Born 75 years ago today.....

January 22, 1931 Galina Zybina, U.S.S.R., discus thrower, 15 world records between 1952-58

January 22, 1931 Rauno Makinen, Finland, Greco-Roman featherweight 1956 Olympics
gold

January 22, 1931 Aleda Eutonna Bolinger in Danville, Arkansas to John Roscoe Bolinger and Eden Esther Earl Cherry Bolinger. Move to Transylvania, La. She was the youngest of 3 girls - had a brother who died as a young teen, who was closest in age to her, thus being somewhat of a tomboy. Married at the young age of 17 to the handsome soldier, Hubert Brasher, recently home from time served in France at the end of WWII. Lived in Lake Providence, La. for all of her life except for the last 3 1/2 years in Lufkin, TX. where she died in an automobile accident in August of 2005. Mother of one boy and one girl, 6 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.

Aleda B.Brasher, the name she gave when someone asked for her whole name, will never be in record books for any claim to fame, but there were so great things about her those who knew and loved her remember. So if you will allow me, (wait! this is MY blog. I can write whatever I want without any permission!)I would like to bulletpoint some highlights of my memories of her...my mother!

* she loved pretty dishes - wait...any dishes!
* she loved being with people...she could/would talk to anyone who was within hearing range and was not able to get away from her in a socially acceptable manner.
* she was a Senior Adult Olympic race-walker gold medalist, both locally and statewide in La. and Tx. Participated in Nationals 2 times. Her family is convinced she excelled in this because the faster she talked, the faster she walked!
* she loved God with all of her heart, soul, mind and strength. Whatever she could do to serve Him, she would...volunteering at her church, loving the pastor and his family as her own (there were quite a few pastor families she adopted), going on mission trips (do the Bahamas count as mission trip or vacation?)
* she loved her grandchildren - 6 in all and knew and loved her first great-granddaughter. She never got to love the 2 younger ones!
* she loved to laugh. She was the life and usually the center of any crowd or party.
* she was curious. she loved to learn new things - needlework, furniture re-finishing, excerising, computer games and skills, travel, reading, studying the Bible - all these things in her retirement years....rarely did she have a day that was "wasted" - always living, loving, doing, being.
* I never once doubted that she loved her 2 children as equally as a parent could and was very proud of us both...I knew because she never missed a chance to tell us.
* she was in love with that soldier-boy/husband of her's up to the day she died. They dearly enjoyed each other's company, whether it was at a restaurant on a 'date', at church or at home watching "Wheel of Fortune" on TV or playing on the computer.

It has taken me 2 days to get this blog out, so now it is actually the day after Mother's birthday, but that's ok. It has given me reason to think about her more. I give thanks to God for her and feel blessed to have had her as my mom and my friend. I sure do miss her...

Yesterday, I went to see Daddy at the assisted living place where he lives. Being 80 years old and having major dementia issues (Altzheimer's), I never know what he remembers. I asked him if he knew what the dated was. He didn't so I said January 22. I asked if he knew what that date was and then whose birthday it was. He paused and answered questioningly, "Mamaw's?" I said yes. We sat quitely a few seconds and then said, "I sure do miss her." He just nodded and said "yep." We sat in silence and then he dozed into one of his many mini-naps he takes. I think I was hoping for more of a response, but at least he remembered her.....

Happy 75th birthday, Momma. Hope you got to dance with Jesus on your birthday! I am sure you have talked to every person in Heaven by now and have made it yourself at home...be sure to set me a place at His table...

Livin' in a Big City

I was reminded this week about an incident that happened a couple of years ago that I still giggle at when I think about it. After we had been living in Montrose a couple of years and I had made the transition from grocery shopping at Randall's to Kroger's (which is cheaper anyway and Harbor church gets a 'kick-back' from all who use a sharecard there, but old habits are hard to break!)they finally built a 'downtown' Randall's only a few blocks from my house. Being eager to check it out, Amanda and I made it an event and went shopping there together for the first time! There were some really cool things - and not so cool things - about it.

Cool things: The underground garage parking that you could ride an elevator on and end up right inside the store (not a big deal in department stores, but a new experience for me in a grocery store). The smaller grocery carts(because the aisles were smaller)for those that, we had figured, may live nearby in their downtown lofts who would walk to the store and would not get more than they could carry home.

Not so cool things: The carts were small enough for the aisles but too small for all the groceries I am always buying, so we had to use 2 carts. No 'in-store' banking - my bank has branches in the area Randall's which this one, being too small, I guess, didn't have.

On with the story that leads up to the REAL story.

When Amanda and I finished shopping, we got on the elevator with our 2 carts to go down to our car. Two other people got on also with carts. I commented about how it was a good thing the elevator was big enough for people and carts and how it had reminded us of the small carts in small grocery stores in movies of NYC. The young lady who seemed to be in her mid-20's responded, "Yeah, it makes you feel like you are in a Big City, doesn't it?" Amanda and I glanced at each other and held back our giggles until we got to the car. Did the girl not realize she WAS in a Big City - the 4th largest in the US? I guess sometimes one may forget where one REALLY live.

If you are still reading, you are probably wondering why I thought about this last week. I rarely go to that Randall's so it wasn't because I had resently been there (although I HAD recently been there because Karsten had told me about chicken (boneless, skinless) for $1.59/lb. - oops! There I go - off chasing another rabbit!).

My school has been threatening to start on our new building that was approved 3 years ago. Not wanting to do anything very expensive that would be torn down in a matter of months, they had not replaced our playground equipment that was as old and rotten as the building itself. So my kindergartners only have a big sandbox and two park benches that remain for their recess time. Back in the fall, I had purchased lots of sand toys for them to use along with hula-hoops and jumpropes. But I don't really like the sand - the kids throw it - sometimes on purpose, but often accidently when digging - and it gets in hair and eyes. And then there is the threat of ringworm! Not to mention, it is a 'sitting down activity' and not a 'running off excess energy' activity.

