What else, the SPURS !!

I know some of you are pretty darn tired of my writing about the SPURS - well, tough.

We won last night in a dazzling display of talent and desire - it was a blood bath that I usually don't enjoy watching, but last night was sweet. Those pesky Utah fans and the lack of respect from the media about my guys just filled me with such a rage that I could barely stay on my chair and eat my Chex mix!! Well, maybe not, but it was sweet to see the boys (old men!) show anyone who cared to watch that they've got more in them than people thought.

Now, though, we have a long wait until the next, and last, series begins. I appreciate them finishing it out so they don't have to play on Sat. - I'd have hated to mess up the family party by sittin in the den while they all were outside talking about boring stuff like FAMILY!! (Can you tell I"m feeling a little goofy today?)

Anyway, the next few days will be filled with wonderful visiting with friends and family, and wishing my nephew Matt well on his graduation. Real things, not sports, to refocus my perspective. On marking time and getting re-aquainted with dear friends, and seeing Roark!! Should be a wonderful weekend!

Come Monday - Shanon comes to town!!!

Olan Mills memories.... :(

Last night, Andy and I had our appointment for our pics for the new church directory. I totally forgot about it until he reminded me about 5:15 - the appointment was for 6:30 ! Dinner was already going - which is a rarity for me! - so we had to swallow it down quickly to make it on time. I did have time to refresh (shampoo!) my hair and throw on some makeup, but off we went.

Having these portraits done always sadden me - I miss the girls tremendously! It marks a passage of time that, while I am content here, I miss the bows and pretty dresses and funny smiles of having my girls in the photos with me. Each one tells me that those days are gone forever; the 4 of us will never again live as we once did - happy and lovingly. And while I think our picture turned out good (even with me in it!) - it looks empty.

Do other moms feel this, or is it just me?

SPURS WIN!!

YES !! It was a nail-biter at times, but the boys pulled it out! Everyone is meeting at the Hutton's Wed. night after church, and we will sit in the same order as last night just for "luck's sake!" (Not really - we're not THAT rabid!!)

Anyway, to the topic of the day. My friend Jackie says she likes to go places with me because she likes the way I watch people around me. Never really thought about it, but growing up shy still surfaces sometimes, and I am overwhelmed by the goings on around me. Best way to pass the time in those circumstances is to sit and watch. I would say that is one of the best things my mom taught me - to see what people around you are doing and how they are in social situations.

Which leads me to this - I LOVE our little elitest group of SPURS folks. You can almost quote before the game what Jon or Lonnie or Andy or - well, you get my drift - is going to say. We've settled into this wonderful little company of friends who moan and laugh and cheer ourselves crazy for 48 minutes every other day or two. We rarely let anything else enter the moment (unicorns the exception!) and we don't need a word of conversation to keep the night pleasant. Dralena's cheese dip, Ann's peanut brittle and Jackie's eggs are staples of the evening, and life is just good for that period of time.

Like Jackie says, I'm really gonna miss it when the playoffs are over.

Thanks, SPURS!

13 weeks

Summer's here! Dana came down to use our washer and dryer - and to see us, of course. While she was in the kitchen with me, we counted up the weeks of summer - 13!! I have a whole week of May left, and then we start back to school on the 20th of August, so those add up to 13 with June and July thrown in!! Never thought of 13 as a "lucky" number before.

The sun is shining today - I swear my Burr Oak tree has grown 4 feet since the rains began !! I love looking out my kitchen bay window at the new growth and vibrant green shades of the new leaves! The rain has really been wonderful....

We host the SPURS tonight, so I'll be hostess. Hope it's a good win with the SPURS coming out on top. I'll watch with my fingers crossed!

Have a good Memorial Day -

Mrs. and Micter Richter

Tonight is the SPURS group - game 3 against Utah. We host game 4 on Monday; I'm hoping it'll close out a sweep for the guys in silver and black ! We have such a good time together - cheering and clapping and yelling against the refs - and eating. Lots and lots of eating goes on at these gatherings. Such sweet fellowship over a game of basketball and a team of guys who wouldn't know us from Adam if they met us on the street. That's okay - it's fun.

