Dear Family and Friends,
Today is a gloriously sunny autumn day with just the hint of a chill in the air. I often associate this kind of weather with San Diego, but after the horrible firestorms they've been having there over the past week, they probably would wish for some of the rainy weather we're accustomed to. I heard from all of my friends and family in San Diego over this past week with relieving news from each. Some evacuated last week, but all came home to their homes intact. May we continue to hold the people of this California region in our prayers as the Santa Ana winds continue to blow. May the ones devastated find strength and courage and may the ones spared help those in need.
I just got home from an unexpected lunch with my son Will Pylate. (See Photo #1) He and his coworker had time to break for lunch after a job over in Orange, and I met them at the Cajun Eatery, a thirty-minute drive for me. What a nice thing this is, getting to enjoy a catch-up visit unexpectedly on a week day. My family missed Will and his family at our family gathering this weekend, and I was glad to have this opportunity to at least see Will.
The family gathering over this past weekend was so much fun for those who could make it. Friday we all headed to Nacogdoches, Texas, to be there in time for the evening Nacogdoches High School football game against Marshall, Texas. I checked into my hotel as soon as I got into town and then went to Scott and Marcia's house to meet up with the others. Lee's family couldn't get away until Eva got finished with teaching her first grade class, so they were the last to arrive, just after kick-off. We made a good cheering section. (See Photo #2) It was hard seeing where Emma was amid the crowd of her marching band, but we think we snapped at least a couple pictures that had her in. The band didn't actually do any complicated formations on this particular night because of the middle school bands joining their show. We got to see Emma the next morning, though, marching in the Stephen F. Austin University's homecoming parade. (See Photos #3 & #4)
Saturday afternoon, the adults took off in Scott's all-wheel drive vehicle for a tour of all of their properties, leaving the children home to fend for themselves. The boys played video games all afternoon, and the girls did girlie things like straightening their hair. We adults went out to the country to visit Miss Marcielle, Marcia's mother, in her little cedar cabin out on their property. (See Photo #5) Scott drove us up steep hills and around rocks and trees down into dales to see the details of nature that are so beautiful this time of year. (See Photos #6 - #9) The purpose of this weekend together was fall birthdays. I supplied the cake from Cypi's with all of the names upon it. (See Photo #10) Scott, Debbie, and I blew out the candle right before I left to return home. The rest stayed into Sunday and enjoyed more time outdoors together. (See Photo #11)
My weekend wasn't over after this rich and fulfilling time with family. On Sunday morning, even though I missed choir practice on Thursday due to a hot water tank problem, I sang pretty on-key the song, "Instruments of Praise." I sat listening to Fred preach and thought how fortunate we are to have such a good storyteller from Mississippi in the pulpit. He seems to have anecdotes from all parts of his life to share in bringing God's Word to life for us. I appreciate it every week.
Right after the service and a quick lunch, I was back on the road again--this time over to Port Arthur for the Texas Bamboo Festival held at the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple there. I arrived just as the ordination service in the temple was ending. Little girls were just finishing a dance, and I oh so wished I'd left home thirty minutes sooner. (See Photo #12) I ran into friends from the American Bamboo Society who had organized this event--Jimmie and Judith Bussey (See Photo #13) Judith walked me through the beautiful gardens of many kinds of bamboo and water lilies, and soon I was on my way to Dillard's. I've been on a mission to replace my underwear again, this time with what seems like a really sturdy and pretty kind called Body Suede by Wacoal. I like the XL sized panties, and most stores just buy one pair in each color, so Judith's news that there was another Dillard's in Port Arthur made this shopping trip even more fruitful. I also stopped at the Dillard's in Beaumont, and now I have what I want and need. It was a successful trip all ways around.
The whole weekend followed a work week of accomplishments--in the classroom, in my rental business, and in other areas of my life. My classes continue to astound me with their creativity and sensitivity about what we're reading in literature. I am getting pure pleasure from working with these eight girls this year.
In my rental business, because the weather changed to 70's in the daytime and 40's at night, suddenly there were heating issues to deal with. Tuesday Ted had to go get a heater up and running for me, and on Thursday, he got a hot water tank back on line after hours. I had a floor replaced in the bathroom of another house by another contractor, and he also did a very nice job. He works in conjunction with Lanier Plumbing, and I'm glad to have another back-up in case Ted's ever not available. I had Lanier Plumbing also come unclog my bathtub drain. It was long overdue, and it is so nice to again have that drain working right. I did some handiwork myself this past week. When the air turned chill and it was time to turn off the ceiling fans, it became apparent that they were indeed very much in need of a good cleaning. I went out to Bed Bath & Beyond and got one of those long-handled tools to wrap around the blades and get all of the cat fur and dust off. I'm so glad to have that done, and it's so nice to not have heat or AC going. Maybe my utility bill this month will be nice and low.
I walked the Labyrinth at Good Shepherd on Tuesday night before I went to the last Grief Workshop session at my church. Every time I walk the labyrinth, something new and different comes from it. This time I felt like God was telling me that like the labyrinth, I'm on a pathway right now and out there somewhere there's someone else on a pathway that will someday cross paths with mine. I was thinking as I walked that night about how I happened to meet my first husband Craig through a channel of unexpected occurrences, and the same thing happened with Ray Gardner. Ray happened to be perusing the Yahoo personal ads for women in Galveston, and we met through that unexpected means. Through my walk through the labyrinth on this particular night, I got the message that there's another chapter to my life on the horizon. I just don't know when it will engage and happen. At least the Grief Workshop has gotten me thinking in these kind of new possibilities in my life. I'm grateful to Dr. Danny Miller and his wife and the Viegas for helping me to move along in my grief process about Ray and about so many chapters of my life.
In addition to the work on my weight that I've been doing through Curves, this past week I offered up my home for a program called The Light Weigh. It's another approach to coming to terms with the reasons why we eat and learning about the proper ways to eat in order to release pounds and come to a natural resting place. Leslie Fain is the facilitator of this group, and I have volunteered my home for our meeting place for 12 weeks. The first session went very well, once we found a place to show the DVD. It wouldn't work on my TV player, so we ended up in my bedroom using my computer. But this was the only glitch. I'm anxious to hear more about this plan of eating. On this first night, I found affirmation for something that I've gravitated to already, just living on my own and not needing to plan meals for anyone else. I'm waiting until my stomach growls before I feed it anything, and this is one of the keys this program teaches. We've got to get in touch with our natural hunger cycles. I look forward to finding out what's being taught tonight when we meet here again.
Everybody's looking forward to Halloween coming up this week. May the goblins and witches not scare any of you...
With love, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Monday Afternoon Reflections - October 22, 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
I have felt better this past week, although I have still needed plenty of sleep. I really think that the Grief Workshop and all that it has stirred in me, not only about losing Ray, but about all of the major losses in my life, has moved me through the deep fatigue that requires so much sleep. I was blessed this weekend with having the time for that kind of sleep. With my current teaching schedule, I even could sleep in this morning, and I did. I feel rested and ready to reflect on my life and to share those reflections with all of you this afternoon.
I've continued with the Curves Challenge. I'm into the fifth week of really cutting back on my calories again, and I'm pleased to report that it's going well. I've lost eight pounds. Finally, those five pounds that I put on in France have come off again, and I'm hoping that once I come to a resting place, I can just maintain my weight. I made it over to Curves for workouts several times this past week. That aspect is also so very important. Because of this regimen I'm on, I've not tried to have many meals out, but even on a week like this, I ate out three times.
