I Am A Quitter

That's right, call me a quitter or a dropout. I will be the first to tell you if I am not good at something, I quit. Go ahead and tell me I am not giving it a chance, but I have discontinued my eharmony account. I gave it a chance, I gave it 5 months. That is long enough. It did get annoying to be "closed" by people who would say they were pursuing another relationship. Then may I ask you idiot guy, why are you still receiving matches? Why am I being matched with the guys between the age 40-45? That is a little too much of an age difference. I also decided it was not much of a self esteem booster anyways. Constant closing, little to not interest (except from some of the older gentlemen.) Really a waste of my time and money. I mean really the people they show on TV have to be paid cause I did not experience even a partial of what is advertised. I get the same news from my friends who have done. To me it just reiterated how very shallow many guys are. I would rather not be out there in cyberspace anymore. Please I do not think I really want to hear how great it was for and how everything worked out great for you. Just know that I do not mind be called a quitter.

$1,078

SERIOUSLY!!!! $1,078!!!! Car repair!!!! Stimulus check (and much more) here and gone in less than 3 days!!!

Last week I did something I very rarely do and missed school for absolutely no reason. (It was really kinda just to be spiteful but I am not going to fully explain that here) My very pregnant friend Kara had been on very restrictive bed rest for a little over a week and was given freedom to move about in fairly normal activity, just could not return to work, so I went to her house and we went to lunch. She commented on how loud my car was running and I blew her off saying that it is just kinda a loud car. I was not able to forget what she said and kept noticing that it was loud, but kept being hopeful that it would be nothing. (Yet another example of me being an avoidance person.) Mom and dad though were in town for the weekend and of course I decided I had to ask him to listen to the noise. He did and said I needed to get it into the shop the next morning at the latest and it sounded like it could be a transmission issue. SOUNDED EXPENSIVE and SCARY! So I left it at the local car dealership and waited and waited for the dreaded phone call. They finally called and she starts will good news it is not the transmission, but is something like a hub, not sure what it is, but she made it sound very important for my safety. (Something like it is what connects the wheel and the axle and if it totally breaks my tire could come flying off when I am driving down the highway.) She quoted me a repair of $598. I'm thinking perfect amount, the total stimulus check, awesome, money I did not expect anyways. Then the nice lady continue you also need this and that repair and your total will be $1,078 even. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! NO WAY!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!
OK so let's think about this find the positives..... The car is in its 7th year of life, it does have about 120,000 miles and I have had very little work done, I have not made a payment on it is two years, it has been a good car and I hope it will remain a good vehicle for at least a year to come! So there goes my stimulus check times two. If anyone is willing to send me theirs as well, you would bless my socks off and I will be very thankful:) I am thankful to have the car and the resources to take care of the car repairs. Hope everyone else day was less expensive than mine!!

Communities In School

Can I say enough great things about this organization? First of all, it truly shows love to our kids. It has the ability to care for them in so many ways. It can provide mentors, uniforms, food, school supplies, help for families with other social services in the community, ect, ect. I can not name all of the services. I can remember last year telling one of our social workers, Mary, "Thanks for loving my kids almost
(above me and Ms. Mary)as much as I do." I totally meant that, but there are many times that I think Mary loves my students more than I do. She calms me when I frustrated with the kids, helps me with the needs that I think that they have, helps me visit with parents, delivers food bags when my students forget them, more, and more, and more things that I can't remember or even know about.
Let me rewind to a couple of weeks ago, Mary came to me very excited. She said that she had nominated me for CIS teacher of the year and I was voted by the staff as the winner. WHAT??? Still not exactly sure why, and not completely convinced that I am deserving, but I am honored with this award. (MOM, DAD, and ME pictured to the right)
Last night was the gala where I received the award. Mom and dad were able to come. It was all done up very nicely. There was something called the Gallery of Successes and this really nice wall done in my honor. There was a little paragraph written about me, a quote from Mr. Crockett, my principal, a picture of me and a student, and a letter that a student wrote to me also. Dad took at picture of the wall with his camera and maybe I can add it later. It was truly amazing and very honoring.
(MARY, MR. CROCKETT, and ME)
It was a fun night with great food, music, and casino games. There was a little silent auction. Mom bid and won something and Mr. Crockett won something for me!!!. Thank you Jimmy!!! How fun!!!

