December: A Town Done Wrong, A Vogelsong, A Spirit's Long, and a Christmas Song

 December has been a month in which the words have been stifled. 

 Don't get me wrong, there have been some pen worthy happenings.  The empty nest has been revisited as the fall semester has ended.  The circular ring from the bottom of a beverage glass has returned to the polished furniture top, and the number of glasses and mugs used has doubled, and as such, so has the frequency of the running of the dishwasher, but he gets his own beverages.  The dryer that dries and de-wrinkles our clothes needs to be emptied promptly, for if not, our newest laundry doer forms a heap of our clothes on the nearby table to make room for his own, and after awhile, our pile is returned to the dryer so the second de-wrinkling can begin, but he does his own laundry.    The decibel level in the house has increased beyond belief, but he is a vocalist, and the noise is lovely!

Rings on the table

The senior moments have continued.  I wrote out Christmas cards and didn't feel like licking the envelopes to seal them, so I found some Christmas stickers, which proved an acceptable alternative.  Next thing I knew, there were three cards from folks we didn't include on our list.  I instantly added them to our list of receivers, and decided that since there were only three of them, I'd lick the envelopes and throw them in the mail.  Imagine my confusion when they wouldn't seal.  Then I noticed, upon further inspection, that each envelope from each card had a peel and seal tab, so no licking and no stickers were necessary.  Scores of cards later, it just figured.  On another day, I finished my workday, and grabbed a bag with a couple of Christmas gifts from a coworker from my desk, and went home.   The next morning, I  returned to work, got out of my car, grabbed my stuff, and entered the building.  When it became lunch time, I opened what I thought was my lunch bag, and there was the bag with those couple of gifts, and no lunch, and so it goes...

Christmas was a huge success with many blessings.  Years ago,  when each of my sisters and I were half of a young couple, and we each had two families to visit for the holidays, it was probable that all four of us would not be at Mom and Dad's for either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner in any given year.  We were all together for Thanksgiving this year, so this Christmas was most likely going to be one of those in which a fraction of our four children would be present for the very same reason.  In the end, all four were there, and the celebration was magnificent.  Christmas Eve was poignant with  some words of thanks, prayers, and homage to those we are missing and remembering, followed by our traditional meatless, effortless meal by candlelight.  It's not a preference to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve as it's three hours past my doze-in-the-chair time.  This year, though, my youngest lent his voice to a smooth, rousing rendition of Oh Holy Night, and in spite of a faulty microphone, brought down the house.  It's chilling when a congregation bursts into applause when your child does something spectacular, and tonight I was full of goosebumps.  Everyone in the family was pleased with the gifts received, and heart warmed by the reactions of the recipients of the gifts given.   Our Christmas feast was reliably delicious, and our new grand baby and her entire family were a perfect addition to our circle of family at the table.

So why then did it take until the end of December to pry some words from me. This year, the carols were more noise than music.  The cookie baking was more of a chore than a fun activity.  The shopping was a nuisance.  The job was just a job, and budget cuts had me worried about my future there, and I constantly felt that I didn't have the stamina and perseverence necessary to have a future with a job in education.  The children at school were suffering from the usual December hyperactivity.  Their lack of focus was taking its toll on all who tried to get some momentum going in the classrooms.  The media claims that retail sales this season lagged due to people tightening their belts...maybe, but I've tightened before and I don't think that was the reason for lack of spirit for the season.  They also claim that the Connecticut horror could have dampened people's Christmas spirit.  This is more of what's been in the back of my mind these last few weeks. How could any of us be in an elementary school without tears and fears this third week of December.  It would be a first and a crime to go into Christmas vacation with such heavy hearts and dampened spirits.

With all the sadness came the preparations for a pep rally at school.  The brainchild of our Reading Specialist, the event would be an acknowledgement of the success of the students at doing their at-home reading and reading log maintenance.  One of the teachers in the building had an idea that it would be a surprise assembly.  It all seemed like too much sensory input for me to handle when it was in its brainstorming stage.  The teachers would be called to a meeting with our Principal, Ms. W., and the support staff would mind the children in their classrooms.  Then, our leader would summon the entire school to the multi-purpose room for a reprimand.  Upon announcing her disappointment at the news from the meetings, the Reading Specialist would announce that it was a false report, that the students had done their job with their reading logs, and they were being rewarded.  A pep squad of teachers would emerge and dance and cheer for the students.  It sounded like too much for me to take, especially with the tension in the school's atmosphere, and in my brain.  Then it was announced that Ryan Vogelsong, a World Series champion pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, and an alumnus of our school district, would come and talk to the students.  With Mr. Vogelsong visiting students in several buildings, and some of the older students knowing he was coming, it all seemed unlikely to go on as hoped, for there are no secrets...anywhere!   

