Three Former Students Check In

What a day - I heard from three former students! And that is always a treat.

When I arrived at school this morning and unlocked my classroom door, I noticed a slip of paper had been shoved under my door.

A note from Hayden S.! He's a sixth grader at East Tipp and is one of those nice, solid kids you can trust 100%. He must've had basketball practice in the gym last night, and popped down the hallway to leave it.

Then, after school I got an email from a gal who is now a freshman at Harrison. She had asked me to write a letter of recommendation for her for a class assignment, and I had done so and sent it to her. She sent a note to thank me.

Thank you so much Mrs. I for writing this perfect letter. It was so uplifting and encouraging. I wish I could give you a hug through the computer. 

Dex is getting better with his injury. It has been a little over a week since the incident happened so he still has the stitches and is still on stall rest. I am hoping to be able to ride later on this week. Thank you so much for your concern and I will make sure to give him extra carrots from you.

Again, thank you so much for writing this letter of recommendation. It has truly warmed my heart. 

Love, Mackenna H.

And, she included a picture of her horse, Dex!

But not only did Mackenna email me, I also heard from Carl L. today.  He had shared a few months ago that he was up for a four year full ride scholarship from Lilly and he won! He sent me a link to a TV news story about it.

After spending two years with a student, it is hard to say goodbye. And so it is all the sweeter when they remain in touch like these three did today.

Photo Session with Vanessa

I have won an award. The press release is to go out Monday and I can speak more freely then, but in the meantime, I was only allowed to tell my family about it.

Winning meant that I got several assignments. There is a banquet March 1, and I need a professional headshot portrait and several family photos for that. I must write a biography that will go into a program and get a "much nicer than usual but not an evening gown" dress.

I also was told that I would meet my corporate sponsor. I have no idea what that means - maybe they sponsor just the award and event? - but I sort of feel like an athlete now, one who gets Nike shoes from his or her sponsor! (That would be fun!)

Who else would I turn to for that professional headshot but my daughter-in-love Vanessa? She is a professional photographer and did a beautiful series of pictures of Abby as a Mother's Day gift for me a few years ago. (The one at the header of my Horsiemama blog is from that shoot.) So I called her and asked if she had time to work me into her schedule. We met yesterday at her studio, and I saw a whole different side of Vanessa as she posed me and snapped pictures while in her element.

 The studio had windows running the entire length of two side, so it was very light and airy.

That last photo was an accidental one of Vanessa - I was taking pictures of the studio and swung around and caught her standing there. Here's a better one that was taken at Christmas in our home.

There were different sets and props scattered around the other two sides which she picked and chose from as she worked her magic.

I saw the lovely bedroom setting (with some things stored on the bed now) which looks beautiful in pictures but is actually simply an air mattress on a frame with nice bedding over it.

It was neat being photographed by Vanessa. I loved seeing her in professional mode, plus she's such a fun person to be with. And now I can't wait to see the pictures.

Yes, It was Stupid

Stupid isn't a word I like to use. But sometimes it really describes a situation. And this is one of them.

Last Saturday, I was at the Harrison basketball game for Jenny Connolly's induction into their Athletic Hall of Fame. I left at the end of the first quarter, so I missed the excitement.

A fire broke out in part of the building.

It was arson.

And one of my former kiddos helped set it.

He and another student, who were playing in the pep band,  got a security guard to let them into a closed part of the building during half time where they went into the bathroom and lit paper towels on fire. They even climbed up on the sinks and stuffed the paper towels into the vents, lighting them, and thus damaging more than just the bathroom - the classrooms on either side were damaged.

The boys were caught entering and leaving the bathroom on security cameras plus the security guard knew they were back there. Kind of a no brainer that they would be caught, so not only what they did was stupid, so was how they went about it.

Expelled from school with a criminal record as a juvenile. A loss of so many opportunities. Financial responsibility for the damages. Embarrassment for his parents and family members.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

A Return to High School

Saturday night, Jenny Connolly Hanselmann was inducted into the Harrison High School Athletic Hall of Fame. I was invited to join the family for the ceremony, so I had a chance to return to the high school I attended. I had not been inside the school in years.