One time was when I rode over to Lafayette on Tuesday night with JoLynn Marcantel for a Theresians District meeting. She and I had dinner at Zea's before the meeting, and the salad was so pretty, I just had to photograph it. (See Photos #1 & #2) The meeting following moved along nicely. I'm loving the room we're now meeting in with couches in one big circle. I feel like it's opening up the group for me. Maybe it's the second year into this kind of position when friendships begin to blossom. I'm enjoying it. Plans for the Lenten Retreat are underway, and I just hate that the Bamboo Weekend conflicts with this each year. Last year I thought about straddling things and going to both, but I have decided that my retreat for Lent will always take place in the bamboo groves of Avery Island, where I have special people who gather just once a year. I just can't miss it.
Another meal out this past week was for PrimeTimers at my church. (See Photo #3) That was quite a day for me. I didn't know whether I was going to make it. I was asked to help administer the PSAT test at my school that morning, and while that test was going on, all hell broke loose in my rental business. After two weeks of no one calling for repairs or other problems, suddenly on this particular morning, I got three calls. I ended up having to leave the test. Thankfully, I was only a proctor, and this didn't really pose a problem. I had to get Lanier Plumbing and Ted Baker involved with the three things that happened, and by the grace of God, I still managed to get to the PrimeTimers luncheon and the faculty meeting at 2:00 p.m. and to my spiritual director's office by 3:00. The speaker for the PrimeTimers luncheon didn't show up for some reason, so that was a disappointment, but it probably worked out best for me anyway.
My third meal out this past week happened yesterday spontaneously. On a whim, I called Barry and Lynn Rhodes to see if they'd like to attend the Lake Charles Symphony performance yesterday (See Photo #4) They agreed, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by other friends who also came. I spotted Phyllis Morgan and Celena Perry, and we sat right next to them, and then a little later Lynn spotted two of her Quilting Guild compatriots, and Carol Thompson and Suzanne Lee also joined our party. In fact, they joined us for dinner at O'Charley's after the performance, and Barry was an awfully good sport to listen to so much "girly" talk over our meals. When we snapped the shot leaving the restaurant, we laughingly called ourselves "Barry's Harem." (See Photo #5) It was a good time for all.
By the way, the symphony performance was really good, too. All three pieces conducted by visiting Conductor from Alexandria, Louisiana, Joshua Zona, were compositions by Schumann. During the first half of the performance, the Overture to Manfred and "Spring" lulled us into a restful place. We all talked about how relaxed we felt and how sleepy. But in the second half, when David Friend on piano stirred us all into musical frenzies and crescendos, we were in rapt attention, awaiting the next movement of the Piano Concerto in A Minor. We left the Rosa Hart Theater awake and ready for that fun meal at O'Charley's. On the way out, many patrons were enjoying a piece of the cake that was given in honor of the Lake Charles Symphony's 50th anniversary year. I was surprised to find out that the Junior League fifty years ago was responsible for this wonderful addition to our cultural life in Lake Charles. They were the ones who offered up this cake, and the whole auditorium sang "Happy Birthday" before the afternoon's performance.
I was supposed to partake of another meal on Thursday at the 2007 Women's Commission Fall Conference, but it was such a mob scene at meal time that I opted not to go listen to the Keynote Speaker of this Conference, Dixie Carter. I also didn't get to hear Eleisha Eagle play and sing. But I did spend some time going through all of the booths on the ground floor of the Civic Center. (See Photo #6) I was happy to meet up with women in the community to add to women's health and other occupations. Christus St. Patrick Hospital was passing out royal blue tote bags that I know I will use on my trip to China in June.
I called my sister Debbie numerous times again this past week to check up on little Woody. Every day the reports kept getting better, so we thank all of you who put this little companion in your prayers. His back seems to be healing well, and hopefully he won't have any further problems.
At choir practice on Thursday night, Bob Emanuel asked me if I'd be willing to be Worship Leader for Sunday's Dedication service, and I agreed. This time, finally, I feel like I've got the routine basically down. By that I mean, I think I'm remembering properly to tell the congregation when to stand and sit, and I made sure this time that I had all of my prayers prepared. There are several. This was the Sunday when the congregation met afterwards to nominate new elders for the Class of 2010. I'm one of those, and I look forward to sharing the gifts God has given me with my church family. I'm hoping I don't end up in the kitchen much, but otherwise I'm really quite open to trying some new things.
Unfortunately, travel plans are going to prevent me from going to the planned orientation for new elders on November 11th. I've got a number of weekend trips on my calendar over the next six weeks. This coming weekend, my family is gathering in Nacogdoches, Texas, for fall birthdays. We'll be going Friday in time to see Emma march playing her French horn at her high school football game that night. The birthday party will be on Saturday. Then the weekend of November 9th, I'm flying to Dallas to meet my friend Barbara Corry's new little Chinese daughter. Five-year-old Anna Zhulan sounds precious and so vivacious on the phone. I'm sure it will be quite an experience. I will also connect up with my old friend Cindy Wood on this trip. Then the weekend of November 30, I'm flying to Harlingen, Texas, to join an old kindergarten friend of mine, who will be enjoying two weeks on South Padre Island with her family. The DeGroffs live in Burwell, Nebraska, and their sons and families will come from wherever they live. Patty Taylor DeGroff and I correspond and stay in touch through phonecalls and birthday cards, but I think it's been maybe 28 years or so since I've seen her in person. On a whim, when she told me this past week she was going to be in Padre Island, I suggested I join her and her family for a few days. I also look forward to this getaway weekend. God is leading me some very interesting places...
My class of eight girls continues to bring me joy and much intellectual stimulation. This past week we discussed Luigi Pirandello's short story called "War" using another creative thinking strategy. We were looking at the both the physical and psychological indicators that author gave us in determining the personalities of his characters. (See Photo #7) This is a story about war that is unusual in that it's about a conversation among parents of soldiers having their own battle of who might suffer the greatest loss. None of the characters have been given names, and it was interesting to put them into the focus of the hero's journey paradigm, for each one of them really represents Everyman. It was a class period that gave me a real sense of teaching being an art.
Homecoming was over a week ago, but there were still signs in the Commons this past week of the Cinderella theme. Liz Mueller was walking by when I was photographing some of the decorations, and she had me pose again this week as a Cinderella. (See Photo #8)
Signs that I'm moving in some manner in myself and in my soul continue to happen in my house and in my wardrobe. I replaced my garbage can and my clothes hamper recently, and as you can see, Abbakadabra likes the new hamper very much. (See Photo #9) I've made more trips to the Women's Shelter with items and clothes I no longer need. And I've also added to my cobalt blue fowl collection recently. Here is a Murano Dove of Peace in blue.
I hope in my own little ways I'm working like this dove for peace in the world. May my letter reach out to you and give you some connection and some contentment somehow. Many blessings on each and every one of you...
With love, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
I have felt better this past week, although I have still needed plenty of sleep. I really think that the Grief Workshop and all that it has stirred in me, not only about losing Ray, but about all of the major losses in my life, has moved me through the deep fatigue that requires so much sleep. I was blessed this weekend with having the time for that kind of sleep. With my current teaching schedule, I even could sleep in this morning, and I did. I feel rested and ready to reflect on my life and to share those reflections with all of you this afternoon.
