BRICKS

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation
with the bricks others have thrown at him."

Robert Mills, former student and current director of the Oklahoma City Ballet, posted this on his Facebook profile. When I first read it, I thought, "How profound."

No one has it easy. Every single person has "road blocks" or "brick walls" to conquer. Randy Pausch, in "The Last Lecture," says that the brick walls are there not to keep us out, but to let us know how badly we want something.

Everyone has had moments where it seems the world is throwing the bricks at us! Having taught "forever," I can safely say that No one is exempt from some type of label, sterotype, harrassment, bullying - whatever name you wish to give it, the bricks are thrown. [Most of the time, thrown quite hard!] Just as Randy Pausch reminds us the brick walls remind us how badly we want something, Rob reminds us that catching those "loose bricks" and building a strong foundation can only mean success!

A LITTLE BIT OF HOME

Most of you know that I'm not born and bred Hobartite; however, I've lived here longer than ANYWHERE and have been bleeding purple and gold for a long, long time!

I have delighted in watching growth in what I consider MY hometown. Yesterday, I witnessed the "birth" of the type of place every hometown should have. BRICKWORKS BREWERY,

the dream of a former student, Tom Coster, opened to previews! Cannot describe what joy this city has had with this opening! Just in case you aren't familiar with some "beer" quotes:

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.'"

-- Jack Handey

AND ON (9-5-09 ) TOM SPOKE AND HE SAID 'LET THERE BE BEER' AND THE TOWNS FOLK WHERE PLEASED!
--Dan Barrasas

"This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption. Let us give praise to our Maker and glory to His bounty by learning about... BEER."
– Friar Tuck, "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, 1991

“Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.”
--Proverbs, Chapter 31 verses 6 & 7

“Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself, to make love, and to celebrate the good days.”
--Ancient Egyptian advice

"Beer he drank - seven goblets. His spirit was loosened. He became hilarious. His heart was glad and his face shown."
--The Epic of Gilgamesh, 3000 B.C.

“It's deeper than that. Think about the farmers that grow the barley & hops. The seed & fertilizer companies that thrive with the farmer. The manufacturing that builds the equipment the farmer uses. The steel companies that supply the steel. The miners that mine the ore for steel & glass. And lets not forget about the packaging manufacturers, the label printers, and the distribution channel of drivers, warehouses, and the final retail outlets. It really is a beer driven economy when you think about it.”
--Brian Kellogg

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-- Benjamin Franklin

"He was a wise man who invented beer."
-- Plato

"A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure."
-- Czech Proverb

"You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it."
-- Samuel Butler

“BRICK WALLS ARE THERE FOR A REASON; THEY LET US KNOW HOW BADLY WE WANT SOMETHING.”
– Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture

2009-2010

I start another new school year on Wednesday.

Now, I have been doing this for A LOT of years, so what makes THIS year special?

Maybe it's because EVERY year brings

new faces,

new personalities,

new challenges?

Maybe it's because I'm more prepared?

Maybe it's because we START in the new building?

OR,

maybe it's because I've FINALLY figured out

that they will learn

"in spite of us" -

YES, "in spite" of

everything we may offer,

every single student

will learn

what THEY need.

I have seen students completely WOW me with their insight.

I have seen students be prolific writers.

I have seen students express compassion and joy.

I have seen students become advocates

of important, compassionate issues.

I have seen students who will be the

leaders,

politicians,

doctors,

dentists,

nurses,

teachers,

PARENTS of the future.

I have seen students become

ADULTS

who I would be proud to call friends.

I am excited as to what is next.

As teachers,

we often don't recognize the

greatness

that is right in front of us.

Luckily, the students do.

We are fine for the future!

AGE?

Do you have any idea how often,

when seeing many people my own age,

that I think,

"I don't look THAT old, do I?"

THIS proves that I am not the only one with a

"fantasy mirror"

at home!