A great big thank you to CIS for getting the community involved in the lives of our students and meeting their needs. Thank you partnering with me to help the precious children and for finding ways to help. You amaze me with the help and care that you provide.

Visit cisnt.org to find out how you too can serve the kids all over our community.

PREAPPROVED!!!!

So I have talked about wanting to buy a house for a couple of years and really saw it as something impossible. I guess I really always thought that it was something I would do when I got married. Since that seem less and less realistic with every year that passes, I decided not wait on such things, but to go for it on my own. I am just tired of waiting to do the things I always thought I would do. I have a good friend of mine who has been encouraging all this time I have been talking about it. When I doubt this idea is even close to being a good one, she reassures me that yes I can do this. Since we have talked about it for so long, and she has confronted me about being an avoidance person, last week I finely decided to go an see a broker. Since I knew the broker from years ago when I babysat for her, I felt very comfortable. I could not believe what an EASY process it was. Just give her a little info and BAM preapproval, quick and easy. Last night mom was in town and she went with me to actually look at houses. Boy did that make it seem real. I feel like I am becoming a grown up, independent, women all at once. I am still not completely clear on the process and how it totally works, but I will learn! My lease is up July 31 so I am hopeful that I will be in my own house by then. I will let everyone in on my journey as it continues.

Mother's Day in Commerce

First and foremost Happy Mother's Day to my awesome mom. My mom is for sure one of those my moms that thinks her imperfect, selfish children have hung the sun, moon, and stars. We are truly loved by her there is no doubt about it. Love you so much mom, hope you had a great day!!!!
Also, Happy Mother's to my dad's mom, Mamaw. What an awesome lady she is! There are so many reason why I love her. She is just such an excellent example of a Godly women who loves her family dearly. She loved my Papaw like crazy and was a true example of the vow in sickness and in health. She and my Papaw raised four sons whom, by some of the stories they have told, gave them a run form their money. A few weeks ago I heard my grandmother mention that she wanted a new wagon. So that is what I got her for mother's day. She is not always very easy to buy for, but she LOVED this gift. I could really tell that she was excited about it. She said that her and Papaw had a wagon that lasted through their boys, then they had another one that lasted through the grandchildren, and now this one should last through the great grandchildren. I think I did aggravate my father when I told him he had to put it together. Needless to say he did not seem pleased and I got "that look". But as the pictures will show, daddy read the directions, and with his handy assistance (me) we got it put together. Then I offered to give Mamaw a ride in it and she insisted on giving me a ride instead. It seems to be a pretty good, strong wagon. It was sure fun to give it her.

So Here I Go

For a while I have thought about doing a blog. I have considered will anyone care or want to read about me and my life? (Actually I think my big fear though is affirming that NO ONE does truly care about what is going on with me) Will I have anything remotely interesting to say especially since I am not at all a creative writer? Does anything exciting ever happen in my life that is intriguing to anyone else?? I truly think not. I did ask some friends if they would read it and have received affirmatives that they at least would. Will I be one of those people that doesn't not update for months at a time? Hoping that will not be the case for me. I am hoping that people will care about what I write. That my heart will be out there and maybe this will help some understand who I am. I hope that I am able to find encouragement from others and reconnect with some friends whose blogs that I read. Please know that if this is read there maybe too much stuff said about my teaching. (This is where some of funniest/most frustrating stories come from) I may not always write with a positive attitude, but I will try. I have a great love for my family and what some of even my closest friends may not even know about me is that I am a dreamer. (Not always good at attacking or going after them, but I do dream!!!) I do have some things that I think are exciting going on in my life and will leave those for a future post. (MAYBE!!!)