While the building has been added onto and remodeled several times since I was a student there, the gym was still the same and very familiar.

 Jenny was called out onto the floor in between the JV and Varsity games.

 Jenny and her award.

Two others were inducted with her, and after that there were some more pre-game activities. And then, a surprise for Jenny.

She was called back out onto the floor and it was announced that her name and swimsuit would be hung on a banner in the gym.

 And they unfurled the banner as she watched.

Usually a school would retire a number, but swimmers don't have numbers and so they put her swimsuit on it.

 I love the happiness on Jenny's face in this picture!

Jenny is only the third person in the school's history (1970- current) to be honored like this.

 Christian, Liam, and Olivia participated with her in the second ceremony.

 Sarah, Christian, Olivia, Jenny, Lisa, Liam, and Pat.

It was a wonderful evening, and could not have happened to a nicer woman.

Baby Rings

One of the things I ended up with after my parents passed away was my father's baby rings.

So, just what are baby rings? I did some searching on the internet, and from what I can tell, they are baptismal gifts that are given when a baby is baptized or christened.

In my father's case, that makes sense as he was born a Catholic and Catholics christen babies shortly after birth.

Dad was born in 1923, so these rings are nearly 100 years old. My brother wants one; I am not sure what I will do with the other four.  Still, I am pleased to have them!

A Single Name

I was officiating in Initiatory last night at the temple, and Sr. Knotts, an every-Tuesday patron was doing family names. As she came in and took a seat, I looked at the name she handed me. The tears began to well up in my eyes.

It was simply a first name.

No middle name, no last name, just a lone first name.

And yet, in the Lord's eyes, this woman is just as important to Him as those whose names we have along with an extensive genealogy of who they are, who they married, their children, etc.

A single name.

She had been found, and her work was being done.

No more information, but precious in the eyes of the Lord. He knew who she was, even if we did not.

It was a very, very holy experience.

"It's Rather Ironic..."

Students who are on the autism spectrum often have no filter - they say it as they see it. That can be awkward or it can be quite funny. And sometimes it is both.

I am reading The Phantom Tollbooth aloud to my class right now. It is full of word play, puns, and idioms. SR, a student with Aspergers Syndrome and thus on the autism spectrum, is catching them all and absolutely loving the book. A few days ago, he caught more than the word play and made a brilliant, if a bit awkward, text to class connection.

As I sat in my usual rocker with the kiddos at my feet, I was reading the chapter where Milo, the main character, has been imprisoned in the dungeon. He meets Faintly Macabre, a "which" who has also been imprisoned by King Azaz, the ruler of Dictionopolis.

SR's hand popped up and he was kind of chuckling to himself. Normally I don't call on kids while reading aloud, but I made an exception.

"Hey, Mrs. I., this is really ironic," SR laughed. "We're being read to by a fairly older woman sitting in a rocking chair who is reading a story about a fairly older woman who is also sitting in a rocking chair and telling a story to a kid. That is so ironic."

Despite being called "a fairly older woman," I had to smile and admit that SR was right - there was something ironic about it!

I could tell by the looks on the other students' faces that they knew SR had just committed a faux pas in labeling me "fairly older," but they smiled when they realized that I was okay with it and was even laughing along with SR.

You have to admit, it was a clever connection!

A Special Assignment in the Temple

Tuesday night at the temple, the assistant matron and shift coordinator asked to speak privately with me. They had a special assignment for me.

Sr. Price told me that a woman was coming to the temple who had been very traumatized. Her birth father had tracked her down, shown up at her home, and held a gun to her head, telling her that he was going to kill her. Fortunately, her two daughters, who were hiding in a closet and had access to her phone, called the police who arrived and were able to save this woman.

Sr. Price, an old friend from our Illinois days, shared that this woman was also the foster daughter of mutual friends of ours in Illinois, and that she and Sr. Jacobson wanted me to do an endowment session with her as she had only been to the temple twice before.

I was happy to do so, and so I gathered what I needed and sat down in the great hallway to wait for her.