I've continued with the Curves Challenge. I'm into the fifth week of really cutting back on my calories again, and I'm pleased to report that it's going well. I've lost eight pounds. Finally, those five pounds that I put on in France have come off again, and I'm hoping that once I come to a resting place, I can just maintain my weight. I made it over to Curves for workouts several times this past week. That aspect is also so very important. Because of this regimen I'm on, I've not tried to have many meals out, but even on a week like this, I ate out three times.
One time was when I rode over to Lafayette on Tuesday night with JoLynn Marcantel for a Theresians District meeting. She and I had dinner at Zea's before the meeting, and the salad was so pretty, I just had to photograph it. (See Photos #1 & #2) The meeting following moved along nicely. I'm loving the room we're now meeting in with couches in one big circle. I feel like it's opening up the group for me. Maybe it's the second year into this kind of position when friendships begin to blossom. I'm enjoying it. Plans for the Lenten Retreat are underway, and I just hate that the Bamboo Weekend conflicts with this each year. Last year I thought about straddling things and going to both, but I have decided that my retreat for Lent will always take place in the bamboo groves of Avery Island, where I have special people who gather just once a year. I just can't miss it.
Another meal out this past week was for PrimeTimers at my church. (See Photo #3) That was quite a day for me. I didn't know whether I was going to make it. I was asked to help administer the PSAT test at my school that morning, and while that test was going on, all hell broke loose in my rental business. After two weeks of no one calling for repairs or other problems, suddenly on this particular morning, I got three calls. I ended up having to leave the test. Thankfully, I was only a proctor, and this didn't really pose a problem. I had to get Lanier Plumbing and Ted Baker involved with the three things that happened, and by the grace of God, I still managed to get to the PrimeTimers luncheon and the faculty meeting at 2:00 p.m. and to my spiritual director's office by 3:00. The speaker for the PrimeTimers luncheon didn't show up for some reason, so that was a disappointment, but it probably worked out best for me anyway.
My third meal out this past week happened yesterday spontaneously. On a whim, I called Barry and Lynn Rhodes to see if they'd like to attend the Lake Charles Symphony performance yesterday (See Photo #4) They agreed, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by other friends who also came. I spotted Phyllis Morgan and Celena Perry, and we sat right next to them, and then a little later Lynn spotted two of her Quilting Guild compatriots, and Carol Thompson and Suzanne Lee also joined our party. In fact, they joined us for dinner at O'Charley's after the performance, and Barry was an awfully good sport to listen to so much "girly" talk over our meals. When we snapped the shot leaving the restaurant, we laughingly called ourselves "Barry's Harem." (See Photo #5) It was a good time for all.
By the way, the symphony performance was really good, too. All three pieces conducted by visiting Conductor from Alexandria, Louisiana, Joshua Zona, were compositions by Schumann. During the first half of the performance, the Overture to Manfred and "Spring" lulled us into a restful place. We all talked about how relaxed we felt and how sleepy. But in the second half, when David Friend on piano stirred us all into musical frenzies and crescendos, we were in rapt attention, awaiting the next movement of the Piano Concerto in A Minor. We left the Rosa Hart Theater awake and ready for that fun meal at O'Charley's. On the way out, many patrons were enjoying a piece of the cake that was given in honor of the Lake Charles Symphony's 50th anniversary year. I was surprised to find out that the Junior League fifty years ago was responsible for this wonderful addition to our cultural life in Lake Charles. They were the ones who offered up this cake, and the whole auditorium sang "Happy Birthday" before the afternoon's performance.
I was supposed to partake of another meal on Thursday at the 2007 Women's Commission Fall Conference, but it was such a mob scene at meal time that I opted not to go listen to the Keynote Speaker of this Conference, Dixie Carter. I also didn't get to hear Eleisha Eagle play and sing. But I did spend some time going through all of the booths on the ground floor of the Civic Center. (See Photo #6) I was happy to meet up with women in the community to add to women's health and other occupations. Christus St. Patrick Hospital was passing out royal blue tote bags that I know I will use on my trip to China in June.
I called my sister Debbie numerous times again this past week to check up on little Woody. Every day the reports kept getting better, so we thank all of you who put this little companion in your prayers. His back seems to be healing well, and hopefully he won't have any further problems.
At choir practice on Thursday night, Bob Emanuel asked me if I'd be willing to be Worship Leader for Sunday's Dedication service, and I agreed. This time, finally, I feel like I've got the routine basically down. By that I mean, I think I'm remembering properly to tell the congregation when to stand and sit, and I made sure this time that I had all of my prayers prepared. There are several. This was the Sunday when the congregation met afterwards to nominate new elders for the Class of 2010. I'm one of those, and I look forward to sharing the gifts God has given me with my church family. I'm hoping I don't end up in the kitchen much, but otherwise I'm really quite open to trying some new things.
Unfortunately, travel plans are going to prevent me from going to the planned orientation for new elders on November 11th. I've got a number of weekend trips on my calendar over the next six weeks. This coming weekend, my family is gathering in Nacogdoches, Texas, for fall birthdays. We'll be going Friday in time to see Emma march playing her French horn at her high school football game that night. The birthday party will be on Saturday. Then the weekend of November 9th, I'm flying to Dallas to meet my friend Barbara Corry's new little Chinese daughter. Five-year-old Anna Zhulan sounds precious and so vivacious on the phone. I'm sure it will be quite an experience. I will also connect up with my old friend Cindy Wood on this trip. Then the weekend of November 30, I'm flying to Harlingen, Texas, to join an old kindergarten friend of mine, who will be enjoying two weeks on South Padre Island with her family. The DeGroffs live in Burwell, Nebraska, and their sons and families will come from wherever they live. Patty Taylor DeGroff and I correspond and stay in touch through phonecalls and birthday cards, but I think it's been maybe 28 years or so since I've seen her in person. On a whim, when she told me this past week she was going to be in Padre Island, I suggested I join her and her family for a few days. I also look forward to this getaway weekend. God is leading me some very interesting places...
My class of eight girls continues to bring me joy and much intellectual stimulation. This past week we discussed Luigi Pirandello's short story called "War" using another creative thinking strategy. We were looking at the both the physical and psychological indicators that author gave us in determining the personalities of his characters. (See Photo #7) This is a story about war that is unusual in that it's about a conversation among parents of soldiers having their own battle of who might suffer the greatest loss. None of the characters have been given names, and it was interesting to put them into the focus of the hero's journey paradigm, for each one of them really represents Everyman. It was a class period that gave me a real sense of teaching being an art.
Homecoming was over a week ago, but there were still signs in the Commons this past week of the Cinderella theme. Liz Mueller was walking by when I was photographing some of the decorations, and she had me pose again this week as a Cinderella. (See Photo #8)
Signs that I'm moving in some manner in myself and in my soul continue to happen in my house and in my wardrobe. I replaced my garbage can and my clothes hamper recently, and as you can see, Abbakadabra likes the new hamper very much. (See Photo #9) I've made more trips to the Women's Shelter with items and clothes I no longer need. And I've also added to my cobalt blue fowl collection recently. Here is a Murano Dove of Peace in blue.
I hope in my own little ways I'm working like this dove for peace in the world. May my letter reach out to you and give you some connection and some contentment somehow. Many blessings on each and every one of you...
With love, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Monday, October 15, 2007
Monday Evening Reflections - October 15, 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
Last week I was under the weather for most of my days, but I managed to keep the things that are essential to my life going--like teaching and choir and spending time with my cat. I'm feeling better today and had a nice quiet weekend, but I still am sleeping a lot and seem tired. I hope this passes soon. Heaven seems on its way...