When the girls were little, we'd just moved here, and one day we were going down the street. We saw another couple from church, and Dana calls out "Look! There goes Mrs. and Micter Richter!" It's one of those silly family things we laugh at that no one else can get - well, not anymore!

We're going to Mrs. and Micter Richter's for the game tonight -

Go, SPURS, Go!! See 'ya there!!

"And, they're off!!"

I know, that's usually a quote you hear at a horse race, but it always come to mind when the bell rings on the last day of school. So today, I positioned myself to help with the raucous crowd, knowing they'd be blowing by me in hysteria, and wait. And wait. And wait some more...

Finally, the big doors at the end of the building open, and a kid or two walk calmly out. HMMM... it IS the last day, right? The kids continue to come out, in little clumps, and a few yell, "Have a good summer!" and then they walk to the bus, just like every other day for the past 180+. No bigs tears, a couple of jumpers and yellers, but for the most part, in 5 minutes the building was empty and I walked back to my room. The teachers I pass are worn out from their trek to the Plestex and back and an afternoon of "parties" now to face a full day tomorrow of putting the year to rest. I myself came home and slept from about 4:45 to 8:30. Poor Andy....

I love the beginning and ending of school. It defines the passage of time in my life almost more than anything else. The end of a year is time for reflection and planning - not just of summer activities, but of how to better myself as a professional for the next group of students who I'll face in the Fall. My 4th graders are gone - my time in their life is done, but I'll see Pate, and Jimmy, Max and Zoe in the Fall, and meet a whole new group. We'll begin again. I hope they all have a good summer.

For now, it's bedtime - we are having our campus breakfast in the morning. Time to say goodby to some good friends - Clara, Beth, Jackie - I hate to see them go, but hope their new lives are full of good things. Patti and I will close the door on our shared lives and call it a day.

I'm ready.

31 years in a paragraph

How do you go about encapsulating 31 years of a marriage in a paragraph? I've known all day that this is what I'd want to do, but just the memories overwhelm me... how did so much time pass so quickly? How did I know - Andy was the "high scorer" on my list of necessary qualities in a mate; strong Christian man (became a Christian AFTER we met), leader of our home - oh, yes, good dad-potential ( I can't imagine a better parental partner!) and an all-around best companion. He opened my eyes and heart to a life that has been full of blessing and fun. I praise God for His providing such a help-meet for me in all the areas of my life. I hope He continues to be with us all the days of our lives....

I love you, Andrew

Real dreams

Going to Dana's !! She's playing hostess to us overnight, and treating us to dinner, then we will worship with her tomorrow. Nice to see her in her element and interact with her friends. Can't wait to meet Jeff and Alyssa - and Abbie! Grateful for their part in her spiritual life - those are the people God gives us to make us want Heaven even more!

Back to the title: Ever wake up from a dream that was so REAL that you were sick to your stomach with the whole scenario?!? I did this afternoon -

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

200 and counting

According to my dashboard, this is post 201 for me. Wow - I'm sure I've not said anything earth-shattering, but it's been both fun and challenging for me this past year. I hope I continue to find things to share.

Like this - we had a bomb threat at school yesterday. We were all told to keep it quiet from the kids; and as I walked through the hall, I thought it sad that their lives at 9 and 10 already know about bomb threats and evacuations. Lots of parents came to pick up their children, which is their right, but it worried all the ones staying behind. Even though they did not know what was going on, they knew SOMETHING was very wrong.

It reminded me of the Cold War years. We would have bomb drop practices, where we would scramble under our little desks with our arms over our heads to protect us from the debris. Now I don't know what those desks were made of, but it wasn't long before I figured out that it wasn't enough to stop a nuclear bomb.

I guess every age has its fears - makes Heaven look even more welcoming.

