Running With Dave

Tomorrow is the day that I planned on starting my running training for the Peachtree Road Race 10K.  It is in Atlanta on the 4th of July. Being a 10K, that means it is a 6.2 mile race.   Being in Atlanta, that means it will be full of hills. Being on the 4th of July, thst means it will be the biggest party in Georgia. Yes, 60,000 of your friends running along side you in the Atlanta heat. They don't call it Hotlanta for nothing!

I have been walking four-six miles a day all winter along with working out for 15-30 minutes on the elliptical. I am hoping that will help with the transition to running. I will start out with walking/running the two-mile route I usually take on my walks. I have been running this race for many years, so I feel I am capable of knowing what to do to get in shape for this hot race. 

I am fortunate to have two running partners to train with.  One is my husband, who will run the race with me.  We like to run together in the race and keep close to each other. With 60,000 runners, that is almost a must...at least for us. My other running partner is our two-year old golden retriever, Dave. He loves to take walks with us, so running with us will be fun for him, too.  When I go with him alone, I take him on a leash. It is a retractable one, so he can still run ahead of me. He has been trained at the Fort Wayne Obedience Training Club, so he is smart about his running.

Running with Dave creates challenges. I must be sure to watch him and not let him over extend himself. Goldens are known as pleasers, so I have to be sure he is running smart, not just trying to please me. I never let him run when it is too hot. That's okay because we usually do our runs in the early morning before the sun is even up. That helps with no people around. Goldens are also known as people dogs!

As we get started with our training and go about our journey to Peachtree, I will keep you informed as to how Dave, my husband and I do!

A Memoir to Think About

Memoir: record of something noteworthy

As many of the elementary students in our district will be writing Memoir in May, I thought it might be a challenge for me to write my own memoir. This idea is something that I have been playing around with as a project for my closely approaching retirement years.  My thoughts  have been: write about the changes in teaching from the 1970's to 2012.  Now, I should be able to come up with some examples and stories during that time!

When I first think about what was different, I think about one specific time. It was the beginning of a school year in the early 1970's.  The day was warm and the principal had called a teacher's meeting after school.  It was to be held in an upstairs classroom, so that meant it was going to be HOT. No air-conditioning for that building. Even with the windows open, those rooms facing the west were like ovens since the sun had been beating down on them all afternoon. We struggled in and took seats at children's desks. This was a fourth grade room, so the desks fit fine.

The topic of discussion was: Should women teachers be allowed to wear pantsuits to school. It was always a rule that female teachers must wear skirts or dresses.  If they had playground duty, which they did quite often, they could put pants on under their dresses or wear long coats to fight off the cold.

The discussion went back and forth about why and why not this was to be allowed. The women all felt that they could be better teachers in pants since many primary teachers sat on the floor with their students. Naturally, the issue of cold weather also came up. Most of the men felt that if they wore pants, the students would not learn as well due to the fact that they would not look professional.

The way I remember it, the topic was not settled that night, but left to be discussed again. Of course, we know now that eventually the dress code did change. I don't remember when exactly that happened.  I just remember the heated discussion that went on that night. For a new teacher, it was scary and frightening to see professionals get that upset about what someone was wearing and not an issue about how students were learning...not really.

As I look back on this episode, I wonder...what is it that we are hotly discussing in 2012 that has more to do with our pride than the students' learning? Something to think about!!!

Let's Hear it For Best Friends

I have a best friend who is now on a long vacation. She has been gone for several weeks and won't get back until another couple weeks.  I miss having her near enough for me to just pick up the phone and call her. I have gotten a couple post cards and emails whenever she is near to a wifi spot.  Still I miss her.

We have been friends for almost 45 years. We started our teaching careers together. When we met I was married and she was single. She became the god-mother to my son. Then she got married and I was the maid of honor in  her wedding.  I got divorced and she was the one I called after late night dates. When I got married again, she was the only one that we took to the ceremony besides our kids!

