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.

Jane's update

Here is my update. I'll start with today and go backwards. I took today off just for a personal day to get my stuff done because I was so busy the past two weeks. Last night I was letting Marcia in and I fell down the basement steps. There are about a dozen steep wooden steps and I went down them head first. I managed to keep my head up and my arms sort of tucked in but I am covered with bruises and don't feel very well today. My left leg has a very sore bruise, my right shoulder and my the fingers on my right hand are really swollen. My whole back is just one big bruise and is also scraped up. I tore the skin off of my left ankle. I really don't know how it looked but it was scary and hurt like crazy. I slid at the bottom of the stairs so I ended up about 3 feet from the bottom step. It knocked the wind out of me and now today I have a scratchy voice. I suppose because it was hard to talk at first and I forced it. I called the chiropractor but they have no openings. My Dr. only works about one morning a week and if I am going to drive to Oberlin I want to see him. I may call the one I have been to here in town if it seems like I need to go but really, my "back" seems OK. I am not going to get everything done I thought I might get done. My back door is to a small landing and there are three doors there, the door to the garage, the door to the kitchen and the back door and then the steps. Usually I stand in the kitchen and open the back door because it swings inward. This time I was on the landing and I must have taken a step back. Anyway, I am sore but think I will be OK.
Sunday was confirmation at church. I am a "prayer partner" and have prayed for confirmand all year. I went to the alter with her family when she was confirmed. Dorothy and David also come to visit. They picked us up for church and then we ate at Pizza Hut and went to Wal-mart and then just came home and visited. They left about 4:00 and then I took a nap.
Saturday I left home at 6:30 a.m. and drove to Valerie's house. She then drove us to Lincoln where we met Mom, Jerryl, Janny, Joye, Julie, Sarah, and Catherine at the quilt museum. We went to the Grace Synder exhibit. She was truly an artist and her quilts are beautiful. We ate at Olive Garden which was very good and then shopped at my favorite clothing store where I spent a bunch of money for 5 items of clothing. I told Jerryl that we had to check the receipt because that store had cheated me more than once. We checked and everything seemed to be in order. I got home and looked on-line and found out they had cheated me once again. I bought three tops. They were having a sale, buy two tops get one free, but they told me that only one of my tops was eligible for that sale so I said OK, whatever, but then after I looked on-line, two of my tops should have qualified and I should have gotten a free top. I may call them today but their manager is not nice. I have argued with her many times. I may have to just go there to try on clothes and order them on-line.
Friday night was our Good Friends Celebration. The Third grade has these older people from the community paired up with the children. Every month we get together and have a program and snacks with them. Then in April we have a huge party where we invite their spouses or guests and the kids' parents. The kids put on a musical that the music teacher and I work up. Then the Good Friends bring desserts. We decorate the tables and make gifts for the Friends. Valerie and Neal came Friday afternoon and helped the janitor set up our tables and then they decorated the tables so by the time my kids left school they almost had the whole thing ready to go. Afterwards we have to clean up but the parents help. It is another blog subject to talk about the manners of parents and adults in our society.
Friday during the day we had the bicycle rodeo and got everything ready for the Celebration and then performed our play in front of the whole school.
Wednesday and Thursday were just busy days getting ready while having school. Tuesday was our field trip. We went to McCook. We started out reading to the residents of Highland Park, a retirement home. Then we toured McCook National Bank, Community Hospital, the Humane Society, and the McCook Safety Center. At the hospital one of my kids had a horrible headache so I had to drop out of the tour to take care of him and then had to try to get in touch with someone to come get him. Of course the number they put on the emergency sheet was a cell phone that Dad didn't have turned on so I couldn't get in touch with anyone. So I called the secretary at school and she took care of the calling. Then I had arranged with the Fair building that we would come use the restrooms there because our parks just don't have very good bathrooms but we were running a little bit late so I called the gal at the office and asked if she could unlock the building before she left as she had told me in no certain terms that she left at noon for her lunch and we had to be there before noon. It was looking like we wouldn't be there until about 12:05 so I called her. She lit into me that she didn't have time for me and that since I was using the building for free she didn't have to help me blah blah blah. Of course, I had 28 talking third graders in the bus so I just told her to forget it; we would do something different. I told my bus driver, who just happens to be my supt., to just take us to the park and we'd do what we could there. It was a beautiful day, windy of course, but nice so we could eat there and go to the bathroom behind the trees if we had to. No one had to use the bathroom I guess. Anyway, my sick child's grandma came, we ate and then left to go to the Humane Society. They usually give great tours and let the kids see the animals. Well, the gal in charge had gone home sick and left another worker who knew nothing about giving a tour. I gave the tour! Then we went to the Safety Center where we had scheduled a visit to the tornado house. The first group took off and then came right back. The video quit. So we just got a tour of the fire barn. It was very interesting. Then we went home and played on our park equipment. We had a good time but it was very stressful.
Monday was our school spring program so we had to go to the high school to practice and then that night was the concert.
Sunday wasn't anything too much.
Saturday I spent the day in Kearney at a State Board Meeting.
Friday was our Reading Council's final meeting for the year and we had a gal from Nicodemus Kansas speak and we had a meal catered. It went well.
That was the last week.

