December 1, 2007

Last Monday, Clint had probably the worst day a high school teacher can have. The fellow teacher and friend who was diagnosed with brain cancer passed away on Thanksgiving Day. He had to go in on Monday and tell the students, and the funeral was to be that afternoon – remember he is teaching many of her former students. That same day he found out one of his students was in a serious car accident and is hospitalized with head trauma and is in the ICU in a coma. He also had to relay this to the students. When it rains it pours – I guess but wow. The poor teachers in health careers at KCTC. This teacher passing away is followed by another teacher in that same department being murdered a little over a year ago. This is my tenth year teaching high school and I don’t think I have ever had a day quite like that. It really does remind you that we need to be grateful for every moment because you just never know what is coming around the corner. It also puts things into perspective. Regardless of the problems I might be facing I am alive and in one piece. Ahmen

The Great Pumpkin

November 19, 2007

Halloween has come and gone. We didn’t have very many trick or treaters this year-26 to be exact. It poured down rain for the first hour an a half of the designated time here in our little burg. Caelun was a pumpkin. He went around to the neighbors tricking, no treating. Alas it is hard to eat candy with out any teeth. That didn’t stop dear “Grandpa” Ed McIntyre from slipping him a Milky Way bar on the way out the door.

Thanksgiving is knocking on our door. Dad Medford is once again making his amazing spread. I offered to make the pies and his response was, “you don’t want to go to all that work”- because of course it isn’t work for him. Any way I didn’t protest. I am fine with letting some one else cook for a day. I love Thanksgiving. It is probably my favorite holiday. Everyone can celebrate it. It has no specific religious affiliation. You don’t have to buy any presents and the main focus is to take stock and be thankful for what you have while eating lots of wonderful food. Sounds like a good gig to me. FHC doesn’t have school this whole week before Thanksgiving so last weeks improv Friday was a one minute speech on what are you thankful for? I asked them to think outside the norm of the things like family, friends, health ect… some on the list…

Ramen noodles

Pets

Good fitting jeans

The perfect shade of lipstick

Having a car

Cheesecake

Chocolate

Shrimp

Sugar free gum

Music

Clean air

It is fun to see what the teenagers are thinking. I always do my own little inventory this time of year. I am of course thankful for my family, students and co-workers, friends, community, health, house, ect... My dad grew up with out running water or electricity. I think about those sorts of things. Some things I am thankful for:

Hot showers

Flannel sheets

Automatic heat

Antibiotics

Vaccinations

Twenty four hour a day grocery stores

Insulation

Washing machines

Laptop computers

The internet

Velcro

Plastic

Disposable diapers

Good coffee

Fresh fruit in the winter

Paint that comes in virtually any color I can imagine

Photographs and video

The mums outside my window that insist on continuing to bloom