When the day of  the pep rally arrived, I just wanted it to be over.  Surely these children must know that something was happening, yet they seemed to be intent in their activities of the day.  When the time came for the Principal's announcement of disappointment to happen, my fellow support staff members and I were in our respective classrooms.  Somehow, the students were affected by the words coming from that speaker.  They lined up like soldiers awaiting inspection, acknowledging that the Principal "really sounded mad." When the noise level of my line got beyond its acceptable level, the words, "She sounded really mad!" brought an order to the group that might have been more difficult for a substitute class leader to maintain on a normal day.  Upon arrival in the venue for the rally, the abnormally subdued crowd awaited the unwanted reprimand.

A technologically inclined faculty member oversaw the audio and video of the project, and asked me to man the video camera, a perfect focal point for this nervous naysayer. 

What followed was the beginning of the easing of all the shortcomings of an emotionally grueling December.  When Ms. W. announced that the students had done their job, the teachers emerged from the back of the room cheering and singing for the students.  When they realized what was transpiring, there was a loud cheer of relief and laughter from the group of little readers.  There was a contest to see which grade, third on the left side of the room or fourth on the right, could shout their part of 'THE MORE YOU READ, THE BETTER YOU READ, THE BETTER YOU READ, THE MORE YOU READ' the loudest.  Videos of book recommendations from teachers and students followed, along with more cheering. The piece de resistance of the assembly was about to happen.  Ms. W. shared with the crowd that in addition to reading, she also liked baseball, and that one of her favorite teams was the San Francisco Giants, and that her favorite player on that team was Ryan Vogelsong....and she introduced him to screams of excitement and awe.  His message of studying hard and not giving up on your dreams or your school was delivered with confidence and conviction to his captive, impressionable audience.  A question and answer session followed with each question being thoughtfully and honestly answered....and soon he left to speak to another building full of students.  Reading awards for the best and most improved readers followed, and more cheers and singing after that.  Then it was time to leave and reflect on what had just happened. 

We were given a gift.  The school staff I am involved with is dedicated, without question.  But today, through the lens of a video camera, I was a witness to the coming together of a unit for the benefit of every student in the school at once, and it was pure magic!  Stress was relieved. The building was filled with adults who had honored the little ones who are the very reason we do what we do, and the little ones themselves, who rely on us to keep them safe while teaching them how to learn.
.

Ryan Vogelsong wow-ing a roomful 
of students and staff
December  20, 2012

The heartbreak of watching the news won't wane.  The images are ones never to be forgotten.  The stains of insecurity caused by the tragedy in Connecticut are indelible.  The stories of the heroism in that town are inspiring.  In its own way, our pep rally was an homage to the folks of Sandy Hook.  We cried together, we came together, we laughed together, we left together...our bond with each other and with the students having been strengthened.  It was a much needed start to our Christmas break, and will hopefully be a happy and meaningful memory our kids can take with them as they grow and one that we, their educators, will never forget.

It's the end of another December and another year.  As with all years, the good and the bad have come and gone, and I am another year older and wiser.  A new photo collage graces the head of my blog, and  it's time to immortalize last year's right here.  As the new year begins, I am expressing gratitude for the nearly 10,000 hits on this little piece of my life.  Just like life, some of it's long and some of it's short, some of it's good and some of it's bad, but it's all mine and it's all worth it.....Thanks for being you and thanks for being a part of my life!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

YOUR KIND O'SNOW......by me

Looked out the window, saw flakes of snow,

They tried to coat the grounds below.

Weather folks said it's just for show,

And though the wind won't cease to blow,

The you-know-what will fall and go.

No mess to clear OR grass to mow

Get off your butt, Get started, Joe,

This short lived stuff's your kind o'snow!

My Thirty Days of Thanks...The Final Two: Mom and Lucy and the Christmas Spirit

Day 29:  Mom and Lucy:  I know...I'm an adult and serious and worry too much.  In the year I was born, 1957, I Love Lucy ended its run.  I remember that when I was preschool age, and there were no preschools, and it was a weekday morning, and too early to go outside and play, Mom would have the CBS daytime reruns tuned in on the TV while she was doing the ironing, and I would be playing with my Matchbox cars, and embedded in the roster was Lucy.  I remember scenes like the one with the runaway chocolate in the candy factory; the one in the television studio getting smashed on Vitameatavegamin; the stomping of grapes; the pulling of the emergency brake on a huge train, and countless others that would make Mom and I laugh out loud.  I also remember when the cycle of episodes had completed and was begun again, and Mom and I would laugh just as hard at the rebroadcasts as we did the last time we saw them.  Today, I have the DVDs of the series, and I can still get wrapped up in the comedy, and no matter what the matter of the day is, I am guaranteed a laugh for that half hour that Lucy is on. Thanks for the memory, Mom...and thanks for the laughs, Lucy!

Day 30:  The Christmas Spirit:  It's finally here.  After nearly a month of purposefully avoiding listening to the radio in the car, not paying attention to commercials on television, and spending as little time as possible in stores, I am ready for the season to begin.  The change in my Scrooge-like mentality came today when I put on some Christmas tunes and did the first of the decorating. It's my holiday, and I demand, as I have in past years, that the season not start before Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy it on my own terms, and into the beginning of January if I choose to. Let the preparations and celebrations begin...I am thankful the Christmas spirit has returned.  Bring it on, World!

