Teacups and Tiaras.....

Yes, I did set my alarm for 4:00 A.M. and get up with many other women to watch the wedding of William and Kate. It did not disappoint! Seeing it in real time was so much better than setting my DVR. I wanted to be there with the rest of the world when Kate first emerged in that beautiful gown. I got to hear the reaction of the crowd when the newlyweds kissed on the balcony. It was history and I was there as it happened.

You have to know that the royals and I go back a long way. We have connections. I did get up at one in the morning July 29, 1981 when Charles wed Diana. The year Diana gave birth to William, I gave birth to Sara. In 1984 when Harry was born, I had Drew. I could relate to the growth of her kids. Mine were at the same stages at the same time. When Diana died so tragically, I watched the whole service with my good friend and we cried for those young men who had lost their mother.

So, when William married Kate, I had to attend...via the television from thousand of miles away. In honor of the event I brewed my morning tea and got out my grandmother's hand painted teacups. They are almost 100 years old. It is a delicate set of paper thin china with gold trim she so painstakingly did herself for her own wedding. They are a treasure that has remained in a cabinet waiting for the right occasion, and that was today. In lieu of a hat, which I did not have on hand, I put on a purple tiara (which was all that was available) and got lost in the moment.

There is reality staring us in the face every hour of everyday but just for awhile it is okay to believe in a fairy tale and happy endings.

Happy 50th To You.....

My youngest sister-in-law turned 50 this week. We celebrated on Easter. Yes, she looks great.... like better than great! Fifty is not what it used to be. You know the cliche...50 is the new 40?? Well, being well over 50 I tend to agree. It is not over the hill. It is just being able to see what is what is on the other side of that hill. Since I hit that milestone many years ago I have to say that I do not want to go back and start that journey all over again.Over reheating casseroles and setting the table the elder women in the family hashed out the positives and negatives of turning this corner. Yes, there are many more gray hairs, hot flashes, aching joints, and wrinkles, and the inevitable realization that you cannot remember anything.. but, there are also the the perks that make up for all of the downside.

Fifty brings on a new sense of confidence, a sense of freedom, and a contentment with life. We are passed soccer car pools and swim lessons. It is time to slow down but most of us don't. We can reconnect with friends and discuss anti-aging strategies. We can look at all of the bedraggled moms with three kids in tow and be glad we have been there and done that. We can look forward to and enjoy grandkids but know that they are not a 24/7 responsibility. They are a gift to be sent home at bedtime!
I have mellowed. I smile more. I worry less. I am grateful for the years behind and the years ahead. So...Judy, quit fighting the inevitable and take from those older and wiser...
50 ROCKS!

Anachronistic....

Definition: A person or thing that seems to belong to another time. This was actually a SAT practice word for my students last week and when looking for an example of an anachronistic event the first thing that came to mind was the upcoming wedding of William and Kate.

It is the dream of every American girl...to meet and marry her prince, her knight in shining armour. Katherine Middleton is/was a commoner. She has no royal blood. Her parents worked hard, sent her to a private school and there she meet her prince. She did not live with a wicked stepmother. She did not run out of the ball at midnight, loose her glass slipper, and ride home in a coach that had turned into a pumpkin but she is marrying a prince and I cannot wait to watch. It is a modern day fairy tale.

Great Britain is pulling out all of the stops for this event...all the way to vacuuming the cobblestone street in front of Westminster Abbey. Kate will arrive in a royal coach as thousands of onlookers line the route and she will march down that long aisle to marry William and the world will watch. The wedding will unfold as royal weddings have for over a thousand year. It is tradition and a part of the way things happen in the monarchy.

Though there is much criticism over the amount of money spent on an event like this at a time of ridiculous gas prices, tsunamis, earthquakes, devastating tornadoes, wars in so many areas, and general world unrest..I am looking forward to getting up at 4 A.M. to catch a glimpse of something that seems to belong in another period of time...an anacronistic event...that will be a day that little girls remember. It is the day an ordinary girl will marry a prince.

Easter 2011....

It was our first Easter together in 14 years...or the first one that included Tim, and as a huge added bonus...Mandy and Brooklynn!! It is hard to believe that many years have passed since we shipped Tim off to Annapolis and became accustomed to Easter celebrations minus part of the family. But those years are over and we are enjoying every minute of the time we have had since they became Texans again!

It was not too hard to convince little "B" to grab a basket and head outside for the big egg hunt!
Practice makes perfect and Mandy and Tim had gone over the fine points of finding the hidden eggs and putting them in the basket for some time before the big day.
I love our family and the times we are able to get together. It is hard to believe that these are our kids...and our kids have kids of their own now. It is another generation and to have everyone be able to spend holidays together is perfect! I hope they will have as many memories of their times together as I have of the times I spend with my cousins.

And...having a grand baby to add to the mix is just the best part of it all. Loving a grandbaby is unlike any other love.
It was another successful holiday Shubzda style! Looking forward to what the rest of the year will bring because nothing can take the place of family bonds.

Calling It A Day....

