Where Were You?

Where were you on November 22, 1963? The answer for most of you is "I wasn't born yet." I have vivid memories of that horrible day when our President was assassinated. It doesn't seem like 50 years has passed.

I was 8 years old and in third grade in a tiny school in a tiny town in central Texas. Our teacher, Mrs. Sheldon, told us the terrible news and arranged for a radio to be set on the window ledge of our classroom so that we could hear the news reports. We were a lively, active group of students and I'm sure we didn't fully grasp the implications of what had just happened in Dallas but I recall that we sat in stunned silence. We probably didn't get much work for the remainder of the day.

Then I went home and found my parents glued to our old black and white television set. They were stunned, too. My memories include seeing Walter Cronkite, a nationally known and respected newscaster, shed tears on live t.v., of seeing Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as President, and of staying at home on the day of the state funeral in Washington. I was mesmerized by the pomp and ceremony of it all and touched when the young son of JFK saluted his father's casket. It's a day I'll never forget.

It mattered not whether one had supported JFK in his bid to become President or not. Our nation was saddened to lose our leader in such a violent and tragic way.

What lessons did we learn? Well, we learned that more should be done to protect our national leaders. We learned that our nation is not immune to violence. We learned that we must teach our children that the ballot, not the end of a gun, is the best way to affect the political climate of our country in a positive way.

Have we learned those lessons? Perhaps. I hope we have. But I see, hear, and read a lot of vitriolic comments regarding this politician or that politician or this policy or that policy and I sometimes wonder.......

Let's teach our children to respect our leaders whether we agree with them or not. Let's teach our children to express their opinions in positive ways. Let's teach our children to pray--for friends, family members, government officials, and even those we consider enemies.

ThanksGIVING

This first semester of the 2013-14 school year has been one fraught with worries for my family and me. There are several health concerns among various family members and it is sometimes hard to stop and realize that there is MUCH to be thankful for. One of the true blessings of my job is that I get to spend time with our junior high students each day. They are few in number but they are truly wonderful people. They have caring, sharing hearts. I have seen them stop to help one of our little people without being asked and they are always willing to help the teachers and each other. They don't complain, they don't moan. They just do it--cheerfully. They've spent a lot of their spare time in the last couple of weeks preparing some gifts for the residents of one of the local nursing homes. And tomorrow they are going to deliver those gifts as well as perform a skit. I got to watch a dress rehearsal this morning and I was charmed and amused! Below are some pictures from that rehearsal. Thank you, students. You are the absolute BEST!!

Teddy Bears Picnic

Thursday, November 14 was National American Teddy Bear Day. And it was a day for a field trip to Royalty Pecan Farms. It was a cool, crisp fall day and we all had a good time riding the trailer to see some of the 13,000 pecan trees. Afterward, we returned to town and had a picnic in which we invited teddy bears. We even had a three generation group--student, Mom, Grandmother, and their teddy bears. And look carefully and you will see a USMC bear, too! It was a nice day for all and I thank the parents and grandparents who took time from their busy schedules to accompany us.

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Washington on the Brazos State Park

Thanks to parents and grandparents who accompanied us to Washington on the Brazos on a chilly fall day.