As November closes, and as I close the posting of "My Thirty Days of Thanks," I express my gratitude for the idea of acknowledging a blessing a day to my Facebook friends, and give thanks to anyone, anything, or any situation that in any way brought about those feelings of thanks. I am hopeful that the desire to pause and take note of a blessing each day will become a habit through the new year and always.  May each of your days have at least one moment of thanks!

My Thirty Days of Thanks...Day 28: Psychology and Sympathetic Coworkers

Day 28:  Sympathetic Coworkers and Psychology:  Yes, Psychology!  Today, a thoughtful coworker asked me to remind her to check to see if our lamination was finished in the building library.  I answered, "You want me to remember something?"  I proceeded to tell her of an event that happened just hours before at home.  I had just finished warming up Jackie's car, come inside, and taken a sip of coffee.  Less than five minutes later, she was ready to be on her way, and the car keys were gone.  I frantically searched the key rack, my pockets, the computer desk, the counter tops....the inside of the refrigerator....NO KEYS!  After a few more moments of key searching, I found them tucked under a piece of mail on the counter top of the island in the kitchen.  A few tense husband-wife moments, then everything was fine again...except now I was the one worried about my questionable short-term memory.  If I understand the sympathetic coworker's explanation of my dilemma correctly, there is more than one kind of memory loss, and mine is probably the kind in which there were so many things to do, that my brain was thinking about the next thing as I was finishing the first thing.  That's how I can show up at work with...

...mismatched shoes or socks (Old Reason: I can't see in the bottom of my closet.  New Reason: I was thinking about the upcoming combing of my hair.)
...whiskers (Old Reason:  There are too many scabs from the prior day's shaving.  New Reason: I was gonna shave, and before I knew it, I was in the shower.)
...stinky armpits (Old Reason: I either forgot to put on my deodorant, or I was unaware that the deodorant stick was all the way down to the plastic.  New Reason: In my brain, I was already brushing my teeth.)
...zipper down (Old Reason:  With that belly, I can't even see my zipper anymore.  New Reason:  In my brain, I was already putting my coat on and running out the door.)

So that's it!  As I was coming inside and instinctively putting the keys down, I was thinking about my lunch and food and stuff.  So yes, I am thankful for that gal who solved my memory problem, and her profound knowledge of psychology.  

My Thirty Days of Thanks...23 through 27...Gratefulness Unexpected

As we enter the Christmas season, my thirty days of  thankfulness continues in the most unexpected places.  Today I am thankful for:

The gals and me at the football game

Don't be a curmudgeon
while you're watching
the game!

Day 23:  Football:  I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, Isn't this the guy who was always picked last for any team in gym class because he couldn't throw, hit, run, or even look the least bit coordinated on a field of any kind? Isn't this the guy who watched the Super Bowl for the commercials and the half-time show, usually dozing before the end of the first quarter?  Isn't this the guy who realized halfway into the second period of his daughter's soccer games that the teams switched sides, and the goalies switched goals?  Yes, that's me.  Well, today they put me in a donated suite on the 50-yard line with my wife and daughter, several of my daughter's friends and colleagues from her college days, and lots of good food and beverage, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching a bunch of red and orange clad football players run from one end of the field to the other.  I listened to a whole roomful of football connoisseurs following the lead of a group of nuns in the front row of seats in the suite crying FOUL! when the players didn't do as they wanted them to do.  I enjoyed the view and the company of a very special guy who was there for us during our family's losses these past few years, I met some new friends, and, of course, I partook of the abundance.  I wasn't a curmudgeon while watching this game...or, at least, I tried not to be one, but they kept stopping that clock all the time!  That clock was one of my focal points...nothing like a descending digital counter  to keep me calm.  I tried not to say things that made my wife chuckle and my daughter shake her head.  I did well, because it only happened a few times during the whole game!  So, yes, thanks for football! 

Our view...Photos by Karen

The youngest of the new generation
at our Thanksgiving celebration

Day 24:  Remembering the Day - Two days after Turkey Day, I am thankful for those who were no longer at our holiday table, for their absence  reminded me how important they are and how much they still mean to me...I will always miss them; for those who continue to grace the room with their presence, for they are the present...the providers of the feast and the venue, and the enablers of the celebration; and now for the newcomers, the children and their significant others, and the next generation...the blessing of children that are a sign that things can continue.  

Day 25:  Boring Sundays:  Today there were no plans after three days of jam-packed activity, visiting and visitors. Today, with the church obligation being fulfilled on Saturday evening, and the exhaustion of the increased noshing and socializing being on hold for a bit, nothing is scheduled.  If I feel like going to the basement and unpacking the Christmas decorations and supplies, I will.  If not, it'll happen next week.  If I want to throw in a load of laundry, I will.  If not, it'll still be there tomorrow.  If we choose to watch some television, we will.  The house smells like the beginnings of a giant pot of beef vegetable soup courtesy of Jackie.  I am truly thankful for lazy, schedule-free, comfort-filled Sundays!

