A perfect storm...I do love a perfect storm, as do most people who are spectators.  There's something about seeking shelter and watching nature thrashing about angrily; then gradually the world comes back to its supreme balance.  We had a perfect storm in Coastal NC on Saturday, right after we arrived home from a great day at the beach. 

It was a classic day on the coast, the kind that stops time.  My nieces, ages 4 and 7, were excited about doing all the typical beachy things, and we did!  We built a sandcastle, jumped waves, looked for shells and sharks teeth, and just relaxed.  As the afternoon wore on we noticed the wind beginning to whip up the sand and the big billowy clouds getting thicker and darker.  Not wanting to leave, but knowing the urgency, we picked up our equipment and headed inland.

Traveling on highway 24 we stopped along the way home at the local seafood shop, which is iconic, and I will have to tell you of this treasure later.  Scallops were on our dinner menu.  I couldn't resist snapping a picture of the girls, their hair wild with abandon lingering at the water's edge where the shrimp boats jutted around on the angry water.  The girls did not seem alarmed in the least bit; too young to be aware of the approaching danger. 

While I made a satisfying dinner of shrimp and scallops, the girls played happily, while the torrential downpour occurred outside.  It was a fantastic evening.  Good times with family, good food, and the perfect storm.

Most parents are amazed by their children.  I know it is natural for us all to feel this way.  You watch your children blossom as they grow, and you're in awe of everything they accomplish in life.  Once they become an adult, and I use this term loosely, you try to set them free.  You offer assistance when you can, but, and you secretly hope, they don't need it.  Each of my three children have made their own accomplishments in this world.  I am proud of each of them equally, but am currently amazed at what my daughter has achieved in her short life.  She is a young woman of 20; soon to be 21.

Her love of softball was apparent early on.  She played the sport all through her young life and it consumed our every waking moment at one point.  I love the sport, as well, so it was a positive obsession from my point of view.  When she played on her high school team we talked about her playing at college, but she wanted to focus more on her studies.  I wondered if we had seen the last of her softball days?

Instead her path has taken her in a different direction.  For the second year, she is coaching a 10U (fast pitch) softball team.  She has nurtured each one of these girls and helped them learn the basic fundamentals of the sport.  The girls have blossomed into wonderful players under her tutelage.  They look up to her, as do I.  I am amazed at how much information on the sport she actually absorbed and retained and has shared with this generation of players.  She not only shows them what to do, how to play, but how to correct their mistakes in pitching, batting, and playing the field.  AND she makes it fun!  I am proud of who she has become, but I am still in awe.

The girls had their end of season party at the river beach here in Stella.  I wasn't sure how they would react to our little place in the world.  I find it wonderful and relaxing, but when you have the Crystal Coast Beaches right at your doorstep, what else would you want.  Those girls played and played and played in the river.  They had the time of their life and did not want to leave.  Even after their parents had to drag them from the river they still begged to stay.   Simple pleasures.  

We recently had the unique opportunity to have dinner with a group of "old" Marines who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima.  Their reunion was scheduled to meet at the Cherry Point Air Show.  Although I use the term elderly to describe these men, the glint in their eyes and the stories they recall shed a whole new light on a previous life they endured.  They epitomize what "proud to be an American" means.  My husband's Uncle John D'Addamio is no longer with us, but he lives on in spirit through these men, the Corps, and anyone proud to call themselves American.

The Home of the Free and the Brave

So much happens in five decades of history.  So many changes have occurred in my lifetime.  I often say I am glad I to have lived through these times, difficult or not.  What a colorful handful of years I have had the pleasure and sorrow to experience.  I've often said that you must have the lows with the highs in order to appreciate the good things in your life.  This is true.  I'm hoping that we can get past our current lows.  The economy and lack of jobs worries me.  I have grown children that want employment in their chosen fields.  So I am wary about the future, much like everyone else. 

What worries me most is what seems like the current trend our country is going through; the trend to be politically correct in every aspect of our lives as United States Citizens.  I know we are a melting pot.  Our ancestors settled in the good ole U. S. of A. from every place imagineable.  As did the Founding Fathers of this great country we live in.  They came here with a set of beliefs and desires and set about making this country what it is today through blood, sweat, and tears.  They survived all kinds of tragedies, but continued to preserve their beliefs without making excuses.  They realized that people had to come to a consensus in order to obtain what they wanted.  So has it become difficult for the citizens of this country to stand up for our beliefs?  Does everything we do have to be politically correct, and do we have to always help out other floundering countries, especially when we are faltering ourselves?

