Tire Woes, Dancing in Class, and the Bluebird of Happiness

Sometimes weeks can go by, life is uneventful, and I plod along counting my blessings. Other times there are so many events that the week is all a blur. As  I began to teach today I asked, "Is it really Friday?"

We had one of those weeks at our house. Strange noises from the back tires while I was in Spokane  last week didn't just mean the tires needed balancing. It involved a whole brake system. Whole brake systems mean more than a little change out of the pocket.

JEJ discovered the poison oak on our hillside is definitely alive and well. The cats carry the oil in their fur, the oil is in the smoke when burning brush on the hillside, and it stays on everything it touches. When people are sensitive to poison oak it makes for a miserable time. JEJ is one of those people. After doing many loads of wash, finding effective remedies, and learning everything I ever wanted to know about poison oak online I am just thankful I am not as sensitive to it. JEJ is on the mend.

The school week was not uneventful either. A student is struggling with her mother's diagnosis of cancer, we all said good-bye to a seventh grader that moved today, another girl had just written a beautiful tribute to her dog, but then arrived to class in tears trying to tell me she lost her beloved dog. It was a week full of tears, words of encouragement, pain, and sadness.

Then it snowed a few inches, the pond froze again,the Zags lost the championship game, I sequestered myself in my study for a day to work on my National Board portfolio due in nineteen days, I had my own health issues, and I had to remind students gummy bears are for eating, not throwing.

Then there were times I counted my blessings. I danced in front of my class with our departing student and didn't break a bone or sprain an ankle and have a video to prove it, I baked brownies, I listened to excited students reading comments received on our class blog. I enjoyed a blissful nap today, my dear cousin is out of the hospital and on the mend at home, my brother is finding more energy every day to catch up with his student work (which means he is getting stronger), and I saw a bluebird this morning as I stepped out of my car at school.

I think the rest of the week can only get better!