Happy World Teacher Day

I first posted this during teacher appreciation week in 2011, and today being World Teacher Day seemed an appropriate time to update.

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My Second Grade teacher Mrs. Friedman taught us how to play chess, we got to make peanut butter, and have a field trip to McDonald's. We had 5th Graders come in and read with us, and I remember thinking how much I loved school. Mrs. Friedman passed away a while ago, but I still remember the nurturing atmosphere of that class.

In Fifth Grade, Ms. Willis was hip, modern, and told us that she was on birth control! She believed in me, and helped me dig out of the math depression I'd been in from 4th grade. We had pods that year, and floated between three classrooms. I remember thinking how cool it was to be the oldest kids in school.

Seventh Grade brought me Mrs. Humphreys and much hubris. I was the star pupil, and brown nose. I was made her assistant and was responsible for teaching spelling and vocabulary to other students. No one listened to me, and I was miserable. Thankfully, they all failed the next test, and I was removed from my post, learning that it takes more than smarts to lead a classroom...

In High School there were many teachers who helped me, but the one that really sticks in my mind was Ms. Bradley. She was my English teacher for only a part of the year when she was diagnosed with cancer. She needed a blood transfusion, my blood type was a match, but I was only 17 and my parents wouldn't sign the release. I visited her at her home, and felt really helpless. She challenged me, and wasn't always my favorite, but that year I learned much more than what was taught in school. I am happy to say that she is still at that school, and the department chair. Other memorable teachers from that time include: Mr. Nix who gave me an award, and made me think of myself in a different light; Mr. Bonetti who was extremely patient with a snotty, know-it-all 14 year old; and Mr. Hansen who was the administrator garnering my wrath at the end of my time with them all.

In College it was Michael Fisher who most inspired and formed my life. He led me to the conclusion that my various interests and strengths culminated in Technical Theater, and in fact I truly belong there. I am however practical and work in corporate.

My own children have been extremely fortunate. From Pre-school with Miss Ruth as a kind and loving director, Miss Candi just loving them to pieces and singing to them, Miss Emily laughing the days going by, Miss Amy teaching them to love Australia, and Miss Michelle not taking their crap, and loving them like they were her own. I could not have asked for a better environment.

In Elementary, The Boys have and will have the same teachers the entire time. Miss Sharon, Mrs. Henriott and Mrs. Todd have such a great balance of love and toughness, and are truly invested in all of the kids doing the absolute best they can. They have set up a program that has it all. From the basics, to Spanish, Chinese, cooking, art, projects and field trips, multi age work groups, and always ensuring each child gets what he or she needs as an individual to succeed. These three women are amazing, and I love them all!

In the last year two years, we had the addition of Mr. Brian to the elementary program. He brings youth and humor and a laid back attitude, as well as male energy which the kids love. The Oldest has a year and a bit of middle school under his belt and I could not have asked for a better environment for him. He LOVES it, which will make it much easier for his little brother next year. Last year he had Ms. Wex, an ethereal woman who is dramatic and challenging and loving. He fit perfectly in her class. The middle school band director nurtures his love of music, and lets him play the instruments he wants to play.

I do have to say that I am HEAVILY involved in both schools, serving in various volunteer positions over the years. I want my boys to know how important school is to me, and that I truly care about what goes on there. At the elementary school, I teach art to 4th & 5th graders, update the marquee out front, and am the chairperson for the site council. At the middle school, I am on the board for the Parent club, and write the weekly e-mail to all the parents. I like being involved, even though it sometimes seems like I have no time to myself. That is a bit true, but it really is such a short time that I have to be involved, and I don't want to miss it.

Monday Morning Weekend Wrap Up

Another busy weekend has gone by, and just the words on a screen to mark the time.

Friday
Spent a bunch of time coming home from Michigan and writing. When I got home, I wept in Maria's arms. I missed her terribly, and really needed to have her hold me. I also really needed to see The Boys, and hug them and know that they were OK. The Oldest went to his first school dance, and The Youngest came to dinner with Maria and I. The Youngest admitted that he missed fencing class on Thursday because their father convinced him that he would have to work later that night if he dropped The Youngest at fencing & picked him up. My child was crying when he told me this, which means he was likely torn about the decision he made. He wants his dad to not have to work so hard, but he also wants to fence, enjoys it, and wants to honor that commitment. He's only 10, and placing that kind of burden on a kid isn't fair. We picked up The Oldest, and he didn't stop talking for a half hour about how much fun he had at the dance. He didn't even care that we went to dinner, that's how much fun it was. I'm glad he had a blast, and he said he'll never miss another dance. Good for him!