My family has been in crisis this past week because little Woody, Buddy and Debbie's Schnoodle, has had back problems that have terrorized them and us in conjunction. I've been in contact daily to check on things, and Debbie's been writing updates. Thankfully, prayers seem to be moving God's healing into place. Woody has done better every day with the treatment the vet has offered, and surgery may not be necessary. Woody has become so much a part of our family in the last five years. He's so human in his ways, and Debbie and Buddy just adore him. Having something wrong with him is equivalent to a sick child for them. My heart goes out to them, and as it turns out, my congregation's heart goes out, too. On Sunday, I asked the church to pray for Woody, and there were people who had suggestions that may very well help.
I managed to teach my classes last week, but more and more, I am finding ways so that my students do the bulk of the analyses and talking in my classes. I'm pulling out teaching methods from back in the mid-90's when I did a Creative Thinking Strategies practicum through Texas A & M in my classroom in Galveston, now applying them in new ways to the material I teach in AP English. Since our Academic Vice Principal is also encouraging the use of technology in our teaching, I've also incorporated this. The first two photos are of products that students made and presented on two short stories we've just read. Not only are they digging into tone, diction, detail, and now point of view, but they are also thinking out of the box about characters like Miss Emily in "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. (See Photo #1) They charted Emily's sun side and shadow side, bringing out observations and astute understandings of this character who might very well represent the Old South. They did this; I didn't have to do much more than make the assignment and facilitate the presentations. I feel myself rising in my teaching again this year.
The second set of graphics are plotlines of "Guests of the Nation" by Frank O'Connor. (See Photo #2) Through this activity, I got a sense of how much my students know about human psychology and the way a story is plotted. They are just excellent. I feel like this might be the greatest year in my life as far as teaching to a high level. I feel very grateful that God has graced me with this class. In fact, you might say I feel like Cinderella (See Photo #3) in a sense. The grief workshop has had great effects on me in the last several weeks, with my crying and grieving a lot again and really just pushing through to the other side. Signs that I'm moving are the cleaning out of closets and changes in my handwriting and just new ways of reaching out. I feel blessed with Earth as my home and the United States as my country. Rather than focusing so much on my losses, I'm looking forward and upward toward better days ahead.
My rental business has been very quiet for a couple of weeks now. I'm so grateful for this hiatus. It's been long in coming. Ted called a little while ago and said he'd hung a new double front door on one of my houses. This is still a storm repair from Hurricane Rita. This door blew open during the storm, and we are finally getting a new one in place. This house has burglar bars on all windows and doors, so it's more complicated than it would seem.
We had a combined contemporary service and traditional service at my church on Sunday with a bagpipe band from Lyons College in Arkansas treating us to songs like "Amazing Grace." (See Photo #4) We celebrated with banners harking back to the Presbyterian’s ties with Scotland. It was a fun challenge to sing some contemporary songs with the guitars and piano. I felt like Paul McCartney or someone was leading us. Chris Miller added his accordion to some of the songs, and we made quite a joyful noise with our "I'll Fly Away." It was a morning I was happy to be a part of. I asked Joe White if he would take photos for me with my camera, and both he and Barbara were obliging. I'm very grateful. We had a visiting singer with us from Loyola University. Caressa Miller, our choir director's daughter who sang with the Chancel Choir all through high school, was back home to sing with us. What a family the choir has become. When Caressa and Camryn brought up what it's like to come home when your bedroom's been taken over by your younger sibling, we were able to add input as a group to soften their feelings. (See Photo #5) I'm very grateful to be offering my gifts in my church through this vehicle. God has placed me in a good and useful place. There was a luncheon served in the Fellowship Hall after the service, and I went up to see what they were having and to take a few photos. (See Photo #6) However, my diet has been going along so well in the past couple of weeks, I didn't want to sabotage it with a barbeque dinner. I went home to eat a salad and then got out to Sam's and Kroger to get stocked up with groceries for the week. Even this kind of activity has been a strain and effort for me this week. I'm so glad that I'm finally feeling better today.
I went to Beaumont for a few hours on Saturday to browse my favorite stores. God seems to be telling me, let go of the old and bring in some new. I found a compact Bible to take with me to China if Charlotte McCallum and I do end up going. She and I are in the getting-to-know-each-other stages and not moving very fast on that. I'm at a place where I'm going to let go and let God and just see what happens. If I'm meant to go to China this coming summer, it will happen. If not, it will happen at another time. I've gotten good at living this way, and it works for me.
My Delta Kappa Gamma teacher organization met this afternoon on the McNeese University campus, (See Photo #7) and the topic was Advanced Placement courses being offered in the Calcasieu Parish schools. I'm glad to have a full understanding about what is offered in the public sector, realizing that what I offer my students is also very valuable in the Catholic Schools sector of Lake Charles. The school district is setting different goals and different expectations than I currently have, and it was interesting to reflect on my teaching methods and achievements by comparison. I felt enriched by the presentation.
This is another shorter letter this week, but it's at least longer than last week's. I'm getting up and running again, and the world looks different. We all have places to go and things to do to make things better. May God guide us down achievable and better pathways...
With love and blessings, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Last week I was under the weather for most of my days, but I managed to keep the things that are essential to my life going--like teaching and choir and spending time with my cat. I'm feeling better today and had a nice quiet weekend, but I still am sleeping a lot and seem tired. I hope this passes soon. Heaven seems on its way...
My family has been in crisis this past week because little Woody, Buddy and Debbie's Schnoodle, has had back problems that have terrorized them and us in conjunction. I've been in contact daily to check on things, and Debbie's been writing updates. Thankfully, prayers seem to be moving God's healing into place. Woody has done better every day with the treatment the vet has offered, and surgery may not be necessary. Woody has become so much a part of our family in the last five years. He's so human in his ways, and Debbie and Buddy just adore him. Having something wrong with him is equivalent to a sick child for them. My heart goes out to them, and as it turns out, my congregation's heart goes out, too. On Sunday, I asked the church to pray for Woody, and there were people who had suggestions that may very well help.
I managed to teach my classes last week, but more and more, I am finding ways so that my students do the bulk of the analyses and talking in my classes. I'm pulling out teaching methods from back in the mid-90's when I did a Creative Thinking Strategies practicum through Texas A & M in my classroom in Galveston, now applying them in new ways to the material I teach in AP English. Since our Academic Vice Principal is also encouraging the use of technology in our teaching, I've also incorporated this. The first two photos are of products that students made and presented on two short stories we've just read. Not only are they digging into tone, diction, detail, and now point of view, but they are also thinking out of the box about characters like Miss Emily in "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. (See Photo #1) They charted Emily's sun side and shadow side, bringing out observations and astute understandings of this character who might very well represent the Old South. They did this; I didn't have to do much more than make the assignment and facilitate the presentations. I feel myself rising in my teaching again this year.
The second set of graphics are plotlines of "Guests of the Nation" by Frank O'Connor. (See Photo #2) Through this activity, I got a sense of how much my students know about human psychology and the way a story is plotted. They are just excellent. I feel like this might be the greatest year in my life as far as teaching to a high level. I feel very grateful that God has graced me with this class. In fact, you might say I feel like Cinderella (See Photo #3) in a sense. The grief workshop has had great effects on me in the last several weeks, with my crying and grieving a lot again and really just pushing through to the other side. Signs that I'm moving are the cleaning out of closets and changes in my handwriting and just new ways of reaching out. I feel blessed with Earth as my home and the United States as my country. Rather than focusing so much on my losses, I'm looking forward and upward toward better days ahead.