Sr. Price was also waiting. She stood in the foyer, checked the dressing room, peeked into the chapel, and kept watch, but the sister never came. I suggested that she might come to the 7:30 session and asked if she'd like me to see if my other duties for the evening could be rearranged so I could attend that endowment session instead. Sr. Jacobson did some juggling, and so at 7:00 when the sister arrived, I was ready and able to help her get ready and do an endowment session with her.

Sr. Price came into the celestial room when we were done and sat with the woman on the couch. I wasn't sure if I was still needed, but decided that it would not hurt to stay quietly in the background and see if I could be of any more help. The three of us sat together until nearly 10:00 PM, enjoying the spirit that was so strong in the celestial room.

Afterward, the woman hugged me and thanked me before she changed back into street clothes and went home. Sr. Price then took me into her office and asked if she could give the woman my contact information, saying that she needed good friends right now and a support network. I was glad to do so, and heard from the sister the next day, again thanking me and chatting just a bit.

The temple draws people in for a variety of reasons. Some people come to serve, and others come because they need to be served. This gal definitely fell into the latter category, and I think her cup was overflowing when she went home.

As for me, I found something very holy in this unusual assignment. To sit with someone so traumatized and watch the peace of the temple settle into her, was quite a privilege.

The Nutcracker Ballet

I invited my class and their families to join me on Saturday for a performance of The Nutcracker Ballet by The Lafayette Ballet Company. Fifty-five people came! Since it was a family learning trip, I invited my sisters, Lisa, and Vanessa. (Sadly, Cindie has been very ill for several months; hopefully next year she will be able to join us.)

Me, Lisa, Vanessa, Leslie, and Jenny

My sisters and I all got teary at times throughout the ballet - our mother used to come see it with us every year. (Maybe she was there with us anyway. That thought made me smile.)

 After the performance, we headed to Arni's for a bite to eat.

 It was good just to hang out together and chat.

We got some giggles over the allocation of the garlic toast.

The five of us agreed that we wanted to see the ballet together again next year and keep the tradition going. I won't be taking students then, but I'm in!

Baseball? Now??

When the weather is frigid outside...

 ... it is odd to see a sign like this...

... advertising registration for spring and summer baseball!

Mila's First Birthday

Wednesday was Mila's first birthday, and we celebrated with a family party at her home.

 Daddy and big brother Ian helped her unwrap her gifts.

 She was excited to have so many family members around. I love this picture of her going to Boompa.

Sometimes it's hard to see a sibling get gifts while you get none, but Ian did a terrific job of letting Mila enjoy her celebration.

 I bought Mila a birthday pillar candle that can be burned for 21 years. It is gigantic!

 Vanessa made a delicious chocolate cake with pink frosting.

The birthday girl, all ready to dive into that cake.

Happy Birthday, sweet Mila!

The African Violet(s)

When I was teaching at Yankee Ridge in Urbana, my class was reading buddies with Bethany Papajohn's kindergarten class for several years. One year she gifted me with a nice African violet, my favorite houseplant.

I took good care of it and, when we moved back to Indiana in 2006, it and the jade plant were the only two plants I brought with us. Fast forward to 2014, and I noticed the violet was looking a little peaked. I kept a closer eye on it and made sure it got the best care I could give it, but the plant continued to droop.

Soon it was apparent that the African violet Bethany had given me a decade ago was dying.

I had watched my grandmother and mother pinch off leaves from their violets and root them in water, then transfer the new plant to soil as roots grew. I decided to give it a try, inexperienced though I was.

To be sure of success, I clipped off six leaves and popped them all into glasses of water; I figured that with six starts, there was a good chance that at least one would survive and grow.

To my surprise (and even dismay), they ALL took root. Soon I was scrambling to find pots and potting soil for all the new African violet plants I had, and then bigger pots as my new plants were positively thriving.

Two years later, they look like this.

 The table was my grandparents' and then my mother's and where they, too, displayed their plants.

My grandmother gave me a pot just like this one, but it broke a few years ago. I was delighted to find a duplicate at an antique store, but it is really too small for its violet.

 Cole made this pot in school years ago.

 I love the color and the texture it has.

