Airman

So, I mentioned in an earlier post that my oldest stepson, Kris, was gone to the Air Force. He left right after Mother’s Day, May 20th, for Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. That changed our lives forever.  His decision set off a chain of events that we never expected. 

First of all, that meant we needed to start planning for our trip to his graduation over 2,000 milesaway to Lackland AFB in Texas. My husband flew for the first time to Ontario for work, but I’ve never been. And I don’t think my little 4-seater flight really counts. 

Kris also fell in love with a great gal who has a 4-year-old boy, who we’ve quickly become attached to. So long story short, they’re getting married right after his graduation. We’ll be gaining a daughter-in-law and a grandson.  

We’re excited to see Kris in a couple of weeks, but it will be bittersweet because when we leave on Monday he’s leaving for Florida for 10 weeks of training. It kind of makes the 8 1/2 weeks of basic training seem like nothing. However, this time we’ll be able to at least call him or even videochat with Kris, so we won’t have the radio silence we’ve had all this time. 

Sadly, though, his brother, Kam, missed out on having his brother around for his big moments. Kam’s 18th Birthday was the day after Kris’ swearing and the weekend after was Kam’s prom. Then two weeks later was Kam’s high school graduation. All of the moments Kam got to see his brother experience Kam didn’t have his brother thereto witness his. 

In the meantime I’ve spent a small fortune on an app called Sandboxx, which is created by the military that allows families and friends to send letters much quicker, along with a photo, to their airman.  $4 a letter, but it’s easy to do and they print out a photo for them along with your letter, and they also provide the airman with a self addressed and self stamped envelope for their convenience. So I made sure to write him often and talk about what’s going on with us, and send meaningful pictures, too. 

We’re now 13 days before we leave to take the flight, which is a 6-hour drive just to the airport. I have to learn how to pack appropriately and for 7 days. I’m pretty anxious about the flying part, but fortunately my future daughter-in-law has flown many times before and can help guide me.  I’ve been told it’s no big deal and that I’ll actually enjoy it, so we’ll see.   I’ll keep you all posted. 

Kindness of Strangers

So, as I've explained in my last post, my sister is dealing with cancer.  Throughout her ordeal, she wanted to stay as private as possible. She didn't want pity.  She didn't want the questioning looks.  She didn't want the attention.  Fortunately, she's gotten over that. 

While she was pregnant and going through her chemo (only during the 2nd trimester), she was working for a car dealership.   She was floored when she was approached by her boss and told that she was running out of sick time.  She thought she was going to be losing her job.  Instead, her boss told her that not only was the dealership going to cover her missed time, but they did a fundraiser and donated all of the money to her and her family. 

When she learned last week that she was facing a double mastectomy and then 5-6 weeks of daily doses of aggressive radiation, hours away from home, she agreed to let me do a gofundme page.  Within 3 days we raised over $800!!  Not only that, but her landlord approached them and offered to cut their rent cost in half for the next two months to make things a little easier on them.  Plus a long-time friend reached out and donated money as well. 

So, for a person who wanted to keep things to herself, she's realizing the power of reaching out to others and being ok with receiving help.  And I am excited to know that people out there care about her and are willing to help.  Kind of puts back our faith in humanity.

Conflicting Emotions

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything at all.  Four years to be exact. Sorry about that. I'll explain more in future posts, but for now, I'll talk about what's been going on.

I have never had children of my own.  Readers have come to know how I have two stepsons who I've helped raise for the past 17 years.  The oldest was turning 5 and the youngest turning 1 when I met them. They are now 22 and 18 and now both graduated from high school.  I'll get to them in a bit.

I only have one sibling, my sister who is 11 1/2 years younger than me.  So it's understandable that she's referred to me as her second mom. Well, last year she became pregnant with my first niece by birth (I already have 2 nieces and 2 nephews through marriage), Adeline.  She's beautiful, but I'm biased so...anyhow, she's perfect, healthy and thriving.