Day 26:  Facebook:  Not the kind with all the political jokes and jabs, and not the kind with the prayers and Pinterest (What the heck is that, anyway?), not the kind with the apps and arguments, or the kind with dog rescues and deal retrievals, or even the kind with groups and games.  While these are all sometimes fun and informative, I am happiest with the Facebook that has enabled me to reconnect with seven classmates in February of this year, and now today, with a good friend who was in my wedding.  Though we lost touch in recent years, a simple Facebook message brought us to a lunch full of reminiscing about times spent with each other's families, and out and about, back in the '70's and early '80's.  I had never even thought that we'd locate each other, but today, we were having lunch in a little family restaurant, and  updating each other on our childhood families, and on our current families, and just talking as if nearly 30 years hadn't passed since we'd seen each other.  I think we both turned out fine.  Thank you Facebook, for bringing the best thing about social media into both our homes and allowing us to reconnect!

Day 27:  Exaggerated weather forecasts:  I am thankful for the result of a meteorologist who overdoes the forecasting for the anticipated snowstorms, for I prefer to drive to work, not slide, and I prefer to go to school in the winter, not during Spring Break or during the summer...and the old man prefers to have NO SNOW!

My Thirty Days of Thanks...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Days 20, 21 and 22....Three more days of thanks with the last one being the big day!

           Day 20:  Tasty Klair!

                          

5-21-1983
Jackie and Joe

Day 21:  Month-a-versaries:  It may seem corny.  It may seem strange. Hallmark doesn't even have a card for it.  It's the day of the month that marks the day of the month that the two became one...or in our case, the two eventually became six.  It begins with a promise, then changes occur:  other little beings add to the probability that there will be some conflict; finances have their highs and lows; physical changes occur (and on me, that's an understatement!); and the mind can sometimes be less powerful as it holds so much more in the way of memories and day-to-day necessities, making it easy to lose sight of that initial promise. It didn't happen intentionally, it just happened during that first year, that one of us said Happy Month-a-versary, and it's become a psychological celebration ever since.  Somehow, whatever the issues of the month are, and no matter what the future holds, we acknowledge our month-a-versaries.  So, Happy Month-a-versary, Dear, and only six more 'til the big 3-0! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Day 22:  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  My favorite day of the year.  With all the hustle and bustle of the everyday, there is this one day during which we gather, eat, talk, laugh, 

remember, anticipate, and love...this year, with more than twenty family members at my sister's home.  Shame on the retailers who have allowed Black Friday to seep into this sentimental day.  You'll not see me near a store, or shopping online on this day.  May your holiday be filled with fun, food, family, friends, and fulfillment....If you happen to be reading this, know that YOU are someone that I'm thankful to have in my life!

My Thirty Days of Thanks...17, 18, and 19

Stefana Giacchino
a.k.a. Grandmom
on her 70th birthday
in 1970

Here we go....three more days of things to be thankful for.  

Day 17:  Grandparents:  We lost my last grandparent, my maternal grandmother on this day in 1979.  I remember my grandparents so fondly. Never would someone be so happy to see my sisters and I as any of my grandparents.  Never would anyone be so boastful of anything my sisters or I did.  I remember them worrying about our troubles as if they were their own.  I remember my parents as grandparents, so proud of their grandchildren's varied accomplishments:  whether it was military service, musical genius, culinary expertise, martial arts, academic success, or even just their personalities.  I remember them being sympathetic toward their grandchildren's growing pains.  Now, I am a grandparent, and I can already see why they were the way they were with their grandchildren.  I am thankful for grandparents.....past, present, and future!

1986 - John and Daddy
Happy Birthday, John!

Day 18:   Kids not being able to come to dinner:  Let me explain this one. Last Sunday, we had dinner in our home with three of our four children and their families and friends present.  Today, the fourth kid and his fiance came to dinner, and the cycle was complete.  I remember my mother having everyone to her home for dinner, and if someone couldn't make it because they had other family obligations, he or she'd be there the next week, and the cycle would be complete.  I'm thankful I have four kids who want to come home for dinner whenever they can.

Day 19:  Happy Birthday, John!  I am thankful for all my kids.  My second son, John, was born on this day in 1986.  There is no doubt in the world that he is my son!  He looks like me.  He's the one who sees a cut on my elbow and asks, "Shavin' again, Dad?"  I tell him never to comment on my looks, because thirty years from now, he's gonna look just like me!  He has a subtle sense of humor, a hint of absent mindedness, a keen eye for detail, and a compassionate caring demeanor.  I am glad he is my son.  Happy Birthday, John!

It's almost here!

My Thirty Days of Thanks....DAY 16: CRANKS, PRANKS, BLANKS, AND THANKS

Day 16:  CRANKS, PRANKS, BLANKS, AND THANKS

CRANKS:  This morning, I forgot my work ID with my fob attached, and needed to rely on a coworker to enter the building.  I forgot to shave, so I survived the day with no cuts and no makeup, but looked real scruffy.  I forgot to take my pill, so I had palpitations, my stomach felt funny, I had a headache, I was cranky, I didn't feel like doing anything, AND I thought you were all out to get me!  When I got to work and had been talking with my coworkers for a few minutes, I suddenly began having to adjust my collar on my mock turtle neck shirt. Upon further investigation I noticed that the tag was right smack in the middle of my Adam's apple and taking my breath away.  Rather than follow my friends' suggestion and go to the back of the room and turn my shirt around, I went to the men's restroom to fix it, and announced without pressing my censor button that there was a 90 % chance I'd have to use the room for other purposes when I got there anyway, so it'd be worth it. Those odds were right on!