My rental business has been very quiet for a couple of weeks now. I'm so grateful for this hiatus. It's been long in coming. Ted called a little while ago and said he'd hung a new double front door on one of my houses. This is still a storm repair from Hurricane Rita. This door blew open during the storm, and we are finally getting a new one in place. This house has burglar bars on all windows and doors, so it's more complicated than it would seem.
We had a combined contemporary service and traditional service at my church on Sunday with a bagpipe band from Lyons College in Arkansas treating us to songs like "Amazing Grace." (See Photo #4) We celebrated with banners harking back to the Presbyterian’s ties with Scotland. It was a fun challenge to sing some contemporary songs with the guitars and piano. I felt like Paul McCartney or someone was leading us. Chris Miller added his accordion to some of the songs, and we made quite a joyful noise with our "I'll Fly Away." It was a morning I was happy to be a part of. I asked Joe White if he would take photos for me with my camera, and both he and Barbara were obliging. I'm very grateful. We had a visiting singer with us from Loyola University. Caressa Miller, our choir director's daughter who sang with the Chancel Choir all through high school, was back home to sing with us. What a family the choir has become. When Caressa and Camryn brought up what it's like to come home when your bedroom's been taken over by your younger sibling, we were able to add input as a group to soften their feelings. (See Photo #5) I'm very grateful to be offering my gifts in my church through this vehicle. God has placed me in a good and useful place. There was a luncheon served in the Fellowship Hall after the service, and I went up to see what they were having and to take a few photos. (See Photo #6) However, my diet has been going along so well in the past couple of weeks, I didn't want to sabotage it with a barbeque dinner. I went home to eat a salad and then got out to Sam's and Kroger to get stocked up with groceries for the week. Even this kind of activity has been a strain and effort for me this week. I'm so glad that I'm finally feeling better today.
I went to Beaumont for a few hours on Saturday to browse my favorite stores. God seems to be telling me, let go of the old and bring in some new. I found a compact Bible to take with me to China if Charlotte McCallum and I do end up going. She and I are in the getting-to-know-each-other stages and not moving very fast on that. I'm at a place where I'm going to let go and let God and just see what happens. If I'm meant to go to China this coming summer, it will happen. If not, it will happen at another time. I've gotten good at living this way, and it works for me.
My Delta Kappa Gamma teacher organization met this afternoon on the McNeese University campus, (See Photo #7) and the topic was Advanced Placement courses being offered in the Calcasieu Parish schools. I'm glad to have a full understanding about what is offered in the public sector, realizing that what I offer my students is also very valuable in the Catholic Schools sector of Lake Charles. The school district is setting different goals and different expectations than I currently have, and it was interesting to reflect on my teaching methods and achievements by comparison. I felt enriched by the presentation.
This is another shorter letter this week, but it's at least longer than last week's. I'm getting up and running again, and the world looks different. We all have places to go and things to do to make things better. May God guide us down achievable and better pathways...
With love and blessings, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Monday, October 8, 2007
Monday Afternoon Reflections - October 8, 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
I'm not going to be able to find time to write about my life everlasting today, but I do want to send pictures. I had lunch with Susan Hoover one day. A kitchen witch arrived from Australia from my friend Chrystia Kucher last week. I worked out at Curves for the Breast Cancer Awareness Day, thus the pink top. Light shines in every afternoon on Ray's portrait. I thought you'd like to see it. The cat caught a lizard, and I went out with the Pelzers to Logan's on Sunday.
It was a different kind of week with teaching being my main focus. I'm loving this class of girls... They had articles for their project all sorted and ready for me to check off on Friday. There were signs that some of them were a lot like me in searching a topic to the hilt. I am so excited about seeing where these several pieces of writing about a non-American novel go.
I hope your week ahead looks like a rainbow of promises...
With love, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
I'm not going to be able to find time to write about my life everlasting today, but I do want to send pictures. I had lunch with Susan Hoover one day. A kitchen witch arrived from Australia from my friend Chrystia Kucher last week. I worked out at Curves for the Breast Cancer Awareness Day, thus the pink top. Light shines in every afternoon on Ray's portrait. I thought you'd like to see it. The cat caught a lizard, and I went out with the Pelzers to Logan's on Sunday.
It was a different kind of week with teaching being my main focus. I'm loving this class of girls... They had articles for their project all sorted and ready for me to check off on Friday. There were signs that some of them were a lot like me in searching a topic to the hilt. I am so excited about seeing where these several pieces of writing about a non-American novel go.
I hope your week ahead looks like a rainbow of promises...
With love, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Monday Evening Reflections - October 1, 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
Charlotte McCallum, the woman I told you about last week in my saga about China, just left my house after an hour and a half of intense and excited discussion about the prospects of going to China together. I am so excited!!! (See Photo #1) I showed Charlotte around my unusual home, and then we sat down on the couch to learn about each other. Charlotte shared photos of some of her former time in China and told me about living there and being an English teacher at Jilin University in Changchun in the Jilin Province west of and not too far across the border from North Korea. I, in turn, peppered her with questions about the kind of luggage and purse to take and all those kind of practical things I would like to know. This will be a trip where we will travel light, me with a rolling duffel bag, it's looking like, and bringing mainly clothes that we could leave behind if we wanted to and clothes that can be washed out and hung to dry overnight without too many wrinkles. I brought up the possibility of my sister Debbie's coming along, and Charlotte was open to the possibility. I called Debbie as soon as Charlotte left, and Debbie is definitely interested in this kind of trip, too. We'll all be looking for a fourth person who might be up for a trip across China on a very personal and informal level. Charlotte and I talked about the sights we might like to see in China, and already we are in agreement about the famous terracotta soldiers. I would also like to see the Forbidden City that I saw in the movie, THE LAST EMPEROR, and the Great Wall, of course. Otherwise, I'm pretty open to anything. Just walking down streets and seeing the sights will be such a pleasure. Who knows what adventures God has in store for us. I plan to just simply watch it all unfold. Charlotte gifted me with a paper cutout (See Photo #2), which says something like Good Luck and a handmade pin she got in Thailand. I was touched by meeting her and feel God's hand in the whole experience with our being connected through Jackson Schrumpf, who went to some effort to find and reconnect with Charlotte at W. W. Lewis Middle School after I mentioned the People to People program in that recent letter. He definitely thought I should talk to her about a trip to China, and definitely he is right!! May God be with us in planning and executing this trip in June, leaving sometime after the 8th of the month, after all of my rents have been secured and deposited, and staying at least two weeks and maybe a bit more.
Right after I hung up from talking to Debbie, I got a call from someone who knew Ray on-line through one of the Lancair groups who chat on-line. Their connection was that they both owned and had built Lancair airplanes. Bill Rumburg was one of the people who was looking for Ray after he died. I still keep Ray's Tubamanflies address open, just in case there's still someone out there who doesn't know Ray's gone. Bill has read my book and had some questions to ask me. I'm glad he caught me home tonight.
I was on 1200 calories per day this past week, and it really didn't faze me a bit. I was able to carry on my normal life without too many hunger pains. I also got over to Curves four times last week. Surely when I weigh in tomorrow, things will be looking up with my weight. Those five pounds I put on in France in June have just been stubborn about coming back off. I'm hoping this jumpstart is what I needed. Today I switched to 1600 in order not to go into starvation mode with my metabolism. I plan to continue dieting until this trip to China so that I can just enjoy whatever there is to experience foodwise while over there. Charlotte was telling me about eating silkworms in various sauces, and I'm sure there are other delicacies or just common foods to the Chinese that we will encounter. I'm ready for the culinary adventure, too.
