"Life is difficult. This is a great truth, and one of the greatest truths." -- M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled
Things I'm thinking about today:
- I spoke to Jeanne, a good friend of S's and mine. She has just retired from twenty-six (-seven, -eight ?) years of teaching high school history. She's a crackerjack teacher (meaning she wins the prize!) and strikes terror into any smart-ass, play-dumb slacker who ever tried to slide through her class. She's smart, she's funny and she will teach the socks off of you, given even half the opportunity. These past couple of years have been tough for her, enduring the politicized climate of an urban high school environment. She loves the kids and hates the politics of education these days. We hope to meet up with her tonight for a burger and a beer.
- The "other" J, Joanne. A little birdie told me that she is in upstate New York with her mom (Hi, Barbara!) cleaning feverishly, talking to real estate agents, exploring senior citizen housing and struggling to do "right" by her mom. What a tough job, Joanne. I am holding you in my thoughts and sending "hang-in-there" energy your way.
- Another good friend, Kevin, called me yesterday morning with a lightness and a lilt to his voice that I've rarely heard: he had just finished signing his preliminary papers to retire from his job as an electrician for a large corporation. He may be done as early as July 1st or as late as January 1st, 2007. He's elated and scared! We talked about getting together to drink martoonis and C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E!!. Congratulations, Kevin!
- As I'm sitting here in the pied-a-terre, upstairs at the computer, there are (at least) two cardinals, Mom and Dad, barely red and flashy red, landing on a telephone line outside my window. They are flitting to and fro, singing and chirping up a STORM! Wow, are they pretty!
- It's official: my sister and brother-in-law are leaving Virginia and moving to the Chicago area. Paul has accepted a job working for a higher education-related organization. He and Ruth are cautiously excited. The rest of the family is VERY excited that they're moving back to the Midwest and closer to extended family. Oh, the partying and drinking and the woop-de-doing that will be going on!
- And a blast from the past: Thirty-three years ago, I was getting ready to be married today. Yup, June 23rd, 1973. A hot, sunny Saturday in June. I felt like a princess marrying my knight in shining armor. Sadly, the fairy tale did come to an end and it wasn't "happily ever after." And, as I've said many, many times before, the really wonderful "fruits" of that marriage are my beautiful kids, Lina and Josh. They are the best and coolest people and I count myself lucky to have them in my life.
And, as for Mom and Dad Cardinal, they're simply enjoying the beautiful, sunny June day here in Michigan.
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