   

The new student in our rodent friendly classroom
Photo courtesy of Ms. R.

PRANKS:  This  afternoon, I went to my fourth grade class...the one where, just a few days before, I removed a deceased, trapped  rodent that had made the room uninhabitable.  When I arrived, all the students, the teacher, the student teacher, and my fellow reading assistant were giggling.  I proceeded about my business and began checking homework, and the giggles grew into guffaws.  I probably blushed a little, and giggled a little while pretending that I knew what everyone else was so happy about, then realized that, somehow, I was the target of a yet unrealized practical joke.  I made eye contact with my coworker and asked discreetly, "Is my zipper down?"  Well, apparently I wasn't as discreet as I thought, because everyone was out of control, and it wasn't even Thrilling Thursday!  Finally, one of the adults asked me if I was ready to meet my new student. My body language at that time said, "I guess so," but my mind said, "What is wrong with these people?"  Finally, I looked at my work table, which I had closely passed several times, and not acknowledged.  There, in one of the student's chairs was a huge, black rodent in need of a visit to the orthodontist. He had a sign attached to him saying that our class was rodent friendly and that there was always room for one more!   Finally, the cat, or in this case, the rat, was out of the bag, and I was happy that this creature didn't reek, and wouldn't need to be carried to a remote location for disposal; that I could finally begin the tasks at hand without having a whole classroom of kids and adults laughing uncontrollably for my benefit;  and most of all, that my zipper was indeed up!

BLANKS:  My wife and I had had our dinner schedule compromised this week with functions keeping us in separate locations on both Wednesday and Thursday.  I announced to her that I'd cook the roast chicken for our Friday dinner for two since I get home before she does.  So, I came home and cleaned that sucker, inside and out, and read on the package that he'd have to be in the oven approximately 25 minutes per pound.  My usually mathematical mind was drawing a blank as to the total time required to cook him, but soon I had figured that 4 times 25 % = 1 hour, and the beast was 5 pounds, so he would need 1 hour and 15 minutes.  So, at 4:30, the dinner was on its way to being edible!  When Jackie got home around 5:30, I explained my logic about the cooking time and her instantaneous, matter of fact response was, "So it's got another hour and a half to go."  I stared at her, knowing she was having one of those "You've done it again" moments.  After about 7 and a half seconds of staring and thinking, I gasped and sighed.  My mathematical brain had a momentary toot, and our already famished tummies just couldn't wait that long for the feast. So, we put everything on hold and went to our favorite buffet and stuffed ourselves silly.

THANKS:  For Day 16, because each faux pas resulted in a smile or a laugh, and I'm thankful for both of those....and Day 17 has NO choice but to be better!

My Thirty Days of Thanks....Part Two

For some reason, all the days' appreciation in this, the second section of thankfulness, begin with the letter 'F'.......and on this day, I am grateful for.....  

Day 9:  Fridays...and hiding behind a bookcase at work to do the happy dance!

Day 10 - Fall Foliage courtesy of
my talented little sister, Lisa

Day 10:  Fall Foliage:  Today I am thankful for my mulching lawn mower.  All those red, orange, and yellow leaves have fallen in the backyard creating a colorful fall blanket on the ground.  Wait a minute!  Now it's all dried up and brown and ugly. So....today I am thankful for my mulching lawn mower!

Day 11: Food, Family, and Freedom...I am thankful for the Veterans...my friends, and their parents, siblings, cousins....thank you all and thanks, Dad, for all the sacrifices you've all made for us!  We were blessed to have a delicious homemade Italian dinner this Veteran's Day, made by my honorary Italian wife (She's an honorary Italian, not an honorary wife!) at a table surrounded by family and friends.

Day 11 - Thanks Dad!
Day 12 - We miss you.....

Day 12: Fathers:  Mine was the best!  Gentle beyond words, he was the guy who was the voice of reason.  When I told him I had a trouble, he calmly made it better in a voice I can still hear today.  When Mom, who never drove, needed to get somewhere, Dad was always there with keys in hand, never complaining.  He was the typical Dad: moving his foot around the floor of the car not saying a word when he taught me to drive, praying I would hit the right pedal; taking any level Math book when I had difficulty solving that Algebra problem, reading the material, and showing me the way without giving me the answer; and, of course, lifting me by the shirt, pinning me against the refrigerator, and demanding an apology to Mom that ONE time I told her I hated her!  I remember the last days when he was afflicted by Parkinson's Disease, and I was sitting with him at a function at his assisted living facility. I held up a cookie and asked him if he wanted it, thinking he would grab it.  Instead, he worked his way to the cookie I was holding and slowly took a bite.  Poignant to say the least.  We lost him seven years ago today. I thank my father: for his profound advice, "Expect the unexpected when you have kids!", for the compassion I hope I have inherited, and for his commitment to his family.  He is, to this day and beyond, a blessing!

