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July 4th, 2018

Posted on July 4, 2018 by auburnchick

Gosh, but is it really the 4th of July already?  It doesn’t seem like an entire year has gone by since the last one we celebrated.  I actually remember spending a few hours at the pool before hurrying home to spend time with my sweet Molly, who wasn’t feeling well.

How will you be spending the day?  Will you watch a parade?  Will you grill out with friends?  Will you stick your toes in the sand and listen to the sound of the surf as I’m planning on doing?  Will you spend the evening watching a gorgeous display of fireworks?

What will you be thinking about as you engage in your fun?

Will you relish the day off in the middle of the week?  If you’re a teacher like me, will it be just another day in your second month of vacation – a day to spend with family?

I don’t know that I gave the 4th an extraordinary amount of thought until two years ago when my Rooster enlisted in the Air Force.

Perspective is everything.

Now that I’m a military mama, I recognize the day for what it is:  a celebration of the freedom that selfless men and women gave their lives for in the early days of our country’s founding.

This freedom is still being fought for.

I count it an honor to count my Rooster among that special group of people.

Rooster, thank you for what you do.  Thank you for answering the call to serve your country.

You always said that you wanted to serve where you would make a difference.

You do.

Every day.

I am so proud to be a citizen of a country that was forged by incredibly brave individuals.

More than that, I consider it a great privilege to be the mama of a serviceman.

Happy 4th of July, sweet friends.  Let us never take for granted the freedom that is uniquely ours.

Filed under: Air Force | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

California – Day 6

Posted on July 3, 2018 by auburnchick

Oh Day 6, how I wasn’t prepared for you to arrive so quickly.

It was to be the day of our departure from our Rooster and precious bonus daughter.

I woke up at o’dark 30 to get in a workout.  I knew that a long day of travel was ahead of me, so moving my body was of utmost importance.

It was me by my lonely self – probably because I’m the only crazy person who works out at 4am.

The payoff is always worth it, as it was that final morning in CA.

I put in a little over four miles on the treadmill after my Obsession workout, keeping a close eye on the time.

Rooster had made it clear what time we needed to leave, and I’d been warned that I’d be left behind if I wasn’t ready.

Nobody was awake even after I’d prettied myself up, so I put the finishing touches on my packing.

The camo bag was my carry-on, and the green bag was going to be my personal item.  I don’t pack light, y’all.  What can I say?

After a final hug for Gus, we headed out . . . 8:30am . . . plenty of time to make it for our noon-ish flight.

The weather was strange as we drove, sunny but with smoke or something covering the tops of the hills.

The weather grew more overcast the closer to San Francisco we got.

The traffic situation also worsened – to the point where we were crawling – as we neared the toll booth.  I think it took us forty five minutes to travel eight miles.  It was a very good thing that we’d left early!

Once we paid the toll, we moved a lot faster and arrived at the airport two hours after we’d started.

But yes.

Now I’m going to tell you that I do not do departures very well.   Try as I might to prepare myself, it is very, very difficult to let my kiddos go.

Ugh.

I’ve always had a hard time with this, but being a military mama has made it even more difficult.

There’s a saying in our world:  There aren’t any goodbyes, just see-you-laters.

Goodbye feels more permanent; whereas, see-you-laters hold promises of future get-togethers.

I also tend to like to draw out our moments, but that didn’t happen this time.

Rooster and N didn’t plan to park and walk us in, like we always do when they visit us.  I couldn’t imagine the cost of parking, and the airport was a serious madhouse, so it just didn’t make much sense.

This was actually better for me, because when he pulled up to the curb, we had to hurry to get the bags out of the trunk.

I tenderly hugged N and told her how much I love her.  She is MORE than what I prayed for as a wife for my boy.  She is thoughtful and tender-hearted.  She is so freaking smart and gentle.  She’s as beautiful on the outside as she is on the outside.  ❤

Then, I hugged my boy and told him how proud I was of him.  Gosh, but I can’t even type this without getting tears in my eyes.  This boy of mine has grown up so much in the past two years.  He was always incredibly smart, but to see him doing life with his sweet wife and adorable dog.  Well, y’all, I guess I should stop calling him my boy because he’s a man now.

Getting to live in my kids’ world for awhile was an incredible experience.  It brought peace to my heart and created a connection between their world and mine.

I turned back to watch as they switched seats – overhearing an impromptu deal about who was driving and who was navigating the return drive home.  I wanted to wave to their car as they drove off, but the reality was that we needed to get checked in and through what we expected to be a long security line before we could truly relax.

So we headed in.

Ok, so one thing we could not figure out was how to print our tickets at the kiosk.  On our trip over, a sweet Delta employee had walked us through it.

I had the Delta app on my phone, so my reservation information was there, along with a QR code for both of our tickets, but we were old-school and wanted paper copies of the tickets.

Since we couldn’t make them print out at the kiosk, and we still needed to check one bag each, we got in the ticket line.  The gentleman who assisted us told us we could just use the app.

Okayyyyyy.  We were nervous.

Just as we thought, the TSA security line was l-o-n-g.  Summer travel was full speed ahead, and unfortunately, we had not remembered to do the pre-check-in, so we had to wait.

It took almost forty-five minutes for us to get through.  Before entering the line, we had to show our tickets.  This was the first time we used the app, and it worked like magic!

After being all cleared, we found our gate quite easily – it was the first one after the security check in, and took turns looking for food.

While I waited for the Mr. to come back from his scavenger hunt, Rooster texted me to see how things were going.  I explained that we’d just sat down and asked how his trip home was proceeding.  He said that they were almost home (remember that he was navigating).  It took them about an hour to get home – half the time to drive to the airport.

Sigh.

When the Mr. came back, it was my turn to find food.

I’m not going to lie.  I bought all the things because I was nervous about being hungry like our first trip had been.

I got myself a delicious wrap and bought boiled eggs and fruit for the Mr.

Then we waited for our flight to board, plugging into the entertainment system as soon as we sat down.

We got to see the score for one of the World Cup games that day.

Then, I settled in for a movie that I’d spied on our first trip.

I had new ear buds I’d purchased at Walmart the day before (see the green plug there), so I was set to go.

We had already picked out the extra snacks we wanted.  This was a box loaded with all vegan-friendly food.

I completely embraced the flying thing.  I mean, what better way to splurge on your healthy diet than with snacks and tomato juice, handed out by friendly flight attendants?