Teaching school for me last week was fairly light and easy. The librarians, who are without a whole library to work with since our new one is under construction, were nonetheless wonderful in doing an orientation for my students, customized to the kind of semester project they're facing. Melanie LeJeune had prepared an extensive PowerPoint presentation that the girls were able to see up close with the portable laptops that Melanie had brought with her. (See Photo #3) They were shown the kinds of databases that are readily accessible from home through various sources, and she gave them ideas for finding the kinds of articles they need, including literary criticism, historical background articles, and psychology articles to help the students understand the motivations of their main character. It was just excellent. I thank both Diane Guillory and Melanie for putting such a fine thing together for my students.
I taught only one other class myself last week on Thursday. We were discussing James Joyce's "Araby," and this is the first year that I personally made the connection that this story is similar to "A & P" by John Updike in the sense that the narrator in each story is a male who becomes infatuated with a female. The times and places and ages of the boys are different, but it was interesting, through these girls' perspectives to see how tone and diction and detail came into play with each boy's attitude toward girls. The "A & P" character was jaded and really rather demeaning in his ideas about the girls who wander into his grocery store in bathing suits, and the "Araby" character comes off as being really sweet in his observations about the older sister of his friend. Having a group of all female students this year is changing what comes out in these discussions, I feel. I find the girls are more willing to go out on a limb in their own observations and analyses than I've seen before. I think I'm in for a very interesting ride this year in teaching this group. I tutored one of my students Thursday afternoon right after school, coaching her to write an even better admissions essay for Rice University that she had already written. Living four blocks from school, I can easily pop back over to campus for these kinds of sessions. I hope more of my students take me up on it.
Friday there were no classes because of a Diocesan In-Service. It took place at St. Louis, and it was so very good. We had two keynote speakers. One was Dr. Carol Eipers, Vice President and Executive Director of Catechetics for William H. Sadlier. She came to us from New York City, and we wondered how she got on a plane to come with so many props to bring her presentation to life. She started out dressed like a miner and ended up dressed like a salt shaker with a halo. Her message, through her numerous gimmicks to get our attention, was that "[w]e will 'mine' our Catholic beliefs by digging into Scripture, Tradition and our experiences of faith," which we can share with those we serve--our students. The other keynote speaker was Mr. Leo Trahan, Diocesan Director of Religious Education from the Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, and he shared even more practical things, some of which touched me to tears. There were three times that I teared up and could have gone off somewhere and cried. His telling us that sharing our personal story is key to communicating the Good News about Christ with our students touched me very deeply. During his break, I ran out to my car and got one of my books and wrote him a note about how much he had stirred me and gave it to him. I just felt called to do that thing. He introduced us teachers and administrators to the Nooma film series. These are 11-minute films that are narrated and connect true life experiences to God's movement and purpose in our lives. I have to tell you that I have ordered all 17 of these on-line today, and I know that some place and sometime I will be using these little films to spur meaningful discussions with somebody--maybe my granddaughter or my nieces and nephews or maybe a group of adults. Who knows? Anyway, this was something practical that came out of Mr. Trahan's talk for me. He also did a Photo Story from the Photo Story 3 Free Download at Microsoft.com on Hurricane Rita. I could have bawled with how beautifully he moved me with his music and his photos. Coming from Biloxi, I know he knows what coming through a hurricane means, and it showed in the depth of his understanding in film and music. There were other things he used in his presentation that also touched me, and I just had to let him know with an autographed copy of my own book, my own story. I thanked him for affirming me in my approach to opening every one of my classes with a devotional and a sharing and then a creative-writing warm-up and a sharing. So often in doing this kind of activity in my class, my own personal stories of faith surface and are shared. I felt God was working some personal therapy on me in this day of in-service.
God has been working on me from all kinds of angles in the past week again. I attended the Grief Workshop at my church again last Tuesday, and this time I didn't cry so much, but this time I shared so much that I've never told anybody. There are experiences that I've had as a widow that have seemed questionable and unusual, and Dr. Danny Miller assured me that I'm really in the category of normal in all that I've experienced. I have felt very blessed that this man has been willing to hear so much that I have to say about all my losses in life. He's got quite a personal way of listening, and so does his wife Jeannie. I feel myself coming to terms with so many things that have lain buried within for so much time.
Adam Puckett's death also stirred me greatly last week. I went to the visitation at Johnson Funeral Home on Wednesday afternoon, and although I don't know Gisele, his mother, very well yet, I was able to hold her in my arms for a brief moment and say the things I needed to say to her. I also was able to talk at length with her sister, my spiritual director, Denise Donahoe. I decided that I wouldn't go to the funeral the next day, just because I thought it could very well be a big crowd, and I wanted to leave my space for someone who knew Adam personally. I was feeling agitated and needing some outlet all day Thursday, though. I knew I needed to do something with my hands, and I ended up going through the big basket I have sitting on my counter with all of my accumulated cards and newsletters and such from the past year. I needed to clean it out anyway before the new Christmas cards come in this year, and I did it that day. I also decided to clean closets again. This time I got rid of all my handbags that I've accumulated since moving to Lake Charles. All of them were black leather, full of pockets and zippers, and all of them I know I'll never use again. I don't think I've ever gone back to using an old purse again. Why I always keep them, I don't know. Anyway, I took quite a haul of them, along with three bags of clothing, to the Women's Shelter that afternoon. I also had lunch with Phyllis Morgan that day. (See Photo #4) She was kind enough to meet me at Chez Cafee so that I could unload this burden of loss on her. Hopefully I wasn't too bad of company for her.
Gisele Puckett wrote to all of us at St. Louis about how amazing the coincidences were the day that Adam died. By chance, she and her husband were trying to call Adam, just at the moment that the accident occurred. Adam's brothers were both easily diverted back to Baton Rouge to be of help, and there were other things that happened that day like a rainbow in the sky that show that God was present and helping. I'm so glad to know that Gisele feels called to fulfill her position as our new counselor, despite the heartbreak she's had happen. We at St. Louis are very fortunate to have her in our midst. I hope to know her better.
Friday, after the in-service, I came home and ate a salad for lunch and then another adventure was in store. I traveled with my friend, Joan Vallee-Rettke, to Baton Rouge for her grandson Drew's third birthday party the next day. We made good time and got there just as Corey and Drew were coming home. Susan, Joan's daughter, was soon to follow. Joan and I had stopped at Winn Dixie to get a Thomas the Train birthday balloon blown up with helium and picked up salads from DeAngelo's for supper. That way, we were able to babysit for Drew so that Susan and Corey could go out for dinner and gather things for the upcoming birthday party. They are both attorneys and work long weeks. I was glad that Joan and I were able to give them some time off on their own both nights we were there.
Saturday morning I slept in, having gotten a nice long sleep, and things were really happening around the house. Food was being delivered and workmen were putting up a train-shaped bouncing spacewalk construction in the yard. (See Photo #5) The children at the party, including Drew in the striped shirt, had a wonderful time jumping in that thing. (See Photo #6) I took on the role of being photographer for the party since I didn't really know many people and Joan and Susan and Corey were busy with lots of other things. It worked out well, and I have been able to give a CD full of many pictures to both Drew's grammie and his parents to remember this special day. (Oh, how I wish there were this much documentation of me and my life when I was three years old, especially right now with my writing my book about those years. By the way, I did write again this past Wednesday and got another segment done.) I took lots of pictures, but I'll only subject you to a few more. (See Photos #7-#11)
Drew is an amazing three-year-old. He can count past 50, and he goes back and forth from hand to hand by fives. I've never seen anything like it in one so young. He's also totally engrossed with Thomas the Train. The party was based on that theme, and he got many presents related to Thomas, but what was so amazing to me was to see Drew's focus in playing with his trains on the coffee table and with putting together puzzles and with everything he did. He's got a long attention span for just a little boy. Obviously, he's very smart like his grandmother and his parents.