Day 13:  Fourth Graders.....the ones who have just enough attitude to be endearing, but not enough to be uncontrollably disrespectful.....enough dependence to be inquisitive, but not enough to be needy.....enough energy to exhaust me and keep me on my toes, but enough heart and passion to keep me working in this job for so many years.  Yes, I am thankful for fourth graders.

Day 14:  Fresh-mouthed Students - It's so rare when a student treats me unfairly.  It took me so by surprise when it happened, that I didn't know how to react.  It was a late September or early October day, and I pleasantly said to a student who was leaving one of my classrooms to attend a school in another district, "I hear you are leaving us!" and her immediate reply was, "I see your chest hair!"  I was dumbfounded, but I believe I handled the situation maturely and to the best of my ability, walking away simultaneously saying, "RUDE!" and thinking, Good riddance! Yea, I am thankful for the handful of fresh-mouthed students I have encountered over the years, for it is those few who remind me that there are many their size that are so endearingly special, and that the many are so much more powerful than the few.

Day 15:  Fifteenth.....Yes, it's the fifteenth already!  We've made it halfway through another month.  Some of us are getting paid, some of us are paying our bills and reviewing our finances, and some of us are planning for our most thankful of holidays......and I'm thankful that I'm still here, and have been able to reflect and share the first fifteen days of thankfulness!  It's too bad that it took a few thoughtful Facebook friends and the month of November to force me to sit and take the time to realize just how fortunate I am.  Days 16 through 30.....here I come!

My Thirty Days of Thanks....Part One

My thirty days of thanks begins with playing catch-up, since it is now the 8th day!  I like the idea of remembering my blessings...

Day 1 - Grandchildren

Day 1:  Grandchildren...The bigger one that calls me Grandpa Joe and the little one who doesn't talk, but I'm sure that the first word out of her mouth will be Grandpa!  Halloween became a better celebration this year!

Day 2:  Broken Drawer Fronts and Hardware, Scratched Floors,  and Builder's Quality Everything....After nearly a quarter century, our cheap as could be, kid ravaged, age worn kitchen has been renovated!  Today was the final walkthrough, and  am thankful for a team of workers and coordinators that made it all happen quickly and smoothly.

Day 3:  Kids and Parents Adjusting to the Empty Nest....a talented son who has overcome many obstacles in his first semester of college, and just made his college musical debut in the ensemble of 'The Pirates of Penzance', continuing his trend of amazing us......Who knew those struggles would be a blessing?

Day 4:  My Slow Brain: We had nothing scheduled for today. All the children were safe where they were, and it was a day to clear the head.  A little more time was spent on Facebook than usual on this day, and I finally realized that when my Facebook friends typed the word 'Day' with a number after it, they were telling what they were thankful for on that day. A few days later, I talked to my boss about it, and she confirmed that it was 30 days of thanks.   It wasn't long after that when I made a connection:   Thanksgiving is in November, and that was how this whole thing started!  I am thankful for a brain that procrastinates because I thought of multitudes of blessings at one time in order to play catch-up! 

Day 5 - Happy Birthday, Mom!

Day 5: My parents.  There goes that calendar again...reminding my family and I that this was the time of year when Mom always had a celebration for Dad because his birthday was on October 21st, and he was the Dad! We always added to the celebration by making a fuss over Mom's November 5th birthday, because she was the Mom! This picture was taken on June 16, 1996 at the Town House in Media on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. We're all missing you both today, and Happy 88th birthday, Mom...it's a blessing to have a lifetime of happy memories....

Day 6:  Political Opposition.  No, I'm not confrontational.  I don't like fighting.  I rarely talk politics because I don't like having little knots in my stomach.  This year, however, my youngest son is 18, and so ecstatic that he gets to have a voice in this election, that I have to consider myself blessed, despite the fact that our political views don't coincide.  Watching children grow and have passion is a blessing.......


Day 7:  Uncollected Trash.  I spent Tuesday pulling on my retractable ID card holder, a bad habit I picked up when I got my own fob for entry into my place of employment.  Fortunately, the Department in which I work is the proud possessor of extra retractable ID card holders, and I quickly tossed the old broken one in the trash, and attached my brand spanking new holder to my belt.  All was fine until the next morning when I got out of my car and went to let myself into the building and realized that my fob was missing.  I went to the front entrance to get in, and proceeded to tell my coworkers of my debacle.  I told them that I feared that my fob had been collected with the prior night's trash.  As soon as I went into the room where my desk is, I checked the trash can I had thrown the holder away in and lo and behold, there was the fob.  It's a blessing to have unemptied trash cans around....