Saturday
I slept in after waking up severely early a couple of times. Then I decided to steam clean my downstairs carpet, which reeks of dog pee. I know it does. It pisses me off. I can't stand it to the point of wanting to rip it out entirely, which I may do if my cleaning doesn't kill the smell. I used my mom's steam cleaner, the shampoo it calls for, and added cleaning strength vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil. It took my four hours. FOUR. HOURS. It is one room. The room is maybe 15 by 15 feet... FOUR HOURS. After that, I scarfed down a sandwich and took a nice hot shower. I got dressed, did some writing and some laundry and went to a friend's birthday party at a local pizza place. That was pretty fun. I got to visit with people and just chill. Maria and I spent the night at her house because...

Sunday
Maria's BIRTHDAY!!! We started around midnight - celebrating in private ;-) The thing that made me feel bad was we woke up her roommate because we were especially loud in bed... I apologized later in the morning though. we had coffee and a bite to eat, showered and dressed and headed to the Pinball Museum. This was beyond cool, and fun and they have machines from the 1930's to today. It was interesting to see the evolution, and be able to play them all too! We had lunch nearby and played more pinball. Made a side trip to see the USS Hornet, grabbed some coffee and walked downtown where I grew up. Had a late dinner and came home. My carpet cleaning continued with carpet deodorizer - we'll see how effective that will be in the morning though.

All in all a fun weekend, and now I need to sleep before work beckons in the morning. I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Funeral For A Friend

This was a difficult week. I travelled back to Michigan to attend Diane's funeral. I was able to stay at Diane's parents' home and they made me feel (as they always have), that I am not a house guest, but a close family member. I was surprised repeatedly at how generous and open and wonderful the entire HUGE family is. This is what I feel family should be, if most of us weren't so caught up in past wrongs or current gossip. It is what I will strive to attain. Over the 30 years I've known them, I had never had the opportunity to live among them (sounds a bit Jane Goodall, but couldn't help it ;-)). It is only now that I understand what compelled Diane, her sister and their parents to move back to Michigan after living in California. It isn't the snow, or the weather, or the crappy roads... It's the people. And in this series of villages and townships, it is her entire family. Oh sure, there are Aunts & Uncles in Kansas and Florida (all of whom drove upward of 24 hours to attend), but my running gag for the week was that you couldn't throw a stone in any one of these places without hitting a relative. Every time we passed a place and someone remarked that, "Well ya know, that farm belongs to aunt..." or, "The person doing the sound is related by...", my only response was "Of course it is."

The one weird thing was that Aunt Helen, Liz (Diane's mom) and Terry (Diane's brother-in-law) all said repeatedly that I sound like Diane, or I remind them of Diane. I guess it was our similarities in sense of humor that kept us friends for so long, and it was bound to happen that our speech patterning and expressions would be similar.

I cried when I hugged Sue at the visitation. I cried when I hugged Diane's estranged husband as well, but not for the same reasons. I had such a tremendous anger built up toward him that I could no longer contain it. It was the last I will ever see or talk to him. That he could not, or would not see the value of Diane as a person, a mom, a wife, a sister, daughter, niece cousin and friend infuriates me. Her value to him was only as much as she could make him look good, and he truly had no idea who she really was. He will move on with his life, grieving in his own way. We all continue to live, but I have the joy of being able to share my grief with those who did really know Diane, and for that I am grateful.

I cried at the funeral service when Uncle Dan sang "On Eagle's Wings". It is one of my favorite church songs and fitting. I cried when Aunt Helen gave such a beautiful and touching eulogy. I also laughed during it, as she really did capture Diane's humor. I cried when Diane's youngest played "Amazing Grace" on his trumpet. I cried at the grave when he played "Taps". I avoided Cousin Julie because I just knew, and when I did finally talk to her and we hugged, I cried even more. I cried when the minister choked up and when I saw her dad cry. I cried when we touched down at SFO when I realized I will never hear Diane's voice again. I cried like a mess when I got home and was able to put my arms around Maria, and when I saw my kids again.



And now for the gratitude to all who lent a hand, an ear, a shoulder:
Maria - for being here for me, holding me when I cry, telling me it will get better, and whispering all the soothing things I need to hear. For loving me and giving me safe strength which allows me to do what I need to do. Also for missing me terribly and thinking I look beautiful even when I'm bawling my eyes out.
Brian - my ex brother-in-law and Diane's first boyfriend. He gave me companion passes for the airline so that I could afford to actually go.
Sandy - my sister. She picked up our folks at the port when they arrived from their cruise to Mexico (a job I was supposed to do, but couldn't).
Ron - my ex husband. He took The Boys an extra day, got them to where they needed to go and attended a band parent meeting in my place. He also gave me time with The Boys when I returned because I'd asked.
Nicole - my BFF. She took care of the cat, feeding and socializing with her so that the wrath I felt upon returning was minimal. She also agreed to be the backup in case The Oldest needed to be picked up from school.
Chaela - dear friend. She agreed to be the backup in case The Youngest needed to be picked up from school and hugged and cried with me.
Bill and Liz - Diane's parents - They welcomed me in as one of their own, insisted I walk in with and sit with the family, and even in their grief found time to catch up, chat, laugh and cry with me.
Aunt Pat - She loaned me her car, which allowed me to not have to rely upon another grieving family member to come get me.
Aunt Helen - she included me in the eulogy. (Yes, that also made me cry.)