But, it's not been sealed and so the wet soil is beginning to damage it. I need to find another pot, and soon.

I never would have dreamed that all of the starts would take root and survive, let alone grow large enough to blossom. I've always believed I had a black thumb, unlike my mother and her parents.

Guess I was wrong.

What Black Thumb?

My grandfather came to Purdue in 1928 to be a professor of Horticulture. His specialty was the coleus plant, and he even named my mother, Fern Marie, after a plant (something that she disliked.) He returned the favor, though, and named a variety of coleus that he bred after her, but that didn't mollify her much.

My grandmother was no slacker when it came to growing things, either. She and my grandfather would clash at times when he would try to give her advice on her plants and how to care for them - she did just fine on her own, thank you very much! She loved African violets, and I remember a two tiered cart what had a large variety of them with flowers blooming constantly in all different colors. She was also a member of the local garden club and planted pansies for us to pick in her yard.

Their daughter and only child, my mother, inherited their green thumbs and grew lots of houseplants. I especially remember two six-foot rubber trees that we had when I was a small child - they were enormous, and their leaves were about eighteen inches across! Mom had houseplants until she died, and one of the last things I did for her was to water them every Saturday for her while she sat and supervised me.

Me? I am a reluctant gardener. My thumb is not very green, although I do have a jade plant I've kept alive for twenty-five years. It was a gift from Linda Zimmerman for babysitting her daughter, Leah.

When we moved back to Indiana in 2006, I only brought the jade plant and an African violet that Bethany Papajohn, a friend from Yankee Ridge, had given me.

The day we moved into this home, the doorbell rang, and I opened it to see a beaming delivery woman holding the largest philodendron I had ever seen. A gift from my mom (and still alive a decade later although far less lush than it was when it arrived.)

The following year, I had a nice spike I'd planted outside in a pot with some annuals. Knowing that a friend had kept her spike alive for  years, I decided to try it, thinking I could overwinter it in the garage and put it out every summer. I did that, but soon things changed and it began wintering in my home. It is enormous and going strong.

 Things were pretty quiet on the flower-front until my father passed away in 2009. Plants were a popular gift.

I have a basket of several varieties (no clue what they all are) happily ensconced by my living room window that were sent when Dad died.

And when my mother passed away last summer, I got an orchid from Cindie...

... which has bloomed continuously for four months, a rosebush from friends that I planted outside and hope will survive the winter...

... and a basket like the one I got when Dad died. 

After my spinal fusion I got a yellow flowering succulent from Leslie.

All still surviving and alive.

This black thumb gal seems to be following in the traditions of her family.

Putting It All Away

I leisurely decorate the house for Christmas over the course of several weekends in December. Putting it all away, though, is another story.

Because Lisa's birthday is in December, I used to work hard to make sure it was all taken down before December 30th so that her big day was separate and not overshadowed by Christmas. That was a lot of work, but I would get it done. Nowadays she tells me to not worry about it, and so I don't. Still, it takes me several days to undo all that decorating!

Aside from the swags hanging on the upstairs railing and the outdoor lights (which Craig will do), I'm almost done.

We took the tree down yesterday afternoon, putting the ornaments on the dining room table. I washed the tree skirt (and other holiday linens) and sorted the ornaments into piles.

Upstairs the other tubs are packed and labeled; now I just need to get these ornaments into their tubs and that swag down, and Christmas will be well and truly over.

New Year's Eve

Pat and Lisa Connolly invited us over for New Year's Eve. We sat around and chatted for a while, and then the games began!

We started with Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. (Lisa, Sarah, Jenny.) Lisa and Sarah won and signed my box.

 Then we played two rounds of Sequence (one of my favorites.)

 Last up was Apples to Apples. 

 Dudley, who is the biggest Lab I have ever seen, kept us company throughout the evening.

At midnight we donned hats and grabbed noisemakers, counting down with New York City and the rest of the country. (Lisa and Pat.)

 Turns out that Dudley was afraid of the noisemakers!

 We toasted each other with nonalcoholic grape juice (white and red)...

 ... and after a few pats for Dudley, got back to our games.

We played until 1:00 AM!

Happy 2017!