Reflecting on the road taken

 Question of the day:

     If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be AND would you?

     The question reminds me of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken."  So many times I wonder what life would have been like if I had not gone down the other road.  Would I have been better off financially or emotionally?  Would I have more friends or better friendships than the ones I have now?  Would I have ever met the people I call friends? 

     It sounds as if I am dissatisfied with my life.  I'm not.  There are a couple of things I wish I could change about it.  Fortunately, I am extremely happy with my choices.  One of my professors once said, "The decisions you make between the ages of 15 and 25 will be with you for the rest of your life."  It is so true.  Not that I am happy with some of those decisions, but I feel I have turned the consequences into a better life for myself. 

     For all of you who are a part of my life, and to those who have passed from this world, I thank you.  I love you dearly.  You mean so much to me!

To much, to little....

 At what point is it to much?  You are asking, 'it' what?  Well.... anything...... 
     To much silence...
     To much noise....
     To many phone calls....
     To few phone calls...
     To many friends...
     To few friends...
     To much work...
     To little work...

I think you get the point....  Have you ever been to the point where to much or to little is annoying?? 

Whew.....

Fall

      Fall doesn't officially begin until next week, but yesterday I could see signs of it sneaking in.  Some of the trees are beginning to change... not much, but just enough that it is there.  If you are going about your daily life you may not notice as much.  In the next month, we will be able to see leaves of red, gold, brown and orange all over!  It is one of my favorite things in fall....
     The county fairs and fall festivals are in full swing, too.  Hartselle has decorated their downtown area with corn stalks and fall foliage.  One of the biggest in this area is in a small town of about 200, but will draw about a 1000 people before the day ends.  There will be a parade with people on horseback and on the backs of trucks! 
     I love fall!!  I can't wait to enjoy it all!

Bands, music and fried bread!

Last night my Mom, sister and I went to the high school where I teach for the 'Night of Bands'.  What a show!!  All the county high school bands come together and each band plays 2-5 songs.  It begins with the smallest band (36 band members, plus color guard), to the largest in the county (225+ band members, plus color guard) and it ended with a university band.  What an experience!! 

The music was mostly from the 60's and 70's (Radar Love, Desperado, Vehicle, School's Out, American Woman, Georgia on My Mind.....).  Those kids performed!  They played, they moved, they played their hearts out!!   I think when we go to the ball games and the band plays for about 10 minutes, we take it for granted.  Even though we enjoy the performance, I don't think we realize how much work and practice these kids put into these shows. 

And of course, the food.  There is always food at these things!!  As I sat there eating my funnel cake, it occurred to me there is nothing like sitting in the middle of a bunch of people that are talking, watching their kid playing AND THEN, to be able to eat fried bread with powdered sugar on top!!  Now, THAT is a real treat!!! 

P.S.: If you get an opportunity to hear your local kids perform, GO!!  It's worth the show!  And then, let them know how much you enjoyed it!  They are never told enough!!

My Dear, Wonderful Friend!!

 Have you ever gone for days without speaking to one of your favorite people?  I just have. 

Thursday: first class for the semester and it started at 5:00 that evening... drove my 36 miles over... I did speak to that person on the phone for about 10 minutes... YIPPEE!! 

Friday:  No friend waiting online that morning.  Sent e-mail.  I went to work, got home around 4:00.  No friend waiting, but did have e-mail.... Responded to that.  Waited, waited, waited.... have to go.... Went to football game in another county.  Got home.  E-mail, no friend.  Waited... no show..... went to bed.....

Saturday morning:  Slept until around 8:00.  E-mail waiting, but no friend.... responded to e-mail.  Showered, dressed, went into work, went to give blood, shopped,

Saturday afternoon: came home, had e-mails... responded to those.  Waited, no friend.  Phone rings, it is one of my lonely kids in the class... "What cha doing?".....  Took nap, woke late....

Saturday night:  had response to e-mails., but still no friend.... 

Sunday morning:  woke early!!  signed on, response to my e-mail, but no friend....  Sent e-mail, you will see me online, wait for me!!  I will be around and will respond as soon as I see you!!  I walked down to mailbox, got Sunday paper, read it, read ads, checked, still no friend.... I was so sleepy!!  I laid down and woke later and guess what??  There was my friend!!  HOw exciting!  How wonderful!!  We both spoke of how enduring it was to have the e-mails, but there is NOTHING like the real thing, the real person, the banter back and forth!! 

It is to my dear, wonderful friend who lives thousands of miles away, I say 'Thank you!'..... Thank you for being a part of my life, even with this distance!! 

Frog

  I drove in from work, got out of the car, walked in and something moved!!  It was on the floor and it began to move, jumping!  I turned on the light and it was a frog.  Now, how did a frog get into my house?  A frog? 
     Finally, I caught him and put him outside. 

         Thank goodness it wasn't a snake!!

School, Offical and Unoffical....

This is August 1st.  School begins in 10 days.  Where did the summer go??  It seems that it was yesterday that I thought, wow, 10 weeks!!  Now, it's YIKES, 10 days! 

When I began elementary school, we started Tuesday, the day after Labor Day.  We had cool mornings, warm days, and you could almost smell the leaves begin their process of changing hues.  It marked a change, both in our daily activities and the time of the year.  They went together, hand-in-hand,  as if they were a young couple in love. 

I think, for me, that school will not officially begin until that day after Labor Day.  Oh yes, in ten days I will teach and the kids will moan at their assignments and parents with cheer with exhaustion.....  But, on Tuesday after Labor Day?  In my heart, that will be the first day of school!