Joan and I got back to Lake Charles Saturday night after 11:00, but I was able to get up Sunday morning to sing with my choir and attend church. I loved the song we sang, "O God Beyond All Praising" and the whole church service. I was glad I'd made the effort to be back. Rev. Fred's sermon about making a solid investment, even when it might be a longshot in the future, spoke to me in things that I know I must do. I didn't stick around very long after the service, for my house badly needed dusting before the Rhodes paid me a visit later that afternoon. Lynn's son, Father Sean, who became a priest in Minnesota last year, is here visiting, and I was glad to have the opportunity to get to know him a bit. Barry, Lynn, Father Sean, and Barry's sister, Donna, who's here from Hawaii, came over about 4:00, bearing gifts. Donna had baked me a persimmon cake from a tree on her property in DeRidder, which was delicious this morning for breakfast, and Lynn gave me a momento from her recently deceased father's home--a lovely cobalt blue vase. I've found a place for it in my kitchen. We drank a bottle of red Zinfandel from Ray's collection before heading for DeAngelo's for a delicious dinner that always pleases. (See Photo #12) Conversation is always so varied and interesting around these special friends who have become my family in Louisiana. I was especially happy to share with Father Sean experiences I've had teaching at St. Louis. I accidentally dropped my camera right after one of my students working at DeAngelo's snapped a group shot for us, and thank you, God, it didn't break this time. The shutter was closed, and it landed on its back, and it still works. Thank you, God!!
I'll need it for my trip to China in June. I'm hoping writing this letter has calmed me down enough to go to sleep now. I think I'm getting sleepy. I waited to write today, though, until I'd met Charlotte. I'm so glad I did. I wanted to share with you the good news about China.
I hope your life is also unfolding in unusual and interesting ways--good ways... I'd love to hear about them.
With love and blessings, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Charlotte McCallum, the woman I told you about last week in my saga about China, just left my house after an hour and a half of intense and excited discussion about the prospects of going to China together. I am so excited!!! (See Photo #1) I showed Charlotte around my unusual home, and then we sat down on the couch to learn about each other. Charlotte shared photos of some of her former time in China and told me about living there and being an English teacher at Jilin University in Changchun in the Jilin Province west of and not too far across the border from North Korea. I, in turn, peppered her with questions about the kind of luggage and purse to take and all those kind of practical things I would like to know. This will be a trip where we will travel light, me with a rolling duffel bag, it's looking like, and bringing mainly clothes that we could leave behind if we wanted to and clothes that can be washed out and hung to dry overnight without too many wrinkles. I brought up the possibility of my sister Debbie's coming along, and Charlotte was open to the possibility. I called Debbie as soon as Charlotte left, and Debbie is definitely interested in this kind of trip, too. We'll all be looking for a fourth person who might be up for a trip across China on a very personal and informal level. Charlotte and I talked about the sights we might like to see in China, and already we are in agreement about the famous terracotta soldiers. I would also like to see the Forbidden City that I saw in the movie, THE LAST EMPEROR, and the Great Wall, of course. Otherwise, I'm pretty open to anything. Just walking down streets and seeing the sights will be such a pleasure. Who knows what adventures God has in store for us. I plan to just simply watch it all unfold. Charlotte gifted me with a paper cutout (See Photo #2), which says something like Good Luck and a handmade pin she got in Thailand. I was touched by meeting her and feel God's hand in the whole experience with our being connected through Jackson Schrumpf, who went to some effort to find and reconnect with Charlotte at W. W. Lewis Middle School after I mentioned the People to People program in that recent letter. He definitely thought I should talk to her about a trip to China, and definitely he is right!! May God be with us in planning and executing this trip in June, leaving sometime after the 8th of the month, after all of my rents have been secured and deposited, and staying at least two weeks and maybe a bit more.
Right after I hung up from talking to Debbie, I got a call from someone who knew Ray on-line through one of the Lancair groups who chat on-line. Their connection was that they both owned and had built Lancair airplanes. Bill Rumburg was one of the people who was looking for Ray after he died. I still keep Ray's Tubamanflies address open, just in case there's still someone out there who doesn't know Ray's gone. Bill has read my book and had some questions to ask me. I'm glad he caught me home tonight.
I was on 1200 calories per day this past week, and it really didn't faze me a bit. I was able to carry on my normal life without too many hunger pains. I also got over to Curves four times last week. Surely when I weigh in tomorrow, things will be looking up with my weight. Those five pounds I put on in France in June have just been stubborn about coming back off. I'm hoping this jumpstart is what I needed. Today I switched to 1600 in order not to go into starvation mode with my metabolism. I plan to continue dieting until this trip to China so that I can just enjoy whatever there is to experience foodwise while over there. Charlotte was telling me about eating silkworms in various sauces, and I'm sure there are other delicacies or just common foods to the Chinese that we will encounter. I'm ready for the culinary adventure, too.
Teaching school for me last week was fairly light and easy. The librarians, who are without a whole library to work with since our new one is under construction, were nonetheless wonderful in doing an orientation for my students, customized to the kind of semester project they're facing. Melanie LeJeune had prepared an extensive PowerPoint presentation that the girls were able to see up close with the portable laptops that Melanie had brought with her. (See Photo #3) They were shown the kinds of databases that are readily accessible from home through various sources, and she gave them ideas for finding the kinds of articles they need, including literary criticism, historical background articles, and psychology articles to help the students understand the motivations of their main character. It was just excellent. I thank both Diane Guillory and Melanie for putting such a fine thing together for my students.
I taught only one other class myself last week on Thursday. We were discussing James Joyce's "Araby," and this is the first year that I personally made the connection that this story is similar to "A & P" by John Updike in the sense that the narrator in each story is a male who becomes infatuated with a female. The times and places and ages of the boys are different, but it was interesting, through these girls' perspectives to see how tone and diction and detail came into play with each boy's attitude toward girls. The "A & P" character was jaded and really rather demeaning in his ideas about the girls who wander into his grocery store in bathing suits, and the "Araby" character comes off as being really sweet in his observations about the older sister of his friend. Having a group of all female students this year is changing what comes out in these discussions, I feel. I find the girls are more willing to go out on a limb in their own observations and analyses than I've seen before. I think I'm in for a very interesting ride this year in teaching this group. I tutored one of my students Thursday afternoon right after school, coaching her to write an even better admissions essay for Rice University that she had already written. Living four blocks from school, I can easily pop back over to campus for these kinds of sessions. I hope more of my students take me up on it.