Adeline 5 months old

On Friday, July 13, 2018, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She was already mostly through her 1st trimester. In spite of her pregnancy, her doctors informed her that she could receive chemo treatments during her 2nd trimester because Adeline was already formed at this point.  So my sister started her treatments until two weeks before Adeline was born, and resumed the chemo again sometime after she was recovered.

Last month they did a new round of tests and learned that her breast cancer spread to her sternum.  So, long story short, she's having a double mastectomy and will have to receive 5-6 weeks of radiation 6 hours from home.  We're currently working to raise money so she can stay where her daughter can be with her. Here's the link in case anyone is interested in donating or even sharing.

So the oldest, Kris, enlisted in the Air Force and left in May. He's now about to start WOT (Week of Training) 6.  So basically I'll be traveling from little 'ole northern Maine to fly to San Antonio, Texas. This is the first time I'll be on a commercial plane, the first time I travel anywhere past Connecticut, and the furthest I've ever been away from home. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.  I've missed Kris and wrote to him often telling him what's happening back home, and sending him messages of how proud I am, encouragement, and motivation.

On top of attending his graduation in July, the day of his graduation is the day he plans to marry his fiancée.  So we've got lots to plan just to get there and for the wedding ceremony, too. We've got everything booked, so hopefully everything falls into place.  Also, we're not only gaining a daughter-in-law, but an adorable 4-year-old grandson. 

Kris (R) and Kam (L)

Now the youngest, Kam, just graduated from high school after Kris left for the Air Force.  He had originally planned to go to college for nursing, but now it seems like the Air Force is calling him, too.  So we're waiting for Kam to decide exactly what he wants to do.

There are so many changes and it's almost overwhelming if I let it.  At least this time I don't have to change school districts. Thankfully, most of what's going on is happening this summer, because during the school year would be way too much.

Well, that's basically what's been going on in a nutshell. I'll be back to explain more, but for now....

~I'm grateful for my health and my family.

Got a Good One For You All

Thursday evening I came home from being gone all week for some training in Southwestern Maine.  My evening routine, especially when someone has to work in the morning, is to prepare the coffee maker to start the coffee when we get up.  I'm off so it didn't matter to me, but my husband had to work.  

Well, our coffee maker needed to be cleaned.  The "clean" indicator light told me so.  Which means a process that includes vinegar and such, which would take longer than I was willing to devote just before going to bed after a 5 hour ride home.

So, yesterday morning I started the cleaning process.  I filled the reservoir with vinegar and let it go through the process.  I then filled it again with water to rinse the vinegar out, then tried to make a pot of coffee.  The light just blinked and it beeped at me and wouldn't stop until I turned it off.  I just didn't get it.  I tried unplugging it to "reset" it, which didn't work.  As far as I was concerned, our coffee maker was broken.

Well, this morning I'm mourning the loss of our coffee machine, which I left on the counter untouched.  Probably because I was hoping there was nothing wrong with it, and it just needed a break. 

Hoping that this morning would be different, I went to the coffee maker and decided to try again.  I decided to refill the reservoir with water when I realized that it was empty.  EMPTY.  I filled it, made sure there was coffee grounds in the filter and an empty pot waiting to be filled and lo and behold the coffee maker worked!!

Talk about feeling stupid.  I guess my coffee maker is smarter than I am.  It was trying to tell me that something was missing....water.   Needless to say, I enjoyed my coffee this morning.  Gotta laugh at myself.

Professional Development During Summer Break?

Why yes!  And I'm the one who scheduled them, too.  Sometimes I just frustrate myself.

I've been off from school for the second week now, but for the next two weeks I've got two professional development opportunities going on.  I swear, those are the only ones.

In my defense, they're both applicable to the social studies that I'm now teaching, and one of them was an offer that was hard to refuse.  

Next week I'll be participating in a program at the university just 20 minutes away on Acadian History.  I've taken the course before when I was in college, but this is different and geared for teachers to be able to apply this information in their classrooms.  It won't cost me anything because my district is providing me their vehicle for the week, and lunch is covered for me as well.


