BACK TO SCHOOL -- NOT

The day I have been regretting is Monday. Summer "vacation" is over; summer school has ended; fall sports have done the mandatory practice time and begun their seasons; friends, colleagues, alumni have all prepped their classrooms and started lesson plans; the shopping is complete; the supplies have been purchased.

And so it's "Back to School" time ~ for those still teaching. Monday begins the 2010-2011 HHS school year. Teachers will meet for breakfast in the Great Hall.

Excitement is in the air as everyone catches up on the much-too-short summer. New teachers try to "fit" in; veteran teachers wander in; all wait for the festivities in the theatre. And then it's a faculty meeting before preparation in rooms.

But this year is different for S.A.Mumaugh; I will not be at breakfast;

I will not be at teachers' festivities; I will not be at the theatre;

I will not be at the faculty meeting; I will not be going to Room 1303.

I WILL still be a BRICKIE because "ONCE A BRICKIE, ALWAYS A BRICKIE!"

And now I AM RETIRED!

ONCE UPON A TIME

"ONCE UPON A TIME"

"Nearly every story begins with those words...'once upon a time'...but did you ever think of what, or who they mean?? well..they mean me...I'm Miss On Time...you may know my brother, March Time, or my sister, May Time...I KNOW you know my father...Father Time...he started the whole time business..."

A former student reminded me of these beginning lines from a children's show.

I think I used to define myself by the job that I did, the people that I knew, or the plays that I directed.

Have recently realized that I AM ME!

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know -- but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay.”~~Virginia Satir (American Phychologist and Educator, 1916-1988)

I AM AT PEACE!

People are often unreasonable,
illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway,

~~Mother Teresa

TIME TO HANG UP THE CHALK

As I take my last journeys down the halls of Hobart High School, I can remember the first day I walked into the old building. I was so excited to begin my "career" as a member of Hobart High School's English Department!

How was I to know that once I blinked, 38 wonderful (and full of wonder) years would pass so quickly? And now, it's time to "hang up" my chalk,

say my farewells to some of my favorite "babies,"

and begin a new chapter in my life. (We have no chalk boards in the new building; only white boards!)

While I "hang on" to my memories,

I'm reminded that many adventures await -- if only I let go!

As I grow older, and enjoy my other pursuits,

I tip my hat to the next group to enjoy the pleasures that MY CAREER gave me,

and offer this advice: DON'T BLINK or you may miss some of the most important moments of your life. Savor each moment.

Wishing you the joy, love, and peace that are yours for the taking.

GOOD BYE! I LOVE YOU!

for the MOMs

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here." Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love

(sometimes totally unappreciated!)

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors,

and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror,

hugging their child,

who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful,

and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation.

And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all.

For all of us.

Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

STRESS RELIEF

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, ''How heavy is this glass of water?'' Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, ''The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'' He continued, ''And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'' So, my friend put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.


Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always wear stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be "recalled" by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

2010 CENSUS

2010 Census to Begin

Good info to know!

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including:

name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door,

they will have a badge,

a handheld device,

a Census Bureau canvas bag,

and a confidentiality notice.

Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home. Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give:

your Social Security number,

credit card or banking information to anyone,

even if they claim they need it

for the U.S. Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK,

YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM

HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range,

YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL

ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER,

THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH

ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.

No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau. Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau. Also, if they ask you if you have a gun in the house,

do not answer.

It's none of their business

and could possibly lead to danger.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit

http://www..bbb.org/

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.