For the record, I brought home most of my box, uneaten.  I was actually full after the wrap I’d eaten for lunch and the free snacks they provided.

I knit my way through the movie.

And through an episode of Chopped . . .

I had the middle seat, and there was a lady sitting/napping to my left next to the window, so I couldn’t take any pictures of the land we were flying over.  Bummer.

We landed in Atlanta with plenty of time to spare.  The Mr. and I grabbed dinner and waited, actually running into a guy from our church who was also headed home and would be on our plane.  Small world, eh?

Departing from Atlanta at 9:30 was a neat experience.

The city lights were beautiful as we gained altitude.

The final leg of our journey was only 35 minutes.  We’d barely gotten off the ground before we were landing.

Chicky picked us up, and the first thing I noticed when we stepped out to the car was the heat and humidity – even past 11:30pm.

Hello, Florida.

The dogs were so confused when we got home.  They thought they were going to bed with Chicky; instead, they were returning to their normal routine.

We were so thankful that Chicky had held down the fort while we were gone.  She’d cleaned part of the house – the kitchen and my bathroom.  It was so nice to come home to a clean abode!

So that, my friends, was our wonderful trip to California!  We had originally tried to plan this last summer.  I am so glad we didn’t with all of the health issues we had going on.  We would not have enjoyed ourselves as much as we did with the trip taking place this year.

I am grateful that we had the opportunity to make incredible memories during this special trip.

 

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

California – Day 5

Posted on July 2, 2018 by auburnchick

This was going to be our last full day in California, and I didn’t want to waste a minute.

I got on up and did my workout.  It was the first day of Phase 3 of 80 Day Obsession and boy did it kick my rear end.  Beach Body on Demand rocked, y’all.  I loved using the app!!

Then, I put in almost three and a half miles on the treadmill before heading back to the apartment.

We were taking it a little easy as far as adventuring.  We went with the kids to see a house.  They were looking for a new place to rent – one with a small yard and a garage.

Doing everyday things with the kids almost made me forget that there are 3,000 miles that separate us on a regular basis.

The kids went to the gym when we got back, and the Mr. headed out to exercise in the apartment’s gym.  I took the opportunity to start packing.  I knew that we would be busy later that day and didn’t want to waste precious together time with the kids.

Later that afternoon, we headed out toward Sacramento for one last hurrah.

We’d heard incredible things about Topgolf and were eager to give it a whirl.  Rooster and N had played before.  In fact, they were the ones who suggested that we put this on our agenda when we were planning our trip.  Chicky has played where she lives too, so we were the last ones in the family to try it out.

Now, you guys know that I’m a bit athletically challenged.  The only golfing I’ve ever done is Putt Putt.

Ahem.

Still, I was excited to try something new.

Oh, and that bling?  Well, I was wearing a matching bracelet (duh), which was not the best decision.  I wound up taking it off later; it got in the way of golfing.  Lesson learned.

We asked for a bay on the third floor, which N said would be the easiest for hitting balls into their targets.  She wasn’t wrong about that.

It was another gorgeous day – sunny but not too hot.  Take a look at the view . . .

Have you ever done Topgolf?

The way it works is that you pay one price for the bay.  You get assigned an attendant who will assist you with getting your games set up and will take your food/drink orders.

The menu had a lot of options.

I went for the margarita in the souvenir cup, of course.  Check out the golf club straws too.

We placed our food orders and then began playing.

There are quite a few golf clubs you can choose from, and they are marked as far as how much distance they cover – very helpful for newbies like me.  The Mr. and Rooster also provided invaluable advice in this regard.  They’re more sports-oriented.

You wave your club in front of the scanner, and your ball drops down onto your putting green.  There’s a tee for you to set your ball on.

Now, you just aim for whatever target you want, depending on the game you’ve selected.  Rooster set us up with an easy game based strictly off of points.  The further the target, the more points you earn.  There’s a monitor that shows you exactly where your ball lands each time.  It’s a little like bowling, only much more fun.

I was a nervous wreck when I started teeing off.  I didn’t want to look dumb by whiffing the ball.

Yeah, I whiffed.

Ahem.

Rooster chuckled but encouraged me.

I couldn’t believe when I actually connected with the ball and hit it over the edge.

Check out this video that the Mr. took of me . . .

I felt like a character from the Jetsons.  Do you remember this cartoon from back in the day?

We played almost an entire game before our food arrived – nearly an hour’s worth of fun – so we signed up for another hour.

I got better the longer we played.  The key thing for me was remembering to keep my eyes on the ball and lower my shoulders.  When I hunched them around my ears, my ball went awry.  Once I got the hang of that, I was able to put more muscle into my swing.  All of those planks and pushups were finally being put to good use!  Ha!

This place has got it going on $$-wise, I’m telling you!

The food was delicious, and our portions were large!  I really enjoyed my hummus and veggies.

After finishing the first game, which I came in second or third in, we began the next game.  Rooster made this one harder.  We had to aim for certain targets each round.  I wound up almost beating the Mr.  I think I may have come in second in this game.  I think I surprised my crew, as well as myself.  This is a game I was made for!

After our second hour was up, we headed back home.

The sunset was breathtaking.

I hung out with Rooster and Gus while the Mr. packed.

Oh y’all, I was dreading the next morning, but I put on a brave face.  The kids had taken the entire week off just so they could spend all of their time with us.  What a selfless family I have!

We went to bed a little late, but like I said, I knew that we would be harried the next morning, so I eked out every bit of together-time that I could.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

California – Day 4

Posted on July 1, 2018 by auburnchick

Day 4 started with a gorgeous sunrise.

Because it was Sunday, I had a reprieve from my 80 Day Obsession workout regimen.

Y’all, as much as I loved the treadmill thing and being able to put in miles away from the hot/cold weather, it was incredibly boring.

Don’t tell me that you don’t do this too, because you know that you do.

I listened to one of my favorite podcasts to help me pass the time.

Because I’d gotten up so early, I had time to put in some decent miles . . .

Go me!  Whoop whoop!

We had big plans for the day, so I got ready as quickly back at the apartment, and we headed out.

First on the agenda was a fairly short drive to Vallejo, which is a little north of San Francisco.

The kids told me that this is where parts of the series, 13 Reasons Why, was filmed.  Isn’t that cool?!

As we pulled into the parking lot, we saw an interesting sight . . .

