Barbecue Bash

Friday afternoon the school went through a transformation from school to the annual chicken barbecue fundraiser. I haven't heard the statistics, but there was a lot of chicken and a lot of people there between 4:30 and 8:00 P.M. The funds go into the student activity fund that is used for field trips, socials, the yearbook, the school trips in the spring and many other things throughout the year. By the time I stopped in at school Saturday morning, everything was back in place and ready for school again on Monday.

The chicken was done by some of the freshmen and sophomore guys at Shady Maple with the help of an experienced supervisor. The rest of the food also came from Shady Maple. Then, it was all hauled to the school and served.

Some people picked up take-out meals and some ate at the school.

While the last people were finishing their meal and visiting, the students began the clean up process. All the table and chairs had to be returned to the proper place for school Monday morning. All the decorations had to be put away again. It was a lot of work, but it seems like the students enjoy doing it every year. There are always adequate willing helpers to make it all happen.

50-hour celebration is in progress!

The 50-hour celebration for my Ed.D. graduation and 50th birthday is in progress. We have had guests from Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and, of course, Pennsylvania.

This was the first time the Showalters from Virginia visited me.

Debbie was here from Florida.

Several young ladies came at 12:40 and visited until 2 AM.

We were graced with the presence of a few "elderly" ladies (several of my students)

Today was the family sale for Aunt Nora's things. At 93 years old, she was there all day and able to tell them what some things were and where they came from.

We had rain, sun, and a grand time visiting.

This wagon saw many trips up and down the hill somewhere.

Nora and her boys watch her things sell.

The cake top from James and Nora's wedding cake that was modified by Emeline and Mom.

The great grandchildren do one last read through the comic books.

I am most pleased with the purchase of an English/German primer that was published in 1846 and owned by Lizzie W. Burkholder.

Camping

New Post

New school year has begun.

New laptops provided by the school for all faculty.

New frustrations trying to use the new laptops.

New students (36 of them) to learn to know.

New occupant at Gray Lane coming this week.

New digital camera because the old one turned green and died suddenly.

New hobby for the dog: rounding up the chickens we have turned loose since they are not laying.

New Mode of Transportation

I guess it is a step up from the Suzuki--at least I have to step up now to get in it.

PEP Boys -- Suzukis

Mandy, Moe and Jack

Jack has died, and Mandy and Moe are on the way out.

We bought this Suzuki in March 2000 and drove it for a few months until the engine blew. Since then, it has been the "parts Suzuki," "the dead Suzuki," or the "junker."

In January 2001, we saw this one advertised at the district attorney's sale. It had been seized by the police. We went to the auction just to see what it brings and ended up buying it for $750. This one has run well most of the time, but we did have to replace the engine in about 2003 because it kept spewing antifreeze out after about 10 miles of driving. This was Mary's Suzuki.

We kept seeing a ragtop Suzuki parked along 625 in Bowmansville occasionally. One day on my way home from school in September 2002, it had a For Sale sign in the window. We took it for a test drive and bought it for $800. It had a standard ragtop on it when we bought it, but we did some work to it to turn it into a little pickup. We used a back door from the "dead Suzuki" to make a back wall behind the seats. I bought new canvas to cover the back and top (the original canvas leaked and needed replaced anyway). I also bought a fiberglass hard top to put on in the winter. This was my Suzuki.

July 28, 2007 we parked the last two out by the road with For Sale signs in the windshields and by that evening we had sold mine for the same price I had paid for it although I am sending the hardtop along in the deal. It has been cheap transportation. Mine did not have mechanical problems like Mary's did, but it is rusting quite a bit. The trim pieces under the door are screwed on and the screws will soon rust out. We have screwed steel plates to the floor because my foot went through the floor one morning on the way to school.

The end of the Suzuki era has come. We no longer have the time to keep them running. We are trading 15 wheels for 5. All three Suzukis are to be sold, and we have bought a Ford Ranger pickup.

Our Newly Discovered Gray Lane Resident

Several weeks ago we found a small snake, but today discovered, without question, that we have a black snake living in our wood pile.

Later this evening, Mary went outside to close the chicken house and this snake (its entire length of 4 feet) was stretched across the doorway.

We are not thrilled with its presence, but we haven't decided what to do about it either.

The Paper!

The long awaited paper has finally arrived!