Where I live I am surrounded by those that openly celebrate and honor being American.  We still allow the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem in our school.  Here, we respect those that have fought for our freedoms.  Can we maintain this culture in an ever changing world?  I wonder how long until the political correctness invades our corner of the country? 
Happy Veteran's Day to all of our armed service members. Thank you for preserving our freedom.
 

A Whole New Litter

Tomorrow I will be traveling to an old familiar place I haven't seen for awhile.  My classroom.  It's like an old pair of pajamas that you shove into the back of your drawer, and when you find them you can't wait to put them back on and get comfy.  Except I won't be getting comfy for awhile. 

I've got a bucket filled with supplies:  wood putty, all purpose cleaner, Goo-Gone, and some other odds and ends.  My vacuum cleaner and additional must-haves are ready to carry to my classroom.  I must prepare the place for the newbies. 

In a week I will get to meet a whole new litter of puppies...a. k. a. students.  They really are like puppies in so many ways.  Cute, wanting to have the attention and approval of their teacher, and mischievious when "necessary."  They will have to be "trained" in the ways of third grade.  The first few weeks will be fragile during which time they will grow more confident and comfortable. 

Some will be shy; others outgoing when we first meet.  Many will be looking forward to returning to school, only to be dredding it several weeks later, especially when they have to write in cursive ALL the time or study their multiplication tables one more time.  So much to do in 180 school days.  I can't wait to meet and get to know each and every one of them.  There'll be days when I won't be feeling this way.  But for right now, gotta love 8, 9, and 10 year olds.     

N'awlins, NOLA...a.k.a. New Orleans

Okay, so I decided to get out of my comfort zone last week.  I don't do airplanes, but decided to bite the bullet and go for it.  My daughter had never flown before so I decided to lead by example; even if that meant I'd die trying to do so!

It really wasn't as bad as I'd remembered sixteen years ago.  We landed in New Orleans, in perfect condition, in a new southern place for us to explore. Yay!

My thoughts on New Orleans:
Wow, talk about senses overload. New Orleans has so many sights, sounds, and smells (some not so pleasant~LOL!)   It's a bit difficult to focus during your travels throughout the streets.  If you could cross New York City and Charleston, you'd have New Orleans.  NOLA, as it is known, does not need to have a Mardi Gras specifically because Mardi Gras occurs there everyday; true dat! Just travel down Bourbon Street in the evening, and you will know this to be true.

If you like "free" entertainment, the city shall provide it for you.  The love of jazz is apparent by the locals who pull their brass out of the trunks of their cars and congregate on any street corner with more jazz-lovers to impart their beautiful sounds upon anyone walking thru the city.  Local restaurants definitely ensure you have a fabulous food experience, but don't mind the bathrooms being located in the kitchen by the dishwasher. If you are a germaphobic kind of person, you might want to avoid eating while you are there, but you will miss out on deliciousness.  If you enjoy adult beverages, you will be able to imbibe anytime morning, noon, or night, as well as purchase your pleasure on any street corner. Oh, and you can drink your beverage while s.t.r.o.l.l.i.n.g the city.  The trolley is the way to travel, whenever feasible. Walking during the summer heatwave was difficult, but you can really get a sense of what the city is truly about by walking the streets. Wow!

What an abundance of southern history and charm; definitely going back....someday!  Now I have to get over my fear of cab drivers. Hahaaa!!!

Sacred Summer

We all have seasons in our life.  Seasons come and go.  I laugh aloud at this!  I am 50 years old this year and definitely get "it."  I feel satisfied though.  My world is small, but I strive to be open-minded.   I am thankful for the bits and pieces that I have.  Children have made a huge impact on my thought processes.  Flexibility is the key.

I am a school teacher and I teach 8,9, and 10 year olds for 180 school days a year.  I love the children.  In the fall I get to know a whole set of new children.  Their personalities are as unique as the seashells that are strewn across our beach; each with their own shining characteristics and flaws that make you love them even more.  I will miss the students I had this year.  They all have BIG personalities.  There is hope for the future in this generation of children.  Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand their place in this future...but then I recall what someone once told me:  "We are educating children for careers that haven't been invented yet."  They are ready for it.  They will meet those challenges head-on.  I know this because, although they are unique individuals, they are also a unique group of children.  Our future leaders!

That being said, they have challenged me to work to MY full potential as an educator.  It has been a fulfilling year, but now...I am ready for sacred summer.  I will use this time to rejuvenate for next year's new group of students.  I am looking forward to sifting through the sand with my hands to find the unique shells while I soak up the sun.  Yay...SUMMER!