One thing that I never have been able to do is not care if someone doesn't like me. It eats at me and makes me spend way too much time wondering what's wrong with ME that someone would not like me. My mom was the opposite; she wanted you to like her, but if you didn't, oh well - she' d move on to the next person who did like her and forget the other person. Figured it was their loss

I'm 52, for crying out loud!! I have loads of people who love me and find me quite fun to be around, some even seek me out for their fellowship. So why is it that I give a care if there's someone who's out there that just doesn't "get" me? Why can't I turn loose?

I guess it's just my burden to bear....

8 days and counting

Well - we are in single digits now on the school-day countdown. I find myself (and most around me) are already finished; bags packed and car loaded for Summer. It's an odd arrangement, actually. You have to pass the days, and go through the paces, before what has already ended ends. Once the TAKS tests and taken and baseball uniforms put on, school is over.

I will miss my little ones this summer. First time in a long time I've gotten this attached, and especially to my Amigo. I'd love to bring her home with me and make her life just one happy day after another. She's seen, heard, and been through way too much already, and she's 11. There will be tears on my end at our parting.

Well, the game starts in about an hour, so I'd better go get ready.

GO, SPURS, GO!!!!

Moms I Love - Past, Present, and Future

Tonight, we host the SPURS game party... GO, SPURS, GO! On the way to buy "stuff" to eat, I got to thinking of the moms in my life. I didn't do much with cards this year - my own mom-in-law's will be late, but this will serve as my tribute. Indulge me for a minute -

PAST: Margaret Alice Kersting - birth mother of my husband; died when he was 4 of Hodgkin's Disease; now 90% curable. I think - I know - she'd be proud of his life.
Inez Davidson May - my maternal grandmother. Could look you in the eye and with all the love she had tell you you were going straight to Hell because you were not a "Church of Christer." See earlier blog for her better qualities.
Margaret May Young - my mom. Mother's Day was never a favorite holiday for me... we just did not click on the same cylinders about much at all. But she loved me fiercely and lived her life for the three of us. I understand a lot more now.

PRESENT: AnneMarie Slor's LaMore - married my father-in-law when Andy was 4 against EVERYONE's advice. Took on two little men and a greiving widow, gave up her Dutch citizenship to make them a united family, and has loved and cared for me for 33 years, give or take a day. One of my true heroes.
CaLyn Johnson - what can I say; she raised Gregg!! A Godly, loving woman who has trained him to be a superb husband to my daughter, and I can't thank her enough.
Dianne Connell - a truly spiritual woman and mother. We got her when she married our friend Steve; smartest thing he ever did! Now that their 4 are grown, they've taken in 3 fosters kids (teens!) because, "I'm not through raising children."
Shanon Tissue - went through hell with her daughter and has been there beside her ever since. Didn't plan on things going the way they did, but when decisions had to be made, she put her heart aside and did what was best for the big picture. I'd give almost anything to take that episode away from her life.
Jackie Hutton - her whole desire is to bring up a child in the Lord, and she's giving it everything she's got to make it happen.
I love her for that passion. I hope it all works out.
Roxanna Varela - a single mom working her heart out to provide for her girls. I'm so proud of her.

FUTURE : Dana LaMore and Erin Johnson - when and if it comes, motherhood will take your breath away. You've been the ultimate blessing to me, and I try every day to make you proud of my life.
You are both Heaven on Earth for me.

My heritage

In reference to Dana's latest blog entry:

One topic I wanted to share with you during my "blogout" was a visit I had. On April 23, a group of us went up to Enchanted Rock Natural Area for an annual event. Several congregations were there, among them the LaVernia group. The leader of the group, Keith Johannson, is a old Camp Bandina peer, and I've loved his family since I was about 14.