****************************************

STORY ON.... AGE???
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING
AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE
AND THINKING,
SURELY I CAN'T LOOK THAT OLD.
WELL....
YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE.
***************************

MY NAME IS _______
AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM
FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST
I NOTICED HIS D.D.S. DIPLOMA,

WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME.
SUDDENLY,

I REMEMBERED A

TALL, HANDSOME, DARK-HAIRED BOY

WITH THE SAME NAME

HAD BEEN IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS

SOME 30-ODD YEARS AGO.
COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY

THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON,

WAY BACK THEN?
UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER,

I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT.
THIS BALDING, GRAY-HAIRED MAN

WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE

WAS WAY TOO OLD

TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE.
AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH,

I ASKED
HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED

_________ HIGH SCHOOL .
''YES. YES, I DID. I'M A _______,''

HE GLEAMED WITH PRIDE.
''WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE?'' I ASKED.
HE ANSWERED,

''IN 1975. WHY DO YOU ASK? ''
''YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!"

I EXCLAIMED.
HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.
THEN,

THAT UGLY,
OLD,
BALD,
WRINKLED,
FAT-ASS,
GRAY-HAIRED,
DECREPIT
S**-O*-*-B****

ASKED,
''WHAT DID YOU TEACH ???''

**********************************
The very saddest part of this is,

I was actually teaching in 1975!

I find it interesting that

when I'm on Facebook

and see students from that time,

I don't always recognize them

until I look at their

"blast-from-the-past" pictures

and then I know who they are!

THEY have changed,

but I haven't (in my mind!)

Of course, I'm really the age now

that they thought I was then!

PROJECTS

Sharon and I have finally committed to staying right where we are! We like the idea that we each have our "space" yet are close enough to take care of each other. The things we hated about the house are slowly being resolved.
The chair lifts for the stairs were the first projects - suddenly, we didn't feel "isolated" or "imprisoned" - thanks to Mom (she really wanted us to stay together and the lifts enabled that.)
Next issue was the back porch - the railing was so wobbly that we didn't trust it; neither one of us was comfortable with the stair railing. Edwin redecked the porch, built railings around the porch and down the stairs. He has the first coat of stain on everything so it will match the front steps. The new back door will let me watch Abbey while seated.
Although Sharon never complains about having the smaller of the spaces, we both didn't like that she couldn't see who was here or anything out front. Edwin resolved that issue by installing two cameras with talk-back system! Sharon can see all the way up the steps to my door, her window, all the way down the driveway, and down the street! PLUS -- she can HEAR things outside and talk to anyone out there! The system even has an alarm that's sensitive to sound and motion (the dogs moving or barking next door set it off!)
We have even managed to "spoil" ourselves a little. Sharon always wanted a dishwasher downstairs -- today, Lucas cut out the cabinet and installed it for her.
For me, laundry was a pain! Although Sharon never mined "sharing" the laundry room or me "camping out" downstairs while doing laundry, I HATED having to move clothes down and up the stairs. My unnecessary "redundancy" was the installation of MY OWN washer/dryer upstairs! Who would have thought that an appliance would make me so happy!
Once the 2nd coat of stain goes on the back porch, the solar lights placed, the furniture set back up, we'll be spending some "quality time" outside!
(I think I'll work on getting a new mattress now!)

CELEBRATE!

"Yankee-Doo Day"

has always been my

FAVORITE holiday!

Everyone can be like a kid at a parade

(or just BE at a parade!),

dress silly

(MUST be in red, white, and/or blue!),

play,

and not obligated to buy gifts!

(ok, never "obligated"

- but not part of the tradition.)

Most importantly,

the 4th of July gives us a chance to say

"THANK YOU"

to those who are important

in maintaining the freedom

we have in America.

It also gives us a chance to

thank God

for all the blessings we've received!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

and

YOU!

wonderful week!

Such a good week!

First week of summer school done

(large, but good class),

Allison and Matthew

gave Cyndi her 2nd grandbaby,

(I like to think of

Alexandra Victoria

as my grandGODchild!),

Jack's 8th birthday,

Grace's birthday coming up,

Edwin staining porch,
and don't think I did any major damage

when I fell!

All is good!