One of those people is not like the other.  Here’s another clue . . .

Apparently, pirates have to pay to park in Vallejo, just like landlubbers.

What can I say, California’s got it all, people.

We crossed the street to buy tickets for this . . .

Yep.  We were getting ready to take the ferry!

That might not seem like a big deal to some of you, but for this southern gal who lives in Podunk, Florida, it was.

The Mr. bought all four of our tickets (return passage too).  We saw the ferry pulling up as we got in line.

I don’t know why, but I’d imagined something completely different.  I certainly didn’t picture a ferry with closed in seating, but that’s what we got, which was actually good since it was a little chilly.

We really wanted window seats, but they were already taken up by people who obviously had more knowledge than we did about such things.

Check out this group of ladies.  They were prepared for the hour we were about to spend crossing over to San Francisco.

Let’s talk about the ferry for a minute.  The seats reminded me of what you’d find on an airplane.  They had pull-down tables, and there was a snack bar in the back.  There was even a bathroom with HOT water available.

You could get up and down, walk around, etc., at your leisure.  There were television screens that projected safety tips.  It was very spacious and actually very comfortable.

I could get used to traveling like this!

I had taken my fancy camera with zoom lens with me and stood up to grab some photos as we neared our destination.

There’s a reflection because I didn’t realize that I could have gone to the top of the ferry and stepped outside.  I learned that lesson later in the day when we were on our way back.

Even though the morning was overcast (boy how it changed from Vallejo), the Golden Gate Bridge was more visible than when we’d visited it two days prior.

I snapped some other photos of the city as we approached . . .

I thought I’d spied a lighthouse when I took the next picture.  We later learned that it was some other building (I’ve forgotten the name of it now).

This was the port as we pulled in . . .

The hour on the ferry flew by – there was so much to look at.  Here’s what we saw when we stepped off . . .

Isn’t that pretty?

There was a ferry building with lots of shops – kind of like an indoor market.  I should have taken a few pictures of the inside.  Here’s one I grabbed . . .

The stores were unique.  Some, like the one above, sold fresh produce.  Others sold ice cream or local honey (the Mr. bought a jar later that afternoon).

We walked around a bit before heading out.  Before we left, though, I spied this . . .

Oh hello there, my little friends.

I decided to buy one – duh – and I guess I must have sounded either adorable (ha!) or pathetic (most likely) because the sweet girl helping me put an extra (i.e., free) doughnut in my bag!  Yum!  They (salted caramel and matcha) were delicious, let me tell you (I didn’t eat them in one day either!)!

The piers were all numbered; we were looking for Pier 39, which is a tourist attraction.

We walked at least a mile and a half, but it wasn’t bad.  The sidewalks were very wide, and I saw a LOT of joggers.  I was a little jealous.

The temperature was perfect, though, and we enjoyed seeing this part of San Francisco.

Pier 39 was easy to find and well-marked with flags.

Check out this mural . . .

As we entered the Pier, here’s what we saw . . .

It reminded me of what you see when you arrive at Universal Studios in Orlando.  There were restaurants and shops on both sides.  The further back you went, the closer to the water you got.

We were all hungry, so we stopped for lunch first.

The restaurant had large windows with a view of the marina.

There were a couple of vegan options on the menu.

I went with the Summer of Love Burger, minus the aioli, which was a little different but tasty.  I did not eat the bun – no need for those extra calories given the doughnut I’d eaten already!

We ate until we were full and headed out to shop.

N wanted to look in this store since she’s left-handed.

The Mr. and I picked up a couple of souvenirs at one of the shops, but honestly, we really didn’t buy much.

Then, we made our way to the water.  That’s where the fun was really happening.

First of all, the weather had cleared up; the sun came out, and it was absolutely glorious.  It was windy too, as evidenced by my hair.

We took some photos with Alcatraz in the background.

I’d really, really wanted to see Alcatraz, but by the time we looked into getting tickets, they were sold out!  We found out that you have to purchase these 90 days in advance.  Lesson learned.

I took quite a few pictures of it though – the zoom lens was so handy!

The Golden Gate Bridge was easy to spot.

It was the perfect day for sailing.

There were lots of boat tours going on . . .

I’m not sure what the ship in the next photo was being used for – probably transport.  The Mr. liked that I captured the bird in the picture.

The real attraction, though was the sea lions.

You should have seen the crowds of people lined up to watch them.

They were, quite honestly, some of the most adorable animals I’ve ever seen.

There was definitely a pecking order too.  This guy was holding court.

He had a LOT to say.

This one must have been the Grand Poomba.

He gave everyone the What for . . .

. . . before he knocked them all into the water . . .

Here’s a video I recorded . . .

After we got our fill of sea lions, we headed out.  Our legs were tired, so the Mr. found a taxi.  The driver was super sweet and agreed to drive us to Lombard Street, which is probably the most famous road in San Francisco.

To get there was a challenge.  Boy was I grateful for our driver’s knowledge.  Some of the roads were one-way.  ALL of them were hilly . . . as in you’ve-gotta-get-new-brakes-at-least-once-a-year kind of hilly.

He was able to navigate to the top of Lombard, which is one way (down).

Here was the view from the top – absolutely stunning.

Here’s a video as our driver made his way S-L-O-W-L-Y down the road.

Do you remember seeing this street in movies?

There are actually residential buildings on both sides, and security is provided each day because there are so many tourists who go down this road.

What surprised me was how short it was.

I also didn’t expect it to be so pretty.  The landscaping was top notch.

Here’s the view from the bottom . . .

Of course the Mr. and I took a selfie (isn’t he a trooper?).

I don’t know how people drive in San Francisco.  I’d be so stressed out every time!  You should have seen the parking too – weird angles and itsy bitsy spots.

No thank you!

Our driver took us back to our ferry pier where we hung out until our ferry came back for us.

We did a little more shopping, and I bought one more doughnut for the road.

Ahem.

The Mr. and I took a selfie with the Bay Bridge in the background.

Do you remember the earthquake that hit the Bay area in 1989?  The Bay Bridge had a section that got messed up.  I googled it because I thought I remembered it being damaged.

After we boarded the ferry, I made myself comfortable.  We got window seats this time.  Yay!

We made one stop to another pier, where I spotted these gentlemen entertaining the crowd . . .

I snapped a photo of that pier as well.  I think it might have been Pier 39.  I’m not sure.

Then the ferry was headed back to Vallejo,  I visited the top deck, stepping outside for better pictures.

This is a close up of Alcatraz . . .

I took a few pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge – so pretty against the fading sun.

I took a final picture of the San Francisco skyline . . .

That evening, we ate at Rock & Brews for dinner.  It was a really neat place, and the food was delicious!

After watching some TV and playing with Gus, we headed to bed.  We had one more day of adventuring ahead of us, and we wanted to be rested.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

California – Day 3

Posted on June 30, 2018 by auburnchick

After the first two days of adventures, we decided to stay local.  The driving for hours had been taxing on Rooster and N, so we gave them a reprieve.

While they slept in, I got up and worked out, determined to stick to my routine.

Everyone was still sleeping when I got back – probably the only smart ones of the bunch.  Ha!

Since we’d decided to stick close to home, we weren’t in a big hurry to get out and about.

I think that this was the day we ate sushi for lunch.

Later, we ventured out, first to Fleet Feet, a shoe store that I was super excited to visit.

I’d read, in my Hogwarts Running Club’s Facebook group, about the amazing (and free) foot analysis that the store gives each customer.  When I’d researched locations, I’d discovered that there was a store close to the kids, and N was very agreeable to doing this with me.

What they do is have you step on a machine that takes a 3-D scan of your feet.

I wish I’d gotten a picture of the machine.

It took less than a minute.

Then, the gal, who I found out was the store manager, sat down with me and showed me the results on her iPad.

Take a look . . .

Is that not the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?

Not only do you see what your feet look like, top to bottom and side to side, but you get a lot of other information, like the length of each foot, the width of different sections of your foot (this will be helpful for sock knitting), and the amount of arch in your feet.

I’d always known that one foot was bigger than the other, but I’d kind of forgotten that my feet were wide.

The gal suggested that I go up to size 8.5 shoes.  Say what?  I usually wear 8’s, so this was interesting.  She also told me that I needed to buy wide shoes.

Y’all, this is plain old embarrassing.  I grew up in the South and went barefoot from May through August.  I know that’s what made my feet spread out, but I’ve been living with horse blinders on and NOT buying wide shoes.  Guess that’s why I’m having some other issues now.

The gal also told me that . . . get this . . . I have bunions.

Wait, what?

Yeah.  I had no idea what they were except that two people at my school have had surgery for them and have had to be in a boot for their surgeries.

Y’all, I flipping have bunions.

I.

Feel.

Old.

See those knots below my big toes?  I thought those were normal.

They aren’t.

I’ve done some reading about them since, and if you don’t treat them, they will affect your toes and will push them into the other ones, thus disfiguring your feet.

Sigh.

What was also interesting was the view from the top.  Can you see my right ankle and the swelling that’s still there.

Sigh.

The gal looked at my shoes and the inserts I had in them.  She told me that I’d bought super good shoes, and that it was great that I was using my inserts . . . Happy Feet . . . which my first physical therapist had recommended given the pronation in my feet.  Her only suggestion was to get wide shoes the next time I make a purchase.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have a pair of ASICS in my size, wide variety, for me to try on.  I’ll do that the next time I’m at the outlet store near me.

I did wind up buying a new pair of Vionic flip flops.  They were so comfortable, and she gave me a little discount, so there was that.

Oh, and she emailed the link for the scan, so I can have access to it whenever I want.

I highly, highly recommend getting a fitting at this store, if you have one near you.  Some locations have customers run on a treadmill to analyze their gait.  The store I visited was too small to offer this service.

After we left the store, we headed toward Rooster’s base.  N works there too.  I’d told them that I wanted to see where they worked so I could picture it in my mind when we chatted.

Rooster took us the back way – the scenic route – and it did not feel like we were in California.  I could have sworn that we were driving on back roads in Alabama . . . except for the “hills.”

He took us to his squadron, and we got to meet his boss and another guy who happened to be there . . . on a Saturday . . . because the Air Force never sleeps.

We got to see Rooster’s closet of an office – I’m not exaggerating.  We also got to look at the different awards his squadron has won for their skill.  It was an impressive array and made me so proud.

As we drove around base, we got to see, from a distance, the plane that he flies on, and I was struck by its size.  I guess I’d always envisioned the type that had carried us across the country to visit our kids.  We also got to see another BIG plane (the name of it escapes me).

Y’all, I am a student of history and have read a lot about the planes and ships that have shaped our country’s military history.  I was in awe.

N took us to see where she works.  She has the privilege of caring for children who’s parents and grandparents have medical appointments on base.  Each Air Force base provides this service, which is so fabulous given that most people are stationed far from family who could lend a helping hand.  N has a tender heart for children – another thing to love about her.  ❤

We visited the BX and another store in the base’s mall.

I picked up a couple of things . . .

I love this little shot glass . . .

I didn’t take any pictures on the base.

I did take some video of our drive back . . . those country roads called out to me.

Dinner was very chill.  Rooster and N ate leftovers, while the Mr. and I ordered something from a Chinese restaurant.  We took N’s car, and boy was that an adventure.  Ahem.

When we got back, I settled in for some knitting.  Gus was very curious . . .

That ended Day 3.  We had another big adventure planned for the next day, so an easy day had been a MUST!

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

California – Day 2

Posted on June 29, 2018 by auburnchick

Day 2 of our California vacation started with an early-morning workout and a trek on the treadmill.  I never tired of the view . . . talk about motivating!

When I returned to the apartment, everyone was still asleep, which gave me time to shower and dress without hogging the bathroom.

When N woke up and saw what I was wearing (a cute tank top and blue jeans with holes), she strongly urged me to change, explaining that I would be very cold when we got to our destination.

Y’all, can I just be real here?  I like to dress up when we are out and about.  Call me high maintenance.  Whatever.

With that said, Rooster’s girl is super smart, and I trust her judgment.  So, I changed into a long-sleeve shirt and non-holey pants.  I did leave on my Vionic flip flops.  Ha!

Even with the wardrobe change, it wasn’t long before we were out the door for another adventure.  I took my knitting along for the ride.

Our destination?

Take a look at the video below . . .

It was the Golden Gate Bridge!!!!

Y’all, I was so excited!!

The neat thing is that you’ll just be driving along, round the curve, and BAM, it’s just there.

It is so gorgeous; the color specifically chosen to stand out against the landscape (I read this on a billboard you’ll see a photo of in a bit.

You can hear, in the video above, the kids explaining that people actually walk the bridge.  I’d read on a website not to do that, but I think if I ever go back, I wouldn’t mind.  Wouldn’t that make for some great photos – looking up at the architecture?

Rooster found a free place to park, kind of amazing given the high price of everything in California, and as soon as he opened his car door, I was EXTREMELY glad that I’d heeded N’s advice.

The wind was blowing fiercely, which you’ll also notice with my messy hair in the pictures that follow.

It was also f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g.

I had not expected this.  I mean, it was the middle of June . . . in North America.  It had been in the high 70’s the day before.  If I had worn the sundress from the day before, I would have been done for.

We carefully made out way down the street, under a short tunnel, and to the buildings that surround the base of the bridge.

First, a pit stop at the restroom where the line to the ladies area was long.

The area felt a little dirty and very touristy, but hey, the bridge is a landmark that begs the adoration of the masses.

We’d packed leftovers from the day before to eat as a picnic lunch.  Our original intent had been to visit Crissy Field, another popular tourist spot; however, the weather was foggy, overcast, and cold, so we didn’t.  Instead, we headed toward the Roundhouse Cafe.

It reminded me of something you’d see in one of the lands of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.  It was round and had tall windows with a bar and stools running around it.  There were no “tables” to speak of.  There was also a place to order food, which we didn’t need.

We set ourselves up and ate while enjoying the view.

Y’all, I was so giddy.  I couldn’t believe that I was sitting within throwing distance of the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE.

Isn’t that crazy?

I saw people from all walks of life walking up and then down the steps.  One gal was a runner . . . wearing a sports bra and capris.  Brrrrr!

I saw ladies wearing heels (heck to the no) and families with young children.

This place truly was a mecca, of sorts.

After we finished eating, we headed out and made our way down to a more scenic area  near the water where we could grab some pictures.

Of course, there was the selfie . . .

And then the selfie with the Mr.

After taking a group selfie, it was time for pictures with the Mr., which Rooster snapped for us.

I took a few pictures of the kids too.  They’re seriously precious, let me tell you.

It was so foggy that I couldn’t see too far out over the water.  Alcatraz was barely visible, but honestly, I wasn’t sure what to look for, so there was that.

I did manage to capture some pretty neat photos of the bridge, enshrouded by clouds.

Doesn’t this look like something you’d see in a movie?

The view was awe-inspiring.  It’s just amazing how much knowledge God has imparted to mankind to build such incredible structures like this bridge.

Before leaving, I wanted another photo.  I think this one will find its way into a frame.

The cold got to us, so we carefully made our way up the steep trail and visited the shop that sits at the base of the bridge.

We made a couple of small purchases.  My favorite was this puzzle, which I put together when we got home.

Look how tiny the pieces are!

I’m in the process of matting it.  I think I’ll mount it to a frame and place it alongside a picture of us as a way to remember that fun adventure.

We headed back “home” after our shopping excursion.

Gus was happy to see us.  I puppy sat while the kids and the Mr. headed to their regular gym to work out.

We took it easy until dinner time, when we headed out to Blaze Pizza, which was having its grand opening down the street from the kids’ apartment.  They were offering each patron a free small pizza.  We couldn’t turn that down!

The line was out the door, but the restaurant had its act together; all employees were on deck and served with a smile.

There was a mishap with my pizza, though.  It made it all the way through the line, but someone dropped it while placing it into the oven.  They had to start from scratch, and it took forever.  Ugh.  I tried to be understanding.  The pizza was worth it!  I love that this place has vegan options!

That pretty much took care of our day, with the exception of the guys watching some baseball and me knitting on the couch until bedtime.  Driving around California is exhausting; it takes a longggggggg time to get places because of the traffic.  I’m not complaining, mind you, because all I had to do was ride.  We were pacing ourselves because we still had several days left in our trip.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

California – Day 1

Posted on June 28, 2018 by auburnchick

Day 1 technically began when we landed at 12:30am.

Oh, and hello snack machine.  I was s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g.  I discovered this treat while waiting for my luggage.

Enough about that though.

Props to Rooster and N for staying up late to make the hour-long drive to pick us up.  Even though I had not slept in almost twenty-four hours, I was pumped!  If you’re a military mama, you know the joy of seeing your loved one, stationed so far away.

We chatted the entire way back to their apartment, and I made some videos, one of which is below.

We greeted Gus, their dog, when we got in.  He was so excited to see us, despite the late hour.

After chatting a few minutes, we headed to bed.  By then, it was about 2:30am.

Now, I’d packed a lot of stuff, a third of which was workout attire.  I’d been doing Beach Body’s 80 Day Obsession, and I did not want to miss a routine.  I’d installed the Beach Body On Demand app and had downloaded the workouts I’d need while I was away.

Rooster’s apartment complex has a gym, and the kids had told me how to get in.  My plan was to wake up before everyone else, do my thing, and then make it back in time to get going with that day’s adventure.

The gym was amazing!

Look at that view!!

Look at all of that space and those mats!

I don’t use circuit machines, but for anyone who does . . .

I had packed my sliders and resistance loops along with my workout sheets, so I was set.

I loved the free weights.  They were easy to hold on to (not all weights are, y’all).

I had such a great workout!  Look at the picture below and how I’m bending that right leg.  This program has helped me so much with my strength and flexibility!

I got on the treadmill when I finished my workout and put in a couple of miles because I knew that we would be in the car, and my legs were used to moving!

When I got back to the apartment, everyone was awake and waiting for me!  I’d misjudged my time, so I had to hurry and get ready.

Then, we were off for our first adventure.

Now, driving in the wee hours of the morning, it had been dark, so we had not gotten a true look at the land.  Mid-morning, things looked a lot different!

There were BIG hills, and everything was brown.  Rooster explained that things turn green in the winter, when they get the bulk of their rain.  It was not what I expected, that’s for sure.

So, where were we going?

Well, the part of California where the kids live is close to Napa and Sonoma – land of the wine making.  Visiting a vineyard was high on my list.  Rooster’s wife, N, is such an awesome young lady.  She had researched wineries and had talked to friends.  She found the perfect place for us, which I’ll show you in a moment.

Meanwhile, we were driving.  The closer to Napa we got, the more the landscape changed. We passed vineyard after vineyard.  It was amazing!  We also passed a wine train.  I kid you not.  We had looked at those tours, but they were expensive.  Maybe next time.  😀

With all of the chatter in the car, it didn’t seem like it took any time until we arrived at our destination . . .

V. Sattui Winery was beautiful from the road, and even more lovely when we got out of the car.

We walked under this lovely arbor to get to the entrance . . .

We were greeted warmly by employees who explained how to go about with the wine tasting.  First, though, we wanted to do a bit of exploring.  We saw this building (I’m not sure what it’s used for) . . .

There was an old wine cellar that we didn’t go into.

The main attraction was the deli and shop.  That’s where the action was happening.

The cheese department was incredible and made me wish that I wasn’t lactose intolerant.

Rooster and N got some of it before we left.

There was a variety of balsamic vinegars to taste including this passion fruit one, which I am probably going to have to order – it was divine.

N had checked on the food available in the deli to make sure that I would have something to eat (told you that she’s fabulous).  The winery had picnic tables set up outside for people to eat at, and our plan had been to buy lunch and eat there.

Here’s a sample of the menu . . .

Here’s what I wound up getting . . .

Both were delicious; I had some of the anti-pasta leftover, which I ate the next day.  The Kale Salad was good, but I’ve learned that kale and I do not get along, no matter how it’s doctored up.  Just sayin’!

The day could not have been more perfect for visiting wineries.  Look at that sunny sky!  It could have been raining, for all I cared, because I was with my kids.  Nothing could have removed that smile from my face.  ❤

After we packed up our leftovers, we went back into the winery for more fun – shopping and wine tasting!

The way it worked was that for $20, each person could taste up to five different wines.

Rooster’s wife had been advised, by a friend, to find a younger person to help us with this.  Enter Ed, our fabulous guide to all things wine.

We really had no idea where to start, so he asked if we liked sweet or dry.  We preferred sweet, so he started us off with the Off-Dry Riesling, which he said was actually closer to sweet than dry.

I am a HUGE fan of Riesling, so this was exactly what I wanted to hear.  This one was really good.  I do not care for dry wine.  This was perfect – not too sweet and definitely not dry.  Even Rooster enjoyed it, which was interesting because I’d never seen him drink wine before.  Ahhhh . . . the joys of having adult children – responsible adult children, I might add.

The next wine we tried was Gamay Rouge.

It was a little sweeter than the first wine; you could taste the strawberries, cherries, and cranberries used to make it.

Now, the Mr. is not a wine guy.  The SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) he’s on to manage his Crohn’s restricts the types of alcohol he can have.

Ed, being the awesome guide that he was, noticed that the Mr. wasn’t participating and asked if he liked bourbon.  He said that he did, so Ed pulled this out.

That is actually a dessert wine – blended with brandy.  The Mr. really, really liked it.  You should have seen his eyes light up.  I didn’t try it, well just because (although the Mr. said I should because it’s really sweet).

Ed pulled out another bottle of something for the Mr. to try (I can’t remember what it was), but he liked the Madeira better.

Next up for those of us tasting wine was Bacci Rosato.

This is a rose wine with a host of fruits involved in the making.  It was okay – not bad but not my favorite.

The next wine we tried was a Moscato (didn’t take a picture).  It was sweet and very tasty.

Another wine we tried was Muscat (again, no picture).  I think this one was a sparkling wine, so it had some fizz.  Now it was pretty darned good – tasted like Sprite.

The last thing Ed presented us with was a combination of the Moscato and the Gamay Rouge . . .

Y’all, this was dessert in a glass!  It was so delightful and refreshing!

The only left to do when we finished was to decide what to buy.  We were so fortunate because Ed wound up not charging us for the tasting.  We knew that Rooster was going to be free because the winery offers free tastings to those on active duty with the military.  Well, Ed blessed us by comping the entire experience – for all of us!  That left us more money to buy wine!

I knew that I couldn’t get anything home without incurring some breakage, so the only option left was to purchase some for shipping.  The winery required either six or twelve bottle purchases.

Darn.

I filled out the order form, all the while chalking the purchase up to souvenirs.  Ha!

I also bought N a one of the bottles that she’d enjoyed.

We just received our wine order a couple of days ago – on the Mr.’s birthday – perfect timing since the Madeira was his birthday gift from me (it was pricey, let me tell you).

That’s going to last awhile because I rarely drink wine at home these days – part of my attempt to eat and drink healthier.

After the wine tasting, we loaded up in the car and headed in the direction of home.  We did make a couple of stops first.

We had seen this sign going in, and people had stopped to take pictures, so we made sure to stop and grab our own.

I took one of the four of us, which I won’t post, and then Rooster took a photo of the Mr. and me.

Of course I grabbed a selfie, not noticing, until later, the people behind me (people can be so oblivious sometimes – talking about them, not me).

I’m not sure why, but these railroad tracks caught my attention . . .

Maybe it was the connection between trains and the West.

We made one other stop in downtown Napa.  I’d scouted out yarn stores, and this one was not too far off the beaten path.

Yarns on First is the name of the shop.  It’s not large, but it has a good array of yarns.

I wanted to hurry since this stop was obviously all about me, so I immediately asked the lady inside if she could point me to yarn that had been produced locally.

First up was the Twirl, which I believe is made, from start to finish, by someone local (she even raises the sheep).  I found a shawlette pattern, Oh Helen, on Ravelry that I’m going to use this for.

I also bought this . . .

This yarn will be made into a pair of socks.  Of course.

We walked around a bit in downtown Napa.

Isn’t this mural pretty?

Then, we headed back to the apartment.

To avoid traffic, N navigated Rooster a scenic route home.

There were lots and lots of sharp curves, which Rooster drove around carefully and skillfully.

In fact, I rode in the backseat of the car the entire time we were in California.  I didn’t get carsick one time – a first for me and a tribute to the kids’ excellent driving.

Meanwhile, Chicky sent me this picture of the dogs . . . getting their evening snack.

Yes, they were totally spoiled while we were gone.

Dinner that evening was at a restaurant called BJ’s.  What a fun place; it had a large menu with several dishes that I could eat with my vegan diet.

Gus, Rooster and N’s fur baby, was extremely happy when we got back and settled in for the night.

Y’all, I slept so good that night.  If you’ll remember, we’d gotten in at 12:30, gone to bed at 2:30, and then I’d gotten up around 6.  It had been a wonderfully busy day – the start to a great vacation.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Two Weeks Ago

Posted on June 27, 2018 by auburnchick

Two weeks ago, a little something-something began.

But first, my morning walk.

The sunrises I see each time I head out make getting up early . . . during summer break . . . so worth it.

I took a different route because I wanted to add more mileage.  The second half mile was long and boring, although going back home, it was all downhill and not nearly as bad.

I was pleased with the distance I covered . . . the longest during my continued ankle recovery.

It was important that I stick to my routine because it wouldn’t be long until I’d be changing that up.

I’d packed the day before . . . a trip looming on the horizon.

Isn’t it funny how fur babies know when you’re getting ready to leave?  The guilt they impart with their cute faces is always so hard to look at!

Chicky had been spending the summer around these here parts . . . visiting a friend . . . spending time with her grandparents.  She drove over so she could pet / house sit, and she wound up giving us a ride to the airport.

Because we live in Podunk, USA, getting checked in was a breeze.  The only thing left to do was wait.

And take silly selfies to send to Super Sis . . .

And not so-silly selfies with the Mr. to send to the children . . .

We should have been buying food because, as we’d later learn, we would, essentially, get no dinner since our flight was so late.

It wasn’t long before we got boarded and waited to take off.  It was just enough time for another selfie because y’all, I am all about documenting every second of every adventure.

To distract me, I got out my knitting.  I had started a new project a few days before, much to my happiness.  I hadn’t knit much in months!

Of course, our first stop was Atlanta because every flight goes through this metropolis.  I am usually a nervous flyer, but this time, I had a lot more peace, for some reason.  I also had a window seat, and our placement on the plane was perfect for looking at the terrain we were passing over.

We got a little nervous because as we neared Atlanta, the pilot notified us that he would be circling around a few extra times because the stormy weather had delayed other flights from landing.

We had a SMALL time-frame for our connecting flight and watched the minutes tick down.  We finally got on the ground and hopped out of our seats in the hopes that we would deplane quickly.  We apologized to those around us as we explained that we were in a hurry.

The Atlanta airport is HUGE, so we knew that we would have to hustle.  Fortunately, I’d installed the Trippie app (thanks for that tip, Megan).  What a great app too!  It showed our location in the airport and exactly where we needed to go to get on our next flight.

The only caveat was that the Mr. and I had to pee.  Really, really bad.  We were super worried about the time it would take on this pit stop, but when you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go.

Fortunately, we were able to hop on the train, which ran every minute and a half and was similar to riding the monorail at Disney.  It was super fast, but we hustled off, past the delightful food courts and restaurants, and to our flight’s waiting area with about fifteen minutes to spare.

We were able to line up first for our assigned boarding section, but then we learned that the flight attendants who would be on our plane had also been delayed by their incoming flight, so we waited.

I sure wish we’d known how long we would have to wait because we could have grabbed food.  By then, it was almost 9pm, and we were STARVING.  We were afraid to leave our station, though, so we stayed put, and it wasn’t long before we were able to board.

During this trip, we were flying with Delta.  I had downloaded the GogoEntertainment app to access in-flight videos, but it turned out that I didn’t need it because each seat had its own screen.

I was also super pleased to discover that I could charge my phone through the screen (something I figured out when I saw someone else do it).  Yay!

Y’all, there were so many options on that screen!  There were television shows, live TV, and recent movies!!!!  I was psyched!

Hello Liam.  You always make my heart go pitter-patter, even during a thriller like The Commuter.

Now, I had made a bit of a bonehead move and left my earbuds in my carry on bag, which I finally got the Mr. to get down from the overhead bin for me.  Unfortunately, the new earbuds for the new iPhone don’t have the correct audio end to plug into devices, so I was screwed.  Well, until the flight attendants passed out free ear buds.  Yay!  Except that mine didn’t work very well.  I guess I could have asked for a different pair.  Hindsight, y’all.  Still, I made do the best I could.

Because it was late, I didn’t want to turn on my light to knit.  I just didn’t want to bother anyone.  During this leg of the journey, there were three seats on our side, and a nice man was sitting beside me (beside the window).  He never said a word to me, but I didn’t want to disturb him.

After my movie, I played a word game.  I finally won a game . . . minutes before we landed.

The view as we neared the airport was breathtaking.

So, are you wondering where we wound up?

Here’s a clue . . .

That was another neat thing we had access to on the screens in front of us – flight information.  I loved playing with the map . . . zooming in . . .

To see that we were within spitting distance of our Rooster and his sweet wife.

Yay!

When Rooster was here in March, we had compared our calendars and booked our tickets.  I’d been anticipating our visit for three months!!!

I think that I’ll end the post here.  My plan (fingers crossed) is to blog about each day we spent in California, one post each.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

It’s Officially Summer!

Posted on June 22, 2018 by auburnchick

It’s been a minute, or two or three, since my last post on June 1.

What can I say except that I’ve been in recovery mode.  Teaching is seriously tiring business, y’all.

I’m going to do my best to play catch up, but it’s going to take me about a week and a half of posts to do that.

Ahem.

The last week of school, I’d worked hard to prepare my classroom for the break.  My principal has always been extremely gracious and allowed us to cut out of there when our checklists are done.

When I got to my room on the 4th (Monday), all I had to do was put a few things in my car.  Unfortunately, I’d left my car keys in my classroom and had to walk all the way across campus to retrieve them.  I decided to leave my chair beside my car.  It’s a really comfortable chair that I was afraid would get “borrowed” by someone else, so it needed to go home with me.

We had a quick faculty meeting for some parting words from our principal.  I didn’t eat the cake, but it was a lovely gesture.

Afterwards, I went back to my room for one last walk-through.

Then, it was time to lock the door, turn in my keys, and hightail it out of there.

My face as I got into my car says everything.

I ran home, worked out, and then ran back out to meet a few teachers for lunch . . . the sit down kind where you don’t have to inhale your food.  We went to a new-to-me Thai restaurant.  Tofu Masaman is my jam, y’all.

Then, I headed home and spent time at the pool . . . something I’d been looking forward to for weeks.

I had already decided that I wasn’t going to be a slug and sleep in too late each day.  I’m desperate to maintain my schedule of walking early, before the heat and humidity make it impossible.

Gambit was a little confused when I got back, sat in my chair, and didn’t get up to shower and dress for work.

It didn’t take him too long to adjust, though, and I persisted with my routine.

I love seeing little critters like the one above while I’m out and about.

I packed in a few things the first week of vacation.  Lunch with Jane, the friend I made my first year of teaching, was a priority.

I love her.  So very much.

Check out this sunrise from the 7th . . .

I’m still doing the 80 Day Obsession Beach Body program.  I have been working out after my walks.  Doing things this way (as opposed to doing my workouts in the afternoons, which work forces me to do) has allowed me to have fun the rest of the day.

A must that first week was a trip to the beach with a good friend.

It had been raining every day, so the sunny sky was a treat!

I was a little drained when I got home, as the sun and sand are prone to do, but I got up early and put in my miles the next morning.

I also spent a few hours back at the pool.

It was blissfully quiet – a rare thing that week as all of the kids had been enjoying their free time out there.

Of course, they showed up a couple of hours later.

The first weekend of my break found me here . . . dealing with my front yard, which had been neglected.

But first, my pre-dawn walk . . .

Then, the yard . . .

I’d been walking past that sight during my walks each day and had been despising the eye sore that was my house.  Ugh.

I had not edged in months (sorry, neighbors); I had a hard time finding the edge of the sidewalk.  The grass was so thick that it took several passes with the edger to cut through the overgrown outcroppings.

Sweeping that up was a bear.  I burned MAJOR calories.

Look at all of those clippings!!!

It was worth the effort.  I think my neighbors might start speaking to me again.  😀

I definitely earned my pool time reward.

Thus ended the first week of my break.  To be sure, I did some grocery shopping and cooked. I think I recall doing other housework, but I didn’t take pictures of that stuff.

I tried to pace myself better than I have in the past, when I’ve jumped in and done way too much those first few days and worn myself out.

Can we say yay to summer and self-care?!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Priceless Smiles

Posted on June 1, 2018 by auburnchick

I mentioned, in yesterday’s post, that my school had its graduation ceremony on Tuesday, and that I had photos I’d be sharing.

Well, surprise, surprise, surprise, but I’m actually following through on that post.

Ha!

Y’all, I know that I sound like a broken record sometimes, but seriously, teaching can be so rewarding sometimes.

Graduation is the culmination of everything amazing, not to mention the payoff for endless hours of hard work, for both students and teachers.

I was nervous about the weather that evening because Subtropical Storm Alberto had just passed through the day before, and it had rained ALL morning.  The kids usually sit out on the football field for commencement; however, Plan B was that graduation would take place in the gym if thunderstorms decided to come our way.  That would have left students with two graduation tickets instead of ten, severely limiting the number of family/friends allowed to attend.

I got to the gym, where students were milling around in their caps and gowns.  It was a great chance to speak with them and pose for pictures.

As it got closer to showtime, I stepped outside and walked to the field.  The sky was absolutely glorious – and free of rain.

We teachers milled around at one end of the field while we waited for the graduates to arrive, pageant style.

As we began to walk across the field as the ceremony began, the sky had changed colors. It took my breath away.

My school district just rebuilt our stadium; a large screen now stands at one end of the field. I absolutely loved seeing things up close. This sight made my heart flutter; gratefulness for those serving overwhelmed me.

After listening to various speakers, it was finally time for the main event – the reading of each graduating senior’s name and his/her walk across the stage.

The teacher’s section, off to the side, was in close proximity to the red-clad kiddos, and it was with much affection and joy that I hopped out of my seat to hug the necks of the kids I’d had the pleasure of teaching. Some had graced my classroom two years ago as sophomores, while others had joined me this year as juniors (graduating a year early) and seniors. A few of my sophomores from two years ago were back with me as seniors this year, so we knew each other well.

I snapped a few selfies. They are priceless and speak volumes to the emotions that were running rampant that night.

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The young lady in the photo above was a student of mine two years ago . . . a petite, feisty gal who had a strong work ethic that I held in high regard. A couple of weeks ago, during Teacher Appreciation Week, she posted the sweetest tribute to me. A friend saw it (I do not friend students on Facebook) and had tagged me in a comment. I was sitting in my driveway reading it and crying as her words entered my soul – her gratefulness for me a balm to my weary heart.

The student in the photo below was a tenderhearted young lady who had to overcome a lot of obstacles this year to stay the course. She was methodical about her work and quick to share a smile. I adored having her in my class.

The next young lady worked so hard all year. She was uber-quiet and completely focused on her goal of graduating. She went the extra mile with every assignment and worked hard outside of class to improve her reading. One of the high points of my year was giving her the good news that not only did she pass her SAT, but she blew the required score out of the water. Hearing this soft-spoken young lady shout out in exuberant joy while jumping up and down in my class brought me to tears. I know, from experience, how meaningful it is when you have to work especially hard for something.

The next young lady kept things very real in my class.  She was sassy to the core, but she was a mature kind of sassy.  She knew the line she couldn’t cross and often kept other students in check.  She was fiercely independent and worked long hours at a job outside of school.  I remember when she took the December ACT.  Many of my students had signed up for that test (it was another pathway toward graduation), and I’d surprised my students by showing up at the test site.  As I’d handed out pencils, mints, and other snacks, I’d spoken words of encouragement.  This gal’s surprise that I would show up, on a Saturday (i.e. my day off) spoke volumes and cemented a trust that had been formative at that point.

She had covered her eyes and begged me not to look when we’d signed onto her account to check her scores two weeks later.  Truth be told, I had already known that she’d passed, but she was scared to death.  Her shock and joy were a sight to behold.  She was extremely emotional as she prepared to walk across the stage, just moments after we snapped this photo.

I’ll never forget the young man in my final photo.  I remember the first time he walked into my classroom.  For some reason, I think he came a day or two after school started, and I knew, from the way other students greeted him, that he was popular.  I also spied a mischievous glint in his eye.  Oh yeah, he’d been a character his first three years of high school, or so I hear.  😉

This young man surprised me though.  He was always respectful and heeded my requests to stop talking and get back on task.  He never spoke a cross word.  It was incredibly satisfying when we learned that he had passed his reading exam, although he was sad when his schedule was changed since he no longer needed my class.  Every single time he walked past my room between classes, he spoke to me with a smile on his face.  It was with much joy that we hugged one another as he prepared to accept his diploma.

Y’all, these are the smiles of students who achieved the goals they set for themselves the first day they walked into my room.

I pray that as they encounter curve balls during their lives, they’ll remember the obstacles they overcame early on.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

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