I can not believe that the last time I posted was over a month ago - April 7th - you have got to be kidding me - so what's up???? Let's see if I can get you caught up in all the coming and going - especially the goings- of my life.
Okay, first - I have been working (substitute teaching) quite a bit in the last six weeks - at least once a week and sometimes twice a week - every single Friday (I don't thing anyone works on Friday around here!). It has been interesting - I have discovered a couple of things - number one (and this really surprised me) I actually still enjoy teaching - I have had some good classes and some not so good classes, but I still enjoyed teaching. The worst day was when there was no teaching to do (or at least the classroom teacher didn't leave anything for me to do with the kids) - a spelling test and a math test - that was it for the whole day. Well, if you know me at all you know that didn't work for long - I created my own lesson plans and taught anyway. I'm not sure the kids knew what to think, but at least I kept them busy. I also discovered that I like to teach fourth grade - I used to think that fifth grade was my favorite grade level, but I have discovered that I like the kids and the curriculum of fourth grade. I am still considering going back to work full time next year (and I know that there will be at least one opening in fourth grade even with all the budget cuts that have occurred in Florida). I think I might have a pretty good chance of getting that position IF I decide for sure that is what I want to do.
Which leads me to another thing that has happend. The last time I posted I was to take the subject area test again in order to get my teaching certification reinstated - well, I received the test results last Thursday and I PASSED!!!!!! So, I have filled out the paperwork and will send it in along with my $56.00 on Tuesday and wait to get my certificate. I should have everything in place by the middle of the summer and be able to apply for any full time position that comes up IF I decided to go back. I know that I keep saying "If I decide to go back" - in all likelihood I will go back next year full time - IF I can, in fact, get hired. It will be good to earn some money again and if I work just nine years I can retire again - this time at full pay, because I will be 65!
Okay, first - I have been working (substitute teaching) quite a bit in the last six weeks - at least once a week and sometimes twice a week - every single Friday (I don't thing anyone works on Friday around here!). It has been interesting - I have discovered a couple of things - number one (and this really surprised me) I actually still enjoy teaching - I have had some good classes and some not so good classes, but I still enjoyed teaching. The worst day was when there was no teaching to do (or at least the classroom teacher didn't leave anything for me to do with the kids) - a spelling test and a math test - that was it for the whole day. Well, if you know me at all you know that didn't work for long - I created my own lesson plans and taught anyway. I'm not sure the kids knew what to think, but at least I kept them busy. I also discovered that I like to teach fourth grade - I used to think that fifth grade was my favorite grade level, but I have discovered that I like the kids and the curriculum of fourth grade. I am still considering going back to work full time next year (and I know that there will be at least one opening in fourth grade even with all the budget cuts that have occurred in Florida). I think I might have a pretty good chance of getting that position IF I decide for sure that is what I want to do.
Which leads me to another thing that has happend. The last time I posted I was to take the subject area test again in order to get my teaching certification reinstated - well, I received the test results last Thursday and I PASSED!!!!!! So, I have filled out the paperwork and will send it in along with my $56.00 on Tuesday and wait to get my certificate. I should have everything in place by the middle of the summer and be able to apply for any full time position that comes up IF I decided to go back. I know that I keep saying "If I decide to go back" - in all likelihood I will go back next year full time - IF I can, in fact, get hired. It will be good to earn some money again and if I work just nine years I can retire again - this time at full pay, because I will be 65!
How can that be, you might ask??? Well, a couple of weeks ago I had a birthday - yep! This ole girl turned 56 - no more double nickle for me - time marches forward and I just happen to follow along. We really had a quiet time and did not do any real "celebrating" - just dinner at home - I did receive a beautiful hydrangea (which I love) and a wonder metal daschund sculpture that I am going to put on the porch (right now it is sitting on our living room floor).
Now let's talk about things that have disappeared around here - well, I told you guys that we traded the Chevy truck and Dan got a Jeep Wrangler - well, guess what!!! A couple of weeks ago, we traded my PT Cruiser AND Dan's Jeep Wrangler for - an F-150 truck and a different Jeep Wrangler. Let's start with the F-150 (which is now MY truck)- we have been talking about getting a camper (a hybrid or expandable trailer) so we can travel and we could not pull it with the old Jeep or the Cruiser, sooooo we found a nice used F-150 and there went the Cruiser - then on the same lot was a "BAA BAA" - yep - a beautiful Black Jeep Wrangler - same year as the one Dan had just bought, but it was BLACK - sooooo, he convinced the car dealer to trade his Jeep for the black Jeep EVEN - no money exchanged hands - keys for keys. He is sooooo happy!!! He has his BAA BAA back AND we have a Ford truck (he has always been a Ford man!).
Now for the next news. We have been looking at campers for a couple of weeks now and had it narrowed down to two - one in Valdosta and one in Inverness. However, we decided that now is not the time to go out and spend that kind of money - we don't know what the economy is going to do and we certainly don't know where the price of gas is going (other than up!). So we might have actually done a responsible thing - we have decided to wait for about six months or so and see what is happening. So NO camper for us at this time. So, it looks like we will be spending the summer here at home and just take it easy. Maybe, my girls and can see us at some point, even for just a weekend. That would be nice.
Speaking of my girls, let me digress some and go back to my birthday - my oldest daughter bought me a GREAT Birthday present - I just won't get it until October. What do I have to wait for six months to get - how about seeing Neil Diamond in concert- That is such a COOL present - I just love Neil Diamond. The last time I saw him in Tampa was probably over 20 years ago. Anyway, I'm looking forward to being able to go see him again especially with my daughter this time.
Okay, one last thing before I sign off for tonight - we had one other thing leave us in the past couple of weeks - baby birds that we helped raise. A wren built a nest in a potted plant that sits right beside our front door and laid five eggs. We kept an eye on the nest and momma for a couple of weeks and then we discovered that the eggs had hatched - all five! Now this poor little house wren was very busy trying to feed five hungry little birds, so we went down to the tackle store and bought some worms. We put worms out for momma a couple of times a day to help her feed her brood. Then, one day a couple of weeks ago we were able to watch as the five little babies left the nest for the first time. They were so cute popping out of the little nest and sitting on the side of the potted plant building up the courage to jump. When they did they flew over to a bush that is beside the porch and momma was waiting for them. Now we are having to keep our garage door closed all the time because we have another house wren trying to build a nest on top of the freezer in the garage - we have put out a basket in hopes that she will decide to build there instead. Once again we'll just have to wait and see.
Well, once again I have not been very funny, but at least I have caught up - now that I'm not working (next week is the last week of school here, and I doubt is anyone will be out next week) and we are not planning any trips, maybe I can stay current with my blogging - and maybe I can get back to being funny again.
I wish all of you a happy Memorial Day - please remember why we have the holiday tomorrow and pray that our troops come home soon - safe and sound. Be safe. Until next time America!