I went to the post office this morning to pick up a certified envelope from Pensacola Christian College.

This evening I bought a mat and frame for it (the contents--not the envelope) when we were in town.

Preen

Last year Mary knew I would not have time to keep the garden and flower beds weeded. She sprinkled Preen on them to help me out a bit. I was rather skeptical but thought it was worth a try.

This year I decided I didn't want to spend my whole summer weeding. I bought more Preen and used it in almost every part of the garden and flower beds.

The photo is two weeks after I weeded the garden. I am sold on the stuff.

Goodbye Cannas -- Hello Hostas

While I was congratulating myself on cleaning my kitchen like my mom taught me to, I was ignorant of the fact that my cannas had frozen once again.

Last fall we admitted defeat and hired a cleaning lady. She kept the place from becoming a total disaster, but she certainly didn't clean like we do--when we do it. That was the problem that brought about the aforementioned defeat. We didn't get the cleaning done until both of us tired of the mess we were living in. Then we would take an entire Saturday and CLEAN! With the coming of summer vacation, I started by doing a good cleaning of the entire house. I cleaned in corners that hadn't been cleaned for a long time; I moved furniture to sweep the floor (apparently that had not been done either for a long time); I scrubbed the drip pans on the stove, scrubbed the sides of the refrigerator and stove, and wiped the cabinet doors. The house was clean once again.

Then I moved outdoors to finally get the dahlia and canna bulbs planted. I found a bag of dahlia bulbs, but discovered the cannas had stayed in the ground all winter. They were a rotted mass not to be revived. How many years have I had to get new bulbs from Romaine because mine froze? I have no idea. I have now admitted another defeat. I have said goodbye to the cannas and planted hostas in their place. Every year when it is time to bring the bulbs indoors, school has started and I am busy (who said I don't have anything to do?) and it doesn't happen. Hostas can stay out all winter and will come back up the next year. That is the kind of plant I need. I console myself with the fact that because they were planted on the back side of the shed we never got to enjoy the flowers much anyway.

Success or defeat is a matter of making the right choices. I choose to be successful in growing hostas.

Track and Field

This afternoon was the first part of track and field at school. I helped judge the girls' high jump and some of the running events. We will finish up with the girls' long jumps, the throwing events, and the mile run tomorrow afternoon.

GRADUATION -- May 9, 2007

I have finally completed the last step of the doctoral program. I attended grad on Wednesday! Now, all I have to do is wait for the degree to come in the mail since they ordered it incorrectly and had to reorder it.

Old Rag

Last weekend the senior girls hiked Old Rag Mountain in Virginia. They left the cabin about 8:30, drove to the mountain, and did not return to the cabin until about 6 PM.

They were exhausted for most of the evening, but were quite exhilarated by the hike.

April 16 -- I thought spring was here!

I took these pictures just before 6 AM when we left for work this morning.

I thought spring was here, but this is evidence that we have a wait a little longer.

The snow was blown against the house on the west side. There was evidence the township had been out and plowed the snow but the closer we got to work, the less snow there was.

FONDUE is FUN to DO!

Last evening we had Mary's sister, nieces, and nieces little girls here for a fondue supper. We had approximately 20 people here for the meal and seven who stayed for the night. It was a fun evening.

The meal could be started at any of the tables but I will begin with the Swiss raclette in the kitchen. We had baked potatoes, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, and ,of course, the melted cheese. I was kept busy frying bacon, peppers, and mushrooms as people wandered through the house and arrived at the kitchen at some point in the meal.

The next table was in the dining room. We had a sweet and sour sauce in one fondue pot and a barbecue sauce in another. We also had meatballs, Italian meatballs, chicken nuggets, and little smokies on the table. We didn't do much decorating in that room, but we did have classical music.

The third table was in the library. This table had a ranch cheese sauce and broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and cooked potatoes. This room was rather devoid of decoration and music.

The last table on the main floor was in Mary's bedroom. We had moved her dresser into my room and moved the regular kitchen table into the corner of her bedroom. She brought the deck umbrella and lawn chairs in and set them up in there. We had fresh daffodils and instrumental music with ocean and sea gull sounds. The food in this room was a loaf of bread filled with a cream cheese/sour cream/ham/green chilies dip and a relish tray with two other kinds of dip.