This is Wednesday the 29th and I am home still. The people at school told me to stay home another day. I am very sore!!! My whole backside is just one huge bruise and I am very stiff. But, I am alive and well and that is the important thing.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! Praise the Lord for the gift he gave us on this holy,holy weekend. I always remember Valerie when she was very small. We had a very effective Good Friday service where the minister told the story of Good Friday and then draped the alter and the cross in black. We all left the church in silence. We got to the car and were on our way home and she began crying and crying. When we asked her what was wrong she said," They killed my friend." The faith of the child. Then I remember the Easter that Mackenzie was born. What a miracle! We were very surprised to have her come that day. She was tiny, tiny, but very mighty. I also remember one Easter with Sarah. We came back to Grandma's house after church to find a real bunny tail on the porch. We told her that it was the tail of the Easter Bunny and that the cats must have killed him. She was very upset! Happy Easter and may this Easter bring wonderful blessings and memories to you all!

Rules for Life...Why don't people follow them?

Happiest place to be! That's what I heard about Nebraska this week. I do believe it too. We don't have enough stuff around us to make us unhappy and we rely on inner happiness. Today I went over the classroom rules with my children and just thought about how much happier we would all be is everyone followed those rules. The first one is "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Of course, we know that if everyone did this we would not have any problems. The next one is, "Be positive and encouraging to everyone, even yourself." Wow! NO put downs to anyone. We all could practice this. I don't say put-downs to most people but to myself, I am the queen of put-downs. "Invite others to play with you, don't leave anyone out." Again, wouldn't life be better if others listened to that and carried through. "Listen completely. Look at the person speaking and be still while you are listening. Respond appropriately." "Be a winner. Do your best at all times."
And last but not least are our rules for apologizing. "Look at the person. Use a pleasant face and polite voice. Say I am sorry for .... It won't happen again. What can I do to make it right? and It won't happen again. Please forgive me. If you accept the apology, the case is over. If you can't accept the apology you tell what you want the other person to do and then you say "Thank you for your apology." I really think that we could all use these ideas and if we all did, life would be a lot easier.

Just Too Busy and Boring

I haven't written on here lately because this is the busiest time of the year yet also the most boring for other people to hear about. I have been planning my class's field trip. I have taken up about 10 prep periods and am still not done. So far we are reading to the residents at the retirement home, one of the residents used to live across the street from the school and loves to have us come visit her. Then we are going to the bank and then the hospital. We will have lunch in the 4-H building so no matter if it is rainy or windy we will have a place to stretch, go to the bathroom and run. Then we are going to the Humane Society and then to the Fire Station for a tour through their new storm safety house. They will simulate a storm and tornado and teach the kids what to do. It sounds pretty neat to me. The other Third Grade teacher has done NOTHING to help me plan this. She just said to me to " just do it." Then we have our final Good Friends celebration coming up. There is so much to do for that I don't even know how to explain it all to her. We have to get decorations bought and then put up that afternoon. Then we have to get the invitations sent and the information to parents and Good Friends. We need to get a program made with a picture of the kids on it. There is just a bunch to do. Oh well. We have achievement tests next week so have this week to get ready.
Then at home I am trying to get things cleaned up. I have a plan to change my cow bedroom into an office. I have a leather chaise lounge in the basement I am going to bring up, put a TV on the wall and get a desk and some bright lamps. I think it will be kind of neat.
That's about it for here.