Friday there were no classes because of a Diocesan In-Service. It took place at St. Louis, and it was so very good. We had two keynote speakers. One was Dr. Carol Eipers, Vice President and Executive Director of Catechetics for William H. Sadlier. She came to us from New York City, and we wondered how she got on a plane to come with so many props to bring her presentation to life. She started out dressed like a miner and ended up dressed like a salt shaker with a halo. Her message, through her numerous gimmicks to get our attention, was that "[w]e will 'mine' our Catholic beliefs by digging into Scripture, Tradition and our experiences of faith," which we can share with those we serve--our students. The other keynote speaker was Mr. Leo Trahan, Diocesan Director of Religious Education from the Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, and he shared even more practical things, some of which touched me to tears. There were three times that I teared up and could have gone off somewhere and cried. His telling us that sharing our personal story is key to communicating the Good News about Christ with our students touched me very deeply. During his break, I ran out to my car and got one of my books and wrote him a note about how much he had stirred me and gave it to him. I just felt called to do that thing. He introduced us teachers and administrators to the Nooma film series. These are 11-minute films that are narrated and connect true life experiences to God's movement and purpose in our lives. I have to tell you that I have ordered all 17 of these on-line today, and I know that some place and sometime I will be using these little films to spur meaningful discussions with somebody--maybe my granddaughter or my nieces and nephews or maybe a group of adults. Who knows? Anyway, this was something practical that came out of Mr. Trahan's talk for me. He also did a Photo Story from the Photo Story 3 Free Download at Microsoft.com on Hurricane Rita. I could have bawled with how beautifully he moved me with his music and his photos. Coming from Biloxi, I know he knows what coming through a hurricane means, and it showed in the depth of his understanding in film and music. There were other things he used in his presentation that also touched me, and I just had to let him know with an autographed copy of my own book, my own story. I thanked him for affirming me in my approach to opening every one of my classes with a devotional and a sharing and then a creative-writing warm-up and a sharing. So often in doing this kind of activity in my class, my own personal stories of faith surface and are shared. I felt God was working some personal therapy on me in this day of in-service.
God has been working on me from all kinds of angles in the past week again. I attended the Grief Workshop at my church again last Tuesday, and this time I didn't cry so much, but this time I shared so much that I've never told anybody. There are experiences that I've had as a widow that have seemed questionable and unusual, and Dr. Danny Miller assured me that I'm really in the category of normal in all that I've experienced. I have felt very blessed that this man has been willing to hear so much that I have to say about all my losses in life. He's got quite a personal way of listening, and so does his wife Jeannie. I feel myself coming to terms with so many things that have lain buried within for so much time.
Adam Puckett's death also stirred me greatly last week. I went to the visitation at Johnson Funeral Home on Wednesday afternoon, and although I don't know Gisele, his mother, very well yet, I was able to hold her in my arms for a brief moment and say the things I needed to say to her. I also was able to talk at length with her sister, my spiritual director, Denise Donahoe. I decided that I wouldn't go to the funeral the next day, just because I thought it could very well be a big crowd, and I wanted to leave my space for someone who knew Adam personally. I was feeling agitated and needing some outlet all day Thursday, though. I knew I needed to do something with my hands, and I ended up going through the big basket I have sitting on my counter with all of my accumulated cards and newsletters and such from the past year. I needed to clean it out anyway before the new Christmas cards come in this year, and I did it that day. I also decided to clean closets again. This time I got rid of all my handbags that I've accumulated since moving to Lake Charles. All of them were black leather, full of pockets and zippers, and all of them I know I'll never use again. I don't think I've ever gone back to using an old purse again. Why I always keep them, I don't know. Anyway, I took quite a haul of them, along with three bags of clothing, to the Women's Shelter that afternoon. I also had lunch with Phyllis Morgan that day. (See Photo #4) She was kind enough to meet me at Chez Cafee so that I could unload this burden of loss on her. Hopefully I wasn't too bad of company for her.
Gisele Puckett wrote to all of us at St. Louis about how amazing the coincidences were the day that Adam died. By chance, she and her husband were trying to call Adam, just at the moment that the accident occurred. Adam's brothers were both easily diverted back to Baton Rouge to be of help, and there were other things that happened that day like a rainbow in the sky that show that God was present and helping. I'm so glad to know that Gisele feels called to fulfill her position as our new counselor, despite the heartbreak she's had happen. We at St. Louis are very fortunate to have her in our midst. I hope to know her better.
Friday, after the in-service, I came home and ate a salad for lunch and then another adventure was in store. I traveled with my friend, Joan Vallee-Rettke, to Baton Rouge for her grandson Drew's third birthday party the next day. We made good time and got there just as Corey and Drew were coming home. Susan, Joan's daughter, was soon to follow. Joan and I had stopped at Winn Dixie to get a Thomas the Train birthday balloon blown up with helium and picked up salads from DeAngelo's for supper. That way, we were able to babysit for Drew so that Susan and Corey could go out for dinner and gather things for the upcoming birthday party. They are both attorneys and work long weeks. I was glad that Joan and I were able to give them some time off on their own both nights we were there.
Saturday morning I slept in, having gotten a nice long sleep, and things were really happening around the house. Food was being delivered and workmen were putting up a train-shaped bouncing spacewalk construction in the yard. (See Photo #5) The children at the party, including Drew in the striped shirt, had a wonderful time jumping in that thing. (See Photo #6) I took on the role of being photographer for the party since I didn't really know many people and Joan and Susan and Corey were busy with lots of other things. It worked out well, and I have been able to give a CD full of many pictures to both Drew's grammie and his parents to remember this special day. (Oh, how I wish there were this much documentation of me and my life when I was three years old, especially right now with my writing my book about those years. By the way, I did write again this past Wednesday and got another segment done.) I took lots of pictures, but I'll only subject you to a few more. (See Photos #7-#11)
Drew is an amazing three-year-old. He can count past 50, and he goes back and forth from hand to hand by fives. I've never seen anything like it in one so young. He's also totally engrossed with Thomas the Train. The party was based on that theme, and he got many presents related to Thomas, but what was so amazing to me was to see Drew's focus in playing with his trains on the coffee table and with putting together puzzles and with everything he did. He's got a long attention span for just a little boy. Obviously, he's very smart like his grandmother and his parents.
Joan and I got back to Lake Charles Saturday night after 11:00, but I was able to get up Sunday morning to sing with my choir and attend church. I loved the song we sang, "O God Beyond All Praising" and the whole church service. I was glad I'd made the effort to be back. Rev. Fred's sermon about making a solid investment, even when it might be a longshot in the future, spoke to me in things that I know I must do. I didn't stick around very long after the service, for my house badly needed dusting before the Rhodes paid me a visit later that afternoon. Lynn's son, Father Sean, who became a priest in Minnesota last year, is here visiting, and I was glad to have the opportunity to get to know him a bit. Barry, Lynn, Father Sean, and Barry's sister, Donna, who's here from Hawaii, came over about 4:00, bearing gifts. Donna had baked me a persimmon cake from a tree on her property in DeRidder, which was delicious this morning for breakfast, and Lynn gave me a momento from her recently deceased father's home--a lovely cobalt blue vase. I've found a place for it in my kitchen. We drank a bottle of red Zinfandel from Ray's collection before heading for DeAngelo's for a delicious dinner that always pleases. (See Photo #12) Conversation is always so varied and interesting around these special friends who have become my family in Louisiana. I was especially happy to share with Father Sean experiences I've had teaching at St. Louis. I accidentally dropped my camera right after one of my students working at DeAngelo's snapped a group shot for us, and thank you, God, it didn't break this time. The shutter was closed, and it landed on its back, and it still works. Thank you, God!!
I'll need it for my trip to China in June. I'm hoping writing this letter has calmed me down enough to go to sleep now. I think I'm getting sleepy. I waited to write today, though, until I'd met Charlotte. I'm so glad I did. I wanted to share with you the good news about China.
I hope your life is also unfolding in unusual and interesting ways--good ways... I'd love to hear about them.
With love and blessings, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
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