Day 8:  My Wife's Make-up.  Close your mouth and unwrinkle your face and I'll explain.  For some reason, the last few mornings have been harried, and I have shaved in a moment.   That razor occasionally forms a mind of his own and moves, lickety-split and in the wrong direction,  to another part of my face and makes me look like a commercial for a slasher flick. I have two choices:  Adopt the Rip Van Winkle look and let the white whiskers flow, or cover it up with make up.  Since my facial hair becomes itchy and is the color of snow, (which I'll remind you, I'm not fond of),  I choose to cover it up.  It's a blessing to be married......

What a gift to pause and remember that out of each of life's battles comes a blessing, sometimes small, sometimes big, sometimes absurd, but always a blessing....I look forward to looking at the positive in the next 22 days!

The Walmart Mystery

It's Halloween week, and there's a storm a-brewin'....a hurricane coupled with a Nor'easter!  Everyone and everyone related to him is hitting the grocery stores, gas stations, and department stores.  My wife, who is usually the one in storm preparation mode, is attending her 40th high school reunion in Avalon, New Jersey.  So it's up to me, the one who usually nods his head in assent at every storm preparation request, to step up to the plate to get us ready!  Everyone is headed to Walmart for the essentials.  I have bread, peanut butter, baked beans, tuna, crackers, bottled water, and a plethora of other things that could keep us going for a few days should the power go out.  But something's amiss.  I haven't been to Walmart in over a week.  I needed to go today just to say I did my duty as a alternate storm worrier.

The Mystery:

I went to Walmart, found the lettuce; bananas; paper towels; additional baked beans; canned vegetables; peanut butter; a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread (because I was living alone this weekend and wanted to do something really different and adventurous); a shoe rack to organize the shoes of my beloved Imelda Marcos wannabe; packaged fruit; fiber bars; the Halloween candy for our two hundred fifty plus trick-or-treaters; the list goes on......I was in good shape....UNTIL I got to the cashier.  First, while placing my goods on the conveyor, I noticed a package of Cheese Curls and Vienna Fingers in my cart, and I know I didn't put them in there.  I thought, I'm a bachelor this weekend and I'm not too fond of  Cheese Curls, but I'm gonna live on the wild side and get me them Vienna Fingers!  They'll go nicely with the cinnamon bread!  So I did, and everything was honkey dorey.....UNTIL I got home and unpacked my stuff, and suddenly there were no bananas, no peanut butter, no cinnamon swirl bread.....I had a real mystery on my hands, and as I sit here and compose,  it's time to solve it.

The Clues:

Theory #1......A Walmart customer was insanely jealous that he only had cheese curls and Vienna Fingers to get him through the storm, and swapped some of his inferior comfort food for some of mine.  Nah, none of the stuff had been paid for yet.  Why would anyone take something from someone else's cart when there's a whole store full of "saving money and living better?" 

Theory #2......The cashier hid them.  When it was time to pay for my wares, I presented two VISA gift cards, and neither one was accepted in their system, though I knew they still had balances on them.  When I got home and noticed that some of the items were missing, I immediately checked the receipt, and they weren't on there.  Nah, why would a cashier take them without charging me for them?  

Theory #3......I grabbed someone else's cart right after getting the bread, the bananas, the lettuce, and the peanut butter (a.k.a. the items pulled from shelves in the front of the store).  I added item after item, not realizing that I had someone else's Cheese Curls and Vienna Fingers until it was too late.   Nah, too simple...I'm too careful. How could this ever happen to me?. 

The Evidence:

Let's see....earlier in the week, I was having my nightly snack consisting of a small bowl of cereal, Craisins, and milk.  I cleaned up, and went to bed.  The next morning, I came down to make my usual oatmeal for breakfast, and guess what was in the pantry.....right next to the oatmeal?   THE MILK!  Another morning this week, I took out the American cheese from the refrigerator, the bread from the freezer, and other ingredients for my sandwich for lunch.  When I started to make the sandwich, I noticed that the cheese was missing.  I scoured the cabinets, the counter tops, the computer desk, and every other place I could imagine, to find the cheese.  I didn't find it that morning, so peanut butter and jelly would have to do.  The next morning, I began the routine of making lunch all over again, and when I went to get the bread out of the freezer, there was the American cheese in front of all the other frozen treasures.  I swear it wasn't there the day before.....Honest!!!

The Solution:

These senior moments are taking their toll.  I could say that it's Halloween week, and some Walmart customer or cashier is 'Gaslighting' me.  I could say that I was  taken aback by this week's lesson in Reading which involved eliminating the negative attitude as we read.  Don't Be A Curmudgeon was the moral to be learned.  The visual aid used in the lesson was a sketch of a curmudgeon, drawn by a coworker. Another coworker was sure that I was the prototype for the sketch. Alas, though it cannot be absolutely proven, theory #3 is the most logical explanation of what happened in that building full of Roll Ups and Roll Backs. Imelda Jackie has said that I will be placed in a home when the car keys show up in the refrigerator.  She said nothing about American cheese in the freezer or milk in the pantry!  If word doesn't get out, I've managed to get out of another one three!       

  

Be safe in the storm and

       HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

THRILLING THURSDAY!