Our other option is the big,fenced-in basketball courts that has lots of playing and running room, but that's about all. When we play out there it feels like we live in a Big City with not enough grassy space to run and play in (which we DO have, but nothing else). It looks like the playyards you see on top of buildings or right next to them at schools in NYC. (Are you making the connection of the 2 stories yet? I knew you would! Hang with me...there's more!)Another little side note: I kept thinking they would build us SOMETHING since our principal had requested it multiple times, he said. But I had finally given up on that hope! So.....

Last Saturday, Lou and I went to Wal-mart and I had a blast filling up my buggie with cheap basketballs, soccer balls, frisbees, sidewalk chalk, and jumpropes. When I took the stuff to school on Monday, you would have thought Santa Claus had come again. Those kids were so excited! It was so much fun seeing them running around like crazy with enough toys that every kid had something to play with and it didn't involve sand!

So what's the point of these 2 stories? Here I am teaching kids in the inner-city of the 4th largest city in the US and I sometimes forget that! I sometimes get lost in the day to day teaching and trying to reach the goals that my school and district have set up for me that I forget these kids need more than someone pushing them to be successful in school. They need someone who can bring joy and excitement in their little lives that makes them WANT to be successful in life, especially when all the circumstances say they won't succeed. I have renewed my committment to show as much of life and joy as I can to these little treasures that are in my watch for a short time. I am reminded that they are "whole people" not just academic machines that need to learn how to read. They have enough stress and frustrations (homework done by candlelight because the electricity bill wasn't paid or Mom's in jail so she can't sign the report card) in their little lives without me adding to it!

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Epilogue: Would you believe my penny-pitching school district that won't put in new playground equipment, just put in a brand-new air conditioner in a room that is NOT being used this year in the building that will be the first to be torn down (probably this April!)? Just doesn't make sense...not to me at least!

One more thing about MLK Day....

One of those "3 activities" that I do each year is to talk with my kindergartners about what it means to have a dream and what the unlimited possibilities are for each of them. Then their assignment is to complete the sentence "I have a dream..." and then draw a picture of what they dream to do when they grow up.

So, 2006 in a class of 16 children, here are the dreams of the future.
8 girls - 1 ice skater, 3 Princesses, 2 doctors, 1 vet and 1 firefighter.
8 boys - 2 police officers, 1 firefighter (with a fire dog), 1 doctor, 1 nurse, 1 astronaut, 1 cowboy and 1 king!

I love that there are some who aspire to be leaders and others who choose to serve their community. We need all kinds! My only concern are those in royalty - the 3 little girls already act like they should be treated like Princesses and the little boy who would be king, tries DAILY to practice by ruling our class...if I can just guide him into being a positive leader and not a TYRANT!

MLK Day more than a day off work

You would think after teaching in public schools for 12 years, I would remember the potholes that I fall in to on a regular basis. MLK Day is one of them. I see it on the calendar and think - YEAH! Monday off! I pull out my 1 poster, 2 books and 3 activities that I use to help my kindergartners know WHY they won't be coming to school!

What I forget is that as I get into the "who" and "why" of the "man," how much it stirs up in me. I don't get much farther than that famous speech where I quote to my little ones when Dr. King says, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. " and I get all choked up.

It happened last Friday....after the quote, I begin telling my class how when I was their age, I didn't have ANY black children in my school. And if it weren't for people like Dr. King and Rosa Parks and many others that we will learn about next month when we do our month-long African-American Heritage month, I would not even today be allowed to be their teacher. And that's when the tears being choked back seeped out. Alexis raises her hand: "Ms. Herrington, you look like you's about to cry." I reply: "That's because I am....I am very grateful that I get to teach precious children like you and I never want to forget that it was in my very lifetime that changes been brought about." It is at that moment that I notice that every eye is on me and has been for the past 10-15 minutes.

We still have such a long way to go, but in my class room for this moment in time, there is a sense of unity and love among us all. And I can't help but join Dr. King in his final paragraph of that same speech:
"When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

In our little "hamlet" known as 4th Ward at my school in MY class, my goal is to help "speed up that day....Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Thank you, God, for a place to do just that!

Epilogue: At the end of the day, as we are packing up to leave, in a teasing tone of voice, I announce: Now, you BETTER NOT come to school on Monday, because I won't be here! Remember:it's a holiday!"
Ashja immediately raises both hands to the sky and cries out "Hallelujah!" We all laugh out loud and begin shouting along with her!

I am glad none of the administrators passed by...they would have thought a revival had broken out!

The Art of Asking Questions

Today, Amanda left to return to school in northern part of Texas. It has been such a short time, but I always enjoy having her home. She is a fun person! I admire the fact that she likes to stay busy - not a very good "loafer." She did lots of babysitting while home and made $$ and brownie points! She is so good with little ones!

Before leaving town, she stopped at my school. She has not been to my class this year, so they didn't even know who she was. After receiving comments and giggles, I asked the kids if they would like to ASK Amanda something. Of course, they began to TELL her things instead. Here is how I re-directed to practice the "art of asking:"
Ashja: For Christmas, I got.....
Me: Wait - remember, I said ASK a question.
Ashja: What did I get for Christmas?
Amanda: I don't know - what DID you get?

Of course, Amanda and I cracked up laughing. She got the form, but missed the whole concept.

Alexis: Do you have any mittens? (we had read "Three Little Kittens" today)
Amanda: No, but I could sure use some.
Alexis: I will buy you some.

Kindergartners have some much to learn...and so much to give. What a blessing they can be!