The week after I'm going down to another university, one I haven't
been to before, but about 6 hours away.  This is on how to use the ArcGIS program in my geography class.  This one covers everything.  Meals, lodging, travel, and after I finish the work I'm expected to do, I get a stipend too.  Can't turn that down either.  Fortunately, I won't be going downstate alone.  I'm picking up a professor at another university about an hour away, so she can help me find where we need to go.


Both will be work, and I'm still working on my plans for this fall, so anyone who imagine teachers on summer break always by the pool or at the beach doing nothing all the time are seriously mistaken.

Negativity and MY Freedom of Speech

This past week marked a landmark decision, Obergefell vs. Hodges, of the US Supreme Court preventing states from acknowledging the union of same-sex couples.

I'm a big fan of Facebook, and I'm on it more than I probably should be.  And many of my "friends" on it aren't afraid to voice their opinions on various topics, and marriage equality was definitely one of the hot topics this week.  

I know that some of my family and friends, especially those who are very religious (ironically) are opposed to marriage equality.  Marriage equality isn't the first to be controversial, as this picture proves.  

It wasn't that long ago that interracial marriage was deemed illegal, too.  Now not many, at least in my neck of the woods, blink an eye when you see a couple from different races. 

I understand where those opposed to same-sex marriage are coming from.  They feel that God's intentions for union was between a man and a women.  

I get it.  However, what loving God would create people who are lesbian, gay, transsexual, or transgender, and not want for them to be loved and happy?  

Who am I to decide how other people should live?  Who am I to judge others based on who they love?  Would I wish for others to be miserable, angry, depressed, lonely, or unloved?  What kind of Christian (or Catholic in my case) would I be?  Is it really our place to instill the values of our faith upon others who probably don't share our belief systems?

I know several same-sex couples, and at least one of them are married.  I feel nothing but joy for them.   What concerns people most about marriage equality?  Why do people feel threatened?  

Thank you for letting me say my peace about the issue.  Love is Love! 

Anniversary

So today is our 9th wedding anniversary, although we've actually been together for 13 years.

We've been through a lot of ups and downs, and had many adventures together.  I can thank my husband for that.

I had a student ask me recently if my husband was going through a midlife crisis.  If that's the case, then he's been going through one for as long as I've known him.  We've done the dog-sledding thing.  We've had chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and goats...all at our house.  We've had horses, pigs, and cows, too.  We've gotten into road biking (the kind you pedal), running, and hiking.  We've also had numerous farm tractors (5 I think).  We're on our 3rd motorcycle, and he just recently bought dirt bikes for him and the boys. 

All I can say is life has been an adventure, and I wouldn't change a thing.

This is what summer break should be!

It was wonderful laying in bed this morning knowing that I didn't have any place to go.  The sun was streaming through the blinds, and I could hear the birds going about their business in the trees that surround our house.  I laid there for a few minutes and thought about what I needed to accomplish today.  Nothing.  

My stepsons would be coming over later this morning once they were up and ready for the day.  I promised French Toast for lunch. Yummm....

I fed Charlie and the birds, then started a load of laundry.  Took my time eating breakfast, swept the floors, and even did a little workout on my new app called SWORKIT.  Even enjoyed a couple of cups of coffee while the birds and chipmunks were busy eating, and Charlie was running around chasing something.

Later after lunch I'll enjoying laying out in the sun and reading on my Kindle.  I might even take a nap.  I'm known for that.  My sister's boyfriend refers to me as the Nap Queen.  I wear that crown proudly.

It's the first week of our summer break, and I promised myself that I wouldn't do anything school related this week.  Well, it's Wednesday and so far so good.

I hope all the teachers and students out there enjoy their time off. 

Anticipate the Worst, Hope for the Best.

You know how you expect the worse case scenario, then after it's all said and done you realize it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be? That's what happened to me today.

