I love my job, I love those kids, but I'm still counting 177 days.

Time to read that retirement binder and sign them documents.  Tattled on the "coolest" kid at school yesterday.  His mom made him take  his "supplies" out of his locker today.  Pencil, notebook.  Geez!!!  What a concept:  "I'm at school and I need to learn something" . I had 14 year old boys saying their times tables today and fighting for a "starburst"  It's so sad some of them gave up before they tried.  Those kids just break my heart.  We also have kids who can't spell their name.  These guys break my heart too.  Somebody has to take a stand and revamp the American School System.  It's too late for me.  But, you young teachers need to get control and help these kids to become undisenfranchised ( is that a word) and take some pride.  These kids will be running the country when you are my age. Become administrators or superintendents and do what's right for these kids.   And, another school shooting in the south.  Oh, how my heart hurts.  3-day weekend coming up.  Man I need a thick t-bone to chomp down on.  So, sad, so sad:  I still have to get up around 8 ish.  No jammies until 11:00.  Can't get my days and nites mixed-up.  Still gotta get up and go to work on Tuesday.......so sad.  so unglad.  But  35 weeks left and counting.
Smithsonian Zoo in DC:  just had a successful panda birth.  I met the mother:

This is how I truly believe I will live my retirement days.  Relaxed, unstressed and happy.

Once upon a time in a farway place it got hotter and hotter.

Texas weather is so hot and it's almost September.  It just drains you of energy.  Once upon a time in a far away place I dreamed of going to France. (took 20 kids so I could see Eiffel Tower)   I dreamed of being retired.  I dreamed of being rich.  I am rich says the government.  I have made over a million dollars and only have cats, 2 dogs, a bird, a husband and a lovely sewing machine that purrs and purrs. The reality of all this money is "they" never let you have it all at one time.   Having girls nite out tonite.  No time for sewing.  Need to catch up on the juicy stuff at school.  While looking for the Smoke's photo last nite I saw a photo of my Abby.  She would have been 17 last April.  I miss her so much.  I never realized how much time I spent with her every night. No one but me, George and Max were allowed in the room.  I've been trying to make this up to the other pets but Liz is such a bully.  Abby got down to 6 pounds and it hurt to hold her.  She slept by my head every night with my hand next  to her.  Now when I sleep Liz lays next to me and I hold her foot.  I can not ever imagine a house without pets.  Pets love you no matter what.  Pets make you get up each morning so they can eat no matter what.  And, pets snuggle with you when you are sad, grumpy or ill.  Now if I could just get them to do dishes and dust.  I'm so glad that in America they have become part of the family.  I will never have a perfect house, a clean house, a house without pet hair or finish a quilt without cat hair.   Life is too precious to worry about white carpet.

A small wall hanging I made before Abby fell ill.

179 days and how i am invisioning retirement

wake at 8:30 ish. Move the cat to other side of bed.    Go swimming.   Have lunch. share lunch with cat and dogs.   Work on my favorite animal quilt.  Should I make it look like Lizzie, or Maggie, or Cali or Smokey or hmmm:  always wanted to do the one Where we see my George hanging the moon. Take a quilt class online... way to cool. Move the cat off the sewing table.  Practice making perfect art stitches. Move another cat off my ironing board.   It ain't my turn to make dinner this week.  Where should we go eat.  Feed the cats.  Feed the dogs.  Watch a movie with good looking men:  Hugh Jackman?  Colin Ferrel,  etc. etc.
Fabric is on sale next week.   Have to sub one day this week.
I got the "baddest"  kid to carry a notebook and pencil today.  He asked for help twice.  Breathe.  Breathe.  Breathe.  Now he has to find it inside him:  to carry it tomorrow as his  buddies make fun of him.   What is wrong with this picture...........I want them all to carry, notebook and pencil.  Lets see:  who should I work on tomorrow? 

I do my best thinking when I wake-up at 2 am.  I can solve the world problems at 2:00 am.   Then, I look like this when I walk in the door at school.  (our Smokey)

180 days to go and i can't wait until i can quilt all nite.

Where went my summer vacation?  Almost went swimming today ,but,  almost had a flat.  Brand new tires...ummm.  replaced the valve stem....good thing I wasn't on my to Florida.    New teacher at school:  I almost made her lunch for dinner.  I  was almost a Texan:  until I confessed:  what is frito salad.   Lord!!!  Frito salad is delicious.  Start with lettuce add whatever you want:  I added baby tomatoes,  kidney beans, carrots, black beans, celery,  left over roast beef , olives, red cabbage and cheese then top w/ fritos  (i'm such a foreigner, y'all say)  The secret to frito salad is Catalina Dressing :  and top w/ fritos.  Yummy in my tummy.  George was a booboo baby:  just too healthy:  I told him to open a can of chili and add fritos.  Can't wait for leftovers for lunch.  My cat Lizzie is a bully.  I just watched her cross the yard to stalk another cat.  No wonder cats don't have owners but "staff" to take care of them.   I almost felt like I was watching a female lion take down a cheetah.  I need to make another art quilt.  Almost having  pains and withdrawals  because its too late to quilt.  Just need some time.  No plans this weekend....quilt ,  quilt,  quilt.  Practice on a sandwich.  Learn to make pintucks and then cut out a raccoon.
                                                                      My Lizzie is a brute:

                                                              Lizzie is not fat:  just fluffy.

my last first day of school.

