ONWARD

IT'S OFFICIAL! I'M RETIRED! I love this photo of the cruise ship heading out from Vancouver under the Lion's Gate Bridge. I can envision myself onboard in August with a bunch of great (single) people heading for Alaska. (actually I'll be leaving from Seattle). After that, a trip to California to mix business with pleasure before settling down to writing that long-awaited book. Have an awesome summer everyone. What are your plans? Blog on..

The best retirement gift ever!

I removed the photo 'cuz who knows who's "out there."

I just had to share this with all my cyber-friends. My daughter invited me to dinner and presented me with a lovely leather-bound journal as a retirement gift. But the BEST gift was what she wrote on the card and it made me cry tears of joy. It reads:

To Mom,

You've spent your life teaching: me, Jaclyn, your students, your dogs even. And now, in retirement, you'll still be teaching. Your book will teach women to overcome adversity in the face of widowhood and how to embrace life and grow after a tragedy.

I am so proud of you! You continue to teach me to this very day.

Je t'aime, maman!

Jamie

Grade 7 Grad 2006

Here I am with my good friend and colleague Mary Beth at Grad night. I'll put up some more photos next week after the end-of-the-year Staff party. The evening's theme was "Hollywood" and they even had a "walk of fame" complete with red carpet, movie cameras, a giant Oscar, movie posters, etc. Tables were decorated with glittery gold fabric, feather boas and candles. It was a lovely evening and I'll always remember it. The kids seemed so grown up, especially the girls.

Retirement

There's nothing better than to be acknowledged for your work. Teaching is a calling, let's face it, because no one in their right mind would work 60-80 hours per week for the pay! Plus there can be lots of criticism from parents who think their little Johnny or Janie can do no wrong. But those few moments when you see a light bulb go on, a child gives you a hug, a homemade birthday card, or a little craft they made at Brownies or Cubs, or shyly puts a raggedly-wrapped Christmas gift on your desk and runs off - well, that makes it pretty special. And then at the end, your peers give you a great send-off with warm wishes for your new endeavours and a beautiful gift at a fabulous end-of-the-year Staff party. No matter how stressed I ever was, it was all worthwhile. I'll always have great memories of my many years teaching - kids and adults. On Thursday, June 22, 2006 my very first actual "class" (I have mostly been a specialist teacher) will "graduate" from Grade 7. There will be lots of emotion in me, I know, as I watch those kids cross the stage to receive their Bible from the Board Chair. I pray they will continue their life walk graciously and will sometimes remember me with kindness.

Poppies

Does anyone know if these are the kind of poppies that you get opium from? The plant showed up in my garden after having had a truckload of topsoil delivered - I think there must have been a seed or two in the soil, because I never had this type of poppy before. Each year in the past 3 years, there have been more and more flowers. The "green" actually looks like a thistle and is sort of prickly.

Javalinas

This is the book I bought while in Arizona last February. I read it to my Grade 4 class as an example of a take-off on "The Three Little Pigs" and the kids loved it. I highly recommend it as a great story as well as an educational insight into animals living in their own habitat.