For the past couple of months I've been having pain right where my ribcage meets in the middle, where my stomach is, and pain right between my shoulder blades.  Because I've never experienced this before I was concerned.  I made an appointment that week with my doctor and we had everything from my heart to my gallbladder checked.  

I learned that I have gallstones, and that my irregular heartbeat was due to inactivity.  But neither one were reasons for my pain.  So I was scheduled to meet with a surgeon for a consultation.  

Before today, I have never been put under anesthesia.  Last year when I had a breast biopsy (which thankfully turned out to be a cyst), I was given shots of Novocain.  So the idea of being put under freaked me out.

Not only that, but I had to be put under for an upper-GI scope.  The idea of having a tube in my throat, when just watching someone chewing on a pen cap makes me want to gag, terrified me.  I have a hard time chewing gum for more than 10 minutes before I have to spit it out.

As you can figure out, my imagination was really taking off on what to expect.  Although pretty much everyone in my family said they've gone through it, and that it was a piece of cake, and that I won't even know what happened, I didn't feel any better.

So, this morning I'm laying in the hospital bed with an IV in my hand (which was a challenge finding a vein to put it in, and I HATE needles!) and pads attached to my chest to monitor my heart-rate during the procedure, and I'm really trying hard to focus on the book I've been reading on my Kindle app to distract myself.  

Then the moment came.  

Although I could feel the start of panic grow, I somehow felt peaceful.  I'm sure the praying I did for courage to go through this helped.

I was wheeled into the procedure room, they positioned me for it, attached me to the monitors, put the bite guard between my teeth, started the "good meds", I took two deep breaths, and the next thing I remember was waking up about a half hour later in another room.

Talk about a deep sleep!  

I felt so relieved about it, that when my surgeon came in, I asked if I could schedule my next one for next week.

So, after all was said and done, I learned that my pain was caused by a hiatal hernia.  So, now I know what could be triggering my pain, and what to do about it.  Although it's something that I'll have to live with, unless it gets much worse and I need surgery, I feel peace at least knowing what's going on.  Having answers make all the difference.  

The kind of hernia I have is the sliding hiatal hernia. 

via Webmd

So now I know to eat small meals and avoid overeating and acidic food.   Oh well, now I know.

Made it!

I'm proud to say that I have completed, and survived, my first year of teaching  high school!

I know, some of you are thinking, "Big Deal."  But for me it was!  I have been through several transitions in the past 4 years.  

During my last year of teaching middle school language arts, I was thinking about how I felt I was falling into a rut with my teaching, and that I needed to perk things up a bit.  Little did I realize that I would face challenges as a teacher in the years to come.  

Now, 4 years later, after having transition to an elementary teacher then a high school teacher, I can look back and be proud of myself.  

Perhaps I wasn't the best teacher this year, and that there was much more that I could have taught my students, but I did give it my best.  I followed the standards and learning targets that my district chose to follow, I tried to include not only reading material, videos and movies, but also bring people in or Skype with them.  Perhaps I could have added more rigor, but for my first year, I think I did very well.

Part of what I learned consisted of how to relate to my students.  Some were easy to relate to, but teenagers can be are complicated.  Not all teens will respond the same way. Some (okay many) are moody, and many a lot of them have too much drama going on.  Much of what I had to learn was how to reach them all, get them to agree to stay on task (to some extent) for the time they were in my class, and get their work done in a timely manner.  Okay...at all.

The best thing about this year now behind me, is that now I have a whole school year in this content and grade level under my belt.  I know what worked, what did, and what I would like to improve on for next year.  I plan to start the year much differently than last year, too.

Now that our year has ended, and I'm sitting here at 11 at night waiting for Kris' uniforms to be finished in the dryer so he has them for work at 4 AM tomorrow morning, I'm reflecting on the year.   I'm also trying to decide whether to have an ice cream so late in the evening or not.  I don't have any wine in the house, so I'm thinking an ice cream will work just fine.