I have had 29 first days of school.  Where does the time go.  For the past 10 years I've been a public school librarian.  I love my job.  I spend hours of each day;  telling children they grew up, are pretty/handsome and I have something special for you to read.  10 years its been about self-esteem.  As money gets tighter, and budgets disappear,  I am now in the classroom teaching math.  The children come so eager to learn.  Their parents say you mind your teacher, she's pretty and smart.  How do these children  become so disenfranchised with school and have such shattered self esteems.  We have got to revitalize our schools and change the system or we will have a lost generation.  So, sad, so sad. 
Watched a movie today.  Never made it to Baby Miller.  It's called Emperor:  stars Tommy Lee Jones.  It is definitely worth the time to watch.  Can't wait to get back to my art quilts.  Had a dream last night about Swiss Cheese and my treadle.   181 days.   and to teach my students to believe in themselves.

Photos from Frederick,Oklahoma   Airman jumping and waiting to jump.

I have lived a privileged life.  Never had to wait for soldiers to come to my city and make me safe.

182 days and a new sewing machine.

Went to Frederick, OK yesterday.  That is the place where the paratroops were trained for D-Day.  Twice a year they train the next generation to jump.  They dress up in WWII regalia and jump out of a plane that actually flew over Normandy.   A year or so ago a parent volunteer gave me his great grandmother's treadle sewing machine.  It was used hard.  I want to buy the original decals for her.  A friend of mine is rebuilding the original cabinet.  She actually sews.  She was built June 15, 1910 and became obsolete by 1913.   My singer has an oblong bobbin. I can't use it until the cabinet is rebuilt.  I can't wait.  Heavy!  It's like she has a lead base.  Tomorrow is the last time I will have a first day of school.  We have to be there at 7:00 am.  Yikes!!!  Smiley faces and glad you are here "stuff".   Children are so eager the first few days and then life jumps in. 

My last summer vacation until I retire.  I can't wait until I'm always on summer vacation.  Man!!!  I need a few days off again!!

Man oh man!!! did i sleep at school?

Parent nite tonite.  Feels like I never left.  No quilting..... but I did pick-out something for this weekend that I should be able to finish.  Sort of a UFO.  Is it a UFO if its only been sitting for 6 mos?  Have you ever rented a dvd and it has scratches in it.  I'm festering.  Now I can't sleep,  I'm over tired,   and I have to wait until tomorrow to see the end.   Quilting makes me calm.  Late nites at school wind me up.  And, scratches on dvd's make me want to explode.  183 days and still counting.

Yippee!!! Punishment Day 3 Technology is everywhere.

It was actually fun.  The day went quickly and snacks were provided. Remember:  if you feed the teachers they won't eat your children.  I must admit I purchase all the new tools and salivate over all the new software in quilting.  I use it and then go back to the way my great grandmother made her quilts.  If I had a choice to save a cat or my sewing machine...I would just pray for purgatory.  I would not be able to make that choice.  As I truly believe,  my Hell will be when I get to Heaven : (all middle school teachers go to heaven) God says:  "Do you want to spend eternity w/ the cats or dogs? " I love all the new updates on my sewing machine and how everything gets faster and slicker.  Baby Miller just purrs every time she comes back home from being cleaned.  At work, I just wish they'd leave the technology alone.  Every flippin year I have to learn new icons or new procedures because corporate wants to look slick.  Day 185 we learned about webpages that I would have killed for when I was a younger teacher.  I love workshops especially quilt workshops.  Every time I go to one I come home all jazzed-up.  Here is a photo of our Maggie.  She was rescued 7 years ago and wakes up each morning thanking us for keeping her safe.  Time to Quilt.....
    Miss Maggie soon to be a quilt:

School went fast today......185 days to go.