Monday Morning Weekend Wrap Up

If you've seen the post from Saturday Morning, you can guess how the rest of my weekend went.

Friday
Physical with my Dr. in the morning, and tie dye the rest of the day. Came home and pretty much collapsed.

Saturday Night
Went to Dinner and talked to Diane's mom, which made me feel much better.

Sunday
Spent the day doing actual work, and coordinating a trip to Michigan for Diane's services this week. Also did laundry and started to pack. I may be offline most of the week, so no guarantees of posting, though I may journal some stuff depending on how the week plays out.

Good-bye Dear Friend

This has been a particularly difficult week. My dear friend Diane has been battling cancer for over three years. Today she died. I was able to speak to her on Thursday, and after we said goodbye I cried for over two hours. I knew it was the very last time I would ever hear her voice. She knew it too. She was done fighting, her body was tired. It was her decision to not pursue further treatment, and Hospice was in this week to help care for her at the end of her life. Her family was around her, and her Mom and Sister were there this morning. I woke up around 5 because she came to me in my sleep - to say goodbye. When I woke up, I knew. This has happened before - my grandmother and great grandmother both said goodbye. It happens to my mom too. I waited for the phone call, and it was Diane's mom who made it. I saw the area code and she was her usual straightforward self, telling me how it went. I couldn't say more than to thank her for letting me know because I was too close to tears. She was too. I then let a few people know who had been asking about Diane lately. I imagine I will travel back there for the service.
I am actually happy for Diane, and sad for the rest of us. I will miss her laugh, and her wit, and her smile. She loved her family and friends, and didn't beat around the bush to let you know exactly how she felt. She was trying to live a happy and healthy life, which is all I'd ever wished for her.
I've known Diane for 30 years. We met around when the above photo was taken, in High School. We remained friends all this time, talking on the phone often about our lives, our loves, our kids, and our struggles. I was very fortunate to be able to go back to Michigan and visit her last year (where the two below photos were taken).

I've written about Diane multiple times on this blog. You can find it all in my first Wicked Wednesday Post, and Thoughtful Thursday posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Diane has also popped up in lots of other places here, which is what happens when you are a part of a person's life in a significant way. My hope is for her sons to know exactly how much she loved and adored them, and for her parents and sister to find comfort in each other and in the memories of her happiness. For the rest of us? Hug and love those around you now, for you may not have a tomorrow.

Tableau Tuesday 9/17/2013

Hi everyone! It's been a tiring bit of time lately with all the back to school activities and schedule changes and having a girlfriend ;-). But I carved out some time this past weekend for a photoshoot. These are all directly out of my camera - no edits at all. Waiting to see if I even want to edit these.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!

Monday Morning Weekend Wrap Up

Happy Monday all! This was a good weekend for me update here:

Friday
A friend from High School was in town for the America's Cup races, and wanted to get together. Corky came with us, and I drove another 2 from HS. We met at Scoma's and had dinner, which was fun and funny and yummy. I laughed, and Corky said she had fun, though I am sure she was kind of bored hearing about our HS experience. We did manage to not talk too much about it though. We came home after dinner. Corky had to work the next morning, early, and my other two friends wanted to come back then too.

Saturday
Slept in and took a drive to scout a photo locale for Sunday. Stopped by Corky's work and joined her for lunch. Drove around downtown for a bit, and then came home and trimmed 3 rose bushes and pulled some weeds in my backyard. Showered and relaxed until Corky came over. We fooled around a bit and tried out a new section of my house ;-). It was fun, but required a bit of coordination.We had a late dinner at a Chinese place that has been on town forever, but I'd never been to. The string beans were close to what I loved, but a bit on the spicy side, and not enough garlic. Was goofing around after that with just my jacket, no shirt. It was driving Corky crazy, and she was blushing like crazy.

Sunday
No time to sleep in, had a photo shoot at 9:00. Went well and visited Corky at work on the way back again. I love seeing her, and don't go to her work often enough. Stopped by to see how S was doing, and he looked good, but is still having issues. The Boys were due home at noon, but didn't arrive until 2:00. I just love sitting around when I could be doing other things...My nephew N had his birthday dinner at my folks' and this was the time he brought his girlfriend. I like this girl. She's sarcastic and funny, and completely like me :-). It went fairly well. Mom seemed unusually stressed out, and The Boys pushed all of her buttons. I am looking forward to the week ahead - I am just out of sorts.