On this day, he brought with him his father, Harold. Now, Brother Johannson lived in Alice and worshipped for years with my beloved grandmother, Inez May. I re-aquainted myself with Harold, and once everyone left to climb the rock, he and I settled down to reminence about Mamaw and Papaw. It was a time I wouldn't change for anything, I just wished I'd had a tape recorder!! Here are some highlights of the day:

Once, Mamaw really needed a new roof, and my Papaw had already "consumed" his last paycheck, so there was no money. It was going to cost all of $400.00 to replace. Bro. J. talked the elders into giving Mamaw the money she needed. Well, several weeks went by, and the old roof was still on. Finally, Bro. J. asked her where the money had gone. "There were some people on the other side of town that needed it more than I do." was her answer.

My papaw worked on oil refineries, and enjoyed his drinking. Mamaw worked it out with the bosses that if she would comme in the day befoe payday, they'd give her half of his earnings, so the three little ones would have money for food.

He's often see her driving her little brown Ford wagon all over Alice, picking up children and ladies to go to church.

On and on, all afternoon, just me and Brother Johannson. I felt like I was in Alice with him. He'll never know how blessed I felt that day!

Two long, frustrating weeks!!

Well, hello again!! I cannot believe it's been so long since I've been able to post -- I finally had to sign in on Andy's blog to get here, so this may or may not work. Hard to type with crossed fingers!!

So much has happened that I wanted to share; been to the Hill Country, on a Ladies' retreat, and the end of school are all writeable topics, and it's been agonizing (well, maybe not THAT bad!) not to be able to write and share. I'll try to hit the high points a little at a time.

My SPURS are having a terrible time with Steve Nash and the Suns. The crowd gathers here Sat. night at 7 p.m. to light incense, chant, and offer sacrifices before the tip-off. Jackie will not be here, so we may have to hang her Ginobili jersey from the ceiling fan in her honor. (That is not a commentary on her activity level during the game, by the way!) The SPURS should put it to them this time....

Just a few more days of school. Proud of my Dana's scores on TAKS - she pulled it off; three state tests, and all in the 90% range!! 89% her natural talent, 1 % A&M and 10% genetics. Hope my students fare as well.

Well, I'll close for now, before the computer figures out what I did and bumps me off. Hopefully, I'll be back soon!!

The Perm Story - well, Erin asked!!

Yesterday, I mentioned taking Spanish just to be in the same room with Troy Starr. Here's how bad it was: I'd had crushes before, even held hands with Jeff V. in 5th grade at the symphony, but nothing matched the adoration I felt when the Starrs moved to town. Now, I'd tried and tried to catch his eye; poor guy would have to have been totally blind and an imbecile not to see the efforts I was putting forth. Looking back, what a miserable little girl I was, but I digress.

School began our Sophomore year, and I joined the Pep Squad. ( In those days, it was a group of girls who sat together and cheered with the cheerleaders... no talent required, but it was too late to sign up for Band) It came time for us to start going to football games, and I'd still not won Troy's heart. In my desperation, I decided I needed a perm. Mom took me out to the place that would fix me up, and so on that Friday, I was newly curled. Ready to go. Finally, this would do it. I got plenty of attention and felt like this was going to be the night. Troy just didn't like me with STRAIGHT hair. Yea.

The game begins. Band behind the Pep Squad, so I knew he could see me and my bouncy curls. Then, it began to rain. And continued to rain, and all I could do was stand there with my newly chemically enhanced curls and feel the burn of the process cooking into my scalp and down my face. People held their noses, and wrinkled their faces and the black cloud of poison wafted through the football stands. Never before, and I don't think since, have I wanted to die so completely. As memory serves, the rain stopped, the game continued, and I rode home full of the knowledge that yet again, my unrequited love survived.

If I could ever see Troy Starr again, I'd beg his forgiveness for all the humiliation I put him through. I'd hope that with time, he'd come to remember this pitiful young girl who was so infatuated with him and laugh WITH her.

Mrs. Williamson would be so proud!!

The only reason I took Spanish in high school was Troy Starr. He was THE love of my young life, and I knew he'd be in that class. So, while I had the best teacher PHS had to offer, it was wasted on me because I was goofy in love. (Someday, I'll tell you the perm story!)

