actual pieces of the original structure.

The inside of the new auditorium features the original windows and exterior brick walls from before the renovation, and the ceiling in the new library is the exact same one from when the space was a gym, before it was remodeled in the '80s.

"I think that is my favorite part of this school," Owen said. "It's so neat to be able to take people on a realistic tour that shows the architectural growth of this building.”

Looking good for its age

Over the years, the district has invested in a little plastic surgery to keep the high school up to speed with 21st century educational needs. The face lifts happened in 1916, 1955, 1965, 1977, 1986-88 and 2011-12.

For sophomore Alexis Cribbett, those renovations are exactly what makes her school so special.

"I had no idea the building was 100 years old. The technology that we have doesn't make it seem that way," she said. "We have awesome computer labs, Internet throughout the whole building and updated technology in the classrooms. The newer parts are my favorite.”

This idea of mixing old with new has been the intention of the school board all along, Owen said.

"Our school board has always been committed to renovating the original building, which is a huge benefit because we are in a spot where a 100-year-old building is still meeting the needs of our learners, teachers and larger community," he said. "That wouldn't have happened if the board didn't commit to this location and commit to the original building.”

And that commitment to location is exactly what makes Urbana unique, Atchley said.

"The board is still purchasing property around the school for future expansion," he said. "That's thinking ahead."

Forgetting to Go to Lunch

We forgot about lunch yesterday.

Time simply ran away from us - all of us! Every Friday two children present on a classic book, and we often get totally absorbed in the presentation. But never have we lost track of time and forgotten to go to lunch.

AH was presenting on Little Women and for her project had created a Jeopardy game that we were playing on the Eno board. I was running the computer for her, and had checked the time at 12:15, noting to myself that we had twenty minutes before we needed to be in the cafeteria.

The next time I glanced at the clock, it was 12:40 - we were five minutes late! And not one child had noticed, either! They were just as stunned as me that it was lunch time already. I quickly stopped the game and hustled the kids down to the cafeteria.

It is a testament to the kids and their love of learning and literature that not a single one of them was watching the clock, counting down the minutes until they could get out of the classroom.

And, it speaks volumes about the power of a good book.

Thirty-Eight and Counting

It is NOT our 38th wedding anniversary - it cannot be! Surely not that much time has flown by since I said "yes" to this guy!

July, 2014

In front of the Washington, DC temple, the place we were married, in March, 2008

I love you, Craig!

No! No! No! No!

It's only mid November! So why is this happening?

The view from the teachers' parking lot at Hershey this afternoon, looking south toward the Wildcat and Martins' Woods. We got two inches of snow last night.

We already have drifting snow, too.

Looks like the beginning of a long winter.

Long Distance Learning

Twice a week, I meet long-distance via the computer with Braden for a literature lesson. Currently we're reading Charlottte's Web together.

Every time we meet, two other little folks ask to do something with me, too. Here, Addie reads to me from a book she's selected.

Sometime Braden and I work on Math facts with flash cards, or we use discussion chips to give us prompts for questions. Our favorite chip? The one that lets us ask ANYONE a question - we pull in Boompa, Aunt Lisa, or Mom and Dad for that one! Braden loves to have them come into our class and join in the discussion. (Yesterday he discovered his dad, Kyle, had not read Charlotte's Web. Immediately he issued a challenge that Kyle do so!)

Corinne "reads" to me from her favorite book, Frozen, each class. It's really cute how she makes sure to turn the book around and show me the pictures!

And she always asks to see two things - the "hickory dickory docs," which are the fake mice that Pooma had on her grandfather clock and which Craig put back up when the clock was moved to our home.

 I have to carry the laptop over and hold it high so that she can see each mouse.

After that, Corinne requests an appearance by Millie.

A hovering laptop overhead always piques Millie's curiosity, so we get some unusual shots, to say the least! But Corinne loves it, and usually Braden, Addie, and even Whitney rush back to the computer to take a look when Millie is on camera!

Our long-distance learning class is such a highlight of my week! But who wouldn't love getting to chat with these kiddos on a regular basis!

But It's Only November 13!

Seriously? I can't be time for this!

It's only November 13!!

Working Together for Veterans Day

Yesterday was Veterans Day, and as our day was beginning, I mentioned that Mr. Eberle, one of our lunchroom/recess aides, had served in the military and was a vet. PH piped up, "Let's make him a card!"

Well, that idea snowballed. What began as a simple suggestion grew into several ideas. I put the Science lesson I had intended to teach on hold and stepped back, letting the kids plan their surprise.

It was interesting to watch it unfold - all I did was provide the time and the materials they asked for. Within the space of forty-five minutes, they had divided themselves into groups, made parts of the tribute, and then brought them together.

 The completed project - a flag made out of individual thank you notes.

We invited Mr. Eberle and his wife to come down to our classroom right after lunch. The kids gave him a spontaneous standing ovation and remained standing out of respect while he was with us. (I did not ask them to do that.)

 The Eberles look at the kids' tribute. They were very touched.

 A group shot.

I am very proud of these kids - their thoughtfulness made a veteran's day!