One of the favorite tables of the evening was in the basement. We had an angel food cake and a fresh fruit tray. We also had cherry pie filling, cool whip, and a chocolate fountain. Mary's sister Arlene provided the chocolate fountain and chocolate. That was really a hit!

We spent the evening together and about 10PM the ladies and little girls started going home. The teens, just post teens, and preteens stayed for a sleepover. We had a late rising time this morning and a breakfast of mostly leftovers concocted into a breakfast casserole. By 1 PM the house is cleaned up and most things are back in place again. We still have a few pieces of furniture to move.

We worked on preparation most of the week as we eagerly anticipated the event. It was certainly a fun thing to do, and although we are not quite finished putting things back in place, I can imagine we will attempt it again at some point.

Fondue is a fun do!

Snow Days

What do I do on snow days? Well, that depends on whether I am already at school when the call comes through that we are closed or if I am at home.

Yesterday I got up at regular time and got ready for school. We were scheduled for a two-hour delay, but all the time I was thinking: "there is no way we are having school today." Just before we left, I checked online one more time and saw the Garden Spot school district was closed. We usually do whatever they do. I quickly made the decision to stay home. I was glad because about a half hour later the call came through that we were also closed. I spent the day doing laundry, a bit of computer designing for the print shop, blowing snow in the driveway, and school work that I had brought with me the day before in anticipation of a day off.

Today we were again supposed to have a two-hour delay. I checked the local school district again just before walking out the door and it was still a two-hour delay. I decided to come along. Mary drove to Conestoga and then I came back to the school to wait for others to show up. I guess I will be waiting because about a half hour after I was here, I got the call that I will have the building to myself today. So what am I going to do? I spent the first hour catching up on my Bible reading. I have some papers to grade. There is a book I would like to finish reading. I could change a bulletin board (although the winter scene I have up now seems appropriate), I could always take a nap, and I brought healthy size bags of pretzels and grapes for breaking boredom. Somehow, I think the day will quickly pass in solitude.

Monday was scheduled for a snow make-up day. We hadn't had any snow days before yesterday, but now it is evident we will have school on Monday and the Monday after Easter.

Out in the Cold

Yesterday morning it was 16 degrees at 6:15 A.M. I was dropped off at the back door of my classroom. I had a box, a bag, my purse and my lunch on the step outside the door. I reached into my coat pocket for my trusty little key.

But, alas! My key did not open my door. I tried several times to no avail. I tried all the other outside doors to the school to no avail. I was locked out in the cold.

After about three tries at most locks, I called another teacher who called another teacher. He came and unlocked the front door for me. What a relief! What a blessing to have a colleague who will leave the warmth of his house to unlock a door.

I felt the effects of my being in the cold for 20 minutes without proper attire for such weather until about lunch time. I feel the effects of the gratefulness today.

The Passing of First Semester

First Semester, born August 24, 2006, entered into rest on January 12, 2007 at Terre Hill Mennonite High School. Surviving is one sibling, Second Semester, Terre Hill.

All first semester papers, projects, and exams have been graded. Quarter and semester grades will be calculated on Saturday (We [the editorial we] hope all students have passed their English classes this semester). Second semester begins on Monday.

THMH now has one teacher who has celebrated his 60th birthday. (Mr. Isaac -- if you are wondering)

Another class of sophomores is getting legal driving privileges (some on the first attempt and some later).

We (not the editorial we) are set to complete two years of mortgage payments on this house within the next month. Has it already been two years since we moved? Has it only been two years?

Another Bible quizzing season begins with the first quiz in two weeks.

Winter has finally arrived, I think.

It is 2007 and I figured out when I was in third grade that I would be OLD by the year 2000. I guess I was right. I am old in the eyes of a third grader. In fact, I am 7 years past being old. I guess that makes me older than old.

I wonder how many mortgage payments I have made for eternity?

When the winter of my life finally comes, having passed the course of life will be more important than any student passing an English class or a driver's test or winning a trophy in quizzing.

I'm glad I've lived longer than First Semester. And if I live to be older than older than older than old, it will have been a life of blessing and fulfillment.

Star's Arrival!

Star arrived at his new home yesteday. The new owners are quite delighted. We are quite thankful!

Across Country

Star arrived in southern California this morning at 12:03. Now, he has to travel to northern California to his new home.