Now, I took two years of Spanish, but haven't really kept up with the lingo and rules, as life hasn't really taken me in that direction. Until last week during TAKS testing. On Wed., I was holed up in the room with 3 Special Ed kids, 8 books, and about 5 hours to kill. Hummph!
We pass the books around kid to kid, and I model by reading my book silently, but - hey; I can actually read my book, and my kids have books too hard for them. Needless to say, it doesn't take long to look at the pictures, and the books have all been shared.

Mercifully, lunch comes around, and we waste as much time in the cafeteria as we are allowed, then it's back to the class until 2:30. Oh my gosh; what now?!?! I look over at one stack of books, and I notice it is "Caps For Sale" -one of my very own favorites - in Spanish. Yep.
Well, I call the kids over to me, and begin to "read" this book. Now, all three are Hispanic children, and they don't read, but they sit there and listen to me butcher their native tongue while drawing on my knowledge of the story (which I haven't read since Erin was 4!)
Every now and then I'd ask, "Is that right?" and they'd all shake their heads. Not one of the sweet ones laughed at me (to my face, anyway.)
I'm sure had there been a video camera somewhere around, it would make it to the Funniest Home Videos, but hey, it killed a good 15 minutes.

Come to think of it, I think I hear Mrs. Williamson rolling over in her grave as I speak. "Caps, Caps For Sale, Fifty Cents a Cap!"

Let the Games Begin!!

We have a group of about a dozen couples who get together during the SPURS playoff games, and tonight was our first gathering. Didn't go our way; the SPURS let the Nuggets take the 1st game. Our guys just didn't look like themselves, but it's a 7 game series.

We take turns on hosting, but everyone gets to bring what they like to eat. Tonight was chalupas and delicious chocolate pound cake with a coconut frosting. We have a good time and try not to be too critical about the refs when it's OBVIOUS to us all they are against the poor SPURS. All us ladies wear our team earrings and t-shirts, and the guys have shirts and caps. We're probably pretty odd looking, when I think about it!!

GO, SPURS, GO!!

Not much to say today; tired from a week of TAKS testing and allergies. Coughing is aggravating and futile at this point; nothing is going to change until the pollens go away. A kid at school this week told me I need an inhailor! Those two factors leave me more tired than usual. Today, I feel like a person who has just had surgery.

Naps calling!!

Explain this to me....
When we are young, and are around adults like teachers, ministers, and our parents' peers, they look old. One-foot-in-the-grave old. Fast forward to our adulthood, and we see those same folks, and THEY LOOK JUST THE SAME ! If they are old now, that implies that in our youth, they were young - you know, like our age NOW! Can't get my mind around that.

Case in point. Today, I'm in HEB, and there are the parents of a childhood friend and my parents' friends. Known them all my life, and they look the same. Sure, there are a few more wrinkles, and their shoulders may be stooped with age, but other than that, it's like time has stood still for them. I'm thinking, hey - that means that when my students or daughters' peers see me in 25 years, I'll still young!! (But do they think I look old now?!?!) See, I'm confused!!!

One Down, One to Go!

This is for those of you who don't teach in the great state of Texas - a little info on the phenomenon called "TAKS."

Now, we aren't supposed to let it "drive" our teaching, but consider the following: if our class doesn't have a certain amount of passing, you don't get a contract. Right. Doesn't matter what type of class you get in the luck of the draw in August, if you don't get them up to standard, you're out of luck. We have to sign an oath, promising not to look at, discuss, modify or adapt the contents of said test. Doing so will cost you your teaching certificate. I have to sit with my little group of students at lunch so they don't talk about the test while eating - right. 4th grade boys who've had to sit silent for 4 hours, and they're going to discuss Math problems? Anyway -

After the testing is finished, the child has one option: they may read or sleep. I test students that are basically NON-READERS; how many times can they look at a book in, oh - 4 hours. No drawing, no word puzzles, no videos. Read or sleep. No talking. No nothing. It is miserable for me, and I'm an adult.

Well, tomorrow is the last day for testing for me. I'll have a group of 3. Should be fun.

Sorry about the griping....