Austin

For the past 3 days I've been in Austin, Texas sitting on a Reading TAKS Test committee. It was one of the most exciting and rewarding experience of my life!! Now, don't get me wrong....I'm NOT for the TAKS Test, but if our kids have to take it, then it might as well be durable.

I was on a committee with 10 other Texas teachers from other towns, and we were nominated and chosen to serve on this committee. Out of all the WONDERFUL English teachers in Wichita Falls, 10 of us were chosen and approved by Dr. Orr. I feel humbled and honored to have been selected!!

WE did A LOT of reading and literally developed the up-coming Reading TAKS Test for either this year or next year. We spent MANY hours combing through good (and not tricky) answers that would justify the questions. My eyes and brain are tired, tired, tired, but at least I know our kids will have a fair shot at the test and hopefully will not feel so stressed out!!!

Good luck Texas students because I'm on your side!!

Low Level of Depression

I can't believe it.... they're already out!! Yesterday I was at Walmart, and the first thing I saw was SCHOOL SUPPLIES! I thought to my self, "They can't do this to me! It's not time yet!!" It kind of made me go into a low level of depression, but the blues didn't stay around for long when I thought about retirement is right around the corner for me. No, I'm NOT trying to wish my life away, but I would like to go places and do things during the school year that I normally don't get to do. Oh well, I guess my time is coming soon enough. It's the "getting started" that's hard. Once I'm in the swing of things, I'm OK. I do love my job, my school, and what I teach. I feel much better now that I've vented. Have a great week ahead!!

Florida Trip

Well, I'm back from my trip to Florida, and I had a wonderful time! It was so good to spend some quality time with my mom, and she spoiled me rotten. She lives in Jacksonville, but she and I went to Orlando for 3 days and stayed in her condo. We went to a place called "Arabian Knight,"and it was fantastic!! It kinda reminded me of Medevil Times a little bit. The meal they served us was delicious. We had steak, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, rolls, and ice cream for dessert.
The next day we ate breakfast at a very quaint restaurant in a town called, Celebration, Florida. The town reminded me of Guthrie, Oklahoma, so you can only imagine how neat it was. We then toured the new condos that have just been built where my mother is a member of, and for just hearing their 45 minute speech, I received $75.00. The condos are absolutely breathtaking!! Maybe one day soon I'll be able to buy one.
After that, my mom took me to a place called, "The Holy Land". We saw several outdoor dramas that literally brought tears to our eyes. One was when Jesus was crucified, and it seemed so real! The actors and the singing was amazing! We stayed there for the entire afternoon, and it was certainly worth the money. We went out for dinner and then went back to the condo. We were so exhausted, but that didn't keep us from staying up late. We talked, laughed, and talked somemore. You would have thought we were a couple of giggly highschool kids. It was A LOT of fun, though!
After breakfast the next day, we headed back to Jacksonville, which is a 3 hour drive. We stopped in St. Augustine, though, to do some shopping at one of the largest malls in the United States. I quickly spent my $75.00 on a new comforter and sham set at a Croscill store. Needless to say, I had to borrow a suitcase from my mom to get it home, but it was worth it.
The last full day I was there, we went to Cheesecake Factory to eat, and it was yummy!!! We shopped all day long from can to can't, but I got a lot of good bargains. They have so many neat places to shop!
My trip came to a quick halt because the next day was Saturday, and it was time to come home to reality. When I arrived at DFW, my flight was delayed for 4 hours due to stormy weather, but I FINALLY arrived back home in Wichita Falls after 11:00 PM. Harden was there to pick me up, and it was soooo good to see him again.
My next possible trip will be to Branson with Harden for a few days, if he can spare the time off from work. It doesn't seem like he owns the shop, but the shop owns him!! I hope we get to go because he really needs the time away.
My last hoorah will be the end of this month. I will be going to Austin to serve on a TAKS Test committee for 3 days. It's an all expense paid trip, so I'm kinda looking forward to it. I sure would like to see that test done away with, but until then, I guess it won't do any good to complain about it.
Well, I'm getting pretty tired, so I'm signing off.