Or a career. It is the end. Papers are signed and there is no turning back. I am retiring. I have spent weeks writing this post in my head. I have spent three weeks actually getting the right papers to the right places. Retiring is not easy...either mentally or actually! It is a huge decision and when you put your name on the dotted line it is real. I will not be going back to school next year. In August when all of my friends are dusting off their lesson plan books and looking at their class rosters, I will be home.
I am sure this is the right thing to do. Everyone says when the time is right you will know it.

But...when I dropped off the final set of papers at the administration building I realized this was life changing. I am at the end..the end of a very important part of my life. This is not a job change it is the end of my career. Being a teacher is different. I am not a secretary or a salesman. What I do affects not just me, but a classroom full of kids everyday. I love it and I have done a good job. I am confident that there are kids that have learned life lessons in my classroom, but my heart is moving in another direction. I know if you are not giving a 110% of yourself then it is time to move on...so I am. I am a bit weepy as I finish this. It is not easy to walk away from something that is part of your identity. The kids that have sat in my classroom have touched me in more ways than I can count. They have made me more patient, more understanding, more sympathetic, and much less prejudice. I have been blessed to work in a very racially diverse building and what I have learned about each and every culture is a lesson that is priceless.
I will be forever grateful for a job that did not even start until I was 40. The last 23 years have mattered to me.
In five weeks I will be finished. Boxes will be packed, files shared, goodbyes said, and I will leave with wonderful memories. No ruffles or flourishes or sentimental endings. No manditory luncheons or district bar-b-ques. I just want to close my door and walk away. A simple finish to something that will be part of who I am forever.
On June 4th things will be different, and I am ready....

TO BEGIN THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!

A Real Fish Story.......

This is it. The is the story I have been dying to tell, and I am sure the story you have been dying to hear...or maybe not! This is about my REALLY patient daughter and her love of fishing. She can sit on the dock for hours, pole in hand, waiting on that really BIG one. Not me. Either bite now or I am moving on!! Well, Sunday was the big day! She got the huge one she has been waiting for and I was prepared
with my constant companion (the camera) to capture the picture of the one that did NOT get away!! No fish story here about the weight or the length..here it is folks! By Tim's estimate at least four pounds and a whopping 20 inches (I'm guessing)! I am truly surprised this fish did not pull her off the dock. It took both her and Tim to reel it in and haul it over for the mandatory photo.
There was much debate over whether it was a big mouth bass, hybrid bass, black bass..or??
Does not really matter, it was the catch or the season, possibly the catch of her lifetime and it was not going back in the water like most of her fish do. This was a keeper.
Dad to the rescue. Knife in hand, this fish has seen his last day of freedom.
Eat your heart out tournament fishermen. This was simply a minnow and a hook and a patient young lady...and it is dinner soon!

"B" and Uncle Drew

Really no words necessary....just two weekend lake rats!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary.....

How does your garden grow?

Okay, let's go with Jimmy, Jimmy....but the flow was just not right with that in the title! This weekend the chief breadwinner invested in all the necessary requirements for a backyard garden. There were the forms from Sam's, the grass killer and soil from Home Depot, and the plants themselves from another local nursery. Hours of labor and installation and we were ready to plant. Tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries....... All to be harvested sometime this summer.

Price at the local farmer's market...cheap!

The thrill of picking your own ....PRICELESS!!!

When In Texas.....

Do as the Texans!

It is a right of passage for all children in the great state....Pictures in a field of bluebonnets! Spring would not be spring without seeking out that beautiful field of blue to photograph your family in. So being newly relocated Texans.... Mandy, Tim, and Brooklynn found the perfect spot and took the perfect pictures.

Welcome to a field of blue blossoms!

Sunshine, Baseball, and APPLE PIE.....

Mission Impossible..

but now

Mission Complete!!!

This is a story many years in the making and I am glad to report success!!! It was a "deal" I made with two of my favorite co-workers ....the North Garland baseball coaches, John and Christian. It is no secret that baseball in Raiderland as been a struggle. While soccer is the king at North, baseball is somewhat the stepchild. The kids try out in tennis shoes and jeans and most have never seen a baseball glove. So, when these two young men took over the program I promised that when they won a district game I would bake them the traditional apple pie (they were on their own for the hot dogs!) I am happy to report that after a ten year draught...they did it!!! A 2 to 1 win over the mighty South Garland. I was not at the game but I did get a play by play when the team returned to school. When the final out was made, the gloves went in the air and the whole team shouted APPLE PIE!!! No doubt the South Garland Colonels found this a strange response to the huge win. Lots of strange looks from the opposing bench. Let's just give the cross town team another reason to question the sanity of the Mighty Raiders! We get the win and the PIE! So, the apples were peeled and sliced... Piled in a pie plate (in a homemade crust, thanks to the skills I learned from Sharon)..... Baked to a golden brown, and delivered to these smiling young coaches! Thanks guys for completing the challenge before I packed up my teacher certificate. It is another great memory in what has been a terrific career. Go Raiders...and lets hope we do not go another 10 years before a win!