Finished a quilt-let last night.  I can't wait to make more.  I finally learned the art of making points.  I can't believe its a block that has been around for over 200 years.  It's called a New York Beauty.
Today I feel great and have energy, but, couldn't shake melt downs all afternoon. These hormone suppressants make you crazy and give you hot sweats.Sweat just runs down your face, back and arms.  Now I know why they call us: "survivors".  First you get sliced and diced:  not once but twice.  Then the techs spend months poisoning you.  Once you start to recover you get burned and burned and burned.  Getting old is not for the faint-hearted.   Ladies, make sure you get those mammograms. 
 I went to visit the Assistant Director of Personnel.  A three year salary freeze and a mystical salary schedule. I saw in b&w no raise year after year.  Oh my heart hurts...  Today, I learned the magic formula. Wow! We get a 3.5% raise this year.  It's a nice chunk of change but every Texas state employee gets a 3.5% raise across the board.  I heard it on the news in Dallas last month when it was announced.  Our board voted on it today. ummmm.   Today, I sat at my desk for maybe 20 minutes.  I'm exhausted.  Librarians are always moving.  Where is that book I'm supposed to be readin?  I checked out equipment, helped new teachers get accounts, worked w/ co-teacher ate a great big, "huge" Mexican lunch. My co-teacher went to punishment for me.  I love that guy.  2 hours after school to learn another way to teach math.  If they would ask us old folks we could save the district $1000s and gotten a bigger raise.  Children years behind grade level in math need basic division, multiplication and fractions.  That's it.  Once that is learned, memorized and drilled into those pointy little heads:  they can keep up with the new skills.  But, alas, they never ask us.
My first New York Beauty Wall Hanging:  And now to start one more. 

Punishment

Man!!! I had a hard time getting out of bed today.  6 hours of punishment.  But it wasn't so bad.  I want to be positive.  It's so hard because I know the crap behind many of the presentations.  They want to do a school wide service project to address "Texas hunger"  I didn't have the courage to say:  these kids wouldn't be hungry if the kids didn't come to school  in $150 Nikes or pay $135 or more for kid's cellular data plans etc. etc.  Now, "they"  have these lines behind semi-trucks for backpacks and school supplies.  Parents don't even have to shop for school items anymore with their children.  Shopping for school supplies used to be the highlight of returning to school when my parents took me to the store.     The PhotoQuilter's family hasn't had TV in 4 years.  We almost died the first 6 months. But,  We survived.   Last year we bought a cheap antenna and watch 2 channels:  CBS and NBC.    We have no data plans on our cell phones because I use that money to feed stray cats.  I guess it's all about choice and responsibility.  I will be co-teaching w/ a math teacher two periods this year.  It's going to be fun to be back in the classroom.  I've been the school librarian for 15 years and haven't read an adult book in 5.     Well!! I have an appointment w/ head of personnel tomorrow.  I found a 2008 pay scale and a 2012 pay scale yesterday while cleaning
and if I had stayed on the 2008 payscale:  I'd be making more money:  Now isn't that something to wonder about!!!!
Our vet said "She is the fattest stray I've seen in a long time".  Cali will never  be hungry again.

I actually have the energy to quilt tonite.  Putting on binding on a small art quilt and starting the finishing touches of a bed size quilt for a friend.

My last free Sunday

Sunday morning or should I say Sunday late morning: my last free day before school starts. It's almost noon and I just got out of my jammies. I could have spent the morning quilting. I should have spent the morning quilting but I can't get Monday off my mind. How did teaching become so stressful? It would be so easy to solve the problems at school but the powers that be won't ask us. First of all safety. We don't feel safe anymore in our classrooms. We convince our children that school is safe and we will protect them. We convince our students that they have a job to do. And our job is to get you ready for the next year. Secondary schools including middle schools now have full time policemen in schools. I feel safe when they are there but I fear the clock is ticking. Every child is eager to learn those first few days. Then what happens? It's just like in quilting or anything else. You get it wrong. You can't keep up in class or you find the design or fabric doesn't work at home. Quilters take out seam rippers and kids shut down. In quilting we call them: UFO's. Unfinished objects. Quilts that just never get finished. I am proud to say I have 5. I'm thinking about turning them into dog blankets. I actually spent one summer day 2 years ago and ripped an entire back out. It almost was a full size quilt. So now I have the top neatly folded in my closet. And there it sits waiting for me to retire so I can start it again or will I?  187 days left and all we have is punishment tomorrow. I can't stand meetings.

This is the first day of my last day....

Once upon a time, about 30 years ago I became a teacher. At that time teachers had no respect. We made no money the schools were a mess, test scores were at an all time low. When I went out and met people at parties or other places I lied and said I was a waitress. No questions, no discussions, no verbal abuse about being underpaid or how bad it was in the schools. It seemed that everyone I was meeting was over-educated, over-paid, and over-dressed. Man!! They were good-looking and always had money in their pockets! But I purr-serverred. And now in 2013, oh what a beautiful year, the cycle has completed. Teachers are respected, underpaid, and the test scores are at an all time low. But this is my last year. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. 192 days 4 hours and 17 minutes. Last Sunday night I told George 192 days 4 hours and 17 minutes. He said you can do it. Monday morning I whined I didn't want to go to work. Its not fair. Why do I have to work? I don't want to do this anymore. I cried all the way to work. Tears rolled down my eyes. I was laughing so hard saying this is my first day of my last day and its only 191 days to go.

My kind, gentle father in California who taught me to love animals. Who always believed in me and made the last 30 years possible. I have had a wonderful career. 187 days to go.