She retired before I did even though she is younger. Now she is walking me through the journey of becoming retired. We have walked through the stages of our life together, I am so thankful she has always been there for me. She listens even though she might not agree with me, she gives me advice and doesn't get upset when I don't follow it. She knows more about me than anyone else and yet she still keeps me as her best friend.

That's why when I saw this quote, I knew it was perfect to discribe us. One of my blessings in life is having her for my friend!

I Will Prepare and Someday My Chance Will Come!

Last year when we went to Arizona for the second time, it was in May.  We were located right across the road from ASU.  Being the first part of May, it was graduation time for the area colleges, including Arizona State.  We walked the campus as we normally do when we visit the city of Tempe.  On one of our morning walks we looked up at a building on the campus and saw this quote: "I will prepare and someday my chance will come."  I loved that quote.  It is full of promise, but not without work. It is a quote of hope with responsibility included.

This year we are not heading to Arizona for the second time.  We are not walking by the tall glass building to see if the quote again is posted on the wall. Instead, I am living the quote. I feel that each time I finish a blog or spend time reading another professional book when I only have 29 more days to teach, is a way that I am preparing.  Unlike most of the graduates, I really have no idea what I am preparing for.

My method of preparing then is not classrooms full of curriculum or a plan list of tests I must complete. Instead, it is doing things that I enjoy and yet push me to be a better writer, teacher, grandmother, wife, and all-round person. Whatever the future has in store for me, I know it will be something that challenges me to get out of my comfort zone.  I know it will be doing some sort of problem-solving because that is what challenges me the most. It will probably have something to do with people. In my last few years I have realized that I do enjoy being around all kinds of different cultures, backgrounds and ethnic races.

I am now just waiting for my chance to come.  I am continuing to prepare the best ways I can. Until the chance comes, I will enjoy everyday working on my skills!

It's a Graham Day!

Today was the day that I usually stop and visit/play with Graham. This morning he had just gotten out of bed and was finishing his milk and watching Sponge Bob. He was in a cuddly mood so I got to give him lots of Grandma kisses without him running away. I love the way he is now discovering words.  His favorite color is BLUE and he says it over and over. He would like everything to be blue!

We then read a book together.  He turned the pages and told me what the pictures were. The first book we read was a truck book. He could find the truck, the tree and various colors of trucks. Then we read the book: The Wheels on the Bus.  I naturally had to sing it to him.  That had been one of his daddy's favorite songs as we would drive in the car. What Graham liked to do was find the animals in the bus. We tried to get him to tell us what the cat said, but he wasn't interested in that.

When I left he and Daddy walked to the door with me. I got my farewell kiss. Then I asked him where the car was.  He pointed outside to my Yellow VW bug, and said, "Car!"  He then waved his arm back and forth and said, "Bye!"

I love my Graham visits and am so excited that when I retire I will have more time to spend with him and his new little sister coming soon!!!

All Write!!!! Summer Institute

Warsaw High School

I have to take the time to blog about one of my commitments for the month of June.  It is to go to the summer institute put on by the All Write Consortium.  It will again be at Warsaw High School and will be from June 21-22.  There are loads of great authors coming again this year.  The evening Author Dinner will be one of our favorites...Ralph Fletcher.

I just had to talk about it and let everyone know that if you haven't registered yet or gotten your room, you better do it soon.  Tammy and I got ours on Friday and they are going fast! 

Remember: All Write!!! Summer Institute!

Birthday Parties--Bamlaku: 2 & Meron: 4

Tonight we went to two birthday parties wrapped up into one!  Meron turned four this month and Bamlaku turned two.  They each had their own birthday cakes. Meron's was a mermaid and Bam's was a cake with horses all around it. That is what they each love right now!

Their house was full of grandparents, brothers and sister, and aunt and uncle. We had a great supper of pulled pork sandwiches and extras. Then we watched while they each opened their presents of clothes and loads of toys.  Each person giving the present got a kiss from each and a thank you.

Next it was time for the singing of Happy Birthday and the blowing out of candles. After that we got to eat cake and ice cream. Shelby even entertained us with the two dances she is currently working on for her June recital. She even did them in costume and without music!