     Thursday will never be the same.  In days gone by, it was always just one day after Wearisome Wednesday and one day before Festive Friday.  Thursday was a routine day of review for Friday exams.  In the past, the most exciting Thursday thing was that it was trash and garbage pick-up day on my block.

     It's now, however, a new school year in the fall of 2012, and Thursday has taken on a new meaning for this old curmudgeon:  it's now Throbbing Thrilling Thursday!  Throbbing Thrilling Thursday is a weekly event associated with a new word study program we are using in class.  Words have always been my thing, and this is a fine program that lets the students sort words according to common patterns. This year, by Thursday, the students have practiced sorting their words by pattern and are ready to be timed.  They begin with a thundering thoughtful shouting of the rules for the game.  No, they don't just sit there and sort quietly.  It's not Thwarted Thursday, it's Throbbing Thrilling Thursday!   Not only can the students see the patterns, but they touch their previously cut word cards, and they shout the words as they sort them to hear themselves say them.  Twenty-seven students are encouraged to shout loudly as they find the magic spots for their words.  It's throbbing thrilling to witness the students using the senses to commit the words to memory.  Wait, though!  The throbs thrills have not yet begun to wane.  The suspense builds as the time in minutes and seconds taken for the group to do the word sort will be revealed, and the Magnificent Twenty-Seven are encouraged to make it even more of a Thrashing Thrilling Thursday by doing a drum roll on their desks.  Immediately after the time announcement, it's Throbbing Thriving Thursday, as the students display how proud they are of themselves and their classmates....

     Each week, the throbbing that has resulted from the level of noise in the classroom has decreased, and the focus has been more on the students' learning through sportsmanship, adhering to rules, using senses, and, especially, having fun.  If things keep going as they are, Thursday could become just as thrilling for me as it is for them!  

    Now, it's not Throbbing Thrilling Thursday any more.  It's either Melancholy Motivating Monday, Turbulent Terrific Tuesday, Wearisome Wonderful Wednesday, or Frustrating Festive Friday, and the students are encouraged to shout as loudly as they can:

THE MORE YOU READ, THE BETTER YOU READ! 

THE BETTER YOU READ, THE MORE YOU READ!

THE MORE YOU READ, THE BETTER YOU READ! 

THE BETTER YOU READ, THE MORE YOU READ!

     I've come a long way, but still, I cover my ears and long for Throbbing Thrilling Thursday to retreat return.........

'Twas the Night Before Voting........

 Note to self:  Please check the length of a poem before you decide to write a parody based on its format!

'Twas the night before voting, when all through the states

All the hopefuls were pacing, awaiting their fates;

The GOP's chosen Mitt Romney to run,

And he picked Paul Ryan to join in the fun;

The elephants had their convictions so strong,

And blasted the donkeys on just what was wrong;

Obama with his triumphs, Michelle's healthy plan,

They went on the trail to get votes for the man,

The Dems want some more of Barack H. Obama,

And Joe Biden, Junior, 'tis writ with a comma.

Away to the TV I flew like a flash,

Just hoping to hear a Republican splash.

The Romney clan said the economy blows, 

Gave nays to all the incumbent's term lows,

Then right after that, 'twas that the Dems, filled my set,

To say on the air that Mitt Romney's all wet 

With the media driving, the airwaves are quick,

With ads slamming both, and it all makes me sick.

Been voting for years, yep, since seventy-six,

And these put down commercials, they never will nix;

"Cite Reagan! and Truman! and Agnew and Nixon!

On Clinton! on Carter! on Bushes, ne'er fixin'!

To the top of the North! to the tip of Key West!

"Now put 'em down! shove 'em down! 'cause I am the best"

As I leave home for errands, and need food to buy

I am met with an obstacle, costs to the sky,

And onto the houses, some old and some new,

Some signs of foreclosure; abandonment too.

And then, in an instant, I heard on the news

The point-counter point of the Medicare blues.

As I rested my head, and my brain was too tense,

I heard the two argue the cost of defense

They dress to the nines,  boast impressive displays,

And talk about women, and seniors, and gays;

A stint on Dave Lettermen, and one on The View,

I'm guessing they had nothing better to do.

Their eyes -- how they twinkled! Their dimples how merry!

Reminiscent of Palin, McCain, and John Kerry!

As most seekers do,  some do bad, some do well,

Each hopes to be seen, and to grace SNL;

Do you think that Barack is the more perfect fit?

Or should more votes be for Paul Ryan and Mitt;

Most times I'm a smart, and controlled little fellow,

Still, I'll shake when I vote like a bowlful of Jello.

"I'm up on the issues," this old Blogger boasts

I saw them en masse on my Facebook friends' posts;

I'm bothered by conscience and thoughts in my head,

Is either as good or as bad as they said?

The media man, too much news is his work,

Makes us ask if our guy is a saint or a jerk.

So how do I choose just which man is the best? 

And get months of keeping it in off my chest? 

I'll pray for our people, and end this epistle. 

I'll spring to the polls, to my truth give a whistle, 

While I hear from Barack and from Mitt on that night, 

"Happy Choosing to all, oh, and thanks for the fight."