AuburnChick's Adventures

Holla people!  It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means!  It’s time for Joyce’s Hodgepodge!  I am loving the questions this week.  Well, truth be told, I love them every week!  Play along, learn about some other people, and just have fun!

1.  What lesson has failure taught you?

I’m not sure that I look at things I didn’t succeed in quite this way…as failures.  I think that I’ll use the word disappointment instead.  Hope you don’t mind, Joyce.  The lesson that disappointment has taught me is to trust God.  When I was looking for a teaching job, I received rejection after rejection, despite having a reputation as a hard worker and excellent substitute.  People kept slamming the doors in my face, and a couple of administrators told me, to my face, that they wouldn’t hire me.  I was more disappointed than I’d ever been and cried buckets.

However, I trusted in God’s perfect plan for me, and He opened a way, in His time, that eventually led to the job I have now…at a school where I feel appreciated by those I work with and supported by those I work for.

Trusting is the key.  God’s plan, despite disappointment is ALWAYS best.

2.  What decision are you glad you made?

I am glad I made the decision to stay home with my children when they were youngsters.  I was on track for a terrific career…one I enjoyed immensely…dealing with all things techy…and I gave up a good salary (for a person who didn’t have a college degree)  to fulfill my dream of being a stay-at-home mom to my children.  Although this means that I will be working forever and a day, and my daughter, a first-year teacher, is making more money than me, a fourth-year teacher, I am content that I did the right thing.

My children had what I did not – a mother who was there for them every day…a mother who attended every awards ceremony, volunteered for just about every opportunity at school…a mother who made it her mission to let her children know that they came first.

Even though I don’t often feel validated by them for my decision, I know it was the right one.  Sure, I’ve not been a perfect mother, but they can never say that I didn’t show them how loved they were/are.

3.  I’ve been a little bit surprised to see fully lit and decorated Christmas trees popping up for the past several weeks in friend’s Instagram feeds. So tell the truth-is your tree up and decorated, and if so when did that happen? If not, when will you be decking the halls?

My tree is not up, and I’m not sure I’ll put one up this year.  I gave my tree to Chicky to use in the home she is renting with her roommates.  I did that in the hopes of getting a pre-lit tree; however, this year’s Christmas will be vastly different from all previous years.  We will be spending Christmas with Chicky down south, and I’ll be gone from the 19th until probably around New Year’s to help her recover from knee surgery.

I really don’t feel like pulling everything out and decorating the house for only two or three week’s worth of enjoyment.  It’s just not worth the effort.

Bah humbug, eh?

4.  Solitaire-Poker-Rummy-Hearts-Go Fish-Old Maid…which game of cards would you most like to join?

Super Sis and I are HUGE fans of Rummy!!!  We call it 21 and played it while we were growing up.  We’re ruthless.

Playing 21 got us through the horrendous ordeal of burying our father, unexpectedly, in 2001.  We played on the plane to and from Texas.  There were lots of tears shed during those games too, and we had the entire back of the plane watching as we played hand after hand.

There are fond and bittersweet memories associated with this game.

5.  This question comes to you courtesy of a Facebook friend, who once upon a time had a blog…When you’re feeling stressed do you snack a lot or are you more the ‘can’t eat’ type?

I am one who won’t eat when I get stressed.

Truth be told, I’m not a big eater anyway.  Yes, I have a few things I like, but given the option, I’ll choose not to eat.

Being upset or stressed takes the itsy bitsy hunger I might be feeling away completely.

When Aubie passed away in May (I still tear up…even typing this now), I couldn’t eat afterward.  When Chicky tore her ACL again, I couldn’t eat.

Stress is a good diet plan for me.

😉

6.  Have you ever reviewed a product or service on line? Was your review favorable or less than favorable?

I used to be a mystery shopper, so I did this regularly for a few years.

The most recent review…sans being a mystery shopper…I did was for a restaurant.  I posted my review online.

I gave it a bad review.  The service was incredibly slow, and by the end of its tenure as a money-making venture, people weren’t even getting the right orders!  It closed not too long after I posted my review.  It’s too bad, because the food was actually delicious.

7.  What was the best conversation you had yesterday?

I got observed for the first of two “official” observations that are part of my teacher evaluation process.  I was a little nervous before my principal arrived because the class I’d chosen was acting a little crazy.  My classes stay with me for two class periods with a five-minute break in between.  We had already prepped for his visit.  I believe in honesty and promises of treats (for the students) when it comes to observations.  LOL.

As they got out their feistiness, I fretted.  They assured me that they would act properly when Mr. Principal came in.  They were even concerned enough to take their phones off of the chargers.  I allow my students to charge their phones for two reasons:  1)  Many have extracurricular activities or have to find rides home and need to talk to parents along the way and 2) If the phones are on the chargers, the kids aren’t texting secretly under the tables.

Anyhoo…the kids were very concerned that I’d get in trouble for allowing them to charge their phones, so they told me they were unplugging them.

I saw NOT one phone out the entire time he was there!!

The conversations we’d had before he arrived meant so much to me because they revealed how much my students care for me and the classroom community as a whole.

8.  My Random Thought

Chicky comes home for Thanksgiving in ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Need I say more?

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge |