Yay for Friday ~Here's Where the Week Went ~Is it Spring Yet?

You all know I have been planning and preparing for a trip

to see our daughter, son-in-law, and our new grandson.

Besides packing my belongings, 

I have been organizing around the house.

When I turned my calendar to April,

I thought it was safe to pack my snowmen away...

Nope.

Another Snow Day for our School District...

and anyone who is thinking "those lucky teachers",

think again.

It creates havoc in the lesson plan

plus the days need to be made up at the end of the year.

Even in retirement, I remembered the stress I felt as I laid awake, 

listening to the wind and the snow pellets hitting the window.

"will it be a snow day? will it be a late start??"

So many of my foods labs required two or three consecutive days.

Most of my labs filled the whole 87 minute block.

And, I often had Guest Speakers/Field Trips on my agenda for other classes...

Teachers...you have to admire their flexiblity.

Back to packing for my trip...

I have tried on all my clothes to make sure they fit.

I have gathered my electronics and the necessary cords.

I have purchased travel size personal care products.

Thank you to the sweet nurse at my last appointment that

gifted me with some samples, the perfect size.

Remember the trip I took with hubby for work?

I so enjoyed my time at this Child's Boutique.

The owners were so personable, so when they offered 

to giftwrap my purchases, I couldn't say no.

As soon as I was out on the sidewalk,

I realized that TSA would not approve,

So, I have sliced open all of the packages.

Several folks have asked about how my hubby will manage.

He says he is looking forward to "having a break"...

and then he says he is kidding. haha

In our 36 years of marriage, we have been apart only a few times...

when I was working on my Masters Degree,

and when I was caring for my mother.

I do think he will enjoy having the house to himself for awhile.

Do you think the cats will miss me?

Do you think they will even know that I am gone?

All this planning and preparation will be so worth it.

In just a few days, 

I will be able to scoop this baby up into my arms.

Take care,

~Natalie

Where the Weeks Went ~

 
I have not posted to this blog for two weeks now.
Every time I started a draft, I just couldn't find the right words.
The events on Wednesday afternoon, February 14th, stopped me...
along with nearly everyone else...stopped me right in my tracks.

A school shooting is every teacher's, and every parent's, worst nightmare.

The Columbine HS massacre on April 20, 1999, changed the ways we do things at school.

It was that fall that we had our first Active Shooter Lock Down Drill.

We teachers practiced valuable procedures in the event of an intruder,

and our law enforecment developed important strategies to navigate our school building.

If seeing the SWAT team in full gear running through the school was not intimidating enough,

hearing the sounds of the gun shots fired was terrifying.

I was a teacher, responsible for hundreds of teenagers,

and also a mother, with a high school aged daugher.

That was just the first of many annual lock down drills.

It was important for us to hear gunfire in the hallways,

to recognize that sound,

and so it would not be mistaken for the sound of firecrackers.

The sounds of gunfire, along with the officers yelling commands,

all was enough to keep me awake an night,

and it was just a drill...

But after the school shooting on Valentine's Day,

the news broadcast included video that students captured,

in their classrooms, with their cell phones.

It was the real thing...

It was chilling...it shook me to the core.

Teachers and students practice these drills,

just like we practice for fires and tornadoes.

We teach with our classroom doors closed...

Those doors are locked.

Here is Mr. Hanson speaking to my class.

Notice the pantry behind him?

Half of my students would hunker down in there.

And the other half of the class would 

move into the laundry room and barricade that door.

I had a place to hide under my demonstration counter,

so that I could check on both groups of students.

Even if it was a drill...it felt serious.

My heart hurts for the teachers and students that 

have had to experience that horrific occurance, for real.

The teachers that have died protecting their students are heros.

We all hope and pray that we can bring an end to these

senseless acts of violence in our schools.

Take care,

~Natalie

First Day of School Photos ~My First First Day ~My Last First Day ~~What'cha Workin' on Wednesday

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the 

First Day of School Photos in my newsfeed.

I am feeling a bit nostalgic,

as this is the first time in 55 years 

that I have no pictures to post.

So here's this.

My first day of school.

September 1962

(my, how schoolgirl fashions have changed)

 My last first day of school.

August 2016

In honor of this year's first full day of classes,

Lucy and I used the selfie stick 

to show you how we spent our morning.

Have an awesome school year, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

p.s. more photos of our #colorado vacation tomorrow.

More Retirement News ~My Family and Friends are Most Generous ~~Here's My Report

I have been overwhelmed with the kindness 

and generosity displayed by my family and friends.

Starbuck gift cards will be used on Wednesdays 

when I meet my friend Lorie for our weekly coffee date.

Paula dropped this off for me...

The card was perfect, as I was struggling with 

the inappropriate behaviors of those young men in 3rd block.

Also, in her gift bag, was just one more indicator 

that my friends think I might turn

 into a Crazy Cat Lady in retirement!

This special necklace was gifted to me 

by one of my sophomore boys. 

A family member beaded it and it will be a rememberance 

of the Native American population that we educate at CHS.

My FACS co-teachers selected this gift on 

behalf of Central's Sunshine Club...

South Dakota Black Hills Gold.

The Golden Eagle will be a forever favorite mascot!

My hubby knew I could use some pampering with 

a manicure and a pedicure.

Our PTA presented the retirees 

with this most generous gift card.

A sweet freshman girl brought a mini rose plant.

And very thoughful teachers purchased 

a sweet treat for hubby and me.

I appreciate each and every one of you.

Thank you so much for thinking about me

as I transition into this next stage of my life.

Take care,

~Natalie

Cleaning up a Career ~Finishing a Job I Started ~~Oven Cleaning Tip of the Day

Whether you are cleaning one oven at home, 

or multiple ovens in a foods lab...it is not an easy task. 

You need to be down on your knees, 

reach way in, over the oven door 

to wipe out all of the black and gray ashes.

It just doesn't feel like you have enough hands!

To make it a little easier,

use a measuring cup or coffee mug to prop up

the lower heating coil when you wipe out the oven floor.

That was the easy part.

The inside of the oven doors presented a bigger challenge.

That brown stuff was baked on...really baked on.

I used the cooktop cleaner...

and a super strong scratch pad to tackle that job.

Thank you to the students 

that left this carton of ice cream in my freezer.

I couldn't have finished the job without it!

Six ovens...done.

Time to go home.

(My hands felt raw.)

I was ready to enjoy some sunshine out on our patio.

Happy Weekend, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~Bringing Closure to a Career

With students no longer in the building,

I can focus on cleaning up and cleaning out.

Months ago, I began the task of throwing away

lesson plans, curriculum materials, and student projects.

This is actually harder than it sounds.

Years of developing, and then,

updating and revising these class activities went into the dumpster.

Sometimes I felt like I was throwing part of myself away.

So, cleaning the appliances was the easy part.

Three refrigerators and an upright freezer...

done.

Demonstration cooktop and microwave...

done.

(A student helped inventory my textbooks.

Thank you, Connor.)

That left the seven student Food Preparation stations.

The students cleaned their labs on the last day of school.

Those of you that live with a teenager,

 know that some are better than others at cleaning.

Plus,

 inappropriate and disrespecful behaviors of three young men,

changed my focus from what I wanted to accomplish,

to working with administration to investigate and deliver consequences.

In my dreams, I had wanted to walk out the last day with everything in place.

However, by Thursday afternoon, I knew that I had to give up on that plan.

Thank goodness for self-cleaning ovens.

With multiple ovens cleaning, I started the vents, 

and used the two-hour opportunity to clean out my network files.

I wasn't the only one hard at work!

Today, I will return to wipe out those ovens.

And by the weekend, I hope to be enjoying the sunshine

with my new retirement cat.

Take care,

~Natalie