Making Christmas

Jack Skellington and crew sing a song in Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas called Making Christmas. It's rather macabre - the citizens of Halloween Town are planning to do Santa's job for him - Halloween style.

Making Christmas
Making Christmas,
Making Christmas, 

Making Christmas is so fine

It's ours this time and won't the children
Be surprised? 

It's ours this time
Making Christmas
Making Christmas

Needless to say, things go quite awry, but not to worry - Santa saves the day just in time on Christmas Eve!

Today I decided to get organized for the upcoming holiday, and that song played repeatedly in my mind as I worked.

I label a large grocery bag with each family's name, line them up in age order, and pop things into the bags whenever I bring the gifts home from shopping. Here the bags are on my bed, ready to be labeled and opened along with Christmas cards I've already bought.

At the foot of the bed are boxes that have arrived from Amazon and other places containing gifts for my family.

Those are opened and sorted out and each gift is recorded in a notebook so I remember what I have bought for whom. It's a mammoth undertaking, but things are now organized, the bags are ready, and it's time for "making Christmas!"

Time to give them something fun
They'll talk about for years to come
Let's have a cheer from everyone
It's time to party

Making Christmas, making Christmas
La la la
It's almost here

And we can't wait
'Cause when the full moon starts to climb
We'll all sing out, it's Christmas time

Taking Fractions a Bit Too Far

Both of my Math groups are working on fractions. I have been very clear with the kiddos that when they solve, their fractions must be simplified or the answer will be marked wrong.

SS went a little too far in applying the concept when grading his Vocabulary test!

Granny Slash's New Digs

Last Saturday, Steve, Jenny, and I moved my mother into her new apartment at Green Tree, an assisted living facility just around the corner from my neighborhood. After having lived in her home on North River Road since January, 1970, change is hard, but my mother faced her new situation bravely.

The apartment is for "snow birds" and so it is furnished. She plans to stay beyond the winter, so when the time comes, we will bring her her furniture and things. Mom can remain in the same apartment; we just need to switch their stuff out for hers.

A view of her bedroom as we unpack.

 Jenny works in the bathroom. There is a HUGH accessible shower (complete with shower chair and hand-held shower head), a large walk in closet, and an accessible toilet.

Looking from the bedroom out into the living room. 

A kitchenette with a breakfast bar is next to the living room. She has a microwave and a mini fridge plus a small pantry.

 The kitchenette. Even the dishes and towels are supplied!

The manager invited us all to stay for lunch, and we were glad we did - the food was delicious!

When we came down to the cafeteria, he asked for everyone's attention and introduced her, inviting everyone to come say "hello." And they did - I am so thankful to the lady who told my mother, "I have been here five years and have not had a bad day yet."

Steve waits for his food to be served - you order like you do in a restaurant. There were several choices, all of them yummy.

Free soft serve ice cream, open twenty four hours a day! With toppings! (See tray on counter.)

A very big step, but one that needed to be taken. I feel relief that she is in a safe, clean place with people to look out for her, that she has good meals, people to socialize with, activities to attend, and a place where she can find some privacy if she wants that.

Change is hard, but in this case, it is good.

Left Behind/A Huge Find

I collect model horses and love to poke around antique and junk shops when I get a spare moment, looking for HSOs (horse shaped objects, as they are called.) The hunt, the chase, the excitement of finding a long-sought after piece is fun and relaxing for me.

My collection is medium sized in comparison to other collectors', but to non-collectors, it can seem a bit overwhelming. But truly, I don't buy every piece I find - I am actually quite particular about what I purchase.

Over Fall Break, I went to Countryside Antiques in Lebanon.

 I found a whole case of pieces! And left every one of them behind.

Breyer also made animals - here's the deer family and the Moose. I was tempted by the moose, but left it behind as the price was too high.

Then I headed back to Lafayette and poked around through the Romney Toy Shop, Raven's Roost, and Sell It Here.

 Left all these behind.

 And these as well.

 These three are very collectible, but I felt were too expensive at $15.50 each.

I had all but one of these at one time, but sold them to other collectors. I'm not interested in replacing them.

A few pieces did come home with me.

 This is a very old Hartland piece. Not bad for $2.50!

This piece was a surprise - I never thought I'd see one for sale outside of eBay or the internet. It's the rare, chalky, solid black Stretch Morgan. Cost? $15! It is worth a LOT more than that, and I do not already have it, so home with me it came.

I bought three other vintage pieces that were very inexpensive, and I also had the find of a lifetime.

A Breyer Boxer clock.

Only one other is known to exist.

Oh, my!

I got it for $38, but it is worth hundreds of dollars. I actually left it behind the day I came across it - it is so rare I wasn't sure I'd found the real deal. I went home, did some research, and sent pictures to Sande Schneider and asked her opinion. She is the one who told me what I'd discovered and that there was only one other known. Needless to say, the next day I headed back to the shop and grabbed the Boxer clock. I am still pinching myself over this one!

I won't go out looking for pieces again until after the holidays - there just isn't time. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy my newest pieces, especially my jaw dropping find.