Lucky or Unlucky?

I fell backwards, headfirst, down a flight of 13 wooden steps and landed on a cement floor. I only had bruises.

I got bit by a tick. The bite developed into a bulls eye rash and itches and hurts horribly. I called the Dr. and got started on an antibiotic right away before any other symptoms developed. The rash is getting less hard and less red.

I got two new chips in my windshield but they haven't spread yet and we have a good fix it place here in town.

My driver's side window of my car quit working and went down but not up. It was a fairly nice day, windy but hot and not rainy, so I could drive with my window down without a problem.

Neal was able to take the door panel off but now can't get the part. The part costs $315 from the dealer and they have one. It is $90-$168 from the parts houses but they won't have one until next Thursday. I am going to Burwell but I can drive without a door panel if I have to.

My car is parked in a very dry garage where it won't get rained on and we have no vermin in the garage. It is supposed to rain tomorrow so I can't go anywhere.

I am done at school, finally, but they sent a whole box of our new reading, language and spelling series for us to practice at home throughout the summer.
We are starting a very controversial reading, language and spelling program that failed in McCook and I have been told that "You will cry the first year," but
I still have a job and the series doesn't look as bad as I thought. Our principal hired an outside consultant but she is not affiliated with the series. She has just taken the training from the company so she is much easier to work with than what I know other schools have to work with.

I have lost my camera. I have asked St. Anthony for help. I can't think of an upside for that just yet!

Mom isn't feeling too well but she is still home and doing better. She has also had 88 years of being very healthy.

I have many people who love me and take care of me. The other day when I was feeling very low, Ree came to make sure I was OK, Jerryl called to see how I was, Julie expressed her concern and Neal came home early to take me to two parties we had been invited to. I got hugs at both parties. We didn't stay too long at either because my arm, where the tick bite is, was killing me but we did get to go and say hi to everyone.

A house burned down here yesterday and really put things into perspective.
I am really very lucky.

More random thoughts

I am a teacher. I love teaching kids. I don't exactly love my job anymore as it is so political. I really depends on who is your friends on how you get treated. Today one of our teachers retired after 27 1/2 years of teaching in our school system. She was given 3 minutes at our talent show in the elementary building and two gifts in gift bags. Another teacher retired also. I don't know how long he had taught in our system but he has taught many, many years. He has been with us, I would guess, about 10 years. He was one that came in the consolidation so I really don't know when he came but we have been consolidated about 7 years. He didn't even get that much. He got a hurry up card and gift certificate. What is wrong with this picture? The gal from the elementary spent her life in that building. She would be there until 8 o'clock at night and did so much for the kids. She is on the city library board so she can make sure the village has the correct books and she was on the school's foundation until this year. She has given all to the school district and to the children. Doesn't she deserve more than a gift bag? The school board or the superintendent weren't even there to give her that. I really think the school board needs a policy on retirement and that teachers that retire from teaching, not change schools, should be recognized at either the spring program or graduation. When I first started teaching it was at graduation. That would be an appropriate time as there are many parents and alumni present We had a teacher retire a few years ago and the parent organized this huge party with balloons and gifts and invited former students. That teacher had also been with our school a long time but she was very well-to-do and so was seen in many public places with the other well-to-do people, thusly, they gave her a party. I just don't understand why it is that in education, the older you are the less valuable you are. I know I am a better teacher now than I was when I was 25. Maybe not as excited and I maybe don't do as many "fun" things but I know my students are learning more in the subject area. It just seems like when we get 55 years old, we are being asked to retire and then when we do it is like "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." I feel bad for these teachers. They have given all they had to their students and to the school district. They were very successful teachers. Then on another note, some of the teachers in our school got "Smart boards" at the beginning of the year. Some of us got them within the last 3 weeks. My class had heard the class next door watching movies on their smartboard all year. It is just like watching on a big screen. So I told them we would watch one yesterday or today. yesterday I tried and our board wasn't set up for that yet. I asked our media person if she could take care of that and she said she would try to get to it. She did come in, and she is very busy this time of the year. She thought she had it ready. So today we tried and it wasn't ready. I asked her and she just said, I apologize, sorry. I am not her best friend so my kids didn't get to watch on the big screen. It didn't hurt anyone, in fact we read some fun books and they really liked it but it is just the "politicalness" of it.

Last Day of School

May 15, the last day of school for the year. I graduated from high school on May 15, I graduated from college on May 15, and today was the last day of school with this class. I always look forward to the last day of school but I also dread it. For one thing, now the really hard work of cleaning and putting everything away begins. I always think that I will really be organized this year and then always end up running out of time and just shoving stuff. I have thrown away tons of stuff and brought most of my personal belongings home so maybe this year won't be so bad. We have to have everything packed in boxes as they are starting a major construction job in our school.Then there is report cards and yes, we still fill out the cum folders. We are to have all of that done on Monday so that the rest of the week we can have training on our new Reading Series, Reading Mastery. Then of course, I am so tired when I get home that everything at home gets left until " I am done at school" and so my house also is in need of great organizing. But I get finished at school on Thursday and will try to go to Burwell on Saturday. I plan on spending most of the month there. I need to come back to this "home" one weekend as it is the auction of the property of Neal's late aunt and the going away party for my minister who is leaving after ten years. I am sorry to see him go but anxious to see what our new minister will be like. That's the scoop here.